Atmywords,arendidn’tevenblink.esimplystaredatmewithcleareyes,asifquietlytryingtogaugewhatmeant.
methisgazeandcalmlysortedthroughmyemotions.
hestorm-likeeventshadtornthroughmecompletely,andwhathadsettledafterwardremainedheavyinmychest.
oldinghisgaze,spokeslowly,choosingeachwordwithcare.
“Whenthatthingwantedyou.Whenitrushedin,askingforevenoneofyourlegs...didn’twanttogiveitevenasinglestrandofyourhair.”
Repeatingthosehorrifyingwordsmademereachoutalittlemore.Asranmyfingersthroughhisglossyhair,finallyspokethetruthhadbeenholdingback.
“Whenitdrankyourblood,itfeltlikeallthebloodinmybodywasbeingdrainedout.aren...ratherthanletittakeevenadropofyourblood,wouldhavegivenitmyheart.”
“hat’sridiculous.hatlevelofinjurymeansnothingtoadragon.Butyou—”
“istentome,aren.”
earingsomethinghedidn’tlike,arenimmediatelypushedback.Butatmyfirmtone,heclosedhismouth.
“aren,ifsomethingweretohappentoyou...ifweretoloseyou,’ddoanythingtoo.”
“......”
“fcouldprotectyoubyburningtheentireworld,’ddoitwithouthesitation.”
otlongago,hadbeenscoldinghimforsettingfiressorecklessly.
Butnow,couldunderstandhim.
fwereadragontoo,andlostarenrightinfrontofme,’dprobablyturnthisdamnedworldintoanoceanoffire.
farendisappearedfromthisworld,therewouldbenoreasonformetoexisteither.
Soevenifthismeaninglessworldburnedawayentirely,wouldn’tfeelathing.
twasarenwhohadcaughtholdofmewhenfellintothisunfamiliarworldandcouldn’tadapt.
Withouthim,wouldneverhavefoundareasontoexist,andthisworldwouldhavemeantnothingtome.
“Fromthemomentfirstsawyou,wantedtoprotectyou.thought...ifitmeantyoucouldbehappy,coulddoanything.”
“......”
“Butnow...whatfeelnowis...”
nlyafterseeingarenfallintodangerbecauseofmedidfinallyputaperiodonit.
venifitmademeselfish.venifitmademeacoward.
“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’retoogoodforme.Butdon’thaveanythingtogiveexceptmyself.”
hadpreparedsomethingfarmoreelegantandromanticinmyhead,butwhatcameoutwasclumsyanddisjointed.
Mypalmkeptgrowingdampwhereourhandswerejoined.
nsteadofwipingitaway,liftedhishand.
islong,palefingerscameintoview,andcarefullypressedmylipstothebackofhishandbeforepullingaway.
Forthegooddragonwhohadwaitedsolongforme,chosethewordsthoughthewouldwanttohear.
“’llgivemyselftoyou.So...yougivemeeverythingyouaretoo.”
“......”
“Becomemymate,aren.”
hadonlysaidafewwordswhilesittingstill,yetforsomereasonmybreathinggrewuneven.
loweredmygazetohishandandwaitedforhisanswer.
Butevenaftermyawkwardconfessionended,arensaidnothing.
Whenlookedupathimwithtenseeyes,allsawwasanunfamiliarexpression.
“...Doyounotwantto?”
broketheuncomfortablesilenceandasked.
ehadproposedtomesomanytimes—hadthoughttherewasnowaythisconfessioncouldfail.
Butwitheverybreathtookunderthatunreadableexpression,itfeltlikemylifewasbeingshavedawaylittlebylittle.
Afteralongmoment✧оvеight✧(riginalsource)ofstillness,arenfinallymovedfirst,pullingmyhandtowardhim.
Justashaddone,hepressedhislipstothebackofmyhandandansweredinasoftwhisper.
“Whenwasaloneintheundergroundprison...Ceryl,youcametofindme.”
espokeoftheveryfirsttimewemet.
hathellishsightandstenchwerestillvividinmymemory.
Whenunconsciouslyfrowned,arenlightlybrushedthebackofmyhandashecontinuedgently.
“Whenwantedtodiebutcouldn’t...youfoundme.Youbroughtlightintomyworld,gavemeascent,andtaughtmewhatloveis.”
Whenheliftedhishead,hisblueeyeswerefilledwithsomethingcouldn’tputintowords.
venwithoutspeaking,thedepthofhisemotionsreachedmecompletely.
“Fromthatmomenton,youweremyworld,Ceryl.herestofmylifebelongstoyou.”
arenhadbecomemyreasontoexist,andhadbecomehisworld.
Mybreathkeptcatchinginmythroat,butcouldn’tcryyet.swalloweditdown.
Withastiffenedthroat,barelymanagedtospeakthefinalwords.
Wordshadonlyeverreceivedfromhim—now,atlast,couldreturnthem.
“...loveyou.loveyou,arenDravergh.”
heywerefamiliar,ordinarywords.
Andyet,theyhadalwaysheldadistancebetweenus.
ow,theyhadbecomesomethingthatmeantexactlythesametobothofus.
repeatedthemagainandagain,asifmakingavow.
Meetingeachother’seyesinsilence,neitherofusmovedfirst—andyet,atthesametime,webothleanedinandfoundeachother’slips.
Perhapsbecausewehadhelditinforsolong,ourmovementswereurgent,evenclumsyasourlipscollidedharderthanintended—butitdidn’tmatter.
wrappedmyarmsaroundaren’sneckandtiltedmyhead,andheeasilyliftedmybodywitharmsfilledwithstrength.
Straddlinghimaswefacedeachother,lostmyselfinhim.
isbodyheatwrappedaroundme,andtheirregularpoundingofhisheartagainstmychestreverberatedthroughmyentirebody.
ursoftfleshsoughteachother,andswallowedsalivathatnolongerfeltlikeitbelongedtoeitherofus.
venthoughonlyourlipswereconnected,thesensationofoursoulsintertwiningmadethebackofmyneckburn.
Afterkissinghimbreathlessly,pulledbackforamomenttocatchmybreath.
Rightbeforeme,hisdragoneyestrembled,soakedwithdeepaffectionandheat.
“aa...aren,’msorry.”
“Whatareyousorryfor?”
“Forsayingitsolate.kept...keptpushingyourfeelingsaway.”
Regretcamerushinginlikeatide.
fitwasalwaysgoingtoendlikethis,shouldhaveacceptedhisfeelingsmuchsooner.
tfeltlikehadmadethisyoung,gentledragonsufferfartoolong,andtearsprickedatmyeyes.
resentedthemeaninglesstimehadletslipaway.
cuppedhisfacewithdesperatehands—butarenonlysmiledsoftly.
“knew,Ceryl.hatyoulovedme.”
egentlyheldthebackofmyheadandkissedmycheek,thetipofmynose,evenmyeyelids,makingsoftsoundsashedid.
Attheticklish,heart-stirringtouch,slowlyclosedmyeyes.
“couldtellfromthewayyoulookedatme,fromthewayyousaidmyname.feltallofit.”
“...Really?”
“venwithoutwords,understoodeverything.Morethananything...”
arenwrappedbotharmsaroundmyupperbodyandburiedhisfaceagainstmyneck.
einhaleddeeply,takinginmyscent,andletoutalowlaugh.
“Atsomepoint,youstartedtosmellsweettome.couldfeeltheloveyoucouldn’thide.”
Asubtlechangethathumanscouldnevernotice—thisperceptivedragonhadalreadyseenthroughit.
reallydidwastemytimefornothing.
ettingoutahollowlaugh,tightenedmyarmsaroundhisneck.
isbody,solargeitoverflowedmyembrace,feltunbearablyprecious.
oldingontoabodydidn’twantevenascratchon,aheartdidn’twanttogiveupevenaspeckof—
leanedclosetohisear,flushedwithheat,andwhispered.
“aren,sayittoo.”
“What?”
“...Sayyouloveme.”
mutteredthewords,embarrassed.
Butarenunderstoodperfectly.Witharadiantsmile,heturnedtofaceme.
nhisbrilliantblueeyes—brighterthanever—sawmyselfsmilingback.
“couldsayitallnight.loveyou,Ceryl.”
“......”
“’llloveyoufortherestofmylife.Untilreturntotheprimordialflame,’llloveonlyyou.”
hedragon’sconfessionburnedhotterthantheflameshehadunleashed.
heideaofeternity,whichoncefeltlikeaburden,nowseemednothingbutromantic.
cuppedhischeekswithbothhandsandkissedhimoncemore.
Pressingmylipsagainsthislikeaseal,pulledawayandspokewithabright,liftedvoice.
“umansdon’tliveaslongasdragons.”
“hat’s...”
“Soevenafterdie,’llloveyou.nthenextlife...evenifendupinanotherworldagain.arenDravergh,’llloveyou.”
hisfeelingthatcouldgiveupevenlifeitselffortheother.
hisbondwhere,withouttheother,evenmyownexistencebecomesmeaningless.
sthereanywordthatfitsbetterthanlove?
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