THE PRICE OF WAR [Taka x Reader]

XVI. Nightdream

Your breath hitched. In your culture, a woman and a man could only sleep together after marriage, and never before. And as far as you knew, it was the same in Taka's culture. Breaking that norm implied insulting the meaning and importance of marriage, in addition to the fact that the next day it would be the talk of all your surroundings.

"I'm sorry!" Taka exclaimed "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that, especially now... Forgive me, Yumiko!"

"It's, it's fine..." you replied.

"God, what nonsense I just said..." he awkwardly laughed.

"No, I mean...!" you stuttered with you heart beating like crazy "I... I understand!"

"Do you?" he asked as he turned around.

"No!" you screamed covering your breasts as you hadn't still finished dressing up.

"Oh God, I'm sorry!" he screamed too, quickly turning around again.

Your reaction made you burst out laughing and you couldn't stop. Taka started to laugh too, totally embarrassed by the situation.

"Wait, wait!" you said with a laugh "Don't turn yet!"

"Sorry, sorry!" he yelled covering his face "I swear I haven't seen anything!"

"Stop, you're not letting me get dressed!" you tried to say between laughs.

Finally, you managed to cover yourself and Taka turned around, still covering his face and recovering from the fit of laughter.

"Oh..." you sighed "That was fun"

"Yes" he agreed, scratching his neck.

You both stared at each other, remembering what had caused the laughter and then looking away.

"Sorry, I..." you mumbled.

"What did you mean by "I understand"?

Your cheeks turned red.

"I... Nothing, I got confused! This isn't my mother tongue..."

"Sure" he laughed "But still, I shouldn't have asked you that..."

"You forgot your manners again?"

He looked at you, shocked by your question. You looked away, surprised by your own behaviour.

"Maybe" he laughed.

"You said sleep, right?" you murmured, staring at him again.

"Right" he nodded.

"You didn't mean..." you blushed, behaving like a complete child and hoping that he would get the hidden meaning of your words.

"Mean what?" he innocently asked.

You closed your eyes and sighed.

"You didn't mean..." you repeated, this time more convincingly "The other thing, right?"

"What other thing? I don't understand..." he laughed.

You sighed again.

"Taka... Beds have more than one use, right?"

His smile quickly faded away.

"Oh..."

"Oh god, how embarrassing!" you said in your mother tongue while covering your face.

"Oh... Oh, no! I, I certainly didn't mean that!" he apologized.

"No, me neither!" you fretted.

"I can't believe I made you believe that!" he laughed.

"No, it's just that last night, under the cherry tree..."

"Yes, I know what you mean..." he said as he sat on his bed "We went too far, right?"

"I don't know... Maybe"

"Then it's better if we sleep each one on our tent"

You sadly nodded.

"I'll go now, I'm too tired for dinner"

"Are you sure?" he asked standing up again.

"Yes"

"Do you need me to accompany you?"

"No, I'll be fine"

He took a blanket and covered your body.

"Good night, then"

"I love you" you told him.

He smiled and softly kissed you.

"Me too, Your Majesty..." he whispered.

Once inside your bed and almost asleep, you unconsciously remembered what had happened that day and Duymir came to your mind. You tried to avoid crying but the truth was stronger than you and ended up invading your body. Your sobbing waked Kyria up and she sat on the edge of your bed.

"It's alright..." she whispered as she caressed your arm.

You sat up and hugged her tightly, not being able to talk.

"Don't let me bully you again like I used to" she mocked.

Your pain kept growing and your tears kept falling to the point your thought you would transform yourself again. But suddenly, your sobbing ended.

"What's wrong?" Kyria asked.

You moved away from her arms and stared at the entrance of the tent Your eyes weren't deceiving you. There was a deer peeking out of the entrance.

"You see it?" you asked Kyria

"See what?" she said looking everywhere.

"The deer! There!"

"What are you talking about?"

The deer peeked out one last time and left the tent. You got up quickly and followed him. Its horns were unmistakable. It was him, the deer of your hamlet and your last dream's.

"What are you doing?" Kyria yelled from your bed.

But you couldn't even hear her anymore.