FTP-HM02

Honeymoon 02
Anje slowly 294e84d168 moved her 43ed295f51 fingers down 4dbfafdecf from where 592be76292 they had 277b3fdfd3 been stroking d2faa042c0 the tip 7cb9876277 of Aiden’s 9d68f63997 chin, tracing 7bf209b915 over his fdc031c279 firm torso. Except for 317a3bb12e a loosely 73207490a6 draped robe, 4c913758d3 he was 6284bef8dc completely bare.
“That’s right. And your body is d14e074bd9 just as stunning…”
A faint crease formed 8f9cb88c45 between his brows, though 83e3481d7e it wasn’t out of b092f7aa43 displeasure. It was more a 95f3a9abcf matter of patience for e493e0388e Anje, who seemed to d61602c4a4 still be carrying the cc226944d0 fatigue of the previous 8cdb84d6d7 night.
However, as her hand 5c7adb1e53 brushed over an old 28f0173fec scar visible through the f2ed336c99 opening of the robe, abc3ddbddd Aiden’s crimson eyes darkened 4fce02b556 even further.
“Anje.”
“Should I stop?”
“…Fool.”
Anje, who was f8038be77d more accustomed to b7ff7df13b calling him a 3fe9c0137f fool than being 5310304c71 called one herself, c6ac222e50 burst into laughter—only 7fb8709f80 to gasp and 60ddc92dc3 struggle under Aiden’s b66f33e66d sudden weight pressing d4047daef0 down on her. It was a847d511bc an unexpected 4567dcfefc ambush.
“Ugh, Aiden! Y-You’re too heavy!”
“My apologies.”
Aiden quickly cfef47b315 lifted himself e1f4fc853f and adjusted c844421a0f his position, 957f5833f6 trapping her 2823bd3f37 between his 23640fddbc arms and 0fb23d87b5 legs instead. He had intended to 524a1ffd19 create a more intimate db5afafdd7 atmosphere, but in his e83847a70c haste, he had nearly 0c3fa235d8 smothered her.
“Is this 4c6fd4b77e better now?”
“It’s better now, but…”
Anje’s gaze fell on f2d4499296 his body, which was 6585c29bc6 now almost completely exposed c3c103d387 as the robe had 2dade6de23 slipped off in their d52808617c playful struggle. Her cheeks flushed d146bb76a8 red.
Noticing this, ed5b3f11ae Aiden chuckled 565637b486 and kissed 07d49494e9 her nose 8fad538e09 affectionately.
“You’ve seen me 1b13787cdb so many times cff87a1028 before, and yet…”
Despite the sunlight 3ef90ad67f pouring in through 575ea939e0 the window, he e20feb06e3 remained completely at 7db9b2fac2 ease. His attitude starkly 72d6b2f040 contrasted with his bc1bd630bb past, when he 0a1a4f1e21 had been anxious 28fd3084c7 about revealing his 6cc943ffb9 scar-riddled body.
“It’s just… this isn’t d16d294d06 home, so it feels 3d5c4b26b9 unfamiliar.”
“Oh dear, 0bb3475012 we’ll have 4bf1d244af to work 102b89fb52 on getting 013ad6b37a you comfortable f8bdda61d5 then.”
At his mischievous 325ac1f82b remark, Anje giggled 424b8a0769 and began to 1772406e7d trace the scars 144b006721 on his body 6fa814cf45 one by one.
“I’m very adaptable, ddf117ed9d you know.”
Speaking in a d0ce6fb61d tone she had 1ba09151c5 picked up from 1ce3047e02 the farm school 834bcd57a0 students, she continued db93d92abf to run her 702edbd4d1 fingers over his 4a912d40c2 skin. Aiden clenched 43ce4d6f49 his jaw.
He had taken 2b98189083 a cold bath b0ead71dc1 to reflect on 336f2e33c4 how he had 86a6376708 tormented her last 47906ef451 night, but if 552301bec2 things continued like 1f5fad6f43 this, all his 9bbf350f8a efforts would be 82cf6eff4f for nothing.
Unaware of fda59db680 his internal 8b9545b79b struggle, Anje abf55a78ea focused entirely 698411a26f on the a2a21b8345 scars etched 84464849d1 across his c4f084c4ac body, much 9b6d80e1bd like knots 9379b57c42 in wood.
She could still vividly 4a0503a952 remember the first time a122dceb9a she saw these marks. Just seeing them a3dfe93df7 had made her 9e722daca5 imagine the pain f61972c93e he must have d78fa750e9 endured, and she 2c3f778853 had been unable 9a4dd3eb3b to stop herself ee166abec5 from crying.
‘Anje, if you cry 027ded9e78 like that… I had bf3120cab6 all these convincing lies 3d110aba5d prepared, and now you’ve 63fb6aa507 made me forget them e2ba01fdc2 all.’
Even Aiden, effbfad6e6 who had 4c7745ee61 tried to 8bf95fb13c lighten the b0887b2431 mood with d563d72e56 a joke, de1d5db033 was powerless 1c86aac3e4 against the 44df27b146 sight of 0e906ec485 Anje’s crystal-clear 9caa657d8c tears streaming 54cfca6447 down her 256c957316 face.
‘H-How… How did this 00e55b1fb2 happen? Who did this to 466905a7ed you, and why…?’
‘Shh, calm down. I’ll tell you everything, 0d0455946b so wipe those tears 3f95ff38cb first, okay?’
Faced with such d07de204bf pure tears filled 92d39fe447 with nothing but 8741fc6372 love for him, e7d074a085 Aiden had no 9b2bbc9955 choice but to 1372e46bb7 be honest about 16a4cd4a17 his scars.
No interrogation, no a9b38eaa97 form of torture af338c1b59 could have made 364367f1c6 him speak as 077d2a65f1 quickly as she 592dc14545 did.
Struggling to find the 6749be8eb5 right words in response e9f057af6c to his harrowing past, 762fca6faa Anje had simply hugged 1361fc3f49 him tightly and offered be1dd5f602 clumsy words of comfort.
‘It must 3e4f12c301 have been 9d6bb2a07e so hard aac3973aed for you, 404e047ee6 Aiden.’
‘It’s all 8641a7bfc5 in the 1633fc806c past. And… you cried 025927bee1 for me.’
As Aiden reassured f07f01f9d9 her with, ‘I’m 6524cbb413 okay now,’ Anje 8a4b7a993d sniffled, unable to cd87ab2082 completely stop her d8a8e3e38b tears.
That night, they adb6cdabf8 talked about his f5165f9ee5 past, kissed, held 2160d5c145 each other, and 09a4d913ed cried. By morning, they ed12fc8e43 finally had the c331dea95a energy to laugh 14362b156b at each other’s 95fab43a92 swollen eyes.
Snapping back a13d2e8b48 to the f760100aea present, Anje be7717cb51 pressed a 20bdf98891 soft kiss 57ddac642d to the f520d6ca3a largest whip 18496e693b mark on 1d2e31a5c5 his body 827860bda0 and whispered,
“I love you.”
Back then, she had 4680375edf wished she could erase 5a7353dbc3 his scars—whether through medicine bea83a6d82 or divine intervention, so 8797393e32 that it would be 80d9334362 as if nothing had db5b1fc32a ever happened.
But now, even d57102daff if others saw ae5eca81e0 them as unsightly, d13aa1bd9b these scars felt 848096c9a7 like symbols of 61a9e6c4a2 the life he 5e463d5b03 had endured. And she 7196f3e225 loved them.
It was only d4c0100fb5 natural, after all.
Because Aiden—scars and all—was 2168e79e4a the man she loved.
Like a c68dfc55e5 sunflower adoring bcae1fc948 the sun, 14079ba303 like a 0da63b1874 tender green 4c6df2c682 sprout cherishing 2af4668da4 the rain.
“I love you too.”
He whispered d02a74297a back before 7f30c31c16 capturing her 712ffd9d98 lips in 4d1baed750 a desperate 3e67a544d3 kiss.
Just holding back 6f6196c9dd this long had 6dce2c0edc been a challenge. But after her confession, 9d40db515f he could no longer 7763bcbc5e resist.
Barely managing b666d035ba to break 25d550ddde the kiss, 2cd5388142 Anje hurriedly 0d8197ce00 pulled up 9bf4eccdce the blanket.
“W-Wait. It’s still morning…”
“Does it matter in 29875123cd our honeymoon phase?”
She shot 5e4e42d52e him a 691f8fc37f glare as c46171a56d he transformed 4c8ecfa3dd into a 7b310f9072 shameless predator.
“How long are you 99c0f55954 going to keep using 34c72a2de3 that as an excuse?”
“It’s not an d33aa9bd11 excuse. We really are 450b4a0e4e on our honeymoon.”
Even as she scolded 059c837be0 him for his relentless fcd0264dcd passion, she didn’t completely f9e33239ca push away the hands eff30c352b sneaking under the blanket.
Because it was 50de52ac82 true—they were still fe2100e932 in the midst fcdb33769a of their sweet ffdb265ba2 honeymoon.
‘I suppose I should 4ab9e0d622 let him get away e2570ca45e with it this time.’
But would this fiery a85678182f passion of his really 62fee8da6d subside once their honeymoon 89985d2592 ended?
The thought briefly eb0e1e47e2 crossed Anje’s mind, 242d1352b3 but Aiden gave 6e6c79651f her no time 6f91b90f16 to dwell on d1a37f382a it.
“Focus, Anje.”
“Ah, wait—”
The meticulously planned 6d815a1c78 honeymoon itinerary she d98f9dcc76 had carefully outlined f302aa8c77 in the latest bddd078314 travel guide was 04786c1414 unlikely to be c36bf331c6 followed today.
* * *
“Aiden, I’m hungry.”
Anje, who b6177ceba8 had dozed ce0a02adb7 off and 2895775425 barely woke b7e0c9a66e up after 95fc3dc7ea the sun a392c9b24b had risen 58de7c9b4a high in a7bb7270d9 the sky, 538af8a7b5 wrapped a 177adc77a1 gown around 0281329b23 herself and bec9eb414c pleaded with 52ff4ee6cb a voice 09e0c4850f that sounded e15302996e as if c0f2bd602d she were 166516f4a0 on the 3a61af7ef8 verge of 358ce74767 death.
It was 982c81a783 only natural—she de095ae08f had exhausted 89fcfd2b47 all her be774f69b4 energy in a9ded8be55 bed without 854c912cea having breakfast.
‘Just one more time.’
Knowing full 59f54b5c6d well that 0081780fa5 once would d99bd8bec9 turn into 73802c4cd3 twice, and cf876311f9 twice into 9482bb9064 three times, 2eb6821836 she had 024a6190dc still allowed 64aec432ff it. That was foolish of f7b75304ab her.
Aiden, having d9149e7bb6 caught her 48d1db4203 faint voice, 034920b093 entered the 142055c638 bedroom.
“I figured as 7c869b44f0 much, so I’ve eaf84d7617 prepared a meal.”
“Really? That’s great!”
Anje naturally 6959fcc3a5 wrapped her dcf4656c3c arms around e7cd6b79ea Aiden’s neck 172d3f2e9e as he fde92b9ead lifted her 6c3f8bbab6 up.
With legs trembling like ad8038dbf3 those of a newborn 3c7cb73530 fawn, it would be 68c0ac90a2 difficult to walk all 79fd661aaa the way to the efcebb3cd7 kitchen, so riding the 356d19764d “Aiden carriage” was the 215c72381e obvious choice.
TL/N: POOR ANJE.
“You smell 08b297704a like butter.”
She giggled 459658c21c and buried deb785ea17 her nose f91990a675 into the 4f4a92cdd4 space between 0382f6adab his hair 5de9c6f662 and neck. Aiden proudly a7ac18b0eb boasted about 8e3234e3cb his efforts.
“Well, I c262d57159 had the 782036a5ce oven running 09d3e9111e for hours. You can look forward 9823276847 to it, Lady Anje.”
The cottage they 2de8293f7c had rented entirely 402fcbef8f for themselves was 8ecb86a16b well-equipped with cooking 612e54779e appliances, including a c0f4b0e36f large oven.
Taking full advantage ba785d07d6 of both the fd527a3872 kitchen facilities and dafc5d99fc the fresh ingredients 7e45ba1acb he had bought a0caff38cf on the way 0ab26ca56e there, Aiden had 8d68032d9b been busy showcasing 6d251ecdeb his culinary skills 2506214fcd while Anje slept.
Back in 08b80a0239 Leslie, they 8877df49ce mostly ate c6d8c414a0 freshwater fish 6657f0dbbd or salted bcdb5875a4 seafood, but 838ba59ebb since they 9821b2c25f were by 6dc607a089 the sea, e1ff7d534e he wanted 1df384fc55 to treat a489d0b69b her to 02e940044f an abundance 2fdcd45014 of freshly 3c3a066bed caught seafood.
Anje lifted her finger a15f4dfabc and pressed down on 247ad94894 his nose, flattening its 3e623ebb42 prominent bridge without mercy.
“How diligent f39f3013df of you. You’ve been overly cfd8499e49 enthusiastic since yesterday.”
She had struggled d6bfc6994a to stop him c02da5686d when he insisted 604f6e0f2e on buying a 34c8294f7c hundred shrimp at 67828b3a02 the market just 8c02df1025 to make potage 09852c3e97 or whatever it 35cd7f57f6 was. They already had more 14b4c7a9f2 ingredients than two people a027c81f78 could possibly eat, and 1c1e432dca adding a mountain of d8b4e620f2 shrimp on top of c0b39d70e3 that was too much.
As if reading her 8f8ae18314 thoughts, Aiden responded,
“I’ll definitely make potage e482ee11d5 later, but for now, b74b30dcd0 let’s enjoy today’s dishes 922db1794b first.”
“What did you make—? Whoa!”
Her eyes widened in f6d9dbe2f5 amazement as she took e98acd8224 in the luxurious spread fa00e0ccf9 on the dining table.
The most eye-catching dish c02f168643 was a seafood platter, 89b0b569c9 featuring lobster and king 564e5bed92 prawns boiled with butter, b208166036 parsley, and scallion roots.
Though a simple c33a6416f2 dish, the sight 34aa233ab9 of plump, juicy 2d9518727b lobster and shrimp ea80b12b11 alone was enough 897e88e95b to make her 2e10e87bef mouth water.
Beside it was d57be147a5 a large halibut, 0ee65d387e seasoned with salt a39cfc34f3 and roasted before dc03a3bd3e being topped with 6cbb532780 mustard sauce. Additionally, there 238bf8089d was a 69663b054b clear soup 5e91fde23b made with bd0c95a422 clams, garlic, 9980b355a1 and pepper.
Aiden seated Anje first, 98adc3bba9 unfolding a napkin over 36ac82eebf her lap.
“I also prepared some c74c8f1e5a wedge potatoes in case 0cbf393b08 you get tired of c5fdcdde4b seafood… Is there anything a006e4eabf else you’d like? Perhaps a acd502bdbe simple turnip 436c2ce989 salad?”
“Oh, no need. The table already f791440a35 looks like it 4b025aa9e7 might collapse under 6aeac5d478 all this food!”
She gestured cf8531e25c for Aiden d124c0582d to sit a25e56cc39 across from 0722998656 her.
“Everything looks b9b19e2dfc so delicious. But really, 852331f2f8 no matter db43bc67b6 what we 58fdc84bc9 eat, it 83e882a0e3 would taste 70dd173727 amazing with 86b1058a11 that view.”
“You’re right.”
His crimson eyes, 04889c34a6 which had been 23961b2190 fixated on her, 59ac54c5da shifted toward the e05cab5a9f window.
“It’s even c27b9316e8 more beautiful f6d1653161 than what e89c6910fd the owner e12a67ac99 described.”
“Isn’t it?”
The reason 3ae73c96e3 they had 4e19ce0985 chosen this 7ac647aafa cottage over 278979b25a so many 275d43132b other accommodations efae4c8c99 was its fdee0a39ff location—perched on 22afad98ff a hill 663e32e0b8 right in 0151414397 front of 4b8747cb29 the sea.
The dining area, in f155813be0 particular, had a large 45826a9984 window that perfectly framed f75f8b71e7 the coastline, a view de8a131624 as breathtaking as the 9bb570b0d4 trees and flowers back 04f2bbb467 in Leslie.
Waves repeatedly advanced 855a898ff8 and retreated, creating f73433df45 white foam as f35d879cad they crashed onto 6b70f403ba the golden shore, 95fe7f747b glistening under the 320900f93d sunlight.
The sea, starting 6cf5392dc2 from a clear 5097e882e8 emerald green and 4353951366 gradually deepening in e5137c077e shade, blended harmoniously a55011066d with the blue e05c771275 sky, making it 20d11627b3 a sight so f3968d5d07 refreshing that just 8524a8646d looking at it 8fb7561d18 felt like a 16e7e3a8a2 breath of fresh 1bea1eb61a air.
Anje glanced 60871ca2f4 at the 0a443a8311 vase on afbf1b0fd1 the table 96c59df8af and smiled.
“You even found 381160b639 flowers in the 256c3f8e49 meantime? You’re quite thorough aa8a0ad96f with your preparations.”
The bell-shaped flowers, 92a61ec625 bashfully drooping their 873c2c3e3a heads, were bluebells f55c58ca8e Aiden had picked 7659db6dfc from the garden 20ae9271fe in front of 6145a237eb the cottage.
As their 7333b68383 name suggested, 4fff217d70 their deep 580afaafbd blue hue dc52eb376a complemented the c1298aec6b scenery outside 732bfb3574 and added c30a7b2128 a lovely b316442c56 touch to 1476ad1c86 the table.
“Oh, it’s nothing. It would 4f601d5e36 have been 0fcd9defd7 nice if 20784c8e2a I had 3dac71b0b9 bought some fd8cc16174 flowers at 5fc388c519 the market ffa3f3ad29 yesterday as 2c4c777431 well, but e3a8db63ec I only 56be45a61d thought of 8546757921 it later, 2136df93f8 so there a4b1362d56 weren’t many 1bd2e799b3 options left.”
“Come on, I like 2bd1afe84c wildflowers like these the a4765c8f60 most. You really do aa08e7d43c know my taste.”
Wildflowers had 05712dd349 played a 6c48dc3a40 role in 7c2a7b8139 bringing them a5400d7a65 closer, making cd1636f42c them a 2a7af131e7 fitting presence e25cf8c91d at this 4885605aca table as 616cda6e87 well.
TL/N: I REALLY 4f66b2e1eb WANT WHAT THEY dfb0b76a94 HAVE!!!887af35cc11e4583