"It’s fun. Really..." Just as he said these words, Xion was reminded of that ti he’d seen Darius’ muscles.
Coincidentally, the archduke was dripping wet at that ti, and also very sick, so there was only a faint outline on his abdon.
Suddenly, an entirely inappropriate thought popped into his head. Did the archduke have abs now? The idea alone made heat crawl up his ears.
"I’ll look away if you’re shy," Darius said smoothly, the corner of his mouth twitching. He was enjoying this far too much.
How could he not, when Xion looked so speechless? The poor baby even found it hard to retort.
"I’ve seen other n undress before. It’s hardly exciting. But..." Darius deliberately dragged out the words, stepping closer, "baby seems to have... other thoughts. Scandalous ones if I may add."
And then Xion’s brain caught up. Oh. Oh!
He flushed, a soft red blooming across his cheeks. "I-I wasn’t saying it like that...!" He was criticizing, okay!
"But, Xion," Mischief danced in those green eyes as Darius took another step forward, "you are staring at with such an intense gaze."
Then another step.
Xion instinctively backed up until his back hit the cold stone wall of the cavern.
The archduke stopped before him, leaning in just enough that Xion had to tilt his head back to et his eyes.
"Ah," Darius said with a smirk, "were you perhaps imagining naked in the water?"
"I’m not!" Xion yelped, nearly slipping on the smooth stone as he tried to escape the insinuation.
But the archduke was one step ahead, a steady hand pressing against the wall beside Xion to keep him in place.
"Then you shall take a dip. No?"
Xion, whose brain was now lting at an alarming rate, scrambled for what little pride he had left.
"Sure," he said, attempting a confident tone. "I suggest we take a dip together."
The words dropped into the steamy silence of the cavern like a boulder.
Even the sound of dripping water seed too loud.
Xion: "...." I must be out of my mind.
"Sweetheart," Darius’ voice was like a silky warning wrapping Xion up from all directions, "do you have any... misunderstandings about ?"
Xion blinked, utterly lost. "W-what?"
"You said," Darius reminded, clearly amused, "you want to take a bath with . Is that it?"
Xion’s eyes widened. Then his ears turned red before the blush spread to his whole face. "I– I..."
Darius let out a low, rich laugh. It sounded unbothered, but to Xion, it was dangerous.
"I suggest we take a dip together, is what you said." As he spoke, his fingers reached out, brushing lightly against Xion’s jaw in a teasing flick like he was toying with a kitten. Which, frankly, he was.
"Now you sound like you’re offering sothing... indecent." His words were a velvet trap, smooth and warm, laced with sothing darker.
"But Xion... who said I wouldn’t do sothing else to you? Like kissing you. Holding you. Maybe even—"
"I didn’t—! That’s not what I ant!" Xion squeaked, practically trying to rge with the rock wall behind him.
Darius chuckled again, "So, I suggest, you don’t tempt like that unless you’re ready. Yeah?"
Xion nodded hurriedly. Forget ready, he was never saying anything like that again!
Darius was staring at the red face. His gaze lowered to those soft pink lips... sweet enough to devour.
They were pressed into an adorable pout. And gods help him, he really wanted to kiss them until Xion couldn’t make any sound other than pleasured noises.
He swallowed, the knot in his throat rising and falling. But now wasn’t the ti.
So instead, he let his finger trace along Xion’s jawline again, light as a whisper. "I brought you here because the spring has special properties."
The words managed to snap Xion from his embarrassnt for a mont. "Ah?"
"Your body’s overworked, darling." His touch slid up along the warm cheeks and gently brushed just beneath Xion’s tired eyes. "You’re barely holding your core stable. Even with just a few hours of sleep, it shows. You’ve lost weight. And those dark circles..."
He trailed off, then added, quieter this ti, "From now on, I’ll take care of you myself."
The tenderness in his voice tugged at sothing deep in Xion’s chest.
"Oh." It was all he could say before whispering, "Thank you." For thinking so much about .
"Don’t thank , Xion. After all," Darius’ breath was warm against Xion’s sensitive ear while his voice dipped lower, hoarse and suggestive.
It made Xion’s ears itch and his stomach felt funny.
"You’ll need your full strength for all the things I’ve planned for you. Like..." His lips nearly brushed Xion’s skin. "...making you moan my na."
Xion made a sound between a squeak and a gasp.
Before he could collapse from sheer embarrassnt, Darius pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. Rather than a kiss, it was more like a feather lightly brushing over his face.
"I’ll wait outside."
And just like that, he turned and disappeared into the mist, swallowed by steam.
Xion slowly slid down to the ground, dazed.
Did he just-? M-moan his na...?
The heat that blood across his face raced down to his chest and legs, curling through every inch of him just like his toes.
And then sothing cracked in his brain. It was the sound of his sanity breaking.
Well, Xion wasn’t the only one feeling overwheld.
Darius stood outside the enchanted cave. There was no flirtatious glint in his eyes, nor was there any smile on his lips. Instead, his face was stern, his sharp jaw taut from tension.
And then — without warning — he drove his fist into the nearby rock.
The boulder, easily twice his size, cracked under the force of the blow, splintering down the middle.
Blood ran from his knuckles, dripping steadily onto the snow-dusted ground. But Darius didn’t so much as flinch.
What was pain, compared to the line he’d almost crossed?
He’d promised himself he would take it slow. That he wouldn’t do anything reckless, nothing that might frighten Xion, or push him away.
And yet...
Taking in a deep breath, he stared at the bright sky. It was a rare thing to witness a warm sun like this. Just like watching Xion so close to him.
It was driving him mad with delight.
"Please don’t make wait for too long, my love. Or I might do sothing terrible."
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