π₯ pretend one of his guild mates asked bc you know he's not v interested in this stuff
SendΒ βπ₯?β and my muse will admit whether they find your muse attractive or not.
Maybe he should rethink going drinking with Judy and Raven, because their timing is downright deadly. He had choked on his drink, sputtering and wheezing the second they had begun to suggest that Zelos' interest in the other man was more than... platonic. A few rough pats on his back from the old man and he had recovered from his near death experience and wasted no time in staring at the both of them like they had just undergone a horrible mutation.
When they continued to look back at him, awaiting an answer, Zelos began to flail.
"C-C'mon, you know Judy is more my type!"
Where had that even come from? It's not like he was subtle about it when he liked someone; they could just ask Sheena about how annoyingly obvious he was about it all. And anyway, it was also common fact that settling down wasn't in the cards anytime soon for him, not with the way he shamelessly flirts with all the girls. Just because that had become less common lately (ever since meeting Yuri it's been on the decline actually, but who's counting? Just a funny coincidence!) doesn't mean anything! And much to his chagrin, it's not like being a womanizer is the only thing going on in his life.
You know, he had expected something like this from Judith. She had never been one to shy away from such subjects; she was comfy in her body (and others probably) and was not afraid to use her looks for her gain. But Raven? Why was Raven going along with it? Him and Raven were like kindred spirits! Lovers of ladies! Cherishers of chests! You can't lay your head on a flat chest and be comfy! Yuri, with all that muscle, would be like sleeping on a rock! Not that he would let anyone do that in the first place, right? Nah.
Zelos' fingers had begun to drum along the counter nervously, his imagination getting the better of him for a moment and bringing a faint tinge of red to his cheeks. A raised brow from Raven had him snapping defensively (which did not help his cause).
"Don't you say a damn thing old fart, it's the alcohol, okay?!"
If he were not so skilled at ignoring his feelings, Zelos would have acknowledged that somewhere deep down, he knew he didn't even believe his own lie.
'It is a shame that he couldn't join us tonight, isn't it Zelos? I can't help but notice you always seem more relaxed when he's around.'
Judith's observation made him pause. That... might be true. Yuri just had that air about him. He wasn't uptight or anything and had a good sense of humor. Titles and such don't mean a thing so there was no need to pretend to be the great Chosen around him. Not that he felt the need to put a mask on around these two either, but habits can be hard to break. It just felt... a little more effortless to go without the charade with Yuri.
His leg had begun to bounce on the spot as he glanced away, trying to hide himself underneath his hair. The hell do they know? Look, Yuri was a great guy, he could admit that. He was witty, strong and surprisingly kind without being overbearing. And you know what? Yeah, he'd even dare say the guy was handsome, for a guy. The bar isn't exactly that high (himself excluded naturally) when you focus on that category. But he was also a fighting maniac! Honestly, the way his eyes seem to sparkle when he gets into a friendly fight is just-
Judy leaned in to say something to Raven, Zelos' attention sufficiently elsewhere to completely miss what had been said. If he had seen the grin on the old man's face, he may have been lucky enough to see the signs and slip away with some of his dignity intact. Instead, the call of Yuri's name in surprised greeting had him jumping out of his skin and frantically whipping his head around to see the man in question.
Nails raked across the wooden surface hard enough to cause the material to faintly curl in their wake. The daggers he glared back at Raven could have been lethal and the corner of his lip twitched as he suppressed a sneer. Zelos took a breath to calm himself, finally recognizing that his reaction was very unlike his usual self. They've had their fun at his expense, but no more-
Raven opened his mouth to say something.
Oh no, not again.
Zelos roughly stood up from his seat.
"Sorry, but I just remembered something I need to take care of. Important Chosen stuff, you know how it is! I'll get the tab next time to make up for it!"
Yes, surely his timely rush out the door of the bar was absolutely not incriminating evidence that even so much as implied he may have the slightest hint of attraction towards one Yuri Lowell. That knowing smile on their faces was just their understanding of his position and how important whatever it was that needed to be done really was and not some smug joy in already knowing the answer.
Zelos just likes spending time with Yuri. That's all.
Zelos just appreciates that Yuri has good genetics. That's all.
Zelos just likes Yuri as a good friend. That's all.
That funny, fluttering feeling in his chest was just exhaustion catching up to him.
Yeah. That's all that is.
That's all it can be.
