Elise moaned soft at the feel of it "Ah... Jae..." her hands holding him close as he shuddered, emptying himself in thick ropes that painted her pale flesh.
He kept her lifted a mont longer, kissing her through the aftershocks, tongues lazy now, the water washing so away but leaving the warmth behind.
Slowly, he lowered her legs to the tile, both of them panting, bodies pressed in the cramped space. Jae smirked, red eyes eting her dark ones, wiping a strand of wet hair from her face.
"That was... damn," he said, voice rough but satisfied. Elise blushed, timid smile breaking through, nice and thoughtful as she leaned into him. "Yeah... you too."
The room was quiet save for the faint crackle of the brazier in the corner. Jae leaned back against the headboard, his chest still rising steadily as warmth lingered between them.
Elise lay beside him, hair tousled, her cheeks flushed in a way that had nothing to do with exhaustion. She traced idle circles along his arm, though her eyes never quite t his.
"Jae..." Her voice ca soft, hesitant, as though speaking too loudly might shatter the fragile calm.
He tilted his head toward her. "What is it?"
For a long mont, she said nothing. Then, drawing in a breath, Elise whispered, "I get jealous."
He raised a brow. "Jealous?"
"When you’re with Tirel, or with Yuna." Her fingers paused on his arm, curling slightly. "I know you don’t belong to alone. I knew it even before... this. But every ti I see you smile at them, or when Tirel leans too close, I feel like, like I’m being pushed aside."
Jae studied her, the faint smirk on his lips softening into sothing gentler. He reached out, brushing a strand of dark hair from her face. "You think I don’t notice? Elise, you’re the one who always heals , steadies when I’m about to break. You’re the one I can count on."
Her eyes flickered, uncertain. "Then why... why can’t it just be ?"
He let out a quiet breath and leaned closer. "Because it isn’t who I am. For reasons I can’t fully explain, I want more. I want you, and I want them too. Not because you aren’t enough. You’re more than enough." His voice dipped lower, steadier. "But I’m not built to belong to only one person. I’d rather be honest with you than lie about it."
Elise’s lips trembled, her emotions warring across her face. Then she lowered her gaze, nodding once. "I don’t like it. I don’t know if I ever will. But..." She lifted her chin again, eyes shimring. "Even if it hurts sotis, I’d rather be by your side than anywhere else. So I’ll stay. I’ll endure it. Because I, because I love you."
Jae’s chest tightened at her words. He cupped her face in his hands, his red eyes eting hers with rare seriousness. "Then stay. Stay with , no matter what cos."
She nodded again, and this ti, when their lips t, there was no hesitation. The kiss was gentle at first, then deepened, carrying with it all the unspoken promises neither dared to voice aloud.
xxx
The last rays of sunlight filtered through the tall windows of the academy’s classroom, scattering gold over rows of desks where students still scribbled notes.
The light caught on inkwells, on the edges of quills, on the pale chalk dust that still lingered faintly on the board. The day had been long, and Mrs. Lira’s lectures were always demanding in their precision. She did not waste words, and she expected her students to rise to her standard.
Yet even as her lessons pressed them hard, she balanced it with a gentleness, walking the aisles with her usual calm grace, pausing every so often to murmur a correction, adjust a wrist, or offer encouragent with nothing more than a touch on the shoulder and a soft nod.
The atmosphere in the room had been thick with concentration for hours, and when the dismissal bell finally rang, the release of tension was imdiate. Chairs scraped harshly against the stone floor, the sound sharp and discordant after so much silence.
Dozens of students rose at once, their relief bubbling into chatter that spilled into the corridor beyond the open door. Footsteps and laughter echoed as bodies pressed toward freedom, voices climbing over one another as if to make up for the hours of stillness.
Jae, however, lingered.
He sat casually at his desk, leaning back with arms folded across his chest, his posture loose in contrast to the hurried exodus around him. His eyes tracked the students as they filed out.
Elise looked back once as she left, her gaze lingering on him with that faintly suspicious wariness she often wore when he broke patterns. Byun walked at her side, speaking lightly as if nothing was unusual, though the quirk of his mouth suggested he knew better.
Tirel, never one to miss a chance, threw Jae a wink on her way out, a playful little acknowledgnt that told him she had guessed exactly what he was about to do.
Even Yuna, reluctant to leave, was tugged along by her attendants. She made a small show of pouting, dragging her feet, but did not stop him, though her eyes flicked back more than once as if to remind him she had noticed.
Soon the tide of students emptied, and the room grew still again. The quiet felt heavier after so much noise, almost intimate.
Only Mrs. Lira remained, moving gracefully between her desk and the stacks of parchnt she gathered into neat piles. The late sun caught her at an angle, bathing her profile in gold. Her hair, pale as frost, glead like polished ice.
Every line of her posture was straight yet soft, the disciplined poise of a mage who had long mastered both body and mind. Even the robe she wore, modest by intent, fit her with a natural elegance that was impossible not to notice.
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