"Please… be gentle with me…"
As the words left Nino's lips, Ray was stunned. His mind a mess, with the heaven knows what he was thinking. He suddenly began to feel like keeping Nino inside a room, with all the necessities she needs and locking her in. He was mesmerized, his mind losing his cool; unable to think clearly until Kai's voice break in.
Through the earpiece, Kai's voice came clear and focus;
"Oi idiot, keep your calm. If you lose yourself now, she's just going to think that you are a beast."
Ray quickly came to his senses, but not due to Kai's voice interfering; but it was due to what Kai said at the end.
"She's just going to think you are a beast… you are a beast… a beast… beast…"
The word 'Beast' came ringing in his ears, as he quickly hit himself with the palm of his hand; startling Nino, as well as Mono who was watching the two from the door alongside Kai. While they were startled, Kai was trying not to laugh; until Ray's voice came in. It was controlled, almost too steady. Quieter than usual, with short, careful words as he said;
"I'm… losing it. She's so cute that… I don't know anymore… What am I supposed to do next, Kai…?"
"Pfft-!"
A chuckle escaped Kai's lips, when Mono turned to him and asked if he heard someone's voice just now. To this, Kai just pointed at Ray and Nino inside, putting on a normal smile as his words projected; saying it's probably one of those two. Mono didn't think much on it, slowly turning her attention back to those two, saying the most important thing for her right now is those two.
Kai quietly let a sigh of relief, as his voice reached to Ray; giving him instructions. Ray listened carefully while covering his face, as Nino looked at him nervously; about to reach her hand to him when Ray slowly showed his face.
Slightly flustered, Ray looked Nino at the eye as he slowly leaned closer to her and whispered in a low, hushed voice;
"That cute face of yours… It's driving me crazy for you."
To those words of Ray, Nino slightly trembled, blushing and flustered, while looking at Ray into his eyes. At that moment, only one thought came into her mind;
"Was Ray always like this…?"
Outside at the same time, Mono was covering her mouth flustered while she looked the other way, murmuring if Ray was always like this, just as Nino was thinking. But Kai didn't seem to notice that, as he kept giving Ray more instructions.
"All right, next; hold both of her hands and…"
While Nino was trying to process everything, Ray quietly let a sigh as he reached left hand and pulled both of Nino's arm upward onto the bed as he leaned in to Nino's right ear and whispered in a soft voice;
"Tell me Nino, can I kiss you…?"
Nino was shaking all over, her cheeks bright red as she was trying to make out of the things happening. It felt too fast for her, while from the outside; Mono was carefully observing everything with anticipation while whispering to Kai about every action the two were doing inside.
But it was that moment, when everything had to crumble. By the corner of the hallway, Hiro and Maximus were walking up to their way; discussing on the conflict with the northern empire. The two were emerge in talking, until Hiro looked ahead for a bit noticing Kai and Mono, leaning over to the door of Ray's room; looking inside while trying not to get caught.
Hiro pointed them out to Maximus, as the two exchanged puzzled glances. They decided to walk ahead and see what they were doing.
Back inside the room; the things were getting more heated. Ray and Nino were both looking at each other, few inches apart as Ray was slowly leaning forward; reaching to her lips. But just then, outside by the door; while Mono and Kai were peeking inside, Hiro and Maximus quietly came behind them as Maximus asked;
"What are you doing peeking inside Ray's room?"
To his voice, Kai quickly looked back.
"Uh-oh…"
Kai thought with an awkward smile. But Mono was caught off guard, as she quickly moved to turn back, but her hand slipped and by accident; she pushed the door open.
Inside the room, Nino had braced herself. Closing her eyes, as Ray leaned forward to kiss her when a loud thud was heard. The two turned around to look towards the source of the sound, coming from the entrance of the room. Right there, Mono was laying with her back to the floor. To her right, Kai was in his wheelchair; face palming himself. And right between them stood Maximus and Hiro. Maximus was stun, while Hiro slowly brought his hand to his mouth, covering it as he said;
"Oops…"
A silence fell over the room, with Ray slowly starting to have a worried look, alongside Nino who was confused with how everyone was outside the room. Her eyes landed on Maximus as she slowly called out;
"D-D-Dad…?"
As Maximus heard her voice, he returned back to his senses as he noticed Nino's eyes were slightly watery.
The view in front of him quickly began to process in him, but in a twisted way. From his assumption, Ray must have forced himself on Nino and made her cry. As the imagination came to him, Maximus gritted his teeth; as a powerful-bright aura began to form around him.
To this, Hiro sighed as he slowly began to unbutton his coat saying;
"It's going to be hot now, huh…"
Outside the palace at the same, the gardener was looking proudly at the garden he just finished cutting. By the other side of the palace, the maids were chatting and hanging on laundries. Everything seemed to be going well, until suddenly the temperature began to rise. Everyone outside started to sweat furiously, the garden started to burn as fire erupted, with the clothes just hung by the maids started to burn. Everyone was panicking until Maximus's angry shout roared through-out the palace; screaming Ray's name.
The staff was in an uproar, wondering what happened. While inside, Ray was trying to hide behind Nino; as an angry Maximus glared daggers at him. To his side, Hiro had taken off his coat; fanning himself with it. At that, he noticed that Kai too had taken off his coat and was moving it around him for some air.
The surrounding was hot, temperature rising up as everyone was sweating heavily. A powerful aura kept flowing around Maximus, ready to envelop everything around him into a raging fire. He stood his ground, hands balled into a fist, as if ready to beat up Ray.
Mono, for seeing her father in that state for the first time; started to move back until she saw a figure walking down the hallway.
Unaware, Maximus was still glaring at Ray, about to step inside the room. But at the moment, something hit at the back of his head, creating a sound echoing to through out the hallway; the temperature too began to drop bit by bit, as Maximus fell down and behind him revealed Celestina; in her right hand held a cooking pan as she sighed.
-To be Continued