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He had been captivated by that strange figure in the audience who had come to watch his dance. Blastrain knew each and every one of the guests; that young man dressed in dark colors stood out amid all the glamour the moment he stepped onto the stage to open the event.
He thought hosting a masquerade ball would be an interesting experience, so he decided to plan one; despite his title, he wasn’t particularly well-off, but treating himself never hurt anyone.
He addressed the audience with a few brief words before stepping down from the podium as the applause rang out. Things seemed to be going exactly as he’d planned… except for one twist he hadn’t anticipated, but he decided not to alert the guards—let’s see what happens as the night unfolds.
He chatted with a few guests, asking specific questions and keeping an eye on things; out of the corner of his eye, he could see that he had approached the hors d’oeuvres table.
The guests began heading toward the dance floor for the evening’s dance, and that’s when he seized the opportunity to stand beside him and strike up a conversation.
“Don’t you think this evening is charming?” he said in a friendly tone. The young man, who was a little shorter than him, remained in the same position with his arms crossed, looking straight ahead—or so he thought—
Hm, how could he get him to react…
“Oh, silence? I can’t blame you… being mysterious is a rather attractive quality”
Bingo! He managed to get him to lift his head and look at him; the difference in size seemed captivating to him. He couldn’t see his eyes, but he could feel the weight of his gaze. Blastrain held out his right hand, placing his left on his chest.
“Will you dance this piece with me? … If you don’t know how to dance, I’ll be happy to teach you.” The other man placed his hand on top of Blastrain’s.
“Sure.” It was the first time he’d heard that voice, and he was going to treasure it… but it wouldn’t be the last time that night.
He wasn’t an expert, but he carefully explained everything he knew. The other person started out very shakily and even stepped on his foot, but he ignored all that. They began to find a rhythm that was comfortable for both of them, taking up more space on the dance floor as people started to leave.
It felt as if he were on a stage and the two of them were the stars of the night, giving it their all to put on an incredibly synchronized show. He felt a sensation in his chest he couldn’t quite name, but the one in his arms would be his.
The song ended, and they received applause from the guests. He held his dance partner by his slender waist and bowed to the audience. Summoning his courage, he whispered in the other’s ear.
"Stay after the event is over," he said sadly as he had to part ways with him, but he placed a hand on his shoulder before leaving to continue monitoring everything, and they each went their separate ways.
After two hours, he could finally call it a night, he thought as he sighed with satisfaction. He stood at the entrance, saying goodbye to everyone—including the guards—and thanking them for their work that night. He closed the massive doors as he made his way to the stairs, gesturing for the other man to join him as he climbed slowly.
He took the other man by the chin, caressing it, and removed his own mask before proceeding to remove the other man’s as well. A pair of beautiful eyes met his, blinking slowly; Blastrain smiled at him as their lips met.
The other man seemed dazed when they parted, but it didn’t take long for their lips to meet again.
The night had just begun.
He was aware of everything around him; he could hear the sound of someone moving and sitting on top of him, but nothing happened.
He opened his eyes slightly and noticed the moonlight streaming through the window, reflecting off the blade in the hands of that mysterious boy who was looking down. He barely managed to keep his breathing steady.
Was he going to kill him? He couldn’t think of any reason why he would do it. Well, he’d lived a life he was very proud of, so if he ended up in the hands of someone so beautiful, he’d gladly accept it.
The church bells rang out from the nearby church, and when he opened his eyes again, he was alone; it seemed as if no one else had ever been there in the first place.
He would try to fall asleep; deep down, he felt ashamed that he hadn’t even asked the boy his name, but that would be a problem for his future self to deal with in the morning.
It really was a problem for his future self—and for the ENTIRE MONTH. The first few days were bearable because he had to keep going no matter what, but he was starting to long for him. He remembered that night every day, breathing in and out every time he was in public and torturing himself with the memory when he went to sleep.
The gentle touches, the quiet whispers … Him. He never felt like that with anyone before.
It was already starting to interfere with his work, so he’d asked a colleague if they could meet up to chat and have tea one of those days.
They’d arranged to meet at a rather nice and comfortable spot that was usually their go-to meeting place. Blastrain sat down at a table, and a waiter came over to take his order.
It wasn’t long before his colleague, Sky Gallop, arrived—elegant and with not a hair out of place. They’d met through a mutual acquaintance, and since he’d given her a few assignments through her courier service, they’d ended up striking up a friendly relationship. He’d invited her to his masquerade ball, but something came up and she couldn’t attend—a real shame.
Now Sky Gallop could do nothing but look at him with barely concealed sadness while Blastrain told her what he could —not everything; there were certain things she shouldn’t know about—
“Of all the people I’ve ever met… you’re the last person I’d ever thought would end up in something like this.”
"I know, I'm not the type to have one-night stands. I don't know what came over me."
"Can you tell me how this misterious guy looks?"
"Where do I start…" Without realizing it, he began to talk and talk; Sky Gallop listened intently—her eyes narrowing for a brief moment because the description sounded familiar—and, resting a hand on her chin, she sank into her thoughts.
Maybe she could give him a hand.
Afterward, they both finished their meals and paid the bill, insisting that they had to get together again. Sky Gallop watched Blastrain leave with a very subtle smile.
Blastrain went about his days without a hitch; his desires were already beginning to wane, and he breathed a sigh of relief because of that—but… because there was always a but.
He was starting to feel like he was being watched every time he went out on the street—which was almost every day—but every time he turned around and looked over his shoulder, there was no one there.
It was a little strange, if you ask him. Once, after a long period of negotiations with someone, he finally closed a deal; they shook hands with smiles on their faces when the other person suddenly fixed his gaze behind him and turned pale.
“Hm? Did something happen?” He turned around but didn’t see anything alarming.
“I thought I saw someone over there, but anyway, I apologize—I think I haven’t been getting enough sleep,” he said with a laugh that sounded awkward.
After that, he could have sworn he could see him out of the corner of his eye—at the market, on the street, at the train station he frequented… those pale green eyes etched into his mind. He tried to catch up to him, but he seemed to vanish into thin air.
He was starting to think he was really going crazy; there was no other explanation for his predicament.
It had been a pretty productive day, so he was heading home in a good mood, whistling a tune. He inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and went inside.
He took a couple of steps, aware that the sound of his footsteps was mixed with something else, and stopped, without looking toward the door.
“Is that really you, or am I just imagining things?”
The sound of the door closing behind him confirmed that it wasn’t just his imagination. He could hear footsteps approaching him and decided to turn around only when it sounded closer.
There he was, dressed very differently from that day, but that didn’t make him any less attractive. That sharp look of his as he held a knife to his throat. He stood still.
The other man decided to speak.
“I’m a dangerous person… Is that really what you want?”
Blastrain thought for a moment before answering, his tone friendly and a small smile on his face.
“Oh, I’m aware of that. I… saw what you did that night.” The other man loosened his grip, looking surprised. “If you spared my life, it was for a reason, and I don’t want to waste any more time, so… may I ask your name?”
"Flash Vector" the stranger—now he could put a name to that face—lowered the blade.
"All right, Mr. Flash Vector," he said, kneeling on one knee and taking Flash Vector’s hands on his own. "Will you let me go out with you?"
"Just Flash Vector is fine," he said, breaking out in a cold sweat. "And I accept, but please stand up."
Blastrain stood up and immediately embraced him. Flash Vector remained still at first, but slowly let go of his nonchalant facade, returning the embrace and turning the Blastrain's face toward him to kiss him, his tears started to fall no longer pretending he wasn’t longing to be back in those arms.