(Fun fact: I always pronounced "acne" as "Acme".)
Tonight was the night.
The night Gene would make his move on Zane.
It was the perfect time. The two males had been friends for a few months now, and Zane was an official member of the Shadow Knights. He was absolutely certain that Zane felt the same way about him, but even if he didn't, at least he would know. Gene had to tell him, to get it off his chest, and to prevent himself from going inzane. (Well Gene you're already a Yandere in these oneshots, so you're gonna be going inzane in just more than that way. If you know what I mean.)
Unfortunately for him, there were some... complications. For one, there was Zane's family as a whole. Breaking it down to each of the four members, excluding Zane from the bunch, added an extra four complications.
The biggest threat was Garroth, Zane's older brother. The blonde seemed to be more brawl than brains, although he had a good amount of brainpower to him as well. How else did he hack into Zane's phone and find out about their messages? He could easily snap Gene's neck if he really wanted to, and he would want to if he messed up.
There was also Vylad, who posed as a minor threat. He wasn't as defensive as Garroth was when it came to Zane's dating life, but he still didn't trust Gene, especially when he took interest in one of his older brothers.
Zane's parents weren't likely to get in the way. From what he knew, his father was never home, and always at work. His mother was the most supportive of Zane having a piece of life filled with some romance, so if anything she'd be Gene's best defense if Garroth snapped.
Right now he was sitting in Zane's room, watching as the younger male played Subnautica on his computer. That was one of Gene's favorite games, especially whenever he found a Leviathan. They terrified Zane to a great extent, especially the Ghost Leviathans.
"Alright, listen Gene, it is a legitimate fear at this point." Zane huffed, making his character go inside of the base. "Leviathans are sea monsters. People who have never played Subnautica can be afraid of sea monsters. So it's an actual fear!"
"Alright I know that, but still, stop pausing the game every time you see a Leviathan." Gene chuckled, leaning back on the bed. "The first time you went to the Void you screamed so loud that Garroth broke down the door."
"Ugh, don't remind me." He groaned, cooking a Peeper. "Who the hell wouldn't be afraid of not only going into a vast darkness of sea identified as a dead zone, hearing that demonic roar, and then seeing that thing charge right at you!?"
"Me." He grinned, making Zane look back at him with a doubtful look. "What? It's true, at least I didn't scream the first time I saw a Leviathan."
"Am I sure you're Gene?" He questioned jokingly, rolling his eye. "The Gene I remember cried when the Sunbeam got shot down."
"How were they supposed to know about what would happen?" He asked, giving an offended look. "And I am Gene! If I wasn't, I wouldn't have even gotten through the front door."
"Well.... I can't argue with you on that." He nodded, saving the game.
"Getting off so soon?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"There's... something I need to talk to you about." He sighed, closing his computer.
"That's great, actually, because I have something I need to tell you too." He smiled, sitting up.
"Oh, um.... okay.... you go first." He blinked, tilting his head.
Gene took a deep breath, feeling the butterflies in his stomach. He had been waiting for this moment, the moment he would confess his feelings of love for Zane. He knew why he was so nervous, but at the same time he didn't. Zane had to feel the same way, right? With his clear determination to be a member of the Shadow Knights, and his constant pestering of Gene, he just had to have a crush on him, right?
"We've been friends for a few months now, and in that time I feel like we've really gotten to know each other well..." Gene started, starting to blush a bit. "You're a really great person, a good influence... and... I love you for that."
"Are.... are you saying that you have a crush on me?" Zane asked, turning pink at the cheeks.
"Yeah, that's what I'm trying to say at least." He nodded, giving him a small grin.
"I.... I have a crush on you too, you know...." He admitted, pulling down his mask.
Gene blushed a bit more when he saw the lower half of Zane's face. It was very rare for the emo to take off his mask, or even pull it down when he was around others. The only people who had ever seen it off were Zane's family. It clearly meant something if Zane took it off in front of Gene.
"So... are we... dating now?" Zane asked, probably feeling awkward.
"Yeah, I guess so." Gene nodded, not really putting much thought into it.
"Should we tell my family?" He asked, nervously glancing at the door.
"Not yet." He said, leaning in.
"I'm not ready to have my first kiss yet." He blurted out, putting his hand in front of his face.
~~~~
Another couple of months passed, and the relationship was going well.
When Zane had told his family that he and Gene were a couple, there were some mixed reactions. Zianna, Zane's mother, was overly happy for her son and his boyfriend. Vylad was still suspicious of Gene's intentions, but he didn't question them right there. Garte, Zane's father, was just giving Gene this look. This look that a father gives someone when they tell him they're dating his daughter. In this case, Zane was in the role of the daughter. And, as expected, Garroth tried to kill Gene.
Gene's family, which consisted of his mother and younger brother, were totally fine with the relationship. His mother was overjoyed to see that Gene had a good influence in his life, and his brother was just happy for him. He didn't question why he had picked Zane, which honestly surprised Gene.
A few weeks after they came out to the Ro'Meave family, Gene was finally allowed to stay over at Zane's place for the night. While Garroth had done everything he could to make it horrible for Gene, Zane always cheered him up.
"I'm actually glad we agreed to having Gene spend the night." Zianna said the next morning, when everyone was in the living room.
"As shocking as it is, I am too." Garte added with a nod, looking at his second son. "We didn't hear a word from your room last night."
"Father, you know I don't talk when my mouth is full." Zane replied, scrolling on his phone.
Gene froze as the other Ro'Meave family members looked at him. Zianna's face was a mix of horror and shock, and Vylad's was just shock. Garte was giving Gene a glare, and Garroth... it was like there were flames in his eyes. The blonde brother slowly turned to face Gene, before lunging at him as the door opened.
"Hey guys is this a bad time to--"
"FUCK OFF LAURANCE, NO ONE IS GOING TO YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY!"
"GARROTH!"
