There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Chapter 105. Azure Promise

"You like it?" Bassena asked after Zein stopped looking outside the window.

The esper had been waiting for Zein, watching the guide overcome his initial anxiety, and then savoring the way those blue eyes looked at the closing sky and distancing ground; a solemn, soft look with a tinge of sadness. But there was also joy and excitement dancing there.

It was beautiful.

Bassena regretted not taking Zein on a flight faster. Even if it was just to fly around Althrea, he should have planned for one.

But for now, he just watched the man. It felt so serene despite the sound of the aircraft’s engine. He couldn’t bear to distract the guide until Zein finally leaned back and shifted his gaze from the window.

"I do," the guide answered shortly, and Bassena didn’t miss the softer tone in that melodious voice.

"I can take you to a sky date, then?" Bassena asked playfully. But Zein didn’t tell him off or anything, and instead hummed an affirmation that got Bassena stunned for a second. "Really?"

"Mm,"

The blue eyes looked so soft then, that if it wasn’t for the mask, Bassena would have already stolen a kiss. So the esper distracted himself by talking about the place they were about to visit.

"I think you’ll like the place we’ll be staying at too," Bassena said, prompting Zein to turn his face to look at the esper. "It’s in a lake."

The blue eyes blinked, processing the information. "There’s a lake in the Capital?"

"There is, although it’s an artificial one," Bassena explained. "But it’s pretty big and nice, since it was made to make the Capital looks pretty."

Zein looked up for a bit in ponder, before responding. "To show off?"

Bassena chuckled, but confirmed the conjecture. "Well, you could say that. A lot of hotels were built around the lake, and the surrounding morphed into a commercial district. It wasn’t far from the federation building, so foreign envoys used the place often."

"Mm," Zein looked out of the window again, marveling at how fast they moved through other zones and cities. Looking at the window, he asked suddenly. "Can we see the lake from the room?"

Bassena smiled at the question that was filled with hidden excitement. "Of course," he liked seeing the rare glittering sparks inside those beautiful blue eyes, which slowly shifted to look at him. "You can even see it from the bed, as long as you’re not closing the curtains. Why else would we stay there otherwise?"

The sparks grew even brighter. "Really? From the bed?" Zein asked in a tone that felt like he’d beat the shit out of Bassena if the esper lied.

"Yeah," Bassena replied with a sure and firm tone, although it was pretty hard to stifle his laugh. "You can just spend the time in your room looking at the lake if you want. It’s visible from two sides of the wall."

Zein bit his lips unconsciously, before turning his head to hide his smile--although it was already hidden beneath the mask. And Bassena looked at the guide’s slightly reddened cheek peeking out of the mask with satisfaction, feeling like he just accomplished a great thing.

It was Lex in the front seat that had to hold back his sigh, because it was him that had to prepare everything. Looking at the hotel room that had an unobstructed view of the lake, and then booking the corner suite. It was expensive, yes, but that wasn’t the problem--Bassena Vaski and Trinity had money to burn. What was difficult was demanding the availability of the room itself. A room--or rather, a floor--like what Bassena wanted for Zein was in high demand, and needed to be booked months before. Lex had to use Bassena and Radia’s names to get that suite.

But looking at the guide’s sparkling eyes and flushed cheek, and looking at the Serpent Lord’s soft gaze and tender smile, Lex thought that the hustle was quite worth it.

* * *

"Ah, there it is," after flying for a while, crossing areas and zones, Zein could finally see the metropolis--another place with tall buildings and dense protection.

Althrea was big, but Rexon was even bigger. Just like Althrea, it was surrounded by a big wall. But perhaps since it was the Capital, there were eight points of entrance to ease traffic. If Althrea had a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing vibe, Rexon’s atmosphere was more stoic, sturdy, and focused more toward functionality.

Zein looked out the window again, almost pressing his face to the glass. Building was building, but he wanted to see this lake. He didn’t care about the castle-like structure that functioned as the presidential building. His eyes focused to chase the image of glittering water.

"Nick, can you circle the lake for a bit?" Bassena asked the pilot after looking at the eager pair of sapphires.

"I’ll ask for permission, Sir."

As the chopper turned direction, Bassena leaned closer to the guide, and whispered to the microphone. "Almost there,"

And just a second after the esper said that, Zein caught the glittering surface a bit further away, surrounded by tall buildings, monuments, and gardens. Zein didn’t dare to blink, as if worried that the glittering surface was just a mirage, and it would be gone once he closed his eyes.

Althrea had rivers that ran through the city and moats that surrounded it like a set of ribbons, but there was something different about a large body of water. And as they came closer to the lake, Zein held his breath.

They went inside the elevator, and Zein caught the concierge secretly glancing at them. But he knew people were getting curious about him, as well as his relationship with Bassena, so Zein didn’t really care about it. Bassena, however, shot the man a cold stare, prompting the man to look at anything but Zein.