Descending Into A Novel

Raymond clenched his fists tightly, his mind replaying the scene of a few minutes ago.

Despite his best efforts, the damn memory of holding hands with Ellen refused to leave his mind. Like sinking into quicksand—the more he tried to escape, the deeper he sunk.

Her soft palm, elegant fingers, warm touch,every line and crease on her hand...all of it was practically engrained into his head.

’AHHHHHHHHH!’

Raymond let out an ear piercing shriek inside of his head.

His own heart rate spiked just from remembering it. Something had to be seriously wrong with him.

He let out a deep breath, unclenching his fists.

Next to him, unbeknownst to Raymond. Ellen was going through just about the same thing that he was. That being, mentally screaming as she tried to put out the fire caused by them holding hands.

The aftereffects was truly powerful, even now. The two of them were still trying to overcome this mental problem without showing it to the other.

Even more irritatingly to her however, was the fact that Raymond had a completely still face the whole time!

(He didnt.) 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Raymond had looked away for most of the incident, but now that it was over. While Ellen was fighting with all her might not to show any emotion, so why was his face so still?!

(It wasn’t.)

She closed her eyes, her heart loudly and rapidly thumping. Before opening them again and sneaking another glance at Raymond.

Completely still.

(It really wasn’t.)

With not a single noise inside their cab other then their breathing and the hum of the car. The two were forced to spend the time wallowing in their own thoughts. The silence thick enough to be cut with a knife.

Safe to say, the travel back home was a torturous five minutes. It got so awkward inside the cab that their driver himself looked awkward.

Finally arriving back home after the torturous five minutes, the two of them were immediately hit with another issue.

Their rooms.

While living in the Grace estate, him and Ellen naturally had their own rooms.

It also served as a good opportunity to distance from each other. While they had gotten used to sleeping together in the same bed, doing so after an incident like just now was enough to make Raymond’s toes curl. Digging a hole right through the floor and out the other side of the planet.

Except a certain red haired dragon didn’t like that.

With both Raymond and Ellen holding a different hand, their current situation resembled a certain image from a child education course Raymond had once seen on Earth. With Erin trapped between the two of them, using all her strength in order to pull the two of them back.

This all started just because Erin had been asked which of them she would rather be with for the night. Only for her to revolt and demand the two of them like usual.

First he tried soft communication, "Erin. You have to let go of us."

"No!"

"Please let go of us?"

"No!"

Soft communication didn’t work, and he didn’t feel like using force against her because well.

It just wasn’t fair.

She loudly cried out, "I want mommy and daddy!"

The Grace mansion didn’t have many servants or butlers, but they did have a few. No doubt they had heard the disturbance and were currently reporting to Rayez about their actions as they spoke.

"Should we...just sleep together?"

Surprisingly, it was actually Ellen who suggested it this time.

He stared at Erin, who was still clinging onto the both of them.

Her eyes burned with a red fire, stubbornly clinging onto the two of them and refusing to let go.

"..."

Whatever, Raymond just gave up.

Ellen’s room was similar to his in size, with the same furniture and similar decorations. Luckily her bed was also a king sized bed so it was spacious enough to fit all three of them.

Normally he would have fallen asleep by now, they had gone through this plenty of times at the academy. But perhaps the different environment and the incident just now had done something because Raymond found it extremely difficult to sleep. Borderline insomniac levels of his body refusing to sleep.

Being so keenly aware of Ellen’s presence also made it more difficult, even with a certain curled up dragon in between them. If Raymond stretched his hand slightly, he would be able to poke Ellen’s face. Not that he would ever, but he could.

’Damn it. What is wrong with me today?’

***

Raymond felt like the ceiling was extremely interesting today.

After waking up this morning, the looks that he had received from Rayez and Clara during breakfast...

One was like a drill that practically bored a hole into his skull with how intense it was. His steely gaze practically piercing through Raymond and scrutinizing every particle of his body. Looking as if he had already decided Raymond’s fate inside of his head.

Whereas the other one only gave him a teasing look that screamed ’I know everything’. What she knew was unknown, but it was definitely amusing enough that her eyes periodically flickered between him and Ellen. Her eyes twinkling with a mischievous light.

All the while, Erin ran around their legs completely oblivious.

Raymond had never wanted to so badly escape a breakfast in his life.

A voice broke him out of his daze, "How do I look?"

"You’re wearing that..?"

Snapping back to reality, he stared at Ellen.

Ellen usually had a pretty good fashion sense, according to herself that is. But her outfit today was something that would be considered scandalous back where he was from.

Wearing a white crop top t shirt, paired with a white windbreaker to match and denim shorts. Raymond couldn’t help but stare at her fashion sense.

More specifically, he stared at her exposed midriff.

Stare

"How is it?"

"...it looks good."

Unfortunately, he couldn’t say his real thoughts.

Maybe he was just old-fashioned, but was wearing this really okay for someone like her?

His mind conjured up an image of them in public, frowning at the thought of others seeing her like this.

No this definitely wasn’t okay!

"You need to get out of those clothes."

Ellen:??!

Ellen, who had been looking through her wardrobe for any extra accessories. Stumbled and tripped slightly upon hearing his words, landing on her behind—a small pile of clothes cushioning her fall.

Raymond stood over her, his looming frame blocking out the lights. His face all that she could see as she looked up.

"W—what?!"

Her ears burned, processing his words. She felt her cheeks redden.

He repeated himself, "You need to get out of those clothes."

Standing up and dusting herself off, she took a deep breath. Putting a hand on her chest and feeling her own heart racing.

"Raymond, please explain in full what you are attempting to communicate rather then just say something that could be misunderstood when heard out of context."

He tilted his head. Confused at what she was trying to say.

"I think you need to change outfits. What’s so confusing about that?"

"Just say that instead!"

The way he was currently staring at her, especially the way he kept looking at her exposed midriff as well. Everything about it made it seem like he was trying to suggest something else!

’This damn...’

She glared at him, letting out a roar before lunging at him.

"Ellen wa-

Too late, in only a second. She had already tackled him and put him into an arm lock.

He groaned, his back on the cold hard floor as he tried to squirm his way out. Protesting against her, unsure of what he even did wrong.

"What is this even for!"

"Think before you speak, you damn shadow!!"

Raymond twisted his body, rolling and bending his arm as he tried to escape. Each attempt unsuccessful, being countered by Ellen who just tightened her grip on him and used her strength to pin him down.

Left with no other option, he raised his free hand. Threatening her with his most powerful weapon.

"Don’t make me do it again!"

"You wouldn’t dare."

With Ellen’s leg lying on his neck, he reached out his free hand toward her foot. Ignoring as she tightened her hold on him even more.

This was Ellen’s weak spot! He just had to reach it!

"Don’t you dare!"

She warned him again, desperately using more force as she nearly crushed him.

"Isn’t the concert starting at 9? You’re going to be la-

Just then, the door to Ellen’s room opened. Clara walked in, neither of them had noticed her knocking the door and she was worried over Ellen missing her concert.

But seeing the current situation—the two of them tangled on the ground with Raymond reaching for her foot, and Ellen’s legs across his body. The corner of her lips curled up, eyes glimmering like she had found something amusing.

"Hehe."

She took one look at them and smirked. Before turning around and leaving, closing the door behind her.

"..."

"..."

Raymond quietly put his free hand away, followed up with Ellen letting go of the arm lock.

The two of them stood up, making eye contact for a brief moment before looking away.

"..."

"..."

"Let’s go before we’re late."

"Okay."