Mass release: 9/9
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Nikko Cornelius Hetherington's pov
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"I think you're better now, so, we'll leave you both to... deal with whatever is going on between you. We won't tell anyone about this, don't worry," she winked at Arianna, who fully cringed at it, but her skin reddened.
"Though I would go to one of your dorms if I were you," Seth giggled, "since many might come in here and see you, and your... secret might become a gossip, and I think you don't know that. People are already talking because of the kiss, so, if they know there's actually more to it, they will definitely talk."
"True, the entire academy is talking about you, seems like some people in class spread out what happened, or their version of what happened, and it's the talk of Zeus now. In fact, I think even the teachers might know about it. As well as about our unique abilities, and about us both, but mostly about you. We don't know who did it though, or,"
"Orpheus and Odessa," we both hissed at the same time, and shared an annoyed look, then back to them.
"It was definitely them and their friends," I clenched my jaw.
"Ah, the ones you two have bad history with," Sophia pointed.
"Bad is an understatement," I muttered.
"Oh, look at the hour," Seth said and side-eyed his sister. "We have yet to have lunch, and we are very hungry, so we should go, right, Sophy?"
"Yes," she joined him, "we have to go."
"I'll go with you," Arianna mumbled.
I held her arm, "No, you won't."
"You ain't good enough to get out of the med wing yet," Seth said. "So, just stay here or go to your room rest, yeah?" Then he softly pushed his sister out of the room. "See you tomorrow!"
"Rest," Sophia chanted and in a second they vanished away.
She gulped and with a move of my hand, I locked the door, and she kept starting at the door, fighting against herself not to meet my eyes. Her long mahogany wavy hair loose and shadowing her features, but not enough to block the blush in her light skinned cheeks to me. Still holding her arm, I turned her to me, but she kept her gaze low, on my chest, her blush getting more and more intense, lips pressed on a thin line.
And I couldn't tell if it was my or her heart speeding up.
Grabbing her chin softly, I made her look up and meet my eyes, and unsure of how long I'm able to control myself, I spread a barrier all around the room with a thought, bringing my other hand to her waist, surrounding it and shortening the distance between us, "Mahnoor."
Her lips parted, "Nikko," she breathed my name for the first time.
"Please, don't hit me for this," I pled, bending and kissing her.
And when I thought she would slap my face again, given how she was frozen and not responding the kiss, as her heartbeat quickened, Arianna pressed her lips back onto mine, her arms surrounding my neck, leaning in. The second she answered the kiss, the bond binding ups woke up so vividly and overwhelmingly strong that I had to hold her against me and avoid it from pushing her away from me, feeling the ground under us and the entire castle shake like the arena did when I kissed her then.
Parting my lips onto hers, I deepened the kiss desperately, and she met me halfway just as hungrily, hands wandering up in my hair, messing it up, and when I asked space for my tongue to map her mouth, she gave it and mine took hers to a feverous dance. Bending down a bit more, my hands went from her tiny waist to her hips and down her thighs, parting them and rising her body up, and she laced her legs tight around my torso, now in a even height for us to enjoy this better.
With the little rationality I have left, I used my void magic to take us away from the med wing and to inside my dorm, praying mentally that everyone had left, and when I didn't feel the energy of any of them inside it, I felt really fucking glad, and with another thought, I locked my door. Again, setting the barrier all around us.
Sitting down on my bed, my back on the pile of pillows, I made her straddle my lap, deepening the kiss further, and as she cupped my face with her small hands, she bit my bottom lip, and I felt suddenly thirsty to taste her blood, to bit her, to eat her. And if not for the fact that we need oxygen, I wouldn't have allowed her to stop the kiss. A kiss so addicted it left me drugged, addicted, desperate for more.
She nuzzled her nose on mine, seemingly as drugged as me, on me. "What are you… doing to me?" She breathed, forehead pressed on mine.
"I don't think I can control what I'm feeling," I whispered, hands down on her hips, inhaling her rose, lychee, and musk addicting scent that's been haunting my mind for years. "Say my name again, please."
"Nikko," she whispered, brushing her lips on me, "we shouldn't…"
"Nein, Mahnoor, we should," I pressed my lips on hers again, and all her resistance died, she brought her hands down my chest, touching my muscles, feeling my skin, bringing her hands to my back, her nails drawing lines there as she kissed me back.
A moan escaped her lips when I grabbed her arse, pressing her on me, making her feel what she's making me feel, and instead of snapping at me and jumping away, she leaned in, moving her hips on my erection. That was as effective as an Uno reverse card because a cursing moan left my lips and I didn't feel ashamed, I felt hungrier, craving thickening.
"Mahnoor," I struggled to speak, "let me taste you."
Shivers ran down her spine, "I don't think that,"
"Don't think," I pled before she could break this.
"Nikko,"
"Mahnoor," I held her face with both my hands, making her meet my eyes, "I know this is hard on you, it's hard on me too, but it is what it is. I won't push you, I won't press you, I won't force you to let other people know, but please," I begged, "don't push me away, let me hold you. Let me have this. I've always wanted to find my mate," she gasped when I called it what it is, "I won't let you go, it's shocking that my mate ended up being you, given our history, but I won't fight it, and you know why?"
She swallowed, "Why?"
"Because I never really hated you, I've actually had a thing for you, for a very long, long, long time," I chuckled anxiously, confessing what I've denied to my twin all the times she questioned me about it, the time all of our friends questioned me, and her eyes widened. "This is more important than my pride, than my stubbornness, I fought this for years, but now I will not fight anymore. I want you to know."
"Don't… don't do this to me. Don't say what you don't,"
"I mean it," I exclaimed firmly. "I know you never felt the same, I know you may be overwhelmed, but I've always been drawn to you, always. But it was complicated, and now it just got even more complicated. Even then, I want you to know that I won't let you run from me, I'll fight for you, and even if it makes you angry right now, you should know that I want you. I want you so bloody badly it hurts."
"Nikko," she struggled, hands on my chest, "I can't… I,"
"You want me, Mahnoor, I know it," I swallowed.
"But this is… this is different, it's not about wanting, and it's hard, I can't… I don't know if I'll be able to be okay with this, Nikko. I… I never thought I would find a…" she paused, struggling, "this. Being with me will only bring you problems, and being like this with… I fear it won't do you any good, and our families may be in a truce, but your family will want to kill me and mine will want to kill you, and everyone will,"
"We don't need let people know yet," I stopped her, before she'd say something that would mess things up even more. "And they will have to understand, when the time comes. We can stay like this if you want, we can keep it on the low, until we end Zeus or until the war. We… we don't know what will happen, if there will be an after war, Mahnoor. Don't push me away, let me be with you, I don't want to fight this, fighting the bond will only us both, and I don't want to stay away from you."
"I'm…" she paused.
"Scared?" I asked softly and she nodded. "I'm terrified too."
"I want to hate you, Nikko," she confessed. "I don't want this, I… I don't know what to do. I don't like feeling out of control, and this is out of my control, everything about this is out of my control. I want to fight it, I want to avoid it, but… I'll have to see you everyday and,"
"It's out of my control too, Mahnoor. You can keep hating me to everyone else, I won't mind, I'm used to bickering and fighting with you, it's comfortable. I'm not asking you to tell the world or anyone else that we are mated, I'm asking you to give me a chance because we are mates, to me. On your own way, even if you want to keep it a secret, I'll do it your way, but please, don't deny me this, I'm begging you."