Theo ended up taking longer in the bathroom than he'd intended. When he was done, he headed down the hall to grab his backpack from the sitting room.
Halfway there, he noticed a thin strip of light falling across the otherwise darkened hall. From Zenith's room? Sure enough, the door at the top of the short staircase was slightly ajar.
Why it surprised Theo, he didn't know. Well, aside from that one time – the kiss – he had never seen Zenith in his room. The knight was always busy training or doing something around the house. It was hard imagining him relaxing in his own private space.
'Why do I care, anyway?' For the hundredth time, Theo's face burned. It had gotten late; he shouldn't bother Zenith. He turned back toward the sitting room, only to freeze in his tracks.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but he thought he heard a noise from behind the partly open door. A soft sound, like a voice. Or rapid breathing.
The sound twisted in Theo's gut. He'd heard this before, hadn't he? Once again the memories tumbled through his head, and this time he didn't push them away. It had been a small, insignificant detail, but it burned in his mind as clearly as every other moment: the way Zenith had breathed afterwards, rough and with a slight hitch....
Before he could think about what he was doing, he started stumbling down the hall. With each step he hated himself more, but he couldn't stop.
Why did his heart ache so much? Why did his chest feel tight? It was none of his business.
But he'd reached the stairs by now. His heart was pounding so loudly he thought everyone in the house must be able to hear it.
Yet the sounds continued behind the door. Quiet, but slithering their way beneath Theo's racing heartbeat and into his ears. A soft, wet smack. Like...like a kiss.
All thought fled Theo's head. He ran up the stairs, braced his palm against the wall, and peered through the crack.
A jolt lanced down his spine. Because the first person he saw wasn't Zenith, but Darian. Seated on his bed, haughtily confident as if she'd always belonged there. And on the floor, kneeling below her....
Zenith had his head bent over her outstretched hand, his lips still pressed to her knuckles. His eyes were closed; he looked calm, peaceful, at ease in a way Theo had never seen from him before. Darian seemed just as content, a smile playing across her lips, a pleased flush coloring her cheeks. Her other hand rested atop Zenith's head, carding through the platinum strands with an intimacy that twisted a knife through Theo's chest.
He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. Couldn't do anything but stand there, frozen in place.
Zenith's voice filtered through the door, just as soft as his breathing. "Thank you for doing this for me, my liege. I will never be able to repay you."
"Don't be so serious now." Darian spoke quietly too. I've told you time and again, Sir, I'm always happy to."
Zenith lowered his head in a solemn bow, his ponytail cascading over his shoulder. "Thank you," he said again, barely a murmur.
He'd thanked Theo too after their kiss, and Theo had felt happier than he ever had because he'd finally been able to help Zenith. Now Zenith was thanking Darian the same way. If not with even more emotion.
All the strength drained from Theo's legs. He stumbled, his foot slipping onto the stair below. Before he could stop himself, he cried out.
The sound cracked through the air like a whip. Inside the room, Darian and Zenith snapped their heads toward the door.
Theo froze, clinging to the wall for support. 'Turn around, run away,' his mind screamed, but he couldn't twitch a single muscle. Not before Zenith threw open the door.
"Theo?" he said, blinking. "You were still here?"
He sounded so calm, so – innocent. Like he hadn't even realized he'd done anything wrong. And he hadn't. Theo was the one in the wrong here, so why did it hurt so damn much? Why did he feel like Zenith had betrayed him?
Theo couldn't take it. As Darian came up behind Zenith, sense slammed back into his body. Zenith reached for him but without thinking, Theo shoved his hand aside.
Then he turned and ran.
~*~
His breaths burned in his lungs. Tears stung his eyes. Yet he couldn't stop running, his feet pounding against the sidewalk faster than his racing heartbeat.
He didn't know where he was going. What he wanted to do. He didn't know anything. Just – just –
Just that he'd been a complete idiot.
As he ran, memories raged like a storm in his head. Not just of the kiss. But the joy he'd felt when his Levia had first connected with Zenith's. Their silent dance. The aquarium date. All the moments, every moment he had ever spent with Zenith, no matter how small or insignificant, came rushing out like a flood overwhelming a dam.
The next breath stabbed like a rusted knife. He lurched, the world spinning around him. His legs ached; sweat matted his shirt to his back. Gasping for air, he looked up and saw that he stood at the entrance of a small park.
This late, it was completely empty. Grateful for the solitude, he stepped through the gate.
A large oak tree loomed in the center of the park. Theo trudged up to it before leaning his forehead against its rough bark, catching his breath. What he was doing here, he had no idea. He ought to be heading home. But he didn't want to. Nor did he want to go back to Meg's place.
A soft crunch from behind made him jump. He whirled around, instantly defensive, and his heart dropped to his stomach when he saw the person approaching him.
Zenith. Of course. Frowning in concern, his pale hair almost glowing in the night. For the first time in three days, Theo could finally look Zenith in the face. Now it didn't stir to life memories of the kiss, only hollow desolation.
"Theo," Zenith said. "Are you...all right?"
"I'm fine." But his voice came out a strangled squeak. Horrible. And to make things worse, he felt tears roll down his cheeks.
Quickly he wiped at them, but it was too late; Zenith had already seen. He stepped closer, holding out his hands. "Theo, please. Tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong. I'm just stupid." Theo had never heard himself sound so bitter.
"I – I don't think you are. Does this...have to do with what's been bothering you lately?"
So Zenith could perceive that much. He was still approaching Theo, closing the distance between them. 'Tell him to back off, or run away,' every urge inside Theo screamed, but his back remained pressed against the tree.
This close, he had no choice but to stare into Zenith's eyes. He didn't want to. Didn't want to look at that azure he'd come to know so well it hurt.
Except...wait. Something was different.
"You don't look tired anymore," he blurted.
Zenith blinked, making heat rise in Theo's cheeks. But he couldn't help it. He'd almost gotten used to seeing the dark shadows beneath Zenith's eyes, yet now they were gone, leaving the skin pristine and smooth. Even glowing a little.
Which made no sense. Even if Zenith was a homunculus, Theo thought running around the city chasing him would have stressed him out at least a little bit.
"Ah." Zenith brushed a fingertip beneath his eye. "So you can tell. Yes, it's because of my liege's Levia."
"Her Levia?" Once again, the horrible image flashed through Theo's mind: Zenith kneeling, his and Darian's content expressions. It made him think about their kiss. What Zenith had called it, 'a way to transfer Levia.'
"Yes. It's necessary to complete the healing process."
"What?" Theo's insides twisted into knots. "But I already healed you, didn't I?"
For the first time, Zenith looked uncomfortable. "You did. Without your Levia, I would not have regained functionality of my arm as quickly as I did. Even so, my strength is not quite back up to its normal levels."
"I see. My Levia's too weak." Theo couldn't stop the furious words from spilling out. "But Darian's is stronger. Is that it? Or maybe you'd just rather take Levia from her. Since I guess this is all about the strength of the bond and you obviously have way more of a bond with her than with me – "
'Stop, stop! Why can't I stop?' He was shaking, nails cutting half-moons into his palms, and the worst thing was the complete confusion on Zenith's face.
It made Theo want to cry. Zenith didn't have the slightest clue, did he?