Nesh: soft; delicate; tender
In which Khun is just so soft for Evolet. Aka Khun's been whipped for her since long ago and his team knows that.
Khun Aguero Agnis did not organize this date. To be exact he had planned a classic date, going to the movies before the dinner reservation at a certain fancy restaurant that had a great reputation for their dessert. Except when he told Yunuen all he got in return was an unimpressed look.
The next thing he knew Yunuen had made several phone calls. And his date plan was abruptly changed for a picnic at this Floor's famous lavender field which Yunuen had somehow booked for the remainder of the day. At this point Khun wasn't even surprised that Yunuen was also the type who likes to pull connections like Evolet did.
But he couldn't exactly complain when he saw those blue-violet eyes brighten up like one of her biggest wishes had been granted. No sooner when the words "lavender field" escaped his lips, Evolet's expression had lit up with indescribable joy. It was as if those were the magic words that he needed to say to get her to open up to him.
The soft grin on her lips still remained as they stopped by the nearest picnic goods shop. She picked the food for their picnic with the utmost care, making sure to ask for Khun's opinion as the bluenette stood beside her with a fond look on his face. After a little bit of insisting on Khun's side, he finally paid the bill on his own instead of having Evolet pay for it. Their little shopping fiasco had taken a while, but at least now they were on their way to the lavender field even if it was a little late into the afternoon.
This was probably the first time Evolet ever sparked small conversations willingly on a walk with someone rather than spending it in comfortable silence. Khun indulged her thoroughly, bantering lightly on topics that other Regulars would find not relaxing in the least. Evolet was a good conversation partner for Khun who preferred mind boggling topics, and he appreciated that.
And needless to say for the team members who were trying to spy on them… well, they were blown out of their minds. The members of Sweet and Sour were gaping like fishes as they stared at the pair. They've never seen Evolet as carefree as she was right now, talking gleefully without restraint. The Khun who would usually train them like a cold-blooded demon was gone without a trace, replaced with the soft side he long reserved for a certain purplette.
Khun's teammates were also beside the members of Sweet and Sour, seemingly unsurprised by any of these events. After being by Khun's side, they've learned of one unspoken fact about their leader. How he'd uncharacteristically be in a good mood the moment one yearly package would arrive alongside a letter and how he was more lenient with the team on those days. From the start Khun already had that special treatment for Evolet and his team knew it well, the fact that Khun was whipped for her a long time ago. He was a simp really.
Though they really liked the fact that Khun was much easier to deal with on such days, especially when he agreed nonchalantly to whatever ridiculous thoughts the team had when he was in a good mood. In other words, the yearly package day was their chance to get any of their absurd ideas approved. Khun would only groan exasperatedly whenever one of their shenanigans went hilariously wrong and he was left to take care of the aftermath.
Evolet gazed fondly at the endless horizon of lavenders around her, seemingly lacking visitors other than her and Khun. It's been quite a while since she got the chance to relax like this, since FUG kept demanding Bam to climb faster and faster. Though the fact that there were no one else other than the two of them here means Yunuen must've done something. He probably told Khun that he reserved the field or something. Evolet was willing to bet that there will be a property deed form sneaked into her share of paperwork later on.
"Yunuen-san probably forced you to bring me here, didn't he?" The playful exasperation was clear in her tone. Khun looked almost amused more than anything, an eyebrow raised teasingly as he asked how she figured it out. Evolet chuckled lightly as she helped Khun set up the blanket.
"I've been wanting to go here for a while now, but I only told it to Yunuen-san. Besides… the lack of people and this gave it away." As she said that, Evolet put her Lighthouse on visible mode and showed a certain document to Khun.
Khun's cobalt blue eyes widened as he saw what she showed him. Displayed on the screen was indeed a property deed form just like she guessed. Evolet sighed as she shook her head in fond annoyance. "He really needs to stop buying properties out of the blue. Doesn't he know he's going to throw the management into chaos if he does that…"
From Evolet's tone it sounded like something normal instead of a questionable thing. The amount of Points on the receipt was astounding even for Khun. He could somewhat understand what Hwaryun meant when she said Evolet holds a considerable amount of political power. His eyebrows were twitching at her nonchalance, but in the end he sighed and let it go. He was talking about Evolet after all, the word "normal" was never in her dictionary.
He would say it was more of a relaxing hangout rather than a romantic date at the moment, though neither of them minded it. A soft blue blanket was spread on the ground, on top of it were platters of various picnic foods though mostly dominated by sweets. Small conversations were made here and there as Evolet brewed her signature lavender tea, which made Khun wonder why she had hot water inside her Lighthouse in the first place. He unconsciously smiled at the familiar scent, seemingly having a unique touch to it despite being surrounded by lavenders all around.
"You really like lavender, don't you?" He already knew the answer, from the lavender scent she always had, the excitement in her eyes when they arrived here, to the cup of lavender tea that was warm in his hands.
"...yes, I do." But it never hurts to ask especially if he could see such an expression from her. The way she gazed at the purple landscape like it was something extremely dear to her, seemingly at peace and unaware of whatever hardships await in the future.
At some point Evolet took out the freshly cut lavenders she bought near the entrance, carefully crafting a flower crown as she hummed softly. Khun was more than happy to watch her delicate fingers weave through the stems, feeling awfully domestic for some reason as he settled down by her side and listened closely to her sweet tune.
"Did you know, Khun-san? In flower language, lavender means purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace and calmness."
The skilled Lightbearer let out a low hum of confirmation at her words. Evolet looked at him curiously as he leaned in closer and brushed her bangs away. Inwardly Khun wanted to sigh at the lack of flustered reaction she was showing, despite how usually others would already be swooning for him. You'd think she'd be blushing from the close proximity, but she only blinked and stared back at him confusedly.
But he wasn't about to give up so easily. Khun took a lavender and gingerly tucked it behind her ear, inching closer to whisper deliberately with a husky tone. "It suits you."
Well whatever he was doing was working, slowly but surely going from how Evolet's blue-violet eyes widened and her fingers paused from weaving the flower crown. He didn't give her a chance to regain her composure. Evolet's breath hitched as Khun caressed her light lavender hair, delicately taking strands of her hair. He relished in how Evolet seemed much more embarrassed as he pressed her silky locks to his lips, all the while keeping eye contact with a teasing glint in his sharp cobalt blue orbs.
Evolet flushed a pretty red, unable to look into Khun's eyes. She murmured a small "thank you" under her breath, blood rushing to her cheeks and the tip of her ears steaming. Khun thinks it's absolutely adorable and smirked for all it's worth. This time it was his victory.
After properly calming down and having Khun back away a little with chuckles, they settled back to the previous relaxing atmosphere. A neatly done lavender flower crown was nestled nicely on Khun's head, the bluenette unable to resist Evolet's smile and expectant look when she offered him matching flower crowns. And he's definitely not taking it off any time soon either.
Evolet on the other hand, encountered a small problem. Her high ponytail got in the way and as a result she couldn't wear the flower crown properly. She stared at the crafted crown with a look of disbelief and betrayal.
"Pft–" Khun seemed to be enjoying every moment of it.
"Khun-san…" And Evolet wasn't impressed in the slightest.
That being said, he decided to not tease her too much this time round. "Here, let me help you."
Evolet looked at him confusedly as he moved to sit behind her, opting to stay silent and see what he'll do. Now that he was properly paying attention, he noticed how the hair tie was actually his bandanna. The edges of his lips quirked up to another smile as he untied the blue fabric. Evolet's light lavender hair unfurled easily, luscious and silky smooth just like Khun expected. He once saw the hair products Evolet used and that was enough to tell how much she cherished it. If using a 100.000 Points shampoo wasn't a sign of that, he didn't know what was. Not that Evolet paid a single Point for it since Yunuen is the one who usually sends said products.
He took her left hand with care, tying it around her wrist loosely before pulling back. "...you should wear it more often."
"If Khun-san said so then I will." She answered it in a heartbeat, making Khun freeze up for a split second. Honestly, the things Evolet does to him… He just wanted to slam his head on a wall and groan in exasperation.
One thing that he quickly discovered was that Evolet highly resembled a cat. The purplette was purring as Khun ran his fingers through her hair, eyes closed as she let out a content sigh and leaned on him. She'd long worn the flower crown, her hair braided to the side and decorated with lavenders, courtesy of Khun and his hairstyling skills.
The atmosphere was oddly enough soothing for Khun who wasn't used to affection in the first place. The gentle swaying of the wind, the rustling of petals, the soft breathing of Evolet. It was comfortable enough that he could get used to this at some point. He had no idea what was it about Evolet that made him lower his guard, considering he's seen what she's capable of and by no means did she look harmless… Well technically she does at the moment, but Khun knew better.
In the first place he didn't understand what was it that compelled him to actively search for her after the Floor of Tests. The time they spent together back then was only several months at best, the same goes for Bam until that incident happened. She was interesting, but did that really make her worth it to chase for years? 7 years may not be long by the Tower's standard, but it was no short time either. His team may not be aware of it but he had searched for Evolet's whereabouts like a singular fixation, grasping at each and every single possible clue only to end up with empty hands each time.
He remembered his own reaction when he finally reunited with her again. The shock and disbelief that she appeared before him after all that time without a trace. The relief that hit hard once he registered her presence. The longing as he felt her warmth in his hold, the desperation of never wanting to let go of those bejeweled eyes. What was it about her that made him so obsessed?
As if sensing his thoughts, Evolet's head tilted backwards slightly before her eyes fluttered open wordlessly. The shine of sunset was perfectly angled, showering the lavender field in an ethereal glow. And the scene was flawlessly reflected in her blue-violet orbs. But what took his breath away was his own reflection shown in those very same eyes. He was enraptured by the depths of night in her gaze, endlessly a comforting dark and the small gentle shine of the stars. Would it be greedy of him to say he wanted to be the only one reflected in her eyes?
He inwardly sighed, thinking how illogical it was. How does one make another feel at comfort anyway? It was an unknown answer to him and… Khun was undoubtedly intrigued and curious. Others may fear the unknown, but Khun would rather see the possibilities in it. Or to be exact, he was drawn to the unknown. It was in his nature as a Lightbearer and a ruler after all.
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her as close as possible and buried his face in her hair. He sighed contentedly at the sweet relaxing fragrance of lavender. One true fact was that she was present here, safe in his hold. And Khun will never be the one to let go of his jewel.
Evolet gladly leaned in, completely relaxing into his embrace. Her eyes were half-lidded, content and satisfied with their position and the atmosphere. "Khun-san… is a really warm person, isn't he?"
Khun looked up slightly, the look in his eyes spelling playful confusion. Evolet only smiled as she continued to speak, gaze focused forward. "After that test… you tried to honor Bam's last wish, didn't you? Seven years, and you didn't forget about us even though Bam was proclaimed dead and I disappeared on my own. You even went as far as making a new team."
His arms tightened around her, head propped on top of hers lazily. "You promised that you'd come back, didn't you? Besides, I did it for my own gain and revenge, for my own selfishness."
Evolet chuckled teasingly at that, knowing Khun would never admit the truth so easily. Not that she minded it either way. "Khun-san is still kind though. After all, you helped us to escape from FUG even though you didn't need to."
"That's because I couldn't let her off after all that she did. An eye for an eye, I wasn't going to take it lying down."
She huffed lightly at his stubbornness, more so in amusement more than anything. Her voice came off in a playful tone as she placed her hands over his in the hug. "Yes, yes. Khun-san is a selfishly kindhearted person then."
Going by the entertained scoff he gave, it looks like Khun wasn't about to argue back with her. Goodness knows what it'd take to get her to take back that comment. Evolet chuckled at her small victory, snuggling further into Khun's embrace with a giddy grin. Her next words took Khun completely by surprise. "Thank you, Khun-san. For existing and being by my side. I look forward to climbing the Tower with you again Aguero."
Khun's eyes were wide open, he was left breathless from her simplistic yet straightforward words. She didn't refer to him by his position nor anything of the sort. She didn't call him by his family name, having no care for his status or wealth. He wasn't Khun, he was simply Aguero and nothing else in her eyes. He was who he was to the truest of sense, and he relished in that feeling. If only she knew how greedy and egoistical she was making him.
"I also look forward to climbing the Tower with you again Eve." There was a continuation to his words, one that he uttered in his heart alone as his lips moved soundlessly so that she wouldn't hear it.
'And thank you, for keeping your promise and coming back to my side.'
A peaceful smile bloomed on Evolet's expression as heard his reply, watching the setting sun. Entranced by the beauty of gold and orange hues that painted an awe-inspiring landscape. The color of the sky blended gorgeously with the shade of lavender, a nearly violet tone decorating the horizon and causing the scenery of a purple sunset. The two of them were certainly lost in the moment. Except one was enjoying the panoramic view of sunset while the other was appreciating the presence of a certain someone in his arms.
A/N:
Next week is already the last chapter before the epilogue— And boy am I glad I finished it lol
Yeah... I was actually planning to draft a jjk book during the... Short break before I publish Book 2 of Muse. Except... I forgot in about 3 or 4 more weeks I have the finals... And my Uni admission is on August. So we'll put that jjk book off for a while— I'll finish Book 2 of Muse first then I'll write that jjk book. Well on the bright side now you know what'll I write after this whole tog book is done.
Tbh I've only planned this whole plot until Book 2. Since tog is still in a hiatus and I dunno how the plot will go and all. So probably after Book 2 I'mma focus on the jjk book first as I see how the canon tog plot will unfold. That's all— have a nice day/night dear readers~