[PRP] Howdy....partner?

[insidiousEnigma]

This was probably one of the most stressful situations he had ever put himself in. Zacharie shifted the items in his arms so he could wipe his sweaty palms against his uniform pants. "It's just Jerome, it will be fine." He muttered repeatedly under his breath as he took a few shaky breaths to try and calm his nerves. He could do this. He had read multiple articles and books on the matter at hand and he was more or less sure that he could competently handle the situation. He had been completely avoiding the older man for the past couple of days, though he wasn't sure if Jerome had exactly noticed. He couldn't avoid the subject, or Jerome, forever though. Thus leading to the current situation.

Moment of truth...

Zacharie pushed the door to their shared room open, his arms full of various flowers and baked goods and his face the picture of embarrassed, horrified teenager. "J-Jerome...I have something that I need to ask you."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Jerome had the room mostly to himself at this time, not that that wasn't nice every once in a while, but the gangster start starting to think that maybe he would get up and go look to see if there were any other Rockets he knew hanging around. Just to have the company,

Letting out a heavy breath through his nose, Jerome sat himself up from where he way lounging on his small cot like bed, running a hand over his face as he moved to put his feet on the floor. lingering for a couple of seconds longer, though before he could get up, the sounds of someone entering the room drew his attention, and he found Zacharie walking in with his arms full of various brightly colored things.
"The hell kinda' expirament ya running now?" He asked, pushing himself up to help the Grunt with the items.

When the younger Rocket told Jerome he had a question, the Agent arched an eyebrow. "Yea?"  

[insidiousEnigma]

Zacharie wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or run off to find somewhere to hide...no wait, he definitely wanted to run off and find a safe place to hide. "I...no. This isn't for an experiment." He said as he shut the door behind him and shook his head. The teen shuffled nervously before clearing his throat. "This is all for you. I...I've read that gifts are crucial when one is trying to..." He wracked his brain for an appropriate word but kept coming up blank. "Yes well anyway, this is for you." He shuffled further into the room, past Jerome to his bed so he could carefully put his armful down. "I recall that you enjoyed the cupcake that I made you for your birthday so I took it upon myself to make you more and I honestly cannot recall you ever mentioning a favourite flower so I personally picked some that I thought you might like."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Jerome looked surprised when it came out that everything that Zacharie was holding was for him.
his brow furrowed in confusion as he looked back at the younger Rocket, though the explanation he gaze, having read it from a book somewhere was not surprising at all. Jerome was starting to wonder what kind of books he was reading.

"Uh, oh- Thanks man, but uh... whats the occasion again?" Jerome asked, looking into the bundle at mentioned cupcakes.  

[insidiousEnigma]

And here came the hard part. It had been recommended to make your emotions towards the other person clear so as to not cause confusion. Emotions were not his strong point...

Deep breaths Zacharie, you can do this!

"It has come to my attention recently...well not recently but within the last couple of months but the point is is that I've come to realize just exactly what you mean to me, Jerome." He said as he fiddled with the hem of his uniform shirt. He scrambled to collect his thoughts, to put them in some sort of order that would make sense, but it was proving increasingly difficult. Why didn't he write what he wanted to say on a notecard beforehand?! "From the moment we met you have been looking out for me; which was...and still is, a bit odd since I've never had anyone particularly care about my well being besides Jabari and well, you know how Jabari is." He laughed lightly as he thought about his Shuppet. "You have saved my life...twice even, and I know that you did not exactly want for me to join this kind of lifestyle I am eternally grateful that you have brought me here. I have felt more welcomed and at home here than I ever have before." The teen bit his bottom lip and sniffled before cursing quietly under his breath and bringing a hand up to wipe at his damp eyes. He took a shuddering breath as he tried to compose himself, he was not going to cry dammit! "After hearing about my parents' de-" He hiccuped softly and shook his head, "Their...their deaths." It was the first time he'd actually said it out loud since he'd heard the news from Izaya and it did strange things to his heartbeat. "I realized that while I have made friends here and Team Rocket is my home it's you that..." He trailed off, unsure how to put his thoughts into words. "You're my friend...my best friend actually and...and my family. You, Bro, Tremain, and my pokemon of course, you're all my family." He laughed in a hollow manner as he ran a hand through his hair, lightly tugging on the short strands. "Anyway, I suppose what I'm trying to get to is...I'd like for you to be my partner...so we can continue to look out for one another..."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Jerome was taken aback at first, looking a little surprised as Zacharie started talking, eying the younger Rocket as he was clearing speaking about something that made him uncomfortable, and even upset as the mention of his parents... death?
Jerome blinked, he didn't know his parents had died... Jerome certainly didn't leave them like though, though with the way Zacharie had told him Jerome wasn't sure how was a good time to bring that up.

What followed, rendered the gangster completely still as he listened, his expression somewhat difficult to read as it had adopted a slight gaping dull look.
what the gangster would be feeling however, was far different.

It had been years since he had lost everyone he had ever known in his life, and in those years Jerome had lived with a great deal of guilt, why had he survived? Just to be swept up in another gang, a bigger gang, one he could never even have the chance to run from.
Why had he survived, time and time again in situations he was sure he would die, when all of his friends his family, his brothers and sisters of the 14s, had died.
Jerome had been certain he would be doing this job, with the understanding of dying soon on some mission or something, ready to face it when it did come, but otherwise still, for some reason hanging onto this survival instinct.

The day he had met Zacharie, had been one of the darkest time in Jerome's life-
A dawning lit up Jerome's face, as he seemed to regard the Grunt as if seeing him for the first time.
Since the day he brought Zacharie in, he remembered that things got better, He wasn't sure why or how, but he had a sense of responsibility for the kid who's poor luck had landed him in the same place as Jerome, Lost everything only to find everything.
They were family now... Zacharie had said it, and Jerome understood it was true, not just the others on the team, but the purple haired skinny nerd in front of him now, He had to live, so he could look out for him, take responsibility for him, and to help him.

The whole time Jerome just stared at Zacharie, in complete and utter speechlessness, and it wouldn't seem that Jerome would be inclined to say anything more.
So instead, with a deep exhale the Agent let her shoulders relax as he walked over to Zacharie, and clapped his arms around him in a firm and full embrace, patting his shoulder and back every now and then as he seemed to just not breath.  

[insidiousEnigma]

Zacharie had no idea what to make of the others silence.

He was terrified.

His legs were trembling, his hands were trembling...hell, his entire body shook with nervous energy and pent up emotions.

"I...I understand that I am probably lacking in most things that are appealing in partners." He rambled anxiously as he averted his gaze down to his hands and he twisted his fingers together. "I'm not particularly athletic or skilled in any form of combat, I am...temperamental at times and not entirely pleasant to be around as my social skills are lacking but-!" So caught up in his own thoughts he hadn't even noticed Jerome move until he was pulled into an embrace. At first he wasn't entirely sure what to do and he froze, his muscles tense and small sound of surprise escaping him. The back patting certainly helped and soon he was relaxing completely against the older man and bringing his arms up to hug his friend tightly in return. This had to be a good sign, right? People didn't go around hugging others because they were about to reject them...at least he hoped they didn't.

The teen sniffled quietly as he got a hold of himself, his grip on Jerome's shirt loosening ever so slightly though he made no indication that he planned to stop hugging the older man. "C-Can I take this to be an affirmative to my request?" He asked softly.