The auditorium echoed with applause as Alexandra gave her final bow, a soft smile on her lips as the curtain slowly drew to a close.
Her fingers still tingled from the keys, her heart still racing from the vulnerability of the performance—but in that moment, she wasn't thinking about the crowd, or the music, or the spotlight.
She was thinking of him.
The moment she stepped backstage, she slipped past the others and made her way through the dim, quiet hallways of the school. The classroom they had chosen was far from the venue, tucked into the old wing where no one would be wandering.
Her heels clicked softly on the floor. The moonlight filtering in through the windows guided her steps.
And then she saw him.
Daman stood by the window, bathed in silver light—his posture relaxed, his arms crossed casually. But the moment his eyes landed on her, the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.
Alex closed the door behind her. Without a word, she ran to him and leapt into his arms, wrapping herself around him with all the enthusiasm she'd held back the entire week.
He caught her easily, laughing low. "Did you miss me that much? We saw each other literally an hour ago."
She pulled back just enough to meet his gaze. "Yeah, but we didn't get time alone. So yes. I missed you."
Daman arched an eyebrow, clearly amused. "You're greedy."
"I am." she said, smiling. "Especially when it comes to you."
Her eyes sparkled, her cheeks still flushed from the performance. She looked up at him, expectantly.
"Well?" she asked. "How was it?"
Daman's expression softened. "It was beautiful, Alex."
Her breath hitched at the sincerity in his voice.
She looked away for a second, flustered. "You're just saying that because you're my boyfriend."
"No," he said, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek. "I'm saying that because it was."
She leaned into his palm, her lips grazing his hand in a feather-light touch.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. The silence wasn't awkward—it was charged. Heavy. And tender.
She's really here, Daman thought. In my arms. In love with me.
He remembered the boy he used to be—the one who had watched her from the shadows of a garden, dirt-streaked and forgotten.
And now… she was his.
His hand slid down from her cheek to the curve of her waist, and he slowly drew her closer.
Alex's eyes fluttered shut as he dipped his head, brushing his lips against hers.
The kiss was slow at first—gentle, reverent. But then, something unspoken broke loose between them.
Daman deepened the kiss, his grip tightening as he turned and backed her into the wall.
She gasped softly, arms wrapping around his shoulders as he pressed kisses along her jawline, her temple, her neck—like he was trying to memorize every part of her.
Her fingers tangled in his shirt, heart racing beneath her ribs.
"Daman…" she whispered.
Daman's breath was heavy against her lips as he finally pulled away, his self-control hanging by a thread. Alex, cheeks flushed and eyes glinting with warmth, reached up and gently pulled him back in, her fingers tangling in his hair.
He stilled in surprise. "Alex…"
"I locked the door," she whispered, her voice low and laced with longing. "No one will come in. We can… go a bit further today."
The look in her eyes—trusting, brave, vulnerable—made his heart pound. He swallowed hard, fighting the growing heat inside him. "Not here," he said after a pause, his voice rough. "Not in a classroom."
A faint laugh left her. "Then where?"
"My place," he said, his eyes darkening. "Come with me."
She nodded, heart fluttering.
—
The walk to his apartment was brief, yet their inner worlds were anything but serene. Their fingers brushed intermittently—each fleeting contact sending a jolt of unspoken anticipation through them.
Daman's apartment, perched on the top floor, was a haven of quiet intimacy, bathed in a soft, dim light. He entered first, holding the door slightly ajar. Alex hesitated on the threshold, her heart a frantic drum against her chest. When she finally stepped inside, the soft click of the closing door behind her seemed to amplify the sudden intimacy. Without a word, Daman's hands framed her face, and he lowered his lips to hers in a kiss that was anything but tentative.
Deep. Urgent. Possessive.
His hands slid down to cup her waist, drawing her flush against him. A soft gasp escaped her as his tongue traced the seam of her lips, his kisses then drifting down her jawline, finally settling on the sensitive curve of her neck.
"Daman…" she whispered, her breath catching.
A low groan rumbled in his chest. His fingers, now less hesitant, found the zipper at the back of her gown. Inch by slow inch, the fabric yielded, slipping down her shoulders to reveal the delicate expanse of her skin. He pressed kisses along her collarbone, his hands trembling slightly, a testament to his restrained desire.
But then, he froze.
The fallen fabric had revealed faint, pale scars and burn marks of various sizes that traced lines along her back and arms. There were even scars that looked like stab wounds over her abdomen.
His eyes widened, a question forming in their depths. "What… what is this?"
Alex stiffened, shocked at the sight of her own scars, a wave of panic washing over her. She instinctively clutched the fallen fabric to cover herself.
"It's nothing!" she whispered, her voice strained. "Just... something from my past. I... I never meant for you to see it. I always conceal it with magic, but somehow… the spell..."
A knot tightened in Daman's chest. "They did this to you?"
Silence hung heavy in the air as she turned away, her gaze fixed on some unseen point. Daman was the last person she wanted to witness these ugly reminders. The camouflage spell was always so reliable.
'Why did it get removed..? Why now...?'
Daman then reached out, his hand gently cupping her cheek, a tenderness in his touch that made her breath catch in her throat.
"It… must have been incredibly painful…" he murmured, his voice soft with empathy. Alex looked at him, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. He wasn't recoiling. Tears welled up, blurring her vision.
Slowly, he drew her into a warm embrace, showering her hair with soft kisses. Then, he swept her into his arms, carrying her effortlessly into the bedroom, laying her with exquisite care upon the soft expanse of the bed. She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears and a burgeoning desire.
Daman shed his shirt with deliberate slowness, the soft light sculpting the lines of his torso. He undid his camouflage spell which revealed his own scarred body. Alex's eyes widened at the sight of his body. She then raised her hand hesitantly and slowly ran her fingers along his scars.
"It must have hurt a lot... I know how it feels..." she told him.
"It's all in the past. Now focus on me, Alex. Forget about all those hurtful things."
He then leaned down, pressing tender kisses along each of her scars, each mark—treating them as if they were sacred imprints.
As Alex lay beneath him, breathless and her skin still thrumming with nascent pleasure, Daman's gaze drifted down her body, his long black hair that fell over his face, his eyes dark with undisguised hunger, and a shiver traced its way down her spine.
Her breath hitched again as his lips returned to the curve of her neck, each kiss a lingering caress, a soft tease that sent tremors through her. He moved lower, deliberately, leaving a trail of warmth and longing in his wake. When his mouth finally closed over the sensitive skin just below her collarbone, a soft whimper escaped her lips—his kisses deepening, becoming more insistent, more possessive. He sucked gently, and she knew he would leave his mark.
"You're mine," he murmured against her throat, his voice thick with yearning.
Her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging gently as her body arched instinctively towards him. His hands explored the contours of her body with a patient reverence that made her ache with need. When his fingers trailed lower, finding the delicate heat between her thighs, her hips jerked in response, and a soft moan escaped her lips.
"You're already so wet… and tight..." Daman murmured, his control hanging by a thread, the evidence of her arousal fueling his own.
He moved with exquisite care, coaxing pleasure from her as if he knew the hidden language of her body better than she knew it herself. The sensations spiraled, building with a delicious intensity until they threatened to consume her.
"Daman… ahh.. it feels… so good..." Alex breathed, the words a soft plea. And at her admission, Daman's restraint finally shattered.
His mouth opened slightly, and she gasped as his tongue grazed her most intimate flesh—slow, warm, deliberate. He traced a languid path along the inside of her thigh, his tongue eventually delving deeper, savoring each involuntary tremor that rippled through her.
"Daman?! That's…! Ahh…" she gasped, her voice trembling on the edge of release. She was so close. Her back arched off the bed as the waves of pleasure finally crested, washing over her in a series of shuddering contractions.
He met her gaze, his lips curving into a possessive half-smirk. "You taste even sweeter than I imagined," he murmured, his voice husky with satisfaction.
"Shut up…" Alex playfully tugged at his hair, a small smile gracing her lips. He chuckled softly, then trailed kisses back up her body, each touch lingering, as if unwilling to break the intimate connection.
As her breathing gradually returned to normal, she curled into him, her heart still racing, her cheeks flushed with the afterglow. Daman brushed a tender hand through her hair, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. A sudden realization dawned on Alex, and she glanced down.
"Daman… you're… hard."
"Ah, that…" he murmured, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." With that, he gently touched her forehead.
"Strange… I feel so sleepy…" she murmured, a yawn escaping her lips.
"You must be exhausted. Get some rest. I'll make you dinner while you sleep." Daman pressed a light kiss to her lips as her eyes drifted closed. He then slowly moved her hair from her neck, revealing the back of her neck. His eyes darkened when he saw a code tattooed there— 000.
"As I suspected..."
He then rose, his gaze lingering on his still-aroused body. He sighed softly.
"Haa…. Looks like I have some… urgent business to attend to first…"