Chapter 114
Draco took another sip of his warm tea, the steam gently caressing his face as he began to recount the events that had transpired in the dungeon.
"It must have been quite hard to watch them. But what happened to Clair must have been quite worrisome for you," Bahamut said, her voice laced with empathy, as she listened intently to Draco's narration.
Draco nodded, a pensive expression crossing his features.
"Very much so," Draco replied, his brow furrowing slightly.
"It made me wonder when Clair began harbouring such complex thoughts and emotions." He paused, his gaze briefly drifting to the ceiling.
Leaning back on his chair, his fingers drummed lightly against the porcelain of his teacup.
"In the past, it used to be easy to understand them – their thoughts, desires, and needs were quite simple. But now, things are a bit more complicated," he continued, his voice tinged with a hint of wistfulness.
He paused again, taking another sip of his tea before elaborating.
"After Clair pointed it out, I began looking back at my actions, questioning the type of relationship I wanted with her. Was she just a childhood friend, an adopted sister, or just plain family?" Draco's gaze shifted to Bahamut.
"This, in turn, made me start thinking a lot more about my interactions with my other siblings. What did they truly think of me? Was I a parental figure, just a brother, or something else entirely?"
The questions didn't stop there. Draco found himself delving into the past, exploring doubts and fears he had long suppressed.
"I even found myself delving into the past, asking myself questions that I had previously avoided," Draco said, his voice tinged with a hint of unease.
"What kind of questions?" Bahamut inquired, her eyes riveted on Draco's face.
Draco's gaze shifted, his eyes distant as he contemplated his next words.
"I always wondered why the one-eyed black dragon stopped by our farm. I can't help but keep thinking that I was the reason for its visit." he said.
"Why would you think that?" Bahamut's eyes widened slightly, and she tilted her head, urging Draco to continue.
Draco's gaze darkened as he explained his thought process.
"If it was merely a coincidence that the dragon passed through our town, it shouldn't have focused its most devastating attack on the cellar where we hid. I mean, such a powerful creature would have relished in destroying the entire town, but its wrath was directed specifically at our family's sanctuary." He paused, his fingers tapping lightly on the porcelain cup.
Draco's fingers then tightened around his teacup, and a shadow of unease passed across his features.
"I always have this fear that the others will eventually figure it out and blame me for the death of our family. I even sometimes wonder if my excessive emotional attachment to them is no longer one of love but due to guilt – a desperate attempt to atone for something I may have done, or something that I'm responsible for." Draco confessed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Bahamut listened attentively, her heart aching for the burden Draco had been carrying.
She knew that the events of the past had left deep scars, and the questions he now faced were not easily answered.
"It's understandable that you would have these thoughts and doubts," Bahamut said, her voice gentle yet firm.
"The trauma of what happened has clearly left a lasting impact, and it's only natural that you would eventually seek to make sense of it all." She reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Draco's arm.
“However, you shouldn’t be so quick to blame yourself. The events that unfolded that day were not of your making, and you cannot be held responsible for the actions of that dragon. Your love and devotion to your family is a result of your character, not a sign of guilt.” She said.
Draco met her gaze, his eyes filled with a mix of relief and lingering uncertainty.
“But what if I am somehow responsible? What if my actions, or inactions, somehow contributed to the tragedy?” he asked.
Bahamut shook her head emphatically.
"We cannot change the past, Draco. All we can do is learn from it and move forward, one step at a time. Your focus should be on the present, on cherishing the relationships you have with your loved ones and finding a way to heal the wounds of the past." she advised.
Draco took a deep, steadying breath, his eyes meeting Bahamut's, his shoulders slightly less tense.
"Perhaps you're right. This whole Clair thing got my head all messed up” Draco replied.
"Thank you, Bahamut. Perhaps I needed to hear this from some else. But it's a relief to finally voice these thoughts and fears aloud." he added.
Bahamut smiled, her hands reaching across the table, gently caressing his cheeks.
"I'm here for you, Draco. Whenever you need someone to listen or to offer guidance, I will be by your side," Bahamut said softly, her gaze fixed as she met his eyes.
The two fell silent, their eyes locked in an intense moment of unspoken understanding.
Draco could feel his heartbeat quicken as he gazed into Bahamut's captivating eyes, mesmerized by the genuine concern and affection he saw reflected there.
Bahamut too felt her pulse racing as she inched closer, drawn to Draco's magnetic presence.
The table between them seemed to shrink, and she found herself gravitating towards him, her face mere inches from his own.
Suddenly, Draco let out a gentle sneeze, breaking the tense spell that had enveloped them.
"Sorry," he apologized, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Bahamut blinked, her own face reddening as she realized the intimacy of their proximity.
"What are you apologizing for?" she replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
Draco opened his mouth, unsure of how to respond, when Bahamut quickly changed the subject.
"Ahem, anyway, I should warm up your food. It must be cold by now," she said, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of the table.
"Hmm," Draco simply hummed, relieved and disappointed all at once.
'Sigh, that was close,' he thought, barely avoiding a moment that could have altered the course of their relationship.
Bahamut quickly busied herself with reheating Draco's meal, her mind racing.
She felt extremely awkward and couldn’t bring herself to look at Draco’s face.
Meanwhile Draco was a bit lost in thought.
'In the end, we didn't really talk about Clair huh, would it be awkward if I brought the topic back up now' Draco pondered, as he watched Bahamut work from behind.
It didn't take long before Bahamut had completed reheating the meal.
With a slight sigh, she gently placed the steaming plate on the table in front of Draco.
"Here," she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she avoided making eye contact.
"Thank you," Draco replied, offering a small smile.
He could sense a hint of unease in Bahamut's demeanour, but he was unsure of how to address it.
"I..." Draco began, but his words were cut short as Bahamut quickly interjected.
"I will be turning in for the night," she said, her tone slightly curt.
"Remember to wash your plate when you're done." With that, she turned and began to make her way out of the kitchen, still avoiding Draco's gaze.
'Ugh, I might have messed up,' Draco thought, his brow furrowing in concern.
He didn't want to create any weird tension between them, especially after they had gotten a bit closer.
"Hmm, once again, thank you for the meal," Draco said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude.
He could see Bahamut's shoulders tense slightly at his remark.
"Sigh, you really are a silly boy," Bahamut muttered, her voice barely audible as she turned around and took a tentative step closer to Draco.
"Anyway, make sure you go to bed after eating," she said, her tone shifting to a more authoritative one.
"I have a feeling that you might stay up late thinking about useless things." she added.
Draco nodded in acknowledgment, his mouth full of the delicious food.
"This should help you sleep well tonight," Bahamut said, her voice suddenly taking on a softer, almost playful edge.
"What did you say?" Draco managed to utter, his brow furrowing in confusion as he turned to her, but before he could say anything else, Bahamut had leaned in and planted a tender kiss on his cheek.
Draco's eyes widened in surprise, his heart racing as he felt the warmth of Bahamut's lips against his skin.
But just as quickly as the moment had arrived, it was gone, with Bahamut swiftly turning and hurrying out of the room, leaving Draco alone and flustered in the kitchen.
‘Ugh, she got me. I feel more like a boy than man for letting her make the first move’ Draco thought.
'And what do you mean sleep well tonight when you just made me this hard?' Draco wondered, his face flushed with a mix of confusion and desire.