#zuka

۪ ׂ ˖ BAN HAMMER

— He would try to act like he didn't have a crush on you, but the thing is he tries so hard to hide his feelings that it becomes obvious.

— Since Ban Hammer is insanely full of himself, he believes that nobody could ever be—quoted, by the way—worthy of him. He also believes that any romance would be a distraction from his duties, so he had never really considered it.

— But then you had to come along. You just had to be on the opposing team during a phight he was participating in, and during said phight, you had managed to knock him down.

— Not just for a second, either. You had him pinned to the ground with your foot on his chest, and when you had knocked him down, his blindfold slightly slid up, giving him the view of you.

— All that went through his head was the equivalent of that one audio "what a woman."

— The phight ended before him or you could do anything, but even with it over, his heart was still racing, and he was convinced it wasn't from the adrenaline of the battle.

— Since he would be confused by the things going on—his racing heart, his mind never leaving the thought of you, etc—he went to his mother, Windforce.

— After informing Windforce about what was going on, the deity would tell her son that he most likely had feelings for you.

— Ban Hammer wouldn't sleep that night after coming to terms that he might have feelings for you, for his mind would be trying to come up with plans to make said feelings go away.

— He would eventually settle on the plan that if he just acted like he didn't like you, then his crush would go away. Surely, that would work?

— For some, maybe, but not Ban Hammer, for he tries wayyyy too hard to hide his crush.

— Whenever you come around, he tenses, and his mouth purses into a straight line while his fingers tap on his hammer.

— He also holds his breath until you leave, so if you don't leave, you better talk to him or give him some space because he'll probably pass out.

— When you talk to him, his words are rushed and he refuses to turn his head to face you. He's just facing straight the whole time.

"Are you okay? You look very...tense." "I'm fine! I don't need your concern!" "...Okay—?" "BUT THANK YOU!"

— Despite him trying to act like how he usually does, if he thinks he sounds even the slightest bit rude, he'll say something to make up for it. Whether it be just thanking you or asking about you, he'll make sure you don't hate him because even though he totallyneverwoulddoesn't like you, he still cares about what you think of him.

— Now, he does get really giddy whenever you're both on the same team during a phight. Of course, he hides it well! He definitely doesn't sneak glances at you during the whole round and tries to show off since you're watching, so you surely didn't know he had a crush on you.

— But the fact that he gets protective whenever you're getting attacked does make a few of your teammates raise an eyebrow.

— Ban Hammer knows you can handle yourself, but whenever someone on the opposing team manages to land a hit on you, he doesn't care about who he's fighting. He'll shove them off and run towards you before slamming his hammer in the persons face.

— He makes the excuse that he only went over because you "obviously needed help from someone superior."

— If you're on the opposing team, he still does fight you. He'll probably even push himself more fighting you than anyone else, for he knows you're a good fighter.

— Onto the confession, his would be accidental.

— He would be trying to convince you to spar with him, and when you questioned why he was so determined to spar with you, he would responsed with this:

"Because when people spar, that means they don't like each other! So, if I spar with you, then you'll never figure out that I like you!"

— He wouldn't even realize what he said until you questioned if he was being serious about liking you, and while you couldn't see it, his eyes widened as he mentally questioned how you figured it out.

— He would be silent for a moment before clearing his throat, trying to recollect himself to recover from the silence he let linger a bit too long.

— He wouldn't answer your question, but he would instead try to distract you by telling you that you both should start sparring.

— To which you'd agree, but only if you got to choose your own weapon and got to strike first.

— Due to his relief that you let the topic change, he'd quickly agree before getting into position.

— Since he has his blindfold on, he would have to listen to you slowly take a few steps towards him, and he would hold his breath once he realized that you were right in front of him.

— "When is the strike going to come?" He'd mentally question.

— And eventually, it did come, but instead of it being the hit of a weapon, it was the feeling of your lips on his.

— Your action led to his hammer falling from his grasp, and when you pulled away, he'd swallow before letting out a shaky breath.

"...Rematch?"

۪ ׂ ˖ BOOMBOX

— It's kind of hard to hide his crush on you when his visor turns into hearts whenever you're around.

— The first time his visor did that was when you both were together on a team during a phight, and he was doing his usual thing and talking to you.

— He was asking about your favorite genre of music and such, and when he had mentioned that he wrote music, you smiled and told him that you'd love to listen what he makes sometime.

— You ended up running off to go help another one of your teammates, but Boombox just froze in place while he watched you run away.

— He was cut out of his trance whenever Skateboard came behind him and gently hit the back of his head, but Skateboard had managed to catch the hearts on Boombox's visor.

— Skateboard would then follow where his friend had been staring before realizing he had been looking at you, and Skateboard

"Look at you, music boy! Gotta crush?" "I—No!" "You def got a crush."

— No matter how much he tried to deny it, even Boombox knew it was a lie. He had a crush on you, and there was nothing he could do about it.

— Except try to win your heart, of course.

— Whenever he gets the chance to, he'll catch you after a round and ask if you want to hang out with him and Skateboard.

— Those hangouts usually end with Skateboard ditching you and Boombox so you two are alone.

— You both typically go to Boombox's house whenever Skateboard leaves, and there you'll both listen to music while talking about random stuff.

— He'd probably try to show off on all of the instruments he has, and if you know how to play any of them, you don't even have to ask—just go for it and his crush will probably grow at the sight of you playing an instrument.

— If you don't know how to, that's okay! He's going to teach you. Not "he will", he's going to. He'll hand you an instrument as soon as you express your desire to learn how to play it.

— Whenever you tell him some songs you like, he makes you a mixtape with them and a few songs he things you'll like.

— You get weekly mixtapes from him, for any time he listens to a song, he questions if it would be one you would like or not.

— How does he give you these mixtapes? He leaves them at your place.

— During a hangout you had with him, you both exchanged copies of each others keys just in case the other was around and wanted to stay over for a bit, so he'd use that key to leave mixtapes at your house whenever he knew you wouldn't be home.

— Now, obviously, his confession would be in music form.

— Like it was mentioned earlier, Boombox would often leave mixtapes at your place, but this time, it was a mixtape on top of a decorated basket with your favorite stuff in it.

— There would be food, drinks, flowers (fake ones if you're allergic), and even a poster from your favorite artist. All of the stuff in that basket would be stuff you've briefly mentioned to him.

— And beside that basket? A boombox with hearts on it, and the mixtape would have a sticky note that says "play me!" with a little doodle of him on it.

— When you played the mixtape, it would start off with his voice—shaky as he tried to sound confident—and he'd then admit his crush on you. His attempt to seem calm would crumble as soon as he got out the words "I like you," and he would start speaking quick as he explains that he understands if you don't feel the same way.

— He'd quickly tell you that if you do happen to feel the same way—whichyoudon'thavetoofcoursenopressureit'sokay—to meet him at a nearby park. If you don't feel the same way, just act like nothing happened, and he wants you to keep everything he gave you if you're comfortable with keeping it.

— When you arrive at the park, he would have music playing from his boombox, and he'd be fidgeting with his tie until he realized that you were walking towards him.

— His face would be flushed, and for the first time, you'd be able to see the hearts on his visor as he stared at you.

— You would probably have to be the first one to speak, and Boombox would break out into a huge grin upon hearing your voice because that means you're actually in front of him—he's not just imagining things.

— He'd engulf you in a hug and spin you around.

— He's giggling because of how giddy he is that you feel the same, by the way.

۪ ׂ ˖ COIL

— If you're good at being able to tell the difference between flirting and teasing, then you'll be able to tell whether Coil has a crush on you or not.

— He had seen you around crossroads, and he had heard Skateboard talk about you and your past phights. He was somewhat intrigued, but he'd have to actually meet you before making an opinion.

— He just didn't expect to meet you in the midst of running away.

— Coil had made the mistake of thinking that he'd be fine to venture crossroads for a little bit, and he ended up getting recognized by some Inphernals from Blackrock.

— He ended up running into a shop and hopped over the counter to hide, and you so-happened to be the one behind the register.

— Coil would look up at you with wide eyes, and when the bell rang to announce that the ones chasing him had arrived, you'd quickly look up to smile at them before welcoming them.

— With one hand by your side, you'd point to an empty space under the counter that he could hide in, and while he shifted to hide, you talked to the other Inphernals to distract them.

— When asked if you had seen—in their words—"a nasty thief" around, you simply said that you hadn't seen anything, and that they were free to look around if they wanted.

— Coil was about to glare at you for that until the ones previously chasing him said that it was fine, and they thanked you for your time before leaving.

— You didn't even look down at him before speaking.

"The back door leads to an alley—go left if you want to avoid them."

— Something about the calmness in your tone made him want to question if you had done this before, but as he crawled out from under the counter, he just looked you up-and-down before smirking.

"Thanks, sweetheart."

— All he would get from you is a quick glance with narrowed eyes—ones that told him to leave—but he noticed the little smile on your face as you looked away.

— Apart from Skateboard's basement, your shop would become a common place he'd use to hide from the law.

— That's what you think, at least. While it is one of the reasons he goes into your shop, he also goes in there because he realized that he gained a crush on you.

— Even to him it sounded stupid, for he barely knew anything about you, but that's why he kept going into your shop. If he kept visiting you and learning more about you, then his crush would make sense or maybe it would go away.

— Spoiler alert—it didn't go away. It grew.

— Turns out, you were as interesting as Skateboard described you to be, and that was saying a lot because the Inphernal had a habit of being dramatic with his stories.

— Not only did he learn about you, though, but you learned about him. He answered your questions about why he was running that day and what he did to be labelled a thief.

— Eventually, it got to the point where if he wasn't in a phight, he'd be in your shop until you closed.

— Sometimes you both would talk about whatever, and other times you both would be silent while you worked on whatever you needed to.

— During those quiet moments, he'd take the time to study you. He'd lean back against the counter with his arms crossed as he watched you, and he'd always eventually walk over to you before placing his hands on either side of you.

— For example, if you're in front of a table, he's putting his hands on either side of you to technically trap you in front of him. (If you ask him to move, he will.)

— Usually when he's there, he'll flirt with you while you do whatever.

— You typically never verbally responded to his flirts, for the most you'd do is peer over your shoulder to give him a funny look or scoff, but one day, you actually said something.

"You're flirty, aren't you?"

— To which he'd reply without hesitation.

"Only for you."

— And this is where his confession comes in—same day and same minute.

— When you looked back at him, he'd have a smirk on his face before his eyes looked down at your lips, and his smug grin would falter as he'd slowly meet your eyes once more.

— His gaze would be asking a question that he found himself unable to say verbally, and as soon as you nod, his lips are on yours.

— When he pulls away, he'd ask something stupid like "Does this mean you like me back?" and when you'd confirm you liked him, he'd say "Of course you do. Why wouldn't you?"

— But when you give his arm a light smack while retorting his words, the only thing he's thinking about is how relieved he is that you like him back, and it shows as his shoulders slump and he stares at you with lidded eyes.

۪ ׂ ˖ HYPER LASER

— Due to his monotone voice and the helmet covering his face, it would be hard to know if he had a crush on you.

— The Inphernal wasn't exactly one for closeness, and most were aware of this. He hardly talked with anyone during phights—aside from Katana, but it appeared like they were merely acquaintances.

— With that in mind, things involving romance were never considered by Hyper Laser. The only time he even thought about it was whenever he noticed couples in Crossroads, but as soon as he remembered who he was and everything that had happened in his life, he'd shove the thought down completely.

— To him, the best thing to do is to keep to himself. He had already lost so much—the grief that still lingered always reminded him of that—but if he kept to himself, that meant he would have no one else to grieve. His cat, Princess, and the occasional chats he had with Katana were enough for him to be content. He didn't need anything else.

— But that didn't mean he didn't want anything else.

— You were something. That was the only opinion Hyper Laser had of you at first, for he would often glance at you during phights. He never spoke to you, of course, but upon watching you take down your opponents, he couldn't help but wonder how it would go if he did talk to you.

— Luckily for him, the conversation he had been pondering about happened much quicker than he would've expected, and in the oddest of places as well.

— Hyper Laser had just taken Princess to the vet to make sure she was doing well, and as soon as he stepped foot outside of the building, his helmet locked on you as you were walking down the sidewalk.

— For some reason, he remained frozen in front of the building. Princess looked up at him in confusion before looking towards where he was, and once she noticed where he was looking, she jumped from his arms.

— If Hyper Laser wasn't already caught off-guard, Princess made sure that he felt that way.

— The Inphernal would stammer before hastily going after his cat—the same cat that had never done this before until today—but his steps would slow as soon as he noticed Princess circling you.

— The cat eventually sat in front of you while facing Hyper Laser, and when he looked up, you were staring at him with slightly wide eyes before giving him a smile.

"I'm guessing this is the Princess I always hear you talk about?"

— You had overheard his conversations with Katana.

— He would tense as he remained quiet for a moment, but he would eventually give you a slight nod.

"Yes."

— An awkward silence fell over you both, and the only thing you could hear was the liveliness of the city until a small meow rang out.

— You looked down right as Princess turned to face you, and she moved forward to press one of her paws against your shoe. You leaned down to scoop up the cat into your arms.

— When you took a few steps towards him, he literally held his breath until you were standing right in front of him.

— It was only after you handed him his cat and walked away that he let out a shaky breath, and after a moment passed, he looked down at Princess before slightly tilting his head.

"What are you planning, Princess?"

— The cat merely responded by purring.

— After that encounter, you would try to talk with Hyper Laser more, but only about Princess. You'd ask how she was doing, and that one question was all you needed to get an earful about Princess.

— Of course, he would eventually realize how much he was talking, and he'd apologize. It would usually fall silent between you both after that, but then one day, he quietly asked how your day was. He would ask about you.

— And apparently, he acted a certain way around you because Katana eventually asked him about it. Katana claimed that his body would lean towards you whenever you spoke, and that even with the helmet on, it was obvious whenever he was staring at you.

— That would be the moment he realized his crush on you—when Katana pointed out how he acted with you.

— The Inphernal wasn't exactly pleased with the realization, but only because of his own fears. He worried if he allowed himself to let you in—if you allowed him into your life—that he would lose you just like he did others.

— He's lost too many people, and he didn't want to lose anymore.

— He would probably debate on ignoring you completely for your own sake, but on that same night, Princess would just stare at him before tilting her head—seemingly asking "Are you sure?"

— He wasn't sure, but after a sleepless night, he decided to give romance a shot.

— Hyper Laser wouldn't outright confess his feelings for you, for he would slowly start getting to know you so it isn't weird whenever he admits he has a crush on you.

— Is it kind of obvious that he likes you whenever you both hangout? Maybe, it depends if you're able to pick up on the fact that he's always tense around you and often stammers whenever talking.

— Hyper Laser never stutters, so that's a pretty clear sign that something's going on in his mind around you.

— Whenever he decides that it's been long enough (meaning whenever Katana tells him to just confess), he'd invite you over to his house.

— Since your hangouts often were at his house, you would think nothing of it. You would appear at his doorstep completely oblivious as to what was about to happen.

— Of course, he'd be a nervous wreck. His voice would be strained as he attempted to talk to you like normal, but as soon as you enter, he'd excuse himself before saying that you could sit in the dining room if you wanted.

— Said dining room would be flourished with decorations, and it would be illuminated by the soft light shining from the candles he had around. The table would have a white tablecloth over it, and on top would be your favorite food and sides.

— That's not even the best part.

— As you'd stand there in awe, Princess would trot up to you before sitting down, and there would be a folded piece of paper tucked in her collar.

— Upon removing the note, and giving Princess pets as a thank you, you'd open the note to find a few, simple words.

"I have feelings for you."

— The sound of someone clearing their throat would echo from behind you, and when you turned around, Hyper Laser would be standing there.

— Very rigidly.

— His shoulders would be tense as he stood straight, and his arms would be firmly pressed against his sides. Though, his fingers would occasionally twitch as if he were resisting the urge to fidget.

— He would start to talk, but the only thing he was able to get out was an "I—" before you pressed your lips against his helmet.

— Even though you technically weren't kissing him, it still made him react as if you were. He somehow managed to become more tense, but he would eventually relax enough to place his hands on your waist.

— Maybe he didn't mind being close with someone—as long as that someone was you.

۪ ׂ ˖ MEDKIT

— Do you really think you're going to be able to tell if Medkit likes you or not? With his resting face? You're better off being able to tell the difference between icing and frosting.

— Due to his occupation, high standards, and past, the word "love" wasn't even in Medkit's vocabulary. He had nothing to love, so why even bother with the word?

— He hated a lot of things: his job, past, Blackrock, his teammates for being reckless, and many, many more things.

— Once again, he had nothing to love.

— But then he was given something to love—you.

— You had always been someone he at least tolerated, for you weren't as careless as the others. You also thanked him for what he did, and that was something he appreciated.

— He refused to let it be more than that, though. It was better for you and him to just remain acquainted—nothing more.

— Of course, fate declared his thoughts foolish and decided to make a decision for him.

— During a phight, Medkit was knocked down, and just a few seconds before he got hit again, you stepped in and blocked the attack. Medkit remained behind you while you continued to fight until the opposing Inphernal ran off, and you turned around before kneeling beside Medkit.

— You then questioned if he was alright—if he, the healer of the team, was alright. It wasn't in a sarcastic manner either. Your voice held genuine concern while you narrowed your eyes to seemingly examine him for injury.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt at all?"

— He would probably look you up and down before responding.

"...I'm fine. Thank you."

— You'd help him up before leaving to help other people, but he would remain standing there.

— Not because he wanted to, but he felt like he couldn't move. His heart was racing and his feet could be mistaken as plants with how rooted they were into the ground below him.

— He had never felt this way before, and more than likely, he'd think he was coming down with something.

— Turns out the diagnosis was simple—love. He had feelings for you and the symptoms included a racing heart, butterflies in the stomach, and sweaty palms.

— He wouldn't be fond of this diagnosis, but he also knew there wasn't necessarily a cure. It was one of those things that would either pass or grow with time.

— But time wasn't on his side. Nothing ever was, though, so he wasn't shocked when he only gained more symptoms the more he was around you.

— He'd become disappointed whenever you weren't around, and he'd lecture himself about it. You both weren't even dating yet, and while his mind was aware of that, his heart seemingly was not.

— Instead of being someone he merely tolerated, you were someone he looked for in large crowds. You were someone who made his shoulders relax just a bit whenever he realized you both were on the same team during a phight.

— Even though these were the things going through his mind, he wouldn't ever verbally say anything to give it away. He'd just keep light conversation with you, but with the sarcasm he has, he was able to get a few snickers out of you during some conversations.

— That's when he'd physically react—that's when you'd be able to notice how he feels about you if you pay close enough attention.

— His face would flush and his eyes would slightly widen, but the biggest thing is that there'd be a hint of a smile on the corners of his lips.

— He liked the sound of your laugh—especially when he knew he was the cause of it.

— He'd catch himself quickly, though. He'd go back to that tired expression before acting like nothing happened.

— For his confession, it would be accidental.

— And in a hospital.

— You had gotten injured during a phight, and your wounds were worse than usual. It wasn't just a scratch or two, but you had managed to get injured enough to where you needed stitches in your leg.

— Your doctor was, of course, Medkit, but you would silently question if you could possibly have another doctor because of how upset he is.

— You had seen him get irritated at the other Inphernals because of how reckless they are, but you had never seen him this upset.

— His eyes would be in a sharp glare while he'd lecture you about how careless you had been acting, and this would be while he'd checking your wounds. While his tone is firm, his touch is the opposite. It's gentle—as if he feared he'd hurt you more.

— Obviously, his lecture would spark an argument between you both.

"Why are you acting like this? You never get onto the others this much!" "Because—Just because!" "Medkit!"

— And then his confession would just slip out.

"Because I like you! A lot!"

— He'd go on about how you make him nervous and everything he likes about you, and while he's saying this, you'd be staring at him with wide eyes.

— Eventually, he'd realize what he was saying and fall silent.

— You both would just stare at each other, and the only sound would be the chatter from outside your room.

— After a moment, Medkit would turn on his heel and try to leave, but you would quickly lean forward to grab his hand.

— And when he looked over his shoulder to see you?

— His face was flushed.

— He wouldn't say anything, so you would have to squeeze his hand before reassuring him that you felt the same way.

— There would be surprise in his eyes as he slightly nodded, but he'd excuse himself because he had to "take care of other patients."

— As soon as he left the room and closed the door, he would lean against it before hiding his face in his hands.

— He hated a lot of things, but he loved one thing.

— And that one thing was you.

۪ ׂ ˖ SKATEBOARD

— You might as well call him "Captain Obvious" because it's impossible to miss the fact that this Inphernal has a crush on you.

— Now, while many don't believe in "love at first sight," Skateboard does, and that's only because of you.

— The first time he met you was during a phight. Obviously, Skateboard isn't a serious person during rounds, and he often gets lectured or mocked for acting such a way.

— Of course, he doesn't care about what his teammates say. He just grins before saying something stupid, which would often lead to groans of irritation.

— But then one time, in the midst of those groans, he heard a snicker.

— His head snapped toward the sound, and that's when his eyes would meet yours.

— And suddenly, his racing heart wasn't because of the adrenaline.

— As soon as the phight ends, he's racing back home to his basement to tell Coil all about the few seconds of eye contact he got with you.

"DUDE, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!" "That someone laughed at your joke? No." "...The hell is that s'pose to mean?"

— Putting Coil's remark aside, the Inphernal would tell almost everyone about you—everyone being Slingshot, Boombox, and Coil.

— He really thought nothing of his rambles until Slingshot questioned if he even got your name, to which Skateboard fell silent.

— Mission get your name started right then and there.

— He would probably find you again after skateboarding around Crossroads for a bit, but he would be so distracted by looking at you that he'd forget he was even on a skateboard and he would crash into a streetlight.

— Luckily, the sound of him hitting the metal streetlight managed to catch your attention, and you went over to him to make sure he was alright.

— You would grab his hand to help him sit up, and his hand would remain in yours for just a moment longer before he'd let go.

— And that's when the conversation would start.

"Are you okay?"

— Despite the amount of times he went over what he would say if he were to talk to you, he was at a loss for words for a second before grinning, and he'd raise a hand to knock on his helmet.

"Better than ever! It didn't even hurt at all!"

— That would be a lie. He wanted to crumble onto his knees and cry, but you didn't need to know that.

— After his little incident, he'd ask for your name and probably ask if you wanted to hang out with him—if you weren't busy, of course.

— So, when you told him your name and agreed to hang out with him, you'd probably spend the whole day with him. You both would walk around Crossroads—well, you'd walk. He'd be riding his skateboard beside you.

— If you got tired of walking, he'd let you get on his skateboard and he'd hold your hand so "you didn't lose balance."

— He just wanted to hold your hand.

— He would drop you off back home, and as soon as you close the door, he's jumping around celebrating that he got your name and even got to hang out with you.

— After that, you'd both start hanging out more. Whether it be at the skate park or at your place, he's down to hang out wherever you want.

— During these hangouts, he's blushing the whole time. He'd have a wide grin on his face and whenever you asked what he was smiling at, he'd just shrug.

— He's determined to make you laugh, so he'd tell a lot of jokes, but the thing is they're so stupid that it makes you laugh.

"How do build suspense?" "How, Skate?"

— And then he'd just stay silent until you eventually caught on and snickered.

— He gets so proud of himself whenever he managed to make you laugh.

— After every hang out, he flops onto his bed and kicks his feet while remembering everything about the hangouts.

— When it comes to his confession, he doesn't really need to because you already knew, but he doesn't know that.

— So when he rings your doorbell when the sun is setting—without texting you that he was on his way—you knew something was up.

— And as soon as you open the door, he's holding out your favorite flowers (fake if you're allergic) and quickly speaking.

"I was wonderin'...Could I be your boyfriend? It's just—I really like—" "I would love to." "I didn't even get to finish!"

— You would then tell him how you've known for a while, and he'd just look down at the ground for a moment before meeting your eyes with a sad expression.

"...That means I owe Coil twenty buxs!"

— Though, the twenty bux didn't really matter as he processed that you wanted to go out with him.

۪ ׂ ˖ ZUKA

— It would be difficult to tell if Zuka has a crush on you or not, for he's not exactly one to let his emotions be obvious.

— If Zuka is being honest, he never considered romance because of many things—the main reason being his age.

— He was old, and he had already done enough with his life. After raising Rocket, Zuka decided that he'd just live life in a—what others called it—boring way.

— He didn't mind the lack of excitement, for he had already had his fair share of adrenaline. The peaceful days he had while running "Da Shop" were enough for him.

— Now, on the topic of you—Zuka knew about you. You were a regular at his shop, after all. You constantly bought stuff from him, and Rocket told him that you were always nice to him.

— The moment he figured out he liked you was actually during the night.

— He was smoking while leaning against a building, and you just so-happened to be nearby. You asked if you could join him and he agreed.

— He fully expected the conversation to be awkward since you both barely talked, but instead it flowed as if you both had known each other for years.

— While his responses were gruff and somewhat short, yours were lively, and you even managed to get him to respond to a few of the questions you asked.

— Eventually, you decided to call it a night and smiled as you waved goodbye, and while you walked away, Zuka fidgeted with his cigarette by his side before mumbling.

"...Damn it."

— A very understandable reaction from an Inphernal who just figured out that he might have feelings for someone.

— He would push the thought away, for he believed that it was possible the night was just messing with his thoughts.

— But could the night really be the reason why his heart started to beat a bit more than usual?

— The next day proved his belief wrong, for as soon as you greeted him and walked up to the store, his heart started to beat quicker just like it did the night before.

— He would then start to look forward to your visits, but he wouldn't spark up new conversation. He'd just watch you walk around his shop.

— Rocket would probably be the one to call him out one day, asking why he was staring at you so much.

— Zuka would just shrug before making the excuse that he was just making sure you didn't need help or anything.

— But Rocket knew better than to believe that excuse, for you had been around long enough to know where everything is.

— So, now Rocket has a new nickname: Cupid.

— He'd purposefully ask questions about your love life out loud whenever you visit just so Zuka hears your answers, and Zuka would shoot Rocket a light glare before looking away.

— Rocket wouldn't stop, though. He wasn't going to until his dad admitted his feelings for you.

— From hinting that you should get with Zuka to attempting to get you to come to the house, Rocket would grow impatient and eventually do something drastic.

— And said drastic thing was making one of the weapons in Zuka's shop almost fall on you.

— Actually, that part was an accident—Rocket was just walking around trying to figure out what to do before he tripped, and he bumped into a wall that had weapons hanging on it.

— Zuka had been examining some of the stuff he had on the shelves, so when he noticed a weapon falling in your direction, he rushed over as quick as he could to catch it.

— Now, catching it wasn't the difficult part. That was easy.

— The difficult part was looking into your eyes as he stumbled and you pressed your hands against his chest to balance him.

— He'd mumble a thank you before putting the weapon back up, and you'd thank him before asking if you could buy him something to drink or eat out of gratitude.

— Zuka could see Rocket's grin out of the corner of his eye, but he ignored that as he tried to tell you that you didn't have to.

— But then Rocket chimed in and said that he'd take care of "Da Shop" while you both went out.

— Did Rocket get lectured later? Yes, but to him, it was worth it.

— So, with his quick-beating heart, Zuka would go with you to wherever you wanted to take him. You'd both have a great night, and Zuka would even catch himself slightly smiling as you talked.

— For his confession, it's going to be somewhat blunt. He wouldn't say "I like you" but if you were to ask if he liked you, he'd probably say something along the lines of:

"You got a brain in there, don't you?" "Yeah?" "Then use it."

— He would say this while you were both still out, by the way, so you'd question if you heard him right.

"Excuse me?" "You heard me."

— The sassiness he had and the way he was looking away to hide his blush was enough to give it away that he liked you, and when you started to tease him, he'd just hide his face before mumbling that he's going back to his shop to make sure it wasn't burnt down.

— You both returned to the shop with your hand interlaced with Zuka's, and you swore you could hear Rocket cheering from down the street.