She laughed, "Nope. I'm simply joking. This is between advanced and masters level of magic. If this was beginner's, you only need to form large icicles and maintain it."
"Well, let's start off small." Amelia held her wrist and extended her free hand.
"Now, show me that you are a fast learner."
Aeon was still seated on the grass, staring at Andrata remembering Amelia's advice and taking it to heart. Casting small magic instead of large magic, only making icicles or dozens of snowflakes. Amelia's reaction did not change, remained serious but slightly gentle on teaching and refining her magic. Though it might be a long process as the icicles or snowflakes still crumble too quickly.
"Ah~ What a cute day~" Asura placed his head on top of Aeon's.
"Sura? What are you doing here?" He looked up at Asura who had to stare back at him.
Asura was in his human form and his maniac smile plastered all across his face, his tone was still high-pitched and mocking as he continued to speak, "Aeon~ Good morning to you~"
He sat down beside him and they continued their conversation, "Amelia is in quite the good mood today. She's willingly patting people and letting Andrata hug her."
Aeon's small smile remained, "Yep. It's nice seeing her in a good mood."
A huge gust of wind blew through the entire space, almost blowing Amelia's wool jacket away if Aeon had not gripped on it. Amelia and Andrata had started to cast magic on each other, yet it was obvious that Amelia was much stronger than Andrata. Even so, she was holding her ground and not letting Amelia's magic strike her.
"Why… did they start fighting?" He blinked while observing their actions.
Asura let out a loud and high-pitched laugh, "Amelia likes to do practical the best. Because Andrata's divinity let her control the formula of magic, it would not be that hard for her to learn that way."
He tilted his head and placed his hand on top of the other, "It is a bit sudden. But well, she can be quite spontaneous on days."
"Oh yeah, why are you here all of the sudden?" Aeon did not take his eyes off of them.
"I just wanted to tell you something."
His words took Aeon's attention away from the fight, "What is it?"
"I kissed Amelia."
Asura's smile remained on his lips as he said it, his head was still titled and he leaned forward. Aeon's eyes widened up as he heard what Asura just said, his mind processing the words. Even if the words were to be taken only literally, his mind could not comprehend that possibility. Asura laughed again and shook his head, looking ahead at the fight.
The sound of lightning striking and ice stabbed through it, Amelia dodged a millisecond before it got to hit her. She continued to barrage Andrata with lightning, Andrata was a little slow but she managed to block it.
"What." Aeon spoke after a moment.
He placed a hand on Asura's shoulder, yet he squeezed it really tightly. Asura was not bothered by it at all, staring back at him with his unchanged smile. Aeon's eyes were closed, his face had visibly strained muscles and his jaw closed up tightly.
"You're jealous?"
Those words seemed to echo in his head, his voice taunting him to do something about it. His hand remained there yet its grip tightened up to the point that he might be breaking Asura's shoulder. It still did not bother him at all, in fact his smile felt more unhinged than the one before. He looked satisfied with the reaction that Aeon was giving him.
"Please don't do that, ever again." Aeon's eyes remained closed as he warned Asura.
"Just admit that you're slow on it, okay~?" He laughed.
The shaking ground took Aeon's attention away from Asura, though he seemed to give up and stopped gripping on his shoulder. Asura let out a whistle when he noticed Andrata collapsing onto the ground. Since there was some smoke that covered up the scene, no one was sure what had happened.
"Andrata!" Aeon shouted in a panic, running towards her.
Asura smiled as he stared at them, grabbing the jacket that Aeon was holding onto, "I gave you a little hand, Amelia. So don't say I didn't help you, alright?"
Aeon placed his fingers close to her nostrils, feeling the air coming in and out of it. He looked down at the bandages, there was only a little blood on it, nothing too substantial. He let out a sigh of relief and looked over to Amelia who landed gracefully on the ground.
"I do want to see this relationship flourish, though it might take a long time for them to actually be together." He muttered.
Smoke began to engulf his body as he continued to speak, "But, we did underestimate how much he loves you."
He smiled as he disappeared into the smoke, his sharp pupils stared at Amelia, "Then again, you're the one who dislikes all forms of affection. How would you have known how much he, or everyone else, truly cares about you."
"What a cruel, cold kitten."
Aeon shook his head, "Did you have to push her that far?"
Amelia placed her hand on the side of her head, "Maybe. She seemed to be improving already."
Her jacket reappeared draping over her shoulder. She looked at it and was confused for a moment, she figured out quickly what happened and only sighed. He stared at it for longer, his eyes subconsciously lingering on it while his mind again echoed Asura's words.
"I kissed Amelia."
His heart began to beat rapidly, his eyes remained on it. She snapped her fingers in front of him, gaining his attention back. The space around them began to crumble apart as Andrata completely fainted from exhaustion, she grabbed him and Andrata, who was asleep in his arms, and sprinted out before they got trapped.
Everyone reappeared back in Aeon's apartment, standing before the dining table.
The mist ball disintegrated, turning back into the space it was before. She draped her jacket over the dining chair, he gently placed Andrata down on the couch. She walked to get the first-aid kit before he asked, lending him some time to himself. He sat down beside Andrata, his eyes staring at the wound whilst his mind wandered.
'He could have been lying. Amelia highly dislikes being touched after all, though she will tolerate the ones she liked. Yet…'
In a way, he was trying to calm himself down. Although it was obvious that it did not avail the feeling of jealousy, he only made it much worse. He let out a loud sigh and shook his head, his heartbeat still rapid, much more than before. He did not seem to be very bothered by the feeling of jealousy.
He was much more concerned about the intensity of it.
"Aeon?" She tilted her head at him, seemingly daydreaming.
His thought train was interrupted by her smacking him on the head with the first-aid kit after he did not react to her calling his name. The impact was not that painful, it still left quite a sting. He placed a hand on it as he looked at her.
His eyes widened up when he noticed the subtle worry look in her gaze.
"Was her passing out that bad?" She questioned as she sat down beside him, handing over the kit.
He stuttered while changing the bandages, "Not… really…"
She raised her eyebrow but did not question much, "It's nothing major. Though she did overwork herself. She should've stopped when her adrenaline was high, too high."
"She… had fun?" He glanced over.
"Feels like it. She did seem to enjoy it, somewhat."
She shook her head, "I rather she not indulge in that feeling."
They remained silent as he changed her bandages. She only did her regular stare, yet it felt like she was burying holes in him. His hands trembled as he wrapped it around her abdomen, trying to not do a sloppy job with it. He knew that she was simply observing him, even with that acknowledgement it did not make him feel comforted.
Her eyes turned its attention to the clock, "Ah, I'm going to be hella late today."
He placed the remaining bandages back into the kit, looking over at the clock when she mentioned it. It's currently 11:50 a.m. and will turn 12:00 a.m. soon. Aeon came back at around 10:00 a.m. which means they had been going at it for almost two hours.
"I'm going to take a shower here." She said without thinking much.
Something clicked in his mind as he carried Andrata, walking to place her down on her own bed. He quickly placed her down, still reminding himself to be gentle so he would not hurt or wake her up.
He walked out of her room and ran to his, grabbing her wrist while she walked to the bathroom. She turned around slightly and stared at him, her eyebrows raised and her eyes squinting at him, full of confusion and curiosity in her mind.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
He took a deep breath before saying, "Please take a bath with me."
The air grew awkward immediately, she stared at him with widened eyes. Her face was tinted with pink, even the tip of her ears. Her lips agap as she tried to say something, but it was so sudden that it threw her in a loop. His cheeks were tinted with pink as well, he was not as embarrassed about it as she was.
"I… well… I…" He lost the ability to speak his mind once he saw her reaction.
He screamed internally, 'She's so fucking cute but this is so damn awkward.'
She still had not said a word, however it seemed that her mind had at least come back after the shock died down. Her face remained pink as she looked away, placing her free hand on his and turned around completely.
She spoke meekly, "Did you just want to see me naked…"
Still screaming internally, 'AAAHHHH. SHE'S SO CUTE. HOLY, SHE'S SO CUTE LIKE THIS.'
As a man, it was tempting to see her naked. He would not deny the physical attraction he had, even if she noticed he spared her a few unnecessary glances and might have dug his eyes out because of it. There was something attractive about the way clothes hug her body if they were a little tight.
But he found out today, that the usually all mighty Amelia being shy was incredibly irresistible.
He had to control himself, like all the other times he got jealous of other people, especially Asura. He had seen instances where he got impossibly close to her that their foreheads touched, or when he carried her bridal style for fun, or when he buried her face in his chest with a massive grin.
Asura knew that Amelia would hit him somewhere afterwards and he still did it. He always did it to annoy her, seeing her reaction was fun to him as he always laughed it off when she smacked with her weapon or whatever that was hard. Yet, there were a handful of times where she would lean into his touch.
Aeon hated it, but there was nothing he could do.
"I mean… I wouldn't mind--. Wait, that's not what I meant!"
He continued to fumble with his words, "I want to bathe with you because… I…"
She sighed, "Just… don't stare at me too much."
"Huh?" He blinked.
She closed her eyes, her face still pink as she dragged him along her to the bathroom. His mind was still trying to comprehend what she said, though he seemed to have thought through why this idea popped up in his head. She let out another sigh, her eyes still would not meet his and she tried to yank her hand out of his hold.
"Do you plan on holding onto my wrist forever?" She stared at his hand.
He let go immediately, "Ah, I'm sorry."
She began to take her clothes off, starting with her turtleneck shirt. She mustered her best glare, despite it feeling less intimidating than usual, he turned around and took his own clothes off. He only wore a baggy T-shirt and pants for exercise, so it got off of him pretty quickly. She placed her clothes neatly on the counter, beside the sink. She did place her undergarments behind her pile of clothes, so he would not really see it.
He placed his clothes in the laundry basket, which only had his pyjamas and clothes from the previous day.
The bathroom was big enough for three people to be in it simultaneously. There were blue floor tiles and white wall tiles. There was both a shower and a bathtub, though the bathtub was big enough to fit another person, it will be cramped.
He turned around once he heard her turning on the shower, though he could not help himself but to look up and down. She walked over to turn on the tap, pouring warm water to fill up the bathtub. She leaned down to turn it on while pouring water down her. He would have to admit that he was staring a bit too long and intensely.
"Aeon…" She glared at him once she turned around.
He quickly met her eyes, "I'm really sorry…"
She was blushing more than before, as her face and tip of her ears got visibly redder. She turned off the shower head and glared at him again, though this time he quickly submerged himself in the bathtub. They remained silent as she washed her body. He tried to avoid looking, but the temptation was too great for him to resist.
"At least tell me why you decided you want to bathe with me while you're staring." She looked away.
His cheeks got redder and stared at the ceiling, his feet were hanging off of the bathtub since he was too tall for it. He placed his arms on the top of the bathtub.
"I… do actually want to see you naked." He admitted it.
She retorted, "You freaking pervert."
He took a deep breath and asked, "Did Asura kiss you?"
She did not reply to him, though her face gave it off. She grew more embarrassed and lowered her head slightly, the water filling the air and washing off the body wash. He stared at her face and sighed, his heart beating rapidly again as the feeling of jealousy entered again.
'Ah. He did.' He thought to himself.
She looked over, noticing him lowering himself more in the water and staring at something. His eyes closed and breathing in and out slowly. It took her a moment to realise what he was feeling, but she could not shake away the shyness.
"For the record, he kissed my forehead. He did not kiss my lips." She said as she rubbed the shampoo on her hair.
That seemed to calm him down, somewhat. He still remained submerged in the water with a slight frown on his lips. She could tell that he was jealous, yet was not sure what to do about it. This was not the first time she saw him getting jealous, but just like every other time, she was not sure what to do about it.
She changed back to topic, "You still haven't answered my question."
It took him a good moment to answer, though his answer was one she clearly was not expecting.
"I… just wanted to see you vulnerable."
She was stunned, so stunned she froze on the spot. The water poured down on her with her head lowered, washing away the shampoo. The blush disappeared entirely from her face, her eyes slowly widened up. She stared at the ground, watching the water flow to the drain.
He looked over to her, "Be honest, what happened yesterday."
She met his eyes, her gaze still filled with shock, "How…"
"Your eyes. They did seem energised, which meant you slept. That is good and all, but you seem to be in a distressed state." He answered.
He explained, "I know, they always looked tired. But there is something different about being over-exhausted and showing signs of distress."
Amelia was still frozen on the spot, the water continued to pour down on her. He got up from the bathtub and walked towards her, closing the shower head in the meantime. He dragged her with him, somehow managing to wiggle enough room out of the bathtub to fit her in without them touching too much.
"Are you not going to answer me?" His voice pleaded.
She did not answer him, nor did she look him in the eyes. She looked down, staring at his abdomen instead of his face. She opened her mouth, though she quickly closed them. He knew that he might be asking too much from him, but he just wanted to know.
"I'm worried that he's trying to torture you, for the sake of it." He grabbed her arms.
She did not answer. Though she did not answer, she gave him everything he needed to know. He was familiar with the way she dodged questions that would make someone get close to her, too close for her comfort. Even so, he tried anyway. It clearly showed to him that he still could not make her speak.
"Asura knows everything." She spoke.
His heart still beat rapidly, "But I don't want to ask him. I want to hear it from you."
She was still looking away, avoiding him altogether. He knew at this point he would not get anything out of her. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, slowly and gently bringing her close. She could push him away if that was what she wanted, and she did not do anything.
He brought her to his chest as he spoke, "I'm jealous."
She nodded but he continued, "I know I shouldn't be jealous of Asura, but I am. He knows everything about you, ones you won't tell any of us."
"I want to be the only one here for you. I want you to be comfortable around me. I want to hug you so badly, like this in my arms and want you to share things with me. I want you all to myself, and that you be mine only."
He placed his lips on her forehead, planting a lingering kiss. She was not sure how long his lips lingered there, but she did not mind it. It was warm and gentle, a feeling that was almost foreign to her. He moved away and she continued to stare at him, the surprise look never leaving her expressions.
He smiled gently, "I love you, Amelia."
She stared at him, face tinted with red again til the tip of her ears. She remained shy about the whole ordeal, and some part of her still weirded out by it all. She still did not give him a concrete answer, leaving it up in the air. He sighed and placed his head on top of hers, silence lingered in the air.
"Can you give me an answer, some day?" He muttered loud enough for her to hear.
She was smiling slightly, though he could not see it, "Some day."
"It's a promise." He giggled.
They stayed like that for another ten minutes, being embraced and relishing in each other's presence in silence. He hummed lightly, a tune that she never heard of. But, his voice soothes her, calm and gentle yet carefree. She was close enough to hear his heartbeat, the rhythm helped her to relax in his arms even more.
"I kinda forgot how buff you were, under all those baggy clothes that clearly don't fit properly." She mentioned out of the blue.
He laughed, "They are comfortable, so I don't mind it. Besides…"
He tilted his head slightly, "Only you get to see it, isn't it nice?"
She pinched his cheek, yet he continued to laugh. Her cheeks still tinted in pink as she eventually let it go, a small grin remained while they just soak in the water. Her chest slightly squeezed onto his, though he did stare at it for too long a few times, which she reprimanded him by covering his eyes.
Although, she could not stay here with him for very long.
"I have to work. We do have an important meeting today." She said as she softly getting out of his hold.
He unwrapped his arms and got off of the bathtub once she got out of the bathroom. She wiped herself with one of the towels hanging off the iron bar. She extended one of her hands, gathering water particles from her hair and formed it into a small ball. The sound of water filled the room as Aeon washed himself, stretching his arms while the warm droplets poured down his body. His slight aching lessened by the water.
She quickly wore her outfit, though she spoke before she left his room. "I'll see you later, Aeon."
He smiled, "Give me an answer, alright?"
She closed the door without replying to him, but it was only a reminder of what she had promised.
She opened the door to her office, closing it with a gentle 'thud'. She sighed loudly and leaned on the door, thinking about what he just asked. Blush creeped onto her cheeks as she thought about what happened, covering her face with her hands. Her eyes closed and suddenly was wondering about his slightly built body.
"Goddamnit." She cursed.
She took a breath and placed on her stoic and cold mask, the blush disappeared immediately. She stood in the centre of her office and slid her hands in her pockets.
"Time for business."