Episode 87 - For The Better

"Bonjour, mon chéri." Ziggy tapped at an empty place at the table and Amari slouched into the chair, a cup of coffee already steaming in front of him. "Your lover left already, tsé?"

Sighing at the words, he sipped the hot liquid. "Could you not call him that? Maybe it works in French, but it just sounds dirty in English."

"I second that," the other figure at the table agreed with a light chuckle. "Brings up too many unwanted mental images..."

"Hein? And everyone tells me that I'm the pervert." This time they both laughed together.

Amari could only sigh a second time in response. "And now there are two..." He leaned forward and stared toward the man across the table. "What're you doing here, Joe? This is, what, the fourth night you've stayed?"

"Just helping out at the club." He had one of those light, friendly, cheerful voices that made Amari think he was always smiling. He and Ziggy really were so similar. "I spend too much time locked up in the studio. It's nice to get out and watch a full live band, performing on an actual stage."

"Seems like you've been here a lot lately, that's all." Amari picked at the handle of his mug, looking down at the table.

Ziggy cleared his throat. "Pourquoi? Is there something wrong with that?" His friend tapped a finger near Amari. "It's not what you're thinking, hein? He sleeps on the couch. I can have friends too, tsé?"

"Jesus. So defensive, Zig." Ziggy was clearly nervous and he smiled, wondering if his friend blushed easily like him. He'd always assumed the French-Canadian who spent his days inside and nights in a dark club had pale skin. How red did his cheeks become when he was embarassed? "I never said anything about him sleeping anywhere. Fait que, what's on your dirty mind, hein?"

Joe chuckled across from him, then stretched back in his chair. "I think you both have issues." He stood and brought his cup to the sink, then headed to the door. "Unfortunately, there are tracks out there that won't clean themselves, so I'll have to miss out on the rest of this awkward conversation."

After another chuckle, his things collected, he raised a hand above his head. "Au revoir messieurs!" The door closed behind him and Ziggy let out a small breath.

"What's going on?"

Amari was determined not to let him get away this time. Since they met at Yangyang's birthday party, Ziggy and Joe had become close. In some ways, it was like friendship, but Ziggy didn't have any friends, which automatically made the relationship strange. Outside of being a seemingly nice guy and a great producer, Amari knew very little about Joe, and that only added to his curiosity.

It was only in the last few weeks that he had begun to spend the night. Ziggy was correct, he always slept on the couch, and since Yangyang was often busy or with Taitai, Amari was spending more nights at home. He was sure he would have noticed if their relationship was sexual. Still, there was something different about it - something different about the way Ziggy acted around Joe, and something different in his tone when they spoke.

"You like him, don't you?" His friend huffed and went to the sink. "Don't avoid it. I can hear it in your voice. But if you like him, why's he sleeping on the couch?"

"Franchement... Is that really what you think of me?" Ziggy was always dramatic, but Amari could tell he was actually a little offended. "I don't like him like that, tsé? It just seemed like an opportunity to have a normal relationship."

Amari smiled, never imagining he would hear those words from him. "Sorry, Zig. In my defense though, you do have a history..." He trailed off, deciding not to tease anymore. "What about Nicky?"

"Moi là, je m'en câlice!" Ziggy dropped his mug in with the other dirty dishes, then turned to face the counter, mumbling, "I dumped him."

"You what?" Amari leapt from his chair and wrapped Ziggy in his arms, pressing his cheek to the man's back. "Zig! I'm so fucking proud of you!" he exclaimed, squeezing the thin frame with all the strength he had.

"Ayoye! Sacrement! Arrête, là!" Weak arms tried pushing Amari off, but he was locked tight around his waist, so Ziggy only sighed. "Coudon, mon chéri... I am glad you're so excited, but you will break me like this, tsé?"

Amari let go and leaned against the counter next to him, a wide grin on his face.

"Ah, c'est cute, this face." His friend sighed again. "It isn't that special, hein? Nicky was an asshole, and he was spending more time with his wife, so I told him to fuck off. C'est fini!"

"Zig, I really am proud of you." He gave him an encouraging pat on the back. "And now you're free to fall in love with Joe..."

Ziggy snorted out a laugh and grabbed Amari's shoulder. "Ah, mon petit frère... You are such a silly kid. Maybe we'll just start with friends, hein?"

"Yeah, that's good too." He couldn't stop grinning, his friend finally sticking up for himself and taking out the trash. Now they had both started to turn their lives around for the better.

Amari gave his friend's hand a squeeze, then pulled away. "Time to act like an adult and get ready for work." He headed toward the bathroom, Ziggy chuckling behind him.

"Are you coming back today, Monsieur Scott?" his cheerful voice called out after him.

"I'm watching Taitai tonight, but I'll be by this afternoon to grab some clean clothes, so I'll see you then." Amari stepped into the bathroom and shut the door, still grinning as he went through his usual morning routine.

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Yawning as he headed across the street toward home, Amari sent Yangyang a message.

'Minwoo picked Taitai up from school?'

Waiting for the reply, he stretched out his neck and twisted his back, walking slowly down the sidewalk. Everything was stiff from leaning over and crouching on the floor with children all day.

'Yeah. Are you home yet? You're spending the night with him, yeah?'

He absentmindedly punched in the building code, pulling on the handle when he heard the buzz.

'Yeah. Just stopping at the apartment for clothes and stuff.'

'Alright. I told Minwoo he could leave at seven. He has a date.'

That made him smile.

'Guess you're right about the girl.'

'Of course.'

It was easy to imagine the cocky playfulness that came with that response.

'What are you doing right now?'

'Late lunch. I have class at three.'

He fumbled in his pocket for the keys, then stuck them into the lock.

'So you'll be there before seven, yeah? So Minwoo can leave?'

Looking through the open door, Amari hesitated in the entryway. The apartment was dark, curtains closed, and it didn't seem like anyone was home. He took a step in and could hear faint breathing coming from somewhere just ahead.

'Are you there?'

Amari shuffled slowly toward the sound, a hard knot in his throat, until the breathing was directly below him and his toe tapped gently against something laying on the floor - someone laying on the floor.

He recognized the smell before ever touching the man and froze, his phone tumbling from his hand, his chest tight and the knot in his throat now choking him. Dropping to his knees, he felt the body until his fingers reached the face. From this close distance, he could tell there was an occasional wheeze among the short, quiet breaths.

"Zig?" He could barely whisper, the sound trying to force itself out. His fingers were wet, warm, and he put them to his nose, inhaling the familiar, metallic scent.

"Zig?" His voice was louder this time, more frantic, and he gently shook the man. He was obviously bleeding, but he couldn't see his injuries and panic rushed over him.

"Zig! Wake up!" His friend didn't budge, laying still on the floor, hardly breathing, and Amari quickly felt around for his phone.

"Call nine-one-one."

It was only a second before the call connected.

"Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?"

"My friend... I dunno. I came home and he's on the floor, unconscious. He bleeding, but I can't tell... I can't see..."

He was beginning to pant, finding it difficult to pull anything through his narrowing airway to keep his shrinking lungs full.

"Okay sir, just stay calm. Rescue is on their way. Tell me your address."

Amari stayed on the phone, the woman on the other end continually asking him questions he couldn't answer.

::Really bitch? I'm fucking blind! What don't you understand about that? And why's this ambulance taking so fucking long?::

"Sir, are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. Listen, I told you what I can. He's barely breathing right now..."

"Yes sir, they're almost there."

Amari heard sirens in the distance and felt only the tiniest amount of relief. The sound grew louder until it stopped outside the apartment building and he hung up, stumbling down the stairs to open the locked door.

"Mon chou? What is going on?"

"Cate, go upstairs. Now." There wasn't time to explain. It would be awful to see her brother that way, but she needed to be there.

He pushed the metal door open and directed emergency services to the top floor. When they arrived, Cate was crying quietly over her brother's body, and Amari gently moved her to the side to give the paramedics space.

"We can only take one in the back with us," stated one of the men calmly, as the others began to carefully roll Ziggy out on the stretcher.

"You go." Amari moved Cate toward the door. "You should go with him." She squeezed his arm, then let the paramedic lead her down the stairs.

The apartment was suddenly quiet – a deafening silence for Amari, who sunk to the floor, feeling around again for his phone. His mind was an empty fog, but he instinctively directed the phone to dial a number. It only rang once before there was a deep voice on the other end.