“Xion, don’t you work?”
It had been a week since Reinhild lost his memory and returned to Root.
For the first time, Reinhild asked Xion a personal question.
Was he finally starting to show interest in him? Xion held himself back from dashing over and hugging Reinhild.
“There’s been a lot of snow, so I’m resting for now.”
“Hm…”
Reinhild turned his gaze to the window. Outside, big, fluffy snowflakes were pouring down.
If you took even a single step outside, you’d turn into a snow-king right away.
Reinhild nodded as if he understood.
“I see.”
Heart thumping with excitement, Xion waited for Reinhild to ask what he did for a living.
Since the “farmer” job he’d set up as a show for the other residents of Root was no longer needed, he’d prepared another occupation.
Xion planned to explain that he was a noble exiled to a forsaken borderland.
He’d been driven out after getting entangled in political strife, but had committed no crime; he’d brought enough money to live on for the rest of his life, and would spend his remaining days here alone. That was the setup.
That would explain how Xion could live in comfort without working at all. Reinhild hated headache-inducing worries, so he wouldn’t ask what sort of political strife it had been.
He might even map his own situation, having been driven out of the Demon King’s castle, onto Xion’s and feel sorry for him. If they felt a shared lot, Reinhild’s wariness toward Xion would likely ease.
There was also the intent to emphasize the absence of other villages or towns nearby, so Reinhild wouldn’t think to leave Root and flee elsewhere.
“…”
But no matter how long he waited, Reinhild didn’t ask Xion’s occupation.
He didn’t ask any other questions, either.
Is he not that interested yet?
It was a bit disappointing, but it was fine. He didn’t expect Reinhild to throw his heart wide open after just a week.
It would be better to seep in very slowly over a long time so the effect would last. With a smile, Xion rose to his feet.
“Shall we have some hot cocoa together and watch the snow?”
“Will you put marshmallows in it?”
“Of course.”
“Okay.”
Xion sat close by Reinhild’s side as he scooped up the marshmallows piled atop the cocoa and ate them and watched the scene outside.
All you could see was so much snow pouring down that you couldn’t make out what was ahead, with the sound of the wind roaring, but to Xion, viewing this landscape together with Reinhild made it more beautiful than anything in the world.
Xion adjusted the number of logs so the room temperature was neither cold nor too warm.
Usually it wasn’t uncomfortable, but when they sat by the window where the chill seeped in, like today, it could feel cool.
Then Reinhild would wiggle his feet and sidle up against Xion.
Putting on a forced smile as if nothing were happening, Xion held back the urge to snatch up the eye-rolling Reinhild and nip his nose.
Staring straight at him, Reinhild seemed in a good mood; he smiled loosely and rested his head on Xion’s chest.
To see Reinhild smiling… he was lucky today.
And to be able to do nothing while seeing that, he felt like he was going into withdrawal.
He hadn’t so much as laid a fingertip on Reinhild, who was gradually relaxing and showing brighter expressions as time passed; he deserved praise for holding out so well.
Maybe a kiss would be okay?
He could claim it was because he looked cold. Would Reinhild believe him if he insisted people here share body heat when they’re cold?
Xion cupped Reinhild’s cheek with the arm Reinhild wasn’t leaning on.
Perhaps caught off guard, Reinhild hunched his shoulders, but he didn’t avoid him.
The soft feel under his hand pleased him.
So did the faint warmth he felt at his fingertips, and at the same time Reinhild’s cheeks flushed.
Even better was that Reinhild didn’t avert his gaze but quietly met his eyes, his own eyes round.
Xion slowly lowered his head toward Reinhild.
Thud!
“Oh! Sounds like someone’s here.”
Xion’s attempt at a kiss failed because Reinhild turned his head toward the door.
“Xion, someone’s here.”
“…That’s impossible. It’s just the two of us here.”
Reinhild wore a baffled expression.
Humans live in swarms, packed together, and yet here there was only Xion. It was an expression that said he couldn’t make sense of it.
That face was so lovable that a confession of “I like you” almost burst out on its own.
Creeeak—
Every time the door made a sound, Reinhild craned his neck and turned his gaze in that direction.
As if he was convinced there really was someone outside the door.
Is he expecting someone to come?
He knew that couldn’t be and yet pointless jealousy boiled in his gut.
He wanted to turn Reinhild’s gaze, fixed on the creaking door, back this way.
If he grabbed his shoulders and faced him his way, it would be simple but then Reinhild would dislike it.
In the end, Xion rose and headed for the door.
When he opened it, a blast of cold air and a heap of snow swept in.
“The wind must be so strong it sounded like a knock.”
“Whew.”
Reinhild, rather than disappointed that no one was outside, seemed relieved.
He must have been tense, afraid the Hero had come looking to harm him, not expecting a visitor.
Xion’s mood rose in tandem.
“Rein, it’s cold out.”
Just opening the door for a moment made the cozy house turn chill.
Instead of feeding the fireplace more logs to warm the room, Xion opened his arms to Reinhild.
Wrapped in a blanket over his shoulders, Reinhild ran into Xion’s embrace.
“You mustn’t catch a cold, so please pardon me for a moment.”
“Mm.”
Xion hugged Reinhild tight, as if he meant to trap him inside his arms.
Reinhild squirmed for a little while and then soon settled down.
I love you.
Murmuring only inwardly, Xion buried his head against Reinhild’s shoulder. With Reinhild’s small frame, he ended up buried deep in Xion’s arms.
When Xion’s breath brushed the nape of his neck, Reinhild began to squirm again.
Having no intention of letting Reinhild escape his arms, Xion only held him tighter.
“…”
Reinhild soon gave up and relaxed again.
Would it be all right to carry Rain now and head for the bed? If he whispered that he liked him, Reinhild would be at a loss, face blazing red. If he then kissed him, though he might try to push him away for a moment, he would accept it. And then…
“Xion.”
“Yes, Rein.”
At Reinhild’s call, Xion answered with a neat smile, as if nothing had happened.
“When can I go outside?”
“You… want to go out?”
“Yeah. It feels stifling to stay indoors.”
“…”
He wasn’t thinking of finding out when the snow would stop so he could run away, was he?
Unconsciously, Xion’s arms around Reinhild tightened.
Truly feeling stifled now, Reinhild wriggled and strained, then, realizing Xion had no intention of letting go, went limp again.
Even when he looked up with a face full of complaint, he was only lovable.
Meeting Reinhild’s eyes, Xion’s mood lifted. He smiled gently and kissed Reinhild’s forehead.
Ah, damn.
He’d done it himself, but he realized his mistake. He’d meant to approach more slowly. He didn’t want to act on impulse, hands moving ahead of him out of excitement like last time and ruin everything.
Xion stole a glance at Reinhild’s expression.
Instead of being startled or flustered by Xion’s act, Reinhild pouted.
“So it’ll be a while before I can go out…”
He seemed to take Xion’s peck as a gesture to comfort him for feeling cooped up.
If so, maybe it would be okay to be a bit bolder.
If he said a tender kiss was for Rein’s sake… No, not yet. He had to be patient and not rush.
“I wanted to go look at the winter flowers together.”
There was a pop—as if a sound flashed through his head.
Perhaps that was the sound of his reason snapping.
“Then next time—mmph!”
Xion tightened his embrace around Reinhild and kissed him.
From the instant he realized that wanting to go out didn’t mean wanting to flee, but wanting to spend time with him, he couldn’t keep his sanity.
“Mm—hio…”
With his lips pressed, Reinhild made a deflating-breath sound and pushed hard against Xion’s shoulder. The harder he pushed, the tighter Xion’s arms held him, and the more suffocating it felt.
With their faces pressed together and heads bent, the posture was uncomfortable. But he couldn’t break their joined lips now that they’d finally met.
Still holding Reinhild with his left arm, Xion gripped his waist firmly and straightened his own posture.
As a result, Reinhild’s body lifted into the air.
“Hyah!”
The moment his feet left the floor, Reinhild let out a short cry and clutched Xion in a panic.
Xion didn’t miss that brief moment when Reinhild’s mouth opened; he slipped his tongue inside.
“Mm—hhu.”
Reinhild’s body trembled.
He had flown at far greater heights before, but perhaps being lifted into the air without his own will frightened him; he desperately tried to cling to Xion.
At Reinhild’s desperate motions, as if Xion were his lifeline, heat rushed to the top of Xion’s head until he felt he might burst.
This won’t do. There’ll be no going back. Stop while there’s still an excuse. Don’t blow this chance you’ve finally regained, Xion. Get a grip.
He shouted it in his head again and again, but his body moved on its own before his mind.
Unable either to push away or to accept Xion’s tongue rummaging in his mouth, Reinhild let out little groans, face flushed as if he’d burst into tears at any moment.
In the end, it wasn’t until Reinhild, unable to breathe properly, pounded furiously on Xion’s back that Xion finally pulled his lips away.
“Hah… hah… h—”
Having come back from the brink, Reinhild panted wildly.
Tears pooled in his eyes, and his face was scarlet to the very tips of his nose and ears.
A drop of saliva, not swallowed properly during the kiss, clung to his lip and then slid down his chin.
When Xion leaned in, Reinhild flinched, shoulders twitching, and drew his body back. Then, realizing he was still up in the air, he clung to Xion again.
Xion sought Reinhild’s lips, now right in front of his own, and nipped them.
Fearing that what had just happened would start again, Reinhild squeezed his eyes shut but thankfully, Xion merely kissed his lips a few times and then let him go.
As his feet touched the floor again, strength drained from his legs. Had Xion not supported him, Reinhild would have collapsed right there.
Watching Reinhild go limp, Xion beamed.
“When the snow stops, let’s go see the winter flowers together.”
Reinhild was dumbfounded by Xion’s shameless response.
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