Sapphire's POV
"Huuuuh, Saph… uhhhhmm..."
"Does it feel good?" I whispered, my voice thick with a playfulness that masked my own rising heat.
I watched Ghoth closely. From my vantage point between his thighs, I could see the way his composure was shattering. His head was thrown back against the pillows, his jaw clenched so tight the muscles in his neck strained. He could barely form words anymore. He was a man lost in a storm of sensation.
"Aaaah, wait… hold on…" he gasped, his hands tangling in my hair, half-pushing, half-pulling me closer.
I didn't stop. I ignored his weak protest, driven by the way his body reacted to every movement of my lips and tongue. I wanted to see him like this. Vulnerable, stripped of his warrior's stoicism. Moments later, I felt him tremble violently as he reached his limit, his breath hitching in a ragged sob of release.
"Mmm, this is what I love about you," I murmured, looking up at him with a smirk. "Even after that, you're still ready for more."
He was panting, his eyes dark and dilated as he stared down at me. Without a word, he reached for me, his touch, urgent and hungry. We shifted positions, the cool air of the room hitting my skin for only a second before the heat of his body covered mine.
"I love you, Saph," he whispered against my skin.
I didn't answer. I couldn't. I felt the weight of those three words like a physical pressure on my chest. I didn't want to give him hope I couldn't fulfill. Instead, I pulled him down for a kiss, drowning the silence in the sound of our breathing.
"I'm coming in," he breathed.
As he moved above me, he found every rhythm, every angle that made my toes curl.
"Aaaahh, yes… more, Ghoth… aaaahhhh."
I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist, locking him to me as if I could keep him there forever. I kept my moans muffled against his shoulder despite the privacy of the room, the instinct to hide stayed with me. I didn't know who else lived in this building, and I didn't care to find out.
He redoubled his efforts, his movements becoming faster and more desperate, our lips clashing in a feverish, messy dance. I could feel the tension building in him again, the telltale signs that he was close to the edge. When he finally peaked, he collapsed beside me, his heart hammering against my ribs. He pressed a tender kiss to my forehead and pulled me into the circle of his arms.
"We need to head back soon," I said softly, tracing the lines of his chest. "They might look for us."
"Mmm, stay here for a bit, Saph. Please," he pleaded, his eyes closed as he held me tighter.
"What if they catch us missing?"
"Don't think about that yet. We'll go back in a while. I just… I just want to hold you for a moment."
I looked at him, feeling a pang of guilt. I could tell Ghoth was falling for me. But I couldn't let myself go there. The fear was always at the back of my mind. One day, I might wake up back in my own world. If I left, this body would remain, but the "me" he knew would be gone. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving him behind with a stranger who didn't know his name or the way he liked to be held.
"You're so sweet," I whispered, stroking his hair. It was the only truth I could allow myself to say.
Ghoth's POV
Even if this happiness is fleeting, it's enough as long as I'm with her.
She didn't return my confession. I felt the silence where her "I love you" should have been, and it stung more than any blade I'd faced on the battlefield. I hate that we have to hide, that we are bound by her rules and the walls she's built around her heart. But I'm powerless against her. I would follow her into the abyss if she asked.
I love this woman. The fear of Dayesh, the fear of the consequences, it's all fading. I'm becoming selfish. I can't stop what I'm feeling.
In the past, I was the one who always had something to say. I was the talkative one, the joker of the group who flirted with everyone but felt nothing for anyone. No woman had ever truly touched my life until her. Maybe it's because she's different from anyone I've ever met in this world. She has a fire and a mystery that draws me in, even as it burns me.
"Just a little bit of love, Saph", I thought, pressing my face into her hair. "That's all I ask for."
For now, I will endure this. I will accept the crumbs of affection she throws my way and call it a feast. I will wait in the shadows of her life, hoping that one day, she'll finally see me, not just as a partner in the dark, but as the man who would give up everything for her.
For now... this is enough.
Dayesh's POV
"Hmm... she's not here. Where could she have gone?"
It was well past midnight, and the house was draped in a suffocating silence. I had checked every corner of the common areas, but Sapphire was nowhere to be found. A cold knot of unease tightened in my chest. I paced the length of the hallway, my footsteps echoing like a ticking clock.
Hours bled into each other, and sleep remained an impossible luxury. My mind was a storm of scenarios. She had only just returned from her last trip, and now she was gone again. Was she in danger? Or was she intentionally slipping through my fingers?
Unable to stay confined within the walls of my room, I stepped out into the biting night air. I told myself I just needed to clear my head, but the truth was simpler, I was waiting for her. And if the sun rose before she did, I would tear this region apart to find her.
The wind whistled through the trees until another sound caught my ear. Distant, muffled voices.
"Hurry, it's getting freezing out here," a voice whispered.
It was her. Sapphire.
I stayed in the shadows, watching as two figures emerged from the gloom. She was walking next to Ghoth. They maintained a careful distance from one another, a forced normalcy in their stride that felt far too rehearsed. I stepped out into the moonlight, cutting off their path.
"Oh, you're still awake, big bro?" Sapphire asked, her voice light, though I caught the flicker of surprise in her eyes.
"Where are you two coming from?" I asked, my voice flat and edged with ice. "It's nearly dawn."
"Oh, nowhere special," she waved a hand dismissively. "I just asked him to accompany me to check on something... well, it's a secret."
Ghoth stood beside her, his face a mask of practiced indifference. He didn't say a word, but I could feel the tension radiating off him like heat from a forge.
"Let's go inside, it's time for sleep," she continued, stepping toward the door. "You shouldn't have waited up for me anyway. Besides, how did you even know I was out?"
The question hung in the air. Should I tell her I had gone to her room just to be near her? That I had checked her door and found only emptiness?
"I saw you leaving earlier," I lied, my jaw tight. "I assumed you'd be back shortly."
"Ahhh. Hehehe," she chirped, a nervous little laugh that didn't reach her eyes. "Well, let's all head in then."
We entered the house in a silence so thick it felt like a physical weight. That was where the conversation ended, but in my mind, the questions were only just beginning.
Sapphire's POV
"Lucky I wasn't holding onto your arm when we got back, or we would've been dead meat," I hissed under my breath as I passed Ghoth in the kitchen later that morning.
He didn't reply with words, but the small, knowing smirk he gave me sent a jolt of electricity through my veins.
"We're leaving tomorrow," he replied softly, keeping his eyes on his task. "We'll be gone for a week."
"Stay safe, okay? Take care of yourself," I said, giving him a quick, playful wink that made his ears turn slightly pink.
"Thanks."
I went back to my chores, watching Lzith play in the yard. The peace didn't last long, though, as Khafa approached me, his expression uncharacteristically grave.
"This is just a housemate-to-housemate talk, Sapphire," he started.
"What's with the serious face? You're making me nervous," I joked, though my heart did a little nervous skip.
"I know Ghoth. He isn't the type to keep secrets, not from us. But I can feel it... I know something is going on between you two."
"Nothing's going on, we're just friends," I replied, giving him my best "showbiz" smile. "Friends with benefits," my mind corrected with a wicked streak.
"I'm just saying... don't hurt him," Khafa warned, his eyes searching mine. "He's different when he's sad. I've known him since we were kids; he's my best friend."
"How could I hurt him when there's nothing to break?" I countered, crossing my arms. "You're seeing ghosts, Khafa. It's just your imagination."
"I'm just looking out for him. I have a feeling I'm right."
"Well, your feeling is wrong. Take it from me."
I walked away, feeling a mix of relief and lingering anxiety. It was clear Ghoth hadn't breathed a word to Khafa, which meant my defense was holding up for now. But as I looked at the three men, Dayesh with his dark suspicions, Khafa with his protective loyalty, and Ghoth with his silent devotion. I realized I was playing a very dangerous game in a world where I didn't even know all the rules yet.