The next few days passed strangely. At times, the hours blurred together, swift and wild as if caught in a storm that left him reeling. In others, every minute was an empty chasm. Those moments came mostly when he curled up by the upstairs window late at night, fingers pressed to the cool glass, knowing Corinne was perched on the rooftop directly ahead and staring out at the same ashen, melancholy view.

Many times, he thought about climbing out and sitting beside her. Once, he even got as far as unlatching the window and thinking through the logistics of scrambling over roof tiles with only one fully-functioning wing. But he never quite plucked up the courage.

She was best left alone, he reasoned. She had a lot to work out. The last thing she needed was him trampling all over her treasured quiet moments.

All in all, he spoke to her very little. He badly wished to, but as time stretched on he began to doubt whether she really wanted him here anymore. He was mostly confined to the smaller of the tavern's two bedrooms -- to rest and recover, each of them kept telling him, though he was sure it had more to do with keeping him out of the way. There wasn't an hour that went by without a dangerous, gun-toting thug showing up at the tavern door and making demands, particularly after the news of Khalida's death started to spread. Some of them wanted to kill Corinne. Some wanted to swear allegiance to her. But most came poking about the rumour of a living, breathing angel, the one with silver magic flowing through his veins.

Micah listened with his ear pressed to the floorboards. They were flimsy enough that he caught most of the words, and that was plenty to make him shudder. While he'd learned the virtue of many humans, greed was still in ample supply down here.

He was being kept safe. He knew that. Yet it didn't prevent that old, trapping feeling of being a nuisance, the useless one swept out of the way. It made his fingers itch, and there was only so much energy he could use in pacing up and down.

Eventually, on perhaps the sixth morning after the day Khalida died, a sweetened morning when the clouds outside were dusted in pink sugar and the air bubbled with the tempting scent of trouble, he peeled back the door of the room and peered out. Distant voices tickled his ears, but the hallway was empty. He grinned, tucked his wings as tightly as he could against his back, and stepped out.

His left wing twinged, and he faltered, his smile crumpling into a momentary grimace. Needles of pain still pricked the wing whenever he moved it. There mustn't have been quite enough of Asariel's blood to completely mend all the fractures Raksey had left behind.

Either that, or it was Asariel's little way to punish him for what he'd done.

Nevertheless, he shook the thought free from his head and carried on. To his left, the hall widened out into the balcony that stretched all around the upper tier of the Starving Serpent. The room Lilith and Rivo were staying in was exactly opposite his, its door hung carelessly ajar and dim emptiness seeping from inside. They were very rarely there. Turning, Micah carried on past it, the wooden boards cold against his bare feet, until he came across the third door. This one was sealed shut.

He tapped out an experimental knock on its surface. A few long, silent seconds slid by before he grasped the doorknob and twisted.

This room had once housed Khalida's office, though Corinne had done her best to erase any trace of her mother. The shelves were mostly cleaned out, the desk almost empty of possessions, save a small, messy pile of handwritten documents and one broken piece of an ornament. The latter was what he zeroed in on immediately. It glinted a crystallised scarlet, two beady obsidian eyes pushed into its surface. They were smooth against his thumb as he scooped the item up. He took a moment to examine it, his grin wavering. He couldn't help but recall the red streak in Khalida's hair, the red decor that coated so much of this place, the serpent emblem that was the face of the very building he stood in. Suddenly, the figurine made some kind of sense.

He swallowed and enclosed the serpent in his palm, spinning back towards the door. It didn't matter what it was. If he took it, Corinne would notice. She'd come looking for it.

Yet his path to the hall outside was blocked.

Instinctive alarm jolted through him, though it faded the instant he realised who it was. Her hazel eyes flashed. "What are you doing in here?"

"Corinne!" he exclaimed far too loudly, shoving his hands behind his back. He mustered the most innocent expression he could reach for. "I just, ah, got lost."

She stared at him. "You got lost."

"Yes!" He beamed, part of him somewhat overjoyed to see her. The dark circles under her eyes weren't quite as prominent as the last time he'd caught sight of her, and her hair was combed straight and neat, uneven locks brushing her shoulders. Her glares were certainly back to their normal state. He gave a nervous laugh. "I know, I'm very stupid. I'll go back to my room now."

She gave a curt nod and stepped away from the doorway, allowing him to dodge through it. He kept the crystal serpent hidden in his fist. As he passed, he couldn't help but glance at her, nerves gnawing at him until he ducked his head. A cold, numb ache built in his chest.

Perhaps she really would rather he wasn't here. In truth, he must've been nothing but a reminder of all she'd suffered. She'd always hated magic, after all.

Not to mention I killed her mother.

He squeezed the serpent tighter, the crackle of that guilty flame cutting his skin as much as the crystal. How could he protect her like this?

"Micah."

He froze, gulping to force back the lump in his throat, and turned. "Yes?"

"That woman who hid us after Kasper died. Josephine. I spoke with her yesterday." Her tone was matter-of-fact, but he noted the way her fingers drummed on her side. "I'm trying to get her and her son relocated to a safer part of town. At the very least, I told her she has nothing to fear from me once I have control of Rajan Tower." It was unnerving how blankly she recited the concept. "I thought you might like to know."

"That is nice." He flashed a smile, that hint of her kindness warming his heart. It clashed so oddly that someone like her would have the name Rajan. Corinne gave it an entirely different meaning. He very nearly made a remark about it, then bit it back, afraid that he'd see her expression harden or sadness drain into her eyes. He settled instead for a measly, "Thanks."

A pause lingered. She seemed to wait for it, then turned aside sharply, wringing her hands. The ornament weighed in his grip. He stepped forward, hesitated, then held it out. "I... I took this. I'm sorry."

She whirled back around, her brows lifting when she saw it. She snatched it back, cradling it close to her chest, although there was no real anger in her eyes when she looked at him. She merely looked uncertain. The serpent turned over between her fingers, rolling over and over as she toyed with it.

"Khalida gave this to me," she said. "When I was young. If you hadn't guessed." Pressing her lips together, she shoved it into a coat pocket. "Stealing is your plea for attention, isn't it?"

"I called it trouble," he mumbled, fidgeting.

"Half the city is looking for you." Now the anger came, burning harsh in her eyes. "I'm keeping you safe, Micah. Don't start complaining that you're bored just because we're not--"

"Do you want me to leave?"

It came out small and quiet, but it cut her off regardless. He curled a hand over his arm. His thumb brushed the ridge of a scar that remained there, winding along the limb's underside like a pale, gleaming serpent, long and jagged. More incomplete healing. Perhaps Asariel really was punishing him.

"I think me being here is hurting you, so..." A sting prodded at the scar, his skin stretching around it as he dug his nails in. "Should I just go?"

He'd promised to protect her, but he couldn't do that hiding up here. Maybe the best way to keep her safe, to lessen her pain, was to stop convincing himself he belonged here with her. He never really had. It was unfair of him to keep expecting her to cater for him.

"No." She fixed him with a hard stare. "No, Micah. That's not--"

"Hey, guys?"

They both swivelled towards the intrusion. Lilith stood at the top of the staircase, one hand around the balcony's guardrail and arm out straight as she leaned forward. Her half-smile battled with the speckled nervousness in her eyes. "We have a visitor."

Corinne stepped forward, holding out her hand to block Micah from following. She didn't look back at him. "Micah, go back to your room."

"Actually," Lilith said, her messy bun tipping along with her head, "Micah might want to meet this one."

From side-on, he caught sight of the frown Corinne's brows knitted together. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." She beckoned, swinging herself around to make her way back down the stairs. She threw them a grin over her shoulder. "Trust me."

Corinne sighed a long, exasperated sigh through her nose, but strode after her. After a second, Micah shoved aside his confusion and followed, scurrying to keep up. He awkwardly cleared his throat. "Can we... talk later, then?"

She spared him an unreadable glance. "There's no conversation to have. You're not leaving, Micah. You'll get killed the moment you step outside."

Protests lodged in his jaw, but he kept them trapped beneath his tongue. He fiddled with the collar of the tan-coloured shirt Lilith had fashioned for him. "Okay."

She slipped in front of him as they reached the stairs, her hand drifting to the rifle attached at her belt. She'd kept her own. Khalida's had been shoved to the far corner of the storage room. Her grip curled, tense, around the gun's handle as they made their way down. Anxiety thrummed through him, but he kept moving.

Ahead, Corinne reached the ground floor and instantly stiffened. Leaping down the final few steps, Micah whirled to face the tavern door, and a gasp shoved free.

All remaining air in his lungs was immediately crushed by the form that raced towards him and flung her arms around his chest. He stumbled back, his shoulder knocking into the edge of the staircase. A soft, "Ow," tripped from his tongue.

"Sorry," Siofra murmured, though her grip on him didn't relax in the slightest. She could have cracked ribs for how tightly she squeezed them. Her feathered white wings curled to follow suit. She was so warm, warm enough that an odd kind of chill zipped through his bones as if they'd been frozen cold the entire time he'd been in Duine and were only now gradually beginning to thaw out.

His relief tumbled out all at once in a breathless, quiet laugh. "Alright. I'm okay, Siofra." His tongue almost struggled to shape her name, as if it was out of practice in twisting out those syllables.

Uncertainty trailed him within the instant. Placing a hand on her head in a half-hearted pat, he looked past her, his stomach knotting. Sure enough, the expected sight greeted him.

The tavern was filled with angels.

He was suddenly glad the others had done such a thorough job at cleaning away the blood, but even then, they looked out of place in such a shabby, human place. Ghidor stood nearest the door, his head nearly scraping the ceiling. Nerezza stood beside him, her velvet-black, leathery wings pulled in sharp angles and points as she folded them tight, her expression a perfect match. Jinx shuffled from foot to foot in front of her. When she caught Micah's eye, she flashed him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. It did little to fill the pit opening in his chest.

Lit in a glittering splash of gold in the corner, his pale skin even whiter than Corinne's, was Eike.

Micah's wings fluttered at his back, feathers tickling the staircase. As if his fearful exposure begged him to, he stole a glance at Corinne, their eyes briefly locking. She was already doing her best to vanish into the deepest shadow she could. He swallowed and switched his focus to Nerezza. "What are you doing here?"

Releasing him in a burst of energy, Siofra bounced on her heels. "We've come to bring you home!"

A stunned wave hit him like a slap. "What?"

Nerezza nodded. A gentle smile graced her lips, and he started to wonder if he was dreaming. "Jinx has told us everything. You've definitely done enough to fulfil your punishment. We'd like to return you to where you belong."

Where he belonged. He resisted the urge to look Corinne's way again, instead taking a few hesitant steps forward. His heart thumped in his ears. He took a steadying breath, trying to smooth out the chaos roaring in his mind. He didn't know what to say. He barely knew what to think.

"You really want me back?" he tried.

"Of course," Ghidor said. "You proved your worth. You've certainly learned your lesson."

"Even if the real Heart of Asariel had been dropped down here, you would have recovered it." Sliding past a pleased-looking Jinx, Nerezza marched up to him, grasping his arms. He barely kept himself from flinching. Senselessly, fear prickled at the realisation that she might notice his scar.

"I'm proud of you, Micah," she said, her eyes gleaming with the same warmth he remembered from when he was small. "I'm sorry this ever had to happen, but I'm proud of how much you've grown." Her fingers traced over his skin, sliding itchingly close to the sealed wound, tingling delight mixing with the stirred fires of his guilt as it shot out from the contact. "Who would've thought you might have magic to rival Asariel?"

"I don't know about that," he said, carefully extracting himself from her touch. His voice shook with shallow laughter. His arms retreated in to his sides as he bowed his head. "I didn't do all that much, really. The only reason I'm alive is because of Corinne."

Nerezza stared blankly at him. "Who?"

A spike of objection cut through him. How could Jinx not tell them about Corinne? He gestured to the shadow of the staircase where she lurked, though part of him winced when he saw her retreat back a step. She probably hated this attention, the way all eyes shifted to her immediately. He stood up straighter as if he could block their view. "Corinne is human," he said, though it felt wrong to state it, "but she's been keeping me safe. She's kind and thoughtful and wholly dedicated to protecting others. My blood only ran silver because I wanted to save her."

Too late, he caught sight of Jinx in the background, frantically shaking her head. Nerves stung in his chest. He mustered as harsh a stare as possible, filling his gaze with defiance. Micah wasn't a hero, and he wasn't going to pretend to be. Nor was he a liar. He would tell them the truth, whether they liked it or not.

Nerezza's eyes narrowed, something like suspicion sharpening them. "It sounds like you care for this human."

"I do," he said, without any shame. "And I..." He faltered, drawn again to Corinne, needing to see her properly to make certainty beat in his heart. She wasn't touching her rifle any longer. Her fingers interlaced instead, hands clasped together as she tensed in wait. Even dipped in shadow, the fiery spark in her eyes was lit, fierce and strong as always.

"I want to stay with her," he said, not quite knowing the full force of the desire until it sweetened his tongue and filled his mouth with all his favourite tastes. "If she really wants that too."

Something flickered through her eyes. She glanced down, but when her head raised again, a thin, wavering smile shaped her lips. Nervous, but genuine. His excitement at the sight of it, the deep, wonderful pride that flooded through every nerve at the idea that he'd managed to make her happy, barrelled through him. Giddy, he grinned back.

"You want to stay?"

He didn't realise Nerezza was pinching his ear until she yanked it towards her, forcing him to face her again. It hurt. He yelped, jolting free. She could never match the dark force of Corinne's glares, but Nerezza certainly knew how to get close. Rubbing at his ear, he shrunk beneath her rippling anger. How much things had changed. Any time before, he would have laughed and mocked her attempt to be intimidating, but now he cringed at the thought. Or maybe fear and instinctive guilt simply had risen so close to the surface that they pounced before amusement had the chance.

"Yes," he said, pulling in his wings.

"For a human?" She scoffed. "Perhaps you haven't matured at all. What, is this you telling us that you've fallen in love?"

"Maybe I have!" The shout crashed out before he could think it through, a tidal wave with a backlash that knocked the air from his lungs. A fluid, dizzying realisation trickled into every crack. He had to force his mouth to close.

The itch to look at Corinne quickly became excruciating. He gulped in a breath, too afraid to comply.

"You want to know something else?" he added, quieter, when the silence reigned. "I killed someone. I did it because I wanted to protect Corinne. So yes, maybe that does mean I... I'm in love." It made more sense the more he thought about it. A soft, prickling heat crawled up the back of his neck.

Now he did think about it, he dug out the recollection of Jinx mentioning the word love in that storage room, when he'd refused to take her offer of going home. From the way she was staring at him with some level of horror, he guessed it wasn't a good thing.

But how couldn't it be? He'd never cared enough about anything before Corinne. He liked caring. It filled the empty space around his heart.

Judging by Nerezza's ferocious scowl, she agreed with Jinx.

"You killed someone," she said, slowly, venomously, "because you fell in love." She sighed. "I was just beginning to think you might have picked up virtue down here, but it seems I was wrong. What kind of angel are you?"

He really did flinch then, jerking away from her. The space behind his eyes was starting to ache. He clenched his fists, determined not to cry.

"What kind of angel are you?" Corinne snapped. Shock and relief tangled in his stomach at the sound of her voice. He barely knew she was marching over until she stood a pace in front of him, her arm out to shield him, contempt arching her back. "You practically sentenced Micah to death. Believe me, I know he can be an idiot sometimes, but you're being ridiculous." She sucked in a sharp breath as if trying to compose herself, though he could still see the anger taut in her muscles. "Micah was willing to sacrifice himself for all of us -- for you, too, little scrap," she added, head twisting to look at Jinx, "so stop acting like he's somehow done something wrong in not keeping his mouth shut. As far as I'm concerned, you're all pathetic cowards. The only angel who seems to have any virtue at all is Micah."

Micah couldn't breathe. He didn't dare to. The pride in him had already swelled so large that he feared he might explode. Did she really think all that?

"What do you know of virtue?" Nerezza growled back. "Do you find it in the bullets of that weapon at your waist?"

Just a little, Corinne wavered, and anger of his own split right through Micah's chest, casting aside all else. He opened his mouth to protest, but another's voice floated through the air and smothered his response.

"There is no need for us to argue." Eike drifted into view, nudging Nerezza back as he came to a stop. His folded golden wings pointed in neat twin arrows at the ground. They glinted almost as brightly as his eyes, the glance that hopped between each of them gentle in its even glow. Perhaps it was the surroundings that made him appear so bright, but Micah felt a hint of reverence tug at him, lowering his head a little. He might have knelt did the idea not announce its stupidity before he could enact it.

Perhaps it was that, despite all that Corinne had said, he didn't feel like a proper angel any longer. Another lingering effect of the blood on his hands. He clenched his jaw, caging up his persistent guilt. If Corinne believed he was good, then he should too.

She must have felt a similar sensation in regard to Eike, since she backed away to Micah's side. Satisfied, the golden angel continued.

"The conclusion here is simple." Eike smiled a perfect, breezy smile. "Micah will stay."

"Of course you want that." Jinx barged past a startled Nerezza, jabbing an accusatory finger at Eike. "You want rid of him. You've been plotting it since the beginning."

Eike raised an eyebrow, entirely unfazed. "Why would I wish for that, Jinx?"

"You tell me." It was fortunate Eike was fairly small, or she really would have looked ridiculous in glaring up at him. Nevertheless, she carried on. "I know you let Micah steal a fake Heart on purpose, and you lied about it to get him punished. Is it because of his magic? Are you jealous or something?"

Serenely, Eike placed a soft hand on her shoulder. She jerked away. "I will explain to you all," he said, "but I would like to speak specifically to Micah." The golden gleam of his gaze pierced Micah like a hook. "I'd like to know. What was the real reason you chose to steal the Heart of Asariel?"

"He's a troublemaker," Nerezza interjected. "Did he need a reason?"

Eike waved a hand, throwing a pointed glance her way. "I'm speaking to Micah alone." Expectancy shone as his attention flicked back to Micah.

He squirmed, his hand finding the back of his neck. Part of him wanted to shrug it off as a stupid prank, yet the truth latched onto Eike's hook, drawn out with ease. "I wanted to speak to Asariel," he said. "I hoped he... he might have something important to say to me. I don't know. Maybe he would know my purpose."

Eike's graceful smile lifted higher. "Asariel heard this, and wished to show you."

Micah's eyes widened. He remembered the false Heart twitching in his hands, begging to leap into the pit that led to earth. He remembered whispering, asking to see. He looked down at his hands. "But if it was fake, then why did it--"

"That was a trick of mine." Perhaps Micah imagined it, but a glint of mischief seemed to twinkle in Eike's eyes. "That container was engineered to be attracted to Duine's atmosphere. Call it a magical kind of magnet."

"Now that is cool," Lilith breathed from somewhere behind. Micah choked back a laugh.

Eike's lips twitched, but he said nothing. "Asariel could sense a powerful heart in you, Micah. I had trouble believing him at first, but after observing your actions down here, I've come around to realise he was right."

"Well, ah." He scratched his head, feeling his surprised smile crawl a little higher than it should. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome." Eike delivered a bow with a little flourish. Micah wondered why he'd ever thought of Eike as boring. They should've talked more often.

Jinx didn't look convinced. Her eyes narrowed to slits of emerald. "That doesn't explain why you sent him to his death."

"I was getting there." Spinning on his heel, Eike began pacing back across the room, his steps light and careful. "It has been too long since angels visited the human world. At first, Asariel believed it to be safer to retreat, but as we watched chaos grow he began to nudge me to rethink." He stopped, his head bowing for a moment. "I was a coward. I let several years slide by without doing a thing, too afraid of the danger and the risk." Then he looked up again, and strangely, his gaze landed right on Corinne. "Then we saw the daughter of the most ruthless woman in the city run of her own free will, wanting to help people, and I changed my mind."

Corinne shrunk a little in on herself, twisting her head away from him. Micah grinned and nudged her arm. Trust her to restore a centuries-old angel's faith in humanity.

"It was time we returned to earth." With a nod, Eike looked back to Micah, his smile flattening out. "Truly, I apologise for throwing you into this. I never meant for you to suffer so greatly. But I am glad to see you've found what you were looking for."

"Yeah." He knew he probably shouldn't, but he curled his hand around Corinne's, lacing their fingers. She shot him a sharp glance, though it lacked any real venom. A short laugh bubbled in his chest. "I've found it."

"What of us, then?" Nerezza demanded. "Do you expect us all to descend upon Duine now?"

"If and when you feel ready. Neither Asariel nor myself can force anyone to put themselves at risk. Well, anyone except Micah, I suppose." Eike winked at him, and Micah barely held back his laughter as he clumsily returned it. "I think it's wise you all return to Elysia right now, however," he added, somehow still perfectly serious. "Asariel will transport you home. I will linger a moment with Micah."

Agreement rippled amongst the angels, followed by a series of short goodbyes. No-one really seemed to know what to say. Ghidor vanished first, a sparkling mix of gold and silver showering his form before it whisked him upward. Siofra followed with a shy wave. Briefly, Nerezza touched his cheek, a scrap of that warmth returning, before she too was carried away.

"I can't believe you fell in love," Jinx murmured as she hugged his waist, clearly reluctant to leave. She smirked up at him. "I think I found the true finale to my Micah being dumb series. This is the pinnacle of them all."

"Fitting. I like this one best." He squeezed her back, a sudden wave of sadness settling over him. He inhaled quickly and pulled away from their embrace. "I'll miss you."

"Me too." Her smile softened. She held his gaze even as she disappeared, and the room suddenly felt a lot emptier.

Swallowing, Micah caught Eike in the corner of his eye, though he didn't look away entirely from the place Jinx had stood a moment ago. "I'll be able to visit, right?" he asked, his chest aching. "Just a few times?"

"Of course." Eike glided to his side, laying a pat on Micah's arm. "I'll keep a careful watch on you, too. You have no need to worry."

"Thanks." He shifted his feet. "I'm... sorry. If I was ever rude to you in the past. I shouldn't have been."

Eike chuckled. "You are very much forgiven." He cupped the side of his mouth, dropping his voice. "If you must know, I was something of a troublemaker myself in my youth."

A snort broke from Micah before he could stop it. He never would've guessed that this persona lay beneath Eike's pristine image.

"Anyway," Eike added, his whisper remaining as it was as he moved in closer. A stern note tacked onto his tone. "I wish to offer you one warning." His glance jumped to Corinne, who was being accosted by an over-excited Lilith across the room. "Remember that she is human. Her life is much shorter than yours. You will age differently. There will come a day when she will pass on, and you will still have the better half of eternity to spend without her."

A stone dropped into Micah's stomach, but he forced himself to nod. The thought wasn't new. "I know."

Eike held his gaze. "You are sure you're ready for that?"

He nodded again, placing more surety into the action. "I've always been pretty good at living in the moment." He offered a thin smile. "And after she's gone, there's bound to be plenty more humans to protect. I can do it. I promise."

"Good." Eike delivered another pat, letting his touch linger as he leapt on past Micah. He turned once more so that they faced one another. "I must return home. I bid you farewell and good luck."

"You too," Micah said hurriedly, though the gold glints were already breaking Eike's form apart. One blink, and he was gone.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as if that might help straighten his thoughts. Still the distinct sense of wrongness wriggled in his chest, the suffocating feeling of being labelled as something he wasn't, something too good to be him. He certainly didn't feel powerful or special. But maybe that was the way it worked.

"So there are good looking angels, then?"

He whirled. Corinne stood before him, arms folded, one eyebrow raised. He huffed. "I wouldn't say Nerezza is good looking."

"She's got a better deal than your scruffy dust-coloured wings." She ran her gaze over their uneven feathers, frowning.

"Maybe that golden boy found him in a bin," Lilith piped up.

He shot her a glare. "Hey!"

"It would explain a lot." Corinne took a step forward, hesitancy cutting through her dry humour. She looked down, adjusting her coat. "So you're staying for good, then?"

"I am." He found himself tugging at his shirt, almost in mimicry of her, nervous energy spiking in his fingertips. He licked his lips. "If... if you're really okay with it. I know you--"

"Micah." Her gaze snapped up, locking onto his. "I want that. I really do."

"Oh." Despite himself, he smiled. "Good."

"And you love me?"

He froze. The stare she cast him was flat, nearly emotionless, her tone rising and falling in tiny inclines as if it were tinged with mockery. All that gave her away was that single spark in her eyes. He couldn't decide whether it glowed with hope or fear.

"I..." His tongue stumbled over itself. He swept back his hair in a frantic gesture, sure his face was growing hot. "Well, that's... I mean, I wasn't really the one who said that, but I guess it's true if... I don't know. I've never really seen it before, so I wouldn't exactly... Although I think I do know, really, because it's like this warmth in my heart, and I really want--"

Whatever else he might have stuttered out was crushed by the press of her lips against his.

It lasted barely a few seconds, a lingering brush of contact, before she pulled away, but electricity sparked fiercely in his veins. Bubbling heat danced over his skin. A spicy tingle grazed his lips. He left them hanging an inch apart, afraid that the taste would fade if he moved. He couldn't even blink. He could only stare at her, shock and delight rooting him to the spot.

Her smile was wider than any he'd seen her wear before. It retreated after a moment, but the memory of it curled up in his chest. "I love you too, idiot."

With that, she slipped away, and he remained there, dazed. His heartbeat tripped, drumming out a storm that drowned out all else. Pleasure fizzed at its centre. A stunned laugh shook his chest.

Yeah, he thought, his gaze chasing after Corinne. She paused halfway up the stairs to toss him a glance. The fire in her eyes ravaged his twisting flame, crumbling it to harmless ashes, until the only heat he felt was the flush in his cheeks. I can do this.

Right now, with such intense elation humming in his heart, he was fairly sure he could do anything.

⋄┈┈┈⋄⋄✧♡✧⋄⋄┈┈┈⋄

I've decided Lilith dared Corinne to kiss Micah. She's just in the background giggling and being very proud of her favourite ship. Look how far they've come :sobbing:

Also Eike remains a legend. I love him.

So, uh. I finished, huh. Guess it's time to yeet into a new chapter and properly die over that--

- Pup