Work Text:
“Of course I’m not doing anything for Valentine’s Day, don’t be stupid!” Zapp says, sneering at Leo.
“But it’s you and Zed’s first year as-”
“Don’t even finish that sentence, cos I’m telling you right now that it doesn’t matter,” he interrupts rather rudely, but now, he can’t seem to meet Leo’s eye. Well, that isn’t much of a surprise. Really, Leo should have known that he would get a response like this if he asked Zapp outright, but he thought, maybe, if he asked casually enough, he would be able to get a casual answer.
But he really, really should have known better than to expect that from someone like Zapp.
At this point, he knows better than to continue trying to argue it with him, even if he has his opinions on the matter. The thing is, Zapp definitely doesn’t seem like the Valentine type, but he also never seemed like the monogamous relationship type, or the “dating a fish man” type, but since he’s managed to surprise everyone on both of those fronts, Leo thought maybe this would be different too.
Zapp and Zed make quite the odd couple, despite seeming perfect for each other at the same time. With their compatible fighting styles, they were basically made for each other, or, at the very least, built for each other. Their mentor had a goal in mind when working with each of them, and though a romantic relationship probably has nothing to do with that goal, it seems almost natural. With how much they bicker, they were bound to end up together eventually.
Now, Valentine’s Day is on the horizon, and all Leo wanted to know was if Zapp and Zed had any specific plans. Trust Zapp to freak out over the whole thing, because, even if he’s playing it cool right now, Leo knows him well enough to know that, internally, he’s freaking out. He freaks out whenever anyone brings Zed up, because he’s still so weird about being with him, that he thinks he has to put on some big front of not actually caring about him, even though, by now, it’s pretty obvious that he cares.
“I mean,” Zapp continues, even though Leo has not said anything for a while, “the thing about Valentine’s Day is it’s stupid . Why the hell would I want to spend my own money on some overpriced gift for somebody else? Just because corporate America tells me to, that doesn’t mean I have to conform to the capitalist dream!”
“Those are some pretty big words and concepts for you, Zapp,” Leo retorts. “Where are you quoting that from?”
“Who the hell cares? It’s true, isn’t it?”
“Don’t try to turn you being stingy into some noble cause,” he says, shaking his head. “If you’re not doing anything for Zed, that’s fine, that’s your own business, but don’t come crying to me if you piss him off.”
“As if I care what that slimy bastard thinks of me,” Zapp mutters, looking off to the side in a way that suggests he cares very much.
Leo lets it go from that point on, though he can’t help but wonder what Zed thinks of the whole thing. The merman has taken his time adjusting to life in the city, and most of his knowledge of how people do things comes from books, which doesn’t often help in a chaotic environment like the one they live in. However, one that that Leo has noticed is just the same as it was back home is Valentine’s Day, and Zed was here last year, even if he didn’t have a significant other for it.
Culture shock and general cluelessness aside, he’s going to know how it works, and he’s going to notice if Zapp blows him off and doesn’t do anything for him. In a way, Leo supposes that’s his own fault for getting with someone like Zapp, and that he should know better than to expect to much. But, at the same time, he can’t help but feel bad for him. If he gets his hopes up and is disappointed, that won’t feel very good, and even if Zed doesn’t seem like much of a romantic, he often has his face buried in books of poetry and love stories. There must be a romantic side to him, which means there is at least a slight chance he will be let down by Zapp refusing to do anything for him for Valentine’s Day.
If that’s the case, he’s not particularly looking forward to the potential fall out. Even since they’ve started dating, it’s done little to change their group dynamic and the three hang out nearly every day. If they get into a big fight over this, Leo is going to be put in the middle, and that is something he can definitely live without. This year, he does not dread Valentine’s Day because of his own lack of date, but because of Zapp’s lack of date, by choice, despite having a viable option right there.
~X~
There don’t seem to be any disasters on the horizon when he gets to the Libra office on Valentine’s Day, but Leo knows better than to assume that means anything. Any number of catastrophe could befall him before the afternoon, but today, he’s only concerned with the catastrophe that might result from a fight between Zapp and Zed.
But the two of them are doing just fine, or at least, they’re behaving the same as they always do. He keeps such a close eye on them that Zapp repeatedly asks him to stop staring, and, at one point, Zed asks if there’s something he needs. Each time, Leo brushes them off, until he finally decides to stop checking, and to accept the fact that he was wrong about this one.
Maybe Zed doesn’t care at all about Valentine’s Day; maybe he really isn’t a romantic at all, or maybe he doesn’t even realize that it’s today. Maybe he is happy just the way things are. After all, he is willingly with Zapp , so he had to have known this was what he was getting into. Leo accepts that, but then, his curiosity returns before he can stop it, burning at him until, at lunch, he comes out with it.
“Zed, do you really not care that Zapp doesn’t want to do anything for Valentine’s Day? It doesn’t bother you at all?” he asks, knowing already that it’s a mistake.
“Don’t you say another word!” Zapp snaps, cutting in quickly, confirming that Leo shouldn’t have said anything to begin with. Except Zapp isn’t looking at Leo. Zapp is looking at Zed, with panic clear in his face.
Zed either doesn’t get the memo or he doesn’t care, and he ignores Zapp’s protests, saying, “Oh, we actually have plans for after work. And this morning, he gave me a rather lovely gift basket. It was quite thoughtful, I’m surprised you didn’t know about it. I would have assumed you had to help him with everything, since it doesn’t seem like something Zapp would be capable of coming up with on his own.”
“What the hell does that mean?!” he roars. “And what happened to me telling you not to tell anyone about that?”
“I never agreed to that,” Zed replies with a shrug. “It really isn’t anything to be ashamed about. Like I said, it was very thoughtful, so-”
“I said not to talk about it!”
“Is that really true, Zapp?” Leo asks, a grin spreading across his face. “What happened to fighting corporate America?”
“I said shut up !”
When he looks at the way Zapp freaks out over being caught at being a decent boyfriend, and the genuine smile Zed wears as he laughs at the situation, Leo decides that he shouldn’t worry too much about them. It seems like they are doing just fine.