Enthralled By You

- EXQUISITE MOMENT -

She smiled sheepishly.

She's trying to keep her giggles upon seeing Aseron with agitated look. He had stuck himself at the trunk like a cornered beaver in the hunt.

She guessed she must not push her chance today. Aseron was still hesitant to go against his will. They may have mutual attraction to each other, but he's still dangling along the thin line of his patience. She might have to try her luck next time— if given the chance.

"Look at you!" She laughed cheekily. "You looked like a lady being harassed." It was such a rare sight to behold to see the ever cold and formidable Aseron became so upset and bothered right now.

He cursed irately.

He probably disliked her crazy remarks. He looked so disgusted at Hanaya being so deliberate from making him a laughingstock. It will take a moment for him to stabilize his usual unperturbed countenance.

He clenched his jaw from seeing Hanaya's jesting at his own expense. "So it's funny, huh?"

"Right," She nodded playfully. "You should have seen your face... It's priceless!" She chuckled. "Was there no one who approached you like that?"

"You're crazy." His face looked so grim. "Do you expect me to answer that?"

"Yeah, I'm curious." She made him lost his wit again when she stubbornly crossed the line between them. She bravely moved forward and stuck herself on his formidable frame.

"Hanaya!" He roared.

"Be still, you're scaring the birds." She hushed upon his unbridled reaction. "I'm not going to do anything, okay?" She smiled sheepishly as she entwined her arms around him. "It's freezing, lend me some warmth."

The look on his face was enough to make everyone hide and run away. He may turn himself as a monster but he will never hurt her.

"Just a moment, will you?" She smiled sweetly.

He groaned like a wounded beast. He felt desperate being crammed between the hard trunk of the pine tree and the enticing soft frame of Hanaya.

He didn't like this.

He didn't know where to get more self-control to endure this kind of torment. He didn't see this coming.

He can't believe how Hanaya was being so daring nowadays. She became more persistent and fierce as years passed by. He wondered if she's completely aware of what she's doing.

"If you felt cold, then you should go back." He hissed as he tried to remove her arms around him but to no avail as she stubbornly stuck herself even more. "I've been telling you to go back, you just won't heed. Get off from me, now."

"I told you. Be still!" She snapped at him and held him more tightly. She like the way how it feels to be with him. His warmth had intoxicated her rational mind. His manly scents had sent shivers to her spine like a thousand needles of pine. "I like this...don't make me force you, okay?"

"What?" He stopped and became more dumbfounded.

She inhaled his woodsy scent subtly. She missed him so much. She missed his familiar scent that she always sniffed furtively every time he carried her numerous times when she was injured during her trainings. "You always smell good."

He clenched his teeth for patience. "Stop that, you're acting like a hound." He gritted it even more when he had smelled the subtle fragrance of apple blossoms in her hair. His fist clenched tightly at his side because he didn't know of what extent he could do if he won't do it. Hanaya had successfully stirred something on him from the day they first met. Heaven knows how much he had tried his best to ignore it.