After Transmigrating, I Raised Cubs in the Insectoid Clan - Chapter 20

Samuel’s hand paused in mid-air, eventually coming to rest gently on the back of Suter’s hand.

“As long as you are happy,” he said in a warm voice. “Let us eat first.”

Suter did not move.

Instead, his arms tightened further, locking Samuel in an embrace like chains, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. His chest pressed firmly against Samuel’s back; with every breath, their bodies became more inseparable. Stray strands of hair brushed against Samuel’s cheek, bringing a heart-pounding itch that felt like a subtle invasion.

“After this meal is over,” Suter’s voice was muffled against Samuel’s shoulder, his lips grazing the skin almost imperceptibly, “is today’s date officially over?”

Samuel’s fingertips tightened on his fork, the chill of the metal seeping into his bones. He speared a piece of glistening Suye fruit and held it to the lips of the man behind him.

“Yes.”

The monosyllabic response sounded abrupt in the quiet kitchen.

“How many dates does it take?” Suter asked persistently. What he truly wanted to ask was what would happen to him once all the dates were finished.

Would he be tossed aside like an opened gift box?

Samuel pressed his palm against the cold kitchen counter. The chill seeped into his skin, yet it could not suppress the rising temperature in his blood. His other hand rested loosely on Suter’s wrist, his fingertips hovering—acting as a touch, yet ready to pull away at any moment. He did not dare exert force, fearing he might overstep his bounds with Suter.

But in reality, Suter’s current actions toward him were already quite improper.

The embrace was too tight, the breath too hot, and even the touch of the tangled hair carried a blatant sense of possessiveness. Samuel should have pushed him away; he should have used a well-measured distance to draw a clear line. But that phrase “as long as you are happy” acted like a soft shackle, binding all his rational struggles.

And so, he remained silent.

He was silent in his indulgence, silent as he fell, and silent as he allowed Suter’s body heat to erode his composure inch by inch.

“A date is not the goal,” Samuel’s voice was as light as a sigh. “It is about giving enough time to see clearly if both reason and emotion have chosen the same person.”

He paused for a moment, his Adam’s apple bobbing with difficulty. “I do not want…”

I do not want you to make a hasty decision.

Before the words could leave his lips, the arms holding him suddenly tensed.

It felt as though if Suter loosened his grip even slightly, Samuel would vanish like a wisp of smoke. Suter’s chest was pressed so tightly against his back that he could clearly feel the other man’s runaway heartbeat thumping against his own ribs through their clothes.

The sound of breathing grew heavy, sounding exceptionally clear in the silent kitchen. Suter’s downcast eyelashes cast shadows over his face, and dark tides surged within his dark green pupils.

“If… if you find out in the end that you do not like me anymore,” Suter’s voice was terrifyingly raspy, his throat moving with effort. His gaze was locked onto the faint peach fuzz on Samuel’s cheek that trembled with every breath, as if it were the only evidence that this moment was real.

“Or if one day you grow tired of me…”

His fingertips unconsciously dug into the fabric at Samuel’s waist, the material bunching up in his palm. He looked like a prisoner about to be sentenced, yet he was stubbornly handing the blade to the other person himself.

“Will you… leave me?”

The final syllable nearly shattered in the air.

He did not dare look up. The transparent window acted as a fragile barrier, blurredly reflecting Samuel’s profile. With just a slight lift of his eyes, he could see whether those eyes held indulgence or distance.

But he did not dare. He was afraid of catching any trace of wavering on that face.

So he simply persisted with his questioning, his voice low and hoarse, sounding like a cross between a demand and a plea. The answer itself no longer mattered. Even if it were a lie, even if it were a dismissive remark, or even if Samuel used the gentlest tone to deliver the most cruel rejection, he did not care.

His arms tightened wordlessly, his knuckles white from the strain.

He would not let go. No matter what answer Samuel gave, no matter how many schemes he had to use, or what price he had to pay.

He would never, ever let this person leave. Even if he had to break the bird’s wings, he would keep it in his palm forever.

Outside, it had begun to rain at some point.

Samuel stared blankly at the rainwater snaking down the glass, distorting their reflections into blurred blocks of color. He had not expected Suter to throw this question back at him.

During these past days, every single thing he had done was a cautious test: Did he have the right to truly stand by Suter’s side and become an acknowledged partner?

He had even thought about dissolving the match.

Initially, it was out of guilt; he thought that once Suter recovered, they could cleanly end this relationship that had begun with a debt. Later, it turned into a more extravagant delusion: he wanted to pursue Suter properly, starting from zero like any ordinary couple.

But that was too naive.

The Male Protection Association would never easily let go of a female insect whose match had been actively dissolved. The interrogations and investigations would be like knives carving into Suter. He could not bear it, yet he could not find a way to satisfy both sides, so he could only allow the days to drag on until they fell into this absurd situation.

It was so absurd that Suter had no idea he was being pursued. Suter did not realize that he was the one who held the power of choice.

Samuel’s lips curled into a helpless, bitter smile. He let out a long sigh and turned around.

“You are asking the wrong person this question.”

Rain meandered across the window, blurring their reflections into a misty glow.

“It should be…” Samuel’s voice was as soft as a whisper, “if one day the Admiral grows tired or stops liking me, will he abandon me and leave?”

Suter was stunned. His pupils dilated slightly, and an unnameable emotion surged in the depths of his dark green eyes. He shook his head instinctively. “No…”

Samuel’s fingertips tightened slightly, covering Suter’s clenched hand.

“I had not finished what I was saying,” his voice was low and tender. “The purpose of a date is for you to see clearly whether you want to choose me and be with me. I do not want you to make a hasty decision…”

“Because for you, this is a very important decision.”

He tilted his head slightly, moving closer to Suter until his breath brushed against the youth’s cheek.

“I am pursuing you. All the power of choice is in your hands. You have the right to reject me at any time.”

The sound of the rain suddenly seemed very far away. Suter felt as though his thoughts were like a circuit covered by a blizzard; every signal had turned into blinding static. He stared blankly at Samuel, processing the meaning of those words.

“For example, right now, you can choose to push me away, reject me, or…” Samuel’s voice was as light as a feather. “Do you want to push me away?”

Suter’s mind completely crashed.

His brain went blank, and he even forgot to breathe. He could only watch blankly as Samuel drew closer, seeing the tender smile in his eyes and the slight curve of his lips.

Then, a kiss as light as a butterfly’s wing landed on the reddened corner of his eye.

The warm sensation was fleeting, like a breeze that came and went softly. It left only Suter standing there, his heart thumping like a drum.

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