Chapter 5
NSFW
It works.
Zane's body thinks for him and he wakes up with a boner. He groans, eyes still closed. It's been so long since this has happened. He's been so distracted by missions and things. He rubs his eyes. No way. It's too early for this. He really shouldn't, especially while wearing the hunter's coat. Fuck. Zane's mind responds to the thought and he buries his face into his pillow. Would they even know?
He closes his eyes again, breathing in the scent of the coat. He's so comfortable, the fabric around him is so soft. Combine it with the laziness of just waking up. He grunts. It would be perfect. He's laying on his stomach and he presses his hips into the mattress. A sigh escapes his lips immediately. Fine, he gives in. Let him have something good for once.
He lazily thrusts his hips into the mattress, rutting slowly against the sheets. He groans. Taking a deep breath, he reaches a hand down into his boxer briefs and wraps it around his cock. He moans at the touch, it's been such a long time. He loses himself in the smell of the hunter's coat, the subtle scent of gunpowder underneath it all. His mind wanders to them. A rough mewl breaks the silence as he strokes himself faster. He closes his eyes, wondering what it would feel like to have the hunter's weight on top of him. Or to have them here, watching him. Fuck. He picks up his pace again, the burn below his navel tightening. He grunts.
"Fuck… Fl-" he babbles, touching the tip of his cock, and he comes.
Zane pulls his hand away, not wanting to ruin the coat. He grabs the pillow with both hands, knuckles turning white as his orgasm hits him in waves. He wants to keep touching himself but it would ruin the moment. The sweet agony makes him whimper.
He lays there for a few minutes, catching his breath. Fuck. He's really gone, isn't he? There's no turning back now. His heart is hooked. He stretches and carefully rolls onto his back. That felt amazing. Beyond amazing.
Sitting up, he reaches for his prosthetics and attaches them. After standing up, he carefully inspects Fl4k's coat. He's relieved to find nothing on it. Setting it on his work bench, he goes to take a shower.
Once he's done in the shower, Zane gets dressed in his usual clothes. He carefully places his eye patch over his left eye.
He does one last check of the coat before heading out. His ears burn and he's so glad that the common area is empty.
He knocks on Fl4k's door and they tell him to come in. When he opens the door he sees the hunter in the corner of the room watering a small plant. They tenderly touch the leaves. It's strange to see them handling something so tenderly when they can be so ruthless in combat. His mind reminds him how tenderly they held his face the night before and he shudders, shaking his head.
A bump at his leg brings him back and he looks down to see Broodless.
"How are you, sweetheart?" he bends down to pet her. "Don't tell anyone, but you're my favorite."
"I heard that," Fl4k walks over to their work bench and sets down a small watering can.
"Someone's jealous," he winks at Broodless and she clicks happily.
Mr. Chew and Meat Thief both greet Zane as well and he's happy to pet them for a moment.
Clearing his throat he turns to Fl4k, coat outstretched. His ears still burn, thinking about what he did. He's careful not to touch the hunter this time.
"Thanks, beastie." He doesn't stay any longer than he needs to. He needs time to process his feelings, deciding to avoid the hunter for the day.
Zane decides to spend the morning working on his prosthetics in an attempt to lessen the ache on his legs. Once he's satisfied he works on STNTL for a while.
Moze drops in while he's working on his drone. They make small talk and chat about recent missions. But Zane spends a considerable amount of time dodging questions about Fl4k.
In the afternoon he wanders around Sanctuary just trying to avoid the hunter.
Eventually, he finds his way up to the bridge. They're orbiting Pandora and the large windows provide a breathtaking view. He spots Zer0 leaning against a railing, looking out.
"Zer0!" Zane smiles. "Mind if I join you?"
The former vault hunter turns to him, a red smile on his visor and the two of them stand there quietly.
"You are troubled," Zer0 breaks the silence.
"Eh. I wouldn't say troubled," he stretches his arms above his head. "Just a lot on my mind."
"Is it Fl4k?"
Zane makes a strange noise, his jaw clenching. "Does everyone on this bloody ship think we're together? No… you know what, don't answer that."
Zer0 seems to be laughing, his shoulders shaking slightly. Zane groans and runs his hand over his face. Silence falls again and they both go back to looking out the window. The only thing to break the silence is the beeping of Zane's ECHO device. He looks at it and grimaces. They have a mission on Pandora. AND he's being paired with Fl4k. He can't catch a break today. He lets out an exasperated sigh. Zer0 seems to understand exactly what happened.
"Staring at a bud / Just holds it from blossoming / Waste of time." He sounds amused.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean, boy-o?"
Zer0 crosses his arms. "Ask them out, stupid. / They like you too. / You need to believe." A winking face appears on his visor.
He glares at them in disbelief before shaking his head. He stares at the floor, deep in thought. Zer0's not wrong. It would help to ask Fl4k about dating. But Zane sometimes wonders if Fl4k even knows what they're doing. If they have any idea how much of an effect they have on him. Maybe all of this is in his head and Fl4k is totally oblivious to it.
It's a terrifying prospect, to know the answer. His heart has been broken so many times, he almost thinks it's better to not know. But he can't keep living his life like this. He sighs, knowing he can't stall any longer. He says goodbye to Zer0 and starts heading back to his room to gear up.
He repeats Zer0's words all the way back. Ask them out. How is he supposed to do that without bursting into flames? Anytime they're near his skin burns.
A metallic clicking sound catches his attention and he smiles when Broodless comes around the corner. She bumps her head into him as a greeting.
"Hi sweetheart," he pauses and pets her. "Did your master send you to get me?"
She clicks loudly and he chuckles. Something about the spiderant puts him at ease. He enjoys her company and they walk back together.
Fl4k and the rest of their pack are waiting by the travel station when Broodless and Zane arrive. His ears burn when he looks at the coat. He shakes his head. Broodless clicks and goes to Fl4k. They turn to face Zane and their eye curves into a greeting. Zane flashes a nervous smile in return.
Zane has never been a great people person. He's trying to think of a way to ask Fl4k out without sounding like an idiot but the awkward silence doesn't help his situation. Panicking, he scrambles to fill the quiet.
"Dating," he practically yells. He takes a breath. "Dating. Are you… Do you… Do you know what that's about?"
"My knowledge is limited, but yes. I'm aware that it is a custom between humans." Zane relaxes a little. He's about to take the leap when the hunter finishes their sentence. "Ellie has taught me."
Zane's face falls before he can stop it. Of course. That would explain the real reason for their late night trips. His heart clenches. He turns and walks into his room without another word.
He tries to put himself back together while picking out his gear. If he can get through this mission, he'll come back and sulk like a real adult.