It wasn't obsession. Not quite. But she knew the weight of what she felt for him, and it was heavy enough to reshape everything.
A yearning that rose from somewhere deeper than memory. Somewhere in the bones of her soul.
Even with her past erased, the endless march of years had carved scars into the bedrock of who she was. The loneliness of someone perpetually drifting. The isolation of walking forward with no one beside her.
She'd stopped being moved by things long ago.
That heart had gone numb across the ages.
Beautiful vistas, chance encounters tinged with romance, moments of joy. She could still smile at all of it, warm and genuine. But none of it stirred her. None of it reached deep enough.
Because to her, all of it was something that would inevitably be lost.
She was a Rover in the truest sense of the word, a traveler passing through every life she touched. Until she found the answer she sought, she would never stop walking. No story, however beautiful, could make her stay.
Countless people had tried to follow her.
In the end, none of them could stand where she stood.
Until he arrived in this world.
An impossible miracle.
The instant she saw him, something long dormant slammed back to life inside her chest. That parched, lonely soul drank deep for the first time in an eternity.
She'd found someone who could walk beside her.
The greatest miracle of her existence.
His presence alone was enough to make her heart sing, her pulse quicken without permission, like a bird born with only one wing finally discovering the other half it had been missing all along.
Perhaps, across past, present, and future, the two of them would become salvation for countless others.
But only they could save each other.
And so the amnesiac drifter and the transmigrated wanderer, two souls in perfect Resonance who existed as each other's redemption, held one another close until their heartbeats aligned. Together, without prompting, they spoke the same vow.
"From here on, we will never abandon each other. Never give up on each other. Even if Civilization crumbles, the stars go dark, and time itself runs dry, we will hold each other's hand until the very end of death."
Golden eyes mirrored golden eyes, each reflecting the other's silhouette.
They drew closer. Naturally. Inevitably.
Fingers laced together.
The last sliver of distance vanished.
Their lips met.
...Soft.
...Sweet.
What started gentle didn't stay that way. His fingers tightened between hers and she pressed closer, tilting her head to fit against him properly. Her free hand found his collar and pulled. His found the curve of her waist. Somewhere along the way, breathing through their noses stopped being enough and they'd break apart just far enough to gasp before falling back in, each time a little less careful than the last. Then her lips parted against his, his tongue slipped past, and neither of them came up for air for a long time after that.
Shorekeeper, watching from somewhere far away: (I am LIVING for this!!)
When they finally pulled apart, a thin glistening thread still connected them. Both their faces went red. A quick wave of the hand broke it. They didn't need that kind of link to stay connected.
A smile curved wide across her face. Feeling the bond between them deepen, she leaned back against his chest and let herself rest there.
Then he remembered.
The atmosphere had been so perfect that it had slipped his mind entirely.
"Oh. I was supposed to be punishing you."
"What?! Why'd you have to go and remember that?!"
"One thing doesn't cancel out the other. You're not weaseling out of this."
He ruffled her hair the way someone might scritch a cat. Regardless of how things had unfolded tonight, shoving him out of danger today required consequences.
Seeing there was no escape, she gave up resisting. If anything... anticipation crept in.
"So, what are you going to do to me?"
"Uh, hmm... I haven't decided yet."
...How about we just go all the way?!
The thought blazed through both their minds simultaneously. The instant their eyes met again, it was kindling meeting open flame, a spark hitting a powder keg. Searing. Scorching.
And yet... there were times when both Rovers resented their innate composure. That maddening rationality meant they almost always made the correct call, no matter the situation.
Anyone else would have already thrown caution aside and surrendered to the raw, uncomplicated pleasure of each other.
But both of them hit the brakes.
Because the timing was wrong, and they both knew it.
Strictly speaking, they were in a friend's home. Downstairs, a girl who embodied everything warm and nurturing was preparing them a lavish dinner.
If they continued with what was about to happen, it would be an unforgivable slight to Yangyang.
So...
"We'll save that for next time. Definitely. And also..."
"I know. We need to finish building that pocket dimension!"
He nodded with absolute seriousness.
Constructing a subspace with Spatial Power was a massive undertaking, but after several attempts he'd roughed out the framework. It wouldn't be long before they finished the rest together.
A voice floated up from downstairs.
"Rovers, dinner's ready!"
"Heh. Looks like I'm off the hook." She propped her chin on one hand, smile dancing at the corners of her lips.
He arched an eyebrow. "Don't be so sure. I just realized that before the main course, I can still have a little taste."
"Huh? What are you..."
Her vision went dark.
Not because the lights had gone out. One arm had wrapped around her waist from behind while his other hand covered her eyes.
She swallowed. A rare flutter of nerves ran through her, and then, a small sting.
"Chomp!"
"Mm...!"
Warmth and a sharp ache bloomed where her neck met her collarbone.
She pried his hand away from her eyes and caught the reflection in the bedroom mirror. Color rushed to her cheeks. There, between her collarbone and the curve of her throat, sat a vivid crimson bite mark.
He looked like someone savoring a fine delicacy, tongue tracing the corner of his lips, satisfaction written across his face.
"Glad that bath wasn't wasted."
"Oh, that's..."
She blinked, tilting her head to let the mirror catch the mark more clearly. Her fingertip traced the faintly reddened impression of his teeth, like a brand of ownership pressed into her skin.
The slight sting. A mark that belonged only to him.
For reasons she couldn't name, her pulse quickened again.
He admired his handiwork with open pleasure.
"My, my. Someone's quite the troublemaker, aren't they?" She nudged him with her elbow, teasing.
"Can't always be gentle with you, Rover. This much is just right. So? Think you've learned your lesson?" His arms settled around her waist as he spoke.
"Hmm, hard to say. But I do know one thing. I'm already looking forward to the day you mess up." She cupped his face between her hands, lips curling, looking every bit like a black cat sizing up the perfect spot to sink her teeth in.
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Note: Seggs will return in Avengers: Doomsda- I mean, in Chapter 87. It's currently WIP by yours truly.
On a serious note, just to confirm, you guys do want R-18 scenes, right?
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You can read 30 chapters ahead and more soon on Patreon.com/NiaXD