In the quiet of the hotel room, Liora sat on the couch, her wolf-like ears twitching as she flipped through the pages of a glossy magazine (That she always carries herself). The cover was brightly coloured, with the bold title “How to Be a Great Wife!” sprawled across it.
She squinted at one of the tips on the page, reading it aloud, though her voice was uncertain.
“It says… ‘When your husband is feeling down or angry, you should give him a tasty meal cooked by you,'” she mumbled, her eyes drifting over to the kitchen counter where a plate of what was once meat now lay charred beyond recognition. The blackened, crispy edges were still smoking slightly, a reminder of her little mishap.
Liora let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples, “Hmm… I think even I would feel down seeing a piece of meat burned up like that,” she muttered under her breath, poking at the disaster with a fork.
Crack!
The meat made a sad crunching sound in response, further confirming its fate!!
“Well, that’s not going to cheer him up…”
She tossed the fork aside, crossing her arms in frustration, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’ Her brow furrowed as she paced the room, her tail flicking nervously. Aether had seemed… off.
‘Really, really off’ She couldn’t shake the image of him from earlier… his haunted eyes, the trembling in his hands.
‘What in the world made him so sad?’ she wondered.
Everything had been going so well between them, hadn’t it? They’d enjoyed each other’s company…. a lot of each other’s company, in fact—there was no sign of any problem.
So why was he suddenly acting like this?
Liora glanced back at the burnt food, her stomach twisting, “What should I do?”
After a moment of contemplation, her eyes lit up, “Room service!” she exclaimed, almost smacking herself on the forehead for not thinking of it sooner. She quickly placed an order for the finest dishes the hotel had to offer.
Surely some fancy food would lift Aether’s spirits, right?
With the tray of food in her hands, she stood outside the bedroom door, trying to psych herself up.
“Alright, here goes nothing!” She took a deep breath, giving herself a small pep talk, “Okay, just act natural. Be sweet, be caring… Oh! Right, right…”
Clearing her throat, Liora put on her best soft, loving voice, “I cooked this meal just for you, love~!” She nodded to herself, impressed by her own acting.
“Perfect,” she whispered.
Then, with a smile plastered on her face, she slowly opened the door, “I cooked this meal ju—”
Her words trailed off as she noticed the bed was empty. A frown crossed her face. “Where did he go…?” she muttered, stepping further inside. She was about to turn and search the room when she heard it.
Thud!
Her eyes snapped to the side as the bathroom door creaked open… Steam billowed out in thick clouds, and from within the mist, Aether emerged.
Aether stood there, freshly showered, droplets of water still glistening on his tanned skin. He wore nothing but a towel loosely tied around his waist, clinging precariously to his hips.
His wet, dark hair was cut neatly, framing his sharp features perfectly. His muscles pulsed with fresh blood, veins visible under his skin as though his body was charged with electricity. The heat from his body radiated through the room, making the air feel warmer.
Liora’s eyes widened, her gaze drawn down his sculpted chest, following the contours of his muscles. His smooth lips, small but enticing, caught her attention next. And then… her eyes drifted lower, tracing the bulge beneath the towel, which seemed to pulse with every beat of his heart.
Gulp
Her throat went dry as she swallowed hard, unable to tear her eyes away. Her wolf-like ears twitched, and her breathing grew shallow. Her mind raced, trying to focus on anything—
“Liora?”
Liora flinched, It wasn’t just the same voice she heard before now—it was deeply resonant, velvet-smooth, a rich, rumbling timbre that wrapped around her senses and seemed to caress her very being.
Drip
Something warm flowed between her legs, making her thighs clench together instinctively.
What the hell was wrong with her?
“Liora?” Aether called her again, and she snapped her gaze toward him. His tone wasn’t urgent, just curious, yet it sent another ripple of heat through her body.
When she looked at him, she almost couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
He looked… different…. No! it was more than that. He felt different.
Aether too was initially surprised… The body he had now—it was exactly as it had been when he died.
‘Looks like it’s not just my soul… Even my whole body’s been dragged back in time’ Aether thought.
“Y-Yes…” she finally managed to stammer, “I… cook-ahem.. I o-ordered food” she added, trying to regain her composure, though her heart was racing, ‘His voice… it’s so different… so much deeper than before’
“I see…” Aether nodded, offering a small smile that sent a jolt through her chest.
‘Why is this happening?’ she thought, feeling utterly lost, ‘We just fucked together yesterday, and yet…’ She bit her lip unable to process his transformation.
As they settled to eat, the silence between them was thick but… not awkward!
Aether was lost in deep thoughts, while Liora was left to grapple with her confusion.
She didn’t know how to approach his current dilemma!
After what felt like an eternity, Aether finally broke the silence. “Thank you.”
“H-Huh?”
“For knocking me out earlier,” he said, his expression softening slightly, “You truly saved me that time”
Liora stared at him for a moment. Then, abruptly, she stood up from her seat.
“Hmm?” Aether looked at her, his brow furrowing in confusion, “Is somethin–“
Liora’s eyes narrowed as she stepped closer to him, “I don’t know what happened to you,” she said, her voice low but firm, “but I hate this fake facade you’re putting on!”
Aether blinked, his surprise evident…. The small smile he had been wearing faded as he saw the intensity in her eyes, but more than that, he saw the concern lurking behind her frustration.
His gaze dropped, his shoulders sagging slightly, “Sigh… Why does my act always fail with the woman I love?” he muttered.
But Liora wasn’t having it.
She reached out, grasping his chin between her fingers, and lifted his head to meet her eyes. Her voice was firm, but there was a gentleness in it too, “Why act in front of the woman you love?”
“….” Aether’s eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. He didn’t know what to say as he whispered, “I’m… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Liora…”
Liora had enough of this unknown shit, “Look,” she said, leaning in closer so their faces were inches apart, “if you don’t tell me what’s going on, how am I supposed to understand? You’re shutting me out. Is it because… are you regretting being with me?” Her voice wavered slightly on the last part.
Aether’s eyes widened in alarm, and he shook his head vehemently. “No! I would never regret being with you, Liora. It’s… it’s just…” He trailed off.
Liora exhaled sharply, relief flooding through her. She had feared a little, but hearing him deny it lifted the weight off her chest, “Good,” she said.
Suddenly, her multicoloured eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity as she added, “I don’t know how to support a man who’s dealing with emotional pain. I’m… not great at that. I’m sorry.
But I’m trying, okay?”
Aether was taken aback by her admission, “O-Okay,” he stammered, his heart squeezing at her honesty, “I-I’ll tell you everythin—”
“And I’m not Aria or Elona,” Liora cut in again, her voice rising slightly with frustration, “I’m not like them. I can’t just fix everything in a matter of seconds.” There was a bitter edge to her tone, a flicker of anger in her eyes… anger at herself for not being able to solve whatever it was that was tormenting Aether.
Aether shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, “You don’t have to be like them… You’re my Liora” His voice softened, sincere and warm.
His mind might still be a mess and he wasn’t even sure whether it was reality or not, but he could see how hard she was trying.
He could feel it in the way she spoke, in the way she looked at him… This feels real!!
Liora’s heart skipped a beat, Those two simple words, ‘My Liora’ spoken in his new, deeper voice made her feel different!
To Aether, it wasn’t about a woman making him happy. It was about a woman putting in every effort to understand him… to be there for him… even when it wasn’t easy.
Even when it wasn’t her strength.
Effort spoke louder than anything!!
Aether knew that Liora, with her fierce, warrior-like nature, wasn’t one for subtle gestures or emotional support.
That wasn’t who she was!!
But that’s what made her efforts all the more meaningful. She was trying… really trying… to reach him.
He smiled genuinely now, No acting at all!!… His gaze softened, “I’m really happy that I go—”
However,
“Here.” Liora suddenly turned, thrusting her busty ass toward him with a hint of shyness in her posture.
Her long, fluffy tail swayed lightly as she blurted out, “You can… slap it!” Her face turned crimson as she added, “As much as you want!”
Aether’s eyes widened, blinking rapidly as he took in the sight of her.
“….. P-Pardon?” he finally managed to stutter.