Limelight

Zephyr and Alonzo: Denial

(So anyone a fan of the best-friends-to-lovers trope? Cuz we're going down that route with these two~ I think Alonzo's one of my favourites, along with Paizley and Izabelle)

ZEPHYR: the zombie who catches the football Zed throws right before My Year
ALONZO: the long-haired zombie next to Zephyr during Eliza's verse in My Year
RIZZO: the zombie with afro curls and one leg and one sleeve ripped off her coveralls, who gives Bonzo the cauli-brains in My Year
ROZ: the short zombie in the short-sleeved red shirt, which she swaps with Bree's pink jacket at the block party (uses she or they pronouns)
ZACH: the zombie next to Zane on "it ain't so bad on this side of the tracks" in My Year

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"Ya gotta accept it sooner or later."

"There's nothing to accept! Just drop it, Riz."

"Not until you admit you like him."

"No way."

He realised his mistake too late, as that all-too-familiar teasing grin crept onto his sister's face.

"So, you admit there's something to admit?"

"Get out of my head...!"

Zephyr threw his arms up and turned away, storming out of the living room and up the stairs. He pretended he didn't hear Rizzo calling after him.

"You can't deny it, baby, it's twin telepathy. I know all your secrets!"

He slammed his bedroom door shut.

Meanwhile, over on the next block, the subject of their conversation was out enjoying the sun.

Alonzo strolled idly down the street alongside Zach and Roz, a paper bag of potato fingers in his hand. Cauli-brains were fine every once in a while, but Al always preferred his potato fingers and nothing Zane said would convince him otherwise. He'd zoned out, yet again, and lost track of what his friends were talking about until Roz elbowed him and he looked over to them. They were looking back intently.

"What?" he asked around a mouthful of fried potatoes.

"You and Zephyr...?"

Alonzo felt no need to hide his smile at the mere mention of the name.

"What about me and Zephyr?"

"See?" Roz smirked, nudging Zach with their shoulder. Alonzo frowned.

"Yeeaahh, I have no idea what's happening right now."

"Do you ever?"

There was a pause, then, "No."

Zach chuckled and shook his head, "How are you this oblivious to yourself?"

A blank look.

"He's oblivious to everything," Roz said, reaching up to tousle Alonzo's long hair until he batted their hand away, "He'll figure it out someday."

"Figure what out? What are you saying about Zeph?"

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing."

The next day, Alonzo dropped by the twins' place to hang out. He pretty much had free reign to just waltz on in most of the time, it was practically his second home, and he walked in to find Zephyr watching TV. Zephyr turned at the sound of footsteps.

"Hey, man."

"'Sup?"

Alonzo quickly got distracted by the show that was currently on and ended up leaning against the back of the couch, just a couple of feet away from where Zephyr sat, who barely even realised he was tipping his head back to watch Alonzo while he wasn't paying attention. He was more interested in Al's laughing face than whatever it was onscreen for him to laugh at. Until Al glanced over.

"Zeph...?" he didn't respond, "Yo, Zephyr?!"

Zephyr snapped back into reality. "I wasn't staring at anything!"

"I never said you were."

There was a snort from outside the room and both boys turned to see Rizzo with her hand over her mouth, trying to stop herself laughing. Zephyr shot her a glare and she kept on walking. Alonzo turned back to him, confused.

"Something wrong, dude?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"What's Riz laughing about?"

"Nothing."

"Alright..." he trailed off and went back to watching the TV before remembering something, "Hey, you were at the plaza this morning, right? Did you get any...?"

"Oh, yeah. Here." Zephyr picked up the backpack he had dropped on the floor only a few minutes before Alonzo came over and pulled out a paper bag, handing it to him. Al moved to stand directly behind Zephyr and when he opened the bag to find his favourite potato fingers, he threw an arm around his neck, resting his chin on top of his head.

"Nice! I love you, bro. You get me."

He stayed like that as he started eating and Zephyr groaned at the salt and crumbs falling on him.

"Dude, gross! If you really loved me, you'd move."

"No, I wouldn't, 'cause I'm not. But I do."

Couldn't argue with that kind of logic.