Chapter Five:
“Is that… my cardigan?” Sherry asks, squinting her dark brown eyes at Zero. She’s leaned against the counter, a book sits open in front of her but her gaze is concentrated on the only other person in the diner. Biting into a green apple, she turns the page of the book without even looking.
“Mhhm,” Zero hums, fiddling with the sleeves of the cashmere cardigan. “It’s soft,” he murmurs, running his fingers down it. “I’ll give it back in a few days,” he says, grabbing a dark green apron and tying it around his waist.
Sherry swallows loudly, eyeing Zero with an odd look. He looks sort of… soft. She lowers her gaze to pale lilac vans and tilts her head to the side in thought. There are cute, little stars pressed on each side. Sherry then flickers her gaze to messier than usual black hair, to the baggy clothes that he’s wearing and then to the circular specs he has perched over the bridge of his nose. He usually opst for his contact lenses. Sherry spots dark semi-circles under Zero’s grey eyes and purses her lips. “Huh,” She breathes out after a moment of too long silence.
——
The bell above the door chimes as soon as Klaus steps into the diner. It’s empty, save for Sherry and Zero. The plum haired female is sat behind the counter, head ducked and eyes glued to a book. Zero, on the other hand, slowly turns his gaze towards Klaus and tilts his head to the side almost like a puppy.
Kluas rubs the underside of his nose when he gets attacked with the scent of something fruity. His chest immediately starts aching and he furrows his brows as he rubs a hand over the middle of his chest. He wishes it wouldn’t burn so much.
Zero slowly starts walking towards him, steps hesitant and grey eyes sort of hazy behind his circular spectacles. Klaus stares at him dumbly, slightly caught off guard. He flickers his gaze to Sherry, but the female simply wiggles her fingers at him in a mocking wave and then settles her chin into the palm of her hand, content on just watching the scene unfold.
Klaus feels the world around him blur when he returns his gaze to Zero. The need to mark and claim, to simply make his is strong, it wraps around his being and makes his fingers twitch beside his thighs. The feeling runs deep somewhere in his veins and it makes his chest ache even more.
Zero stops in front of him and Klaus stills. He doesn’t even move when Zero curls his fingers around the edge of his dark henley and then cutely tugs on it, like he’s promoting him to lower his head.
Klaus swallows audibly.
This, Klaus thinks, is what’s finally going to kill him.
Zero then proceeds to get onto the tips of his toes and nuzzles his face against Klaus’s chest, nose pressing into his collar bones for an odd second or too and fluffy black hair ticking Klaus’s jaw. The fruity scent in the air intensifies and takes over Klaus’s own senses, he’s settling his hands onto Zero’s small waist before he even knows it, eyelids lowering and nose pressing into fluffy black hair. The moment he touches Zero, the younger male purrs.
Loudly and abruptly.
It weirdly soothes the ache in Klaus’s chest, chases away the burning feeling that settles around his heart. Klaus inhales deeply. Zero smells sweet. Like apples and cherries, honey and chocolate.
“Ahem,” Sherry coughs, interrupting their little moment. She flips a page in her book, lips forming a smile. “Shouldn’t you be asking for his name before you get all cuddly up to him, Zero?” She questions in a teasing zone, tucking a strand of her plum coloured hair behind a pierced ear.
Zero abruptly moves away from Klaus with a loud yelp, grey eyes wide and no longer hazy, face flashing in panic. He takes several steps back, opens his mouth to say something and then shuts it closed with an audible click. Like a deer caught in the headlights.
Klaus stares down at his empty hands with a frown. So much for that, he thinks. He shoves them into the pockets of his jacket and then raises his cyan coloured gaze to match Zero’s grey one.
“I can… explain,” Zero says, twisting his fingers around each other uncomfortably. “I mean, actually I can’t. But,” he pauses, running both his hands through his black hair. “No,” he says, shaking his head, “I really can’t.”
“Explain what?” Klaus asks, swiping his tongue over his bottom lip.
“Can’t we both just leave and pretend this never happened?” Zero asks, completely ignoring Klaus’s question with a hopeful look on his face.
Sherry snorts form where she’s sat at the counter. Zero sends her a narrow eyed look and she ducks her head, returning her gaze to her book with a quiet, “Alright, alright.”
Klaus debates over his options internally. He shrugs his shoulders before he extends a hand. “My name is Klaus,” he introduces himself, the corners of his lips lifting into his usual crooked smirk. “Klaus Mikaelson.”
Zero stares at Klaus’s hand with a worried expression, teeth biting into his lower lip. He flickers his gaze up to bluey-green eyes and then hesitantly shakes Klaus’s hand with his own. “Zero,” he mutters lowly, “it’s nice to meet you.” His voice sounds unsure.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Klaus murmurs, bringing Zero’s hand up to his mouth. He grazes his lips against the other males knuckles, smirking when Zero let’s out another soft purr. He then watches the way Zero flushes under his gaze, cheeks turning into a pretty shade of red.
965 words//unedited.
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