'What is going on here right now?'

Laki stood in front of her and they kissed, which was nothing new by now. But this time she didn't seem to want to stop. Instead, she lifted one leg and closed the door behind her with her foot.

Kiyu closed her eyes and put an arm around Laki's waist as well. She ran her free hand behind the back of Laki's head and stroked her hair. They were wild and boisterous, but Kiyu enjoyed every second.

She felt warm and felt that feeling run through her entire body. But at that very moment, Laki's hands caught her off guard. Before, she was stroking Kiyu's back over her shirt, but she let her hands wander and she had reached the end of the shirt.

Once there, Kiyu felt Laki slide her hands under the shirt and caress her bare back. In slow movements, her fingertips circled Kiyu's skin.

"Laki," Kiyu sighed as she could remove her mouth from Laki's lips for a moment. Her face was flushed, and Kiyu wondered if her own face looked that way as well. She would not get any time to think about it, though, because her friend started kissing again.

She felt the red-haired beauty's tongue touch her lips and opened her mouth so that their tongues met. The heat went through her body, and she didn't even know what happened to her.

Never had they become so intense as they were now, but one thing was certain. It felt good, and she wanted more. Without hesitation, she led Laki around her so that they changed direction. Now it was Laki who got led by Kiyu to the bed in slow steps.

Once at the bed, Laki pushed her hands higher and higher along Kiyu's back, taking the shirt up with her. Kiyu lifted her arms and let Laki take off the shirt.

Now it was up to her to take off her friend's shirt as well, and she seemed to enjoy every moment.

With gentle pressure applied to Laki's shoulders, Kiyu led her down to the bed, where Laki pushed back a little to make room for Kiyu as well.

"I love you," Kiyu whispered in Laki's ear as they sat on the bed facing each other and embraced.

For a moment, they had slowed their impetuosity and instead stroked each other's backs.

"I just love everything about you. Your beautiful, fiery hair. Your deep, brown eyes that could calm me even then, no matter what was happening." she whispered, running her lips over Laki's neck.

"Kiki!" Laki heaved a sigh and laid her head on the back of her neck.

Kiyu felt the pressure on her back getting stronger. Laki squeezed her tighter and tighter, not wanting to stop. Kiyu, on the other hand, put her arms around Laki's back and undid the clasp of the bra while continuing to suck on her neck.

The bra came off and fell onto Laki's lap before she released one hand from Kiyu's back to toss the bra to her side.

Kiyu's breath caught, and she released her lips from her friend's neck. Instead, her eyes fell on her breasts. Unlike her, Laki had large breasts. So was her own body even attractive enough for her friend?

After all, her own body had scars, her breasts were small, and she didn't have such beautiful hair either. So was there anything attractive about her at all?

What did Laki even think about her body? Could she find it attractive when Kiyu herself didn't feel that way? More and more questions spun in her head, not wanting to leave her alone.

But the release of her bra from her body snapped her out of her thoughts. While indulging in her uncertainty, Laki focused on what was more important.

Bare-chested, the two sat facing each other. Both were flushed and panting.

Laki's hand ran over Kiyu's legs, reaching for her hand as she held out her other hand.

Kiyu's hand placed it on her breasts while she placed her own hand on Kiyu's breasts.

It felt like a drumbeat going from Laki's chest through her hand. So this was her heartbeat? Her heart was racing, and Laki felt the same with Kiyu's heartbeat at that moment.

"With you, I can just be me and always feel safe," Laki whispered. "I love you, Kiki."

This night would be theirs, just them, and Kiyu didn't care about anything that happened outside of this room. Besides, she had no time or possibility to occupy herself with other things than Laki anyway, because she took her beloved far too much for that.

How much time passed she didn't know, but that it passed was as certain as death, so she savored every moment until they were lying close together in the small bed, caressing each other.

"I can't believe that just happened," Kiyu whispered. "Just two weeks ago, we hadn't even thought about something like that. Even kissing would never have been an option, and now...."

"Now we're a happy couple, aren't we?" giggled Laki, giving Kiyu a kiss on the lips.

"Yes," Kiyu replied.

"You know...I could get used to us having our own room. So undisturbed."

"We will. Once we can escape from here, we'll build a new life. Far away from Jarifa, Oras, and from Xianzhu." whispered Kiyu.

Soon enough, they would put these terrible events behind them once and for all. Together with Zhèngyi.

"Yes..." Laki whispered to her. "Tomorrow, we'll grab this stupid ornament together with Zhèng and leave this place."

Kiyu was silent and instead stroked Laki's head. She didn't want to further sully these beautiful moments for Laki with the past or the future. Instead, she only enjoyed how Laki became more and more calm and fell fast asleep in her arms.

It became quiet, and only Laki's soft breathing filled the room. Silence enveloped her, and she wondered.... Was Cheryu aware of EVERYTHING she was doing? Their bodies were connected, after all.

Sure, often Cheryu had stayed out of the conversations, but what was he doing at the time? Did he get everything?

The thought of it made her blush, because it would be embarrassing. After all, these were her most intimate moments with her lover.

'No, I worry too much,' she encouraged herself. 'No one noticed but the two of us.'

She took a few deep breaths in and out, trying to calm down herself. That Laki could fall asleep was almost beyond her comprehension. But that was just Laki.

In one moment an unstoppable energy bolt, in the other only at the permanent sleep.

She, on the other hand, lay on her back and stared at the wooden ceiling above her. Countless thoughts and images buzzed around in her head and did not want to bend to her will.

They all went around in circles and left her with no peace.

She would have liked to sigh, but she did not want to wake Laki. In slight movements, she pulled her body away from Laki and left the bed.

'Let's see....'

She rummaged through the drawers of the dressers that were in her room. There had to be something somewhere, didn't there? And sure enough!

Someone had left a few used pens and scattered sheets of paper. Someone had already used the sheets from one side, but that didn't bother her. Instead, she wrote everything that was on her mind on the other side.

Getting rid of her thoughts in writing had helped before to forget the excitement and specifics of the day.

So she scribbled down everything that flashed through her mind. Starting with the events at the city gate to the... special experience that she and Laki had shared that night.

It took quite a while, and she didn't want to be too loud about it, because behind her back her friend was tossing and turning.

But after some time, she finished and couldn't think of anything else worth writing.

"Are you coming back to bed?" yawned Laki, stretching. "What are you doing, anyway?"

"Oh nothing," Kiyu whispered, "I just needed to clear my head."

She stared at the written pages one last time before letting the pen slip from her hands and heading back to the bed, where her friend was already waiting for her.

'I think that shall be it for today.'

The clouds in her mind's eye came to rest and stopped swirling around various images. Kiyu lay down with Laki and put an arm around the most precious thing possessed.

This night she would need no other warmth than that of her beloved.