"So... why are we doing this again?"
Gene looked up at the raven haired emo male sitting across from him, placing the bowl of folded up slips of paper on the table between them. He had asked Aphmau what it was like being friends with Zane, which was why she had suggested doing something like this. Zane could really use some more friends, preferably ones that were single, since Aphmau was always busy with Aaron.
"Earlier I saw you reading that book called 'Human Bondage', so I thought maybe I could help you out with that." Gene answered, clearing his throat.
"Um.... okay?" Zane said uneasily, a skeptical tone to his voice.
Looking at his face, Gene saw just how nervous Zane looked. Zane never had been good at communication or talking in general, which was why he was both an introvert and public mute. He was also very distant from his family, and he had been getting distant from Aphmau, his one friend. That wasn't healthy for his social life or his emotional health, quite possibly his mental health too.
"How exactly does this work...?" Zane asked, breaking Gene out of his thoughts.
"Oh, right! What we do is we each take turns picking a slip of paper from the bowl. There's a question on each of the slips, and we both have to answer it. The person who picks up the question answers it first." Gene explained, watching as Zane's eye widened.
"W.. What kind of questions are on the papers?" Zane asked nervously, fiddling with his scarf.
"Just the basic questions, like what your birthday is or what your social medias are." He answered, tapping his finger against the table. "You go first."
"O... Oh... alright..." He sighed, reaching into the bowl.
Zane pulled out a slip of paper, unfolding it. He read the question over in his head, before clearing his throat to announce it. Gene found it kind of cute, how shy Zane was. That didn't override his worry about him, though. Zane shouldn't have been that nervous about answering a few simple questions.
"Wait, d.. do I say the question first, or just answer it?" Zane asked, looking up at Gene.
"You can say your answer then give the slip to me, if that works for you." He answered, trying to make him feel more comfortable.
"O-Okay... um..." He stuttered, starting to blush a bit. "My favorite song... is probably, um.... I-I'm gonna say Heathens..."
Gene was, truthfully, a bit alarmed by how Zane had stuttered. He did look cute when he had blushed, but he was so hesitant. Did he think that he was going to hurt him? Yeah, Gene had hurt Zane in multiple ways back in high school, but he was different now. He wanted to at least get to know him better.
"I think I'd have to go with..." Gene trailed off, taken aback by how quickly Zane snatched his hand away after giving him the slip. "I like Hall of Fame. There are just so many good songs nowadays, you know?"
"Y-Yeah..." He nodded in agreement, rubing his hand against his scarf.
Gene let out a mental sigh, reaching into the bowl and picking his own slip of paper. He singled one out, picking it from the rest of the pile. He opened it impatiently, like he was desperate to get more out of Zane.
Just then a voice, much like Zane's, faintly whispered in the back of his mind.
What the shit was that?
"A.. Are you gonna read the question...?" Zane asked, raising an eyebrow.
"O-Oh right, sorry..." Gene quickly apologized, looking down at the slip of paper with a small blush. "Okay, favorite food.... mine is definitely soup."
