Chapter 210: All Sweetness (2)
Ren had nice bone structure, and his muscles were strong and firm, nice to touch; Kestrel could imagine how powerful he would be when he started running.
Besides the burns, there were also many other big and small scars on his skin.
"He’s always doing this, not taking good care of himself," Kestrel thought back to the times she had helped him heal from various old injuries. But no matter what, he quickly ended up with a whole bunch of new scars. He hardly ever made time to use the healing pod. Only when he was seriously hurt and couldn’t move would he find the time to properly take care of himself.
Kestrel’s hand movements became slower without her realizing it, gently moving around as she spread the sticky cream, touching the scars in a way that was almost too soft to feel.
Her actions became extremely slow, so much so that Ren’s muscles started to tense up, and a light layer of sweat began forming on his skin.
Kestrel wasn’t sure whose sweat it was - it could have been Ren’s or maybe hers. Maybe because the ground was still hot from flames, she felt her hands getting sweaty from the heat, and her heart started beating faster for no clear reason.
Most of Ren’s injuries were on his upper body, and Kestrel examined them one after another with her fingers.
The palms, the backs of the hands, forearms, shoulders... these were all usual places, and the two had helped each other with bandages on the battlefield many times before. But somehow, in this dim place, deep within the earth, everything felt different and unusual at this moment.
The feeling of their skin touching, the sweat, the sounds of their breaths mixing in the air, even the beating of their hearts seemed to echo louder than usual. The burn cream had a slightly musky smell, which seemed to grow as Kestrel applied it with her fingertips.
Kestrel put the last bit of the sticky cream on Ren’s collarbone, even though there were no injuries there. She didn’t know why she did that, and her eyes trailed up from the glossy skin of his collarbone, past the moving Adam’s apple, to his slightly open lips.
She remembered very well what it felt like there.
Her eyes moved downwards, getting closer to Ren, inching nearer to those lips.
But, just as she was almost there, Ren quickly turned his face to the side, avoiding her.
Kestrel’s hand rested against the wall, her face showing a bit of a questioning look.
Ren was sitting there, leaning against the wall. She was standing taller than Ren, her hand supported against the wall above him.
She looked down and saw Ren’s eyes filled with confusion, sweat trailing down his face. His breath was uneven, and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. After a while, he finally said in a very quiet voice, "No need for... beta pheromones... not necessary."
Ren, avoiding looking at Kestrel, seemed really hurt, his voice barely above a whisper, "If... if it’s just out of pity, then it’s not needed."
He thought that if it was like that time in the Tower, where she kissed him just out of sympathy, just to help heal him, just to give him more beta pheromones through a kiss, he didn’t want it. It would only lead him to a place of deeper pain, a place he couldn’t come back from.
But right now, Kestrel was really close to him, so close that she could easily hear not only what he was saying, but she could also pick up on the small feelings he was showing.
"So, what do I have to do to kiss you?" she moved even closer to Ren, almost whispering this question near his ear. "Being nice won’t work, helping won’t work, what if I just actually like you?"
In that moment, Ren’s eyes shook a little.
The tendrils that was still in Ren’s mind heard her words and got really excited, making loud, happy noises.
"Yay~~"
"That’s good, that’s good."
"She finally said it at the most important time."
"No more talking, just do what you’re good at."
Ren looked so surprised, and his look of wanting to trust but not being sure was even more adorable now. His eyes looked like a lake that had all the colors of springtime in it, shining in a way that drew Kestrel in. His neck and the space behind his ears turned a shade of red all of a sudden, and this made Kestrel wish she could make this moment last forever, just to really enjoy how he looked right now.
She got even closer, her eyes asking him one more time, "Is it okay if I kiss you because I have feelings for you?"
Ren couldn’t find any words to say.
So, in a dimly lit, secluded spot deep underground, Kestrel gently kissed Ren’s lips. She wasn’t very good at kissing, but it was a gentle kiss. She started with a light touch on his lips, just to be sure he was okay with it, before making the kiss more passionate and warm.
His lips were really soft, and they tasted kind of sweet. She held herself against the cool wall as she leaned in to kiss him—taking her time, being caring and affectionate. She felt like she had never been so focused and careful with anything else in her whole life.
She knew nearly everything about this boy, knew about his injuries and the pain he had gone through, knew the tough times he had experienced, saw all the hard work he put in, and knew what he hoped for—she really liked him. She wished for him to be her one and only partner in this world.
He also knew her really well, understood Kestrel, and valued and accepted her for who she was.
They were a great match for each other in every way, even his smell was something that charmed Kestrel.
Kestrel suddenly thought that she should have done this much earlier, that she had missed out on a lot before realizing this.
She put all the kindness she had into this kiss, letting Ren feel her warmth, showing him that he was liked, loved, and valued by her.
"He’s really adorable. From now on, he’s mine. My very own special someone. I’m the only one who gets to enjoy this sweetness. I’m the only one who knows this wonderful side of him."
The kiss felt like it lasted for a really long time, long enough to take your breath away.
Kestrel had only just pulled back a little when an arm quickly circled around her from behind, sneaking into the gap in her hair, gently pulling at the back of her head, bringing her back towards him. She could feel the shaky strength in Ren’s fingers. His breath, which was very hot and extremely close, was making her cheeks turn red.
He moved closer, eagerly but gently kissing Kestrel’s lips, even more wild and free compared to her, reminding her of an excited yet cute big orca. They both felt cool on the outside but were full of warm emotions on the inside, gentle and soft.
This sensation was too wonderful, making Kestrel’s skin feel all prickly, her heart was beating so fast, and this buzzing feeling was moving from her heart all the way to her fingertips. It was the kind of thing that gave you chills, making you want more and more.
Kestrel held Ren’s hand, starting to kiss the back of it, then the tips of his fingers. She looked up to see what his face looked like.
Not only were his eyes a bit red at the edges, but even the ends of his fingers were turning a shy red color.
