* * *
Because of the long marble table between them, the distance was just barely too far.
Ben leaned forward with his hand braced on the table, reaching out—his hand came close, just shy of Haimar’s pale cheek.
It needed to reach at least to his ear, but it fell short.
Just as Ben considered getting up and moving to the seat next to him, he felt Haimar’s eyes on his hand.
Ah. That might’ve come off a little sudden.
Ben had acted on impulse, but to Haimar, the whole thing might’ve seemed strange—just reaching out in the middle of a conversation.
Ben licked his lips, thinking he should explain, but before he could, a cool sensation touched his fingertips.
“Is this what you were trying to do?”
“Yes. Though I fell just a bit short.”
The awkward gap closed when Haimar tilted his head, nestling into Ben’s hand.
He closed his eyes as if it were familiar, a serene trust in his expression.
Ben focused, gently running his fingers over the control point near Haimar’s ear and into his soft hair.
As expected—murky.
The stagnant energy pooled around Ben’s hand before dissolving away.
For a few weeks, it had seemed stable, but lately, it had grown noticeably dull and heavy.
Not as bad as when Ben first noticed it, but still, it couldn’t go back to how it was.
He couldn’t help but be concerned.
As if sensing his mood, Haimar murmured with his eyes half-lidded:
“Starting to feel like it’s running low again.”
It was his own body—he’d surely be more aware than Ben.
So Ben nodded quietly in agreement.
Then, carefully withdrawing his hand from the side of Haimar’s face, he traced the elegant line of his jaw before fully pulling back.
“I know.”
It wasn’t as hard to gauge Haimar’s condition anymore.
At first, he’d needed to be in the right place and the right mood, but now, with enough focus, he could accurately read Haimar no matter the setting.
Even now, his hand tingled faintly with lingering energy.
Clenching and releasing his fist once, Ben glanced at the clock hanging on the wall behind Haimar.
“Isn’t it about time for you to head out?”
Perhaps noticing Ben’s gaze, Haimar, lounging back on the sofa, pointed out the time as well.
He was right. Rest time was just about over, and it was about time for Ben to head downstairs.
If they were still in the lounge with Elgran, maybe he could’ve dragged it out, but since they were up on the third floor, the trip down to the main hall on the first floor would take a few minutes.
“Yes. I’ll be back soon. Just wait a little.”
The event itself wasn’t something ultra high-security or major.
It was just one of many regular gatherings that happened from time to time.
Really high-profile people wouldn’t bother coming to a local event like this—they’d go to the ones held in national capitals or central hubs.
Of course, if someone announced that an Integra member was attending, that would be a whole different story.
But that wasn’t the case today.
“Obediently?”
“Yes, obediently.”
“Feels like I’m a guard dog left home alone.”
What part of this situation looked anything like that?
If anything, he was more like a wild predator cooped up in a tiger’s den.
If he were a guard dog, the owner should be overwhelmed with gratitude.
But Ben had no intention of saying any of that out loud. Instead, he just waved a hand with a face that clearly said, “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You’re mistaken. Just mistaken.”
Ben muttered, straightening the disheveled hem of his clothes while glancing into the mirror above the sink tucked into the corner of the room.
Behind him, Haimar, who had been lounging on the sofa, slightly raised his body and rested his chin on a lifted hand.
His sapphire eyes gleamed with curiosity, the look of someone who’d just found their next bit of entertainment.
“Should I wait like a good boy?”
Despite Ben’s denial, Haimar seemed rather taken with the role of a “guard dog waiting at home.”
Was this the kind of situation where he should just play along and ruffle his hair like he was actually a puppy?
Ben let out a quiet sigh as he watched Haimar through the mirror.
This wasn’t new behavior.
At this point, it wasn’t even worth snapping at him like a sudden thunderclap.
So, brushing off some lint stuck to his sweater, Ben walked over and roughly patted Haimar’s head just like he would with an actual dog.
“Yeah, yeah. Be a good boy and wait.”
The platinum hair scattered under his hand like light breaking through his fingers.
It clashed with his neatly dressed appearance—messing up that hairstyle so thoughtlessly—but Ben’s concern didn’t last.
With a face like his, no one was going to care how his hair looked anyway.
What did surprise Ben, however, was how still Haimar remained.
That was unexpected.
Knock knock.
Just as Ben was still fiddling with Haimar’s hair, a knock echoed through the room like a cue, drawing both their gazes toward the door.
Ben, who was standing, turned to open it.
“Yes, who—? Mr. Lusna Nigel?”
“Ho ho, pardon the intrusion.”
The man standing there was the last person Ben expected.
It was understandable—Lus had been scheduled for a meeting with Elgran, hadn’t he?
Ben had already decided not to make a fuss even if he showed up late.
But here he was, looking relatively tidy as if his business had wrapped up without incident.
Ben couldn’t hide his surprise.
“Since you got kicked out of the lounge thanks to El, and we had similar things to take care of, I figured I should come by—seemed only polite.”
Lus must’ve guessed what Ben had been thinking.
His awkward smile tugged slightly at the corners of his mouth.
Understandably so.
After all, not only had Ben been ousted because of his partner, but Lus probably knew exactly what kind of business he’d just been up to.
With his naturally gentle nature, it was no wonder he felt a bit guilty.
“Thanks. I was just about to head out anyway. Perfect timing.”
Ben smiled lightly at Lus, who scratched at his cheek in slight embarrassment.
With a small sigh of relief, Lus finally glanced over Ben’s shoulder into the dimly lit room.
The only thing visible inside was Haimar, radiating laziness like a lounging cat, but Lus still seemed to be cautiously assessing the situation.
Maybe he was about to offer a greeting. Ben stepped aside slightly to let him.
And then—thump—a solid male body brushed up behind Ben’s back.
“Got business with us?”
A soft voice, laced with ease, spoke right into Ben’s ear.
Haimar, about a head shorter, leaned forward, resting his face lightly on Ben’s shoulder.
“Just came to say hello, that’s all. Ho ho.”
“Must’ve been a good time, huh?”
Haimar stared straight at Lus, whose warm bronze complexion flushed slightly with color.
Despite his bear-like sturdiness, he was visibly flustered, making it easy for Ben to guess that Haimar had read him like a book.
Ben didn’t know exactly what he’d read—but whatever it was, he was certain he didn’t want to know.
‘Sometimes, ignoring what you read is the more polite thing to do.’
Lus kept his face calm, but the change in his skin tone gave him away.
Without a word, Ben jabbed his elbow into Haimar’s stomach.
“…….”
The face leaning on his shoulder tilted, and Haimar’s breath softly grazed Ben’s neck.
Even though Ben had jabbed him pretty hard, Haimar didn’t flinch.
His even breath and the slight curve of his lips hinted he knew exactly what Ben wasn’t saying—and was quietly enjoying it.
To Ben, it sounded like a lazy tiger was purring behind him.
He tried to step away and turn his head, but Haimar’s arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him back, forcing him to face Lus again.
“Ahem. I should probably get going.”
Lus looked apologetic, but to him, Haimar resembled a predator lazily toying with its prey.
He’d glanced inside the room wondering if something similar to his own experience had occurred—but Ben looked far too composed for that.
If anything, Lus now felt regret for dropping by.
Without his partner around, Haimar’s gaze was sharp and chilly—hard to bear when met head-on.
Watching Ben, who seemed completely unbothered, Lus couldn’t help but notice how Haimar Eilec seemed almost trained to his partner’s presence.
Lus cast a glance at the watch strapped to his wrist, then met Ben’s green eyes.
If he didn’t focus, it felt like he might get swallowed whole.
That familiar sense of danger—of prey standing before a predator—always came with Haimar.
No matter how tame he might appear, his nature hadn’t changed.
Still, thankfully, Lus had someone to shield him now.
And knowing how to use that discreetly was a skill honed over decades.
“Yes. I should really get going now. I’ll be back later.”
Ben gently pushed away the hand at his waist, and Haimar let go with surprising ease.
With a brief nod, Ben and Lus stepped out together.
As the tension finally lifted from the room, all that remained was a quiet sense of relief.
* * *
