Monsters Wag Their Tails Only at Me Chapter 174

Atmywords,arendidn’tevenblink.esimplystaredatwithcleareyes,asifquietlytryingtogaugewhatant.

thisgazeandcalmlysortedthroughmyemotions.

hestorm-likeeventshadtornthroughcompletely,andwhathadsettledafterwardremainedheavyinmychest.

oldinghisgaze,spokeslowly,choosingeachwordwithcare.

“Whenthatthingwantedyou.Whenitrushedin,askingforevenoneofyourlegs...didn’twanttogiveitevenasinglestrandofyourhair.”

Repeatingthosehorrifyingwordsmadereachoutalittlemore.Asranmyfingersthroughhisglossyhair,finallyspokethetruthhadbeenholdingback.

“Whenitdrankyourblood,itfeltlikeallthebloodinmybodywasbeingdrainedout.aren...ratherthanletittakeevenadropofyourblood,wouldhavegivenitmyheart.”

“hat’sridiculous.hatlevelofinjuryansnothingtoadragon.Butyou—”

“istento,aren.”

earingsothinghedidn’tlike,arenimdiatelypushedback.Butatmyfirmtone,heclosedhismouth.

“aren,ifsothingweretohappentoyou...ifweretoloseyou,’ddoanythingtoo.”

“......”

“fcouldprotectyoubyburningtheentireworld,’ddoitwithouthesitation.”

otlongago,hadbeenscoldinghimforsettingfiressorecklessly.

Butnow,couldunderstandhim.

fwereadragontoo,andlostarenrightinfrontof,’dprobablyturnthisdamnedworldintoanoceanoffire.

farendisappearedfromthisworld,therewouldbenoreasonfortoexisteither.

Soevenifthisaninglessworldburnedawayentirely,wouldn’tfeelathing.

twasarenwhohadcaughtholdofwhenfellintothisunfamiliarworldandcouldn’tadapt.

Withouthim,wouldneverhavefoundareasontoexist,andthisworldwouldhaveantnothingto.

“Fromthemontfirstsawyou,wantedtoprotectyou.thought...ifitantyoucouldbehappy,coulddoanything.”

“......”

“Butnow...whatfeelnowis...”

nlyafterseeingarenfallintodangerbecauseofdidfinallyputaperiodonit.

venifitmadeselfish.venifitmadeacoward.

“don’twanttogiveyou...aren,don’twanttogiveyoutoanyoneelse.otadropofyourblood,notasinglestrandofyourhair.”

“......”

“Sowhat’msayingis...aren,listencarefully.”

Asmywordsgrewlonger,aren’sexpressionstiffened.

Seeinghisreactiononlymademylipsdry.

wetthemonceandclearedmythroat,thentightlygraspedhishand—nearlytwicethesizeofmine.

“know’mbeinggreedy.’mjustanordinaryhuman,andyou’rethekingofdragons.tdoesn’treallyaddup.”

“Whatareyoutalkingabout,Ceryl?”

“knowitdoesn’taddupbetweenus...knowyou’retoogoodfor.Butdon’thaveanythingtogiveexceptmyself.”

hadpreparedsothingfarmoreelegantandromanticinmyhead,butwhatcaoutwasclumsyanddisjointed.

Mypalmkeptgrowingdampwhereourhandswerejoined.

nsteadofwipingitaway,liftedhishand.

islong,palefingerscaintoview,andcarefullypressedmylipstothebackofhishandbeforepullingaway.

Forthegooddragonwhohadwaitedsolongfor,chosethewordsthoughthewouldwanttohear.

“’llgivemyselftoyou.So...yougiveeverythingyouaretoo.”

“......”

“Becomymate,aren.”

hadonlysaidafewwordswhilesittingstill,yetforsoreasonmybreathinggrewuneven.

loweredmygazetohishandandwaitedforhisanswer.

Butevenaftermyawkwardconfessionended,arensaidnothing.

Whenlookedupathimwithtenseeyes,allsawwasanunfamiliarexpression.

“...Doyounotwantto?”

broketheuncomfortablesilenceandasked.

ehadproposedtosomanytis—hadthoughttherewasnowaythisconfessioncouldfail.

Butwitheverybreathtookunderthatunreadableexpression,itfeltlikemylifewasbeingshavedawaylittlebylittle.

Afteralongmont✧оvеight✧(riginalsource)ofstillness,arenfinallymovedfirst,pullingmyhandtowardhim.

Justashaddone,hepressedhislipstothebackofmyhandandansweredinasoftwhisper.

“Whenwasaloneintheundergroundprison...Ceryl,youcatofind.”

espokeoftheveryfirsttiwet.

hathellishsightandstenchwerestillvividinmymory.

Whenunconsciouslyfrowned,arenlightlybrushedthebackofmyhandashecontinuedgently.

“Whenwantedtodiebutcouldn’t...youfound.Youbroughtlightintomyworld,gaveascent,andtaughtwhatloveis.”

Whenheliftedhishead,hisblueeyeswerefilledwithsothingcouldn’tputintowords.

venwithoutspeaking,thedepthofhisemotionsreachedcompletely.

“Fromthatmonton,youweremyworld,Ceryl.herestofmylifebelongstoyou.”

arenhadbecomyreasontoexist,andhadbecohisworld.

Mybreathkeptcatchinginmythroat,butcouldn’tcryyet.swalloweditdown.

Withastiffenedthroat,barelymanagedtospeakthefinalwords.

Wordshadonlyeverreceivedfromhim—now,atlast,couldreturnthem.

“...loveyou.loveyou,arenDravergh.”

heywerefamiliar,ordinarywords.

Andyet,theyhadalwaysheldadistancebetweenus.

ow,theyhadbecosothingthatantexactlythesatobothofus.

repeatedthemagainandagain,asifmakingavow.

etingeachother’seyesinsilence,neitherofusmovedfirst—andyet,atthesati,webothleanedinandfoundeachother’slips.

Perhapsbecausewehadhelditinforsolong,ourmoventswereurgent,evenclumsyasourlipscollidedharderthanintended—butitdidn’tmatter.

wrappedmyarmsaroundaren’sneckandtiltedmyhead,andheeasilyliftedmybodywitharmsfilledwithstrength.

Straddlinghimaswefacedeachother,lostmyselfinhim.

isbodyheatwrappedaround,andtheirregularpoundingofhisheartagainstmychestreverberatedthroughmyentirebody.

ursoftfleshsoughteachother,andswallowedsalivathatnolongerfeltlikeitbelongedtoeitherofus.

venthoughonlyourlipswereconnected,thesensationofoursoulsintertwiningmadethebackofmyneckburn.

Afterkissinghimbreathlessly,pulledbackforamonttocatchmybreath.

Rightbefore,hisdragoneyestrembled,soakedwithdeepaffectionandheat.

“aa...aren,’msorry.”

“Whatareyousorryfor?”

“Forsayingitsolate.kept...keptpushingyourfeelingsaway.”

Regretcarushinginlikeatide.

fitwasalwaysgoingtoendlikethis,shouldhaveacceptedhisfeelingsmuchsooner.

tfeltlikehadmadethisyoung,gentledragonsufferfartoolong,andtearsprickedatmyeyes.

resentedtheaninglesstihadletslipaway.

cuppedhisfacewithdesperatehands—butarenonlysmiledsoftly.

“knew,Ceryl.hatyouloved.”

egentlyheldthebackofmyheadandkissedmycheek,thetipofmynose,evenmyeyelids,makingsoftsoundsashedid.

Attheticklish,heart-stirringtouch,slowlyclosedmyeyes.

“couldtellfromthewayyoulookedat,fromthewayyousaidmyna.feltallofit.”

“...Really?”

“venwithoutwords,understoodeverything.Morethananything...”

arenwrappedbotharmsaroundmyupperbodyandburiedhisfaceagainstmyneck.

einhaleddeeply,takinginmyscent,andletoutalowlaugh.

“Atsopoint,youstartedtosllsweetto.couldfeeltheloveyoucouldn’thide.”

Asubtlechangethathumanscouldnevernotice—thisperceptivedragonhadalreadyseenthroughit.

reallydidwastemytifornothing.

ettingoutahollowlaugh,tightenedmyarmsaroundhisneck.

isbody,solargeitoverflowedmyembrace,feltunbearablyprecious.

oldingontoabodydidn’twantevenascratchon,aheartdidn’twanttogiveupevenaspeckof—

leanedclosetohisear,flushedwithheat,andwhispered.

“aren,sayittoo.”

“What?”

“...Sayyoulove.”

mutteredthewords,embarrassed.

Butarenunderstoodperfectly.Witharadiantsmile,heturnedtoface.

nhisbrilliantblueeyes—brighterthanever—sawmyselfsmilingback.

“couldsayitallnight.loveyou,Ceryl.”

“......”

“’llloveyoufortherestofmylife.Untilreturntotheprimordialfla,’llloveonlyyou.”

hedragon’sconfessionburnedhotterthantheflashehadunleashed.

heideaofeternity,whichoncefeltlikeaburden,nowseednothingbutromantic.

cuppedhischeekswithbothhandsandkissedhimoncemore.

Pressingmylipsagainsthislikeaseal,pulledawayandspokewithabright,liftedvoice.

“umansdon’tliveaslongasdragons.”

“hat’s...”

“Soevenafterdie,’llloveyou.nthenextlife...evenifendupinanotherworldagain.arenDravergh,’llloveyou.”

hisfeelingthatcouldgiveupevenlifeitselffortheother.

hisbondwhere,withouttheother,evenmyownexistencebecosaningless.

sthereanywordthatfitsbetterthanlove?