"Just relax," she murmured, her voice soft and soothing, her fingers tracing light circles on his back. "Take a minute, and when you're ready, you can keep going with me, okay?"
Raemond nodded, grateful for her understanding. He let himself melt into her embrace for a moment longer, letting the warmth of her presence calm him. After a minute or two, he lifted his head, a small, grateful smile crossing his face. She looked at him with a reassuring warmth in her eyes, and he felt a surge of confidence return.
Rolling off her, he pulled her closer, his arm draped around her. She guided his hand gently, helping him find the right movement, and he began exploring her with his fingers, using the gentle rhythm she had shown him earlier. As he moved, her soft sighs and quiet, encouraging sounds filled him with a renewed focus, and he took his time, letting himself learn the pace that made her relax into his touch.
Mahnoor's breaths became quicker, and with a soft, breathless whisper, she urged him, "Go faster, Rae." Her hand rested on his, guiding him for a moment until he picked up the rhythm she needed.
Raemond focused, his fingers moving with a faster, steady pace, attuned to every sound and movement she made. For the next several minutes, he kept that rhythm, feeling her body respond, each soft moan encouraging him further. He could see her getting closer, her breaths shallow, her grip on him tightening.
Then, as a final wave of pleasure overtook her, Mahnoor's body convulsed, her back arching slightly, and she gasped his name, clinging to him as her climax washed over her. The intensity of the moment left her breathless, her heart pounding as she relaxed into his embrace, letting the lingering warmth settle between them.
Raemond looked at her, awestruck, a small, affectionate smile on his lips. He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips, whispering with a playful grin, "I… really like your moaning."
She laughed softly, still catching her breath, and pulled him close, pressing her forehead against his. "Good," she murmured with a smile. "Because I love everything you did."
As the warmth of the moment lingered between them, Raemond looked up, a shy yet hopeful expression crossing his face. "So… we're, like… girlfriend and boyfriend now, right?" he asked, his voice soft, as if needing the words to be real.
Mahnoor's face lit up, her eyes full of warmth and affection. "Yep, baby Rae," she replied with a reassuring smile, tucking a stray strand of his hair behind his ear. "I'm all yours."
Hearing her say it, Raemond felt a surge of happiness he hadn't anticipated. He wrapped his arms around her even tighter, pulling her close against his chest, feeling her heartbeat against his. "I could just cuddle you all day, Mahnoor," he murmured, a contented smile spreading across his face as he closed his eyes, letting himself savor the closeness.
She chuckled, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Then cuddle away, Rae," she whispered, feeling just as happy to be wrapped up in his embrace. They lay there, content and close, letting the quiet of the moment fill the room, knowing they'd found something special in each other.
Raemond held Mahnoor's hand tightly as they walked up the dimly lit stairwell of a quiet apartment complex. He'd told her they were going to meet his parents, and she could see a hint of nervousness in his eyes. She thought it was endearing; Raemond, always shy about the smallest things, was now bringing her to meet his family. She squeezed his hand, offering a reassuring smile.
"You'll love them," he murmured, his voice almost a whisper. "They… they always wanted me to find someone special."
Mahnoor smiled back, a warmth settling over her as they reached the door. But as they entered, something felt off. The air was stale, the apartment dim and strangely silent. She brushed it off at first, figuring maybe his parents were simply out for the evening, and they'd all catch up soon. Raemond led her through the hallway and stopped in front of a door.
"Are they inside?" she asked, but her words hung in the air unanswered as Raemond slowly opened the door, revealing a shadowed bedroom.
As her eyes adjusted, Mahnoor's breath caught in her throat. There, on the bed, lay two figures—unmoving, their bodies unmistakably decayed, dressed in clothes that looked frozen in time. The overwhelming stench of decay hit her instantly, and Mahnoor staggered back, her hands covering her mouth as nausea churned in her stomach. She barely made it into the lounge before she lost her composure, her mind reeling from what she had seen.
Raemond stepped out after her, his face calm, as if her reaction hadn't surprised him. He slowly closed the door behind him, sealing the scene away from view.
"Raemond…" she whispered, horror in her voice as she backed away from him, her body trembling. "What… why? How could you…?" Her words trailed off as he stood in front of her, his gaze soft yet strangely calm.
He took a step toward her. "They… they died in a car accident," he explained softly, as if he were recounting something ordinary. "I lost them suddenly… and… I didn't have anyone else. No friends, no other family." He swallowed, the vulnerability in his voice mingling with something darker. "So, I… I kept them. I kept them close."
She took another step back, her heart pounding, but Raemond kept talking, as if he needed her to understand. "I just… I couldn't let go," he whispered, his voice almost breaking. "They were all I had. And then… then I met you."
Mahnoor's eyes were wide with horror as she shook her head, inching away from him. "Raemond… you… you need help," she stammered, her voice barely audible. "Keeping… keeping them like that? It's… it's insane."
A flicker of pain flashed across his face. "Mahnoor, please," he murmured, his voice soft but desperate. "I thought… now that I have you… maybe… maybe we could finally… do the burial rites. Maybe I could let them go."
Mahnoor's hands shook as she backed farther away, her gaze locked onto him, fear and disbelief written across her face. "Raemond… don't come near me," she whispered, her voice laced with a terror she couldn't hide. "You're… you're insane."
The words seemed to hang between them, stark and cutting, as Raemond's face fell, a mix of sadness and something unreadable settling over him.
Mahnoor's breath was ragged as she sprinted out of the building, not stopping until she was halfway down the street, her heart racing, the image of Raemond's apartment seared into her mind. She glanced back, half-expecting to see him following, the fear lingering, twisting in her gut. But there was nothing. He hadn't followed her.
She slowed, catching her breath, waiting, her mind racing. She hadn't expected him to simply let her go. Her phone buzzed suddenly, startling her, and she fumbled to pull it from her pocket, hands still shaking. It was a message from Raemond:
"I understand it was disturbing for you. If you don't want to be with me anymore, I completely understand—it's your choice. But know that I really like you and enjoyed our time together. Stay happy always. Um, take care, I guess. Uh… bye?"
Mahnoor's heart twisted as she read the words. She had prepared herself for him to chase after her, to try to explain, to cling onto her the way he had clung onto his parents' memory. But instead… he had just let her go.
For a moment, disbelief washed over her. She had spent the last few minutes battling an instinctive terror, replaying that scene in her mind. Yet here he was, in a quiet message, calmly accepting her exit from his life. It made her shudder, realizing that perhaps his quiet acceptance held a depth of loneliness she hadn't understood until now.