Be My Boyfriend Forever

Chapter 3: The Remaining Days of Happiness

"Master, that is true. But I truly do not want to abandon this love. I have always remembered your kindness; from the moment you saved me, I vowed to serve you until my soul was scattered. But perhaps..."

"You want to leave?" Alina asked calmly.

"I accept any punishment!" Leon replied.

Alina closed her eyes and sighed.

"Never mind. I’ve saved countless beings, not just you, a mere house cat. Losing you wouldn’t make a difference. I never needed you to repay me. I treat all beings the same way, because that is my duty. Leon, you are a very special spirit; I don’t want to part with you either. Especially given your extraordinary beauty, it’s truly enchanting!"

"Leon, you are so stubborn! I don’t want to say much more; everything I do is for your own good. I want your heart to be calm, not tangled in the desires and emotions of the mortal world. If you encounter any misfortune in the future, don’t say I didn’t warn you."

"I’ve made my decision. I won’t regret it!" Leon declared firmly.

Alina stepped down and approached him. She lifted his chin, her eyes showing a hint of sadness. After gazing at him for a long moment, she said:

"Alright. For now, I will allow you to go and see him. You have only three days in the mortal world. After those three days, you must return here to serve your punishment—ten days. Your offense cannot be overlooked. After that, I will reconsider." With that, the Flower Goddess departed.

Leon remained kneeling there for a long time, a bitter smile on his face.

"Can this love really be abandoned? Can humans and spirits never be together? Is there any way to break this barrier? I... want to be human!"

Leon knew that he and Archie might never have a future together. But he never stopped searching for a way to overcome the divide between them. No matter what, he wanted to stay by Archie's side, to care for and protect him.

Archie dragged himself home, utterly exhausted. It had been a day since Leon left, and his mind was restless with worry. When he finally opened the door, he was startled to see a familiar figure. Leon had returned and was changing the flowers in the vase on the table in the living room. As soon as Archie saw him, he rushed over and embraced him tightly. The flowers in Leon's hands fell to the floor as he wrapped his arms around Archie just as tightly.

"Leon, why did it take you so long to come back? I missed you so much!" Tears began to roll down Archie's cheeks, landing on Leon's shoulder.

"I was only gone for a day. But now I'm back with you. I missed you so much too!"

After a long while, they finally let go of each other. Leon wiped away Archie's tears.

"Are you... are you going to leave again?" Archie asked, his voice trembling as if he might cry again. For years, he had tried not to shed a single tear, always strong and resilient. But now, he couldn't hold back. Even a warrior sometimes feels tired and helpless.

Leon didn't know how to respond. He had previously asked the Flower Goddess for a week in the human world. At first, she had refused, fearing that Leon would sink deeper into love, so she only allowed him three days. But in the end, she relented and granted him a week. Yet, even a week would pass all too quickly.

Leon could only stay with Archie for a week, then he would have to be away for ten years. Archie couldn't endure ten years without him, and Leon couldn't ask him to give up so much to wait for him. Even after ten years, their fate was uncertain. But Leon was determined to find a way to break the barrier between humans and spirits. Why couldn't they be together?

Leon had decided that after spending a week with Archie, he would leave and erase Archie's memories of him to spare him the pain. After serving his punishment, he would return as a human, not a cat, and they might start anew. He wasn't sure what the future held, but he was determined to make it up to Archie. Even if they couldn't be together, being friends would be enough—as long as he could be by Archie's side and see him, that would be enough.

"I'm not leaving again. Right now, I'm here with you."

“What punishment did you receive?” Archie had heard about love stories between humans and spirits from his colleagues, though he had never read such novels himself. He had overheard some conversations and asked a few casual questions.

He knew that in these stories, humans and spirits could not be together and that Leon would eventually have to leave and couldn't stay forever. From what he gathered, in some stories, a spirit who defied fate for the one they loved would face punishment, with their soul and essence shattered, unable to transcend.

Archie wasn't sure if this applied to Leon's situation, but he feared that Leon might end up like the character from the novels.

He understood that Leon's current claim of staying with him was a lie, and the future was uncertain. Regardless, Archie cherished every moment they had together.

“They made me replant the lotus flowers that I damaged.”

Archie asked with suspicion:

“Is that all? Nothing else?”

“Yes. That’s all.”

The two resumed their previous life. Every day when Archie came home from work, he found Leon waiting for him. Leon would hug him tightly whenever he came back, and Archie would rush home after work to buy delicious food and take Leon out in the evenings.

“Leon, do you want to cut your hair? It would be more comfortable if it were shorter.” Archie looked at Leon’s long hair. It was beautiful, and cutting it would be a shame, but it wasn’t very practical in modern times.

“Sure. I’ll listen to you. Should I cut it short like yours? But will I still look handsome and charming?” Leon asked, examining his long hair in the mirror.

“You’d look great even without long hair, haha!”

“You’re teasing me!” Leon pouted.

“Alright, we’ll just trim it a bit. After that, we’ll go shopping for you. My clothes don’t really fit you.”

“I want to wear clothes like yours. Is that okay?”

“Sure. Whatever you like.”

They had been to many places and had a lot of fun. Every moment, every glance, every breath, every hand-holding, and every hug were etched deeply in their hearts.

Tonight, Archie invited Leon to go to the movies, but Leon wanted to watch at home instead.

“Why don’t you want to go to the theater?”

“I prefer watching movies with you at home, just the two of us.”

They smiled at each other for a long time. Archie easily blushed, and Leon took this opportunity to tease him. When a kissing scene came on, both of them fell silent. Leon turned to Archie and asked innocently:

“Hey Archie, what are they doing?”

“Are you pretending to be clueless?” Archie gave him a playful nudge.

“No, I’m not. I used to be a cat, so I don’t know what that action is. Can you tell me what they were doing?”

Leon thought for a moment and then replied:

“It’s called kissing. But never mind, you’re still young, and such things are for adults, not for you to watch.”

“Oh. You say I’m young, but I’m much older than you.” Leon smiled, his eyes teasing Archie. Leon was already 1,000 years old, while Archie was only 31.

“Right. So… I’ve been disrespectful. Should I call you… elder? Elder Leon!”

Leon pouted upon hearing that. He turned his face away, refusing to look at Archie, and shifted his seat a little farther away. He stuck out his lower lip.

“It sounds too old-fashioned! I don’t like it!”

“According to custom, it’s correct for me to call you Elder Leon…”

“Don’t say that anymore!” Leon moved even further away from him.

Archie couldn’t help but laugh. Suddenly, Leon pounced and pushed him down onto the couch.

“I still prefer it if you call me ‘you’ and I call you ‘you’.”

Archie’s face turned even redder; they were so close now that his heart raced rapidly.

“Uh… well, it’s up to you.”

“Archie, I’m grown up now. Can I kiss you?”

Archie’s face flushed even more, and he stammered, unable to form words.

“Y-you… kiss… um…”

Leon couldn’t hold back anymore and quickly leaned in to give him a light kiss on the lips.

“I’m sorry. I just couldn’t hold back.”

“Have you given your permission?”

“Oh. So, someone has been kissing your forehead, your cheeks, and your beautiful lips at night? Who might that be?”

Archie was so embarrassed he wished he could cover his head with something. Over the past few days of being together, Archie had come to realize that he was in love with Leon. Whenever Leon wasn’t around, he missed him. He missed him so much, his thoughts and heart were completely with him. He wanted to kiss, hug, and keep him close, to spend the years of his life with him. That was what love was.

Previously, Archie’s love for Leon was just that of a master and his pet. But now, with Leon having transformed into a human, his gaze had made Archie’s heart yearn. It was like drinking from a cup of intoxicating gaze, leading to a lifetime of longing. Leon was also captivated by Archie’s eyes, his lips, his warm voice, and his love.

Archie was now deeply afraid of losing Leon, scared that he might leave at any moment, or that he would disappear if Archie didn’t see him for even a minute. Archie knew that someday, Leon would have to part from him, and they couldn’t be together forever. For now, he just wanted to immerse himself in this love. Every night, Archie would toss and turn in bed, waiting for Leon to fall asleep so he could sneak in a kiss. Many nights, tears would fall from his eyes, fearing that if he fell asleep, the person before him might vanish.

Feeling embarrassed and unsure of what to do, Archie took the initiative to kiss Leon. Leon was surprised but soon reciprocated, and they lingered in the kiss.

“Leon... I love you...” Archie struggled to speak through the lack of breath.

“Mm. I love you too, Archie.” Leon smiled a beautiful smile.

When Leon was still a cat, he was very clingy to Archie. Now, in his human form, he was just as clingy. Leon seemed to be glued to Archie nearly 24/7, even wanting to go to work with him, though Archie wouldn’t allow it. So Leon, bored at home, decided to teach himself how to cook, hoping to make a delicious meal for Archie before he had to leave.

Leon worked hard for several days, and by the evening of the seventh day, he had successfully prepared many dishes. When Archie came home, he was amazed. He tried each dish Leon made and found them all delicious. Truly, Leon was impressive!