(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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Hot Spring...
Ben leaned back against the smooth volcanic rock, eyes closed, letting the steam curl around him like a blanket.
For the first time in days, the weight on his shoulders seemed to lift—
"____"
His mind quiet, his body finally relaxing after the clash of fire and fists.
Across from him,
Mereoleona sat half-submerged, one arm draped over the edge of the spring.
In her other hand was a dark glass bottle,
Glistening with condensation despite the heat.
She raised it to her lips, took a long pull,
And let out a satisfied sigh as if the alcohol itself burned as warmly as her mana.
"Oi,"
She called, tossing the bottle toward him with casual precision.
"You'll like this."
Ben cracked an eye open, caught it, and gave her a skeptical look.
"Really? Mixing hot springs and alcohol?"
"Best combination you'll ever find."
She grinned, her sharp teeth flashing.
Grin~
"Trust me."
He shrugged, raised the bottle, and took a gulp.
Gulp~
"____"
The liquid was strong, smoky, and fiery on the way down—
Almost like drinking liquid flame.
His eyes widened slightly at the burn,
But then warmth spread through his chest, mingling with the steam, and he let out a small laugh.
Kuku~
When he passed the bottle back,
Mereoleona tilted her head and smirked.
Smirk~
Ben's usually calm face was tinged with a faint rosy flush across his cheeks.
"Ha! I knew it,"
She said, her voice triumphant.
"You're feeling it already. Told you—it's the best reward after a fight. A brutal workout, a steaming pool, and a drink that kicks as hard as a punch."
Ben chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, his tone lighter than usual.
Chuckle~
"I'll admit… it's not bad. Stronger than I expected, though."
"Good."
Mereoleona tipped the bottle back, then lowered it, eyes gleaming with mischief.
"If it's too much for you, I'll finish it."
Ben smirked, shaking his head.
Smirk~
"Not a chance."
He reached for the bottle again.
The sound of their shared laughter echoed through the misty cavern, mingling with the bubbling of the spring,
Until even the volcano itself seemed to rumble in quiet amusement.
The bottle made another lazy arc through the steam, landing neatly in Ben's hand.
He took a swig, savoring the burn now that he was getting used to it,
Then passed it back.
Mereoleona caught it without looking, her eyes distant for once.
"You know,"
She said, leaning back against the rock, her voice lower, calmer,
"When I was a brat, I used to drive my brother crazy. Fuegoleon was always the proper one. Rules, order, the family name… all that noble garbage."
Ben opened one eye, smirking faintly.
Smirk~
"Let me guess—you didn't care much for any of that?"
She barked out a laugh, then took a long pull from the bottle.
Haha~
"Didn't give a damn. I'd sneak out, hunt beasts, start fights, even set things on fire just for the thrill of it. And poor Fuegoleon… he'd always chase after me, trying to drag me back in line."
Her grin widened, but there was a glint of mischief in her eyes.
Grin~
"Once, I tricked him into one of my pranks. A big one. We were supposed to be training in the mountains, but I rigged a trap. He walked straight into it, and—boom!—he was dangling upside down from a tree, roaring like a lion cub."
Ben chuckled, picturing the stoic captain caught in such a ridiculous position.
Chuckle~
"____"
"But,"
Mereoleona's tone shifted, darker now,
"he wasn't the one who punished me for it. That honor went to… her."
She spat the last word out like venom.
Her jaw clenched, teeth grinding audibly as she tilted the bottle back again.
"Teresa Rapual. My teacher. My… demon."
The flames of the hot spring seemed to flicker as her mana surged unconsciously.
"She didn't care if I was a kid. Didn't care if I cried, bled, or collapsed. Every time I broke a rule, every time I pushed back—she made me train harder. Ran me into the ground until I thought my legs would snap. Made me fight beasts that should've killed me. Told me pain was the only teacher worth listening to."
Mereoleona's nails dug into the stone, steam hissing where her mana flared.
Ben didn't interrupt.
"____"
He just sat quietly, watching her, his expression steady.
Mereoleona's lips pulled back in a half-snarl, half-grin.
Grin~
"I hated her. I still do. But… damn it all, she made me strong. Strong enough to crush anyone who thinks fire can be tamed. Strong enough to be who I am today."
She bared her teeth, lifted the bottle high, and then drank until it was empty.
When she lowered it, her breathing was heavy, her face flushed—
"____"
Not just from the alcohol, but from the memories.
Bubble~ Bubble~
For a long moment, the only sound was the bubbling of the spring.
Then Ben finally spoke, his voice calm but firm.
"Sounds like she forged you in fire. The kind of training most people wouldn't survive."
He leaned back, meeting her gaze.
"You hated her… but you didn't break you respect her. You came out stronger. That's not just her doing—that's you."
Mereoleona stared at him for a beat, then burst into laughter—
"____"
Loud, wild, and fiery, just like her.
"HAH! Damn right!"
She roared, slamming the empty bottle against the rock.
"She tried to break me, but I burned hotter than her hell. That's why I'm still here—and why nobody can put out my flames!"
Her eyes shone, fierce and alive,
As she leaned forward toward Ben, her grin returning in full force.
The crack of the empty bottle hitting the rocks still echoed faintly when Mereoleona shifted to stand—
Only for her foot to slip on the slick stone.
With a sudden splash of water, she toppled forward and landed squarely in Ben's lap.
The world seemed to stop.
"____"
"____"
For a long heartbeat, neither of them moved.
The steam curled around them like a veil, the only sound the bubbling of the spring.
Ben's eyes went wide, his breath catching in his throat.
Mereoleona blinked, stunned, her fiery bravado scattered like embers in the wind.
Their faces were only inches apart.
Her damp hair clung to her cheek, her lips parted slightly,
And her flushed cheeks weren't just from the alcohol.
Ben could feel the heat radiating from her—
Not just her mana, but something more raw, more human.
His heart pounded, the weight of her pressing lightly against him.
He swallowed hard, trying not to think about the dangerous current suddenly sparking between them.
Mereoleona clicked her tongue sharply, as if scolding herself,
But when she lifted her head her eyes met his.
And everything froze again.
Ben had always seen her as the wild Crimson Lioness, untamed and unyielding, her spirit burning hotter than any flame.
But now—
Her eyes weren't blazing with fury or strength.
They shimmered, softer, pulling at him like a pendulum swinging back and forth, luring him into a trance he couldn't break.
For the first time,
Mereoleona wasn't just a warrior.
She was a woman.
And for the first time,
Ben couldn't tell if he was more terrified—
Or more captivated.
The silence stretched, the heat of the spring wrapping around them like a cocoon.
"____"
"____"
Neither Ben nor Mereoleona moved,
But the air between them grew heavier, charged with something far hotter than steam.
Then—
Something inside Mereoleona snapped.
She leaned forward, rough and instinctive, and before Ben could even process it, her lips pressed against his.
His eyes widened in shock.
"____"
Her kiss wasn't calculated, wasn't measured—
It was raw, wild, born from instinct and alcohol, from the fire that always burned in her veins.
She didn't even seem to know what she was doing;
She just was.
Ben's heart thundered in his chest.
For a moment he froze, caught in disbelief.
But then, with a sharp intake of breath, he acted.
His hands slid around her back,
Pulling her closer with a sudden force that made her jolt.
The startled sound in her throat was swallowed when he deepened the kiss—
No longer letting her lead with reckless instinct,
But seizing control.
His lips moved against hers with a fierceness, showing her the rhythm, the pressure, the meaning behind it.
Mereoleona's eyes widened at first, caught off guard by the sheer intensity.
But her surprise only lasted a heartbeat before the corner of her mouth curved upward into the faintest grin.
Her hands, once stiff at her sides, rose to grip his shoulders, fingers digging into his skin as if daring him to push further.
The kiss grew hotter, heavier, like two flames colliding and fusing into one raging fire.
In that moment, there was no king, no Crimson Lioness, no rules, no restraint.
There was only heat—
Wild, uncontrollable, and theirs.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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