3. Blooddebt | ✓

42.7. Sound of Love

All the stories that he told her left her in awe by how much he had seen from the realm. His world was amazing wide and filled with boundless adventures. That was why it confused her when she tried to figure out what he meant when he wanted to understand her world and the soundless bubble she lived in. There was nothing magical and incredible about a normal person like her. Everything that he saw within this space was her, every scene that he witnessed in the small village of Sarein was her whole life and this was just how small her world was as compared to his. 

In front of her, Arell unwrapped the scarf on his neck and wrapped them in it, he was beaming when he said, "You've been knitting this since the morning and the scarf is long enough for both of us now." 

Now that he mentioned it, Willow looked towards the unusually long woollen muffler. A funny smile broke in her expression and all of a sudden she felt his hands on both sides of her waist, his fingers wiggling as though he was trying to tickle her. Her back straightened in reflex, her eyes widened in surprise and she quickly grabbed onto his wrists to stop him. Arell stopped, but a playful glint danced across his eyes when he requested, "I want to hear your voice again." 

Willow shook her head nervously and looked towards the man in front of her. He leaned closer to her and there was always a weird feeling fuzzing in her chest whenever he got close. Her gaze moved from his eyes and traced along with each sharp and perfect feature of his face. She slowly loosened her grip on his wrists and carefully landed them on his broad, lean shoulders. Arell was much taller when he stood, but so close whenever he lowered himself to sit on the floor in front of her. His hair was dark and the colour was as deep but she was sure that the strands would be extremely smooth when tangled between her fingers. His eyes were too magnetising to continue staring at and she felt his chest rising and falling against her palm with each enunciation when she looked towards his lips that moved in the shape of her name again, "Willow." 

She also wanted to call his name in return but not being able to hear her own voice only made her insecure and afraid. She wondered if her voice sounded scratchy or squeaky; loud or mellow; husky or well-toned. What if it sounded bad and he didn't like the way I say his name? Even when she was scared, her lips parted slightly when she tried to spell out the sounds to his name inaudibly. He waited patiently until his head turned sharply to the side and she followed his gaze to find Mikheil at the door. Her guardian was enthusiastic as ever but the liveliness quickly faded when he gaze narrowed towards them and Willow finally realised how close she had leaned into Arell. 

Mikheil frowned, folding his arms in front of his chest. His lips moved a little too fast for her to read whatever he was trying to say. Judging by his body language, she only assumed that he had to be talking in an agitated tone again. Arell was giving him a funny smile, chuckling occasionally and she grew curious about their conversation when their emotions were incongruous. Willow reached for Arell's arm and tugged on it slightly to grab his attention. He turned and smiled at her gently while ruffling the top of her head with his palm, showering her with his usual tenderness. 

Her face heated at the gesture and it reminded her of a few days ago when he wanted to learn how to tell someone that they're adorable in sign language. There were different ways and for one of it, Willow explained to him that from a man to a woman it is to ruffle the top of her head gently. Since then, he had been doing that to her way too often. Even now and moreover, in front of Mikheil. 

After a few exchanges, the two men later went out of her house and Mikheil told her that he was bringing Arell to his house for a while. Willow became confused about everything that was happening. Looking out of the window, towards the direction of Mikheil's house, she only wondered what they had to talk about without her involvement.