A Recovering World

Cael sunk deeper into the hot water and exhaled deeply, letting his muscles relax as if they were melting into the liquid. Steam wafted lazily through the air as the comforting humidity of the bathroom was once again restored to its proper state.

His sanctuary was finally back.

It felt good after nearly a week of traveling through the wilderness, being attacked by monsters, pushing his body to the absolute limit, and dealing with all sorts of other nonsense. He would never take the simplicity of a bath for granted ever again.

They'd just arrived back at Val's cottage earlier today, and he'd never been so grateful to see the cozy abode in all his life. The two of them had immediately collapsed onto the couch, completely exhausted from their ordeal. Val had even fallen asleep, which was something he'd rarely ever seen her do during the day.

Since then, they were in the process of slowly unwinding the tension in their bodies. First was the bath, next would be a warm, hearty meal. And then they'd probably go straight to bed, which sounded perfect right about now.

"…" Or at least that was what he wanted to do.

Cael's eyes slowly opened as he thought back on the past few days. Ever since that night, the strange things had stopped. No more shadowy figures, no more voices, and no more weird visions. It was like that entire incident had never happened.

But he still remembered the words of that ghost-like figure, and he still had Erika's journal tucked away in his bag.

"…Understand the world," he murmured. "What does that even mean?"

He sighed, resting his head against the edge of the bathtub, letting his hair hang loosely over his face. It was getting longer now since he'd yet to cut it in this world. Although, perhaps he wouldn't. Val seemed to enjoy playing with it, so maybe he could grow it out a little more.

"…"

He shook the intrusive thought away as it stirred other memories in his head. Memories of softness, of warmth, of squishiness. The smell of a lovely, flowery scent, of the sun on his skin, and of the cool wind brushing against him.

Val would never let him live that down, would she?

It was already bad enough with sharing beds, baths, and everything in-between, but to have essentially been fondling her breasts with his face?!

Cael groaned, sinking deeper into the water until it covered his ears. He was a mess. He needed to be a proper gentleman and stop thinking about that. There were more important things to focus on, even if the reminiscing brought back one of the greatest joys he'd felt in his entire life.

But what was there to focus on?

Was it that the Vanishing might've been to protect this world from collapsing in on itself? Or was it the uncertainty of whether or not the threat was truly over? Did he tell Val the truth, or did he keep it to himself for now?

He shook his head as he looked down at his water-bound reflection. No, regardless of what he focused on, he had to tell Val. They were partners, and he wanted to be honest with her. Even if she might not know what to make of any of it any more than he did, he owed it to her to at least explain as much as he could.

"…" But did they have to talk right now? Maybe he'd just sleep on it for a day. Or maybe even several days. Yeah, that sounded like a better idea, just enough to give him time to reread things and compile everything. There were a handful of promising things that he wanted to revisit after all.

He sighed, his eyes falling shut again as he made up his mind and savored the quiet. It was peaceful and calm, almost like a gentle lullaby.

While he really wanted to stay in here for hours on end, he knew he'd need to let Val have her turn. After all, he'd been here a while now. It would be selfish of him to not give her a chance to enjoy it.

He stretched out in the tub, feeling his joints pop and crack in response before stepping out of the bath. The steam clung to his skin, leaving behind a thin film that quickly cooled off in the cooler air outside.

For now, he had a romantic partner to attend to. They could figure out the world after some food and a good night's sleep.

***

Val lazily fiddled with her bedsheets as she lay there in her room, her mind drifting aimlessly like a leaf in a stream. She was exhausted yet strangely awake in the calmness of the evening.

It'd been three or so hours since she'd indulged in a delightful meal with Cael—a medley of canned meat that'd been cooked to perfection with a fascinating thing called 'noodles'. It was one of the best dishes that they'd eaten since they began living together, and even though she'd devoured every last morsel until her stomach couldn't take any more, her tongue was left craving the euphoric taste of it.

That, and perhaps a little something else as well. Something sweet. Like a fruit served directly from Cael's waiting lips—

Eep! She batted the novel-inspired fantasy from her mind, her cheeks heating up.

No! No! Bad Val!

She'd had enough of those thoughts for the day.

Her head flopped over to gaze longingly at the empty spot beside her. She would've liked if Cael would join her in bed already, but he'd said he needed to do some reading and would join her later.

She sighed, rolling over to bury her face in her pillows, inhaling the familiar scent of her home. The fabric was soft and cool to the touch, a soothing sensation that she never realized she could miss so dearly. It was nice to be back in the comfort of her own bed, the sound of the fire crackling in the living space filling her ears, and her blankets draped warmly over her body with some warming crystals.

No more sleeping on borrowed mattresses or the hard, dirty floor for her. From this moment onward, she would only dream of the cozy comforts of home—even if a small part of her had enjoyed the journey, and a very, very tiny part of her had even found the wilds to be a little exciting at times.

"…"

Her eyes lingered on Cael's side of the bed, and another intrusive thought crossed her mind.

She briefly glanced around. It seemed he was still reading in the living area.

"…" She slowly lifted his pillow and hugged it to her chest, taking in the scent of him. It was a subtle, slightly earthy scent that she had grown to love. A smell that was distinctly Cael's, and Cael's alone.

"Eh hehe, it's like I'm holding on to him," she giggled to herself, snuggling the pillow. Her face rubbed against the top of it as she pretended that he was actually there with her. That his strong arms were wrapped around her and his warm body was pressed against hers, that he was smiling and laughing with her, that he was kissing her and telling her she was pretty, and that he was loving her as his romantic—

*creek*

"…"

"…"

Val's cheeks turned a deep crimson as she was caught, sacred relic in hand. Cael was looking at her, the gears turning in his head as he tried to process the scene before him.

"I—um. This is… not what it looks like. I was…" Her words pattered out, her tongue becoming too heavy for her to find an excuse.

"Sorry for sniffing your pillow," she finally said, nearly mute.

He blinked, shaking his head as if clearing away something in his vision. "O-oh, no, that's alright, Val. Erm, I was just surprised you were still awake." He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck as he approached the bed.

Val buried her face into the pillow as her blush spread to the rest of her body. He was going to think of her as weird now, and he'd never want to be near her again.

Why couldn't she control herself and keep her hands to herself?! Why was she so… so indecent?!

"Val?" Cael's voice was gentle. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head, not daring to look at him. "Yes, I was just having some trouble sleeping. I was also wondering when you would join me in bed. And…"

"And?" His voice was close now. She could almost feel his breath on her ear.

"…" She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as her heart fluttered in anticipation. Would he do the thing in those stories where he would kiss her on the cheek to calm her? Would he hold her close and whisper in her ear how much he loved her?

*shuffle*

Cael's presence joined her on the bed. However, she felt herself gently shifted over to his lap, the soft pillow still pressed to her chest, as his hands began to soothingly run along her head.

"If you'd like, I could perhaps try something to help you sleep," he offered. "I'm a little inexperienced in this sort of thing, though… is it alright if I give it a try?"

She blinked, pulling away the pillow to peek up at him. This wasn't what she had expected, but it was certainly a welcome surprise.

"Um, sure! Yes, please!" Her voice trembled with excitement as he moved his hands to her back and started to gently rub in small circles. She suddenly felt like she was melting in his touch as the repetitive motions slowly coaxed her into bliss.

Yet it was nothing compared to what happened next.

Cael inhaled deeply before starting to sing, his voice low and gentle as the notes and foreign words drifted throughout the room.

━─┉┈┈◈❖◈┈┈┉─━

♫ "Oh, how I'd dread to stay and care,

Past Obon, when cold is in the air.

The snow will fall, the winds will sigh,

As this child will begin to cry. ♪

♪ The festival will come and go,

But joy is something I won’t know.

No silk to wear, no sash bright,

No colors to bring my heart delight. ♫

♫ This child just cries and will not rest,

My weary soul is sorely pressed.

From dawn to dusk, I wither away,

As my body toils day after day. ♪

♪ Oh, let me leave, oh, let me roam,

I long to see my distant home.

Beyond the hills, it waits for me,

Beyond the hills, it waits for me." ♫

━─┉┈┈◈❖◈┈┈┉─━

Her eyes began to flutter closed as the sweet melody washed over her, lulling her. The lyrics, while somewhat sad in tone and completely lost on her, were beautiful. She'd never heard Cael sing before, and she was surprised by how good he sounded.

"…Did you like that?" Cael whispered. "The lyrics are a little… iffy considering everything, but I always found the melody quite peaceful. My aunt used to sing it to me sometimes."

Val nodded slowly as everything began to grow softer. "…It's wonderful. What's it about?"

"Ah, well… it's a song about a servant girl that longs to see her family again. But, uh, you seem to be tired right now. Perhaps it's best if I explained another time"

She hummed in agreement, her head lolling gently in his lap. "…could you… sing it one more time…?"

"…Of course, Val."