The Devil Slayer & The Steam Prince Volume1

Chapter 23 Stepping Out The Shadows Part4

Time skip to the week after New Years
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Seth's POV: It's been a week since I confessed my feelings to Gray on the balcony of a hotel and since the day I overheated in the hot springs of that hotel's spa. I'm now on a group job and this time while the others are on offense I'm using my talents to help shield them, whether it be tossing my daggers in front of them to block a strike of a sword or sinking them into the shadows or lifting them on steam clouds to avoid punches kicks and magic attacks.
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After a few jobs, I get sick of being the defense and also I start to let my nerves get the better of me as I attempt to shield Gray numerous times with my magic and my daggers, I decide to stand up from the table as we were at a cafe taking a break. I then bow my head and excuse myself from the team's service stating I will return to the guild and spend the rest of the day at the guild and await their safe return, I then cover the bill for the team and walk out of the cafe.
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Eventually, I make it to the guild and just inform Mira that I will be training out back for a while and then afterward I would go to my room to nap as everyone has made it known they are often concerned for my well being. The she-devil nods and so I walk out to the backyard of the guild and summon some training dummies but Mira's brother Elfman sees me and offers that I should train with a target that can move around and fight back. I told him I wasn't going to go easy on him because his sister is an s-class mage and also because I had a lot of pent up emotions raging inside me.
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I then let loose and train with Elfman and really let my magic take control but I hold myself from causing any serious damage I don't even dance or slip into shadows. After long enough I stop our training and he said he's impressed and can see why master is considering me for s-class I thank him for training and then I go up to my room to nap.
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As I nap I start to feel all the negative what ifs that were in my mind. (What if he rejects me, what if he is actually into girls, what if I can't handle his rejection, what if his answer is all he sees me as when I'm unwell is a younger brother to him and otherwise just a teammate, what if he begins a relationship with me only for my wealth and status.) I then wake up to see my arms and legs made completely out of water. I leap out my window and make a steam cloud to sit on but just as I think I'm about to grab the lakrama containing the song of embers out of my room I hear my teams voices meaning they must finally be returning.
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I quickly but quietly lower myself to the ground and walk around the corner and just stand at the door to the hall in order to welcome them back. "Welcome home everyone" I say with a smile on my face and my head cocked to the side as I push open the door. Once inside with everyone I just sit next between Erza and Lucy and whisper to them both of what happened to me shortly before their return. Each girl gives me a concerned face and just nods in understanding. I then see Lucy slide me a note and see that it says I should visit a spa often if any stress zits pop up and they can roll them out the body. I just nod at her as I eat.
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Eventually after dinner I get up and excuse myself from the table and bid them all pleasant dreams. I just take my usual nightly hot water bath and then get changed into my onesie and robe. Much like my first night joining the guild I'm having trouble falling asleep so I leap out and create a field of steam clouds. I then just dance around but this time I don't play the flute, instead I play a tambourine and just twirl and leap around, I then get the sense I'm being watched so I quickly hide in the shadows of the nearby tree.
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"Your secret is safe with me a voice mutters softly in my direction." I look and see it's Romeo so I just pull my hood down and leap out the shadows as I continue to dance around. He just bobs his head side to side as he watches until I notice his eyelids getting heavy. I just toss the tambourine up in the air and it becomes my flute. I softly play the flute to lull him to sleep as I sit on a single steam cloud. Once the young mage closes his window and goes to bed I continue to play and lift my cloud above the roofing of my room. I also pull my hood back up as I prefer a little bit of mystery to myself at night when alone.
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Gray's POV: I was just getting into my room and I'm having trouble sleeping with everything swirling in my mind and yet I hear a familiar sound and open my window and look around. Sure enough it's Seth playing on his flute and his hood up but he dramatically flicks it backwards so it falls off his head resting against his back I just smile gently as I watch feeling the soothing tone of his music.
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He leaps into the open air and dances as he did during the ball he brought me to and Then once level with the windowsill of his room he steps in and closes it behind him and so I took that as the sign he was ready to sleep. I just close my window and lay on my bed as I think back to last week and how he confessed to me his feelings. I actually put my hand up to my cheek and smirk at the thought still that the way he confessed was with a soft kiss on my cheek. I then fall asleep calmly as I continue to think of his musical upbringing.