Work Text:
Theranhad, Inc. was the most influential tech company in the nation. It didn’t take long for its technologically advanced and earth-shattering devices to make a name for itself. The products, while expensive, were certainly worth their money; they could last years at a time, came in multiple patterns and styles, and with each new device—phones, laptops, tablets—came a new set of updates that everyone simply needed to get their hands on.
Although the future seems bright for Theranhad, Inc., its past was incredibly dark. It was founded on violence, blackmail, survival of the fittest. The founder had a reputation built on fear but that fear is what kept people coming back for more. Even so, there were cracks visible in the foundation and they couldn’t be easily fixed. But the current CEO, Zio, was doing a great job at patching up his father's numerous business mistakes.
After his father died, Zio knew that he had a large mess to clean up. He was born into a powerful family and he was intent on keeping that power, even if his father made it much, much harder for him. He spent the first few months rebuilding the image of Theranhad, Inc., advocating for a future that focused on advancing current technology rather than focusing on the ugliness of the past. “After all,” he said during his last interview, “if we remain stuck in the past, no matter how unpleasant it may be, we lose sight of the future that lies right in front of us.”
To the public, Zio was the perfect CEO. He was young, only in his mid-twenties, which meant that he could relate to the current generation’s wants and needs; he was handsome, which means everything when it comes to press conferences and product launch showcases; and, as if he wasn’t perfect enough, he was incredibly charismatic. Knowing how to present oneself, especially in such an influential position, meant that it was easier to get people to do your bidding.
But of course, he wasn’t alone. No, he had hundreds of employees that were working to maintain Theranhad’s redeemed image, making sure that it remains the top tech company in the country. But with great power comes a great number of enemies, which meant Zio needed to protect himself at all times. He had bodyguards to protect him in public but what mattered is making sure that he’s protected in private. At the office, Zio is protected by his financial advisor and budget director Zahhak and his secretary Sharun, the two people he trusts to get more involved in his personal life. Although Zio is admittedly closer to one of them than the other, he wouldn’t dare to replace either of them.
It was late at Theranhad, Inc but Zio was still in his office. Some nights, Zio liked to stay at the office late just to take in the beautiful sights of the nighttime city skyline. Plus, being so high up in his penthouse reminded him of how far he had come and how quickly he rose to the top. Of course, he deserved the position. Sure, he was born into a rich family, but he didn’t disregard hard work either. After all, if it wasn’t for him, Theranhad, Inc’s legacy would have been buried along with his father.
He hummed to himself while toying with his ring, passing it in between his fingers. He didn’t have any plans for the rest of the week, having already taken care of his press conferences and interviews. Zio glanced up at the clock, clicking his tongue while slipping his ring back on his finger. “Assuming that he decided to work overtime yet again, Zahhak should still be here.” He huffs a bit, shaking his head while heading towards the door. “He truly is a workaholic, isn’t he? Might as well keep him company.”
Once Zio got to Zahhak’s office, he knocked on the door. Realizing that the door was cracked open, he walked inside, the only light in the room partly coming from the moonlight and partly coming from a soft lamp in the corner. “Zahhak? Are you… Still here?” His voice trailed off when he walked into Zahhak’s office. Zahhak’s office was pure white, from the ceiling to the floor, with minimal but meaningful decorations. A few things stood out to Zio, though. On one wall, there was a bookshelf lined with various items: history books, a paper crane or two, a portrait of Zahhak, just to name a few. On the opposite wall, there was a beautiful painting of the mountains at sunset along with a pure white wreath. Zio often liked coming into Zahhak’s office. It was simple but calming.
From what Zio could see, Zahhak enjoyed the calming atmosphere of his office, too, though it was rare for him to fully enjoy it. Right now, though, Zahhak was fast asleep at his desk, resting his head right on top of his white and gold folder which held all information of Theranhad’s assets and budget. With how thick the folder was, Zio could only assume that it was at least comfortable enough for the man to fall asleep.
It was rare to see Zahhak like this. He was particular and conscious about how he presented himself, wanting to be ready for any given moment.. He always appeared so flawless, not a single thing on his body appearing out of place. Right now though, Zahhak seemed less uptight. His hair was ever so slightly more unkempt and his rose gold glasses were on his desk instead of on his face. He looked peaceful. Zio doesn’t remember the last time he’s seen such a relaxed expression on Zahhak's face. He should still keep him company, just to make sure that Zahhak doesn’t wake up and realize he's all alone.
Zio carefully sits down on Zahhak’s desk, hearing the wooden material creak slightly as he takes his seat. He quickly looked over at Zahhak, making sure he wasn’t waking up. Thankfully, the man was sound asleep. What has he been doing for him to be so exhausted, though? Zio tried to look around the desk to try and get any clues but it seems like all of that information would be in that folder. Perhaps Zahhak was managing the budget for next month. Zio planned to ask Zahhak to begin that tomorrow but Zahhak always preferred to get a head start on these assignments.
Zio continued to look down at Zahhak, his gaze softening. The man had been working overtime the past few nights, no wonder he was so exhausted. He always put in triple the amount of work that the average employee did, never failing to impress Zio. The CEO slowly lifted his hand, somewhat hesitant to proceed with what he was going to do. But he already committed so he had to follow through. Zio rested his hand on top of Zahhak's head, the latter’s shoulders relaxing in response. If this ends up helping Zahhak sleep, then Zio could keep it up for a while.
Zio never realized how soft Zahhak's hair was. It was like threading his fingers through a cloud. For the most part, Zahhak took good care of himself but he had to stop working so late. Even if Zio (objectively) found that Zahhak looked handsome even if he was exhausted, it didn't mean Zio condoned this behavior! Zio continued to stroke Zahhak's hair, hoping that it was enough to ensure he stayed asleep.
“Mm… Hm…?” Zahhak stirred, Zio’s gentle touch seeming to wake him from his slumber. Zio’s fingertips flinched but he didn’t pull away completely, watching Zahhak slowly wake up. Zahhak looked up at Zio, blinking a few times before realizing who was there and what he had done. His eyes widened slightly as he sat up fully, putting his glasses back on with haste. “Oh- Zio… I am… I am very sorry. I didn’t mean for you to see me like this.” He covers his mouth as he yawns before continuing, taking a deep breath. “Excuse me… What time is it now?”
“It’s a little past eight,” Zio says, a soft smile on his face. “I had a feeling you’d still be here by now. I didn’t want to leave you alone.”
“Hm… I did work late the past few nights, so I don’t blame you for assuming I’d be here again.” He leans back, looking down at the folder he slept on before opening it. It was filled with multiple packets regarding future projects, charts comparing the monthly budgets, charts about how the budgets were used, and what appeared to be a draft for next month’s budget. Seems like Zio really knew Zahhak well, huh? “I didn’t mean to fall asleep though,” Zahhak adds.
“I know you didn’t. But even an amazing, flawless employee like you needs to recharge,” Zio says, still petting Zahhak’s hair gently (it’s like he couldn’t pull away). “Did you get dinner before you went to sleep?”
“No. I didn’t…” Zahhak finds himself subconsciously leaning into Zio’s touch. For now, at least, he chalked it up to his exhaustion. “I could go for something to eat, though.”
“I’d be more than happy to treat you to a meal, Zahhak.”
“I appreciate that, Zio. But I don’t think we can get a reservation at this time though.”
Zio chuckles a bit, moving his hand back and getting off of the desk. “Well that wouldn’t be a problem; with my influence, I could get us a reservation in no time, even if the restaurant is completely booked. Though I was thinking, since we are definitely the only ones left up here, we could make use of my private kitchen.”
“Your private kitchen… The way you say it almost implies that you don’t use him often.”
Zio shrugs as he heads towards the door, grasping the knob and twisting it open. He looks over his shoulder towards Zahhak with a coy smile. “If that’s how you interpret my words, then so be it. To be frank, I always thought it would be fun to cook there with someone I appreciated deeply. After all, I don’t let anybody into my private lounge.”
Zahhak raises a brow but stands to turn off his lamp, allowing the hallway light and Zio’s teasing voice to guide him. “I don’t believe you let a single person in there yet, have you?”
“No. But consider yourself lucky to be the first… And perhaps the only person I let in.”
***
As soon as Zio walked into his office, he went over to the bookshelf, eyes glancing over the books slowly. Once he found the book he was looking for, Zio first ran his index and middle finger down the book’s spine before pulling it out. He flipped the book upside down and put it back in its place. A quiet beep was heard in the corner, the walls next to the bookshelf splitting to reveal a secret passageway.
Zahhak's eyes widened. “Woah… That's impressive. But if you need to flip one of the books upside down, won't people notice that the title is backwards if they paid enough attention?
Zio chuckles softly. “I'll tell you my secret. The book has its title perfectly reflected on the spine, kind of like a mirror. It reads the same when it’s upside-down and when it’s right-side up. That way, nobody suspects that something is out of place.”
“As expected of you, you're always one step ahead.” Zahhak followed Zio through the pathway, amazed at its details from the smooth marble floors to the small bits of obsidian peaking through. When they entered the hidden room, the wall automatically closed behind them, and Zahhak couldn't hide his astonishment by now.
There were only two rooms, the living room and the kitchen, but the space was so massive it almost looked like a hotel lobby. The living room had black velvet couches surrounding a coffee table with what appeared to be a white tiger figurine in the center. A fireplace sat in front of those couches, several photos of Zio sitting on the mantle. A vinyl player also sat next to the fireplace, along with a shelf lined with orchestral record players. Despite being rather young, Zio had a soft spot for the more refined and delicate arts of the previous centuries.
The kitchen was neat and organized, though it seemed that it was used more for decorations than for practical use with all of the fake potted plants on the counters. Zahhak spotted a drink cabinet next to the bar table, along with a few unlit candles in what appeared to be a small storage compartment. When Zio got to the kitchen, he removed his jacket and set it on the nearby coat rack before rolling up his sleeves. “Make yourself comfortable, Zahhak. You work so hard, it’s only fair for me to bring you here to relax, don’t you think?”
“I have to agree with you,” Zahhak says, removing and hanging up his own suit jacket. “It’s quite beautiful here. I never would have suspected that you had such a beautiful hidden area in your own office.”
“Hm, that’s exactly why I like it. Even with the people you work with, it’s sometimes nice to keep them guessing, no?” Zio walked over to the counter and plucked out a recipe book from the corner. There seemed to be a golden tassel used to bookmark a certain page so Zio flipped to it immediately. “Ah, here’s something I’ve wanted to make: crepes.”
“Crepes?”
“Mhm. I admit, I’m being rather self-indulgent since I have a sweet tooth. But to me, crepes seem to be the food that’s acceptable to eat for any meal, whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner.” Zio turned to Zahhak with a smile. “I hope you say yes; after all, the only things I can make with the limited ingredients I have here are crepes.”
Zahhak raises a brow. “Really? From the way you’re speaking, it almost makes me think you’ve been planning to make crepes with me.”
Zio appears a bit caught off-guard but he laughs, pushing up his glasses with his finger. “I guess I’m not as opaque as I thought. It didn’t take much for you to see right through me.”
“I’ve been working with you for quite some time now,” Zahhak says as he walks over to Zio’s side to look at the recipe over his shoulder. “Besides, you never once hesitated to have me by your side. It’s only natural that I can see these things clearly when it comes to you.”
“Hah…” Zio looks up at Zahhak, a slight fondness in his gaze. “Then I picked the right person to have by my side, then. Alright, let’s get these ingredients. Some are in that cupboard over there”—Zio points to one of the larger cabinets— “and the rest are in the fridge. Now let’s get started with this recipe!”
Zahhak and Zio quickly got out all of the ingredients. Partly because they were both quite eager to get started but also because Zio was right: the only ingredients he had were all necessary to make these crepes. From the looks of it, though, he was intent on using as much of it as he could just for this moment. The thought of it made Zahhak feel a bit warm as he begins working on the first few steps:
1. Sift flour into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and salt, then whisk to combine.
2. Make a well in the center and add the eggs. Whisk gently and mix in a little bit of the flour. Mix enough to make a thick paste.
As Zahhak whisked, Zio prepared the rest of the ingredients to be added into the bowl. He also thought that this would be a good opportunity to ask Zahhak a few questions about his work. “I wanted to ask, what have you been working on the past few nights? It must be important if you’ve been working late.”
Zahhak briefly glanced over at Zio before directing his attention back to the bowl, cracking the eggs into the well. “Ah, yes. I was compiling all the information for the monthly budget. Things have changed a lot the past couple of months and I wanted to compare everything. We’ve had many highs, along with a few lows. … I also got a head start planning out next month’s budget distributions.”
“Hm… I had a feeling that’s what you were doing. You know, you didn’t have to start planning next month’s budget,” Zio says, walking over for the next two steps:
3. Gradually add the milk, whisking between each addition. The batter should turn silky and lump-free.
4. Whisk in the water and oil until shiny and lump-free.
Zio goes to Zahhak’s side, first gradually pouring in the milk for Zahhak to mix. They took turns mixing and pouring while Zahhak tried to defend his workaholic behavior. “I know. But I wanted to get a head start, so I could add it to my monthly data chart. I can show it to you later if you want.”
“... You know, I wanted you to bake with me so we would avoid doing work,” Zio teases while pouring the rest of the milk. “But at the same time, if you think that would make you feel at ease… Alright, I’ll look over it with you while we let the batter rest.”
Once the batter reached its silky consistency, Zio then added the water and the oil, letting Zahhak mix it all together. The man was almost a natural at this. No wonder Zio had been wanting to bake with him for a while. He never used his private kitchen, which is why he had such limited materials. It was only a few days ago that Zio decided he wanted to make crepes with Zahhak, realizing that he had been working late the past few nights. He thought it would be a good way to get Zahhak to unwind rather than just focusing on work most of the time. Hopefully they’d have more sweet moments like these in the future.
Soon enough, the batter was properly mixed. Zio glanced down at his wristwatch. It was 8:30 and the batter needed an hour to set. They might have a late dinner but the time spent together would make it worth it. He takes out a nearby tower and sets it over the bowl, leaving it to rest on the counter. “We’ll start making the crepes at 9:30, okay? So if you want… We can head back to your office to look over the reports you made. I don’t think I’ll have any objections to them; your plans are always flawless.”
“Alright. Sounds good to me.”
***
Zio and Zahhak returned to Zahhak’s office to get his folder before heading back to the secret room. Since the hidden passageway automatically closed when Zio left, he needed to flip the book on the shelf again to open it once more when went back to Zio’s office. They sat down on the living room couch while Zahhak opened up the folder on the coffee table, carefully moving back the tiger figurine so he wouldn’t break it.
“Alright, my clever budget director. Show me what you’ve done.”
Zahhak went into great detail explaining what he had been working on the past few weeks. From the monthly budget comparison chart all the way to the preparation for allocating next month’s budget, Zahhak certainly had his hands full. Zio chimed in with a few comments on the budget draft, sharing his own ideas on how the money should be divided. Since next month marked the end of the school year and the beginning of summer, Zio and Zahhak thought it would be the perfect time to recruit some students desperate to make a little extra cash. Which meant distributing a little more budget towards student training.
“That Shadewood High student… Aria, was it?” Zahhak turned to Zio, lightly drumming his pen against his knee. “I remember you saying she left quite the impression on you. Perhaps you could reach out to her.”
“Haha, you read my mind, Zahhak.” Zio sat back on the couch, sinking into the plush exterior. “I’m already thinking about contacting her and giving her a job opportunity. She’s definitely the kind of person that Theranhad needs.”
Zahhak nods, taking a few notes on some spare papers. He'd likely revise the draft tomorrow since he needed more than an hour to refine everything. “Do you have anything else you want to add?”
“Let me see…” Zio adjusts his glasses and takes the packet from Zahhak's hands, scanning it thoroughly. He is silent for a minute or two but he hands back the packet when he's satisfied. “It’s perfect. I have nothing else to add. You basically have everything I wanted to focus on.” He turns to Zahhak with a small smile. “As always… You are perfect.”
“Oh…” Zahhak clears his throat, suddenly feeling warmer. “It’s nothing, really. I'm just doing my job.”
“Yes… But you're doing your job so flawlessly, it makes me think you're just naturally perfect.” Zio gets a bit closer to Zahhak. “I remember when we first met… It's been three years now, no? But when I first saw you, I just knew that you were someone I needed.”
Zahhak huffs softly, a small smile on his face. “How could I forget? I was quite shocked to see the CEO of Theranhad walking into a cat café. I also didn't expect you to recruit me on the spot.”
“Heh. Well, I'm quite good at spotting potential,” Zio says as he throws an arm over the couch behind Zahhak. “I'd be foolish to let someone like you slip through my fingers. Besides, I've heard good things about you from some of my colleagues; they're the reason I even went to that café.”
“... I didn't know that. What did they say?”
“Well… I recall them mentioning a handsome, angelic-looking man down at the cat café who was equally stern and gentle.” Zio smirks. “So I thought I should check you ou— I mean, check the café out. The way you commanded the room made me want to interview you and find a place for you to belong. You had lots of potential. I thought you could best harness that potential with me.”
“It wasn't too difficult to be commanding,” Zahhak says, trying to be modest. “Lua’s minions are too obedient to ever take charge; without Lua at the front, they’re harmless. I only worked at the café for the summer to relieve my stress from my old office job.” He meets Zio's eyes, noticing how cat-like they were up close. “But I'm glad that you found me and recruited me. Working at Theranhad the past three years has been very rewarding.”
“Mm, I'm glad to hear that. As one of my best employees, you deserve the best rewards for all the work you've done.” He takes Zahhak's hand, squeezing it gently. “I can't imagine how Theranhad would be without you. It'd likely be more boring.”
“Hahaha… I'm flattered you think so highly of me, Zio.”
“Why, of course I do. I'd be a fool to ignore your assets and what you provide.” Zio looked up at the clock, not wanting to maintain eye contact for too long. Perhaps he was being a bit too obvious about how he felt for Zahhak. He wasn't going to tone it down—he seldom sugarcoated his true emotions, positive or negative—but he needed to be slightly more careful. Oh, it's 9:30 already? Time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?”
“It sure does.” Zahhak stands up and pulls Zio up with him, looking down at him. “Let's finish up these crepes.”
Once they went back into the kitchen, Zio took out a crepe pan, a ladle for pouring, and a spatula for flipping. Zio puts the pan on the stovetop, turning it on. He took a small bit of butter and moved the pan to spread it around, allowing it to melt. “How's the batter looking, Zahhak?” Zio asked.
Zahhak removed the towel, looking down at the batter. “It looks thicker. It should be good to go. Where are the plates?”
“They're in that top cabinet over there,” Zio says while pointing to it. He watched Zahhak reach up to get a large plate and set it down. “You can pour the batter and I'll flip it, does that sound good?”
“That sounds perfect to me.” Zahhak takes the bowl and the plate and goes over to Zio's side. Using the ladle Zio set out earlier, Zahhak carefully pours the batter once the butter fully melts, watching it spread to the edges of the pan.
Note: Cook the crepes for 45 seconds to 1 minute until the underside turns a pale gold with light brown speckles. Flip using a long narrow spatula.
“These are going to be delicious. I already know what I'm going to decorate my crepes with,” Zio says.
“Really? Oh, let me guess: you'll use strawberries, powdered sugar, and chocolate sauce.” Zahhak can't help but laugh when Zio turns towards him with a slight pout. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Tsk, I didn't expect you to read me like a children's book,” Zio mutters while flipping the crepe via spatula. “But yes, that's what I will be using for my crepes. Will you be doing the same?”
“Somewhat. I was thinking of using berries and cream.” Zahhak turns his head. “I assume you have a lot of sweet delicacies for toppings, right?”
“Hah, of course I do. But I know that you like to balance sweet and savory… so I have a few mixed vegetables if you want to use those, too. Since I knew I'd have you over one day, as an impeccable host, I needed to cater to your needs.” Zio meets Zahhak's gaze. He almost looked flustered, like he wasn't expecting Zio to be so considerate of his needs. Zio laughs softly, putting the first crepe on the plate and patting the back of Zahhak's hand. “When it comes to the people I like… their happiness becomes my top priority. Do keep that in mind.”
“... I… I will.” Zahhak almost can't hide his giddiness and gratitude. He wasn't smiling widely but Zio could see the spark in his eyes. It seems like they knew each other better than they thought. “Right, well…” Zahhak turns away. “I'll take out the toppings. You can handle pouring on your own, right?”
“Don't worry… I can handle it just fine.”
Zio poured the batter while Zahhak took out and washed the fruits and vegetables, putting them in bowls. They worked so well together, it's a miracle they didn't collaborate often for their jobs. Zio does most of the PR in public while Zahhak works behind the scenes to make sure things run smoothly. Zahhak was content with staying in the background, Zio could see that. Zio just didn't want Zahhak's hard work to be disregarded or ignored. Hopefully this baking session would make it clear to Zahhak that Zio sees him as more than just an indispensable asset: he sees him as a close friend.
Soon enough, all of the batter had been used up, not a single drop left in the bowl. There was a nice stack of crepes on the plate when Zahhak finished setting everything out. He set the berries, the vegetables, powdered sugar, cream, and chocolate sauce on the counter while Zio turned off the oven and set the pan and bowl aside. Zahhak got a plate, fork, and knife for each of them to eat from so they could finally enjoy the sweet fruits of the labor. He didn’t expect the night to be like this but he wasn’t complaining at all. Perhaps it didn’t hurt to deviate a little from his plans, if it means that he could have more moments like this in the future.
They sat down at the counter, across from each other, as they began to make their crepes. Zahhak used a mix of the berries and cream while Zio only used the strawberries for the filling. They were almost perfectly synced, even rolling their crepes at the same time. Zio couldn’t hide the excitement on his face as he drizzled the chocolate sauce and sprinkled the sugar on top. Zahhak was hiding his emotions much better but that spark in his eyes gave everything away.
“Well, Zahhak. Are you ready?”
Zahhak meets Zio’s eyes and smiles. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
They cut their respective crepes, making sure to balance the ratio of thin crust to the sweet, berry filling, and taking a hearty bite. Zio always took his time when assessing the quality of anything, from Theranhad’s electronics to homecooked meals. At home, Zio had a private chef that took care of most of his meals but Zio was far from incompetent in the kitchen. He also enjoyed making his own meals from time to time as a way to test his own cooking and baking skills. He hadn’t baked in a while. But it seems that he was far from rusty.
“This is… Amazing,” Zio says after swallowing. “This is better than the restaurant crepes if I’m honest! I am truly impressed with our handiwork.”
“These are very delicious… I never had crepes before but this is a very good first impression.” Zahhak looked ahead at the chocolate sauce bottle which was closest to Zio’s place. “Could you pass me the chocolate sauce, please? I want to try some of it.”
“Oh, sure.” He places a hand on the bottle but doesn’t hand it to Zahhak. Instead, a devious grin appears on his face. “... Orr… I can let you try some of mine. After all, I have quite a lot of chocolate syrup. It’ll be a good way for you to try it before dousing that chocolate drizzle on your own crepe. If it turns out you don’t like it, it’d be a bit of a waste, don’t you think?”
Zahhak blinks slowly, watching Zio cut him a generous piece of the crepe. He’s taken aback when Zio doubles-down by leaning over the counter to hold the crepe out in front of him. “Ah, are you sure?”
“I’m quite positive,” Zio teases. “Go on… Have a taste, hm?” Of course, Zahhak finds that he can’t say no to Zio when he’s being so sweet. He leans forward to eat the crepe, leaning back as he contemplated. “Well, what do you think?” Zio asks.
“Hm… I like it quite a lot,” Zahhak says after swallowing. “The chocolate sauce is rich and bittersweet, a nice contrast to the berries and sugar. Thank you for sharing with me, Zio.”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I give back to you…” Zio tilts his head to the side before getting off the counter and walking over to Zahhak. “Mm, hold on. You got some chocolate sauce on your lips. … Don’t worry, I'll get it for you.” He carefully cups Zahhak’s cheek in his hand, noticing the man shiver from feeling the cool rings against his pale skin. Zio then brings his other thumb up to Zahhak’s lower lip, slowly brushing it across to gather up the chocolate that spilled there. Zio’s embarrassed that his first thought was about how Zahhak’s lips felt as soft as they appeared. But he was always observant so who could blame him for thinking it. He turns away and licks the chocolate sauce off his thumb before turning back to Zahhak, hoping that he wasn’t blushing too much. “... There you go. That’s better… Isn’t it?”
Zahhak blinks rapidly at Zio. He didn’t expect him to be so smooth and forward. He was usually one to speak his mind and act on whatever he thinks about. Which posed the question, how long has Zio wanted to do that? He did it without hesitation. “... Yes… It's much better.” He holds Zio's hand and smiles, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. “It's an unexpected method. But I've learned to expect the unexpected with you. It does make things more interesting.”
Zio feels the tension leave him as he laughs, shaking his head a bit. He really lucked out with Zahhak; he didn't see himself spending this time with anyone else. “Well, I just have to thank you for putting up with me, Zahhak. Perhaps I should give you a raise.”
“A raise… When you already pay me so well? How generous of you, Zio.”
“I know how to appreciate the ones that put in the work.” He walks away from Zahhak, going to another cabinet and taking out two wine glasses. He then takes out one of the finer wines in his collection. “This one is your favorite, right?”
“Yes, it is. I remember trying it at one of our company banquets. You certainly have a fine taste in wine, Zio.”
“I am proud of my taste in many things. From wines to clothes…” He pours the wine in each of the glasses, handing one over to Zahhak. “... To the ones I keep close to my side.”
Zahhak takes the glass, heading over to Zio's side. He could see the spark and slight adoration in the CEO’s eyes, it wasn't a look that appeared on his face often. But he noticed that, as the night went on, Zio's gaze became more soft, almost easier for Zahhak to read. It was becoming more clear now, why Zio was so insistent on treating Zahhak, giving him so much and always rewarding him for even the most miniscule tasks. In all honesty, Zahhak was never truly blind to Zio’s affection for him. But he simply wanted to make sure that he reciprocated fully. Tonight, he was reassured that the affection was mutual.
“You do have wonderful taste. And I’m looking forward to spending more time with you in the future, Zio.”
“Likewise. Here’s to good times ahead, Zahhak… From now on, may we always be by each other’s side.”
Zio’s statement sounded more like a vow, a vow that Zahhak agreed to unconditionally nonetheless. They clinked the glasses together and each took a sip. Although they both were going to be busy tomorrow, work was the last thing on their minds at the moment. The wine, the crepes, the company they shared—that took priority for tonight.
Depending on how long their dinner lasted, they’d probably stay at the office for the night. Zio did have a bathroom but he didn’t have a bedroom since he never intended to sleep over. On the bright side, the couches were soft. And, based on the brevity of the moment where Zio touched his lips, Zahhak was soft enough to be a wonderful replacement for a pillow.