35 Reassuring Each Other

"But what if it really was your master?" Solis pressed.

"It can't be," Noir said confidently. He narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to ask me in a convoluted manner if I would choose you or him?" he demanded.

Solis flushed slightly. "Partly, but I have a feeling that this is true, and my body would be taken over by your master if those memories can be unsealed," he said. "What I really want to know right now, though, is whether you want me to try unsealing them."

"No," Noir replied without hesitation. "You're you and I love you as you are. You don't need to become my Master, Solis," he said firmly. He took Solis's hands. "Is that what has been worrying you all this while?"

"I know that you miss your master," Solis murmured.

"I do miss him," Noir said honestly. "But that doesn't mean that I want him to become you. Initially, when we met, I was hoping that you were him – I'll admit that. I even hoped that if you were his descendant, it meant that he was around and could come to this world. And when I learnt about relationships here, I did initially think that it would have been nice to date my Master," Noir didn't mince his words at all. "But then I started liking you for yourself, beyond the shadow of my Master. And I fell in love with you, Solis – it is different from what I felt for my Master. I didn't understand it earlier, but I understand it now. I love and respect my Master very much – but it is something like that of a child towards his parent. But you – you are different. You are my life."

Solis blinked and then turned as red as a tomato. With a helpless chuckle, he shook his head and pulled Noir into his arms. "You are impossible, my little darling," he murmured in Noir's ear. "Every single day you make me fall in love with you all over again…"

"Good," Noir said. "Keep falling in love with me and don't think random things and worry your pretty head over them! Speak to me if something is eating away at you, and don't make me lose my hair worrying over you all the time. What if you stop loving me if I turn bald? What am I supposed to do then?" he demanded.

Solis laughed softly and pressed his lips to Noir's brow. "If you go bald, I'll shave off my head to keep you company. We can be bald together," he said.

"Don't even think about it!" Noir snapped immediately, pulling Solis's ear. "I love your hair! I won't let you go bald!"

Solis pouted. "I was trying to be romantic," he complained.

Noir watched his pouting face for a long time and then burst out laughing. "If I took a picture of your pouting face and sold it to the papers – how much do you think I could make?" he asked Solis.

"Don't you dare!" Solis warned. "Aren't you making enough money working with me? We'll just start a new business if you want to make more money! Only you get to see me like this!"

Noir couldn't resist giving his fiancé a light kiss. "Of course," he said. "You're mine to love and cherish."

"Good that you understand that!" Solis said. He saw that Noir's eyes were bright again, and he heaved a sigh of relief. If acting cute and funny could make his little darling happy, Solis would do it every day. In fact, there was very little that he wouldn't do to make Noir smile.

Now that Noir had regained his vigour, he hadn't forgotten the problem at hand. He touched the insignia on Solis's chest. "Does it still hurt?" he asked softly.

"Not at all," Solis said frankly. "I told you, my chest only hurts when you cry. When you're smiling, I feel my heart pumping away vigorously, making me feel more alive than ever before."

Noir flushed. "Be serious," he scolded half-heartedly. "We need to find out what's wrong with you."

"There's nothing wrong with me at the moment," Solis told him. "I have the memories of someone – most likely to be your master – but they are dormant. If they are unsealed and start pouring into my head again, that's when we'll have a problem." Then, looking at Noir's anxious face, he added quickly, "But don't worry, I won't let anyone take over my body or my mind – no matter who it is, I won't let them win!"

"Promise me that you'll tell me the moment you feel something is happening," Noir said seriously.

"I promise," Solis said easily. "Now that you've chosen me, I won't let anyone separate us. You're mine as much as I'm yours, and I won't let anyone come in between. And if someone tries, we'll fight them off together – all right, my little darling?" He lifted his hand and pinched Noir's cheek. "Does that satisfy you?" he asked.

Noir nodded. "Thank you," he said.

Solis smiled at him. "If you really want to thank me, let's go and get something to eat," he said. "I'm starving, seriously!" And right on cue, his stomach growled loudly.

Noir was caught between guilt and laughter. "Give me about twenty minutes," he said. "I'll make something really nice for you, all right?" he cajoled.

"I'll come and help you," Solis said, trying to get out of the bed.

Noir pushed him back firmly. "No way," he said. "You're going to stay right here and get some rest while I make us dinner. If you don't, I'm going to grate an entire coconut and dump it into your curry."

Solis shuddered in horror. He detested coconuts the most. "Don't make me lose my appetite," he complained.

Noir pinched his cheeks playfully. "All right, I won't. But you relax here, all right? Be good. I'll whip up something nice," he said.

"I want mushrooms," Solis said. "And I want a glass of wine to go with it."

"Yes, love," Noir said and went off into the kitchen, seemingly unaware that he had just used an endearment for Solis.