Leah woke slowly.
The room was warm, quiet, wrapped in soft morning light. For a few seconds she didn't remember where she was — only that something solid and warm was behind her, an arm securely around her waist.
Then she did remember.
Her face immediately heated.
She could still feel him.
The warmth.
The closeness.
The way he had said her name.
She shifted slightly—
—and inhaled sharply.
The soreness wasn't unbearable, but it was unmistakable. A deep, lingering ache that made her very aware of everything that had happened the night before.
She tried to move again, more carefully this time.
It didn't help.
A small, involuntary sound escaped her.
Behind her, Izana's arm tightened instantly.
"You are awake."
His voice wasn't sleepy.
It was alert.
She swallowed. "Yes."
A pause.
"You are uncomfortable."
She closed her eyes briefly. "It's not that bad."
His hand slid slightly at her waist. Testing. Gentle.
"You tensed."
"I just moved wrong."
"You winced."
She turned her head slightly to look at him.
He was already watching her.
No blindfold.
Emerald eyes steady and focused.
"It's normal," she muttered, embarrassed.
His brow faintly furrowed. "Define normal."
Her face went red.
"Izana."
"I require clarification."
She stared at him for a long second.
Then she whispered, "It was my first time."
Silence.
A long one.
He did not look surprised.
He did not look embarrassed.
He simply studied her.
"I know," he said quietly.
Her eyes widened. "You knew?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"You were careful," he replied. "And tense."
Her heart dropped into her stomach.
"That obvious?"
"No," he said calmly. "Only to me."
That somehow made it worse.
She looked away.
"…It was your first time too, wasn't it?"
Another silence.
"Yes."
She blinked.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"You're not just saying that?"
"I do not lie about things that matter."
Her heart did a strange little flip.
"You seemed like you…" She trailed off awkwardly.
"Knew what I was doing?" he supplied.
She nodded.
"I did not," he said simply. "I prepared."
Her face went crimson.
"You researched."
"Yes."
She covered her face with her hands.
"Oh my god."
He tilted his head slightly. "Was that incorrect?"
"No," she said through her fingers. "It's just very you."
A faint, almost invisible smile touched his mouth.
She tried to sit up.
Instant regret.
Her hand gripped the sheet as the soreness flared sharper.
Izana was upright immediately.
"Don't."
"I'm fine—. "
"You are not."
He slid an arm behind her back carefully, lifting her just enough to reposition the pillows.
"Tell me where it hurts," he said quietly.
"It doesn't hurt like that," she said quickly. "It's just… sore."
His jaw tightened.
"I was too rough."
"You were not."
"You flinched."
"That's because it was my first time," she insisted. "That's normal."
He went still at that.
"…And I did not account for that properly."
She looked at him incredulously.
"You're analyzing this like a tactical error."
"It was."
She stared at him for a moment — then laughed softly despite herself.
"Izana."
"Yes."
"It wasn't a battlefield."
His gaze softened just slightly.
"No."
He adjusted the blanket around her legs.
"You will remain in bed today."
"That is unnecessary."
"It is decided."
"You cannot cancel your entire schedule because I'm sore."
"I can."
"And you will?"
"Yes."
She searched his face.
"You're serious."
"Yes."
She exhaled slowly.
"That's excessive."
"You are uncomfortable."
"That doesn't mean I'm fragile."
His hand came to her waist again, gentler this time.
"I am aware you are not fragile," he said quietly. "That does not mean I will ignore your discomfort."
Her heart softened.
He reached for the water beside the bed and handed it to her.
"Drink."
She did.
He watched her carefully, like even that required monitoring.
Inside his chest, something pulsed.
Wrong.
The curse.
It felt… thin.
Strained.
Like a wound that had not yet decided whether to close or tear further.
He ignored it.
It did not matter.
Leah shifted slightly again.
He was instantly focused back on her.
"Does it worsen when you move?"
"Yes."
"Then do not move."
She gave him a look.
"That is not how bodies work."
"Explain."
She stared at him.
"I can't just lie here forever."
"You can today."
She sighed, then hesitated.
"Were you nervous?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes."
Her brows lifted. "You were?"
"Yes."
"You didn't seem nervous."
"I was."
"Why?"
He looked at her steadily.
"Because it was you."
Her breath caught.
"You matter," he added quietly. "That changes things."
She swallowed.
"I was nervous too."
"I know."
"How?"
"You were holding your breath."
Her eyes widened. "I was not."
"You were."
She groaned and buried her face in the pillow.
"This is humiliating."
"It shouldn't be."
"It is."
He gently pulled the pillow down so he could see her face again.
"You trusted me," he said.
She stilled.
"Yes."
"And I did not want to fail you."
Her chest tightened.
"You didn't."
He studied her carefully.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes."
A beat.
"…It was overwhelming."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"In a negative way?"
"No," she said quickly. "Not negative. Just… a lot."
He absorbed that.
"I will adjust," he said quietly.
Her cheeks warmed.
"Adjust for what?"
"For next time."
The words were calm.
Certain.
Her stomach fluttered despite the soreness.
"You're very confident there will be a next time."
"There will be."
Her lips curved slightly.
She tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed.
Big mistake.
A sharper ache made her inhale sharply.
Izana was on his feet instantly.
"I said don't move."
"I have to eventually."
"Not alone."
He stepped closer and slid an arm around her waist carefully.
"Slowly," he instructed.
"You sound like I'm injured."
"You are."
"Izana."
He ignored the protest.
He helped her stand carefully, steadying her when her knees wobbled slightly.
"I'm fine," she insisted.
"You are unsteady."
"That's temporary."
"I will remain with you."
She glanced up at him.
"You're being protective."
"Yes."
"Why?"
He didn't hesitate.
"Because you are mine."
Her heart skipped.
He immediately added, calmer, softer—
"And because I care."
That hit deeper.
They walked slowly toward the bathroom.
When she leaned a little more weight against him than she meant to, his grip tightened automatically.
"If you fall—. "
"I won't."
"I will not allow it."
She smiled faintly.
"You're very intense about this."
"You are uncomfortable."
"That doesn't mean you have to hover."
"I will hover."
She laughed quietly.
After helping her back into bed, he adjusted the pillows again.
"You are not leaving this room today," he said.
"Izana—."
"It is not a discussion."
She looked at him carefully.
"You feel guilty."
A pause.
"…Yes."
"You shouldn't."
"I caused it."
"It would have happened regardless."
His eyes flickered slightly at that.
She reached for his hand.
"I don't regret it."
He looked at her sharply.
"Nor do I."
The curse pulsed faintly again — unstable, irritated, weakened.
He ignored it.
Leah squeezed his hand lightly.
"I'm glad it was you."
He looked at her steadily.
"So am I."
"And I'm glad it was your first time too."
"Why?"
"Because we were equally clueless."
A faint pause.
"Yes," he admitted.
"And we figured it out together."
His thumb brushed lightly over her knuckles.
"Yes."
She leaned back into the pillows.
"You're not allowed to overthink it," she warned softly.
"I will attempt not to."
"That's not convincing."
"It is honest."
She smiled faintly.
He adjusted the blanket once more, then sat beside her, pulling her gently against his side.
"Rest," he murmured.
She hesitated.
"…It didn't scare you, did it?"
He looked down at her.
"What?"
"Being that close."
A pause.
"No."
"Not even a little?"
"Only because I did not want to hurt you."
Her heart warmed.
"You didn't."
His arm tightened slightly around her.
The curse flickered again beneath his ribs.
Injured.
Weaker.
He pushed the sensation aside.
If it meant she could rest peacefully against him—
It was irrelevant.
She closed her eyes slowly.
"You're staying?" she murmured.
"Yes."
"All day?"
"Yes."
A small smile curved her lips.
"Good."
And this time, when she shifted against him—
She didn't wince.
Because he was already there to steady her.