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Kurode had been in the middle of a discussion with Cielomort when they received word that Willmesh had returned from Kuromi's kingdom. Kurode had half the mind to ask Cielomort if they could continue the discussion another time, but that wasn't the best idea, so he refrained against it.
However, Cielomort had seemed to notice that Kurode had been paying less attention to what he had been saying as time went on. He sighed softly, an amused and almost knowing look in his eyes.
He takes the last sip of his coffee and sets the cup back down on the saucer with a clink, smiling and resting his chin in the palm of his hand as he addressed the squire. "You're worried about Will, aren't you?"
Cielomort watches in amusement as Kurode flinches, turning away from the window to face him again. His cheeks and ears are dusted with a light blush. "Worried? No, I wouldn't call it that, just.. I know how intense Kuromi can be sometimes. I just hope she wasn't too hard on him, that's all."
Cielomort hums, his lips still curved upwards with that same knowing smile. Kurode feels his face burn, and quickly changes the subject, hoping that the knight would agree to drop it.
"How much snow does your kingdom usually get?"
Cielomort stays silent for a moment, moving his hand to cover his mouth as he yawned. He turns his head to look out the window, watching the flurries outside that Kurode had mentioned. "Mm, not as much as some other places. It's typically enough to cover the ground, and it's still high enough to get in your shoes if you walk through it."
He pauses, glancing at Kurode again. "Well, you wouldn't have to worry about it with your shoes, but I'm sure you understand the gist." Kurode nods.
"Your cloak must keep you warm in this weather," he comments. The knight hums, nodding. "Yes, it does. I'm thankful for it."
The conversation tapers off into silence, and Kurode soon returns to looking out the window and watching the snow fall. Cielomort does the same, his cheek leaning in the palm of his hand.
Kurode loses track of time, zoning out as he observed the world outside the window. He only focuses back on reality when the sound of light snoring interrupts his thoughts. He blinks, turning his head, and finds that Cielomort had dozed off.
Hadn't he just been drinking coffee..? Kurode muses to himself, though he merely shrugged and got up. He quietly sees himself out, making sure to also shut the office door without making too much noise.
Once the squire is far enough away from the office, he breaks into a sprint, heading to the guest room where Willmesh had been staying. To his disappointment, the knight was not there, so he exited the room and sought out the castle staff in hopes of finding his whereabouts.
Unfortunately for Kurode, it would seem that if he wanted to speak with Willmesh anytime soon, he'd have to go on a wild goose chase. Thankfully for him, he had nothing planned for the rest of the day, so he was able to go look for him.
He started with the castle's kitchen and dining area first, and then the library. Willmesh was in neither of those places, and clearly he had not been in Cielomort's office.
One of the castle's staff had helpfully suggested that the knight had perhaps gone on a walk alone through the gardens around the castle, so that was where he decided to check next.
The gardens covered a large area around the castle.. Kurode silently prays that he would be able to locate Willmesh quickly. His clothing wasn't exactly suited for being out in this weather for long.
By the time Kurode had walked around almost the entire castle, the snow had eased up, now only the occasional small snowflake would drift through the air. He's about ready to head back inside, because he couldn't feel his fingers, but something compels him to continue walking, to maybe walk through some of the garden again. He decides to go through with it.
Now that the wind was not howling in his ears, he could hear other things from his surroundings more clearly. One of such things being the sound of a voice carrying through the quiet air. Kurode stops for a moment and listens.
..It sounds an awful lot like Willmesh. He was singing? Kurode begins walking toward the direction the voice was coming from.
It brings him to a spot he had overlooked previously. Underneath one of the decorative arches, the ground appeared to be frozen over completely, forming a sheet of ice. In the middle of the ice patch, was Willmesh, gracefully skating around, singing quietly.
Was it still considered skating, even if he was just sliding around on the ice in his normal shoes? Kurode didn't know.
He couldn't do much more than stare, completely awestruck. The way Willmesh was gliding across the ground with ease, the way his voice carried through the garden, the way his hair fluttered around every time he performed a twirl.. Kurode didn't think he had ever seen anyone more elegant.
He's unsure of just how long he spends standing there, half hiding behind the base of one of the arches, but by the time he snaps back to reality from his daze, he belatedly realizes that he cannot feel his fingers.
It's at that moment that Willmesh spots him as well, his voice immediately cutting off, and he comes to a halt, his eyes wide. "Kurode-kun? How long have you been standing there..?"
Kurode opens his mouth to reply, but he stops before he actually can say anything. He wasn't entirely sure himself, after all. Plus, it would be really embarrassing to admit that he had lost track of time while he was admiring the knight..
He's stopped from getting lost in his thoughts again when Willmesh appears in front of him. He doesn't even get a chance to say anything before Willmesh's hands are holding his face. And they're warm.
"Kurode-kun..! You're freezing, how long have you been out here?" Willmesh asks, bending down slightly so he was at eye level with the squire. "And without proper clothes suited for this weather? What were you doing?"
Kurode, mercifully, is able to find his voice again. "I wanted to talk to you," he manages to reply.
Willmesh frowns worriedly. "Why didn't you just wait for me in the castle? I heard that you were meeting with Cielo about something important when I got back, so I came out here to pass the time. Didn't Cielo tell you I'd be in once you two were done?"
Kurode shakes his head, mourning the loss of Willmesh's hands on his cheeks as the cold bites at his skin again. "No, we never finished talking. He fell asleep, and I felt awkward sticking around, so I left and asked around because I wanted to find you."
Willmesh sighs softly, his hands now clutching Kurode's in his own. How his hands were so warm, despite the fact that he wasn't wearing gloves either, Kurode didn't know, but he appreciated the warmth regardless. Even if it was a bit distracting at the moment.
Willmesh lifts his gaze and meets Kurode's blank stare. "..We should go back inside. You need to get warmed up," he says after a moment. However, he hesitates a moment before moving, his touch lingering for just a few seconds more before he reluctantly releases the squire's hands.
Kurode nods, moving to follow the knight. He tries not to think about how he missed the feeling of Willmesh's hands holding his own. He was so gentle, so hesitant.. And his hands were a little rough, but they still felt nice in his own.
Once they're back inside, Willmesh begins heading to Cielomort's office again, claiming he wanted to check on his friend. Kurode nods and follows him, not having anything better to do. He stands patiently by the door, watching Willmesh flit about the office to tidy things up a little.
Once he finishes, he turns back to Cielomort, who was still snoozing at his desk. With a small sigh, Willmesh carefully adjusted his friend's position into something more comfortable, and then adjusted his cloak over his shoulders, making sure it thoroughly covered him and kept him warm.
With a satisfied nod, Willmesh then turns to Kurode again and approaches him. They leave the office quietly, and then Kurode finds himself being led to the kitchen area.
"We need to get you warmed up. Have a seat, I'll make coffee," Willmesh instructs, pointing to the table in the other room. Kurode opens his mouth to protest, but decides against it and obliges.
After a few minutes, he realizes that the knight's idea was a good one, as he finds that he began shivering as the adrenaline wore off.
Willmesh soon joins him at the table with two cups of coffee, which Kurode immediately wraps his hands around, sighing in relief as the warmth seemed to seep into his bones.
The two sit in comfortable silence for a while, but Willmesh breaks it eventually.
"..So, Kurode-kun.. What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"
Kurode takes a sip of his coffee and sets it down again. "I wanted to know how Kuromi was doing. I've been messaging with her, but it's not the same as actually seeing and conversing with her face to face and all.."
Willmesh nods in understanding. "She's doing well, and the kingdom is fine, too." He smiles a little before taking a sip of his own coffee. "Actually, she did tell me that she'd like you to write another letter to her if you were planning on staying away for longer."
Kurode's eyes widen slightly at that. "She did? Well, ah.. Yeah, I can do that. I'm admittedly not sure how long I'll be gone for. Cielomort never told me how long he wanted me to stay for this time. Only told me 'just for a little while'."
Willmesh nods. "Yes, that does sound like something that Cielo would say.."
He trails off, and they lapse into a comfortable silence. It lasts long enough for Kurode to quickly finish his coffee. Once he does, he is happy to find that the hot drink had helped warm him up, as he was no longer shivering.
"What about you, Willmesh? How long are you planning on staying here for. You've been away from home for quite a while, haven't you?" Kurode asks.
Willmesh takes a long sip of his coffee, then frowns thoughtfully. "Yes, I have.. I'll return soon. Everything sounds fine, though, if that's what you mean. I do exchange letters with Lord Mell frequently, so she's been keeping me updated."
Kurode nods, a faint smile on his face. The conversation tapers off again, and neither of them speak again until after Willmesh had finished his coffee.
"Hey, Willmesh? I know you just got back, but would you be up for training for a bit? Just a short session," Kurode says quickly, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck in a nervous manner.
Willmesh pauses from where he had leaned over to pick up there cups, intent on bringing them to the sink to wash them. He smiles a little and nods. "Sure, I'd love to. Just let me take care of the dishes."
He walks over to the sink and sets them on the counter, then turns back to Kurode. "I'll meet you there, if you don't want to wait for me."
Kurode thinks for a moment, then he nods. "Alright, I'll go ahead then." He stands up from the table and goes to leave the room, though be pauses in the doorway for a moment
They bid each other a quick goodbye, and then Kurode turns around, making his way through the halls. He felt reenergized, knowing that they could now get back to their routine training together. Part of him wonders whether he was more excited about the fact he had a training partner again, or that he got to see Willmesh every day once more. He shakes his head, deciding that he could ponder that answer later.