Noel shifted in his seat, rummaging for his phone and his notepad, hooking his pinky around his pen, setting it on the floor and leaning back. Zen stretched out on the couch, a short distance away, his head resting on his hand. All things considered, he wondered if it really was the best time to be asking questions at all, he appeared to be off in his own little world. Still, though, he had to at least give it a chance before he gave up on it for another time.

"Do you have time for this now?" he asked, making sure first.

As if snapping out of a trance, he sat up slowly, nodding once. "Sure. What did you need to ask, you had questions, right?"

Noel cleared his throat, suddenly aware that this might be a challenge to bring up. He was never the type to get flustered about these matters in the past, but considering the conversation at the restaurant, he had to admit it concerned him now for some reason. Trying to focus, he held the pen to the paper, not daring to look away from the crisp, lined white paper.

"Ahem. First question, how would you consider yourself in the sense of…" he hesitated, glaring at the sheet of paper like it had personally offended him, mentally berating himself for his weakness. "In the bedroom."

Zen didn't seem at all troubled by the question, and that pissed him off a little bit. He wasn't struggling even a tiny bit, it was only him making a big deal out of it.

"In the bedroom? I'm not really sure. I haven't -... I mean… I'm considerate, but aggressive." he answered, faltering only for a moment.

Exhaling slowly, he wrote a few sparse notes, enough to be useful only to him, pretty much.

"I see. What kind of person appeals to you most in a romance?" he asked next.

He smirked, and it was the kind of look that told him he had made a big mistake. He cringed in preparation for the answer, having a sneaking suspicion he might say something like 'you'.

"I like someone sensible, and cute. Looks aren't as important as personality though. Someone who makes me feel good about myself and...well, everything, I guess." he said with a shrug.

Thank goodness. A good answer, he had braced for nothing after all.

"Someone like you." he said.

Noel resisted the urge to drive his palm into his face hard enough to blast it out the back of his head. His left hand rose, sweeping through his hair before curling in it and tugging gently as if to bring himself back to focus. Work was rarely this hard, there was the occasional girl who squealed a bit too much, and had trouble answering, and that was annoying, but luckily, that was rare, and it made him glad he focused more on the male ended aspect of his stories. Mostly, his feminine looks paid off there, too. Men were quick to open up to someone they mistakenly thought was a pretty girl.

"I'm not adding that into my notes. Proper authors never insert themselves at will." he said, more as a quick excuse. "A-anyway...Is there some scenario you find yourself drawn to? Since I have the chance to get into detail, it's helpful for getting a good picture of how things should go."

He grinned wider then. "Are you really sure this is just for work? You're really not just curious for other reasons?"

"As if. My feelings haven't changed in such a short trip." he huffed.

"I would have been willing to show you if you said anything else." he teased. "Hmm… I suppose it could be fun to do something like that in a lake, maybe?"

Noel stared at him for a moment, unsure if he should take him seriously or not. It occurred to him that he had never actually written anything like that. No, that could really work, if nothing else, it was worth noting, even if he didn't use it, the idea alone was good enough to put away for later.

"Last question I have for now. Do you do anything interesting besides musical acting?" he asked.

His eyes slowly rolled in a full circle, like the answer was in the air in front of him and he just barely kept missing it. "Piano? I used to be kind of bad though, motorcycle and everything, a real troubled guy. I don't know if that helps."

After scrawling the last of his notes, he put it away, turning on his camera, rising to stand in front of him thoughtfully. He had plenty of selfies that focused on his face, he could probably just ask for those. This, he needed to see for himself, to capture the best angle.

"Now, for this one, just lean back and relax. Try to make it natural." he instructed.

Zen stretched out once more, his eyes focused on him, though he didn't alter his expression much, doing his best to look as relaxed as he could. Once he had taken the picture, he stopped to look at it, scrutinizing every detail before he was satisfied with the results. He closed the gap between them, tilting his head in thought, bending down then.

"Forgive my reach. I'd like to try something a little different for this one." he explained.

Zen stayed quiet, watching with interest. His hands went to his waist, gently prying his shirt from his waistband, letting it fall loose. Tapping his chin in thought, his fingers clasped the fabric, shifting it around a few times before it looked just right. As an afterthought, he disappeared behind him, untying his hair, ruffling it up a bit, draping it over his shoulders. He tilted his phone, taking a step back. Everything looked spot on, and yet it was a shame he still had to imagine the rest of the image himself. Taking the picture anyway, he stared at the result in judgment. There didn't seem to be a problem with it, even as something still had him trying to piece it together.

"Hey." he called to him.

"Hm?" he answered distractedly.

"Set it down for a bit and come over here." he told him.

They really couldn't get much closer, it should have been fine, and yet, he moved to sit at the opposite end of the couch at his word.

"I'm here, now what?" he muttered suspiciously.

"You owe me two kisses still. I think I want to use one." he sighed.

Oh...yeah, that was part of the agreement too, and it was fine still, but why now? More importantly, why was it bothering him this much? Just a quick peck on the lips meant nothing at all, it wasn't like him to be this concerned about anything. He waved a hand, closing his eyes in preparation. At the very least, he could avoid feeling so strangely if he didn't see it coming. Zen reached for his waist, drawing him closer, and even without seeing it, he could tell what was happening. The warmth rising by the second meant he was approaching, and the faintly lingering scent of rare, 120 proof wine, not entirely unpleasant. His lips were surprisingly soft, and he expected it to end just after it started, completely caught off guard when he gently pushed him back, his tongue wedging between Noel's lips, pressed to his.

He might have tried to protest if he wasn't so damned caught up in it. It was troubling how easily it had wiped his mind free of any meaningful thoughts. His breath vanished, stolen away from the depth of the kiss, finally feeling him pull away so they could breath. Zen's fingers danced a slow, swirling pattern from his shoulder to his chest, his eyes coming into view, intently fixated on him. Able to think a bit clearer now, Noel gently pushed his hand away, shaking his head vigorously.

"We can't. You're drunk and I'm…" he cut himself off, unsure where he was trying to go with it.

Did that sound too much like he would have been alright with it if he wasn't? Hell, the idea of being with another man didn't bother him in the least, and it wasn't like he didn't understand casual sex, it had played an occasional role in some of his own works, so he wasn't quite aware of what the hangup was.

"I'm not going to change my mind. Drunk or not, I want this. Will you let me?" he asked.

"Absolutely not. No way in hell. A thousand times no." he quickly denied.

Noel felt the zipper at the back of the dress drawing down, slipping down his shoulders, his mouth falling on his neck.

"That was quite a dismissal." he murmured between kisses. "I wonder if you really don't want to, or if you're only saying that because you're concerned about something…"

Noel's eyes fluttered shut once more, barely able to avoid huffing out a swallowed breath. He clearly wasn't able to understand his complaints still, his only chance was to say it once more.

"Zen, don't...I'm a guy, I've said it before, a few times." he sighed.

He gasped involuntarily, his teeth scraping the side of his neck. He didn't slow or stop, and he wondered if it was because he didn't hear him properly, or didn't believe him still. Fine. If that was how it had to go, he'd learn the truth the hard way. So long as he told him, his conscience was clean enough. He delved lower, nipping at his collarbone, his head tipping back, suddenly too heavy to hold up. Zen's hand disappeared under the far too fluffy skirt, tickling along his thighs. Any moment now, he'd figure it out, and recoil, which was as it should be.

"You're not going to resist?" he asked curiously, as if wondering why he wasn't trying to push him away anymore.

"Do what you like. Just don't say I didn't warn you well enough." he mumbled.

His hand stopped, pulling him to sit up, raising the dress off him, moving to cover up when he draped it over the couch. He had no shame for his body, no matter how it looked, but that never changed the brief instant of shyness that sprang up at being seen like this. Zen tipped his head in thought, reaching to pull his arms away, examining him for a time. Noel cringed again, feeling his eyes burning through him, down the center, stopping between his thighs. He said nothing at first, hooking a finger in his underwear, drawing them away, peeking in. He peeled them off, dropped to the floor. This was his most disgraceful moment, and he wasn't sure how to react, this was something he had never had to deal with before, and the silence was unnerving.

"I see what you mean." he said.

He leaned back in, leaving a trail of red marks down his neck, across his shoulder.

"Wait, did you still think I was really…?" he wondered.

"I'm a little surprised, but I don't think you'd lie." he answered, drawing him to lie down comfortably.

"And...you're still going to do this?" he asked skeptically.

"I've never tried. I guess I never thought a man would be my first, but this could still work. If you're not so nervous about it anymore." he told him.

Zen nipped at his ear, his breath warm against it, realizing he was reacting to it without meaning to. The responsible thing would have been to insist he wait if he was serious, and yet, he was past the point of resisting, and honestly, it was only out of moral obligation to make sure he would have no regrets about it. Pulling back, his arms crossed his sides, raising his shirt up and off, tossing it to the floor. His pants followed, and Zen returned, slipping an arm around his waist, his other hand coming up, drawing the shape of his lips with his finger, pressing it into his mouth. Even now he had a kind expression on his face, sighing quietly at the gentle pull of his lips and tongue over it, bringing it out after a bit.

"Do you...uh...you know what you're doing, right?" Noel asked quietly.

Breathing out slowly, he hesitated, spreading his legs just a bit, wordlessly hinting to him. His hand stopped, close enough to brush against him, his face flushed.

"I've never done this, that doesn't mean I don't at least know what to do, leave it all to me." he sighed.

Without warning, his saliva-coated finger pressed in, and Noel bit his lip, trying not to make graceless sounds so easily. A second digit followed not long after, shivering visibly though he was still trying to be quiet about it, his hips rocking unconsciously. An almost proud grin spread across his face, watching his reactions with interest.

"It is okay to like this, you know…" he chuckled.

Sure it was fine, but it was habit to try and be as quiet as possible, though it was impossible to think about the reasons why, not like this. In his mind, he was able to whimper and pant as much as he needed, at least. Swallowing hard, he reached to stop him, his face bright red, staring up at him.

"I...don't want to wait anymore." he muttered, an edge of irritation, directed inwardly.

"Then you don't have to…" Zen told him.

He pulled his hand away, Noel's legs drawing apart when he moved closer, stopping long enough to take off his last garment, unsure what to expect. Struggling against him, he groaned, planting a firm kiss on his lips, his tongue sweeping over his, swallowing away his shuddering cry. If he had known they'd be going this far, he might have been better prepared, but it couldn't be helped. God it was a bit harder than he thought, warm and very nearly too tight, but not quite. Was this the kind of thing Noel wrote about? As much as he claimed it was garbage, and that those who bothered to read it were fools, he had to admit to a degree of curiosity. Noel seemed far more shy than he let on, his prickly attitude couldn't have been all there was to him. It was good, every time he moved, or tried to breath in, he could feel it, pulling back slowly, trying not to hurt him with his eagerness.

Zen leaned against him, rocking slowly back and forth, his legs slowly wrapping his waist, hands clutching his arms. Funny, in his mind the stubborn author definitely wasn't this way, face red, squirming under him, whimpering into his kisses. He had to wonder if this was, in at least that way, a first for him too. It was getting easier to move inside him now, picking up the pace, breaking away from his mouth finally, catching his breath before moving to the markless side of his neck, nibbling lightly. His touch wandered from his chest, down between them, barely brushing against his length.

"Ah, no...you don't h...have to…" he panted out softly.

Biting his earlobe, he exhaled slowly, the tip of his tongue dipping in slightly. "Maybe I want to. What then?"

This had never really crossed his mind, but now that it was already happening, he wanted to make sure he enjoyed it as much as possible. Trying again, his hand curled loosely around him, gentle at first. Zen knew how he liked it, but that didn't mean Noel liked it the same way. Trying to match his pace, Noel swayed under him, his hips rolling, a moan escaping, his hand clasping over his mouth in surprise. His thighs shivered, goosebumps raising along his whole body, unwilling to admit how much he was enjoying it, even as his body betrayed him so mercilessly. There was a feathery, yet hot trail of kisses back along his neck, pausing at his throat, nipping and sucking at the hollow. His brain felt like it was going numb, tingling, his entire body tingling, his stomach tensing, all thrusting against him harder now, unable to hold back. His hand slid against him faster, twitching and pulsing in a way that served to warn him that he was almost there. That was something he could understand, he knew the signs well enough, and at least in that way, Noel was an open book, he didn't need to say a word for him to know these things. His body swayed faster, writhing under him, his head tipped back, his throat vibrating with louder, eager moans. He bucked up, his thighs trembling, thick spurts rushing over his hand, rolling beads slowly trickling down.

A spark shot through his stomach, his muscles fluttering, speeding up, shallow but quick jabs slowing shortly after, a relieved, growling groan warming his throat when he came, his chest heaving. It occurred to him only after it was too late that he hadn't considered if he might prefer him to pull out. He winced, pulling free, huffing out a sigh, resting against him for a bit, until he regained enough energy to sit up. Thankfully, Noel broke the silence first, sparing him the trouble of trying to decide what to say.

"I'm pretty sure I don't owe you any more kisses." he joked, laughing quietly.

Zen frowned, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Those didn't count, that's hardly fair."

"Isn't it?" he wondered.

Changing the subject, he pointed to the window, the bright light from earlier gone. It was dark out, probably not very late, but dark.

"It's getting late. Why don't you stay over. My bed is big enough for both of us." he offered.

Noel lofted a brow, exhaling slowly. "I should get back, probably."

Zen planted a light kiss by his ear, poking his cheek. "I've already made love to you, what else can I do that could possibly compare to that?"

Noel looked away, twisting a lock of hair between his fingers in thought. He disliked that term, it never seemed like more than fantasy, and even for him there was a distinct difference between 'having sex' and 'making love', and one felt like it required a bit more commitment, in itself something that seemed designed to wordlessly say 'my body is only yours'. At the same time, the point he made was a good one, he had already had him, there wasn't much else he could do. It was probably a better idea to stay over and leave in the morning, besides, the taxis had likely already stopped for the night.

"I guess that's true. Well then, thank you for your hospitality." he murmured politely.

He had already tried to explain that he wasn't capable of settling down in any meaningful way, and there was a small bit of suspicion that he hadn't really accepted that. Hopefully, he wouldn't say anything strange about it now. Noel couldn't afford to fall in love, not yet, maybe not ever.