"Close your eyes."
"Why?"
"Hold your breath too."
It was a repertoire he had heard somewhere before. Leonardo closed his eyes slowly even as he questioned. Hugo lifted his chin, cupped the small face before him, and began gently wiping his wet eyes, cheeks, and lips.
The water droplets that bloomed from his fingertips cooled the skin that had not yet escaped the heat. It lightly wiped away the saliva and bruises that instinct had messily left behind in the absence of reason.
He also delicately untangled the hair that had been matted with sweat in the water particles. As the sensation of splashing water tickled his face, Leonardo's eyelids twitched, even though he knew it wasn't real. It was because he felt as if a tongue was touching him again.
Whenever the long fingers brushed his lips, his mouth opened automatically. He closed it again, embarrassed, but the other must have noticed.
Taking in each of the well-trained responses, Hugo finally carefully rubbed the reddened eyelids.
"You can open them now."
The hand that had roughly erased the traces was withdrawn along with the water droplets. Leonardo opened his eyes slowly and felt his chin tentatively.
"Did you wipe it because there was saliva?"
It was certainly moist, but there was no wetness. Hugo, making a strange expression, answered dryly:
"...'I just kissed' was written on your face."
Because what he actually said wasn't dry, Leonardo's expression froze strangely. Not knowing what face to make, he only moved his lips.
Hugo, who had been watching, let out a low laugh.
"Seems you're not immune to this kind of thing."
"...What are you saying? I was just... surprised because you did it suddenly."
"Is that so?"
Hugo, who quickly erased his smile, took a step forward. Leonardo unconsciously took a step back, trapped in his shadow.
Just as he was looking up with a face that said 'Surely not again...?', Hugo took out a handkerchief from his inner pocket and folded the piece of cloth lengthwise. He wrapped the handkerchief around Leonardo's still reddish neck like a scarf.
"..."
Leonardo stared blankly at the face that had come close. The blue eyes that pretended to focus on the knot curved slightly.
"There were marks left on your neck."
Leonardo, who had been stiff, contorted his eyes. His Adam's apple, which swallowed dry saliva, undulated as if uncomfortable.
'He's teasing me.'
Hugo wrapped the handkerchief around the traces he had left and the secret he had not discovered in the end. As the black and red things were covered by the cloth, his resigned heart felt much more at ease. While examining Leonardo's appearance up and down and tidying his attire, he casually asked about something that had been bothering him:
"You still look a bit struggling, are you alright?"
"Huh?"
At the caring voice, Leonardo asked back dazedly. Following the other's gaze, he lowered his head and saw his own front that was still swollen.
He flinched, his ears turning red, and pulled his backpack on his shoulder to awkwardly cover his lower body.
"...It's temporary. You know that too."
Though he answered as if it wasn't a big deal, they both knew that the condition had persisted for a long time.
Hugo stared at the vigorous vitality hidden by the backpack, then slowly nodded and averted his gaze. It was certainly youthful that he was still so energetic even though the heightened atmosphere had subsided quite a while ago. He couldn't bring himself to offer help. After all, this was outdoors, and there would be various issues including his dignity.
On the other hand, he was certain that if he had turned around when they were lying in the same bed a few days ago, it wouldn't have ended with just a kiss.
"I'm glad your condition seems to have improved."
It was a look that seemed to say he knew everything but was pretending not to. Leonardo glanced at Hugo from the corner of his eye and then looked down at his front.
Honestly, he wanted to say that the same was true for him too, but he couldn't voice it for fear of making the atmosphere strange. Even now, the presence of the slanted outline was overwhelming, as if he might still be excited. But Leonardo knew clearly from their contact earlier that this was already a subsided state.
While wondering how far they would have gone if they had crossed this line, Leonardo decided not to be greedy anymore, given that he was leaving. At least he had stolen His Excellency's heart for a moment.
The secret he wanted... someday, when the time comes... he wanted to confess it on those lips.
"What are you staring at so intently?"
As the silence continued, Hugo broke the stillness with an amused tone. Leonardo quickly averted his gaze with an embarrassed look. Hugo brushed back the still damp golden bangs. Leonardo, blinking at the affection, blankly stared at the shimmering wristwatch.
Tomorrow, as soon as he opened his eyes, he might regret today. But he impulsively caught the man's wrist along with the watch.
The large body was easily pulled towards him so willingly. Leonardo, still gripping the wrist, kissed him deeply as if leaving a final trace.
Hugo, who accepted it naturally, couldn't push him away like the first time. Was it because he now knew this sensation properly? The clear, pure sound of 'chok' tickled his ears repeatedly.
Mmm, mmm–. The moans, now more familiar to each other, resonated lowly. The mouth that had just been wiped clean glistened again.
When his lips became not just hot but painful, Leonardo tilted his head away and grinned.
"Because I'll miss you."
Looking at the other's moistened lips, Hugo asked with an incredulous expression:
"Are you always this uninhibited?"
A hot palm wrapped around Hugo's neck and embraced him. After rubbing a couple of bird kisses on his mouth with smack, smack sounds, he licked the man's lips clean with his tongue.
"That's my charm."
It was a magical word that made him forgive everything. Hugo chuckled at the brazen answer that made him feel weak. Though he knew that the other had deliberately invaded his watch, he let it slide by just pressing his lips against the mischievous eyes.
The two walked hand in hand towards the end of the corridor where light was seeping in. The outside scenery had darkened considerably compared to when they first entered the waiting room. However, despite the considerable time that had passed, the sun had not set.
The sunset had begun to fall when they were changing clothes in the Commander's personal room, but as if time had stopped, the twilight still lingered in the dusky sky.
When Leonardo questioned the unusually long sunset, Hugo kindly explained:
"Logia has a wide territory, so even though it's the western gate, it's at a higher latitude than the eastern gate of the imperial capital. Though not as much as the polar regions, the sun sets late enough that you can occasionally see the white nights depending on the season. That's why the sunset is long too... During the longest period of the year, this state can last for several hours."
"Is that why it's the 'Gate that sees the sun'?"
Leonardo looked back at the stone gate behind them. He wondered if it got that name because the sun stayed up for so long.
Hugo, who had looked back at the same place, shook his head.
"Well, I'm not sure about that either. I only know that it was named by the last king of Logia."
"How do you know that?"
"There's an old library in my mansion. If you look in there, you can find records left by ancestors."
Hugo explained that secrets and ancient documents that couldn't be revealed to the world for various reasons had been living with the mansion for a long time. He said that looking back at the history of Agrizendro, one could glimpse the major events and human figures of past Raina Logia. Surprisingly, he added that the events and people of those old days were very similar to our times.
"Perhaps history... operates like a projector that repeatedly shows multiple films."
"You seem to have a lot of interest in history."
"I'm not uninterested. I look into it whenever I have time. But Leo, can you read ancient language?"
"Yeah, a little. But you seem to know it too."
"I only know a little too."
As they passed through the corridor that seemed long yet short, Leonardo found himself wanting to keep listening to Hugo's stories. Since he hadn't often seen this person talk about himself, seeing him unfold his interests was both novel and intriguing.
Sometimes he felt resentful that he wouldn't tell him his secrets, but in fact, it was the same for this person too.
"You're lucky. You have so many precious materials at home. They're all left by your grandparents, right?"
At Leonardo's seemingly innocent remark, Hugo's lips momentarily stiffened before relaxing. Leonardo's eyebrows rose slightly as he caught that fleeting moment.
Hugo turned to look at him with a gentle smile.
"If you're curious, come to my mansion. I'll show you specially."
"...Do you often hear that you're persistent?"
"Why, is it not charming?"
"How could it not be?"
The two stepped out through the wide-open gate while engaging in trivial conversation.
Beyond the bridge, the white cityscape and vast square of the Agrizendro territory unfolded. Befitting its name as the city of water, a huge fountain and intricately intertwined complex waterways greeted them first.
It was a scene not unfamiliar to both of them, for different reasons. Around them, the territory's guard unit maintained a radius of about 20m, forming ranks with their backs to them.
The guard unit, which had been holding up huge shields facing outwards, straightened their posture as if recognizing that their lord had arrived.
Having delayed inside for various reasons, Leonardo felt a bit sorry for them.
"Leo."
The particularly shining golden eyes rolled to meet Hugo's eyes. The only touching skin moved dully as if answering the call.
"Yes?"
It was a farewell scene where the bluish darkness that had arrived and the red sunset that was retreating just in time harmonized. They gazed at each other fleetingly, becoming the protagonists of a silent film in the slowly turning projector's film.
Leonardo, who had been standing side by side, turned the direction of the lens as if entranced. It was because he wanted to see the subject more properly. He moved his steps to face the protagonist. Even the majestic gate seemed to lower its grandeur for a moment as if to highlight them.
In Leonardo's view, only one man stood out clearly against the blurry barrier in the background, to the point of being out of place.
The color of the blue eyes was particularly mysterious today. Though calm and quiet beyond measure, perhaps because of the mixed red, they looked so sorrowful and lonely that he couldn't take his eyes off them.
Leonardo was enveloped by a sense of déjà vu, as if he had seen this scene somewhere before. When was it? Was it when he had tried to escape from this person's embrace on the peninsula, but ultimately couldn't leave?
"..."
At that time, the man had stared at him blankly for a while, then slowly reached out his hand as if it were his last hope. The same scene was drawn in reality now.
The two overlapping afterimages spoke to him with a muffled voice.
"Come here."
Hugo, showing a sorrowful smile, spread his five fingers like a flower. His broad embrace also opened wide.
"Let me hug you just once."
He spread his arms wide as if to receive him in an armful.
As if sensing that the time had come, Leonardo was suddenly overwhelmed by the emotions he had been trying to ignore. His eyes, rapidly growing hot, were bewildering. The reason he rushed into the other's arms without hesitation must have been to hide his face that was about to become unsightly.
Even though he threw himself with all his might, the large man didn't waver an inch, as always. He just tightly embraced the warmth that was melting against him. Hugo rested one cheek on Leonardo's head and recited as if whispering:
"I'll always be here, so come find me whenever you need help."
"..."
"By then... I promise I'll be a strong person you can really trust and rely on."
Leonardo, who had been burying his face while hugging Hugo's back, gently raised his head at his new vow. His golden eyelids were completely contorted, sparkling with deep emotion. Hugo furrowed his graceful eyebrows at the beauty's face that weakened his heart, while wearing a faint smile.
"If you make that expression, I won't be able to let you go."
"...You're already strong now."
"Of course I am, but... I need to become more solid. So that I can fully protect what I need to protect."
The large hand thickly rubbed the reddened eyelids. It was a touch full of concern, as if afraid that pearl-like tears might drop.
Leonardo stared blankly at the man with a face full of things to say. Then he tilted his head back and quietly looked up at the sky for a moment. He let all the damp emotions entangled in his eyelashes be carried away by the breeze. Then he sank deeply back into the embrace of His Excellency, who had risked everything solely for his freedom.
Feeling the warm body temperature melting into him, Hugo's heart also became more complicated. It seemed like just yesterday that he had dragged him out into the world and fought as if they were the only two left in it. After barely saving him when they were both dying covered in dirt, now the time had come when he had to send him away with his own hands.
But suddenly, the time they had spent together rushed by like thousands of film frames. Hugo couldn't easily let go of the warmth he held because of the golden afterimages living and breathing in his memories.
He just closed his eyes and buried his lips in the golden hair, then finally raised his head when the steam train's whistle blew in the distance.
The red flag signaling today's last freight train felt like a signal for farewell.
Hugo opened his mouth.
"Leo, it's time to go now."
Leonardo, who had raised his face from where it was buried, also stared blankly at the steam train. Then, turning to look at the unforgettable man, he took his hand and raised it to just below his chin.
"Thank you."
The hero, with a contorted eye smile, kissed the prominent veins on the back of his hand. Following the fingers, he pressed down his fresh breath just as the other had done to him.
Hugo's fingertips twitched. Leonardo, who had been caressing the man's hand, carefully let go of his lingering attachment. Then he added one more thing:
"But I like you now too. I like you no matter what form you take."
Hugo's lower jaw moved painfully. His expanded blue eyes urgently reached out the hand he had been letting hang to Leonardo.
However, Leonardo, who had half-turned his body, leaped from his spot before the fingertips could brush his clothes.
"I'm going."
In the instant he flew up into the air, the rapidly approaching steam train passed under the bridge, spewing black smoke. In Hugo's view, the rippling black steam intertwined with the end of the sunset and flowed away. He searched for the silhouette with an urgent heart, but nothing could be seen in the dark dust.
Standing still, waiting for the freight train to pass, he chased the afterimage with his eyes, trying to catch even a small trace of Leonardo.
However, by the time the tail of the train was passing under the bridge, he finally had to accept it. Hugo stood at the last boundary where light entered and reminisced about the scent of sunlight that had flowed away like the wind. Darkness had already settled in the eastern sky where the sun had set.
No matter how much he wandered the empty air searching, the golden color was nowhere to be seen. He quietly faced the incoming wind, then remembering his waiting comrades, turned his steps.
But he stopped again after just a few steps. He turned back once more to imprint the scene like a photograph in his eyes, not to forget it.
The past few months felt like one big dream. Like the light he could never hold in his hand from the beginning, an ephemeral longing pierced him.
But nevertheless, Hugo slowly closed and opened his eyes. He engraved this moment, which would become a memory, into his soul.
"Someday, we'll meet again."
The man's low murmur scattered into the air, following the other. His steps lingered in that spot for a long time.