Theo's sharp features filled Luke's vision, and he blinked rapidly, confused by the sudden closeness. He couldn’t fathom why Theo had leaned in so abruptly. Was he upset because Luke had complained about the pain? But those eyes didn’t seem angry. If anything, they looked a little dazed, perhaps blurred by the steam swirling in the room.
Did he have sothing on his face? As Luke's mind raced to piece it together, Theo stopped moving, their faces now re inches apart. Then, as suddenly as he had leaned in, Theo’s pupils dilated slightly before he straightened and pulled back. Without a word, he resud washing Luke’s hair.
“What was that just now? Did I have sothing on my face?” Luke asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.
“…Maybe,” Theo replied curtly.
If that was the case, it was strange that he didn’t just remove whatever it was instead of staring at him like that. And if it wasn’t, why the vague answer?
Whatever it was, Theo didn’t elaborate. The silence between them stretched, broken only by Luke's occasional idle comnts, which Theo responded to with brief, noncommittal replies.
“Thanks. I feel so much better now,” Luke finally said as he dried his hair with a towel and stepped out of the bathroom, looking back at Theo with a satisfied smile.
Theo, however, didn’t look pleased. His expression remained stiff, and his usual composure seed unsettled. Luke chalked it up to having been dragged out near midnight to help, especially since Theo hadn’t had much ti to rest from the investigation either.
“Your sleeve’s all wet,” Luke pointed out, noticing the damp edge of Theo’s shirt. Reflexively, he reached out, but Theo quickly pulled back as if avoiding his touch.
“It’ll dry soon enough. I’ll be heading back to my room now,” Theo said brusquely.
“Ah… Right. Sleep well,” Luke replied, watching Theo retreat to his room. He scratched his head, puzzled by Theo’s unusually curt deanor.
Sothing was clearly bothering him, and the most likely culprit was Luke’s request to help wash his hair. Theo was only human, after all, and it wasn’t unreasonable for him to be irritated about being tasked with sothing so trivial while tired. Still, Theo had been the one to insist on taking responsibility and offering his help.
“How am I supposed to figure it out if he doesn’t say anything?” Luke muttered, exasperated. He considered asking Theo directly, but he doubted he’d get a straight answer. Theo wasn’t the type to openly share his feelings. Even during their ti in the military, Luke had never seen Theo confide in anyone or express personal emotions.
While Theo had always been protective and kind to his subordinates, it felt more like an extension of his duty than genuine emotional openness. Luke often thought of Theo as stoic, even to the point of being almost stone-like. He sotis wondered if Theo could even navigate a proper marriage.
The thought of Theo getting married... The idea spiraled further in Luke’s mind, growing strangely vivid yet awkwardly out of place. Imagining Theo in a formal setting, exchanging vows with soone chosen by his family, felt oddly uncomfortable. Luke brushed the feeling aside, dismissing it as a side effect of too much sleep earlier in the day.
“Maybe I just overslept,” he muttered, shaking his head as he returned to his room. He resolved that if Theo was still acting distant the next day, he’d ask him directly. With that thought, Luke lay down and drifted back to sleep.
***
"Uh?"
"Yes?"
The next morning arrived. Feeling refreshed from a good night’s sleep, Luke stretched with a much lighter expression on his face. Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Pale entered, carrying a tray with breakfast.
Luke tilted his head in confusion as soon as he realized it was Pale who had brought the food. His puzzled tone made Pale flinch, unsure if he had done sothing wrong.
"Why are you bringing this in? I thought Theo would show up like yesterday."
"Ah, Commander Theo left early this morning."
Pale relaxed, his expression softening, and began setting the food on the table.
"He left? Really?"
"Yes. Oh, now that I think about it, he asked to deliver a ssage to you before he left."
Luke blinked, still caught off guard.
"He said to let you know that he’ll contact you via the communication orb when the key witness’s condition improves."
By “key witness,” Theo must have ant Benji, and “condition improves” likely referred to Benji’s mana recovering. It was typical of Theo to avoid direct terms or explicit phrasing to prevent any potential information leaks.
Luke recalled discussing this with Theo on their way back after capturing Benji. He had asked to be involved when the mastermind behind the incident was revealed. After all, Luke was already deeply entangled in the matter, and his injured hand was a pressing issue that needed resolution.
While he hadn’t shared all his reasons with Theo, the latter had readily agreed. Theo understood that Luke had played a pivotal role in apprehending Benji and bringing the matter to light, so granting him the right to know seed fair. Additionally, as a forr soldier, Luke’s background posed no security concerns.
Luke had assud Theo would wait with him until Benji’s mana recovered. Yet now he was being told Theo had left that very morning?
"Did he say where he was going? He still needs to stay in the west for a bit longer, doesn’t he?"
"Not exactly. But if he still has work to do at the branch, he’s probably staying at the accommodations they arranged for him."
Even as Pale carefully placed a spoon in Luke’s left hand, Luke couldn’t shake his lingering confusion. It made sense for Theo to relocate to the branch’s lodgings—it was a more natural arrangent. He didn’t particularly mind that Theo had left; in fact, Luke almost wanted to say, Good riddance.
However, what bothered him was the way Theo had left without any prior notice or even a goodbye. And considering the last thing he’d seen of Theo was his strange deanor the night before, Luke felt even more unsettled.
"Was he really upset about asking him to help wash my hair?"
"Sorry?"
Luke’s mumble was a bit louder than intended, causing Pale to look at him quizzically.
"Are you having trouble eating with your left hand?"
"Pale, how would you feel if soone you didn’t get along with asked you for help?"
"Help? Hmm… I guess it would depend on what kind of help they were asking for."
Though clearly caught off guard by the sudden question, Pale answered earnestly.
"What if it was sothing like… helping them wash up?"
Pale froze mid-motion, the salad dressing in his hand suspended in midair. His wide-eyed stare seed to ask, Captain, what on earth have you been doing?
"If it were soone I didn’t get along with, I’d probably feel… reluctant."
That response was only natural. Thinking about it, Luke realized his relationship with Theo was… complicated, to say the least. It wasn’t good, but it wasn’t outright hostile either. If their relationship were plotted on a spectrum, it would probably lean slightly toward the "not good" side.
If Theo thought the sa way, then perhaps he had been annoyed. Still, the idea felt absurd. Theo had been the one to ask for Luke’s help with the investigation and to promise to take responsibility for his injury. Yet now he had left without a word after just one small request?
Luke stabbed a tomato on his plate with unnecessary force, popping it into his mouth with irritation.
"Uh, Captain?"
"What is it?"
"That hand of yours… Is it really okay?"
Pale glanced nervously at Luke’s bandaged hand. Despite Luke’s reassurances that the injury wasn’t serious, Pale didn’t seem entirely convinced.
"Of course. It’s fine."
"Honestly, I worry every ti I see how little regard you have for your own body."
"Do I really?"
Pale nodded vigorously, launching into an impassioned account of the countless tis he’d seen Luke recklessly push himself during his ti as their squad captain.
"You always did the most dangerous things on your own. Sotis I wondered if you even cared about your life."
"It’s actually the opposite."
Who wouldn’t value their life? Luke had his reasons for acting recklessly in the military—it was all part of a calculated plan to ensure Theo’s rapid promotion to commander so that Luke could retire and enjoy a peaceful life. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about his life; it was that he cared about it too much.
As Luke ate, his gaze drifted to his injured hand. Reflecting on Pale’s words, he realized he had indeed been especially reckless when it ca to matters involving Theo. Whether it was capturing Benji or resolving the incident quickly, a part of him had been driven by the desire to support Theo.
"Figuring Theo out is harder than anything else."
"Excuse ?"
"Nothing. Just saying your salad’s delicious."
Even as he complinted the food, Luke couldn’t shake the frustration gnawing at him. He stabbed another tomato with his fork, chewing it more aggressively than necessary as he mulled over Theo’s unexplained departure.
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