#tkdb ed

As soon as he entered the room, his golden eyes immediately found MC. He hurried to meet her, tense, shoulders stiff, before his voice broke low and angry:

“Who let you get hurt?”

MC blinked. “Hurt?”

“You smell like blood” he snapped. “Don’t hide it if you’re bleeding!”

MC flushed crimson. Rui froze, his eyes wide looking at her, pen hanging midair. A second later, realization dawned and color shot up to the tips of his ears. Clearing his throat, he ushered Lyca toward the door with a very thin smile.

“Don’t worry. I’ll explain later. For now, let’s give her some space,” he said firmly. Next he practically shoved Ed out into the hall, then returned to MC with gentler hands– making herbal tea, draping a blanket over her shoulders, apologizing for not noticing earlier, and teasingly offering his own room before settling her into a guest bed instead. Whatever made her comfortable made him happy. He'd deliver the files for her.

That night, Rui found Lyca again. The conversation was stern but full of care: girls are sensitive about certain topics, and he was lucky MC is kind and understands it's not his fault not knowing things. Lyca nodded, both of them a little red-faced. He left feeling a bit confused but relieved it hadn’t been a "real" wound.

Walking back down the corridor, he crossed paths with Ed outside their rooms. Ed gave him a low glance, lips curving in a way that wasn’t quite a smile.

“Don’t worry too much,” he murmured. “Though… is that really all your nose picked up?” Then he slipped into his room, door shutting softly.

Alone, Lyca frowned. He thought back.

Flowers (always flowers).

Blood, yes, but mingled with the faint bitterness of medicine.

Something sweet– maybe chocolate? and hints of soap and shampoo.

It was all tangled together, dizzying. She smelled good. She was good. A few times she had asked to pat his head or touch his ears, and it felt nice, so he let her. She looked happy and said it was soft. He thought her hair looked soft too, but Rui and Subaru had warned him about touching other people, especially girls. Still, her hands were gentle, and she was kind. And her skin looked even softer–

A tremor shot through him. Heat pooled low in his body, sharp and undeniable. He looked down, eyes widening in horror. This wasn’t like before. Before, it was just instinct, just release– something Nero told him he could choose to give in to or ignore. Lyca was used to his werewolf nature betraying his humanity in the past, but this was his body betraying him as a whole. His breath caught.

It felt wrong. They weren’t like that. He wasn’t like that. He tried to shove it away, to deny it, but the images tangled in his mind: her scent lingering warm on his tongue, the softness of her hands, the way her hair caught the light. He hadn’t wanted this. His heart pounded like a hammer, the beat echoing, his skin damp with sweat. The ache gnawed at him, twisting something gentle into something guilty. And no matter how many times he told himself to stop, the heat stayed. His body didn’t listen. His hands moved on their own.

From the other room, Ed smiled.