(Aeris’s POV)

The wedding had ended. The grand celebration, the dancing, the endless congratulations—it was over. And now, here I was.

Standing in the middle of an unfamiliar chamber.

Zephirion’s chamber.

The room was massive, illuminated by the soft glow of enchanted lanterns. The bed—large enough to fit five people—sat in the center, draped in dark silks. Everything about this place screamed him. Dark, regal, intimidating.

And right now, I was standing in the middle of it, my heart hammering.

I sneaked a glance at Zephirion, who stood near the door, arms crossed, his usual stoic expression in place.

Neither of us spoke.

Neither of us moved.

The silence stretched.

This is awkward. This is so awkward.

Finally, I cleared my throat. "S-So…"

Zephirion shifted slightly, looking anywhere but at me. "You can sleep on the bed."

I blinked. "What?"

He sighed, rubbing his temple. "I won’t touch you, if that’s what you’re worried about."

I frowned. "I wasn’t worried!"

He raised a brow. "Your face says otherwise."

I scowled. "Well, your face looks like you want to throw yourself off a cliff, so what does that say?"

His lips twitched, as if holding back a smirk. "That I regret letting Valerion plan this wedding."

I groaned, sitting at the edge of the bed. "You and me both."

Another silence.

I shifted awkwardly, twiddling my fingers. "So, um… do we just… go to sleep?"

Zephirion nodded, stepping toward the other side of the room. "I’ll sleep on the couch."

I blinked. "Wait, you’re not sleeping here?"

He looked at me as if I had grown two heads. "Do you want me to?"

I choked on air. "NO!"

He smirked. "You answered that too quickly."

"I—!" My face burned. "Go sleep on the couch!"

He let out a low chuckle and turned away. I huffed and pulled the blankets over myself.

Why does he always have to tease me?!

I turned onto my side, trying to ignore my racing heart.

And then—

The next moment happened so fast.

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(Zephirion’s POV)

The wedding was over.

The celebrations, the endless greetings, the formalities—I had endured it all. And now, here we were.

Inside my chamber.

Aeris stood in the middle of the room, her posture stiff, her fingers gripping the edge of her sleeves. She was nervous. It was obvious in the way she refused to meet my gaze, her eyes darting around the chamber as if searching for an escape.

I crossed my arms. "You can sleep on the bed."

She flinched slightly, turning to look at me with wide eyes. "What?"

I sighed. "I won’t touch you, if that’s what you’re worried about."

Her brows furrowed, lips pressing into a pout. "I wasn’t worried!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Your face says otherwise."

She scowled. "Well, your face looks like you want to throw yourself off a cliff, so what does that say?"

A small smirk tugged at my lips. "That I regret letting Valerion plan this wedding."

She groaned, dropping onto the bed. "You and me both."

Silence stretched between us.

She fiddled with her fingers, shifting uncomfortably. "So, um… do we just… go to sleep?"

I nodded, turning toward the couch. "I’ll sleep over here."

There was a pause.

Then—

"Wait, you’re not sleeping here?"

I turned back to her. "Did you want me to?"

She choked. "NO!"

I chuckled, leaning against the bedpost. "You answered that too quickly."

She grabbed a pillow and threw it at me. I caught it effortlessly.

"Go sleep on the couch!" she snapped, burying her face under the blanket.

I let out a quiet laugh and walked away, shaking my head.

This was far too entertaining.

I settled onto the couch, watching her fidget under the blankets. She was tense, overthinking, likely scolding herself in that little mind of hers.

I closed my eyes.

And then—

A sudden yelp.

I turned just in time to see her slipping off the bed.

I moved without thinking.

In a blink, I caught her before she hit the ground, my arms securing her waist with ease.

But instead of lifting her back immediately—

I hesitated.

Somehow—somehow—she ended up beneath me.

My arms caged her in, my body hovering just inches above hers. Her wide golden eyes stared up at me, lips slightly parted, her breath uneven.

I could hear her heart pounding.

Or was that mine?

For a moment, neither of us moved.

The room felt smaller. The air felt thicker.

And then—

My gaze lowered to her lips.

Soft.

Untouched.

Would they taste sweet? Would she—

I stopped.

What was I thinking?

She must have noticed because she sucked in a sharp breath, her fingers clutching the sheets beneath her.

Her lips parted, as if about to say something.

I smirked before she could.

"Careful, little blossom. Falling for me already?"

She shoved me. Hard.

I let her push me off, laughing as I sat up. She scrambled onto the bed, grabbing a pillow and smashing it against her face, muffling a frustrated groan.

"Go sleep on the couch!" she squeaked, her voice muffled.

I chuckled as I walked away.

"Goodnight, little blossom."

Her muffled groan made my smirk widen.

She was making this far too fun.

To be continued