By Zephyria 
Besides…
Grayson thought listlessly. What’s the point of struggling to go back? Dane isn’t there.
That’s right. Dane is no longer there. The house will be empty. Just like before. And he won’t be there to welcome him back.
Then why bother going back with so much difficulty?
He tilted his head back and stared at the filthy ceiling. What difference does it make whether he’s here or there?
Of course, a lot changes. Above all, he doesn’t have to get beaten or harassed anymore. No more needles or cigarette burns.
Nevertheless, Grayson felt no motivation. He didn’t feel like going to the trouble of breaking the handcuffs and killing all the guys outside just to go back. He just sat there blankly. After letting out a sigh and slumping down, he suddenly brightened his eyes.
“Ah.”
Is this what it means to be depressed?
The thought suddenly occurred to him, and he let out a short exclamation. Oh, so this is what it means to be depressed. The feeling of not wanting to do anything and sinking to the bottom. The helplessness of feeling like his whole body is sinking into an endlessly deep sandpit. So, am I depressed now?
After thinking that far, Grayson let out a deep sigh.
He didn’t really want to know this.
He frowned, then let out a short groan. It wasn’t easy to even use his facial muscles slightly to make an expression. His face was torn, swollen, and covered in wounds.
“Ptooey.”
It was when he spat out the blood-mixed saliva that had pooled in his mouth that he suddenly sensed someone’s presence.
Who is it?
Grayson recalled the faces of the guys who had come to him, beat him, cursed at him, and mocked him. The figure of the huge man, who was the worst of them, flashed before his eyes for a moment, but he soon ruled him out. The footsteps were light, almost inaudible. If he wasn’t in this situation, he would have thought someone was quietly coming to find him.
Of course, that wouldn’t happen.
Grayson analyzed the situation coldly. Then is it the smallest and skinniest guy in the gang? But that man walked with a bit more bounce. There’s no way he would walk this quietly.
Hmm, he pondered. In the end, there’s only one answer. Someone new has come. Grayson frowned, then relaxed his expression when he felt the pain.
I hope they don’t use Fire to burn me.
While kidnapping people and doing this, they prayed and sought God every time. As if to justify their actions. Just do it moderately, you morons. Grayson thought.
Unfortunately, his Trait was really the worst in times like these. His wounds healed too quickly. If he were a normal person, he would have been on the verge of death already, but his consciousness was clear. If he escaped from this place in time and received proper treatment, there probably wouldn’t be any scars left. The problem was that he had no motivation to do so.
…They’re here.
The footsteps stopped in front of the door. For some reason, they didn’t open the door right away and stood there for a moment. As if checking the surroundings. Or maybe they’re deliberately taking their time to scare Grayson. Even though he’s just blinking with a bored expression.
Creak…
The door opened slightly. Grayson was puzzled to see the door, which usually opened wide with great fanfare, opening so quietly. And a moment later, an unexpected face appeared beyond the open door.
“Oh.”
Grayson’s expression, which had been bored until then, gradually changed. What is this? What’s going on?
Am I dreaming?
The tall man, who was staring at him in surprise, stopped abruptly. The man’s eyes seemed to widen, and then his face contorted.
“Grayson, you…”
What on earth happened to you, looking like that?
Dane barely swallowed the rest of his words, but that didn’t change the situation before him. Grayson, whose usual neat appearance was nowhere to be found, was covered in blood and dust, swollen, bleeding, and covered in wounds. Feeling his heart sink at the miserable sight, Dane rushed towards him, but suddenly Grayson’s face turned pale.
Suddenly, a chilling snapping sound echoed through the room.
“Wh-what?”
Startled, Dane stopped right in front of him. The moment he realized that it was the sound of Grayson breaking the handcuffs, Grayson suddenly covered his face with both hands and turned his large body to the side. Dane blinked in bewilderment.
“What are you doing?”
He asked, dumbfounded, but there was no answer. Is this guy messing with him? Dane was starting to get annoyed.
“Hey, what are you doing? Are you kidding me right now?”
When he urged him roughly, Grayson finally answered. In a barely audible voice.
“I’ve become ugly…”
Dane didn’t say anything. An awkward silence fell between them. Dane, who had been blinking in disbelief, raised his hand with a fierce expression. The next step was to shout, ‘You idiot!’ and slap Grayson on the head, but for some reason, he hesitated.
Grayson stubbornly buried his face in his hands, hiding it tightly. As if he would never show his messed-up appearance. Dane stared down at him silently, then bent down without a word. Kneeling on one knee, he turned the hand he had been about to hit with behind him and grabbed the back of Grayson’s head. He could feel him trembling slightly. Dane tilted his head to one side and slowly brought his face to Grayson. And he pressed his lips firmly against the back of his hand, which was still covering his face.
…Huh?
Grayson blinked with his face buried in his hands. He was bewildered by the unexpected sensation. What is this on the back of his hand? This warm warmth and breath, could it be…
He carefully peeked through the gap he made by slightly opening his fingers, and Dane’s face was reflected. Dane frowned and smiled at the two eyes that were blinking in bewilderment.
“Who says you’re ugly?”
His voice was unbelievably tender. Grayson stopped moving, his eyes wide with surprise, and Dane grabbed his arm. As if drawn by the weight, Grayson’s hand slowly came down even though he didn’t apply any force. When his face was barely revealed, Dane, who had been waiting until then, smiled at him, meeting his eyes.
“You’re so pretty.”
Grayson’s mouth opened as if he couldn’t believe it. His long eyelashes fluttered wildly up and down.
It didn’t end there. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Grayson’s lips. The touch was gentle, then pressed firmly, and a wet tongue softly licked inside. It was an undeniable kiss. Dane, who had stopped breathing in surprise, spoke to him again.
“You’re really pretty, pretty boy.”
A glow gradually settled in Grayson’s eyes. As if he finally believed Dane’s words, his ears could be seen fluttering wildly.
Ah.
Seeing that, Dane suddenly realized.
He’s lovely.
A soft smile spread across his lips. Dane felt a stronger emotion than ever before, to anyone. Ironically, to a man who was bigger than him. The next moment, Grayson hugged him tightly.
“Dane…!”
He was a mess, but his strength was unbelievably strong. Dane felt breathless for a moment and was flustered. But he couldn’t push him away. Because Grayson was hugging Dane with all his might, repeating the same confession over and over again.
“I missed you, I missed you so much… Dane, I missed you so much. So, so…”
“Yeah.”
Dane patted his back very lightly. He was worried that it might hurt, but it was actually an unnecessary consideration. He was already hugging Dane with all his body.
For a while, Dane left him like that. He thought it would be a good way to reassure him since he must have been having a hard time, but he couldn’t take too long.
“Okay, let’s do the rest outside.”
Dane carefully separated him, making sure Grayson wasn’t hurt any further.
“I knocked out the guys guarding outside, but I don’t know when they’ll wake up. Let’s get out of here quickly, I’ve secured the route.”
“The rest?”
Grayson suddenly asked Dane, who was about to rush ahead. He realized that he had given him unnecessary hope again, but it was already too late. Instead, Dane grabbed his arm and pulled him out, bringing up another topic.
“Why didn’t you escape? You could have.”
The handcuffs, which had become useless, dangled from Grayson’s wrists like ornaments. Dane glanced at them and asked, and Grayson hesitated before answering.
“My arm is broken, so I can’t control my strength… I might kill them if I try to escape.”
He glanced at Dane and added.
“You can’t kill people.”
Dane immediately contorted his face.
“You idiot, it’s self-defense.”
Grayson looked down at him with a dumbfounded expression.