Lemuel stiffens when Federline cups his face and leans in so close that their breaths meet each other. Their eyes stare into each other's souls. Then, just as Federline leans in to kiss, his eyes suddenly narrow, and he draws his body back.
"Sorry… This was a terrible joke…."
Lemuel widens his eyes in shock, and anger rapidly raises to his head. He takes Federline's collar as his entire body shakes.
"Who said I took it as a joke?"
"Huh?"
Lemuel presses his lips on Federline's. Federline stops breathing. His eyes shake as he tries to process what is going on. Then, he feels something wet and warm drip on his cheek, and he watches Lemuel pull himself back from their kiss.
"Lemuel…" Federline utters the name, but he is still breathless and shocked that his mind is too blank to come up with words. Watching Lemuel in tears, Federline curses inside. Yet, those tears make his heart soften, and his barriers melt down.
Federline tightens his jaw as he pulls Lemuel into his arms.
'This is wrong… Wanting you is wrong….' Federline feels his mind blaring with alarms, but his heart overpowers all thoughts. Now that he knows that Lemuel feels the same, Federline cannot resist the desire to have him close. He wishes to share everything with Lemuel, even if that means that Lemuel might pay the same price as him.
Federline unconsciously tightens his grip on the man he desires as he tries to gather back his clarity. He is tempted by this madness, even though the sticky guilt on his chest reminds him of his selfish thoughts.
"What is it that you are not telling me, Federline? No… Just answer this question… Do you love me?"
When listening to that question, Federline notices that all his confusion disappears surrounding what he should do with his feelings. He acknowledges that Lemuel has asked the right question. The answer is so easy that his eyes cannot hide the truth.
In a low but confident voice, Federline says, "I do, but I don't know if I can give you the life you might want."
Lemuel gently readjusts Federline's hand on his wrist to hold his hand. His guts tell him that the issue must stem from Kyrie's mission to save his lover. He remembers that Kyrie is looking for the Fae Kingdom to find clues about a goddess. He is not sure how it ties back to that man named Ian. Still, Lemuel has a feeling that Federline's hesitations are also linked to the potential dangers that Kyrie's journey brings to both of them.
Lemuel frowns from the mild headache that suddenly invades his head. Although Lemuel knows that he is inexperienced, he is not a fool. Still, he has never expected to think that foolishness does not only come from mindlessness. Sadly, foolishness is attached to people who have lost in the game of love.
Lemuel smiles as his heart feels glad about the words 'I do,' and he bumps his head on Federline's chest.
"Then, I will be your guide," Lemuel knows he has lost his mind because he is giving a vow to Federline. After all, he is a Halinas and the last guide.
"I know it is late to tell you this, Federline, but you are already part of me. You have accepted my mark on you, so you cannot shake me off anymore."
"The mark?"
"Yes, the mark is from the blessing that I placed on you, and you have accepted my mark during the tournament round with Osiath."
Lemuel activates his powers, and the gold symbols start to appear in his beautiful obsidian skin. Lemuel's pair of emerald pupils appear with enchantment circles, and Federline feels his mana suddenly harmonizing with the mana in Lemuel's body. The harmonizing sensation reminds him of the feeling when Federline sees the guiding lights when fighting against Osiath.
His pupils shake. Is it alright for him to turn to his desires?
"Lemuel… You are giving me incentives to believe that I have no choice but to have you."
"If I tell you that we belong to each other, then would you stop running away?"
"You think I am a coward?"
"Yes, I do. You ran away from a kiss."
"Hypocrite… You are the one who always pushed me away. Have you been playing with me all along?"
"At least… I have not run away from a kiss."
Federline groans as he feels his self-control getting chipped away.
"What are you expecting when you say those words to me?"
Federline wraps his arms around Lemuel's waist. Their height difference has caused Lemuel to get lifted a few inches off the ground. Lemuel looks at Federline's eyes that seem to start glowing like a predator looking at its prey. Lemuel senses goosebumps rising from his skin, and he knows that he is a bit too late to retrieve his words.
Federline lowers his head to lean in for a kiss. Lemuel shuts his eyes as his heart is jumping out of his ribcage.
"You don't wish to see me?" Federline's breath tickles Lemuel's lips.
Lemuel timidly opens back his eyes and looks at Federline's eyes. The seriousness in his stare makes Lemuel feel complicated, like a pool of warm water is on the raising in his lower abdomen. Federline smiles while watching Lemuel flustered.
Federline has always been soft to those weaker than him, but Lemuel has always been a curious case for him. From the moment that Federline has landed his eyes on Lemuel under the moonlight, Federline has never ceased to look for Lemuel. His eyes would follow Lemuel wherever Lemuel goes. As a result, he finds himself thinking of Lemuel more and more often when he is alone in his thoughts. Federline often can't stop becoming reactive to whatever Lemuel does to him. He has been a mess, so forget about keeping composure.
Federline dives into the kiss, mercilessly unrepentant to his passionate handling of Lemuel. He has exploded. All his facade of indifference seems to be a lie.
Yes, he loves sweets.
Yes, he loves money.
Yes, he loves his free time.
And yes, he has put out the image to others that he does not care more than those three things.
However, everything has crumbled in front of Lemuel. Indifference? He is far from indifferent when it comes to Lemuel. He feels like he has changed. He cannot control himself, and his heart is dictating all his actions.
Lemuel desperately tries to catch up with Federline's pace, but he finds that he is not doing well. He continues to backstep to the point that he can back no longer. Finally, he is pinned to the surface of a giant tree and mercilessly getting devoured to the verge of tears.
Then, he feels Federline lift him, bringing his legs around Federline's waist. Lemuel feels light-headed, and he heaves some air back into his lungs. He tilts his head down to Federline, realizing the heat between them.
He cups Federline's face, and the warning that the grand duchess blared to him is getting drowned out and forgotten. Instead, he can only think of Federline's lips pressed to his body. There is only a thin layer of clothes between his naked skin and those lips, and that thought alone is driving him insane.
However, Lemuel suddenly feels slightly conscious of his inexperience.
"Federline… Do you really know how..."
Federline lifts his chin to look at Lemuel.
"How what?"
Lemuel bites his lower lip while flustered. He feels like he wants to run away, but his desires are taking over him.
"... do…"
Federline quickly repositions Lemuel, putting Lemuel in a better position with the legs around his waist. Lemuel nervously grabs onto Federline from the fear of falling.
"Do what?" Federline asks with slight impatience.
Lemuel frowns at such denseness, so he blurts in a fit of anger, "Do me!"
Federline smirks after understanding Lemuel's worries, showing Lemuel that he is not all that innocent. Unfortunately, Lemuel has forgotten that Federline lived in a den of thieves until his teens, where low lives are as ordinary as flies.