xue pan - limbus

Could this moment be considered strange? Absolutely.
The boy whom no one could tame, who grew more ferocious with every death, stood behind you. His thin, long fingers trembled slightly as they touched your hair, as if it were something precious. Something fragile that he didn't want to break.
You sat as always, with your inherent elegance — straight back and a calm expression. No fear, no panic, no smirk. Only calmness and softness.
You watched his reflection in the mirror and marveled inwardly: how could this untamable boy treat anything so carefully?
His face was twisted in a grimace of extreme irritation. His brows were furrowed, his lips pressed together, and in his eyes — that same mad gleam that usually made people want to flinch away. He muttered under his breath, not mincing his words.
— Damn it… — he hissed when another strand slipped from his fingers. — Why is your hair so… so…
— Beautiful? — you suggested.
— Troublesome! — he snapped. — It's all tangled in a knot, that's what!
You smiled slightly but said nothing.
You watched him in the mirror without moving. His fingers were tangled in your hair, carefully undoing the knot. He did it slowly, almost uncertainly, as if afraid of hurting you.
— Do you even know how to do this? — you asked, not taking your eyes off the mirror.
He snorted.
— Shut up, — he muttered— I'm trying.
You smiled faintly.
— I can see that.
He muttered something under his breath again but continued. His fingers moved clumsily, but with a persistence that surprised you. He was really trying.
And yet...
You noticed how his fingers froze for a moment, gripping the strand a little tighter than necessary. As if two desires were fighting inside him: to do this carefully — and to just yank, to see what would happen.
You tensed.
— Xue Pan, — you said warningly.
He froze.
— What? — his voice sounded innocent, but you saw in the mirror how his lips twitched into a slight, almost imperceptible smirk.