By Zephyria 
It was so dark that I first turned on the lamp next to the bed. As the room brightened, I could finally see my surroundings properly.
“Why the light?”
“It’s too dark to see. I went through the trouble of suturing you; it would be problematic if I accidentally touched your stomach.”
“Hmm… I suppose that’s true.”
Muttering this, Vasily’s hair was damp, as if he had just taken a shower. He was clearly injured in the stomach, so how on earth did he manage to shower?
Setting the question aside for a moment, I looked around.
Blackout curtains were drawn tightly, leaving no gap for even a single sliver of moonlight to leak through. The windows were closed, and it was so quiet that not even the sound of the wind could be heard.
He had prepared everything perfectly.
I could see his determination to fall asleep while comfortably receiving guiding. If I had succumbed to the temptation of the plush-looking duvet and fallen asleep on the bed earlier, I probably would have been severely scolded.
‘Still, the beds here are just as soft.’
Dragging my exhausted body, I climbed onto the bed.
The moment the cozy touch of the duvet hit my skin, I found myself lying down instinctively. I almost fainted just from my head touching the pillow for a second.
While I was barely holding on with my eyes wide open, Vasily looked down at me—motionless under the covers—and asked curiously.
“What are you doing instead of starting the guiding?”
“…Can’t you just take the guiding on your own while I lie down for a bit?”
Vasily looked down at me as if I were absurd. But I really couldn’t get up, so what was I supposed to do?
Vasily wasn’t the only one who had stayed up all night. I had tossed and turned just as much. My sleep-deprived body was at a point where it wouldn’t be strange if it declared a strike at any moment.
“It can’t be helped. I’ll let it slide just for today.”
Letting out a low sigh, Vasily hugged me from behind.
I felt his cold, firm upper body press against my back. Thanks to the chill emanating from Vasily’s body, the inside of the duvet became pleasantly cool—it was practically heaven.
Ah, right now, I feel like I wouldn’t care what happens.
Thinking that I needed to sleep first, I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply.
Just as I was about to drift off, Vasily spoke.
“Guide Kwon Gi-dam, you said we have a relationship without trust.”
I wondered why he was suddenly bringing that up…
It was something I had said yesterday. I had said it because I was angry at Vasily’s brazen attitude.
To return after intentionally ruining his body just to receive guiding, and then have the nerve to say he’d go back to the Gate again. Recalling the conversation we had yesterday, my mood sank instantly.
It had been something I spat out in a fit of anger, but since it was an undeniable fact, I didn’t feel the need to take it back. With my eyes closed, I quietly affirmed.
“It’s not like I was wrong.”
“That’s why I’m thinking of trying to build that trust you mentioned, Guide Kwon Gi-dam.”
My eyes snapped open.
What on earth is he trying to do this time? With an ominous feeling, I bolted upright and warned him as he lay beside me.
“Don’t try anything funny—”
“See, I only said I’d build trust, and you’re already suspicious. How are we ever going to get along in the future like this?”
I shut my mouth. It would be a lie to say I didn’t feel a sting of guilt at Vasily’s words.
As I remained silent, Vasily continued in a seemingly gentle tone.
“I don’t have any other intentions. I’m just trying to make an effort so that you can trust me even a little bit, Guide Kwon Gi-dam.”
“….”
“If trust develops between us, we won’t even need things like a contract.”
I looked into his eyes without a word. My reflection was clearly mirrored in his faintly smiling pupils.
He wasn’t wrong. As Vasily said, if trust truly developed between us, the contract would be nothing more than a useless piece of paper. Though I wondered if such a day would ever come.
“…Well, give it your best effort then.”
Saying that, I lay back down. There was no need to take words with no possibility of realization to heart.
“Speaking of which…”
Vasily trailed off and asked with a smiling face.
“Instead of just hugging like this, what do you think about increasing the guiding level to finish this quickly?”
I knew it. It was a question with a transparent motive. How long had it been since he mentioned building trust, and he was already playing tricks? A chuckle escaped me.
“Isn’t that a bit too transparent a proposal for someone trying to build trust?”
“I wonder… I’m not sure what you mean. I just suggested it because you look very tired, Guide Kwon Gi-dam.”
How sly.
It wasn’t a proposal I particularly liked, but as Vasily said, rubbing lips for a moment and returning to my room to sleep comfortably was a far more efficient choice than staying skin-to-skin for an hour.
Besides, I had intended to perform mucosal guiding from the hospital room anyway. Continuing it after changing locations was…
“Fine.”
As I accepted the proposal, the corners of Vasily’s mouth curled up.
I started to turn off the lamp that was softly lighting the area, but I pulled my hand back. Darkness meant nothing to an Esper. Turning off the light would only result in me losing my vision in the dark and becoming tense.
“Then, I will proceed with the guiding.”
I slowly leaned toward Vasily, who was lying on the bed waiting for me.
Tap.
At first, our lips touched lightly.
The cold, soft sensation was unfamiliar. I slowly rubbed against the ice-like surface, getting used to the chilly temperature, and then took his quietly closed lips into my mouth. As Vasily opened his mouth in response, our lips overlapped deeply.
The sound of lips meeting echoed quietly. I could faintly feel the sensation of minute wavelengths flowing in, mixed with his cold breath.
“….”
Every time our lips brushed lightly, I could feel Vasily eagerly opening his mouth, waiting for my tongue. Now it was my turn to meet that expectation, but…
After hesitating for a long time, I eventually squeezed my eyes shut.
‘…I absolutely cannot mix tongues.’
Having always performed guiding passively in a coercive atmosphere, my body wouldn’t follow my will when I tried to initiate a kiss myself. Moreover, a strange atmosphere began to flow—so much so that I hoped it was just my imagination.
My whole body felt ticklish, like an allergic reaction. Even though our lips were already touching, I felt like it would be better to just do contact guiding for an hour.
“Esper Vasily, I’m sorry, but…”
Just as I decided to stop the guiding and pull back, the moment our lips parted slightly, a large palm wrapped around the back of my head.
With a strong force pressing my head down, our lips met once again. Vasily tilted my head to kiss me deeply, and my lips were completely devoured.
“Mmph…”
I hurriedly closed my mouth. But something as hard as ice was faster, forcing its way through the slight gap.
The tip of the cold tongue that invaded my mouth searched for the soft flesh and entwined it without hesitation.
Lips collided and tongues tangled. Even when I gritted my teeth, he didn’t care and leisurely explored deep inside my mouth. Along with a wet sound, a suppressed moan leaked from deep in my throat.
“Ugh… Vasili…”
Just as I tried to push him away with all my might, his tongue wrapped around mine softly.
The sensation of him kissing me with an unfamiliar tenderness caused the strength in my arms, which had been trying to push him away, to vanish. As if the previous roughness had been an illusion, Vasily carefully opened my mouth and slowly mixed his tongue with mine.
“Ngh…”
The tip of his cold tongue flicked against my lips, which had stiffened from tension. As my body flinched, the hand on my back slowly stroked down my waist.
Even as time passed, Vasily only kissed me carefully without pushing aggressively. I began to relax bit by bit at his unexpectedly docile attitude.
Matching his movements, I slowly began to move my stiff lips.
Our tongues touched cautiously, then soon became wetly entwined. There were moments when our lips parted slightly, but after a short breath, they immediately locked again. I could clearly feel Vasily’s cold breath permeating deep into my lungs.
Chu.
By the time our saliva had become lukewarm, to the point where neither of us felt hot or cold, our lips parted with a crisp sound.
“….”
I blinked blankly and came to my senses after a long while. Feeling my face flush hot, I hurriedly stood up.
“T-the guiding is finished, so I’ll be going now.”
I tried to leave the bed while wiping my lips with the back of my hand, but Vasily was a bit faster in grabbing me.
“Stay by my side until I fall asleep.”
“I gave you the mucosal guiding you wanted.”
“It was too short. Besides, you tried to stop in the middle. Stay just a little longer before you go.”
Vasily fell silent while hugging my waist. His firmly wrapped arms seemed to have no intention of letting me go easily.
I tried to push him away, but realizing that my body lacked strength because I had been swept away by the kiss, I stopped resisting.
Calming my turbulent heart, I slowly relaxed my body.
Anyway, Vasily probably hadn’t been able to sleep properly lately due to his insomnia. Remembering how he always fell asleep quickly whenever he received guiding from me, it was certain he would fall asleep soon today as well.
I intended to lie there only until Vasily fell asleep, but as the sound of his deep breathing reached me from the spot beside me, my eyelids began to grow heavy.
In the end, unable to resist my fading consciousness, I fell asleep right there in Vasily’s bed.