Davian opened his eyes to an unfamiliar emptiness.

The gentle cool at his chest was gone. The weight he had fallen asleep guarding had vanished, leaving his arms wrapped around nothing but air. The other side of the bed was empty.

He let out a slow breath and closed his eyes again.

"What did I even think?" he muttered quietly.

Of course Ocean had left. He’d said he would- plainly, without softness. Davian had known better than to expect anything else.

And yet... the sting in his chest refused to fade.

He rolled onto his side, pulling the blanket closer as if he could fold himself back into sleep and smother the ache along with it. Just as he began to sink again, a sudden surge of familiar energy brushed against him.

Davian jolted upright.

His gaze snapped across the room.

Ocean was still there.

For a moment, Davian’s mind simply... stopped.

Ocean stood near the window, looking freshly bathed. His hair was still damp, pale strands clinging loosely to his forehead and neck. Droplets slid down from the ends, darkening the fabric at his shoulders. The clothes he wore hung a little too loose on his lean frame.

Davian recognized them instantly.

They were his.

Ocean turned at the movement, blue eyes lifting to meet Davian’s stunned stare. Another bead of water slipped free, trailing down the curve of his neck.

"Morning," Ocean said calmly. "Did I wake you? I tried to keep my mana presence down."

Davian didn’t answer.

He just stared- heart pounding, thoughts scattering, disbelief rooting him to the bed.

Ocean shifted slightly, adjusting the long cuffs of the shirt as if only now noticing how oversized it was on him.

"Also," he added evenly, "I hope you don’t mind. I borrowed your clothes."

That was when Davian moved.

He rose from the bed and crossed the distance in two unsteady steps, his arms coming around Ocean before he had fully registered the decision. He pressed himself close, forehead resting briefly against Ocean’s shoulder, as if grounding himself in proof that this was real.

Ocean stiffened in surprise, but he didn’t pull away.

The room was quiet, sunlight just beginning to creep in, and for the first time since waking, Davian breathed properly.

Ocean had stayed.

Ocean didn’t resist.

For a moment, he simply remained there, arms suspended awkwardly at his sides, as if unsure whether returning the gesture would be a mistake. Davian felt that hesitation acutely, every second stretching thin.

Then, slowly, Ocean’s arms came up.

They settled against Davian’s back, light at first, then steadier, real.

Davian’s breath hitched. His eyes widened before fluttering shut as relief washed through him. He inhaled deeply, catching the faint scent of the oils he had used after Ocean’s bath. Clean. Cool. Familiar.

It made something twist warmly in his chest.

As if he finally left a mark, he thought irrationally.

"Thanks for staying," Davian murmured.

Ocean hummed in response, the sound vibrating lightly against his chest.

"Well," Ocean said after a beat, tone dry, "I would have left. But you kept clinging to me and cried when I tried to get off."

Davian froze.

Then his face burned.

"I- what?" He pulled back slowly, mortified, staring down at Ocean. "I cried?"

Ocean looked up at him, utterly unfazed. "Mm."

Davian’s eyes drifted down Ocean’s pale throat, down to the expanse of his open collar bones that were exposed because he hadn’t done the topmost two buttons of his shirt. And to make things worse, because he was just out of bath, the white shirt had stuck to his lean body tempting Davian to reach out and want to feel those muscles beneath the flimsy fabric.

Davian swallowed, then- reckless, hopeful- murmured, "So... if I cry, you’ll stay?"

Ocean’s gaze sharpened.

He lifted a hand and caught Davian’s jaw gently, thumb resting just beneath his lip. The touch wasn’t rough, but it was firm, commanding enough to still him instantly.

"You’re getting bolder and bolder," Ocean said quietly.

Davian’s lashes lowered. His eyes betrayed him, drifting to Ocean’s lips without permission. Every instinct urged him to lean in, but the hold on his jaw kept him exactly where he was.

"But..." Davian muttered, frustration slipping through, "you keep me away..."

Ocean sighed, the sound soft but weighted.

"If I keep you by my side," he asked, "will you let me work peacefully?"

Davian straightened at once, hope lighting his face far too quickly. He nodded vigorously. "Yes! I won’t disturb you at all!"

Ocean raised a brow. "You won’t try to hold my hand? Or hover close to me?"

Davian shook his head, earnest to the point of desperation.

Ocean studied him for a long second, then crossed his arms. "I find that hard to believe," he said flatly. "If I had a normal body, you could’ve crushed me to death last night."

Davian’s ears burned.

"...I was very careful," he muttered.

Ocean’s lips twitched, just barely.

Davian let out a low groan and leaned forward, resting his forehead against Ocean’s shoulder. The movement was instinctive, seeking closeness the way a child sought warmth.

"But it’s torturous to be away from you," he murmured, voice muffled against the fabric.

Ocean tilted his head slightly, just enough to look at him from the corner of his eye. "Then what about Reina?"

Davian stiffened.

The warmth drained out of him for a brief moment before he nudged his head again, smaller this time- hesitant, uncertain, like a scolded puppy.

"What?" Ocean asked evenly. "You don’t love her anymore?"

"I-" Davian faltered. "I can’t... I don’t..." He exhaled sharply, frustration threading through his voice. "I love you. But then I also feel like that for her..."

Ocean studied him quietly.

"Are you even sure you love either of us?" he asked.

Davian lifted his head at once. His expression had changed- no sheepishness, no flustered heat. Just seriousness.

"I love you," he said firmly.

Ocean didn’t look away. "What about Reina?"

"I love her too."

"Pick one."

Davian’s jaw tightened. "I can’t."

Ocean didn’t raise his voice. "Whom do you like more?"

"You."

The answer came without hesitation.

Ocean blinked, caught off guard despite himself. There was something almost absurdly earnest about the way Davian answered- no strategy, no evasion. Just truth spilling out wherever it landed.

"Do you think you’re making any sense?" Ocean asked.

"I don’t know," Davian admitted quietly.

For a moment, Ocean’s lips twitched, amusement threatening to surface despite everything. He turned his head slightly, as if to hide it.

Then he stopped.

Ocean faced Davian fully, blue eyes locking onto his with unnerving clarity. Whatever softness had been there vanished, replaced by something cool and immovable.

"There are things you don’t know about me, Davian," Ocean said quietly.

The shift in his voice was immediate- no warmth, no teasing. Just truth, heavy and unadorned.

"I understand that you like me. But once you know the truth..." He paused, eyes lowering briefly. "You might not feel the same way. Not for me—and probably not for Reina either."

Davian frowned, confusion knitting his brows rather than fear.

"Are you two in a relationship?" He asked.

"No."

"Then do you have anyone else in your heart?"

Ocean didn’t hesitate. "No."

Davian exhaled, as if the answer had settled something important inside him. "Then I see no problem."

Ocean stared at him.

For a long moment, he said nothing, as though trying to decipher whether Davian was pretending to be simple- or genuinely was.

"... Just what the hell happened to you, Davian?" Ocean asked finally. "You were such an innocent, sincere little kid back then. And now you’re saying nonsense like it’s normal."

Davian opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

The words he had rushed to say tangled and fell apart before they could form. His shoulders drooped just slightly, not in defeat but in uncertainty. He looked away, jaw tightening.

"Besides," Ocean said after a pause, his voice carefully even, "I’ll see what you have to say when I tell you everything."

Davian frowned, the crease between his brows deepening. "Just... what is this about?"

Ocean’s gaze dropped. For the first time since waking, he looked weighed down by something unseen.

"If you think the truth will change how I feel," he added softly, "then tell me when you’re ready. But don’t decide for me."

The room fell silent again.

Ocean didn’t have an immediate answer but when he did speak he just avoided it again.

"I’m sorry." He said.

"This isn’t the right time," he added. "I’ll tell you later."

Davian’s hands curled slowly at his sides. "Why?" His voice wavered despite his effort to keep it steady. "You always tell me things when I ask. So why not this?"

Ocean lifted his eyes to meet Davian’s, and the look there stopped him cold.

"Because this," Ocean said quietly, "is bigger than everything you know about me. It’s tied to my existence itself." He paused, choosing each word with care. "I can’t tell you yet."

The strength seemed to drain out of Davian all at once.

His arms slipped free from Ocean’s grasp, falling uselessly to his sides. He stood there for a moment, shoulders slumped, as if bracing himself against disappointment he had already seen coming.

"All right," he said.

Just that.

Ocean turned away at once, as though staying any longer would undo his resolve. He picked up his mana devices and began fastening them back onto his clothes, movements precise and practiced. When he reached for his coat, he draped it loosely over his shoulders, securing it with the agraffe so it wouldn’t slip.

"I suppose I can leave now," he said, tone neutral. "I have work to attend to. Thanks for letting me stay."

He walked toward the window.

"I’ll return your clothes later," Ocean added, already half-turned away.

Then he stopped.

Something tugged at him- sharp, insistent.

Ocean turned back.

Davian stood where he had been left, slowly turning to face him. His expression was painfully open, eyes dulled with quiet hurt, like a loyal dog that didn’t understand what it had done wrong- only that it had been left behind.

Ocean’s chest tightened.

The ache bloomed fast and unwelcome, cutting through his practiced control. His jaw clenched hard.

Ocean stopped.

Then he turned back.

Before Davian could react, Ocean crossed the distance between them and reached out, his hand coming up to cradle the back of Davian’s head. His grip wasn’t tight—just firm enough to guide him down slightly.

Davian barely had time to inhale.

Ocean leaned in and pressed his lips gently against Davian’s forehead.

For a split second, Davian’s heart forgot how to beat.

Ocean’s lips were cool and soft, the contact startling in its tenderness. They lingered there- not hurried, not uncertain- long enough for the moment to brand itself into Davian’s memory.

When Ocean pulled back, he rested his forehead against Davian’s.

"I’m sorry for keeping you hanging," Ocean said quietly.

Davian’s breath trembled.

"But once the Trials are done," Ocean continued, voice steady despite the closeness, "I’ll answer you seriously. About what I feel." He paused. "And... I’ll probably answer your questions too."

He stepped back then, deliberately creating space again. As he did, his fingers brushed along Davian’s cheek- light, fleeting- before he offered a small smile and turned away.

Ocean walked to the window.

Before Davian could fully process what had just happened, the latch was already open and Ocean was climbing over the railing, movements smooth and unhesitating.

"Wait!" Davian shouted, snapping back to himself. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

He rushed forward just in time to see Ocean launch into the air, coat flaring briefly before settling.

"Y-You can come by anytime you like!" Davian called after him, voice cracking with urgency. "You’re always welcome!"

Ocean turned midair.

He smiled- soft, genuine- and then, without another word, vanished from sight.

Davian stood there staring at the clear blue sky long after Ocean was gone.

A few seconds passed.

Then his face went beet red.

He sank down onto the edge of the railing, lifting his hand to his forehead, fingers brushing the exact spot where Ocean’s lips had been moments ago.

"And I’m not a kid for you to kiss on the forehead..." He muttered.

But his hand didn’t move away, neither did his heart calm down.