Lick Me Up If You Can Novel (Completed) - Chapter 63

Koi’s eyes gradually widened. Ashley looked at him and laughed self-deprecatingly.

“Yeah, that’s right. You understand now, don’t you? If this continues, I might turn you into an Omega. Get out right now.”

“Ash…”

“Get out!”

Ashley shouted again. His mind went blank again, and his vision blurred. He couldn’t guarantee how long he could maintain his sanity. If he lost control again, he wouldn’t be able to stop this time. Then, then I, I…

Would really… Koi…

Suddenly, Koi bent his knees and hugged Ashley. Ashley was startled and held his breath. From above, Koi whispered.

“It’s okay.”

He held Ashley’s head tightly and continued.

“It’s okay, Ash. I’ll be fine. Because I, I…”

He bit his lower lip. He had to say it. He opened his mouth again, but his voice was terribly shaky.

“I can’t smell.”

“…Huh?”

A bewildered sound, even to his own ears, escaped him. To Ashley, who belatedly gasped and blinked, Koi continued.

“I can’t smell anything. I can’t smell your pheromone scent at all…”

Koi carefully released his arms and bent down to meet Ashley’s gaze. Finally, facing him, Koi hesitated and raised his hand. Ashley let his absurdly small hand caress his cheek. To Ashley, who was only looking at Koi, Koi said.

“So it’s okay, I’ll stay by your side.”

He even managed a difficult smile, but Ashley still couldn’t believe himself.

“…Go, I’ll lose control again.”

He forced himself to hold his breath and spoke as calmly as possible, but Koi didn’t back down.

“It’s okay.”

“I might rape you.”

“It’s okay.”

Koi said again.

“I want to be by your side.”

“Ha…”

Finally, Ashley was exhausted. He rubbed his face with one hand and muttered weakly.

“Why aren’t you leaving…”

He no longer had the confidence to maintain his sanity. But he also didn’t want to hurt Koi. Just as he felt trapped in a dilemma, Koi opened his mouth.

“If I go, you’ll be alone.”

Ashley stopped moving. He slowly lowered the hand that had covered his face and looked at Koi. An expression of disbelief was clearly etched on his face. Koi smiled faintly and hugged him tightly.

“Let’s stay together, Ash.”

Ashley was silent for a moment. He couldn’t even move. His mind was hazy, and his mouth was endlessly parched. In the continuous thirst, he felt only one thing. The body temperature transmitted by the small body holding him now was all Ashley could perceive.

He slowly raised his hands and carefully embraced Koi’s body. As if responding to it, Koi also hugged him tightly. At that moment, the tip of his nose tingled, and Ashley’s vision blurred. He slowly hugged Koi back. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. After hesitating several times, he finally confessed.

“I like you, Koi.”

The tears that had filled his eyes flowed down. Ashley closed his eyes and hugged Koi even tighter.

Ah, finally.

He thought. Finally, I am no longer alone.

This small being in his arms was his whole world. He would never, ever let go. Ashley vowed repeatedly.

Koi, I like you.

I like you, you.

So.

Tears flowed again.

Never let me go.

A cool breeze blew from outside the window. Koi, who had fallen asleep lying next to Ashley on his bed, suddenly opened his eyes at a sensed presence. Ashley muttered like a groan, frowning.

“…Koi?”

Koi quickly grabbed his hand and replied.

“I’m here, Ash.”

Ashley sighed in relief and drifted back to sleep. Koi watched him breathe deeply again, then sighed and laid his head back on the bed.

Only the first day had been violent. Afterward, throughout the entire presentation period, Ashley often lost consciousness, and each time, he would search for Koi, as if rambling. Then Koi would immediately reply, “Yes,” and hold his hand.

While he slept, Koi diligently searched the house for a first-aid kit, disinfected the wound on his arm, and bandaged it. He was surprised and a little bitter that the simple first aid he learned in school came in handy at a time like this, but anyway, he stayed by Ashley’s side the whole time, except for very brief moments when he left to get drinks and food.

He vaguely realized that he wasn’t going to school and hadn’t contacted home, but he felt it didn’t matter. Right now, Ashley was more precious to him than anything else.

It’s peaceful…

Koi lay on the bed with Ashley, watching his sleeping face, and thought. Outside the window, bird songs occasionally chirped, and bright sunlight filled the room. The cool breeze, while clearing his mind, also made him feel endlessly lighthearted. Koi carefully brushed away the hair clinging to Ashley’s face and thought.

I wish this time would last forever.

There was no drunken father, no grueling part-time job, no need to stay up all night doing homework. How wonderful it would be if only such peaceful times continued.

But that didn’t happen. Two days later, Ashley, who had suddenly fallen into a deep sleep without losing consciousness, finally opened his eyes after nearly ten hours.

His head was clearer than before he lost consciousness. Ashley slowly lifted his eyelids and was bewildered for a moment by the unfamiliar sensation. Not only his mind but also his body felt light as a feather. It was the first time he had felt so elated.

But what pleased him most was something else. The moment he opened his eyes, the first sight that came into view made Ashley automatically smile brightly. As if sensing his presence, Koi also woke up. Ashley smiled and whispered to Koi, who was blinking his still sleepy eyes and looking back at him.

“Koi.”

“Ash…”

He didn’t even have time to ask, “Ash, are you okay?” Ashley immediately hugged Koi tightly. Trapped completely within his arms, Koi only blinked. He vaguely knew that this time, Ashley was different from before.

Has his presentation ended?

Just as Koi was about to ask, Ashley suddenly showered him with kisses on his cheek, nose, and lips several times. When he lifted his head again, Koi was blinking in bewilderment.

Ashley laughed again. His chest was full of affection for Koi, overflowing. Ashley firmly believed that there could be no stronger certainty about each other than this.

After showering, they headed to the dining room. Ashley ate as if he was going to empty the entire refrigerator, and he actually did. Koi tried his best but only managed to finish one hamburger and about half a plate of salad.

Ashley took care of Koi’s school and home issues. In fact, he only made one phone call, and his secretary, who already knew about Ashley’s presentation, had already taken care of things in advance. However, she hadn’t expected Koi to be with him, so Koi’s attendance, grades, and contacting his father were added.

-“Is your friend okay? To have been with you throughout your presentation period…”

To his secretary’s suspicious question, Ashley replied nonchalantly.

“He’s fine, he didn’t present as an Omega.”

-“I see, that’s a relief.”

The secretary added.

-“If your friend had been caught up in it and presented as an Omega, Mr. Miller wouldn’t have been too pleased.”

Ashley hung up the phone without replying this time. He didn’t bother to mention that Koi couldn’t smell. He didn’t know why, but he decided that there was no need for anyone else to know about Koi. It was enough for Ashley alone to know.

“Ah, Ash.”

As they went out to the garden, Koi, who was already swimming in the pool, turned around. He had thrown away his ruined shirt and was instead wearing a T-shirt and swim shorts Ashley had given him. The T-shirt was too big to make much difference, but the swim shorts, which he had somehow found from when he was in elementary school, fit reasonably well.

“Did you have fun?”

Ashley, who followed him into the water, easily caught up and asked. Koi, who was pulled along by Ashley, who naturally wrapped his arms around his waist, put his hands on Ashley’s arms and opened his mouth.

“Uh, uh-huh. Um… did the call go well?”

To his cautious question, Ashley replied gently.

“Yeah. You don’t have to worry about school or home.”

He rubbed his nose against Koi’s, an Eskimo kiss, and chuckled softly.

“Isn’t your boyfriend amazing?”

“Huh? Uh…”

Koi hesitated, flustered, but Ashley didn’t notice. Right now, he felt like he was floating on air. After the terrible presentation, paradise awaited him. He thought if such happiness awaited him, he wouldn’t mind presenting ten more times.

Ashley, who lifted Koi high by his waist in the water, burst into laughter again. “Ugh!” Koi screamed without realizing it and hastily put his hands on Ashley’s shoulders. Ashley smiled at him and said.

“I like you, Koi.”

Koi’s eyes trembled widely. Ashley looked at him with great anticipation, waiting for the same answer to come from him. Hurry and say it, Koi. Hurry.

Say you like me too.

“I…”

Koi’s mouth opened with difficulty. Ashley felt as if he could hear his own wildly beating heart right next to his ear, and he stared at Koi’s lips without even blinking.

“I, …”

Koi said something. At first, Ashley didn’t understand his words. Ashley, who had only been staring, still smiling, asked again.

“What did you say? I, I didn’t hear you properly.”

Koi looked down at him with a face that looked like he was about to cry. A heavily trembling voice flowed from his mouth.

“I don’t like you.”