Chapter 230: Prepubescent questions?

"Hey, uh... are you still annoyed by all of this?"

Blake asked, scratching the back of his head.

To be fair, he already knew Myles wasn’t exactly keen on the whole situation.

The infiltration itself was one thing, but this particular plan was different.

Blake was going to disguise himself as a woman, attend a masquerade, approach a man he had never met, and deliberately behave in a way that would make it easier to gain his trust.

It was a social setting, not nearly as dangerous on a physical level, but it was still harder to get around, especially since he’ll have to act like the opposite sex.

And besides, Blake might have to flirt.

Myles had been unusually quiet about it.

That was what worried Blake.

Myles looked at him as he closed the door of Blake’s "room" behind him.

"No, I’m not annoyed."

’Liar... well, maybe annoyance isn’t the right term for what he’s feeling, but it’s definitely something of that nature.’

Blake sighed.

He walked over, took Myles’ arm, and guided him toward the bed.

"Listen, it’s not like I need to do all that much. It’ll be fine with that seducing plan."

Myles sat down, looking directly at Blake with a deadpan expression.

He stared back. Then, he leaned forward and hugged Myles’ head, burying it just a little lower against his chest.

"Hey, hey, don’t glare at me like that..."

"I wasn’t glaring."

Blake’s eyebrow twitched, smiling.

"You sure about that?"

Myles looked up slightly.

His expression hadn’t changed much, but his eyes had softened.

"Hey, those puppy eyes won’t work on me!"

"I’m not doing that."

Blake stared at him. Then he reached down and gently pulled his cheek.

"When your eyes look soft, you look cuter than usual. It must be on purpose."

Myles let out a light breath.

Blake smiled.

’Phew. I put him into a better mood...’

He released Myles’ cheek and instead began caressing it.

"Besides, you already let me go to AL-TECH. You had no issues with that."

"I never said I had no issues with that, I simply respected your decision."

Blake frowned slightly.

"That time, you were supposed to go alone because it was a plan you proposed. But because of our shared interests, you ended up having Alexis coming with you, which turned out to be vital."

"Huh? Excuse me?"

Blake pulled his cheek again, slightly annoyed.

"It’s not like I could actually deny that," he muttered. "I agree that without Alexis, it would’ve been fatal, but that was a one-in-a-thousand type of situation, with the flower and all!"

Of course, that was all considering Myles didn’t know the system would’ve simply teleported Blake back.

"I’m not incapable without y’all. I did much more before we started working together!"

"You are capable."

"Well, then what was your point?"

"I know you will most likely succeed. Either partly or completely."

"Yeah, so?"

"Don’t act like they tell you to if it’s not absolutely necessary. You are captivating enough as it is."

Blake stared at him.

For a moment, he was genuinely dumbfounded. Then, his expression slowly shifted into a frown.

"You’re not jealous that I might get handsy with that man, are you?"

Of course, he wouldn’t be happy about that. He couldn’t help remembering the time Myles hadn’t gotten jealous when Blake had needed him to.

"I’m not jealous. But you are reckless, and might end up doing something you’ll regret."

"Well, are you saying I’m incapable of making rational decisions?"

"No, I’m not saying that. But you did extremely dangerous things to get what you had to."

"Um, well..."

"Even if you are sure the possibility of the result you want is high," Myles continued, "it’s still not one hundred percent going to happen."

Blake sighed.

"Must I remind you that the maximum level of recklessness I can achieve is giving the dude a kiss on the cheek or an arm around him?"

"..."

Myles said nothing.

Blake looked to the side, smiling nervously.

’Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have showcased that.’

The silence that followed made him increasingly aware of what he had just admitted.

Eventually, Myles spoke.

"I don’t want you to be in a far too unpleasant situation."

His voice had softened.

Myles gently placed a hand on his thigh, guiding him onto his lap.

"You are strong."

Myles placed a hand against Blake’s chest.

"But you are also human."

He looked down at his hand.

"If that man makes you feel dirty, it could make you suffer later. I don’t know exactly how humans process every experience like that."

His gaze remained steady.

"But I know unwanted physical contact can affect people long after the situation itself is over."

Blake listened quietly.

"You can agree to something at first and then realize they don’t want to continue anymore. Or the pressure could make you decide not to resist that man, in fear of failing."

Myles’ hand remained against Blake’s chest.

"This is exactly how it might play out in this situation."

Blake looked down.

’Ah... now I feel guilty. He was worried about that all along? Can’t even call him a dumbass!’

"If that happens, I don’t know what to do."

Blake looked up.

"I don’t know how to fix something like that. You always push yourself to the absolute limit."

Myles took Blake’s hand, intertwining their fingers.

"I also physically imposed on you in my house, and pushed you that far."

His eyes widened. Honestly, he had forgotten all about it. But being reminded of that time Myles pushed his head out the fifth floor window definitely made him think of the fear he had at the time.

"Ah? Well, no... don’t worry about that, I know why you—"

"I also drugged your food. Even if we know why I did these things, I’m sorry."

Blake froze. Saying sorry to him about those two occurances was definitely touching.

"Myles. I accept your apology, although I did kinda leave it behind us. Also, I promise you, I’m not going too far with this."

His voice was firm, smiling.

"I’ll try everything that I’m sure I won’t regret later. Honestly... who do you take me for?"

Blake leaned forward and hugged Myles.

Myles laid back on the mattress, wrapping his arms around Blake.

’What to do... he really does study humans well.’

His eyes slowly closed.

’Of course he can’t fully understand a full human’s thought process, since his isn’t like that.’

Myles’ steady heartbeat put him at ease.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Blake smiled faintly.

The tension in his body slowly disappeared.

"Anyway," Blake said after a while, "what I should worry about is at least mimicking the poise of a woman."

Myles hummed.

"I think I’m not as refined."

Blake shifted slightly.

"Zlatan is sure able to seduce, but like a man, y’know? Kinda like a two faced guy who then acts like an asshole."

There was another brief silence.

Blake snorted.

"Don’t tell him I said that."

"I won’t."

Blake settled down again.

"When will you get the mask?"

"Tomorrow? Uh, maybe. At most it’s the day after tomorrow."

Myles hummed.

"First you’ll have to get used to having a woman’s body."

"Yeah, well..."

Blake sighed.

"I guess that’ll be awkward no matter how much I train in my true form."

Myles remained quiet.

Then a random thought entered Blake’s mind.

"Would you be able to kiss me if I was in that form?"

"What are you even asking me?"

Blake raised an eyebrow.

He lifted his head until his chin rested against Myles’ chest, laughing.

"Sorry, it’s pure curiosity!"

Myles looked down at him.

"I mean, it’s technically me, but not my body."

Blake continued thinking.

"Actually, I’m curious. Would your human instinct awaken more in that form? Since I’d be a woman and all."

"Humans aren’t programmed to automatically be attracted to women. In nature, sexual attraction isn’t determined solely by biological sex."

Blake hummed, patting Myles’ shoulder.

"So even if I changed my body completely, you wouldn’t suddenly think differently because I looked like a woman?"

"No."

Blake smiled.

"Not that I expected you to have ever thought about a future with someone, or even your sexuality."

He paused, raising an eyebrow.

"But let me ask you this. if I were a woman, it wouldn’t make a difference, right?"

"No."

"Ah, I see."

Blake rested his head against Myles again.

He was quiet for a few seconds.

Then the mischievous expression returned.

"But since you have to be a normal guy in public and all..."

Myles looked at him.

"Have you ever, like, bought magazines and stuff?"

Myles stared.

"In your prepubescent era, I mean."

"Behind closed doors, I don’t go out of my way to be normal."

Blake burst out laughing.

"Is that so?"

He poked Myles’ cheek, laughing quietly.

He liked asking somewhat annoying questions.

Especially because Myles always answered them so seriously.

Blake continued staring at him.

He’d asked about his attraction.

His childhood.

His attempts at pretending to be normal.

It was all pointless curiosity, really.

Or at least, that was what he told himself.

But then his thoughts returned to the gift mission.

Blake’s eyes slowly narrowed.

A tiny smile appeared.

’Wait...’

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Myles looked at him.

"What?"

"Nope, it’s nothing."

Blake’s smile widened.

’I think, maybe, that I have the right gift!’