Adrian snapped back to his senses The clearing was quiet. Too quiet.
He was shocked at the sight before him. The bandits who were once roaring and charging now stood frozen in place, their leader groaning in the dirt where William had dropped him. The wind tugged lightly at the leaves, carrying the faint smell of dust and sweat.
Adrian's breath caught in his throat the very second William's head snapped toward him. Those sharp eyes, bright and teasing even in battle, had caught the words that were never meant to leave Adrian's lips.
"What?" William asked, his grin widening as though he had not just fought off ten men but had simply overheard a compliment.
Adrian's ears burned. He clenched his jaw, willing the ground to split open and swallow him.
" Nothing. I said what a show off.! Take back your kid!. Let us get on our way Idowu. "
But William was not the type to let things go. Oh no. That man thrived on trouble. He sheathed his blade with a flourish, dusted off his clothes as though the whole fight had been an inconvenience, and strolled right up to Adrian. His steps were slow, almost lazy, but there was an unmistakable glint of amusement in his eyes.
"You said something…" William tilted his head, pretending to think. "Something about me being— what was it again?" He leaned in, his smile infuriatingly smug. "Handsome?"
Adrian's heart leapt, but his mouth was quicker. "I never said that!" he snapped, though his voice cracked just slightly. He cursed himself for sounding like a flustered child.
William laughed. Not a mocking laugh, but a warm, rich sound that filled the clearing.
"Ah, so my ears deceive me? Shame. I thought for a moment my beloved had finally confessed his true feelings." He placed a hand dramatically over his chest, acting as though Adrian's denial had broken his heart.
Idowu, wide- eyed, looked between them with the eagerness of a boy watching a play. His little shoulders shook with silent laughter.
"Beloved?!" Adrian exploded, face red. "You insufferable idiot, I am not your beloved!"
"Not yet." William replied smoothly, stepping even closer, so close that Adrian had to tilt his chin up slightly to meet his gaze. His voice softened, dropping to a tone only Adrian could hear. "But one day, you will admit it without shame."
Adrian's breath hitched. For a moment, just a fleeting moment, the world seemed smaller— just the two of them standing there, bandits forgotten, danger forgotten. His pulse betrayed him, thundering in his chest. He hated it. He hated how easily this reckless fool unsettled him.
The spell broke when one of the bandits groaned, trying to crawl away. William glanced back, his expression shifting instantly from playful to sharp. "You are still here? Scram! " he asked, his voice suddenly cold.
The man froze like a rabbit caught in a wolf's stare. The rest of the bandits scrambled, dragging their injured leader, abandoning the stolen bags as they fled into the trees. Their footsteps faded until silence swallowed the clearing once more.
William sheathed his sword for real this time, then turned back with a satisfied grin. "There. Problem solved. No need to thank me too much, love. A kiss will suffice."
Adrian's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "You— you shameless lunatic!" He tightened his hold on Idowu, as if afraid William might actually steal a kiss in broad daylight.
William only chuckled, watching Adrian's flustered state with undisguised delight. His heart, though, was not as carefree as his smile. He'd seen the way Adrian's eyes had followed his movements in battle. He'd heard the slip of those words— so handsome. No matter how much Adrian tried to deny it, William knew he'd left an impression.
And that, more than victory over the bandits, pleased him.
Adrian, however, could not stop scolding himself. He replayed the slip again and again in his mind. How could I have said that out loud? He glared at William, who was still grinning like a cat that had caught a bird. I'll never live this down.
Yet deep inside, where even he would not admit, a quiet thought whispered: But he truly was… handsome.