When the afternoon hours arrived and they were finally home, Diamond put on her new clothes. Among the garments, she found the list of exercises Hitsuji had left for her, so she excitedly went out into the garden, skipping as she walked. She stopped in the middle of the lawn and opened the sheet, reading it silently.
She didn't understand a thing. They were names of exercises she didn't know, so she turned around and went back inside the house with the same skipping gait, without changing a step.
She looked for Change until she found him in his bedroom, sitting at the desk and using his cell phone silently.
"I didn't know you had a phone," Diamond commented, approaching.
"So... you have a power generator at home?" she asked immediately, remembering that it required electricity to use it.
"Yes, of course," Change replied, leaving his cell phone on the table
"Do you watch cartoons?" she asked, leaning forward a little more to look at the screen. She only caught a glimpse of text and a conversation that didn't interest her.
"No, no... I use it for work," he replied.
Diamond looked at him, confused, waiting for an explanation.
"Among many other things, we explorers bring supplies that we buy in other cities," Change explained patiently. "Transportation is too expensive, and the village needs materials, food... basic necessities. This way we ease the financial burden."
Diamond's mouth fell open in understanding, a small sound of surprise rising in her throat.
"I don't understand these exercises," Diamond said, holding up the sheet of paper with both hands and showing it to Change.
"Which ones don't you understand?" he asked, taking the paper.
"None."
Change looked up at her and remained silent for a few seconds before standing up. Without another word, he accompanied her back to the garden.
"I'll teach you," he offered, reading the first exercise.
"Thank you!" Diamond replied happily
Change crouched down to his level and began explaining the movements. At first, the exercises reminded him of gym classes on the ship: touching the tips of his shoes with his toes, stretching his arms backward, simple things.
But after a few basic stretches, Change told her to sit on the floor. Diamond obeyed... until she felt his hand on her back, pushing her down and forward. She squealed instantly, resisting with her whole body.
"Resisting only makes it worse," he said calmly.
"You're going to rip the seams!" Diamond complained.
"The fabric on rag dolls is much more elastic than you think," he explained patiently, trying to reassure her.
But Diamond, like a restless puppy, began to scratch, bite, and squirm until she was free of his grasp. "You brute, you donkey, I don't want your help anymore!" she shouted impulsively before running off toward the bedroom.
Change let her go without stopping her. He stood there in silence, later looking at the homework sheet.
"We've only finished a third of the exercises..." he muttered thoughtfully
Diamond hid under the covers after locking the door. His limbs, his back, his whole body ached. He didn't feel well; this had nothing to do with the routine exercises in the ship's classes. He closed his eyes, annoyed and exhausted, trying to calm himself. But only a few minutes had passed when he heard Change knock on the door. Then he heard the doorknob move, even though Diamond hadn't given permission to enter.
"I don't want to see you!" he squealed, still in pain.
"Diamond, please... we won't continue training, at least not today. But let me in," Change pleaded. There was a note of sadness in his voice that Diamond hadn't expected. He groaned, defeated, and forced himself to sit up. He reluctantly opened the door.
Change was there, holding a medium-sized box in his hands.
"I brought some candy from a nice shop downtown for dinner," he explained. Diamond looked at him in surprise, not understanding how he had gone and returned so quickly... although, of course, Change could have used his technique
"I'm sorry, I should have warned you that some exercises hurt," Change continued.
Diamond looked away, puffing out his cheeks in obvious disgust.
"So how about this?" Change said.
He didn't finish the sentence. He leaned toward Diamond and placed a slow kiss on his cheek, on that soft, smooth skin that seemed to invite touch. Diamond's eyes snapped open, truly surprised this time. Heat rose to his face, tinging it with a flush as he lay motionless, caught in the moment. Long, silent seconds passed, his heart racing uncontrollably, as if he still didn't fully understand what had just happened.
Change barely smiled, a minimal gesture, a slight movement of his lips that lasted only an instant before Diamond's voice reached him.
"Let's have dinner," she requested.
Change nodded immediately. At least Diamond had put that little conflict behind him and agreed to join him. They walked together to the table; Diamond sat down as Change served him a generous slice of cake and a glass of milk. Then he served himself a smaller portion and sat down opposite Diamond, watching him with relief at seeing him somewhat more recovered.
After dinner, Change got up to clear the dishes and tidy up the things they had used throughout the day, which had piled up in the kitchen. Diamond got up a little later, intending to retire to his own bedroom. But before he could take the first step, Change's voice stopped him.
"You won't leave me alone now that I've gotten used to sleeping with you... will you?" she asked, drying her hands as she turned to face him.
"We've only slept together a couple of times," Diamond reminded her, trying to downplay it
"And they were the deepest, most restorative dreams I've ever had," Change admitted without hesitation.
Diamond watched him, and those words made it hard to refuse.
"If it really is a comfort to you..." Diamond agreed reluctantly.
Change placed a hand on his back and gently guided him toward the bedroom. Once there, they climbed into bed and snuggled under the covers. This time Diamond didn't move closer on his own initiative, so it was Change who moved toward him, wrapping his arms around him in search of that quiet nighttime contact.
"That's not your side of the bed..." Diamond murmured before closing his eyes, though he made no attempt to push him away
The next day, though a little quieter than usual, Diamond accompanied Change to the small explorers' quarters, the place where they met, trained, and took on missions. It was a medium-sized building, nothing particularly impressive, but equipped with everything they needed. Change walked at his own pace, matching Diamond's steps, who hadn't let himself be carried that morning.
At the entrance, they found Hitsuji, Diamond's new teacher and trainer.
"Hello, Diamond," she greeted with contagious energy.
Diamond barely smiled.
"Hello..." he replied.
"Hi..." he replied.
"Change, a colleague wants to talk to you. He's waiting for you upstairs," Hitsuji announced.
Change looked down at her, uncertain.
"Don't start without me," he requested before leaving.
Hitsuji and Diamond silently watched him until Change turned the corner and disappeared.
Then she took Diamond's hand.
"Come on," she said, leading him down the hallway.
"But... Change said..." Diamond began.
Hitsuji didn't let him finish.
"Get out from under your boyfriend's skirts," she blurted out as they walked on.
Diamond blushed instantly.
"He's not... he's not my boyfriend," he muttered, embarrassed. He didn't add anything else.
They arrived at an empty room, filled with training equipment. The atmosphere was spacious and cool, and the echo of their footsteps resonated among mats and apparatus
"We'll start with some basic warm-up exercises. The clothes I gave you look good on you," Hitsuji commented.
Diamond smiled slightly, not very enthusiastically, but appreciating the gesture.
They began with simple stretches, the kind Diamond could do without difficulty. Then Hitsuji led him to a treadmill.
"Did they have these on the ship?" he asked.
Diamond nodded.
"Yes, but I was never interested in using them. I guess it's time to try," he replied.
Hitsuji nodded naturally. He took his hand to help him up and guided him until he was centered on the treadmill. The workout was just about to begin.
Hitsuji set Diamond running on the treadmill at a moderate speed, while silently starting the timer. Diamond had run before on the ship, but not much, so after a few minutes he was already starting to feel the accumulated fatigue. His eyes searched for Hitsuji, who was watching the stopwatch without saying a word.
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