There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 238

Chapter 238: Chapter 231. A New Personal Growth

"Ah, I’m not sure they’d agree, though," Zein added.

"The reason?"

Rina leaned forward to look at Zein and Bassena better, and Lex knew she was probably expecting the reason to be something drama-worthy.

"As I said--because they are the current Landlord," the guide answered easily, much to Rina’s disappointment. She had expected something akin to ’preventing a love triangle’, most likely. "But I’ll still try to negotiate in person."

"Alright," Radia nodded then, and they continued the meeting to further detail the follow-up plan regarding the competition with Celestia, as well as their annual recruitment schedule.

But all Bassena could think about after the meeting ended was how Zein wanted to go to the red-zone, and it gave him anxiety.

"Why? Are you worried about me meeting Zach?" Zein asked once they were in Bassena’s office.

"That’s not it," the esper’s pursed his lips as Zein smirked teasingly. "I just...I want to go with you."

"Why?" Zein took a seat on the couch and beckoned the esper to sit with him.

Bassena, instead of the couch, preferred to sit down on the floor to lean against the guide’s legs. "I want to see the place where you grew up."

Zein tilted his head, thinking about the destroyed house, the suffocating air, and the dry ground. "What’s there to look? It’s not a nice place."

"But it’s a major part of your life," Bassena tilted his head back against the guide’s knee. "I want to know everything about it," he glanced at Zein; "About you."

"Hmm..." Zein didn’t reply much, but there was a subtle smile on his face, and he stroked the esper’s jaw gently. He knew there was something Bassena did not say; that he wanted to make sure Zein did not fall down into the void again from some triggering memories.

It was sweet, and adorable, and made Zein lean down to kiss the esper’s crown. Bassena blinked at this sudden tenderness, heart racing and tingling. But the sensation didn’t last long, thanks to Zein’s next remark.

"But you have to stay here, don’t you?"

Bassena groaned. Zein’s planned schedule of going to Araka, which was right after the guide’s recruitment, fell on the days when the esper’s recruitment process was at its peak. As the vice-guildmaster overseeing the Esper Department, Bassena’s presence was imperative.

Zein chuckled, scratching the frustrated esper’s jaw as he rested his chin on the top of Bassena’s head. "We can go together next time," he said in consolation. He was rather proud that Bassena did not throw a tantrum and chose to accompany him over the job he had to do. Zein wouldn’t like it if Bassena chose to neglect his professionalism just for him. So he felt like he had to at least coddle the younger man. "I still have to check the orphanage from time to time, don’t you think?" _{fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm}

"Mm..." Bassena pressed his lips; he felt happy, of course, but it didn’t make his worry gone.

"I have your earring too, don’t worry too much," Zein said with a chuckle, prompting Bassena to flinch. "I’m not going to go back to that state anymore. It might be painful, but I’m not going to blame myself for it, so you don’t have to worry."

The amber eyes looked up sheepishly, as if saying ’So you realized?’. So he just muttered awkwardly; "It’s...your earring..."

"Fine, it’s my earring," Zein tapped the esper’s cheek. "There’s the ring from Azure too--"

"Ugh!" Bassena groaned again.

As if purposefully teasing him, Azure Sky’s twin guildmasters, as per their guide’s request, adamantly sent Zein a gift in the end. Bassena had told them to send something that shouldn’t have to be attached to Zein’s body, but the two clearly did not listen.

No--they listened, and purposely picked something that had to be worn for it to be effective; a ring. Based on Rina’s testimony, the twins were the kind that got motivated by prohibition. And they cunningly attached a card saying that it was a gift from their guide, so there was no way Zein would turn it down.

Zein did not wear it right away, but it was a pretty and useful ring. It enhanced the effect of other equipment that he wore, including the Earring of Still Water and the Paladin’s Tear. Bassena couldn’t possibly bring himself to make Zein reject such a nice item.

"Yeah, you should wear it," Bassena muttered, leaning back against the couch between Zein’s legs, consoling himself with the guide’s touch on his face.

"Oh? Look at you all grown up," Zein patted the esper’s cheek again, curling his lips into a smirk before pressing them lightly on the esper’s temple. He ruffled the platinum strands and whispered above Bassena’s ear. "Good boy."

The amber eyes flickered at the praise, and Bassena swiftly turned back to climb onto the couch--and Zein--tackling the guide to the leather seat.

"In return, let’s go somewhere this weekend," Zein said after he was done laughing from the esper’s aggressive tickling.

"A date?" Bassena perked up above him, eyes wide and bright like an excited puppy.