CHAPTER 71: FRIENDS??

The air between them tightened.

Theo shouldn’t have reacted as Thaddeus, but her whole body betrayed her. Her pulse leapt, her cheeks heated, and every nerve in her skin jolted alive.

Zeke felt it. She saw it at the exact same second he did. Because his nostrils flared and his pupils expanded. And his fingers twitched against her arm, like her reaction hit him somewhere primal.

He froze. Completely.

Theo’s heart hammered, "Zeke...?"

His gaze snapped to hers. His eyes flicked down to her lips, and his gaze darkened with hunger. His lips quivered, and he leaned closer to her. His breath heated against her, his scent wrecking her senses and she shivered again.

"Wh...what are you..." She managed out shakily.

He inhaled a sharp breath and then pressed his forehead against hers instead. His body temperature had spiked too much, and his breath came out in guttural exhales.

"This—" he breathed, his voice tight, "—is why you shouldn’t ask,"

"This feels... different from hate," She confessed softly, her eyes locked on his.

"Yeah," He agreed, "But I don’t know what it is. I just know what I want to do to you,"

"And what is that?" She whispered.

"I do not want to say it," His voice came out rough, "It sounds so stupid in my head. It’s something I never thought I’d ever think of,"

"It’s fine. You don’t have to say it," She breathed again, staring at him. Apart from the tension, she was puzzled out of her mind. This might be the first conversation she’s having with Zeke that doesn’t have to do with them ready to exchange blows, or her feeling like he’s not being affected.

He was - she could tell now. Not just in a way she could understand.

"What if we tried something else?" She added.

"What?" His grip tightened just a little bit, suddenly anxious about her suggestion.

"Being...friends," She said quietly.

It sounded so ridiculous coming out of her mouth. And it sounded even more dangerous, and especially, impossible.

Friends with Zeke Pendragon? That would annoy the hell out of Eric, and that would put a big hole through their relationship.

But it felt somewhat... right doing this.

Zeke blinked, staring at her like she had just spoken a language he had trouble understanding.

"Friends?" He echoed, the word tasting weird on his tongue

"Yeah," She murmured, her voice soft, "Since you don’t hate me as much as you used to. And you don’t understand why...you’re feeling what you’re feeling and all. Maybe if we became friends and stopped arguing all the time, you’d understand more of what you feel toward me,"

He pulled away and sat by himself, lines appearing between his eyebrows.

"Friends," He said slowly, and turned to her again, "I don’t know if I can do that. I’m not exactly friend material, Hellcat,"

"Then we’ll just get you a friendship material that feels soft on your skin. Moreover, isn’t Tobias your friend? I’ve seen you guys together a lot,"

Zeke scoffed, "He’s not my friend. He’s just someone that hangs around me, makes noise, and always comes back even when I scare them away,"

Theo grinned, "That’s part of what friends do, Zeke. Tobias is your friend. Probably the only friend you have, and it shouldn’t be that way, especially someone with your.. unique personality,"

"Unique?" He eyed her.

"Let’s call it that so we don’t argue again," She said and continued, "I mean to say you’re someone who... always has a lot of pent-up frustrations, so you easily get pissed off by the slightest inconvenience. Maybe if you had more people to talk to, like a friend, you’d become more open, and it’ll ease your feelings a little bit?" She didn’t know if that made any sense, and bit her lips as she studied his reaction.

He was frowning even deeper than before. He did not look too happy about this.

"Just think of it as..." Theo chewed her lip, trying to find the right words, "...as having someone who won’t run when you growl,"

Zeke stared at her like she’d just insulted his entire bloodline, "I don’t growl,"

"You literally growled at me every day,"

"I was... clearing my throat," He sounded slightly offended.

Theo raised an eyebrow, "Then your throat is very... wolfish,"

He frowned again. At least, he wasn’t glaring.

Theo pressed on softly, "Look, all I’m saying is we don’t have to always be on each other’s necks. We can try this. A little. If it doesn’t work, then..." she shrugged, "...we go back to trying to kill each other verbally and physically,"

Zeke dragged his hand down his face. He looked like a man being asked to jump off a cliff with no guarantee of surviving the fall.

"And what exactly," he muttered, "would this friend thing even look like?"

Theo smiled, small but earnest, "We... talk. Like this. Without throwing daggers in our voices. Or, you know, literal daggers,"

"And you think," he grumbled, "that doing this stupid friendship thing will help me understand what’s wrong with me?"

"What you’re feeling, Zeke," she corrected gently. "Not what’s wrong,"

He looked away as if the word feeling physically embarrassed him.

"You’re asking for too much," he muttered.

"I know," Theo said softly. "But I also know you’re still sitting here,"

His jaw tightened. He clearly hated that she noticed.

"This is just... step one."

Zeke stared at her again, like really stared again till she was struggling to breathe again. She was something he couldn’t categorise. Something that unnerved him and drew him in at the same time.

"Fine," He finally groaned reluctantly.

Theo blinked, "Fine... what?"

"Fine, Hellcat," He rolled his eyes like the word was physically painful, "We can... try. Whatever this friendship thing is supposed to be," He crossed his arms defensively, "But I’m not promising I’ll be good at it. Or nice. Ever,"

She grinned, warmth spreading through her. "I don’t expect you to be nice. Just... honest,"

He shot her a dry look, "You say that now,"

Theo laughed under her breath.

"But I swear," he added quickly, scowl deepening along with a warning, "if you tell anyone that I agreed to something like this..."

"I won’t," she promised.

"Good," he grunted.

They sat down there, staring at nothing in particular. They suddenly didn’t know how to act with this new agreement of theirs, and even the air stilled along with them.

Seraphina broke the silence inside Theo’s head, *Oh my God, Theo, how can you be so naive and stupid at the same time?! Zeke is clearly attracted to you! Girl, he likes you. He just doesn’t understand what he’s feeling!*