By Monday, Theo felt confident enough to practice casting the spell, and he'd have his sketchbook for reference anyway. Besides, he had to admit some foolish part of him couldn't wait to invite Zenith to his home.
In his excitement, he sailed through the school day with surprising ease. Even having to see Ryan again wasn't so bad. Ryan never so much as glanced his way, acting as usual like Theo didn't exist, and Theo was happy enough to follow suit. Though that didn't stop Sam from shooting eye daggers at Ryan all through calculus.
She'd been worried sick for Theo at the beginning of the school day, and had even blamed herself for pushing him into the fight in the first place. Thankfully, her usual high spirits had returned after Theo had told her everything he'd discussed with Zenith. Now she seemed even more gung-ho than him, swinging her arms and practically marching out of the campus gates after the last bell rang.
"Hey, wait up!" Theo yelled as he jogged after her. His legs were much shorter, after all, and he'd fallen behind while texting Zenith that he was done with school. Darian must have made out well at the Golden Royale because Zenith already had gotten a phone. He seemed to have gotten used to it quickly, though he typed slowly and always in complete sentences with no emojis in sight. Not like Theo had expected any different, of course.
"Keep up, slowpoke," Sam called over her shoulder. "Time's a-wasting!"
"Geez, you'd think you were the one who needed to train, not me."
"Well, you should thank me for so generously offering to help!" Sam stuck her tongue out.
"I know," Theo said, swallowing. "Thanks so much, Sam."
"Don't mention it! I want you guys to win just as much as you do," Sam said with a determined nod and pump of her fist.
As a novice wizard without a familiar, Sam couldn't contribute much, but having her around encouraged Theo anyway. Maybe with both his best friend and familiar by his side, he'd figure out a strategy to beat Ryan for good. This was different from the blind faith in Zenith – or more like just taking Zenith for granted – that had led him to make that first disastrous challenge, because he wouldn't be relying on them to do everything for him. This time, they'd be working together.
His phone buzzed, knocking him out of his thoughts. Zenith had replied: 'I have just left the shop. I'm on my way.'
"Oh, awesome!" Sam bent down to read the text, almost bumping Theo's forehead. "Then we'd better hurry. Come on, race you to the station!"
"What? Sam!" but she had already taken off, sprinting down the sidewalk so fast people's heads turned. Theo sighed, shifted his backpack straps, and started running as well.
He regretted it thoroughly by the time he got onto the trolley. The two of them spent the entire ride slumped on the seats, and they were still short of breath after they got off in his neighborhood.
But when Theo approached his house and saw a tall figure standing at the door, energy rushed back into his body. He ran the rest of the way, waving. "Zenith!"
"Theo." Zenith stepped toward him. "So this is the correct house."
The thought of Zenith nervously waiting, uncertain if he was at the right place, made warm affection swell inside Theo. Silly as it might be, it was just another sign that he felt emotions like any person. "Yeah, that's right. Come on in."
As he fumbled with the keys and pushed open the door, he had the uncanny sense Zenith was watching him carefully with those sharp blue eyes. When Zenith spoke, Theo jumped.
"Are you feeling all right, Theo?"
"Huh?" Theo turned toward him, blinking. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Forgive me, it's just...you seem rather exhausted. Sam too. Did something happen?"
Theo couldn't believe it, but the affection swelled further – along with the bizarre urge to laugh. "Yeah," he said, throwing Sam a sidelong glance. "I wonder."
"What're you looking at me for?" Sam waggled her eyebrows, mock-innocent.
Zenith glanced between the two of them, looking lost. "Is something the matter?"
"Nothing," Theo said quickly. "Let's go in, okay?"
While Zenith still seemed confused, he gamely followed Theo and Sam through the door. As he gazed around the airy foyer, Theo couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. The house was much bigger than Meg's cramped apartment, after all. But to Theo, it had never felt like half as much of a home.
When Zenith spoke, he was business-like as ever. "So where is the place we are going to train?"
"It's a park not too far from here," Theo said. "But, um, I was wondering if you'd maybe like something to eat first? Uh, I mean, I guess if you can eat in the first place...."
He trailed off, embarrassed. Why hadn't he thought to ask before he'd decided to make muffins on Sunday? Oh well, too late to take it back now.
"Ah." Zenith tilted his head. "I am capable of ingesting food, though I don't absorb nutrients from it."
No matter how often it happened, Theo could never get over how blase Zenith was talking about stuff like this. Well, he'd take it as a yes. "Great! I made lemon blueberry muffins, if you wanna try."
"Muffins? Say no more!" Sam tore off down the hall to the kitchen.
Shameless as ever. You'd think Theo only existed to prove her free food. Though she didn't come over often – usually they hung out at her place – the few times she did, they often ended up cooking together. Well, more like Theo doing all the work and Sam scarfing down the result. He didn't mind, though; he liked to cook but it always felt lonely by himself.
When he and Zenith arrived in the kitchen, Sam had already pulled the box of muffins out of the fridge and was happily digging in. "Try not to eat them all, okay?" Theo sighed.
Unable to speak with her mouth crammed full of muffin, Sam nodded. Theo hurried to grab two from the box and held out one to Zenith. "Here you go."
Zenith delicately took the muffin between his fingers as if he was afraid of breaking it, then held it close to his face and squinted at it. "Pardon my asking, but...what exactly is this? Is it some sort of bread?"
It took all of Theo's willpower to stuff down a laugh. Seemed muffins weren't a thing on Tielos. Once he was certain he could talk without bursting into giggles, he explained, "It's a muffin. Like a little cake, I guess?"
"Delicious!" Sam squealed, surfacing from the box with crumbs dotting the entire lower half of her face.
"Yeah...thanks, Sam." Grinning awkwardly, Theo rubbed the back of his head. "So, um, yeah. You heard her. I know I'm not as good a cook as Lodo, but, uh, just give it a try?"
His chest felt stupidly tight with anticipation. Why did he want Zenith to like the damn muffin so badly? It wasn't like Theo expected him to burst into raptures or gobble it down like Sam, but...somehow...without realizing it, he'd found himself caring about what Zenith thought of him, and not just as a wizard.
Zenith nodded solemnly as if Theo had given him an order, before taking a careful bite from the top edge of the muffin. His expression remained stoic as he chewed and swallowed, then he blinked, once, twice.
"Ah. It's...good? Sweet."
Joy flooded Theo's chest, bright and pure, unknotting any last hint of tension. All that just from some simple praise. What was wrong with him? But it didn't feel wrong at all, this happiness.
"Great!" he said, smiling. "I'm glad you like it."
"Yes. I...I 'like' it." Zenith spoke a little hesitantly, which made Theo remember how confused he'd been about liking something as simple as a blown-glass jellyfish. It filled Theo with the sudden bizarre urge to pull Zenith into a hug, but not when he was holding a muffin and Sam was watching.
Face burning, he tucked into his own muffin. He'd made lemon blueberry muffins plenty of times, but today he thought the lemon tasted fresher, the blueberries sweeter, than they ever had.