Atmywords,arendidn’tevenblink.esimplystaredatwithcleareyes,asifquietlytryingtogaugewhatant.
thisgazeandcalmlysortedthroughmyemotions.
hestorm-likeeventshadtornthroughcompletely,andwhathadsettledafterwardremainedheavyinmychest.
oldinghisgaze,spokeslowly,choosingeachwordwithcare.
“Whenthatthingwantedyou.Whenitrushedin,askingforevenoneofyourlegs...didn’twanttogiveitevenasinglestrandofyourhair.”
Repeatingthosehorrifyingwordsmadereachoutalittlemore.Asranmyfingersthroughhisglossyhair,finallyspokethetruthhadbeenholdingback.
“Whenitdrankyourblood,itfeltlikeallthebloodinmybodywasbeingdrainedout.aren...ratherthanletittakeevenadropofyourblood,wouldhavegivenitmyheart.”
“hat’sridiculous.hatlevelofinjuryansnothingtoadragon.Butyou—”
“istento,aren.”
earingsothinghedidn’tlike,arenimdiatelypushedback.Butatmyfirmtone,heclosedhismouth.
“aren,ifsothingweretohappentoyou...ifweretoloseyou,’ddoanythingtoo.”
“......”
“fcouldprotectyoubyburningtheentireworld,’ddoitwithouthesitation.”
otlongago,hadbeenscoldinghimforsettingfiressorecklessly.
Butnow,couldunderstandhim.
fwereadragontoo,andlostarenrightinfrontof,’dprobablyturnthisdamnedworldintoanoceanoffire.
farendisappearedfromthisworld,therewouldbenoreasonfortoexisteither.
Soevenifthisaninglessworldburnedawayentirely,wouldn’tfeelathing.
twasarenwhohadcaughtholdofwhenfellintothisunfamiliarworldandcouldn’tadapt.
Withouthim,wouldneverhavefoundareasontoexist,andthisworldwouldhaveantnothingto.
“Fromthemontfirstsawyou,wantedtoprotectyou.thought...ifitantyoucouldbehappy,coulddoanything.”
“......”
“Butnow...whatfeelnowis...”
nlyafterseeingarenfallintodangerbecauseofdidfinallyputaperiodonit.
venifitmadeselfish.venifitmadeacoward.
“don’twanttogiveyou...aren,don’twanttogiveyoutoanyoneelse.otadropofyourblood,notasinglestrandofyourhair.”
“......”
“Sowhat’msayingis...aren,listencarefully.”
Asmywordsgrewlonger,aren’sexpressionstiffened.
Seeinghisreactiononlymademylipsdry.
wetthemonceandclearedmythroat,thentightlygraspedhishand—nearlytwicethesizeofmine.
“know’mbeinggreedy.’mjustanordinaryhuman,andyou’rethekingofdragons.tdoesn’treallyaddup.”
“Whatareyoutalkingabout,Ceryl?”
“knowitdoesn’taddupbetweenus...knowyou’retoogoodfor.Butdon’thaveanythingtogiveexceptmyself.”
hadpreparedsothingfarmoreelegantandromanticinmyhead,butwhatcaoutwasclumsyanddisjointed.
Mypalmkeptgrowingdampwhereourhandswerejoined.
nsteadofwipingitaway,liftedhishand.
islong,palefingerscaintoview,andcarefullypressedmylipstothebackofhishandbeforepullingaway.
Forthegooddragonwhohadwaitedsolongfor,chosethewordsthoughthewouldwanttohear.
“’llgivemyselftoyou.So...yougiveeverythingyouaretoo.”
“......”
“Becomymate,aren.”
hadonlysaidafewwordswhilesittingstill,yetforsoreasonmybreathinggrewuneven.
loweredmygazetohishandandwaitedforhisanswer.
Butevenaftermyawkwardconfessionended,arensaidnothing.
Whenlookedupathimwithtenseeyes,allsawwasanunfamiliarexpression.
“...Doyounotwantto?”
broketheuncomfortablesilenceandasked.
ehadproposedtosomanytis—hadthoughttherewasnowaythisconfessioncouldfail.
Butwitheverybreathtookunderthatunreadableexpression,itfeltlikemylifewasbeingshavedawaylittlebylittle.
Afteralongmont✧оvеight✧(riginalsource)ofstillness,arenfinallymovedfirst,pullingmyhandtowardhim.
Justashaddone,hepressedhislipstothebackofmyhandandansweredinasoftwhisper.
“Whenwasaloneintheundergroundprison...Ceryl,youcatofind.”
espokeoftheveryfirsttiwet.
hathellishsightandstenchwerestillvividinmymory.
Whenunconsciouslyfrowned,arenlightlybrushedthebackofmyhandashecontinuedgently.
“Whenwantedtodiebutcouldn’t...youfound.Youbroughtlightintomyworld,gaveascent,andtaughtwhatloveis.”
Whenheliftedhishead,hisblueeyeswerefilledwithsothingcouldn’tputintowords.
venwithoutspeaking,thedepthofhisemotionsreachedcompletely.
“Fromthatmonton,youweremyworld,Ceryl.herestofmylifebelongstoyou.”
arenhadbecomyreasontoexist,andhadbecohisworld.
Mybreathkeptcatchinginmythroat,butcouldn’tcryyet.swalloweditdown.
Withastiffenedthroat,barelymanagedtospeakthefinalwords.
Wordshadonlyeverreceivedfromhim—now,atlast,couldreturnthem.
“...loveyou.loveyou,arenDravergh.”
heywerefamiliar,ordinarywords.
Andyet,theyhadalwaysheldadistancebetweenus.
ow,theyhadbecosothingthatantexactlythesatobothofus.
repeatedthemagainandagain,asifmakingavow.
etingeachother’seyesinsilence,neitherofusmovedfirst—andyet,atthesati,webothleanedinandfoundeachother’slips.
Perhapsbecausewehadhelditinforsolong,ourmoventswereurgent,evenclumsyasourlipscollidedharderthanintended—butitdidn’tmatter.
wrappedmyarmsaroundaren’sneckandtiltedmyhead,andheeasilyliftedmybodywitharmsfilledwithstrength.
Straddlinghimaswefacedeachother,lostmyselfinhim.
isbodyheatwrappedaround,andtheirregularpoundingofhisheartagainstmychestreverberatedthroughmyentirebody.
ursoftfleshsoughteachother,andswallowedsalivathatnolongerfeltlikeitbelongedtoeitherofus.
venthoughonlyourlipswereconnected,thesensationofoursoulsintertwiningmadethebackofmyneckburn.
Afterkissinghimbreathlessly,pulledbackforamonttocatchmybreath.
Rightbefore,hisdragoneyestrembled,soakedwithdeepaffectionandheat.
“aa...aren,’msorry.”
“Whatareyousorryfor?”
“Forsayingitsolate.kept...keptpushingyourfeelingsaway.”
Regretcarushinginlikeatide.
fitwasalwaysgoingtoendlikethis,shouldhaveacceptedhisfeelingsmuchsooner.
tfeltlikehadmadethisyoung,gentledragonsufferfartoolong,andtearsprickedatmyeyes.
resentedtheaninglesstihadletslipaway.
cuppedhisfacewithdesperatehands—butarenonlysmiledsoftly.
“knew,Ceryl.hatyouloved.”
egentlyheldthebackofmyheadandkissedmycheek,thetipofmynose,evenmyeyelids,makingsoftsoundsashedid.
Attheticklish,heart-stirringtouch,slowlyclosedmyeyes.
“couldtellfromthewayyoulookedat,fromthewayyousaidmyna.feltallofit.”
“...Really?”
“venwithoutwords,understoodeverything.Morethananything...”
arenwrappedbotharmsaroundmyupperbodyandburiedhisfaceagainstmyneck.
einhaleddeeply,takinginmyscent,andletoutalowlaugh.
“Atsopoint,youstartedtosllsweetto.couldfeeltheloveyoucouldn’thide.”
Asubtlechangethathumanscouldnevernotice—thisperceptivedragonhadalreadyseenthroughit.
reallydidwastemytifornothing.
ettingoutahollowlaugh,tightenedmyarmsaroundhisneck.
isbody,solargeitoverflowedmyembrace,feltunbearablyprecious.
oldingontoabodydidn’twantevenascratchon,aheartdidn’twanttogiveupevenaspeckof—
leanedclosetohisear,flushedwithheat,andwhispered.
“aren,sayittoo.”
“What?”
“...Sayyoulove.”
mutteredthewords,embarrassed.
Butarenunderstoodperfectly.Witharadiantsmile,heturnedtoface.
nhisbrilliantblueeyes—brighterthanever—sawmyselfsmilingback.
“couldsayitallnight.loveyou,Ceryl.”
“......”
“’llloveyoufortherestofmylife.Untilreturntotheprimordialfla,’llloveonlyyou.”
hedragon’sconfessionburnedhotterthantheflashehadunleashed.
heideaofeternity,whichoncefeltlikeaburden,nowseednothingbutromantic.
cuppedhischeekswithbothhandsandkissedhimoncemore.
Pressingmylipsagainsthislikeaseal,pulledawayandspokewithabright,liftedvoice.
“umansdon’tliveaslongasdragons.”
“hat’s...”
“Soevenafterdie,’llloveyou.nthenextlife...evenifendupinanotherworldagain.arenDravergh,’llloveyou.”
hisfeelingthatcouldgiveupevenlifeitselffortheother.
hisbondwhere,withouttheother,evenmyownexistencebecosaningless.
sthereanywordthatfitsbetterthanlove?
Reviews
All reviews (0)