Jace and Zara stumbled into a hollow carved out by the roots of an ancient oak. The beast's howl had faded to a faint echo, leaving only the rustle of leaves and the uneven catch of their breaths. Zara slumped against the rough bark, her broken arm cradled against her chest, her fingers fumbling with a torn strip of her cloak to bind the injury. Her jaw clenched, a sharp hiss escaping as the cloth scraped the swollen bruise blooming across her forearm, purple and angry in the dim light.
"Let me," Jace said, his voice low, carrying that familiar lilt of teasing but softened by something heavier—worry, maybe, or the weight of everything they'd survived. He shifted closer, his knee brushing hers through the damp leather of her trousers, the contact grounding in the cool air. He took the cloth from her trembling fingers, his own steady despite the dirt smudged across his knuckles. "You're just making it worse, you know."
Zara's eyes flicked to his, a flicker of defiance sparking through the pain tightening her features. "What's this, Wart? Turning into my personal healer now?" Her tone was sharp, but the corner of her mouth twitched, betraying the effort it took to keep up her usual bravado.
"Only for the ones too stubborn to ask for help." His fingers worked carefully, wrapping the cloth around her arm, the pressure just enough to brace the break without making her flinch again. His touch was warm, deliberate, and when she sucked in a breath at another jolt of pain, he steadied her with a hand on her shoulder. His thumb brushed the curve of her collarbone, a fleeting graze that sent a shiver rippling through her skin. He felt it, his pulse quickening in response, and his eyes darkened, catching the faint light. "Easy," he murmured, his voice dropping to a rough whisper, his breath warm against her cheek, smelling faintly of mint and sweat.
Their gazes locked, the dim glow filtering through the canopy igniting the gold flecks in her hazel eyes, like sparks in the forest's gloom. Jace's chest tightened, a knot of something he couldn't name.
The air between them thickened, heavy with the unspoken. His usual smirk faltered, replaced by a raw openness he wasn't used to showing. "You're tougher than most," he said, voice gravelly, the words catching in his throat. "You know that, right?"
Zara's laugh was soft, almost brittle, but it carried a warmth that hadn't been there before, like sunlight breaking through fog.
"Tough enough to scare you off?" Her voice was teasing, but her eyes searched his, vulnerable in a way that made his stomach twist.
"Not even close." His hand lingered on her shoulder, fingers tightening just enough to feel the strength beneath her torn tunic, the steady pulse of her life under his palm.
The moment stretched, taut as a drawn bowstring, the hollow's damp air pressing against their skin, cool and earthy.
Zara moved first, sudden and fierce, closing the gap with a kiss that wasn't about desire but need—a tether to something real, something to hold onto against the fear she'd let slip earlier.
Her lips crashed into his, soft but unyielding, tasting of salt and the wild tang of the Heartwood's air. Jace froze for a heartbeat, caught by the raw intensity, his mind blank except for the heat of her mouth. Then he leaned into her, his hand sliding to the back of her neck, fingers tangling in the damp strands of her hair, still gritty with forest dirt.
The kiss deepened, hungry and defiant, a shared rebellion against the death waiting outside.
Her good hand fisted in the front of his armor, pulling him closer until their chests pressed together, the rough bark digging into her back through her tunic. Jace's other hand found her waist, fingers splaying across the curve of her hip, pulling her flush against him. She gasped into his mouth when his thumb brushed the bare skin where her tunic had torn, a sliver of warmth against the cool air, the sensation sending a spark through her nerves.
His touch grew bolder, tracing the taut line of her thigh, the dip above her hipbone, each movement fanning the heat pooling low in her belly.
Zara's fingers tugged at the straps of his leather armor, her movements quick but precise despite the ache in her broken arm.
"Off," she muttered against his lips, her voice thick, almost a growl.
Jace didn't hesitate, his hands swift as he unbuckled the chest plate, letting it drop to the mossy ground with a soft thud, the sound swallowed by the hollow's quiet. Her good hand roamed his chest, fingers spreading across the planes of muscle beneath his undershirt, her nails grazing his skin through the thin fabric. He groaned, low and rough, the sound vibrating between them, and she smiled into the kiss, a fleeting, wicked curve of her lips that made his blood surge.
They shed their clothes in a tangle of fabric and intent, her tunic catching on the sling until Jace eased it free, his fingers brushing her skin with a care that contrasted the urgency in his eyes.
The air was cool against her bare shoulders, the scent of damp earth and crushed leaves rising around them. His lips trailed from her mouth to the hollow of her throat, lingering on the rapid pulse there, tasting the salt of her skin, the faint bitterness of sweat and forest grit.
Zara arched into him, her good hand gripping his shoulder, guiding him closer as her breath hitched, a soft sound that felt like a confession.
His fingers slipped beneath the waistband of her trousers, teasing the sensitive skin just below her navel, and she let out a quiet moan, her head tipping back against the bark, the rough texture scraping faintly against her scalp.
The hollow closed around them, the world shrinking to the heat of their bodies, the soft rustle of leaves under their shifting weight, the faint creak of the roots as they moved.
Jace's hands explored her—her waist, her thighs, the small of her back—each touch stoking the fire between them, his calloused fingers leaving trails of warmth. Zara's legs parted, her knee brushing his hip, an invitation as clear as the challenge in her eyes. He settled between her thighs, their bodies aligning with a kind of instinctual ease, the mossy ground cool beneath her, grounding the moment in something raw and alive.
Their eyes met again as he positioned himself, her gaze fierce and unguarded, pulling him in like gravity.
He entered her slowly, deliberately, watching the way her lips parted, a soft, raw moan spilling out as she adjusted to him, her body yielding but strong. The sound hit him like a spark, his breath catching, his hands tightening on her hips. Her eyes never left his, like a promise, even as her good hand gripped his arm, nails biting into his skin, anchoring her against the sensation. He moved with her, each thrust slow and measured, savoring the way her body responded, the way her breath hitched with every careful push, her warmth enveloping him.
"Wart," she whispered, her voice breaking on his name, raw and unguarded, and it nearly undid him. He leaned down, capturing her lips in a kiss that was more breath than contact, their foreheads pressed together, sweat mingling as he deepened the rhythm. The movement was still controlled but building, each thrust drawing a new sound from her—soft moans, sharp gasps, her voice a quiet melody in the hollow's dark. Her hips rose to meet his.
Her good hand slid to his hair, tugging him closer as her moans grew louder, less restrained, echoing faintly against the roots. Jace's control frayed, his thrusts growing more urgent, driven by the heat of her, the way she arched into him, meeting him with equal fire.
The air was thick with the scent of earth, sweat, and the faint musk of their intimacy, the hollow's damp walls seeming to pulse with their rhythm. Her nails raked his back, leaving faint trails of heat, and he groaned against her throat, his lips finding the sensitive spot just below her ear, his breath hot against her skin.
As they neared the edge, Zara's moans turned to breathless cries, her body trembling beneath him, her good hand clutching his hair, pulling him into a kiss that was messy, desperate, their breaths tangling as they pushed each other toward release. Their eyes locked again, her gaze fierce and open, holding his as the wave built, her body tightening around him. The climax hit like a tide, shuddering through them both, leaving them clinging to each other, breathless and spent, their bodies still entwined against the moss-covered roots, the cool earth grounding them as their hearts raced.
A faint chime broke the silence, and Jace's vision flickered with the system's glow.
[New Skill Acquired: Carnal Surge]
[Effect: Temporarily boosts all physical stats for both partners after shared climax. Bonus]
[Reward: 7500 CP]
He was still catching his breath when Zara gasped. She pulled back slightly, staring at her arm. The sling hung loose, forgotten, and she flexed her elbow, then her shoulder, her eyes widening in disbelief. The swelling was gone, the bone whole, as if it had never been broken. She rotated her arm, testing it, her breath catching at the absence of pain, the smooth motion almost foreign after the ache.
"Your arm…" Jace said, his voice rough.
"It's healed," she whispered, her voice tinged with awe as she moved her arm again, as if to convince herself it was real.
She looked at him, "That… wasn't supposed to happen, was it?"
He shook his head, the system's message still lingering in his mind, his thumb brushing absently against her hip. "The skill said it boosts stats, not… fixes bones." What the hell are we dealing with? he thought.
Zara's laugh was soft, real, her hand reaching up to brush his jaw. "Guess we're both full of surprises."
The beast's howl sliced through the moment, closer now.
They shared a look and began to gather their clothes.
"Ready?" Jace asked, helping her to her feet.
"Born for it," she said.
They stepped out of the hollow.