After the meal, the house slowly settled again.
Kael stretched out on the couch, Riven leaned against the window with his eyes half-closed, and Juno was already arguing with himself about whether to steal dessert. In the middle of it all, Ash quietly stood and looked at Lunaria.
"Can you… come with me?" he asked.
Lunaria nodded.
They went to Ash's room without a word. The door closed softly behind them, sealing off the noise of the house. The room felt smaller somehow—warmer. They sat on the edge of the bed, close but not touching, knees almost brushing.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Ash stared at his hands, jaw tight. Then he exhaled shakily and looked up at Lunaria, eyes serious and raw.
"About last night," he began, voice low. "I shouldn't have— I mean, I don't want you to feel pressured or uncomfortable. I swear it won't happen again, I just— I'm sorry if I crossed a line, and I—"
He never finished.
Lunaria leaned forward and gently clamped a hand over Ash's mouth—not to stop him, but to silence the doubt spilling out. Ash froze, eyes widening.
Then Lunaria kissed him.
It wasn't rushed. It wasn't hesitant either. It was deep, warm, and deliberate—full of everything Lunaria hadn't said out loud yet. Ash's thoughts scattered instantly, his apology dissolving under the weight of that kiss.
When Lunaria finally pulled back, their foreheads touched.
"I loved it," Lunaria said softly, cheeks flushed, eyes shining. "So much."
Ash didn't get a chance to reply.
He kissed Lunaria again, harder this time, hands gripping the sheets as if the bed itself might tilt. The air between them grew hot, charged with emotion, hearts pounding far louder than their breaths.
And then—
The door burst open.
"Oi, Ash, we're bored—"
Kael stopped mid-sentence.
Riven's eyes widened by a fraction, which for him was practically shock.
Juno blinked once. Twice. Then slapped a hand over Kael's mouth.
The scene was unmistakable.
Ash and Lunaria froze, still far too close, faces flushed, lips swollen, guilt written all over Ash's expression while Lunaria looked more startled than ashamed.
Silence.
Then Juno cleared his throat loudly. "Wow. Uh. Sorry."
Kael nodded rapidly. "Very sorry. Extremely sorry."
Riven turned around immediately. "We saw nothing."
They all backed out at record speed, shutting the door with a sharp click.
From the hallway, Kael's voice floated back, far too amused.
"Just so you know, if you keep that up, we're expecting a child."
"KAEL," Juno hissed, dragging him away.
Inside the room, Ash buried his face in his hands.
"…I'm never leaving this room again."
Lunaria stared at the closed door for a second—then laughed, soft and bright, his blush deepening as he leaned closer again.
Outside, the house buzzed with barely-contained chaos.
Inside, two hearts refused to calm down.