Just a heads up this chapter is very much T. Please be warned and don't read it in front of little children!

Chapter 12

In the Moonlight

I turned around and say Zephys walking towards me. When he realized I was looking at him, he stopped in his tracks.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked, turning back around to face the ocean again and hugging my knees against my chest, "Did Kayif order you to follow me?"

"No," Zephys stood next to me now, "I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

"Okay, well, I'm safe," I shivered slightly, "You can go back now."

"Luna…"

I felt his cape drape around my shoulders. Although it felt warm, I shrugged it off and it fell into the sand. I heard him sigh.

"What's wrong?" He murmured.

"Since when do you care?" I mumbled back.

Zephys sat down next to me, trying to look me in the face, but I turned away, "Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?" I frowned.

"You… You're…" He searched for the words, "You're being distant and cold." He finally managed out.

Furious, I glared at him, staring him straight in the eyes, "I'm 'cold' and 'distant'?!" I cried out, "Do you even have any idea what you're like?!"

Zephys blinked, not showing any emotion to what I said, "What are you saying, Luna?"

"I'm saying…" I yelled, not afraid to raise my voice, "What I'm saying is that if anyone is cold… o-or distant… it's you, Zephys. You're cruel and rude and don't even seem to care about anyone else's feelings but your own. It's pathetic, really, how self-absorbed you are." When I finished speaking, I narrowed my eyes and stared into his fiercely.

Zephys stiffened and looked away. The waves crashed once, and I continued, loosing all trace of self-control.

"Every time I think we're getting closer," I ranted, "You just push me back down the mountain I spent so much energy trying to climb." I felt my eyes filling with tears and I tried to blink them away. "Last night, I—" I cut myself off short, not sure if I wanted to talk about it, but then I was fueled with a new confidence coming from the adrenaline that pulsed through my veins, "Last night, I thought I had finally broken the wall between us. But, by the next morning, you acted like nothing even happened! Like it meant nothing to you… because… because you're just an unfriendly, insensitive…" A single tear rolled down my cheek and I looked away to wipe it off. Before I could reach my face, Zephys's hand grabbed my wrist.

"Luna…" He murmured calmly and wiped the tear away with his thumb. Letting go of my wrist, he held my face in his hands. His blue-eyed gaze sparkled in the moonlight. "You mean everything to me."

My heart suddenly beat so rapidly "W-What do you m— Mmph!"

Zephys pressed his lips against my softly and I felt my stomach swoop. I closed my eyes and gripped the side of his neck, curling his hair in my fingers gently. His mouth felt hot against mine and, after a bit, he pulled away and looked at me, trying to see my reaction. I brought my hand to my lips and touched them. They felt numb and I tried to process whether the kiss had actually happened. When I lifted my face to Zephys again, he still said nothing. Thousands of words got caught in my throat and wouldn't flow out of my mouth, so I sat silently as well.

"I'm sorry…" Zephys said finally, lifting up some sand and letting it fall through his fingers. Even in the dark, I could tell his face was as red as mine, the coloring reaching all the way to his ears, which were just barely revealed through the strands of black hair hanging from his head. "Damn it!" He slammed his fist into the sand, following his action with a sad laugh. "I thought… I just… Are you and Areck…? He's much better at this stuff than I am… Even Heroth knows how to—"

"Zephys," I managed out at last, grabbing his cheek with my hand this time and shaking my head simultaneously, "I don't want Areck…" I felt my entire body heat up with embarrassment, making me glad it was only the moon providing light. My heart was pounding so loudly I could barely hear myself speak. "I-I… I want you, Zephys." I smiled at him.

His eyes met mine, his expression still serious but damp with a new fervor. His hand slipped behind my head and held me as he bent in and met my lips for a second time. He came closer and I leaned backwards, lowering myself in the sand. Zephys followed my actions, straddling my hips and using his free hand to push against the sand and support his weight above me. Our lips parted, but our faces remained less than an inch apart, so that our noses were just touching. His warm breath blew against my mouth and a sensation shivered through my body. I met his gaze, admiring his eyes. They were filled with a new fervor I had never seen before. Just his look sent a new excitement through me.

His lips covered mine again, but, this time, it was different. It felt more passionate, like he wasn't holding back at all anymore. I drew back slightly, shortly after letting out a ragged moan from my mouth. Taking advantage of my lips being ajar, Zephys's lips separated slightly and his tongue slid into my mouth to explore. The sensation sprinkled goosebumps along my skin, turning me to putty in his arms.

Still kissing me, Zephys moved his hands down my waist and along my hips, exploring the curves of my body. His fingers caressed me gently, making my body crave more. As if sensing this desire from me, Zephys pulled away and removed his shirt, revealing an amazingly sculpted body. A black tattoo twisted around on his left shoulder and many scars covered his body, including a long one that ran down the center of his chest. I followed it with my eyes until the v-shaped muscle trailing into his pants caught my attention. I bit my lip, appreciating my view.

Zephys noticed my look and, with a grin on his face, moved back towards me. A warm smile pulled at his lips and he pressed back against me, leaning his face to my ear. "You are so beautiful…" He whispered in a deep, sexy tone, and his breath against my skin made my heart throb.

I let out a gasp as he began to kiss down the side of my neck. Stopping where my neck met my shoulder, he began to suck on my skin. My fingers clenched on his shoulders, causing my to dig my nails in his shoulders. His chest pressed against mine and I could feel his heart banging in his chest almost as fiercely as mine was. His hand slipped downwards, lifting the bottom of my dress up slightly so that he could stroke the back of my thigh. His warm hands against my bare skin made my breathing increase, which filled me with a strange desire I had never encountered before.

One of my hands slid behind his head, tangling his hair in my fingers. I pulled his face back up to meet mine, smiling into the kiss after a pleasurable groan escaped his lips. The satisfying noises coming from Zephys seemed to possess my hands as they slid along his abdomen, feeling the ridges of muscle on his body.

"Ah… Luna…" Zephys huffed, breathing heavily. Our eyes met and I could see a fresh, fiery want raging in his. His hand reached for the strap of my dress, his touch sending a shiver through my body. I tensed under the feeling of his fingers as they grazed my shoulder while removing the cloth from it. Frightened, I grabbed his wrist to stop it in its tracks.

"St-stop… Zephys… I-I can't…" My heart was beating so loud it was making my ears pound. "I-I'm… scared."

With his other hand, he stroked my hair off my forehead. "Luna… I want you."

I gulped and nodded slowly. A smile crept to his lips and he began raining kisses along my face, trailing down my neck once more. As he did this, his hand worked on my dress, pulling both straps off my shoulders. Carefully, as if he was dealing with something easily broken, Zephys began to pull the cloth from my chest. I felt my entire body grow hot as my top undergarments were exposed. Without thinking, I brought my arms in front of me, covering my chest.

Zephys clicked his tongue, straightening up slightly and taking hold of my wrists. "Let me see you, Luna." I shook my head rapidly in response, to which he exhaled noisily. "Why not?"

"I-I'm not… I…"

"You're not what?"

"I'm n-not…" My eyes trailed to look at the mounds I was covering on my chest. I'm not impressive was what I wanted to say, but the words didn't come out. They were caught in my throat, blocked by an unknown force. However, the impassioned gaze from Zephys made all resistance in my arms fade; Zephys easily moved them out of the way.

"Don't be afraid," He breathed. The shake of his voice told me that he was just as nervous as I was. "You're perfect." Without giving me a second to respond, he silenced me with his lips.

My body was no longer under my power. When his hand cupped one of my breasts, my back arched up and a moan from my lips was breathed into his mouth. I could feel every callous, every tiny ridge of his palms as they stole underneath the fabric covering my previously untouched skin. His mouth moved from my own and placed warm kisses down my collarbone, moving slowly to where his hand was working.

"Zephys…!" I squeaked out as his hot lips set my chest on fire. My nails dug once again into his skin when he finally reached my breast, kissing it slowly, dragging his tongue along it as well. I had never felt so…

"Luna?" I heard a voice call from afar.

Zephys stiffened and lifted his head from my chest, searching around the beach behind me. Suddenly, he rolled off me, cursing and quickly pulling his shirt back over his shoulders. He sat silently in the sand, staring at something on the other side of my head. I sat up too, frantically sliding my dress back up. I looked around for the source of the sound, and then I saw a familiar brown head of hair bouncing around in the distance.

"Luna?!" The voice echoed throughout the quiet beach.

"Areck…" Zephys growled unhappily. He heaved a sigh and slumped back into the sand with his hands on his head.

I combed my hair with my fingers, embarrassed. I looked over at Zephys, who was now lying on his back and staring at the stars. I couldn't help but I smile at him, happiness pulling the corners of my mouth upwards. I knew there was no point in trying to hide so, in the end, I stood up and stretched, causing myself to be seen by Areck, who came running over.

"Luna! How are you feel—" He stopped short when he saw Zephys lying in the sand not far from me, "Zephys?"

"Areck." Zephys responded curtly, not looking over from his position in the sand.

"What are you…" Areck looked at me, then back at Zephys, and then back at me again with a confused look on his face.

"He was just coming to see make sure I was okay." I said quickly, looking to Zephys for help. However, he remained silent, lying on the beach.

"Awfully thoughtful for Zephys…" The brown haired man muttered to himself, raising an eyebrow slightly as he continued. "Well, Luna, can I walk you back to your room in Orhaven?" With a fresh smile plastered to his face, Areck offered his hand to me.

Not wanting to add any more suspicion to the situation, I pulled my gaze away from Zephys and took Areck's hand. He helped me up and I called behind me, "Good night, Zephys."

"Night." He responded from the ground.

I sighed and walked with Areck back to Orhaven, leaving Zephys in the sand behind us.

Not many chapters like this... whether you think that's good or bad, I have no idea :3