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Is this normal? Silver Wolf questioned herself as she saw her two members going into the same bedroom. She'd often ask Sam and Elio, confirming them of those two suspicious people of their relationship. What she got is however,
"Blade often need her Spirit Whisper ASAP. So, Kafka decided it's best for them to share a room."
"Blade needs her. Kafka is there to provide."
One of those two answers didn't help with Silver Wolf's suspicion. Her mind couldn't help but imagine their relationship ”that” way. She felt disgusted at the thought and decided whatever they are doing behind those doors, she'd better not eavesdrop. Just the thought of her finding out her suspicions could be correct makes her sick to the stomach.
"You know, if you're that curious, you could just ask them, right?”
Sam told her, his voice as robotic as ever. Silver Wolf's face scrunched at the ridiculous suggestion of the metal humanoid.
"You're kidding, right?”
Just then, the door of Kafka's room opened up. Behind the door, the owner reveals herself, still in her nightgown and hair down. It seems she needed to refresh herself and off to find some refreshments.
"Speak of the devil,"
Her head turned to her members who aren't in their own personal chambers. She smiles as she approaches them, curiosity fills her eyes.
"Talking about me, hm?”
"Silver Wolf is curious about why you two are sharing a room." Sam answered, without letting Silver Wolf had a say.
"Oh? You know about Bladie's mara and my Spirit Whisper, don't you?"
"Well, yeah,"
"He needs me and I provide. That's all there is to it."
"But is sharing a room even necessary?" Silver Wolf scrunched her eyebrows. Her own logical thinking doesn't help explain how does Kafka's (and the rest of the crew) logical thinking works.
Kafka laughs at the question, "oh my, are you jealous? Do you want to come and join us?"
"Don't be ridiculous, I don't want to be invovled in neither of your nightly activities, moaning each other's name until dawn comes."
Kafka laughs again, this time she sounded surprised, "Oh darling, is that what you think we've been doing???”
"Well what else? There's no way all you do is whispering him to sleep!”
"Well, on most days,"
"Most days??? So you guys do-"
"Well, I won't deny nor confirm anything. But that's not what you truly wants to know, is it Wolfie?”
Silver Wolf lowers her hand that she'd been using to point that woman's lies. She forgot how sharp Kafka is, she should've just asked right away.
"Are you two lovers?”
"Define 'lovers'," Kafka inaudibly sighs, "Bladie still has someone he couldn't fully forget and is the reason his mara strikes almost every night. We do have a physical relationship like the one you imagined though,” Kafka smirked at the end of the sentence to further tease Silver Wolf who seems uncomfortable at the thought her crewmates are not-so secretly fucking each other.
The door to Kafka's bedroom opens once again, this time revealing the other main character of the night. Blade comes out looking tired out of the bed. It seems his sleep was disrupted awfully for him to have a scrunched forehead and his hand on his temple to soothen the pain.
"Kafka," his voice sounded hoarse as he called out to the woman in front of him.
"Nightmares, Bladie?” Kafka asked as she slowly walks towards him and cups his face with one hand. Her voice a lot gentler comparing to when she was talking to the other members of the crew.
"I'll go back inside after I find something to drink, do you need me to get you something too?"
"No, I just need you, Kafka," that comment sent chill down Silver Wolf's spine. She didn't think her cold mentor has the ability to say something so cheesy whether it was intentional or not. She then eyed Kafka almost immediately to capture her reactions to such comment being made for her.
"Okay, Bladie. Be a good boy and go back inside first for me, okay?” Kafka smiled, she seems used to such cheesy statement to the point she does it too and call Blade a "good boy". That phrase made Silver Wolf cringed further at the duo. Truly a match made in hell, Silver Wolf thought.
She also noticed how Kafka's smile seems more genuine after Blade said that. Lovebirds, they're practically married at this point, Silver Wolf concluded. Fearing that those two would throw each other more spine-shivering lines, Silver Wolf bids farewell to her crew members and left for her own chamber. Playing her games to drown out the memories of her two crew members being absolute cringey to each other. Now that her suspicions has been proven, she'll try her best to avoid Kafka's chamber whenever those two are already inside.
Kafka walks back to her chamber after finding something to drink. She hums a classical piece that has been stuck in her head for a while as she calmly walks back to her chamber she shares with her "companion".
It's not like Blade doesn't have his own room or anything. But she and Blade have decided sleeping together is a lot more effective for his condition than to sleep away from her. His actual room is the furthest from Kafka after all. His room is filled with his belongings but really it's all just Kafka's gifts for him and a few bandages and first aid kit to treat his wounds. He barely uses them though, since there's another one in Kafka's room. She often treated his wounds he'd get from their missions together, half of them resulted from him protecting her.
When she enters her quarters, Blade is sitting on the edge of the bed, his head hung low while his hand massaging it. His eyes travels to the door where Kafka is standing, his eyes softening in relief.
"Kafka,"
"I'm back, Bladie," she said with a smile while approaching and sits on the bed, right beside him.
"Kafka, that feeling-" Blade trembles at the pain.
"Shh, I know. Listen to me, don't think about it, you're save here now,"
Blade then slowly regain his senses. The pain eating him away dissipates, obedient to her Spirit Whisper. There was serene silence between them as Blade slowly recovers and Kafka waited patiently for him before she speaks up finding a topic for them to chat about. Blade rarely initiates the conversation but he does speak when Kafka ask him questions and any little game she likes to play, he would comply. In days she doesn't want to play games, she'd told him about her day or the mission they went through together.
"Did you know, Bladie? Silver Wolf is disgusted by our relationship,"
"Huh? Why would she?”
" Well, for one we sleep in the same room. Plus, I told her about our physical relationship," Kafka covers her mouth, laughing while making a slight apologetic face towards Blade for spilling about their sexual endeavours.
Blade sighs at the revelation and says, "Well, I can't blame her for thinking that way."
Kafka's smile drops and her tone gets colder as she asks him, "Do you think our relationship is disgusting, Bladie?”
"No- You know that's not what I mean, Kafka,"
"Do I? She thought we were lovers, Bladie. Do you find the thought disgusting too?”
"Kafka!" Blade raised his voice and look towards the woman beside him. His eyes sharp trying so hard piercing to those lilac eyes of her that seemingly lacks emotions behind it.
Kafka close her eyes as she smiles and tells him, "It seems we're both are very tired right now, let's go back to sleep," Kafka then walks to her side of the bed as her back faces his. Her smile didn't reach her eyes.
"I- I don't find it disgusting, Kafka. You're my tether, my leash and I'm your weapon, your shield, your blade,” Blade faces Kafka's back, his hands on both of her sides and he rests his head on her shoulders, "I don't know if our relationship can be categorized as 'lovers' or a normal couple."
"I know, Bladie, I know," Kafka said in a whisper. That's all there is to their relationship, a swordmaster and her blade. Kafka then lowers herself down to the bed, her back still facing her "companion".
Blade follow her to bed, laying behind her. He grabs her waist and plants his face on the side of her neck. In most days, Kafka would be the big spoon and in other days, they would cradle. But in rare days like this where Kafka isn't in the mood, Blade would be the big spoon.
Kafka often reads Blade's emotions like an open book. He might not seem like it but he expresses his emotions a lot. Unlike her, who seems to not fully understand her own emotions and how to express it. Blade, however, often sees through her. Her voice changes whenever she's sad or upset.
Blade sighs and fill his nose with her fragrance. She smells like lavender and it always helps him gain his sleep. It's so calming and gentle like her voice when she sings him a lullaby or when she hums a classical piece she'd been listening to. It's one of the reasons he prefers sleeping in her room.
Elio once told him that Kafka's love for lavender-fragranced things is a recent development, around the time Blade and Kafka started sleeping together. He noticed how thoughtful she is about his condition sometimes. To the point his protection for her pales in comparison to how much she takes care of him. He wants her to rely on him too but Kafka isn't exactly a weak woman, far from that she rarely needs his saving. The only thing she lacks is fear, especially fear of death.
To regain some mutual benefit for each other, he'd help relieve her sexual frustation sometimes. Starting their physical relationship.
Blade sighs, he realized he shouldn't think of their relationship as a mere physical relationship. Each of them care for the other one in their own way. They provide for each other. But he couldn't call them 'lovers', they were far from something as pure as 'lovers'. There was a thin veil between them, more than friends but not quite lovers.
But he secretly dreams of the world, where everything is right, and they are what you would call 'lovers'.