Please Wait Until Spring

Translator: Clover

Editor: Scarr

Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!

Chapter 12: I want to be an algae in the bathtub.

When Davis heard his words, he blinked a few times.

“Oh, I understand.”

Then he was flashed one of the brightest smiles Rick had ever seen on the man’s face.

“I’ll wait until spring.”

Rick’s cheeks slowly flared up as he stared at Davis’ mirthful face. His head started spinning as well.

He wondered whether the catalyst to this muddled strait was the soaking they’d done in the hot water or the series of conversations they’d had earlier.

‘……or both?’

Mulling over it internally, Rick looked away from Davis, still fixedly red. He sank into the hot water till the tip of his nose was submerged.

“Ah! Geh-geho-ah”

Because he was in a daze, the hot water had entered his nose and mouth, making him tear up. But Rick could care less about that. 

With tears in his eyes, he hurried to get up and distanced himself from Davis. The hot water surged out of the tub as he stood up.

“Whoa-geh, cough… uh-ah, naked…?”

“Well, we’re taking a bath after all.”

When Davis saw Rick needlessly hiding his chest, he tilted his head, as if to say – What are you talking about? 

‘It is a bath. If you’re going to take a bath, you’re going to take off your clothes.’

Rick knew that Davis was probably giving him a bath as a way to warm him up, since he’d found the other buried in the snow. If Davis had just left him alone in the bathtub, the unconscious Rick would have just drowned. So, Davis must have come in to support him.

‘We’re men, there’s nothing strange about that. I should be thanking him here.’

“Awwo-awwu”

“Are you imitating a… dog?”

Davis had just told Rick earlier that he liked the little beastman. He was simply reluctant, embarrassed to show his naked body to someone who had confessed to him.

But it was inconvenient to say it out loud, so Rick had no other choice other than keeping his mouth shut.

“I’ve warmed up, so I’ll be leaving now…….”

He crept closer to the edge of the bath and said in a quiet voice, to which Davis nodded.

“Well, that’s fine. I’m going with you too.”

“Eh!?”

“What?”

They both turned to each other with puzzled looks on their faces.

“Then, I’ll stay here a little longer.”

“Okay, then me too.”

“Wha…!?”

“What?”

Again, they faced each other in shock, and kept staring at each other in awkward silence until a drop fell from the ceiling and into the bathtub, breaking the still atmosphere.

“Isn’t it pointless if we go together?” Rick asked Davis, who looked equally confused.

“We can’t be together?”

Rick felt troubled, cursing himself for making the situation even more awkward. He swallowed his words and kept silent. 

‘If I go with him, I can see him when he gets out of the water… fully naked…’

Davis had a strangely extravagant look of naivete on his face. He genuinely looked like he was asking, ‘Since we’re in the tub together, why don’t we just get out together?’

Rick got the vibe that he was saying something weird, causing him to slur his words.

“Is it only me who is, ugh… conscious?”

“Conscious?”

After blurting out the words, Rick was somewhat flustered. He placed his hands on his rosy cheeks to deceive Davis.

“No, it’s because… Davis, you said that you…… really, really like me.”

“Yeah, I love you.”

“N-no, that’s why… I’m saying that!”

“I’m embarrassed to show you my naked body.” Rick shouted, which gradually trailed off to a faint voice as he sank back into the hot water.

“But it’s true. I like you…”

“ –No more…”

Rick kept his face buried deep in his hands. 

‘I’m sure that I’m red upto my ears…’ Rick restlessly thought.

‘Whatever it is doesn’t matter anymore, if I stay here, I’m going to boil.’

“It’s fine. I have enough sense not to attack you when you’re naked.”

“…Oh, hey!!”

“I’ve already seen you naked before I bathed you. And I’ve seen you naked multiple times before that as well.”

“Huh!?”

Rick had no way to rebel against these words. He was speechless, not sure of what to say as he averted his head to the side. But nonetheless, Davis continued nonchalantly.

“you’re a bad sleeper, Rick.”

“What…?”

“You always move around in your sleep, pulling off your clothes, stripping your pants.”

“??”

Rick shuddered when Davis looked up and placed his hand on the squirrel’s chin as if remembering something. This is exactly the turn of events that he hadn’t expected.

“You came into my room in your underwear after a bath.”

“Eh? Ah!?”

‘I don’t remember such a thing. I don’t remember at all.’ 

Rick’s tail puffed up and his hands shook anxiously.

“You don’t remember?”

“……Yeah…”

“Do you remember biting at my ear?”

“E-Ear…”

“Do you remember taking a bite out of my ear and complaining that it wasn’t too soft, or licking my cheek and complaining that it wasn’t sweet?”

“Soft, and sweet…”

“And that you climbed up and down my body?”

“Oh, yeah….”

“I was so surprised when I woke up to you clinging onto my legs.”

“Oh –Oh.. ah…”

Words no longer came out. Rick merely repeated the ‘ahs and ohs’ like a broken record, sinking into the bathtub again, wanting to bury a hole to hide himself. 

‘I’m sinking, I’m sinking. I want to become a piece of algae in the bathtub. I just want to melt and disappear.’

In retrospect, Davis could have been lying or joking, but it was not implausible either. Davis would never tell such a lie. Even Rick knew that.

In other words, these events were, in fact, real.

“Rick, you’re drowning.”

Davis, who was in the water, put his hand under Rick’s arm and lifted him up.

Rick hung his head dejectedly, water dripping from his body.

“I-I am sorry for the trouble……”

“Nothing you did was troublesome for me in any way.”

Davis looked like he was having none of it. From his point of view, he was simply stating facts.

In any case, Rick realized that it was more embarrassing to be conscious about being seen naked, so he quietly left with the man. 

Davis wrapped Rick in a towel, dried his hair, and put on his pajamas.

“You were lying in the snow for quite some time.” Davis grumbled, “It’s no wonder your body can’t move properly.” 

Rick couldn’t deny him, he had been so shocked by what happened in the bath that he had indeed gone limp.

Davis carried Rick straight to his bedroom and gently laid him on the bed. By the time the latter realized that it was Davis’s room, he was already surrounded by the larger man’s arms.

“Huh!!”

Davis’s soft sighs made Rick look up at him.

“Davis…?”

“Rick is in my arms again.”

The words were so disarmingly passionate that he could tell that Davis was happy. Rick curled his toes together a couple of times, feeling a strange sensation around his hips. 

“When I read the note, I thought my heart was going to stop.”

“… I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I kissed you despite knowing that you were in a daze at the time.”

Rick’s tail puffed up. His stomach felt itchy and his cheeks felt hot. For some unknown reason, his eyes were moist.

“….Davis.”

“Rick.”

Orange shades of the indirect lighting illuminated Davis’ black hair and his masculine, sturdy face. The face that usually gave off an intimidating aura, seemed much softer right now.

“Are you still spacing out right now?”

“Huh, no…?”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Ueh-eh!?”

“I want to kiss you.”

Rick’s hand on Davis’ chest made the man’s rapidly beating heart quite evident. It felt like a bell was hitting the palm of his hand.

“Do I have to wait until spring to kiss you?” (Clover: Stop…don’t be hasty!)

“No,no, no…. Spri…spring…” ¹

“Rick.”

“Uuuh….”

The hand on his cheek made Rick’s eyes wander. His body swayed slightly as he closed his eyes and lifted his chin.

Davis, who had his hand on the smaller beastman’s face, understood his intention.

“Rick.”

He didn’t know why he’d closed his eyes, or why he lifted his chin to accept the man either.

As he listened to the ecstatic voice in his ears, Rick realized that his own heart was beating just as fast as Davis’. It was so loud and strong that he could hear the thumping behind his ears.

It was as if he was in love.

There was still time until spring. He didn’t have to accept it right now. This kiss didn’t hold any meaning yet.

‘Why am I…’

Rick felt a soft touch on his lips as the back of his ears turned scarlet red.

The passionate yet unreciprocated kiss was so gentle, so soft, and so warm.