He laid there beside her, feeling the weight of her body against his, the steady rise and fall of her breathing as she started to drift off into sleep. This moment was surreal—just a few hours ago, they had been at each other's throats, constantly trying to outmanoeuvre the other. Now, they were sharing this strange, vulnerable space.
For the first time in a long while, neither of them was pretending. No rivalry, no resentment, no masks. Just the raw, messy truth of two people caught in the crossfire of their emotions, neither fully understanding what they wanted, yet drawn to each other in ways they couldn't explain.
As Mahnoor's breathing evened out, Rajveer's mind began to slow down too. The whirlwind of confusion that had followed him all day began to settle. He still didn't know where this was going—whether it was something real, something temporary, or just a strange byproduct of their shared circumstances.
But for now, as she nestled against him, he found that he didn't care about figuring it all out. All he knew was that, in this moment, she needed him, and despite all the confusion and frustration, he was here.
And for now, that was enough.
Rajveer had just begun to relax, the soft rhythm of Mahnoor's breathing soothing the tension between them. He lay there, thinking that maybe, just maybe, this strange truce they had found could last a little longer. But suddenly, without warning, a sharp pain shot through his neck.
He flinched, his body stiffening as he felt her teeth sink into his skin. It wasn't a soft nip, either. It was a real bite—strong, enough to make him wince in surprise.
"Wha—" he started to pull back, his mind racing, stunned by the unexpected jolt of pain. His hand instinctively flew to his neck, but before he could fully process what had just happened, Mahnoor lifted her head slightly, a mischievous, half-apologetic grin on her face.
"Uh oh..." she said casually, her voice low and unbothered. "Okay...I bite when I'm high on emotions. Get used to it."
Rajveer stared at her, still in shock, his mouth slightly open as he tried to comprehend her words. Get used to it? What kind of explanation was that? He rubbed his neck, still feeling the sting from where her teeth had been.
"You—" he started to say, his voice somewhere between disbelief and irritation, "You bite people when you're emotional?"
Mahnoor, now propped up on one elbow, shrugged as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "Yeah, I guess. High emotions. Stress, anger, happiness. Biting happens. You'll live."
Rajveer blinked, completely at a loss for words. He had dealt with a lot of strange things in his life—being the son of an infamous organ trafficking kingpin came with its share of chaos—but this? He wasn't sure how to categorize this.
"Well, uh," he muttered, his hand still rubbing his neck. "That's... new."
Mahnoor gave a lazy smile, her body relaxing back into the bed. "You'll get used to it," she repeated, as if the matter was settled. She rolled onto her back, stretching out her arms as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.
Rajveer sat there, still processing. The bite had shocked him, yes, but now he was starting to wonder if this was just another one of her ways to push him, to test the limits of their odd dynamic. Everything about Mahnoor was unpredictable. One moment she was vulnerable, curled up in his arms, needing his comfort, and the next, she was biting him, casually tossing out explanations like it was normal behavior.
He shook his head, letting out a low, disbelieving laugh. "You're... something else."
Mahnoor glanced at him, her eyes half-closed, clearly exhausted from both the pain of her cramps and the whirlwind of emotions she'd been riding all day. "I've heard that before," she said softly, her voice trailing off as she closed her eyes.
Rajveer sighed, shifting slightly in the bed, trying to make sense of everything. He couldn't. Not really. This entire situation with Mahnoor had been one unexpected turn after another, and he had no idea where it was heading. But as crazy as it was, there was something strangely captivating about her, something that kept pulling him back in, even when he didn't fully understand why.
Laying back down beside her, he rubbed the spot on his neck again, a small smile tugging at his lips despite himself. Maybe he was already starting to get used to it.
Or maybe, he thought as he closed his eyes, he just didn't mind.
Rajveer stirred awake; grogginess still heavy in his mind. He blinked his eyes open, trying to adjust to the dim light filtering through the curtains. At first, everything felt disorienting, like waking up in a dream he couldn't quite grasp. Then, as the fog of sleep began to clear, he realized there was something—or rather, someone—on top of him.
Mahnoor.
He froze. His mind raced as he became fully aware of her body draped over him. Her head was nestled firmly against his neck, her hair a cascade of dark brown waves spilling across his chest. But it wasn't just the weight of her against him that caught his attention—it was the sensation on his neck. Wet. Her mouth was slightly open, pressed against his skin as if she had started to bite him again but fallen asleep before finishing the act.
Rajveer blinked, his muscles tensing as he tried to assess the situation. Her hand was tangled in his hair, gripping it in a way that made it clear she wasn't letting go anytime soon. He was stuck. Pinned under her in a bizarre hold, and he had no idea how to move without waking her up—or worse, provoking another bite.
What on earth is happening? he thought, his mind racing. Was she awake? Asleep? He couldn't tell. The warmth of her breath against his neck sent a shiver down his spine, and for a split second, he wondered if she was going to wake up and bite him again.
Rajveer tried to move subtly, shifting his body a little, hoping to ease her off him. But as soon as he did, Mahnoor stirred. Her body shifted slightly, her head moving from where it had been buried in his neck. For a brief moment, Rajveer felt a sense of relief. Maybe he could finally get free without another—
And then it happened.
Without warning, Mahnoor's teeth sunk into his neck with the same force as before, completing the bite she had apparently abandoned earlier. Rajveer tensed, his breath catching as the sharpness of her bite spread through his nerves.
He let out a strangled sound, more out of shock than pain. "Again?" he muttered under his breath, half-expecting her to start laughing or offer some sarcastic remark. But Mahnoor didn't respond. Instead, she let out a contented hum as if satisfied, then relaxed against him once more. Her grip on his hair loosened, and she resumed her deep, steady breathing—completely oblivious to the chaos she had just caused.