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Follo didn’t exactly like Zanka back in high school… but he kind of did. From the first day Zanka showed up, Follo felt something in his chest whenever he looked into his icy blue eyes. Back then, Zanka was much more nervous. He was shy and would tense up whenever someone spoke to him. But even then; he was thoughtful, and always willing to put in real effort into anything he did. Follo admired that. Seeing how hard Zanka worked made him want to try just as hard.
Now they’re both in college. After all these years, Follo hasn’t looked at anyone the same way he looks at Zanka. His feelings never faded; if anything, they grew stronger. But he isn’t sure Zanka has ever noticed them. Follo is still a jumpy person who apologizes for almost everything, even if they’re minute. Zanka eventually grew out of the skittish personality, Follo stayed somewhat the same, and speaking openly about his feelings still scares him.
Because of that, the idea of confessing to Zanka feels huge. Follo rehearses what he might say, but loses his courage every time. He wants to be honest, but he doesn’t want to make things awkward or risk the friendship they’ve built. Even so, a small part of him hopes that one day he’ll be brave enough to tell Zanka how much he means to him, and how much hope he had brought into his life.
Fortunately for him, he didn’t spend all those years crushing on Zanka alone. He actually made a few good friends along the way… honestly, that boy really brought the best out of him, huh? Riyo and Rudo were especially kind to him. In fact, they’ve been doing everything they can to help him get closer to Zanka. Ever since they figured out how he felt, they’ve basically taken on the role of his wingmen. Thanks to them, Zanka already has a pretty good opinion of him.
Riyo even told him once that Zanka had said, “Follo’s a nice guy. I enjoy his company.” Hearing that sent Follo straight to the moon. He even cooked a large meal for himself that day as celebration!
For now, though, Follo was busy staring at the back of his crush’s head during the lecture. He never had the courage to sit beside Zanka, so he settled for the next best thing: the seat right behind him.
As soon as the lecture ended, Follo rushed to pack up his things, shoving books and papers into his bag without much care. He needed to get back to his dorm as fast as possible, change, and then find Zanka after his classes were over. He was going to ask him out today. No more waiting. It had been years, and it felt like now or never.
God… he was so nervous. He bit at his nails while walking back, doing his best not to think about the chance of rejection. He couldn’t let himself entertain that thought, before he got cold feet again. He had to stay positive, that’s what Riyo had told him to do anyway.
Back in his dorm, he picked out a leather jacket with white fur lining the sides. It was cold outside, so at least this way he’d have a practical excuse for dressing up. He trimmed his hair carefully, making sure nothing looked weird or awkward.
Just as he was about to leave, hastily grabbing his scarf and wallet. As he passed his door, he saw a bottle of cologne he bought a while ago. Hesitant, he sprayed some cologne on himself, probably too much, and rushed out the door. He needed to be early. If he wasn’t, he knew he’d panic.
When he arrived outside Zanka’s lecture hall, he stood off to the side of the door and took a few shaky breaths. ‘Deep breaths, Follo. You’ve got this. Zanka isn’t intimidating…not at all.’
“-make sure you get two stacks of pancakes with maple syrup, chocolate, and an ice cream smoothie, or Rudo’s gonna be pissed,” Riyo laughed as she exited the hall.
Of course, Follo’s eyes immediately went to the person beside her. Ash-brown hair, ocean blue eyes. God… he really loved them.
“Oh hey, Follo’s here!” Riyo said, turning and giving him an obvious wink.
Follo scrambled to straighten up and cleared his throat. “H-Hi! I was thinking, if, um-”
He didn’t get to finish. Riyo suddenly shoved Zanka toward him. Follo reacted on instinct, lifting his hands so Zanka bumped into his chest instead of awkwardly colliding with his arms.
“Riyo, you scuzball,” Zanka muttered, then looked up. “Sorry, Follo. You okay?”
“Yeah!” Follo said quickly, his face burning. “I was actually thinking if you’d like to go on a- hang out. Let’s hang out.”
A win was a win. At least he hadn’t chickened out this time around.
Zanka balanced himself and checked his phone, his brows drawing together slightly. Follo felt his heart sink at the expression.
But then Zanka sighed and slipped the phone back into his pocket. “Sure. I think I could use a break from Rudo and Riyo’s antics anyway. Especially with Amo coming over.”
‘YEAH!!’ The brunette cheered in his mind, and broke into the widest grin he’d ever worn. It felt unreal; something he’d waited years to hear had finally happened. Love really was strange and wonderful, and Follo would be lying if he said he didn’t feel better than usual.
“That’s- great! You’re awesome- I mean, this is awesome!” He really needed to learn how to speak when he got excited.
Zanka didn’t make it any easier. He let out a soft and sweet chuckle, and Follo froze for a second. Zanka didn’t laugh like that very often, and hearing it now made Follo’s chest tighten in the best way. He knew he’d replay the sound in his head later, over and over, before falling asleep. Hopefully, that didn’t make him sound like a weirdo.
“Hey, relax,” Zanka said, placing a hand on Follo’s shoulder. “I don’t bite, promise.” He smiled at him, it was so warm and inviting that Follo wanted to melt. His mind felt fuzzy, like everything was overheating at once. How could Zanka be this nice, this cute, without even trying? If this kept up, Zanka was going to be the end of him.
“Of course, sorry- I’m just… excited, that’s all.” Follo covered his face with his hands. “God… I look so pathetic.”
“Nah,” Zanka said quietly. “I think you’ve got a handsome face, and a good cologne choice. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
‘Zanka thinks I’m handsome and he likes my cologne…?’ Follo slowly lowered his hands. Those familiar ocean-blue eyes were looking right at him, so gently and so sincere.
“Come on,” Zanka said. “Let’s go hang out before it gets dark.”
Follo nodded a little too eagerly. And even though Zanka was rich as hell, Follo already knew he still wanted to spoil rotten.
.
‘Deep breaths, Follo. Deep breaths.’ They were walking through a park, with snow drifting down around them. The paths were quiet, and everything felt calm as they simply enjoyed each other’s company.
Follo had bought Zanka a silly looking gingerbread. He’d laughed and said it “reminded me of your eyes.” The icing was the same ocean-blue color, and Follo hadn’t been able to resist picking it up.
Zanka, being just as sweet, bought Follo one too; one iced in a warm amber color. Follo almost teared up on the spot, but he managed to hold it together. He slipped the gingerbread carefully into his pocket. There was no way he was going to eat it. It was far too precious for that!
As they walked, Zanka spoke softly. “The snow’s really pretty, huh?”
“Yeah,” Follo said. “It is.”
“I’ve never really been outside when it snowed,” Zanka admitted, which caught Follo off guard.
“Huh? Why not?”
“I was always too busy studying. By the time I noticed, it was already gone,” he said with a small sigh. “But honestly… this is nice.”
That meant Zanka was seeing snow like this for the first time…with Follo. He knew he might be reading too much into it, but he couldn’t help feeling a little special!
“Though it’s pretty cold,” Zanka added, rubbing his cheek to warm it. “I’ll have to bring a thicker coat next time we come out.”
“Oh- um,” Follo said quickly. He unwound his scarf and gently wrapped it around Zanka’s neck instead. “Here. This should help.” He smiled, trying to act casual.
“There’s no need-”
“You can’t catch a cold,” Follo said, tying the scarf into a small bow. “Besides, my coat’s warmer. I’ll be fine.”
It definitely wasn’t because Zanka looked cute in it. Definitely not. He just wanted to make sure it stayed in place.
They reached a part of the park where the snow lay thick and untouched. Follo noticed the way Zanka’s eyes lit up at the sight.
“There’s something I wanna do,” Zanka whispered, gently tugging at Follo’s sleeve.
Gosh…he was cute. The way Zanka perked up like that filled Follo with awe and joy. At that moment, he really wanted to take Zanka and show him everything the world had to offer.
“Sure,” Follo said right away. “Let’s go.”
He didn’t even care what Zanka had in mind, it could be murder and Follo would unquestionably join (Zanka would never, he’s way too sweet for that).
Zanka crouched down, his tassel earrings swaying softly as he reached for the snow. The tips of his fingers were already red from the cold, and Follo mentally scolded himself for not bringing gloves. Zanka held the snow in his hands for a moment, completely still, as if he just wanted to admire it. Then he slowly shaped it into a ball, rolling it along the ground to make it bigger. He made another one and placed it carefully on top.
After that, he picked up a nearby twig and began scratching small details into the snowman.
When he was done, he lifted it up toward Follo.
“Is that… me?” Follo asked, unsure. The little bangs really did look like his.
Zanka chuckled. “Mhm, I’m not the best at drawing, sorry about that.”
Follo felt his chest tighten, tears threatening to spill. Zanka’s sweetness was almost too much to handle. “This is so cute,” he said softly. “You’re…adorable, Zanka.”
Zanka’s face flushed even more, his cheeks turning bright red. “D-Don’t say that,” he muttered, turning his head away.
Follo laughed, not in a teasing manner, more so warm and fond. “I can’t help it, especially when you do that.”
Zanka pouted, and Follo honestly couldn’t believe his eyes. The usually serious Zanka was pouting. His heart barely survived.
“Thanks, Follo,” Zanka murmured, so quietly it was barely audible.
The warmth in his chest felt comforting, especially against the cold air around them. Follo laughed softly at Zanka’s reaction and crouched down beside him, carefully shaping a snowman of his own, one meant to look like Zanka.
Follo wasn’t usually this open or carefree, somehow, being with Zanka made it easier. He really did bring out the best in him.