The table was drowning in silence. Boredom had swallowed the group whole.
Zane tapped the edge of his cup, eyes lazily drifting toward Luna. She was fidgeting with her sleeves again, her cheeks already pink just from existing too close to Asher.
Zane smirked. Perfect target.
Leaning forward, he let his voice drop into that smooth, dangerously casual tone—the kind people couldn't help but lean into.
"So, Luna," he drawled, resting his chin on his hand, "have I ever told you that grey looks criminally good on you? Makes you look like you're fading right into the shadows. Kinda mysterious. Kinda… unfair."
Luna froze mid-fidget. Her face went crimson so fast it was almost comical. "W–wha—"
Zane tilted his head, watching her squirm. "And that shy act? Yeah, it's cute. But it's wasted on everyone else here. You should save it for me."
Celeste's jaw dropped. Mira nearly choked on her water.
Meanwhile, Asher sat up so fast he nearly hit his head on the table. His eyes widened as Zane kept going.
"Tell me, Luna," Zane said smoothly, lowering his blindfold just enough to let her see the sharpness of his gaze. "If I asked you to vanish right now, would you disappear for me? Or would you stay… right here… because you want to?"
Luna was practically steaming, her hands covering her face. "I—I—"
"Oi!" Asher finally blurted, pointing accusingly at Zane. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Zane smirked, leaning back in his chair with the air of someone who'd just finished a performance. "What does it look like, Asher? I'm stealing your girl."
Asher's face drained of color. He sputtered. He actually sputtered. "You—you can't just—! She's—! That's—!"
The table broke into chaos. Mira was laughing so hard she slapped the table. Celeste was covering her mouth, whispering, "Oh my gods, he's actually good at this…"
And Luna? Luna couldn't even form words anymore. She was a full-blown tomato.
Zane folded his arms, closing his eyes with a smug little smirk. "Hah. And they say I don't care about girls. Guess I just never had a reason to try.