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“I… I think I love you, Zeb.”
Okay, so in Kallus’ defence, they had just survived a very, very hard mission. The team having come face to face with Kallus’ former employer, the Empire once again.
And guess, in addition, with Alex having become very close to Zeb, the two now very good friends, spending all their spare time together… well, something was bound to happen? Right?
Or so it seemed to those closest to the two, even if none of them having mentioned it. Simply chucking it off to the ‘they would figure out their feelings on their own’ kind of a situation.
How wrong those people really had been.
As it was, Alex and Zeb had been prancing around the very subject for a good long time.
Ever since having been stranded on the barren moon together. The spark of whatever it was developing between them having been ignited back then. And when Alex having joined the Rebellion. Well, it had taken just a few missions being in danger, some misplaced words and the two, having become practically joined at the hip.
Alas, no words having been uttered of how they truly felt for the other.
Plenty of drunken nights spent in each other’s arms only to be waking up embarrassed when the truth dawning on them that they enjoyed the closeness of the other. Even if it had been snuggling only, at least as far as either of them could remember.
If something else, something more, had happened, well, neither admitted remembering that!
But yeah, coming back to the moment when the words were accidentally blurted out.
Zeb having heard them loud and clear. And guess before Alex was able to blame it on some concussion endured during said mission, well, Zeb’s wheels were already spinning faster than the speed of hyperspace of what those words really meant.
Hello! They were simple enough to understand, Zeb!
True, this omission having hit the Lasat hard. But, they were merely echoing his own feelings.
Alas, Zeb’s usual exclamation of ‘Karabast!’ and his facial expression not matching his internal turmoil, Alex was immediately feeling embarrassed and wanting to take his words back. Thinking of whatever reason to do so as that one slip… well… guess he had been in the wrong after all.
And so…
“I… am so sorry Zeb, I guess, I… I guess I suffered a hit to my head worse than I thought. I didn’t really mean to say that. Not to you. I mean…”
Zeb could only stare at the other man. His thoughts immediately going to a dark place as well. The words ‘not to you’ sticking to his brain like some parasite drawing blood.
But…
“I… is okay Kal. Like you said, probably your head injury making you all confused and all.” Zeb was really confused too, but he also felt sorry. For himself mostly, having thought the confession to be real after all. “Guess I better leave you to get some rest.”
“Okay.” Alex managed, feeling so totally dumb of what he had blurted out, only hoping for his faux-pas to not to have caused a rift between them, spoiling their friendship.
Zeb waved his goodbye and left, leaving Alex to soak in his own stupidity and cowardliness.
*
A couple of weeks had passed since the incident, the little slip of the tongue as it were.
Zeb and Alex having become distant, only spending time together while on missions. And even then avoiding the other where they could. The rift growing wider and wider each passing day.
“What’s going on with you two?” Sabine the one to finally ask about the odd behaviour of the two supposedly best friends, having seen development with the rest of them.
“I dunno what ya mean.” Zeb was being evasive even if he knew damn well what Sabine was asking.
“Yeah ya do. You and Alex. You aren’t together anymore are you.” A statement of fact perhaps?
“Wot?”
“You two split up or something.” Yeah, Sabine wasn’t mincing the words this time around.
“We were never together. Just, friends.”
“Oh, could’ve fooled me or anyone else basically.”
Zeb could only stare at Sabine. He hadn’t even realised everyone was under the impression that him and Alex were… had been… more than friends. Had they?
“I… well, no, we’re just… guess we had a slight misunderstanding. About things and all.” Zeb finally confessed the real situation.
“Yeah? Well, have you talked about it to him lately? I mean, you both are so miserable it’s bringing down the mood for all of us.”
“I… ‘m sorry.”
“Well, don’t tell me, better tell it to Alex.” As Sabine had a suspicion of her own how things had gotten where they were now for the two friends.
“I… I’ll talk to Kal. Okay.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
*
Alex was in the common room, siting there, staring at the datapad, pretending to read.
It was something he had been pretending to do a lot lately. As Alex was missing Zeb’s company and not really sure what to do with himself now that the two weren’t… guess, friends anymore?
Just then, Zeb walked in, seeing Alex sitting there, having hoped to find Alex by himself.
Zeb halted in his steps, feeling the shivers. The cowardliness hitting him again for a moment, Zeb thinking he perhaps should not be there after all. That maybe Alex wanted to be by himself.
Just then, Alex glanced up from his datapad, having felt Zeb enter. He always felt Zeb when the Lasat was around. Zeb’s presence sending shivers down Alex’s spine. The good kind of sensations and shivers but of course.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“So, busy?”
“Nah, just, reading.”
“Um… can we, maybe, talk?” Zeb felt nervous as he stepped closer to Alex.
“Sure.” Alex patted the seat closest to him, Zeb taking the hint and sitting down next to his friend. As they were still that, he hoped at least that they were.
“So, about, well, before…”
“I… yeah… that.”
“What you said… did you mean it though?” Zeb just had to know, and thinking to be direct for once with his questions.
Now it was Alex’s turn to stare confused at Zeb. But, he too felt, bolder somehow. Guess the distance had been good for them after all?
“If I did, would you feel… offended?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, I, just… well…”
Their gazes locked for a spell, before Zeb had made his choice.
It was faster than a flash of light, Zeb was up and on top of Alex. Grabbing a hold of the other man, locking their lips in a gentle but needy kiss. It was fast and over way too soon. Their eyes locking once again.
“Do it again.”
“Wot?”
“Kiss me again, Zeb.”
Zeb complied, eagerly so. This time the kissing more passionate, more emotional, more everything.
A slip of the tongue having started this and now, that tongue was inside the other’s mouth.
For good? We can hope!