Nephis opened her eyes abruptly, her breath catching as she woke up. For once, it hadn't been a nightmare, but the dream... what a strange dream it was. Why had she dreamt of a little girl, no older than eight, with jet-black hair and silver-gray eyes, calling her "mom"?
And—wait a moment—that child had looked eerily familiar, bearing an undeniable resemblance to someone she knew. Her eyes widened slightly as a certain dark-haired fool came to mind. No, this couldn't be...
But before she could dwell on it further, a different sensation broke through her thoughts. A soft, deliberate movement against her back—a hand, tracing small, soothing circles along her bare skin.
Wait. No. No, no, no.
Please, don't tell me I did that...
Her mind scrambled to piece things together, flashes of yesterday rushing back to her. Sunny's confession, his calm voice trembling ever so slightly as he said those three words that had shattered her world. The kiss they'd shared—warm, tender, and completely disarming.
Her cheeks flushed at the memory, but she quickly shook her head. No, nothing had happened after that. She had been too exhausted, mentally and emotionally drained from the day's events. All she remembered was collapsing into bed, pulling Sunny close in a half-conscious attempt to make sure he wouldn't disappear while she slept.
Her heart rate steadied as relief washed over her. She wasn't ready for anything like that—not yet. Wait, what do you mean, 'not yet'?
She clenched her teeth, banishing the thought before it could take root. But then her attention snapped back to the present. What is Sunny doing to my back?
She could feel his fingertips now, light and precise, working their way down her shoulders. Her dress—the crimson one she hadn't bothered to take off—left her back exposed, giving him access to her tense muscles. She shivered as his touch sent an unexpected chill down her spine, but her thoughts immediately went to panic.
Is he giving me a massage?! And why the hell is he so good at it?!
She had to bite down on the inside of her cheek to stop herself from making a sound. Her body betrayed her, though, as the tension she hadn't even realized she was holding began to melt away. Sunny's fingers moved with a deliberate gentleness, tracing the curves of her shoulders, pressing softly into her knotted muscles.
Don't move. Don't react. Don't let him know you're awake, she told herself, though the effort was far harder than she'd expected.
Her thoughts started to drift despite herself. Yesterday had been overwhelming, filled with emotions she still wasn't sure how to process, but... she had been happy. Truly happy. And the kiss—her cheeks burned at the memory—had left her heart pounding in a way she hadn't felt in years. Sunny's lips had been softer than she'd imagined, and—Stop it, Nephis!
Just as she was about to lose herself completely in her embarrassment, she felt it: the cold touch of his hands on her hips.
A small, involuntary gasp escaped her lips, her body tensing for a fraction of a second.
Sunny froze, quickly removing his hands from Nephis's back as a look of absolute nervousness took over his face. "Are you awake?" he asked clumsily, his voice almost trembling.
Nephis turned carefully, trying to choose her words. I don't want to sound annoyed or strange, she thought, though being the most antisocial person in two worlds wasn't making things any easier.
And then she saw him. Sunny's dark, deep eyes stared at her intently, accompanied by a warm yet clearly nervous smile. His pupils reflected uncertainty, but the sincere tenderness that never failed to break down Nephis's defenses was as present as ever.
Maybe... maybe he deserves to be forgiven, she thought, even as she mentally scolded him for his audacity.
And just like that, Nephis forgave him. But her mind wandered for a moment as she realized something. Am I pouting?
Crossing her arms with feigned severity, she raised an eyebrow, trying her best to appear angry, though the faint blush spreading across her cheeks betrayed her emotions. Then, almost inaudibly, she murmured, "I never said you had to stop the massage..."
For a second, she worried Sunny had heard her, but it seemed he hadn't. Instead, he tilted his head with a confused expression. "Didn't you like the massage?" he asked, clearly regretting his boldness. His ears turned a faint shade of pink, and his gaze dropped nervously.
Cute. That was the only word that crossed Nephis's mind, and she silently cursed herself for it.
Damn it, Sunny. Why do you always put me in these situations? She tried to maintain her usual expressionless face, but she couldn't hide the faint blush that crept across her cheeks. "It's not that..." she began, almost stammering, though she managed to finish the sentence with some dignity.
"Just... warn me next time." She turned away quickly, burying her face in Sunny's black pillow, which unfortunately smelled way too much like him. Damn it. Her entire plan to hide her embarrassment fell apart instantly.
"Besides," she added, her voice slightly muffled by the pillow, "I never said you were done with the massage."
Sunny, surprised but smiling, wasted no time resuming his gentle movements on her back. This time, he drew larger, more deliberate circles, and Nephis couldn't help but relax again.
This is going to be a very long morning, she thought, resigning herself to her fate as she felt the last remnants of tension leave her body.
And although she would never admit it out loud, she was enjoying it far too much.
After a few more minutes of enjoying the massage and nearly dozing off again, Nephis was abruptly pulled back to reality. She felt Sunny lean in close to her ear, his warmth brushing against her skin. Her body stiffened slightly as her mind raced.
What's he doing? What's he going to do?
And then, to her utter surprise, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Let's eat, Nephis," he murmured before pulling away.
Nephis quickly turned around, ready to confront him, but found no one there. Instead, a shadow remained, grinning far too smugly for her liking. It gave her a thumbs-up, as if congratulating her, before vanishing into thin air.
He ran away again?
Nephis stayed still for a moment, processing what had just happened. Then, she felt it: a warm sensation spreading across her cheek, as if her aspect had activated. But this time, the warmth didn't hurt.
Later, they found themselves in the living room, facing an unbearably awkward situation. Both of them had completely forgotten that they had disappeared together from the Valor Ball. And now, they were back, under the curious gazes of their cohort.
Kai and Cassie looked confused, while Effie wore a mischievous grin that screamed trouble.
Before either of them could say a word, Effie broke the silence in her usual teasing tone. "So, Sunny confessed to Morgan, and you got jealous, eh, princess?"
What?! Nephis's eyes widened in disbelief. What the hell is Effie talking about? The very thought of such a scene made her irrationally angry.
"That's not what happened," Sunny cut in immediately, his tone sharp and annoyed. His voice was curt, but Nephis couldn't help but appreciate it. However, she also knew that her cohort likely already suspected—or outright knew—about Sunny's defect.
Of course, Effie wasn't about to let it go. "Then what did happen, Sunny?" she pressed, crossing her arms and looking at them with exaggerated interest.
Nephis closed her eyes, willing herself to stay calm. She knew Sunny was compelled to tell the truth because of his defect, and that only made things worse.
"Uh... Nephis got a little mad, but everything's fine now," Sunny replied with a smile, his practiced skill as the best honest liar in two worlds shining through. That skill, of course, only worked if you didn't know about his defect.
But Effie wasn't about to back down. "Oh, really? And how did you fix things? How was the talk?"
Sunny froze. The second question was easy enough to answer, but the first... There was no escape. His chest began to ache under the weight of his defect, and he sighed in resignation.
"It was a very emotional talk, and..." He tried to stop there, but the pain intensified, demanding the full truth.
With a deep breath, he continued, "Nephis kissed me. That's how we fixed it, damn it."
The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Nephis, her face as red as a tomato, buried her face in her hands, wishing she could disappear.
She didn't entirely blame Sunny; after all, the real culprit here was Effie.
But did he really have to say it like that? she thought, burying her face even further into her hands.