CHAPTER 351: IN THE BED

The first pale rays of dawn slipped through the half-open curtains of Auberge Lumière’s deluxe suite, painting soft gold across the floor.

Charlotte was already awake.

She lay on her back with one arm curved protectively around Brandon’s waist while her other hand rested lightly in his tousled hair.

He is sleeping on top of her with his face buried in the warm hollow of her neck.

His bare chest rose and fell in perfect rhythm with hers as the old scar across his back caught the faint morning light.

Charlotte’s black tank top had twisted slightly in the night, exposing a sliver of her midriff, but she hadn’t moved to fix it.

Her fingers moved in slow, absent circles through his hair, and every so often her thumb would brush the shell of his ear or trace the faint stubble along his jaw.

She felt the moment he began to wake up as a small, sleepy hum rumbled against her collarbone.

Brandon’s lashes fluttered, and he slowly blinked, still dazzled from sleepiness.

He registered the position first with his face still tucked into the curve of her neck, one of his legs tangled between hers while her hand was still cradling the back of his head.

A flush crept up his neck and exhaled softly before lifting his head just enough to meet her gaze.

"...Morning, big sister," he murmured and his voice was rough with sleep.

"Didn’t mean to use you as a pillow."

Upon hearing this, she glanced away faintly "...It’s not like I took you up and placed you on top of my body to sleep."

"In the night, you just rolled on top of me, and I didn’t have the heart to move you."

Brandon’s answering smile was sleepy and he propped himself on one elbow so he wasn’t crushing her, but he didn’t go far "Good thing I rolled on top of you then; I had a great sleep. You’re... really warm."

A faint blush dusted her cheeks, and she glanced into his eyes "You’re heavy," she teased, though her arm around his waist only tightened, keeping him close. "And you drool."

He laughed quietly "Liar. I do not."

"Left side of my neck says otherwise."

Brandon’s eyes flicked to the spot in question, and sure enough, a faint damp patch glistened on her skin.

’Fuck... this is embarrassing.’

A soft sigh escaped his lips "Sorry," he mumbled, but he didn’t sound sorry at all.

Instead, he dipped his head and pressed a soft, apologetic kiss just beneath her jaw.

But then his gaze drifted lower, and he froze in shock.

Huh?

All along the column of her throat, faint, blooming marks dotted her skin in shades of rose and violet, trailing from just below her ear to the hollow of her collarbone.

Hickeys. A lot of them.

Brandon blinked in surprise as his brain short-circuted ’What the fuck was I doing last night...?’

Charlotte tilted her head slightly, exposing the marks even more, and muttered "You finally noticed? You were kissing me and biting me, sucking me, leaving all those hickeys."

Brandon was even more embarassed and smiled ryly "I- I did that?"

"Charlotte, I don’t even remember- wait, was I that out of it?"

She laughed softly as her fingers slid from his hair to cup the back of his neck "You were half-asleep,"

"Mumbling nonsense about how soft my skin was, how you couldn’t help yourself. Then you just... started."

She brushed her thumb along one of the marks, "You were very thorough."

Brandon groaned, dropping his forehead to her shoulder, "Kill me now. I’m never living this down, am I?"

"Not a chance," she said with a faint giggle.

"But I’m not complaining. I liked to see you playing like that."

Upon hearing this, he just chuckled and leaned in, pressing a feather-light kiss to one of the marks just above her collarbone. "Then I’m not sorry... Not even a little."

Charlotte giggled under her breath and tilted her head back, giving him better access.

Brandon took the invitation and placed kisses trailing along the line of bruises.

When he reached the hollow of her throat, he paused, "Tell me if it’s too much..."

"It’s not," she breathed, her voice trembling just slightly. "Keep going."

He did.

Minutes blurred with the soft kisses, gentle nips, and the occasional graze of teeth that made her arch into him with a quiet gasp.

Her tank top had ridden up further, exposing more skin, and his hand slid beneath the fabric, grasping the warm curve of her waist.

Eventually, Brandon pulled back, resting his forehead against her shoulder "You’re gonna need a high collar. Or a lot of makeup."

Charlotte laughed, "I have a cloak. And I’m not ashamed."

Brandon raised an eyebrow and asked teasingly "Oh is that so? Then let me give more marks..."

"Hey, wai-"

Before she could protest, he leaned down again, brushing his lips against the sensitive spot just below her ear.

"Ah... hahaha, wait, Kael...!" Charlotte giggled, the sound bubbling up uncontrollably as she kicked her legs beneath him, her hands pushing half-heartedly at his shoulders.

He pressed on top of her, and his laughter muffled against her neck as he nipped again, then soothed the spot with a slow kiss.

She twisted beneath him, using the momentum to roll them both across the wide bed.

In one fluid motion, she flipped him onto his back, straddling his hips and pinning his wrists above his head with a triumphant grin. "Got you,"

However, with the same momentum, he rolled again, taking her with him, until she was beneath him once more.

The sheets tangled around their legs, and he dipped his head to her neck, sucking lightly at the curve where her shoulder met her throat.

Charlotte squealed in a rare, delighted sound as she giggled helplessly. "Kael- stop... hahaha you’re terrible!"

She tried to wriggle free, but his weight held her gently in place, giving fresh marks to her.

"You said you weren’t ashamed," he teased between kisses, his voice muffled against her skin. "I’m just... helping you own it."

She laughed breathlessly, her hands slipping free to cup his face, pulling him up just enough to meet his eyes. "You... naughty little thing."

He just grinned shamelessly and again plunged down to bite her neck.

"Hahaha, Kael..."

However, Brandon’s watch on the lamp table glowed faintly, and a wisp of space energy trailed out of it.

The wisp formed a cleave through the space, and through the torn space, a woman stepped out.

Stretching her hands lazily, Elize stepped into the room ’Is he still sleeping?’

However, the scene in front of her shocked her as she stood there dumbfounded, her mouth forming a perfect ’O’ of disbelief.

"Eh...?"

Brandon has pinned Charlotte on the bed and is kissing her neck.

Her gaze quivered as it settled on Charlotte... her little sister, the SSS-rank Empyrean Rank Awakener, the stoic commander of countless missions giggling like a schoolgirl and her face alight with a joy Elize hadn’t seen in years.

’S-She can laugh like that?’

It’s been so many years since Elize even saw her little sister smiling heartily, but now... she is giggling and laughing.

Charlotte instantly realized Elize’s presence and gently pushed Brandon’s shoulder before turning her gaze "Big Sister."

Huh? Brandon also turned his head and saw Elize standing there, with ’I am shocked’ written all over her face.

Brandon: -_- Welp...