There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 131

Chapter 131: Chapter 127. Words of Devotion

The first thing Bassena felt as he woke up was that his body felt sore and for a second, he questioned why the bed felt worse than usual. He groaned and sat up, looking around begrudgingly in a daze.

The sun was up, the light flooding from windows and balcony. There was a sound of trickling water, and the scent of coffee. Staring blearily at his surrounding, Bassena got up instinctively, chasing a familiar, wonderful scent.

Not of coffee, but of summer. Of fresh spring water. Of life.

Half asleep, he reached out and circled his arms around a lean waist, buried his face in a skin bearing the comforting scent.

"You’re heavy," a melodious voice told him, but Bassena only tightened his hold and nuzzled on the fragrant neck.

It got him a soft grunt followed by a light chuckle, and rewarded him with a flick on his forehead. "A baby," the nice voice told him again. "You’re a giant baby."

Bassena hummed in agreement, and the finger that was flicking him came back to stroke his head briefly. "Coffee?" the soothing voice asked, and Bassena nodded against the nape.

"Sugar..." he mumbled incoherently.

"Yea, yea," the black hair swayed against his face as the owner nodded. "Now get off me."

"Don’t wanna..." Bassena grunted defiantly, clinging like a giant puppy, a giant baby, a giant koala--whatever, as long as they were cute.

Zein liked him when he was acting cute, Bassena remembered.

But then he heard the sound of a sigh, and Bassena release his hold in reflex, even stepping back. His mind whirring alive slowly, working hard to get rid of the daze from sleepiness.

"Go back to the couch and wait like a good boy, mm?" a warm palm patted his cheek gently, and Bassena nodded obediently, because he was a good boy.

Although he was also quite sad about that. "Okay..." he said dejectedly, before turning around. The big figure trudge dazedly toward the couch and took a seat back, blinking away leftover drowsiness.

As the clock ticked by, the nice scent of spring water and coffee flowed closer, and a beautiful pair of blue eyes hovered above his face. "Awake yet?" the owner asked, and Bassena shook his head stupidly.

But he was rewarded with a beautiful sound of laughter and a soft ruffle on his hair. The smell of coffee lingered, but the comforting scent left him again. The amber eyes stared dazedly at the billowing smoke from the cup above the table, blinking once, twice lazily. After about a hundred blinks, the esper exclaimed softly.

"Ah..." mind finally whirring in motion, he looked up to register the scenery of Zein’s dorm room.

Slowly, he turned his head at the sound of trickling water, and saw the guide watering the plants on the balcony with a coffee in his other hand. The sunlight fell softly above the silky black hair, and the blue eyes observing the greens already regained their clarity.

Bassena laid his head on the backrest of the couch, watching the peaceful scenery as if he was in a trance, although his mind was awake now.

He still remembered the agitation and anxiety he felt last night, as he rushed through the night, cursing as to why his teleportation ability couldn’t encompass the whole continent--no, even just the whole federation. He cursed the fact that Trinity’s compound had an anti-movement formation embedded around it.

And when he finally saw the guide, he couldn’t help the emotions welled inside to overflow. Seeing the exhaustion on the face of the most resilient man he knew broke his heart to pieces. He wanted to embrace the man, enveloping him in a safe cocoon, just like how Zein always put him inside a comfortable cradle during cleansing.

Instead, it was Zein that spoiled him, indulged him, relented to his kiss and his bratty act. Even allowed him to sleep there, in his private bed. It was Zein that needed comforting, but it was Bassena who ended up getting coddled. That endless indulgence almost broke his rope of restraint last night, as the guide looked almost helpless, weak and vulnerable beneath him.

But when Bassena looked into the blue eyes that were duller than usual, he was reminded of the night of his biggest mistake. He remembered the angry, disappointed face directed at him, the visible distance it created between them.

And he got even more scared than their last night in Rexon, where he told Zein about his dark desire.

So he decided to sleep on the couch, since he had no confidence in restraining himself should he spend the night on the same bed with the older man.

His mind traveled to the vague moment a while ago, of laughter and hair ruffle. He could still feel it; the guide’s body warmth and calming scent. Bassena wasn’t sure he would get that privilege if things went the other direction last night. So he was grateful for holding back, and just enjoying the beautiful scenery with a blessed heart.