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It's night time. Kurode finished his training for today, and ready to go sleep.
"... Kurode-kun."
Kurode stopped his movement and turned his face towards Willmesh.
"Yes, is there something wrong, Willmesh-san?" Kurode asked politely, although still without smile.
The Fragaria Knights of Blue Bouquet already got used with Kurode's unsmiling face, so Willmesh also didn't mind it. Instead, his purple eyes was looking quite worried. Willmesh lifted both of his hands and cupped Kurode's face with them. His eyes looking intently at Kurode's face while the latter looking embarrassed.
"Willmesh-san…?" Kurode called with red-tinged face, while his expression still said otherwise.
"As I thought." Willmesh frowned. It's quite rare for anyone to saw him like this, because Willmesh was often reserved. "You look… quite pale these days, Kurode-kun."
The mentioned knight startled. "Ah... Is that so? It's alright. I will rest well."
How often did Kurode say this? Even he himself wasn't sure. It's a sentences that he also often said to Lord Kuromi as well, and here he was. Training again until late night.
Willmesh still didn't look happy. His fingers softly rub the eyebags under Kurode's eyes. "You… lack sleep." His voice was quite small and soft, like a whisper. But Kurode could feel his disapproval clearly.
Willmesh was looking quite troubled. Kurode expected that it's because the former was the type of person that didn't talk much. Even Kurode and Klarkstella talked much more than Willmesh. But, because of that, whenever Willmesh talked, everyone usually listened carefully. That's also why Kurode waited patiently, seemingly forgotten that Willmesh's hands were still cupping his face.
"Don't train…Too hard." Willmesh finally continued. "... Take it slow. I know that you wanted to be stronger… But if you don't accompany it with a proper rest… Then it's all meaningless."
Kurode was stunned. He blinked before unconsciously replied back. "... Understood." And he felt shocked again, because this is the fastest of his compliance after Lord Kuromi's scolding.
Perhaps it's because the one who said it was Willmesh? Because if it's Klarkstella who said this, maybe Kurode would feel a bit of indignation instead. It's not helping that Klarkstella often spoke in a cold and stern tone, which sometimes could make people feel rebellious rather than obedient.
Finally, Willmesh smiled following Kurode's answer. "Good." He praised. One hand releasing the cupping as he patted Kurode's bicolor hair. "Conveying things.. Are not my expertise. I'm glad if you understand…"
Kurode's face flushed again. "... Now that I understand your point, Willmesh-san, can you please… release my face?"
Willmesh looked startled. His eyes darted towards his own hands, apparently just realized how intimate he is to Kurode. Then, his eyes looked back to the younger knight in front of him. His embarrassed face…. Somehow, Willmesh liked it quite a bit. He stared at Kurode again, and no one knew what's going on his mind.
"Willmesh-san." Kurode gritted his teeth a bit as he called again. He would look irritated or annoyed if only the red tinge wasn't there. Willmesh thought it only make him lovelier.
The pink haired Fragaria eventually released his hands. "I apologize. I got carried away for a bit…" Deep in his mind, he didn't actually feel much sorry. But of course he still need to apologized since it's a good courtesy to do.
"... I'm going to go sleep now. Good night, Willmesh-san." Kurode bowed a bit as a polite gesture and hurriedly walked back to his residence without waiting for Willmesh's reaction. Perhaps other people would find it disrespectful, but Willmesh just thought it's cute. Since he could actually see Kurode's redden ears a bit.
Willmesh tilted his head and hummed thoughtfully. "Kurode-kun… is actually quite shy, huh…."
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Ever since that day, Willmesh sometimes stared at Kurode everytime they met. Lately, he's also loved to just patted the Fragaria's black hair. Kurode always protested the affectionate gesture, but he never actually tried to stop it.
Willmesh thought he's just very cute.
Their new interaction gained a few attentions from other Blue Bouquet's Knights of Fragaria and their respective Lord.
One day, Cielomort told his childhood best friend as they have a tea time together. "You've gotten really close to Kurode lately, Will." He said, calling Willmesh with a nickname since their childhood.
Willmesh nodded. "I feel that… I like him, Cielo. I like him much more than usual. I'm not sure if it's too fast... I guess it's what people called 'love'." He answered truthfully. Cielomort was his childhood best friend and the one he trusted the most. Willmesh never thought to hide something from him.
Cielomort smiled widely. "So you do know what's your feeling, as I thought." The silver-haired Fragaria spoke without any surprise.
Willmesh hummed in response as he sipped his tea. "I want to think that I have a good grasp with my own feeling, after all."
"Then, what about next? Have you ever thought to confess your feeling one day?" Cielomort boldly asked. He seemed invested with Willmesh's love life.
From this question, the hand that picked up the teacup stopped. "... I'm… Not sure."
"Oh?"
Willmesh's body stiffened for a bit as he drank his tea again. "You know… that I'm not good at conveying my thoughts."
"I just feel a bit afraid… That it won't go well."
Cielomort hummed back in return. "I see…. Then, do you think you have a grasp on Kurode's feeling towards you, Will?"
Willmesh closed his eyes in contemplation. "I won't be too arrogant to say that Kurode-kun surely return my feeling…." Then, he concluded. "But I can assure myself that Kurode-kun do have a feeling for me, even if it's just for a bit."
Willmesh remembered all the little blushes on Kurode's fair face. Sometimes it even spread to his ears. Not to mention, whenever their eyes met, Kurode avoid his eyes if Willmesh didn't approach him first.
He also realized in these past few days that Kurode almost never looked flustered with other knights. Louterstella once tried to caress Kurode's hair, but the latter avoided it with deadpan expression, in which Louterstella responded with an amused chuckle. A gesture he never did everytime Willmesh the one that patted his hair.
So indeed, Willmesh can assure himself that at the very least, Kurode do have a same feeling for him.
Cielomort's giggles cutting through Willmesh's thought. "Then, I don't think you have lots of burden on your shoulder, aren't you?"
Willmesh murmured in agreement. "I guess you're right."
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On the other hand, Myunna was the one that asked Kurode. Both of them were in the library as Kurode taught Myunna some knowledge about the world.
"I guess that's it for now." Kurode ended his tutoring session. "Do you have any questions, Myunna?"
"K-Kurode-san…! Are you and Willmesh-san in relationships?" Myunna immediately asked.
Kurode almost let off the book onto floor. He quickly stabilize himself. His face calm as usual. ".... I don't think it's connected to our lesson before…"
Myunna nodded, his face flushed shyly. "Mm… But Myunna… Is curious. Kurode-san and Willmesh-san looked very close these days…!"
Even the youngest knight in Blue Bouquet, Myunna, could see the differences.
Kurode sighed. "We're not in relationships."
Myunna blinked his eyes. He's appeared to be confused. "But… Both of you looks like a lovers that I once saw on the street!" He innocently said.
Perhaps not that similar, but Myunna could see the tender affection on Willmesh's eyes. Sometimes, even a young fairy could discern someone's intention with a mere child's instinct. Not to mention that Kurode himself acted differently only in front of Willmesh.
"Willmesh-san patted your hair very often and Kurode-san never turned it down…. So I thought both of you are lovers… um.. Am I wrong?" Myunna looked anxious. He felt afraid that he just annoyed Kurode. Myunna wouldn't like that, he liked the black-haired Fragaria that seemed cold on the outside, but actually warm on the inside.
Kurode quickly put his palm on Myunna's fluffy hair. "It's okay. It's… Normal to misunderstand."
"Just… Do I really look like that? Like I'm… Liking him?" He asked slowly.
Without any addition, Myunna knew what Kurode meant. He nodded excitedly as a sweet smile grew on his small face. "Mm! Kurode-san actually looks so happy! You're not smiling, but Myunna feel that you're feeling happy…."
Kurode's expression seemed like he didn't really believe it himself, but a red tinge started to show up on his cheeks. It looked like he was just in denial with his own feeling.
The problem was, he didn't know how Willmesh's feeling. That's also one of the reason why he's in denial.
Since Kurode didn't want to feel hope, just to be crushed.
Was he even worthy to be with Willmesh?
Myunna realized the gloomy look on Kurode. The expression was as flat as usual, but Myunna could certainly feel the change of atmosphere around Kurode. Because Myunna's already so often together with him.
The young knight quickly added. "And! Also, I think Willmesh-san like Kurode-san too!"
Kurode stilled, then lift up his face to look at Myunna again. "... Are you.. Sure?"
It seemed nonsense to asked a child something like that. Most people wouldn't think that a child knew anything about love.
But, Kurode and Myunna didn't included on most people. Since they live a different life compared to the inhabitants that live their life in the kingdom.
Myunna nodded again with a wide smile and sparkly eyes. "Yes! Willmesh-san usually always quiet and elusive. But with Kurode-san, he looked happy. The smile he showed to you always bigger than usual. And Willmesh-san loved to patted Kurode-san, which never happen before!"
Kurode stared at Myunna's excited face, and slowly smiled, even if it's only slightly. "... I see."
"Perhaps you're right, Myunna. I… Maybe, I do hope so."
Myunna's face beamed like a sun when he saw the small, but soft smile on Kurode's usually ever expressionless face.
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Kurode took a look at the sky that had already darken.
There's actually still much time to train, but he remembered Willmesh's advice. He sighed as he tidied up himself, finished with his training.
"Kurode-kun."
When Kurode looked at the voice, he saw Willmesh. His lips automatically opened. "I'm not training until late night again." He quickly explained. Even though he knew it's already clear that Kurodo already finished.
Willmesh looked quite confused, before he had an epiphany and smiled in amusement. "I know. You look… Much better than the time I gave you advice." He praised softly and again, lifted up his hand to caressed Kurode's hair.
Kurode almost instinctively wanted to protest, as always, before controlling himself to stay calm, letting Willmesh to stroke his hair smoothly.
Willmesh seemed quite happy with that, if his smile was any indication.
"Kurode-kun." The taller man in front of him called.
"I like you."
Kurode was silent for a bit, before suddenly widened his eyes, as if he just finished processing what happened. "... Huh. What. Wait–?" He immediately looked up towards Willmesh's face, feeling unbelievably.
Willmesh softly chuckled. He stopped his hand as he gave a small and quick kiss on Kurode's forehead. ".... I like you, Kurode-kun."
"Do you like me?"
Kurode's face quickly became red. His face looked in shock, as if he couldn't believe it. "N-no, huh? Why so suddenly- why are you kissing me?" Maybe he realized the tone was too harsh, Kurode quickly clarified. "It's not like I hate it– No, that's not what I mean…."
"... Am I too fast?" Willmesh wondered. He was amused with how quickly Kurode's expression changed. "I feel like you also like me… Do I think too highly of myself…?"
Kurode gulped all his words after seeing Willmesh's calm demeanor. He tried to calm himself down as he asked again. "... Are you… sure with that?"
Willmesh nodded. "Of course…." He closed his eyes.
"I never lied… I apologize if this confession is lacking something. I'm not really good at things like this…."
As he opened his purple eyes again, Kurode grabbed his sleeve at the same time. Willmesh looked at Kurode whose face looked down to the floor. The latter's hand shook slightly and his ears reddened.
"... I like you too."
It's a small voice, just like a whisper. But Willmesh could hear it clearly, and his smile grew.
Willmesh approached Kurode's redden ears and he whispered. "Can I kiss you?"
Kurode's hand that grabbed his sleeve trembled a bit again, but the owner of that hand nodded.
Willmesh cupped Kurode's face again and moved it so that they're face to face. He could see how red Kurode's face was. His beautiful fuchsia eyes darted to every way, trying their best to avoid Willmesh's intense stare.
Willmesh smiled softly. He stooped down his face, and his lips touched Kurode's own.
Kurode's body was stiff. He didn't move at all, just like a statue as Willmesh kissed him. He didn't know about Willmesh, but this is so clearly Kurode's first kiss.
Willmesh's kiss was pure. It's not lustful or too intimate. It's just a touch between each other's lips, filled with warmth of love. Even so, Kurode still felt overwhelmed.
Finally, Willmesh disengaged his lips with Kurode's. As he looked at Kurode's stiff body, he gently rubbed Kurode's lips with his finger. "Thank you." He whispered again. "I promise that I will always be with you, Kurode-kun."
Kurode snapped out from his trance, and he looked at Willmesh seriously. He nodded. "I will, too."
Because that's their love.
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The Blue Bouquet accepted their relationships quickly.
Cielomort and Myunna excitedly congratulated them. Louterstella smiled softly as he congratulated them suavely. Klarkstella just huffed while murmuring 'finally'. Even their respective Lord also accepted and congratulated them, especially Willmesh's Lord, Wish Me Well.
Kurode's Lord, on the other hand.
"Although I'm glad if Kurode is content… but I still feel robbed! You, swear on your life that you will always make Kurode happy!" Kuromi glared at Willmesh, though considering her cute figure, it's hardly scary. Still, Willmesh nodded in seriousness.
"Lord Kuromi…." On the other side, Kurode actually felt happy with Kuromi's cares, but he was still embarrassed with his Lord's basically ultimatum towards Willmesh.
Wish Me Well on his side just laughed mildly. She turned towards Kurode. "Kurode-kun, please take care of Willmesh too. I can see that he loves you a lot. I hope you two can be happy forever."
Kurode pressed down his embarrassment as he nodded solemnly. "I will, Lord."
It all ended well.
Until…
"No way, I never give anyone approval to date my cute little brother~!"
Suddenly in the morning, Merold was here at the Blue Bouquet's kingdom area. He ran directly towards Kuromi's kingdom after hearing the latest news from his beloved little brother, and just happened to see Willmesh and Kurode holding hands.
Kurode grumbled as he tried to pry himself from Merold's hug. For someone that's a bit shorter than him, Merold sure had a tight hug. Understandable, considering the difference with their strength. Kurode couldn't easily let himself out and just resigned himself.
"I don't really need your approval…." Kurode said as he huffed in annoyance. "Even I just give you the news for courtesy between us siblings."
Merold faked his sad face. "My cute little brother's already an adult and can even have a boyfriend…. Aniki feels lonely…."
Willmesh didn't mind Merold's overdramatic act at all. "I will always be with him through thin and thick, and protect Kurode-kun's happiness with my life." He vowed wholeheartedly.
"... You don't need to be so serious with my Aniki's nonsense, Will-san."
"Hmm~..." From behind Kurode, Merold looked at Willmesh. His usual smile disappeared while Kurode wasn't able to look at Merold's face. "Well…. I can't force my brother to break up, since it will just make Kurode sad…."
"I won't listen to you about that, anyway." Kurode grumbled.
"Just uphold the promise you said earlier, okay~? Otherwise…." Merold smiled, but what Kurode didn't know while Willmesh could feel, was a threat lingering within his words. "I won't forgive anyone that hurt Kurode, either physically or emotionally~"
"Don't threaten him, Aniki. He already has one from my Lord." Kurode said in exasperation.
Merold laughed, and the intimidating atmosphere that only Willmesh could feel just now dissipated. He carefully looked at Merold. As anyone can expect for a knight that has the title of the strongest knight. Willmesh thought. He was really serious with the threat earlier.
But…. The purple eyed knight responded calmly. "I don't have any intent to break my promise."
Merold smiled, without any pleasant feeling inside that smile. "I do hope so."
Kurode raised his eyebrows. I feel like the atmosphere kind of changed earlier. He looked at his Aniki with suspicious eyes. Merold just waved his hands lightly with cheerful smiles.
It ended well…. Somewhat.