After somewhat cooling himself down, Ashen stepped out of the bathroom, his damp hair dripping water onto his shirt.
What greeted him wasn't a composed Seraphine reflecting on what had just happened.
No.
It was a flustered Seraphine, tiptoeing toward the front door like a thief in the night.
Ashen took two long strides and grabbed her wrist just as she reached for the handle.
"Kya!"
Her cute yelp didn't make him loosen his grip.
"Where do you think you're going?" His voice was low, suddenly becoming laced with quiet authority.
"Oh! Hey, Ash. Didn't see you there…" she answered, turning to face him with a forced smile. The grimace lurking underneath betrayed her desperation to be anywhere but here.
Ashen remained silent, his golden eyes unamused.
One minute.
She couldn't stay still for one damn minute before trying to run.
Seraphine squirmed under his gaze before letting out a small huff. "Ugh… Look, I also need to cool off, okay? Can we just talk about this tomorrow?"
She was being earnest now, but Ashen still didn't let go.
"...We can." He relaxed his grip.
Relieved, Seraphine took a step back and slipped her hand from his hold. She was about to bolt—
—until his next words made her freeze.
"We can talk tomorrow… but I have a feeling that the moment you leave now, you won't want to talk at all."
She clenched her jaw, her fingers tightening around the sides of her pants.
Taking a deep breath, Ashen softened his tone.
"Seraphine, we're all adults here. Let's talk things out calmly before this spirals out of control and misunderstandings pile up."
She still didn't look at him, but she wasn't moving either.
Encouraged, he pressed on.
"Don't forget… our lives will be on the line soon. We don't have time for teenage drama. So let's talk, yeah?"
"..."
The Silence stretched.
Then, after a few heartbeats, Seraphine exhaled heavily and turned around.
"You're right…" she muttered, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Sorry for trying to run. That was… immature of me."
Ashen smiled softly. "It's okay. You acted on impulse. The Seraphine I know might be a clumsy airhead, but she's never irresponsible or immature."
Seraphine rolled her eyes. "Tsk. I'll take that as a compliment."
"It is a compliment, I swear," he said theatrically, tossing the words over his shoulder as he walked back to the living room.
With that, he threw himself onto the sofa, sighing as the last of the tension melted from his shoulders.
Seraphine hesitated for only a moment before sitting beside him, ignoring the closeness.
It seemed she wouldn't let a little shame get in the way of their dynamic after all.
Ashen glanced at her. "Alright. Do you know what actually happened back there?"
Seraphine let out a sheepish smile. "Uhm… I think it's my fault. I, uh… accidentally activated a skill of mine…"
Ashen groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Wow. You are not allowed to complain the next time I call you an airhead, you clumsy Bunny."
For once, she didn't argue, fully aware she had, indeed, royally screwed up.
"Mm…"
"But that still doesn't explain everything," Ashen continued, crossing his arms. "From what I've read, that skill amplifies desires; it doesn't create ones that aren't there."
At that, Seraphine crossed her arms under her chest and shot him one of her signature cute glares.
"Oh, c'mon! Do I have to spell it out for you?!"
Before he could blink, she jabbed a finger at his nose and practically yelled in his face—
"Ashen, I like you. L. I. K. E. Do you understand?!"
"..."
Oh, he understood.
His brain just refused to accept it.
On one side, he had the love of his life, the woman who had stayed by his side, made countless memories with him, and tolerated every single one of his mistakes, always trying to help him no matter how much he messed up.
On the other hand, he had this angel who was unnecessarily cute, having driven away his demons and given him the strength to keep going. In a world where stopping for even a single day meant increasing his chances of dying, Seraphine was the one who kept him moving.
Both women meant the world to him.
But now, he was stuck in a dilemma.
Should he accept Seraphine's confession?
But what about Alice?
Even if he acknowledged their breakup and let himself be with Seraphine now… he knew the guilt would eat him alive.
"…Maybe Alice won't oppose having a sister-wife if I beg her long enough?"
"…"
Oh.
"I said that out loud, didn't I?" he asked in a dead voice.
Seraphine's expression slowly morphed from stunned silence into rage.
"Ashen… come to think of it, you never told me what sin you picked. It must be greed, right?" She cracked her knuckles. "You GREEDY GOBLIN!"
Before he could react, she lunged at him, aiming straight for his face.
"Ah—okay, okay! Sorry! It was a joke! Really!" Ashen caught her wrists before she could do any real damage.
Unfortunately, this only made her pout harder before she bared her cute little fangs and bit him.
"Oh, come on! What are you, a dog?!" he shouted, exasperated.
"---Woof!"
It took a couple of minutes to get her to calm down.
Then, finally, he spoke… seriously this time.
"…Sera, you're… a sweet girl. Too sweet, in fact. So lovely, so bright… that no matter how much I like you, no matter how badly I want to be with you… I don't think I deserve you."
She froze, her breath catching.
"If that were the only problem, I'd be selfish enough to push past my own doubts… shameless enough to reach for your hand and never let go."
A fragile smile touched her lips, but it was tinged with sorrow. She already knew what came next.
"But I can't… and I never will… forget Alice." He exhaled, the words heavy. "I'm sorry."
Silence settled between them, thick and suffocating.