There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 194 - 188. Boyfriend

Chapter 194: Chapter 188. Boyfriend

Birthday??

It was his birthday?!

Just after he managed to start the day with a tranquil mind, Zein was having a tiny session of meltdown in the living room. Sitting on the couch and staring blankly at the black television screen, a thought occurred in his mind:

Was the movie date supposed to be for his birthday?

Zein leaned back and covered his eyes with his forearm, feeling like a complete jerk. It was easy to see that Bassena had wanted to spend the weekend with him, with a movie and dinner and maybe some conversation. And then he ruined it by having a massive outburst.

Well, they did have a nice conversation afterward, and spent a whole evening entangling in each other’s limbs, so...maybe it wasn’t that bad?

Still, Zein felt rather guilty, and that included not knowing Bassena’s birthday.

If he was to spend a bit more time just looking beneath the esper’s profile--which could easily be found everywhere including the guild’s directory--or casually look at any social media platform, he would be able to see it easily.

Just like now, as he turned on his commlink and surfed the net.

But he was getting too wrapped up in his bad mind lately that he couldn’t see others. Too busy getting drowned in self-loathing that he couldn’t see the affection other people gave. Drawn himself inside his wall again, pushing everyone out, including Bassena.

He watched the congratulatory messages across the board; from his fans, from the people in the guild, from other colleagues...and as he spent his time like that, the bedroom door suddenly opened, revealing a disoriented, half-asleep man.

The esper turned his head here and there, eyes squinted, brows furrowed, hair like a bird’s nest. He pouted, seemingly annoyed, until he caught the guide’s presence on the couch. Wordlessly, he wobbled there, walking like a zombie, and just dove onto the couch where Zein was. As if he just sleepwalked for not finding Zein in the bed, he whined and squirmed, laying his head on the guide’s thigh, and hugged the man’s waist. After pressing his face on Zein’s abdomen, taking a deep breath as if inhaling the guide’s scent, he sighed contentedly and closed his eyes again.

Zein blinked repeatedly, poking the esper’s cheek a few times without receiving any reaction, and then chuckled. "You’re back to sleep?"

There was a deep rumble, a mumble, and then a steady breath that got Zein smiling softly. "Cute," he muttered, running his fingers through the messy platinum hair.

The esper let out another contented sigh, and Zein ended up spending the time stroking Bassena’s hair while reading Alice’s reports and informed her that he would be late today. Sometimes his fingers would scratch on Bassena’s scalp and he would hear the esper purr.

"Are you a snake or a puppy?" Zein commented, caressing the bronze temple with his thumb, and rubbing the leftover scar across the handsome brow.

It was peaceful. He couldn’t believe that just the day before yesterday, he was screaming and sobbing and a total mess; face decorated with a frown as if he had forgotten how to make a smile. But now, he spent a lazy morning with a giant puppy in his lap, while the smell of delicious cooking wafted from the kitchen below.

And it felt good. Now that he was no longer plagued with the thought of punishing himself, he allowed his heart to enjoy the feeling of other’s company, of a calm morning, of not worrying about whether or not he deserved such bliss.

Especially because he knew that it was only a short one; a short moment of peace.

Things would get chaotic soon, or at least filled with tension. From the annual meeting to the reclamation project, and the whole thing with the Templar and Setnath. If they won the bid--and they had to--they would spend the next five years, probably, struggling in the Deathzone with their lives on the line.

So, now he realized that he had to savor it; this bliss, this peace.

And Zein savored it until his commlink vibrated and his screen getting interfered with by a call. When he accepted it, he was greeted by Han Shin that didn’t bother with greeting and getting straight to the point.

[Hey, can you call Bas?]

Zein raised his brow at the frantic sound of the healer’s voice and asked curiously. "Why?"

[He didn’t answer any of his calls yesterday, and I think the link is dead this morning? I don’t know, I can’t reach him at all]

Zein observed Trinity’s lounge in the healer’s background, and glanced a bit at the clock. They weren’t that late.

"Something happened?"

[Well...there’s a sudden conference with the military for early assessment regarding the reclamation act, so we need him here right now. It’ll begin in the afternoon, but there’s a briefing and everything and I have no idea where he is!]

Still stroking the platinum hair across his lap, Zein asked nonchalantly. "You need him for that? Today?"

Han Shin paused for a bit before sighing. [Yeah, I know it’s his birthday today, but what can I do? If Radia presiding this conference, he’d just end up cursing them]

"He hated the military that much?"

[Yeah, so can you call him? He might answer if it’s you--] the healer paused and tilted his head, eyes narrowed in confusion. [But where are you? You’re not in your office yet? That’s unusual...ah, never mind. Call him, please?]

Zein smiled, unusually lighthearted and playful. "How can I call him if his link’s dead?"

Han Shin gasped at that. [Oh my God, you’re right! What to do?!]

Zein chuckled and tapped the cheek of the man laying on his lap, and called out. "Bas, Shin is on call,"

The healer raised his brows on the screen. [Wait--what? You’re with him?!]

Bassena groaned at the yelling coming out of the call, but all he did was just snuggle against Zein’s stomach even more. Stroking the esper’s cheek, Zein lowered his head and whispered. "Baby, wake up."

As if hearing an alarm, the sleepy esper blinked his eyes open and raised his body. He stared at Zein, blankly, before leaning forward to kiss the guide’s lips. "Good morning?"

"Yeah, good morning," Zein grasped the esper’s jaw and turned Bassena’s face to the screen. "Shin’s calling."

[What the fuck?!] was the healer’s greeting.

"What do you want?" Bassena asked in annoyance, eyes still squinting from sleepiness.

Han Shin opened his mouth, but nothing came out even after they waited for a while, so Zein told the esper. "They want you in the guild now, assessment from the military or whatever."

"The hell? So early?"

[We need to have a briefing first] the healer finally snapped out of his shock. [Just get here fast and--]

"Goddamnit--can’t I just spend one peaceful morning with my boyfriend?!"

[...wha--]

Shin’s surprised exclaim disappeared as Bassena forcefully ended the call. Grunted in annoyance, he went back to nuzzle the guide’s neck, who commented with a chuckle. "You just want to say that, huh?"

"Mm," Bassena pressed his face to Zein’s neck, inhaling the heavenly mixture of the guide’s natural scent and his own body wash. And then he blinked, and raised his head to ask cautiously. "You don’t mind, do you?"

"I’d have smacked you if I do," Zein smiled, looking so soft and...at ease. Fingers ran through Bassena’s fallen fringe, parting them aside so the amber eyes could be seen unobstructed. "You need a haircut--"

And who could hold themselves from such a lovely smile and gaze? Rarer than aetherites, more precious than any blessing. Bassena certainly couldn’t, with the way he captured the lips and the tongue before they finished the words. And when he could feel those lips forming a smile against his, with hands stroking his hair and caressing his jaw, Bassena felt the increased beating of his heart, the countless butterfly flapping on his stomach.

It wasn’t a dream. He had kind of thought it was when he couldn’t find Zein in his bed, but now he was awake and...it wasn’t a dream.

Sliding his hand on the fair thigh, Bassena whispered after he peppered more kisses along the guide’s jaw. "I wished you haven’t showered," he trailed his fingers up, grasping the taut muscle on the back as he positioned himself between the guide’s legs. "Can we do it again?"

Zein tilted his head, brow arched. "Now? You’re not satisfied yet?"

"Of course not! I’ve been saving it since the spring," Bassena pursed his lips, prompting Zein to roll his eyes. This man talked like they never touched each other at all since that day. Although, to be fair, penetrative sex did taste different.

Bassena went back to nuzzle the guide’s neck, kissing the marks he left there last night and whined like a child. "Can we? Can we?"

"Hmm...well, I don’t mind," Zein shrugged, and then added when the esper’s face brightened. "But your nanny’s here."

At that, Bassena froze for a few seconds, before springing up abruptly with widened eyes and parted lips. And as if supporting Zein’s claim, they could hear a voice from below. "It’s okay, you can play. Don’t mind me!" she yelled, along with a small laugh.

"Oh, Gods!" Bassena lowered his head and hissed, a reddish hue spreading on the tip of his ears. He raised his face to glare at the guide. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"I’m telling you now," Zein shrugged, smirking amusedly at the frantic, nervous expression of a child getting caught doing something dirty by their parents. It was so unlike the imposing, mighty image he sported to the public.

"Just go get ready," Zein got up and tapped the esper’s cheek, leaning forward to whisper close to Bassena’s lips. "We can do it later."

Bassena raised his brow in surprise. "Later?"

"Later," the smile beneath those beautiful blue eyes was doing things to Bassena’s nerves. And when those lips kissed him softly, Bassena could only blink stupidly. "After all, I should spoil my birthday boy."