"Feeling neglected, Zav?"

"Yes. Pay attention to me."

Sean rolls his eyes, sighs, and then looks at Zavi. "What?"

"Tell me I'm pretty."

Sean rolls his eyes again. "You're very pretty, Zavi."

"Why, thank you, Sean, that didn't sound at all like you were pulling teeth."

"Did you really come all the way up here to fish for compliments?"

"My ego needs feeding."

"There are some people down that road that also needed feeding."

Zavi thumps Sean again. 

"You are such a bully."

"Yeah? Come make me regret it," Zavi says, smirking. 

And there it was. Like a hook to his stomach, want. To move that slight bit closer and find out just how soft Zavi's lips were. 

Instead he forcefully looks away. Like he always does. "You done? Can I go back to staring at a road now?"

After a moment's silence, Zavi speaks. His voice is small. 

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what." Sean's voice wobbles, even as he tries to keep it even. 

"Don't do that. Don't pretend like you don't know what we're talking about."

"I don't. There's nothing to say."

"There's a lot to say, actually."

"Zavi-"

"Is that gonna be an explanation? Or are you going to fob me off with more excuses?" 

Sean sits back on his heels, and rubs his hands into his knees. 

And stays quiet. 

Zavi picks himself up, and slides so that he's sitting in front of Sean. He watches Sean's hands clench into the fabric of his pants.

"I'm not trying to...force you. I just...we get so close, and then you're like water. If you didn't like me, you'd make it more clear."

"Maybe I don't want to hurt your feelings."

"This constant 'almost but not quite' hurts a hell of a lot more. If you don't like me, just say it." 

Sean can't.