Rosaria’s tongue still lingered against the side of his neck, that faint warmth spreading along his skin and rushing into his limbs.
Every hair on Soren’s body stood on end, his very breath trembling.
He wanted to shrink back, but his neck was held even tighter in her grasp, her fingertips even rubbing against the ends of his hair.
“Scared?”
Her voice rolled from her throat.
“If you knew you’d be scared, you shouldn’t have smiled at Venti just now, nor should you have let Jean and Barbara revolve around you.”
Her fingertips suddenly exerted force, pinching his waist, causing Soren to let out a painful whimper.
Rosaria acted as if she hadn’t seen his tears; she lowered her head, her nose brushing past his ear.
“You have no idea how much it hurt here when I watched you talking to them.”
She pressed her hand over her chest, her voice suddenly sinking.
“It’s like something is gnawing at it.
Only by clutching you in my hands, making sure you are entirely covered in my scent, will it feel a little better.”
She suddenly released her grip on his wrist, wrapping her arm around his waist instead, pulling him entirely into her embrace.
The rough fabric brushed against Soren’s burning skin, and he could clearly smell the crisp, cold herbaceous scent on Rosaria, mixed with a faint, elusive trace of cathedral candlelight.
“Someone’s coming by the alley entrance.”
Rosaria’s voice suddenly dropped, carrying an unquestionable urgency.
Her other hand went straight to cover his mouth, her fingertips pressing against his soft lips; the soft force blocked any possibility of him making a sound.
She dragged him further into the depths of the alley, his back pressed against the cold wall.
With his entire body enveloped in her embrace, even his vision was blocked, leaving him to see only the tight curve of her jawline.
Footsteps passed by the alley entrance, interspersed with a few casual remarks.
Soren’s heart beat so fast it felt ready to explode, his fingertips clawing tightly at the hem of Rosaria’s sister uniform, the fabric crumpling under his grip.
Only when the footsteps faded into the distance did Rosaria release her hand from his mouth.
Yet she did not back away, pressing herself even closer to him instead, her warm breath puffed against the hollow of his neck.
“If you had made a sound just now, you’d be finished.”
Soren’s lips pursed into a tight line, not daring to talk back.
The heat on his cheeks had long since spread to the tips of his ears, even the fine peach fuzz on them seeming thoroughly flushed, glowing a faint red in the dim light of the alley.
He could clearly smell the crisp, cold herbaceous scent on Rosaria, mixed with a faint hint of mint.
Wrapped around the tip of his nose, the scent blended with her close-range body heat, forcing him to quiet his breathing even further.
He didn’t dare look up at Rosaria, able only to stare at the dark fabric of her sister uniform.
His fingers curled unconsciously, his fingertips gripping a corner of her hem, crumpling the fabric.
His body also couldn’t help but squirm a bit, trying to avoid this unfamiliar sensation that made his heart flutter with panic.
Rosaria looked down at the awkward little movements of the boy in her arms, the amusement in the corners of her eyes impossible to hide.
Her lips curved up, her voice tinged with a touch of lazy teasing.
“What?
Shy?
Or…”
The amusement in her eyes deepened, and the arm wrapping around him tightened, deliberately drawing him even closer into her chest.
“Or…
is being held by me not to your liking?”
Soren’s face instantly turned so red it looked ready to drip blood, even his neck flushing crimson.
He abruptly looked up, colliding with Rosaria’s laughing eyes, before hurriedly ducking his head back down, his voice carrying a rushed, flustered embarrassment.
“No, it’s not…”
The words tripped over his tongue, his toes even curling inside his shoes.
He squirmed even harder, like a small animal trying to break free but lacking the strength.
Rosaria watching him like this, let out a low chuckle, the laughter rolling from her throat.
She deliberately slowed her movements, the teasing in her tone growing even thicker.
“No?
Then what are you shrinking away from?”
“I am not shrinking away!”
Soren’s voice rose in his panic, before he quickly hushed it, terrified of being overheard by anyone at the alley entrance.
“It’s just…
I’m just a bit uncomfortable…”
He didn’t dare clarify exactly what kind of discomfort it was.
Feeling as though the heat on his face was about to cook him alive, he could only bury his head even lower, staring at Rosaria’s chest, his very breath carrying a scorching embarrassment.