greatexpectations | zari tarazi

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..."

She accepts the assurance with a pleased smile. It doesn't fade as he starts. That is exactly as sweet as she thought it would be. Zari exhales audibly as she settles in to listen for the next... ten seconds? Maybe fifteen before she is out like a light. It'll give her sweet dreams for sure.

zari tarazi | dctv

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