The sun was almost at its highest by the time I awoke, feeling well-rested yet slightly uneasy after the events of last night as I let my eyes flutter open and took a moment to process all of the contradictions and stories and information I had been introduced to at the House of Glass.
I had fallen asleep not long after we returned to the palace, exhausted after the search which had left us just as empty-handed as we had been before, and would have to continue again later that night.
The image of the painting framed by intricate silver designs had been burned into my mind, and I furrowed my brows a little as I recognized a sudden feeling of numbness only to realize that, this time, it was not caused by my thoughts but rather coating the entire right side of my body.
I let out a deep breath as I rolled onto my side, about to pull back my arm which was slung across the edge only for my eyes to widen as I looked down at the floor where Hongjoong was sound asleep, holding my hand in his.
Suddenly it was as if we were back in Odeion as I lay there, wide awake, marveling at the peaceful look on his face.
He was beautiful while sleeping, and yet I couldn't help but feel that although his features which were timeless and almost angelic, it was nothing compared to the look that had been mirrored across the dark depths of his eyes as he had stared into the sunset yesterday.
A small sound of content escaped his lips and I suddenly felt embarrassed for looking, once again trying to untangle our fingers and pull back my hand, feeling increasingly flustered as I realized that the son of Lilith only tightened his grip on it at every attempt of escape.
It was far from the most scandalous thing that had happened between us, yet I felt a wave of heat wash across my cheeks, practically dangling over the edge of the bed by now, as his eyes, which had been closed and heavy with sleep only seconds before, suddenly fluttered open and locked with mine.
"You know, you're really ruining the mood," Hongjoong said, his voice low and rough as he squeezed my hand once more before closing his eyes again as if wanting to go back to sleep.
"What mood?" I mumbled, continuing my silent struggle only to frown a little as the son of Lilith suddenly let his hand drop to the floor, leaving mine cold and empty.
"You're right," he said, and I couldn't help but pout only for my frown to deepen as he added, "See?" the question edged with that of a smirk which immediately made the pout melt away.
I didn't even try to hide it as I rolled my eyes and got off the bed, shuffling across the cold floors as I aimed for the bathroom and closed the door after me.
He had been nothing short of charming yesterday, but now, as I ran the water for a bath and reached for the zipper at the back of my dress, I suddenly remembered why I had found the demon annoying in the first place.
"So, how are you planning on entertaining me today-?" Hongjoong began, running a hand through his hair as he barged through the door only to pause as his eyes found mine and the look within their darkness changed while mine widened, "Do you need help with that?"
"Does it look like it?" I huffed, struggling for another second or two before giving up as he said, "Yes," and leaned, almost nonchalantly, against the door with a look of mixed entertainment and expectation on his face.
I scoffed, glaring him up and down before turning my back to him and twisting my ring, making sure to stand close enough to the demon for my wings to smack him in the face as they unfolded in a flurry of white feathers, sending him splutting back a few steps.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you were standing there for a moment. There was this far-away sound of stupidity around here a moment ago," I said, gesturing to where he was standing, "I thought I'd try to swat it away and it seems like it worked."
The look on Hongjoong's face was priceless, but the momentary feeling of satisfaction vanished the moment he decided to open his mouth.
"You must know by now that I'm not fond of angels, but the people who tolerate you on a daily basis are the real heroes. I see that now."
"If you would learn to read the room then maybe-" I began, but the son of Lilith cut me off before I got a chance to finish my sentence, "Oh, please, I'm not insulting you, Dahlia, I'm just describing you."
"You know, Hongjoong," I spat back, pulling the door open before pushing him back into the bedroom, "I envy the people who have never met you. But stupidity is not a crime, so feel free to go. I want to take a shower and you're ruining my view of the bare walls."
The sturdy piece of wood was slammed shut before he got a chance to respond and, yet, it didn't stop him from speaking up again only moments later, his voice slightly muffled by the door this time.
"How are we supposed to pass the time, then? Could you at least show me around the palace?"
I closed my eyes for a moment as I stepped underneath the steady flow of water raining down from the ceiling, trailing down my body like flood of pure warmth, "If I remember correctly, you locked me in your room for days when I was in Odeion," I said, "As a matter of fact, the only one who showed me around was San."
I furrowed my brows a little as, at the mention of the son of Satan's name, Hongjoong fell silent, holding my breath for a moment as I braced myself for an angry outburst or another snarky comeback, but it was a pout that laced his voice as he the muffled sound of the word "Please?" was pushed underneath the door.
I rolled my eyes, and, yet, I considered his request for a moment. We couldn't go anywhere which would be heavily guarded, and I had already showed him the library, the sunset, the forest-
"Do you enjoy wine?" I called out, turning off the water for a moment as I awaited his answer, but the son of Lilith remained quiet, "I could show you the vineyards and wine cellars," I added, "We'd be out of sight and safe there, all alone."
The unmistakable sound of a chuckle pierced the air at that, Hongjoong finally speaking up again as he said, "Do you remember what happened the last time we we're out of sight and all alone, angel?" bringing back memories of touches and tastes and thrills which sent my cheeks ablaze as I immediately turned the water back on.
"Dahlia?" Hongjoong called, but, this time, I was the one to stay silent.
〄
I clutched the towel I had wrapped around my body a little tighter once I emerged from the bathroom, holding the son of Lilith's eyes with an almost childish stubbornness as he turned around to face me and they widened a little.
"You really have no manners," I mumbled, feeling slightly embarrassed though still trying my best to hide it, tired of always being the flustered one.
"What, am I not allowed to admire you?" Hongjoong asked, but I could see right through him as I swallowed my pride and slowly crossed the room.
"You can admire all you want, as a matter of fact," I said, drawing nearer despite every part of my being telling me to stop, to hide, swallowing every single one of my instincts as I watched the demon's ears grow flushed.
I wanted to win, to prove a point, though whether it was to myself or to him, I wasn't sure.
"But this front you're putting up is a lot weaker than the one you used yesterday," I hummed, "Weren't you the one who laughed when I said I would do anything no matter how bad it was? Weren't you the one who told me you could teach me every position it came in? You don't seem quite as confident now, do you?"
When I finally came to a halt, we were standing close enough to share breath, and I felt his, shaky and uneven, hit my lips as I watched the blush spread to his cheeks as well, the son of Lilith finally at a loss for words.
"You're clever as the Devil," Hongjoong breathed, studying me with a curious look in his eyes.
"And twice as pretty," I said, leaning slightly closer as I heard his breath catch and added, "Now, cut the act and go take a bath, you stink," before pulling away and heading for the closet.
I could feel his eyes boring into my back as left him there as if glued to the floor, still staring, studying, feeling oddly proud as I turned back around and he immediately averted his eyes. A single nod toward the bathroom was enough to earn a muffled string of agreements as he finally unfroze and hurried out of the room.
The breath that left my lips as the door closed behind him was one of relief. I reached a shaky hand up to my cheek, carefully running it down the flushed skin, hot to the touch, as I let the mask fall, shaking my head a little as I tried to gather myself and reached for one of the endless white dresses hung in neat rows within the space.
I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at the realization that I would have to put up a front again, disguised by pristinely white fabrics and perfect details sown into the facade, but knowing that I would be breaking the rules, knowing that I would be sneaking around with a demon in my shadow, made it seem a little less flawless.
"You must have realized by now that the most desirable things in life are not that of paradise but of corruption."