"Espella, this is ridiculous."
Barnham chuckled, and Espella sagged as he dodged around her, carrying several sacks of flour with surprising ease. He dumped them in the corner of the bakery, dusting off his hands. It was warm today, and he wiped his brow as he wandered back to the working area, kneading a new piece of dough with vigour.
"Come on, it's fun! Tell me!"
"You know I don't believe in that stuff. It doesn't even make sense! How on earth could the time you're born in any way have an impact on your personality?"
"If you don't believe it, you may as well tell me. What's your sign?" She asked again, flopping down on the couch and flicking the newspaper. "Humour me. Let's see what the stars have in store for you…!" She said in a spooky voice, and he laughed again. "When's your birthday?"
Barnham shook his head but complied. "August."
"Okay, so…" Her eyes skimmed over the page. "Aha, you're a Leo! 'You're creative, kind of egotistical and a natural born leader. It may be a good time to take a trip or try something new. Your characteristics are humorous, warm-hearted and passionate.'" Espella creased her brow. "I'm not sure you would qualify as very passionate, Sir Barnham." He snorted and her eyes turned playful. "Although, that whole éclair thing seemed pretty… wistful." She looked at him devilishly as he flushed at the memory, his cheeks glowing from more than just the heat. He remembered that day all too well, that same feeling of anxiety coming back, his throat going tense, heart hammering against his ribcage, breathing quickening all of a sudden.
Barnham clenched his fists and looked back down, pounding the dough even harder, venting out his frustration on it. "I don't want to talk about it, Espella."
Her expression changed. "Wait." A smile crept slowly across Espella's face, as she rose from the sofa and moved towards her red-faced friend, standing across the counter from him. "Wait, wait, wait…"
"What?" He looked confused. "What did I say?"
"I mean, I thought the others were just kidding before, and I didn't really think much on it but…" She leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "Mr Barnham, do you actually like her?"
"Who?"
"Eve, of course!"
Even upon hearing her name, his chest did that thing again, going all tight, a warmth spreading through his body coupled with a safe, fuzzy feeling that made him shiver. "Of course I like her," he said matter-of-factly. "We worked together for years, and she's proved herself to be a very respectful…woman…"
He sounded out the word 'woman' slowly. He wasn't a deviant, of course he wasn't, but it wasn't like he was blind. He'd found his traitorous eyes wandering in the office sometimes, moving from the hefty pile of urgent paperwork to the far more serious matter of those shapely legs, that narrow waist, her chest, her neck, the gentle form of her lips. All too often he'd watch her work, marvelling at the way she moved, fidgeting with the chain on her necklace, letting it move slightly from where it fell, brushing against the smooth skin of her neck. He'd imagined kissing that exact spot, going hot all over and shifting in his seat. He still remembered the day she'd come in in those casual clothes, the fabric clinging to her curves. She'd sat at her desk, bending over her work, and the tiniest part of her cleavage became exposed as she did. She'd always dressed fairly modestly, aside from the shortness of that black dress of hers, and he'd never seen the slightest peek of her breasts, only leaving him to let his imagination run wild. And now he'd seen them, even it was just a glimpse.
He dropped his quill in shock at the sight, and immediately rushed out of the room to calm himself. Of course, it wasn't like he'd never seen anything like it before; Foxy went around in that tiny little shirt with both her breasts on full display daily. But to see Foxy's bare chest didn't seem like such a big deal– the thought of seeing hers was overwhelming, yet undeniably satisfying. He still wondered what it would be like to kiss her there, to kiss her lips, to kiss and tease and touch her everywhere, to know exactly what to do to make her groan and sign and moan and tremble, and to think he'd done that, he'd made her do that, to imagine that he'd made her feel pleasure, made her feel ecstasy –
His jaw locked and he cleared his throat, praying Espella wouldn't catch on to the lecherous places his mind had drifted. "I-It would be hard to not like her. She's a valued friend."
"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Espella shook her head. "Do you have…romantic feelings for her?"
"No, I don't!" And he didn't. He was sure of that. There was no denying his physical attraction to her; someone who was half as beautiful as her would be entrancing, he thought, but it's one thing to be attracted to someone. It's quite another to have romantic feelings for them. He briefly wondered if this was what it was like to have a crush, as that Maya girl kept teasing him about after he gave Eve that silly gift. The constant shouting of "Lover Boy!" whenever she saw him coming wasn't exactly pleasant either, nor the singing of that infernal song.
Espella rolled her eyes and giggled, shaking her head. "Eve and Sir Barnham, sitting in a tree –"
"Espella, please!" He slammed his hands against the counter. He loathed that song. "I do not have any romantic feelings for Eve!"
"Can you not interrupt me please?" She exclaimed in mock outrage. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" She ended with a flourish, a big cheesy grin plastered on her face and her arms spread out as if finishing a performance. Barnham hung his head and she giggled again. "Look, I know you think I'm teasing you –"
"You are teasing me!" He cried in disbelief.
"I am a bit," she winked. "But if you truly didn't have romantic feelings for Eve, why did you work so hard to make that present for her? For her approval?"
"W-well, I…" He stammered, fumbling for a believable answer.
"Or perhaps you were trying to impress her? Show her that you could do more than just be an Inquisitor?" She twirled about the room dreamily, lacing her hands together and swaying, smiling distractedly and closing her eyes. "Or maybe, just maybe, by putting in so much hard work and effort into the gift, you wanted to show her that she was special to you? How important she was? How much you wanted to be her friend… possibly even more than a friend?"
"No, it's…" He faltered again, stumbling over his words. What Espella had said… could it be true? "It isn't like that."
"Then why are you blushing?" His hands rushed to his face, feeling how warm his skin was, and she beamed, her eyes softening. "I know that you don't get it… But has Auntie ever told you about her nephew?"
"She hasn't." Barnham left the dough in a bowl to prove, moving on to mixing a thick batter that Patty had left for him to finish while she was out at the market.
"She told me about him once. He'd never really been in a serious relationship with anyone before, but one day, when he was around your age I think, he met the prettiest and most perfect girl he'd ever seen." He thought for a moment on this… Is that how he saw Eve? "He fell in love with her almost instantly, and of course he wanted to tell her. He just didn't know how." Another pause. More thinking. "He battled with himself for over a year, imagining all the ways he could possibly confess to her but getting no results in practise. Most of the time when he went to tell her everything, he just bottled up and left her all confused." Well, that sounded familiar. "So he waited until the time was right, and then, on her twenty-eighth birthday, he approached her, and gave her a single red rose."
Barnham stopped thinking. "Okay, now you've lost me."
Espella sighed. "In some cultures, Sir Barnham, presenting someone with something as intimate as a red rose symbolises that you love them and care for them."
He nodded, understanding. "So what happened? She turned him down?"
"No!" Espella cried in horror. "How on earth could you think like that! I thought you were meant to be an optimist!" He shrugged. She glowered. "Obviously, the girl said that she returned his feelings, and the two have been together ever since!"
Barnham smirked. "Are you sure that wasn't just some story that Ms Éclair used to tell you to get you to sleep at night?"
"It's true! Ask Patty!"
He looked at her, almost pitifully. "Happy endings like that don't exist, Espella. Real life isn't quite as simple as those fairy tales. It's just the sad reality that those you love don't always necessarily love you back, at least not the way you might, and that's fine. You just have to learn to accept it."
"Well someone must have really done a number on you in the real world." The blonde took a deep breath and shook her head, throwing her hands in the air in defeat. "If you say so." She said flatly, before moving to leave, then thought better of it. "…But how are you supposed to know if you don't at least try?"
"Oh Espella, give it a rest!"
"Why do you keep denying this?!" He wandered around her again, putting the cakes in the oven to bake while she continued to rant. "Would it really be the worst thing in the world for you to want to be with her?!"
"I didn't say that!"
"So tell her! Be together, be happy!"
"Why the hell would I ever do that?!"
"Mr Barnham, if you just tell her how you feel –"
"For God's sake, Espella, I am not in love with Eve!"
Just as he had begun to say those words, there'd been a small sound by door, the pair too caught up in the heat of the moment to notice it. Now the room was in silence, the new presence in the room was evident, and they both spun to face them.
Eve Belduke stood just by the entrance, eyes bulging out of her head and cheeks stained dark scarlet. Her jaw dropped, her limbs stiff, the entirety of her body radiating astonishment and awe. Espella made a small squeak and hid her face behind a hand. Barnham was frozen in shock, lips slightly parted, face as red as his hair. None of them dared move.
"I-I, erm…" Eve said slowly, swallowing and not meeting his gaze. "I came to collect my jacket... I forgot it the last time I came here." Her voice was low and faint, almost thoughtful.
"Um, yeah!" Espella nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, yeah, it's just there. Uh, on the coat rack."
Eve nodded and took her blazer from the hook, still not looking at Barnham. He could almost be a statue he moved so little. His neck bobbed as he gulped. His mouth was dry.
"Right, well um…" Eve coughed. "I'm just… going to go now. I have some work to finish up. I-I'll see you tomorrow, Espella." She added hastily, and wavered before nodding to Barnham. The door clicked shut behind her.
That sound seemed to break something within him, and Barnham finally reacted, cussing as his jaw went slack, a hand flying to his mouth as if trying to take back his words. Espella buried her face in her hands, mumbling countless apologies. He didn't hear anything she said, sitting heavily at the dining table and melting into a puddle of humiliation. He could kiss any chance he had with her goodbye now.
What on earth would she think of him now…?
She had no idea what to think.
The breeze was warm and the air was balmy and a rather red-faced ex-inquisitor was not happy. Eve's shoes clicked against the pavement, jaw clenched, body completely rigid. Her hands fisted, clutching the jacket in her hand until she thought it would tear from the pressure. That man… if he could be called a man. What had him and Espella even been discussing?!
A realisation dawned on her, and she felt her eyes widen in horror. Surely she hadn't…? Without thinking, she turned on her heel and stomped back to the bakery. If that girl had uttered so much as a word to him about what had happened, she'd never be able to show her face again.
She did, however, hope his words were not true; she couldn't stand the thought of being spurned before she'd even had a chance to confess.
Three months ago
"So how do you like it?" Eve sat with Espella on the bed and gestured to the book. They were in her house in the forest, upstairs in her bedroom, pouring over all the romance novels Eve had hidden away.
"Well…" Espella tilted her head.
"You didn't like it?" Eve frowned. "I thought it would be right up your ally! You said you enjoyed romances!"
"I do! And I did like it." She paused. "It's just… if Auntie caught me reading this… Some parts are a little 'grown up'." Ah. Eve had forgotten about that chapter.
"I think might I have something suitable somewhere…" She stood, and looked under her bed. "Check my beside table, would you?"
Espella shuffled on the plush sheets, towards the edge of the bed and opened the small chest of drawers. There were a few books and jewellery and various personal belongings and bottles of lotion and… something else. From where she was crouched by the bed, Eve couldn't see what she had discovered.
It was a photograph. It was no surprise she had a photo; after all, many townspeople had begun to adopt more modern conveniences, but this photo was strangely intimate, somehow.
It was Sir Barnham, there was no mistaking that, and he was at his desk in the Inquisitor's office, though he wasn't working. He was asleep. His arms were folded on the table top, head resting on its side, eye closed and mouth slightly open. He looked quite peaceful. He looked like him. It was quite a nice photo really…
But why did Eve feel the need to take and keep a picture of her ex co-worker sound asleep at his desk?
"Aha! I think I've got something!" Eve hauled a box full of novels onto the bed and stood. "Now, I've got some Nicholson Baker here, though you may want to avoid those, and I think a few more authors. Some of them are badly written, but most of them are good." She looked up, and her face changed immediately when she saw what Espella had in her hands. Her friend stared at her. She blushed. "Um," Eve started. "Where did you find that?"
"The top drawer." The girl replied coolly. "And I suppose I don't have to ask why you have this."
"Excuse me?"
"Come on, Eve." Espella smiled. "Everyone knows you two have serious chemistry. Even a stubborn Taurus like you has to admit there's a spark!"
"Would you stop with the zodiac signs, please? And you're being ridiculous," Eve rolled her eyes, folding her arms.
"So why do you have this then?" She waved it in front of her face, a playful lilt to her voice. "I wonder what Mr Barnham would think if he finds out you've been hiding pictures of him in your bedroom? Do you gaze at it before sleeping in hopes that you'll dream of each other?" Espella teased with a grin.
"No, no don't tell him! Please!" She was mortified! How could she not have been more careful to hide her things?! It wasn't as if she even dreamed about him! … Not that much anyway. "Look, he – he just fell asleep in the office one night and I happened to have my camera on me and…" She shifted. "I don't know, I just… wanted to take a picture. I felt like I needed to."
Espella furrowed her brow. "To embarrass him with it, right?"
Eve blinked. "Erm, y-yes! Of course!"
The blonde hooted and sighed in relief, clutching her chest. "Good!" She breathed, laughing. "I thought you were going to say you'd developed feelings for him or something!"
She kept laughing. Eve didn't.
Espella fell silent. A cough.
A pause...
"You have a crush on him!" She shrieked suddenly.
"When did I say that?!" The older woman screeched right back, and Espella fell onto the bed, collapsing into hysterical giggles. "What!?"
"You! The big, scary High Inquisitor Darklaw fancies Sir Barnham!"
"Stop saying that!"
"Well, don't you?" Eve went all quiet again, eyes dropping to the ground. Her face was now positively scarlet.
"I-I don't know!" She sighed and sat heavily on the bed beside her. "He's just… I like him, alright?"
Espella leaned her head on her friend's shoulder. "But there's liking someone and there's liking someone."
"And how am I supposed to tell the difference?"
The girl sighed. "Patty told me that she knew she was in love when her chest went all tight, and her heart felt all floaty, and she got all excited and nervous whenever she saw her future husband." She moved so her chin was against the crook of Eve's neck. "Is that how you feel about him?"
Eve was almost afraid to agree. "…Yes." The revelation sunk in, and she felt her eyes widen. "Oh my god," she breathed. "I like him."
"This is so amazing!" Espella jumped to her feet and clapped. "Oh he'll be so happy to hear it! You'll go confess to him, in the street at sunset, or on the beach! The beach is always romantic! And you'll tell him how you feel, and he'll say he feels the same, and he'll kiss you and you'll get married and I can be a bridesmaid!"
"Espella, I am not going to tell him." Eve stood and cut her off. "And neither are you."
"What?" She looked confused. "But you like him! And he likes you!"
"Neither of us know that for sure!"
"It's obvious, isn't it?"
Eve gripped her friend's shoulders and bent down slightly to look her in the eye. "I am not going to tell Zacharias anything. Not one word about it until I can figure out what I really feel, and you're certainly not going to." Espella went to say something and Eve held up a hand to silence her. "This information does not leave this room, and you are not to repeat it to anyone. Understood?"
Espella thought and pouted, but agreed to be silent.
Or so I'd thought, Eve thought to herself bitterly and she reopened the bakery's door with a clatter. Thankfully, Zacharias was nowhere to be seen, and Espella sat alone at the table, immediately panicking when she saw her.
"I didn't say anything, I swear! I was checking his horoscope and something came up about passion and –"
"But when talking about passion why the hell would you bring up my name? You basically admitted that I have feelings for him!" Urgh. Eve felt disgusted with herself every time she used that horribly sentimental phrase.
"No I didn't! He doesn't know anything, I swear!"
"He may be an idiot, Espella, but he's not stupid! It'll be obvious that I care for him now!"
"Trust me, it's not obvious," She scoffed. "And if I'm honest, that's kind of your problem."
"Excuse me?"
Espella sighed. "Look, Sir Barnham is worse than you at this stuff. He knows nothing about romance and doesn't understand the rules of courting at all and seems to flirt without even noticing it, but at least he shows that he cares! I mean he spent months trying to make you the perfect gift on the off-chance it would make you happy, and your response was 'This is kind of garbage, but thanks anyway'."
Is that really how she'd sounded?! Now she just felt guilty.
"But the point is," Espella continued. "He didn't care because you at least looked happy, even if it was laughing at him and not with. He sacrificed that much time and effort for you, it doesn't matter what the end result was like. Unfortunately for you, he got the perfect chance to give you a present and you've missed his birthday by quite a few months now."
"I don't understand; why are you telling me this?"
Espella stared at her hard. "Eve. He likes you. Go tell him you like him too."
Eve exhaled slowly and nodded. "…Okay then. Where is he?"
"Wait what? Now?" She raised her eyebrows and gave a short laugh. "I meant in like a few days or so. Give you time to prepare some big romantic gesture or something?"
"This is real life, Espella. I don't need a big romantic gesture; I just need him."
"Aww-!"
"Oh don't start." Eve scrunched up her face in disgust. This romance thing really wasn't her.
"Okay, okay. Sorry." She cleared her throat. "He's upstairs in his room. Third door on the right, the little one."
Eve nodded and started to walk upstairs.
"Hold on!"
She spun. "What?"
"…Are you sure you want to do this?"
"No," Eve said bluntly. "But let's do it before I chicken out."
She jogged up the spiral staircase, leaving her friend behind and running on her tiptoes to prevent getting a rolled ankle in her heels. It was warmer upstairs, and she found herself feeling a little too hot, even in her casual wear. She fanned herself with her hand as she searched for the door Espella described, almost missing it it was so small. It looked like no more than a tiny walk in closet from the outside.
Without thinking, Eve grabbed the handle, turning it and storming in without knocking. The room was just as small as she'd expected, the walls plain, the only furniture a small chest of drawers and a bed. Barnham sat cross-legged in the centre of the floor, writing something in a leather notebook. He was wearing knee-length shorts and no shirt, brow furrowed as he read over what he'd written, not even noticing her presence. Eve coughed quietly, and he cursed, head snapping up as he jumped in surprise. "S-sorry," he stammered, closing the book hurriedly and standing up, before realising his state of undress and fumbling for a shirt in an open drawer. "My apologies," He said again, still rooting through his clothes. "It gets hot up here at night from the ovens so I don't really tend to wear much."
"It's fine," Eve shook her head. "Don't trouble yourself getting a top. It's not like I've never seen anything like it before."
"Good, because I can't find one." He chuckled awkwardly and she smirked, trying to keep her eyes from wandering to his bare torso. He was well built; he was a knight after all, and now she finally realised where all those hours of training in the garrison went. No wonder the women in the town were all over him – with toned muscles like that it made sense he was able to wear that heavy armour like it weighed nothing.
"Listen, I wanted to apologise."
She arched a brow. "Again? That's the third time in a minute."
"Heh…It's about what I said earlier." Oh God. Here we go. "I want to know that I didn't mean it." He blushed violently. "N-not that I'm not in love with you! I mean, no, not like I am, but it's…" Zacharias trailed off when she gave him a look, realising he'd done that thoughtless thing again, his words dissolving into incomprehensible stammers, everything coming out all wrong, nothing how he'd meant it to be. If only he could magically summon up that smooth-talking version of himself he used to use to get discounts and avoid speeding tickets.
"D-do you remember your birthday last year? About nine months ago now?" He asked slowly, and she chuckled.
"How could I forget?" Eve sat on the edge of the bed absentmindedly, folding her hands in her lap. "Professor Layton came with his little blue friend, as did that American lawyer with the loud girl in that odd outfit. They all brought gifts too," She smiled, and he sat beside her a little sheepishly. "Do you remember?"
"I remember everyone making you strike a pose for some reason," He said with a laugh, and she groaned at the memory.
"Don't remind me. I'm still not quite over that humiliation."
"I don't think you're the only one who was humiliated that day," She smiled as he smirked. "But I wasn't lying about what I said then, you know." He murmured, eyes trained to the ground. "…You did look good posing like that." The air between them thickened and electrified, and Eve swallowed, watching him. She'd just realised how dangerously close they were sitting.
He mumbled something, just quiet enough that she couldn't hear. "Excuse me?" She leaned even closer, their thighs touching for a moment and sending an exquisite shiver through her body. He nibbled his lip and shifted.
"I just remembered something else from then." He turned to face her, still unable to meet her eye and hating himself for it. "I, er…" He closed his eyes. "When you actually smiled and accepted my gift, and when you did that pose, and even whenever you came to the office on any normal weekday…" He took a deep breath, and said the next words in a rush. "I really wanted to kiss you."
Eve felt her pulse quicken as he spoke, and when he said those last few words, she swore her heart would burst right out of her chest. Suddenly every part of her was hot, burning even, and she exhaled slowly through her mouth as he lifted his head to meet her gaze. His eyes were dark, a blush spreading all the way from his cheeks and ears right down to his chest. Then slowly, slow enough that she didn't even notice what he was doing, his hand inched towards hers, still folded in her lap. His fingers brushed her leg as his hand met hers, and she gasped quietly, while slowly lacing her fingers between his. His thumb stirred, rubbing against her wrist, and she watched it move in little circles, noticing his other hand moving towards her as well. His knuckles brushed her jaw, cupping her face and toying with a lock of hair that had fallen over her forehead.
She went to touch him in kind, untangling her fingers from his. He sighed and let his now free hand rest on her outer thigh, while she wrapped an arm around his waist, practically sitting on his lap now. His skin was warm and smooth, disregarding the few scars and scratches she felt protruding slightly. Her other hand went to his neck, cradling his jaw as he'd done with hers, and it took her a second to realise how intensely he was staring, eyes following every movement of her face, searching for any slight change in her expression, anything that might resemble even a hint of uncertainty or discomfort. Then, gently, he started moving towards her, getting closer and closer, bringing her face to his, going as slow as he could, though she could tell he was itching to move, to close the space between them. Eve swallowed and fought for air, her lungs suddenly begging for it, and Zacharias kept moving until his lips were just an inch from hers, then he stopped.
Eve was really on the edge of her seat now. She now realised why people bother to do this, why people dedicate so many hours of their lives searching for husbands and wives and lovers; the feeling of it was like nothing she'd felt before, and though it had caused her so much pain and anguish, she wanted this. And she wanted it again and again.
"We don't have to do this if you don't want to," he whispered, his breath grazing her cheeks and making her shudder. "…E-Eve?" She smiled and he looked quizzical.
"You've never called me that before, you know," she breathed. "It's always 'Miss Eve' or 'Lady Darklaw' or something else formal and respectful. Even when I started calling you Zacharias, you still wouldn't just call me Eve."
"Well, I…" His lips curled as he laughed quietly. "I didn't want to overstep my bounds." She noticed he sounded distracted, though she wasn't entirely focused on the conversation either.
"…How long have you wanted to kiss me then?" Eve asked slowly, and he made a small sound in his throat as she moved her fingers, touching the sensitive skin on his neck.
He gave a soft growl and swallowed. "A long time." His voice was shaky. He grinned. "I've been thinking about what it would be like. I wondered about it a lot. I watched you work sometimes. I could barely focus with you there. That's how much I like you, isn't it?" he stroked her chin, thumb just grazing the edge of her lips. "I wanted to be with you so badly I couldn't even think."
Losing all her inhibitions and anxieties, Eve was actually the one who moved first, closing the distance between them. Their lips touched, and Zacharias made a small sound of surprise, before his eyes slid shut as he melted into the kiss. Eve's eyes closed instinctively, suddenly feeling heavy and unstable, and she surely would have collapsed to the ground if they'd been standing. It wasn't a bad kind of heaviness; in fact, she doubted she'd ever felt anything quite as blissful as this feeling, and there were fireworks going off in her mind.
Zacharias broke the kiss after a few seconds, almost reluctantly, as the two ran out of breath. He took his hands off her, shuffling a few inches away, eyes wild and fixed on the ground. Eve was shocked. She frowned.
"Zacharias, are you –?" He cut her off by pressing his mouth to hers once more, hands on her body again, kissing her again rather zealously. Her lips smiled beneath his, returning in full, easily matching his vigour.
"Is this what you want?" He whispered between kisses. "Are you sure?" She felt his teeth graze her bottom lip, and couldn't stop the quiet moan from escaping her. She nodded rapidly. Zacharias spotted the opening, and deepened the kiss, his tongue seeking hers as they tangled together, earning another moan from his partner. The kiss broke once more, and his mouth moved, lips brushing her cheek, then her jaw, nudging her gently backwards until she was lying flat on the bed with him hovering over her, lathering her with chaste pecks. He nipped her earlobe, and smiled when she gasped, sending countless kisses on her neck that left her panting and writhing and grasping at the bed sheets.
He stopped kissing around her collarbone, just above the rise of her breasts, and began to fiddle with the buttons on her shirt. Eve lay back, pulse going mad, face flushed and scorching hot. How did they even get here, she pondered briefly? A few minutes ago he could barely look her in the eye without dissolving into an awkward, faltering mess, and now he was actually disrobing her in his bed! How on earth could a person be so conflicting?!
He had a little difficulty with the buttons, fingers grasping at the tiny plastic nubs, only to lose grip before he could undo them. "Zacharias." He looked up, lips swollen and hair mussed, and she took the hand he was using in hers. "Let me." Her hand guided his, taking her time until it was unbearably slow. At this point he just wanted to rip it open as he became more and more impatient. Once it was finally unbuttoned, he rid her of the small waistcoat (the ties holding it were far easier to open), tossing it aside carelessly. Eve felt herself become self-conscious as he nudged the blouse open, exposing her bare stomach and brasserie-covered bust. Throwing the shirt back to land with the waistcoat, he went to kiss her chest.
"Hold on," Eve stopped him. He looked up once more, eyes full of both concern for her wellbeing and a wish to protect, as well as a lustful desire to do far less innocent things with the woman.
"W-What?" He tried to not gawk at her chest as he asked, deflating in relief when he saw her reach for her necklace, untying it from her neck and placing it on the bedside table carefully.
"It might get in the way," she explained, as he travelled back up her body, lips back against her throat. She muttered something under her breath, most likely a curse given the tone. "Not to mention, hah… I don't think Espella would want to find out what I'd been doing while wearing my mother's pendant."
"Don't bring those two up at a time like this!" Zacharias exclaimed, shaking his head. Eve chuckled, and as they kissed she felt his hands moving up her body, caressing every curve, relishing the feeling of her body against his. All those dreams he'd had, all those fantasies about her, they were all well and good, but they didn't even compare to the real thing. She kicked off her sandals, and they clattered to the floor noisily. He shushed her.
"We have to be quiet," He pointed out with a low growl, shifting on top of her and going to pull at the waistband of her trousers. "Patty will be back by now. We can't have her or Espella hearing us." The trousers landed in a heap, and he kneeled back on the bed to admire her.
Now she was right down to her underwear, Eve was really feeling exposed, and feeling Zacharias' burning eyes travelling all over her body didn't exactly help. "Enjoying the view?" She joked in an attempt to break the awkwardness.
"Jesus, Eve," He whispered, ignoring her. "You should be a model. O-or some kind of statue, a painting even." Eve scoffed but was silenced by his face above hers again. "You're beautiful." He breathed, and she cracked a small smile, still feeling nervous. He went to relieve her of her undergarments, when she stopped him.
"That's enough of undressing me, isn't it?" She purred, fingers raking down his naked chest, delivering an open-mouthed kiss against his neck and biting down gently when he groaned, hands travelling to his belt, unbuckling it swiftly and tossing the shorts aside. She gaped for a moment, taking in the sight of Zacharias in his underwear, taking as much time as she needed despite his obvious arousal. Realising that she was making him wait, he grunted, and then she was being kissed until the room spun, his hands rooting around behind her back and toying with the bra clasp. He soon worked out how it worked, and flung the garment over his shoulder, taking her breasts up with both hands. He caressed them gently, seeming to know exactly where to touch her to make her cry out, until she was forced to hold her breath, lest they make too much noise and attract unwanted attention from her young friend downstairs.
Zacharias grinned as she pressed her lips together tightly, moving a hand to her leg. His fingers brushed her inner thigh, stroking against the sensitive skin and just briefly touching her through her underwear. In spite of it just being a fleeting graze of his touch, it was more than enough to make Eve screw her eyes shut and arch her back with pleasure, releasing a lewd, guttural moan that was definitely too loud, surprising even herself. Had she made that sound?! She didn't even recognise her voice. Zacharias, however, looked both smug and thrilled that he'd made her make such a noise, and went to do it again, rubbing her just lightly enough that she felt him but not enough to give her genuine release.
After a minute or two, Eve was already squirming uncontrollably, biting her lip until she thought she'd draw blood, whimpering something incomprehensible as he teased her within an inch of her life. Her chest heaved as she panted, skin coated in a fine sheen of sweat.
"Z-Zacharias!" She cried, and he tilted his head, touching her even lighter but not stopping. "Please…please, I-I have to…" He smiled, appreciating his handiwork, becoming proud of his ability to reduce the woman who was usually so poised and calm to someone so trembling and flushed and desperate.
"Eve, shh. We can't have them hearing us."
"Ngh-!" She grit her teeth and arched her head back, small whines escaping her lips, muttering his name between moans. "Zacharias, you're...hm…please…" She was begging, actually begging. He finally stopped what he was doing altogether, and she gasped as he started tugging at her briefs, lifting her hips to help him. He peeled off his boxers, dropping them both to the floor and settling between her legs.
Eve was flushed with desire now, not even caring if the others heard them, and looked up at Zacharias positioned above her, looking just as red and lustful. He rocked his hips against her, getting used to the rhythm as they tried to fall into sync. Eve brushed a few hairs from his eyes and nodded to let him know she was ready. He sighed slowly and shifted again, before slowly entering her. She took a deep breath, trying to relax, and widening her eyes when it began to hurt. He edged forward slowly, and Eve bit the inside of her mouth, wincing as he surged in fully.
"A-Are you alright?" He gasped, words slurred together. She nodded despite the pain, and he drew out a little, pushing back in agonizingly slowly. They continued at this pace until Eve noticed the pain lessening, and began to enjoy the feeling of it, whispering to him, not even realising exactly what she was saying. Zacharias moved faster, teeth grinding, breathing becoming even more ragged when she wrapped her legs around his waist, clutching his shoulders until her nails dug in, though he didn't seem to care. On the contrary, she could have sworn he wanted to scratch him harder, as he released a low groan when her nails brushed his skin, eyes screwing shut and teeth biting at his bottom lip.
Eve would have never thought she'd be very vocal in bed, but at this point, all she wanted to do was moan as loud as she pleased, clutching Zacharias to her tightly and crying out his name until she was left relaxed and sweaty and exhausted. Still, she remained as silent as she could as she reached her climax, pressing her mouth to his hurriedly, letting him swallow her sounds as ecstasy gushed through her veins and burst inside her. He groaned as she finished, continuing to thrust until he collapsed on top of her, trembling violently and hissing and moaning as loudly as he dared. Eve released a sigh as he pulled out, rolling to lie beside her on the bed to get his breathing even again, and she clutched herself to him, legs over his and arms hugging his torso. He chuckled blearily, wrapping an arm around her waist and leaning his head against hers.
"Well that was unexpected," he breathed, and she smiled, shaking her head. "I can't believe I slept with the High Inquisitor." He laughed as she swatted his chest, sucking her teeth in disapproval.
"What do you want, a medal?"
"A medal would be nice," he joked, lacing his fingers between hers. "But I'll gladly take you instead." Eve beamed and shut her eyes, holding him close. She didn't often get to touch others during the project, in fact she never was close with anyone, but now, she could freely touch him, be close with him. He seemed to enjoy physical intimacy with her, so he wasn't exactly complaining.
Eve sighed as Zacharias kissed her temple. "We can't stay like this forever, you know." He whispered. "They'll come looking for us before long."
"I know," she murmured back. "Let's just…wait a while." He hummed under his breath, and his eyes slid shut, the two completely lost in their own, blissful little bubble.
And they never wanted to leave it.
Would I write a different story when I haven't even finished the other one? You bet. Don't worry, the new chapter for the other one is coming. Patience is a virtue.