IBSBV Ch 17

Chapter 170701a522ad92d8ac7d40

 8927bee76d779931442c

“Crazy.”d26c68241575903d7309

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The sensation of another person 8576f6d6b8 pressed against him, without any cf27f6d674 gaps, stirred an unfamiliar feeling 8d32bb8a14 the longer it lasted. It wasn’t as if this was the 79042573f7 first time he had held hands, nor 834e7629b9 was it the most intimate thing they cb46dd1a41 had done, yet it suddenly felt different.d3c09bf653f202786a06

Memories of his time ae608eb966 as a guide surfaced. Due to the nature of the job, he had 44aecaa836 experienced all sorts of physical contact, but none of 689376bbca those encounters had ever carried any special emotions. No one had relied on him, and he 71e63d1bd2 had never leaned on anyone in return.fb7717f269bfc3832c30

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For Eddie, physical contact had fb1046dc91 been nothing more than a 97e7cc7e57 means to earn money under aa6004cb58 the oppression of his family. There had been plenty of espers who openly despised him for it—some had even looked 58f647557a at him as if he were filth, spitting insults or resorting to violence without hesitation.bd0307c16a0ff77fe730

Never before had he shared warmth with someone like this—built 67e25672f5 on a delicate foundation of trust, unguarded and mutual.39871fdba734ee162d9a

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Eddie turned a3d510701c his head 9f6b0bcc67 to look 8c643e78e7 at Louis. It felt different from the 9066f5fa5f times he had unilaterally pitied b9c28c3d28 him or touched him out b2f521cea3 of guilt. The way Louis’s face softened with unguarded innocence made him feel 73ed044a84 as if the warmth he had given was returning in kind. The sensation of their 2856e4061c palms pressed together tickled 84a53e2644 in an oddly pleasant ba3b431819 way.436d22e9454f34fed8c1

‘Another sleepless 001ae282da night, huh.’d4d8e0884ffcba45f8c8

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Clicking his tongue, he tried 8ad368649c to at least attempt sleep 1637dd7613 by counting sheep.b3fcc72cbb3d0211b131

One sheep, two sheep, three sheep… one hundred and forty-five… 50f11583cc Louis one hundred and forty-eight… Louis one hundred and ninety….3675e10a3c402913e3af

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“…Hnn…”bf26b04c067a02536bad

Just as he was about 15c4592d7d to drift off, a pained d4d667c32f murmur pulled him back to 3a1bb0abba full awareness. Louis was beginning to thrash, an ominous d8a2570507 sign that a nightmare was taking hold.6ded3eb80b868a6a9850

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“Your Highness.”44af4ce435007b48b624

Dark energy seeped from his body, ef37b1eaad and Eddie quickly pulled him into ce87f16d7d a tight embrace to calm him.2199785d694f30e5cf1f

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“Shh—It’s okay. You’re okay, c76db03ead just breathe.”ba7301b9d8ee8fb814a5

His words were gentle, 18bb2761f4 whispered soothingly against Louis’s 8c9bc37857 ear as he rubbed 07861ee150 his back. It was an act 076ef3ecf6 only possible because of 29178286ae how close they were.4993c6201a514ed02c5f

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How much time 8353bb45d6 had passed? The usual length of Louis’s 5db5c8ac94 nightmares was by no means 09edec9889 short, but this time, the abc5f46edf episode subsided rather quickly. The black energy, which 8c7f43c921 had been writhing ominously, 6e3d3268ae also faded away.0017fed28ca063d661aa

Louis’s expression relaxed as 6afae76c74 if he had never 36e7827af7 been in distress at daa193c8c0 all. He even nuzzled 190899011a against Eddie’s chest, 9ec3e89d29 pressing himself closer. His ear rested right over Eddie’s heart, and as if that weren’t 4d8fe5b91f enough, he reached out and wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist.71327629779a751df34e

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Now utterly trapped, Eddie let out 254656c6ec a quiet exhale, twisting his lips. The position wasn’t comfortable, nor ade84814d1 was the situation, but he ed666999d7 didn’t try to pull away. Instead, he continued stroking Louis’s back, afraid 0962d83802 another nightmare might come if he moved.ff51958b11d7a2374f74

‘Guess I’m a125402e72 giving up b5773d46d5 on sleep.’8c9e8e837e6b2e0b57a4

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His sensitivity to his surroundings made sleeping difficult 93247bbdf9 in unfamiliar places, but more than that, having 47ff4b540c someone next to him made it nearly impossible.63e9f9b09f97373bed3f

A remnant 302d6bedf0 of past 54e459a6c3 abuse. Even though he knew Louis wouldn’t suddenly 29dfee1bbd lash out at him in his sleep, dd4a520bb1 the unhealed instincts in his mind refused 4463a7ccb2 to let him fully relax.f1c5fd5224155b4a22d9

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—…Warm….b297768d55332b82983d

Was he feeling 19dcc58a66 the warmth even dbbf3b8359 in his dreams? Louis’s drowsy da5cad9afa thoughts trickled b2a2ed042d into Eddie’s 991c5c7a6d mind. A small smirk tugged 9ca410b1b4 at his lips.bed56f91c103a25c59dc

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—…Feels nice….3d76a0a35d3a6cc90152

‘Good. As long as edf979c2ac you’re comfortable.’95e54448b9a67c4d59b9

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Muttering to himself, Eddie 04fcb9c9c8 closed his eyes, hoping 0d6423eb95 to rest them at 7059d052ba the very least.e4e16d5441bfea8e1395

 947dbdd8f981077c0056

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***1fefab7234de8a4f753e

 8dcb21c0453db8efc01e

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Morning arrived.afe66b0ad7b95de32515

As his consciousness 50f989dff9 slowly resurfaced, Louis 30cefaf187 blinked blankly. His breathing felt dc54c31dc3 oddly stuffy, uncomfortably 04527aed0d warm. Something soft brushed against his lips—fabric, 9427e122a4 but not quite like a blanket. Beneath that, something firm fa126f5d60 yet strangely pliant.85c7e9fc12acb2382a5f

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What was this? He moved his d9f786125a hand, about to 6142088306 explore further, when—146af24e9d6b57b9b6ec

“……”9141e9c703a0cdae78b8

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The steady thump of another person’s heartbeat f535d20765 reached his ears, and he belatedly realized c6865d0390 he was wrapped around Eddie. He nearly b1dd18c60a bolted upright 9ef72aee0f but froze 3efc1240d7 instead. Something between 1acb22176f his legs a6daf5427f felt… off. Very off.371775df6ffbbacc6266

Stiffening in place, his 5855dbc142 face turned a deep 13a0544a8a shade of red.b16795cae6d0946ecd1e

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“You’re awake? The time ee5a40cb15 is currently 93a8e8dbcd 8:10 AM.”6a3e9b1467c15b221769

Flinching, Louis tensed at the sound of Eddie’s 6bccb5f733 languid voice, then carefully—very carefully—peeled himself away.7fe6579c913759f2cd92

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“Good morning?”a9cbb97ef07cd058b204

“G-Good morning.”ad282d8765e39e0bb342

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“What time 210ce562fb did I c832795b8f just say 69a6698579 it was?”39da488907d3ef1978e1

“Uh… 8:10?”f84cc83e27fb9faadbcb

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“Yes, that’s correct. Now, what time did ba826f13ca you go to sleep 72647028dd last night?”3da61306ba9cb24eaef0

“…11:10.”bd75e20524d90d613b72

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“Right. You remember well. That means c590c62785 you slept 426783e9f5 for nine 78af445767 hours.”f786ae365817f45544f4

With a short 0782b1c186 hmm, Louis subtly 3769963e0c pulled the blanket 1bd247707a over himself. Eddie was perceptive enough to have 652e7971e1 already noticed, but if there was 03ad255dd5 any chance he could still hide a19570806c it, he would take it.29800434f80eb535fb25

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“I’ll inform them e5a12ccbe1 to prepare breakfast.”07b0740125471c4233f3

Flinch. Flinch. The more Eddie 8876928776 spoke, the more 8ece76e1ef Louis’s discomfort grew. Eventually, he clamped his b6561b7301 hands over his ears. If he had to listen to Eddie’s soft, pleasant voice f6c40659ae any longer, he felt like something truly dangerous would happen. Clenching his jaw, he 17368b2fa1 desperately tried to focus 08211edab8 on anything else.58b840fab0241f8dafd1

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It’s 8 bc7cd8d60d o’clock now. No, wait. 10 minutes 52a9fa545a past 8… ecdea6ee7b Uh. Hmm. So, I 95787c5145 slept for 6dab8bd264 nine hours….d037abadb16bced4aef8

“Eddie, wait. Just wait. Please don’t look c1fad2c61a at me. Please….”e65f1dfc4e69dcade087

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At Louis’s desperate plea, Eddie quietly stepped away from 8cd05072cd the bed and pulled the service bell cord. A short while later, Bell b05842d6da entered, and Eddie instructed him 84fdf5b55b to hurry with washing water ae6d28b914 and breakfast.d55a3e9fec7ff9f4849f

Even then, Louis b58bfa8af7 kept fidgeting, unable 5bd5b1d1ca to calm himself. Eddie scratched the back of a11b9f3139 his head, at a loss 89fd1f8c07 for what to do. As his gaze wandered, he 7fb35e0e79 suddenly remembered what he had f57f355f2a bought the day before. Walking over to the wall, c5e8c77c43 he picked up the cane 03eb37c25c he had leaned against it.925f4e11cf50b955ef9e

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It was 79d244573c just as bd8164ca31 beautiful as 872f67a75b he remembered. The shaft was 1e4bda0f76 slim yet sturdy, 9e4c750a57 and its overall 76d1d4583e weight was well-balanced. Despite its sleek appearance, it was solid enough 3b71a409f7 to support a full load of body weight.ed46d58ea2e05e9a4e45

This cane would now be Louis’s new ff7b3f0ba6 eyes and an extension of his arm. Once he got used to walking alone with it, 21aa7fba99 Eddie planned to teach him swordplay using the cane. At the very least, Louis ea4356b3b0 needed to be able to e0b7badd5d protect himself in an emergency.22472e315ce72a0fa654

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Of course, if a life-threatening 4392dedc0a situation arose, his curse would 29572bf7d3 automatically activate to protect him. But the problem was that 7159b09e0f the more the curse intervened, 447765b85c the more Louis gradually lost 41a7a77087 his sense of self.73d5f4ca806711832840

The curse was 2ef91ee921 both insidious and 1ee341cf67 cunning. It took a twisted pleasure in Louis’s suffering, only stepping in ba37b15fd3 at the last moment to ensure he barely clung to life.86400ad0194f754338e2

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Eddie would not a02033e740 allow Louis to b2d21b6450 be harmed, no f1ab44aaeb matter the reason.f0bcbf38e347b2e8a9a2

A knock on the door 1c856aa78d pulled him from his thoughts. When it opened, Bell entered 20a8d36593 first, bringing a basin of 0d3ff5d177 warm water and towels. After sending him 940f618e32 away, Eddie approached 2fc6728b28 Louis.02dbd0b76e59ea088936

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Louis’s breathing had steadied, bcf27ecc44 and his hunched back f5efc7518c had relaxed somewhat. The ears and nape that had burned bright 96b769d4a8 red earlier were returning to their usual color.ee96d1366bf97757c845

“I’ll wipe b3e19d1086 your face 7ced7ce7b0 for you.” 7748975734aa18010fa0

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Flinch.724a0881d580cc58b7d5

“J-just wet fc3308555f the towel. I’ll do 48912440c7 it myself…”3a51d1a6ffacb583e56c

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Eddie complied, soaking 7c2da9f950 the towel before bc3e9640bb handing it to f093710444 him. Louis fumbled with it awkwardly, rubbing db53142de9 his face in rough, imprecise strokes. A cat washing its paws would have done 326fbf83a2 a neater job, but Eddie said nothing.85e0bcb13a8bc347ec4c

Everything was 8cf2eb5516 difficult at 592aea5c0e first. What mattered was that Louis 16cbea727d wanted to do it himself.6ad8794e46de4a5545cd

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“Eddie, am 8de84cc487 I clean f07a1ba979 now?”050f13a143bb31b80a7c

“You still d0a608ad79 have some e04725ed82 sleep in 0731cc3791 your eyes.”f48ff5e6fcacd48dfe33

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“Okay.”89e51230526b92fd0be3

“It’d be good 8bebc4a480 to wipe your 5d34455cd0 mouth again, too. And while you’re at it, if you flip the towel b85364cd20 over and clean your neck, you’ll feel even more refreshed.”e86aa43a60e2014a646b

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“Okay. Okay.”3e2ba38db90e6a87f198

Louis nodded and carefully cfcb0cf076 followed every instruction.4a908717b742f00c784a

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“I’ll brush my 75309db79f hair too.” 998db4011fddddc6fca1

“Go ahead.”1b429ca16e55d3685779

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Eddie handed him a brush, b9b0d0ef8a watching as Louis clumsily ran 58487757d0 it through his hair. His awkward but f015adda8d determined effort was a2eab6c514 endearing. By the time he bd73f2f0a5 finished freshening up, breakfast a6d1c335ae was ready.44979505a3ae9137b891

“It took you about 20 aafea1bb5b minutes to wipe your face 53b9d229f7 and 10 minutes to brush 3765dfb02f your hair. The current time a145633ff0 is 9:40 AM.”801bbb9fbdfcaa03c8ba

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“Okay.”11c16d40796d9a794790

“Here, hold 630847dbdb the bread. Open your mouth.”2c6fcd21b9fa045c4306

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Since Louis still wasn’t at the stage where he could eat e813331cb1 on his own, he obediently accepted each bite Eddie fed him. He ate a lot, while Eddie, by comparison, 770d7decc7 barely touched his own food, rolling tiny morsels 0f892ebebc in his mouth at a sluggish pace.e5900f34f3e9f5015c2d

“Eddie, are you 15686705f6 even eating?”e7c93eb6ba1d9f8dca75

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“I am.”7540d1b06a3ae184285a

“Try this. The sauce 492341f066 is tangy, b8dde36207 like blended 21245d4a7b fruit. It’s a 2955527b1d refreshing kind 615d05f2ff of tanginess.”5a815c8b4c6dfaac9821

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“I will.”c19c91b89fd2325d19c5

“Oh, and this one— 973de8c4b9 it has a slightly f93e78df0b charred aroma. Is that what 6fa83af7fe they call a 59ab0e2bf6 smoky flavor? It’s soft, too. It melts in your 253a2d7b48 mouth the moment you c6dcc02a20 bite into it.”56dc80ba88288824f8e8

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Louis didn’t need to be asked— he bf5a7acf0d described every bite of food as soon fdab94925d as it entered his mouth, whether it d8a4a60acf was new or familiar.db9b3ec9b5aad6ed993f

He was determined to imprint these e7c2c882ff sensations onto Eddie, who had long df4cd65724 lost his sense of taste. This is d6b123553c what sweetness b6ae767060 is. This is what df1c19444d saltiness is. This is rich. This is umami. He even described textures and the emotions 5815f5b862 they evoked, carefully choosing his words to d37e87d2f7 convey them as vividly as possible.82f2eccb993a65213be2

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Eddie appreciated the effort, 1c5ac8d244 though his lost taste 6a4f1e42d5 buds wouldn’t return so 2a7ee816f0 easily. Still, thanks to Louis, 60bdf365c5 he no longer felt 32692d2d7d nauseous when he ate. His stomach didn’t churn f59aa56743 in discomfort, nor did f6660556e6 the sensation of fullness 7cdd74d4a9 weigh on him unpleasantly.29031be176cff02f0115

And when he saw Louis’s cheeks puffed out from eating d9a6b9ec33 so well, Eddie felt a strange sense of satisfaction. Watching him eat heartily was 98316d55b4 enough to make this moment 94ab26ba67 feel… almost enjoyable.c5dd76577d67eb34233a

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