“Ugh, that’s weird.”
Reinhild crouched in front of the basin filled with water and fiddled with his lower lip.
He woke up to find his lip strangely stinging, and when he checked, his lower lip was all puffed up.
Even Reinhild, dull as he was, could notice it.
“Did a bee sting me?”
If a bee had stung him, there’s no way he wouldn’t have noticed. Then was it a bug bite?
“Guess there are bugs in the house.”
To think he’d have to live getting bitten by bugs… It was awful, but what could he do? It’s not like he could leave this place, so he’d just have to live with the bites.
Reinhild turned his head this way and that to try to get a better look at his lips.
There was no mirror in Xion’s house, so this was the only way to see his face. He hadn’t needed to look at his face before, so he hadn’t felt inconvenienced, but now that he’d run into a situation where he needed a mirror, it was maddening.
“It’s killing me.”
Ah, he mustn’t die.
After all he’d done to survive, to die just because he couldn’t look in a mirror would be a disaster.
In the end, having failed to use the water as a mirror, Reinhild went to find Xion, who was preparing breakfast.
“Xion, is my mouth weird?”
“It’s beautiful.”
The reply came without a moment’s hesitation.
“Not that. Isn’t it swollen?”
Reinhild scowled, as if trying to hide his reddening face, and pointed at his lips.
Just as Reinhild said, his lips were swollen like a balloon.
There was nothing strange about it. The night before, Xion had watched Reinhild sleeping, and whenever his heart tickled, he’d bitten and sucked them over and over.
If Reinhild had been even a little less adorable, this wouldn’t have happened.
Even now, the way he was grumbling while pointing at his lips was unbearably cute.
Is he asking me for a kiss?
Interpreting Reinhild’s behavior however suited him, Xion gave him a peck.
Reinhild stepped back in disbelief.
His lips hurt, and this guy thought to rub them? Did he have nothing but indecent thoughts in that head?
He was worried that if he got too close, Xion would bombard him with kisses again like last time, but he couldn’t put too much distance between them either.
The food Xion was cooking smelled far too delicious.
“What’s that?”
“Sausages and bread, cut into small pieces, topped with a special sauce and cheese, then baked in the oven.”
“Oho.”
He neatly omitted that he’d minced all sorts of vegetables into it as well.
“But it’s a dish best eaten hot, so it’ll be hard to eat if your lips hurt. For today I’ll make something else that’s a bit easier to eat…”
“No, it’s fine now.”
Reinhild answered quickly, worried Xion might put away the tasty-looking dish and bring fruit or oatmeal instead.
That day, too, Reinhild ate a delicious breakfast, and his thoroughly swollen lips slipped from his mind.
After breakfast, Reinhild sat under the sunny window and blinked drowsily.
Maybe because he’d gone to bed too early the night before, he’d woken up early as well. It hadn’t been that long since he woke up, and already sleep was washing over him.
This isn’t the time for that…
Even as he thought so, Reinhild drooped his head and nodded off.
Xion, having finished clearing the table, came over to him.
Reinhild always ignored the sofa in the living room and sat right on the floor where the sunlight was best.
It was a good thing Xion had laid down a soft rug beforehand near the window.
He sat beside him and pulled Reinhild’s head over to rest on his shoulder.
Reinhild rubbed his head against Xion’s shoulder with a visibly eased expression.
“I’m sleepy.”
“I suppose the warm weather is making you drowsy.”
“I was going to try going outside…”
“Shall we rest just a little and then go out?”
“Mm.”
Xion subtly moved his arm and wrapped it around Reinhild’s shoulders. With Reinhild leaning his whole weight against him, he nestled perfectly into Xion’s arms.
Reinhild didn’t panic and run or keep his guard up against Xion. He didn’t even watch for cues.
Instead, he relaxed comfortably in Xion’s embrace and closed his eyes with a contented face.
His belly was full, the sunlight was warm, and Xion’s arms were cozy.
“Rein.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Whenever Xion called his name, Reinhild answered in a mumble.
Like a gooey slime oozing down, Reinhild slowly slid lower and lower until he ended up sprawled out with his whole body draped across Xion’s lap.
Xion didn’t take his eyes off Reinhild for even a moment.
Beloved Rein. My Reinhild.
He’d meant to close the distance little by little and approach slowly but that wouldn’t do.
Having known the joy of regaining a happiness once had and then lost, starting everything over from the beginning felt like it would drive him mad.
He wanted to be everything to Reinhild.
Xion stroked Reinhild’s cheek and tapped his lower lip with the tip of his finger.
“Mm”
Perhaps it tickled; Reinhild scrunched his face and slit his eyes open.
If Xion tried to kiss him, he looked ready to roll to the side at once to evade.
Did he think he’d be able to get away?
Reinhild would have to forgive him, but Xion had not the slightest intention of letting him go.
Sensing ill omens, Reinhild watched for an opening, then quickly twisted his body to the side.
Moving just a fraction faster, Xion caught him before Reinhild could escape his arms.
“Wah!”
Still seated, Xion slid one hand under Reinhild’s back and the other behind his knees and lifted him.
Suddenly airborne again, Reinhild clutched Xion’s neck in fright.
“Are you afraid you’ll fall?”
“I-I was startled, that’s all! I… I’m not scared of things like this.”
He must have tried to think of a word starting with ma- other than mawang (Demon King) and failed.
“You needn’t worry. I will never, ever let Rein fall. Absolutely not.”
“…”
Reinhild didn’t reply, but the arms he’d wrapped tight around Xion’s neck loosened noticeably.
Xion found that both a pity and a pleasure.
It felt like Reinhild had gained some trust in him, surrendering his body to him like this even while still afraid.
Smooch.
Xion kissed the tip of Reinhild’s nose as Reinhild gazed at him steadily.
Finding his twitching, tickled nose adorable, he even nipped lightly at the spot he’d just kissed.
“That tickles.”
“Then how about here?”
He pressed his lips to Reinhild’s still slightly swollen mouth and rubbed, and Reinhild turned his head away.
He must not have minded the kiss itself, but disliked the stinging sensation.
Xion pecked his jaw where it showed as Reinhild turned his head. Rubbing his lips along the line of his jaw several times, he made Reinhild’s body flinch at the ticklish feeling.
“Don’t, Xion. It tickles.”
Since returning here, Reinhild had always watched for cues before doing anything, but now he made his wishes clear.
It felt like proof his wariness had come tumbling down, and Xion was pleased.
“Rein.”
“Mm.”
Even while blatantly showing he was miffed, Reinhild didn’t forget to answer.
Finding him all the more lovable, Xion rained pecks on his cheek.
Whether he’d completely given up on getting away, Reinhild sighed and let his arms fall from around Xion’s neck.
Not yet understanding how dangerous it was to entrust his whole body to Xion, Reinhild sagged and basked in the pouring sunlight.
Floating in the air was a bit uncomfortable with Xion treating the Demon King’s face like a piece of candy to be sucked and nibbled, but it was not bad.
Reinhild closed his eyes again and nodded off as before.
At Reinhild’s ear, Xion whispered over and over.
“Rein.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“My Rein.”
“Mmm…”
“Reinhild.”
“Mm. …Huh?”
Reinhild’s eyes flew open and he looked at Xion.
Xion’s face was so close it was less than a handspan away.
Just a slight stretch and their noses would touch. It was that close.
Feeling Xion’s gaze fixed on him without the slightest wavering, Reinhild’s heart began to race.
Thump, thump, thump.
He wanted to raise his body, but Xion still held him fast; he couldn’t move as he pleased.
Did I ever tell him the name Reinhild?
Straining his brains as hard as he could, Reinhild ran through every past conversation with Xion.
No matter how he thought about it, he’d never told him anything but the alias “Rein.”
He was confused.
“How did…”
Before he could even ask How did you know? Xion kissed him.
Reinhild reflexively shut his eyes.
Expecting, as last time, that Xion’s tongue would push into his mouth and his head would spin so hard he wouldn’t know what was happening, Reinhild stiffened and hunched his shoulders.
But contrary to his expectations, this kiss ended with Xion simply drawing up his lower lip once with a suck.
With a soft smack, Xion exhaled a breath that sounded like a sigh. Then, with their lips still barely touching, he murmured in a small voice.
“My Demon King.”
Reinhild’s body trembled as if struck by lightning.
He had to say something, but he had no idea what to say.
How? No… since when?
The hands holding Reinhild tightened a little more as if to leave him not even the slightest chance to escape.
With a resolve that he would never, ever let go.
After a brief silence, it was Xion, not Reinhild, who spoke first.
“How long were you planning on pretending to have lost your memory?”
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