greatexpectations | zari tarazi

He rolls his eyes even while slumping his head to rest on her shoulder.

"You know what I meant." Probably. John's completely forgotten about the portrait himself and squints up at her in confusion before awkwardly trying to follow her gaze. Oh, right, the whole reason for his weird insecurity spiral. "...Yeah. Haven't decided where to hang it yet."

"Do I?" Zari teases as it finally hits her. That's all Behrad. She can see his tiny initials in the bottom right corner. It's actually ridiculously sweet that he did that. Neither of them have ever meddled in each other's love lives before but, she had hoped that he approved somewhat. She guesses this is the answer to that question.

Zari hums thoughtfully and slips into her best self-help influencer voice. "Well you probably want it somewhere you can gaze at it longingly whenever your crush is away since FaceTime hasn't been invented yet. Tragic." Before he can get too annoyed with her, she points at a spot not blocked by his junk that's in full view of what she thinks is his favorite spot. "Like there."

John nips at her earlobe for that incredibly lame "tutorial." Nevermind that his annoyance is all an act because he actually finds it charming in a really dumb way. She picked the perfect spot anyway, while he's doing his research he can look up at it and the thought makes him smile even as he turns towards her a bit more and wraps his other arm around her abdomen, effectively wrapped around her like an octopus now.

"A bit more than a crush," he has to point out, especially since he's someone who crushes fairly easily. What they have is entire levels above a passing fancy. "You don't think it's weird?" The picture, or that Behrad is the artist, either way.

She smiles when he does, ignoring the tingling in her belly. Zari knows she earned that one even if it is all an act. "Fineee..." Zari whines at him. She changes her voice to sound like something out of a cheesy romance movie from the 50s. "Your epic lover who you transcended space and time to be with, defied fate for-" She's back to influencer voice. "-and ignored a bunch of cards calling you out for being clingy."

She chuckles at her own joke, rests her hands over the arm wrapped around her waist, and gets a tad more serious. "Babe, this might be the most normal thing you've ever done. You know most couples have each other's pictures with them all the time, right? Ava has Sara as her lockscreen. Sure, getting my brother to do it is a little weird, but it's John kind of weird. We like John's level of weird." As a group minus Mick who would drop him down a well if allowed to. John already knows how that goes.

"Yeah, that," he agrees flatly, face buried in her throat. She'll be able to feel his lips curve into a feline smile when her hand traps him in like she doesn't want him getting the idea to pull away despite her "complaint."

As she explains what's normal to him not for the first time, he realizes he always keeps his relationships close to the vest, for obvious reasons. With her, he doesn't think he could pretend even if he tried so there's really no point.

"He offered," John defends his choice, besides the only other artist he knows would be a definite weirdo-vibe to commission and not in a good way. "Nice to know I'm on my own level."

Edited 2020-08-24 23:19 (UTC)

Feeling him smile against her skin should not be so attractive. She's happy at least he isn't calling her bluff. Zari knows she's only slightly less clingy than John is. She's determined not to get outed for it!! She snorts at the defense and quickly dismisses it. That's actually a very heartwarming turn of events even if it came from a defensive place.

"He did?" Zari doesn't bother to hide that touches her. Behrad has never meddled in her love affairs. The closest he came was putting out a strong vibe he didn't like boyfriend-who-will-not-be-named without ever uttering a word for or against them. This is a pleasant turn of events. "Are you two bros now?"

John hears the warmth in her voice and wonders what it means. The sibling thing bewilders him as much as he tries to understand it. Bros though gets him to peak his face out at her and look offended (and tired, he still looks so tired even if his dark circles aren't as dark anymore.)

"If I say 'yes,' are you gonna break up with me?" he deflects, before shaking his head and putting it back down on the pillow. "He's alright." Behrad. That's a yes.

Zari rolls her eyes on cue. "Obviously. I can't let you enjoy someone else's company especially if it's my precious baby brother." She complains like that's the silliest thing she's ever heard. His answer earns a pleased chuckle. "Awww. You are bros." She snickers and notes playfully. "You're going to give Nate a complex."

He really has zero grounds to dispute her so he just sighs and squeezes her a little tighter for a second. "No I'm not because he never has to know." He's not exactly accustomed to having things other people want, let alone relationships. It's totally feasible to just pretend to spare Nate's feelings, right???

Zari narrows her eyes. She can't tell if he's protecting Nate's sensitive self or avoiding the drama. It barely matters so Zari just snuggles against him contently. "It's cool. It took them how long to figure out we were dating? Didn't we literally have a date in front of them once?" She laughs. People call her self-absorbed, but she's got nothing on these guys.

"Twice, I think," John agrees, shrugging his free shoulder. They really are clueless at all times. It's something he appreciates about the Legends as much as it can be frustrating at inopportune times. As much as he tries to stay out of the drama, now he has to admit he's curious; but for once he tries to be as tactful as possible, knowing how touchy the subject is for Zari and for good reason. "How are you doing with the librarian?" And then because he always has to lighten the mood somehow: "Are you two bros yet?"

It is a touchy subject subject. Zari sighs dramatically until his follow up. She makes a face at how he says the word. "We really need to stop teaching you slang." She smiles, letting out a breath of laughter before getting back to the subject. Zari still isn't happy, but that did help. "I can still see Taylor Swift play in his brain whenever we're around each other and he's so awkward it actually makes that guy with the glasses look put together."

She takes a deep breath and exhales audibly. "I'm trying for Behrad. He loves that nerd and I don't want to ruin that for him. It's not like he's all bad. The five seconds he talks to me like a real person I think we could be friends. He's dumb puppy. I love those." Zari waves her hand dramatically and sighs. "It's just hard, you know? I want to kick his ass for that stunt with Other Zari. Yeah, I let strangers project all their fantasies onto me, but it's different when that person is my brother's best friend and he's literally picturing you as another version of yourself." She flops her head against John. "Say something supportive and dumb to cheer me up."

John snorts, thinking again of Zed without meaning to. Laying in her hospital bed thinking she wouldn't survive... He empathizes with Nate though he tries not to, but this whole situation is super messy even by his metric. He opens his mouth to say something probably meaner than the other man deserves, and then promptly shuts it again without getting the words out. He isn't angry or jealous, necessarily, but he does hate that he made Zari feel this way no matter how much he's sure he's been guilty of the same in the past.

"Now I'm the puppy, is that it? I'm supposed to come up with these things on command." It's soft, empathy leaking into his voice as a hand smooths over the back of her head, racking his brain for something that might make her feel better about this whole dumb thing. He decides to go down the highly unserious route since everyone knows he could never bring himself to lay a finger on these idiots, especially since Gary is somehow unscathed after all the damage he's done. "Say the word, luv. I'll kick his arse."

"It's your fault for being so cute and trainable." Zari points out sweetly. She soaks in the comfort he offers. This isn't a problem he can solve for her. This is something that will take time and patience. Zari can't smash her way through this. Behrad is sweet and lovable, but she knows people don't always see him for who he is. It can be tough to form a lasting bond with someone you write off as a stoner or man-child. How can she curb stomp his friend even if he is being a creepy?

John's suggestion makes her laugh outright. "Yeah, right. You're a total softie with these dummies." She says it affectionately. She wouldn't want John to feel compelled to protect her either. Zari doesn't need people taking sides when the whole appeal of the Legends is that they are united. Clearly the only solution is for her to just endlessly put up with it. It's deeply unfair, but she doesn't see any other options. "I'll deal. He has to let it go eventually. Other Zari isn't going to use me to make out with him again knowing it can kill Behrad so it's not like it'll hurt me to let him work through it."

She's resigned to the situation. At least her bodily integrity should be safe from those two getting caught up in the moment again. Hurt feelings aside, that's what really bugs her about the whole thing. Zari grew up in a space and field where protecting that has been a struggle since childhood as absolutely gross as that is to acknowledge. She doesn't need those horny idiots casually stealing away the personal autonomy she fought so hard to protect.

He laughs with her, knowing as well as she does that it would never happen. Not like he even knows how to beat up a steel man anyway. "Alright, alright, but that never leaves this room." His weakness for the Legends, despite how obvious it is to anyone with eyeballs in their head. John's mirth slowly dies down as he picks up on Zari's distress, understanding all too intimately why it is she's upset. "He will, luv, just give it some time. In the mean while, we could always set him up with someone new..."

John thinks it over, wondering if there's anyone they know already that's single and wouldn't mind how ridiculously energetic Nate is.

"He's always talking about Dionysus, not that I usually advocate for courting deity..." Still, they seemed to have a special connection!!

She rolls her eyes and doesn't dignify that with a response. They both know everyone is aware on some level with the exception of Mick and Book Club lady. The suggestion actually cheers her up. Zari is shocked she didn't think of it herself. In her defense, the Nate situation does stress her out.

She smiles deviously. A plan is already fermenting in her brain to make this happen. "That's actually not a terrible idea. Sure, Dion makes him act like an idiot, but honesty I couldn't tell the difference between frat boy and normal Nate. They're both really impressionable." She claps her hands together in excitement. "We should steal his phone and set up a date."

"...And here I was just going to summon him." It's probably more casual her way, but his way was more fun!! "Worth a shot either way, yeah?" Ever since Ray left, John notices Nate being more subdued. Because he knows way too much about these idiots no matter how much he tries to stay out of their lives...

"My way actually gives their rebound a chance not to suck so we're doing it." She says like the deceit is going to build a lasting relationship. Zari knows it's likely destined to fail. Dion is a Greek god. They are as fickle as they come. It will at least make Nate less obsessed with her. That's all she can ask for.

"Later." Zari adds as she realizes Nate is getting close to ruining her cuddle time. "Like tomorrow later. We're busy doing important things right now." Like holding her!!!

"Sorry, sorry," he soothes her, redoubling his efforts to coil around her comfortably, shoving some cards off the bed accidentally in the process. He nuzzles against her cheek and resettles at her side. "Got distracted - won't happen again."

"It better not." Zari warns as she rubs her cheek against his. The scratch from his stubble guarantees she can only do it once. Worth it tho!! "I demand my drama-free cuddles." Her eyes do trail down to the cards that toppled over. "They're not going to be mad we dropped them on the floor, right?"

He shivers at that scrape, eyes closing briefly as he squeezes her too hard for a second before letting the embrace loosen again. Drama free might be a tall order, but for once he declines to say anything.

"...Most probably not." John does actually make an effort not to keep items here with any type of malevolent properties, but things do slip through the cracks occasionally. "Let's nap then do another reading, see if anything's changed."

Sometimes he reminds her of a little kid clinging to their favorite thing. Zari used to hug her dragon too hard too before she knew better. She wouldn't dream of calling John out on it. The influencer hums as she considers his very amazing suggestion. "Hmmm... bossy, but okay. I do love naps." Her eyes are already fluttering shut, moving her hands to secure a hold on his arms. Like he's letting go anytime soon.

She suddenly realizes something and adds in sweetly, "Hey, since you're the former rock star maybe you want to sing me to sleep?" She suggests like she hasn't trained herself extensively to fall asleep at the drop of a hat.

"I'm allowed to be bossy sometimes," he complains without any substance, going about finding a comfortable spot on her shoulder to lay on when she gets to the next part and he freezes. Then he chuckles nervously, unsure at first if she's serious. "Our music wasn't exactly lullaby material, if you'll recall."

But no one's ever asked that of him before and it isn't as though it would be a huge burden... Especially since he knows Zari will be asleep in seconds whether he complies or not. Then a strange memory creeps into his head and he doublechecks, "Promise you're not putting one over on me?"

Zari's eyes pop open in annoyance. That actually lowkey offends her. She's trying to be a little romantic here. "What? No. I'm not playing a prank on you for a video. I just want to hear your voice before I sleep." She sounds a tad bit defensive about it. "It's not that weird."

It doesn't occur to him that people would be concerned about that sort of thing until after her defensiveness runs its course. John frowns, freeing one of his arms from their tangle to squeeze her opposite shoulder and kiss her throat sweetly.

"That was my weird thing, not yours," he assures her before calling up the lyrics of the song no one ever sung to him as a babe. Yet he remembers a certain nun singing it, it isn't tied to her just an odd callback that thankfully doesn't have any baggage attached. He sings soft and low, his voice a bit higher than one might expect when he isn't screaming punk songs. "Sleep oh babe, for the red bee hums the silent twilight's fall, Aeval from the grey rock comes, to wrap the world in thrall..."

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influenceher - 2020-08-31 22:59 (UTC) - Expand

zari tarazi | dctv

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