Chapter 136 - Making Out At Midnight

Winter stares at Marcellus for a moment.

Even though he's just woken up, he still looks immaculately dashing. Beaming down on his perfectly chiseled sculpture is the glimmering, coruscant ray of moonlight that's seeping through the wall window behind her, making him appear so enchanting that it dazzles her. Even the brightness of the moon can never compare to the brilliance of the sun that is his smile.

She remained so mesmerized that she didn't snap out of it until he started talking again.

"Your brother was here a few hours ago," he informed her. 

"August was here?" she blurted out, taken aback.

"Yeah. You were sleeping then. He didn't want to wake you up, so he only stayed for several minutes before he went back to the Middleton's estate.."

"Wait, what? Why did you let him? You do know that Uncle and Aunt are-"

"Don't worry. I already told him about the plan. He had to go back to get your things. You'll be moving out with him tomorrow morning."

Marcellus could still recall how August looked at that time. 

Even though he somehow succeeded in getting to his good side, his mood still ended up taking a bad turn after he heard everything that had happened. There was a killer look in his eyes, and the air around him was foreboding. For a long fraction of time, he stayed looking like he's about to create a bloodbath. That's until he went to check on his sleeping younger sister at her room.

August's whole expression softened upon seeing Winter resting soundly.

"I understand that you're on our side, Mr. Lexington, and I trust that you have good intentions. For that, I'm willing to go with your plan and cooperate however you want me to. However, there's only one thing that I'm afraid I can't accept…" was what he said to Marcellus while he stood at the side of her bed and patted her head. 

"I can't allow you two to live together even if she has agreed to it. Instead, I can just move out with her and find a place near where you're living."

So, in other words, being their neighbor is as far as he can go.

Though Winter looks disappointed after hearing that, she doesn't seem to be that surprised. Marcellus simply smiles reassuringly, telling her that it's much better than them staying in the Middleton's estate. He also can't blame August for coming up with that decision.

If anything, he's glad that he's looking out for her this much. 

"There's still a lot that I have to explain to you, but for now…" he continued before he took her hand and made her sit beside him.

"I want to ask you how you're feeling."

"Oh, ummm… I'm good, I guess. No nightmares, thankfully…" she replied, feeling a little timid all of the sudden.

"I really owe you a lot, Sir Lexington. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't know what to do. I didn't expect that Bianca would move this way. She must've become really desperate now." 

"I still couldn't stomach what happened to you. If I could, I would've finished them off once and for all." 

"Please, don't. Revenge isn't what I'm seeking. It's true that I'm more than livid, but I'm not going to go that far – I'm not going to let you dirty your hands."

Marcellus falls silent then, expression contemplative. Winter also keeps quiet, giving both of themselves some time to think.

That's until her eyes land on his hands that're clasped together. It's a sign that he's deep in thought – a kind of premonition. Then again, he rarely gets this serious, and when he does, he's sure to flip the world upside down. She doesn't want him to push himself that hard, but at this point, she can no longer find the words to reassure him – to convince him that she got everything handled and she's still in control.

That's because she no longer has it handled nor is she still in control. 

Even then, she wants to tell him that she'll always be by his side, and that is by reaching her hands out and grasping his – an action that startled him. Only then did she notice how small her hands are. They barely cover his huge ones.

"What's the matter, Winter?" Marcellus asked, baffled.

"Nothing. I just wanna hold you," Winter answered sheepishly. 

"Oh, are you feeling cold? Want me to bring you something warm to drink?"

"N-No, it's not that."

"What about a blanket? Or should I lower the room's temp?" 

Embarrassed, she can't help but blush fiercely.

She can't believe how dense he suddenly is. On any other day, he would've taken the gesture as her attempt to flirt. Right now, though, she doesn't know if he seriously has no clue or he's just messing with her.

"Your hands are cold…" he said as he squeezed her hands, genuinely concerned. 

"Wait here. I'll get you something-" 

Right when Marcellus was about to stand up, Winter suddenly pulled him back down and leaned in to capture his lips, catching him completely off guard.

His eyes went as wide as saucers while his breath hitched. He had to double-take – had to register what's happening. But as soon as it sank down to him that she really was kissing him, he realized that all of it was real – and that sometimes, reality could be much better than dreams.

He swears his heart burst out right there and then. 

Her plump, pink lips are so soft against his. He can feel her soothing warmth envelop him as she wraps her arms around his neck. In return, he puts his own around her waist, tilting his head and leaning lower to get a better angle. 

It takes a moment more before all of it completely dawns on him – their intimate closeness, her sweet touch, and this loving gesture of hers.

Marcellus has to remind himself over and over again that this isn't some sort of fantasy - one that he dreams about all the time. He has to remind himself that Winter was the one who initiated contact this time, which made him very, very happy. 

Fluttering his eyes closed, he then gently holds the side of her face with one hand and tightens his grasp around her waist with the other, pulling her near enough to express his intention to never let go. There are no words that can describe what he's feeling right now. Just as much as his emotions are getting too uncontainable, everything about this moment is so good that it's unbearable.

Winter, on the other hand, has felt sparks and butterflies time and again. 

She imagines fireworks flying through her vision the moment he returns the kiss with zeal and passion. He's kissing her slowly, and it's definitely dizzying. She shudders a little at how his lips move against hers - eager and fervent yet soft and gentle at the same time.

Winter tilts her head to capture his kisses more easily. Marcellus delightedly responds to this by letting out a moan before continuing to savor her lips with a blissful look on his face.

Time seems to still then.

Everything feels perfect.

The night is getting deeper, and so is he. 

She finally realizes that it's what he's been doing all along. He's diving further and further, deepening their kiss by enveloping her lips with so much thirst and hunger.

While she may be the one who started this whole thing, she can feel herself beginning to waver from his unrelenting onslaught of affection. Her body is quivering at this point - almost as if she's losing strength from how intense his kisses are getting.

"S-Sir Lexington," Winter called out breathlessly, but Marcellus was still not finished.

She tried to talk against his mouth, but he keeps swallowing down her words. Even though he's holding her like a fragile piece of glass, he's kissing her so heatedly that it's getting too much for her heart. 

"M-Marcellus."

Eventually, Marcellus notices that Winter is starting to tremble. 

He backs away and takes a look at her, his half-lidded, glazing eyes brimming with so much love and fondness. She has turned into a bright blushing mess, and he smiles, taking pride in his work.

"You're so beautiful, Winter," he said before leaning in again and kissing her on the cheek.

"G-Geez, you're going to give me a heart attack at this rate," she quipped with a giggle. 

"It's your fault. You started this."

He can't deny it at all - that she lit up a fire within him. Back then, he never thought he'd be able to feel something so passionate, but now, he realized that such a strong emotion was deep within him all along. He just needed one certain brunette to wake it up for him.

"What was that, by the way…?" he chuckled while he cupped her cheek, still finding it hard to believe. 

"You really took me by surprise there-"

Then, all of the sudden, Marcellus recalled that Winter had just a traumatizing experience a while ago, which made him cut himself off and pull his hand away.