Abel and Aries stayed in the chambers all day long until night fell. This had been their usual routine, and it amazed her how the two of them could last locked up in a room without getting bored. It was as though they didn't have any shortage of topics they could talk about and debate.
"Amazing, right?" Aries glanced over her shoulder, covering her unclad bosom with a quilt while Abel was sitting behind her on the bed. "They didn't swell that much."
Her lips curled up while Abel cleaned up the wounds on her back after finishing the front. This had been a part of their routine since Abel preferred tending to her wounds instead of passing the task to a servant.
"No, it's not amazing." His voice was rasped, and magnetic, eyes relenting at the wounds on her back. Unlike the large stitches on her front and arms, the wounds on her back were minor. Still, it didn't make him feel relief or the sort. All he could think about every time he cleaned her wounds was he wouldn't allow her to be in such a situation again.
"No more," he added under his breath, leaning forward to plant a kiss on the healing slash across her shoulder blade. He didn't stop there and showered all healed scars and healing wounds with soft kisses. His action brought a subtle smile to her face. When he was done, Aries adjusted her position until she was facing him.
This time, she leaned forward and claimed his lips for a soft peck.
"Your kisses are more effective than the ointments." She smiled as she drew back, enjoying the bewitching beauty looking back at her. "But yes, no more. I won't put myself in danger, nor I will be reckless. So you do not need to worry."
"I'm not worried, because I'll make sure you will not." He winked before his eyes fell on her upper chest that she was covering with a quilt. His lips instantly curved down as a faint breath slipped past his nostrils. Seeing this, Aries couldn't help but chuckle.
"Stop looking down. My eyes are up here." Her lips were stretching from ear to ear, watching him raise his pair of somber eyes. "You should learn how to exercise gentleness and stop thinking of fucking me until my ears bleed. If only you can do that, we wouldn't have this dilemma."
Abel shook his head mildly. "You do not understand."
"What is it I cannot understand?"
"Even if I am a saint, I'll still have the same fantasy." He shrugged, tilting his body to grab her nightdress. "Men are simple, darling. We are all the same beast on the bed."
Abel tossed the nightdress, which landed over her head. Aries didn't mind as she pulled it down lazily, eyes still fixed on him.
"You should dress up now, darling. We will leave at midnight."
"Huh?"
"It's better to travel at night." He looked at her with an almost innocent expression. "So we can reach our destination at dawn. Your wounds are alright and they won't open up if I carried you."
"Wait, wait." Her face contorted in confusion, stopping him for a second. "We're leaving?"
"You don't want to?"
"No, it's not that. But you mean we're leaving tonight?"
"Yes. That is what I said, darling."
"Via...?"
"Me."
Aries looked at him, wide-eyed. "We will fly?" she asked, and he hummed, "uh-huh," as a response.
For a moment, Aries held her breath as she processed this news in her head. He had proposed to her this morning, and obviously, she had no reason to refuse. But Abel didn't say anything regarding leaving tonight and simply flirted with her all day long.
"Can we not fly?" she asked after a minute, her voice shaking.
"Are you afraid?" he arched a brow, studying the expression plastered on her face.
"No, it's not that, Abel." Aries moved closer and held his hand. "Your wings... hurt you. Don't use them anymore if they only hurt you."
"They don't, darling. Not anymore."
She pursed her lips into a thin line, her expression hopeful, but to no avail. Abel blinked countless times, giving her this unfazed look as if he didn't understand her worry.
"I will be fine," he breathed out in surrender, lowering his head until they were looking eye to eye. "Don't you want to fly?"
"I want to experience it once, but not at the expense of allowing you to endure pain."
"Enduring means still being in pain, but being numb is not feeling anything in the slightest. Think of it as you getting stabbed, darling. You are so numb in the pain you do not mind stabbing yourself," he explained in a knowing tone.
Despite that he had to explain this, Abel was pleased he was experiencing such things. It truly felt like a life of a married man; it made him want to see everyone and gloat about it.
Abel cupped her cheek, but his smile still looked wicked. "I'll be alright."
Aries remained silent while holding his gaze. Seeing that he had already decided, she knew she couldn't change his mind anymore.
"Fine." She huffed faintly. "But before that, don't we need to leave a word to Ismael?"
"What for?"
"So they... whatever." She shrugged, huffing one more time before sporting a smile. "Then let's do it. But I'm warning you, Abel. Don't throw me midair only to catch me before landing."
Abel frowned secretly, which made her narrow her eyes suspiciously.
"I can't believe you." She shook her head in dismay, figuring out he had such plans.
"Darling, you are accusing me unjustly."
"No, darling. I am not." Aries clicked her tongue before grabbing her nightdress and slipping her head and arms inside it.
The two of them idled as Abel squeezed himself to her like a cat. Although Aries was slightly annoyed, she didn't have the heart to get annoyed that long. So in the end, they lay on the bed, killing time in each other's embrace while the night fell deeper.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢