Coding Error [OFF x Reader]

18. What We Have [Zacharie]

One of these puzzles unlocks the elevator. But which one?

You raise a hand to your chin. Contemplating your options, you didn't make up your mind until your eyes land on Zacharie.

"Zach, I hope you're as sharp as that blade-" you sing, pointing a thumb in direction of the alley. "Batter I'm gonna need you to guard the elevator until we solve the puzzle."

The athlete stood straight, keeping watch while Zacharie confidently stood beside you.

While the two of you walk down the alley, you take a peek at Zacharie, humming an unknown tune whilst keeping his eyes shut. You unconsciously stare at him too long, humoring him as he opens his eyes to meet your own.

"See something you like?"

"Heh-" you shake your head with a silly smile. Breaking eye contact after getting caught staring. "I was just wondering... About Sugar..."

Zacharie placed his hand on your shoulder, stopping your walk.

"Player, I don't blame you if that's what you're thinking," his tone is calm and understanding, yet you couldn't stop feeling your stomach sink.

That's not what you're thinking of.

"I was wondering... since you two seem to know each other from before..." You rub a hand over your nose, too embarrassed to ask. "Uh, nevermind."

Zach raised his free hand on your other shoulder, gently rubbing your forearms as a way to calm you down. "Let's continue with this puzzle before Batter goes on a killing spree again okay?"

"Okay," you agree.

The trip to the puzzle itself felt farther than you expected, maybe because of the sudden topic about Sugar and other things that have been swimming in your head. There's not much to look around, just plain walls and a clean floor with the occasional piece of garbage in the way, it's no wonder you returned your view to Zacharie once more. His mask, his hair, and that hilarious bulky backpack.

"Hey, Zacharie-" You start, but the young man only hums, listening to whatever you have to say. "Do you miss being a merchant?"

Zacharie contemplates his answer even though it's a fairly simple question, well, to you at least.

"Sometimes. "

You notice a shadow casting over his eyes, you wanted to touch his shoulder as reassurance but you two are interrupted by a clicking sound reached your ears, pulling your attention to the storage building by the next turn. The area is empty except for a slot machine and small closed doors on the side of the room, the main focus being the puzzle that had Zacharie's name written all over it. It has a spinning cylinder and a lever to the side, reminding you of those slot machines at casinos or arcade games, but more minimalistic.

You step aside to allow the man some space."Go ahead, I feel this is your kind of thing. "

Zacharie eagerly nods in response, he released his backpack straps and placed them on the ground. You offer to keep an eye on it as Zacharie gives the machine a closer look. Meanwhile, you just play around with a loose string on your shirt until you hear the clink of the lever. The built-in cylinders stopped one by one, you squint your eyes as you try to make out the symbols on the machine. Once the third, and final cylinder stopped it landed on a mismatched pattern composed of a swan, a coin, and a ghost. An impaired pattern.

Automatically, you heard a buzzer ring through the machine, almost like a consequence of getting a mismatched pattern. Not only did the machine stop buzzing, but you heard something else open, at first you think it's the elevator door but the smaller compartment doors opening up told you otherwise.

You feel your skin crawl the moment a dozen or so sludge spiders craw through the small door. You shout in surprise, acting by instinct and tossing Zacharie his sword while you grab the backpack to use as a shield.

"It's no use they just keep coming-!" you kick one of the spiders away. "Where did they come to begin with!?"

Zacharie slashed four of them with his blade, leaving behind a puddle of sludge that became overrun by another group of sludge spiders. He turned his eyes to the machine, an idea clicking in. "The slot machine, we need to gain a matched number!" The young man stomps over a few to reach the lever, pulling it down just in time to avoid getting overwhelmed by the critters. But he stopped by, instead of clearing his way towards you.

"What are you doing?"

"I can leave you unprotected-" he insists.

"Forget about that. Focus on the slot machine, it's our main priority," you interject with a grunt, feeling the critters scratch at your legs. Your attempt to push them off results in losing your balance, getting knocked off your feet and to the ground. The backpack is the only thing keeping a sludge spider from gnawing its teeth at you, you feel your arms giving in slowly but surely- you'd be a goner by now- if it wasn't for a pair of dark eyes as sharp as the blade stabbed through the spider.

"You're my main priority."

Zacharie twisted his body to the left, raising the embedded

spider over his head and tossing its carcass directly to the lever, successfully firing up the slot machine once again.

A strangled gasp escapes your mouth, your eyes filled with disbelief at the perfectly matching pattern on the slot machine. A row of coins. The sludge spiders stayed right in their spot, trembling slightly as they rush back to their compartments almost like under command. But you didn't pay mind to that, you were too busy flipping out at Zacharie's cool move, and he's more than happy to accept your attention.

"That was amazing!" you express with a joyous laugh. Unconsciously wrapping your arms around his torso from behind.

The masked man stood still, tensing up before relaxing in your hold.

You're worried you overstepped his boundaries and made him uncomfortable, but Batter raised his hand to hold your own, gently caressing the back of your hand.

"How did you know it would land on a perfect match?"

"I didn't," he admits blatantly, eyes closed in a sheepish smile while ruffling his hair. "It was a risky gamble."

Your mouth drops in shock, a part of you didn't want to believe it but another part of you knew it was something he'd do. "Are you nuts! But what if it was another mismatch pattern? We would've gotten overrun by spiders." you voice your concerns by raising your tone a little too high.

"I would've used my body to shield you until we were out of reach," Zach confesses without hesitation, without a chuckle neither. While you freaked out, the masked man approached the hypothetical situation more calmly, retrieving his sword and shaking it clean before sheathing it.

You felt your body slump at the confession, your anger dying down as you realize the implications of his statement. "But what if they poison you?"

Zacharie turns to look at you, his mask covering shadows over his eyes. You didn't get a good look at them until he was up close to you, forehead pressed against your own.

"Even if they kill me."

At the mention of danger, you inevitably wrap your arms around his upper body, tightening your hold on him, not enough to cut his oxygen supply but just enough to physically manifest your appreciation for the man. "Don't say that..." you murmur. Zacharie didn't seem to mind the gesture, wrapping his tattooed arms around your shoulders.

"Player..." Zacharie whispers. You mentally pray he doesn't ask you to stop. "You asked me if I missed being a merchant, to be honest, I don't miss it in the slightest... What I have here as your add on, is ten times better."