How the heck did I end up here?
Zero sat at the round table, head in his hands, feeling like he was being punished for something—though he couldn't quite remember what terrible sin he committed in his past lives to deserve this. Thalia and Kiaan were sitting across from him, talking and laughing like the best of friends, while Zero sat like a forgotten piece of furniture in the middle, silently plotting his revenge.
Why did this bastard show up?! He clenched his fist, eyes narrowing as he shot a death glare at Kiaan. The audacity.
[A few hours earlier.]
Zero was practically sprinting around his apartment, his brain still foggy from just waking up at 10 AM—because apparently, his body didn't care about time management. And why was he in such a rush? Oh, just the small matter of his date with Thalia. That's all.
For weeks, Zero had been trying (and failing) to get Thalia's number from Kaia. Seriously, was it too much to ask for a little cooperation? But Kaia was more stubborn than a mule on a bad day, and Zero was starting to think that girl had a personal vendetta against him.
But today, today was different. He had time. Free time! The stars had aligned, and the Splinters' get-together had finally arrived. A perfect excuse to do whatever the hell he wanted because he didn't have anyone to pair with, no Apostle lurking over his shoulder.He was finally free. Or so he thought. Zero figured, "I would finally confess to her."
A few days ago, Zero had wandered into a bakery—Love Bears. Yeah, not exactly his usual hangout spot. He didn't have a sweet tooth, not even a tiny one. The real reason he'd gone there? Cookies. Specifically, some cute heart-shaped ones. He had plans to meet Thalia if possible in this lifetime again, and he wanted to hand her her handkerchief back... along with a side of cookies. Because, you know, that's what you do when you're trying to be a little charming.
"Can you give me those?" Zero asked, not even glancing at the counter as he pointed at the pink heart-shaped cookies. His mind was elsewhere, probably plotting how to make this totally casual interaction with Thalia go smoothly.
"How many would you like, Sir?" came the calmest, sweetest voice—a voice that could probably make any man drop to his knees. A voice that, now that he really thought about it, he knew.
Zero's heart stopped for a second as he looked up. She wasn't just any voice. She was her. Thalia.
He almost choked on his own breath. "T-Thalia?" he croaked, trying not to sound like a complete idiot.
Thalia blinked at him for a second, then her face lit up. "Zero? Oh, it's you!" With that, she practically catapulted herself over the counter to hug him.
Zero froze. His body went rigid. He could feel his face burning hotter than a stove. The ground might've even shaken a bit from the force of his internal cringe. He managed to stammer out the most ridiculous question he could've asked. "Y-You work here?"
Thalia pulled back, looking at him like he'd lost his mind. "This is my store," she said, beaming. "How many cookies do you want?"
"Uh…" Zero paused, realizing he was about to buy cookies for her—for her, okay—so he couldn't look like an idiot. "Give me a batch…" He turned away, hoping she wouldn't notice his tomato-red face.
Thalia packed them up and handed them to him. Zero hesitated but held out the money anyway. But Thalia, being the absolute angel she was, gently took his hand and closed his fist around the cash. "Keep it," she said with a wink. "It's a gift for helping me out last time."
Zero's heart exploded, but he somehow kept his face as stoic as a brick wall. Mysterious, calm, collected. That was the vibe, right? He nodded, clutching the cookies like they were the most important thing in the world.
"Uh… can I get your number?" He said, trying to sound casual. Please don't think of it as anything weird, please don't think I'm weird.
"Oh!" Thalia said, her smile widening. "I actually wanted to contact you too. I told Kaia, but she said you broke your… uh, butt's bone?" She looked at him curiously. "How's your butt now?"
Zero's eye twitched. That bitch. Kaia was never going to hear the end of this. But he quickly plastered on a neutral face, not wanting to look like a total mess in front of Thalia.
"I'm good now," he said with a sigh. "So, uh, are you free this Sunday?"
Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Zero's heart was thundering in his chest. Please don't think this is weird, please don't think I'm weird. "Can we… uh... go somewhere? Like, enjoy the day?" His brain was short-circuiting. Think of it as a friend thing. A friend thing. Please don't think I'm asking you on a date.
Thalia's smile didn't fade. "Sure," she said, as casually as if she were agreeing to grab coffee with an old friend.
And now, he was late. Totally late.
"Ugh, where the heck did my red jacket go?" Zero grumbled, staring at his wardrobe like it had personally wronged him. He was fresh out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist, looking like an absolute mess.
Ring~
Wait—was that the doorbell? Did she come early? But… he hadn't even given her his new address.
He slowly opened the door, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.
"Is this how you always treat your guests?" Kiaan's voice cut through the air, dripping with sarcasm as his eyes traveled down to the towel Zero had so graciously wrapped around his waist.
Zero blinked. "What are you doing here?" His hand instinctively gripped the doorframe, trying to appear cool—but the mocking grin on Kiaan's face wasn't helping. "Where's your soulmate, Kai? Shouldn't you be off being all lovey-dovey somewhere?" Zero mocked him,
Kiaan's eyes narrowed, the air growing suddenly tense. "He went to Skirmish and…" His voice dropped into a menacing growl. "One more stupid joke, and you're dead."
Zero took a step forward, smirking. "Oh, try me."
Before the two could devolve into a full-on showdown, the sound of a voice broke the tension.
"Oh, it's you guys…" Thalia's voice rang out as she stepped into view.
Zero's eyes snapped to her, and he screamed internally. Not again. He bolted inside, slamming the door with a thud that could probably be heard across the city.
Leaning against the door, he mentally cursed his life. No, no, no! She's going to think I'm some pervert if I keep showing up like this. Seriously, who meets someone like this—half-naked and freaking out?
Meanwhile, Kiaan was smirking. Big talk from the guy who just ran off like a scared puppy. He narrowed his eyes at the door, plotting his next move.
The door creaked open again, and there stood Zero, now fully dressed—but minus the red jacket that Thalia had probably imagined would be his signature look. He looked… well, classy, in just a shirt and trousers, sleeves rolled up.
"We should be going now, right Thalia?" Zero said, as if nothing had happened at all.
But then—Kiaan grabbed his wrist. "You're supposed to spend time with me today," he said, glaring at him like a jealous ex.
"Spend time?" Zero blinked, the reality of the situation sinking in. Wait. He's here for the Splinter's get-together? His heart sank. This was it—his date was ruined. He was going to have to bail on Thalia now. "Oh... right. I guess I—"
"How about we all go together?" Thalia suddenly suggested, cutting off his panic-stricken thoughts.
Zero turned to her, his mind immediately doing a triple-take. "What?"
[Present Time]
And that's how he ended up in this mess. Why today? Of all days? Zero's mind screamed in agony, but his face remained as stoic as a stone wall. Inside, however, he was crying, throwing tantrums, and questioning every life choice that had led him here.
But to the outside world? Total poker face. As if this was exactly how he planned his day.