I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain

Theo gazed at the sleeping Luke without averting his eyes for even a moment. He had planned to ask Luke why he had been upset and to apologize, even if belatedly, when they met again. He had worked frantically to finish the mountain of tasks that had piled up, rushing home only to find Luke fast asleep. With Monet cradled in his arms, no less.@@novelbin@@

But watching the scene wasn’t all that bad. In fact, it felt as though the weariness that had weighed down his body and mind throughout the day was being washed away. Theo thought he could easily spend hours just taking in this view.

“Mmm.”

Luke stirred, seemingly tickled by Monet’s fur brushing against his face. As the breeze shifted Luke’s hair, Theo instinctively reached out to gently brush it aside.

With a faint smile on his lips, Theo lowered his hand further, softly caressing Luke’s cheek. His skin was as soft as his hair, and Theo’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. He knew he shouldn’t touch someone’s body without permission, especially when they were asleep, but he couldn’t stop his hand from moving.

At that moment, Luke stirred again, his hand landing atop Theo’s, clasping it as if to keep it there.

“……”

Theo froze, startled, but Luke didn’t let go of his hand.

“……Warm.”

The single word that escaped Luke’s lips made Theo bite his own. His body temperature rose, and an unfamiliar but not unpleasant tickling sensation spread through his core.

As Theo swallowed repeatedly, he felt a gaze on him. He turned his head to find Monet awake, staring at him with an unreadable expression.