"You feel so… warm, Ash—Ah!"
"Ah… C-Cel…"
"Mm… your face is so red… it's cute."
"Nngh—Cel! Y-You're teasing m-me again…"
Faces only inches apart, the dim light casting soft shadows over their expressions.
Ash leaned in, his forehead resting against hers as he tried to steady his breath.
He was trembling—nervous, overwhelmed, but unable to pull away. His heart pounding so loudly he was sure she could hear it.
Celeste gently took his hand and placed it over her breast.
"Touch me—Ugh—Ash—Nngh"
Ash swallowed hard, his face flushed.
"Your heartbeat…"
"It's because of you," she murmured
He moved his hand in slow, uncertain circles, not to provoke—but to calm, to soothe, to remind himself she was real. Her heartbeat thudded under his palm, fast—like his.
"Cel…" he breathed, overwhelmed.
"Ugh—Cel—Ah—!"
"Harder…!" she choked out, not because it hurt, but because she needed to feel something real.
And he does.
She gasped sharply in return, gripping his arms.
"Ah…!"
Ash trembled against her, clinging tightly, like he was falling through the world and she was the only thing anchoring him.
Celeste didn't pull away.
His arms wrapped around her harder—faster—like he was chasing something that kept slipping through his fingers. Like he was trying to hold time still.
His breathing was ragged, his chest heaving with the weight of everything he couldn't say.
Then—without warning, Celeste bit him. Her teeth pressed into the side of his neck, firm enough to leave a mark.
It wasn't a kiss. It wasn't affection. It was a plea.
I'm here. Don't fall.
Ash stiffened. Then something inside him snapped loose.
He leaned forward and bit her back—right over her chest, near her heart. It wasn't gentle. It wasn't cruel. It was instinct, desperation, a silent scream carved into skin.
She gasped but didn't resist.
Ash's chest heaved as he clung to her, every breath coming out as a half-shout, half-whimper.
"Cel—ah…!"
His voice cracked again, louder this time — not controlled, not measured. It tore out of him like a storm finally breaking free.
Celeste held him tighter, her fingers digging into his back. Her own voice escaped in a harsh gasp, almost a cry.
"Ash—hah… ngh—!"
It wasn't graceful. It wasn't soft. Their voices rose in choked sounds, panting, crying out — louder and louder, like neither of them could hold anything back anymore.
He gritted his teeth.
"I—I can't—!"
No words were exchanged. Just the sharp press of skin against skin. The echo of pain and presence shared between them.
__________