Page 28 of Spring Awakening

“Yeah? And your face?”

Zach smiles, it pushes at the cut on his eyebrow but if he looks at her, it doesn't hurt. “It’s alright too.”

Mali hums. “I wanted to come over, but I didn’t know if I was allowed, or if I’d pass out.”

Zach frowns, but his heart thumps. “Why wouldn’t you be allowed?”

She swallows, placing her tea on the coffee table. “Well, I didn’t know if you were mad at me about the Toby thing. I haven’t told anyone we’re sleeping together—obviously, you know, because we aren’t.” She blushes, and he tries hard not to think about them sleeping together.

“I’m never mad at you.” Mali smiles, but before she can say anything, he asks, “Why would you pass out?”

“I hate blood,” she replies. She grabs her cup again and takes a sip of her tea, and he winces, his hand reaching out for hers in preparation because there’s no way it’s drinking temperature, but she stops just shy of the liquid touching her lips and blows on it instead. “I wanted to come see you, but I thought if I fainted and made you look after me, that would have been worse. But I’m practicing.”

“I would have looked after you, but I’m glad you weren’t hurt. And I definitely wasn’t mad at you,” he says, thinking back to the situation. How he left her there. “I didn’t mean to make you think I was. I’m usually pretty good at dealing with Toby—I justignore him, ’cause he’s a prick and I’m good at ignoring shit like that anyway—but, I dunno. Something snapped when he was rude to you. Why’d he think he can speak to you like that? Like, who the fuck does he think he is? Tosser.”

Mali giggles, holding her mug in front of her face. She’s so cute.

“That’s the most you’ve ever spoken to me. I should wind Toby up more.”

Zach laughs and takes a sip of tea. It’s almost ready. “I talk to you more than I talk to anyone.”

“Really?”

Zach hums. “And you still won’t ask me to do those question videos.”

Mali gasps, leaning forwards. “You want to do it?”

“Not if you don’t want me to,” he says, with a pout.

“I thought you’d hate it!” And he probably would if anyone else asked him to do it. “That’s the only reason I haven’t asked you. You always look so pained when you have to say no, and I didn’t want to make it worse just because I want to know things about you.”

He’s pained when he has to say no to her. He also hates to do things like this, but usually he doesn’t have a choice. If Mali knows this about him, what else does she know? But she’s happy, so it’s possible he’d let her know the most embarrassing parts of him, the deeply unlovable side of him, if she asked him with a smile.

“What do you wanna know?”

Mali pouts. “Is it rude to ask what I want to know when I have hundreds of questions from the public who are desperate for you to ask them out?”

Zach laughs. “What?”

“You’re very popular.”

He hums and takes another sip of tea. He still needs to see his mum, and get his shit out of his flat, but he’s thinking about making her another tea, in her own house.

“Ask me."

"Ask you what?"

He shrugs, thinking of the things he'd tell her. "Whatever you want.”

While Mali thinks about it, Buffy jumps into his lap.

“Hi,” he says, scratching under his chin.

“He’ll drink your tea if you’re not careful,” Mali says. “Okay, so…” She holds her phone up, and he frowns, but it’s not a video. She just takes some photos of him.She hums with a small smile as she rests the phone against her thigh.

“What’s your favourite colour?”

“Purple.”

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