Aria stepped toward one of the empty beds and sat down gingerly, still looking a little pale. She fidgeted with her hands in her lap, shifting uncomfortably against the sheets.
What is wrong with my body? Oh god, he saw, didn’t he? He saw my....
Just thinking about it made her want to hide in a hole.
She had orgasmed in front of the person she had been dreaming about yesterday, a dirty, perverted dream.
She felt embarrassed and ashamed, her cheeks burning as she realized what had happened.
Her heart refused to calm down.
It thundered in her chest.
Every time her eyes wandered back to Elion, the strange flutter returned.
She thought back to her wet dream about Elion last night. Is his thing as big as it was in the dream?
She couldn’t help but imagine it.
She eyed his crotch from the corner of her eye, and indeed, there was quite a significant bulge there.
Her blush deepened.
God! What am I doing!
She didn’t understand why she was so attracted to him, or why her body reacted so strongly to his touch.
She had never experienced anything like this before.
She hugged her arms close to her body, trying to hide the tremor in her shoulders.
Elion noticed every single movement; he didn’t miss the way she eyed his crotch.
He smiled. This one’s done for, He thought triumphantly.
Aria had been successfully corrupted.
He just needed to make his move now, and she would be his for the taking.
He went to stand near the door for a moment, then leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You should lie down. You look like you’re about to pass out," he said, trying to sound casual.
Aria blinked, then smiled faintly. "I’m fine. Just... lightheaded, maybe."
Elion nodded, not pushing further. The silence between them stretched, filled only by the hum of the air and the faint rustle of fabric as she shifted on the bed.
Why did I even agree to come here? She thought, her gaze flicking toward him.
Under normal circumstances, she would never have allowed herself to be alone with him like this.
After a while, Aria spoke softly. "Thanks, by the way."
"For what?" he asked.
"For helping me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t know what happened back there."
Elion met her eyes briefly, then looked away. "Don’t mention it. It could’ve happened to anyone."
But in truth, they both knew it couldn’t have.
Aria looked down at her hands, feeling her pulse quicken again. She didn’t understand what this strange sensation was, or why it lingered in her body.
And then, to her horror, Elion walked toward her, and Aria watched him with wide, wary eyes.
When he sat down beside her on the infirmary bed, the mattress dipped, and she was pulled toward him and—
Aria’s eyes widened.
"Eek!"
The sound escaped her before she could stop it. She flinched, her shoulders jumping, her hands flying to her chest as if to physically contain her embarrassment.
Her face went crimson instantly.
She scrambled a few inches away, pressing her back against the headboard as if the extra distance might somehow restore her dignity.
But she didn’t run.
She didn’t push him away.
She stayed right there beside him, trembling just slightly.
Elion blinked, taken aback. "Did you... just say ’eek’?" He almost laughed out loud.
Is this the same brazen Aria who dared to tease me just yesterday?
It was now obvious to him that she was very inexperienced; her flirty personality was all a farce.
"N-no," she blurted, which only made her voice crack and betray her.
So damn cute.
His lips twitched, not mocking, but something dangerously close to amused.
A warmth flickered behind his eyes, the kind that made Aria’s stomach flip in on itself.
He felt himself getting aroused just from watching her reactions.
She tore her gaze away, staring stubbornly at the sheets. "Don’t look at me," she muttered, mortified.
Elion tilted his head, studying her.
She closed her eyes for a moment.
What is wrong with me...? Why does being near him feel like this?
But no matter how tightly she tried to shut the thoughts out, they came rushing back.
The memory of last night’s dream, the way his hand had brushed hers earlier.
The near kiss before they were interrupted.
The inexplicable heat pooling in her belly and under her skin whenever he looked at her.
She felt vulnerable. Exposed.
Yet also... oddly safe.
Elion exhaled softly, running a hand through his hair as he leaned forward a little.
"You don’t look okay," he said quietly, "Did something happen?" Elion tried his best to act oblivious, lest she run away from him.
Aria opened her eyes. His brows were drawn slightly, concern flickering behind them.
Why is he looking at me like that...?
"I’m fine," she murmured, though she wasn’t sure if she believed it herself.
The silence stretched again. Then, without thinking, Aria whispered, "Stop sitting so close."
Elion blinked. "Should I move?"
"...No." The answer came too quickly, too earnestly, and her cheeks flared red.
Elion froze, surprised. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, then closed again. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
The air between them thickened, heat settling low in Aria’s little cave.
Her pulse hammered. She didn’t know what this emotion was, fear? attraction? both? But it pulled her toward him like gravity.
Elion swallowed. "Aria..."Her name sounded different in his voice, gentler, warmer.
Aria felt her breath hitch. She turned her head slowly, her eyes lifting to his, and instantly regretted it.
His gaze was too close, too intense, too aware.
"Should we finish what we started in the morning?" He leaned in toward her, slowly.
For a moment, the world shrank to just the space between them.
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
Aria’s heart thudded painfully in her chest. If he leans in even a little more...
Her fingers twitched against the sheets.