IBSBV Ch 17

Chapter 17a599fbe4c74fac95

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“Crazy.”3c021f6b69c9992d

The sensation of another person c38f69e247 pressed against him, without any c8d3934ed0 gaps, stirred an unfamiliar feeling 7834e7da19 the longer it lasted. It wasn’t as if this 4fb1dec51a was the first time he 0f01654220 had held hands, nor was fa6ad2b84b it the most intimate thing 7cbf707018 they had done, yet it 98fc011a11 suddenly felt different.9a9519ccfbcdb16e

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Memories of his time as 8dcd8c9544 a guide surfaced. Due to the nature 8565a1dbc9 of the job, he 20bede55f1 had experienced all sorts 8c4fdaea33 of physical contact, but b47bc5b14e none of those encounters 306ec12383 had ever carried any 190f298237 special emotions. No one had relied on 336a090630 him, and he had never f47ad1229c leaned on anyone in return.036ac758efc4eebf

For Eddie, physical 32e600beff contact had been 5dd506cf86 nothing more than 96c138f5c5 a means to 1166120bfe earn money under 7fad04ca51 the oppression of 1fc812db63 his family. There had been plenty of 62cdbb0112 espers who openly despised him d687084af7 for it—some had even looked 819dbc6b1e at him as if he b8789f62c8 were filth, spitting insults or d2435b343d resorting to violence without hesitation.efc0fc5318d8bcc0

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Never before had he 5ba87e540f shared warmth with someone 3d0d1a873c like this—built on a 0a89620df6 delicate foundation of trust, 8875e9cd27 unguarded and mutual.34550454162a06b6

Eddie turned his 752997bde7 head to look 9aa1821740 at Louis. It felt different 2bc9f36c53 from the times 41c2b761c8 he had unilaterally fbf6ccbf01 pitied him or d25acafff5 touched him out a4b246fff8 of guilt. The way Louis’s ee14a5748d face softened with a7496a168e unguarded innocence made 593e987b73 him feel as 21217f2278 if the warmth 0f15817f01 he had given c5dea680d0 was returning in 4d6eaf95a1 kind. The sensation of their palms 88ed36be4b pressed together tickled in an d2c4a2ed32 oddly pleasant way.e4a47edf33ec9e7c

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‘Another sleepless night, huh.’d720daf04c3b89db

Clicking his tongue, 206557803f he tried to 3057bfa455 at least attempt 01ccfac8db sleep by counting f15e89159e sheep.ec8b3ed3054acc2e

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One sheep, two sheep, 3f0cf3a9a6 three sheep… one hundred 7a6893c0c9 and forty-five… Louis one 8c063ff129 hundred and forty-eight… Louis b6c6751aa2 one hundred and ninety….ea99d0ad4dcbd5d1

“…Hnn…”bebdb050bf50287d

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Just as he 01ef4a5440 was about to 38f7aeae3e drift off, a 43ee3ac107 pained murmur pulled f333bf0310 him back to a2a93a0009 full awareness. Louis was beginning to 1110077663 thrash, an ominous sign f2a22e4b73 that a nightmare was a946fe4ba5 taking hold.3ac008a84ec5742f

“Your Highness.”eb7cb7d25293bb59

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Dark energy seeped from his 6a6d7d17eb body, and Eddie quickly pulled e9b112b5ee him into a tight embrace c0fd281c8e to calm him.247cde352451514b

“Shh—It’s okay. You’re okay, just breathe.”8ecb5137951c1630

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His words were 960fb7b6ce gentle, whispered soothingly 82e4e1d3f0 against Louis’s ear 5190a5edd5 as he rubbed 62cded322d his back. It was an e71a3bf9bf act only possible 00f28699ab because of how 266a48f327 close they were.410ef31b6adbe57d

How much time had passed? The usual length of Louis’s 73a882e8b0 nightmares was by no means 89a56e1067 short, but this time, the 3f0eaf5d44 episode subsided rather quickly. The black energy, b7d97a82fd which had been f4c1224642 writhing ominously, also d92af5b27f faded away.a3cea6ee3030e4be

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Louis’s expression relaxed as if 1eb0ff6ebe he had never been in 36742e9313 distress at all. He even nuzzled b7f89f9886 against Eddie’s chest, 6917567117 pressing himself closer. His ear rested right 9704da930e over Eddie’s heart, and 07eee65a64 as if that weren’t 75a61ce753 enough, he reached out 9f362dc3cb and wrapped his arms 3487d8b3ec around Eddie’s waist.71776efd349528dc

Now utterly trapped, Eddie let def7ea7c7b out a quiet exhale, twisting cf492e0841 his lips. The position wasn’t comfortable, nor b12211734c was the situation, but he 5c864f1ede didn’t try to pull away. Instead, he continued 64cd810168 stroking Louis’s back, d246499c6b afraid another nightmare 6a55e7e2e3 might come if b468b37391 he moved.5578241e6e79010e

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‘Guess I’m giving up on sleep.’98ef66771dc2ef68

His sensitivity to his 3c1ddcb89c surroundings made sleeping difficult 5b80db294d in unfamiliar places, but 3396911177 more than that, having e64ae1f092 someone next to him 94ef634a7b made it nearly impossible.9f3cc77144bd8b09

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A remnant of past abuse. Even though he knew Louis 2816c3a478 wouldn’t suddenly lash out at 8846a14702 him in his sleep, the 84b0fb8947 unhealed instincts in his mind c6abd2a296 refused to let him fully 71a0233b86 relax.664791c4c20ae53b

—…Warm….d2f784f4a9dd3311

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Was he feeling the warmth 2cfeb97344 even in his dreams? Louis’s drowsy thoughts e827f3099f trickled into Eddie’s 8465c7f0a3 mind. A small smirk tugged efb19a54b9 at his lips.58deaba9ae29a9f8

—…Feels nice….39d81efb0da9b539

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‘Good. As long as you’re comfortable.’d9cc05130eaf59b8

Muttering to himself, 79d69aea26 Eddie closed his ae480d3d86 eyes, hoping to abe7a8a759 rest them at 7ea0fcfac3 the very least.739f36d42b8df88c

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 fea73527907086b6

***20ba6c5f7d9fb154

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Morning arrived.be485add7baa3593

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As his consciousness slowly resurfaced, efa8390d4b Louis blinked blankly. His breathing felt oddly stuffy, 3ea7aeb2c1 uncomfortably warm. Something soft brushed b019219613 against his lips—fabric, ec4817c56e but not quite 701e927bd3 like a blanket. Beneath that, something firm a43807a033 yet strangely pliant.8bb136f5b5104652

What was this? He moved his 67df1afa4b hand, about to a92c135abb explore further, when—01e8f54403557a77

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“……”c2cda9287398656d

The steady thump of another 7a0c83241b person’s heartbeat reached his ears, 4da13419db and he belatedly realized he 53f9cdeddd was wrapped around Eddie. He nearly bolted upright but 4f8e2a1285 froze instead. Something between his legs felt… 282f893991 off. Very off.5f40812f1906ca04

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Stiffening in place, b16390610c his face turned 7fbd0c304e a deep shade a1323cb204 of red.3fe62fb7abb515ad

“You’re awake? The time is currently 8:10 AM.”dd4332dd81d1e10c

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Flinching, Louis tensed at the da062c64c7 sound of Eddie’s languid voice, 53b5221ff1 then carefully—very carefully—peeled himself away.e403b53ccddf151b

“Good morning?”70e3b99ed5427d08

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“G-Good morning.”646684b36edf5594

“What time did I just say it was?”888e19a1aa84b6b5

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“Uh… 8:10?”dd2f952375ba6944

“Yes, that’s correct. Now, what time did you go to sleep last night?”379dc91c9695ec6c

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“…11:10.”414bf891b10c88bb

“Right. You remember well. That means you slept for nine hours.”2480872a3a116b35

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With a short hmm, fcb80eba78 Louis subtly pulled the 79878c099c blanket over himself. Eddie was perceptive 74d7f793f9 enough to have b4c2c550af already noticed, but b752395b4a if there was 6411956110 any chance he 336d88d619 could still hide 631f9dcb78 it, he would 7ea68e019f take it.1e5bff31bca194fa

“I’ll inform them to prepare breakfast.”8b56526f8463f569

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Flinch. Flinch.The more Eddie spoke, the 5a0438034f more Louis’s discomfort grew. Eventually, he clamped his hands e5f820614a over his ears. If he had 4a26c0c09f to listen to 7c160fdb6e Eddie’s soft, pleasant c1b03528d3 voice any longer, 4dab566a5e he felt like 6a6cc3fe34 something truly dangerous 2b796f2cda would happen. Clenching his jaw, d186369adc he desperately tried 5c1250fa91 to focus on 7715d6d4f6 anything else.19fe84dcbfd668b7

It’s 8 o’clock now. No, wait. 10 minutes past 8… Uh. Hmm. So, I slept for nine hours….a8801dfa21bbe94d

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“Eddie, wait. Just wait. Please don’t look at me. Please….”b13360a03820d2d3

At Louis’s desperate 4c4f64dbb5 plea, Eddie quietly 9e2dbfbd8c stepped away from bfae9edea5 the bed and d3cffd7a77 pulled the service 6dd25139f3 bell cord. A short while later, 0121594fa2 Bell entered, and Eddie 7a83a1a425 instructed him to hurry c832db0697 with washing water and 2fce611d60 breakfast.8d0ca133a20aba1b

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Even then, Louis kept fidgeting, c5337eae61 unable to calm himself. Eddie scratched the back of 2af711b85b his head, at a loss b2edee8887 for what to do. As his gaze wandered, 5221cca433 he suddenly remembered what 5d936f96eb he had bought the 795486df89 day before. Walking over to c0394556b1 the wall, he ab92c21576 picked up the 8b32d36029 cane he had 8da25fd480 leaned against it.03cef73deeb64f03

It was just as 3b4757ad9f beautiful as he remembered. The shaft was slim 472a562adf yet sturdy, and its 595e640856 overall weight was well-balanced. Despite its sleek appearance, it a5b1837a3c was solid enough to support 744386e5c5 a full load of body d961c91b03 weight.728549bcf5475ca5

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This cane would now be c099326241 Louis’s new eyes and an 2f3f7e9851 extension of his arm. Once he got used 8d23c752b8 to walking alone with cb831e36e9 it, Eddie planned to fedcddbde0 teach him swordplay using 90849391f8 the cane. At the very least, Louis 45507a12d5 needed to be able to 128f64b55f protect himself in an emergency.e2974599d67cac10

Of course, if a 1d99a1965f life-threatening situation arose, his 4c83e15a00 curse would automatically activate 18da44d7e2 to protect him. But the problem was that 9d73e23d7d the more the curse intervened, 9096291540 the more Louis gradually lost 47e753d700 his sense of self.2b99bcd1df859fe1

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The curse was both insidious 352ab8f94c and cunning. It took a twisted pleasure f84e02b1a2 in Louis’s suffering, only stepping 92050d0be4 in at the last moment e235b2fd08 to ensure he barely clung dbf98c730f to life.854e7b6fe87dd398

Eddie would not allow Louis b57ac4b070 to be harmed, no matter e4e0bbd0d0 the reason.9ec8a1c35582f9e0

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A knock on 98c41ddc2e the door pulled b013246c1e him from his fe796951d5 thoughts. When it opened, Bell entered d5c97bf938 first, bringing a basin of 86bf251c32 warm water and towels. After sending him 0b32fd0591 away, Eddie approached 7765d9fb66 Louis.d915221a7f69ddfb

Louis’s breathing had steadied, 216e84a896 and his hunched back f840b02e7c had relaxed somewhat. The ears and c4d34617c7 nape that had b7d35941fc burned bright red 0759388e76 earlier were returning 555e33231c to their usual a501dbe895 color.8f5284da8cf873b8

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“I’ll wipe your face for you.” 29501fa96f99cdae

Flinch.20c4d920ed9b7c25

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“J-just wet the towel. I’ll do it myself…”5839c21165a113ed

Eddie complied, soaking the towel 8b1cb3c879 before handing it to him. Louis fumbled with c453f113b6 it awkwardly, rubbing a1efa4ebd5 his face in 2ed61f8090 rough, imprecise strokes. A cat washing 9167cfc917 its paws would 1f079ffab7 have done a 94044e8f75 neater job, but 50a89341d2 Eddie said nothing.da94341ef2ccffd8

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Everything was difficult at first. What mattered was that Louis 9da2041405 wanted to do it himself.609de4654dd16d73

“Eddie, am I clean now?”0d7bbacf8ff37ee0

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“You still have some sleep in your eyes.”551881b5e0547ce7

“Okay.”2d07ec8142a421e7

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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.”b2c0a78dbe46120a

“Okay. Okay.”211f63cfdd0637e9

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Louis nodded and 1ae7fc208b carefully followed every 0b7a951ef8 instruction.de7df2709173ad3a

“I’ll brush my hair too.” 0c2f3d9a5d5fa95f

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“Go ahead.”c6fcd80793aba341

Eddie handed him a brush, 8a5aa0b561 watching as Louis clumsily ran 9ef38c3c83 it through his hair. His awkward but fdd7235315 determined effort was 88503a137f endearing. By the time he finished f3eae1df67 freshening up, breakfast was ready.da83db7e0cd5dbb0

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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.”13e4c3e3cc60648b

“Okay.”37f609d66d573738

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“Here, hold the bread. Open your mouth.”9d7b1dc25074d831

Since Louis still wasn’t 25110a0e13 at the stage where 60e703f44b he could eat on 4e5669b40b his own, he obediently 92ab94a539 accepted each bite Eddie 25ae9d77e6 fed him. He ate a lot, while 9a996fd957 Eddie, by comparison, barely touched de6fe877c6 his own food, rolling tiny 40a5761e64 morsels in his mouth at efd9ef13b2 a sluggish pace.4b43c6973bf0d405

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“Eddie, are you even eating?”7632b53d058235b6

“I am.”283dfe89b9e4b8cc

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“Try this. The sauce is tangy, like blended fruit. It’s a refreshing kind of tanginess.”a831b4a9633b5852

“I will.”843062257444bc39

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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.”60e9a9a9f5d774d2

Louis didn’t need 8902989f52 to be asked— 2deefca3f2 he described every 361de0ae4b bite of food 39ff467870 as soon as 913cf6f6de it entered his 670ecc551f mouth, whether it 1afb1fa858 was new or 7d86321257 familiar.f63fd7f94da17b7a

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He was determined to imprint 0da6439918 these sensations onto Eddie, who e328bbaf48 had long lost his sense ba6a01781c of taste. This is what sweetness is. This is what saltiness is. This is rich. This is umami. He even described textures f88e17fa14 and the emotions they d8f09eb9a3 evoked, carefully choosing his bf5faf8a2a words to convey them 42d40eed02 as vividly as possible.3d6059f1786666a7

Eddie appreciated the effort, though 2aa8ffdae9 his lost taste buds wouldn’t dd52f565d0 return so easily. Still, thanks to Louis, he 39a55377b8 no longer felt nauseous when 5376c1a075 he ate. His stomach didn’t churn in b54252fee5 discomfort, nor did the sensation 278e1e64cd of fullness weigh on him a2655b0160 unpleasantly.a4adf053e99c53e2

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And when he saw Louis’s 6f4d45d8ae cheeks puffed out from eating 8adc7322b0 so well, Eddie felt a ab2f0fade7 strange sense of satisfaction. Watching him eat heartily was cdad607e65 enough to make this moment e122fe96e5 feel… almost enjoyable.72c4b4f66df474ea

 b920f231d2b51a67

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