Aura kept hold of his sleeve as Fenix silently led her to his place.
It sat on a small island, separated from the rest of Talitha by open water.
He extended his wings and said,
"I can carry you over... if that's okay?" His voice carried uncertainty.
"It's out of character for you to be so timid," Aura noted, as she wrapped her arms around him. He didn't reply, but hesitated before pulling her into his arms.
He carried her over to the porch, then set her down and stepped back to unlock the door.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" Again, he didn't respond. He simply held the door open, inviting her inside.
She accepted and took a seat on his couch. Fenix walked past her into the kitchen. The room was silent, except for the soft clink of glass as he grabbed a couple of bottles and brought them over to where Aura was waiting.
He extended a bottle towards her,
"What's this?" she asked while taking it. He didn't answer right away.
"It's a soda. A local specialty."
She unscrewed the top and gave it a taste. It was sweet, but not overpowering, with a very unique flavor.
"It's delicious," Aura noted, and Fenix smiled softly while drinking from his own bottle.
They drank silently, tension growing heavier in the room, when Fenix suddenly whispered,
"I'm sorry."
Aura choked on her drink, then set the bottle on the table and wiped her mouth.
"What are you sorry for?" she asked. Fenix hunched over and clasped his hands together in his lap.
"I'm sorry... for not telling you anything... for drugging you... dragging you here, and endangering your parents," he said shakily. His shoulders trembled, and he kept his eyes down.
"Oh... well... I don't accept it." Aura replied, and Fenix slumped further. Then she added, "You made up for most of that when you brought my parents back… so thank you."
Fenix finally turned to look at her.
"Do you remember what I said when you accidentally hurt me the first time?" she asked.
Fenix straightened slightly, eyes still fixed on her as she continued, "We're friends, so no matter what, I'll always forgive you."
"I... didn't think that applied here," he replied.
"Plus... I'm the one who said I didn't want to be friends anymore," he added, his voice faltering.
"It applies because we're more than friends, not less." Aura corrected. Fenix's cheeks reddened.
"... I thought you might still hate me... or at least not want anything to do with me anymore," he mumbled, his gaze deepening and his body instinctively moving closer.
"I don't think that's possible for me," Aura replied, with a soft sigh, meeting his eyes.
Fenix cleared his throat.
"I should take you home," he said, finally turning away. Aura scooted over, pressing her shoulder to his, making him stiffen as the temperature in the room spiked.
"Why?" she whispered. He swallowed hard, his hands trembling in his lap.
"I... want to kiss you, but I don't trust myself to stop. You're being so sweet, I just—I don't want to mess this up again."
She watched him for a second… then leaned closer.
"You can kiss me," Aura replied. Fenix whipped his head in her direction, his eyes wide.
"This isn't too fast?" he asked.
"Right now... you're moving too slow," Aura replied, closing her eyes, waiting in anticipation.
A moment later, his hands rose to her cheeks, cupping them gently. He held his breath, lightly brushing his lips against hers, before leaning in, kissing her softly at first—then deeper… hungrier.
She gasped, trying to keep up, then she let out a soft moan as his lips moved down to her neck.
When he heard it, he paused, and they both became flustered.
"I'm sorry, it just came out," Aura mumbled, embarrassed.
"I want to hear it some more," Fenix whispered, returning his lips to hers. Aura's heart hammered in her chest as he slowly pushed her back onto the couch, kissing her again and again.
Fenix gripped her waist, pulling her in against him as his lips moved down to her neck once again. Aura squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists while letting out more involuntary sounds as he licked and nipped at that same spot.
This time, when he pulled away, Aura lay panting beneath him,
"Am I moving fast enough yet?" Fenix teased while unbuttoning his shirt.
Aura's entire body buzzed with excitement, her eyes fixed on his fingers.
"Almost," she replied in a low voice. He paused for a moment, then smiled down at her and said,
"I love you." Her breath caught as his words sank in.
Aura's face couldn't get any redder, but her heart fluttered, and she averted her gaze,
"I love you too," she mumbled.
It wasn't long before they found themselves in his bed, lost in each other.
The next morning, Aura reached out and stroked Fenix's cheek.
"That really happened," she muttered in disbelief, but his warmth and the ache in her muscles reminded her it was real.
Her hands wandered over him for a while—until she suddenly pulled away, embarrassed.
"Why did you stop?" Fenix grumbled, opening his eyes.
"You were awake?!" she blurted, mortified. He simply laughed and moved closer, nuzzling his face into her chest.
"I woke up the moment you touched me," he answered smoothly, before rolling on top of her, pressing light, lingering kisses against her skin.
Aura giggled, hugging his shoulders.
"Sorry for waking you," she replied in a cheerful tone. Fenix froze for a second, then he ducked from her arms, his kisses trailing lower, down to her chest, then disappearing beneath the covers.
Later that afternoon, Aura sat on the couch, barely able to look in Fenix's direction as he cooked for them. Once the meal was done, he called her to the kitchen. She slowly made her way to the dining table, her legs trembling slightly with each step.
As they ate, Fenix kept glancing at her, smiling slyly whenever she fidgeted under his gaze.
"How's the food?" he asked, eyes still on her.
"G-good," she stuttered. Fenix chuckled, and her face heated up.
Aura hid her face behind her hand as she continued eating.
Fenix cleared the table once they were done,
"Would you be okay, staying longer and taking a bath here, or should I take you home?" he asked while washing the dishes.
The plates were cleaned before she answered.
"I don't mind," Fenix turned to her with a wide smile, then picked her up from her chair.
"I can walk!" she protested, as he cradled her in his arms and kissed her cheek.
"No, you can't," Fenix argued, walking into the bathroom.
He placed her down gently once they were there. Then he left for a brief moment, returning with a towel and a washcloth.
"You can use my bodywash, I'll get some clothes ready for you," he said while handing the items over. Aura looked at the towel and frowned,
"You're not staying?" she asked, grabbing his wrists and tugging him towards her.
"Wh-what?" he muttered, visibly flustered.
"Your tub is big enough for two people," Aura commented, glancing behind them and backing towards it. Fenix dropped the towel and the cloth, then wrapped his arms around her.
"I thought you'd need a break from me by now..." Fenix uttered softly. Aura held him, gripping the back of his shirt.
"I missed you too much to be tired of you already."
She could feel his pulse racing, matching her own.
He exhaled softly,
"You're going to make my attachment issues worse," he said while rubbing his cheek on hers.
"I'm," Aura hesitated for a moment before continuing, "fine with that."
With that, he removed the shirt she had borrowed, and she pulled off his in return. Fenix undressed completely and pulled her hand towards him, kissing her palm and looking straight into her eyes before leading the way to the bathtub.
He sat down first, and she settled down into his lap. Hot water poured in, steam curling around them, and Fenix's hands roamed over her as he kissed the nape of her neck.
Aura laid her hands on his, closed her eyes, and lay back against him.
Once their bath had concluded, Aura sat in a robe. Seated in a chair in his room while he gently dried her hair.
She had imagined that the desire and surge of excitement she got when he was near would settle down once they had increased their intimacy. Yet, even while he stood so close, wiping strands of her hair with a towel, she still wanted to be closer to him.
It was those thoughts that made her cheeks tingle and made it hard to look at him.
"Done," he said, leaning down to kiss her shoulder, then her cheek. "I'll be right back,"
Fenix added. As soon as he left the room, Aura's shoulders relaxed, she melted into her chair, and breathed heavily.
He came back with a set of clothes. She sat upright as he handed them to her.
"These should fit... I outgrew them a long time ago and just hadn't gotten rid of them yet," he explained. Aura gazed at him silently, then he added, "Don't worry, they're clean."
That's when she hugged the clothes against her chest and replied,
"Okay, thank you," though she looked a bit disappointed.
He left her alone while she got dressed.
When she was done, she found Fenix in the living room. He had a book in his hand, his head tilted to the side with a serious expression.
It was her first time seeing him in fully casual clothing, and just seeing him filled her stomach with butterflies.
"I want to... introduce you to my parents," Aura said, drawing his attention away from his book. He tossed it onto the couch and rushed over to hug her, lifting her into the air.
"Let's go now!" he declared, voice full of enthusiasm and joy.
"I have to arrange things with them first," Aura explained, her body tingling as she stared down at his smiling face.
"Then let's go ask," he replied, as he rushed outside, still carrying her in his arms.