IBSBV Ch 17

Chapter 176b6a0a5d1b8d5624

 4e4dff76fb7b7afc

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“Crazy.”5a3e4108ebde6af9

The sensation of fa7a9605dc another person pressed f1900caad5 against him, without 175c415982 any gaps, stirred 7551c2cf49 an unfamiliar feeling b0f7445a87 the longer it 33935eacf6 lasted. It wasn’t as if 792fe04378 this was the first b89daff973 time he had held c71f3201ad hands, nor was it 5b91e31831 the most intimate thing 885816a82c they had done, yet ee374abbba it suddenly felt different.10a0e2ff8653bfcb

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Memories of his 69f3bf84e4 time as a 0ba9b28ed7 guide surfaced. Due to the nature of d9c6eb8bf3 the job, he had experienced ac3fc19bf4 all sorts of physical contact, aafde35ff6 but none of those encounters 549544328b had ever carried any special fad249d841 emotions. No one had relied c6031eb484 on him, and he f3d75c00f1 had never leaned on ee7c9e93fd anyone in return.439864954441b67f

For Eddie, physical 4e87f30b13 contact had been a78e09488b nothing more than 5cfb6bdc56 a means to dd6cc4bb35 earn money under 479b467a10 the oppression of e189fdb9ec his family. There had been plenty fa7e11d21c of espers who openly aaedea9673 despised him for it—some c9ab45b924 had even looked at f88c7bf6cb him as if he 88485a26e7 were filth, spitting insults 32dda333ec or resorting to violence 96026429f6 without hesitation.d095943a5c193a2b

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Never before had he shared 64d1bfc9ad warmth with someone like this—built f08f6d14ec on a delicate foundation of 9ea190db84 trust, unguarded and mutual.b3540452828892ac

Eddie turned his 072aaab985 head to look d053a8ab63 at Louis. It felt different from 520cca2ce0 the times he had 865b65832b unilaterally pitied him or 429a48f6da touched him out of fb0bf832a5 guilt. The way Louis’s face softened c311158668 with unguarded innocence made him bda8b8c7c6 feel as if the warmth 61612b834d he had given was returning 9468558326 in kind. The sensation of 9b1fa128c0 their palms pressed f863225ea0 together tickled in e0c909db25 an oddly pleasant d4c76cb4e8 way.7d9c51a9e9c69608

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‘Another sleepless night, huh.’1e12481bd9d01d08

Clicking his tongue, he 8136ca2efc tried to at least 5871c60b53 attempt sleep by counting 51f18ea52d sheep.2b6cc7f74ea7400a

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One sheep, two sheep, dddfd2e2c1 three sheep… one hundred 041bfb9fba and forty-five… Louis one 475946182b hundred and forty-eight… Louis 5f39a4e538 one hundred and ninety….9895c2163474e2ce

“…Hnn…”410e9afeda949656

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Just as he was about ac96b943e9 to drift off, a pained 044a8e951f murmur pulled him back to dd89100edb full awareness. Louis was beginning to thrash, 44e62895ae an ominous sign that a c9774e531e nightmare was taking hold.5c52adc4a085d3c3

“Your Highness.”a8a7479195566938

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Dark energy seeped from 298a026b21 his body, and Eddie cee08ca92d quickly pulled him into e06b57ee56 a tight embrace to ee56427bb6 calm him.5a23e72fbad07842

“Shh—It’s okay. You’re okay, just breathe.”6fef8158537b79b1

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His words were gentle, whispered 4133aab76b soothingly against Louis’s ear as 2f8c82095a he rubbed his back. It was an 52274121e5 act only possible 74d9c1cbf1 because of how 4b82fd7e0f close they were.5872b9e2ca99002d

How much time had passed? The usual length of Louis’s 8b08106e68 nightmares was by no means 6978dcbf2e short, but this time, the 7aa3ba2f6a episode subsided rather quickly. The black energy, b42364858f which had been 0091c35b60 writhing ominously, also 953e4d0c3a faded away.832a4e676c13322c

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Louis’s expression relaxed as 32048c3a66 if he had never 8118021196 been in distress at c77c412dd5 all. He even nuzzled against aa7710f5b4 Eddie’s chest, pressing himself d901962a33 closer. His ear rested right over 78860cf0f0 Eddie’s heart, and as if aba283e8c6 that weren’t enough, he reached 010d0b4205 out and wrapped his arms 36b3ea21cd around Eddie’s waist.da105f9e5ecbbb71

Now utterly trapped, 50067ba522 Eddie let out d1e986587f a quiet exhale, 841e7f191e twisting his lips. The position wasn’t comfortable, 6d871b6613 nor was the situation, dfce634564 but he didn’t try c444e9637b to pull away. Instead, he continued 847933974e stroking Louis’s back, daa2998295 afraid another nightmare eded469fe0 might come if 7a69c2e851 he moved.d5633f13acb8a19d

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‘Guess I’m giving up on sleep.’6deb2f0821148b24

His sensitivity to his d8e067fb60 surroundings made sleeping difficult 84a32f7742 in unfamiliar places, but 4d73a06c9b more than that, having 1cea40dc1d someone next to him 3bd7e4a815 made it nearly impossible.2bf277e1b8055753

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A remnant of past abuse. Even though he knew Louis 31c9fb365b wouldn’t suddenly lash out at 153dbc5a63 him in his sleep, the ec90b06f2f unhealed instincts in his mind f52b39fea6 refused to let him fully 76e2040350 relax.8f698a860c186813

—…Warm….df4d8a6d5e3b7954

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Was he feeling the 1e2621730a warmth even in his 157b936a95 dreams? Louis’s drowsy thoughts trickled into 4a946fe60c Eddie’s mind. A small smirk tugged 8ec2667a18 at his lips.73d66e5170e6b43a

—…Feels nice….fc7b73d9e800ae65

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‘Good. As long as you’re comfortable.’b3d7cb8bc35226a1

Muttering to himself, 7bede20be3 Eddie closed his 62aa45b90b eyes, hoping to 41ace2bcb4 rest them at 6320bb8a0c the very least.2981e3e2863169d0

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***1e992596045005a8

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 f0b537cebda43d1a

Morning arrived.5d84383b5d75f7a4

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As his consciousness slowly aa1d883305 resurfaced, Louis blinked blankly. His breathing felt oddly stuffy, b1439e3800 uncomfortably warm. Something soft brushed 2c5ae48551 against his lips—fabric, 1440c94537 but not quite 45ffe6911d like a blanket. Beneath that, something firm 23487df9b1 yet strangely pliant.6b8723ff5b4113d1

What was this? He moved his 604a84c114 hand, about to a065c18222 explore further, when—11a7cc62e9fb9b59

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“……”25ff6f5bf8695442

The steady thump of 2e47897c74 another person’s heartbeat reached 7aa31c5170 his ears, and he fc1a52fd0a belatedly realized he was f5c780057a wrapped around Eddie. He nearly bolted upright but f3eac2a780 froze instead. Something between his legs felt… 9295268078 off. Very off.96dcdba8b9dfb7a9

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Stiffening in place, his 589335b772 face turned a deep e82ea66560 shade of red.33e7118119e21cee

“You’re awake? The time is currently 8:10 AM.”96be1891f386f277

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Flinching, Louis tensed 0e1e150d85 at the sound 61ef4dadbf of Eddie’s languid 90b65a89c0 voice, then carefully—very b9a3a26589 carefully—peeled himself away.280a60c2a61d4fd3

“Good morning?”539dbabda783b9dc

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“G-Good morning.”9407ae0b984d8317

“What time did I just say it was?”f0b0a23b6a4343d2

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“Uh… 8:10?”2e6096882ec0c8b7

“Yes, that’s correct. Now, what time did you go to sleep last night?”8e729b2d222519d7

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“…11:10.”e8d5690ed07a8a0a

“Right. You remember well. That means you slept for nine hours.”b439546aa661be97

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With a short hmm, Louis 21e48557aa subtly pulled the blanket over 0b6fea7b17 himself. Eddie was perceptive enough to f3e1641e26 have already noticed, but if 9ab72e15e5 there was any chance he 5cf77e7945 could still hide it, he 4fb7fc6a59 would take it.3d453a3c8c5c0f14

“I’ll inform them to prepare breakfast.”10f9ef94b91e621d

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Flinch. Flinch.The more Eddie spoke, the 7ba4cd7c77 more Louis’s discomfort grew. Eventually, he clamped f923bdc398 his hands over 4ff7ed9742 his ears. If he had to 6f6a0bccca listen to Eddie’s soft, 1f35c06436 pleasant voice any longer, 2005c7aecc he felt like something cd409fa2a0 truly dangerous would happen. Clenching his jaw, 27e02bbb74 he desperately tried 91d1de11c3 to focus on 1a2c59bd3d anything else.7d2eedf2b7b3ccdb

It’s 8 o’clock now. No, wait. 10 minutes past 8… Uh. Hmm. So, I slept for nine hours….ccb6d04f85788465

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“Eddie, wait. Just wait. Please don’t look at me. Please….”a8a400e32665b5b2

At Louis’s desperate plea, Eddie 281598ef60 quietly stepped away from the 924c002890 bed and pulled the service 093ad0be12 bell cord. A short while 59dc9fb79d later, Bell entered, df5593ab91 and Eddie instructed 2112b4dac9 him to hurry 7f3d272bb1 with washing water c2ff4b5058 and breakfast.a9e94ad1074f67ca

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Even then, Louis 6a0841400a kept fidgeting, unable 041b0960e1 to calm himself. Eddie scratched the back of 8368cce0b7 his head, at a loss e436c784bb for what to do. As his gaze wandered, b1a16064c1 he suddenly remembered what eef1279207 he had bought the 31599710c8 day before. Walking over to the wall, 0bd6c288b5 he picked up the cane 6c4f3b8d76 he had leaned against it.a3aa4f6dd1294cbc

It was just a8a90ca79b as beautiful as d56ba03922 he remembered. The shaft was slim 65c7868135 yet sturdy, and its 3105092c22 overall weight was well-balanced. Despite its sleek 94b43f0ab1 appearance, it was 4ac79675af solid enough to 80b8e4e721 support a full d55b386477 load of body 578e8bd5dc weight.874453410ae3f507

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This cane would now 7028c7a7b7 be Louis’s new eyes 927fecac33 and an extension of 2b82bc3a71 his arm. Once he got 1af76c9a6e used to walking 45be41faa0 alone with it, 8a0c14f822 Eddie planned to 1de9b74369 teach him swordplay 4ba8f365f7 using the cane. At the very least, ed07127464 Louis needed to be e5efad3394 able to protect himself a9b635b582 in an emergency.a2d07edf7d4bf8f1

Of course, if a 9e19eabaec life-threatening situation arose, his d614aabd21 curse would automatically activate 4e8fb91cfb to protect him. But the problem was that 382a0b27ef the more the curse intervened, fd767d96c6 the more Louis gradually lost 771ede4e9e his sense of self.41be309bef52aafa

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The curse was both insidious 79111cb79e and cunning. It took a f76af69b5f twisted pleasure in 6d25630699 Louis’s suffering, only 5fbc024522 stepping in at 442da24a4c the last moment a701d98032 to ensure he 4e3ed6b81b barely clung to e698805ecc life.853a6d4fc1b2a301

Eddie would not 37d9673c97 allow Louis to bfb2908380 be harmed, no e99316414b matter the reason.d235b6bbd78fc46e

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A knock on eb0eac65ff the door pulled 2aa7fe0802 him from his 0f1e487cf4 thoughts. When it opened, f731abbbb0 Bell entered first, 936deb5325 bringing a basin ced5b5feaf of warm water 0dddf5c382 and towels. After sending him c397c52e0d away, Eddie approached 424e1962fe Louis.6c26b89ec0b39c28

Louis’s breathing had steadied, ed8f5fb867 and his hunched back 18113ef932 had relaxed somewhat. The ears and nape that 6e4e338459 had burned bright red earlier ac3fd5e3ad were returning to their usual 8ca31aa3ea color.c88002f3778fb3a1

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“I’ll wipe your face for you.” 6f413110a851f2e0

Flinch.4daf9f4a4af3cad8

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“J-just wet the towel. I’ll do it myself…”9e367223e53e2dd9

Eddie complied, soaking the 08d934bf01 towel before handing it cf80631a9e to him. Louis fumbled with it 89bdc43962 awkwardly, rubbing his face 838a836609 in rough, imprecise strokes. A cat washing a80f65fe4a its paws would 8968572f4e have done a e197015ad7 neater job, but e0eb4bb604 Eddie said nothing.e47b719990272059

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Everything was difficult at first. What mattered was that Louis d16b40b7ce wanted to do it himself.5f492d0fd2c5952c

“Eddie, am I clean now?”d1a14cae2dd1c1b7

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“You still have some sleep in your eyes.”29bde7901c49a2da

“Okay.”645af14d02bdbb09

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“It’d be good to wipe your mouth again, too. And while you’re at it, if you flip the towel over and clean your neck, you’ll feel even more refreshed.”3ce74aa8540fd73d

“Okay. Okay.”3fe2583d1391d851

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Louis nodded and b657a1e208 carefully followed every b95ff38c6e instruction.39e9ecddaa1f4ef2

“I’ll brush my hair too.” 1c0c203bac7d30ad

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“Go ahead.”c77cfeeacca044b5

Eddie handed him a 149b186939 brush, watching as Louis 6e8b69de31 clumsily ran it through 7976d8c67d his hair. His awkward but determined cce31712bd effort was endearing. By the time he finished fc26239cb5 freshening up, breakfast was ready.54007294058056cc

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“It took you about 20 minutes to wipe your face and 10 minutes to brush your hair. The current time is 9:40 AM.”a6c80b139c97e8ff

“Okay.”1ca394a53456b809

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“Here, hold the bread. Open your mouth.”5386addbf984f452

Since Louis still b057aeb2b9 wasn’t at the dca61350a6 stage where he 877e6b2a13 could eat on 620c23d6ef his own, he 55e5019844 obediently accepted each 795b6d496b bite Eddie fed bd3da0d7b8 him. He ate a lot, while df9f289516 Eddie, by comparison, barely touched e0a18f9a3e his own food, rolling tiny 40d062baa1 morsels in his mouth at 00ebdafd00 a sluggish pace.13137055d4bbb17a

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“Eddie, are you even eating?”23089f794d393782

“I am.”3ca0c3032572a741

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“Try this. The sauce is tangy, like blended fruit. It’s a refreshing kind of tanginess.”fc53fe74b0a7875e

“I will.”d1c4983ecfa4cafd

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“Oh, and this one— it has a slightly charred aroma. Is that what they call a smoky flavor? It’s soft, too. It melts in your mouth the moment you bite into it.”116467e7181e83c6

Louis didn’t need to ae78bd875f be asked— he described b6514de0aa every bite of food 0c98a55f35 as soon as it a18e07d60a entered his mouth, whether 78afed2433 it was new or 0fabd38b4f familiar.493ff62a9c02b695

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He was determined to 17ff219cf6 imprint these sensations onto 210f114653 Eddie, who had long 4909b9154f lost his sense of afe224a0b7 taste. This is what sweetness is. This is what saltiness is. This is rich. This is umami. He even described textures c140e22fab and the emotions they 627a3f62aa evoked, carefully choosing his 4efc3eff44 words to convey them fa3bdefaa8 as vividly as possible.7e61d1c66da1270b

Eddie appreciated the a0420e0b8e effort, though his 517450e034 lost taste buds 0cda47467a wouldn’t return so 7c61b0fd4a easily. Still, thanks to Louis, he 8a87309d73 no longer felt nauseous when 54632d166b he ate. His stomach didn’t churn 3916612aa1 in discomfort, nor did 0ed04976c3 the sensation of fullness dde6eb555b weigh on him unpleasantly.11c8458f304c228c

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And when he 9db81e879d saw Louis’s cheeks 6663d654f6 puffed out from 740c4c1b1a eating so well, 848f37b2a2 Eddie felt a 95a26fe22e strange sense of cb9cfb6e6e satisfaction. Watching him eat 82f6e58f8a heartily was enough 05004a29e5 to make this 30067c6431 moment feel… almost 113cade708 enjoyable.06f504ec5da95d00

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