Blood oozed from the shallow cut on my side, a crimson stain spreading slowly across my combat gear. It hurt, sure, but nothing I couldn't handle. Being a demon came with certain perks like a higher pain threshold and faster healing. But I wasn't about to let that show. No, there was an opportunity here, one that I wasn't about to waste.
I glanced at Aeliana, standing a few feet away, her eyes wide with concern. She looked like she was about to rush over any second, her expression a mix of fear and worry that made something warm twist in my chest. It was almost endearing, how much she seemed to care.
But instead of letting her come to me, I decided to play this my way. I let out a low groan, pressing a hand against the wound and staggering a little for effect. "Shit… that bastard got me good," I muttered, knowing full well that Aeliana was hanging on my every word.
She was beside me in an instant, her hands hovering just inches away from my arm like she didn't know where to touch me without causing more pain. "Ciara, are you okay? We need to get you to the infirmary," she said, her voice laced with panic.
I couldn't help but smirk, though I quickly masked it with a wince. "Yeah, I think… I think I need help getting there," I said, deliberately letting my voice waver. "Do you mind, Aeliana?"
Aeliana didn't hesitate. "Of course, let's go," she said, slipping her arm around my waist to support me. The warmth of her body pressed against mine, and for a moment, I almost forgot I was supposed to be playing up the injury.
As we walked or rather, as I limped along with her help I could feel Aeliana's tension in the way she held me. She was so close, her scent enveloping me, and I had to fight the urge to lean into her more than necessary. The air between us was thick, charged with something unspoken but very much felt.
We reached the infirmary, but to my surprise, the nurse was nowhere to be found. Aeliana looked around, her brow furrowing with concern. "Where is she? You need to be taken care of—"
I cut her off, lowering myself onto one of the empty beds with a dramatic sigh. "It's fine, Aeliana. You can help me instead," I said, trying to keep my tone light, though the implication behind my words was anything but.
Aeliana froze, her eyes flicking to the bandage supplies on the nearby table, then back to me. "I… I'm not sure I know how to do this properly," she said, a hint of uncertainty creeping into her voice.
I chuckled softly, wincing a little as I pressed my hand against the wound again. "Don't worry. It's just a little cut. I trust you."
She hesitated for a moment longer, then finally nodded, taking a deep breath as if steeling herself for what was to come. She reached for the supplies, and I watched her every move, noting the way her hands trembled slightly as she picked up the bandages.
When she came back to me, her eyes dropped to my torso, where the cut was. I knew what she was thinking she'd have to touch me, really touch me, to bandage the wound. And from the way she was biting her lip, I could tell it made her nervous. Good. She should be nervous.
"Aeliana," I said softly, drawing her attention back to my face. "It's okay. You're not going to hurt me."
She nodded again, though the tension in her body didn't ease. She reached out hesitantly, her fingers hovering over my abs, but she seemed unable to bring herself to make contact. I watched her, waiting, letting the silence stretch between us until it became almost unbearable.
Finally, I decided to take matters into my own hands literally. I grabbed her wrist gently, guiding her hand to rest against my skin. "See?" I said, my voice a low murmur. "Not so bad, right?"
Aeliana's breath hitched, her fingers twitching slightly against my abs. Her touch was light, almost tentative, and I could feel the warmth of her hand seeping into me. The tension in the room thickened, the air growing heavier with every passing second.
My heart began to pound, not from the injury, but from the closeness of her, the way her touch sent a jolt of electricity through me.
She swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on the wound, but I could tell her mind was elsewhere maybe on the fact that her hand was on my bare skin, or maybe on something else entirely.
I couldn't help but enjoy the way she seemed so flustered, so out of her element. It was rare to see Aeliana like this, and it made me want to push her further, to see just how far I could go.
As she started to clean the wound, her hands grew steadier, though the tension between us didn't fade. If anything, it intensified.
Every brush of her fingers against my skin sent a thrill through me, and I had to bite back a groan of satisfaction. I was sure she could feel my gaze on her, but she didn't look up, didn't acknowledge the charged atmosphere that had settled over us like a thick fog.
When she finally began to wrap the bandage around me, her hands were sure, but there was still that underlying hesitation, that awareness that this was more than just a simple first aid task. The bandage brushed against my skin, cool and soothing, but the heat between us remained, simmering just below the surface.
I watched her face as she worked, her expression a mix of concentration and something else something that made my pulse quicken. She was so close, her breath ghosting over my skin, and I found myself leaning into her touch, wanting more.
I could see the conflict in her eyes, the way she was trying to focus on the task at hand but kept getting distracted by the feel of my body beneath her fingers.
When she finished, she started to pull away, but I didn't let her. Instead, I caught her wrist again, holding her in place. Her eyes snapped to mine, wide with surprise, and I saw the uncertainty there, the confusion and the desire.
Without giving her a chance to protest, I leaned in, closing the distance between us. My lips brushed against hers, a soft, tentative touch that sent a shiver down my spine. Aeliana's breath caught, and for a moment, she was still, as if she couldn't quite believe what was happening.
But then she responded, her lips moving against mine, hesitant at first, then with more urgency. The kiss deepened, and I felt a rush of heat flood my body, a mix of triumph and something else something that made my heart pound in a way I wasn't used to.
Her hands, which had been hovering uncertainly by my sides, found their way to my shoulders, gripping me as if she needed something to hold onto.
I could feel the tension in her, the way she was torn between wanting this and being unsure if she should. But that hesitation only fueled me, made me want to pull her closer, to make her forget whatever doubts she had.
I could feel her breath coming faster, matching my own, and the room seemed to shrink around us, the rest of the world fading away until it was just her and me. My hands found their way to her waist, pulling her closer, and I felt a thrill of satisfaction when she didn't resist, when she melted into me.
The kiss was hungry, desperate, as if we were both trying to satisfy a craving we hadn't even realized we had. It was intoxicating, the taste of her, the feel of her body pressed against mine. And for a moment, I lost myself in it, in the heat and the desire that had been simmering between us for far too long.