Among all the women whose names had quietly settled into his heart, there was one he kept catching out of the corner of his eye.
Lavinia.
He realized it one afternoon on the training field, somewhere between Kunou's tenth excited "Look, look!" and Yasaka's patient, fox-queen smile as she indulged her daughter's enthusiasm.
Slash Dog had blended into Kuoh's rhythm with surprising ease.
Tobio sparred with Kiba and Arthur so often that their blades' auras had learned each other's cadence, steel ringing in patterns that sounded almost like conversation. Natsume's fiend griffon tore through Ren's training sky on borrowed wings, gusts of distorted wind rolling over the manor roofs until Sona's barrier arrays hummed in protest. Shigune and Sae drifted through the grounds like shy satellites, always orbiting Tobio, always politely stepping around the chaos.
And Lavinia—
She was always there.
Just… slightly off to the side.
Sitting on a stone with a thermos between her hands, breath fogging in front of her.
Leaning against a tree, watching the others laugh with that gentle, faraway smile that made her look like she'd stepped out of a fairy tale and gotten lost in the modern world.
Joining training the moment he called for group drills—no hesitation, no complaint—freezing formations into perfect crystalline lattices when he asked, Absolute Demise humming under her skin like a quiet, endless winter.
Then stepping back again.
Not because she didn't want to be there.
But because, Ren realized, he hadn't really given her a place to stand.
He'd been busy.
Trihexa. Gods and pantheons. His own Heaven unfolding over the Dimensional Gap like a private firmament. The aftershocks of dragging a Primordial Beast into his Twelve Heavens and chaining it there.
Even his so-called "free" time had been claimed by girls who were already his—Rias, Akeno, Asia, Koneko, Serafall, Kuroka—and the ones in immediate, blazing orbit like Sona, Tiamat, Gabriel, Yasaka.
Lavinia had come with Slash Dog, slid neatly into his system, helped keep the Grigori kids stable when new Dao-arts made their souls itch.
He'd smiled at her, thanked her, entrusted her with defensive fields.
But he hadn't really looked.
Now, with the sky not currently falling and the Dimensional Gap singing quietly under his control instead of screaming into every realm, he had the luxury of time.
So he looked.
On the far side of the field, a slice of air glittered blue-white.
Lavinia stood there with both hands outstretched, fingers spread, blond hair lifting in the cold wind her aura conjured. Her eyes were half-lidded in concentration. Frost bloomed across the grass in a perfect circle around her, each blade sheathed in ice without breaking.
Then the circle rose.
Pillars of translucent ice surged up from the ground like they'd been waiting there all along, forming a cathedral of winter. Spires climbed toward the sky, ribs of frozen light crossing overhead. The late afternoon sun poured through the structure and shattered, scattering across the yard in a thousand refracted shards.
The temperature dipped, fast.
Tobio let out a low whistle, breath steaming. "Still freaky," he muttered. "Beautiful. But freaky."
Natsume shivered and hugged herself, her fiend's shadow wings pulling closer. "It feels like my breath is getting frozen from the inside out when she gets serious…"
Ren watched the edge of the cold.
The frost stopped exactly one step away from Sae, the small girl standing near the boundary with Poh peeking out nervously from behind her. Sae's hair ruffled in a breeze that should have carried killing chill; on her skin, it was only cool.
Lavinia's control wasn't just good.
It was ridiculous.
The Absolute Demise Longinus carried enough conceptual weight to erase armies if she let it off the leash. Under her hands, it built stained-glass temples that stopped a hair's breadth from fragile souls.
Ice crept up one of his training dummies, freezing it solid. A stray ripple of Dao essence compressed into a tight ring around the property—met that domain of winter. The clash of Dao and Longinus wasn't loud, but everyone felt it.
The air briefly went very still.
Rules pressed against rules. The logic of Soul Palaces, Life Wheels, and Fate Palaces nudged against the ruthless finality of "all things end at absolute zero."
Lavinia's winter accepted the boundary and curled just short of it, like a cat settling down next to a sleeping dragon instead of picking a fight.
Kunou, watching from atop a bench with her tails fluffed up, made a tiny "whoa" sound and immediately tried to copy the effect with foxfire. Yasaka's hand landed on her head before she could set anything on fire.
Ren's lips quirked.
Yeah, he thought. I've been neglecting someone interesting.
He lifted a hand.
"Okay," he called out. "Let's wrap it up before my front lawn turns into Antarctica."
Lavinia exhaled. The frost-retreat was as clean as its advance—pillars softening, shattering into a haze of glittering motes that dissolved into harmless mist before they touched anyone. The grass beneath emerged intact, only a little damp.
She lowered her hands and smiled to herself, just a tiny bit.
Ren watched her walk back toward the others, scarf swaying, Absolute Demise sleeping again at the edge of perception.
Yeah, he decided. I've been busy.
But that's not an excuse.
Not anymore.
...
He found her later on the manor's side veranda.
The sun had dipped low, staining Kuoh's sky in layers of orange and soft pink. The faint smell of city exhaust mixed with the green of the surrounding trees. Out here, the noise of the main street was a distant murmur, softened by Ren's barriers.
Lavinia sat with her back against a wooden pillar, legs stretched out, ankles crossed. A convenience-store takeout cup was cradled between her palms, steam curling up into the cooling air. She'd folded her coat neatly beside her and rolled her sleeves up, pale wrists bare.
The wood around her held a thin dusting of frost that refused to melt, even with the sun's last warmth brushing it.
Ren slid the door open with easy familiarity.
"Room for one more?" he asked.
Lavinia's head tilted. Blue-and-violet eyes blinked once, surprised, then brightened. Her smile was immediate, small but genuine.
"Ren," she said, voice lilting, warm. "There's always room."
He crossed the veranda and dropped down beside her. Not so close they touched by accident, but close enough that if she leaned even a little, their shoulders would find each other.
He nodded at the drink. "Verdict?"
She lifted the cup, sniffed, then made a very honest face.
"Too sweet," she admitted. "I added sugar because it looked cute on the menu, but… ahaha… it's a little much."
"Let me try."
She blinked as he held out his hand, then obediently passed the cup over.
He took a sip.
The concoction was, indeed, aggressively sweet—syrup and cream and something that tasted like melted candy and condensed nostalgia. His tongue protested. His body quietly filed it under "non-lethal but questionable."
He swallowed and exhaled slowly.
"Yeah," he said. "That's illegal."
Lavinia snorted—an actual, unguarded sound that slipped out before she could smooth it over. Her free hand flew to her mouth, eyes widening, then she laughed properly, shoulders shaking.
"Right?" she said. "I thought I was good with sweet things, but this is… wow."
He took another sip, just to ensure his criticism was properly researched, then handed the cup back.
"It suits you, though," he said easily. "Looks cute, seems harmless, actually strong enough to kill someone if they're not ready."
Her cheeks pinked all the way to the tips of her ears.
"Ren," she protested, voice faint. "You can't compare a girl to a sugar bomb like that."
"Sure I can," he said. "Sugar bombs don't save kids from cursed dreams. You do. So you're already winning."
Her fingers tightened around the cup.
"…You were watching," she murmured.
"Always," he said simply. "Even when I was busy fixing up gods."
Memories flickered behind the words. Trihexa screaming as his Twelve Heavens fell on it. Nyx and Angra Mainyu pulled out of their own avatars like weeds. Lavinia standing in a warped street, Absolute Demise wrapped around children like a shell of winter, breathless but steady.
She looked away, out at the yard where Slash Dog's younger members were now packing up training gear. Natsume was scolding Kouki for leaving weapon cases half-open; Shigune was fussing over Sae's scarf.
"I thought…" Lavinia let out a small, self-conscious laugh. "I thought you were focusing on your girlfriends. And the pantheons. And the world not ending."
"I was," he said. "That doesn't mean I didn't notice you, Lavinia."
Her name rolled off his tongue without distance. No titles, no honorifics. Just her.
She drew a slow breath, watching the steam from her cup drift.
"You're very smooth," she said. "Even for someone with your… everything."
He chuckled under his breath.
"It's not just smooth talk," he said. "I owe you too. Those Absolute Demise fields you've been putting up around the kids? Good work."
Her lashes fluttered. The faint, habitual tension in her shoulders—born from years of being "Demise Girl," from fearing her own strength—wavered.
"That's just… what I can do," she said. "I'm… the 'Demise Girl,' remember? If I can't protect people by freezing things, then…"
"You're Lavinia," he cut in gently.
She blinked.
"You laugh easily. You take care of the younger ones. You let Tobio lean on you when his shoulders get too heavy. You still find time to brew cocoa for Shigune when she wakes up from nightmares." He tilted his head, watching her profile. "The Longinus is part of you. It isn't all of you."
Silence settled for a moment.
Then she laughed again, softer this time. The sound curled in the air, a bit of warmth inside her own cold.
"You really do talk like that all the time, don't you," she said. "No rehearsals?"
"I'm lazy," he said calmly. "If I can't tell the truth directly, it's not worth saying."
She took a sip from her ridiculous drink, then looked down into the cup like it might give her courage.
"…You haven't spent much time with me," she said. There was no accusation in it—just a small, honest observation. "Since we came to Kuoh. I thought maybe that was on purpose."
"It wasn't," he said. "I was triaging disasters. Now that the biggest one's chained up in my backyard, I've got more time to do what I want."
He turned his head to look at her openly.
"What I want includes you," he added.
Her fingers stilled around the cup.
Color rose again, a slow tide under pale skin.
"…That's unfair," she whispered. "Saying that so suddenly."
"Is it working?" he asked, amused.
She hesitated.
Then nodded once, tiny and helpless.
"…Yes," she admitted.
His smile deepened.
"Good," he said. "Then let's fix that 'not enough time' problem. I'm stealing you for myself soon."
"Stealing?" she echoed, flustered. "I'm not some lost child, you know."
"You're worse," he said. "You're interesting."
She let out a breath that turned into a small, bright laugh, head tipping back against the pillar.
"Okay," she said at last, cheeks still pink but eyes shining. "Steal me, then. I'll let you."
He bumped his shoulder lightly against hers.
"Deal."
For a moment, they sat like that—sunset bleeding out over Kuoh, frost clinging stubbornly to the wood around them.
He made a note in his heart: Lavinia Reni. Demise Girl. Ice Princess. Someone he would no longer let stand at the edges.
...
Asia's day came a few days after that.
Ren picked it on purpose—the sky over Kuoh clear and high, the air neither too hot nor too cold, the manor's schedule leerily empty except for "training" and "Serafall's proposed victory party version 5" scribbled in neon marker on the kitchen calendar.
Asia had been jittery since the Dimensional Gap.
She hid it well. She smiled, fussed over everyone's injuries, doubled down on her healing and cultivation. She prayed with her usual quiet sincerity and filled the manor with gentle holy light whenever someone had a nightmare.
But Ren could feel the way her Soul Palace quivered when she thought no one was looking. The memory of him breaking into light and curse-fire—Heaven manifesting, Trihexa howling as twelve Fate Palaces turned it into a problem to be filed—had sunk deep.
Light that overwhelming left shadows.
So he didn't ask.
He simply appeared in the doorway of the manor's kitchen that morning, leaning against the frame like he had nowhere better to be.
"Asia."
She turned from the stove, apron slightly crooked, a bit of flour dusting her cheek like a clumsy blessing.
"Ren?" Her smile bloomed automatically, warm and soft. "Good morning. I was just—"
He stepped forward, gently plucked the spatula from her hand, and set it aside before she could protest.
"Come out with me today," he said. "Just you and me."
She froze, eyes going round.
"Ah… a-ah? Out… where?"
"Town," he said easily. "Somewhere you haven't had time to just wander and enjoy. We can pick once we're outside."
Her hands fidgeted with the edge of her apron, twisting fabric.
"Is… is that okay?" she asked. "With everything that still needs to be done…?"
He smiled, and the edges of his usual amused calm softened.
"The only thing that needs to be done," he said, "is me spending my day being wrapped up in you. That's my selfish wish."
Asia's breath caught.
Color surged up her neck, over her ears, all the way to the crown of her head.
"Wrapped up…" she squeaked.
"In all ways," he said, tone light. "But for now, in you being happy. Relaxed. Not waiting for me to disappear into a beam of light again."
Her fingers stilled on her apron.
She looked at him—really looked—and the tension in her Soul Palace flickered.
"Okay," she said at last, voice small but firm. "I… I want that too."
"Then go change," he said. "I'll finish breakfast before the others storm the kitchen and start a civil war over pancakes."
Her eyes widened. "You'll cook?"
"I can follow a recipe," he said dryly. "Besides, Ophis owes me for stealing my sweets last week. I'll feed her something with extra vegetables."
She giggled, the sound light and a little shaky, then hurried off.
Ren watched her go, then turned back to the pan like he hadn't just rearranged the day's schedule.
...
They ended up at an aquarium.
Asia's choice, once she got past the initial fluster and he nudged her—gently but relentlessly—into picking something she genuinely wanted.
"It's silly," she mumbled as they walked toward the station, fingers unconsciously twisting in the sleeve of his casual jacket. "I just… always wanted to go. But there was always something more important, and then…"
"I came in," he supplied. "And the world started changing channels."
She huffed a tiny laugh.
He squeezed her hand.
"We're going," he said. "Silly or not."
The aquarium sat near the coast, a blue-glass building that reflected the sea. Sunlight spilled over its smooth curves. Inside, the light turned soft and wavering, filtered through tanks and tinted panels. The air smelled faintly of salt and clean circulation systems.
Asia pressed both hands to the first huge tank's glass, eyes going wide.
"Wow…"
Schools of silver fish moved like living curtains beyond the glass, flowing around rocks and coral with choreographed grace. A stingray drifted by, underside pale, mouth fixed in a permanent, dopey grin.
Ren watched her more than he watched the fish.
"How is it?" he asked.
"It's… peaceful," she said, voice hushed. "And… big. I know it's just a tank, but it feels like…" She searched for the right words. "…Like looking into another world."
He hummed low in his throat.
"That's not a bad way to put it," he said.
They wandered.
Jellyfish floated in cylindrical tanks, translucent bells pulsing in slow, hypnotic rhythms. Ultraviolet lights painted them in soft blues and purples. Asia stood with her hands clasped in front of her, expression almost reverent.
"So pretty," she whispered.
Farther in, a tunnel of reinforced glass arched over their heads. Sharks glided overhead, shadows sliding across Asia's hair as they swam past.
Asia stepped closer to him on instinct, fingers catching his sleeve, then his arm.
"Scary?" he teased quietly.
"A little," she admitted, laughing nervously. "But… it's okay if you're here."
She didn't let go of his arm after that.
They watched penguins waddle and trip on land, only to turn into sleek, effortless shapes underwater. Asia giggled at their clumsy land steps and bright, determined flaps. He made a show of analyzing one particularly chubby penguin's "footwork" like it was a martial skill, earning him a fit of helpless laughter that ended with her swatting his shoulder.
In a dim hall, they stopped in front of a deep, dark tank where phosphorescent creatures drifted. Tiny points of light pulsed, faded, and surged again, forming slow spirals in the water.
Asia stared, expression softening into something thoughtful.
"It reminds me of your Heaven," she said quietly.
He tilted his head, eyes flicking from the spiraling lights to her.
"How so?"
She raised her hand and pointed at a cluster of tiny luminescent fish slowly circling each other, lines of movement overlapping.
"When you opened your Fate Palaces in the Dimensional Gap," she said, "it felt… like this. Distant, but so bright. Different colors, all moving together. It scared me, but it was… beautiful too."
Her fingers tightened on his sleeve.
"I'm glad I can look at this without feeling scared," she added, almost to herself.
He watched her for a long heartbeat.
The reflection of the tank's lights danced over her eyes.
"Good," he said simply.
That one word carried a promise: I won't let that fear stick to you. Not if I can help it.
They took silly photos in front of a cartoon sign near the entrance, one where you could poke your face through a cut-out dolphin. Asia insisted he try it, then nearly dropped her phone laughing when his usual calm expression stared out of a goofy dolphin body.
In the gift shop, she agonized over rows of plush toys with the seriousness of a battlefield commander. In the end, she pressed a fuzzy sea otter into his hands.
"This one," she declared. "He looks like he's trying his best."
Ren eyed the otter, then slung it over his shoulder like a small, furry log.
"Good training weight," he said solemnly.
Asia laughed so hard she had to lean against him to stay upright.
They ate lunch at a small café overlooking the water. Ren ordered simple seafood pasta; Asia picked a set of adorable, sea-themed pancakes that came arranged like a little ocean scene—whipped cream "waves," blueberry "bubbles," and chocolate "fish."
Asia stared at her plate, cheeks puffing slightly.
"…It's cute," she said. "I feel bad eating it."
"Eat it," he said mildly. "Or it'll get cold and ugly, and then you'll feel worse."
She looked scandalized for a second, then laughed, shoulders relaxing.
"Ren…"
He rested his chin on one hand, watching her with open fondness as she took the first cautious bite.
"Thank you," he said.
She paused mid-chew, blinking.
"For… what?" she asked after swallowing.
"For still being here," he answered. "You could've broken when the people you trusted made bad choices for you. When you watched me take on things that should've killed me. But you didn't. You're still you. I'm greedy. I want to keep that."
Her eyes shone, just a little.
She set her fork down carefully, fingers trembling.
"Ren," she said. "I… I'm the one who should say thank you. If you hadn't come to Kuoh, I…"
She swallowed once, then again, steadying herself.
"I wouldn't be this me," she finished softly. "The one who can stand with you and not just… get in the way."
He reached across the table and took her hand.
"You're not 'next to' me," he said. "You're with me. There's a difference."
Her fingers tightened around his, fragile faith and stubborn resolve both answering his grip.
"…You say things like that so easily," she whispered.
"It's not hard when they're true," he said.
Outside, waves rolled in, breaking against the rocks below.
Inside, time slowed for them.
...
They took the long way home.
The sun sank toward the horizon, painting the sea in streaks of gold and orange. Asia walked along the low seawall, arms stretched out for balance, hair fluttering in the breeze. Ren walked beside her on the sidewalk, one hand hovering a breath away from her back.
Just in case.
"Ren," she called suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"If…" She bit her lip, concentrating like she was facing a particularly nasty spell. "If something like Trihexa happens again—if you have to go somewhere I can't follow—can I still… believe you'll come back?"
He stepped closer, hand finally settling between her shoulder blades, warm and steady.
"You can," he said. "Because I gave you that promise. Better yet, next time you'll be right at my side. But even if we're separated for a bit, I'll come back. I'll never leave you."
She stopped walking.
Turned to face him.
The sea breeze caught her hair, blowing it across her face in soft strands. Light from the sunset turned her eyes a deeper green.
"Then I…" She swallowed once, then forced the words out, cheeks flushed, eyes bright. "I'll keep believing. Even if it hurts. Even if I'm scared. Because… I love you, Ren."
His smile was soft and completely unwavering.
"I know," he said. "And I love you too, Asia."
The words weren't dramatic. They didn't need to be.
They settled between them like something that had always been true, finally allowed to stand in the open.
Asia stepped down off the seawall.
Right into his arms.
He caught her easily, one arm wrapping around her waist, the other coming up to cradle the back of her head as she pressed her face into his shoulder. She smelled faintly of flour and salt and the sweet syrup from her pancakes.
For a long moment, they just stood there, the sound of the waves and her heartbeat blending into something simple and right.
Then he tilted her chin up with gentle fingers.
Kissed her.
It wasn't their first—not after everything they'd gone through—but it was different. Slower. Less desperate. More present.
She melted into it, hands fisting in his shirt, a small sound caught in her throat.
The world narrowed to the warmth between them, the taste of sea salt and sugar, the feel of his steady presence saying without words: I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.
...
By the time they made it back to the manor, the sky had deepened into full evening. Lamps flickered on along the street. The wards around the property hummed in recognition as they stepped through.
Ren closed the door to their room behind them with a soft click.
Asia stood in the middle of the floor, hands pressed over her heart, cheeks still flushed from the walk, from the confession, from the kiss that had never quite left her lips.
"Ren…" she breathed.
He stepped toward her.
No rush.
No teasing, this time.
His hands settled lightly on her shoulders, thumbs tracing slow, reassuring circles over the fabric of her clothes. He kissed her again, softer now, giving her all the room she needed to respond, to breathe, to choose.
She chose.
Again and again.
The details belonged to them alone.
Later—much later—when the room was dim and the only sounds were their slowed breathing and the faint hum of the manor's formations outside, Asia lay curled against his chest, legs tangling with his under the covers.
Her fingers traced absent patterns over his skin, touch feather-light.
"…Thank you," she whispered into him, voice thick with emotion and contentment. "For today. For… everything."
He stroked her hair, the motion unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world.
"Anytime," he said. "I like drowning in your feelings."
She let out an embarrassed little laugh, half hiding her face against him.
"You say embarrassing things so calmly…"
"Because I enjoy them," he murmured. "And I enjoy you."
She held him tighter, like she was afraid he'd disappear if she loosened her grip even a little.
He stayed.
Wrapped in her warmth, in the quiet, in the knowledge that for this one day, the universe had let them be small and human instead of saint-level monsters and living Dao-incarnations.
He liked that too.
He didn't speak, but the look in his eyes said everything.
He took her hands.
Pulled her closer.
"Today was for you," he murmured, thumb stroking over her knuckles. "The rest of the night is for us."
Her breath hitched. She could feel the steady, comforting warmth of his Fate Palace reaching out to her, a silent invitation that made her own soul pulse in response.
"I… I want that," she whispered, honesty overriding any shyness.
"Good," he said.
He leaned in.
Kissed her again, slow and deep, one hand moving to the back of her neck, fingers tangling in her hair. She responded with a soft sigh, lips parting, body pressing flush against his in a silent plea for more.
He guided her toward the bed, their movements fluid, unhurried. When the back of her knees hit the mattress, he lowered her down gently, never breaking the kiss. He followed, covering her with his body, propping himself up on his elbows so as not to crush her, the soft fabric of her skirt bunching up around her thighs.
"You were so beautiful today," he whispered against her lips, his voice a low, intimate rumble. "Watching you discover things, seeing your face light up… that's the kind of peace I fight for."
She looked up at him, her green eyes swimming with emotion.
"You're the one who gave it to me," she said, her hands coming up to cup his face, her thumbs stroking his cheeks. "You're my peace, Ren."
His control, always so unshakable, wavered for a second.
He captured her lips again, this kiss deeper, more possessive, a silent acknowledgment of her words. His hands began to move, tracing the curves of her body through her clothes with a reverence that made her tremble.
"Every inch of you," he breathed against her neck, pressing a soft kiss to her pulse point. "Is cherished."
She arched into his touch, a soft moan escaping her lips. "Ren… please…"
"Please what, love?" he asked, his lips trailing down her collarbone, nipping gently.
"Touch me," she gasped. "More… I want to feel all of you."
He obliged.
His hands slid under her shirt, caressing the soft skin of her stomach, her sides. He lifted the garment over her head, discarding it carelessly. His gaze roamed over her, a mixture of desire and deep, abiding affection.
"So beautiful," he murmured, dipping his head to press a kiss to the swell of her breast, right over her heart.
Her hands fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, her fingers clumsy with anticipation. He helped her, shrugging out of the garment, his own skin now bared to her touch. She explored the planes of his chest, the hard muscle of his abdomen, her touch feather-light but full of love.
He reached behind her, unclasping her bra with practiced ease. He tossed it aside, then lowered his head, taking a pert peak into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it.
A cry tore from her throat, her back bowing off the bed. He paid the same attention to its twin, lavishing it with kisses and gentle nips, his hands never ceasing their exploration of her body.
He moved lower, his lips tracing a path down her stomach, his tongue dipping into her navel, making her gasp. His fingers found the button of her skirt, undoing it, then sliding the zipper down. He pulled the fabric down her legs, along with her panties, leaving her completely bare to his gaze.
He knelt between her thighs, his hands resting on her hips, his eyes dark with a need that mirrored her own.
"Ren…" she breathed, her hands clutching the sheets.
"I'm right here," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I've got you."
He lowered his head, his breath hot against her most sensitive flesh. He parted her folds with his thumbs, his tongue flicking out to taste her.
She cried out, her hips bucking against his face. He held her down, his hands firm on her hips, as he explored her with a skill that left her breathless. He licked and sucked, his tongue delving deep, then withdrawing to circle her clit, building a tension within her that was almost unbearable.
"Ren—I—ah!" Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, desperate for more.
He chuckled against her, the vibration sending another jolt through her. "You taste sweet," he murmured, lips glistening. "Like honey and sea salt."
"Ren—!" Her thighs trembled, pressing against his shoulders as his tongue found that perfect rhythm. The coil in her belly tightened impossibly, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "I'm—I'm going to—!"
"Let go," he murmured against her slick skin, the words vibrating through her like a second touch. "I've got you." His fingers joined his mouth, curling just right, and Asia shattered with a sob—his name spilling from her lips like the most sacred prayer.
Ren kissed his way back up her trembling body, pausing to worship each inch of flushed skin. When their lips met again, she could taste herself on his tongue, intimate and heady.
"You're incredible," he breathed, guiding her hand down to his straining length. "Feel how much I want you?"
Asia's fingers trembled as they wrapped around him, her shy curiosity melting into boldness when he groaned against her neck. "So warm," she whispered, marveling at the way his hips jerked into her touch. "Ren—you feel like you're burning up just for me..."
"Always for my sweet girl," he spoke, capturing her lips in a searing kiss as he guided her hand in slow, teasing strokes. "But I don't want to finish like this."
He pulled her close enough to feel her breasts press against his chest. "I want to be inside you when you come again."
She blushed but nodded, spreading her thighs wider in invitation.
He positioned himself at her entrance, pausing to kiss her again, soft and sweet. "I love you," he whispered, and then he was pushing into her, slow and steady, stretching her, filling her completely.
She gasped at the initial sting, her nails digging into his shoulders. But he was patient, giving her body time to adjust, murmuring sweet nothings against her skin, his hands stroking her hair, her back, her hips.
When she started to move beneath him, he began to thrust, setting a pace that was slow and deep, hitting all the right spots. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, matching his rhythm, their bodies moving together in perfect sync.
"Ren—yes—oh—!" Her words broke off into cries of pleasure as he increased his pace, driving into her harder, faster, each thrust sending waves of ecstasy through her.
"Look at me, Asia," he murmured, his voice rough but tender. "I want to see those beautiful eyes."
She obeyed, her green eyes locking onto his, filled with tears of happiness and overwhelming emotion.
"That's it," he praised, pressing his forehead to hers. "Just like that. Stay with me."
She gasped as his thrusts grew more deliberate, deeper, his fingers tightening possessively on her hips. "Ren—you feel—ah—so good—" The words fractured into a whimper as he angled himself just right, hitting a spot that made her vision blur.
He chuckled darkly, kissing her swollen lips. "Say my name again," he demanded, voice low and thick with desire. "I want to hear it."
Asia's nails raked down his back as she arched beneath him, her breath hitching with every movement. "Ren—Ren—!" His name spilled from her lips like a litany, half-plea, half-prayer. He growled in response, capturing her mouth in a bruising kiss, swallowing her moans as his pace became relentless.
"Again," he commanded against her lips. "Let me hear who's making you fall apart like this."
She cried out, trembling, her body tightening around him. "You—Ren—it's always been you—only you—!"
Ren's hips stilled for a heartbeat before resuming with a raw, possessive rhythm. "Always," he rasped, one hand threading through her hair, tilting her head back. "My sweet girl. My Asia."
His other hand slid between them, thumb circling her clit in perfect, maddening sync with each thrust. She gasped, her entire body tightening. "Too—too much—!" she whimpered even as her nails scored his skin, dragging him closer.
He laughed breathlessly against her throat, teeth grazing her pulse. "No such thing," he murmured. "Not when you taste like heaven wrapped around me."
Her moan dissolved into a shocked cry as his fingers worked her clit faster, matching the deep, relentless thrusts that pushed her higher. "Please—Ren—I can't—!"
Her voice broke as pleasure coiled impossibly tight. He kissed her hard, swallowing her cry as she came undone beneath him, her body clenching around him in waves.
"That's it," he growled against her lips, his own rhythm stuttering as her climax pulled him closer to the edge. "Take all of me, Asia—every last drop."
She whimpered as he plunged deeper, his hips snapping harder, chasing his own release.
"Ren—" Her voice was shattered, her fingers clutching at his shoulders as she gazed up at him through tear-blurred lashes. "I love you—I love you so much—"
He groaned, hips jerking as her tightening heat pulled him deeper. "Say it again," he gritted out, pace turning almost punishing as he neared his peak.
She gasped, body trembling from overstimulation. "I love you—Ren—please—come inside me—"
Ren's breath caught. He buried himself to the hilt, a guttural moan tearing from his throat as he found his release, pouring himself into her. Asia shuddered at the heat flooding her, the sensation pushing her over into a final, shattering peak.
He collapsed atop her, barely managing to catch himself on his elbows before crushing her. His forehead pressed to hers, breaths ragged.
"Asia," he murmured—just her name, but it carried the weight of everything they'd shared, everything they were.
She wrapped her arms around him, fingers tracing the sweat-dampened curve of his spine. "You… feel so heavy," she teased weakly, still breathless, but her legs tightened around his hips as if to contradict her own words. Her lips brushed his jaw. "I don't want you to move yet."
Ren laughed softly against her throat, his breath warm. "Greedy," he murmured, though his hips rolled lazily against hers in answer, drawing a whimper from her oversensitive body. "But I'm worse—watching you come undone makes me want to ruin you all over again."
Asia traced the sharp line of his jaw with trembling fingers, her voice still breathless. "You say that like it's a threat," she whispered, "but your hands are still so gentle." She arched into him as his thumb brushed her hipbone—a touch so light it burned.
Ren nipped at her earlobe, the scrape of teeth stark against his next whisper: "Because you deserve both." His palm slid up her ribs, possessive yet reverent. "My tenderness and my teeth. My patience and my hunger." He caught her gasp with his mouth, swallowing it whole.
Asia arched beneath him, fingers tangling in his hair. "I—I want all of it," she panted against his lips. "Every version of you." Her thighs trembled around him as he rocked deeper again, reigniting embers into flame.
He groaned, the sound vibrating through her chest. "Careful, Asia," he warned—though the way he pulled her closer, rolling to bring her atop him without breaking their connection, betrayed how much he wanted her reckless.
His gaze burned up at her, hands resting possessively on her hips. "You might get exactly what you ask for."
Asia gasped as the shift pressed him impossibly deeper inside her, a raw moan escaping before she could stop it. Her fingers splayed over his chest for balance, breath catching at the sheer intensity in his eyes.
"Then I'll take it," she whispered, rolling her hips tentatively, experimentally. A thrill shot through her at the sharp intake of breath it drew from him. "All of it."
Ren's grip on her tightened, thumbs pressing into her hips, encouraging her movement. "Ride me, then," he commanded, his voice rough with desire. "Show me how much you want all of me."
Asia bit her lip, her cheeks flushed, but she obeyed—rising slowly, then sinking back down with a sigh. The friction was delicious, the angle deeper like this, and she couldn't suppress a moan as she repeated the motion. Ren let out a pleasure sigh beneath her, his hands sliding up to cup her breasts, fingers teasing her nipples until they tightened into peaks.
"You're so beautiful like this," he murmured, his voice thick with admiration. "Riding me, taking what you want—my sweet girl turning bold." His thumbs circled her nipples just as she rocked her hips again, drawing a whimper from her lips.
Asia's fingers tightened on his chest, her breath hitching. "I-I want to make you feel good too," she admitted, her shyness warring with newfound confidence. "Tell me… tell me how you like it."
Ren's smirk softened into something tender as he brushed sweat-dampened hair from her forehead. "Just like this—watching you fall apart is pleasure enough," he murmured, thumbs stroking her inner thighs. "But since you asked…"
His hips arched up into hers with deliberate slowness, drawing a gasp from her lips. "Slow at first. Savoring every inch." Another deep roll of his hips made her whimper. "Then faster when you beg for it."
Asia's nails scraped lightly down his chest, her breath hitching as she matched his rhythm. "Y-you're terrible," she managed between shaky breaths, though the way her hips stuttered betrayed how much she loved his teasing. "Making me—ah—ask for what you already know I want—"
Ren grinned, catching her hips to still her movements just as she began to lose control. "But hearing you say it," he murmured, dragging his thumb along her inner thigh, "is half the fun."
His grip tightened, guiding her into a slower, deeper grind that drew a whimper from her lips. "Tell me, Asia. What do you need?"
Her cheeks flushed pink, but she met his gaze—bold, trusting. "You—faster," she gasped, nails biting into his shoulders. "Please—I want to feel all of you." The plea cracked into a moan as he obeyed instantly, driving up into her with a force that stole her breath.
Ren chuckled darkly, watching her hair tumble loose around them. "Good girl," he praised, rolling them again without breaking their connection. His weight settled over her, caging her in as he propped himself on his elbows.
"Now hold on." His next thrust was sharper, deeper, pulling a cry from her lips. "Because I'm not stopping until you scream my name again."
Asia arched into him, legs wrapping tight around his waist to pull him closer. Her hands slid up to tangle in his hair, breathless and laughing.
"Ren," she gasped between kisses, "you're so… shameless…"
"And you're so responsive," he shot back, though his tone was warm rather than mocking. His teeth grazed her collarbone as he adjusted his angle, hitting that spot inside her that made her whole body tighten.
She cried out, hips bucking instinctively, her head falling back against the pillows. "There—right there—" Her nails dug into his shoulders as he began to move with purpose, each thrust deliberate and deep. "Don't stop—don't—"
"Never," he promised against her throat, voice raw. "Not until you're trembling all over again."
Asia arched beneath him, her breath catching with each thrust. "Ren—please—I need—" The words dissolved into a moan as he obliged, thrusting harder, his rhythm fracturing her thoughts.
"Tell me," he demanded against her lips, voice rough. His fingers tangled in her hair, tilting her head back. "What do you need, sweet girl?"
The tenderness in his touch contradicted the hunger in his movements—a duality that undid her completely. "Let me hear it."
"You—" she gasped as he drove deeper. "All of you—please—don't hold back—"
Her legs tightened around him, a silent plea he answered instantly, pulling back only to slam into her again. A cry tore from her throat as pleasure coiled impossibly tight in her belly.
Ren chuckled darkly against her neck, his teeth scraping her pulse. "Always," he rasped, one hand sliding down to grip her hip, guiding her into every thrust. His pace turned relentless, pushing her higher with each movement.