There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 299 - 291. Warm Blanket

Chapter 299: Chapter 291. Warm Blanket

It was clear that the guides—the two women and Zein—were no longer in a state of emotional balance, so he decided they needed a space to calm down for now.

"Do you have a place we could use to talk?" Bassena asked the daughter, gesturing to him and Zein. "Someplace quiet, hmm... the bathroom is okay too."

"Oh, we...we have a guest bedroom," she swiftly answered, seemingly arriving at the same conclusion as Bassena. She stood up and gestured toward the hallway. "I’ll show you."

Bassena nodded and whispered at his guide, holding the cold hand firmly, leading the older man to the spare bedroom that only had a mattress and nothing else. He said his gratitude to the daughter, before closing the door with a quiet sigh.

"Let’s cool down here for a moment, before we talk to them aga—oof," Bassena blinked at the weight pulling him down. He looked at the guide who was sitting on the floor, staring bleary at the tiled floor. "Zein," he called softly, and he could hear a quiet, almost inaudible voice.

"Hold me," Zein whispered. "Like that night..."

And so Bassena did, pulling the guide into his embrace, pressing the pale face into the crook of his neck. He kissed the cold temple, caressing the black hair, and stroked the slightly trembling back. He did not hear any sound, but he could feel the tears wetting his skin, and Bassena had to grit his teeth to not shed any himself, staring hard at the ceiling.

It was painful. It hurt him to see his guide like this. The strong, tenacious man had to clutch him tightly for anchor, shaking from sorrow and regret. Zein must have been regretting any kind of fleeting resentment he felt when he thought his mother left him alone. He must have berated himself to ever think of resenting his parents, who gave their lives for him.

It hurt him to hear what a young mother, a young woman like Lucia had to go through. She wanted to die, but she couldn’t. She must have been torn between the happiness of finally meeting her esper again, and the anxiety of what would befall their only son without her by his side.

She must have been so lonely, thinking that all her family had died—that damn treacherous man! Bassena did not doubt that the bastard who sold Zein wouldn’t think twice about selling Lucia to Umbra too, had Lucia stayed there and not slipped out of Araka to find help. In hindsight, it was probably a blessing of some sort, that Lucia did not have to live long in the red-zone.

And she was so young...younger than them now. To make such a journey with such a weakened body after giving birth while in pain of losing her esper, and still manage to reach her destination...it would need so much courage and tenacity.

"You really are their child," Bassena whispered after he felt Zein getting calmer and stopped trembling. Such tenacity and willingness to survive, even if it ended in failure, seemed to run in the family.

He could hear the soft sound of a bitter chuckle, and the guide stirred, shifting his position so he could lean his back against Bassena’s sturdy chest. It was strong and warm, comfortable. Zein was glad he didn’t come here alone, glad that his esper was with him.

Listening to the pain his mother had to go through while losing her esper made his stomach churn. Back then, he could only imagine what she had gone through, but now, he also thought about what it would feel like...if he were to lose Bassena.

"She’s trying till the very end," Bassena said. "For you."

"...yeah," Zein leaned his head back, turning his head slightly so he could inhale the esper’s scent. At least he still had his esper for now.

It definitely wasn’t a happy story. A futile one, even, if they wanted to be harsh. But it showed that Lucia had never given up on her son, that she was thinking about Zein even until her last breath. Knowing that his mother did not abandon him...it was worth more than anything.

"Are you upset?" Bassena asked. "At your mother’s friends, I mean..."

Zein sighed and looked up at the dull, plain ceiling. "I just wished they told me, you know, when I write them those letters," he said. Then he wouldn’t have to be searching so blindly. He understood why they acted cautious and did not tell Radia’s agent anything, but shouldn’t they at least tell Zein about it?

It would have been so easy had they written back to him. At least they would know about House Ishtera faster, and Zein might not have to go through all of those breakdowns thinking that his parents resented him for getting them in trouble.

"Was the way I wrote it seemed harsh? Too brash?"

"Well, I don’t read them so I can’t make judgment," Bassena shrugged. "Or perhaps, they were just too scared to even open it? Perhaps they thought it was from the people who searched for your mother?"

Zein closed his eyes, trying to let go of any resentment he might still have. "At any rate, I’m glad they don’t end up in harm after trying."

Bassena smiled, nuzzling the guide’s neck slightly to share some warmth. It was good that Zein was no longer shaken up. He knew Zein still had a lot of things swirling in his pretty head, but at least the man didn’t seem to be too stressed out about it. Sad, yes, but not miserable.

"I’m glad you’re here," Zein said, and Bassena couldn’t help the wide smile forming in his mouth. "Thank you."

"I’m such a useful boyfriend, ain’t I?"

Zein chuckled and patted the bronze cheek playfully. "Yes, yes, such a useful blanket."

"I’m a chair, though?"

Zein laughed softly; a lighthearted laugh that gave Bassena relief. Whether it was the help of the earring or the help of his presence, what mattered was that Zein had smiled again. The blue eyes were staring at him, a bit reddened from the silent cry, but it only made him look prettier; more vulnerable, and...raw.

"Bas..." Zein opened his mouth, staring at the amber eyes deeply. He hesitated for a bit, before he managed to speak again. "I—"

"Hey, why is it so quiet here? Why aren’t you coming over for lunch?"

Suddenly, they could hear the loud voice outside of the room that made them flinch like a pair of schoolboys getting found out playing hooky. "Seems like Grandma’s here," Bassena chuckled, and Zein shifted, getting up so they could go out. "I didn’t even realize it was lunchtime already—oh," Bassena stopped opening the door midway, turning around to look at the guide. "You were saying something earlier?"

Zein stared at the esper silently for three seconds before responding. "No," he smiled. "I’ll tell you later."

Bassena tilted his head inquisitively, but Zein just chuckled and patted the esper’s back. "Let’s go, before Grandma makes a search party."

Looking at the guide’s lighthearted smile, Bassena shrugged and opened the door wider, right as the grandma walked through the hallway. "Grandma!" he greeted the old woman as if he had been knowing the grandma all his life.

And the grandma greeted him back as if the esper was her own grandson. "There you are! Aren’t you hungry, boys? I’ve been waiting in my place."

"Ah, pardon me. We’re too caught up with past stories," Bassena laughed and walked with the grandma to the living room, where Sherri, Ria, and her daughter were.

"I see..." the grandma glanced at Zein slightly, whose eyes still looked a bit red. "Well, it happens. But we have to hurry before my cooking goes cold."

"Of course, of course," Bassena nodded solemnly. "But is your cooking good, Grandma?"

"This rascal!" the grandma smacked Bassena’s arm lightly. " How dare you question my culinary skill!"

Bassena grinned and lowered his head to whisper at the grandma. "I mean, if he likes the food, can you give me the recipe?"

The grandma raised her brow and glanced skeptically at the esper. "What? You cook?"

"Of course!" Bassena replied smugly. "I’m the one who makes all of our meals," he glanced at Zein in the back, who chuckled in response to the conversation.

"Huh...I would’ve never expected it,"

"So? You’ll teach me, right?"

"Fine, fine—I should at least help your love life a bit," the grandma curled her lips while elbowing Bassena as they walked to the front door. "By the way, you’re actually famous, huh?"

"Whaaat?" Bassena looked at the grandma and gasped. "You only realize it now, Grandma?"

The grandma smacked him again, and Zein watched as the two walked out of the door, giving him time alone with Sherri and Ria. Hana stood up then, and followed the grandma and Bassena outside, leaving the three guides alone.

The silence that followed was a forlorn one, of the three people who shared the same sorrow. Rather than suffocating, it was awkward, no one knew what they should say to each other, or how they should act toward each other. Because certainly, it was already too awkward for Ria and Sherri to act like Zein’s aunties.

"Did you... bury her?" the one who cracked the silence was Zein.

Ria flinched slightly, probably did not expect Zein to bring the matter this bluntly. But she nodded, this time collected herself enough to finally look into the pair of blue eyes; so identical with their youngest sister.

"We cremated her and put her in our family’s columbarium," she said, looking at Sherri briefly before adding carefully. "Would you...would you like to visit her...after lunch?"

Zein felt his hands trembling a little bit. Her mother’s remains. The only thing left from his parents. Was there even any need to contemplate?

"Yes," he said. "Please take me there."