BMD 320

‘……?’

In a situation where you’re sharing a blanket with someone else, all your senses are focused on the unknown space hidden by the bedding. At least, that would be the case if you were lying side by side on a bed alone in a large room, smelling the same soap.

So, even if it was only for a moment, there was no way that one person wouldn’t notice the agitation that the other had sensed.

Leonardo kept his gaze fixed on the man who was still closing his eyes, with the back of his hand touching the slightly cool skin. If this was acting, it would be admirable. He was about to fall into self-loathing for touching a sleeping person.

But how many times had he been fooled by this man who was pretending to sleep? He was overwhelmed with the urge to grab the other man’s wrist and check his pulse right away. But he didn’t act on it. That’s because he could still feel the throbbing pulse through the gaps in the intertwined knuckles.

The problem was that he couldn’t tell if it was his or the other man’s. Judging by the fact that his heart was beating so fast that he thought it was attached there, it was probably his.

‘Is he awake? Or was he awake?’

He wondered if the reaction just now was an unconscious act in his sleep, or if he was in his right mind.

Now that they were at the point where they could casually hold hands, there was no need to be nervous just because their hands touched. But the scent that filled the sealed bed was too strong. It was a situation where he couldn’t help but be conscious, so Leonardo wondered what to do with his touching hand.

He thought about grabbing it, but he quickly calmed his boiling inner self. The other man was someone he would soon be parting with. He was someone whose straight beliefs had been shaken because of him, and he didn’t want to shake him any further and make things difficult for him.

So, in his mind, he tried to be satisfied with being by the man’s side as much as he allowed, but his instincts, which didn’t know moderation, poured all their focus on his fingertips. If he intertwined his fingers here, how would he take it?

‘Would he think of it as a joke?’

His index finger, filled with all sorts of thoughts, unconsciously raised its head. It was just about to tilt back and brush against the other man’s finger.

Swish—

The cool back of his hand moved away, and then a broad shoulder turned to the opposite side. The rustling of the bedding, the heavy shaking of the bed. The meaning of refusal was conveyed with his whole body.

Leonardo, startled by the sudden movement, blinked his stiff eyes. He stared blankly at the back of the man who was lying with his back completely turned. Tick-tock, the sound of the second hand grew louder again. His embarrassed fingertips and red lips fidgeted in embarrassment.

The mountain-like shoulders and thick back seemed to be building a wall against him. Then, as if he was sighing, his thick ribcage swelled greatly and then subsided.

‘Ah….’

Unlike the inner sigh, Leonardo bit his lip tightly. He swallowed hard and tried to regain his composure. Soon, he hurriedly turned his gaze and stared again at the ceiling he had been looking at while waiting for the Legion Commander.

This is right, it’s natural. I don’t know what I’m disappointed about.

“…….”

He was the one who had rejected the other man who had reached out his hand first, so it was ironic that he felt this way now. His heart, which had gone down to his fingertips, returned to its place and thumped in a corner of his chest. Embarrassment and confusion mixed together and echoed in his ears like a throbbing pulse, mocking his own actions.

Leonardo focused on the other man’s breathing, which didn’t make a single sound, and then suddenly realized that his own heartbeat was too loud. He was embarrassed that the person next to him might hear it, so he turned his body to the opposite side and lay down as well.

A small tremor followed on the bed, and the bedding they had been sharing was pulled to both sides and became taut.

A wide space was formed between the two people with their backs turned. Childish provocations, shame, and lingering feelings remained there.

The tension, dotted with all sorts of thoughts, lingered and scattered between the two who had become estranged.

‘…Haa.’

Hugo, who was staring at the air with his eyes half-open, sighed and repeatedly stroked the back of his hand, where the warmth had touched.

He gradually cooled the warmth that was trying to seep into his cold palm. Soon, he clenched his fist so hard that nail marks appeared.

It would be a lie to say that he didn’t feel anything in this situation. Knowing that, Hugo was even more careful. Leonardo was someone who would soon be leaving.

Of course, whether he left or not, he had a duty to protect him from the world. And that world included himself. …That guy doesn’t know how ugly the man next to him sometimes becomes.

Even if that was what Leonardo himself wanted, a sane adult should keep his distance. The boy, who had barely grown up, just needed a place to lean on. Hugo steeled himself, saying that it was just a clumsy expression of that desire.

‘Was I a little cold?’

However, he felt bad that the guy behind him seemed to have turned his back with a broken heart. But what could he do, this was the way for each other. Hugo tried to erase his thoughts and close his eyes for the coming tomorrow.

Rustle, rustle—

But after a few more tosses and turns, he felt something touch between his shoulder blades.

At that moment, Hugo’s eyelids twitched. All his senses were focused on the warmth behind him that was getting closer.

Leonardo, who had bumped his forehead against the broad back, asked in a sullen voice.

“…Are you asleep?”

He shouldn’t answer, but Hugo’s lips moved on their own.

“No.”

Leonardo’s eyelashes fluttered at the immediate answer. Soon, he leaned his forehead even deeper and asked.

“Did you sleep yesterday?”

Hugo maintained a calm and cold tone.

“…No.”

But somehow the answer came out faithfully.

Leonardo, who had burrowed into the man’s back, casually placed his regretful hand on Hugo’s lower back. The firm and massive inverted triangle of his upper body reacted slowly like a dangerous beast.

“Is it because of me?”

Hugo, who had been answering well, was silent this time. The already strained lower abdomen had even more strength in it.

He could have just answered ‘no’ this time, but that easy word didn’t come out easily. Hugo was caught in a deep and bitter agony. Either way, if the answer was late, it would be like admitting his agitation.

Leonardo buried his face in the man’s back, which was like a vast ocean, and swayed as if entrusting himself to the gentle waves according to the breath he exhaled. The area around his shoulder blades repeatedly stiffened and loosened. He liked the heavy and stable presence, and he wanted to reach out and hug him as he was.

But no matter how long he waited, the answer never came back. Leonardo eventually frowned and showed the minimum amount of affection he could.

“Can’t you hold my hand?”

After a moment of silence, a thick arm with veins popping out came over his back. The large hand, which had already warmed up, grabbed Leonardo’s hand that was attached to his lower back as if snatching it.

Soon, he covered the back of his hand and intertwined his fingers, wrapping Leonardo’s arm around his waist.

“Now stop and sleep. Tomorrow will be even busier.”

Hugo gently coaxed him, holding Leonardo’s hand that was placed on his abdomen.

“Okay….”

Leonardo’s wriggling upper body leaned a little more.

Ten fingers, intertwined like threads, were pressed against his firm and sleek lower abdomen.

Leonardo hugged the large man, whom he couldn’t fully embrace with just one arm, and slowly closed his eyes, feeling the sound of a heartbeat that he didn’t know whose it was.

Wrapped in the resentful warmth that clung to his back, Hugo was conscious of even his breathing rhythm.

It was his fault for accepting the affection.

Tonight was also expected to be long.

Leonardo frowned all morning, suffering from the piles of documents that Flynn had brought. He didn’t know that saying tomorrow would be busier meant this. There was no time to rest at all.

“I’ve drawn up a rough order and a list of participants, so keep looking through it whenever you have time. There will hardly be any situations where you can speak directly, but just in case, memorize the expected answer keywords.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh, right. And you have to go hear the blood test results, which will be after dinner sometime tonight….”

From basic etiquette in the courtroom to useful tips to know, to stances that could lead the situation on the ground favorably. Position statements No. 1, 2, 3, and 4 to effectively appeal for rights, etc…. He was grateful to Flynn for preparing all of this, but Leonardo was on the verge of getting a cramp in his head from the forced march that had started in the morning.

The black letters written on the paper were listing the process of the trial, and he thought it would be easy to understand because he had experienced it once, but contrary to expectations, there were far more procedures and things to prepare.

It was a very different aspect from the trial three years ago. It was more humane than back then, when there was no chance to argue, but Leonardo began to feel afraid.

The agenda of this trial was whether the achievements he had made by participating in the subjugation of the peninsula were worth forgiving his past crimes.

The problem was that the ‘crimes’ included the destruction of the Great Plaza north of the Zodiac, as well as the destruction of some buildings and land in the frost territory while resisting the Legion Commander. It also stated that he had challenged the authority of the investigators and showed threatening behavior during the investigation process. It also stated that he had taken financial gain by accepting illegal requests as an illegal Mage for the past three years, failing to respond to the Council’s calls.

He thought he would only be held accountable for the mess he had made in the Zodiac, but they had scraped together all the charges like catching mice. Just looking at this, he could feel their will not to let him go easily, and when he examined the additional data that Flynn had given him, his vision went dark.

It contained the expected discussion directions of the councilors who had voting rights. The first sentence that caught his eye was ‘Unprecedented number of casualties’. It meant whether this enormous damage could really be seen as a ‘success’ of the subjugation. He hadn’t actually heard it, but he was already mentally exhausted, as if he had been watching the debate all along.

“Did you write all of this?”

Leonardo asked Flynn, shaking the piece of paper. He felt like he knew why Agrizendro and Flynn had been away so often.

Looking at the opposition’s arguments alone, there was no such thing as unreasonable, but they added flesh to it and made it look like logic, so he felt like he needed five bodies to set up the game favorably.

“Huh? Oh, well, I did…. But it’s just written imagining the worst, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

Flynn hurriedly added, afraid that Leonardo Blaine might think his personal opinion had influenced the opposing view. Leonardo nodded as if he understood, but his expression was increasingly troubled. If the past had been a fight with his body, this felt like entering a new arena where he would compete only with pens and words.

Frankly, he was far from good at that sort of thing, and his ability to defend himself was woefully inadequate. He now understood why the 3rd Battalion Commander could shamelessly bring up his voting rights.

‘This is not going to be an easy fight.’

Flynn glanced at Leonardo’s rapidly darkening face. He wondered if he had written it too realistically and pondered how to cheer him up.

Flynn put down the pen he was holding and needlessly tidied up the scattered documents. Then he casually said,

“Blaine, don’t worry.”

Worried Gold Eyes rolled to the side. Flynn hesitated and added,

“You have me and the Commander. We’re on your side.”

“……”

“I may be ordinary in combat, but I’m strong in this kind of thing. I’ll help you, so hang in there a little longer. You’ve been doing great so far.”

Leonardo stared silently at Flynn, who was comforting him. Flynn forced a smile and tried to look even brighter.

Perhaps because he hadn’t slept last night, Leonardo, who looked somehow exhausted, leaned his head against the sofa headrest. Then, with a face that stirred a desire to protect him, he murmured,

“What— It’s kind of… reassuring.”

Flynn, his eyes wide at the unexpected answer, instinctively chuckled. To think he would hear those words from this guy. He felt inexplicably good and barely managed to pull down the corners of his mouth, which were trying to rise endlessly.

Hiding his embarrassment with a dry cough, Flynn subtly changed the subject with an unconsciously excited tone that he couldn’t quite hide.

“I got some cookies as a gift recently, do you want to try some? I’ll bring them with some tea, so eat them while you work. Sugar helps your brain work better.”

Flynn got up from his seat, gathering things as if he would bring them right away, regardless of the answer. Just hearing that one sentence made him want to take care of him even more.

Leonardo nodded briefly.

“Okay.”

He stared at Flynn’s back as he walked away, his shoulders raised high.

‘On my side.’

Surprisingly, the creeping anxiety quickly subsided.