The Conqueror of Darkness

Nestled Together

Tenma snapped his eyes open. He blinked few more times and remembered he was home.

He had no nightmare last night. And all is well.

The sun has risen, and its warm light has shone through his balcony. Despite that, he felt a slight chill. He realized it's because he isn't wearing any clothes, the lower part of his body covered by only a blanket. He also noticed something else lying on the bed with him.

Noa was sleeping beside him, her body covered by the same blanket that concealed his. Her bare chest was concealed by her long crimson hair, now untied. There was something serene and calming in her contented expression. Something that also brings a smile to his face.

He took his time looking at her sleeping face. She was smiling about something even in her sleep, he doesn't know what, but it must be good to warrant such an expression. Not wanting to disturb whatever good dream she's having, he slowly and carefully try to get off the bed.

As Tenma quietly stood up from the bed and put his pants back on, he tip-toed towards the balcony to stretch and bask in the warmth of the sun. He felt the cool breeze brushing past him, rustling his dark hair as he took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. That feels good.

He subconsciously reached to his back, where a large, criss cross scar is at. He turned around and let it be caressed by the morning wind too. After spending some time sunbathing, he came back inside and sat on the side of the bed. He looked at his lover affectionately.

He couldn't help but feel grateful for this peaceful moment with Noa. They had been through so much together, and it was times like this that he cherished the most. Tenma wanted to take a moment to appreciate everything they had and just enjoy the stillness of the morning.

As he collected the rest of his clothes from the floor and put them back on as well, his mind started a recollection of what happened last night…

-----

The green-haired guy fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Yup, tonight's job done. I did it."

He neutralized him with well-placed sword slashes. Seven slashes to different parts of his body. Obviously he did not kill him, his wounds are just deep enough to put him out of commission and hopefully he will reflect for his actions next time. And after the small fight's over…

"Great show, kid!"

"You sure showed that guy!"

"I bet some money on you winning! Thanks dude!"

They cheered on him. The patrons of that pub apparently found his little display amusing enough to make it seem like an actual entertainment show. And they even made a bet on who would win that battle. He doesn't know if that's legal or not, but whatever. At least they have something to anticipate if they come to that establishment again. And whatever makes Mr. Blackcloud richer would surely spill over to him as well. He does need more money.

And Mr. Blackcloud even slipped some extra in his payment for that night.

"Mr. Blackcloud, is this alright? I broke your window."

"That person broke the window… when you threw him out. So obviously that's not your fault." Mr. Blackcloud says in playful tone. "It's alright. He would've broken much more if you didn't stop him. I can ask my friend to repair that window, easy. Thank you for your help, Mr. Kazuki."

Well, who was he to refuse extra money? He didn't expect it, but he will gladly accept it.

"It's no problem, Mr. Blackcloud, I'm glad to help."

And then, as if on cue, a Guardian arrived. Guardian is one of the nine available career choices for those who has graduated from any Academy. One that people considered a noble job, too. A Guardian's job is to defend the kingdom city from both outside and inside threats.

Apparently Mr. Blackcloud called for help when that green-haired guy started making trouble, just in case the problem escalated. And the officer made it to the scene a bit late. He was a bald fair-skinned man who's wearing a casual clothes more fitting for a thug than a security officer.

"Well damn! This sure didn't look like a big deal if some kid from Agni Veritas can handle it by himself." the bald officer said. "I don't know why I'm even needed here."

"Now now, Mr. Stonehead." Mr. Blackcloud chuckled. "This 'some kid' you mentioned, I believe he's ranked quite high in Combat Classes. Rank 10th, yes?"

"7th actually .I've ranked up a bit since last time I mentioned it." Tenma said, trying not to boast too much.

"Whoa, for real? That's amazing, kid." the bald man looks impressed. "And who's this girl?"

He directed that to Noa, who positioned herself beside Tenma before he could even notice.

"I'm Noa from Vermillion Family. 6th Rank in Combat Class, too, naturally. Pleased to make your acquaintance." As opposed to him, Noa carries herself with pride and grace befitting of a noblewoman. She even bothered with a curtsy.

"Vermillion and red hair… ah, that makes sense." Mr. Stonehead nodded, before turning to Tenma again. "Well kid, you sure have a great taste in woman."

"What." Tenma said flatly, didn't expect a change in subject.

"She's your girlfriend, right?" He said. "For a kid, you sure are a cultured man. Scoring with a chick like that, you must be a real player!"

"I don't think so…" Tenma shoots him a blank look.

"Come on kid, this is a compliment! She's a nice catch!"

"I'd appreciate it more if you don't talk like she's not here, Sir." Tenma said coldly, frowning.

Noa simply smiled at that. She appreciates that. He always thinks of himself an insensitive man, but when it comes to matters like this, he was surprisingly considerate.

Realizing his mistake, the bald man puts up his hands like he was surrendering to an enemy.

"Ah, I apologize, kid. Where are my manners, my brother's gonna kill me if he finds out. I got too worked up these days... You too, Miss. Sorry for that, no offense."

"None taken." Noa offered another curtsy. "Come on, Tenma. Don't be rude."

"Okay, I'm sorry." Nodded, Tenma lightening up his mood a bit.

"Now, let's move on to another topic… aren't you kids from Agni Veritas going on a Field Exam tomorrow?" the bald man asked. "What are you guys doing this late, instead of preparing?"

"I'm working here as Mr. Blackcloud's security." Tenma said matter-of-factly. "And I don't see why having a Field Exam should interfere with my work."

"Heh, so you're a hardworking type, eh. And you, Miss?"

"I'm just hanging out with him." Noa simply said, with a mischievous smile. "He promised me to play… and play we will."

Noa briefly looked at Tenma, before curling her arm around his. Seeing this, the bald man chuckled, a mix of amusement and exasperation in his voice.

"You lucky bastard." He said to Tenma, who blinked in confusion. "I'll leave it at that… but you better go home soon, both of you. This is rather late, and you should get some rest for that exam tomorrow yeah? Run along, you two. I'll handle the troublemaker, don't worry about it."

"Good night, Mr. Kazuki, Miss Vermillion." Mr. Blackcloud waved his hand. "Good luck on your Field Exam tomorrow."

With a nod, Tenma and Noa left the place without any more delay. They didn't say anything while walking to their destination. It's not an awkward silence where you simply don't know what to say to the other person, but it's a rather comfortable silence. Holding hands and leaning against each other. The cold of the night simply forgotten in that warmth.

Both of them are normally rather calm and composed, but in a situation like this, they feel like they're getting nervous the longer they keep this up. Their heart beating faster, their breath slightly ragged, and their face flushing red. They are full of anticipation of what would happen.

After some walking, they finally arrived at home. His home. He noticed that it's already dark inside. So is the house next door. People must've been asleep now. He made sure not to make too much noise as he reached for the front door. Locked. No matter. He brought the spare key.

Tenma silently inserted the key into the lock and turned it with a soft click. They both slipped inside, trying to be as quiet as possible. The darkness inside the house was almost suffocating, but Tenma quickly found the light switch and flipped it on. The sudden brightness made them both squint briefly, but their eyes quickly adjusted.

As they took off their shoes, they heard a faint sound coming from upstairs. Tenma motioned for Noa to follow him, and they slowly crept up the stairs. The sound became louder as they approached the second floor, and Tenma's heart began to race. What could be making that noise?

They reached the top of the stairs and saw a shadowy figure moving in the darkness. Tenma's first instinct was to attack, but he quickly realized that it was just his sister, Reina, sitting on a chair near his room. "What are you doing up so late, Reina?" Tenma asked, his relief palpable.

Reina has neck-length black hair with orange tips. that falls in soft waves around her face. She has bright green eyes that stand out against her fair skin, and she's wearing a comfortable-looking pair of white pajamas. Despite the late hour, she seems alert, and her posture attentive.

She was also a student at Agni Veritas Academy, First Year, so it's natural that she has some competency regarding combat and anything related to self-defense.

"Oh, I just… couldn't sleep," Reina said with a yawn, rubbing her eyes. "And I was hoping to surprise Sabrina-neechan when she comes to visit. But, lo and behold, it's my big bro and his girlfriend sneaking in past curfew instead. Imagine my surprise when you two showed up..."

She gave a small smirk and raised an eyebrow at the two of them.

Tenma felt his face flush red and would have let out a slightly indignant response, but Noa just smiled and said, "It's nice to see you, Reina. Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you up."

Reina stood up from the chair and stretched her arms above her head. "No worries, Noa-san. I'm just glad everything's alright. It's been a long day, so I'm going to head back to bed now. Don't stay up too late, you two."

She gave them a small wave and disappeared into her room on the other end of the floor, leaving Tenma and Noa alone in the hallway.

Tenma breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Noa. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't expect her to be up so late."

Noa just shrugged and squeezed his hand. "It's okay. At least it was her and not someone else who caught us."

"But who else would--"

"Nevermind that."

She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before leading him to his room. Tenma gulped. This isn't their first time, but Tenma still felt a bit nervous about this. In fact, he doesn't think he would ever get used to this...

As they entered Tenma's room, Noa could sense his nervousness and took his hand in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, Tenma. We'll be quiet and careful."

Tenma nodded, his heart beating faster with excitement and anticipation. He closed the door behind them and turned on a small lamp on his desk, casting a warm, soft glow around the room. Noa sat on the edge of his bed and patted the space next to her, inviting him to join her.

He sat down and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. In response, she put her hand on his thigh and caress it gently in such a way he felt a pleasant chill go down his spine.

As he leaned his face to hers, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, pressing her lips against his in a gentle kiss. They both felt their bodies relax into the embrace, the tension of the day melting away. Their kisses deepened, their hands roaming each other's bodies, exploring and rediscovering each other in the darkness.

Their bodies intertwined, lost in the moment, as their passion grew stronger. Noa moaned softly, and Tenma couldn't help but feel a surge of desire. He trailed kisses down her neck, eliciting shivers down her spine.

Noa tugged at his shirt, wanting to feel his bare skin against hers. Tenma pulled away for a moment to remove his shirt before returning to her, his warm skin pressing against hers. They continued to kiss, their hands now roaming more feverishly over each other's bodies.

As the intensity grew, they knew they had to be careful not to make too much noise. They kept their movements slow and deliberate, savoring every touch and kiss… although they slowly but surely threw discretion out of the window. They're quite enjoying their time together.

They're sweating bullets. Noa's hair has come undone from its tie, sending a shower of crimson strands falling around her shoulders. She was drooling and tears were falling from her eyes. Tenma started grunting like a bull while Noa was letting out ecstatic moans, which only got higher the longer they went at it.

It takes quite a while until finally, as they reached the peak of their passion, they held each other tightly, lost in the moment. Her legs wrapped around his waist. Afterward, they lay entwined in each other's arms, breathing heavily and basking in the afterglow.

Noa looked up at Tenma and smiled, her eyes filled with affection.

"I love you," she whispered.

Tenma's heart swelled with emotion, and he leaned in to kiss her deeply.

"I love you too," he murmured against her lips.

They lay together in silence for a while longer, simply enjoying each other's presence. They lost themselves in each other's arms, savoring every moment of intimacy and connection. Eventually, they drifted off to sleep, their bodies still entwined in each other's embrace.