Chapter 484 - 485: A Love So Sweet.

Chapter 484: Chapter 485: A Love So Sweet.

See, the thing with Binny is that he’ll talk for the sake of talking. Thoughtlessly and for hours, when the urge strikes him. But Vector’s not like that. He’s far more measured than that –some might say restrained –which means that he doesn’t ask meaningless questions.

" Hah ? I didn’t realise you and Loac were getting along." The accusation makes Vogrid’s eyebrow twitch.

" We don’t ." That makes sense, but Binny is still confused. But then a thought occurs to him, and when Vector’s mouth pinches, he knows he’s guessed correctly.

"...It wasn’t Loac, was it?" He’s greeted with further silence. "...It was you wasn’t it, Vogrid?"

More silence. A more deliberate silence; the kind that answers questions without words, and persists until Binny comes to rest right beside him.

"Why?"

"It was the only way it would be appropriate for me to...for me to pursue a relationship with you."

That’s all Vogrid gets to say because that’s when Binny kisses him. Vector makes a surprised sound in the back of his throat at being so abruptly manhandled, but Binny doesn’t let him pull back; keeps kissing him and kissing him until he’s smiling so hard that it’s impossible to keep doing so.

You did that for me?

"Thank you," he murmurs breathlessly, humming appreciatively as one of Vogrid’s hands comes up to ghost against his cheek.

"I only wish I’d done it sooner," he admits with a small sigh, green eyes roving across his face wistfully, "...I wish I’d done a lot of things sooner." That feels like an invitation, so Binny helps himself to the empty space in Vogrid’s lap. It’s a little awkward given his size and chair’s lack thereof, but Binny’s pretty good at improvising if he does say so himself. "Maybe things could have been...different."

He doesn’t elaborate; there’s enough regret in his expression that he doesn’t need to. Binny lets his arms fall slack around his neck, leaning heavily against Vogrid’s body as he sighs aloud.

"You wanna know something, Vector?" he remarks pensively, "It’s hard to explain, but these days it feels like things are? Different, I mean. Like they don’t always have to be the way they were. Who knows? Maybe one day it’ll be fine. Maybe my precious baby sister will get to marry a nice, rich soldier and get spoiled with gold and jewels."

It’s a nice thought; his little sister not having to work late into the night the way she always has.

"...You’d really want your sister marrying one of those fools?" Vogrid scoffs wrly.

"Touché."

"In that case," Vogrid prefaces, and Binny glances his way, sensing hesitation. Feeling Binny’s gaze, he pushes his glasses up his nose and says, so matter-of-fact, "I suppose it will be up to you to marry into a noble family."

Now, surely Binny’s heard wrong.

"I suppose it will be," he says carefully, eyebrows drifting higher and higher until they’re sliding into his hairline, "I sure hope I can find some handsome nobleman to take care of me~" At that, Vogrid cracks a smile; one of those small, fond smiles where the mere curl of his lips somehow softens his entire face. It’s a rare thing, and Binny is proud to count himself amongst the few who get to glimpse it. One of the few who can bring it out of him.

"I will, Binny," he tells him, voice pitched so serious and so stern that to Binny’s ears it sounds an awful lot like a promise.

"Vector," he says, breath catching in his throat as he pulls back to look him in the face; expression one of disbelief, "...If you’re choosing now to joke around I’m gonna be so mad at you."

"As if I would joke about something like that," Vogrid snorts, looking offended that Binny would even suggest such a thing.

True. Vector’s never been much for joking.

Not daring to believe what he’s hearing, Binny swallows.

"...But I snore," he points out, more for something to say than anything else. Vector looks unsurprised.

"I know that."

"...And some people think I talk too much."

"They would be correct."

"And even so?"

Vogrid huffs out a small, dry laugh. " Even so ."

"...But..." It’s not often that Binny is lost for words, and with eyes like his he’s not accustomed to being caught so unawares, "...Vector...I’m a just servant."

"Don’t be a fool, Binny," he reminds him, and settles him with a firm look as he leans in to kiss him, "You’ve never been just anything."

It’s amazing how even after all these years, Vogrid Vector still has the capacity to render Binny speechless.

...

The realisation that it’s finally happening –that he’s finally going home –still hasn’t quite sunk in. It’s something that they’ve talked about; something that Khobi knew was going to happen since the day he first arrived here, but despite having had so much time to prepare for the inevitable, everything suddenly feels like it’s happening so fast. It was the right decision to leave as soon as possible, obviously it was; it’s just that when he told the princess this morning over breakfast how much his family missed home he never imagined that only a few short hours later he’d be preparing to leave for real, setting aside what he’ll take away with him.

Bongo had advised that he pack light, but he needn’t have bothered. It’s both strange and a little sad that for having spent the better part of a year in this place, Khobi has such precious little to show for it. He’s accumulated what he would consider almost an excessive amount of clothes, yet everything he owns still somehow manages to condense down into a single trunk; the same single trunk he’s always had. Most of the clothes he’ll have to leave behind; what use will he have for all the fancy clothes that Rogard bought for him while he’s on the road?

They’re all still folded up nice and neat from the last time Binny had them washed and tidied away. Some of them Khobi’s never even worn, and as he sets them aside he finds himself feeling a little guilty for that. He’s still convinced they look terrible on him, but Rogard had been so excited to take him out and dress him up and throw his gold around.