KIERAN'S POV
I wake up smiling.
Which is weird because I haven't woken up smiling since... ever? Maybe? I don't remember the last time mornings felt anything other than an inconvenient interruption of sleep.
But today I'm smiling.
And it takes me exactly three seconds to remember why.
Oh no.I kissed Ravion. Multiple times.
I touch my lips. They still feel warm. Tingly. Like the memory of his mouth on mine is permanently etched there.
"Oh fuck," I whisper to the empty room.
Except it's not empty.
"Good morning."
I yelp. Literally yelp. Scramble upright in bed to find Ravion sitting in his usual chair, already dressed, reading a book.
Looking insufferably pleased with himself.
"How long have you been sitting there?!" I demand.
"Not long." He closes the book, sets it aside. "You were smiling in your sleep."
My face burns. "I was not."
"You were." He stands, crosses to the bed. "Quite adorably, actually."
"Stop."
"Stop what?"
"Stop—stop looking at me like that!"
"Like what?" He's definitely trying not to laugh.
"Like you know something!"
"I know several things." He sits on the edge of the bed. "For example, I know you were dreaming. And I know, based on the smile and the way you just touched your lips—" He reaches out, brushes his thumb across my bottom lip. "—that you were dreaming about last night."
I bat his hand away. "I was not!"
"Liar."
"I'm not—we didn't—it was just—" I'm floundering. "It was just a kiss!"
"Kisses." He corrects. "Plural. At least four that I counted."
"DON'T COUNT THEM!"
"Why not?"
"Because that makes it—makes it real!"
"It was real, Kieran." His expression softens. " And unless I'm completely misreading the situation—" He leans closer. "—you liked it."
"I—" I can't lie. My face is probably bright red. The bond is humming contentedly between us. "Maybe."
His smile is blinding. "Maybe."
"Don't make a big deal out of it!"
"Too late. It's already a very big deal."
"Ravion—"
"You kissed me back," he says quietly. "All four times. You didn't pull away. Didn't tell me to stop. You even—" His smile turns devastating. "—asked me to do it again."
"I was delirious from fever!"
"Your fever broke hours before that."
"SHUT UP."
He laughs—full, genuine, happy. "I'm going to remind you of this conversation for the next century."
"We're not going to—I'm not—this doesn't change anything!"
"Doesn't it?" He cups my face gently. "Because I think it changes everything."
We're too close. His thumb is doing that thing where it brushes across my cheek. His eyes are soft and warm and looking at me like I'm something precious.
"I still don't trust you," I whisper.
"I know."
"And I'm still angry about the kidnapping."
"Understandable."
"And I still want to go home."
He flinches. "I know that too."
"But—" I swallow hard. "But maybe... maybe this doesn't have to be completely terrible."
"High praise."
"Shut up." But I'm smiling. "I'm trying to—to say something nice and you're—"
He kisses me.
When he pulls back, I'm dazed.
"Good morning," he says again.
"...Morning," I manage.
"Breakfast?"
"Yeah. Breakfast. " I'm not forming coherent sentences.
He's grinning. "You're adorable when you're flustered."
"I'm not flustered!"
"Of course not." He stands, offers his hand. "Come on. Before Elara comes in and starts making suggestions about why you're blushing."
"Oh god, please no."
We make it to breakfast without incident.
But the whole time, I keep catching him looking at me.
And the whole time, I keep smiling back.
And the bond between us hums warm and content and happy.
And I think—maybe—this could actually be okay.
KAELIS' POV
I wake up in a state of pure panic.
Not the "oh no I'm late" panic.
Not the "I forgot something important" panic.
The "WHAT HAVE I DONE" panic.
Because I kissed Nyx.
I KISSED NYX.
I initiated it. TWICE.
"No," I say to the ceiling. "No no no no—"
I bolt upright, immediately looking around the chamber.
Empty.
Thank the gods.
I press my hands to my face, which is burning.
What was I thinking?!
"I think I'm falling in love with you" and I just—I just kissed him?!
"Stupid," I mutter. "So stupid. What kind of—who just kisses someone because they said—"
"Said what?"
I scream.Actually scream.
Nyx is floating near the ceiling. FLOATING. Like some kind of creepy guardian angel except not an angel and definitely creepy.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
"Good morning." He descends slowly. Lands on the floor with that impossible grace.
"Sleep well?"
"Were you watching me sleep?!"
"No. I was checking on you and you woke up mid-panic." He tilts his head. "What were you panicking about?"
"NOTHING!"
"It sounded like you were calling yourself stupid."
"I wasn't—I didn't—STOP EAVESDROPPING!"
"I wasn't eavesdropping. You were shouting."
I grab a pillow. Throw it at him.
He catches it. Of course he does.
"Are you going to throw things every time you're flustered?" he asks, way too amused.
"I'm not flustered!"
"You're blushing."
"That's anger!"
"Is it?" He moves closer. Sets the pillow aside. "Because it looks remarkably similar to how you looked last night when you—"
"DON'T!" I hold up a hand. "Don't—we're not—that didn't—"
"When you kissed me?" He finishes, smiling.
My face is on fire. "It was a mistake!"
"Which time?" His smile widens. "The first or the second?"
"BOTH!"
"Interesting. Because you didn't seem to think so at the time."
"I was—I was confused! And you were talking and I panicked and—"
"And kissed me." He's right in front of me now. "Twice."
"STOP SAYING THAT!"
"Why? It's true." He reaches out, tucks hair behind my ear. "And for what it's worth, I'm very glad you panicked."
"Well I'm NOT!"
"Liar."
"I'm not lying!" I back away from him. "It was a mistake and it's not happening again and we're going to forget it happened and—"
"I'm not forgetting." His voice goes soft. "That was our first kiss, Kaelis. I've been waiting twenty-two years. I'm absolutely not forgetting."
"Well I'm forgetting!"
"Are you?"
"YES!"
"Then why are you blushing?"
"I'm NOT!"
"And why do you keep touching your lips?"
I freeze. Because I am. I'm touching my lips without even realizing it.
Fuck.
"I—that's not—I was just—"
"You liked it," Nyx says simply. "Admit it."
"I did NOT!"
"You kissed me back."
"That was reflex!"
"Both times?"
"YES!"
"And when you asked me to kiss you again? Was that also reflex?"
Oh god. Did I do that?
My expression must give me away because his smile turns devastating.
"You don't remember," he realizes. "You were so caught up in the moment you don't even remember asking."
"I didn't—I wouldn't—"
"You did. You said 'okay' and then I kissed you and then you said 'again' and—"
"STOP TALKING!"
He's laughing now, delighted laughter.
"This isn't funny!"
"It's very funny."
"I hate you!"
"You keep saying that." He steps closer. "But your actions suggest otherwise."
"My actions were mistakes!"
"Were they?" He's close enough now that I can feel the cool radiating off him. "Because to me, they felt like honesty."
"That's not—I'm not—" I'm backed against the wall now. Literally cornered. "This doesn't mean anything!"
"Doesn't it?"
"NO!"
"So if I kissed you right now—" His hand comes up, cups my jaw. "—you'd push me away?"
Would I?
Should I?
"I—" My voice comes out breathless. "This is manipulation."
"This is a question." His thumb brushes across my bottom lip. "Would you push me away, Kaelis?"
I should say yes.
Should absolutely say yes.
"...Maybe," I whisper.
"Maybe." He's smiling. "Not a no."
"Not a yes either!"
"But not a no." He leans in. "I'll take it."
"Nyx—"
He kisses my forehead. Not my lips. My forehead.
Then steps back.
I blink. "What—why did you—"
"Because you're panicking," he says gently. "And I don't want our second kiss to happen while you're in full panic mode." He moves toward the door. "When you're ready—when you want it instead of being confused about it—come find me."
"I'm not—I won't—"
"We'll see." He glances back, that infuriating smile still in place. "For what it's worth, Kaelis? Last night was perfect. And I'm absolutely doing it again."
"NO YOU'RE NOT!"
"See you at breakfast!" He's already leaving, whistling.
I'm left alone in the chamber, face burning, heart racing, touching my lips again.
"Fuck," I breathe.
Because he's right.
And I do want to do it again.
I'm so fucked.
I avoid him for exactly two hours.
Which is impressive considering we're in an underwater realm where he literally controls all the water.
But I manage.
Mostly by hiding in my chamber and not thinking about:
The kiss
His smile
The way his hand felt on my face
The "I think I'm falling in love with you"
NOT THINKING ABOUT IT.
AT ALL.
There's a knock on my door.
"Go away!" I call.
"It's breakfast time," Nyx's voice comes through. "You need to eat."
"I'm not hungry!"
"You're always hungry."
Fuck. He's right.
"Leave the food outside!"
"No."
"Why not?!"
"Because I want to see you."
My stupid heart does a stupid flutter.
"Well I don't want to see you!"
"Liar."
"STOP CALLING ME A LIAR!"
"Stop lying."
I yank the door open. "WHAT DO YOU—"
He's standing there holding a tray of food. Smiling that soft, knowing smile.
And he looks so stupidly attractive that I forget what I was going to say.
"Hi," he says.
"...Hi."
"Hungry?"
"...Maybe."
"That's not a no." He's still smiling. "Can I come in?"
I should say no.
"Fine," I mutter, stepping aside.
He enters. Sets the tray on the table. Turns to face me.
We stare at each other.
"So," he says.
"So."
"About last night—"
"We're not talking about it!"
"We should—"
"NO."
"Kaelis—"
"I don't want to talk about feelings or kisses or—or any of it!" I'm gesturing wildly now. "Can we just—can we just eat breakfast and not discuss the thing that happened?"
"The kissing?"
"DON'T SAY IT!"
"But that's what it was. Kissing."
"I'm leaving!" I head for the door.
He catches my wrist. Gently. "Wait."
"Let go."
"Not until you look at me."
"No."
"Kaelis."
I turn. "What?!"
His expression is soft. Understanding. "I'm not trying to pressure you. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. I just—" He squeezes my wrist gently. "—wanted you to know that last night mattered to me. And if it mattered to you too, even a little, that's okay. You don't have to panic about it."
"I'm not panicking."
"You've been hiding for two hours."
"STRATEGIC AVOIDANCE."
He laughs. "Okay. Strategic avoidance. My mistake." He releases my wrist. "Eat breakfast. I'll leave you alone if that's what you need."
He starts to leave.
"Wait."
He turns back. "Yes?"
"It—" I swallow hard. "It mattered. Okay? It mattered. I don't know what it means but it—it wasn't nothing."
His smile could light up the entire ocean.
"Okay," he says softly.
"Okay."
"Can I stay for breakfast?"
"...Yeah. You can stay."
We eat together. Talk about nothing important. Comfortable silence punctuated by easy conversation.
And the whole time, I'm hyperaware of:
How he looks at me
How I keep almost smiling
How the space between us feels different now
And I think—maybe—I'm okay with that.