Chapter 21 Entanglement

She continued kissing me passionately, for… for a while. I was lost in thought… amongst other things. After a good while of kissing, Lilia finally separated from me, a string of saliva parting our lips before talking, "ha… ha… So this is… wow… Rudy… I… we need to talk. Just… just be home this evening, it's important."

"Ah… sure…" I absentmindedly said, before letting her walk away.

///

And that's how my morning was, how was yours?

Swing. Swing. Swing. Swing.

My morning has been… heart pounding.

She loves me. She loves me not. She loves me. She loves me not…

RIght now, I'm currently working out some stress, by swinging my practice blade. It's good exercise. Helps warm one's body, and you know… helps when you're freaking the fuck out!

I… I don't do well against frontal attacks.

Please send help, Rudeus exe. has stopped working!

"Rudy, Rudy~" Sylphy calls out to me, "ah, I'm here!"

I keep swinging my blade(stick), up and down.

"Stress Relief!"

I wonder if I should start swinging the metal blade Paul gave me, except for the pommel being slightly on the melted side, the rest of the sword is alright. It would definitely be a better workout. I guess I'll get it fixed when winter ends.

"Keeping warm," my hot blood is boiling, and I don't know what to do! "Hashaw!"

"Ooh," Sylphy claps. "Are we not doing math today?"

"Uh, no," swing. "Today we're playin-training outside today, it's no good to always be inside."

That and I want to let out as much energy as possible. The less I can think the better. I have every intention of wearing myself down, until I pass out.

"Ok," she agreed.

At least, that was easy, in comparison to other things in my life. But truly, I thank you Sylphy. After all, I really need a little bit of fresh air-scratch that, a lot of fresh air, seeing as… I just got kissed.

She kissed me… Lilia kissed me.

Swing. "Haya!"

Banzai! Banzai!

As if! "HASHAW!"

"Woo," Sylphy claps behind me, as I practice some more stances and swings.

She kissed me! I mean… she kissed me?! I mean, I got kissed! I mean… I got kissed?

Soooo… this morning's outing was productive, If I do say so myself.

I was just wanting to make her day a little better. I didn't know what I was doing. I just sort of followed my gut, and took her out to our old pond. I wanted to show her how I see her and made an ice sculpture of her for her. I thought it would make a good gift, a nice gift, a good way to start your morning. Something to smooth over this awkward atmosphere we've created for ourselves, and get us talking.

Well, it worked… I think? She kissed me.

Just, wow…

I should not know what I'm doing more often!

But… there was a caveat…

There were tears in her eyes.

…Why are you looking at me like that? I'm innocent! I didn't do anything wrong! What? No, my kissing's not that bad!

This dawn, I intended to giver a good start to her day, as well as say a few things I needed to say, to stop the worst case scenario of her pushing me out of her life.

Well… it worked…

We're closer, but what are we now?

I'm just standing here, terribly confused.

What does this all mean?

I was shocked, and was about to ask why. Don't get me wrong, this is what I wanted, but the tears… I'm clearly missing something.

Being a little… um… out of it, I could only dumbly nod, as she walked away.

It doesn't help that I was still dumbstruck, lovestruck?

She could have asked me anything that moment, and I would have complied.

'Rudy, would you steal your parents life savings, and run away with me,'

Well… smooch.

Your wish is my command!

Ugh, am I easy? Wait a minute? Am I a simp? Then again… remembering Lilia's… everything. I can't help but wonder, what the hell is wrong with being a simp anyway?

Gentleman the proper term is gentleman.

So, yeah… I'm currently losing my mind.

I can't help it.

I might have 'some,' experience with girls, but that's the caveat 'some.' My relationships were superficial, and a lifetime ago(literally) with girls, whose reason for dating each other was that we thought the other one was cute. I could only superficially care if the relationship didn't work out, and of those relationships, only two of them ever extended to kissing.

Nothing ever came from them.

I am horribly inexperienced.

Aaaah! Dog chasing cars indeed… has anyone ever seen a dog catch a car? If so please use telepathy to send the how's right away.

"Hashaw!" another swing.

It can't ever be easy can it.

Ugh, I need to get out of my head.

"Sylphy!"

"Hai!"

"Today we're playing like there's no tomorrow!"

"Aye, aye sir!" she salutes.

"That's my adorable Kohai! It's just you and me vs the world, let's get dangerous."

"Aye!" she yells with a blush present.

Not wanting to bring Sylphy into the drama that is my life, as well as wanting to let loose. I decided to do what I originally set out to do last night, before I got a left hook right to my heart.

"Alright, today we're flying,"

"...but we already do that,"

"Wrong! We're simply falling, in style. We fall, very, very slowly. It's time for some real flying," I took out the bed sheet I brought with me.

My apologies to Zenith, Lilia, or whoever does the laundry.

"Today we're really going to fly. Now, follow me, I need your help a bit,"

"Ok," she comes to my side, "what do you want me to do?"

///

Sylphy [pov]

"Can you wrap my ankles to the corners?" Rudy asks already with his wrist tied to corners already.

"Ok," I tied the remaining corners.

Rudy is filled with energy today. Usually we study for two hours, and play for two hours. It's been a while since we played all day. This is going to be fun.

"Well, here goes nothing. Up, up, and away!" he yells.

I feel the mana gathering, the winds start blowing, and-

Whoosh. He gets zipped into the air.

Rudy's so cool~

Although… he's flying a bit wobbly.

"...how do I steer?" I managed to hear from above.

Eh?

A sudden gust of wind bellows, and-

"Oh, shit!" he curses, right before being blown across the pond.

Oh! I can feel the mana gathering again, Rudy is going to get up any second, and he does… right before.

"Shit-Reinforcement! Cunt, fuck, bitch…" he starts cursing again as, he starts wobbling up, and down, skipping of the water a couple times, and then coming down on the ground, rolling a few time to a stop. "Grrrr… oww…" he calms down. "Sylphy… help…" he mumbles.

"Yes!" I skip my way towards Rudy.

As I make my way closer, I finally get a view of what he looks like.

"Pff-haha, Ru-Rudy I-I'm coming to save y-you," I struggle to keep in my laughter. Jogging up to him I see Rudy, who now looks like a burrito. The bed sheet covered in grass, and water stains, makes him look all bundled and muddy.

He looks like a slug.

He turns away from me, his face crimson, "ok, I messed up. Please help me,"

"Yes sir~"

Blushing Rudy, is best Rudy.

Although…

I start petting him.

"Sylphy? What are you doing?"

"I'm enjoying my privilege,"

"Hmph, I'll allow it," he says with a smirk.

"Sure, sure,"

It's not like you have a choice.

///

After a few minutes of petting, I finally decide to let him free, unwrapping Rudy.

"Uwaah, it's good to have freedom," he stretches. "You sure were enjoying yourself weren't you?"

"It's not everyday I get to pet Rudy, usually Rudy is the one giving me headpats."

"Headpats are a bro-TEACHERS, priviledge!" he says.

I heard that. Rudy, I'm not your sister, I'm a girl.

Although the headpats are nice…

No Wrong! Don't be tricked Sylphy! Headpats are a trap, you have to conquer the head pat. Jeez, Rudy makes things so difficult.

What was that thing Lilia said? Rudy likes adventurous girls?

"Yosh," I pound a fist to my chest.

"Sylphy?"

"Again…"

"Hmm?" he said confusedly.

"Again! It's my turn!"

"Ah… sure, but I think this bed sheet is too big. I don't want you tumbling around, like I did. It's too dangerous."

"It's fine, Rudy won't let anything bad happened to me,"

"I mean you're not wrong," he said. "But I have very little control over the weather, it's a little too unpredictable… unless," he lays the bed sheet flat on the ground. "That could work, hey Sylphy wants to fly together?"

YES!

"Sure… that sounds alright,"

"Alright, just hold on a second, I have to warm up," he takes off his shirt.

W-w-what?

"R-Rudy w-what are you doing?"

"I'm ironing my shirt? It's wet, hmm… I should probably warm that bedsheet as well," he places his shirt next to the bed sheet as he rubs his palm over it.

W-what does iron have to do with anything?

"Y-y-you'll get a cold!"

"Nahh, I'll be fine. My body's pretty warm while I do this. Besides, it's only for a little while," he says without looking up from his task, as he continues to rub the laundry. I can see steam coming of them.

"I-I see." I stare at Rudy's shirtless body.

B-Bad girl! Only bad girls stare.

"Yosh, shirts done," he gives his shirt a couple flaps. "Hmm, you know I think this is a good way to show you what I want to do, can't show you with this bedsheet, it's too big… and still a little wet. Alright sylphy, this here-" he twirls the shirt on his finger.

"Wait!" I interrupt, "Aren't you cold?"

He pouts. "It'll only be a minute, besides take a look, you can see a bit of steam coming off of me right? I'm drying as we speak. Now pay attention, I don't want to repeat myself."

I take a look at Rudy's naked chest. It has a small amount of steam coming off it.

Rudy's body…

"Alright, once more," he gets his shirt in a fist, and starts blowing some wind into it. "This shirt is the bed sheet, and we're going to be using the wind to blow it here, and there, but you see where my thumb and index finger meet," he questioned. "That's going to be your half, the one where the pinky is at is going to be my part, anyways we're going to need to get our coordination down, or else we'll blow away in different directions, and lose control of the sheet, and if that happens."

He let some energy flow into the shirt, letting it blow away, before using the wind to regather it, and bring it back to him. His muscles outline easier to see when he did that.

"So, yeah you get two corners. I get two corners, and we'll stand close to the middle. Sylphy control of mana is better than mine. So I'll be leading, and Sylphy will be mimicking my control, following my lead, so we're always flying together, got it? Any questions?"

…

Six pack… no, wait four pack… Rudy's shirtless body…

"Sylphy?"

"Eeep! Eh, what questions? Ah… can you repeat yourself one more time?"

He curled an eyebrow. "Maybe I should just draw it. Sigh, anyways pay attention, I'm not repeating myself. Today is all about having fun. I can't explain this all day."

"Mmh,"

Rudy explained it to me one more time. Truth be told… despite being distracted, I heard him fine the first time.

"Alright," he puts his shirt back on.

Oh…

"Ahhh… that's the stuff, nothing like a fresh warm shirt against the skin. It's like wearing clothes that's been thrown into a microwave. Anyways, let's get dangerous," he kneels down grabbing his own corners. "Grab your corners Sylphy. Alright, let's do it." The wind gathers, and I follow his lead, we now have a weird tarp, flowing over us. "Gather! Alright, now let's get closer, until we're in the middle," he starts walking slowly, and I follow him into the middle. We're standing right in front of each other.

"Ready?"

"R-Ready"

He's so close. He's warm.

"RISE!" he enchants, an even stronger wind bellowing beneath us, and we're sent into the heavens.

"Amazing," I take a look at… well… everything.

I am astounded by what I see before me.

It's… it's the world, but everything is so tiny. When I do my regular flying jumps with Rudy, I see this for a moment, but this is the first time I get to see this for such a long period of time. I get why Rudy calls this flying, and what we did before jumping.

This is amazing.

"It really is, isn't it," Rudy says.

"Ok, now follow my lead," I can feel the wind blowing us to the left, and so I do the same thing, we're steering over the fields.

"Wow, hmm, Is that a rainbow?" I look at the horizon by the pond.

The light is hitting a pile of ice a certain way, showing a beautiful rainbow.

"Hmm, I guess it is," he steered away.

"Aww, I liked the Rainbow. Can we turn back to see it?"

"No, I'd rather not," he says.

"Pleeeease," wanting to get things my way. I use the technique Rudy taught me, when I want to do things my way. I tilt my chin high, giving him the 'puppy dog,' eyes, and say "I'm curious!"

He looks away. "That's cheating… I didn't teach you, just so you could use that technique against me. And no, I'm not changing my mind."

It didn't work!

"It's too bad…"

"You know you're a mage now? You can make a rainbow, whenever you want."

"..."

He's right!

So if the only ones that can make ice sculptures like that are mages, and I didn't make it, I guess Rudy did, why did he make a statue there?

We keep floating for a few minutes, before my arms started getting tired,

"Rudy?"

"Hmm?"

"My arms are getting tired."

"Ah, I guess that was also an issue," he ponders. "Alright, let's land, I'll figure out the kinks to flight magic later, we can play something else."

"Hmm!" I nuzzle my cheek next to Rudy. Being so close to him, and unable to use my arms, this is all I could do for now.

He blushes.

"He he, Blushing Rudy is best Rudy,"

"When did you become like this?"

I nuzzle some more.

"Hey!" as we get closer to the ground, we start wobbling some more. Our landing becomes slightly unsteady, and sends us for a trip.

Not a big one, but enough.

At the final step, Rudy blows a particularly strong wind, throwing us a bit, and tripping us at the last second.

We get dragged by the wind a bit, our feet get tangled, and the bedsheet starts wrapping around us, as we start rolling. We're now a burrito.

A Sylphy/Rudy Burrito.

"..."

"..."

"He he, oops?" I say.

"...you're lucky you're adorable."

"He he," I rub my cheek next to Rudy as I stuck to him. We're going to play all day today, so I'm going to enjoy this break.

I continue to rub my cheek against his.

This is my privilege!

///

Rudy [POV]

Sooooore. So sore.

My arms are tired.

It's been a while since I've been so active, it was fun, but I think I overdid it again.

Well, at least Sylphy had fun.

We spent most of the day playing around. We did a couple more flight tests, we did some windsurfing, and played a game of tag, but…

It's cold!

The winter winds are coming in, and the higher you go, the colder it gets. Not even all the exercise we're doing could warm me up. Thank god for Heat Hands.

We even did some Larping- I mean role playing. We basically played princess, and knight. I suppose it's this world's equivalent of playing house. It's surprisingly fun as it is surreal. It's not everyday you can play fantasy in a fantastical world.

Now if only I could move my hands.

I don't think they're injured, but they're definitely sore. Feels like I lifted weights all day.

"I'm home," I finally made it back.

Well, you can only push things off for so long. At least all that messing around worked all the stress out of my system, but I wonder what I should expect?

Opening the door I walk into the living room, and see Lilia and Zenith sitting in the kitchen.

"Rudy, welcome back,"

"Hey mama," I snuck a look at Lilia. She has her eyes closed, and is sitting unmoving in her chair. She didn't turn to acknowledge me, and simply sat silently.

I turn to look at Zenith who has a troubled face. Did she say something?

"Is everything ok?" I asked Zenith.

"Yeah… I think? Lilia's been sitting there silently for a few minutes now. After she finished the chores, she sat down. She said she's waiting on you and Paul so she can announce something."

"...what?"

That… doesn't sound right, me… and Paul?

An unsettling feeling settles in my gut.

I take a peek at Lilia, still sitting as taciturn as ever. She hasn't opened her eyes yet.

"Lilia?"

She flinches.

"Master Rudeus… please sit down, we need to talk," she opens her eyes for a moment to look at me, they're not as red as before, but they're still sad. This seems serious.

"I'm home~" Paul enters.

"Welcome home dear," Zenith stands to give him a kiss.

After they kiss, he walks into the room, noticing the strange atmosphere in the room.

"...is something wrong?" he asked.

"About that-" Zenith starts.

"Sir Paul, may you sit for a moment?" Lilia pleads.

He turns to his wife for a moment, only for her to nod, and he sits down, followed by Zenith as well, we're all now seated in the living room.

For now.

Somehow I feel like someone's gonna storm out.

I'm a little anxious. I don't like this atmosphere.

"Lilia-" I start to ask, before Lilia opens her mouth.

"Sir Paul, Madame Zenith… young master, I'm sorry, but I have an announcement to make. I've had my suspicions for a while, but it seems certain, I'm terribly sorry… I'm pregnant."

"..."

"..."

"..."

What?

As I'm lost in thought for a moment, I'm stuck staring at Lilia, stupefied, before my mind resets, and I turn my head, turning my head to the obvious suspect of this. Zenith did as well.

As we both look at this… person, said person bows his head on the table and says, "S-Sorry. I-It's probably mine," he lifts his head for a moment, sneaking a peek at everyone in the room, before looking at Lilia, "Right?"

She looks at him, with a scorn on her features, before nodding.

You… Youuuu… You are…

My hands are numb, where before I could barely feel them, right now they feel hot. Really, really hot.

Hot… I'm on fire.

Luckily, I'm sitting at the table, or else the very noticeable flare up of mana going on beneath it would have been noticeable.

Although, I could set the house on fire right now, and I don't think anyone would notice.

Paul has laid his hands on my maid.

You are…

My breathing is getting hard to control, my hands are blazing, and I, I want to…

This man is- Really?! For this man?!

I turn to look at Lilia, who has her head bowed down, looking at the table not looking up for a moment.

I turn to look back at Paul, who is mirroring Lilia, and looking at the table.

"Hah…hah…"

It-it's getting hard to breathe.

This is… this-you… you…

People like you, should just disappear…

I raised my hand.

My vision getting blurry, it's difficult to breath, and through it all my hands are still on fire, I-

"Smack!" a hard slap is heard.

And with it I awaken from my confusion.

In my… unrest… I didn't notice Zenith marching across the room to give him a slap.

"Ha… ha…" I steady my breathing.

Zenith is in tears and standing over Paul.

While everyone is distracted, I calm my magic, and sneak a peek at my hands. They're burnt, slightly tan, as If someone just poured scalding hot water over them. I snuck them back down, before I do something I regret.

"...this is the worst…" I speak my mind.

No one corrects me.