4 LOVERS

Morning sunlight peeked gently through the half-closed curtains. That golden glow warmed my skin, waking me slowly from a sleep that was far too deep. The morning air carried the scent of wood, a hint of dust, and… something unfamiliar.

Warm. Soft. And also... kinda throbbing.

I blinked my eyes open. The thick blanket still covered my body, and from behind, I could feel Louise's chest pressed firmly against my back. His breathing was slow and steady—like he was still fast asleep. But what really woke me up was the strange sensation… a mix of ticklish, sore, and tingly all over certain parts of my body.

I pulled the blanket down slowly, looked down… and froze.

Red marks.

Not one. Not two.

A lot.

On my neck. My shoulders. Near my collarbone. Even my waist and sides. Some were purple-ish, like someone bit way too hard. The others looked like kiss marks that lingered on my skin way too long.

My cheeks instantly burned.

"W-What… is this…?" I whispered to myself. But of course I knew.

Louise.

Last night. When he got all emotional and jealous… he left these marks. Like a claim. A warning. A sign… that I belong to him.

I clenched the blanket tighter, heart thudding. My face was completely red. I tried to sit up slowly, but that only made me more aware of how sensitive my body felt this morning. Even the touch of fabric made me flinch—it tickled and stung a bit.

The breathing behind me shifted.

"Morning…"

That deep, husky voice made me whip my head around. Louise had just opened his eyes, still half-asleep—but when he saw my expression, they sharpened instantly.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

I looked down, tugged at the collar of my slightly loose shirt. "Did you… bite me?"

Louise blinked, then suddenly gave a small smirk. That annoying but totally hot smirk.

"Well… I remember some of it. The rest… probably instinct."

"Instinct?! Louise, there's way too many!" I hissed, panicked. "What if someone sees this?!"

"No one's gonna see it except me," he said casually, reaching out and pulling me back into his arms. "And even if they do… let them know you're mine."

My face exploded with heat. "I'm not a possession, you know."

"You're not," he whispered near my ear. "You're way more precious than that. That's why I can't let anyone touch you."

His hand wrapped around my waist, brushing my still-sensitive skin. I squirmed, holding back a breath.

"Uhh… don't touch randomly… it still hurts…"

"I could blow on it real gentle if you want," he whispered, voice dangerously low for this early in the morning.

"Louise!!" I smacked his chest lightly, blushing like mad. But he just chuckled, deep and rumbling.

We were quiet for a moment. Only the sound of birds outside the window and my chaotic heartbeat filled the room.

Then I braved myself to ask, "Were you… mad last night?"

He didn't answer right away. Just stared at me, more serious now.

"Not mad," he said. "But I felt like I was losing you. Seeing Arven kiss you… I felt like I was too late."

I bit my lip. "I'm confused too, Lou. I don't even know who I am… everything feels like a storm I can't control."

He touched my face gently. "But you know one thing, right?"

"What?"

"That I'll always be here."

I looked into his eyes. Clear, though flickering with fear. Louise wasn't just jealous. He was scared. And last night, he tried to prove I was still with him… even if it meant leaving marks all over my body.

I sighed, resting my head on his chest.

"You love me, huh?"

"Since forever," he answered. "Long before you noticed."

I smiled a little, then whispered, "You know… your marks are making it really hard to move."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, like planning his next mischief. "Guess you'll have to stay in bed longer, then."

"No! I wanna shower!"

"Wait," he said quickly. He pulled the blanket higher. "I wanna see all of them first."

"Don't!" I covered my face with my hands. "You're so annoying!"

"But you like me," he said, kissing my forehead softly. "And I like you even when you're grumpy like this."

I could only sigh, cheeks still burning.

That morning, I showered while softly whining every time the water hit those bite marks. But deep inside… I knew I didn't regret it.

Because even though my body was full of marks…

My heart was even fuller—with the love I was slowly starting to accept.

---

After finally finishing my shower (with lots of tiny whimpers from the soreness), I threw on a long-sleeved top with a high collar to hide all the "evidence" from last night. But apparently… hiding it from Louise was way harder than hiding it from the world.

When I went downstairs to the bar, Louise was already in the little kitchen, wearing an oversized apron with his hair half-tied messily. He was flipping eggs in a pan and somehow sensed me even without turning.

"Morning, sunshine," he said without looking.

I pouted. "Don't call me that."

"But you're blindingly radiant this morning. Even though you tried so hard to hide my love bites."

"I will throw bread at your face," I threatened, plopping down at the bar counter.

"And I'll just mark you again tonight if you keep threatening me," he replied smoothly, serving me eggs and warm toast.

My cheeks turned red again. I hid behind my teacup.

Louise sat across from me. His eyes were still on me, but softer now. Like glowing embers that no longer burned—but still warmed.

"Sleep well?" he asked quietly.

"If we're ignoring the whole 'covered in hickeys' thing… yeah, kinda," I muttered while biting into toast.

Louise chuckled. "You should've seen yourself sleeping. Last night, you looked like a tired lost kitten… but still sexy."

"Louise…" I groaned, caught between flustered and annoyed. "Can you go one morning without teasing me?"

He pretended to think. "Hmmm… doesn't seem possible."

I set down my teacup and looked at him seriously. "I know we crossed a line last night. And I let it happen."

Louise looked down a little. His face wasn't playful anymore.

"I don't regret it, Airi. But I know you're still unsure. I won't push you. But I won't lie about how I feel either."

I bit my lip. "I… don't know how to return all this. I'm scared that if I give you all of me… I'll break. I'm still… a guy, Lou."

"You're… Airi," he cut in quickly. "Guy, girl, whoever you used to be… now you're just you. And I fell for all of that."

I went silent. Those words felt too big for my heart to hold.

After breakfast, we sat on the second-floor balcony, facing the still-empty street. Louise lounged on a deck chair, while I leaned on the wooden railing, trying to calm the storm in my head.

"Do you think… Arven will come back?" I asked softly.

Louise sighed. "Definitely."

"Why do you sound so annoyed about it?"

"Because I know guys like him. Mysterious, knows too much, always hiding something behind his smile."

"But he helped me, Lou."

"I know. But that doesn't mean he's not hiding something."

I turned to look at him. Louise wasn't joking. His jaw was tight—dead serious.

"I just want you to be careful, Airi. I can protect you from outsiders. But if you open your heart too much to someone like him… all I can do is watch you get hurt."

My chest felt heavy.

I walked over and sat on the edge of Louise's chair. He looked surprised when I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Thanks for being jealous," I murmured.

He chuckled. "Weirdest thank-you ever."

"I'm serious. Your jealousy… made me feel loved. It made me feel… like I matter."

He turned and kissed the top of my head. "You're not just important. You're my entire world."

We sat in silence.

The evening breeze began to blow, carrying the scent of wood from the shop next door. As I closed my eyes, a warm feeling started to spread through my chest. But this time… it wasn't from Louise.

I jerked slightly. My body trembled a little. Louise immediately noticed.

"Airi?"

"There's… something. In my chest… it's warm. Like it's glowing."

I pressed my hand to my chest. My breathing quickened. Then suddenly, beneath my shirt—right above my collarbone—a faint light started to shine.

Louise stood up, panicked. "That mark again?"

I nodded, trying to steady my shaking. Louise scooped me up and rushed me back to our room, laying me on the bed.

"Breathe… deep breaths, Airi. Don't let your emotions mess with the energy."

I clutched the sheets tightly. "I don't know what's happening…"

Louise looked down at me, gently wiping my forehead with a damp cloth.

"Maybe this is the result of your training starting to sync with your past memories."

I stared into his eyes. "If I change… will you still stay?"

He didn't even hesitate. "I don't care who you are. Human, reincarnated soul, ancient spirit… if you're Airi, I'm staying."

I smiled weakly. "I hope I'm strong enough to handle it all."

"If you fall, I'll catch you. But I know… you'll stand on your own."

Slowly, the shaking stopped. The light on my skin faded, though the warmth lingered. Like my soul was forming something—something unknown.

Louise took my hand. "You know? Even when you're glowing… you still look cute."

I lightly pushed his shoulder. "You always know how to embarrass me."

"Because I like you when you're shy."

I giggled softly. "And I like you… when you're not biting me."

Louise raised an eyebrow. "But you didn't complain last night."

I pulled the blanket up to my chin. "Don't do it again!"

We laughed together.

And behind all the teasing… something was growing between us—more than lust, more than protector and protected. A silent acknowledgment.

That no matter what happens…

We'll face it together.