SWY 77

Sharhan, who had been dead asleep, completely passed out to the world, stirred awake as he sensed careful movements beside him. When he blinked open his eyes, he saw Lestel sitting at the edge of the bed, pulling on his trousers. In the morning light filtering through the window, Lestel’s bare skin seemed to shimmer.

‘Is it morning? Damn, even his back looks good.’

His spine, slightly bent forward, was straight and smooth, his skin flawless without a blemish. The way his muscles shifted with every subtle movement looked finely sculpted, like the work of a master artist.

If there was a single flaw, it was the dark bruise on his lower back, about the size of a grown man’s fist. Sharhan, who had been admiring Lestel’s back in a rare moment of peace, frowned deeply.

‘That bruise…’

It looked like it was from when Delos had thrown that iron ball yesterday. It even had a scab, as if the skin had been torn slightly. Suddenly, anger surged in him, and he vowed to give Delos a matching bruise with an iron ball of his own if he ever got the chance. Just then, Lestel turned around.

“Awake?”

“Is it morning?”

Sharhan, too lazy to sit up, just blinked slowly as Lestel’s cool fingers reached out to touch his cheek. He looked cheerful, unusually so. The way he was smiling for no reason annoyed Sharhan, but he decided it was better than scowling first thing in the morning, and calmed himself down.

“Yeah. You must’ve been exhausted, you slept like a rock. Aren’t you hungry? Someone came to wake you for dinner last night, but you didn’t get up, so I sent them away.”

“Good call. I wouldn’t have woken up even if you tried.”

He was already worn out from running around thanks to that bastard Delos, and then they’d had sex too. Honestly, he felt more drained from sleeping with Lestel than from fighting corpses in the arena.

“Ah!”

When Sharhan tried to sit up slowly, pain shot through his whole body and he let out a groan.

“You okay?”

“Do I look okay?”

His whole body screamed in protest. His muscles ached, his lower back throbbed, and his head pounded like he had a mild fever. But the worst pain came from between his legs. His asshole, where Lestel’s absurdly huge cock had gone in and out, stung like it was torn.

‘Fuck, it hurt like hell when we were doing it, and the aftermath is just as bad… Like hell I’m doing that again.’

He could maybe handle being touched or… getting licked. That part felt good, after all. He scoffed at himself for even thinking something like that so casually.

Touching each other’s cocks with Lestel had become no big deal, apparently… Then again, after going as far as sex, acting shy over something like that would be silly.

Unaware of Sharhan’s inner turmoil, Lestel anxiously helped him sit up, though the corners of his mouth remained lifted in a small, amused smile.

“Why do you keep smiling?”

Sharhan grumbled, supporting his lower back with one hand. Lestel quickly forced his smile down and played innocent.

“Was I smiling? That can’t be. You must’ve seen wrong.”

“I saw it just fine. You’ve been grinning like an idiot since a minute ago. What’s your deal? You look like you’ve lost your mind.”

He’d known Lestel all his life, but he’d never seen him look so… unhinged. He hadn’t realized he could be this smiley.

“I don’t know. I just feel good this morning. Anyway, honey, when should we do it again?”

“Do what?”

“Sex. I really want to train your ass so you can come from that alone. When’s good for you? Should we do it when we go to the estate? There’s oil there, so it’ll be easier to go in than yesterday. I’m confident I’ll do a better job the second time. And there’s a heatstone, so we can soak in warm water after.”

“I’m never–”

“Hm?”

He should’ve said he was never going to have penetrative sex again, but when he met Lestel’s green eyes shining with anticipation, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Was it really that good for him?

Well, just from his expression, it was obvious Lestel had been immensely satisfied. He’d even said out loud it felt insanely good.

Embarrassed, Sharhan scratched the back of his neck and looked away from Lestel’s gaze. It felt like something soft had brushed his skin, delicate and ticklish.

“Just give me my clothes. I want to eat. I’m starving.”

Lestel eyed him suspiciously, but eventually fetched his clothes. Thankfully, it was something comfortable and easy to move in, not some fancy outfit identical to Lestel’s, as Sharhan had feared Yuel might prepare.

Sharhan slowly got out of bed. The moment his feet hit the floor, pain shot up his spine from his tailbone to the crown of his head, but after standing still for a while, it eased. Once most of the pain had faded, he sighed lightly and began dressing. Last came his boots, made of good leather, they were light, soft, and sturdy.

“Yuel’s not gonna ask me to pay for the clothes, is he?”

Lestel laughed and replied, “If it’s Yuel, he probably will.”

Since Sharhan had woken up earlier than expected, Lestel, who had only put on pants, now donned his shirt and vest too. Then he came straight to Sharhan’s side, getting all handsy again. He hugged him from behind, kissed his earlobe, and fiddled with his waist.

“Get off!”

Sharhan shoved him away irritably, but Lestel just retreated a step and then came right back.

“Want me to help you dress?”

“I have hands, you know? And you know I’m broke. You better pay for my clothes. Didn’t you say your estate’s filled with gems and gold?”

“Tons. They’re useless now, so I’ll just be generous and give some to Yuel, he’s obsessed with that stuff anyway.”

With Lestel clinging to his back, Sharhan somehow managed to get his leather vest on, then began rummaging through his discarded clothes. When he couldn’t find what he was looking for, his eyes went wide in alarm.

“…?!”

“What are you looking for?”

“The contract… It was definitely here yesterday.”

He even went to check the bathroom in case it had fallen while undressing, but it was nowhere.

“I tore it.”

“What?”

“I woke up while you were fast asleep and tore it up.”

Sharhan turned his head toward where Lestel gestured, and saw the contract, ripped to shreds, lying on the floor.

“Are you insane?! Why would you tear that?!”

For a moment, Sharhan felt like he’d been severed from Lestel, and rage exploded from the top of his head. But Lestel remained unbothered, completely at ease.

“Yesterday, when I got hit by that iron ball and you flinched… You think I didn’t notice?”

“You… you noticed that?”

He was sure he hadn’t let it show at all.

“Good thing I was holding you. Imagine if it had been a truly dangerous situation. You could’ve died from a moment’s hesitation. I’ve already seen you nearly die for my sake twice, there’s no way I’d leave something like that intact.”

“But I didn’t die.”

“Is that supposed to make it okay? Why are you always so oblivious when it comes to yourself? You burned your own skin – with magic fire, no less.”

“T-that’s not oblivious. I endured it because I had to. What else was I supposed to do? You think you would’ve come up with anything better?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t have done something that stupid. You were moaning in your sleep from the burn.”

“What? Stupid? Who are you calling stupid? And that wasn’t from the burn. It was probably something else hurting.”

“What else?”

“…”

Sharhan couldn’t bring himself to say between my ass cheeks, so he just looked away with a face full of resentment. Lestel sighed lightly and said,

“I should never have planned to bind you that way in the first place… Who would’ve thought that in this fucked-up world, the contract meant to keep you close would become a blade aimed at your throat?”

“…”

“I tore it because I couldn’t stand the thought of you being in danger every time I got hurt. So don’t even think about running off now that the leash is gone. If you don’t want to see me lose my mind.”

“What are you even saying?”

“Back when the world was still peaceful, I nearly died more than once just trying to find you. Now that the world’s crawling with the dead, it’s even worse. If you run off and I go chasing after you in a rage, and get bitten by those things…”

Sharhan’s brows furrowed. He reached out and quickly covered Lestel’s mouth.

“Are you crazy? What nonsense is that? Besides, we’re on our way to Serman together. Why would I run off? You’re the crazy one, tearing off the leash you tied with your own hands. Hah. You think I left it intact because I liked being your leashed mutt? I already told you why I didn’t tear it, didn’t I? Didn’t you understand?”

“I did. But there’s one more thing.”

“What now?!”

“The contract.”

“What?”

“There’s another copy at the estate. Let’s write it again. But this time, you’ll hire me. If we’re forced apart again, you’ll injure yourself to summon me. I’ll never give up on finding you. Unlike some people, I won’t just wait a day. I’ll wait ten, a month if I have to. And I’ll keep searching. If you’re dead, I’ll at least confirm your body before I die too.”

“You’re… you’re just saying that. You wouldn’t actually only wait a day. And why do you keep saying weird shit lately? Why would you die just because I did?”

It’s not like they were a married couple who’d sworn to die on the same day before a god.

‘Married couple? Lovers? Me and Lestel?’

Just as Sharhan was scratching the back of his neck from the weird, ticklish feeling…

“Honey, a world without you would be boring. Why would I want to live in it alone?”

Lestel’s words, spoken as he brushed the back of his hand over Sharhan’s cheek, felt unbearably intimate. Sharhan couldn’t even look at him. He averted his gaze, throat tight with something he didn’t want to name.

It was that strange feeling that had been growing ever since Lestel confessed to running away just to find him.

Why does he keep saying things that sound like confessions?

They made his chest ache in the most annoying way.

Still, he didn’t have the courage to press for a clear answer, and Lestel didn’t push it further either. A charged, delicate tension hung between them like a line that might be crossed or not, threading the air.

Sharhan gnawed on his lower lip, then changed the subject.

“By the way, were there really two copies of the magic contract? I’ve been meaning to ask. And the heating stone, your sword… Where did all those magic tools come from?”

“I found them while searching for you. At a ruin.”