[Another day]
Rowan was back on Ash's couch.
Again.
Leg sprawled over the armrest like it was his own apartment.
Rowan got up to grab more snacks.
The moment Rowan leaves.
Celeste turned her head and kissed Ash.
Quick. Soft. But very, very real.
Ash flinched, eyes wide, looking like he just got struck by lightning.
"Y-You can't keep doing that!" he whispered.
"I can, and I will," she whispered back, smug.
Ash's face was a warzone of blushes and barely-contained noises.
He peeked toward the kitchen.
Still no Rowan.
Another kiss.
This one on the jaw.
Then one just below his ear.
Ash melted.
.
.
.
"You guys got anything good to watch?" he asked, lazily flipping through the options.
"Welp, gotta answer nature's call. Ash, I'm stealing your bathroom for a bit"
Ash barely nodded. As soon as Rowan disappeared and closed the bathroom door with a soft click—
Celeste turned her head.
Her eyes locked on Ash.
Ash froze.
"No." he whispered, already reading the dangerous glint in her eyes. "Cel—don't."
But she was already moving.
Her hand found his.
And before Ash could fully process what was happening, she slid his hand—yes, his whole hand—under the hem of her soft cotton shorts.
Ash let out the tiniest, most broken gasp.
"C-Cel?!"
His whole body went rigid. Every neuron in his brain short-circuited. His heart was punching through his ribs. His face turned ten shades of red.
Her skin was warm. Too warm. And she was not wearing anything underneath.
Ash froze.
He forgot how to blink.
"Shhh…" she cooed, still smiling. She whispered near his ear. "Just feel."
Ash opened his mouth to say something—anything—but only air came out.
Then she moved his hand. Just slightly. A slow, deliberate shift.
And her breath hitched.
Ash forgot how to breathe.
"C-Cel, we shouldn't—"
She turned her head slightly and whispered,
"You're already touching me. Might as well make it worth it."
He nearly fainted on the spot.
"Just… follow me," she whispered again.
Ash's fingers trembled.
She moved again—slowly, guiding his touch, hips shifting the tiniest bit.
A soft sound left her lips—barely a breath. But it was enough to break him.
Ash closed his eyes, face burning, hand trapped, heart absolutely wrecked.
And then—
"Ah… Ash…" she whispered, voice so soft it was almost cruel.
He twitched like someone had shocked him.
"D-Don't say my name like that!" he hissed under his breath, panicking.
Celeste only smiled, eyes gleaming with mischief.
"You love it," she whispered, pressing a little closer.
His brain short-circuited.
And in that moment, with Rowan still very much in the bathroom, Ash realized three things:
1. He had absolutely no control.
2. Celeste was absolutely enjoying this.
3. He was absolutely doomed.
A sudden flush echoed.
Ash practically flung his hand away, jumping back like he'd touched fire.
Celeste casually smoothed her shorts, lips curving into a smug smile.
Ash stared ahead, pale and red at the same time, pupils dilated like he'd seen a ghost.
Rowan stepped back into the room.
Ash sat frozen on the couch, hand still trembling, his face flushed to the tips of his ears. His breathing was shallow—like he'd just sprinted a mile without moving an inch. His eyes were wide, unblinking, staring at the space in front of him like the air itself had just whispered scandal in his ear.
His hand—his hand—was still warm.
He slowly, carefully, pulled it back to his lap, as if afraid it might still betray him.
Celeste, sitting beside him like she hadn't just made him forget how to function, wore the most innocent expression in the world. Her fingers played idly with the hem of her sleeve, lips slightly parted in a small, satisfied smile.
.
.
.
When they had even a moment alone, Celeste always took her chance—whether it was stealing a kiss, whispering something that turned Ash's ears red, or touching him in ways that made his breath hitch. She never wasted an opportunity. And Ash, no matter how hard he tried to resist, always melted under her touch.
_________