Edited by: D6KTA
*****
Rei couldn't remember the last time he had as much fun. While the morning meeting with his mother had been more than a little unpleasant, the shopping trip with Zander that had followed had been something to cherish. Zander had lead him to store after store, telling different clerks and assistants exactly what he was looking for. Rei hadn't done much in the beginning except for sitting back and letting Zander do the shopping. Yet try as he may, he couldn't seem to control his facial expressions when Zander held up an article of clothing he didn't like.
It started off with a shirt much like the one he was wearing. It was black and baggy and covered Rei like a dress. While he didn't mind the color of it at all, he felt swallowed by the length of material. He didn't want to complain though, not after all Zander had done for him. So instead, he just smiled, diligently walking back to the dressing room to try it on.
Zander must have caught on at some point, because soon enough, the selections turned to more of what he would have picked for himself in a different life. Tight shirts that hugged his body soon draped over his arms as he walked into the dressing room. Instead of feeling suffocated by the collar around his throat, the V-neck allowed him to breath. He began to dance as he modeled the clothing in front of Zander, happier each time he saw the man's smile grace his face. Martin too seemed to be having fun, standing back slightly as if guarding them from the other customers in the store. Rei had wondered about Martin's actions, but once again he let his shyness get the better of him.
After the bags were packed into the car, they decided a quaint little sandwich shop would be their lunch. Rei was tired, but he refused to miss out on any of the events. He found his seat on the inside the booth, next to Zander. The closeness had caused a blush to come up over his cheeks, remembering what had take place in the car a few hours before. Being touched by another man was something that Rei never thought to experience. It had made him feel different while at the same time, the touch had felt almost amazing after his initial bout of shyness. Even when Zander had grabbed him. It had hurt, a lot, but then that changed too. Rei found himself wanting to run away from the pain while also wondering what more would feel like.
He hadn't ever really touched himself besides to go to the bathroom. And while he was naïve, he knew people did things like that in order to gain pleasure from another. But with Zander, he wondered what it meant. Wondered why Zander had touched him in such a way. Yes, he said he would do anything to be able to pay Zander back for the kindness he had shown. But this...
A little wiggle from him drew up the side of Zander's mouth in an amused smile. With his hand sitting on the table, Rei easily caught the sight of that impressive but peculiar ring on his finger. It was like no other ring he had ever seen. With its small size, it was clear that this ring was meant for a woman. While he was sure most would prefer to wear gold, this ring was silver. The ruby was small, the size of a pea where it sat in the middle of an ornate swirling design. Rei's examination of the ring quickly ended as shame washed over him for a second time at the thought of being with a married man. His father had been notorious about sleeping around. Rei believed that was where part of his mother's anger came from. The thought of the person you loved and devoted your entire life to being with another was enough to send anyone over the edge.
Zander could see the clouds of memories pass over the boy's eyes. His little one was finally relaxing, his shoulders no longer seeming like the world rested atop them. He wanted to see more of this carefree side of him.
Zander knew he had pushed Rei too far in the car, now that the heat of the moment had died down. It didn't matter that he had kept his cock in his pants. Seeing the disapproving look on Martin's usually expressionless face had told him just exactly how much he had overstepped the line. He had seen the panic on Rei's face about needing to repay him, and as much as it turned his stomach to suggest repaying with his body like...
Zander gave himself an inner shake, not letting his own memories come over him. Instead, he turned to Rei once their drinks had been delivered and smiled. "So Rei, why don't you tell us about yourself a little?"
Rei choked a little on his drink, staring back at Zander like he had suddenly grown two heads. This man wanted to talk about himself. Rei couldn't help but roll his eyes after the initial shock wore down. 'What a useless conversation this will be.' The thought crossed his mind as he let out a soft sigh.
Rei sat back in his seat a little more, pulling his legs up so that his knees showed just over the table. "There isn't much to tell. I mean I'm not that interesting. I turned eighteen a few months ago. Um...I just graduated high school." Rei bit gently to his bottom lip, trying to think of anything that was of interest but coming up completely blank.
Zander's smile though never seemed to waver. To have this boy think of himself as uninteresting while Zander was completely enthralled with him was just short of blasphemy. Zander could see the strength from the little creature beside him. Something about the boy called to him.
He wanted to protect him, to nurture him. He could easily admit to himself that his darker half wanted Rei as well. His pale skin just begged to carry his mark. However, that wasn't something he could openly say at this point to Rei. His little one had just lived a life of hell that would have broken most.
Zander has had several boys in the past. All had their own special quirks that had originally drew him in. Though it seemed things never worked out as they should have. Most turned greedy, no longer acting out of submission, but instead believing the more they pleased him, the more they would get out of him. While he didn't have a problem with spoiling what he considered his, their actions had come to taint the relationships as a whole.
They left the shop soon after, Rei's smile returning to his face as the attention was pulled away from himself. As they walked down the sidewalk, Rei remained mostly quiet, listening in as Zander and Martin spoke of a meeting that had apparently been missed. From the sound of it, the meeting had been an important one.
"Christmas is next weekend. With all the final meetings for the year, we won't be able to schedule it until after the holiday or even the New Year."
Rei let the words trail from his mind, his eyes catching a brightly lit window. It took a moment for him to realize the window lead into the toy shop he had always watched. He usually only visited the shop after closing hours had long since pass. Apparently in the afternoon, this energetic shop was among the busiest. He stopped, looking into the window. Kids of all ages ran around the shop, bright smiles on their faces. Some of them held up toys for different parents to see, while others simply held them close. He watched as one little girl showed her mother a truly precious looking doll. The little girl's eyes shone in joy as the toy was handed over to the clerk. A few moments passed before the girl was handed back a festively wrapped box. Some lucky child would open that gift with a smile on their face.
