There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 401 - 393. Small Corner

Chapter 401: Chapter 393. Small Corner

Zein had realized something about Bassena; the man wouldn’t sleep if he was extremely stressed or extremely happy. The former was because he only dreamt about a sea of darkness when he was stressed, and the latter was because he didn’t want the happiness to be disturbed.

Between the two, it was easy to recognize by how he positioned himself in the morning; either curling up by Zein’s side, or pressing his face on Zein’s neck.

That morning, Zein woke up with Bassena’s warm lips on the back of his neck.

How weird; he thought the esper would sulk since all they did yesterday was eat, sunbathe, take a nap, explore the bunker and hidden passage, and then watch movies until Zein fell asleep. A peaceful, uneventful day. So peaceful that for the first time after months, he could sleep early without any care.

Perhaps that was why Bassena had no heart to act sulky because he didn’t get some actions. Instead, he spent all night nuzzling the guide’s neck, inhaling the calming scent that was only his during this short vacation.

Without opening his eyes, Zein reached out behind his shoulder and stroked the platinum hair, eliciting a murmur of delight from the esper.

"So I wondered," Bassena muttered against the guide’s skin after a few minutes.

"Hmm?"

"Am I suddenly become sexy because of the cake?"

Zein chuckled soundlessly and replied, still with eyes closed. "No."

"No?"

"Because it’s chocolate."

Pfft--Bassena buried his face harder in the crook of the guide’s neck, stifling his laughter. "Should have just slathered my body in chocolate then."

"You should try," Zein shifted to lie on his back, prompting Bassena to scoot away and raise his upper body slightly to give Zein room. The half-lidded blue eyes glanced at the esper, and the pretty lips below curled into a lazy smile. "I might just lick you all over."

"...really?"

That was an inciting prospect that Bassena could go through seriously if the reward was real--even if he had to battle with the sticky sweet uncomfortable mess afterward.

Unfortunately, Zein gave no confirmation--just kissed his lips good morning before slipping out of bed. Bassena watched with pursed lips as the guide lightly stretched his upper body and walked toward the window.

Leaning slightly on the windowsill, Zein pushed the frame open so the cool morning air could seep more into the room, bringing the nice fragrance of blossoms and the chirping of birds fighting for their breakfast. The lake was a blue carpet sprinkled with sparkling diamonds and flower confetti, calmly conversing with the open bright sky.

For the umpteenth time, Zein wanted to praise his Ishtera ancestor for finding this place, acquiring it, and building this estate. Just looking at the lake and the garden brought peace to his mind; almost better than any form of therapy.

"We stood here once a few months ago," Bassena’s husky voice grazed his ears, and the warm breath tickled his neck along with the platinum hair.

"Mm," Zein leaned into the sturdy chest behind him as he recalled the first time they were here; the horrid condition of the place that was akin to a haunted site, including the ransacked house. Glancing at the vanity table which once belonged to his mother put a smile on his face. "It feels good."

"Hmm?"

Zein exhaled contentedly and leaned his head against Bassena’s shoulder. "Give me hope that we can actually fix things."

"We will," Bassena said firmly; as firm as the arms around Zein’s waist.

"How confident," Zein chuckled and raised his hand to stroke the esper’s hair.

Bassena, however, was serious. It wasn’t just a comforting statement; it was a conviction. "I’ll use the blessing."

Zein paused and turned around so he could see Bassena clearly. While the smile on that face was soft, the amber eyes were deep and blazing; the gaze of a warrior preparing for a fierce battle.

"The one where I can train inside a hyperbolic time chamber," Bassene explained.

"Ah," Zein nodded. It was the blessing he received the last time he went through his trial, where he could basically do the Tower’s trials without having to spend months doing it.

If he used the blessing, he could spend months or even years inside a separate dimension to train his power further, while only a few days passed in the real world. While it sounded like a great thing, the discrepancy in time might caused psychological damage, not to mention the constant battle. One would need to be mentally prepared, and it should never be treated as a convenience power-up method.

But they do need some power-up to face their future enemies; one that would make everything they faced so far seem like a joke.

"And you’ll go to the Temple, won’t you?" Bassena smiled and tilted his head, reminding Zein that there was a promise he hadn’t fulfilled.

"Right, She told me to go before we start."

"Do you think she’ll give you something useful?"

"Who knows?" Zein shrugged and turned to the window again, pushing it open wider so more of the morning air and breeze could fill the room. "I don’t like putting hope in something without certainty," he muttered. "We should go with the thought that we can do it even without help."

"I know you’d say that," Bassena laughed, fitting his big frame beside Zein and propped his elbows on the windowsill. He stared at the lake and the mountain and something beyond, to the darkness they couldn’t see from this small corner of the world. "You’re right, it doesn’t matter. I’ll just keep getting stronger."

How scary; to hear someone as powerful as him saying he’d keep getting stronger. He was already the strongest esper under thirty years old in the Federation--no, the continent--and he kept saying he would strive further. Zein couldn’t help but smirk, thinking about what Bassena’s peers would think if they heard what this man just said.

Bassena turned his head to look at the smiling guide with a cheeky glint in his eyes. "After all, someone told me he’ll become my exclusive guide if I become the best esper in the world."

"Pfft--" Zein brushed the hair falling over Bassena’s eyes to see the mischievous eyes better. "Am I not exclusive enough, now?"

"...no," the eyes under the fringe dimmed a little bit.

Zein paused and stared wordlessly at the amber eyes. An expectation and hesitation were coiling between the bright fire. Zein understood what Bassena was implying, and what the esper truly wanted. And it was natural; so natural that Zein couldn’t blame Bassena for it. But that was why it became even more dilemmatic.

"You know it’s not possible now, don’t you?"

"I know, I just--" Bassena turned his head back to the scenery outside, letting the guide’s fingers brush over the side of his head and his hair falling above his eyes again. For a moment, the disappointment gripped his heart and he was about to sigh. But then, he realized something. "Wait..."

Bassena turned his head again and straightened his back, blinking at the calm face reflected in his eyes. "It’s not possible...now?"

Zein did not reply, simply leaning into the window frame and letting the esper scrutinize what was unsaid.

"So...you don’t...you don’t oppose it anymore?"

The once-dimming hope was suddenly blazing again, quietly inside the sea of darkness.

"Honestly, I still do," Zein said, sprinkling water into the fire inside Bassena’s soul. "I still don’t like the fact that they were imprinted on each other."

The blue eyes beneath the slightly furrowed brows gazed at the white stones among the field of blue hibiscus. "I know my mother’s demise was probably inevitable anyway, with the condition she was in," the melodious voice strained a little bit. "But I couldn’t help but think she might hang on a bit more if...if it wasn’t for the severed bond."

Perhaps, if her soul wasn’t so broken from the death of her one and only esper, which she could feel on her every being, she would be able to live long enough until Zein could see her clearly, until he could remember the warmth of her touch and her beautiful smile. Even if they couldn’t get out of the red-zone, Zein would prefer that instead of a piece of paper bearing his name as her only reminder, which he had cast into the fire while he was angry one day.

Despite everything had been cleared up, despite how much he loved his parents now, he still couldn’t get over that one frustration. That one fear.

"The thought of being consumed by losing someone is..."

He did not continue, but Bassena understood it. How could he not, when he saw how white Zein’s knuckles had become as the guide curled his fist?

"Alright," Bassena nodded, reaching out to loosen the guide’s fist. "I understand."

Zein looked at Bassena’s calm smile, letting the esper rub his fingers and massage his hand lightly while his heart clenched in guilt. "I’m sorry..."

"Don’t be," Bassena’s lips stretched a bit more. "Well, in my case, I’ve already experienced being consumed, so it doesn’t matter."

The amber eyes flicked up and Zein chuckled when Bassena grinned cheekily.

"Still, you don’t ’hate’ the idea anymore, so I have hope!"

"Heh," Zein smiles fondly at the brightened pair of ambers, stroking the bronze cheek gently. "Ever the optimist."

"What do you know? I get your heart with this optimism," Bassema shrugged.

Zein laughed and pinched the esper’s cheek. "No, you get my heart because you’re cute."

"My optimism is what’s cute about me."

"Pfft--you admit it yourself?"

"Whatever," Bassena leaned into the guide’s shoulder. "As long as I get your heart."

Zein let the big puppy put weight on him and caressed the platinum lock while enjoying the sunlight falling on them.

"But..." still on Zein’s shoulder, Bassena muttered. "Even if we never ended up doing it, I can live with it."

Zein raised his brow in surprise. "Really?"

"As long as you don’t do it with anyone else."

Zein laughed and patted the esper’s back as affirmation. How could he do it with anyone else if he couldn’t even do it with Bassena? Well, not yet anyway. Zein didn’t think he would ever experience what he felt for Bassena with anyone else.

"Let’s go to the lake," he said after a while, pushing the heavy puppy off him.

"Hmm? Should we have breakfast outside today?"

"That sounds good too, but I’m talking about the lake," Zein patted the esper’s cheek. "In the lake."

The amber eyes widened, even while Zein leaned forward to capture the parted lips.

"It’s time you teach me how to swim."

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