Fenix carried her over to her parents' home.
Mirror and Caster were just stepping out at the same time, and they paused at seeing each other.
"Hi," Aura greeted, her arms hugging Fenix's shoulders as he lowered her onto her feet.
"Hi?" Mirror mocked. "You disappeared. We've been looking for you all day," she added, her voice heavy with exasperation.
"I'm sorry," Aura replied, her eyes cast downward.
Mirror then rushed over, eyeing Aura closely.
"You were busy hooking up while we were all worried about you?!" she accused. Aura gasped,
"What?" she replied, startled.
"The evidence is all over your neck," Mirror whispered. Aura immediately put both her hands on the sides of her neck.
"Don't look!" she shouted, her face bright red. Fenix covered his mouth, stifling a laugh.
Aura had forgotten to even look in the mirror before heading out.
She began using her powers to lighten the marks on her skin, even the ones hidden beneath her clothes.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Mirror asked, turning to Fenix with a frown.
"I hadn't noticed," he said with a shrug.
"It's a good thing you're here," Aura mumbled to her sister.
"Yeah, and… wait—how did you get your bracelet off already?" she asked, glancing at Aura's wrist, "Did he do it?" she added, pointing to Fenix.
"No, a shop clerk did," Aura explained. Mirror's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.
"Later today, everyone who has decided to stay will get theirs taken off," Fenix said as he pulled Aura against him. Her breath caught as he held her close.
"Yeah, we're headed there now, actually," Caster commented. Mirror frowned and moved back to Caster's side.
"Go let Mom and Dad know you're okay," she said finally, before they both walked away. Aura exhaled heavily and mumbled,
"You really didn't notice?" Fenix chuckled, nuzzling his cheek against her hair.
"I'm sorry... when you said you wanted to introduce me to your family, I got so excited that I couldn't think of anything else," he said softly as he pressed against her back.
"Fine... I'll accept that," she replied, forcing her voice to stay neutral while every inch of her felt electrified.
She stepped onto the porch with him bent over, his arms still wrapped around her, refusing to let go.
Aura rang the doorbell, and a second later, her mother answered.
Sera's face lit up with joy,
"Aura! I'm so glad to see you." She paused, eyes turning to Fenix as she added, "And... is this the young man I met before?"
He reluctantly released her daughter and replied,
"Yes, Ms. Anima, it's good to see you again."
He couldn't look into her eyes as he spoke, and Sera leaned over to Aura's ear and whispered,
"I couldn't get a good look at him before, but wow. I get it, he's hot." Aura's cheeks reddened,
"Mom?!" she muttered, mortified, and threw her hands over her face.
"We wanted to get together formally, the four of us, whenever it's convenient for you," he explained, offering a practiced smile.
"Is that Aura?" Nicolai called, entering the doorway. He frowned at Fenix, who stood a few inches taller than him, grinning.
"Hey, Dad, sorry I made you worry," Aura said. His eyes turned to her then, and he smiled brightly and hugged her, saying,
"I'm just glad you're okay." After the hug ended, he cleared his throat.
Sera hugged his arm and said,
"Let's get together tomorrow evening. I'd love to get to know my daughter's fiancé better."
Aura's face heated at the word fiancé. Her fingers instinctively covered the ring.
"Her what?!" Nicolai shouted in shock, his eyes sharply flicked back to Fenix, sizing him up. Sera gently pushed her husband deeper into the house.
"Does six work for you?" she asked. Aura and Fenix nodded. "Okay, good. Would you like to come inside for a bit?" Sera added, politely.
"... There's somewhere I want to take Aura tonight, so tomorrow sounds perfect," Fenix answered. Aura looked up at him in surprise.
Sera smiled and replied,
"Then we'll see you then. Don't be late." She waved goodbye and closed the door.
After a few seconds of silence, Fenix exhaled heavily and leaned against Aura.
"That was nerve-racking," he grumbled while holding her close, his fingers tightening at her waist as he rubbed his cheek against hers.
"You seemed fine the entire time," she remarked.
"I just hide it well," Fenix replied, laughing as he extended his wings, cradled her close, lifting into the air and flying toward Aura's place
"I thought you wanted to take me somewhere," Aura commented, looking at her doorway, but she stayed close, her cheek resting against his chest.
Fenix's heart thumped loudly as he ran his fingers through her hair.
"You'll need a bathing suit... or at least a change of clothes," he explained. She looked up at him curiously, studying his face before answering,
"Alright... I won't take long." She released him, then went inside to pack.
When she returned, she was wearing a sundress and sandals. Fenix watched her, holding his breath as color flooded his face.
"I'm ready," she said, while holding out her arms for him. He didn't react and put his hand to his mouth,
"How are you so beautiful?" he mumbled, and Aura's heart skipped.
"What the heck?! Why are you saying something so embarrassing?!" she shouted.
Her expression softened when he hugged her waist and pulled her in, his lips lingering against hers.
"I'm not embarrassed," he whispered. Aura opened her mouth to reply, but the words were swallowed up by him as their lips connected and he kissed her deeply.
Aura couldn't find her voice, even after the kisses stopped. There was only silence as he lifted her into his arms, swiftly carrying her to their next destination.
They landed near the shoreline. The ocean shimmered under the setting sun, while high cliffs stretched behind it, isolating it from the rest of the beach.
"Wow," Aura mumbled, taking everything in.
"This is my favorite place on the island," Fenix commented, intertwining their fingers as he took her hand.
"It's lovely," she said softly, allowing him to lead her to the water.
"It's also private; no one else is allowed here," he explained. At that moment, the cold water hit her feet, and Aura shrieked, jumping up onto Fenix and wrapping her legs around his waist.
Fenix chuckled, hugging her close and continuing to walk further into the ocean. The waves crashed around them, and Aura squeezed her eyes shut, holding him tighter.
"I don't know when, but... There will be retaliation from the outside world. I want to enjoy this peace while I can. That's why I brought you here," he muttered. The water around them warmed to a comfortable level, and Aura moved back slightly to look at his face.
"Do you mean... a war?" she asked quietly. He laid his forehead on hers.
"Hopefully we can prove that we're a force worthy of respect so it won't come to that... I really don't want to worry you, but I shouldn't hide anything either," he said while closing his eyes.
The water continued to splash against them, and Aura loosened her grip, moving her hands to his shoulders.
"If you have to fight, I want to be by your side." His eyes snapped open the moment she said it, and she stared back at him firmly.
"No," he replied.
"I... wouldn't be able to take being separated from you again. While you were away, I had to force myself to eat, and at night, you plagued my thoughts so much that I had nightmares. Most days, I couldn't even sleep. There's no way I would be okay with you going to a war without me." Aura's voice shook as she admitted this. Fenix averted his gaze, so she grabbed his cheeks and turned his face back to hers.
She kissed him deeply, tasting salt. He remained still, supporting her so she wouldn't slip down into the water.
"You're not leaving me again... okay?" she pleaded, while slowly removing her lips from his.
He said nothing—just stared into her eyes.The weight of her words lingered between them.
Then his gaze dropped to her lips.
They kissed again. This time, he carried her back to shore and gently laid her down on the sand.
Aura looked up at him expectantly, the sunset highlighting her features.
"Fine..." he said, finally, as if he was giving up. Then he let out a low groan.
Seconds later, he pulled her dress over her head, eyes roaming over her white bikini.
"You think I was sane when I was away from you?" he asked. She started to respond, but quieted when his lips moved to her neck. "But, I would completely lose my mind if anything happened to you," he added, while tossing his soaked shirt onto the pile with her dress.
Aura's breath hitched. She tried to stay focused on the conversation, but her eyes kept trailing down his body.
"I'll... take whatever precautions you want..." she muttered, reaching up to brush his hair back from his face, "As long as you don't leave me behind," Aura added.
Fenix's jaw tightened, and he hesitated for a moment, taking in her words. Then he pulled her hand from his cheek to his lips and looked into her eyes.
The intensity of his gaze caused her to shudder.
"... Fine," he repeated, his voice uneven. His eyes went down as he pulled at the strings tying her bikini's bottom. As soon as they came undone, he tossed them aside with the rest.