Zach pulled back and looked incredulously at him. “I beg your pardon?”
“Ah, there are those angelic manners!” he teased. Zach reached around and smacked Drew’s bottom, making him yelp. “Hey!”
“No sassing me, mister,” Zach told him
“Youlikeme sassing you.”
“Fine, I can’t deny that, but that’s totally not the point here. Now, what the hell do you mean?”
Drew rolled his eyes and waved his hands in front of Zach. “This, all of this, just now!That’swhy you’ll be in your cat form! You can be as possessive as you like as Noodle. Lay all over me, mark me as yours, glare at Dom all you like—that’s acceptable as a cat butnotas my boyfriend. Ergo, you will be a cat.”
Zach pouted, which was both adorable and slightly ridiculous on a grown man, but he didn’t argue. “Fine, but I expect belly rubs.”
Drew leaned up on his tiptoes and pressed a kiss to the tip of Zach’s nose. “You can haveallthe belly rubs.”
The buzzer was soon ringing, indicating Dom had arrived, and Drew let him in, giving directions to his apartment. Zach pulled Drew in for one last kiss and then fluidly melted into Noodle. He leaped up into Drew’s arms and twisted around onto his back, exposing his furry tummy. “You are so spoiled,” Drew murmured as he stroked Zach softly. There was a knock on the door and Drew went over and opened it for Dom. “Hi,” he said, standing aside to let him in.
“Hey,” Dom said, and his eyes went soft when they landed on Zach. “And hello to you, Mr Noodle,” he cooed and joined in with the belly rubs.
Drew could tell Zach was fighting it, but his cat instinct soon took over and he began to purr loudly, making Drew chuckle.You’re such a softie,he said.
Less talking, more petting,Zach instructed.
Drew led Dom across the tiny main room and into the even smaller kitchen, suddenly feeling embarrassed. “Um, sorry. It’s not as nice as your place,” he apologised.
Dom gave him a funny look. “It’s fine, Drew. There’s no need to apologise.” His look then turned serious. “How are you doing?”
Drew shrugged. “I’m okay, really. I appreciate you coming round here so I didn’t have to see him.”
Dom shook his head. “I can’t believe he was such a dick!” He grimaced. “Actually, no, I cantotallysee him being such a dick, but still. Hitting on someone who’s in a relationship is low. If it wasn’t for the fact that Gwen and I have been grouped with him for Professor Coultard’s assignment, I’d have booted him from the study group altogether.”
“It’s okay. I don’t expect everyone else to stop being friends with him because of what he did.”
Dom scowled. “Decent people would. As soon as this assignment is done and dusted, I don’t want anything else to do with him.”
“Has he, uh, said anything about it to you guys?” Drew asked, pretty sure Edward wouldn’t say anything to anyone else about the conclusion he’d drawn, but needing to be sure.
Dom shook his head. “Nah, he’s hardly said boo. He’s acting really weird, though . . . jumpy at everything. Like, the other day we were heading to the coffee shop after the session and a woman was walking her dog across campus. He actually shrieked when he saw it and then made some excuse to leave.” Dom shrugged. “I think he’s been struggling in class for a while now . . . finally figured out he can’t just breeze through everything like he did in high school, so maybe he’s finally cracked.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Drew said, hoping hisvoicedidn’t crack.
“But you’re really okay?” Dom asked again, his voice full of concern. “I can just imagine how forceful he was.” He shuddered.
Drew smiled at him, warm and genuine, lucky to have such a good friend.“Yeah, I am, I swear. Thanks, though. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Or a soda?”
“Coffee would be great, thanks.”
Drew went over and switched on the electric kettle, still cradling Zach in his arms, and then paused. “Crap, it’s only instant. Sorry, is that okay?”
Dom rolled his eyes. “Drew, it’sfine.I drink instant at home as well, okay. Sure, I live in my parents’ apartment, and they give me an allowance, but it’s not massive. The odd coffee from the Starbucks on campus or the Timmy’s on Fifth is the fanciest I get, okay?”
Drew blushed. “Okay, sorry.”
Dom laughed. “If you don’t stop this needless apologising, I’m going to smack you upside the head. Now stop it.”
I knew there was a reason I liked him,Zach said, and he jumped out of Drew’s arms and trotted over to Dom, meowing up at him.
“Oh, you want up?” Dom asked, and then leaned back in the chair to give Zach space to jump onto his lap. “Oh, that reminds me, I bought something for you.”
