#zenless wise

They really do look out for each other and hang out all the time.

Like belle is so cute and funny, and wise is very cool. He's so protective brother coded and belle is so much fun, her character design is everything.

Started playing Zenless Zone Zero lately and might I say Wise is just hella fine😌✨️.

Fandom: Zenless Zone Zero Ship: LighterWise

Summary: Helios Academy comes to check on Eous and questions whether Wise is fit to be his father.

Small Blessings // Mirrored Images // Past and Present // Making Memories // Matchmakers // Under the Mistletoe // New Year's Day // "I'm Home" // Lunch Break //

Like the first night Wise met Lighter, he frantically knocked on his door with his heart thumping against his chest. He wondered how Eous was still sleeping when he must’ve been able to hear how frantic both his heartbeat and knocking was. The small boy slept with his head resting against his shoulder. He placed a hand on Eous’s dark hair and thought of how small he was in his arms.

In the time since they moved to their new home, the child had grown a lot. Yet, he was still small enough for him to carry him. How much longer could he hold him like this? The question was far more than a parent’s musing on their child’s growth. Wise wasn’t able to let the dread linger for long before the door opened. His nerves settled at the same time as his heart leapt in his chest. Lighter’s broad shoulders filled the doorway in front of him. The soft smile Lighter gave Wise was like a flickering flame at dusk.

“It’s past Eous’s curfew. Are you here for a sleepover? If I knew— What’s wrong?” Lighter straightened once he saw how pale Wise was. A wave of protectiveness seized him and he gently ushered the pair into his home. He closed the door behind them but it was Wise who rushed to lock the door. His behaviour was strange and Lighter could only think of one thing that could make him so panicked. Gently, Lighter brushed his fingers over Eous’s cheek. He didn’t appear hurt or sick.

“Be careful not to wake Eous.” Wise whispered. He leaned back against the door, needing something solid behind him. He couldn’t use his hands to catch himself or keep himself from sinking while he was still holding Eous in his arms. Thankfully, Lighter placed a steadying hand on his waist. He looked into his deep green eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry to come so late at night, Lighter, but I really need your help.”

“It’s not the first time that you woke me up in the middle of the night. As I said last time: it’s better to wake up to a pretty face like yours over my phone alarm.” He tried to lighten the atmosphere.

Wise managed a small giggle at the teasing. Unfortunately, it faltered when he looked down at Eous. “Can Eous sleep over here tonight? Professor Sunbringer and Professor Joyous are paying me a visit on behalf of Helios Academy. I don’t want Eous to be there for their inspection.”

“Wouldn’t it make more sense for them to visit during the day?”

“Helios Academy works on their own schedule.” The words were laced with sarcasm and resentment. “They want to evaluate whether I’m taking good care of Eous. Even though they agreed to let me adopt him after Professor Arna died, Helios wanted us to live on campus. I convinced them that a normal environment would be better for a child. This was supposed to be a surprise evaluation. Luckily, Vivian learned about it and called to warn me.”

Lighter never questioned why the family lived in Helios Academy while Arna was alive. It seemed logical because she was a professor and they would provide her living accommodations. Now, he wondered why they were still closely tied to the school even after her death. What reason did the academy have to plan a surprise inspection? While Wise never fully explained his situation or time with Helios Academy, Lighter was certain of one thing: Wise loved Eous and would protect his son.

He had seen Wise angry and upset but this was the first time he appeared terrified. He placed his hand on top of Wise’s that was still holding Eous. Gently, he squeezed his fingers. “I won’t let anything happen to you or Eous. If those two are here for an inspection, I can put in a good word for you. It’s the least I can do since you also defended me against Steph’s grandpa.”

“I wasn’t doing anything special. He was wrong about you. You’re great with kids.” With that trust, Wise gently placed his son in Lighter’s arms. They were both careful not to wake the boy as he settled in place against his chest. “I can’t thank you enough for this, Lighter. Sunbringer and Joyous will insist on interviewing Eous. I plan to tell them that he’s at a sleepover across town and reschedule it for another time. That will give me a chance to prepare Eous to see them again.”

“After the interview, do you want to sleep over? Eous might wake up while you try to carry him back to your place. He’ll definitely cry if he wakes up and his dad isn’t there.”

“I would love to.” Wise said but his expression told Lighter that he couldn’t. Regretfully, he shook his head. “My professors will become suspicious if they see me sneak over to my neighbour’s place in the middle of the night. It’s better to stay cautious. I’ll pick up Eous in the morning. In case he does wake up early, tell him that I just went home to get his toothbrush or something.”

“Sounds like a plan. Text me if anything changes or whether you just need me.” The quick acceptance surprised Wise. He thought that Lighter would have more questions about his sudden visit. Most people would. The trust and understanding helped Wise feel like he wasn’t facing the situation on his own.

Wise knew that he shouldn’t risk waking Eous but he couldn’t stop himself from pressing a light kiss to his temple. The child roused slightly but he quickly went back to sleep. Between Lighter’s bodyheat and strong arms, Wise could see why Eous was comfortable enough to stay fast asleep. If only he could rest his head there as well.

He stood on his toes and wrapped his arms around both Lighter and Eous. “Thank you, Lighter.”

Fandom: Zenless Zone Zero Ship: LighterWise

Summary: Wise and Eous visit Lighter at his work.

Small Blessings // Mirrored Images // Past and Present // Making Memories // Matchmakers // Under the Mistletoe // New Year's Day // "I'm Home" //

Leaps and Bounds’ headquarters was different from what Wise had expected from a delivery service. It wasn’t the appearance of the old brick building but instead the loud chatter and metal ringing that emitted from it. Caesar had given him the address and told him to visit whenever they were free. He hesitated to accept her offer because he didn’t want to interrupt their work. Lighter told him that he was always driving from one delivery to the next so Wise doubted they would be able to see each other for long.

Wise glanced down at Eous sitting in his wagon. Leaps and Bounds was a 20 minute walk so he decided to enjoy the fresh air with Eous instead of taking the car. The young child was brimming with nervous energy as he bounced in his seat. He was certain that Eous would’ve tried to climb out if he wasn’t holding a treasured package in his hands. It would be difficult for him to climb out without setting the box down and he made it clear that he needed to keep it safe for Lighter.

He lifted him out of the wagon and set him in front of the entrance. With one hand, he pushed the door open and Eous immediately slipped through once the gap was large enough. He kept him in the corner of his eyes as he struggled to pull the wagon inside with his free hand. His son wasn’t the type to run off but the possibility worried him after the New Years party.

“Welcome!” Burnice’s cheery voice greeted them. She stood at the counter with Lighter and the two immediately went to help him with the wagon. Lighter took a moment to pat Eous’s head before he walked to Wise’s side. He placed his hand on the small of his back and then reached around him to grab the wagon. A warm shiver ran through Wise from where he touched him. He tried to suppress the reaction by telling himself that Lighter only held him for balance while helping him.

Still, he couldn’t help but notice how his hand lingered on his back even after they pulled the wagon into the store. No matter how many times he told himself that it would be selfish to enter a relationship, he couldn’t stop the growing feelings within him. He felt a little disappointed when Lighter let him go.

“What brings you to Leaps and Bounds?” Burnice asked. “Need something delivered?”

“Lunch for Lighter!” Eous declared and held the lunchbox over his head. Lighter wasn’t surprised because Wise had texted him to ask if he was free to share lunch together. He asked Burnice to cover his shift and she readily agreed. He knelt in front of Eous to take the gift from him. Rather than hand him the box, the small boy launched himself into his arms expecting to be carried.

“Being the one to get a delivery is a nice change.” When Lighter lifted Eous, Burnice couldn’t help but notice how he held him. She had never seen him so careful with something in his arms. Then, he held out his hand to Wise. “You wanna eat outside? You can keep the wagon here. We don’t have to worry about someone taking it with Burnice guarding it.”

“I wanna see Calydon’s gym!” Wise was interrupted before he could answer. Eous’s request confused him because a delivery service wouldn’t have a gym. “Moccus told me about it. His mom’s place has a gym in the back and they even have a ring where they can practise fighting. Lighter looks cool in all the pictures Steph has of him boxing. But I never got to see him fight.”

“Moccus was probably talking about the gym at Caesar’s house.” Wise reasoned. He stood next to Lighter and tapped the box. “Eous, we came to give Lighter the special lunch that you made him. We can’t take too much of his time by going to the gym. He has work.”

The disappointment on his face tugged at Wise’s heart. He lightly kissed his forehead to comfort the small boy. Throughout the walk, he had been excited to visit Lighter’s workplace. He had tried to temper his expectation by telling him that they could only stay for a short lunch. It was clear that Eous still hoped to spend more time with Lighter and see the gym.

“We have a workout place in the back but no one uses it. It’s just leftover from the building’s old Calydon days before they converted the place for Leaps and Bounds. The back can’t be called a professional gym. I’ll give you a quick tour if your dad agrees but no actual fighting or training. You’re still too small for that, Kid,” Lighter offered. The boy immediately brightened like he expected.

Eous turned to Wise with large, green eyes. His eyes were surprisingly similar to Lighter’s who now appeared guilty for shifting the question to him. He didn’t know how someone could say no to him when they were both staring at him. “Okay, but you can’t play with any of the equipment. A gym is different from a playground, Eous.”

The backroom was larger than Wise imagined it would be. In the center of the room was a small boxing ring. Equipment for training was organized against the back wall. Lighter told him that the building used to be for the Sons of Calydon and he became more curious about their work. He hadn’t seen a reason to question Caesar’s different businesses when Lighter told him he only worked in deliveries and logistics in Leaps and Bounds.

“There’s not much to see with our ‘gym’. I hope that Moccus didn’t raise your expectations too much.” Lighter said but he could see curiosity shining in Eous’s eyes. He held onto his hand to keep him from running to the weights. They kept the equipment secured but he was wary of Eous hurting himself if he tried to play in the gym. “Let’s go eat in the break room. That’s more interesting.”

“Can we eat in the ring? It’s a big picnic table!” Eous pointed to the raised platform. When Lighter and Wise turned to each other, they both read each other’s thoughts. He nodded and carried him to the ring. Eous was easily able to crawl under the rope and he immediately darted to the center. The boxing ring was an empty square so Lighter didn’t know why Eous found it fascinating. The innocent outlook of a child was endearing though.

Lighter hadn’t entered the ring in years. He pushed those memories from his mind and focused on Wise standing next to him. He held out his hand to help him into the ring. As he laid his fingers into his larger hand, he whispered to him. “I was going to say that we can’t spoil Eous so much or else he will start to think he’ll always get his way but we’re both guilty of that.”

“One lunch won’t hurt. Anyways, this is my break so Lucy can’t yell at me.” Lighter easily followed him into the ring, his movement fluid and practised. He went to the center where Wise was already setting out the tupperware.

When he sat down, Eous immediately placed a lunchbox on his lap. He lifted the lid and found an assortment of sandwiches and snacks. The sandwiches were clumsily made with uneven cuts and peanut butter smeared on the side. In contrast, the fruit had been cut into playful shapes. He could guess who made which part of the lunch from a glance.

“I made lunch all by myself! Wise was teaching me. Ehn na… wanted to share with Lighter.” Eous told him, his voice suddenly shy. He took a sandwich and held it out to Lighter. His small fingers trembled around the bread. Lighter leaned down to take a bite and then made an exaggerated hum. The simple acknowledgement erased the worry from him and he grinned. He handed a second sandwich to Wise.

They shared the simple lunch. A few sandwiches and fruit from a child’s lunchbox weren’t enough to fill their stomachs but Lighter acted like Eous had made him a feast. Wise watched them with a smile. Eous would hand him more food without noticing the crumbs gathering on Lighter’s pants. They truly appeared to be a family.

Wise took a napkin from his bag and lightly wiped the corner of Lighter’s lips, catching the stray breadcrumbs there. As he did so, Lighter turned his head and his lips brushed over his fingertips. He knew that the touch was unintentional and innocent but his heart quickened nevertheless. Heat crept up his cheeks and he turned away from Lighter.

A loud thud and raised voices broke through the moment. He couldn’t make out what they said with the wall muffling the voices but the anger was apparent enough. Wise instinctively pulled Eous closer to his side and looked to Lighter. His expression was tight but not panicked.

“Sounds like an annoying customer. You’d be surprised with the scene that people will make over a lost package. I’ll check on Burnice so you can stay here with Eous.” They both knew that Burnice was strong enough to handle an angry customer but Wise knew that Lighter would still worry. He would’ve intervened as well if he didn’t have Eous.

As Lighter walked back to the store, Wise caught a glimpse of someone through the gap in the door. A blond man was arguing with Burnice. The stranger faltered when Lighter approached him. It was clear that he was intimidated by him and Wise hoped that was enough to de-escalate the situation. He trusted that Lighter could handle the customer so he turned to Eous, worried that the yelling had scared him.

Unexpectedly, Eous dashed forward. Wise was too surprised to react quickly enough to stop him. He tried to catch him but the small child easily slipped under the rope and jumped to the ground. He yelled his name and for him to stop. Eous had already reached the door by the time Wise was able to climb out of the ring.

Eous burst into the store, drawing everyone’s attention to him. He pointed his finger at the blond man and yelled: “Your jacket says Vanquisher. Moccus says you’re bullies. Leave my friends alone or else I’ll call ZhuYuan!”

“Snot nosed brat.” The man glared at him. The courage and determination that Eous had was replaced by fear. He stood paralyzed as Lucius stepped towards him. Lighter and Burnice immediately moved to stop him. Wise reached Eous first. He pulled him back and hid him against his chest. He didn’t know whether the man would hurt a child but he moved on instinct to protect his son.

A loud crash echoed throughout the store. Wise reluctantly looked up from Eous and found that Lighter had pinned Lucius to the ground. Lighter didn’t raise his voice but there was a restrained anger. “Don’t touch my kid. What kind of coward goes after a four year old? Whatever TOPS has planned to buy us out, the answer is the same. I’ll make sure of that after this. Go and tell them that.”

Lighter pulled him to his feet and then pushed him towards the door. He watched him leave only to ensure that he wouldn’t try to attack Wise or Eous. Once the front door closed behind him, he sighed and turned back to them. Cold regret ran through him when he saw Eous shivering against him. He wanted to reach out and comfort him but something stopped Lighter.

“Shit.” Lighter muttered the curse beneath his breath. With how protective Wise was, Lighter assumed that he wouldn’t want him in their lives anymore. He couldn’t blame him if that was his decision. He knelt next to them but he didn’t move closer. “Sorry, I probably scared you more than that guy did.”

He looked up from the safety of his father’s hug. Wise stroked his hair a few times before he let him go. Eous searched the room for something until his eyes fell onto Lighter. He immediately jumped into his arms like he had earlier that day. Relieved that he wasn’t scared of him, he caught the boy and lifted him against his shoulder.

Eous beamed up at him. “You scared the bad guy away like Starlight Knight! I want to be brave like Lighter. Will you teach me how to fight? I can protect Wise and Belle.”

“Hey, didn’t I say that you’re too small to be fighting?” Lighter gently stopped his rambling. “You’re still a kid so you should tell an adult when there’s a bully like that guy. Don’t try to run to fight him like that again. Fighting is bad. You shouldn’t be like me.”

“Why? You stopped that man to protect us.” Wise shifted closer to him and wrapped his arms around both Lighter and Eous. “Thank you.”