Mirror Work

He was short. And slim, lean. For as much muscle as he had, he still seemed scrawny. Bug eyes, a very strong jawline, a touch of older ink scattered on his skin; and short. Enzo was fairly short in comparison.

Colin examined from the mattress, undoing his cuff links. His boyfriend occupied the full body mirror, slowly, slightly self-consciously peeling away the confidence he wore to the party mere hours ago aiming to impress. Now Amore was here. No one around to pretend for but still someone to impress. The only one he cared for impressing.

Colin knew Enzo loved him, and he reciprocated the affection. It was one of those things that was just plain as day—written in the stars, as they say. Even still, Colin could always feel the discomfort weighing on his love whenever they had an intimate moment of privacy. Low lights and shadows were most familiar in those moments. As they prepared for rest now, the lights were still dim.

Cassady's eyes scanned Amore from the top down. Colin was nearly down to his boxers and Enzo hadn't even untucked his dress shirt. His shoes had been unlaced but even those hadn't been removed. Of course, it wasn't an issue. It was always so. And soon...

"You're already undressed, huh?" Enzo chuckled, the line delivered right on schedule. That masked confidence coming out in an obnoxious laugh. He'd always seem playful as long as he still had the trappings costuming his body. "Guess you beat me to the shower again, Cass."

Enzo's way of getting Colin out of the room. Allowing himself the privacy to disrobe, to shed his false persona and sink into his insecurity. Usually Colin would bite but not tonight. "Nah, I'll wait for you."

"I thought you said I use all the hot water when I go first."

Another dismissal that Colin was used to. "I was meaning for us to shower together, Zo."

A single instance of discomfort shot between them but Amore moved in quick to clean it up. "You think two big guys like us can fit? Cause I sure don't," the last part was more of a whisper as Enzo cleared his pockets. He routinely did the mundane and trivial parts of getting comfortable and undressed first.

"The tub is big enough for both of us to bathe in. Just sit with your back to my chest." Cassady continued to watch through the mirror. Needed to see how his unusual push was received. What reaction he would get.

Enzo looked a little shaky but nodded. "I guess that'll work." The words seemed falsely content. The physical displeasure embodying itself and resting on the smaller man. "I uh, better hurry up then, huh? Can't keep you waiting." Enzo reached for a button on his shirt and fiddled with it, nowhere near undoing it, but he pretended to busy himself with the task. After a minute or two, he turned to look at his love. "You gonna run the water while I...?"

Sure, Enzo seemed to be sweating but Colin didn't want to give up like that. He needed this addressed. Too many times it had gone untended to. "You know I like the water scalding. If I run it now, with how slow you're moving, it'll be an iceberg."

The other snorted at the joke and lowered his eyes in the mirror. "I ain't movin' that slow." Enzo wasted a few more minutes, the pattern continuing. He'd pretend to fiddle with a button until it came undone, catch eyes with the ever vigilant Cassady, and look back to his buttons. Needing to break the monotony, Amore finally started to move toward the bathroom. "Maybe I'll just go in here and run the water."

And Colin followed in the shuffle, leaning up into the bathroom's door frame to keep Enzo from shutting him out. It worked in that sense but now Amore was staring up at the imposing seven-foot figure, trapped in a way. "What? Now you don't think in capable of using the faucet?" The man snickered nervously and attempted to gesture Colin out. "I got this, Cass."

"Get undressed, Zo."

Amore stopped his squirming and squawking for just enough time to hear. He sucked his teeth and tried getting Colin out. "I will if you give me a minute. I'm just tryin' to—"

"In front of me. Let me see that body I fell in love with. You're always hiding it." And the peak of uncertainty was evident, written in Enzo's convex orbs.

Colin saw his opportunity. "C'mon young blue eyes, give me a little something to dream about tonight, huh?" He took the humorous approach, a little bit of playfulness added, and reached to undo the last of the buttons on the basically opened shirt. His fingers so close, he lightly allowed them to dust up against the olive skin of his boyfriend's stomach. So soft and tender. A tremor met the touch and Amore seemed to be indecisive on how to move, ultimately leading to a lack of any action. After letting Cass lead his exploration to his hip, Enzo grabbed the larger hand. A short but meaningful peck on the knuckles was distraction enough and Colin decided to keep his hands to himself, busying them with running the bath water. He sat expectantly on the edge of the tub.

Enzo inhaled slightly and shuffled around to begin working on his slacks. His slow actions only reaffirmed the true nature of Amore's missing confidence. For a guy who could offer so much, he had no reason to lack anything, in Colin's eyes.

Surprisingly the man was finished with that task sooner than the others. The shorter stepped out of the pooling pants and scratched his arm, discomfited energy needing to find some outlet. Now down to his boxers, Enzo turned towards the larger man. Uncertain, all confidence lost; he looked positively nervous. Then there was a shaky laugh. "Alright, you got enough of the peep show. We gettin' in yet?" Amore teased with his wavering vocals but Colin didn't bite at all. He didn't move. He simply stared, marveled at the man. Marveled again at the idea that Enzo doubted his self, especially his appearance. There must've been a strange expression on his face because the shorter man began checking around his exposed midsection. "I still haven't found a way to cover up this tat here."

"Huh?" The question was off handed and automatic.

"Trips and Regal said something to you about it, right? How I need to do something about the tats?"

Finally less distracted, Cass shook his head. "Wha? No. Never said word wise to me." Enzo nodded as if hearing but he still ran a few dismissive fingers over the ink, regret clearly on his face. "Even if they did, I wouldn't ask you to get rid of 'em. I like 'em."

"Yeah?" Enzo huffed laughingly, shyly and attempted a brisk stride out the bathroom. Well "I ain't too fond of 'em." Nearly out the door, Enzo didn't expect the harsh tug on his arm. He certainly didn't expect the bathroom door being slammed shut nor his back and shoulders being pressed against it. Cassady was always full of surprises that way, however. "Hey, you almost took my shoulder out!" But Colin wouldn't let him walk away and hide this time. No, he had to take the opportunity for all it was worth. "What's your problem, bro? You've been acting weird ever since we got in tonight!"

"Why don't you love yourself?"

Rather than letting it strike a nerve, Enzo snorted and attempted to brush Colin's hand away. "What are you talkin' about? I love me just fine." He tried to get off the door and was immediately pressed back.

"No, why don't you love you like I love you, Zo?"

"Cass, let me g—"

"So what if you ain't seven feet tall? What if you ain't got three hundred pounds of muscle? You're the feistiest six-foot-nothing cruiser weight I've ever seen. "

"Cass, I—"

"And I like your tattoos. And your weird fetish for leopard print. And how obnoxiously loud you are. I wouldn't make you change any of that!"

Enzo became fidgety once more, stepping in to Colin to get him back. "But Cass—"

"And especially your eyes! Don't let no one say nothin' about your eyes. Sure they're a little buggy, but heck, mines are buggy! But yours are a lot softer. A lot nicer. Beautiful Enzo." Amore couldn't help the red that snuck across his cheeks at the declaration. He settled then, leaning back against the door but keeping his gaze down—not really what Cassady hoped for but what he expected. The big man backed away then and found a spot back at the edge of the tub. "Why can't you see that? What's standing in your way?"

"Aye, what makes you so sure I don't feel the same way, huh?" The question was answered with another question.

"Buggy, remember?" Colin opened his eyes with exaggerated wideness. "Makes it hard to miss seeing anything." The response got him at least a chuckle before a groan of agony escaped from Enzo. He wiped his hands down his face nervously and cleared his throat. "Tell me, Zo."

A sigh.

"When I look at you, Cass, and then look at me...I don't know. Something just don't...add up, you know?" Cassady furrowed his brow in confusion, just to encourage further explanation. Another sigh of desperation and Enzo slumped against the door, sinking to the cool tiles of the bathroom floor. "Okay, I know you might think it's stupid to think like this—"

"Enzo, I'd never th—"

"Let me finish, Cass." Waiting for the okay before he continued, Enzo ran a hand through his hair. "So you might think it's dumb, but when I look at me and you, as a couple, the picture just isn't...perfect." He blinked a few times, scrunching up his face as he looked for the words. "Like, something is off and I ain't sure what. So then I start thinking 'Well Zo, how can we fix this here picture?' And then I say 'Well, look how tall Cass is. Maybe if you were taller this wouldn't look so, you know, unbalanced. Or maybe if I just gained a little muscle'. Because everyone says I look like a rag doll next to you. 'Or better yet, Enzo, you should clean yourself up all together. Look how prim and proper Cass looks'." Enzo kind of laughed at his own ramblings but the seriousness was obvious in the air. "Like, I remember when we were younger, you'd always have some honey hanging off your arm and I just remember how good it looked. You and anybody. Marie, Angela, even Carmella that one time. But then you got me and suddenly something doesn't look right." The smaller man moved to fiddle with the tiles, drawing an abstract pattern on the floor. "So sometimes I just think if I wasn't so much like me, you know, then it'd work out a little better."

The bath water was stopped, the faucets slowly turned back. "Less like you, huh?" Colin seemed to still be registering all he'd heard. "And what makes you so sure that you're the problem in the picture?"

"Because you're perfect, that's why," the quick answer was chuckled out as if it was the most obvious of all gospel truths. "How you doin."

"Not too good, Enzo. Not too good." Cass stood up and folded his arms. "The guy that I love, my best friend, doesn't even realize that I'm the lucky one, getting to go out with someone like him." Enzo appeared fixed on interrupting him, so Colin just talked all the more, planting himself on the floor next to the other. "See, my pal thinks I'm perfect but he doesn't even realize that I only look that way when he's around. If I'm confident, it's because of him. If I'm dressed to the nines, you better believe it's for his eyes. On my own, all I got going for me is my height. You see, contrary to popular belief, I ain't perfect alone. He completes me." He looked down over at the obviously embarrassed young man, and used his shoulder to nudge him. "So that's how I'm doin'. How you doin'?"

Enzo scoffed a small swear and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to will away the redness that had overcome the area as he flushed. "So this pal of yours makes you perfect?" A small smile grew on his face but it began to wane with more thought. "Now you are talking about me, right? Because if this is your way of confessing and breaking up with me, then Ca—"

Colin stopped him before he had time to go off on his tangent, "Who else would I be talking about, you nut?"

"I don't know...Breeze?"

"Shut up, Enzo." Without giving him any more time to talk, Colin swooped in and stole a kiss from Amore, taking extra affection in cupping the side of his face. Chuckling into the surprise kiss, Cass finally broke away and stood to his feet. "Now, how you doin?"

Still far more flustered than his machismo would allow, Enzo stood after him. "Yeah, yeah. Just get in the tub already. I'm tired of sitting around in my boxers."

"Whatever you want, your highness. I don't know what I'd do without you telling me what do to." The sarcasm was playful, giving the room a much needed touch of lightheartedness.

"Yeah, because you know, you need me. I complete you, right? That's what you said. Yeah, so you need me." Enzo sounded like he was trying on the idea for the first time. No confidence but attempting to convince himself of the words; his eyes holding uncertainty as he awaited Cass' affirmation.

Pulling off his clothes completely and stepping down into the water, Colin nodded to the man. "Yeah," he sincerely smiled, "I need you."

"Well of course you do." Amore chuckled out, the smile on his face now coming from a newfound self-assurance. "I mean, I'm a certified G and a bonafide stud. How you doin'." Grabbing the waistband of his underwear, Enzo's vigor began to fade but one look from Colin and he just slid them down. Standing there in all his glory, Enzo was stiff but he allowed Cassady the chance to look him over, possibly the chance to reject him. Instead, the bigger man whistled lowly and offered a hand to the other.

"Somebody's been hitting the gym without me."

A snort of laughter echoed in the room and Enzo took the offered hand, climbing in. "You suck at compliments, bro."

"Okay, let me try again." Clearing his throat in exaggeration, Cass waited until Amore was seated fully in between his legs. "Wow, Enzo," he started with faux-admiration, squeezing the other with his thighs. "You fit so compactly in this tub with me, it's like you're not even here. So tiny."

"You callin' me small?!" The man turned around to face the man from his spot, getting another surprising peck on the mouth. His ears grew bright red with anger and embarrassment.

"Love you, Zo."

"Stop that! You're not off the hook! You called me small!" Wiping his lips, Enzo huffily plopped back down in the water.

Cass expected the rant on "the advantages of being short" but he ignored all of it. He relaxed back into the water, a satisfied smile on his face. His boyfriend was short. And slim, lean. For as much muscle as he had, he still seemed scrawny. Bug eyes, a very strong jawline, a touch of older ink scattered on his skin; and short. Enzo was fairly short in comparison. But he was all Enzo. He was Cass' better half. In his eyes, his more perfect half.

So, this was just my way of doing two things:

(1) Showing my love for this pairing and supporting it because there aren't enough stories for them.

(2) And showing you guys that I am coming back! Had to get my creative juices flowing again. Everyone who has been eagerly waiting, I am putting in work for y'all! School's had me really busy and I was in a rut so thank you guys who still read my stuff! XD So the next update will most certainly be "In the Asylum" so be prepared!