Brave Fear (boyxboy)

Chapter 34

Joseph, who had evidently woken up sometime during Zane and Marlene's conversation, said, "So we're going to FEPE today?"

Zane nodded. "Marlene thinks that's where they'll go to try and find us. She said they have maps there."

"We can't put her in danger, Z,"

"I know. She works there. She'll get us in when she goes for her afternoon shift. She said she'll do no more, and I never expected her to. We'll figure it out from there." He interlocked his fingers, twisting and turning them.

Joseph sipped his tea. He hissed at the heat of it. "We're trying to question the yellow girl and the small guy?" he asked curiously. Zane nodded. "But Jonas said that girl's been injected. What if she's stronger than us?"

"Then I'll get us out of there," Zane said, watching his own hands as they brought the mug to his mouth. The ace of spades rocketed to the front of his thoughts.

"How do you think they'll react?" Zane didn't need to ask to know he was talking about Zane's ability to take apart and reform other things besides himself, including other people. He was asking how their friends would react if they knew he could have gotten them out sooner. It may not be pretty, but if it kept Joseph safe, Zane would do it.

"I don't care," he said honestly. "I think they'll take life over death any day. If they don't, they've got some things to think about." He furrowed his brow. "If they don't know after seeing the files, then they must be pretty dense or just unobservant."

"I love it when you're defending yourself," Joseph said, smiling. "It's really cute."

"You flatter me," Zane said, planting a kiss on his cheek. He drained the last of his tea, leaving only the bag at the bottom. He waited patiently for Joseph to finish his.

"You know," Joseph theorized, swirling the remaining tea around in his mug. "I always wanted some cheesy romantic movie relationship with you, but everything in New Vancouver was a man and woman couple. Even though they were prohibited and hoarded by my mother, they still weren't very inclusive. So, seeing as you are not a woman, thankfully, or I am not a woman, thankfully, I don't want that with you."

Zane had no idea what kind of cheesy romantic movie relationship Joseph wanted with him, because he had never seen any. "Why not?" he said instead.

"Because those are set stories," Joseph told him, fixing him with a blue-eyed gaze. "I want us to create our own story. I want to be everything I've ever seen and known about relationships and I want even more than that. I want that because of you. You don't know it, but you deserve far more than what you've been through. You deserve a life you can be proud of and live for a long time. I want to give you that."

Zane was silent for a moment. "You wiped out the voice," he said quietly. "The one that told me to go back and obey orders. It's gone, because of you. So thank you."

Joseph smiled. "I'm glad it's gone," he said. "And I'm happy we get to make our own stories now. No more concrete paths. I know the future is uncertain and that scares you, but I'm here to help you." He handed over his mug and struggled out of the blankets, his shirt askew overtop his chest. He reached down and pulled it over his head, reaching for his pack on the floor for a clean article of clothing.

"I'm getting out of here before your pants come off," Zane said, stifling a laugh. He turned around with the mugs. Worries about the upcoming day bombarded his brain, but he shoved them aside. That was later. This was now.

"I know you want to see them off," Joseph smirked.

Zane rolled his eyes as he lightly closed the door behind him, leaving Joseph to change.