I'm not that bad, Honestly [Zanemau]

Behind the mask

"It's been like this all the time. Since she joined the Jury of Nine. Just to help her poor family, filled with little brothers left and right. She over-worked herself, and I selfishly gave her simply no effort to help her family myself with the strong drug. She hated my voice, my appearance, my everything. And wanted to escape with dear Jeffery, but of course. I killed him, making her life even more difficult. Which made her run off, just as I spoke the words 'Lady Katelyn' to her" Zane sighed, as he sat down on the prickling grass, that was quite wet from the short downfall from earlier.

"I better take night--" "I will, it's better off for you to get rest" Zane hushed Aphmau. "You are the one that's planning this all" Zane smirked slightly, making Aphmau turn a shade of Crimson.

"Y-yeah, alright" Aphmau spoke. Though this was unusual, why was she acting this way towards Zane, all of a sudden. She knew she said that she liked him, but it seemed that he just forgot about the kiss. Like it just went for a stroll and never came back.

"You seem distant, what's the matter?" Zane asked out of the blue. Aphmau jumped a little, "O-oh, I'm just thinking about how to find more information, yeah! Yeah" Aphmau started laugh slightly, it was quite obvious hat something was the matter. "Alright then" Zane said, though he too, did know something was up.

                               ***

Aphmau say up, yawning slightly, though she was quite frantic as she could not spot Zane.

Zane sat onto a high tree branch, where he let his left hand rest on his knees and his right holding his head up. Him leaning slightly towards the edge, smiling slightly, in fact chuckling at her eager eyes panicking.

"Z-Zane? Z-Zane?!" She screamed, her eyes starting to tear up. Which made his smile drop down, as it was quite upsetting to watch her about to burst into tears.

He jumped off the branch and walked behind her, hugging her slightly. "Sorry for scaring you, just thought I'd look at your reaction more from where I sat" Zane muttered, stroking her hair slightly.

"Y-yeah, I was just worried that you were captured by some of the guards" Aphmau looked down to the ground. Zane stopped and walked towards her, craning his neck down since he was quite tall than any of the brothers, and especially his father. Which made it difficult, since Aphmau was quite short.

He started to chuckle, Aphmau hummed in confusion and stared up at him.
"You look like some lost child. With that attitude and height" a smile rose behind the mask of his.

"So? What if I am lost in something like life and I'm just naturally short?" She spoke all defensively, in a blurting way. "It's just, cute"
Aphmau slightly opened her mouth in shock with those words. Making her blush slightly, "anyways we've got to visit that lady you talked about. Was it Hyria?" He added before leaving to pack.
"Yeah, we need to visit her. We need more information" Aphmau got her thoughts back together and replied in a more plastering focused mood.

Though behind, she questioned every minor detail. Was she falling for the man behind the mask, instead of the helmet?