CHAPTER 124: KISSING

Jae’s boots clicked lightly against the stone floor, the sound echoing faintly in the still room.

Tirel shut the door behind them with an easy flick, the click of the latch sounding final, sharp enough to make him glance back at it. A small crease formed between his brows, his usual composure giving way to a fraction of concern.

"You think that’s going to lock on us?" he asked, his tone half-serious, half-casual, though his eyes lingered on the brass handle, noting its smooth surface and faint gleam.

She leaned against the door, arms crossed loosely, her weight on one hip, observing him with a glint in her eyes that seemed to challenge him. "Relax. If it locks, I’ll just open it again," she said, voice calm, teasing, confident. It wasn’t arrogance, it was certainty, the kind of certainty that made him pause for a heartbeat and consider just trusting her.

That didn’t entirely convince him. "And what if you can’t?" he asked, tilting his head slightly, scrutinizing her expression. The room was quiet, almost expectant, amplifying the tension in a strange, almost electric way.

"Then," she said smoothly, stepping away from the door with a casual sway of her hips, "we make ourselves comfortable until morning." Her smirk was faint, teasing, and deliberately knowing, as if she could see exactly where his mind was wandering, and she wasn’t going to let him ignore it.

He gave her a flat look, though the corner of his mouth twitched, betraying the small crack in his composure. "Alright, then. What’s the plan? What kind of training are we doing in a pitch-dark..."

She didn’t let him finish. With a sudden step forward, she closed the small space between them, cutting off the words before they could fully leave his mouth, and pressed her mouth to his.

The kiss was deliberate, certain, the kind of kiss that spoke of intention and awareness. There was no hesitation, no question in her movement. For a moment, his mind stalled, caught in the shock and the heat of the sensation, but his body responded instinctively, leaning in to meet her, answering the energy she put forth without reservation.

When they pulled back, their breaths mingled in the cool air of the classroom. Jae’s lips curled upward into a smirk. "That’s... a peculiar way of training," he said, voice low, amused, carrying a hint of admiration for her audacity.

Tirel tilted her head slightly, eyes flicking over his face like she was mentally taking notes, weighing his reaction. Then she rolled her eyes, exaggerated patience in her expression. "You’re not complaining," she murmured, a soft edge of amusement underlying the words.

He chuckled low, the sound rich and unrestrained, letting his hands fall from his pockets and flex subtly at his sides. "I’m just trying to understand the technique here," he said, letting a faint heat creep into his tone, the playfulness tempered by a sharp edge of curiosity.

"Don’t overthink it," she replied, voice almost a whisper, yet carrying weight. There was a small smirk on her lips that made it clear she wasn’t going to make it easy for him to remain detached. The way her hair fell around her face made her seem simultaneously relaxed and impossibly alert, ready to strike, or tease, at any moment.

His gaze didn’t leave hers, sharp and observant, noting the subtle flex of her shoulders, the slight tilt of her head, the way her lips parted almost imperceptibly. "How long have you been planning that?" he asked, curiosity threading through his calm tone, though there was an undercurrent of amusement that he could not quite hide.

Her answer came immediately, without hesitation, and with a certain pride. "Ever since I saw you put your fist through Fin’s shield," she said, eyes glinting with challenge and the faintest spark of admiration.

Jae’s eyebrow rose sharply, one red eye narrowing just slightly. "So you like a violent man?" he teased, tone playful, testing her reaction as much as speaking to her statement.

Her lips twitched, the faintest hint of a smirk forming, amusement bright in her eyes. "Sometimes... a little violence is good," she murmured, voice soft yet provocative, the words carrying both flirtation and challenge.

Before she could say anything else, his hand moved instinctively, looping around her waist, pulling her closer until her body pressed firmly against his.

It wasn’t possessive, not exactly, but deliberate, anchored in certainty, a natural alignment that neither questioned. His voice dropped, playful but warmer, edged with something intimate. "Do you like a dominant man, then?"

Her eyes glittered, not shy, not cautious, only testing. "Are you a dominant man?"

"Do you answer questions with questions?" he countered, a low laugh escaping, rich and amused.

"Do you?" she replied, tilting her head slightly, her voice lilting, teasing, as confident as before.

The question earned him a full, unrestrained laugh, low and real, filling the quiet classroom with sound that seemed almost incongruous against the stillness.

He shook his head, amusement plain on his features, then leaned in again, his mouth finding hers with a renewed determination, a follow-up to the previous kiss that was longer, slower, deliberate.

This time the kiss was drawn out, deliberate, almost exploratory. She met him with the same confidence, tilting her head to adjust the angle naturally, letting the kiss deepen with the rhythm of their breathing.

His hand tightened at her waist possessively like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Her fingers found the back of his neck, resting lightly, the quiet pressure of someone who had no intention of letting go too soon. It wasn’t desperate or greedy, but confident, intimate, perfectly in sync with the certainty of her actions.

The air between them felt warmer, charged not with magic, but with proximity, with the subtle interplay of breath, heartbeat, and the quiet stillness around them.

Neither of them moved to break away, neither in a hurry, each moment stretching naturally into the next. Jae’s mind was unusually quiet, focused entirely on the sensation, on the press of her body, the soft warmth of her presence, and the certainty in her gaze. Tirel, for her part, remained relaxed yet taut, every motion controlled, deliberate, as though she knew exactly how to maintain this perfect tension.