Chapter 162: Interrupted
Chapter 162: Interrupted
The knock came again, firmer this time.
"Miss? Is everything all right in there?"
The attendant’s voice was polite but clearly curious. Saraphina froze completely, still on her knees, Andras’s cock still in her mouth. Her eyes widened in pure panic. She pulled back at once, a thin strand of saliva briefly connecting her lower lip to the head before it broke. Her face was already flushed; now it burned hotter.
Andras remained outwardly calm. Internally, a flicker of irritation cut through him at the interruption. The timing was poor, and the attendant’s persistence was unnecessary. He pushed the feeling aside and simply tucked himself away with steady hands, refastening his trousers as if nothing unusual had happened. His breathing was only slightly heavier than normal.
Saraphina scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping on the hem of the new dress. She wiped the back of her hand quickly across her mouth, then tried to smooth her hair and the front of the dress at the same time. Her hands were shaking.
Andras stepped closer to the door and answered in an even voice.
"We’re fine. We’ll be out shortly."
There was a short pause on the other side.
"Of course. Please take your time."
Footsteps retreated.
Silence returned to the fitting room.
Saraphina stood with her back partially turned to him, one hand still pressed against her mouth. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Her heart was still beating too fast, and the reality of what they had been doing—and how close they had come to being discovered—sat heavily in her chest.
Andras watched her for a moment.
"You can breathe," he said quietly. "She’s gone."
Saraphina let out a shaky breath and finally lowered her hand. When she glanced at him, her expression was a mess of residual embarrassment, lingering heat, and clear frustration.
"That was— I can’t believe—" She stopped, pressed her fingers to her forehead, then dropped them again. "That was too close. What if she had opened the door?"
"She didn’t."
"But she could have." Her voice was tighter than usual. "We were in a shop, Andras. A shop. Anyone could have—"
"No one did."
She turned fully toward him, face still red. "You’re not even a little concerned?"
"Being concerned after the fact is useless."
Saraphina stared at him for a second, then looked away again, toward the mirror. Her reflection showed flushed cheeks, slightly swollen lips, and hair that was no longer neat. She quickly tried to fix it with her fingers, movements clumsy and hurried.
"I look ridiculous," she muttered.
"You don’t."
"Don’t say that just to—" She stopped herself, exhaled sharply, and smoothed the front of the dress instead. "We should leave. Before anyone else comes."
"All right."
She hesitated, then her eyes flicked down toward the front of his trousers before she could stop herself. The earlier strain was less obvious now, but not completely gone. Her face heated all over again.
"...Are you still...?"
"I’ll manage," Andras said. His tone remained matter-of-fact. "Unless you want to continue somewhere else."
"No." The answer came too quickly. She shook her head, then added more quietly, "Not here. Not today. I can’t."
He gave a small nod, accepting it without argument.
They left the fitting room a minute later. Saraphina kept her gaze mostly forward as they walked back toward the front of the shop, hyper-aware of every person they passed. The attendant smiled politely and asked if the dress was suitable. Andras answered that they would take it. Payment was handled quickly. Saraphina barely heard the exchange; she was too busy trying not to look as flustered as she felt.
Outside, the late afternoon light had softened. The streets were still busy. Saraphina walked beside him in silence for a while, arms slightly drawn in, thoughts clearly tangled.
Eventually she spoke, voice quieter and more uneven than usual.
"I didn’t expect the day to go like that."
"I know."
"I mean it." She glanced at him, then quickly away. "One moment we were just... talking. Looking at clothes. And then suddenly I was—" She cut herself off, cheeks coloring again. "You make things move very quickly."
"You could have said no."
"I know that." Her voice dropped. "That’s the problem."
Andras looked at her but didn’t press.
They continued walking. After another stretch of quiet, he asked,
"Do you want to return to the Academy?"
Saraphina considered it. Part of her wanted the safety of familiar ground and the chance to lock herself in her room. Another part was still too unsettled to face other students or normal conversation.
"Not immediately," she said.
Andras nodded once.
"Then we’ll walk for a while."
They turned down a quieter side street. The noise of the main roads faded. Saraphina’s steps gradually steadied, though she still kept a little more distance between them than usual. Whenever her thoughts drifted back to the fitting room—the weight of him on her tongue, the sound she had made, the knock—her face warmed all over again.
After several minutes she spoke, almost reluctantly.
"You were very calm when the knock came."
"Panicking wouldn’t have helped."
"I know. It’s just..." She trailed off, then shook her head. "I nearly fell over trying to stand up. You just... fixed your clothes and answered the door like we were discussing fabric."
"There was no reason to do otherwise."
"Most people aren’t like that."
"I’m aware."
She glanced at him sideways, still looking slightly exasperated and embarrassed at the same time.
"You’re impossible."
"You’ve said that before."
"I’m saying it again."
A faint, almost invisible curve touched the corner of Andras’s mouth, then disappeared.
They walked a little further in silence. The sky had begun to take on the softer colors of early evening. Mana lamps along the street were starting to brighten.
Eventually Saraphina stopped near a low stone railing that overlooked a small public garden. She rested her hands on the cool stone and stared out at the trees, as if the ordinary view might settle her thoughts.
"This doesn’t change everything," she said quietly. "You understand that, don’t you? One afternoon doesn’t mean the rest of it suddenly becomes simple."
"I know."
She looked at him, searching his face. "You’re not going to push for more today?"
"No."
The answer seemed to ease something in her shoulders. She looked back toward the garden and let out a longer breath.
"Good. Because I don’t think I could handle anything else right now without making a complete fool of myself."
"You already handled more than you expected."
Saraphina made a small, embarrassed sound that was almost a laugh and covered her face briefly with one hand.
"Please don’t remind me."
They stood there a while longer. The earlier tension had not disappeared, but it had settled into something more manageable—awkward, unfinished, and left hanging between them.
When they finally turned back toward the Academy, the streets had grown quieter. Saraphina walked beside him without the same stiffness as before, though she still glanced away whenever their eyes met for too long.
Andras matched her pace and said nothing further.
The day had gone further than either of them had planned when it began.
For now, that was enough.