NOVPUB
Chapter 40: Bran
Zayn couldn’t lie.
He had always wanted something like this to happen.
A busty, hot nun confessing to him?
That was straight out of a game — one of those fantasy RPGs where the healer always had an insane figure and a secretly fiery personality.
And yet —
Here he was.
Not in a game.
Not in a dream.
But in real life, lying in bed, with Elisse practically on top of him, her body so damn close, her lips brushing against his as if she was just waiting for him to claim them.
His heart was racing, his head spinning from everything that had just happened, but despite that —
He smiled.
With a nod, he whispered the words he didn’t even realize he had been holding back.
"I love you too."
Elisse’s eyes widened, her lips parting slightly, but then —
She pinned him down.
Her hands pressed against his chest, her soft, brilliant breasts molding against him, and Zayn felt his body heat up in ways that had nothing to do with his injuries.
’Holy hell —’
His brain short-circuited.
This wasn’t just some fantasy scenario anymore —
This was real.
And the way she looked at him, the warmth of her breath against his lips, the subtle tremble in her fingers —
It made something deep in him stir.
He was about to close the distance, to finally capture her lips, to turn this beautiful, emotional moment into something even more unforgettable —
Knock.
Zayn froze.
Elisse froze.
"Zayn?" Bran’s voice came from the other side of the door. "You awake?"
Zayn’s entire soul screamed in agony.
’Kiss-blocked? Does that even exist?!’
Elisse jerked away, sitting up far too quickly, her face flushed, her hands trembling slightly as she wiped her eyes, composing herself.
"You can come in," she said, her voice calm and collected — as if she hadn’t just been pressing her entire body against him a second ago.
Zayn inwardly screamed.
Bran walked in, completely oblivious to what he had just ruined.
And Zayn?
Zayn laid there, staring at the ceiling, wondering if there was a god out there that hated him.
Bran pulled up a chair beside the bed, arms crossed.
His face was serious, but there was something off about his expression.
"How’re you feeling?" he asked.
Zayn sighed, trying to push the burning frustration in his chest aside.
"I feel like someone shoved their hand into my guts and started playing with my insides."
Bran winced. "Well, considering you got stabbed through the stomach, I’d say that’s fair."
Zayn grimaced. Right. That.
Elisse, who had been sitting quietly, glared at Bran. "He doesn’t need that reminder, Bran."
Bran shrugged, leaning back. "Just saying. You’re lucky to be alive."
Zayn shifted slightly under the covers, testing his own body.
The pain was still there, a dull ache that pulsed with every breath, but compared to what he’d felt when the monster’s tentacle impaled him, this was nothing.
It was manageable.
"What happened after I blacked out?" Zayn asked, looking between Bran and Elisse.
Bran ran a hand through his hair. "Well... we disposed of the monster and made sure it was completely dead."
Zayn blinked. "That’s it?"
Bran scoffed. "What do you mean, ’that’s it’?! It was a B-rank boss! The damn thing nearly wiped us out!"
Zayn smirked. "But we still won."
Bran grumbled, crossing his arms. "Only because of you. Besides you haven’t told me how you came back from death and slashed it. Tobias was mostly surprised."
Zayn’s smirk widened.
And fell shortly after.
But his thoughts went to one person, Tobias...
Now that Bran mentioned it, he hadn’t seen him since he woke up.
"He okay?"
Bran’s lips pressed into a thin line. "...He hasn’t left his room since we got back."
Zayn frowned. "That bad?"
Bran nodded. "I think he blamed himself for what happened to you. The guy doesn’t really do well with losing people — or almost losing them, I guess."
Zayn felt a pang in his chest.
Tobias was the type to act cool and composed, but Zayn had always known there was more to him than that, especially from the novel.
"I’ll talk to him," Zayn said, pushing himself up —
Only for Elisse to slam him back down.
"Oh, no, you don’t," she scolded, her voice sharp. "You are not getting out of this bed."
Zayn blinked up at her, momentarily distracted by the way her chest pressed against his arm.
Elisse didn’t seem to notice — or maybe she did, and just didn’t care.
"You almost died, Zayn," she said, her eyes locking with his, voice firm but tinged with something else — something fragile.
Zayn swallowed.
Zayn exhaled, his expression softening. "...Alright. I’ll stay put."
Elisse released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and slowly pulled away.
Bran, who had been watching the entire exchange with raised brows, suddenly stood up, stretching.
"Well, I can see where this is going, so I’m gonna head out."
Zayn glared at him. "Where what is going?"
Bran grinned. "Oh, nothing. Just, y’know, wouldn’t wanna get in the way of your moment."
Zayn was going to kill him.
Elisse, on the other hand, had turned completely red. "Bran!"
Bran just laughed, walking toward the door.
"Anyway, rest up, man. We’ll talk later."
He opened the door, stepping halfway out before pausing.
"Oh, and Zayn?"
Zayn narrowed his eyes. "What?"
Bran smirked. "Next time you wanna make out with Elisse, maybe lock the door first."
Zayn grabbed the nearest pillow and hurled it at him.
Bran dodged, cackling as he disappeared down the hall.
Zayn groaned, rubbing his temples. "I hate that guy."
Elisse, still bright red, covered her face with her hands.
Zayn sighed, glancing at her before looking back up at the ceiling.
He was still mentally cursing Bran when he heard the click of the lock turning.
His breath hitched.
Elisse had gotten up, walked to the door, and —
Locked it.
His eyes widened.
She turned back to him, arms crossed beneath her ample chest, her expression caught between embarrassment and determination.
"He’s right, you know," she said. "If we’re going to... do this, we should lock the door."
