The Iudex's day off

Chapter 101 - Safe and sound

 "I left that bastard alive, down there with you! What if the water didn't avoid you?! Or what would have happened if he decided to shoot you instead?! Even the seal had broken!"

 In this position, I couldn't see his face, but the slowly growing wet patch on my shoulder and the worsening storm outside said enough.

 "I really am completely useless." He muttered.

 And that was quite a bit farther than I would have liked his mind to wander.

 "You are not useless."

 "I am. I'm useless as your mate. I'm of no use as a father. Even as Iudex I have been nothing but worthless lately. Just today, I abandoned my duties and yet I was late for everything. The children were frightened half to death, Claude is still unconscious from his injuries and I don't even have the faintest idea how you survived, let alone be there to protect you! Tell me, Wriothesley! How am I not useless?!"

 That gave me a lot to take in.

 The girls were frightened but most likely completely fine otherwise.

 Claude is injured but alive.

 And...

 Neuvillette was at his limit.

 "The girls are fine, are they not? Claude should be mostly alright as well, otherwise, you would be far more agitated. I'm completely fine as well. You can even stop worrying about the Primordial Seawater."

 "It staying away from you this time does not make me any less worried." He grumbled.

 "I touched it though and nothing happened-"

 I stopped myself from finishing that sentence but it was already too late.

 Shit.

 I just screwed myself over.

 I left that out of the story for a reason.

 I wanted to talk about that at a later, less hectic moment.

 And just as I expected, our positions quickly changed and now Neuvillette was towering over me, glaring down at me.

 "You did what?!"

 "It was an accident..."

 It kind of was. I'm not lying.

 I don't know what came over me when I stuck my finger into the giant wave that brushed past me.

 That's when it started retreating back into its original place, actually.

 "Like hell I'll believe you! What were you even thinking?!

 "I wasn't exactly thinking about anything-"

 "Wriothesley!"

 Okay.

 I deserve that.

 He was fuming. Understandably so.

 At least he wasn't crying anymore.

 The urge to tease my little dragon rose within me when-

 "You are hereby sentenced to two weeks of sleeping on the couch."

 "W-What?"

 Excuse me?

 What did he just say?

 I must have misheard-

 "You're sleeping on the couch. Try to climb into bed and I'll go home to sleep."

 Hey!

 "Neuv... Neuv dear. Please don't do this..."

 Just when I had gotten comfortable sleeping next to him too.

 That's not fair!

 My cuddles!

 "The sentence is final." He said firmly.

 Without giving me time to protest, he just grabbed me and teleported me downstairs to the couch in the living room. He gave me a blanket, pillow, and finally a small peck on the forehead before disappearing.

 What the...

 This...

 This is totally unfair!

 I want to cry!

 I would much rather he beat me up!

 You're far too cruel, Neuvillette!

 And he said how long?

 Two weeks?

 Nothing even happened!

 I'm completely fine!

 I wriggled around in frustration for a while longer before exhaustion began to wash over me.

 Stupid lizard...or snake...

 Or whatever the hell he prefers!

 Stupid dragon!

 Unfair!

 "Neuvillette... You son of a..."

 "I'm quite sure I've told you many times over that that one is of no use." Neuvillette's soft voice sounded, but Wriothesley didn't hear it, already fast asleep.

 The dragon leaned over the back of the couch, looking down on Wriothesley's sleeping face. He then walked around the couch, sitting down on the ground in front of it.

 "The books the girls read are incredibly inaccurate."

 He slowly linked his fingers with the warden's, making sure the other wouldn't wake up.

 "I banished you to the couch as some characters in them did, but unlike them, here I am, sitting next to you on the ground. Truly an ineffective form of punishment."

 A small bitter smile surfaced on the dragon's lips.

 "After getting used to falling asleep to breathing and heartbeat, how could I do without you? I have become far too dependent on your presence to just have you away from me like this." 

 Quickly all the stress from the day began to catch up with the dragon as well, exhaustion hitting him.

 He shifted slightly, laying his head down on the couch next to Wriothesley.

 "I'll just... I'll leave before he wakes up..."