Lu Harve kissed on Ashtie’s small palm and bit it.

It was no wonder that Ashtie could not hold herself anymore. She could not have reasonable thinking since she sank in the hot atmosphere. She felt weak. She could not stop making moaning sounds. Her upper body started to lean, not to his side, to the soft blanket.

The eyes naturally closed. She could not help herself because of the shyness. Nevertheless, Asthie tried to open her eyes. She felt like she should not let this time pass just like this.

She wanted to see him. Even under dim light, his eyes were very vivid, and his lips didn’t stop kissing. The love was full in his smiling face and warm touches. She didn’t want to miss any of them. She felt shy, but she could manage to open her eyes after she was a little bit used to it.

“Ashi.”

His voice was very low. It was a raspy voice.

A soft skein embroidered over the blanket. The lady under the light was beautiful. He liked her shiny eyes, red cheeks, quivering lips more than the see-through chemise. He could not control something that came from deep his heart.

Lu Harve started to kiss again from the small hand. He kissed from her hand, the back of the hand, arm, shoulder, clavicle to the neck. Ashtie blinked many times. When the warmth reached to her cheek, she closed her eyes tight and opened them again. She strained her eyes because she didn’t want to let this time pass like this. It was not like shame or anything.

“But I want to give you something too,” She thought and raised her hand and put it on his cheek.

Soon, his swaying hair touched her hand. Once, twice, three times, she was sweeping his hair.

There was no need for words. Instead, Ashtie called his name in a quiet voice.

“Lu Harve…”

It was not a cloudy and muddy voice. It was warm and soft. Lu Harve touched her lips and swept it. He patted and kissed on her lips.

“Ashi.”

It was a quieter voice this time. Ashtie smiled instead of the answer. It was faint, but he recognized it. So, Lu Harve smiled big as well.

The heart was still pounding. The clothes made a rustling sound, and the blanket made the sound as well. The sound was still. The warm mood with a dim light in the dark room and patting was the same as well.

Throughout the night, Lu Havre did so many times. Whenever her slender body started to tremble, when tears started to shed, he patted her over and over.

The night they experienced the first time in their life. Which would be the more intense memory of being honest and telling each other how they grew up or sharing their breath with each other?

Ashtie blinked.

The dawn light was refreshing. She received the light quietly.

The bed was warm, and so was her body. Ashtie smiled. She grabbed the blanket a couple of times. The blanket that she could not see well yesterday was very thick and warm. She wanted to touch it more. The rustling sound spread from the bed. Oddly, that sound made her heart pound. Already, the dawn light, a quiet bed, vivid warmth, and the memory of the night was pounding. She moved like that for a couple of minutes and lay on her side.

It was such a reticent back. Ashtie smiled again. Correctly, she could not erase her smile. She touched him with her gaze. The shoulders, back, and waist that she hugged tight. She could not manage to look down. The light of the dawn was very bright. Ashtie kept looking at his back. She wanted to.

Sweat drops on his firm back…His back looked as soft as the sweet chocolate.

She felt ashamed again. She suppressed the sound and caught her breath. She opened her eyes again. Ashtie was only thinking about him. She stared at him again for a long time.

Then, she wanted to see his face. Ashtie rose her upper body. She leaned her head carefully and saw over his back. Her hair touched his forehead, cheek, and shoulder like a curtain, leaving a pinkish scent.

He closed his eyes. She saw his thick eyebrows, sharp nose, a fine line of chin, neck, and square shoulder.

She watched him a while. Then, she sat on the end of the bed. She hesitated a while. She looked down her chemise and saw the gown next to her. She reached her hand to it. She spread it and thought more and wore it. She walked lightly to the other side of the bed, where Lu Harve laid. She sat next to him lightly. It was a very quiet movement like a cat.

And she saw him again. She tilted her face. Her eyelashes swayed. Her long hair hung like a curtain again. She stared at his face.

It was really fascinating. She just wanted to stare at it. His eyelashes were really thick as she saw close to it. She felt renewed for everything. There was a lot of reason for that like there were many reasons for her pounding heart. She felt amazing because It was the first time she saw him sleep like this. She felt attracted to the man who was always calm, showing defenselessness at the right moment. And the fact that she woke up earlier than the diligent man. Moreover, something stronger than those reasons dragged her. For example, the sharp nose, darkish soft skin, his body she could see under the blanket.

She naturally smiled like a child. Last night, he was so…

With a train of thought, she lowered her head quietly and covered her mouth. She really felt like she became a child. She looked at him with red cheeks, smiled shyly, and watched him again. He, this bed, this time, everything made her do that.

Suddenly, she was encouraged because he didn’t move at all while she was watching. “He must be in a deep sleep,” she thought and reached her hand to his face. She tilted more and moved her finger. He still didn’t move.

His hair was so vivid, like the dawn light. She thought it would be okay to touch it. It was the hair that she swept down multiple times last night. Ashtie moved her hand more. It sat down like a butterfly. His hair was soft, and the rustling sound was soft, too. “It feels like his hair is dying my hand,” she thought.

“Ashtie.”

“Oh.”

Lu Harve grabbed her thin wrist.

“…Oh.”

“If you do that…”

“…Ah.”

Her eyes became wide, and she made a moaning sound.

Lu Harve knew she was very surprised, but he wanted to say something. He was about to know about this sweet woman. This soft woman was with him, in the same bed. It was hard to suppress his impulse that occurred from the moment he woke up. He felt it although there was no stimulus, now there was a pink scent around him. So he had to say it even if it would make this lady surprised.

“My patience will be worn out.”

The low voice spread in the room. Lu Harve grinned.

“Oh.” Ashtie made a bigger moan and stood up. She tried to stand up. Lu Harve pulled her wrist. He didn’t drag it hard, but soon, Ashtie fell on the bed. Lu Harve raised his body. She was in his arms. When he was about to pat her hair—

“…Ashtie?”

—she got up and went to the edge of the bed. She went inside of the blanket and covered her body, face, and everything. It was a short moment.

She didn’t answer. Lu Harve smiled bigger.

“Ashi.”

He called her again.

“…Yes.”

After a silence, she barely opened her lips. She felt her face was hot from her cheeks to her earlobes. It felt like her body was on fire. It was an unfamiliar feeling, like the last night.

Even in the dark, warm blanket, she could not feel relaxed. “How did I see him like that? I should not have touched his hair,” she thought. Her heart was still pounding, or it was pounding harder than before. Ashtie shut her eyes tight.

He never had an experience like this. No, everything was the first time for him. The lady he had spent the night and dawn together, or the feeling or smile for her.

“I want you to show your face to me.”

He wanted to see her, so he called her name again softly.

She always reacted to his voice. She closed her eyes again. She could not open her eyes but slowly put down the blanket that covered her face.

Lu Harve looked at her as usual.

She was like a flower bloomed over a soft blanket. Her sweet hair, forehead, and eyes revealed. She opened her eyes like a pretty child. The woman, dyed in the morning light, blinked her bright yellow eyes.

“Oh, really, this lady is,” he thought,

“You are so lovely,” he said.

So lovely. He never said that to anybody, even to this beautiful and pretty lady, but he wanted to say it. With that heart, he called her.

“Ashi.”

And he touched on her cheek.

“Oh…”

“My lovely lady.” His love felt so vivid like a light that fell down in front of her own eyes. Her arm felt weak. She didn’t know what to do, and just blinked her eyes a couple of times.

The blanket slipped down. The flower soon revealed its beautiful appearance. Lu Havre hugged her. She blinked a few more times slowly and buried her face on his shoulder. The warm breaths mixed again. Lu Harve patted her delicate back and laid down his body. Naturally, Ashtie followed him. Soon, they shared their warmth with each other.

Lu Harve thought, “I was the one who said it, but lingering imagery is long. Maybe because I said the word that I had so far in my heart to her finally, I only could kiss her last night, now I can say to her with my full heart, she is lovely.

“And she is the sweet one who accepted my truth. I am truly grateful to her.” So, he wanted to say something to her.

“Ashtie.”

He wanted to say to her about his deep heart for her.

“I think…”

He never tried it before, so he might be clumsy about this, but he just wanted to tell her.

“…About you all the time.”

She stared with surprise. But she didn’t turn her face. She could not turn her face. She only wanted to remember fully this time and his red eyes with full affection, soft lips, warm voice, and everything.

“…You are dear to me.”

Her heart was thumping. Her body trembled, too. At the same time, a smile spread on her lips.

As always, this laughter was enough for him. There is nothing more to hope for. Lu Havre took off his lips again.

“I want you to stay with me for a long time.”

The dawn light was getting brighter. Perhaps it would be dark dawn and dim light for someone. But not now. Truly it was not. So, there was no reason to dither and hesitate. Lu Havre finally conveyed all of his heart.

“…Lu Harve…”

Because she was right here. He made a smile in his red eyes.

“I want you to be… happy.”

She could not believe he said such sweet words to her. She trembled more with a ringing heart. Ashtie reached her hand and touched his lips. When he was about to open his mouth and tried to talk about his heart again, Ashtie shook her head.

“Lu Harve.”

“…Yes?”

It was all the first time for her. She was clumsy, shy, and ashamed. Her eyes, lips, hands, shoulders were trembling and trembling.

“I…” she said.

“…”

But that did not matter. The more important thing was something else. It was the fact that they were together right here. The fact that he was hoping for her happiness, accepted her past, and connected her present and future smoothly. The fact that he understood her was more important. She had the same mind.

“I want to tell you first—” she said.

“I always received so much from you,” she thought, “and I will probably get more from you. The affection, warm consideration, and eager warmth that I will probably can’t pay off throughout the whole of my life. So, at least I want to say this first.”

“—I love you.”

After she spoke out, she felt something hot in her heart. “How can this be?” she thought, but she opened her mouth again. She shined her yellow eyes. She attracted all the light flowing through the room. The woman was in itself, a yellow flower.

“Lu Harve.”

“…”

“I—”

Lu Harve hugged Ashtie tight. His tight arms were reassured.

“—love you.”

“I think about you,” she thought, “I care and care about you. I want to be a light for you.”

The dawn light was all gone. The morning was bright. On a new day, they would do new works on the new position. But there was only one truth that would not change.

“Ashi,”

Lu Harve whispered.

“I love you, too.”

The love towards each other.

Ashtie expressed her heart, something soft, tender, warm, and shiny. Lu Harve willingly answered.

“I think of you. I will always remember this pure promise of now. I only think about you. And forever, I will be by your side.”