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Ever since he exited the time loop, Zorian’s been noticing something strange. For some reason, a lot of people seem to think that he’s in a relationship with Zach. Zorian understands people thinking their friendship unexpected and sudden, but why are people getting the idea that the two of them are romantically involved?!
Zach and Zorian are not dating. No matter what Kirielle insists or Kael’s pointed looks, no matter what people think, or what anyone else has to say, Zach and Zorian are not dating.
For some reason, a lot of people were getting the wrong idea.
+++
“Zorian, I think your sister hates me,” Zach says to him one day, when they’re both in the library, absentmindedly working through their (absurdly easy) homework assignments.
Looking up from the book he’d been half-heartedly paging through, he frowns. “Kirelle? She hates you?” It sounds ridiculous.
“She’s been giving me these glares and weird looks recently.”
Zorian pauses, and considers.
“Now that you mention it, she’s been staring at me a lot these past few days.”
“Yesterday, she even threatened me when I went over to your place.”
“Threatened?!” That seemed a little extreme.
“Just like, if I ever hurt you or something. It was kinda funny actually,” Zach snickers.
“What is she thinking…”
“Kids are so funny, aren’t they?”
“More like annoying.” He returns in exasperation as he turns back to the book. However, not even a few seconds pass before Zach speaks up again.
“Zorian,” there’s a creak of a chair as Zach leans forward. “Stay still for a second.”
“What is it?” He doesn’t bother looking up.
“You got something in your hair,” Zach says. There’s a light, fluttering sensation, one that Zorian can barely feel, as Zach removes whatever he had seen. It’s ticklish, and strangely embarrassing in its gentleness.
“Oh…” He reaches up to touch the area, “...thanks.”
“Mhmm,” another creak as the other settles back into his seat.
Zach had gotten a lot more touchy-feely after the loop, but Zorian is used to it by now. Sorta. His heart does strange palpitations sometimes, but it’s probably because he isn’t used to all the human contact. If Zorian had to guess what brought this on though, it might have to do with the whole “yeah, I died, but that was just an illusion” thing. Zach had been especially clingy after he’d woken up and realized Zorian was alive.
He notices a few students staring at the two of them in bafflement and shock though, and he wonders why. There really isn’t anything to see? Or are they just finding the concept of Zach and Zorian being friends weird? Probably.
+++
Coming back from school, Zorian is met with a very put out Kirielle.
“What’s wrong?” He reaches out to tousle her hair but she bats his arm away.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kirelle whines.
“Tell you what?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you’re dating Zach?”
“Wha-? I’m not dating Zach, Kirelle.”
“Stop lyingggg,” she drags out the syllable, “you think I can’t tell and that I’m stupid, but it’s so obvious. I’ve been watching the two of you for a week now, and I can tell.”
Is this why she’d been eyeing him the past week? Wait, is this why she’s been giving Zach a hard time? Oh, for Gods’ sake.
“Kirelle, we’re just friends,” Zorian tries again. He honestly has no idea where she even got the idea from. Kirelle gives him a very unimpressed look in response.
“Yeah, that’s what you want me to think.”
Zorian sighs, it’s going to be a long day.
+++
In the end, Zorian wasn’t able to convince Kirelle of his and Zach’s entirely pure and platonic friendship. If anything, it seems like she’s grown even more convinced of their (non-existent) relationship. Zorian doesn’t understand.
On the bright side, it seems that Kirelle is no longer acting so aggressive towards Zach.
(“I was just testing him a little, it’s not like I actually hated him! He’s a nice person brother, I approve. Like, way nicer than you, actually.”
A pause.
“Isn’t he a little too handsome for you though?”
“Kirelle.”
“Yes?”
“Be quiet.”)
+++
“Zorian, you should have told me you were dating Zach, where’s the trust between friends?”
Oh, great. First Kirielle, and now Benisek. Zorian could already feel the inevitable headache.
“What gave you that idea, Benisek? Because I assure you, I am not dating Zach,” he sighed.
“Don’t lie, everyone saw you two being newlyweds in the library the other day.”
Zorian was pretty sure it wasn’t everyone, but with Benisek, he supposes it might as well have been.
Also, newlyweds? They were literally just doing homework together.
“Not to mention,” Benisek continues, “last weekend you fell asleep next to Zach on that hill you guys are always on, and he spent 15 minutes just playing with your hair.”
How did Benisek even know about that?! Also, Zach was playing with his hair when he was asleep? Is that why his hair had been so messy when he woke up? Wait no, that wasn’t the point. Why was Zach playing with his hair?
“Plus, I even personally saw you two on your date last week, and I saw Zach hand-feed you icecream with his spoon. A literal indirect kiss, right in front of me. If that’s not called dating, then what is?” Benisek seemed a little aggrieved at the end.
Ok, first of all, it wasn’t a date. They were just trying out some ice cream from the new ice cream parlor that opened up. They got different flavors so Zach had asked if Zorian wanted to try some of his. Zorian said yes, but he really wasn’t expecting Zach to literally feed it to him. Remembering it was making Zorian feel more than a bit flustered, though. Not to mention, the fact that Benisek had called it a “indirect kiss,” Zorian-
“Oh, and there was that other time-”
“Benisek. You can stop now,” Zorian interrupts. He felt flushed all the way to his ears, and he just really wanted Benisek to stop saying embarrassing things. He also wished Benisek would stop smirking that annoying grin.
“I really didn’t expect you to bat for the other team Zorian, but at least you have good taste. The only heir to the noble house of Noveda. And handsome, to boot. You have crushed so many girls’ dreams.”
Zorian just rolled his eyes. Just like Kirielle, once Benisek was convinced of something, he was impossible to stop.
“You know, when I first heard though, I thought it was just the girls being fanatical again.”
“What do the girls have to do with it?”
“I mean, this sort of thing is popular with the girls,” Benisek shrugged. “They talk about this sort of thing a lot, but most of it’s baloney.”
“What thing?”
“You know, BL.”
“...BL?”
“I guess a bookworm like you wouldn’t know. I should have expected it. The academy library has some though. There’s like, a dozen bookshelves just dedicated to BL in the fiction section,” Benisek muses before turning back to Zorian with a smile he doesn’t quite trust, “You should check it out, it’s very...educational.”
Highly suspicious, but he’s not sensing any malicious intent from the boy. He supposes he’ll go check out what exactly BL is then, even if just for curiosity’s sake.
“Zorian!” Benisek calls out from across the hall as he leaves, “Leave out the PDA but keep me updated!”
Yeah. No.
+++
Checking out BL was a mistake.
Thinking about BL and then about Zach was even more of a mistake.
Zorian decides to head home and try to forget the entire incident.
+++
With Benisek spreading gossip, it wasn’t even a week until the rumor had started making its way through the academy. Under the scrutiny and not so subtle glances of the students, Zorian felt part annoyed, part exasperated. Teenagers. He’s not too bothered by the situation, truthfully. He’s too busy day in and out researching and writing papers to really be bothered about the rumor mill. Besides, he’s sure it’ll settle down with time. Afterall, he and Zach aren’t dating.
But then, things took a turn for the worse. And by this, he means mortifying.
+++
Opening the door, Zorian sees Daimen and Zach sitting on opposite ends of a table. Zach looks like he wants to be very much somewhere else and has started making exaggerated eye movements in an attempt to communicate with Zorian. Something about saving him? Daimen perks up at Zorian’s entrance though.
“Ah, Zorian, perfectly timing. This makes things easier. I’ve just been running down things with Zach, but it’d be best if you were here too.”
Just like everyone else, Daimen had his memories of anything pertaining to the loop erased, so Gods know why he’s decided to drop in to give Zorian a visit.
“Running down what?”
“Just the do’s and don’ts, how to have safe sex, things like that, it’s important to properly understand these things when dating.”
What.
If Daimen didn’t have a completely dead serious expression on his face right now, Zorian would have taken the entire thing as a joke. In fact, he probably would have taken it as a joke no matter the circumstances, except that his empathy was very helpfully informing him that, unfortunately, Daimen was actually not pulling a prank.
“You’re only 16, and mother and father aren’t here right now. I know first love can be-”
Zorian can’t slam the door closed fast enough.
+++
“How could you betray me like that,” Zach later sulks into his drink.
“I already said sorry, didn’t I?”
“You just threw me to the wolves. So merciless.” An exaggerated whine. Zorian can tell because Zach’s emotions seem more exasperated than anything, but he gives him an encouraging pat on the back anyways.
“We’re at the tavern now aren’t we? Cheer up.”
“Only alcohol can make me forget my sorrows.”
“You sound like an alcoholic.”
Zach snorts, “the Noveda heir, a teen alcoholic? Betcha the other noble houses will get a hoot out of that.”
“...But was it really that bad?”
“I had to listen to a safe sex talk about how to have safe sex with you from your brother.”
Zorian feels his heart rate jump again and his face heat up. This topic...was really embarrassing. It was also edging dangerously close to those BL + Zach thoughts from before.
“Okay, whatever. Shut up and drink.”
“That’s my plan.”
(Zach gets so drunk Zorian has to drag him back. Manually. Because Zorian was still trying to stay lowkey with his magic. It was a struggle to say the least.)
(Zach was murmuring incomprehensible things along the whole way. Something about “not thinking that far ahead yet” and “needing to do research.” Yeah, Zorian couldn’t really make sense of it either. It was very distracting to have Zach mumbling in his ear, though.)
+++
Apparently Kirielle was the one who blabbed. Unsurprising, he should have honestly expected it. Especially since she and Daimen were getting along better now (his notebook probably mentioned something about getting along better with his siblings).
Knowing Kirielle though, Daimen probably wasn’t the only one she told. Damn it, as if Benisek wasn’t enough.
+++
There is a stunned silence as they stare at each other. Zorian doesn’t know how they got here. They were just in his room, doing nothing really, when Zach’s spell went haywire and knocked both of them over. When Zorian got his bearing back, he realized they were in an...incredibly compromising position.
Zach is on top of him, pinning him to the floor. Their faces are so close, Zorian can see each of Zach’s individual eyelashes. He feels Zach’s emotions fall into a disarray he can’t follow, and he distantly notices that the shaping exercise he had been working on has fallen apart. The thumping of his heart and the heat he feels from his face leave him at a loss, and when he licks his lips, Zach’s eyes dark straight to his mouth.
This, was kinda dangerous right?
It feels like hours, but it’s probably only a couple of seconds, when Zach begins to lean in, and Zorian can only close his eyes as he braces for...something.
Imaya chooses this moment to open the door. Zorian had been...very distracted and thus didn’t notice her approach. The resulting gasp wakes him up to reality though, and Zorian hurriedly pushes Zach off of him, who has frozen up in shock.
“Ms. Imaya!”
“Oh dear…you two...”
“Wait! I swear this isn’t what it looks like!”
“Although Kirelle told me, I wasn’t sure, but...ahem”
It’s official. Kirelle is the bane of Zorian’s existence. Well, after Fortov. And the rest of his family.
“You two should really book a hotel though, or at least lock the door, there are children here.”
“You’ve really got the wrong id-!”
“I’ll leave you two to it then. Please keep it down.”
With those parting words, Imaya quietly shut the door.
Zorian slumps in defeat. She’s going to tease him to high heavens about this next time, he already knows. May the Gods preserve him.
Zach, at this moment, seems to recover from his daze and scrambles to his feet. He turns to face Zorian with a red face, looking extremely flustered.
“Cool, that’s great, this has been great, I have to do homework and look at my court files and stuff, I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m going home, bye.”
Before Zorian can respond, he practically runs out of the room.
+++
“Did he leave because of me? Sorry for ruining the mood,” Imaya says, not looking very sorry at all.
Zorian puts his face into his hands. There are so many things he wants to say, he doesn’t even know where to start.
As he leaves, he can feel Imaya’s amusement as Kirielle (loudly) whispers to her: “brother’s ears are so red.”
+++
He doesn’t get much sleep that night.
He also can’t quite look Zach in the eye for the next few days, but it doesn’t seem like Zach can either.
+++
It’s a normal friday night, one week after the... incident with Zach. Imaya had been spreading the rumors like wildfire ever since that day, and Zorian just resigned himself to this inevitable fate. Resistance is useless in the face of a gossiper. It seems like the entirety of Cyoria will know that he’s dating Zach.
Still, it doesn’t mean he won’t try convincing the people he’s closer to. For example, Kael, who he’s currently helping with some alchemy. Though it’s just some simple ingredient preparation.
“I know all the rumors say otherwise, but I’m not dating Zach,” Zorian starts, after they’ve exchanged some pleasantries and small chat.
“Oh, I know you’re not dating.”
“Oh, thank the Gods.” At least Kael has a sense of rationality.
“But, honestly, you might as well be.”
Uhm. What?
“What do you mean by that?” Zorian side-eyes Kael.
“Exactly what I said,” Kael says nonchalantly as he grinds up another ingredient.
Yeah, see, that 100% did not help at all. What does that even mean?
“By the way, the students have bets going around on when you two started dating.”
Uh??? Run that by him again?
“The Zach-Zorian pool, as they call it. ZZ for short.” Kael smirks a little at that, as if he found it funny. Zorian honestly doesn’t even know how to react, but you know, he really shouldn’t be surprised anymore.
“...Please don’t tell me you made a bet.”
“Ingredients don’t pay for themselves,” Kael says sagely, which basically meant, yes, he had made a bet, and this is perhaps the greatest betrayal Zorian had ever experienced. Even greater than Silverlake, honestly.
“We aren’t even dating though!” Zorian bursts out, feeling as if he’s had to make the same statement a hundred times already, and Kael nods, as if he understands all of Zorian’s non-dating dating problems.
“That’s why I bet on next month.”
Next month?! He thinks they’ll be dating by next month?!
“...Why?”
“Just had a feeling,” Kael replies absentmindedly as he flips through a few pages in his notebook.
“I don’t know why you’re so sure about this...I hope you didn’t bet a lot.”
“I think my chances are pretty high actually. You two are so obvious that even Kana could tell.”
“Kana…?”
“She bet with me, by the way. Not officially or anything, just gave me a few hair ties and stray toys.” Kael smiles, fond and amused. “I don’t think she really knows what it all is, she just likes being involved. Still, don’t let us down.”
Zorian doesn’t know if this is better or worse than someone mistaking their relationship.
+++
The next day, the weather is clear and the sky is bright, and Zach and Zorian are wandering through the city. Mostly because Zach insisted they “go out and actually do something,” so Zorian resigned himself to a brief outing.
“Kael doesn’t think we’re dating, by the way,” Zorian brings up, when the conversation stalls. He leaves out the bet part.
Zach gives him a weird look. “We’re...not dating though?”
“Well, obviously? The point here is that Kael knows it too.”
Zach only looks more confused. “What do you mean?”
Did he seriously not know?
“Zach. Almost the entire academy thinks we’re dating. Imaya thinks we’re dating. My family thinks we’re dating. Did you not notice?!”
There is a slight pause as Zach seems to process something.
“Oh... that explains all the weird looks I’ve been getting.”
Zorian sighs, shoulders slumping. Is Zach for real…?
“You seriously didn’t know?”
“No one came up to come up to my face and asked me about it, so I really didn’t.”
“What the hell did you think Daimen was doing then…”
“Huh, yeah, that makes a lot more sense now. I thought he was just messing around with us again…”
Zorian cannot even believe this. These days, even the teachers were giving him strange looks, and yet here Zach had been, living in ignorant bliss. He’s almost jealous. He’s thinking back on how Zach never really got confronted about their non-existent relationship as Zorian senses Zach go through some internal battle.
Then, to Zorian’s alarm, Zach grabs his hand out of nowhere.
“Zach, what are you doing?” he does not sound flustered. At all. He is the picture of calm.
“Making sure we don’t get lost. Besides, since everyone thinks we’re dating, isn’t it fine?” Zach mumbles while interlocking their fingers.
That doesn’t even make sense, Zorian wants to say, but he doesn’t. He finds that the words are somewhat strangely stuck in his throat.
Zach’s hand is a little sweaty and very cold, but Zorian could already tell he was nervous with his empathy anyways. Not that Zorian’s faring any better. He was all sorts of embarrassed, nervous, and confused right now. His heart was beating like it was the end of the world, and the slight chill of autumn had nothing on the heat that was radiating off his face right now.
“Anyways,” Zach starts again, “how’s your book going?”
+++
They continued holding hands until they got back to Imaya’s, where Zach let go of Zorian’s hand naturally and they parted for the day. It would have seemed perfectly normal except Zorian could sense just how flustered Zach’s emotions really were.
Also, the tips of Zach’s ears were bright red. It was kinda cute.
Zorian stands at the front door, a little dazed until Imaya hurries him in, fussing about catching a cold outside. Kael is standing next to her, and he gives Zorian a knowing smirk though, as if to say “see?”
+++
They keep holding hands the next few days too. Zorian isn’t sure what to think of it, but he’s distantly aware that both he and Zach are avoiding addressing... whatever is happening.
(“A classic case of Gay Chicken” Kael says, unhelpfully. Zorian glares.)
+++
“Can we talk...privately?” Akoja fidgets.
He had expected a confrontation for Akoja sooner or later to be honest, and lo and behold, she corners him after class a week or so later after the first hand-holding incident.
“Sure,” he sighs. Might as well get it over with.
They walk to a mostly secluded corner before Akoja whirls to him, clearly having her interrogation prepared.
“Are you really dating Zach?” she got straight to the point.
“....No.” Though that really begs the question of what are they doing.
Akoja narrows her eyes, “I saw you two holding hands yesterday.”
So did a bunch of other people to be honest. He feels embarrassed just thinking about it.
“Well, we’re not dating.”
“I see…” she sounds relieved, “that’s what I expected, to be honest.”
A pause. Zorian is about to say goodbye when Akoja speaks up again.
“Then,” she hesitates a little, “do you have time on the weekend, to meet?”
Akoja is both nervous and expecting of his answer, which could only mean one thing.
“Are you asking me out on a date?”
“Well,” she bites her lip, “yes? It’ll also help clear up the rumors too.”
She had a point, but Zorian hesitates, and Akoja’s face falls.
“Do you hate it that much?”
“No, it’s just…uhm,” Zorian doesn’t know even what he wants to express, but a few beats pass and Akoja seems to understand something.
“Zorian, Do you...like Zach?” She seems shocked just saying the words. Her eyes have gone wide, and she’s staring at him in bafflement.
Zorian stills at the words. He had never taken the question seriously before, with most people assuming their relationship, and he himself naturally writing it off. It never occurred to him to even entertain the idea until he was faced with Akoja’s direct confrontation.
Does he like Zach?
The words ruminate in his head over and over, echoing through his mind. He remembers Zach fighting the hydra, excited and bright, and he remembers Zach disinterestedly paging slowly through a book. He thinks about the way Zach’s eyes crinkle when he smiles, and how nervous he was holding his hand. He thinks about sitting next to Zach on that hill, and talking, and doing homework, and the happiness of just being together.
Somehow...the answer seems to be yes? Actually, rather than like, it seems more like...love. Which is very mortifying.
A lengthy silence settles over the scene, which would be unbearably awkward if Zorian wasn’t preoccupied with his current crisis. Like seriously, Zach? That adrenaline junkie problem child?
(Akoja quickly leaves though, once she realizes Zorian is in a daze)
Zach finds him soon after, still stunned in the hall. Walking home, Zach once again takes his hand like he has been doing the last few days, which is now especially nerve-wracking to Zorian, who’s now aware of how much he likes (loves) Zach.
He’s just thankful Zach isn’t the mind mage in their relationship.
+++
So. He likes (loves) Zach.
After the initial shock, it was pretty easy to accept, all things considered. Like putting a name to the feelings that existed all along.
+++
Akoja didn’t spread any rumors, but she didn’t clear up any either. Which, fair. Besides, he didn’t actually mind the dating rumor that much anymore.
So when Taiven busts into his room the next day, led on by the rumor, he actually doesn’t correct her.
“Roach! Heard you’re dating Noveda! I didn’t even know you swung that way!”
Yeah, he didn’t either until recently.
“You know, I get you not telling me, since it’s a touchy subject and all, but just sayin’, you know I would never judge you for something like this.” Taiven punches his shoulder, which still stings. It’s a nice reassurance though, especially after his recent realizations.
“Thanks, Taiven,” Zorian smiles.
And that was the end of that.
“Now, give me the deets.”
Or not.
+++
Turns out Taiven wanted to hear everything. When they met, where they met, when did they start dating, etc. She even pulled in Zach for the ride. He deeply regrets not clearing up the dating rumor, but it’s not like they can convince her now.
“So, you guys met over summer vacation? And things just sorta happened? I can’t even imagine it.”
Yeah, he couldn’t either. You know, since it didn’t happen.
“I know right? Especially since Zorian’s Zorian,” Zach smiles, and Zorian bristles.
“Excuse me? What does that mean?” he glares.
“As Kirielle says, you’re prickly on the outside. Very prickly.”
“Ah yes, and in your own words, an ‘Icecube,’ if I recall,” Zorian rolls his eyes as Taiven watches, looking amused.
“You guys are just so...different, I never imagined you two would even get along,” she says.
“...Haven’t you heard the term opposites attract?” Though to be fair, he couldn’t see the Zach and Zorian before the time loop getting along either.
"Right! So -I wanted to ask- what is it that made you two start liking each other anyways?” Thankfully, she’s looking towards Zach right now, making it clear she’s expecting his answer first.
“Uh,” Zach eloquently says,“well, you know. As Kirielle says, Zorian’s all soft on the inside despite how prickly he is. He’s also got tons of good ideas and plans, and a crazy drive. And well, I think it’s really endearing how much he likes magic and how he obsesses over shaping exercises and...“ Zach starts mumbling towards the end, to the point where Zorian can’t hear him anymore. He looks incredibly out of sorts and embarrassed though, like he'd rather be anywhere else.
And Zorian echoes that sentiment completely. He’s not sure whether it’s Zach’s words or the second hand embarrassment, but it’s terrible. Even though there’s something inside of him feeling incredibly giddy that Zach likes him, he’s terribly embarrassed. He can 100% tell Zach is speaking the truth and that only makes it worse.
Taiven looks satisfied though.
“Never thought you’d be so shy, that’s kinda cute,” she looks towards him now, “so what about you Zorian?”
Both Taiven and Zach’s eyes are trained on him, in anticipation. Zach seems incredibly relieved to be freed for the interrogation and now looks toward Zorian, clearly curious.
Yeah, no. He’s not doing this. He’d rather shrivel and die in a hole.
“No. Sorry. I can’t take this anymore. Taiven, actually, we’re not dating.”
Taiven’s eyes go wide. “What? Not dating? For real? No way. Why didn’t you say anything then?”
“Sorta felt it was bothersome to explain, since everyone’s convinced anyways,” Zorian mumbles. It’s sorta the truth.
“Awww, but I wanted to hear about what you like about me,” Zach complains, recovered from his previous state and all for protesting the unfairness of the situation. Zorian throws him a glare.
“But-but,” Taiven stutters, “But what about the ZZ pool…”
Ah. That. So Taiven knows about it too huh.
“It’s all based on rumors, isn’t it?” Zorian shrugs.
“Wait, ZZ- What?” Zach seems confused. Figures he wouldn’t have heard about that either.
“Someone started a betting pool on when we got together,” Zorian says, and Zach seems both amused and disturbed at the revelation. It seems like he’s finally realized how big of a thing their non-relationship relationship really is at the academy.
“It’s not just the betting pool though,” Taiven continues, “you guys are even a contender for number one couple this year though!” She exclaims, which. Okay. He didn’t know about that. He can’t believe that’s an actual thing.
“...The academy does stuff like that?”
“Oh, come to think of it, I sort of remember that. A couple people were wishing me luck the other day,” Zach says.
“It’s more of a student lead thing than an actual official academy sanctioned event, but yeah, it is kind of a thing,” Taiven nods, before heaving a big sigh and slumping over the table,
“But ugh. Damn. I can’t believe you guys aren’t dating. I guess this means I lost the ZZ pool,” Taiven mutters. Zorian’s eye twitches. So Taiven bet on it too, huh.
As if reading his mind, she hastily looks up to clarify, “Look. It’s not like I don’t think it’s weird to bet on your love life, Zorian - but the prize money has ballooned into something crazy. It’s pretty much a small fortune at this point and I’m pretty sure there’s people who have no idea who you two are, who are taking a go at it. At least half the academy is waiting on bated breath for the winner to be announced.”
Zorian buries his head into his hands, while Zach just snickers. How is this his life.
+++
Taiven left hours ago, and now it’s just Zach and Zorian walking through the mostly empty streets. The city lights illuminate the way and their breaths that condense in the air. It’s a starry night, and quite cold, which is why they’re holding hands while Zach’s got a hand stuck in Zorian’s pocket.
(Zorian had suggested they let go due to the chilliness, but Zach stubbornly held on and insisted on just holding hands in his pocket. Which is both dumb and inefficient, but Zorian lets him anyways.)
Zach stops in front of the fountain, so Zorian does too, though he has no idea why they’ve stopped. His hand is let go of though, as Zach turns to face him. He hesitates for a moment, but then speaks up.
“What I said earlier to Taiven earlier...was the truth.”
“I know.”
He could tell that every word Zach had said was sincere and honest. Zach’s shoulders slump in an exasperated sigh, but he somehow looks relieved.
“I guess I should have expected it, mind mage and all. You probably know everything already.”
Silence, as Zorian tries to understand what Zach means by “everything.” Is he missing something here? Zach doesn’t say anything either but there’s a building impatience and anxiousness Zorian doesn’t quite understand.
“So? What, what’s your reply?”
“My...reply?” Zorian is very confused now, if he wasn’t already.
“Yes?” Zach is starting to look confused too now.
“What am I replying to?”
Zach gapes.
“Aren’t you….aren’t you gonna give me a reply to my feelings towards you?”
So... Zach does want to hear what Zorian had aborted, huh. He should have figured.
“You want me to tell you what I like about you?”
“What?! No! I mean, yes-but no! That’s not what I mean!”
A pause, as Zach stares into Zorian’s uncomprehending face.
“You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“I thought you knew,” Zach mutters to himself.
A moment of silence only broken by the gentle sounds of the fountain as Zach seems to think over something.
“You know, you’re pretty dense for a mind mage,” he smiles. Zorian rolls his eyes.
“I’m not exactly the most socially savvy of people, Zach.”
“Doesn’t your empathy sense emotions?”
“Well yes, but picking them apart and understanding them is something else if they’re too chaotic.”
“I see, I guess that makes sense,” Zach hums.
“So, what is it exactly that you were talking about?”
Zach looks hesitant again, but then he just sighs, and he looks like someone who's resigned themselves to their fate.
“Well, I was trying to ask you out, but it clearly didn’t work.”
What. Zorian’s brain does a full stop.
“...What?”
“Yeah it was kinda indirect, but you know, I thought you already knew-”
“Wait, stop. Zach.”
He is feeling all sorts of bewildered right now.
“Yes?”
“You...want to date me?”
“...Yes?” Zach seems confused on why he’s even asking, but Zorian doesn’t even care, he’s absolutely floored right now.
“You like me?”
Zach is looking a little exasperated now.
“For God’s sake Zorian, I love you.”
Those words are so straightforward, Zorian isn’t even sure what to say for a second.
“Oh,” is what he intelligently says.
In retrospect, it was actually really obvious. Zorian feels sort of dumb now, but it’s not like he ever prided himself on having a high EQ in the first place, so whatever.
“Are you gonna give me an answer?” Zach looks nervous, and Zorian snaps back to reality as he realizes all of this is actually happening. Right now.
It’s deep into the night, the sky is pitch black and the air is chilling cold, but Zorian doesn’t notice any of it. Zach’s looking at him expectantly, gaze focused on him entirely, eyes vibrant even in the dark. The moonlight is making parts of his hair shine white.
“Yes,” he can’t help his uncontrollable grin as he replies, “I feel the same way.”
Zach’s face flushes all at once.
“Don’t smile like that.”
And then he kisses him.
+++
Zorian isn’t even upset when Kael walks in the next day with his winnings from the ZZ pool.