'Oh my god.' You weren't exactly sure what to expect, but it wasn't this. This man... Or whatever the hell he was, he was... Breathtaking. Moonlight filtered into the room from behind and in front of him, illuminating the edges of his muscular figure and giving him an almost holy glow. Hair like glistening frost spilled over his shoulders in perfect, symmetrical waves. His eyes shimmered like polished glass, twin kaleidoscopes of shifting rainbow hues that made your thoughts go almost quiet. He was beautiful. Unnaturally beautiful. So flawless it hurt to look at him. Like you were staring into the sun. His skin was as pale as porcelain, untouched by any blemish. His smile was serene but carefree. Teeth pure white with soft lips that curled perfectly up. It was the kind of smile that should've made you feel at ease. But oddly, you felt the complete opposite.

You almost lost your footing. Literally, you were blown away from this guy. Your hand grasped the door as you slowly turned away from the outside. "考えを変えたの？素晴らしい！" His voice. Despite the language barrier, it slid through the air like silk, smooth and calming in a way that caught you off guard. There was something in it that reminded you of a mother's cheerful hush, the kind of tone used to smoothe an upset child back into comfort. It didn't feel forced or exaggerated; it just was, as natural as breathing, as if he was born to speak like that. And somehow, even without understanding his words, you felt your body responding to it: shoulders loosening, breath slowing, eyes lingering on his lips just to hear his voice again. It was inhuman. And that only made everything about him even more unnerving. "その混乱を片付ける羽目になったら嫌だったよ。" He looked down and shut the door behind him. He tilted his head back up with that same smile.

You weren't frozen in fear anymore, but in astonishment. What the hell... Was he? Was he even human? I mean of course he is. What else could he be? Some kind of entity? "ひどい顔してるね。まあ、座ってよ。" He took a couple of steps forward until he was stood besides the bed. His movements were flowing, like he was gliding across the floor. For a second there, you thought he was walking towards you; your stomach sank.

That was, until he stopped by the bed and you let out a breath. The room filled with silence after he spoke. You were too busy admiring him, you completely missed the context clues. His hand was a little outstretched to the bed, waiting. It took you a longer moment of silence to realize he was waiting for you to sit back on the bed. When you finally got the memo, your eyes widened and you hurriedly shuffled over. You didn't like the thought of standing so close to someone so perfect. It made your skin crawl. So you rushed to sit down.

He made you seem a little shorter than you actually were. You were tall... Just not that tall. He muttered a few words before he settled himself, sitting criss-crossed next to you. You shifted yourself so your body was facing him. Now that you were close, you were able to clearly see what he was wearing. He was in a long sleeve. A blood red long-sleeve that went up to his neck. So--basically a turtleneck with black drops coming down around his shoulders and wrists. He had large pants on, loose and comforting. With black socks. And a weird... Flat matching hat. Or... Was that just a part of his hair? Wait it is--

"起きてくれて嬉しい！本当に心配してたんだよ? もし起きなかったら、私は本当に悲しかったと思う。" You snapped out of your observations from his shift from a cheerful to glum voice. Uh... Does he think you can understand him? You stared at him. Like you weren't doing that already. 'How do you communicate with someone who doesn't speak the same language as you? Also, is he wearing contacts? Because those can't be his real eyes. Shit, focus!' You slowly started to nod. Simple smile and nod. Classic...

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're saying. I--what are you speaking? Is it Japanese or something? I don't--" You started to speak, uselessly, since he couldn't understand. But you really didn't know how else to handle the language barrier. The moment you did he rose his eyebrows. Which were really fucking thick. You stopped abruptly at his surprise. What do you do? Emphasize? Maybe. "I really want to know where I am." You pointed to the sliding doors behind you and then to the ground. "Where? Here?" You thought you sounded stupid, but then again, he probably didn't understand any of it. But you needed him to somewhat understand. When he didn't say anything, you pressed your lips into a thin line. He smiled and started up again. You're not going to get anywhere like this.

You sighed to yourself. Do you draw him a picture? Once he finished speaking, you tried again. "Can you understand anything?" You made some hand gestures. He looked confused. Or amused. You couldn't tell. Your shoulders dropped as you went to tap your cheek idly. This sucks. You noticed his hand that was drumming against his knee. You didn't notice it till now, but his blue nails were sharp. Razor sharp. He mumbled to himself a little, but it seemed like he was talking to himself. If you were being honest, you were half glad he couldn't understand you. You were scared you'd say something wrong. His beauty made you nervous.

Actually everything about him made you nervous. Not in a very good way either. You just couldn't shake the knot in your stomach. Why was he making you feel so troubled? He tilted his head in thought. He was alluring in a way that felt godly: too pure. There couldn't be anything bad about him, right? It made your head spin with thoughts. His hand lifted to tap his chin, before finally, he lit up. He snapped his fingers and looked back at you.

"Ah! You're in one of the private bedrooms. In my palace! Sorry about that, I haven't spoken any English in a few years!"

You paused. What? Did he just--? You sat up straight as a rush of relief fell over you. He speaks English! "Oh thank god. I don't know how much longer I could go on, not being able to understand anyone." You placed a hand on your chest, where your heart was. A long exhale left your lips. That lifted a lot of weight off your shoulders. "You poor soul, that must have been hard. But it's okay now! You don't have to worry about that anymore." He waved his clawed hand, as if he was waving away that worry for you.

The smile he gave was so bright you found yourself returning it. That just adds more to the 'this guy can't be real' list. He's bubbly but also comforting. You almost forgot the unsettling quality he held. "Could I ask you some questions?" You dropped your hands in your lap, voice unsure. He nodded, "of course! Go on, I'm listening." There was an urging in his voice, like he was excited to listen.

"Do you... Were you there when I passed out in the snow? Or--were you the one that helped me out of the snow, by any chance?" Now that you were thinking about it, how did you actually get here? Someone had to have dragged you through the snow to get you to safety. You doubt they'd be able to carry you, especially in that bad of weather. The thought made you cringe.

"Yep! I was really just wandering around, until I found you. You were in terrible condition, but surprisingly still alive. So I helped you out of the snow and carried you here." That was probably the luckiest thing that's ever happened to you. I mean, if not for him, you'd be dead. The thought made you pause. 'He carried me all the way here? I'm not super surprised. He does look strong.' You glanced over to his buff arm. So if he only found you, he doesn't know how you got there. 'At this point, I don't know if I'll ever figure out how the hell I ended up in the snow.'

"But let's not worry too much on that! That must have been a horrible experience." You had to have put on a face of derealization for him to want to move on so quickly. He tilted his head "How about introductions? My name's Douma. And you?" Maybe it would take your mind off the whole situation. You still felt the urge to to dwell on it. But there was a low chance you would figure anything else out. You stared him in the eyes. They looked way too beautiful to be contacts. But that was crazy. "My name's [Name]."

You looked away after you gave your name. As lovely as his eyes were, you were still technically staring straight at him, and not just the unique eyes. He was in the middle of speaking, but you stopped listening. You turned your head to the door you left open to the outside. Just a couple hours ago, you were home. Now you're... In this guy's house. Your heart throbbed. Is there actually hope of going back home? Wait, what are you saying? Of course there is, you just have to figure out where you are and then go from there. You can't be that far from home, right? You ran a hand down your face.

"It looks like you got a little more to let off your chest. Don't worry, you can let it out. I'll listen, I'm all ears." Seriously? You turned back to him, only to lean back a bit. He was leaning in close now, elbows braced against his knees, holding his face in his hands like a child watching fish in a tank. His eyes were wide, brimming with interest. It made you hesitate. But he seemed genuine. Well there's no harm explaining.

He seemed invested. You dropped your gaze. "I don't know how I got here. Originally in the snow." A shrug rolled off your shoulders. You scratched nervously at your neck, nails hitting the skin a little too hard. "One moment, I'm in my living room, drinking hot chocolate. And the next I'm... here? I don't know, it doesn't make any sense." You left something out, but that didn't matter. You weren't about to tell him you fell.

"I don't understand how any of this is happening. I've come up with all these possibilities, but none of them make any sense. I'm confused and I just want to go back home." The ache in your chest was sharp now, like someone had stabbed you. The sting in your eyes crept up on you, and you felt it for what it was. The quiet start of a breakdown. You weren't exactly the type to cry in front of people. Especially not in front of this guy.

So you swallowed it down like a pill and covered your face with your hands, trying to make your desperation disappear behind your own fingers. Douma shifted, maybe straightening up, or maybe just reacting. You couldn't see. "That must be so hard for you. I wish I could give you the answers you need." He sighed, drawling his empathy out like he was reciting a line he'd been waiting to use. Still, somehow, he managed to sound cheerful.

You lowered your hands and looked up hopeful. It sounded like he had more to say. And the look on his face confirmed that. "But you're in luck." He continued, "I know exactly what will help." He opened his arms. Cheery expression with his palms out. What? You blinked, your eyes dragging from the space between his arms to the dead center of his chest, then back up to his face. "Come on. I don't mind! It'll help, I promise." He's serious. Uh, not to be rude, but you're not laying a single hand on him. Was it because you knew you'd be tense and timid? Yes.

But also because he was still a stranger. You didn't want him holding you. You don't even know him! "You... You want me to hug you?" you asked, baffled. You really didn't believe he was for real. He saw your hesitation and leaned in, giving a quick wink. "Don't be intimidated now. It's just one small hug. So don't keep me waiting, I know you need it!" His tone turned light, playful, but it did nothing to hide the pressuring edge underneath. Did he just--he just winked at you. Okaay... That made it look like had more planned. "And that's it?" You questioned, skeptical. He nodded, "Yep! それと、君の骨を砕いて、吸収から逃げられないようにするためさ！"

"...You just switched languages."

"Did I? Woops! That's my bad, like I said, I'm not used to speaking English." You rose your brow. Something about what he said, made it seem like it wasn't an accidental change. Either way, you brushed it off and looked back at his chest. You didn't really like that part of you was already giving in. It wasn't because of his reasoning, and certainly wasn't because of trust. It was just the ache of needing somebody. Anybody. So, reluctantly, you got on your knees and scooted forward. That uneasy feeling about him got worse. But it was just a hug. Although it didn't feel like it was just going to be a hug. It felt like you were handing over more than your arms.

You shoved it down and opened your arms. Wait, where do you put your arms? You awkwardly decided to wrap them around his neck. His muscles snapped around you in return, giving you a squeeze. Jesus. His body was as cold as ice. You flattened your palms against his back. It felt like your hands were back in the snow. He also smelled good. Really good. Like snow and something faintly sweet. And he was strong. Stronger than you expected. If he wanted to, it felt like he could crack your spine like a glow stick. "君、結構大きいからさ、全部吸収するには時間かかるよ。我慢しててね?" He turned his head to mumble something into your ear. He was too close, his lips scraped against your ear. You wanted to move your head away, but with how squished he had you against him, you couldn't.

Okay what the hell? 'This just got fucking weird. What the hell did he say? It kinda sounded like he was reassuring me. Honestly? What fucking ever. I'm going to enjoy the hug. His body feels nice.' Despite his peculiar antics, you melted into his figure. You rested your head on his shoulder, and you gave a half-hearted squeeze, unsure if it was even appropriate anymore. He gave you one back, a hard squeeze. It hurt. You stirred back. But he didn't budge. He was practically crushing you. "You're squeezing me way too tight!" You wheezed out. He was constricting air from going into your lungs. You were having a hard time breathing. 'This isn't nice, I take it back! Why did I think it'd be nice?! Because of his body! Well, fuck--I change my mind, let me go!'

You tried tugging yourself away. Did it work? No. He was like a statue. The only thing you were able to do was slide down. Barely. You were able to breathe a little better now. Your head was on his chest. This was freaking you out now. Why won't he let go? Why is he squeezing you so tight? And what did he say earlier?! You wanted out, but the hug remained tight and uncomfortable for a while longer.

'Just give him time. He's not actually going to crush your bones! That's impossible!'

Ba-dump.

'Maybe he's... You know what? I have no excuse to make up for him.'

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

'...Is he nervous?'

Finally, for what felt like eternity, he let his arms go limp. Immediately you pulled away, falling back onto the bed. You took a couple breaths to regain yourself. Your heart was also beating pretty quick, though it was out of the fright he gave you. You're not even sure what the hell his reason was. But you're betting it wasn't a good one.

"Woah." You turned your head back to him, glaring. He was staring back at you, but it didn't seem like he was all there. He was staring into a void. Like he watched someone tear off a limb. You wanted to say fearful, but he looked more dumbstruck. "What the hell is wrong with you?! You almost crushed me!" You yelled angrily, your body feeling sore from the way he tightly held you. But he didn't respond. He kept staring at you. You rubbed your bruised side. "Hello? Asshole--"

"I hope you're feeling better now!" He interrupted you suddenly. His voice was bright, as if nothing happened. You looked at him in disbelief. That irked you more. "No! I'm not!"

"Because--I need to go. I'm sure you're hungry, so I'll have someone prepare you something. It was wonderful meeting you [Name]!" He completely ignored your comment and stood. Just like that, he was gone. He walked off so fast you didn't register it until the door had slid shut behind him. You stayed sitting, truly speechless. A part of you was glad he was gone, but the other part of you wanted him to stay so you could yell at him some more.

You clenched your hands into fists. Everything about him just got a whole lot weirder.

Translations:

1: "You changed your mind? Wonderful!"

2: "I would've hated it if I ended up having to clean up that mess."

3: "You look terrible. C'mon, have a seat."

4: "I'm happy you woke up! I was really worried, you know? If you hadn't woken up, I think I would've been truly sad."

5. "That, and, to crush your bones so you can't escape my absorption!"

6. "You're pretty big, so it's gonna take time to absorb all of you. Hang in there, okay?"