There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 106 - 102. Morning Mood

Chapter 106: Chapter 102. Morning Mood

Zein had a habit of waking up at dawn no matter where he slept. But perhaps because he got drunk for the first time, he only opened his eyes groggily when his biological alarm woke him, without any notion to get up.

The room was dark, the only source of light was coming from the dim lamp at some corner. For a moment, Zein had no idea where he was, or why he had a headache and felt like crap. But after squinting his eyes at the expensive-looking furniture, his mind instinctually conjured up the image of Radia, and his memory came back then.

Grunting at the awful state he was in, Zein immediately circulate his mana to get rid of the alcohol influence in his system. It was only after his head got cleared for a bit that he realized there were two things enveloping him; a blanket, and a warm body.

From the soft, steady breathing grazing his nape, and the sturdy arm around his torso, Zein instantly knew it was Bassena. He didn’t know exactly how they ended up spooning on the couch, but he remember acting horny and succumbing to a desire for pleasure.

Oh well--Zein closed his eyes again, scooting deeper into the comfortable warmth inside the blanket, and the steady breath of another person.

When he opened his eyes again, the sunlight had already filtered through the curtains, and he had felt somewhat better from earlier mana circulation. With a slight grunt, he lifted the arm still circling his midriff, and got up.

Sitting dazedly on the edge of the couch, Zein looked at the sleeping esper. He remembered Han Shin told him once that Bassena was a deep sleeper, unlike Zein. The esper rarely sleep, but once he did, it was quite hard to wake him up in a normal way.

But...

Blinking slowly, Zein realized he had a nice and rather deep sleep this time too. He wondered if it was because he was drunk. Or was it because he slept with someone else?

Or perhaps, because it was Bassena, in particular.

Still with the bleary mind, Zein reached out to pinch the esper’s cheek. The lack of fat made it hard to do so, but Zein still doing it anyway, smirking to himself when the man groaned slightly--but more because he lost the feel of Zein’s body in his arm rather than because of the mischievous hand.

Bassena didn’t wake up though, back to breathing steadily when Zein moved his hand from the bronze cheek to the obsidian scales beneath the esper’s eyes. He spent some time just rubbing the sleek surface, and the esper instinctually put his arm around Zein’s waist, as if reluctant to let go of the guide’s body warmth.

But after satisfying himself by watching the handsome face and pinching the esper’s cheek again, Zein pulled the blanket over Bassena and walked out.

He didn’t see a lot of house staff yesterday, but when he came out, someone already stood beside the door, as if waiting for him. The man bowed his head and gestured toward the stairs. After following the man for a bit, he arrived on a deck with a dining table on it.

And a hangover-looking Radia.

The man was slumping on his chair, looking dazedly at the garden while the sunlight poured softly above his messy crimson hair. What a rare sight.

"You look awful," Zein gave his greeting while staring at the guildmaster’s swollen and red eyes. "I thought you didn’t drink much last night."

"I drank more after midnight," the man said, leaning back and closing his eyes.

"Alone?" a staff offered Zein coffee, and he asked for extra sugar before casually throwing a question. "Did you fight with Han Joon or something?"

Zein just said it absentmindedly, but from the way Radia’s slumped shoulder stiffened at his words, it seemed to be a bullseye.

Since he knew that Radia and Han Joon wasn’t avoiding each other as people had thought, Zein figured the Mobius Captain would come to wish his little brother a happy birthday, and that they’d meet. But he certainly didn’t think they would fight.

"So he came?" Zein stirred his coffee, glancing at the crimson eyes that slowly opened, looking vacant and tired.

The answer to Zein’s question, however, came not from Radia, but from the man running toward them from inside. "Radia! Radia! Did hyung come yesterday?!"

Zein shifted his gaze to the healer, who looked as energetic as ever, albeit while panting. A small box was clutched in his hand, looking more like a box used to seal rare materials rather than a birthday gift.

Although, for a researcher like Han Shin, rare material might be worth more than glamorous jewelry.

"Heal me first before you start yelling!" Radia hissed with a deep frown, something that also could be considered a rare sight.

"Huh--what? Why are you looking more hangover than me?" the healer tilted his head in confusion, although he still reaching out to use his skill on the older man. "What about you, Zein?"

The guide, who was tasting some kind of spicy soup the house staff just gave him, held up his palm to signal that he was okay. He did drink a lot, trying a sip of everything. But he wasn’t that drunk, and his preventive measure at dawn help a lot. The soup also soothe him further, so he was good.

Soon, Radia didn’t look as pale as before, and his frown receded. But that didn’t mean he looked better. All the healing did was return the color to his cheek, not easing the pain in his heart.

"Did you get something?" Zein took the role of the miserable-looking host then, turning Han Shin’s attention to him.

"Yeah," the healer took a seat, playing with the plain metal box in his hand. "There’s no card or anything, but I can feel hyung’s leftover mana here..."

For someone who got a birthday present, however, Han Shin didn’t look happy. No--he looked sad instead, the tips of his mouth went down.

"Do you not like it?" Zein asked curiously while stopping the house staff that seemed to be determined to put a feast in front of him--just in front of him, since the espers didn’t show any sign of desiring breakfast.

Oh, Han Joon--what a sinful man you were, Zein thought while chuckling inwardly.

"It’s not that--he actually gave me something I really need right now, but..." Han Shin replied with a sigh. "I just wish he woke me up then, so I can see him for a bit," the black hair fell to the table as the healer laid his head there. "So I can say happy birthday to him too..."

Zein almost choked on his coffee then, as he blinked and turned his head to look at Radia. The red-haired was massaging his temple by then, even after getting healed--no doubt the source of his headache came from something else than alcohol.

"You...share the same birthday as your brother?"

Han Shin lifted his head then, blinking at the guide. "Huh? Oh, yeah, you didn’t know..."

Propping his head with both hands, the healer looked up to the bright sky that seemed to mock their forlorn mood. "Actually, I didn’t know too when I was a kid. We always celebrated my birthday secretly so father wouldn’t find out, but he never said it was his birthday too," the healer paused for a bit, and it felt weird for Zein to be surrounded by this mood. "So I always make sure to wish him a happy birthday. But it’s so hard seeing him after he became the Captain and...uhh--"

Han Shin pressed his lips, black eyes glancing warily at Radia, prompting Zein to shift his gaze too. But the man was closing his eyes and made no comment, as if he had no intention to listen and was just there for sunbathing.

Haa...what kind of drama is this? Zein swallowed his sigh along with his omelette.

The young esper stood up then, and moved to sit beside Zein so they could continue the conversation in a whisper, just between them. "Do you know that soldiers are not allowed to have personal commlink except during their vacation and day off? So even if I texted him ’happy birthday’, I wouldn’t know when he might even read it."

Ah, so that was why Radia said the man always came and go as he liked; since it was hard making appointment in the first place?

"But look at this!" Han Shin grabbed the box and pursed his lips. "If he came last night, shouldn’t he woke me up or something? It’s been a long time since we met. I want to visit mother’s grave together for once, you know..."

Zein watched the healer sighed again while eating his breakfast, in honor of the staff that kept piling things into his plate. Now that he though about it, he had no idea where his mother’s grave was. But he couldn’t exactly ask Radia about it now with this...situation.

Not to mention this sad-looking hamster beside him, who suddenly asked in a quiet voice. "Hey...do you think hyung doesn’t want to go with me because he thinks I’m the one who killed her?"

Zein stiffened for a bit; that concern hit a bit too close to home just now. He probably should say something consoling for the man, but he couldn’t. Because he knew that feeling of guilt and anxiety.

"I don’t know," was the only thing he could say.

"Do you think he’d celebrate your birthday every year and gave you a present if he thinks that?" suddenly, Radia responded from the side.

So he was listening to them anyway. They looked at the man, who was staring at the lawn and the garden. "He never had one himself, but always gave you one, even though he knew he’d get in trouble with your father because of it."

Zein chewed on his cheek, wondering if Radia stopped playing hide-the-relationship now.

"But...but maybe...when he visited mother, the thought came to him, so he didn’t--"

"Han Shin," the crimson eyes shifted and looked at the healer sharply. "Don’t disrespect your brother with that kind of accusation."

The healer shrunk to the chair then, like a child getting scolded, fidgeting with the metal box. Well...being called by his full name like that certainly gave that scolding vibe.

"And we thought you don’t like him," Zein leaned back, smirking at the guildmaster with narrowed eyes.

Radia turned his head again without answering, back to looking miserable.

Yeah, right. Zein suppressed a chuckle, and was about to lift his cup when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. "Aack!" and another one pushed Han Shin away from the chair.

"Move out of my seat," a sleepy-looking Bassena suddenly arrived and stood behind them, shoving the unsuspecting healer away and sitting down without any remorse and huffed. "Hmph!"

Thanks to that, the weird depressing mood finally shifted.