"Ren…?"
Soren's drifting thoughts snapped back at the sound of Lilliana's drowsy voice.
He turned his head and found her propping herself up on one elbow, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
Her pink ears twitched faintly, like they were trying to wake up before the rest of her did.
"You're awake, Lilly?"
"Yesss…" she mumbled, voice thick with sleep. "…but my head hurts…"
Soren winced in sympathy.
"Yeah. That tracks."
He reached up to the table, grabbed one of the cups of water the staff had brought earlier, and held it out carefully.
"Here's some water."
"Thanksss…"
Lilliana took it with both hands as if it were sacred.
She groaned as she pushed herself upright properly, swaying a little, then pressed the cup to her lips and downed the entire thing in one go.
When she finished, she let out a long, relieved sigh.
"Hahh…"
Soren watched her for a moment, quietly relieved.
She looked less pale now, less like she might fall apart if someone sneezed too loudly.
"Are you feeling better now?"
"Slightly…" Lilliana blinked around the room, eyes still a little unfocused.
Then her lime-green gaze landed on the table.
Her eyes widened.
The bottles.
The mugs.
The half-finished dishes.
Chairs sitting at odd angles like they had been shoved aside mid-chaos.
It was a crime scene.
"What happened…?"
Soren huffed a laugh.
"We drank."
"…No," she said slowly, staring harder. "We really drank."
"We really drank," Soren confirmed.
Lilliana's ears snapped upright, alarmed.
"Wait—your wallet!"
Her head whipped toward him, panic sudden and genuine.
"Are you going to be okay?"
Soren froze for half a second.
Then remembered all the things he had said last night with confidence he absolutely did not deserve.
"H-Hopefully…"
Lilliana's expression tightened.
"I can help cover it if you need, I don't mind," she offered quickly, earnestly.
Soren felt guilt curl in his chest immediately.
It was the same kind of guilt he always felt when Lilliana tried to carry something for him.
She was too kind.
Too willing.
Too ready to put herself second.
He smiled anyway, because it was either that or spiral.
"No," he said, more firmly than he expected. "You're included in the people I wanted to repay."
Lilliana's expression softened.
"Ren…"
Her voice dropped, quieter.
"Thank you."
Soren scratched his cheek, suddenly awkward under her gratitude.
"...Don't mention it."
And then…
Her eyes flickered red.
It was faint, quick enough that someone who wasn't looking for it might miss it, but Soren saw it clearly.
Lilliana's gaze dipped, then rose again, hesitant.
Soren's posture straightened instantly.
"Are you okay?"
"Uhm…"
Lilliana's voice went small.
"Thirsty."
Soren blinked once.
"...Ah. That."
He glanced around the room at the others.
Esper and Felix were still down.
Amelia was still asleep on the floor.
Olivia and Alex were still cuddled up like some kind of cruel comedy for shippers.
They were surrounded by people, even if they weren't awake.
"Not here," Soren said quietly.
Lilliana hesitated, her fingers tightening slightly around the empty cup.
"There's an ensuite…" she murmured, eyes lowered, as if she already hated having to ask.
Soren's gaze swept the room again, measuring risk the way he always did now.
How likely was it someone woke up?
How likely was it someone saw?
How likely was it this caused problems for her?
He didn't like it.
But he liked the alternative even less.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"…How thirsty?"
Lilliana's ears drooped slightly, and she looked embarrassed to admit it.
"Very…"
Soren's expression softened despite himself.
"Alright, come on."
"Sorry," she murmured immediately.
"I told you it's fine," Soren replied, already shifting up to his feet. "It's better than anything happening to you."
He held his hand out.
Lilliana stared at it for half a second, then took it with a guilty look.
Their fingers were cold against each other.
Then they slipped away.
They moved carefully, quietly, stepping around the wreckage of the table and the sleeping bodies on the floor.
Soren didn't look back.
He didn't notice the half-open eyes that followed them.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Inside the ensuite, Soren locked the door the moment they stepped in.
Click.
The sound was small, but in the dim, cramped space it felt loud enough to announce itself to the entire world.
The bathroom was clean, tasteful, and far too fancy for what they were about to do.
Warm stone tiles, a wide sink, and towels folded neatly.
A faint smell of expensive soap.
It only made the situation feel stranger.
Soren exhaled slowly through his nose and ran a hand through his messy hair.
'This is normal. This is just… routine.'
Except it didn't feel routine.
Not with alcohol still lingering in his system, his head still fogged, and his body still too aware of everything.
He glanced at Lilliana.
Her ears were twitching, not in excitement, but in nervousness.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed, eyes lowered.
She looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her.
Soren swallowed.
He knew how important it was to Lilliana that her race remained secret.
He also knew how easily things could go wrong if someone found out, even accidentally.
In the duel, using blood magic had been "safe" because he was human.
There were assumptions people could make, excuses they could accept.
Lilliana didn't have that luxury.
"So…" Soren started, voice awkward.
He nodded toward the toilet, as if pointing at it would make this less humiliating.
"Should I… just sit there?"
Lilliana blinked, then nodded uncertainly.
"I guess so…?"
He sat down, the seat cool beneath him.
The silence stretched.
Soren stared at the wall, suddenly finding the tiles fascinating.
"This is weird…" he muttered.
The act itself wasn't strange anymore.
He had grown accustomed to feeding her.
He had done it enough times that it usually felt practical, almost clinical, like helping a friend with something they needed, no different from bandaging a wound.
But here?
Sneaking into a bathroom together.
Locking the door.
Both of them still a little drunk.
His brain refused to calm down.
And it wasn't just him.
"I-I'm sorry…" Lilliana whispered.
Soren glanced up.
She was hesitating at the edge of his knees, fingers twisting together.
Her ears drooped, and she looked like she was trying to disappear.
"You don't have to apologise," Soren said, as gently as he could manage. "Just… do what you need to do."
Lilliana's breath hitched.
She nodded, then stepped forward.
When she settled on his lap, it was careful and slow, as if she were terrified of doing something wrong.
One arm circled his neck hesitantly, not holding tight, just anchoring herself.
Her face was red.
Soren's ears burned.
'Okay. Yep. Definitely weird.'
"...Let's just get this over with," he muttered, partly to her and partly to himself.
Lilliana nodded quickly.
Then she leaned forward.
Her face inched closer.
Soren's throat tightened.
And…
Crunch.
Her fangs sank into the pale skin of his neck.
"Mmm…!"
The sound leaked out of Soren before he could stop it.
It wasn't loud, but in the small bathroom, it might as well have been a shout.
Both of them froze instantly.
"..."
"..."
The tense atmosphere deepened until it felt suffocating.
Soren swallowed hard, cheeks blazing.
'Why did I make that sound. Why did I make that sound.'
Lilliana stayed completely still, fangs still in his skin, like she was waiting for permission to move again.
Soren forced himself to breathe.
"Sorry," he muttered, voice strained. "You should… continue."
Lilliana hesitated for a fraction of a second.
Then obeyed, sinking deeper.
Heat spread under Soren's skin, not painful, not sharp, but strangely intense.
Pleasure coiled in his nerves in a way that made his thoughts stutter.
He bit his lip hard enough to hurt, trying not to flinch at every pull, every subtle shift of her mouth against his neck.
'Why is it so different?'
He didn't understand.
He had done this with her before.
He had fed her plenty of times.
It was never… like this.
But his body was reacting.
Reacting too much.
As if the alcohol had turned up every sensation and stripped away his ability to ignore it.
Lilliana's breath warmed his skin.
Her grip tightened slightly around his neck, not forceful, just instinctive.
Soren's fingers curled on his thighs.
He tried to focus on anything else.
The faucet.
The tiles.
The dim light.
Anything.
Lick. Lick.
Then came her tongue, warm, slow, wet, lapping gently at his skin.
Soren's breath caught like he had been punched.
His hand shot up to cover his face.
'No fucking way…'
His brain screamed at him to stop thinking.
But his body didn't listen.
He had just enough self-control left to shift backwards slightly, trying to create distance without making it obvious.
Soren's heart hammered.
He felt mortified by the thoughts creeping through his head, thoughts he didn't want, didn't invite, didn't deserve.
He shut his eyes tightly and bit his lip, praying she would finish quickly.
Every second dragged.
Every sound was magnified in the enclosed space.
Slurp.
The noise was quiet.
But it might as well have been the loudest sound in the world.
Shivers ran down Soren's spine.
He shifted again, inching backwards, jaw clenched so hard it ached.
He prayed Lilliana wouldn't notice.
Prayed she wouldn't ask.
Prayed this would just be over.
Minutes passed like hours.
Then Lilliana's eyes opened, her pupils sharper, her cheeks flushed.
She let out a heated breath, pulling away slowly.
"I'm done."
At last.
She licked her lips, still red-faced, still a little dazed.
Soren's eyes stayed glued to her mouth.
Even that simple motion, tongue, lips, breath, was enough to completely enthral his traitorous brain.
"Ren?" Lilliana asked, puzzled.
Soren jerked slightly, as if her voice snapped him awake.
He tore his gaze away so fast it hurt.
His cheeks were blazing.
"L-Lilliana…?"
Her brows knit.
"Why're you suddenly using my full name?"
Soren shut his eyes, forcing his breathing to steady.
He had to get her out.
Now.
"...Could you please leave first?" he asked, voice strained. "I need a moment."
Lilliana tilted her head, confused, ears twitching.
But she didn't push.
"Sure…"
She jumped off his lap carefully and opened the door.
Even as she stepped out, she kept glancing back like she expected an explanation.
But she didn't ask.
The door clicked shut behind her.
And the second Soren was alone…
"Hahh! Shit!"
————「❤︎」————