Chapter Text
Bryce had always dated brunettes with stunning eyes, and he was the kind of guy who meant that. But never in his wildest dreams had he anticipated that America would take that statement so damn literally. He glanced over at Zach—a brunette with astonishingly pretty eyes—and felt a mix of disbelief and dread as their names were called out by Ariana. The public had voted and somehow, they were coupled up together. What the actual fuck?
Sure, they were close—hell, they shared a bond that was practically rooting for them to become best friends—but did America seriously think they were a couple?
Sure, they spent most of their time together. Sure, Zach was stunningly beautiful, and sure, they shared a connection that was one of the strongest here. But this? This was a twist Bryce didn’t see coming. The 29-year-old could practically hear the laughter of the audience echoing in his ears. Did they really think he was suited to be with Zach? Well, judging by the gleeful expression plastered on his friend's annoyingly smug face, they were in for a hell of a ride—at least his friend seemed okay(-ish) about all of this.
It was fine. Totally normal. Just a bit of fun. Surely, neither he nor the public believed they were genuinely suited for each other. Right?
Bryce stood there, blinking in disbelief at Zach, who was still caught up in a fit of laughter while hugging his belly, clearly less shaken by the unfolding drama than Emily, the new girl who’d found herself in a couple with that laughing bastard—probably regretting her decision now from the looks of it.
"Come here?" Bryce heard himself say, the words tumbling out a bit too quickly in an attempt to assert control over the absurdity of the moment.
“What?” Zach murmured between wheezes of laughter.
"Come here,” he demanded, voice raised just enough to carry over the chuckles, his eyes darting to Kayda, who was looking at Trinity with that familiar expression of mild amusement and ‘I told you so’. The 29-year-old shouldn’t have been surprised—Zach had a habit of leaping into his arms… and yet he was… surprised as Zach bounded over, putting on a little show for the audience, playing the part of the overly enthusiastic lover.
But this felt different. Maybe it was the way the entire group had shifted its focus on them or how their relationship seemed to be interpreted in ways the man never intended. It made Bryce fidgety. He wasn’t gay. Zach wasn’t gay either, was he? So why the hell would they...?
“So, Zach,” Ariana piped up, a sly grin tugging at her lips as she glanced at Bryce, “how do you feel about your new couple status?” She clearly reveled in the chaos she was stirring, giving Bryce a moment to catch his breath and process what the hell was happening.
"I mean," the 26-year-old paused, a playful smirk dancing on his lips as he shot Bryce a teasing glance, "this wasn’t exactly on my bingo card for the day, you know? But hey, I’m all in—just don’t blame me if I seem a little ‘too’ delighted about it." Naturally, it was Zach, the human chameleon, effortlessly stretching himself too thin in every scenario yet still managing to charm the pants off everyone around him… of course, he would take it well…
“Yeah,” Bryce managed to agree, still feeling unmoored, “nobody was expecting that, for sure.”
Trinity cleared her throat from behind. “You two are pretty close, though.” She flashed a knowing smile in their direction. “I’ve kicked that one,” she pointed at Zach, “more than once from our bed, so I guess it’s not that surprising, to be fair.” Laughter erupted around them, Bryce joining in, though an uneasy knot formed in his gut. Was it the thought of Trinity being completely fine with the bizarre turn of events, or the fact that he and Zach would end up sharing a bed?
"You guys can sit," Ariana chimed in, her smile bright, “and enjoy your new couple.”
Bryce barely registered what happened next; couples got rearranged. All of them. Nobody was with the person they’d expected, and thanks to some ridiculous public prank, two girls—Sandra and Ivy, who had entered the villa weeks ago—packed their bags. Bryce wasn’t particularly close with either of them, so no tears were shed. Still, it was a shame that some stupid prank cost them a shot at something real.
“Do you want to talk about it, darling?” Zach joked, a smirk plastered on his face as everyone else wandered off, blissfully oblivious in their new pairings. Bryce found himself frozen by the bonfire, his mind swirling in confusion.
“What the fuck just happened?” he murmured, trailing after the 26-year-old to the Soul Ties, accepting Zach's hand as they lowered themselves onto a cozy spot. “I mean, it’s funny, I guess, but damn…I’m still dumbfounded.”
“But you’re okay, right?” Zach's tone shifted, a serious expression washing over his features. Bryce cocked an eyebrow. “I mean, sharing a bed and having fun with it? I can sleep—”
“No! No, Zach, it’s fine,” the man interjected, noting the way Zach's brows furrowed. Why did the 26-year-old suddenly look so concerned? “I mean, it’s great. It’s you,” he finally said, a smile creeping over his face, causing that worried look on his friend’s face to melt into mischief. “It just means we have more time to fool around and get to know each other. Why wouldn’t I be fine with it? We’re friends.”
“Friends,” Zach repeated, the word rolling off his tongue as he brushed a stray strand of hair from Bryce’s face.
“Yeah, so I’m more than okay with it,” the 29-year-old assured, feeling a flush creep up his cheeks as he became acutely aware of just how close their faces were. Seriously, what was it about Zach's eyes? “It’s just a bit strange, you know? The whole situation.” The man cleared his throat, grabbing a pillow to fidget with rather than acknowledge the need to fix that wild strain of hair on his friend’s face. What the hell was going on with him today?
“I mean, they’re messy—we know that. So let’s not overthink it and just have some fun,” Zach said with a casual wave of his hand, turning onto his back and gazing up at the stars. Damn, he looked good like that. Those dark eyes held a whole galaxy, and Bryce felt like he was getting lost in it. “Deal?”
“Deal,” the man murmured, directing his attention to the stars as well, feeling a little lightheaded. What the hell was up with America and why did everything suddenly feel so complicated?
They stayed there for a while, trading snarky comments about the other couples, with Zach spinning completely ridiculous “facts” about the stars. Bryce couldn’t help but crack a smile; he loved listening to that smug prick, even if half the stuff was pure nonsense. Eventually, Zach sat up, and the way his gaze roamed—slowly, deliberately—over Bryce sent shivers down his spine. What the actual fuck was that look? And why was his heart racing?
“Let’s go to bed, darling!” Zach murmured, his voice low and raspy, making Bryce uncomfortably aware that sleep would not come easily tonight. Why? The man was not sure, but he knew that the long night was awaiting.