“Luke…”
Iberis’s expression turned sympathetic as he sensed the gloomy atmosphere. He felt guilty for naively enjoying the childhood photos of his loved one.
“…Shall we take photos and decorate with them when we return?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Iberis carefully suggested. While looking at the photos, he had already been thinking it would be nice to record their memories this way, and after hearing Lucas’s story, he wanted to do it even more.
“Photos?”
“Yes. I don’t have many childhood photos. The organization members destroyed my mother’s phone… We didn’t print and keep them separately either.”
“Ah.”
“After joining the military, I didn’t think about taking photos because there wasn’t much to be happy about. So I only have a few group photos with colleagues from the special team. Other than that, just photos of rifts, training records, or for articles? But seeing these today, they look quite nice.”
Iberis gently tapped a photo of young Lucas hugging a teddy bear, wearing a faint smile. The boy was beaming in every picture, clearly enjoying something.
Iberis bit his lip as he took in the image of young Lucas with his vibrant blonde hair, so different from now. Even from just the photos, he could feel how much love Lucas had received growing up, and anger towards those who destroyed Lucas’s happiness began to simmer.
His hair color changed due to the awakening aftereffects, didn’t it?
Iberis glanced at the silver hair draped like a curtain over his right shoulder. While the silver hair that shimmered softly like stars in the night sky was beautiful and stylish, he thought the golden hair that sparkled brilliantly like sunlight would have suited Lucas well too.
“If you want to, Major…”
“Forget about me, what about you? If you don’t want to, we won’t.”
Iberis interrupted Lucas to check his opinion. He didn’t want to force it if Lucas was reluctant to take photos because of past events.
“I want to do lots of fun things with you and record our memories. So we won’t forget even if our memories fade later.”
“I see.”
“Of course, every day with you is special, but… wouldn’t it be nice to take photos annually on meaningful days like New Year’s or birthdays? To fill up a bedroom wall like this, we’d both have to live a long time, right?”
“…Major.”
Lucas’s eyes wavered greatly as he caught the underlying meaning in the question laced with laughter. To do as Iberis suggested, they’d need at least a few dozen photos. He was saying that he wasn’t helplessly waiting for death anymore, but would strive to live.
“That’s right. We should spend at least 100 years together.”
Lucas whispered, pulling Iberis tightly towards him. His voice was low and muffled, as if submerged in water.
“Wasn’t the joke about living to 125 not really a joke?”
“I was serious, but to spend a century with me, you’d need to live at least that long, wouldn’t you?”
“A century together?”
“It’s a phrase used in East Asia, meaning couples becoming spouses and living happily for a lifetime. Anyway, if that’s the reason you want to take photos, I agree.”
“So you consent?”
Iberis lightly patted Lucas’s hand, once again strengthening his will to live. Though it felt strange to dream of the future, it wasn’t a bad feeling. In fact, it felt very good.
Even when living with his mother, he rarely looked forward to tomorrow, but with Lucas, he anticipated today more than yesterday, and tomorrow more than today.
“We should buy a camera as soon as we get back.”
“Hm? Isn’t a phone enough?”
“I want to capture high-quality images if possible.”
“Alright, let’s do that.”
Iberis chuckled and leaned against Lucas. Then he tilted his head back slightly to look at him. As their eyes met, their lips came together without either initiating.
“Mmm…”
Iberis opened his mouth, feeling gentle hands cupping his jaw and neck. As he actively entwined his tongue, blunt fingertips caressed his protruding Adam’s apple.
His dry shoulders hunched at the ticklish sensation, and a nasal moan escaped between his teeth. He turned his head to the side as if wanting to be closer to Lucas. Given their position, it was a bit uncomfortable to continue kissing.
Seeming to notice Iberis’s discomfort, Lucas tightened his arm around Iberis’s waist and spun him around. Their lips, which had parted for just a moment, soon locked together deeply enough to crush each other’s flesh.
As the kiss deepened, Iberis wrapped his arms around Lucas’s neck. Come to think of it, this was the first time they had been apart for so long since becoming lovers. They ended up revealing their relationship to Regina earlier than planned, and the ensuing commotion made even the employees aware of their situation, but they were still shy about showing affectionate skinship in front of others.
So even when Regina pestered them about their love story in the afternoon and during the subsequent dinner, Iberis unconsciously refrained from touching Lucas. Perhaps as a reaction to that, once their lips met, he didn’t want to separate.
Lucas seemed to feel the same way about being careful in front of his sister, as he continued to entangle their tongues and savor Iberis’s sweet saliva and moist breaths until Iberis was panting for air.
“…Come to think of it, you haven’t changed into pajamas, have you?”
Lucas murmured softly after breaking the kiss with a smack. Today, Iberis wore a navy suit bought at a Paris department store with a trench coat. He had put effort into his appearance as he was meeting Regina, Lucas’s family.
“You’re the same.”
Iberis fiddled with Lucas’s stiff shirt collar. Though Lucas often wore suits even at the base, today he looked strangely sexy. Iberis could now understand why Lucas had said he wanted to undress him when he wore a suit before.
Overcome by a sensual impulse, Iberis slipped his fingers inside Lucas’s shirt. The broad shoulders twitched at the cool touch tickling his nape.
“I, because of Regina…”
Lucas furrowed his brow at the languid caress on his neck. The lower body temperature blatantly rubbing his skin made his hair stand on end. Simultaneously, desire surged within him. Unable to continue speaking, he pressed his lips against Iberis’s again.
“Hngh, mm…”
Iberis moaned as the heat stirred wildly inside his mouth. The rougher kiss made his head tingle and his waist tremble.
“Were you waiting for me to return?”
Lucas asked, nibbling on the saliva-slicked flesh.
“That’s right.”
Iberis answered honestly, pressing his body closer to Lucas. The thudding heartbeat, whose it was unclear, echoed in his ears.
“I thought we could shower together.”
“What?”
“It feels a bit cold showering alone now.”
Iberis mumbled words that could be a joke or serious, gradually pressing his lower body against Lucas. Feeling Lucas’s excitement matching his own, he felt a thirst to have that soon. In anticipation of the coming pleasure, the most intimate part of his body kept twitching.
“And…”
Trailing off, Iberis initiated a kiss. He thrust his tongue between Lucas’s responsive lips, thoroughly exploring the hot cavity. Then he bit the thick tongue and sucked on it.
“You said you wanted to undress me in a suit.”
Iberis whispered, their lips still touching, as he ended the kiss with a wet sound. At that moment, a sharp glint flashed in Lucas’s gold eyes, tinted with passion. Immediately after, Lucas’s firm thigh roughly pushed between Iberis’s legs.
“Ah!”
Iberis’s small lips parted with a gasp at the pressure against his now swollen front. An electrifying pleasure that almost made him dizzy shot up his spine. His waist stiffened, arching sharply.
Lucas roughly kneaded Iberis’s slender waist while pressing his knee firmly against Iberis’s groin. Then he hooked his fingers on the elongated necktie knot. With a slight tug, the soft fabric came undone.
“I don’t think I can stop at simply undressing you… Do you know what you’re doing, tempting me like this?”
Lucas unbuttoned Iberis’s shirt, leaning down to leave teeth marks on the protruding collarbone. Then he asked in a husky voice.
“Hah, what are you going to do?”
“Do you know how many things can be done with a necktie?”
“Huh?”
Iberis blinked at the playful question. He hesitated upon seeing the necktie approaching him. Before he could react, the soft fabric completely covered his vision.
