<Chapter 125>
#14. The Calm Before the Storm (7)
Calix’s mood softened at the whispering voice that even made a “knock-knock” sound with his mouth, and he moved closer to where the shadow was visible on the tent.
“Why did you come here? Isn’t it cold outside?”
Melty rubbed his nose with his hand and crouched down on one side at the affectionate voice dripping with tenderness. Seeing him firmly settled in place, Calix also moved closer and settled down.
“So I put on lots of layers before coming.”
“I see. It looks that way.”
“Huh? How did you know?”
Melty’s shoulders twitched in surprise at Calix’s words. Even from just his shadow, it was easy to imagine how his eyes had widened. The smile on Calix’s lips deepened.
“It’s obvious without seeing. Is there anything I don’t know about you?”
“…You don’t know plenty of things.”
“Not true.”
“You didn’t even know what my gift was.”
At Melty’s blunt question, Calix momentarily lost his words. ‘Well, that’s because you should have told me,’ came to mind, but he didn’t say it aloud.
“But I immediately figured out that you were mistaken, didn’t I?”
“That’s true. Then… do you know what I like the most?”
“Me.”
At Calix’s answer given without hesitation, a confused “Uh…?” could be heard from beyond the tent. It sounded more like surprise at an unexpected answer than embarrassment at being correct. Noticing the subtle nuance in his tone, Calix shot a cold glare at the shadow, wiping the smile from his face.
“What’s with that response? Why do you sound like that? Am I wrong?”
At Calix’s ominous voice, Melty waved his hands frantically.
“No! It’s just! I mean… I was thinking about food!”
“…Food?”
At Calix’s hesitant question, Melty nodded his head vigorously up and down. Watching his head move enthusiastically, Calix could feel the unusually intense heat that had risen within him suddenly dissipate.
“Is that so? Then I’m still right.”
“Huh?”
“What? I am right. You love it the most, what’s mine.”
At Calix’s words, delivered with a sly smile, Melty’s shadow froze solid. Calix, with a grinning smile on his lips, reached out his hand toward the still figure. He poked with his index finger around where Melty’s hand would be. Melty, noticing Calix’s hand beyond the tent, moved his own hand with a start.
Slap.
With a small but distinct sound, Calix quickly withdrew his finger after being smacked.
“Instead of letting me touch you, why are you hitting me?”
“T-touch? W-what do you mean touch? This is ‘outdoors,’ you know!”
Melty’s voice was distinctly on edge as he whispered in a low voice while looking around hurriedly. Calix burst into laughter again at his obviously tense appearance. He found it cute and mischievous how Melty could be the most aggressive in bed but became so shy outside just because they were outdoors.
“Of course I’m talking about my finger. What on earth were you thinking?”
“…Your finger?”
“Yes. I just held out my finger.”
After finishing his words, Calix pressed his index finger against the tent again and moved it side to side. Noticing that the breath from Melty’s nose sounded concerning, Calix quickly returned his hand to its original position.
“Of course, I also like you when your head is full of lewd thoughts.”
“I wasn’t having lewd thoughts! You made me misunderstand!”
Even while huffing, Melty kept his voice very low. This time, Melty poked the tent repeatedly with his index finger. Each time his finger poked the tent, it bulged inward. Not missing this, Calix planted a brief kiss each time the tent caved in.
The sensation felt through the single layer of fabric must have been ticklish, as a deflating laugh escaped from Melty’s lips. Calix gazed at Melty’s shadow with honey-dripping eyes and whispered.
“Aren’t you tired? Why did you come out here instead of sleeping?”
“…Actually, I wanted to see you…”
Melty, who had been mumbling, honestly confessed his reason for coming to the tent. As a result, Calix, unexpectedly subjected to an assassination attempt, clutched the area near his heart. It was not just unfortunate but gut-wrenching that he could only see his adorable figure as a shadow.
“And I was worried too.”
Concerned about the lack of response from inside, Melty recited another reason. After finishing his words, he hesitated for a moment before whispering, “Calix-ssi?” At Melty’s call, Calix was barely able to revive his reason that was on the verge of stopping.
“Why are you worried about me?”
“We’re lovers, so of course I worry. Besides, you went to a dangerous area. Aren’t you feeling sick or anything?”
A gentle smile spread across Calix’s lips at the voice filled with concern. Calix, who had to publicly reveal his blessing during the epidemic four years ago, had since become the top priority for dispatch whenever problems arose anywhere. Just as in this drought incident, he was chosen because “no matter what happens in the area, he would be fine thanks to his blessing.”
Because of this, Calix found Melty’s current concern for him unfamiliar. It made his chest tingle and feel warm. Despite having doused himself with cold water for fear of potentially infecting Melty, his entire body now felt warm.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“Really?”
“As I told you before, my blessing is ‘immunity’.”
Recalling Melty’s stern-faced nagging when he was injured in a previous landslide made his heart flutter even more. Despite knowing full well that he shouldn’t for Melty’s safety, Calix missed him. Not just this shadow, but his round brown eyes, fluffy brown hair – he missed all of him.
“Ah… I want to see your face.”
“Then look.”
At the confident reply, Calix wanted to immediately leave the tent and hold him tight. He wanted to bite those pouting lips that were protruding in complaint.
“…I was in real danger just now. I almost opened the door.”
Calix muttered, swallowing his groan. He moved his lips and murmured in a tone similar to lamentation, “Hamsters can be this dangerous.” Smiling at his own words, Calix placed his palm against the tent.
As if understanding what that meant, Melty also placed his hand over Calix’s. Calix’s smile deepened as he saw the small hand that was significantly different in size from his own. With the tent fabric between them, Melty’s warmth transferred to Calix.
‘I really want to hold him.’
He wanted to bury his nose in the nape of Melty’s neck and rub it vigorously. He wanted to inhale deeply the fluffy scent that came from Melty, and leave the mark of his lips. Even though he had been with Melty in the tent until just recently and had seen him plenty, he still missed him.
If someone heard this, they would obviously mock him for acting like lovers separated for years. Of course, Calix had every intention of making sure the path of anyone who ridiculed him would not be smooth.
“I’ll just pretend I don’t know and open it. I already said I came because I missed you.”
Melty’s voice was full of disappointment as his small palm fidgeted on top of Calix’s hand. Stiffening at the dejected tone, Calix muttered while firmly suppressing the rising impulse.
“No. People with the blessing of ‘health’ receive some protection from disease, but you don’t. What if you get sick even though I might not get very ill? Your blessing isn’t health either.”
“How do you know whether my blessing is health or not?”
Melty’s voice blew with a chilly air, apparently quite dissatisfied.
“So is it health?”
“…The number of letters matches, but…”
His voice was still gloomy. Calix felt upset seeing the downcast voice and lowered head. Though neither of them had really done anything wrong, he found himself apologizing to Melty without even realizing it.
“If you’re okay, wouldn’t I be okay too?”
“That’s not how it works.”
“Then how long do we have to go without seeing each other’s faces?”
Calix quietly closed his mouth at Melty’s question. Even he wasn’t confident enough to say it would be until the situation calmed down.
“Sniff.”
“Wait. Are you crying? Why are you crying?”
Calix was flustered at the voice coming from beyond the tent. Quickly removing his hand from the tent and examining the shadow, he saw Melty’s figure crouched down. The ears that were usually perked up were now lying back.
“You’re not crying, right?”
With Calix’s uncertain question, Melty’s curled-up body fell to the side. Confirming that he had collapsed with a pale face, Calix forgot all the safety precautions in his mind and exited the tent.
“What’s wrong, why did you suddenly collapse? Are you sick? Or are you hurt?”
Completely forgetting that he could call for others, Calix hurriedly approached Melty. He quickly lifted Melty, who was lying face down without moving, and examined him all over to see if he was injured or if anything was wrong. Under his thorough gaze, Melty pouted his lips and muttered.
“When I said I wanted to see you, you wouldn’t show your face…”
“Hah… you scared me.”
“Were you scared?”
“Yes. My heart practically sank.”
He was so surprised that he felt all the strength drain from his body. Watching Calix like that, Melty rolled his eyes around and whispered with a soft smile.
“Then, since your heart has already sunk, hold me a little before you go.”
