Nurturing the Hero to Avoid Death

translator: mii

editors: sleepchaser, ASplashofMusic

[NSFW]

Please make sure no one’s looking behind your back.

When I call his name right beside his reddened ear, shivers once again wrack his body.

Sleeping while having him in my embrace is so comfortable and calming. But it’s not enough.

It’s not enough at all.

More. I want to touch him more.

Then I can feel more at ease.

Because this heat is solid evidence that he’s alive and here with me.

Since I can feel it, there’s no way this is just a dream or illusion.

This way, I won’t just find him gone once I wake up. Even if he tries to leave, I can grab him, and he won’t be able to escape.

As I kiss the corner of his lips, Lian turns his face and looks up at me, still looking like he’s about to cry.

As my face again approaches his, he closes his moist eyes. “…Just a little?” he asks, a quiver in his voice.

Close to his lips, I answer, “Just a little.”

Then he slowly raises his trembling pale arms and circles them around my neck.

I give him a peck, but his eyes remain closed, unmoving.

Does Lian also want to touch me?

If so, I’ll be so giddy with joy that I’ll have the urge to start shouting.

Just to be sure, I ask, “Can I?”

I get the same answer as before. “…Just a little,” he replies in a soft voice, releasing a shaky sigh.

This time, when I bend down for a deep kiss, his thin pale fingers grab the back of my shirt.

After taking off his pants and underwear, I wrap my hand around his dick, soft as a feather. And I stroke it.

Gradually, his dick grows harder as more blood rushes down.

Clear liquid trickles from the tip. Finding it wasteful to let the precum spill, I lick it clean. Lian jolts. Trembles. “Huh?! N-no, what are you—no, ah!”

I can feel him growing wetter on my tongue, so I lick along the length of his dick, from the base to the tip and all the way back. Again and again. Each time, Lian jolts and shivers, glaring at me with teary eyes.

“S-stop! Ah… ngh… It’s dirty!”

“It’s not. You just took a bath too.”

“Yeah, but… Ah, ngh, ugh!”　

With my every lick, his cock twitches and grows even redder.

Finally, he cums. It’s too much for me to swallow, so a good portion of it overflows and spills onto my hand.

Based on Lian’s reactions, it looks like he feels good. I’m glad.

Still, I ask, “Does it feel good?”

He looks at me with teary eyes, face flushed and breathing rough. “You… idi…ot…”

Why’s he calling me an idiot again? How did I become an idiot in his eyes?

I give his cock one last full stroke, milking the last vestiges of his orgasm, and Lian lets out a faint moan.

I ask, “…Can you do the same with mine?”

I gaze at his side profile, which he tries to cover with his elbow. His light blue orbs, heated and trembling, stare at me hazily.

The moment he blinks, the tears that have accumulated in the corners of his eyes spill down his cheeks. They’re so clear and beautiful that it also feels wasteful to just have the sheets absorb them. So I lick those too.

I free my dick from the restraints of my pants. Then I grab Lian’s hand and guide him to it. Though his hand is trembling, he wraps his hand around it.

Then he starts stroking my dick in an awkward manner.

But he does it softly and gently too. Just like Lian himself.

He moves slowly, but it feels so pleasant that I let out a groan.

“…Does it feel good?” asks Lian, sounding worried for some reason.

I nod and earnestly reply, “Yeah, it feels so good.”

I can see the relief my response brings to him.

Soon after, my cum splatters across Lian’s arms and belly.

The sight soothes my insecurities and irritation little by little. I didn’t even realize these emotions have been building up in the depths of my heart.

To think there’s this simple, beastly side of me. Even I’m amazed..

I feel like I can now understand why Lian sometimes calls me an animal when he scolds me.

By marking him like this, I’ve branded him as my property. And that relieves all the tension inside me.

“…Ah.” All of a sudden, I realize something.

That’s right.

If he’s a “star that doesn’t revolve,” like what that star reader said, then I should just stay by his side.

If he’s unable to revolve on his own, then I can just have him travel along my orbit with me.

If he by chance dies, then I will follow him and bring him into my arms. Hold him tight, so that he won’t be able to disappear or go anywhere.

We just have to revolve together.

Everything should be alright if I stick to him.

No, it definitely will be alright.

If you could become a star fragment in the future too, then we will one day—

“…Al?”

This makes me raise my head.

Recently, Lian sometimes calls me “Al,” a nickname mostly used by people close to me, instead of the usual “Alfred.” Hearing him address me by my nickname fills me with overflowing joy.

I wish he’ll call me that more often.

He places his hand, wet with my cum, right above his heart. Strangely, that makes me even happier.

Scattered around his chest and neck are the faint red marks I made.

Ahh, I want to go further.

If I can fill him up, become one with him, and truly make him mine, I’ll be more relieved, but…

I capture Lian’s hand in my grasp, licking away the tears that threaten to spill down his cheeks. Then I move down and bite his soft lips.

　＊　＊　＊

Morning soon comes.

As I bring a breakfast tray into the room, Lian wakes up and sees me.

As the shyest person I know, instead of greeting me, he smacks me on the head, face and skin bright red. Just like the apples served for breakfast.

Then he starts scolding me, calling me stupid, idiotic, and perverted, among other things. He tells me to go and stand in the church corridor for one whole day with a bucket in hand so that I can reflect on my mistake. And also some other things that I don’t really remember.

He also makes me kneel on the floor at that very instant.

…Seems like he’s calmed down and returned to his usual self.

Only, why am I being punished?

Didn’t he give me his consent last night?

When I tell him this, Lian exclaims, face still bright red, “You said just a little! But what you did was way more than that!”

Well, it’s not like I understand his definition of “just a little.”

I mean, since we didn’t go all the way, what we did was “just a little,” right?

Following this line of thought, I ask him whether we can go all the way next time, but he smacks me on the head a second time.

Did I say something wrong?

He then scurries to the edge of the bed farthest from me.

He sure has grown alert against me.

I feel aggrieved. This seems really unreasonable.

After all, Lian allowed me to touch him last night. So I don’t think I was in the wrong that time.

Rather, I even want him to praise me for keeping my urges under control.

…Setting that aside, I’m just really sad to see him avoid and run away from me.

It’s hard seeing him do that.

From near the desk, I pull the chair to the side of the bed. After sitting down, I take an apple from the basket Gouda-san’s wife gave us, which is full to the brim with apples. Following that, I carefully peel the skin off with my fruit knife and present the apple to Lian. Maybe this will make him less vigilant toward me—I mean, I’m sure he’s hungry.

Curled up in the corner of the bed with the quilt wrapped around his entire body, Lian looks at me, eyes clearly bright in alert. He turns to the apple, then to me, then back again several times. Finally, he slowly creeps toward me and snatches the apple from my hand.

And promptly rushes back.

…He really is so similar to that silver cat.

That cat also gets angry and jumps away if I touch it too much. But when I offer it food, it’ll always give in to its appetite and approach me again.

It’ll pounce on the food and quickly make its escape.

If I repeat that a few more times, its mood would keep improving until it’ll let me pet it again.

If I do the same thing with Lian, his mood should also improve. Probably.

Having fled back to the edge of the bed, Lian takes a bite and mutters, “It’s sweet.” Then without another word, he starts munching on the rest of the peeled apple.

By the time he’s finished half of it, his furrowed eyebrows have smoothened out again.

After finishing the apple, he wants more; he asks me to peel another one.

Alright, let’s keep peeling. It doesn’t matter however many he wants.

As long as this’ll get him to lower his guard and approach me again like usual.

Lian has now moved to the center of the bed.

He also keeps glancing at the desk beside me. That’s where I placed the breakfast tray, still emitting steam. He’s definitely hungry.

I think, “Great, just a bit more until his mood is much better.” At the same time, I choose a ripe apple that’s guaranteed to be sweet.

After breakfast, Gouda-san and his wife see Lian and I out, thanking us over and over. They also hand both of us a large bag each, filled with apples.

They look freshly picked and sweet.

Cheddar-san and the kids will definitely be happy to see me bring this home.

Not only that, Gouda-san generously gives me six bottles of the spiked apple cider Cheddar-san requested. Oh, Cheddar-san is going to jump in joy. I’m delighted too. Gouda-san’s personal brew is really delicious.

After we exchange farewells, Lian moves to climb up the carriage. But at that moment, Mite dashes forward from behind Gouda-san’s wife and extends her hands toward Lian, offering him something.

“What’s that, Mite-chan?”

“Ah, uhh… this… this is an amulet! If you carry it with you, the Wind Goddess will bring you good luck with the wind! It’s true! So I’m giving it to you!”

“Huh?! I-is it okay for you to give such an important thing to me…”

Mite’s cheeks redden, and she nods with a smile. “Yes, it’s okay! This is my thanks for making Moot’s grave and coming to save me!”

Afterward, Mite runs back behind her mother again. She’s probably embarrassed.

I lower my gaze to Lian’s palm. It’s that little white statue of a goddess.

Lian found it and gave it to me, and I returned it to Mite yesterday. But things just went full circle, and it’s now somehow made its way back to Lian’s hands.

Lian angles his head toward me, wearing a bewildered and troubled expression. “W-what should I do…”

“What’s with that question? Since she gave it to you as a token of gratitude, you should accept it.”

“B-but… it’s better if you keep it-”

“What are you saying? Mite said it’s for you, so you have to keep it. I’ll also feel more at ease this way. You always seem to land yourself into some sort of dangerous situation after all.”

“Huh?!” he exclaims, face growing red from anger. “N-no, I don’t! How rude!”

His eyes are no longer clouded in darkness, unlike yesterday.

They’ve returned to the usual soft, pale ice blue.

Noticing that, I feel so relieved. Unconsciously, a laugh escapes from my lips

He turns to me and gives me another scolding, also hitting my stomach.

Apparently, he thinks I’m laughing because I’m teasing him. Even though that’s not the case. In such a situation, I’m frustrated at myself for not being as well-versed in speaking as him.

I take the hand where Lian holds the statue. Gently squeeze it.

Marie said that making a heartfelt wish with a charm will allow the charm to protect the owner from evil.

If that’s true, then please…

Please don’t take him away.

I’ll treat him with care.

So don’t take him away from me.

“Alfred?”

Seeing Lian’s look of questioning, I once again break into a smile.

Then I bend forward to kiss the back of his hand… but he smacks me on the head before I can.