Serendipity's Embrace: Love Beyond Fates

Chapter 3 (Familiar)

Azazel's phone buzzed with a notification from Kreo."Call me, 7:30 pm tonight," the message read.

As Azazel arrived back at his apartment by motorbike, he realised the time: 7:10 pm. He sighed heavily, feeling of regret for agreeing to Kreo's request. Despite this, Kreo is a bit cute-

"Fuckkkk," Azazel groaned, his thoughts swirling with emotion.

But then, he quickly shook his head, trying to make the inappropriate thoughts go away.

"I will not be thinking of that!" Azazel shouted into his empty bedroom.

With a sigh, Azazel decided to take a quick shower before the scheduled call with Kreo. He knew there would be a lot to discuss, and he needed to be prepared. As the cold water trickled over him, he tried to clear his mind of the deal.

"The gala this year is all about couples," Kreo mentioned.

"Couples?" Azazel questioned, finding it strange.

As Azazel pondered about what couples would be like, Kreo broke the silence over the phone.

"I guess everyone will be wearing matching clothes," Kreo suggested.

"That's not too bad," Azazel replied. "What colour do you like?"

"Green," Kreo replied in a familiar tone.

9 years ago

Laughter echoed through the hallways, catching 10 year old Azazel's attention as he buried himself in his book.

"That's hilarious, Jake!" a girl exclaimed amidst the laughter.

"How?" Jake questioned, his presence drawing the attention of numerous students, especially the popular crowd, who seemed to be competing for his attention. The laughter intensified, sparking Azazel's curiosity about this newcomer named Jake. He hadn't heard of him before; maybe he was a recent transfer.

As the crowd passed by Azazel's classroom, he glanced out the window and locked eyes with the blonde boy standing outside, his bright blue eyes standing out in the crowd.

Jake noticed Azazel's gaze and caught his smile. Jake suddenly grew shy and looked away, but Azazel didn't mind. He was used to being disliked by most people.

The bell rang, signalling the end of recess, and Azazel hurriedly gathered his belongings, eager to avoid the chaotic rush of students. Unfortunately, he was pushed to the ground amidst the bustling crowd.

"Hey, watch it! I'm walking here!" Azazel retorted from his spot on the floor.

"Hey, smartass!" a girl shouted back. "If you're so smart, you should know that no one gives a damn when you're trying to walk to class!"

Sighing, Azazel picked up his scattered belongings. "Do you need help?" a voice offered.

Looking up, Azazel saw the blonde boy, Jake.

"It's alright, I'm almost done anyways," Azazel replied.

Despite Azazel's response, Jake squatted down and helped pick up his pens. Azazel thanked him before heading back to class.

"Looks like you're going to English too, may I walk with you?" Jake asked.

"S-sure," Azazel answered nervously.

They walked to class together in silence, arriving a bit late to find all the seats taken except for the last table at the end. Despite offers from others to give up their seats, Jake insisted on sitting next to Azazel.

Class began, but it soon turned boring for both of them. Suddenly, a piece of paper poked Azazel's hand with the words, "What's your name?" written on it.

Azazel looked at Jake, who was smiling. They began exchanging notes. Soon, English class quickly turned into a movie session, where students could talk but only with their seatmate.

"How do you pronounce your name?" Jake asked.

"A-zay-zel," Azazel replied.

"Cool," Kreo responded.

"Do you have a favourite colour?" Azazel asked, curious to learn more about Jake.

They discovered they liked the same genre of movies, stories, and songs, but they hadn't discussed favourite colours yet. Azazel wondered if they shared the same favourite colour.

"Green," Jake said. "I like green."

Present day, Qintara, Tenawyuv

"Azazel?" Kreo's voice brought him back to the present.

Azazel quickly refocused and answered the call. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," he apologised.

"It's fine," Kreo replied, understanding. "I don't think green is a good colour. What do you like?"

"Dark red," Azazel replied without hesitation. "I think it won't make you stand out because red is the colour of love."

Azazel and Kreo continued their talk, dark red would be their colour and their problem now was Azazel's identity in the gala.

Azazel suggested a fake name and a mask, since most likely the other lovers of the heroes would wear the same for their safety and privacy.

"It's late," Azazel said, letting out a yawn.

"Want to come over tomorrow to choose the clothing?" Kreo asked.

"Whatever," Azazel answered, his tone casual. "If you're willing to pick me up," he added with a hint of jest.

Kreo chuckled. "Alright, goodnight."

"Goodnight, love," Azazel replied before flopping onto his bed. It was normal for him to use endearing terms with the children at the daycare, and Kreo, in a way, felt like a big baby to him.

Azazel's phone buzzed incessantly, jolting him awake. He groggily answered the call.

"What time do you prefer to go out?" Kreo's voice came through the line.

"What?" Azazel asked, his head throbbing from just waking up.

"You said it yourself," Kreo reminded him. "You would come over if I'm willing to pick you up."

Azazel glanced at the time: 12:40 pm. He had meant his earlier comment as a joke; why was Kreo taking it seriously?

"Dinner, dinner!" Azazel blurted out. "Pick me up at dinner time, and we can discuss whatever it is."

"Okay...?" Kreo replied, sounding puzzled, and Azazel quickly ended the call.

"Is he okay?" Kreo wondered aloud as he stared at his phone.

Azazel slapped his forehead. "Ah, fuck," he muttered. "I'm definitely going to die tonight."