On Princes, of Heart and of Hearts

Chapter 5: Smooth

Well, if Dirk didn't mean it before, he did now. Fuck. That wasn't the plan. "Do I look like I enjoy jokes?" he deflects, attempting to restore his aura of cool and hoping the highblood didn't notice Dirk's own blush.

Thankfully for Dirk, Zebruh had still been looking away, far too surprised by an incoming compliment to focus much on anything else. He spaces out for a spell, before remembering that he's got a rhetorical question to answer. "🎔 You look like you could uh, enjoy... Of course you enjoy jokes, who doesn't! 🎔" Zebruh stammers while fidgeting with his tie, clearly nervous at this point. He had never had anyone reciprocate his flirting in any significant capacity, and he was enjoying it, albeit quite awkwardly.

"Want to watch TV?" Dirk changes the subject abruptly, cutting through the tension. He's not completely oblivious, and he can tell that the indigoblood definitely doesn't do this with everyone, not like this.

"♦ Yes, TV, of course. ♦" Zebruh readily goes along with this change of subject, hoping to gain better footing on conversation with this new topic. "♦ What do you like to watch? ♦ ♥ Romance? ♥" He inquires, smiling confidently once again, though face not devoid of blue tint. He turns on the small TV and puts on some sitcom, something agreeable, and not actually romance driven.

"Of course. Romance and Troll Malcolm in the Middle. My two favorites." He says. Dirk slides across the couch a bit, being close to Zebruh at this point, but not uncomfortably close. He's not uncomfortable at least, and he hopes that goes the same for Zebruh. "Small TV. Right in front of you. Did you plan that?" Dirk says as he settles beside Zebruh decently close.

Slightly more flustered, the highblood blurts out his thoughts. "♥ No, it was actually just here. Would it have been cooler or more smooth if I had? ♥" Zebruh gives an unsure sort of half smile, looking a little awkward but completely genuine. It was refreshing to Dirk, having seen him be so reserved and fake when they met. It was almost...

"Cute." Dirk said, teasingly in his dry sort of way. It could be hard to tell if he's kidding, but it meant all the same to Zebruh. Of course, it was no easy feat for Dirk to say, so his reasonable doubt of teasing was a shield for him. He played it cool. For once. Mostly.

"♥ I- thank you... You're the nicest lowbl- person I've ever met. ♥" Zebruh was really making an effort here. That's some serious business. He's tugging on his tie again, as if he's about to say 'Is it hot in here?' or something stupid, but he doesn't. Instead, he rests his hands on the couch casually and grins at Dirk once again.

Dirk wordlessly moves his hand and rests it on Zebruh's, still looking at the TV. There's no other way he could do it. That wouldn't be cool. He's blushing quite a bit, but it's cool blushing, because he didn't say anything or look at Zebruh. He isn't exactly paying attention to the show, but he sure is looking at it.

Zebruh silently blushed, not having any idea of what to say. Dirk was so smooth. He just did it, like he wasn't even embarrassed! Although clearly, he was, as Zebruh could clearly see by the blush on his face and the curl in the corner of his mouth. What is a flirtatious yet insecure troll to do?

Not much, evidently.