Chapter 4 "The Games We Play"

When Zayn found Leo already waiting in the hallway the next morning he was a little surprised, but mostly happy. "Good morning."

Leo's face turns from stoic and difficult to approach to excited puppy faster than a Tesla can go from zero to sixty. "Hey! Morning! Ready to race?"

Zayn chuckles. "I didn't realize that we would be racing… I thought we could just run together…"

Leo scratches the back of his neck and bites his lip, which sends an urge to touch him to Zayn's arm down to his finger tips and he ignores it to focus on listening. "Sorry. I promise that I know that not everything is a competition…"

Zayn smiles. "It's okay if you do… Our work is highly competitive in nature… I could probably use a little more of that edge."

"Nonsense." Leo's face is very serious as he continues and begins some light stretching. "Yes, acting is highly competitive, but isn't it your kindness that opened the bigger doors for you so far? You're so naturally talented and beautiful, but I don't think that is what will bring you the success you want."

Zayn lets out a stunned huff. "Wow. The sun is hardly up and you speak so deeply. I agree that talent and looks aren't enough… but what do you think will bring the success in life I want?"

Leo smirks. "Isn't it obvious? Your hard work and effort. You put so much into your work. You didn't sit back on what you were born with, you stepped up on to it and are going to take yourself further. That and your kind heart. Don't let this world break that okay?" The smirk left his face when he spoke the last part and Zayn noticed.

Zayn has been pursuing this life for almost ten years now, but something about the look on Leo's face made him wonder if Leo had seen more pain in his pursuit of fame than he had. He speaks genuinely as he rests a hand on Leo's shoulder, causing a light blush. "Thank you Leo."

They ran in relative silence until finding their way into a park to take a break and stretch their warmed up muscles a little more. Leo looked over to see Zayn's well toned calf and thought he might start drooling as he spoke. "You have nice legs and a—— are a good runner." He smiles sheepishly at Zayn who is scowling at him for nearly stepping over the line so early in the morning.

"Thanks. You aren't so bad yourself." Zayn straitens from the stretch and realizes just how empty the park is. "Wow. I think we really are the only people here right now…"

Without thinking Leo speaks again. "I know. Think of all the things we could get away with…" Zayn's cheeks and ears are starting to go read and Leo chuckles at the sight. "Goodness. I can't say anything around you without you taking it somewhere naughty in your head."

Zayn quickly slaps Leo's chest and once again internally swoons at the muscles he felt and the swoon nearly surfaces when Leo grabs his wrist and brings his face close to Zayn's. "Did we not discover last night that you smack when I am right? Is there something you had in mind when you led us here so early in the morning?"

Zayn gulps and without realizing it his eyes dropped to Leo's lips and lingered there as blood and heat rush to his lips. When he speaks it sounds half sure as his eyes look into intrigued green eyes. "I was just noticing the lack of other humans… I can't help where my mind wonders when you talk the way you do…"

Leo laughs as he releases Zayn's wrist and steps back. Zayn sighs when this happens before Leo stops laughing and looks back to him with some mischief. "I'll pretend like I don't know where your mind went this morning— if you you can beat me back to the hotel."

Zayn's brow raises as he smiles confidently. "Deal."

Leo knew he would lose the race back to the hotel, he hates running, but when he saw the victorious expression on Zayn's whole face he felt like he won.

It didn't take long for everyone on set to notice the air between the two lead actors of their show had changed. Before there were pockets of levity between them that were inevitably burst by one of them going too far or the other just being done. On the day after their biggest fight though was noticeably lighter than anything before.

Zayn got to set first, pretty normal. He's usually there before the hair and makeup department, reading through the script for the day while eating an apple and nut bar. This morning he was not reading his script, he was on a phone call and when his team got there to start turning him into his character, he smiled brightly at them while finishing up his call. "Thank you so much for taking my call. I look forward to meeting you in person tomorrow evening. Have a lovely rest of your day Mrs. Volante— sorry— Mama..." he blushed as he hung up and the beauty team noticed.

The lead makeup artist waved her hands to signal everyone to get busy before turning to Zayn with a smirk. ���Calling his mother on him... are you trying to get him in trouble with his parents too?"

Zayn smiles politely. "Good morning Miss Arima." She notices the brightness in his eyes, not that he wasn't normally cheery and pleasant in the mornings, but she though something seemed brighter about him.

She scowls while wiping his face clean. "I told you, you don't have to be so formal with me... I prefer you just call me by my first name."

"Sorry Daisy. It's habit." He looks a bit bashful with his lifted shoulders and lowered eyes.

There was some silence as she started to apply primer and foundation to his already nearly perfect skin. "So, why are you calling Leo's mother so early in the morning?"

Zayn just smiles, lips closed and closes his eyes to allow her to work her magic and turn him into a World War Two British Soldier with a severe head wound and covered in mud and blood.

His eyes remain closed and as they apply a prosthetic injury to his face he almost dozed off until a familiar voice is directly in his ear. "Good morning sweetie. Did you eat breakfast?"

He still didn't open his eyes for fear some of the intense makeup might fall into his eyes. "I have... the usual. What about you?"

Kassandra Aston sits down in her makeup chair and her team is on her like bees at a picnic table to get her ready. She plays Zayn's onscreen mother and in real life her and Zane have known each other for many years and have a good friendship. "Hubby and I went to a little restaurant around the corner from my hotel, 'The Bagel' it was so nice. Very private too. Did you work things out with Leo last night?"

Zayn could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks and when Daisy stopped he knew she could see his nerves and she couldn't help but respond. "Tch. Zayn, what the heck happened yesterday? I know you two have been picking on each other since the start, but even us lowly hair and makeup crew heard about yesterday. I heard you almost hit him."

He lets out a huff. Before he can speak the low and husky voice he'd been dreaming of all night spilled into the room like a warm wave on the shore of his mind. "Like Mr. Prim and Proper would ever allow himself such an outburst."

"Leo, how long have you been listening?" Daisy scolds.

The sound of Leo's steps into the room excite Zayn, and Kassandra and Daisy notice the slight smile on his makeup covered face.

As Leo made his way to his chair he gently drags a hand across the back of Zayn's shoulders and then sat down to be made up for the day before responding. "Long enough to hear you pestering my Zayn."

Zayn's eyes shot open as he whispered. "My Zayn?" Daisy smirks as she started to come up with some ideas of what happened after their fight yesterday.

Kassandra started to laugh. "Your Zayn?! Ha! He belongs to me more than he belongs to you!" She nearly started to snort in her laughter to follow.

Leo speaks plainly when he settles into the chair. "Care to make a wager on that Kassandra?"

Zayn swallows. "Can you two not talk about me like I'm an object for purchase?"

The ghost of a smile can be seen by Leo's team as they begin their work. "If you were an object for purchase no one could get in my way."

Zayn's face starts to heat up and he growls his words. "Leo. Stop."

Kassandra had stopped laughing and was eyeing both men now and noticing that despite the intensity of Zayn's response, there were slight smiles on both of them. "So are you two ready to knock this scene out of the park with all of the unspoken desires under the surface of your characters?"

Leo smirks before settling his face back to its normal blank expression that Zayn is starting to see as a challenge to make him smile and laugh more. Zayn answers with some exaggeration in his tone. "After the conversations last night, I think Leo will be able to do his part. As for myself, I wasn't the one struggling yesterday." A bashful smile crosses Leo's face for the briefest moment, one that Zayn was pleased to catch sight of.

Kassandra is also starting to put some guesses as to what happened the night before together now. "Good. It would be a shame to waste more of these ladies and gentlemen's hard work on making you two pretty boys look so war torn."

They nail the scene in one take. All the tenderness needed for the characters to be revealing unspeakable desires for each other has the entire crew a little stunned after the several failed attempts the night before.

As they had a break to while the crew finished setting up for the next scene they needed some adjustments to their makeup since the next shots would be in hospital and not bloodied up on the battlefield.

One of the staff came by the hair and makeup room. "Zayn & Leo, we weren't planning to be done with that scene so early… so we are going to do some shots with the other actors since your makeup is going to need so much adjusting. You're free until after lunch break once your makeup is done." They both thanked the staff member before he ran off to do his next task.

Leo leans his head back with a bright smile that sort of unnerves his makeup artist as he speaks so warmly. "So, what should we do during our break? We could order food and snug—"

"Run lines." Zayn interrupts with a slight blush. "I have a lot of lines today and so do you."

Leo smirks. "Sure. Sure. But we should also do something fun. I have my Nintendo Switch or some games on my phone…"

Zayn nervously swallows and a slight giggle bubbles from his lips, nervous what Leo might think of his response as he shifts just his eyes to see the response. "I haven't played a lot of video games…"

Leo leans forward with in interested. "What do you mean? You've played some games right?"

Zayn speaks softly. "Maybe once or twice when I was younger…" His eyes shift away from Leo for a moment.

"So are we talking Ninetendo 64 or older?" Leo leans his head, teasing a little.

Zayn bites his lip wondering why everything must be older with him, it's only five years between them…"I don't know… probably older."

Leo's fails to sound as interested as he is, instead sounding teasing. "How much older? Are we talking Pong? Atari 2600?"

Zayn had started to clench his jaw and fists. "If you were closer I would punch you right now…"

Leo realized he may have taken things too close to the edge. "Sorry Zaynie. I'll be nicer. Was it handheld? Or did you use a controller?"

Zayn's lips were being worked on so there was some silence as he thought back to the last Christmas he spent with his uncle. It took him a moment to remember his uncle, he hasn't seen him in sixteen years, not since that Christmas all those years ago when he was given the gaming system and hadn't put it down all day until his parent's ripped it from his hands, threw it at his uncle and told him to leave with so much anger that Zayn's father's voice was what was burned into his memory the clearest. When Daisy finished with his lips she notices the somber look on his face as he almost whispered his words. "It was a Gameboy. Super Mario Land." He got up from the chair, thanked Daisy and left without another word to Leo.

Leo watched, he could tell Zayn had got sucked into his own mind and that's why he left the room the way he did. "Emma, Are we almost done here?"

His makeup artist smiles. "I can finish after the break. Go get him." She winks. As Leo's lead hair and makeup artist she had seen every longing look, and was in full support of him chasing after the pent up gentleman across the room. He didn't smile at Emma as he got up to leave, his eyes fixed on the exit, but he did thank her.

It took him awhile to track Zayn down, hiding in one of the unused hospital room sets and on the phone. Leo rests again the wall behind Zayn, feeling a bit guilty for listening in.

"I'm glad I called too… I'm sorry they— you're right. Thank you. I had no idea they were capable of that kind of… anyway. Can I— can I call you more often?" Zayn's voice was usually so steady, hearing him so emotional made Leo's heart hurt.

Zayn was wiping tears from his eyes as he listened to his uncle on the other side saying he could call anytime and "maybe you could visit me some time, I still live in New York, with the same partner, Derek, that I was with sixteen years ago… part of me wants to rub that in your father's face…"

Zayn chuckles. "I don't blame you… I'm really nervous… What if…"

His uncle waits a moment for Zayn to try and put words together before speaking. "Hey, you're their kid and I know how much they love you. They just— they just want what they think is best for you… Just know that whatever happens, however they may respond—" There is an emotional choke on the other line before the uncle can continue. "I'll be here for you."

Zayn smiles as a few more tears form in his eyes. "Thank you uncle Robert… I really… thank you." They hang up with promises to meet up the next time Zayn is back in New York.

After the phone call Zayn sits on the edge of the hospital bed and buries his face in his hands, knowing that Daisy is going to be pissed he messed some of his makeup up, but she's so skilled it will be fixed easily.

"Hey…" Leo's quiet and gentle voice pulled Zayn from his thoughts and worries as he listened to his approaching footsteps with a smile. "You okay Zaynie?"

Leo crouched down and rested his hand on Zayn's knees. Zayn smiled, a little disingenuous as he spoke in a whisper. "Zaynie?"

Leo smiles brightly. "Do you like it? If you don't I can think of a better nickname."

"No. It's good. I like it." Zayn's fake smile as he speaks in an almost monotone voice is starting to worry Leo.

"Hey… Do you want to talk about something?" Zayn immediately starts to shake his head with a pitiful bow in his head. Leo continues with a smile. "Or we could kiss."

A real smile finally spreads across Zayn's feature, along with a blush in his cheeks and ears. "I told you we aren't kissing until we are officially—" He couldn't finish as Leo pressed his forehead to his and brushed finger along his cheek, under his ear, and through the hair at the nape of his neck, making everything feel like it's vibrating. Zayn quietly moans. "Leo…"

Leo's voice is husky and sends tingles across Zayn's scalp. "Don't worry Zaynie, I won't kiss you, despite how badly we both want to." His hand begins to pull away and is stopped at his cheek when Zayn grabs his wrist.

Dark brown and bright emerald eyes meet in a mix of desire and restraint as Zayn speaks firmly. "Just… can we just stay like this for a moment?"

Leo's smile is a huffed half smile. "Of course. Whatever you need." They did just that until Zayn felt like he could stand again, until the warmth of Leo melted the ice his family's past had put in his veins.

When they stood Zayn reached for Leo's hand and interlocks their fingers. "What should we eat for lunch?"

"I was just going to order a sub and some chips… but that's not very cute is it…?" Leo shyly smiles, distracted by their hands and still coming out of the haze that filled his head being so close to kissing Zayn just a minute before.

Zayn begins gently swinging their hands. "Well, last night we did my favorite, why don't we do your favorite for lunch?"

Leo smiles a little uncomfortably. "Can we.. can we do something else?" Zayn tilts his head like a confused puppy that makes Leo chuckle a little as he continues. "I've been eating it for lunch every day for the last two weeks… I was going to try Mexican food for awhile…"

Zayn starts to laugh. "You've just been eating the same thing for lunch every day until you get tired of it? Oh, that's gotta change. Mexican food today, Chinese tomorrow, and something different every day, and we will try to keep it healthy…"

Leo just smiles as they start to walk out of the set, hands still clasped like it's the most natural thing in the world until they got close to people again and they released their hold, both of their hearts aching as their hands swayed, lonely, at their sides.

After running through lines a couple of times, poking each other in the ribs whenever the lines built romantic tension between them. Everyone, every cast member, every crew member, saw this and couldn't help but feel like Leo and Zayn were suddenly in their own separate world.

David Haines, one of their co-stars who plays Zayn's devoted right hand man in the show huffs as he watches the two of them and turns to Abigail Grey who plays one of the nurses who is desperately in love with Leo's character. "Look at them. Yesterday they were at each other's throat and today they pull off that romantic scene like it's nothing and they're sharing food…"

Abigail softly smiles at David. "I have a feeling something really good went down between them last night."

David's eyes narrow. "Like what? Leo on Zayn's dick?"

Abigail's hand flies to her mouth as she sniffles a shocked laugh. "No." She sighs as she lowers her hand. "I have my theories… but only the next few weeks can confirm or deny what I think it brewing."

"Coffee—." David smiles. "I'm going to get some coffee. Do you want some?"

"No thanks. But I'll take some tea please!" She smiles brightly before taking a bite of her salad and eyeing the two leads one more time with a giggling smirk.

The day goes by quickly, running through scene after scene until Leo was done for the day. Once out of his hair and makeup and could be found on his phone at his makeup chair, waiting.

His assistant came to check on him before she left for the day since, unless he needed anything she was done for the day. "Leo, you know you don't have to wait here…"

Without smiling he looked at her. "Yes, I'm aware. Thank you Tiffany."

"So… are you waiting for something?" Tiffany is not an idiot. She knows exactly what her employer is waiting for, her romantic heart just wants to hear it.

Leo looks back down to his phone. "I'm waiting for Zayn to be done for the day…"

Tiffany's heart was so happy to hear it, even if the delivery was flat enough to hide his feelings. "Well, here is a snack sized trail mix for your wait. Is there anything else you need from me?"

Leo turns his phone around to show her his screen. "Could you pick these up for me tomorrow before coming into work? I promise to eat breakfast without you needing to bring it to me." Still no smile, but he was giving her pleading puppy eyes.

"Those are cute… do you plan on wearing both of them?" She hid her knowledge well as she looked at the bracelets on his screen, one all white beads with one black and the other is all black with one white bead. The website even calls them 'distance bracelets.'*

Leo rolls his eyes, to anyone else she could hide what she knew, but they've been working together long enough that they both can see right through each other. He pretends to talk to her like a gal pal. "Thanks Tiff. You're the best! They'll be under my name at the store when you pick them up tomorrow."

She rolls her eyes. She hates gal pals that talk like that. She'd rather drink a beer with the guys and swear at whatever sports game is on the television, which is exactly what she is heading to go do now. She pats him on the shoulder with a grin before leaving.

When Zayn comes in he doesn't see Leo in there at first and quickly begins to remove his costume, wearing full camouflage in the summer heat is exhausting for everyone, and with Zayn's slim figure it drains him. With each layer that he pulls off inside the air conditioned hair and makeup department he feels the energy coming back to him.

Leo was stunned at first, especially since he initially thought Zayn had seen him. He watched as Zayn pulled his t-shirt off to reveal his slender and pale skin and felt like he forgot how to speak. It wasn't until Zayn's pants fell to the ground and he stepped away from the pile that he quietly gasped. He always thought Zayn was beautiful, head to toe beautiful, and now he knew he was right to think so.

Zayn froze for a moment when he heard the gasp and then slowly turned to see who had just watched him strip. "Leo!" He yelled and felt the urge to cover himself up.

Leo just smiled as he approached Zayn, who had wrapped his arms around his stomach. When he gets close enough to touch the blushing brunette infant of him he gently lifts his chin up until his brown eyes meet his green eyes. "Zaynie, it's not very nice to strip in front of someone who wants to bunk with you…"

Zayn's heart had already been pounding. "I- I didn't know you were in here. Why are you in here? You finished hours ago…"

Leo smirks. "I was waiting for you to finish so we could talk. I thought you saw me when you came in. Imagine the shock to my system when you started stripping."

Zayn suddenly feels some of his confidence coming back as he stares into Leo's eyes and presses his hands to Leo's chest. "Did you enjoy the show?"

Leo growls his response as he carefully leads Zayn backwards to a nearby wall. "Mmm. Very much."

Zayn quietly sighs when his back hits the wall and Leo's hand are on either side of his head and he just now realizes that he is a couple inches taller than Leo. "What did you want to talk about?" He asks with half lidded eyes.

Leo smirks. "Us." Leo whispers into Zayn's ear, knowing what it does to every last nerve ending in Zayn's body.

Zayn's eyes close and his head tilts back a little. "What about us?" He asks with a smile.

Leo pulls his face away and Zayn slowly tilts back down to see him trying to not look frustrated. Leo can hide his emotions with so many other people, Zayn is no longer one of them. He steps away and runs a hand through his hair as he speaks. "You've had a day to think. So… I guess I'm just wondering…"

Zayn smiles and chuckles lightly while making his way to his duffle. He makes Leo wait for any response until he is fully clothed and begins removing makeup. "I fly out super early tomorrow morning to go down to LA. When I get back the next day we can talk."

Leo comes up behind him and almost rests his sad puppy face on Zayn's shoulder. "No good Zaynie. I'll be heading to Nevada day after tomorrow."

Zayn turns around slowly. "So, we won't see each other for the next four days…"

Leo nods with a sad face and his voice is a slight pout. "I can make it three if I hurry back… You said you only needed a day or two to think about us. It's been a day…" He moves closer again, reaching for Zayn's hips to pull him closer as he talks. "Do you really need more time? If you don't have an answer now--" He brings his lips dangerously close to Zayn's while maintaining eye contact. "Then it will be another three days without kissing." Zayn is a blushing mess again thanks to Leo's words and actions.

Zayn's voice is a shaky whisper. "Leo…" His eyes are glued to the others, pleading him, but for what Zayn isn't exactly sure. He really does want to be in a serious relationship, and was hoping to get that ball rolling when he returned from his trip to LA, and now he finds out that it will be further delayed… He knows it's just a day, his rational brain is saying that it isn't an issue. His emotional brain, the one still getting accustomed with all the feelings of desire he'd avoided feeling for so long was say 'Start the ship now or you're an idiot.' Zayn swallows as his eyes shift from Leo's full lips and back to his eyes and speaks clearly. "It's just an extra day…" Leo pulls himself away with a quiet huff. Zayn's emotional brain is thrashing about it's bedroom and screaming that he's horrible while his rational brain waits at the door of that room sipping a glass of water with a calm smile until Zayn continues. "Stay in my room tonight?"

Leo's eyes go a little wide for a moment as Zayn's words sink in. "Huh?" Is all his poor brain can handle right now.

Zayn bites his lip, not helping any of their brains. "I have to leave the hotel at 3am tomorrow. I was thinking we could stay up until then… in my room… but if you don't want to I'd under—"

"Yes." Leo interrupts and Zayn doesn't really mind as he watches Leo smile so warmly as he reaches for his arms and hugs it tightly as he speaks. "Let's go now. We can order pizza and I can bring my Xbox over." Zayn just laughs as he nods his head.