Kez's emotions had vastly settled by the time that he had walked, shyly, though the condominium entrance of his future husband's home. Rush's emotions were working in reverse. His lover was in his home. Without warning, once the front door had clicked closed into it's frame, Rush pressed the boy against the wall and proceeded to plunder his mouth. Kez's lips moved in harmony with the older man's, parting to allow the seeking tongue to dance with his own. It was his first kiss, but with Rush as his partner it strangely did not feel that way. They parted only when panting for breath.

"Sorry," Rush murmured, his impatience had finally broken his will.

"It's okay," Kez gasped in air, his pale eyes hazy from pleasure. They stood gazing into each other's eyes this way for several minutes, before Rush took a half step back away from him and Kez relaxed his grip upon the other man's sleeve. He leant against the wall for a moment, as if he had forgotten how his legs worked. Rush took his hand and led him into the heart of his home. Kez looked interested at the old technology, he had never seen a induction hob before, nor a box for making toast and this was called a lava lamp?

Rush slowly showed him around, enjoying the sparkle in his eyes when something took his interest and the smiles he offered when he listened to Rush's explanations. But he paused as he got to one wall in the living room. "Ah! That is my painting!" Kez stated, pointing to the framed picture on the wall.

"It is?" Rush hadn't thought about the painting since he had awakened. But looking at it now, of course there is no way that the artist could be anyone else but his lover, this scene captured in the blink of an eye from their former lives. He smiled. From his obsession with the avatar Wish, his impulsive purchase of this picture and Kez being a fan of his, it seemed they were always drawn to each other, destined to be together come what may.

"Hmmm, why do you have it?" Kez asked.

Rush wrapped his arms around the boy's body. "Purchased it online."

"So it was sold as part of the prank," Kez mused, almost giddy that it had been wanted by someone, despite the point of view of his teachers and parents. Better yet, it had been the man he loved who bought it.

"Is that bad? Do you want it back?" Rush sounded concerned.

"No, it looks perfect where it is," Kez smiled and kissed the man's cheek. Unsatisfied, Rush gently spun him to face him and began to taste his lips once more. Kez groaned, as Rush nibbled his low lip. With a sigh, Rush let him go, for if he didn't he would be committing a crime.

"When is your birthday?" Rush asked.

"I turn seventeen in September," Kez panted, breathlessly.

One year and several months he would have to show restraint for, Rush groaned into Kez's shoulder. "So long!" Kez laughed, openly.

****

As Kez entered his home later that day, it was surprisingly quiet.  His father was not arguing with his mother and his mother did not jump out at him demanding where he had been.  Kez wasn't sure whether he should be extremely relieved or extremely nervous at this point in time.  As it turned out, his parents were in the kitchen, sitting at the table, discussing something in calm tones.  When they heard him enter, they abruptly stopped talking.

"Hey," he greeted, cautiously.  "Sorry I am late, I met with Xavier after school."

"Yes I know," his mother said, "I received a text from him, asking me if it would be okay to take you to visit the company."  Kez inwardly sighed, Xavier was very sharp and clearly knew how to handle his mother already.  "Come and sit, we have something to discuss with you."

Uh oh, here it comes, the talk of divorce, he thought, as he pulled out a chair and sat at the table with them.  His father cleared his throat and began; "Your mother and I, well, we have been unhappy for a long time.  But I want you to understand that none of this is your fault.  In fact, we should be the ones to apologise to you for constantly bickering and arguing in front of you the way we have been."

"It's okay," he mumbled, softly.  Just get this over with.

"No, it's not okay!" His mother stated, harshly.  "Your father is right, it's not your fault, if it's anyone's fault, it is mine.  I'm always going on about how I should have listened to my mother, but I really did, didn't I!  Allowing her to get in my head and making me feel that I deserve better!  I am so sorry!"

"Hush," his father said, trying to comfort the woman.  "I am as much to blame.  I only wanted you both to be happy and when I couldn't make you so, I got frustrated and took it out on you.  I just made things worse."

I wonder if they will make me choose who to live with or whether they have already decided, he mused, his chest aching slightly even as his parents continued.

"So, your father and I have been talking," his mother was saying.  "About six weeks ago, when the interview regarding Rush Haven's broken engagement was aired, I began thinking about the reasons I chose your father above the other candidates that the Matchmakers had chosen for me. For me, he stood out, even though he wasn't wealthy or had huge career prospects. He wasn't clean cut handsome and he wasn't from a family of the higher floors. But he had a really nice smile. He was different." Her eyes turned warm and gazed upon her husband's face as she reminisced. "You may not have been aware, but your father was an artist!"

Kez's eyes widened as he stared at the man. How did he not know this? His father coughed, a little embarrassed. "Not a very good one," he admitted. "My paintings didn't sell very well."

"But I liked your paintings," his wife reassured him, "especially the portraits. But naturally, my mother did not approve. Not only did the man I picked not have a steady job, he also came from the lower levels. She even tried to make the Matchmakers cancel our engagement, but they stated that they had an obligation to honour the wishes of those getting married, not their parents."

"Personally, I think they were just being lazy about it," his father drawled. "I bet if your mother had some money on offer, we wouldn't have lasted beyond a few weeks of engagement."

"Quick question," Kez asked. "How come they matched you anyway, if you were considered to be so different socially?"

"Maybe because my parents are art collectors?" His mother mused. "Perhaps they recognised your dads talent, meaning he had the potential to rise levels or perhaps it was because my great grandparents were actually Grounders, so bloodline wise there isn't the difference you think!"

"Grounders? How comes I didn't know any of this?" Kez was surprised again.

"Your grandmother doesn't like to talk about it," his mother advised. "She finds it shameful."

"I don't think it is that bad," Kez admitted.

"Neither do I," his mother gave him a conspiratorial wink, then sighed. "But I was more readily influenced by her opinions than I realised. When we were first married, life was fun, even though our home on the lower levels was small and we were living hand to mouth, we were happy. Then I fell pregnant with you and became insecure. I started listening to the opinions of my mother and her friends. The lower levels were no place to raise a child and didn't every mother wish for a better life and status for their child than they had themselves? I convinced your father to get a job with regular hours and pay and to move to the mid levels. But even though he did all of that for me, it was never enough anymore."

"It was stressful on both of us," his father continued. "Your mother living in a new area with a new baby and me working all hours trying to impress my boss. And so the arguments began. We should have sat down and talked things through like adults, but we didn't and got trapped in a cycle of anger instead. Can you ever forgive us, Kez?" Kez smiled, slightly and nodded, even though he was hurting a little inside. "Anyway, your mother and I have come to a decision. Once you have finished High School, we have decided to move. We thought somewhere quieter and cheaper, maybe in another sector and start afresh."

"And your father is going to start painting again!" His mother said, gleefully.

"Obviously, this will be hard on you," his father continued.  "You will need to decide whether to go to University or to work and to move into a small place of your own."

"And whether to marry sooner rather than later," his mother added.

"But whatever you decide, know that we will support you, come what may."

Kez rolled the flood of information around in his mind.  "Wait, so you are not going to get a divorce?"

His parents looked startled and his father began to laugh.  "Good heavens, no," his mother refuted.  "Where, on high, did that come from?"

"Well... you know... never mind," Kez said, sheepishly.  "I'm happy for you guys.  Love you both."

His mother made a cute noise as she held her hands against her lips, before rising from her chair to give her son a tight hug.  "Love you, too," she said.  She kissed the crown of his head, before musing; "I really want to say thank you to Rush Haven for his open interview now!  Do you think I should send a message to the company? Or maybe, do you think Xavier would pass one along to Rush Haven's manager for me?"  Kez stared at her, wide eyed as her husband began to chuckle again.  "What?  It never hurts to ask!" 

His father rose from his seat to grab a drink from the fridge and his mother asked him to grab some vegetables while he was there so she could start dinner.  Kez felt lighter than he had in a while, but he supposed it was time for his own confessions... perhaps not about Wish and the video's, no matter how it was looked at, his performances were strictly illegal.  But..

"Mum, dad, I have something I should tell you," Kez murmured and they returned their attention to him, looking slightly worried.  "It's kind of linked to the whole Rush Haven engagement break up thing as well.. no it is linked.  Um... the mystery person.. the one that he said he wanted over Honor Harlow... well..." he looked up at his parents confused expressions.  "That person is me."