▬▬ untold archives: shifting of paradigms

LIKE THOSE NIGHTLY INTERVALS WHEN HE COULDN'T SLEEP, Nanami carefully taught himself how to paint using goauche. Not that he was fond of doing artworks, nor he was already good at it, but it was the past-time he found fairly appealing. If seeing himself again in an occasional sleepiness and restless night, he would leave his bedroom and decided to tire himself with relaxing activities. Often in the midnights, he could be found at his study room, if not mindlessly reading a book, then drawing the photos he snapped with his phone.

Just this morning, after finishing his mission in a 300-hectare botanic garden managed by a prestigious university in Japan (who studied and conserved forestry and natural resources), he found himself wandering, fascinated, in and among the fragrant grasses, viewing the lushful amaranthus flowers that grew near the pond.

He was just doing that, painting on an A5-sized goauche paper, then hearing his doorbell chimed. His concentration got divided, raising his head in a surprised manner. He did consider it as a prank first, but again, it chimed. That was his cue, telling him that someone was on his doorsteps.

After treading to his main door, he wondered who would visit him at this hour? He already had a vague idea, but didn't want to assume so he just looked for who was it. There, he saw someone standing through the visual intercom connected on his doorbell.

It was you.

He hadn't seen you for a week, and the way you appear through the small monitor, a pair of weary eyes was reflecting within.

He immediately unlocked the door.

Your gaze snapped, full of anticipation to see him when you heard the clanking sounds of the door's lockworks. You traveled your gaze at him when the door panel was fully swung open and revealed his whole form, then you smiled gratefully, for in your eagerness to know that he was still awake.

You could have given him a full smile, yet you only winced as if something pulled a vein out of your head.

He furrowed his eyes, stepping forward with arms reaching out as though expecting you to faint. His eyes scanned you from up to down, scrutinizingly. He didn't know what were you hiding, but you had huge blanket covering your body.

Nanami was quick to realize what you had been to. Another Friday night, you might be out in the wild the whole time.

"You've really done it tonight, haven't you?"

Your eyes lacked luster the usual, pallid skin complexion, and the bags under your eyes were visibly darker.

The moisture on your throat had dried upon noticing him inspecting you. Whenever Nanami's studying you and your antics, he would always come up with accurate conclusions.

Just how sickly you looked right now, Nanami could only ponder. His frown became darker when he saw your fists bleeding and swollen. He wanted to inspect if you had additional injuries, but how could he know if you had a huge blanket covering your whole form? And then, as quick as he could get, he did not wait any more seconds not to let you in.

"You look very ill," he commented as he guided you into his foyer.

You only held your head up and flashed a tired grin. "I'm all right."

He gave you a condescending look, eyes narrowing slightly. "Clearly, you're not."

At his words, you dissolved all the concealment you plastered on your face. Your lips quivered, your expression instantly falling into a sad frown. You were almost guilty, remorseful, and shameful, for you didn't have any strength left to mask your troubles.

Nanami could have scolded you more, but he was taken aback when a layer of glassy eyes had stared at him for a brief moment—looking at his soul, longing and seeking.

He was in a trance again—for another few moments in his life. He didn't expect it, but you suddenly approached him, hands reaching out, blanket falling down, as you bravely enveloped his waist with your arms.

It seemed as though the world stopped still on its axis, taking a small step back as he caught your weight with the impact. He shouldn't be taken by the surprise; it wasn't the first time he had a physical contact with you . . . But that moment was different. It was just a momentarily glance, but what he'd seen at your face was a pure expression of raw emotion. He didn't know what put you in that state, thus his mind temporarily went blank.

"W-What . . ." he breathed out, stuttering a little, trying to unfreeze himself from the unaccustomary action of yours. "You know that your unit is in the next door, right?"

Finally, he articulated a response, although with a dismissing and apathetic voice.

"Yes," you let out a dreary sigh, squeezing your eyes as you hugged him tighter and snuggling your head closer to his chest as if you were seeking his warmth out of his frozen demeanor.

Nanami snapped his gaze up, while his cold, invisible walls were still acting up.

"And . . . This is not your house," he managed to say, stiffly lowering his hands from the utter shock. If you wanted to rest so bad, you could have gone straight to your unit.

"I know," you mumbled, feeling how he heaved his breaths and exhaled. You could feel how he was fighting his composure whether if he'd keep his guards up or completely succumb to your physical affection. "But it's not my house why I am here . . . I am here because of you . . . I wanted to see you."

It was as if you cast a spell, all of the thick lump of ice had melted, his soul softening, and the rigidness on his body got completely disappeared. He couldn't understand why you were clinging on him as if your life depended on it. He might have acted like he wanted to push you away, but the truth was that it was the first time seeing you that . . . vulnerable. You were always a void of emotions, detached, consistently unfeeling; it took Nanami a whole damn minute to discern if you were the same she-daredevil he had always known.

His arms dropped down on his sides, and he gained courage to look down on your relatively small frame. You were wearing a black mini halter dress—it was very body-hugging, backless, and had a deep, plunging neckline and a hip-high slit on the right side. Wearing that dress, it almost revealed everything you had.

If probing even further—not as what he had expected—upon the whiffs out of you, you didn't smell alcohol and smoke at all. You still smelled like your usual expensive cologne—although faint, it was very exquisite and alluring like the celestial wonders. He immediately suspected that you were high on drugs again, although he immediately discarded that thought. If you did consume psychoactive drugs on that very night, you should be fucking mental by now—he meant it in a very negative way.

Nanami gave up in his mind, sighing. He was perfectly aware how annoyingly mischievous you were and how much you loved giving him brain-aneurysm-level kind of headaches; and if he could be honest, Nanami didn't mind, because he could handle you properly.

"All right," he said, exhaling deeply again, and tried to speak in a very amiable manner. "Tell me what happened."

Then, ever so softly and gently, Nanami winded up his one arm around your waist, whilst the other traveled from the curve of your spine up to your nape. He rested his chin on the crown of your head, raking his fingers through your hair in the process.

You stood quietly, propping your chin on his shoulder. Your eyes were wide open, but it seemed like you were staring at the oblivion. You couldn't recollect your thoughts, only treasuring the strong arms being wrapped around you. Through his embrace, you felt everything about him—his body, brain, and soul . . . His everything, it is with you.

There was no one other than him. Your mind was at peace. You pressed closer to him, feeling his softness and warmth. This was the kind of tranquility you'd longed for in the whole week. And finally, you were back to your sanctuary—in his very arms.

Your body was so relaxed, letting your whole weight be cradled by Nanami's strong built. You shifted your head, staying silent, and savored his invigorating homely smell with bright notes of citrus—just enough scent to simulate your olfactory senses some fresh and clean bites—and with sweet distinctions of lavender and mint.

But from the moping look on your face, he knew that whatever was going through your head was certainly weighing you down, and he had no rights to invalidate that.

You weren't talking for a long time, only shuffling your feet little by little. Nanami was being swayed by your small movements. With his hold on you, he guided you with your step as if you two were in a dance. It was smooth and effortless, gradually connecting your soul to him. You and Nanami reached the living area of his unit, building up a subtle waltz in that musicless, subdued lit night.

You might not be talking right now, but thought that small dance, that was how they communicated.

Nanami smoothly took your right hand, filling the gaps of your fingers with his, and raised them up.

You got persuaded with his silent actions, although clueless, you acted along with it. Nanami twirled you around, then meeting you again with his eyes lighting up.

You chuckled candidly, even though with a sulking look.

As you were back in his arms, Nanami couldn't help it. He held your face with his two hands and made you look at him. Your face was being illuminated by the moonlight and had your beauty got enhanced. He watched how you blinked slowly, the silvery tears of the moon was melting on your eyelashes. And upon seeing your eyes, a garden of a million galaxies bloomed out of his chest.

Truly, you are beautiful.

You were awfully silent, and it honestly was bothering him. He was waiting for you to tell him the reason why you were that upset, but he also didn't want to force you.

"Nanami," you called as if you uttered a prayer.

He was only being attentive to you.

You only smiled, weakly and drowsily.

"Can I . . ?"

"Hm?" He tilted his head.

"Can I take a bath?"

"Bath?" He immediately frowned a little. You nodded as your response. "As in full bath?" You nodded again. "Do you want me to prepare the bathtub for you?"

You instantly beamed at him. "Yes, please."

"Okay," he only replied, although bewildered by your odd request.

As he slightly distanced himself to you, he guided you to the master's bedroom where his bathtub was. He had a common bathroom outside, but it only had a shower area. Upon reaching there, Nanami turned the faucet open and operated the hot-water range according to the temperature that was comfortable to the body. He pivoted to his bathroom cabinet. Its opening was a mirror, and through its reflection, he was seeing how you undressed your clothes. As you slipped the straps off of your shoulders, your dress fell on your feet and left you almost naked only with miserly fabric that covered your lady part.

He'd seen and touched everything about you, getting naked in front of him already became natural.

Nanami, apparently, didn't mind, although it was quite new to see that your cursed marks were gone. He shrugged off. Maybe you used a technique to conceal them. He continued doing his work as he took out a bath bomb from the cabinet and tossed it in the tub. He picked up essential oils next and poured some of it in the water and the room instantly smelled like lavenders with a hint of bergamot.

You craned your neck behind while you folded your dress and looked at him. This might be the reason why he smelled like one. You grinned at the thought as you stepped into the shower area.

The blonde sorcerer took out an extra toothbrush and towel and placed it where you could immediately see them. He exited the bathroom next, going to his wardrobe to get you clothes. He could lend you some of his sweatshirts, but his bottoms were too big for you. He sighed silently, and in the end, he picked a drawstring sweatpants so that you could adjust it to your size. It might be long for you because of your height, but you could just rolled the bottom hem to your ankles.

He returned to the bathroom and put the clothes to somewhere dry. Turning off the faucet on the bathtub, he checked the temperature again to ensure it was just right for the skin. When things were good, he leaned on the frosted shower glass and knocked on it thrice.

"Ryusei?" he called.

You immediately turned off the shower when you heard him.

"Yes?" you answered.

"If you need something more, call me up."

"Okay~"

As you responded, Nanami heard the reserved grin on your voice.

He went out again while you continued showering. You had actually taken a bath before coming there, but you wanted to do it again because you wanted to erase whatever dirt you had on your body. You used the bath towel and squeezed Nanami's expensive shower gel on it. You rubbed in on your skin a little bit harshly as if you were trying to erase something. Good thing it smelled so classy and rich—calming like lavender, uplifting like eucalyptus, and sweet like vanilla. No wonder Nanami smelled so good.

You even used his hair products, thankful that Nanami wasn't using any sharp-scented stuff.

After rinsing the soap and bubbles on your body, you went to the tub Nanami prepared for you and plunged yourself in it.

You sighed in relief, sinking lower onto the tub as you relaxed in that heated and aromantic water. Nanami readied this for you and it felt like it was purifying you, removing all the negative energy clinging on your skin. It was your personal taste of heaven, your peace, your reason to breathe, your priceless solitude.

Not knowing how long, you decided to stand up and get off of it. You couldn't stay more, because you behind was already hurting from all the sitting. Grabbing the towel, drying yourself up, and covering your body. Once you were done brushing your teeth, you then used Nanami's hair dryer to dry yours. It took a little, but when you were done, you wore the clothes Nanami prepared. You quietly and awkwardly laughed when you saw the panty you wore the other night you visited. You did look for it the morning you woke up, but you couldn't find it . . . He washed it for you, you guessed.

You wore the clothes, which were obviously big for your size, but overall, they were good—comfy and warm. You honestly felt like Nanami was hugging you.

Once you'd gone out of the bathroom, Nanami was no where in sight.

You let out of a confused huff and absentmindedly went outside the master's bedroom to look for him. You used your enhanced senses to find him quickly, and it eventually led you to the couches of the living area.

He was just lying there with a blanket on, whilst you only sat down on the area where his head was placed. Crossing your arms, you planted them on the couch and stared at Nanami. You weren't sure if he was asleep yet, but your hand was so drawn to him that you touched his thick eyelashes. Instantly, the world around you faded when you stared long enough at him. He's just too beautiful, it is as though his face was carved by the angels. His golden hair was covering his other eye, and you brushed it very gently. Then with the tip of your finger, you traced the shape of his nose, down to his lips. Those damn pretty and perfect lips of his . . . You smiled at the thought of it. You had kissed him many times, and if those gods were existing, you were grateful for the privileges of tasting his lips.

You sighed quietly, caressing his face in the process. This planet was too undeserving for a Nanami Kento to be born in this world. How you wished you and him could stay like this in your own version of your own world. No curses. No immortality. No sorcery. No cursed techniques. No missions. Just you and him. Nothing else.

But reality was too cruel for that wishful thinking, and you could only laugh bitterly.

You must be in a deep reverie and you didn't notice how Nanami fluttered his eyes open.

"You should be sleeping by now."

You heard him spoke, your soul zapping back to your immortal flesh.

"Oh–" your hand retreated from touching him– "I was wondering why you are here?"

"Use the bed, I'm fine here."

You didn't know how to react to that, so you said rather impulsively, "You're impossible! As if we didn't share the same bed last week!"

He only laughed in a low tone. "I didn't mean that way. I just figured you might need some space or something, so I'm sort of distancing myself."

Your shoulders sagged. The dispirited in you was must have spilled out, and he was just being so considerate.

"Did you seriously think that I came here because I need some space?" Your sarcasm bled through. If space was what you wanted, you could have caged yourself in you own unit.

"Touché." He lazily grinned at you. "Then, what's the reason why you came here?"

"Fellowship," you said.

Nanami saw how your face gleamed. The bath really worked, now your mood had brightened up .

Fellowship, huh?

What a strange way to phrase.

You grabbed his arm to urge him to stand up. He didn't protest, only letting himself be dragged by you. It didn't take long when you two reached the bed. You laid down on the center, Nanami followed as the bed was sinking down on his weight. As he fixed the duvets, you turned around and faced him.

All you wanted to was rest . . . Also feeling a sort of thirst for a companion. Your mind was torturing about the events of today. Truly, your longed for a fellowship at your moment of exhaustion, but not in the other way.

Nanami searched for your hand. He'd noticed from the start that your fists were swollen.

"Did you have a fight barehanded?" he asked as he brought it to his mouth and nuzzled your knuckles.

"Yeah . . . Kinda," you answered warily.

"Why not heal it?"

You slightly made a face. "I . . . Not really sure. I maybe want to be reminded that I'm stupid."

His eyes were narrowing. You? Calling yourself stupid?

"Really . . ." he said flatly. "Because?"

You only closed your eyes, thinking where would you start. "You know that I was sent to overseas missions, right?" He clipped a nod. You snuggled closer to him and hung an arm on his waist up to hid back.

You were quaint and tamed unlike the usual. The fiery glimmer in your eyes might have dimmed, but your face looked softer, picturing and emotion of warmth that he wasn't used to seeing. A sense of clemency was swept over him, so he scooped you by the waist, pulling you to him until there was only an inch gap between you and him. You involuntarily put your head on his arm like your pillow and with his other hand, he placed it on your cheeks.

"Then?" He was sleepy, but he was keeping it in, because he'd like to listen to you first.

"It's really something dumb, y'see."

"What kind of dumb?"

"Dumb dumb. Like a shitty kind of dumb."

Nanami scoffed, "Tell me what's not a shitty kind of dumb in our line of work."

Your face painted a frustrated expression. You were a little ashamed to tell him, but you also wanted to open up with him.

"When I discovered that my mission was a 7-day cruise ship mission from Taiwan, South Korea, and back to Japan, I oddly got excited. It was said that in every cruise stop, people were gone missing. I wanted to take advantage of the perks I had, so I immediately finished the mission on the first day."

"Lucky, aren't you?"

A dainty grin lined on your lips. "Not really; I really wished you were with me in those days."

He only gave you a knowing grin, but he didn't expound the subject. "So? What have you done?"

Nanami knew that you were an epitome of mischief, and he wouldn't be surprised when you roused a trouble unannounced.

"Just roaming around the usual, though waiting for the Friday night to come got me bored," you said. At that moment, that was when your expression went awry. "So–" you scratched your forehead first– "when Friday night came, I kinda—I mean, really, like really, went wild. I didn't mingle with people, but I drank and smoked so hard as if there is no tomorrow."

That's so you. Nanami said inwardly.

"I have a high alcohol tolerance," you trailed at first, "not to mention drugs."

The blonde man slightly grimaced; you were basically confessing that you were really a drug addict.

"But I didn't consume meths out of my own will!" you defended quickly.

That made Nanami's gaze go dark. "You mean . . ?"

You only lowered your gaze as you fidgeted on the bedsheet. "I could take at least ten bottles of tequila, but upon finishing the third bottle, I was already intoxicated. I knew that I decided to go back to my suite, but I got fawned by group of . . . Men."

That was when your eyes went luckluster again. And just remembering it, you wanted to skin yourself alive.

"Shit." Nanami got alarmed of the words you professed and didn't what to act. "Should I—?" He separated himself from you, but he motioned his hands back as if he was asking you a permission. "Do you want me to? I mean . . ."

To comfort you or respect your personal space.

He didn't know what was the right thing to choose, so he got his limbs hanging in disbelief—not knowing how long until you spoke.

"No, no, no . . . I—" You unconsciously pinched the hem of his sweatshirt as if you were begging him. "Please, stay close to me, don't let go . . ."

With that, Nanami surrendered and had you back in his arms again. He buried his chin on your neck as he was feeling your deep breaths.

"I assume you beat them up? Hence your bruised fists."

"Yeah, I warned them not to touch me or have their filthy mouth on my skin because I don't like getting angry while being riddled with alcohol and drugs." Your lips tugged down, venting out to him like a child having tantrums. "But before I could retaliate, they already had dragged me in a room . . . They continued touching me here and there. I was just drunk, but not drunk enough. Even if they mixed meth in it, it still wasn't enough to knock me out."

Three bottles of tequila induced with methamphetamine—not enough.

Nanami only nodded. You were more of a hard drinker than him.

You continued your story after a short pause. "There were five of them, and it pissed me of when didn't want to stop, so I broke everyone's faces. I wanted to grab a blade and cut their skin and write RAPIST on their foreheads, but I held back because I needed to play that I'm the victim, so I went out and told the authorities. I confronted the bartender next and forced him to spill out the truth. Turned out that those five assholes paid him to drug my drinks, thus I grabbed a bottle of tequila and smashed it to his head."

Nanami only winced. He knew you were way more dangerous than those guys.

"Of course I'm a good drama queen and acted all my heart out, then gained their rapport and pity. Since we were in Ulsan City in South Korea that time, the management chauffeured me to the airport and prepared their private plane to fly me back here in Tokyo. The flight took me two hours, ad additional thirty minutes to reach out condo building. They also said that they'll have luggage be delivered as soon as possible, because I demanded them that I want to go back here immediately." Then you smiled incorrigibly. "I paid nothing for it, instead they even paid me a huge amount of money for settlement and compensation, in exchange of not suing them and I shouldn't tell the public about it."

Nanami only moved his head to face you and placed a platonic kiss on your forehead. He was instinctively becoming protective you. It didn't show, but his blood was boiling upon knowing what did they had done. If he was there that time, he'd raise a hell with you.

He then sighed, "I'm sorry if I wasn't there for you."

A plethora of flowers bloomed on your face. "No, not your fault," you said sulkingly. "It's mine. I should have been more careful, especially that it happens everytime."

Nanami was quick to face you with disbelief. "Everytime?" he repeated because he didn't expect that.

You nodded your head truthfully. "It's why I don't drink outside."

Your deep distrust to humanity must have also stemmed from those worst scums.

He leaned in close to you, his nose bumped against yours.

"You're okay if I'm this close to you?"

You smiled timidly. "I should be the one who's asking that to you."

"I already gave you my answer, didn't I?" He cupped your face and kissed your eyelids.

A smile blossomed on your face as you planted your forehead on his and rubbed it very gently, fondly.

"NanaKen," you whispered in a solemn voice.

"Hmn?"

"Do you think I'm beautiful?"

Hearing you, it felt Nanami was blown away and his ability to breathe faltered. He didn't show how his face flustered, got caught off guard, and had his mind went temporarily blank.

"I hesistate to tell you," he said, "but you really do have inner insecurities, don't you?"

Your face crumpled.

Yes, you had insecurities.

But,

"You didn't answer my question," you replied with a moody huff.

He only stared at you with a softened gaze.

You were beautiful to him. He had come across with hundreds of beautiful people throughout his lifetime, but if blending you amongst them, you'd definitely stand out like the rarest gemstone of all—at least a thousand to million times rare in the world. Your beauty couldn't be compared, because you emitted a sense of something eternal, a sense of timelessness and essence.

"You are, Your Highness." He was sure that he made you feel that you were. "Haven't I told you many times now?"

Beauty dwelled in you. You were a seal of perfection and you sit in the seats of the gods—there was no work of art that could not have been more perfect. The blood of the gods lived through your bloodstreams, and the gods themselves had kept you earthbound. He was embittered, heaven knew how he was, just being up late in that night with you, it put him in a trance.

"Thank you," you told him. "Beauty is really subjective, huh?"

"Do you not find yourself beautiful?"

You grinned sheepishly, but still appreciative of his recognition. Him, finding you beautiful was like a message from the cosmos.

"I have been told that I'm beautiful in a million ways, a million times over and over . . . It was kind of humorous that living the same beautiful face over a thousand years, it became so ordinary for me now."

You made the most sensible point, Nanami was almost at lost for a reply.

"So it's okay for me not to call you beautiful?" A teasing remark was heard.

You eyed him in disbelief. "No," you replied demandingly, "call me beautiful whenever you got the chance."

Amused, he lightly chuckled, "That's what I thought."

You playfully flicked his forehead. At rarest times, he'd like to tease you.

You subtle, sweet smile was etched on your face, and he only got fascinated with it. You were capable of smiling so genuinely, and each day, you were becoming more and more human to him.

"For you, then," Nanami said after a calming moment, "what does it mean to be beautiful?"

If beauty was subjective, therefore, you also held a personal definition for it.

"Beauty should be fleeting," you declared with a firm conviction.

Nanami was already familiar with your philosophical views in life, thus your meaning about beauty didn't surprise him much.

"Art is associated with beauty, right?" he asked, trying to create a discourse. "If beauty is fleeting, can you say the same thing to the phrase 'Art is eternal.'?"

Nanami delighted in the pursuit of capturing timelessness. If he had time to spare, he would see himself visiting a museum or attending a concerto. Artistic people always had the role to reflect time; what they created was not a fleeting desire, it was something that transcended the ordinary.

You understood Nanami's point, so you tried to elucidate more of your outlook.

"I'm not saying that beauty must have an end, it only needed to be fleeting." Your explanation only brought Nanami in the state of confusion. "Are you familiar with the Law of Conservation of Energy?"

"Yes," he replied, and with a quoting manner, he added, "it says that energy is neither created nor destroyed."

Same with sorcery, the usage of cursed energy lied on the same principle. When using energy, it wouldn't disappear, it only changed from one form of energy into another form of energy.

You also said the same thing before, Nanami remembered, that the building blocks of everything—which were atoms—in the universe were the same, they didn't disappear as well, they were just there . . . Forming another units to another one.

"You're saying?"

"As a living creature, we ought to be like that," you answered the idleness whirling on his head. "The universe is entirely operating in transience. Have you been in a cherry blossom viewing, then you'd realize the beauty of flowers will flourish and wither, and then fall back into the earth? Then seasons will revolve in the sun, and it will eventually be spring again."

"A cycle, you mean?"

"Yep, a cycle," you concurred with a silent yawn, closing your eyes. "It is not that the existence of a person is not beautiful, but rather, they are made more beautiful due to the short lifetime before they wither away."

Your breathings were becoming heavy. Nanami could see that you were slowly falling asleep. He couldn't help but think that you and him really had different opinion from things. He didn't find your point of views were wrong, instead, he could learn a thing from you; somewhere in between, there was a thread common denominator that tied you two.

Thus, he professed, "All things become broken, and we should embrace it, don't we?"

You sleeping opened your eyes to show that you were still attentive to him. "Yes, NanaKen, our biology is already broken, you see. We are made out of dead things that are ironically making us alive—that's beauty, don't you think?"

"Uh-huh," he responded as he pulled you again to give you to a good sleeping position while having you in his arms.

As you said before, billions of stars had died just to create him. Humans came from dead stars, they would live, then go to their final resting place—becoming one of stars once again.

"You really do have a fascinating way to view things in life, don't you, Your Highness?" he mumbled as he kissed your temples.

"When you have the eternity on your hands, it's meant to be," you chuckled with your eyes closed.

Beauty is either fleeting or eternal—just like how he always viewed you.

"NanaKen," you murmured as you scooted closer, nestling your face on his chest.

"Yes?" He was equally sleepy himself, but he could still keep his open longer.

"I think . . ."

There was pause.

"What is it?" Nanami inhaled as he exhaled.

"I'm gonna fall asleep . . ."

"Yes, I can tell." One of his hands was on your back, gently patting it to slowly lull you to sleep.

"How about you . . ?"

He smiled dearly. "I'm just going to watch you sleep first, then I would also."

His words put a smile on your lips, and before you even knew it, you had been cradled to reach the dreamland.

Nanami only watched your deep breaths as you fell asleep soundly.

Your beliefs had persisted up to this moment—life was a beautifully fleeting, but your mortality endured.

A paradox, indeed.

im trying to write fluff
don't judge lmaooo
i sometimes get worried
if im making nanami
ooc, but im reminded that
i don't fucking care (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠)
to hell with ppl who feel
superior for giving em
"good" and oddly bland
characterization with
one-dimensional plot

im not sorry lol

btw, i stalked myself just
recently ahdjsjdksjsksks

and look at what i found aahhh

gosh, this story is almost 3 years old ;-;
and it's funny to see how i started
this fic, and im kinda proud, ig

and i also rarely commend my work,
but i like this chapter lol idk
let's enjoy fluff

— handthe;rend (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)