Chapter 080. Pavo
(TN: Pavo is the name of a constellation, it's Latin for "peacock".)
"Ling Yu...... I missed you......"
The deep and low sound of Rosen's hoarse voice rings in his ears, every word is clearly transmitted to his mind. He maintained the saluting posture while being tightly pulled into an embrace by the man. Ling Yu's entire body was as stiff as a statue, he didn't have the slightest clue how to respond.
This man has completely marked him and the two had also done the most intimate thing together......
But for Ling Yu, their first-time intertwining their bodies was just a way for Rosen to help him get through that difficult time in a pinch and nothing more.
Ling Yu always believed the accident of that year to be the result of the influence between Alpha and Omega pheromones. The heavy pheromone scent of an Omega in estrus is enough to make any Alpha lose their sense of reason, even Rosen wouldn't be able to control himself. The pheromones between the two of them affect each other, therefore resulting in them doing things that go "far beyond friendship."
In those three days and three nights in the hidden chamber, Ling Yu's cognizance was jumbled, he only remembered that Rosen frantically embraced him like a wild animal. After the event, he also broke out in a fever and spent a whole week bedridden in the hospital. Those three days' worth of memories gradually became blurred. It was just like a preposterous dreamland that had no ties to reality.
Ling Yu painstakingly ignored the subtle pounding of his heart and only took those three days as a singular experience in a calamatic time.
Later on, too many things happened. He didn't even have enough time to sort out the main threads. He piloted the Black Dragon replica body out of Cepheus right away under the arrangement of His Majesty.
In these years of separation, not a day has gone by that Ling Yu doesn't often think of that man—
His best friend who had helped him with many instances of caring and warmth in his youth, his trusted comrade-in-arms who calmly helped him get through his estrus in times of crisis, the top general who made use of his pregnancy as grounds to successfully rescue him from prison—
That man's deep eyes and his handsome facial features as he smiles at himself frequently appear in his dreams too......
Rosen is special to him, a special existence placed in some hidden nook at the bottom of his heart.
At the time of this reunion, despite Ling Yu maintaining an unbothered expression and saluting the other person in accordance with standard military etiquette, the sweat exuding from the palm of his other hand nevertheless betrayed him long ago.
—Betraying the nervousness of his heart.
Furthermore, what he didn't expect was that Rosen went so far as to hold him straight into his arms, even whispering in his ear saying, "I missed you......"
Ling Yu's heart suddenly trembled.
One simple sentence almost instantly smashed through the ice-cold, solid lines of defense in his heart.
In the sudden rigid atmosphere, he wanted to push away the other side's hand. Ling Yu had one hand in a ceremonial military salute and the other hand was placed in a strange position on Rosen's chest. Rosen tightly pulled him into his arms. His face flashed between red and white, a sliver of confusion and blankness gradually emerged in his dark eyes.
—I really missed you?
—As the Marshal of the Emperor's XX Department, how could Rosen tell him this kind of thing?
—Don't you think that kind of thing is somewhat strange to say between colleagues in the military?
But what is even more strange is that hearing him say something like this, his own heartbeat seems to also inexplicably...... speed up?
Ling Yu was just blankly staring off into space, somewhat at a loss in growing awareness of his heart violently beating inside his chest. No matter how Rosen continually tightened up his hug, he nevertheless did not say a word.
The military cap worn properly on his head fell down to the ground due to this action, revealing his ink-like dark hair. His hair has long-since been saturated in sweat and under the illumination emitted in the gave, it gave off the glossy luster of a gem. However, Ling Yu was too occupied to attend to his cap. His mind had already gone blank from Rosen closely holding him.
"I missed you...... You know?"
Rosen's fingers lightly stroked Ling Yu's black hair and he unceasingly whispered in his ear.
His soft hair slips through the space between his fingers just like a feather softly tickling the bottommost tip of his heart.
Rosen rested his chin on Ling Yu's shoulder and took in a deep breath— that refreshing, chilling scent of Ling Yu made him become just as intoxicated and infatuated as it did in his memories. It made him wish he could press himself all the way into this man's body and never part.
"Ling Yu, I've always regretted all of these years. I regretted that I didn't ask you to stay, I didn't even clearly explain everything...... At the time I marked you, it was not at all because you were an Omega in estrus, but rather because...... you were Ling Yu."
Rosen slightly let go of his embrace and place both of his hands on Ling Yu's shoulders, earnestly gazing into his eyes, he said in a low voice: "You are special to me, the only one, do you understand?"
Ling Yu was stumped for words, he moved his line of sight away from Rosen's face and said in a feigned calmness: "I've never intended to blame you for what happened so long ago back then. You don't have to mind it nor explain it."
Rosen:" ...... "
He reached out his hand to pinch his chin and forced the man's face to shift over, making him look face to face with himself. Rosen stared straight into Ling Yu's eyes and said word by word: "Do you still not understand? I'm saying...... I like you."
Ling Yu stared blankly for a moment and then looked at him in shock, "......what?"
Rosen spoke in a deep voice: "If I didn't like you, how could I possibly not only personally mark you, but also have you bear a child? Don't tell me you think I would also do that much if it was any other Omega?"
Ling Yu hesitated, "Wouldn't you?" He paused and once again doubtfully said, "......you wouldn't help them if it was anyone else?"
Rosen: "......"
Being met with his questioning eyes, Rosen immediately felt a burst of hopelessness.
Sure enough, the only thing remaining inside this little guy's hard head is a variety of military theorems, as far as feelings are concerned, he is simply slow-witted to a certain extent!
He had certainly thought him marking him in those days was "the loyalty between comrades-in-arms to help one another" and being "unable to retrain himself under the influence of pheromones", or even thinking that it would also be exactly the same with any other Omega or Alpha.