The Honeycomb Collective was buzzing with activity, which was sort of the point. Jude had chosen it so that he wouldn't feel so alone in the city and he'd liked it enough that he'd lived here for almost 2 years already. The kitchen was communal as were the bathrooms. One per floor, but most people were taking the easy road of crock pots and something very garlic bread-like was spread on the counter of the second floor kitchen he jogged past. It was waiting for its turn in the oven.

"Waitwaitwait, Jude." A man so black, his skin reflected purple waved him over by flapping his hand. A bird came to perch on the man's head without alarming anyone at all. Birds were always his favorite. "I heard you were bringing somebody, but damn-" He whistled appreciatively at the dark button-up shirt and jeans and the fact that he was freshly showered and shaved. An effort was made. But, hopefully, not too much effort. He was still in jeans, afterall. "You looking to impress?"

Jude paused near the front door, trying not to be nervous or, really, anything at all. "I guess so. Is Marigold here?" His friend from the first floor shrugged and sent his bird to fetch some spices from the cabinet. "I just didn't want to sprout leaves today. Y'know? Oh, and he's anthro. So no trying to make him do your evil bidding."

The copycat escaped out the door to a hearty guffaw. Would his friend do that? Yeah. He'd absolutely try. Friendly, overly helpful, meddling, and just gay enough to want to help... that about summed up Derek.

He'd gotten a text that Zaid was close and, rather than buzzing him in, Jude figured it'd be best to wait out front. He rolled up his sleeves while he waited. Even though the night's chill was just settling in, it was cozy inside with all the cooking.

Zaid was nervous. Despite doing what he could to take care of his injury, he had woken up with a glorious black eye yesterday. His nose was fine, thankfully, but he felt like a raccoon where dark purple had touched his fair skin. If only he hadn't taken an elbow to the face, Jude might never have guessed Zaid got into a tussle with a group of thugs again. Ah, there was no getting out of it though. He just had to own it and try not to look too pitiful.

Jude had his favorite hat on today, a snap-back with the logo from his favorite game, ears poking out from the top almost like they were part of a costume. He wore this to a couple of conventions in the past, banking on the fact most people thought it was just a clever reference to the Bunny Hood and not even noticing the ears were real. His hair was smoothed down, blocking most of one eye (a stupid attempt to hide the injury), and he was wearing a nice blue top and dark grey jacket. Except for the hat, his outfit was nicer than what he generally wore to work, and without a hoodie he had a slim but well built figure that was much more visible now. Leave it to the rabbit metabolism to keep him in shape. That was worth dealing with the tail if nothing else.

When he saw Jude he felt a little spark of excitement, and waved as he came over. "Sorry for keeping you. I didn't mean to make you wait out here." A little wind ruffled the fur on his ears. Jude looked nice, and that gave Zaid a little zing of hope inside his chest. He tried to keep that emotion under control. Just because he dressed up didn't mean he did it for you, you hopeless bun.. "The food won't take that long to cook at least. It's been awhile since I've actually cooked around anyone."

It seemed Zaid might have put an infantesimal bit more effort into his outfit. This displeased Jude and made him second guess every clothing decision all over again. He should have worn the vest after all. "Hey, glad you make it."

In the waning dusk light, he couldn't quite see exactly what was going on with Zaid's eye. But there was something. If Zaid wanted to not make a big deal, neither would Jude. At least not until he could see and decide for himself. It could just be a mascara mishap. Those happened.

He ushered Zaid inside off the street as he spoke. "I've got all the ingredients you sent and I think the house has every spice three times over but now. Put me to work. I am at your command." Jude bowed playfully and indicated the stairwell just past a communal space with a long table, bean bags, and over stuffed chairs as well as benches and an ecclectic mishmash of a table settings. Nothing matched, in the best of ways. "Third floor. We'll all eat down here and-"

Of course the lighting was much better inside. Bowing low gave Jude a perfect view beneath the tuft of hair.

A black eye. Zaid had a black eye. And he was hiding it.

Jude grabbed Zaid's am before he managed even one step up the stairs. He was supremely pissed. Who would hit a bunny?

"Tell me to drop it and I will." He moved to brush the hair back from Zaid's eye which felt a bit forward, but he hadn't wanted to say it out loud. "Tell me to fix it and I'll find a way. But mostly I just need to know you're okay and this isn't a reoccurring problem." There was an implied threat there, not aimed at Zaid but aimed at whoever had left a mark on him. Jude, as it turned out, could sound rather scary when angry.

Zaid thought his effort with his hair had stopped notice of his eye. That helped him relax a little. Maybe it was that he still felt embarrassed by the incident, and frustrated with his own damsel in distress moments. Or maybe he just didn't want to upset Jude. Either way, when they walked inside he grinned, amused by the mock bow. "Well, first step will be just measuring out the quinoa, that takes a few minutes to cook." His brain was running through the steps, so he was caught off guard when Jude grabbed his arm.

Busted.

He felt his arm shake ever so slightly when Jude moved his hair away. It didn't hurt much now, but he was still a bit skittish. His ribs were still a little tender, but overall he had told himself he was fine. Obviously, he didn't look fine. He nudged the ground with his toe.

It was also hard not to wither under Jude's intense gaze. His ears drooped slightly and he rubbed the back of his neck. As much as he thought he would enjoy having his crush look at him that intensely, this was a whole different type of look. He felt like a bug under a microscope. A fluffy-eared, cotton-tailed bug. "I'm fine now. This guy named Erik showed up before things got too bad, and honestly, I'm not sure what would be left for you to do. There were uh, a lot of broken bones from the sounds of what he did." That wasn't lying. He couldn't get the sound effects of the fight out of his brain. Also, legs should NOT bend in that direction, so he was pretty sure they wouldn't bother him.

"It sort of was a problem, but maybe this is the end of it? I'm taking a different direction home now, just to be safe. Sorry. I probably look stupid." He tried to flatten his hair again, cheeks pink. "Uh, we should get the quinoa cooking..." He desperately wanted to divert the attention from his face now.

Erik? And bones breaking? Could it be… "Blonde? About this tall? Heals real fast?" There couldn't be that many of them walking around. And as much as he enjoyed antagonizing the guy, it seemed that in this case, Jude would have to give him credit.

Jude let go and his features softened. "Pretty sure I know him. He works for me." When he actually worked, the slug. They were close in age, but light-years apart in maturity.

And Zaid should be trusted to know when he needed help, right? That was something Svetty had taught him and he was still trying to put into practice. Not every problem was his. Not everyone needed or wanted protecting.

And then something else Zaid had said clicked into place. He'd said it twice now, but it only made sense the second time.

"KEENwah? Is that how you say that?" As a Frenchman, he shouldn't be surprised about the extra letters that didn't sound as they looked. Egads, he was turning American!

"You don't look stupid." Jude motioned him to continue up the stairs. "I'm sorry, I'm… working on it." Jude ushered them past Derek and a delicious smelling gumbo. How to explain…

"You know the saying 'When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail'? I thought growing up that I'd be an X-Man and fight crime and corruption. All that good stuff. " Ultimately, Jude had wanted to be a vigilante for himself. He didn't really care about the reasons. In fact, most of the X-Men creed felt hollow and stale.

"I don't have just a hammer. I have a whole toolbox. And I like using tools. But not everybody needs or wants to borrow them?" Hmm. He felt like he was butchering the analogy somehow. "It's just… it's nice, to be needed."

At last they arrived at the third floor. A gargoyle girl was just pulling spiced cookies from the oven and promised to leave them to cool out of their way.

"Thanks, Gina." She didn't have to leave, but somehow word had gotten out that this was a date and, while they were all interested, no one wanted to interfere.

"So… quinoa?" Somehow what he'd shared made him feel a bit shy. It was only the second time they met and Jude was being totally pathetic already.

As Jude described Zaid’s rescuer, the bunny boy felt a little surprise. ”Yeah, flattened the group in a few seconds, pulled a knife out of his side like it was normal. It’s kind of a relief knowing he is one of your guys, uh, employees?” Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned the knife. But at least he didn’t go into detail on how stupid he looked being a punching bag.

Zaid giggled when Jude tried to pronounce quinoa, then promptly slapped a hand over his mouth to stop the sound. That was not the most masculine noise, but dang if Jude’s accent wasn’t cute. ”Yeah, you’re saying it right. It’s that bag or kinda reddish seeds. They just have to be cooked.” it felt nice having something he was at least a little useful with.

Then he listened to Jude talk. It sounded like having powers created their own problems, even when you were tough enough to change things. ”I don’t mind your help. I’m sorry if I made you feel that way,” Zaid changed tone, looking a little less flustered, and a little more sincere. ”To borrow your analogy, I have had zero tools at my disposal to fix my own problems. And considering the last guy I tried to kick in self defense left a massive bruise on my ribs in return, even the abilities I have aren’t enough. Yeah, sometimes people may want to do things on their own, but there are those of us who really do appreciate having someone around who cares. It...makes the world feel a little less lonely when stronger people are willing to stand up and do what they think is right.” he wondered if that was a bit much, but he hated watching Jude question things. The guy had a lot of potential to do things and didn’t need to be held back by people’s egos.

Now that they reached the kitchen, he tried to shake off the seriousness and located the groceries, and a sink. After washing his hands (like a good chef), slipping out of his jacket and hat, he felt ready.

He pulled the bag of quinoa and found a pot to put on the stove. ”So, this part is just a half and half ratio. Half water, half seeds. It’ll take a second for the water to boil so we can start cutting the jalapeños and shallots. And be warned, my bunny nose makes me a little sensitive to smells, so if I start bawling, I swear it’s just the food!” he held up one of the shallots and grinned. ”Plus, they look like baby onions but I swear they hurt even worse. The flavor is nice and mild for the mixture though. Uh, cutting board?” he glanced around, slowly familiarizing himself with the space.

Once the pot of water was boiling and a cutting board retrieved, he counted the veggies and sliced a jalapeño. ”We are deseeding them too. Just cut them in half and scoop all the insides out. That way you get the flavor without burning your mouth.” Cooking was one of the rare times he felt confident. It showed on his features and in his face as he concentrated and rapidly diced the jalapeños they cut. He collected a mixing bowl and put the finished pieces in there. ”Then on the shallots you can cut the end off, it makes it easier to remove the peel.” he demonstrated on one and paused, waiting to see how Jude was doing.

If Zaid thought he had zero tools, they were going to have to have a conversation about that. Kittens with claws hurt the worst because they used them with reckless abandon. So too did Zaid ensnare the heart of everyone around him that had a heartbeat. Jude was, like, 90% sure those powers could be used for nefarious reasons, should Zaid ever try it.

Or maybe he was trying it now... because, again, Jude noticed that Zaid was blossoming. Completely in control and Jude was happy to be swept away.

So, maybe he didn't know enough around the kitchen to know where the cutting boards were, but it hurt no one to go exploring in the communal kitchen cabinets.

"Sounds a bit like cooking rice." He wanted to slice oven the bag of little red, rounds but they were chopping and deseeding. Jude set up his prep station and studied Zaid's technique.

"Do you wear gloves for the peppers?" No? He was just going for it, then? Hm. Jude went for it too because he was equally brave and twice as stupid. When he tried to replicate, he wasn't fast but he was accurate. If left to do all the night's chopping, they might have some black bean sliders to share in the next month.

Zaid was focused on chopping, so his eyes didn’t look up from his work (that was a good way to slice a finger), but his ear swiveled sideways to listen to the question. ”If you have them on hand it doesn’t hurt. The oils from the jalapeños leave a little smell behind but we aren’t using enough for any lasting damage. Whatever you do, don’t touch your eyes though,” he would rather be safe than sorry warning his friend. Most people knew better than to touch their face when cooking, but accidents could happen.

When Zaid was done chopping his pieces, he smiled and snuck some of the chopping away from Jude. He didn’t want to deprive him from helping but it was the most meticulous cutting Zaid had ever seen. Jude got points for the effort. It was accurately done, if only slow.

Zaid’s ear twitched in the other direction where the water had started to boil. He picked up a kitchen towel to dry the juice off his hands, passing one to Jude, then grabbed the bag of quinoa. ”I did three cups water so we will add three cups quinoa. And it is exactly like rice. Well, except for the fact they sprout as they cook. They look weird but help with the texture.” he let Jude assist, careful to make sure the bag of seeds didn’t spill. They would be cleaning up for weeks with those little buggers loose. His brain was very aware how close they were standing as they cooked. Stars and aces, what BL manga did I get thrown into?[/b] his brain buzzed as he returned to the project.

”Next, the beans. We are going to drain the liquid out of the cans. If you don’t have a strainer you can use the lid, but this kitchen seems pretty well stocked. Ah, can opener.” He retrieves the device and quickly removed the lids. Finding a mesh strainer, he set it over the sink and emptied a can, waiting for Jude to do the same. Then he gave the strainer a couple shakes and dumped the beans into a bowl. ”I guess this is another good spot for gloves if you have them. I always squashed the beans by hand, but we can blend some of them. You mulch about half of them to be a paste and leave the rest solid. Plus, we want to blend up the veggies to add in.” with a blender retrieved, he continued the demonstration. Beans and veggies got blended and returned to the bowl, quinoa finished cooking and was left to sit and fluff up, and seasonings were added (a little salt and pepper, some cumin, a splash of red wine vinegar to hold it together).

”Almost done! Now we add panko—that’s that fluffy rice stuff, yeah, that bag. I’ll mix in the quinoa first, and have you add a couple cups of panko until the textures right. I’m just going to mix by hand because it’s easier.” he dumped the now fluffy quinoa into the bowl, and started combining the now sloppy grey mush together. He let Jude contribute two cups of panko before calling it good. The mixture was tacky, but held firm, which was what he wanted. He created a ball out of the mix and gently squished into into the shape of a patty. It now resembled a burger, and he set it on a tray. ”Technically it’s ready to eat without cooking but you will probably want to taste them grilled. Whoops!” as he turned a little glob if bean mix flicked off his hand and landed on Jude’s face. Zaid hastily grabbed a towel in embarrassment.

”Sorry! I can get that, I uh...” actually, he was more at risk of getting bean mix on the rest of Jude’s face. He stopped, awkwardly gesturing to his own face, ”It’s kinda in this sort of... area.” he proceeded to point to his cheek to show Jude, thereby also creating a matching spot. Damn. Maybe he better just wash up first.

Jude dutifully drained his beans, but he did not want to touch the bean mush. Gloves. Gloves we an absolute must here.

"Mulch is not the word I would have chosen in regards to food I plan to eat." And it was grey. Too thick to call slime, but… it was a good thing that it smelled amazing.

Zaid dove right in to forming patties. Jude was stuck on finding gloves, but after checking the last cabinet a second time, he had to give up. He turned to face his fate and somehow got beans flung on his face.

That was incredibly unexpected.

Even less expected was Zaid coming to his rescue, but then marking himself with the… paste? Yes maybe paste described it. Like a patê.

He chuckled. How could he not? It was all absurd. Zaid had said it was all cooked, and tempting as it was to go for a direct taste test, Jude settled for using his thumb to smudge Zaid's wayward bean goop off his bunny face. Jude popped his thumb, paste and all, into his mouth. His eyebrows shot up. Surprisingly, it all went together. Even the texture was pleasing.

"You're right. A little heat and these will be fantastic." He took the offered towel and folded it to cover the beany spots from Zaid's hands before wiping his own face.

"What temperature should the oven heat to?" Between that and getting buns and pans and parchment paper, maybe he didn't have to touch it.

It was a bit amusing that Jude didn’t want to touch the beans. Zaid suspected he liked to be a little more put together, and probably a bit classier than Zaid generally was. Maybe that was just because he was French. There was something a little elegant that went along with the accent. Again, Zaid could just be imagining that. He was losing ground to the crush he had developed in a short time.

”Ah, sorry. I guess that isn’t the most appetizing description. I could probably think of something better in Japanese but then you wouldn’t really understand what I said anyway.” mulch would have to work for now.

The mishap with the bean paste took a turn Zaid never expected. Jude swiped his cheek, cleaning it, and ate it. Oh Stars, his face turned the most glorious shade of pink, enough he almost wondered if it carried to his ears. If Jude didn’t read his thoughts, he had to be oblivious. Zaid was getting hooked, and sunk.

”Uh, probably 450. It’s mostly for the crispy outside. I’ll finish shaking them since I’m already the messy one.” also, having the focus let him divert his eyes from staring at his friend. He needed to reign in his emotions. He was going to scare Jude away like this. There needed to be a box to stuff all his emotions into and lock up.

While Jude collected the pan and wax sheet Zaid did as he promised and loaded the slider patties. When they were baking and his hands were washed, he felt his face was normal again. He managed to give Jude a normal smile now. ”you’re not a bad souls chef. We can get you gloves next time for less mess.” he suggested.

Zaid blushed pink, confirming what Jude thought he had sensed before and why he'd invited Zaid tonight at all. That put "the ball" of this date firmly in Jude's court.

How did he feel about a date with someone who actually liked him? How did he feel at all, when it came to bunny boys with black eyes and black beans who fell out of trees and blushed when he came too close?

Jude's ears turned pink before his cheeks did as he realized he, too, was a bit ruffled by their momentary closeness. That as much as the prep work, was why he'd pulled away.

He had a crush. And he didn't want to mess this up by going too fast or too slow or too much or not enough. Zaid was different than anyone else he'd ever asked out. His power, for one thing, didn't send his own power off it's rocker. He wasn't having to constantly spend his attention on keeping his power satisfied. His power tugged toward Zaid in almost a lazy way. It was telling him he was mutant. That was all.

"Thanks for taking the time to teach. Gloves would... yeah." Ugh. Where was his mind? "I could have helped more. It's not a real aversion or anything. It's just textures... are a thing?" Like ears. Ears were also a thing with textures, only the texture was quite nice.

He was NOT going to go down that mental road right now. Nope. Nu-uh. Not at all. He would look elsewhere before he could turn colors. He would grasp at any sort of conversation that wanted to fall out of his mouth.

"I'm proud to report that we've eaten no more hats. Uh- maybe we should put yours up on the coat rack, though." Jude picked up the discarded coat and hat that had accompanied Zaid into the Honeycomb Collective and tidied them away to where they belonged: safely away from Jude's room and the two dogs who were surely plotting to break down the door. Lame! How did they go from comfortable and companionable to awkward in just a few seconds?

Next to the stairs where the coat rack stood, Jude could hear the second floor denizens collecting their stuff and starting to make their way down to the first floor.

The kitchen was full of smells that Zaid could easily be distracted by. There were the lingering scents of birds, the cookies Gina had left behind, the aroma of the beans and peppers, and even the scent Zaid was coming to recognize as Jude’s. The last realization was a little awkward to think about. Normally Zaid didn’t pick out one scent from another, but lately this particular smell was comforting. He never would have thought a certain hair product would ever have that effect in him, honestly. He wondered what he would smell like to another bunny nose. Coffee? That was depressing. He needed a better shampoo unless he wanted to always be mistaken for a latte in that case.

”It’s normal to think some textures are weird. I can’t stand the texture of oatmeal. We could try a pasta next time! Oh, if you want to, that is,” excited, awkward. His ears were confused with his emotions and seemed to be switching between the two.

Picking up an oven mitt, Zaid took the opportunity to retrieve the now crisp sliders from the oven. He chucked at the hat comment. ”I think most dogs have a one hat limit when it comes to digesting them. But some of this food may give Dammit a reason to misbehave. I take it they are hiding in your apartment? How long are they with you, anyway?” Did Jude look flustered? No, he was imagining it. That was hopeful thinking. Why would Jude be flustered around him?

“I almost forgot my fruit salad!” A girl with spiky blue hair walked into the kitchen, pausing momentarily as her eyes caught on Zaid. There was a glance to the ears before she grinned. Zaid had seen that look on one too many patrons at the cafe. “You must be new! I love your ears! I’m Zee, are you new in the building?”

”Uh, no, I’m here with Jude,” Zaid quickly made clear. He had stacked the sliders and the plate was ready to go downstairs. But now there was a girl with a pixie cut eyeing him like a fox would eye a, well, rabbit. Shooting for the wrong target...aiming for one very gay bunny. his brain thought, and he felt a smile twitch at the edge of his mouth. He was laughing at her bad flirting, but she seemed to think he was smiling at her.

“You must be a new friend of his! You know, if you like cooking, I can show you how to make my fruit salad sometime. Do you like fruit? I mean, rabbits like fruit as well as vegetables, don’t they?”[/b]

Zaid wasn’t sure how she missed the complete and utter lack of interest in his body language. He edged closer to Jude desperately trying to signal for some type of rescue.

"No, I took the doggos to go visit the guys at work today and they're staying over. I was afraid with all the food, they'd bust through the door to my room and get into everything. This place is kinda weird in that, there are our rooms off the community spaces. Not a super ton of privacy, but the price is right." Part of the reason why he had spending money while living "alone" in New York City.

And, one of the least private of the individuals on floor 3 made herself known. Zee of the blue hair. Blue hair wasn't her mutation, it was just for the attention.

Zaid's 'I'm with Jude' got a smile and nod from the Jude in question. He helped gather up the things and did his best to tidy up with one eyes still on Zee. Zee, for her part, completely ignored them both in favor of what she'd already decided.

Seriously. Jude was gonna have to have a talk with Zaid about his OP power portfolio.

For now, he inserted himself between Zee and Zaid, laying a steering hand on the blue-haired girl in order to take her the long way around to the stairs.

"Actually Zaid came here tonight to show me around the kitchen. See? No store-bought pop tarts this time." Not that Jude could really claim much about the burgers as his own. He really just bought the ingredients. Like a sugar daddy. Black bean daddy? Ugh. He wanted no part in that.

"What like a... like a date?"

Not that they'd really formalized it officially. It was just a first date hang out sort of thing.

"Yeah. A date." He answered far more firmly than he felt. Zee was scandalized and turned to go down the stairs, muttering about all the good ones.

Jude relaxed. He shouldn't have.

"Prove it." Zee had her fruit salad on her hip and blocked the stairwell. She blinked once in a most obvious way.

"Yo di-" Bubbles came out of Jude's mouth. She did. She used her power on him.

"I hex you Jude the Copycat to wash your mouth out with soap until you stop saying lies... or prove me wrong."

Prove it? But...

He turned to Zaid for help.

Community living areas sounded pretty terrifying to Zaid. He had a tiny apartment, but at least it was HIS. Learning the dogs were not here almost made him feel a little wistful though. The giant bears had grown on him. ”Ah, I can see it pretty doubtful that any door could hold back those two from food. If they thought a hat was that delicious, imagine if they smelt a hamburger.” The mental image was pretty amusing. It probably would look like a scene from Beethoven with a bike over dog wrecking the building.

He wondered what price this type of situation would cost though. ”Even my tiny apartment cost an arm and a leg. Price seems to be a factor for a lot of people here in the city.” They really needed a cheap affordable housing for adult mutants. Maybe one day there would be.

And then, there was a problem with Zee. This girl was not taking a hint. Zaid was annoyed, but something remarkable happened as a result. His bunny ears picked up on the admission Jude have.

Date. He considered this a date! Zaid felt warm from the tips of his ears to his tail. There was hope! He had to stop his brain from overreacting with the news. Someone he liked actually was on a date with him. Stars! Now he really regretted the black eye. Dang bullies!

Prove it. Oooof. That was a shot in the heart. This girl really didn’t take a hint! Maybe it was his annoyance with her persistence in flirting when Zaid wasn’t interested. Maybe it was his frustration that people kept teasing him and making him feel helpless. But when bubbles spouted from Jude’s mouth, a rare spark of courage filled him again. Stars be damned, She was cursing his date! He really needed to get a point across to her.

So, he turned, shifting the plate of food so he wouldn’t drop it, and pressed a kiss against Jude’s mouth. It tasted like soap. But it felt nice. That was the most confusing first kiss he could have pieced together for himself. Pulling away ever so slightly, he shot the girl a remarkably possessive look to be given by a bunny. ”He said it’s a date. Chase a different tail.” Sass level 100 unleashed.

This really wasn't how a first kiss was supposed to go. There shouldn't be someone pressuring them, for one thing. Or watching. It wasn't supposed to happen so soon. Shouldn't Jude at least know Zaid's last name? Or get a moment to drum up his courage? Zaid was supposed to mean it for Jude more than he meant it for any other reason.

That wasn't what happened here.

Oh yeah. Jude got a lipfull. And his heart did try to convince him to stop running a marathon of feelings. But it wasn't quite right, still, because he opened his mouth to speak and only bubbles came out.

Zee cackled. "I don't doubt your intentions..." - the "anymore" was implied there - "but I did ask Jude to prove himself. He's only ever talked about ex-girlfriends before." Self-satisfied, smug, jerkface! Jude's power had whipped out before he'd fully acknowledged what he was going to do.

"Zee." He did his best around the bubbles. It wasn't the worst taste he'd ever tasted. He had lived on the streets. "I hex you to shut the f--- up until the end of dinner."

She opened her mouth. Nothing came out. Zee pursed her lips in a pout that clearly said 'you're no fun' and she waved her hand for Jude to continue. She was really going to see this through, wasn't she?

"Thanks. Er, and I'm sorry." He'd been defended, claimed, even kissed. Somehow he still felt like he'd failed. Jude lifted the plate of sliders from Zaid's hands and reached past the bunboy to place them in safety. That taken care of, Jude bit his own lip. Prove it, she'd said.

He tentatively caught one of Zaid's hands. When Zaid didn't run away screaming, Jude pressed his lips to the back of Zaid's hand. "I know we haven't known each other for long, but- I... I was hoping it wasn't just me... who thought there might be something." His ears pinked first, his tell before he ever even managed a full blush.

As much as he wished he was cool, he'd had bubbles streaming out alongside every word. Jude pulled Zaid's hand up to his own cheek and pressed his lips against Zaid's.