Chapter Text
Zero is lying trapped underneath his flipped over Porsche halfway down the hillside of the rugged canyon. He is in and out of consciousness, looking up at the distant stars in the bright, crisp L.A. night, and shuddering in pain. Silently praying someone finds him.
Trying to stay conscious…his mind drifts to Jude and how he was on the verge of asking him to be his husband. And now, all he can think about is his own survival.
Three weeks earlier…
The Los Angeles Devils win the Championship and Zero is adding another ring to his collection. After he and Derek got their heads out of their asses and focused on putting the team first, they became a solid unit and played brilliantly together, leading to them adding another ring to their collection. Zero is flooded with questions from reporters after the epic win against their archrivals, Boston, with one asking him ‘which championship ring is the best’ - he confidently answers, ‘the next one’.
The post-win celebrations continue for weeks with Zero and Jude attending numerous parties at The Playground, high-end night clubs and celebrities hosting parties in the Devils' honor at their breathtaking mansions.
It's like Zero is on top of the world.
The flood gates open, with endorsement offers pouring in. The media can’t get enough of him, and he’s granted interviews on all the major sports networks, featured on the covers of Sports Illustrated and GQ and his publicist has been barraged with requests for him to be a guest on every high-profile talk show in New York City and L.A. Zero admits Ellen was his favorite for he and Jude made a rare couple appearance to a very excited live studio audience. After the interview, they were spotted trying to escape out the back-studio door as a mob of eager fans and paparazzi tried to get photos. Thankfully, they had extra security to get them to their limousine in one piece.
It was an overwhelming season physically for Zero with the level of play and rigorous training and the emotional turmoil during his on again, off again, on again relationship with Jude which he refused to acknowledge until he almost lost him to Lucas. It all came to a head with Zero impulsively kissing Jude courtside after their epic Game Seven win propelled them into the finals. The arena filled with 25,000 screaming Devils fans along with millions on social media as witnesses.
Zero may not have a way with words, but he is a master of the grand gesture.
Now the season's over, all Zero wants to do is take a breather - he knows he damn well deserves it.
Zero is looking to take a different approach this off season lying low instead of reveling in the attention for the next four months and Jude has been pestering him to get a hobby. Zero’s assertion that ‘Jude’ is his hobby didn’t go over well with Jude saying ‘he needed to get a real hobby’ to take his mind off basketball. Zero thinks long and hard about it and while having an outside activity other than basketball is not a bad idea, his main focus during these four months is going to be his relationship with Jude and what lies ahead for them as he starts contemplating popping the question he never thought would come out of his mouth to anyone.
“Jude…will you marry me?” he says softly to his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
+
Even though the season is over and another Championship banner will soon be hung in the Devils Arena rafters at the start of the upcoming season, there is never any downtime for Jude. The Devils players and dancers may be off for the next four months but the back-office administration is like a fast-track locomotive express that never stops. The demands of running a team in the NBA are twenty-four/seven and Lionel is a major contributor to Jude’s constant late nights at the office. While Zero knows he comes first in Jude’s life he feels like he is in competition with his relentless work regimen. Zero knows he is the same way during the regular season so how can he criticize Jude for being passionate about his job. The demands are going to be even higher during the upcoming season to repeat another Championship.
Zero wonders how he can get Jude to minimize the late work nights spent working so they can spend more time together during the off season.
A relationship can’t thrive if the other half isn’t home.
Zero thinks about what joins them together other than their very active and mind-blowing sex life. He loves spending time with Jude and being in his presence is always calming.
They are the most relaxed enjoying each other’s company when food and drink are involved. Dining out or eating in at Jude’s apartment with quality take out. Hanging out at the local bars for a few drinks and on many occasions going to a place so obscure no one even recognizes them - Charlie’s All-Night Diner - for blueberry pancakes and waffles.
Zero knows he is a lousy cook. Heck, boiling water is a feat in itself. Other than morning trainings and rigorous workouts he does have a lot of down time over the next four months. He even told his publicist he is lying low, and not doing any interviews during his time off so he might as well make the most of his open calendar.
The thought of all the free time he’ll have gives him an idea – he’s going to learn how to cook and (hopefully) entice Jude with home cooked meals. Jude is always looking for normal in their relationship and it doesn’t get any more normal and domestic than that. Another thought hits Zero like an epiphany…a more elaborate gesture for Jude.
A romantic evening...a candlelit dinner over a home cooked meal he’s prepared followed by a proposal.
+
A few weeks later, Jude’s home at a reasonable hour and during the evening they are sitting on the couch watching a movie - Monty Python and the Holy Grail - laughing, drinking beer and indulging in a meat-lovers pizza. Nights like these are one of his favorite pastimes with Jude. After the movie ends Jude heads to the kitchen to rinse out their empty beer bottles.
“Hey Jude, what do you think about me taking cooking classes?” Zero calls out from the couch.
Jude turns around to look at Zero with a comical expression. “You want to do what?”
“You heard me,” Zero says in all seriousness. “Cook.”
“Zero, you can just about make a bowl of cereal,” Jude says in amusement. “Last time you tried to make us breakfast you burnt the toast, hash browns became hash blacks and the bacon was extra, extra crispy. And let’s not forget I had to throw away the pan you used to try to make scrambled eggs.”
Zero sits there slightly amused at Jude’s zingers.
“Wasn’t it you who said, ‘Zero you need a hobby during the off season’. This is the perfect hobby Jude. I learn how to cook and get you out of the office earlier so we spend more evenings together.”
Jude walks back over to Zero cupping his face, leaning in for a slow kiss. Zero melts into Jude’s soft lips holding him tight until they part from needing oxygen. “Is this what this cooking thing is all about?” he asks softly. “Us spending more time together.”
Zero stares tenderly into Jude’s warm, hazel eyes as he nods. “I always want us to spend more time together. Besides, look at all the money we’ll save from dining in.”
Jude bursts out laughing at this sweet but ridiculous statement. “Zero, did you forget you’re a millionaire?”
Zero chuckles. “One thing I know for sure, I may not know how to cook in the kitchen, but I can certainly heat things up in the bedroom with no class instruction required…I don’t need a course for that.”
“You definitely get an A in that category,” Jude grins.
“Not an A+, Jude? What can I do to improve my grade?” Zero arches his eyebrows.
Before Jude can make a witty comeback, Zero takes his t-shirt off, slips out of his sweatpants and boxer briefs in one sleek move and steps towards Jude looking like a Greek God.
Jude bites his lip at the sight of Zero in the flesh. He raises his hands to Jude’s neck, loosening his tie and slowly starts to unbutton his collared shirt, fingers grazing Jude’s chest, feeling his warm skin.
The heat coils in Jude’s belly as he tries to help Zero who bats his hands away. “Jude, I have to earn that A+ on my own,” he says in a low, deep voice, his dark steel blue eyes piercing Jude’s as he continues with the buttons.
“You’re off to a good start,” Jude says breathlessly.
Zero’s button seduction of slowly undressing Jude takes its toll as he grows hotter by the minute, craving to reach out and touch the baller. Jude shrugs off his open shirt watching it land around his feet. Zero stares hungrily down Jude’s chest licking his lips, his hands and tongue needing to explore his body. He anchors his hand on Jude’s belt slipping his fingers beneath the waistline of his pants easily pulling them down to his ankles. Zero stands back up pulling Jude close, kissing him passionately as their tongues tangle for dominance. Zero begins to grind their groins together feeling Jude’s erection through his boxers moaning into Jude’s mouth breaking their heated kiss. Jude tips his head back exposing his neck, pleasure floods Zero’s body as he begins biting and sucking Jude’s neck and the tantalizing mole on his collar bone driving Zero crazy with lust. He continues mapping his way down Jude’s muscular body, flicking his tongue over his sensitive nipples, licking circles around each one causing them to pebble, driving Jude out of his mind as a sudden flush of warmth spreads throughout his body.
Jude is moaning above him. “Gideon… please, you know what I want.”
Zero smirks while dropping down to his knees taking Jude’s boxers with him and begins kissing and nibbling the inside of his thighs while stroking Jude’s growing cock slowly, feeling the pre-cum slick on his hand from Jude’s arousal.
“What exactly do you want Jude?” Zero looks up at Jude with a lustful gleam in his eyes.
Jude’s never been one for talking dirty so knowing actions speak louder than words in this moment he pushes Zero’s head towards his aching cock. Zero’s hand moves from his shaft to massage his balls and suddenly takes Jude into his mouth sucking him off.
“Fuck…Fuck Gideon!” Jude’s crying out in ecstasy with the sensation of Zero’s warm mouth gliding over his hard cock as his index finger begins tracing his hole. Jude is getting closer to the edge, trying not to thrust into Zero’s mouth as he watches him suck his cock with gusto while feeling the additional sensation of his finger slowly entering his hole. The intensity becomes too much and before he can give Zero a warning to pull off Jude explodes into his mouth. Zero flinches back taking all of Jude’s release like a champ, licking the excess from his lips as he looks up at him raising an eyebrow with a smug expression.
Jude grabs Zero’s shoulders trying to steady himself as he shudders in his blissful post-orgasmic daze.
“I’m going to assume that blow job earned me an A+,” Zero smirks.
Jude pulls Zero up from the floor, cupping his face and kisses him slowly, licking into his mouth, tasting himself. He breaks the kiss resting their foreheads together. “That definitely earned you an A+,” Jude grins. “Now it’s my turn to earn one.”
“We’ll see about that. I’m a tough grader.” Zero bursts out laughing as Jude steers him into the bedroom.
“I’ve learned a thing or two from you and have thoroughly explored every inch of your body and know all your sensitive spots up close,” Jude grins. “You’ll be begging me to make you come.
“Game on,” Zero says with a gleam in his eyes.
It was going to be a long night of physical exertion (the fun kind) and intense love making that Zero can never get enough of with Jude.
+
The next morning finds Zero and Jude spooning in bed, sticky and sore (in a good way) and both in need of a long, hot shower. They take one together where Jude finally earns that A+ Zero was holding out on giving him saying ‘he needed the morning to make his final assessment'.
Zero heads off to the gym while Jude is working from home. After hours of reading player contracts he takes a break and starts researching private cooking schools. He finds one in L.A. called EATZ with the beginner class size being no more than five students. He enrolls Zero in the three-month crash course with an instructor called Gisele, whose website ensures Zero will find his inner chef. Jude still thinks it’s ridiculous, but he is nothing but supportive of Zero’s interest in cooking. Plus, it would be nice to have home cooked meals during the office season.
It’s been three months now and Zero has made some pretty impressive meals. He’s embraced the cooking classes and it’s like he has turned into Martha Stewart (or is it Snoop Dogg?) overnight. Jude finds it amusing the countless descriptions Zero gives him over each prepared meal. He feels like he is the studio audience from an Emeril cooking show. Tonight, Zero gave him a whole tutorial on the right spices to use when making a garlic red sauce to ‘delicately pour over’ (as he puts it) his homemade pasta. What vegetables go with what type of entrée and how the wine he chose compliments tonight’s Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Potatoes Au Gratin. Jude feels like the ‘wifey’ comment he made during their tennis match with Marcus and his companion really has come to fruition. Jude can’t help but lick his lips when he comes home from work to find Zero in the kitchen wearing nothing but a black apron boldly stating, ‘Hot Stuff' in bright red letters. Needless to say, dinner comes much later that evening.
+
It’s the final week of the cooking classes and Zero is feeling good about the progress he has made in the kitchen. Never leave it to Zero to do anything half ass. Even Gisele, the cooking instructor, was impressed with how quickly Zero adapted to the culinary lessons and how focused he was in all aspects of each lesson and meals the class was preparing as a team.
Gisele has a surprise for the group's last get together. The owner and world-renowned Master Chef Pierre of the prestigious French restaurant Perch, who is friends with Gisele, is inviting the class of five to cook alongside him this evening. Zero texts Jude the change in plans. With the class being at Perch this evening and he’ll be home late but will leave him a mouthwatering surprise in the oven.
Zero was relieved the final class was moved from the morning to evening. It gave him plenty of time to hit the gym for a good workout, get in a long run, shower and cook Jude’s favorite dish - Lasagna. The day flies by and Zero finds himself running late and decides he’ll clean up the mess in the kitchen when he gets home. The restaurant is located in the affluent hills of L.A. an hour drive from Jude’s apartment. It’s a little after six and Zero knows he is going to have to put his Porsche to good use to get there by seven.
He hops in his Porsche and as soon as Zero is out of the city shifts the car into 6th gear heading towards the restaurant. It’s a beautiful night. The L.A. landscape from this elevation with the bright lights stretching for miles across the city illuminating the sky is breathtaking. Zero makes a mental note to take Jude to Perch some time to experience the restaurant and take in the miles of scenery engulfing the mountain road surrounded by a variety of colorful Evergreen trees and dipping hillsides.
Being a city boy, Zero is not familiar with the area and the deer being active during dusk while they move to their feeding areas for the night catches him off guard.
He is fifteen minutes away from Perch traveling along smoothly, still taking in the beautiful surroundings when suddenly, a large deer jumps out into the road…frozen in its tracks staring at the Porsche’s headlights coming towards it. Zero is startled and starts slamming on the brakes to slow down but knows he is going to hit the 800-pound deer head on if he doesn’t try to maneuver the car around the animal. Zero swerves missing the deer, blowing out the front passenger tire. The Porsche starts skidding uncontrollably off the road, down the hill, rolling over multiple times before it takes its final roll coming to a halt, landing upside down on its roof and halfway down the hillside of the canyon.
The driver side door is wide open. Zero is half out of the Porsche lying on the cold, rugged terrain in front of the open car door. His right leg is pinned underneath the car chassis from the thigh down and his head bleeding as he shudders in pain.
Zero is in a daze staring up at the brightly lit stars slowly beginning to blur as he drifts out of consciousness.
+
Hours later, Zero awakens to the darkness hearing the crickets in the crisp night air coming to the reality he is in the canyon and pinned under his car. He groans in pain as he tries to sit up, reaching for the car door armrest for leverage to help slide himself from out underneath the Porsche.
It’s too much, his right leg is wedged underneath the car, and he gives in easily, lying back down in excruciating pain - it’s useless, he’s pinned under.
He slowly reaches into his jacket pocket thankful his phone is still there hoping he has a cell signal. Trying to focus on the phone keypad he dials 911. Zero is relieved when on the other end he hears a woman’s voice.
“911. What is your emergency?”
“Help me.” Zero chokes out. “I’m pinned under my car.”
“Sir, stay calm. What’s your name? Where are you?”
“Zero,” he breathes out. “Canyon, in the hills…near Perch…please…I need help.”
Zero is in a partial dead zone and with the lack of a strong cell signal loses the dispatcher. He tries calling 911 again to no avail. He moans looking at his cell phone still dizzy from his head injury.
He puts the phone down by his side and again tries to sit up. The pressure of the weight of the Porsche on his right leg again shoots right through his body, forcing him to cry out in pain further weakening Zero as he slowly begins to drift back out of consciousness.
+
Jude comes home from work to an amazing aroma filled apartment that smells like Luigi’s - their favorite Italian restaurant. Jude walks into the kitchen and opens the oven door smiling to see his favorite dish - lasagna.
After pulling the lasagna from the oven he glances around his small kitchen shaking his head.
Zero outdid himself with the meal…and the mess. Jude decides he’ll eat first then tackle the kitchen giving him something to do to pass the time while Zero is out for the evening.
After hours of cleaning up the kitchen, Jude finally relaxes on the couch and shoots Zero a text.
‘Lasagna was GR8! Need to work off the calories when you get home…you won’t be getting much sleep tonight. x’
Jude wasn’t expecting a response knowing Zero was busy with his cooking class at Perch but he wanted to give him something to look forward to when he gets home.
Jude starts to doze off on the couch. He looks over at the clock on the cable box…one a.m. He’s not concerned. He knows Perch is an hour away and the restaurant closes at midnight. Zero should be rolling in soon so he heads to bed.
Jude finds it hard to sleep when Zero is not there spooned up behind him. He is so used to his warm body and strong arms wrapped around his waist making him feel safe and loved. Jude’s been tossing and turning all night with an unsettling feeling he can’t ignore. He rolls over to look at the clock on the dresser…three-thirty a.m. He picks up his phone on the nightstand, goes to favorites and taps on Gideon.
There’s no answer - the line going straight to voicemail.
‘That’s strange,’ Jude thinks.
He leaves a message for Zero to call him and follows up with a text. ‘Where r u?’
There’s no response to that either.
Zero is well known for his hard partying and on many occasions not coming home. But since he and Jude got together, he’s pretty much been a homebody unless they are out together or he is traveling with the Devils for away games. He has no reason not to trust him. Besides, not much he can do at this hour. The hours and minutes tick by slowly and after more tossing and turning Jude picks up his phone…five-thirty a.m.
He runs his hand through his hair, gets out of bed and heads towards the kitchen to start the Keurig machine in need of a strong, black coffee. He can’t help looking at the spot on the couch where he usually finds Zero, or the way the hooks by the door only have one set of keys dangling on them.
Call it a premonition, but Jude can feel it in his gut - something is wrong.
It’s that same nauseous feeling he had in his stomach when he walked away from Zero that night in the locker room after the Devils Championship win. Jude baring all…opening up his heart, laying all his feelings out there in hopes Zero would want a relationship with him where everyone would know they were a couple instead of Zero keeping him ‘his dirty little secret’ as Jude called it. Conflicted about the situation, Jude knew what he had to do as painful as it was…walk away from Zero. But in the end, it worked itself out and was the best decision of his life.
Zero chose to be with him.
While Jude knows he overthinks everything, he has to stay calm and not fear the worst.
With Zero being a high-profile celebrity he doesn’t want to draw attention that he never came home last night. The paparazzi would have a field day and the speculation of another woman or women or another man would be splashed across every tabloid rag trying to prove their relationship was all just a publicity stunt…a hoax.
Jude contemplates his next move starting with Tom, Zero’s agent who was surprised to get a call so early in the morning from Jude asking when the last time he heard from Zero was. Tom mentions it was a few days ago to go over Zero’s latest round of endorsements. Jude tells Tom to keep this conversation between them.
He then calls Pete who hasn’t spoken to Zero in a few weeks when he offered to bring over some barbeque ribs he cooked saying they were better than Guy Fieri’s.
Next he calls EATZ to speak with his cooking instructor, Gisele. The receptionist said she wasn’t in yet, no doubt due to the fact she probably got home well after midnight from her class cooking outing at Perch. Jude leaves her a message to call him as soon as possible - that it was urgent.
‘Fuck it’, he thinks.
Jude starts calling around to the local hospitals. He knows it’s going to be nearly impossible to get any information with the very strict state mandated HIPAA laws and patient privacy policies but he has to try. Jude is hoping once he explains who he is looking for - Zero, the high-profile NBA star basketball player from the Los Angeles Devils the staff will be open to at least letting him know if Zero had been admitted due to some unforeseeable accident or medical issue. After hours of calls Jude is thankful to find out Zero was not admitted into any of the local hospitals. Although, him not responding to any of Jude’s numerous calls and text messages is unnerving.
‘Where are you Gideon’, Jude whispers to himself.
He gets dressed and drives over to Zero’s condo which he rarely goes to anymore other than to pick up clothes. Zero practically moved into Jude’s small apartment as their new home is currently under construction saying his place ‘felt more like a home.’
Jude slowly opens the door as his stomach is in knots. Looking around he sees the place is spotless and checks all the rooms. He huffs out a sigh. No sign Zero has been here in weeks as nothing is out of place.
Leaving Zero’s condo more concerned than ever, he drives over to the arena to talk to Lionel.
“Jude. I’m surprised you’re here this early,” Lionel says, smirking when Jude doesn’t respond. “I figured you’d be preoccupied with Zero.”
Jude is quietly staring at her with a pained expression.
“Jude, what’s wrong?” Lionel gazes back at Jude with sudden focus.
“It’s Zero,” he swallows and looks down.
“What did he do to you?” Lionel spats out. “He knows I’ll kill him if he hurts you!”
Jude rubs the back of his neck. “No Lionel it’s nothing like that…he’s…he’s missing.”
Lionel’s eyes widen. “What do you mean…he’s missing?”
Jude stares off into the distance shaking his head. “He never came home last night.”
Lionel sees the dark circles under Jude’s eyes knowing he didn’t get any sleep.
“When was the last time you heard from him?” She asks.
Jude sits on the couch looking down at his hands. “We spoke yesterday around eleven a.m. after he was done with his workout. His culinary class was invited to cook with the head chef at Perch, that fancy French restaurant in the L.A. hills later that evening. He said he had some things to do in the afternoon and he’d be home from the restaurant by one-thirty.”
Jude looks up at Lionel somberly. “I was tossing and turning all night. It got to be three-thirty and Zero still wasn’t home. My calls to him went straight to voicemail and I sent multiple texts.”
Jude pauses. “Lionel, he never responded.”
Trying not to jump to conclusions for Jude’s sake Lionel who is never at a loss for words goes quiet.
Jude continues. “This morning I called his agent. Then I tried Pete. Neither of them has seen or heard from him recently. I stopped over at his condo, there's no sign he’s been there. I called all the local hospitals to see if he had been admitted. He wasn’t. Then, I left a message with Gisele, the cooking instructor over at EATZ, to give me a call.”
Jude’s eyes widen. “No one has seen him…it’s like he’s disappeared.”
Lionel, who only tolerates Zero for Jude’s sake is clearly concerned. She joins Jude on the couch, facing him while gently placing her hands over his. “Jude, you mentioned he was on his way to Perch. How about calling over to the restaurant. Someone from the valet service had to have parked his Porsche.”
Jude nods his head and makes a mental note to call the restaurant. His mind drifts to Gisele hoping he gets a call from her soon. She may have some information.
Lionel interrupts his thoughts, saying: “What about going to the police? With Zero being an NBA star and off the grid since last night it would be good to reach out and see if they have any suggestions.”
“I know the L.A. Police Chief from a player incident I had to deal with last season…Chief Hunter.”
Jude gets up slowly off the couch and heads for the door.
“Jude,” Lionel says softly.
He turns around to look at her with an empty stare.
She gives Jude a gaze that darts to a symbol of hope, “I’ll do everything in my power to help you find him.”
“Thanks Lionel,” he gives her a faint smile.
Jude quickly heads out to his car speeding off to the Los Angeles Police Department to see Chief Hunter.