From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)-Chapter 600: Closer Than Before (part two)

Clyde stood beside Micah on the balcony, his expression grim. "You didn’t exactly try to hide it."

Maybe Micah had tried to seem as before

but beneath it all, his demeanour betrayed him, quietly inviting Clyde to notice. As if testing him, betting he would catch the gist quickly, daring him to take the first step.

In a way, it was both heartwarming and frustrating. Clyde had tried not to address this festering wound but after seeing the gloomy air around Micah... he had changed his mind.

Stepping to the balcony, he had forced himself to confront what he’d been avoiding.

Micah smiled faintly and nodded. "Fair enough."

Clyde finally turned to face him. His expression shifted, the calm cracking just enough to reveal something raw beneath. "Why?"

The question hung between them.

But it wasn’t the real one.

What Clyde wanted to ask, what clawed at his chest, was why Micah hadn’t screamed at him. Why hadn’t he demanded answers, demanded to know why Clyde never saved him, never dragged him out of the plot’s cruelty, never fought harder?

Why Micah wasn’t angry.

Clyde was afraid of the answer. Afraid that if Micah spoke it aloud, it would confirm everything Clyde already blamed himself for.

Micah’s smile faded. His shoulders straightened beneath the blanket, and when he looked at Clyde now, his gaze was clear and serious.

"Should I have put on a show for you?" Micah asked quietly.

Clyde’s head dropped. His throat tightened until it felt impossible to speak. "No," he said hoarsely. The rest of the words stayed trapped inside him.

Micah studied him for a long moment. The guilt on Clyde’s face was plain, heavy, almost suffocating. His eyes softened.

"Idiot," Micah murmured.

Before Clyde could react, Micah stepped closer. He reached up and pressed a gentle kiss to Clyde’s cheek, light, brief, almost hesitant. It was soft as a feather, gone before Clyde could fully register it.

"You’re such a handful," Micah added, a trace of fondness in his voice.

Clyde froze.

The place where Micah’s lips had touched him felt strangely warm and cold at the same time. The autumn chill had cooled Micah’s skin, but the meaning behind the kiss sent heat rushing through Clyde’s chest.

He turned to look at Micah.

This time, Micah didn’t look away.

His eyes were full, raw, unguarded, layered with longing, sorrow, and something fierce beneath it all. There was a possessiveness there that made Clyde’s breath catch, as if Micah were holding onto him with his gaze alone. Want and ache tangled together, devotion sharpened by loss.

Clyde felt something in him shift.

Micah wasn’t angry. He wasn’t disappointed.

If anything, the love Micah held for him had deepened, intensified into something that bordered on obsession. It mirrored Clyde’s own feelings so closely that it was almost frightening.

As if he were looking into himself.

Clyde reached out, cupping Micah’s face with one hand, his thumb brushing lightly along Micah’s jaw. He leaned in and kissed him.

The kiss was deep and unhurried, heavy with everything they hadn’t said. It wasn’t rushed or desperate, it was deliberate, grounded. Their lips pressed together firmly, fitting together with an ease born of familiarity that spanned lifetimes.

Micah responded immediately. He leaned into the kiss, fingers curling into Clyde’s coat, pulling him closer. There was no hesitation, no surprise. They moved as if they already knew what the other wanted.

Clyde tilted his head, angling the kiss, his thumb sliding along Micah’s cheek. When their mouths parted slightly, it wasn’t frantic. It was controlled, intense, the kind of closeness that made the world fall away.

Micah’s breath mingled with his, warm against the chill air. He lifted his chin, meeting Clyde halfway, refusing to stay passive. Their lips met again, slower this time, deeper. A quiet sound escaped Micah’s throat, barely audible, but it sent a shiver through Clyde.

The emotions they had suppressed across countless lifetimes finally ignited, no longer restrained, no longer denied. It wasn’t explosive; it was steady, consuming, like a fire that had been burning beneath the surface all along.

Micah took a step back without breaking the kiss.

His back struck the cold wall with a dull thud, knocking the breath from his lungs. He hissed sharply.

Clyde pulled away instantly.

"Micah." Panic flared across his face as he reached for him. "Are you hurt?"

He lifted the edge of Micah’s clothing, his movements quick but careful, eyes scanning for any sign of injury.

Micah laughed, a sharp, startled bark. "I just tripped," he said, still catching his breath. "What’s with that reaction?"

Clyde didn’t answer. His expression had turned grave, focused entirely on Micah’s back as if the wall itself were an enemy.

Micah sighed softly and shook his head. "Ah... we really do have a long way to go," he muttered.

If Clyde reacted like this over something so small, how would he ever take the next step? Fear of hurting him would always stop him. Would Clyde ever truly allow himself to cross that line with him?

Micah’s desire dimmed, replaced by a familiar resignation. It would come down to him, wouldn’t it? He would have to bear it, guide it, insist on it...even if it hurt.

How pitiful, he thought with a wry edge.

He reached out, took Clyde’s hand, and tugged him toward the door. "I’m cold."

Before Clyde could protest or inspect him further, Micah stepped inside, dragging him along and closing the balcony behind them.

Clyde followed silently. His thoughts were a mess, tangled around the shift he felt so clearly in Micah. As if, in the span of a single moment, Micah had grown older, steadier, heavier with things Clyde wished he could take away.

And with that growth, Clyde felt something slipping through his fingers.

The nineteen-year-old Micah, naive, easily flustered, quick to blush, felt farther away now.

A faint sorrow crossed Clyde’s face as the door shut behind them.

Would Micah ever let himself be that carefree again?

Author’s note:

❤️❤️Happy 600 Chapters! 🥰🥰❤️

We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?

Good news, we’ve officially entered the final arc. 😅😅