Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 126

Garam, who had been in a deep sleep, furrowed his brows.

“Uung….”

Scrunching his face in displeasure, he groaned and tossed and turned. Something was firmly binding his body.

But merely wriggling a little did not bring him any comfort. In the end, with a frown still on his face, Garam opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was someone’s bare chest.

“Gasp….”

Startled by the unexpected sight before him, Garam sharply inhaled. At the sound, the body that had been holding him tightly started to stir slowly.

“Mm….”

The person’s voice rumbled low in their throat, but instead of letting Garam go, they tightened the arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him even closer.

Though their voice was subdued, Garam knew exactly who it belonged to. Only then did the memories of the previous night flood back, and the tension in his body gradually melted away.

Noticing the change in Garam’s movements with ease, the person holding him chuckled softly and spoke.

“Did you sleep well?”

As he asked, he placed a brief kiss on Garam’s hair. Unable to form a proper response, Garam simply nodded. He could feel the heat rising to his face, making it impossible to lift his head. What’s more, under the blanket, their bodies were still completely bare.

Unaccustomed to such a situation, Garam had no idea how to even look at the other person.

In the end, he rested his forehead against the other’s shoulder, staying there. He could feel the faint tremor of a chuckle through their skin, but he refused to lift his head.

“Are you planning to stay hidden like this?”

After a brief hesitation, Garam lightly shook his head.

“Then how about showing me your face now, hmm?”

Coaxed by the gentle words, Garam finally raised his head slightly. The first thing he saw was Sa Muheon’s smiling face.

It was the softest smile he had ever seen from him. The gaze directed at him, as if looking at the most precious thing in the world, made Garam want to lower his head again. But before he could, Sa Muheon pressed his lips against his.

Chup—.

“Uhat.”

“There’s that smile.”

When Garam let out a short laugh, seemingly amused, Sa Muheon, pleased with the reaction, continued to plant kisses all over his face.

The gestures naturally brought memories of the previous night to mind. However, unlike the night before, when unrestrained desire had been openly displayed, Sa Muheon now only placed light, affectionate kisses on him.

Though he had been a little awkward at first, Garam soon grew accustomed to the kisses, responding with a comfortable smile.

Inside the sunlit room, the soft sounds of kisses and playful laughter blended together for a long time.

Sa Muheon kissed Garam to his heart’s content before finally letting him go, albeit with a lingering look of regret. He even clicked his tongue lightly, but he did not forget what needed to be done.

“How’s your body feeling?”

“Mm….”

Hearing the question, Garam let out a vague chuckle. Ever since waking up, his waist and other areas—places he had never felt pain before—throbbed with a dull ache. But he had no intention of confessing that to Sa Muheon in detail.

“Tsk….”

However, Sa Muheon, quick to notice things, seemed to have found his answer in that ambiguous smile. Clicking his tongue, he propped himself up and lifted the blanket slightly.

“…….”

“Mm….”

Garam’s exposed body was a mess. Anyone could tell at a glance that he had gone through a rough night.

The red marks scattered all over his skin, along with the dried traces of bodily fluids, were laid bare. Sa Muheon was momentarily speechless at the sight.

Even though he had been in rut, he realized he had pushed Garam—who had never experienced this before—too hard. The fact that it had also been Sa Muheon’s first time with Garam didn’t matter at all. Especially considering how young he was.

For a brief moment, a wave of self-reproach made his vision blur, but leaving Garam like this wasn’t an option. Regaining his composure, Sa Muheon carefully pulled the blanket back over him.

“You need a bath. Wait here for a bit.”

With that, Sa Muheon got out of bed. Garam lay still, quietly watching him move.

Then, as his gaze landed on the chaotic red scratches across Sa Muheon’s back, he quickly averted his eyes. That was a secret only he would know.

Leaving the room, Sa Muheon entered the bathroom with the bathtub and started filling it with warm water. Once he confirmed that the temperature was just right, he returned to the bedroom, only to be met with an endearing sight.

Despite the short time he had been gone, Garam had fallen asleep again.

Seeing him sleeping soundly on his bed filled Sa Muheon with a deep, overwhelming sense of affection.

Moving carefully to avoid disturbing him, Sa Muheon approached the bed. If his arms were in better condition, he would have lifted Garam into his arms and carried him, but given the circumstances, he had no choice but to wake up his beloved little squirrel.

Yet, even so, he found himself reluctant to do so.

As he sat gently on the edge of the bed, Garam remained fast asleep.

“Mm….”

As if caught in a dream, Garam smacked his lips softly, making Sa Muheon stifle a laugh.

Watching Garam sleep peacefully for a moment, Sa Muheon eventually leaned down.

“Time to wake up.”

He placed a tender kiss on Garam’s cheek and gently wrapped his fingers around the hands clutching the blanket. Slowly, Garam’s eyes fluttered open.

As soon as their gazes met, Garam, still heavy with sleep, smiled brightly.

Unable to contain the overwhelming affection in his heart, Sa Muheon rained kisses upon him once more.

By the time Garam, giggling, wrapped his arms around Sa Muheon’s neck, the two of them were finally able to rise from bed.

“Haa….”

Gararm, sprawled out on the living room sofa, let out a long sigh. Seeing him so utterly relaxed, Sa Muheon smiled and held out a glass in his hand.

“Here, drink this.”

“Thank you…”

Gararm obediently accepted the cup he was offered. Just holding the cool glass in his hands made it feel as if the heat in his body was dissipating a little.

He had thought he would simply be washing up, but he hadn’t expected to end up bathing together with Sa Muheon.

When he exposed his body, still bearing the traces of the previous night, under the bright bathroom light, Gararm had been overwhelmed with embarrassment. And when he noticed Sa Muheon’s gaze gradually darkening, he realized—before he knew it, they were at it again in the bathroom.

And now, this was the result.

As he gazed at Gararm’s cheeks, still flushed with lingering heat, Sa Muheon brought the cup he was holding to Gararm’s cheek.

“Ah…”

Gararm flinched at the sudden cold sensation against his skin, but soon, finding the coolness pleasant, he relaxed and sank back into the sofa.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay.”

His voice was brighter now, as if he really did feel much better. Sa Muheon carefully examined Gararm to make sure he wasn’t overexerting himself before speaking again.

“It might be a little late to say this now, but—”

“What is it?”

“Acting the way you did yesterday was dangerous.”

“Ah…”

Gararm hesitated for a moment at Sa Muheon’s words but then nodded slowly, as if acknowledging that he was right.

“Still, thanks to you, my rut passed quickly. Thank you.”

“W-what for…”

Gararm mumbled, his cheeks turning red. Sa Muheon chuckled and scooted closer to him. As Gararm fidgeted at the reduced distance, Sa Muheon gently took his hand. Gararm squirmed at first but soon settled down.

Sa Muheon intertwined their fingers, lacing them together one by one. Gararm’s face grew redder and redder, but Sa Muheon paid no mind. He held on tightly, as if he had no intention of letting go, before finally speaking.

“Does what you said yesterday still hold?”

“What do you mean…”

“That you wouldn’t regret it.”

At that, Gararm finally lifted his head to look at Sa Muheon. There wasn’t even the hint of a smile on his face. Instead, he wore an expression of rare tension.

Seeing that Sa Muheon was just as nervous as he was, Gararm finally let out a small laugh.

“Of course.”

At Gararm’s confident response, a faint smile finally appeared on Sa Muheon’s lips.

“I knew yesterday that it could be dangerous. But… I couldn’t just leave the person I love to suffer alone.”

Gararm didn’t get the chance to finish his words.

Sa Muheon pulled him into a tight embrace, burying his face into Gararm’s shoulder. Overwhelmed by the way the man completely filled his arms, Gararm gently wrapped his arms around Sa Muheon’s back.

They stayed like that, wordlessly holding each other.

Only after a long while did Sa Muheon finally whisper, ever so softly.

“…Thank you.”