"What are you doing here? I thought you were..." He sighed and shook his head. "Never mind."
Diamond looked at him with moist eyes, his voice trembling.
"I was scared... I want to sleep with you."
Change opened his eyes a little and, seeing Diamond standing by the bed, looked away somewhat doubtfully.
"I don't think that's a good idea," he finally murmured.
Diamond took another step, holding his stuffed animal to his chest, looking at him with those big, trembling eyes.
"Please..." he whispered, barely audible.
Change let out a long sigh, giving in. He pulled back the covers a little and made room for him beside him.
"Come in."
Diamond climbed in slowly, crawling until he was next to him. He curled up into a small ball, hugging the stuffed animal and breathing a sigh of relief.
"Good... stay on your side of the bed," Change said, lying down on his back. He put the gun on the nightstand, away from both of them, and tried to relax
Silence filled the room. Only the soft sound of Diamond's breathing could be heard, growing ever closer. As Change began to close his eyes, he felt the little one stir, seeking warmth, until he was hugging him and resting his head on his outstretched arm.
"That's not your side of the bed..." Change murmured, too weak to truly scold him.
He gazed at his face for a moment, serene, almost childlike. Then, with a soft sigh, he let exhaustion overcome him, falling into a deep sleep with Diamond asleep beside him. The next morning, Change awoke with Diamond still in his arms. He was holding her tightly, almost without realizing it. She, however, slept peacefully, oblivious to the pressure of his embrace
Change rubbed his face with one hand, trying to clear his head. It had been a long time since he'd slept so soundly, and his body reminded him of it with a low growl that escaped his throat. That small sound was enough to make Diamond open his eyes.
The doll sat up slowly, yawning slightly, and brought her plush toy close to brush against Change's cheek, as if she wanted to wake him up playfully. Change looked at her with a tired expression at first, but ended up letting out a sigh and a faint smile.
"Come on, get up," she said in a deep but gentle voice. "Put on one of those pretty outfits we bought yesterday. I'll go make breakfast."
He got up immediately, almost hurriedly, and left the bedroom. He needed to move, to do something... or simply find an excuse to clear his mind.
After a few moments, Diamond reached the kitchen, having left the stuffed animal in the bedroom. She peeked through the door, just with her head, to look at Change, who was already preparing breakfast. She was now wearing a pale pink knitted dress with long sleeves and a high neck.
"You look good," Change commented casually, handing her a plate of breakfast. He, at the same time, took a sip of coffee.
Diamond nodded gently and turned to go to the table. However, when Change looked up, she found that the dress left a good portion of Diamond's back exposed. The surprise was such that she gasped, inadvertently spitting out her coffee through her nose.
Diamond, who had just put the plate on the table, turned around in alarm when she heard him cough. She ran to him and took his hands in concern.
"Are you okay?" she asked quickly, her eyes wide.
Change wiped himself as best he could with his sleeve, not caring that his shirt was stained
"Yes, yes... it's nothing," he replied with a suppressed laugh, straightening up and trying to regain his composure. Well, it seems I'm the one who needs a change of clothes now.
Diamond nodded and let him go so he could change in peace. As he walked away down the hall, Change thought with a slight, tired smile:
"Now I can take advantage and get a jacket for Diamond... damn seamstress."
After changing in the bedroom, he returned with a relaxed gait and, without saying anything, placed a jacket over Diamond's shoulders, taking him by surprise.
"It's for the cold," he said simply.
Diamond nodded, putting his hands in the sleeves. It was a little big on him; the sleeves almost completely covered his hands, which brought an amused smile to Change's face. Then he knelt in front of him, carefully folding the sleeves until they were adjusted to his size.
"That's better," he murmured when he finished, giving him a light pat on the arm
Diamond looked at him, slightly blushing, and then they both sat down at the table. This time, Change ate breakfast calmly beside her, enjoying the quiet peace that had settled between them. After breakfast, Change cleared the plates and approached Diamond, leaning slightly toward her and resting his elbows on his knees.
"Now I can explain how the economy of this town works," he said in a calm voice.
Diamond nodded attentively, her eyes sparkling with interest.
"You see," Change began, "here we use three types of currency. The most common is the bronze coin, the one with the lowest value. Then there's the silver coin, which is worth one hundred bronze coins, and it's the most commonly used for everyday transactions. Finally, there's the gold coin: a single one is worth five hundred silver coins... and, in bronze, the difference is too great to count."
Diamond's mouth fell open in surprise, trying to imagine such a difference.
Change watched her for a moment, expressionless, just making sure she understood.
"With that handful of gold coins you have, you could live comfortably for many years without working... but that's not what you want, is it?" she said in a low, direct voice.
Diamond looked down for a moment, thoughtful, before gently shaking her head
"Good," Change replied, sitting up. "In this town, everyone contributes something. It doesn't matter if it's a lot or a little, everyone plays a part. You don't have to decide now," he added in a softer, almost protective tone. "You'll have time to do it. I'll take care of helping you."
Comments (0)
See all