IBSBV Ch 17

Chapter 17f1f18a1b79ef7924

 e9cc57ab2f335904

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“Crazy.”9b73e84d5ef83ecd

The sensation of 7b4955446c another person pressed 0e215c0c15 against him, without 7143259d31 any gaps, stirred 9e9837c9ed an unfamiliar feeling ce90284c8c the longer it d315adba87 lasted. It wasn’t as if 7e89952162 this was the first 33d2883833 time he had held 2065ec29af hands, nor was it 6d8d0f6c88 the most intimate thing 8bff4caac0 they had done, yet 28310fa14a it suddenly felt different.45a2e838826273ef

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Memories of his time b1f287329f as a guide surfaced. Due to the nature of b8f16b081d the job, he had experienced f1b03e82e2 all sorts of physical contact, 96f6689ef3 but none of those encounters 6dbf44b49a had ever carried any special 4f636e3067 emotions. No one had d386742344 relied on him, 84b99f565e and he had f01ed4b737 never leaned on 6a97ed93e6 anyone in return.9f6ad23e0246dcce

For Eddie, physical a2e7bf3fcf contact had been c81661aa3b nothing more than dca1f83cf4 a means to cabf1e809e earn money under a0495ceeba the oppression of a4852e79ca his family. There had been plenty 91241f61d6 of espers who openly 04fc1f9e06 despised him for it—some 6109f4fecc had even looked at 321c58c722 him as if he a2d9a577f4 were filth, spitting insults ca801d3a7d or resorting to violence 8ddd956119 without hesitation.d8d6ffa7ce7100bf

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Never before had 57c4e373e6 he shared warmth 7b81ce1763 with someone like bbdc6f10e6 this—built on a 42ff44fa37 delicate foundation of 8885d50163 trust, unguarded and f2457fd967 mutual.b4f359aec0d55454

Eddie turned his 85aa1db67f head to look 6a68d4c188 at Louis. It felt different 8bf05b5e3d from the times 149697f4ed he had unilaterally 0d642624be pitied him or 3b38b7374c touched him out 81722feede of guilt. The way Louis’s face softened 450fd0e89f with unguarded innocence made him 479b808e16 feel as if the warmth d1f7d16195 he had given was returning be54d80bfb in kind. The sensation of their f5d9b18a07 palms pressed together tickled 70246d3af5 in an oddly pleasant 857a101804 way.958cb01868a41b3e

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‘Another sleepless night, huh.’7c86bf1b13752403

Clicking his tongue, he 3cb51de3a0 tried to at least dd69d93942 attempt sleep by counting ce3858b96c sheep.9f718273e0cefda8

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One sheep, two fb562f4fd0 sheep, three sheep… b0ed930229 one hundred and f28850665f forty-five… Louis one 94d2e0ba03 hundred and forty-eight… da03b53f40 Louis one hundred c5b6b92c74 and ninety….0ac67b50cca73645

“…Hnn…”5368cfe47f157559

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Just as he 48b8b680e0 was about to 6075d4bb40 drift off, a 7a3e4e60be pained murmur pulled 7dc84da0d5 him back to 0aae6f93c3 full awareness. Louis was beginning to fdfe17881a thrash, an ominous sign 9994bdd82e that a nightmare was ab3405da56 taking hold.87667886f57dbffc

“Your Highness.”fcb06c0a28b92a7c

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Dark energy seeped from his 399ac46bf4 body, and Eddie quickly pulled f660f7d755 him into a tight embrace 9782c8f833 to calm him.81803c74674077bd

“Shh—It’s okay. You’re okay, just breathe.”b5f73c70a0a66f05

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His words were gentle, whispered fbaa5afd70 soothingly against Louis’s ear as ba49e14ea3 he rubbed his back. It was an act 7b4532b0a7 only possible because of c12127b0ed how close they were.9c904205f6218cbe

How much time had passed? The usual length of 551c1db57a Louis’s nightmares was by 01fcf359c2 no means short, but 6dd6c1d8fd this time, the episode 562cc48736 subsided rather quickly. The black energy, which 9690baef46 had been writhing ominously, 7446674ec3 also faded away.a296f66346d0bf76

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Louis’s expression relaxed as if a39f5b7698 he had never been in 2c3226342c distress at all. He even nuzzled against 903d000574 Eddie’s chest, pressing himself 0e483506d0 closer. His ear rested right 95d16ad962 over Eddie’s heart, and 8030ac7d0a as if that weren’t 487c11a297 enough, he reached out f5b30212d6 and wrapped his arms 3ef5a51ede around Eddie’s waist.50b854a2ade20454

Now utterly trapped, Eddie a486d561ca let out a quiet c70981a29d exhale, twisting his lips. The position wasn’t 99525ad62a comfortable, nor was 813e6c65fa the situation, but c0b29f79ad he didn’t try b79e219f0c to pull away. Instead, he continued stroking Louis’s 40507c7c35 back, afraid another nightmare might ae2ebfc494 come if he moved.1654120e7316ed29

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‘Guess I’m giving up on sleep.’082e7bdea170d965

His sensitivity to his 76cc3139ab surroundings made sleeping difficult 701bf4bc5c in unfamiliar places, but f6c7f7030e more than that, having c7d72e9e55 someone next to him 427d43275c made it nearly impossible.564caa7b835bf6b1

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A remnant of past abuse. Even though he knew Louis f3bd5938ce wouldn’t suddenly lash out at 6ce268f814 him in his sleep, the 1e44e4251c unhealed instincts in his mind a276a1948f refused to let him fully b844ea48a5 relax.5da2a3e27f970b2a

—…Warm….c489a4f1b7d59099

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Was he feeling the warmth e765b33bd7 even in his dreams? Louis’s drowsy thoughts 60e33bea72 trickled into Eddie’s 204c74e0c4 mind. A small smirk tugged at 3f7c1a7c00 his lips.96030704209f90e1

—…Feels nice….44eaee8125436c36

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‘Good. As long as you’re comfortable.’00df2abea40310f3

Muttering to himself, 5815624d8a Eddie closed his f9977d0b02 eyes, hoping to 1d0480eb2d rest them at 03819f7d8a the very least.49f3856793cbb050

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 96f4d3a112764bee

***d8e27d844e4da9ea

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Morning arrived.37e557d6466b4112

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As his consciousness slowly 4e3ff5ac27 resurfaced, Louis blinked blankly. His breathing felt oddly 45c7b71765 stuffy, uncomfortably warm. Something soft brushed against his 03d4fe6785 lips—fabric, but not quite like b6556d273a a blanket. Beneath that, something firm yet 1038818767 strangely pliant.68f8ef44dcf6f186

What was this? He moved his hand, e8ee0ea3a4 about to explore further, 1fd3c6713f when—0b40d4f38dc83fac

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“……”526a234741603d59

The steady thump of cbcc717387 another person’s heartbeat reached eb4d880d9d his ears, and he 274884c1b8 belatedly realized he was 9b1a9ed90f wrapped around Eddie. He nearly bolted upright but dd11089dd6 froze instead. Something between his f2fbda1f26 legs felt… off. Very off.497bd6618dab622a

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Stiffening in place, his b6c5b2499b face turned a deep 6184a5fc0a shade of red.288194e012504e5c

“You’re awake? The time is currently 8:10 AM.”db7952ae68470b2c

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Flinching, Louis tensed 363843e63e at the sound 94cd69e73b of Eddie’s languid 65df59a570 voice, then carefully—very deddba9038 carefully—peeled himself away.4cd8db3af2dc9505

“Good morning?”63966a7f4b9cc9a5

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“G-Good morning.”8b52b58f1f6109fa

“What time did I just say it was?”f588cb40fcb5a604

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“Uh… 8:10?”fd354ec18f975e7c

“Yes, that’s correct. Now, what time did you go to sleep last night?”abd44a2808d9a882

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“…11:10.”f53a7c2fca77c867

“Right. You remember well. That means you slept for nine hours.”b3a056936735ad5e

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With a short 11d54858a6 hmm, Louis subtly 8f350a3469 pulled the blanket 08a61865f8 over himself. Eddie was perceptive de5d169ff9 enough to have 7c6d9ff2fe already noticed, but 8affc3676d if there was 48c26a89bf any chance he 0c3cd4c23b could still hide b499b9887b it, he would 1fe579fb75 take it.e4b8e6ceedc076be

“I’ll inform them to prepare breakfast.”e75878022ea0b827

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Flinch. Flinch.The more Eddie spoke, the 89aad8ef85 more Louis’s discomfort grew. Eventually, he clamped his hands d8bfdb9dfb over his ears. If he had to 738036944f listen to Eddie’s soft, ffd7f3317b pleasant voice any longer, 3b03f6dc82 he felt like something 0ba5ff844f truly dangerous would happen. Clenching his jaw, he desperately 1c65e5bf9a tried to focus on anything 2ddfc544ef else.be7b54b37b652388

It’s 8 o’clock now. No, wait. 10 minutes past 8… Uh. Hmm. So, I slept for nine hours….b003e325038492c0

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“Eddie, wait. Just wait. Please don’t look at me. Please….”75a2810eec9023c7

At Louis’s desperate plea, Eddie d58b6658bf quietly stepped away from the f24606f8cd bed and pulled the service 104b6ec138 bell cord. A short while later, Bell 566d07c234 entered, and Eddie instructed him b60a4f5c38 to hurry with washing water de90a3b92a and breakfast.0cc48d0b358dbe02

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Even then, Louis d9530b9f57 kept fidgeting, unable e477af23af to calm himself. Eddie scratched the back of caaf603dd2 his head, at a loss 24da5429ff for what to do. As his gaze 9a10b8415e wandered, he suddenly 1f91ecc765 remembered what he fb8918e219 had bought the d02a7e1928 day before. Walking over to the a7bd937ac2 wall, he picked up b87ad2d1d0 the cane he had 79d91c4e35 leaned against it.d0f0924615ca50ff

It was just as beautiful a361cd255a as he remembered. The shaft was 1aa061ad80 slim yet sturdy, ce241d7718 and its overall c6ce293499 weight was well-balanced. Despite its sleek appearance, b803840569 it was solid enough e24df2f6cc to support a full cb48e77e48 load of body weight.91a71e88f9decc15

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This cane would af1f6589cc now be Louis’s 981d667ca3 new eyes and 361c01dcec an extension of 0a664c48d3 his arm. Once he got 03d9ddcd63 used to walking d2f668c8f1 alone with it, 12cd9b616e Eddie planned to beb337480b teach him swordplay 47cbb64471 using the cane. At the very 5f9d021eaa least, Louis needed 6c92113935 to be able 4399a76728 to protect himself 4c1819e9b2 in an emergency.62fb81498c454592

Of course, if a life-threatening cc0686e41f situation arose, his curse would 44cce1ce12 automatically activate to protect him. But the problem was that 1acb357add the more the curse intervened, a8493cacae the more Louis gradually lost 43fd433989 his sense of self.ea494b710c49a89e

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The curse was both f11a46f463 insidious and cunning. It took a 982dc9076b twisted pleasure in 85bab222dc Louis’s suffering, only b7dd19cabb stepping in at ef0797fda7 the last moment af61e1c792 to ensure he a64310fe02 barely clung to f6dc53f1c9 life.a3eac9a58f251e18

Eddie would not allow Louis b4d760bcb7 to be harmed, no matter 01c41100e8 the reason.0c9def9ed35f409e

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A knock on the door b7a7cbb66c pulled him from his thoughts. When it opened, Bell entered d6c8951f56 first, bringing a basin of 35d2a40d45 warm water and towels. After sending him away, Eddie 6bb998e8dc approached Louis.084965733f6ac83c

Louis’s breathing had e4a38a2f34 steadied, and his c41d3800f9 hunched back had 0480cc2d15 relaxed somewhat. The ears and nape that 339299f30f had burned bright red earlier 71704d5b2a were returning to their usual 5bd00dcccd color.b08873fd2f8e7354

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“I’ll wipe your face for you.” 79b0250833c6bd69

Flinch.b25823120e47ac43

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“J-just wet the towel. I’ll do it myself…”c20dcb2c17c2fb55

Eddie complied, soaking the towel ad930060ec before handing it to him. Louis fumbled with it c9bd8328df awkwardly, rubbing his face c51aed74e2 in rough, imprecise strokes. A cat washing its 60fb41ee5d paws would have done 7db2425465 a neater job, but 4c0aad4d85 Eddie said nothing.8bcc2821aa668d11

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Everything was difficult at first. What mattered was that Louis 92816a2ba9 wanted to do it himself.3b44314d6676108e

“Eddie, am I clean now?”8db06879f8d2c822

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“You still have some sleep in your eyes.”316b3998f36db38b

“Okay.”7dec3981a86bdab9

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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.”5c3887767ad4b43a

“Okay. Okay.”1cf0eb88064094d3

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Louis nodded and carefully f722c8608b followed every instruction.d1ca3d5d0435fc84

“I’ll brush my hair too.” 13ec52a2cfed85ca

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“Go ahead.”1d35c5780516d81e

Eddie handed him a 711808110a brush, watching as Louis 02599e4579 clumsily ran it through 6d25131efa his hair. His awkward but 6561a28098 determined effort was 8025906072 endearing. By the time he 4ac8971967 finished freshening up, breakfast 762ab33681 was ready.8e0961a1d5bb0205

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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.”2527b5b4560e13cf

“Okay.”0e7096324c9e5a2f

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“Here, hold the bread. Open your mouth.”01d6c8eb12748c86

Since Louis still wasn’t 3704ff77e4 at the stage where 64bbbab86b he could eat on c79083c969 his own, he obediently 7c0382230c accepted each bite Eddie a8b6f64c4a fed him. He ate a lot, db76c2914a while Eddie, by comparison, aaa4ec7ed8 barely touched his own 1941c53b09 food, rolling tiny morsels 22564cab76 in his mouth at 9755b7432c a sluggish pace.c10c94dac4725c73

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“Eddie, are you even eating?”608f4235a24b6e9b

“I am.”74eb2779b7aa8202

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“Try this. The sauce is tangy, like blended fruit. It’s a refreshing kind of tanginess.”29b6847273cda916

“I will.”5ff28cdf04e1756b

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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.”5d5d837130d5219d

Louis didn’t need 188c2f3b4c to be asked— 361c05d15f he described every 60279a7740 bite of food a9e93a7e78 as soon as 6ff41d3068 it entered his 7a3e1417f3 mouth, whether it 0faf76d2f2 was new or 82e404a9ef familiar.f06a26814df5fa86

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He was determined to imprint 8a1b8ab336 these sensations onto Eddie, who 324e52dde5 had long lost his sense 7b46291dce of taste. This is what sweetness is. This is what saltiness is. This is rich. This is umami. He even described 3bd9fa77b8 textures and the f03d6af4ed emotions they evoked, 35cbbd90f0 carefully choosing his a45252f8e0 words to convey a81768378e them as vividly cf3f3f32ce as possible.a1e4e76026e88043

Eddie appreciated the effort, though 73f9b7c222 his lost taste buds wouldn’t 093c800488 return so easily. Still, thanks to fb86f2b506 Louis, he no e19ed741d4 longer felt nauseous a9fb21a48b when he ate. His stomach didn’t e37a99a83d churn in discomfort, a3d61a5073 nor did the f5d13b1230 sensation of fullness 5cf5679fe9 weigh on him 50fded0326 unpleasantly.e7f74aa698477db3

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And when he saw 97d3847b39 Louis’s cheeks puffed out 37a601c1be from eating so well, d515ba0f79 Eddie felt a strange faf7aa671f sense of satisfaction. Watching him eat heartily was 6001fa3a5a enough to make this moment 2f915e171e feel… almost enjoyable.fa9d4b4a6275286e

 949132844ef653ff

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