"...I just….wanted you to rely on me."
"Huh?"
Hearing that statement, followed by a series of sniffles and silent sobbing, Liohime hastily spun around to face the trembling young woman.
His eyes widened as Shihon broke down completely.
"A-All I wanted to do…was to…prove that I could be…someone who-!!"
A sputtering cough and more sobs cut through her words, not allowing her to continue, and Liohime quickly stooped down to her level and held her face softly.
"H-Hey, calm down! It's oka-"
"Someone who you could rely on….someone who..you could trust in your new mission…"
Huh?
"So that…you wouldn't reject me and try to do things…yourself! But now…you'll neglect me for sure! I'm s-sorry!! Please don't go by yourself!!"
Wait, is she…?
Liohime paused and blinked.
Is she talking about…the Paradisus Legion mission?
Realizing that she must have snooped into the messages on his phone in order to get that information, he sighed and wiped away some of her tears.
"Listen Shihon….I was always going to take you to that mission…I just, I don't know, feel like talking about it, but I would have mentioned it to you eventually, I promise. I will rely on you for that mission-"
"It's too dangerous for you…to even consider…going there…"
Wait, why is she talking as if she knows about that place? Liohime questioned internally. She's never been there, right? No, of course she hasn't.
He got up and sat next to her on the edge of the bed and spoke up.
"We may be in a predicament right now, more or less, but I made a promise on the day that I found out that you were contracted to me, Shihon. I decided to take you in and stand by your side. I decided that I would rely on you while you rely on me."
"Master…"
"I intend to keep my promise, Shihon."
"But, I messed up-"
"That's fine. The damage is done, but frankly, there was not much that you could've done."
Leaning forward, he embraced her.
A warm sensation overlapped her body, and she stiffened up. But Liohime did not pull away.
"When you mentioned that you were threatened in the car with Margaret's life, I was soooo worried. But now that I think about it, the way that you saved her both in the alleyway and the vehicle despite it not being your initial responsibility, makes me so fucking proud."
"H-Huh?" was the voice that faintly creaked out of Shihon's trembling lips.
"You're so cool, Shihon!" Liohime assured her. "You just keep on reminding me of how awesome you are!"
Hearing that was the final stray, and the dam that held back her river of tears broke down in an instant as she wailed uncontrollably and returned a tight hug.
"Master…! Master….!!! I'M SORRY!!!"
"It's all right, Shihon. It's all right. You can cry."
"I'M SO SORRY!!!"
"It's quite all right. Geez, you really are just a big crybaby, aren't you?"
***
"There we go. All tucked in and ready to sleep."
Gently placing the bed covers over the young dark-skinned woman who was in her pajamas, Liohime cautiously leaned towards her face, and ensuring that she wasn't going to try anything sneaky, he gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.
"I-If you want….we still have time for some other bed activities before we go to sleep, Master…"
For the first time, Liohime hesitated and blushed as the lewd thoughts entered his brain, but then he shook them off and leaned back, cleared his throat before replying to her.
"You yourself said it before, right? That you won't allow me to say those three words until I actually fall for you? I gotta get through those steps first before I reach the final hurdle, you know."
"Oh? Usually, you'd say 'Hell no!' and 'What are you even saying?' but it looks like you're seriously considering it…"
"-hk, you know what? J-Just go to sleep, will you?"
"Hehe, alright alright," she answered with a smug expression. "But what about you, Master? Won't you sleep with me?"
"In a few minutes. I'm gonna do some light exercises before bathing and then I'll join you."
"Aww, okay…can I-"
"No, you can't spy on me and peek on my half-naked body while I work out."
"Shit."
"How the hell did I manage to take the words out of your mouth? Why would you even ask that?"
He sighed and chuckled after, and then prepared to leave.
"Master?"
"Hm? What's up?"
Shihon could only hear the beating of her own heart and the silence within the room before she replied with a warm smile:
"Thank you."
"Eh? For what?"
"For not giving up on me."
Liohime's face relaxed, and after a few seconds of processing what she had just said, he chuckled once again.
"W-What's so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing. It's just that…"
He scratched his head and flashed a cute grin before taking off his shirt and continuing to speak, making Shihon's heart flutter.
"It's natural. We're partners, after all."
The buff physique that had been hidden almost too well by his shirt was on full display for Shihon to gaze upon, and as she lay there stunned, he threw the shirt into a corner of the room and began to close the door behind him.
"You're welcome, by the way."
The door shut behind him, and Shihon slowly pulled the thick bed cover over her head. Then, she could feel both of the cheeks on her face heating up, and she began to stutter out loud while fer face became flushed with red.
"U-Uh….wha….what the…."
What…the fuck was that!?
The way that he stared at her while saying those words, and the way that he somewhat fulfilled her request caused a fire to light up within her.
No, no, no, no…..I-I'm seriously starting to fall for this guy even more so now! He knows what he's doing, that damn bastard!
She flipped over on her right side as her head returned from under the covers, memorizing the words that Liohime had told her before.
(( "You're so cool, Shihon! You just keep on reminding me of how awesome you are!" ))
She giggled and closed her eyes.
…..Dummy.