Chapter Text
Zanka blinked his eyes open.
He moaned groggily and smacked the alarm, successfully hitting its off switch and stopping the terrible ringing noise. Sitting up slowly, he rubbed his tired eyes.
The pounding of a brutal migraine pulsed against his skull, dull pain making him wince as sunlight hit his sensitive eyes. If his alarm was anything to go by it was still early in the morning, cool light flooding in and painting his walls a gentle blue hue. Slumping forward in his bed, Zanka massaged his temples gently to ground himself as his dreams receded and he returned to reality.
He was exhausted.
That wasn’t normal. Zanka was usually very strict about his routine, rarely going to bed later than 9pm. And he never got migraines outside of the academic year. Why did he feel so shitty?
He was too tired to process right now. Zanka reached for his phone on the bedside table, only to be met with empty space instead. Glancing over in dazed confusion, he spotted a bright pink sticky note with messy handwriting that definitely wasn’t his scribbled across the paper, an ugly doodle of.. something punctuating it at the bottom.
706 101 0203.
His brow furrowed as he stared at the slanted digits, brain going blank as he struggled to catch up to the situation. It took Zanka a moment to register that it was a phone number, the implication stirring something heavy in his gut.
His eyes shifted to the clothes strewn across the floor, and suddenly the memory of last night hit him like a truck. He cursed, fists clenching in the sheets.
He remembered.. bringing someone home. Someone running rough hands over his body, pulling off clothes and sliding over skin.
He remembered kissing someone.. threading his hands through long, dark hair. Being pressed into soft sheets with a tight grip on his hips.
Oh. He felt tingly inside at the memory.
A wave of nausea hit him as he shuffled his legs over the side of the bed, snapping him out of his reverie. His body felt gross, lethargic. Telltale signs of a hangover.
Right. The party.
Zanka groaned. He must’ve drank a lot last night to be left in this condition. Searching quickly for his phone, he found it lying on the floor a few feet away. Zanka stumbled over and grabbed it off the carpet, immediately checking his messages. There were a couple texts from Riyo, one asking where he was at 8:06pm and another at 11:43pm that immediately made his stomach drop.
Riyo
Did I just see you leave with Jabber?? Get it Zanzan!!!
A name—Jabber. Ah. The guy he met at the party. The one he brought home. And who the phone number likely belonged to. Zanka clenched his jaw, more memories bubbling up to the surface.
Riyo dragged him to a house party yesterday after pestering him about it all week. “It’s Friday night! Let’s get krunked,” she’d said, shaking his arm lazily. Zanka shot her an unamused look, shuffling away from her in his seat as she tugged at him. Sitting across from them Rudo sipped quietly at his sugary monstrosity of a milkshake, pointedly avoiding engaging in the conversation. One thing Zanka and Rudo had in common was their disinterest in socializing, especially at college parties. It just wasn’t their scene. Riyo on the other hand was definitely the most outgoing out of all of them—always meeting new people and going out, often dragging them with her.
Riyo wanted him to accompany her since it was hosted by her new friend and their roommate, and she wanted to introduce them to some of her friends. Naturally, that included Zanka since they were the closest in their little group, and Rudo had already said no. He was hesitant, but eventually caved after Riyo promised that it wouldn’t be a big party. He hated the stuffy atmosphere, but he didn’t mind a crowd if he knew the people there.
”Seriously, it’ll be Noerde and Cthoni’s friends and a few people you already know. Eishia and August will be there!” She gazed at him with pleading eyes.
He liked Eishia, but August could be a little too much for him sometimes. They bonded over their mutual love for fashion, but August’s bold tastes often clashed with Zanka’s more effortless, understated look. Not to mention he was loud as hell.
He relented, knowing Riyo probably just wanted him to get out of his apartment. He wasn’t opposed to a change of pace every once in a while.
So they left around 7pm, the dusky summer evening a nice backdrop for the walk over. Riyo told him a bit about her new friends on the way, obviously excited to get out and let loose. She’d dressed him in a simple but classy outfit, chiding that his original choice of clothing—a big graphic tee over a long sleeve and baggy jeans—was too simple. She kept insisting that it was a casual party but loved an excuse to get dolled up, so Riyo pulled out something more sleek and less grunge. The same clothes that littered his floor. Zanka sighed.
Of course, the party wasn’t actually small. It turned out that the hosts had a lot of friends, some of them even inviting other people they knew as well. The living room and kitchen were bustling, people spilling into the hallways and back yard. Zanka had given Riyo a look, to which she responded with a sheepish laugh and an apologetic pat on the shoulder. Zanka sighed, deciding he’d hang out for a bit before heading home early.
He followed Riyo around as she made drinks and chatted with the people she knew. She introduced him to a few people whose names he already forgot, but they seemed nice enough. It was around his third mixed drink that he started to feel tipsy, Riyo laughing at his clumsiness as she dragged him into dancing with her for a bit while Zanka was a little more pliant. Afterwards he remembered chatting with her in the kitchen before Eishia and a blonde girl with the longest ponytail he’d ever seen—Noerde, he remembered Riyo calling her—showed up and whisked Riyo away, leaving Zanka by himself. Bored but not quite ready to leave, he walked into the living room to sit down for a bit. After a few drinks the alcohol made him sleepy, and he figured he should try to sober up a bit if he was going to walk home by himself. Zanka pulled out his phone to scroll for a while, waiting for the warm buzz to fade.
He remembered feeling the couch dip as someone sat down next to him, the stranger greeting him casually with a small wave and sly smile. “Haven’t seen you around before.”
Zanka was about to brush them off with a curt greeting that said ‘I’m not interested’ until he turned and saw how pretty the guy was.
He had pink eyes that seemed to glow in the light of the strung-up LEDs, long dark locs trailing down his back and kissing his hips. He had shiny rings in his hair and on each of his fingers and slightly baggy clothes that hugged his athletic frame in all the right places. But what caught Zanka’s eye the most was his piercings—snakebites and an eyebrow. And if he saw correctly in the dim lighting, a little metal ball on his tongue.
Zanka’s tongue went slack in his mouth. He didn’t realize that piercings could do so much for him. His indifferent response stopped in his throat, offering up a surprised look instead. In hindsight, he figured he looked pretty dumb in that moment. The stranger—Jabber, he remembered the guy introducing himself as clearly now—laughed at his expression, breaking the ice as Zanka grumbled about being too tipsy to speak properly. Jabber leaned in with a smirk, saying something flirtatious that Zanka only remembered made him blush.
They chatted for a while, their conversation mostly starting as childish banter as the other teased him before shifting to poorly-concealed flirting after a few more drinks. Talking to Jabber felt easy, his posture open and casual in a way that made Zanka feel comfortable talking to him. They skipped the small talk, jumping right into a heated back-and-forth about Zanka’s reclusive partygoing habits and Jabber’s forwardness that felt familiar despite having just met.
Zanka groaned. The things he did when he had alcohol in his system. It was like he became a different person.
His memory went spotty at some point after his fifth cup of jungle juice, but he still vividly remembered what Jabber looked like and that Zanka had leaned in, a hand on the other’s, and asked if he wanted to come over. It must’ve been around the time Riyo said she saw him leave.
Zanka buried his reddening face in his hands, deeply embarrassed that he could ever do something so fucking cliché.
Glancing back at the sticky note, he quickly picked it up and crumpled it, throwing it into his trash can. Whatever happened with the hot guy from the party, he was too mortified to face it. He didn’t fully remember how he acted or what he said, at the house or once they’d gotten back to his apartment. He’d rather be blissfully ignorant. If the hangover didn’t deter him from drinking that much again, the memory of his reckless behavior definitely would.
His phone pinged, bringing him back to the present. He lifted his face from his hands, eyes falling to the lit-up screen next to him.
Riyo
Don’t leave me on read!! You get home okay??
Zanka shot her a quick thumbs-up, deciding that he could ask her more about what happened when they inevitably met for coffee later to debrief.
He got out of bed, desperately needing to take a shower and change. Reaching into his desk drawer, Zanka pulled out some ibuprofen and swallowed a tablet for his headache. He walked into the bathroom and flicked on the light, shock twisting his expression as he paused and took in the marks scattered across his neck and chest. Hickeys trailed down to his collarbone before spreading all over his torso, vibrant purple-red splotches standing out against his pale skin.
Zanka’s brain stuttered, unsure of how to process the way this made him feel. The tingly feeling was back, stronger this time. He shook his head and moved to turn on the water in his shower. One thing at a time.
After his shower he threw on comfortable clothes before grabbing his bag and heading out to their favorite cafe. Zanka figured she’d probably want to talk after the party, especially after that text, and they had plans to hang out with Rudo in the afternoon anyway. He’d have to prepare some kind of explanation of what happened with Jabber before she arrived. Zanka quickly texted Riyo that he was heading to the cafe to get some coffee if she wanted to meet up. Maybe he could read for a bit before she joined him.
Zanka shoved the thought aside for a moment. He desperately needed some food and caffeine to nurse his hangover. He found a comfortable spot in the corner after ordering a hojicha and a sandwich, cracking open his book and trying hard to focus on the words. At one point he reread the same paragraph three times.
Zanka looked up when he heard someone slide into the booth across from him, Riyo’s tired eyes meeting his.
“Hey,” Riyo yawned.
Zanka closed his book. “You look like shit,” he deadpanned, taking in her messy hair, baggy t-shirt, and old sweatpants.
She gave him an equally unimpressed look. “So do you. How much did you drink?”
“I should be asking you that,” Zanka smirked, eyes pointedly looking her up and down, “but honestly I dunno. Night’s kinda fuzzy.”
Riyo hummed, staring at him for a moment.
“So then,” she prompted, leaning back in the booth with crossed arms. “Did you and Jabber.. yknow?” Jumping right into it, then.
She regarded Zanka carefully, as if she was wary of scaring him away. Zanka grimaced.
“Uh.. yeah, I think so? It’s a lil’ blurry but.. I remember some of what happened leadin’ up and when I got home,” he paused before adding, “and he left a phone number.”
His best friend’s eyes lit up at that, any sense of caution thrown out the window. “No way! You and Jabber?” Zanka sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. “Wow, you like, never show interest in people. Jabber is kinda unexpected.”
Zanka’s brow furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Riyo wrapped her hands tightly around her mug. “Well, I heard from Noerde that he’s.. eccentric. Really smart. A little arrogant. Didn’t think you’d like the guy,” she shrugged.
Zanka frowned. He seemed pretty charming from what he remembered, but definitely had a cocky vibe about him.
“I didn’t even remember his name until I saw your text. How do you know him?”
Riyo pondered for a moment. “Well, I think I talked to him a couple times, but he’s Momoa and Cthoni’s friend. Noerde said she met him when she moved in with them, but she’s not crazy about the guy. Though I think he and Cthoni have known each other since they were kids, so he’s always at their parties.”
Zanka hummed in acknowledgement, taking a sip of his drink.
“Are you gonna text him?”
Zanka choked, setting his cup down quickly. “What? No! I barely remember sleeping with him, I’m not gonna hit up some stranger I had a one-night stand with!”
Riyo giggled. “Alright, fine, fine. I’ve just never seen you get along with someone that well,” she smirked at him. “You guys seemed pretty cozy with each other at the party.” Zanka grumbled in response.
Mirth danced in her eyes. “Plus, he’s not really a stranger. He’s a friend of a friend, it wouldn’t be impossible for you guys to run into each other again.”
Zanka rubbed his face, groaning in annoyance. “Man, don’t say that. I really don’t wanna face him after that.”
Riyo chuckled. “Aw, why not? When they told me about him I thought you guys might’ve been good friends, but you kinda jumped the gun on that one.”
“Ha-ha, very funny.”
Riyo leaned forward excitedly. ”C’mon, you guys both like sports and he’s a D1 athlete at our school. That’s pretty cool, right? Can’t remember which sport though.”
That did pique Zanka’s interest, but he shoved the feeling down. His mortification outweighed his interest.
Zanka sighed. “Let’s just.. forget it happened. If I’m lucky I’ll never run into him again, and I can pretend I never fucked a guy I just met.”
Riyo chuckled at his resignation. “Okay, fine, my lips are sealed,” she leaned on her forearms, face turning serious. “More importantly, we need to find coverage for our shifts at the cafe before the semester starts. You know anyone Semi can interview?”
Zanka thought for a moment, grateful for the change of subject. “Not really, but I think Rudo made a couple friends recently. Maybe ask him.”
He vaguely recalled Rudo introducing them to a short girl with brown hair and orange highlights and a shy boy with bleached hair and thick black glasses. He said that he met them in one of his classes for a group project, getting along quickly despite their initial differences. Apparently Rudo and the girl had disagreed on a discussion topic and got a little heated, the other kid breaking them apart before it got ugly. The professor ended up putting them all in the same discussion group after saying something about “liking their passion.” Around a week later Rudo came up to Zanka, asking him questions about how to get a girl to like him. Zanka had just given him an annoyed look and told him to figure it out or go bother Riyo instead.
Riyo hummed thoughtfully. “That’s right, I remember meeting them.” She stretched her arms, letting out a small yawn. “I’ll let Semi and Enjin know. They’re hoping to hire a few people in the next couple of weeks since everyone’s hours are gonna drop.”
Zanka felt relieved. The cafe got really busy during the school year, and he’d rather die than work short-staffed shifts again. Rudo had proven to be a good employee, even if his start was a little rough, but they still needed all the help they could get. Tamsy and Bro’s locations couldn’t spare the staff, so Enjin decided to ask Corvus to let them hire more people since they were the biggest shop.
Zanka finished his drink, leaning back as he set down the cup. ”Alright. I’ll text Rudo too so he can bring it up when he goes in next.”
They chatted a bit longer about work and the upcoming semester, Riyo complaining about how she didn’t have any classes with people she knew and Zanka excitedly telling her about a research project he was hoping to join. Empty cups sat on the table in front of them, the time quickly approaching their scheduled meetup with Rudo. After a lull in conversation Riyo stood, picking up her bag.
“Wanna head out?”
Zanka nodded, gathering his own things and placing his empty cup next Riyo’s on the pickup counter. They pushed the doors open, stepping out into the warm afternoon sun. Riyo paused, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder.
“I have to hit the bookstore real quick to pick up some stuff. Wanna head to Rudo’s and I’ll meet you guys in like thirty?”
“Sure, see you in a bit.” Zanka turned, leaving Riyo in front of the cafe.
He took the leisurely route to Rudo’s apartment, opting to enjoy the city scenery a bit as he walked. His headphones filtered out the blaring cars and aimless chatter, but he loved the ambience of the busy city. His mind wandered, eventually drifting to the topic of his and Riyo’s earlier conversation.
Zanka knew that he probably didn’t want to contact Jabber. Sure, he was attractive, and truthfully he didn’t know enough about him to really pass judgment. But Riyo was right about one thing—an eccentric genius was not his type. If there was one thing Zanka had learned from his both limited and unsuccessful dating experience, it was that he needed someone stable. Someone he could face on equal footing.
Definitely not a situationship. He wasn’t going to waste his time on something that would leave him with heartbreak if he caught feelings. Zanka would much rather nip it in the bud before it developed into anything further. Even if he was pretty cute.
He was just a little curious.
Zanka shook his head to himself. Not important.
He just hoped he wouldn’t run into him again.
. . .
Riyo watched Zanka’s back disappear into the crowd with a curious expression.
It truly was rare for Zanka to show any interest in someone, romantic or otherwise. He had very specific standards, and nobody Riyo tried to set him up with ever lasted more than a week or two. He was hard to impress.
Sure, he had his history of bad boyfriends. But it was always others asking Zanka out, not the other way around. And if they turned out to be pricks who couldn’t get on the same page as him, then that was that. He never spent much time dwelling on a failed relationship he didn’t care much about to begin with. So for someone to leave an impression on him wasn’t common.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she let out a thoughtful hum.
Oh, she had a great idea.
It was a little foul, but it could be forgiven. If it works out. Zanka was finally into somebody—she couldn’t just let this opportunity slip.
He might not care, but they did.
She smirked to herself, suddenly excited for the summer to end.
This was gonna be fun.