The first thing I became aware of was the unusual warmth. Not that my room was cold or anything... but there was... How to say it... A slow, steady heat was pressing lightly against my side, a soft weight that felt... unfamiliar.


    My eyes fluttered open as my brain caught onto the feeling, slowly adjusting to the dim morning light filtering through the wooden slats of my window. My room was quiet, save for the faint rhythm of breathing—one that wasn''t mine. I stiffened slightly, my mind struggling to bridge the gap between last night and now. Was there someone here with me?! An assassin?! A monster?! Then, as my thoughts cleared, thanks to my beating heart pumping adrenaline and blood into my brain, something clicked...


    Lira.


    Turning around, she was curled up beside me, facing toward me, her chest rising and falling in soft, even breaths. Her hair was tousled from sleep and had dropped over part of her face, one stray strand resting lightly across her lips. I swallowed, suddenly aware of how close she was. One scream and I will end up in jail... or... Maybe this world is different, but... Fuck. The small bed I had here didn''t leave much space between us, and despite the chill of the morning air, the warmth from her body was noticeable... and I...


    "..." There was a silent thought creeping up from the depth of my memories, something I didn''t want to remember.


    I carefully moved my arm, only to realize just how tangled we had become in sleep. My thoughts kept creeping to the forefront thanks to it, flashing back to the last time I had woken up beside someone like this. For a moment, I wasn''t in this world anymore—I was back in my old apartment, sunlight streaming in through a half-open curtain and a familiar weight at my side. I could almost smell the faint trace of lavender shampoo and hear the lazy, teasing murmur of the woman I once thought I''d spend my life with.


    Seven years. Is it long? I don''t know... for me, it was. Seven years with someone, and in the end, it hadn''t been enough for her. She had looked at me one day and realized I wasn''t someone she could see a future with. Were there signs it would happen? Looking back now... yeah. There were. But... I don''t know. I didn''t think we wouldn''t even try. Just like that, it had all ended, and I had let her go because what else could I do?


    I thought it was the evolution of a relationship. We had grown up; we were no longer college lovers; we were people with responsibilities and jobs. Even though our lives were no longer about partying or the myriad of opportunities, we should have faced our lives together. At least, that was what I believed. Maybe I was wrong...


    I thought I had buried all of this nonsense, that it didn''t matter anymore. But lying here, feeling the warmth of another person again, I realized how much I had pushed it down, how much I had avoided thinking about it, and how much I missed it. I really did. And I hated being reminded of it...


    A part of me—one that I wasn''t entirely comfortable acknowledging—didn''t want to move, didn''t want to break this fragile, peaceful moment.


    But that was dangerous. Snap out of it, Auriel!


    With slow, careful movements, I shifted, putting a little more space between us, ensuring there was no misinterpretation when she woke up. I wasn''t about to make this more complicated than it already was. I tried thinking how it was in this world, but the younger Auriel was a virgin... To be honest, thinking about it, I don''t think he ever held a girl''s hand either. Poor bastard... Anyway, I wasn''t going to catch a charge either!


    And then, as if summoned by my thoughts of trying to sneak out like some idiot after a one-night stand, Lira stirred.


    ...


    ....


    ......


    The first thing she noticed was warmth.


    Not the cold draft coming into her room from the other side of the house, blowing through the simple cloth, separating her tiny room. It was also not the uncomfortable stiffness of her own bed... this was... even if just a bit softer. Yet, something solid and steady WAS beside her. Her body, still wrapped in the grogginess of sleep, barely on the trip to gain consciousness, registered it as something comforting. Just at the moment before her mind fully caught up. And when it did—


    Her eyes shot open, her face flaring up with the color of red.


    Auriel.


    Her breath quickened at once, her body freezing as her brain processed where she was, how she had gotten here, and the sheer insanity of it. She was in a man''s bed. Not just any man—Auriel''s. They barely knew each other, well... he barely knew her, although she had been looking at her since he first came into her parents'' bakery. She was in his room... his bed... And he hadn''t thrown her out.


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    Heat flooded her cheeks even stronger, so intensely that she thought she might catch fire. For a moment, she thought she had turned into an oven.


    Her fingers gripped the fabric of the blanket she had curled under as if using it to ground herself in the reality of what had happened last night. Yeah... Did anything happen? She had come here, desperate to escape her home, to flee from her family''s suffocating hypocrisy, and he had let her in. He had let her stay... and she had been the one bold enough to slip into bed next to him when it was time to go to sleep.


    "Hauuuuh..."


    The thought made her head spin.


    What would her parents say? No, what would the entire town say if they found out? This was scandalous. This was just as wrong as her mother''s past! Did... did she inherit her tendencies?! Even though nothing had happened, even though Auriel had treated her with nothing but distant patience, the fact that she had stayed the night next to him was... It was... It... was... exhilarating.


    Her heart pounded so hard she worried he might hear it. Slowly, as cautiously as possible, she turned her head, peeking up at him.


    "...!"


    He was awake! His eyes, which were still heavy with sleep, met hers for the briefest of moments before he exhaled, running a hand through his hair.


    "Morning," he muttered, his voice still tired and a bit groggy.


    "G-good morning," Lira stammered, immediately wanting to kick herself for how ridiculous she sounded, her voice so high-pitched, it made her sound like a mouse.


    She watched as he sat up, stretching his shoulders slightly before looking at her again. There was no anger, no irritation—just a... Something sad... And maybe... maybe a little bit of hesitation. His expression told of something painful... what was it? She didn''t know... but now she wanted to know!


    Without intending it to sound so loud, she swallowed, suddenly hyperaware of everything. The warmth of his presence was still lingering between them. She now recognized the way her hands trembled slightly against the blanket, the way her heart wouldn''t stop racing... This was bad.


    "I should—" she started, voice still embarrassingly shaky, "I should go."


    He didn''t argue. He just gave a small nod, and somehow, that was both reassuring and disappointing at the same time. Without looking at him for long, Lira quickly swung her legs over the side of the bed, adjusting the clothes she kept on while sleeping. She pulled up her cloak from the chair, laying it around her shoulders, trying desperately to get her emotions under control and hide behind it. As she moved toward the door, she finally dared one last glance back at him.


    He was still watching her, his expression forlorn and distant. In her eyes, he looked like a sad, abandoned puppy. Thinking about it, her heart skipped again. And then she was gone, slipping out before she could do something incredibly stupid like thank him again or ask if this meant anything.


    The cool morning air hit her like a splash of water as she stepped outside, helping her calm down. She slapped her cheeks twice, and then she pressed a hand to her chest, trying to steady her breath. But before she could take another step, a familiar voice nearly made her jump out of her skin.


    "Ohoho, what''s this?"


    Lira whipped around to find Cravik standing at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips.


    "You look a little flustered there, sweetie."


    "...!" Lira''s entire face turned red once again, feeling that in the cold morning air, her head was steaming like a chimney. "I—I—It''s not what you think!"


    Cravik leaned in slightly after he walked up the steps at the side of the building, his eyes twinkling with mischief.


    "Oh? So you just happened to spend the night in my youngest brother Auriel''s own room, and now you''re scurrying off all pink-cheeked and breathless? Do tell." He said, teasing, his grin like that of a ruthless jokester.


    Lira opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again, but nothing intelligent came out. Just a strangled sound of frustration, knowing there was nothing she could say to prove him otherwise.


    "Ahaha~!" Cravik chuckled, patting her shoulder. "Relax, sweetheart. I''m just teasing. But—" she shot a glance toward Auriel''s room, "—this is interesting. Just don''t mix work and fun, girlie."


    Lira groaned, pulling her cloak over her face. She decided there was nothing more to say, so without saying a word, she hurried away. Cravik, after watching her disappear, turned back toward the building with an amused grin.


    "Oh, Auriel is never hearing the end of this."


    ...


    ....


    ......


    I barely had time to process what had just happened, the look Lira gave me while she left before my door creaked open again. This time, it was Cravik who strolled in, grinning ear to ear. Ah. I know that look. He saw her leave... great. It was time for a new round of misunderstanding monopoly. Just what I needed for a morning exercise.


    "So," he smiled like a lecherous bastard, leaning against the doorframe, "How was your night, oh honorable and virtuous Auriel?"


    "Stop sniffing the air; you are not a hound."


    "My nose can be just as sharp, kid!" He winked, posing like a gigolo from some lousy porn movie, "And true, I can''t smell anything. What, you were too nervous? Don''t worry, it happens! I have a private potion if you need it; it helps you go at it for hours; the wenches love it in the Red Nest!"


    "One, I am not impotent. Two, I had never used a potion before. Third, I am not into prostitutes."


    "They are a good source of income, though. Plus, they are the best information brokers."


    "Whatever!" I sighed, pinching the ridge of my nose. "Cravik—"


    "Okay, okay! Topic dropped, kiddo!"


    "Thanks..."


    "So?" He came closer, sitting down on my chair, making it creak under his bulky weight, "Did you sleep well? Rest peacefully? Have any... cozy dreams?" he continued, waggling her eyebrows.


    "Dropped, my ass..." I exhaled sharply. "Do you have a point?"


    "Actually? I do." Cravik''s grin faded slightly, replaced with something more serious. "You''d better wake up fully. We''ve got a job, and it''s not the usual kind."