lotus

Ever since you had that "special" night with Zanka, you two silently vowed to each other to keep it a secret. It was a mutual acceptance : no talking about it, no glancing at each other too long infront of others. Just the unspoken agreement that when the lights went out and the stress of fighting trash beasts got too heavy, you two would end up pressed against a wall, crashing each other's lips, bleeding off that stress. It worked, it was clean.

Until you both had to scramble out of the storage closet window because Rudo almost walked in on you both making out.

You thought you made a clean break. But when you walked in the common, thinking no one heard it while also trying to look casual.

Riyo was lounging on the couch, wearing her casual outfit, her legs dangling off the edge while playing with her scissors and chewing ghost pepper bubblegum like it was nothing (yes ghost pepper bubblegum exist, i did some research and im actually surprised 😭). The second you and Zanka walked seperately, her green eyes snapped up. Then a massive, mocking smirk streched across her face. She didn't say anything at first, she looked at your messed up hair, then Zanka's sightly unzipped collar.

"Wow, didn't know the storage closet had such a draft tonight." She grinned at you both while spinning her scissors with one finger.

Before Zanka could opened his mouth to make a reasonable fake excuse, Riyo pointed her scissors at him

"Save it Zanka.. oh my boots are quite dirty from last mission andd i don't feel like cleaning them..It'd be such a shame if I accidently slip to Rudo what kind of "intense training" you guys are running.."

And for the next one hour, you watched Zanka..the terrifying and prideful giver..being forced to aggressively scrub her boots until they are squeaky clean, while looking like he wanted to murder the entire planet.

You both went to bed, exhausted but convinced you've bought her silence.

And from that day foward for a few days, you both became Riyo's servant, from you cleaning her boots again..to Zanka having to give up his favourite snack to Riyo, ordering you to fan her with a giant leaf and praise her genius out loud while she lounges on the couch.

To other's point of view, it looks like you and Zanka had become closer to Riyo, not knowing what's really happening behind the scenes.

But hey! Atleast she won't tell anyone as long you two comply right?...Right??..

Well you forgot that Riyo has zero attention span, and that she "accidently" leaks things to the most blunt man in the headquarters, just to see what happens

The next morning came by, the dining hall was loud, smelling like cheap grease and coffee. You took a seat three benches away from Zanka, he was aggressively chewing his breakfast while listening to Rudo yapping how good the sweets he got from the last supply run. You didn't look at him, he didn't look at you. Perfect..

Then Enjin slammed his tray of breakfast down right across from Zanka

"Man, I'm dead." He roared before taking a sip of his ridiculously sweet coffee while the chatter of the dining room remains loud and lively.

He grabbed a piece of toast before squinting at Zanka and munching on it.

"Oh hey! Riyo told me something really wild last night. Said you and the rookie over there were doing some "extreme intense training" in the storage closet a few days ago? She said you guys were pratically tearing each other's gear off. Glad to see you two getting along but since when do you take training more seriously with them???"

The dining hall went silent.

Rudo stopped his yapping session before slowly darting his eyes between you and Zanka. Semiu's spoon clinked loudly against her bowl. Zanka froze, his mouth stopped chewing aggressively as his dark blue eyes slowly looks up to Enjin across the table

Enjin, completely oblivious to what he was saying, took another bite of his toast and a sip of his coffee before leaned over the table and grinned

"Wait.., what are those purple marks on your collarbone and neck?? Did you get bitten by a trash monster or-"

From the far end of the dining hall, a loud and familiar snicker broke the suffocating silence.

Riyo was leaning back against the wall while spinning her scissors with one finger again as she watched the entire dining hall implode in absolute glee. She met you and Zanka's panicked eyes , gave you both a smirk before she mouthed

"Oops..my bad."

The silence in the hotel lobby was heavy, the rough mission has left everyone covered in ash and grime with their muscles trembling from exhaustion.

Enjin stood by the front desk, his eyes scaning through the exhaustion state of his team. He held up three keys

"Alright listen up."

"Rudo's already falling asleep on his feet. So he's coming with me. Riyo, you can take the small room at the end of the hall."

He pauses for a bit, before looking at you and zanka

"Which leaves you two with room 067. only a single bed though, so try not to kill each other, okay? We don't wanna deal with you two's usual throat ripping routine tonight."

Zanka let out a irritated, sharp click from his tongue before snatching the keys. You didn't say anything but gave zanka a glaring look, why the hell do i have to share a bed with HIM!? WHY NOT RIYO? You thought in annoyance.

The walk to the room was suffocating with silence, neither of you spoke, just wanting to get over this. Zanka is walking two paces behind you, you could feel his eyes just burning into the back of your head with frustation and anger. Every time you brushed his shoulders through the elevator, he would stiffen like a statue with a irriated click from his tongue.

He was trying so hard to look mad and project hatred..but the way his breathing hitched every time you glanced back at him tells another story.

When the door clicked behind the both of you, not even 3 minutes in and you had started to bicker with zanka on who goes to shower first. You gave up after 10 minutes in defeat and let zanka shower first.

"COME ON!!! it's been 40 minutes and you still haven't finished! Are you taking a spa day in there or something????" you raised your voice, annoyed and still covered in grime and ash.

"CALM YER ASS DOWN WILL YA? YER NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO IS COVERED WITH GRIME AND SHIT!" he shouted back while the hot water was running, he might use all the hot water, you deserved to suffer with cold water...or not.

When zanka finally stepped out, he wore his casual outfit with a towel slung over his shoulders. Without a second thought, you sprinted to the bathroom, almost making him trip over and fall face flat.

"WATCH WHERE YER GOING!"

After you two had showed, now.. the single bed situation..You sat on the bed, slowly sinking in the cheap mattress, before zanka opened his mouth.

"i fought harder today.. so yer sleeping on the floor."

what kind of mindset is he having?? you also worked hard today too!!

"No way!! You're unbelievable!" your hand balling into fists so tight your knuckles turned white.

"I wouldn't have to act like this if ya didn't completely scramble my brain every time yer near me!" his voice dropped to a rough, strained octave

You froze. "What?"

"Ya heard me!" he growled, "Yer ass is always in my way! Ya always do this to me! Pushing my buttons and drivin' me insane!!" Zanka leaned closer to you, his chest nearly brushing against yours to bark the words at your face.

"Then shut up and do something about it then!" you finally snapped and yelled back out of frustration and tiredness.

Zanka froze, his jaw tighten as he stared down your throat, then to your lips, his breathing coming in short and uneven rasps before pulling you in for a kiss.

The kiss was messy , loud and fueled by months of rivalry that had finally boiled over. Zanka's hand gripped your waist so tight it left indents through your shirt. He groaned into your mouth with a low, defeated sound, his lips slid from your mouth down to your jawline, caught against your neck, biting just a little too hard...leaving you multiple hickies soon tomorrow.

The next morning came, you blinked your eyes open, your body aching from the mission, slowly realizing you couldn't move. Zanka's heavy arm was slung around your waist, his face buried into your shoulder, wow..he looked peaceful in his sleep.

You slowly rises up, waking into the bathroom, looked toward the mirror sink. A bright, blooming purple mark above your collarbone along with multiple marks on your neck, scattering everywhere.

oh god..we actually did that. You heart did a sudden panicked flip, then you actually panicked out loud, waking zanka up and also make him panic too because he also got purple marks

Eventually, the panic slowly calms down to a tense unspoken agreement. Shirts and uniform were buttoned to the top, doing everything just to hide those purple love marks you two did last night. You both walked out the room seperately and refused to make eye contact for the rest of the day. Never bringing up what happened last night ever.

Not until three weeks later...in the dark corner of the equipment shed after another brutal mission, and again...two weeks after that in zanka's room while the cleaners's headquarters are dead asleep.

There were no confessions, labels or romance. By day, you were still enemies with him, snapping and bickering at each other in front the team. But the moment after a mission left you two exhausted, muscles sore and running on empty, the walls came down.

It became a secret between you and zanka, a midnight routine with no labels and confession, just a breathless way to relieve each other's stress before going back to normal lives like nothing happened.

(ahahah room 067 🤣🤣🤣 giggles)