There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 265 - 258. Flowing Water

Chapter 265: Chapter 258. Flowing Water

"It’s fascinating," Zein commented while fiddling with a box of berries on the kitchen island--the kitchen island they used to fuck last night.

"What is?"

"That you’ll be good at house chores," Zein stroked the marble surface that had been wiped clean. Even the floor looked meticulous, and all his discarded clothes were already in the dryer. All before Zein even woke up.

And the man was supposed to be a prince?

Bassena, who was in the middle of cutting the ingredients for their breakfast--lunch?--chuckled. "My worldview changed after spending months on the top floor. I realized people need to have basic life skills to survive."

"The last trial, huh?" Zein rolled the blueberry between his fingers--he didn’t have those basic skills, but he still survived somehow. "I’m telling you now, but I know nothing about chores."

It might sound weird, that someone who fitted the ’Young Master’ vibe to the T was better at chores than someone who lived their life in poverty like Zein. But in truth, people needed to have basic necessities first to be able to afford basic life skills. Because how could Zein be good at cooking when he barely had any food? How could he be good at house chores when he barely had a house?

"Why? Do you expect me to ask you to do it?" Bassena glanced at the guide who was savoring the fruit in his mouth, and smirked.

"I don’t know; maybe--" Zein tilted his head, propping his cheek with the heel of his palm. "I don’t know what people expect when their partner moves in,"

The chopping motion paused as Bassena digested the forgotten fact that yes, Zein was supposed to move in, that they were supposed to start living together. In fact, if it wasn’t for this whole debacle caused by the Saintess, Zein would have had the time to pack and move in today.

Ah, that damn woman--the slicing sound suddenly became rougher as if Bassena was trying to murder the beef instead of mincing it.

But then he remembered that he was supposed to feel happy, so he raised his gaze to look at the guide again. And instantly, he felt so much better. Seeing Zein in the pajamas he secretly purchased, lounging in the kitchen as he cooked for them, snacking on fruits and warm tea...it almost felt surreal.

And to think he would be able to witness this view every day...to think he would wake up in the middle of the night and see the guide’s sleeping face, feel the guide breathing softly, alive and well...

A simple, happy thought.

Just having Zein here was enough. He would cook for them, he would take care of his lover. It was enough if Zein would be there and enjoy his treatment.

"Don’t worry about that kind of thing, there’s a reason why my nanny comes here regularly," Bassena told the guide with a smile. "It’s not like I can take care of this place by myself too."

"Ayya?" Zein remarked teasingly, using the name Bassena used in his childhood. It made the amber eyes narrow and the lips below pursed. "Did you tell her?"

"Tell her? She asked me why we hadn’t lived together when I rarely sleep here anymore," Bassena scoffed. "All she asks about is you for the past two months."

"Hmm..." Zein popped another sweet and sour berry into his mouth, hiding a subtle smile behind his fingers.

He had met the nanny once more after that, and she was a sweet old lady. It seemed like Bassena had asked for more recipes from her so he could cook more food for Zein.

Adorable. His esper was truly adorable.

Zein watched Bassena work in the kitchen. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to help, but Bassena refused it. So Zein just proceeded to watch the esper and delightfully found out it was enjoyable. Bassena would use his child of darkness to fetch him ingredients, and it was almost like a show.

Perhaps it would be even nicer without that shirt, hmm...

"Speaking of which," Bassena’s voice pulled Zein out of his fantasy, and he immediately replied, already knowing what the esper wanted to say.

"Tomorrow is fine," he said while stretching his body and shaking his mind off the esper’s back muscle, reminding himself that his back still felt sore. "This case really tells me anything unexpected could happen, so I’ll just squeeze the time to pack," he sighed.

The new recruits would officially come tomorrow, so they would start to get busy again. Not to mention the aftermath of this case. It would take forever if he waited for another change of free time.

"It’s not like I have a lot of things in my possession," Zein shrugged.

While it was true Zein had more than he thought, everything could be boiled down to three things; the plants, the clothes, and his original stuff that fitted in one measly backpack. That backpack had evolved into a proper ’treasure’ box filled with his family legacy though, including the wedding picture. It was a precious thing, so Zein didn’t want to take it out and accidentally damaged it.

"I’ll call the shop to help move the fish tank," Bassena said. "They would need to coordinate with the apartment manager."

"Whether or not we can pack tomorrow, let’s move the tank at least," Zein nodded. "It’ll need a lot of work."

"Actually, we can ask the manager to arrange the whole process of packing and moving your things," Bassena said, but swiftly added while looking back. "Unless you don’t want people to go through your things..."

Zein pondered about it for a while, tapping on the table as his mind split between feeling hungry and the need to think. "Just let me grab my box, and they can take care of the rest."

"Alright,"

They paused their moving talk for a while since Bassena got back to finish his cooking and Zein got back to watching between the esper moving around and the snow falling outside. It was such a hypnotizing lazy afternoon, and Zein found that he didn’t mind it at all; this fuzzy and warm feeling despite the cold weather.

Was this what they called enjoying life?

Zein didn’t think Bassena would make enough food to fill the dining table, though. This was just like the morning after his outburst, when the esper seemed to try his best to pamper him. Mm...he should pamper the esper too, sometimes.

"Oh? It’s even better than before," Zein muttered. Not yet as good as Ayya’s food, of course, but it was getting there.

The comment rewarded Zein with more and more food getting shoved in front of him by the eager and happy chef who was grinning ear to ear as he watched Zein eat with gusto. Hearing that it tasted better made all those times Ayya yelled at him for putting the wrong seasoning worth it.

But at some point, Zein seemed to be distracted by something.

"What is it?" Bassena looked inquisitively as Zein repeatedly glanced toward the second floor.

"My link has been making sounds for a while," the guide frowned slightly, but still diligently put the food in his mouth.

Bassena heard it too, the sound of beeping and pinging that was accompanied by vibrations. It came repeatedly while they were eating, and it was clear that it came from text messages and calls--since Zein didn’t bother to change his notification bell except for Bassena and Radia’s account.

"Someone probably leaked about spotting us in the Temple," Bassena shrugged.

They did come out quite openly yesterday, using the front door. Spotting Zein in the Temple right after all those articles talking about him must have been spiking people’s interest. Someone, whether the Temple’s clients or tourists, would have snapped some pictures during their walk through the lobby.

"If it’s so important, Radia would have sent someone here," Bassena waved his hand. And it was true; there was no unique sound coming from Radia’s account.

In a bout of mischievousness, Zein replied with a smirk. "Or Shin would be barging in,"

"Don’t jinx it!" Bassena hissed in annoyance. Somehow, Han Shin had managed to disturb their moment time and time again. The healer had such a cursed timing in their life, as if he knew when exactly Bassena wanted to be left alone with Zein and intentionally ruin it.

Zein chuckled and decided to just continue eating. He had to finish this generous serving Bassena had made for him after all. But after ten minutes of repeated ping ping ping sounds, he started to sigh.

"Hmm...it’s bothering me," he started to stand up, but Bassena stopped him immediately.

"I’ll fetch it, just finished your meal," the esper stood up and walked to the second floor.

Zein returned to his seat and chuckled. "You’re strict when it comes to food, huh?"

Bassena laughed in response. To be fair, he was strict about food when it came to Zein. He wanted to give the best meal, with the best ingredients, filled with delicious and comforting taste--everything that Zein couldn’t experience before. Bassena wanted Zein to eat his fill, until he was satisfied. It was why he had been learning more and more about cooking, asking Ayya to teach him.

With that thought, he took Zein’s commlink, hoping that whatever caused this endless notification wasn’t anything headache-inducing. He wanted Zein to rest after the stressful event yesterday. If he could, he didn’t want Zein to relish yesterday’s anger and disappointment anymore.

But...this...

Bassena widened his eyes, and then blinked. He returned to the dining table with mixed feelings, clutching the commlink in his hand.

"What is it?" Zein raised his brow as he looked at the esper’s expression.

"Uhh..." Bassena scratched his neck awkwardly.

"What?"

The amber eyes looked at the guide wryly. "I don’t know where I should start with this..."

Instead of showing Zein the commlink, Bassena turned on the kitchen’s television instead. He shifted the channel for a while until he found what he wanted to show Zein. There, on the screen, was a news channel; not talking about the Temple, surprisingly, but of Zein’s lineage.

Of House Ishtera and the honorary Saintess of the Frejya Temple.