❝In the tale of fate, the red string connects us all, but not every thread leads to a soulmate.❞
In a world where love is entwined with fate, an abandoned conductor escapes the confines of an unnatural train into a universe he's forgotten.
As he nav...
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It had been almost six months since Hotaru started living with Emi, and their bond had only grown stronger.
The nightmares that plagued him every night were relentless, each one dragging him back to the Bound Line in his mind. After every episode, he would hold her close, his arms wrapped around her as if he feared she would vanish if he let go. At first, it was subtle, his hands clutching the edge of her sleeve or the hem of her shirt. But as the nightmares worsened, his grip tightened, until he was practically clinging to her like his life depended on it.
Emi, though startled by his desperation at first, had grown to love his touch. There was something comforting about the way he sought her presence, how his arms would find her even in his deepest slumber. It wasn't long before she began craving it too. It was strange, having someone so reliant on her, but in Hotaru's case, it didn't feel burdensome. His presence had a pacifying effect on her. She knew he was still haunted, still suffering, but the way he reached out to her gave her a sense of purpose.
Late at night, Hotaru's behavior had shifted in subtle ways. There were times when his lips would brush against hers, soft and tentative, just enough to send her heart racing. The first time it happened, she'd been taken aback, but it didn't feel wrong. It was as if he was testing boundaries, trying to see how far he could go before pulling back. And he always pulled back, retreating into sleep before things could escalate any further. He was still scared, still unsure of what the world outside the Bound Line meant for him.
But with each passing night, the kisses grew bolder. No longer just quick touches, but intentional, lingering kisses that left her breathless. She found herself longing for those moments, for the closeness that only the darkness of night could bring. During the day, he was reserved, and careful in his movements, but at night, he let himself be vulnerable.
Emi began to notice changes in him, subtle at first but undeniable.
His once frail and lanky body had begun to fill out. His muscles were more defined, his chest broader, and his arms strong enough to lift her effortlessly when they embraced. He didn't seem to notice, but she did. It was impossible not to. The quiet, broken man who had stumbled into her life was now more grounded.
Sometimes, in the stillness of the night, she would run her fingers along his arms, tracing the shape of his muscles as he slept. She felt a deep, unexplainable link to him. It was more than just attraction—it was as if his pain had become hers, and in return, her warmth was his solace. She loved the way he sought her out without words, how he would nuzzle into her neck as if it was the only place he could find peace.
His presence was becoming addictive.
She found herself thinking about him constantly, her thoughts lingering on the way he smelled after a shower, or the softness of his voice when he whispered her name late at night. It wasn't just his physical transformation that had her hooked—it was everything about him. The way he looked at her, the quiet moments they shared, and even the unspoken weight of his past that hung between them like a secret.
Yet, for all the affection that bloomed between them, Hotaru still held back.
Even when his kisses grew more intense, and his hands roamed over her skin, he would always stop just before things went too far. It was almost as if he was frightened of crossing a line he couldn't return from. And though Emi sometimes wished he would give in completely, she respected his boundaries, content with the intimacy they already shared.
Still, she couldn't help but notice how attached he had become.
Hotaru needed her in a way she had never experienced before. It wasn't just about the nightmares or the comfort of having someone beside him—he was beginning to rely on her for more. And Emi, despite the strangeness of it all, welcomed his need. It filled a void she hadn't realized existed. She found herself obsessed with him, the way he moved, the way his eyes softened when he looked at her.
It wasn't love, not yet, but it was something deeper than mere attraction. It was the kind of connection that felt destined, as if they had been brought together by forces neither of them could understand.
