The Guide is Actually a Body-Switching Esper [BL]
Chapter 120: Flight Response

Chapter 120: Flight Response

"Convenient," Damien slowly repeated. Each syllable seemed to drag endlessly, and turn into tiny needles penetrating Lane’s heart.

Yes, casual flings were convenient. Lane himself had said so. And it’s not like he suddenly changed his mind. Why would he? He had way too many secrets - with his abilities, his connection to the Allens, then being a Boss of a secret organization located in the Forbidden Zones, and everything that came with it - to be able to comfortably allow himself to form a deeper connection with anyone. And not like he needed it anyway. He was fine just the way things were...

So why should he feel bothered by his own words? He should play it off cool, as usual, and dismiss the topic...

Before he managed to do so though, Damien spoke again. "I suppose it must be so. With your ability... Since you wanted to keep it a secret, it’s understandable you were reluctant to form attachments."

"Ugh, ye-yeah..." Lane muttered, his thoughts still in complete disarray.

And then he flinched, as Damien’s large, calloused hand covered his all of a sudden.

"Then... Do you still feel that way now?" Damien spoke ever so slowly, weighing every word. His voice was still calm on the surface, but the hint of suppressed emotions hidden underneath made Lane finally look up.

Their eyes met.

And Lane couldn’t help but gulp, paralyzed, or maybe hypnotized, by Damien’s emerald eyes. His gaze was warm, but also hesitant, expectant, intense. It sparked a flight response in Lane.

Yes, he wanted to just jump onto his feet and flee. Of course he wouldn’t - he was not a coward! - but every fiber of his being was screaming to run away.

Not because it was unpleasant. Rather, it was so tingly and fuzzy that Lane simply couldn’t take it. It really was too much, he wasn’t used to receiving so much... ’loving’ expressions, not at all! How was he supposed to take it?

Damien was still staring at him, waiting for his answer.

...What was the question again?

"Nevermind," Damien eventually sighed, averting his eyes and taking his hand away.

"Ah? Um, well, I mean..." Lane fumbled.

"I’m sorry. It seems I got too carried away."

...Did he mess up? Lane sure felt as if he did. Even though there shouldn’t be any reason for him to feel that way? Damien clearly understood Lane’s position when it came to the relationships. And, since he knew what he was getting into, he could only have himself to blame if he ended up disappointed...

Lane wasn’t deceiving him, at least not on this subject.

The warmth from Damien’s hand still remained on the back of his own hand, but it was quickly growing colder.

’Agh! What the hell is wrong with me!’ Lane shook his head, annoyed at himself. He grabbed his food, and devoured in a few big bites, hoping that it would help with the uncomfortable hole that formed in his stomach.

It was such a weird, unfamiliar situation, that he didn’t know how to handle it at all. But Damien had already dropped the topic, so it was best to just dismiss it and move on!

"Ahem," Lane cleared his throat, shifting closer to the man. His voice was a bit shaky, and he had goosebumps all over, but he still tried to act like his usual self, and whispered to Damien, "Team Leader, I forgot to pack a pillow."

"...Do you need one?" Damien shifted uncomfortably. Although he didn’t move away from Lane, allowing the man to invade his personal space, his eyes still dodged to the side.

Lane nodded fervently in response. "Yes! I can’t fall asleep without one!"

Now that was a lie. Damien clearly remembered Lane sleeping without a pillow several times during longer dungeon inspections. Even recently, during their dungeon raid.

He was a bit confused, but he still said, "I don’t have one either. Perhaps you can borrow from someone who’s standing guard now?"

"Tsk," Lane clicked his tongue, his shoulders dropping. Did Damien really not catch his clue? He lifted his hand, his finger slowly trailing down one of Damien’s thick, firm thighs. "You do have a great pillow though?"

His hand was instantly captured in a steel grip.

"We’re in a dungeon!" Damien exclaimed. His ears, however, turned visibly redder.

"So?" Lane tilted his head.

"With our team!"

"Tsk." Lane pouted his lips. So what? It was just innocent rest, it’s not like he was trying to have sex with Damien! Sure, perhaps it wasn’t a typical behavior for a Team Leader and their subordinate, but...

He tried to free his wrist and ’prepare’ his pillow for a good night’s sleep, but to no avail.

"Fine. So be it." He forcefully pulled away, and moved a bit to the side, lying down on bare ground, sulking.

Damien stared at him in silence for a good moment, exasperated by the man’s behavior. "Go lie on a mat at least, and cover yourself up."

"Hmph. I don’t need that. I only wanted a pillow." Lane rolled over to the side, turning his back to Damien.

Minutes passed. Lane just lay quietly in the spot, pretending to be asleep... But was secretly waiting. While he didn’t mind sleeping on the ground, he wasn’t some kind of masochist who’d do that to himself just because he was ’sulking’! If his plan didn’t work, then he would move to the mats soon...

But how could Damien allow it for Lane to sleep like that? Even if he suspected that it was an act meant to coax him, he still couldn’t help but surrender. Not even ten minutes had passed, and Lane felt someone approach him, push a mat underneath his body, cover him with a blanket... and then, place his head on warm, firm ’pillow.’

He couldn’t stop a smile from blossoming on his lips, no matter how hard he tried. The best he could do was to pull the blanket higher, to hide his satisfied expression from sight.

This thing he had going on with Damien, it was really... kind of nice...

A thought passed through his head, and he soon drifted to sleep, as a large hand caressed his hair...