There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 677: Side Story 3. Stellar Blossom - 12

"No?" Han Joon asked stiffly.

"No," Radia pressed his lips as he repeated his answer, pulling away slightly from his husband. "You shouldn’t do things that will tire you out."

Han Joon tilted his head. "I’m just going to follow you around without doing anything. What’s so tiring about that?"

"It’s tiring," Radia stepped back and turned around with a sigh.

He knew how tiring it was. Even if Joon did nothing, waiting around could feel even more tiring than the one who did the work. In the first place, they knew nothing about Joon’s real limit. How could they define what would be a burden when the man himself had no clear pain level? His one could be someone’s ten, for all they knew.

Radia didn’t want to risk having his husband suddenly collapse again. If Joon’s body broke from playing in the pool with the babies, who knew what would happen while he followed Radia’s busy schedule everywhere?

"I see."

Radia flinched at the dry response. He was about to return to his desk, but he stopped and turned around to see Han Joon walk toward the sofa instead of following him to the desk.

This was new. And that tone...Radia had never heard that tone before. Was he angry? No--Joon was angry when his brother wanted to go to the Tower despite having a pregnant wife. This one...

Radia blinked rapidly while watching his husband back. Despite the stiff voice, that face didn’t show anything. It was just...it was exactly like how he always acted in front of others when he was pretending to be a model soldier.

Oh...he was upset.

Radia widened his eyes. Crap. He never encountered an upset Han Joon before! Angry, yes--but not upset. It was usually him who got upset, and Joon would nicely coax him. In the first place, Han Joon had such a stable emotional state that nothing truly affected the man.

Seeing the husband who had always been all over him suddenly turned quiet, sitting down and reading a book without saying anything, Radia fell into panic.

He used to handle all kinds of people, but even a doctor couldn’t handle their own family members.

"Uhh...Joon," Radia hurried to the sofa and plopped down beside his husband, brain scrambling to salvage the situation. "I’m...I’m not saying you can’t do it at all, just--if I didn’t have many schedules...if I only have to stay in one place like today, I’ll take you with me."

The sound of flipping paper seemed so loud in Radia’s ears. "Is that so? I’m glad."

You didn’t sound glad at all! Radia bit his lips and lowered his head in contemplation. He felt so dumb all of a sudden. What...what does his husband usually do to coax him? Kisses...didn’t seem like the right thing to do. Soothing words...uhh--he didn’t have the low, calm voice like his husband.

Then...perhaps the content?

Radia scooted closer to his husband, touching the man’s arm. Ah...it had been such a long time since he acted cute on purpose--he really didn’t know what to do. How did he used to act in the academy? His perfect memory seemed to be very selective at this moment.

"Darling..." he softened his voice, using a slightly whiny tone. "Should we go for a vacation?"

The corner of Han Joon’s eyes twitched. He turned his head and tilted it slightly as he looked at Radia. "Vacation?"

"Yeah--I mean, a real one," Radia said, lips stretching automatically when Joon was responding in a usual tone. "Just the two of us."

Hosting a summer holiday for their precious family was fine and fun, but it was different from having a vacation just for the two of them. Thinking back, Radia realized that they didn’t really have that kind of memory. Their honeymoon was locking themselves in a hotel, and afterward, Radia was busy with the Deathzone. He thought he would have a chance after that, but he was busy with establishing branches of Trinity and Mortix in the Far East instead.

"Just the two of us..."

The crimson eyes flashed when Han Joon’s voice softened even more, and Radia did not waste the chance. "I’ll make time, and we can go to the Southern Kingdom. Let’s buy a yacht and sail around for a few days," he said while observing his husband’s expression.

Unfortunately, the sparkless black eyes had always been hard to read, so he had no choice but to bulldoze through it.

"Or we can go to the West Republic? It had been such a long time since I was there, and we could visit Mom and Dad. Ah, should we go to the Northern Alliance instead? You’re familiar with the region, aren’t you?" Radia started to sweat when there was no change in those black eyes. "Umm...would you prefer a local site? The resort will only be operated next year, but I think we can still enjoy the beach..."

"How many days can you spare?"

Radia flinched, making a quick calculation in his head. Three days would be too short, right? Hmm...if he left the guild completely in Rina’s hands...maybe a week?"

He looked up and, upon seeing the dark eyes, opened his mouth almost automatically. "Two--no, a month? Yeah--we can go for a month."

Radia changed it fast, seeing the twitch in Joon’s brows. He even scooted closer, pressing himself to his husband, and slipped his fingers inside the man’s palm. Damn--he didn’t think he ever did this, even when he was still a horny little minx in the academy.

Honestly, he felt so embarrassed doing something like this when he was in his thirties, but...who cares? It was to his husband anyway.

But even going to such an extent, Han Joon didn’t look satisfied. "After that?"

"...huh?"

"After spending that month on a vacation, what should I do?" the stiff voice was back. "What should I do if I miss you? What kind of distraction am I allowed to have?"

Radia felt his heart sank. It would be better if Han Joon frowned and got angry instead. But he just sounded...lost. The man already didn’t have much to do after getting out of prison, and even those were robbed of him after he collapsed.

"I...I told you I’ll take you with me if I don’t have to move around much," Radia gripped the cold hand tightly. "Let’s think of something, mm? You don’t have to do it for long--I’m sure we’ll find something soon."

"Soon, huh?"

Radia bit his trembling lips and grasped his husband’s face. "Don’t make this face," he choked on his breath.

He couldn’t--the only reason he could stay calm was because Han Joon kept on a brave face and acted like nothing was wrong. He was initially irritated, but he realized later that Joon’s nonchalant reaction gave him the confidence that everything would be alright in the end. It gave him the ability to focus on looking for a cure.

What would he do...what should he do if Han Joon made a face as if the world had come to an end? Moreover, to look like he had resigned for such fate...

"I’m sorry," Radia felt his heart constricted. "You can come with me, okay? Please don’t make that face," he pressed his lips and lowered his head so he didn’t have to see the black eyes that looked like they were made of a void. "Please--"

The plea was sealed by a pair of cold lips, and Radia couldn’t hold the tears that he only had for Han Joon. His stuttered breath was lost within the soft, heartfelt kiss, and before he knew it, he was already in his husband’s embrace.

"I’m sorry," Han Joon stroked his darling’s back. "I don’t mean to despair--well, I wasn’t despairing in the first place. Just..."

Radia looked up. "Just?"

Han Joon smiled bitterly. "I guess I wanted to act spoiled," he wiped the trace of tears from his darling’s cheeks. "I was bored and frustrated, and...I guess I got annoyed because I can’t see you much these days."

Radia, who had been busy looking for information about an elixir from the Towers, flinched again. He was so busy trying to heal Joon that he neglected his husband in the process.

Han Joon let out a rare sigh as he held his darling’s face tenderly. "I don’t need a vacation," he smiled gently; the smile only Radia knew. "I just want to spend more time with you, darling."

Radia bit his lips again and lowered his head, burying his face on his husband’s shoulder. His heart felt like it was pricked with countless needles. He was disappointed in himself for not thinking more about Joon’s feelings, and he was scared because it felt so ominous. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

Han Joon was good at holding back; how else could he spend eleven years away from Radia? The man could even smile while getting shoved in prison. So when the man went as far as getting upset because of his rejection, Radia couldn’t help but feel ominous.

It was like...someone who wanted to spend his last second with his beloved.

And he was scared because even his rationality couldn’t save him from such a thought.

"Haa..." Han Joon let out a hollow chuckle while stroking his darling’s back. "I’m sorry for acting so childish."

"No, that’s--"

Radia was trying to raise his head, but Han Joon prevented him from doing so. The cold hand held the back of Radia’s head and kept it pressed on his neck. "Just treat it as me acting up, mm? I’ll read more books or play games or something instead, although I’ll be happy if you really take me with you once in a while."

There was so much Radia wanted to say, including lots and lots of apologies. But this time, he merely nodded, making a promise to start rescheduling so he could spend more time with his husband.

For now, he was grateful for the cold lips softly kissing his temple and cheek, letting himself melted by an invisible warmth. He was so drowned inside Joon’s embrace that he didn’t realize his commlink was vibrating.

"Darling, it’s Zein."

"Huh?" Radia dazedly raised his head and stared at his commlink blankly for five seconds before his brain functioned properly again. "Oh!"

Right. Zein said he was going to visit Goddess Frejya.