Zağanos x Mahmut Short-fics Collection [Shoukoku no Altair] - by Valerie

Extra chapter of One-shot "Festival Night"

"Zeki, don't you think Mahmut Pasha is a little bit strange since the Seker festival?" Nurcan asked during lunch.

Nurcan and Zeki were eating together in Kubbe Alti's soup kitchen. There were other officers — normally Mahmut will join them too — but no sign of the blond Pasha today. Nor Iskender's.

Since the Seker festival, Mahmut has been acting very weird. He often goes home as early as possible, going somewhere else to have lunch, blushing or giggling out of nowhere—— and Nurcan swears he saw a hickey on Mahmut's nape the other day.

"I saw it too." Zeki answered, then got up from his seat to return the empty plate.

"There's no meeting this afternoon, how about following Mahmut Pasha to find out who's his secret lover?"

"Well—"

"Come on, Zeki! We need to make sure that Mahmut wasn't fooled by bad people!"

"If you say so... then okay..." Zeki sighed.

They searched the entire palace, just to hear Mahmut's voice coming out of Zaganos Pasha's office at Kubbe Alti.

"——Your deserts is the most delicious, Zaganos!"

"I'm glad you think so. Here, another baklava. Say aa—"

"????????"

The two Pasha froze.

"Hey... Nurcan... did you hear—"

"Mahmut Pasha's voice? Yes, Zeki, that's his voice, we're not imagining...."

Both of them tiptoed to the office's door, trying to focus and listen to the sound better.

"Will you stay at my house tonight too?" Their eyes opened wide when they heard Zaganos' voice.

"I have works to do, some documents regarding Chielo." Mahmut answered. "How about you coming to my place?"

"Okay."

*chu~*

Was that—- the sound of a kiss?!

Strangely, after that single peck (that both Zeki and Nurcan were still shocked at), there was a brief period of silence.

"Eh, Nurcan, seems like we have to go now---"

Zeki's words got cut when something from inside the room suddenly collided with the locked door that they were leaning on.

"The baklava I made is delicious indeed...." They heard Zaganos' deep voice right behind the door. "... especially when tasting it from your mouth."

Zeki looked at Nurcan in terror. His eyes said it all — How can we get out of here?! They're right behind the door, if we take a step, they will definitely hear us!!

Nurcan shook his head silently—- I have no idea either, Navalat please help us!

"Ngh--ah... Of---course, it's your cooking---AH!" Mahmut's staccato breaths and his garbled sentence could be heard from the other side of the door.

Zeki and Nurcan realized that they were screwed.

'If we go now, they will realize it. But if not... we have to listen to this for god knows how long...'

As both of them looked at each other, they regretted their decision.

When Nurcan said "we have to make sure Mahmut Pasha wasn't fooled by a bad person" he didn't expect that Mahmut was captured by literally the worst person.

"Z-Zaganos!"

"Don't worry, I won't leave a mark— mmh."

"A--akh..." Zeki and Nurcan then heard how Mahmut whimpered, and there were movement again on the other side of the office's wooden doors.

"Zaganos—- is so mean—-" they heard Mahmut complained. "You don't even let me finish—- my lunch..."

"What can I do? My lover is so cute." Then another 'chu~' sound. "It's your fault for seducing me like that...."

LOVER?!!!?!!

Zeki and Nurcan felt like their world is falling apart.

The more they heard the hushed sounds of Zaganos whispering sweet nothings and Mahmut's helpless whimpers, the more Zeki and Nurcan regretted succumbing to their curiosity.

One thing stayed on their minds though:

'HOW!?'

'Halil Pasha, are you watching? Your beloved adoptive son has fallen into that devil man's hands!!!'

'Zeki, calm down!'

'But how?! Mahmut Pasha is not stupid. How could he be trapped by Zaganos Pasha?!'

Seeing Zeki fuming minute by minute, Nurcan made a swift decision and decided to usher him away from the place as discreetly as possible.

"Do you think... that they're gone?" Mahmut asked with concerned eyes.

"I guess so. Stupid, I already heard their voices when they came."

"Still, I think I will have to apologise to them later." Mahmut sighed while fixing his collar. "They must be very shocked."

"Well, their fault for trying to spy on us." Zaganos returned to his desk, and together with Mahmut, finished their lunch.
.
.
.

"What... was that?" Zeki asked when he managed to regain his sense.

"Our worst nightmare." Nurcan replied.