Min-jae couldn't get enough of the cat.
The creature was far too clean to be a true stray. It's coat shone, its paws weren't caked in mud, and when he pressed his nose lightly into its fur, it smelled faintly of lavender, as if it had wandered straight out of someone's chambers.
Strange. Almost… out of place here, just like him.
He stroked between its ears, watching its golden eyes narrow in bliss, and for a fleeting moment his chest tightened. It reminds me of her…
His sister's laugh flickered in his mind.
Was she still doing well in the other world? Was she eating properly? Sleeping? Did she miss him as much as he missed her? The thought of her alone tugged painfully, but the warmth of the cat in his arms dulled it, if only slightly.
"You'll be Punz.." he murmured, lips curling faintly. "Yes… Punz suits you."
Meical, seated stiffly across from him, arched a brow. "That's a peculiar name."
Min-jae nodded without hesitation, fingers combing through the Abyssinian's fur. "Because this little one reminds me of someone very special to me."
The words slipped out softer than he intended, and he quickly buried his face into Punz's coat as though the cat could shield him from Meical's gaze.
Punz purred louder, as if pleased with the name, curling deeper into Min-jae's lap like it had belonged there all along.
Meical's eyes were fixed on him so intently, Min-jae almost squirmed. It felt like standing under the sun, heat bearing down, relentless.
-_-
He tilted his head, lips twitching. "Do you… want to pet the cat too? Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Who's the special someone?" Meical asked, his voice low, controlled, but his gaze burned. "Is it a man, a woman…?"
Min-jae's eyes widened, surprise flickering. Jealous? That had never happened in the novel.
Meical was supposed to be the composed one, the immovable wall. But here he was, cracking. Min-jae decided to tease him.
"So what if it's a man? Or a woman?" he teased, stroking Punz leisurely, enjoying the way Meical's jaw tensed. "Why do you care? But I'll tell you this—he was so handsome I couldn't forget him. Not even if I married a thousand men."
Meical's teeth clenched, his composure straining. "You're my wife.." he ground out, voice heavier now. "So you should only say my name. I should be the only one in your heart."
Min-jae smiled wickedly, leaning in just enough to see the flicker of heat in Meical's eyes. "Wanna have sex?"
The words dropped like a stone in water, blunt and vulgar enough to stun him. Meical froze, color rushing to his cheeks, lips parting as though caught completely off guard.
"If you want me to say your name.." Min-jae continued smoothly, enjoying every second of his husband's rare fluster, "then you have to work for it… don't you think?"
Punz let out a lazy meow in Min-jae's lap, as if mocking Meical's silence.
For the first time since Min-jae had known him, Meical looked utterly undone. His ears burned red, the faintest flush creeping down his throat, and his lips parted like he was about to speak but couldn't find the words.
"...You—" he managed, voice strained, then stopped, clenching his jaw.
Min-jae tilted his head innocently, petting Punz as though he hadn't just thrown a grenade into the air. "What? I thought you wanted me to say your name."
Meical averted his eyes, dragging a hand through his hair, the tips of his fingers pressing hard into his temple.
Why is he saying things like that so easily… in broad daylight… His breath hitched in a way he clearly didn't want Min-jae to notice.
But Min-jae noticed everything.
"Are you blushing?" he gasped theatrically, leaning forward, eyes glinting. "Governor Meical, so prim and proper, losing his cool over a little vulgar word?"
Meical's head snapped back toward him, eyes sharp but his ears betrayed him, glowing red. "Silence.." he muttered, voice low, but the command lacked its usual edge.
Min-jae laughed softly, savoring it, leaning closer until his breath brushed against Meical's ear. "Mm, you're cute when you're flustered. Maybe I should say it again."
Punz purred in Min-jae's arms, perfectly content, while Meical sat stiff beside them, every muscle taut—caught somewhere between anger, embarrassment, and a heat he refused to show.
"You were crying… you were in pain.." Meical muttered, his brows furrowed, his tone equal parts frustration and concern. "Why do you want to put yourself through that torture again? Are you… into pain? It doesn't seem like it."
His sigh was long, almost defeated. "I can't understand you."
Min-jae froze, the teasing smirk slipping for a second. Damn it—Meical had a point. Last time had hurt like hell. He really thought he was going to die.
"…That's because your dick is too big! It's like sticking a rod up my ass!" Min-jae mouth moved before his brain. Hence he had let out another modern reference slip out.
Meical blinked, tilting his head slightly.
…What's a dick? he thought, the foreign word rolling strangely in his mind. His brows knitted further. And who in their right mind would stick a rod up an innocent ass?
Min-jae's lips twitched. Oh god. He'd done it again. Modern language in a medieval world. His face flushed crimson as he scrambled to fix it.
"I—I meant your manhood.." he blurted, the word tasting clumsy and archaic.
That single substitution flipped something in Meical. His face warmed instantly, a rush of color reaching his ears. It wasn't the first time he was hearing that his manhood was big but hearing it from Kaizar, pulled pride from deep in his chest.
"If…" Min-jae hesitated, voice dropping to a mortified mumble, "if you go a little gentle and… prep me… it wouldn't hurt so much."
He wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
Meical's breath caught. He'd been so sure Kaizar would never want to try again. But here he was—blushing, embarrassed and asking.
Without a word, Meical wrapped his hand around Min-jae's waist and tugged him closer, holding him firmly against his chest.
"…Since my wife is asking so nicely," his voice came low, strained but tender, "I have no choice but to oblige."