Bassena looked at the guide who walked briskly in front of him. There was pressure on Zein's every step, trailing leftover anger and new confusion. Enough to make Bassena feel a bit scared.
He wanted to call for the guide, he wanted to hold the clenching fist, he wanted to embrace the tense shoulder. He wanted to soothe that quiet rage and disappointment, and kissed away any discomfort.
But he couldn't right now.
They were still inside the Temple's compound, and making intimate skinship would just result in another scandal, another topic for articles that would only add to the headache Zein already had right now.
Bassena was used to a widespread scandal and slander about him, but Zein was new to this side of the world, to this life where he was a public figure and object of interest. Bassena knew that even now, while he was suppressing his emotion, Zein was worried about what today's event would bring to the guild and the reclamation project.
