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Maelle slumped against the tree trunk, bark rough against her forehead, each breath ragged and wet in her chest. Her throat burned raw from holding back sounds that wanted to tear free. Behind her, past the trees, Sciel's laughter rang out from their camp — bright, careless, wrong. The sound made Maelle's stomach twist into knots. How dare they laugh? How dare the world keep spinning when Gustave was gone?
玛埃尔瘫靠在树干上，粗糙的树皮抵着她的前额，每一次呼吸都带着胸腔里湿重的抽痛。她喉咙灼烧般疼痛，强忍着那些想要冲破束缚的哭喊。身后树林外，熙艾尔的笑声从营地传来——明亮、漫不经心、刺耳得令人发指。那声音让玛埃尔的胃绞成一团。他们怎么敢笑？古斯塔夫都不在了，这个世界怎么敢继续运转？
Her fist struck bark. Again. Again. Until her knuckles split and blood smeared the rough surface.
她的拳头砸向树皮。一下。又一下。直到指关节开裂，鲜血涂抹在粗糙的树皮上。
The memories ambushed her: Gustave ruffling her hair at breakfast, still half-asleep but smiling. His off-key humming while cleaning his weapons, a habit that used to drive her mad. His calloused hands adjusting her grip on the rapier, 'Not like that, little fox. Like this, gentle but firm. The blade needs to know you respect it.'"
回忆突然袭来：早餐时古斯塔夫睡眼惺忪却带着微笑揉乱她的头发；擦拭武器时走调的哼唱，这个曾让她抓狂的习惯；他粗糙的手调整她握剑的姿势，'不是那样，小狐狸。要这样，轻柔但坚定。剑需要知道你尊重它。'
Gone. All of it gone.
消失了。全都消失了。
A sob ripped from her chest. Her legs gave out, and she slid down, curling into herself against the cold ground. Wet tracks cooled on her cheeks while old leaves crackled beneath her weight. Her fingers clutched at empty air, seeking something, anything to hold onto.
一声呜咽从她胸腔撕裂而出。她的双腿失去力气，整个人滑坐在地，在冰冷的地面上蜷缩成团。泪痕在脸颊上渐渐冷却，陈年枯叶在她身下发出脆响。她的手指抓握着虚空，徒劳地寻找可以抓住的东西，任何东西都好。
A movement between trees caught her eye. Maelle quickly wiped her face with her sleeve, smearing tears with dirt. Verso emerged from the shadows, holding a plate in his hands, steps hesitant.
树丛间的动静吸引了她的目光。玛埃尔迅速用袖子抹了把脸，泪痕混着泥土晕开。维尔索从阴影中走出，手里端着餐盘，脚步踌躇。
"Can I..." He gestured vaguely to the ground beside her.
"「我可以...」他含糊地指了指她身旁的地面。"
Maelle nodded, not trusting her voice. Dried leaves rustled as he settled next to her, keeping a careful distance. Verso's fingers tapped against the plate's edge. Once. Twice. He drew breath as if to speak, then let it out slowly. A twig snapped somewhere in the darkness. An owl called. Verso shifted his weight, disturbing more leaves. His mouth opened, closed, opened again, but no words came.
玛埃尔点点头，不敢信任自己哽咽的声音。干枯的树叶在他坐下时沙沙作响，他谨慎地保持着距离。维尔索的手指在餐盘边缘轻叩。一下。两下。他吸气像是要说话，又缓缓呼出。黑暗中有树枝断裂的脆响。猫头鹰的啼叫划破寂静。维尔索挪了挪身子，惊动更多落叶。他的嘴唇开合两次，最终还是没有发出声音。
"I thought you might..." He cleared his throat, holding out the plate. "Well. Food helps. Sometimes." On it lay chunks of bright pink fruit, cut in awkward, uneven pieces.
"“我想你或许需要...”他清了清嗓子，递出盘子。“吃点东西总没坏处。有时候。”盘子里盛着几块鲜亮的粉色水果，被笨拙地切成大小不一的块状。"
"What is that?" Maelle's voice came out rough.
"“那是什么？”玛埃尔的声音沙哑。"
"Local fruit. It’s called 'pear of sorrows'." Verso's lips quirked up slightly. "It's very sweet."
"“本地水果，叫‘悲伤之梨’。”维尔索的嘴角微微上扬。“很甜。”"
"Pear of sorrows?" "悲伤之梨？"
"Don't ask me why." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "All I know is that it looks exactly like 'pear of joys', which will kill you in about ten minutes." A pause. "Don't ask how I know that either. Esquie might tell you the story someday."
"“别问我为什么。”他若有所思地歪着头，“我只知道它看起来和‘极乐梨’一模一样，那东西能在十分钟内要了你的命。”停顿片刻，“也别问我是怎么知道的。也许哪天埃斯基会告诉你这个故事。”"
Maelle took the plate, its surface cool against her raw knuckles. The fruit gleamed wetly in the darkness, looking almost black instead of pink. She turned to look at the man next to her, studying the white streak in his hair. "So, you really can't die?"
玛埃尔接过盘子，冰凉的盘面贴着她擦伤的指节。黑暗中水果湿漉漉地发着光，几乎呈现出黑色而非粉色。她转头看向身旁的男人，目光落在他发间那缕白丝上。“所以，你真的死不了？”
"Oh, I can die just fine," Verso picked at a loose thread on his sleeve. "I'm quite good at it, actually. Had a whole century of practice." His mouth twitched. "The coming back part is... less fun."
"“噢，我死得可利索了，”维尔索拨弄着袖口一根松脱的线头，“说实在的，我挺擅长这个。练了整整一个世纪呢。”他的嘴角抽动了一下，“但活回来的部分...就不那么有趣了。”"
Leaves whispered overhead.
树叶在头顶沙沙作响。
"Could you have..." Maelle’s voice cracked. "If you'd been there sooner. Could you have saved him?"
"“你本来可以……”玛埃尔的声音哽咽了。“如果你早点到。你能救他吗？”"
"No," Verso's hands stilled. "I'm sorry. I was too late…"
"“不能，”维尔索的双手停滞在半空。“对不起。我来得太迟……”"
Maelle nodded, turning away as fresh tears spilled. Her fingers found a piece of fruit. She forced herself to eat it. The fruit was sweet, sickeningly so. She forced herself to swallow past the tightness in her throat, past the knowledge that Gustave would never taste anything again.
玛埃尔点点头，转身时新的泪水夺眶而出。她的手指碰到一片水果。她强迫自己吃下去。果肉甜得发腻，令人作呕。她强迫自己咽下喉头的哽塞，咽下古斯塔夫再也尝不到任何滋味的事实。
***
Maelle poked at the dying embers with a stick, watching sparks spiral up into the darkness. The night had grown cold enough to see their breath, but nobody wanted to waste wood on a proper fire. Verso sat across from her, legs stretched toward the fading warmth, telling another one of his death stories.
玛埃尔用树枝拨弄渐熄的余烬，望着火星盘旋升入黑暗。夜色已冷得能呵出白气，但没人愿意浪费木柴生旺火。维尔索坐在她对面，双腿伸向残存的暖意，讲述着他又一个关于死亡的故事。
"...so there I am, split clean in half by this nevron. Top part here, bottom part there—" He gestured with his hands, miming the separation. "And I have to somehow drag myself back together before I start healing wrong."
"‘……当时我就这样，被那只涅夫龙干净利落地劈成两半。上半身在这儿，下半身在那儿——’他用手比划着分离的动作，‘我得在愈合错位前，硬生生把自己拖回原处。’"
"You're making this up," Maelle interrupted, but couldn't quite hide the smile tugging at her lips - her first in days.
"‘你胡编乱造，’玛埃尔打断道，却藏不住嘴角扬起的笑意——这是她几天来第一次露出笑容。"
"I wish I was. Still have the scar." He patted his midsection through his coat. "Turns out if you don't line everything up just right, you end up with some interesting internal arrangements."
"‘我倒希望是编的。疤痕还在呢。’他隔着外套拍了拍腹部，‘后来发现要是没对齐，内脏会长成特别有趣的排列。’"
The embers crackled softly. Maelle drew her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them like armor. "At least you get to try again."
余烬轻声噼啪作响。玛埃尔将膝盖蜷到胸前，双臂环抱如同防具。‘至少你还能重来。’
"Mm?" "嗯？"
"When you die. You come back," She jabbed the stick into the coals, sending up angry sparks. "The rest of us just... wait. For the Gommage to take us. That's why I couldn't stay in Lumiere. Everyone there just accepts it. They build their little lives, their little walls, pretending we're not all going to fade away before we even—" She stopped, pressed her lips together. "Before we even get a chance to really live."
"当你死去。你会回来，"她将木棍捅进炭火，激起愤怒的火星。"而我们其他人只能...等待。等待戈马吉将我们带走。这就是为什么我无法留在卢米埃尔。那里的人都坦然接受。他们筑起小小的生活，小小的围墙，假装我们不会在真正活过之前就——"她突然停住，抿紧嘴唇。"在甚至没机会真正活过之前就消逝。"
The stick snapped between her fingers with a sharp crack.
木棍在她指间啪地折断。
Verso watched the way firelight caught in her hair, turning it to liquid copper, the slight tremor in her hands as she dropped the broken pieces. His chest felt suddenly constrained, as if a hand had squeezed his lungs.
维尔索注视着火光在她发间流淌，将青丝染成熔铜般的色泽，看着她颤抖的双手丢下断棍。他的胸腔突然发紧，仿佛有只手攥住了他的肺叶。
"Living takes practice," he said softly. "I'm still learning."
"活着需要练习，"他轻声说道。"我还在学习。"
"Did you leave anyone behind? In Lumiere?" The question slipped out before she could stop it. She kept her eyes fixed on the embers, afraid to look up.
"你有没有留下什么人？在卢米埃？"这个问题在她能阻止自己之前脱口而出。她的目光紧盯着余烬，不敢抬头。
"No." He shifted, coat rustling against leaves. "Never stayed in one place long enough."
"不。"他挪了挪身子，外套擦过树叶沙沙作响。"从没在一个地方久留过。"
"I didn't either." Her fingers found another stick, traced aimless patterns in the ash. "Everyone was so... focused on these little things. First kisses behind Academy walls. Secret meetings in the gardens. Like that's all life had to offer." She swallowed hard. "I told them I was too busy with training to care."
"“我也没在意过。”她的手指又摸到一根树枝，在灰烬中漫无目的地划着图案。“所有人都那么……执着于这些小事。学院墙后的初吻。花园里的秘密约会。好像这就是生活的全部。”她艰难地咽了咽口水。“我告诉他们我忙着训练，没空理会这些。”"
The silence between them stretched like spun sugar, delicate and ready to shatter. A log shifted in the fire, sending up a shower of sparks.
两人之间的沉默像拉长的糖丝般延伸，脆弱得随时会断裂。火堆里一根木柴移位，迸出一簇火星。
"Truth is," her confession came out in a breathy hush, "I just never..."
"“其实，”她的坦白带着气音轻轻飘出，“我只是从来没能……”"
Her words trailed off into silence. She could feel Verso's gaze on her, but couldn't bring herself to meet it, suddenly aware of how childish she must sound. Her fingers dug into the ash, leaving dark crescents under her nails.
她的话语渐渐消失在沉默中。她能感觉到维尔索的目光落在自己身上，却无法鼓起勇气与之对视，突然意识到自己的话听起来多么幼稚。她的手指深深抠进灰烬里，指甲下留下一道道黑色的月牙痕。
"You don't have to explain," Verso said quietly. When she finally looked up, his expression was solemn. Something flickered in his eyes, quick and unreadable in the dying light.
"你不必解释，"维尔索轻声说道。当她终于抬起头时，他的神情肃穆。有什么东西在他眼中一闪而过，在渐暗的光线里转瞬即逝，难以捉摸。
The space between them felt different now, charged with unspoken things. Maelle found herself studying the sharp line of his jaw, the way shadows played across his face, and quickly looked away again, her cheeks warming despite the cold.
他们之间的氛围如今变得不同，充斥着未言之物。玛埃尔发现自己正凝视着他棱角分明的下颌线，看着阴影在他脸上游移，又迅速别过脸去，尽管寒意袭人，双颊却微微发烫。
"I should get some sleep," she muttered, pushing herself to her feet. Dried leaves crunched under her boots as she stepped around the remnants of their fire.
"“我该睡会儿了。”她嘟囔着，撑起身子站起来。靴子踩过篝火余烬时，干枯的落叶在脚下发出碎裂的声响。"
"Maelle." His voice stopped her. She turned, heart stumbling over itself like a drunk trying to dance. Verso hadn't moved, but something in his posture had changed, grown rigid. "Sleep well."
"“玛埃尔。”他的声音让她停住脚步。她转过身，心脏像醉汉跳舞般踉跄跳动。维尔索没有移动，但姿态里有什么东西改变了，变得僵硬。“睡个好觉。”"
She nodded and hurried toward her bedroll. Behind her, she heard him exhale slowly, the sound almost lost in the whisper of wind through trees.
她点点头，匆匆朝自己的铺盖卷走去。身后，她听见他缓缓呼出一口气，那声音几乎被林间沙沙的风声淹没。
Verso waited until her footsteps faded before dropping his head into his hands. The firelight caught the copper of her hair as she walked away, so like their mother's. His chest ached with a feeling he refused to name, refused to even acknowledge.
维尔索等到她的脚步声消失，才将脸埋进双手。她离去时，炉火映照着她铜色的发丝，与母亲如此相似。他胸口翻涌着一种他拒绝命名、甚至不愿承认的情绪。
***
"You're telegraphing again," Verso called out, easily sidestepping her thrust. "I can read your shoulder movement from—" He ducked under her follow-up swing. "—a mile away."
"你又把意图暴露得太明显了，"维尔索轻松侧身避开她的突刺，高声说道，"我隔着——"他低头躲过她紧接着的挥击，"——老远就能从肩膀动作看出你的招式。"
"Maybe," Maelle grinned, spinning to face him, "I want you to read it." She feinted left, then dropped low, sweeping her leg toward his ankles. Verso jumped back with a laugh.
“也许吧，”玛埃尔咧嘴一笑，转身面对他，“我想让你读读看。”她假装向左，随即俯身下蹲，一记扫腿直取他的脚踝。维尔索大笑着向后跳开。
"Getting creative! But still," he caught her next strike with his sword, metal clanking against metal. "Too predictable."
"有创意！不过，"他挥剑挡下她的下一击，金属相撞发出铿锵之声。"还是太容易猜到了。"
They circled each other in the small clearing, boots scuffing against fallen leaves. Their time traveling together had taught her his habits: the way he favored his right side, how his eyes crinkled slightly before a particularly clever move. But he still managed to surprise her more often than not.
他们在小空地上绕着彼此转圈，靴子蹭过落叶。一同旅行的时光让她熟悉了他的习惯：他偏爱右侧的站姿，以及每次使出精妙招数前微微眯起的双眼。但他依然常常出人意料，让她措手不及。
"Alright then," she huffed, blowing a loose strand of hair from her face. "Let's make this interesting."
"好吧，"她气呼呼地说，将一缕散落的头发从脸上吹开。"让我们来点有趣的。"
"Oh?" His eyebrows rose, sword held loosely at his side. "Do tell."
"哦？"他眉毛一挑，剑松松垮垮地垂在身侧。"说来听听。"
"Winner gets a wish. Anything they want, within reason."
"胜者可以实现一个愿望。只要合情合理，任何愿望都可以。"
Verso's stance shifted almost imperceptibly. Something flickered across his face — too quick to catch — before his usual easy smile returned. "Dangerous proposition."
维尔索的站姿几乎难以察觉地变了。有什么东西从他脸上掠过——快得抓不住——随后他惯常的轻松笑容又回来了。'危险的提议。'
"Scared?" "害怕吗？"
"Of you?" He twirled his sword once, settling into a ready position. "Always."
"对你？"他手腕一翻，剑光流转间已摆出迎战姿态。"随时奉陪。"
Maelle moved like lightning, each strike precise and controlled. Her rapier was a blur of motion, forcing Verso to give ground. He recognized the pattern — a variation of form three, but she'd modified it, made it unpredictable. Made it hers.
玛埃尔动如闪电，每次刺击都精准而克制。她的细剑化作一片模糊的残影，逼得维尔索连连后退。他认出了这个套路——第三式的变体，但她做了调整，变得难以预测。变成了她独有的风格。
"Getting slow, old man?" she teased, pressing her advantage.
"动作变慢了，老头子？"她趁机揶揄道。
Verso parried another thrust, admiring despite himself the fluid grace of her movements. She fought like she did everything else, with complete conviction, holding nothing back. Her eyes blazed with concentration, a slight smile playing at her lips. Beautiful and deadly, just like—
维尔索格开又一记突刺，不由自主地欣赏起她行云流水般的优雅动作。她战斗时就像做其他事一样全情投入，毫无保留。她眼中燃烧着专注的光芒，唇角噙着一丝若有若无的笑意。美丽而致命，就像——
The thought died as her blade slipped past his guard, tapping his chest.
这个念头在她刀锋突破他的防御、轻点他胸膛时消散了。
"Dead," she announced triumphantly, chest heaving. A few strands of copper hair had escaped her ponytail, clinging to sweat-dampened temples. "I believe you owe me a wish."
"死了，"她得意洋洋地宣布，胸口剧烈起伏。几缕铜色发丝从马尾辫中散落，紧贴在汗湿的太阳穴上。"我想你欠我一个愿望。"
"That I do." He lowered his sword, trying to ignore the way his heart raced. From exertion, he told himself. Just exertion. "Name it."
"“确实如此。”他垂下剑，试图忽略自己加速的心跳。只是用力过度罢了，他对自己说。纯粹是用力过度。“说吧。”"
Maelle's smile faltered slightly. She glanced around the clearing, suddenly hesitant. "Can we... sit?"
玛埃尔的微笑微微动摇。她环顾空地，突然有些犹豫。"我们能...坐下吗？"
Something in her tone made his stomach twist. They settled on a fallen log, close enough that he could feel the warmth radiating from her still-flushed skin.
她语气中的某种东西让他的胃部一阵绞痛。他们在倒下的原木上坐下，靠得很近，近得他能感受到她仍泛着红晕的肌肤散发出的温热。
"Remember that night, by the fire?" she started, fingers fidgeting with her rapier's hilt. "When I couldn't finish what I was trying to say?"
"‘还记得那个夜晚吗，在篝火旁？’她开口，手指不安地摩挲着细剑柄，‘当我没能把想说的话说完的时候？’"
"I remember." "我记得。"
"I've never..." She swallowed, then lifted her chin, meeting his eyes directly. "I've never been with anyone. And with everything we're facing, all the ways this could end..." Her voice grew quieter. "I don't want to die without knowing what it feels like. To be with someone. And lately I've been thinking... wondering what it would be like. With you."
"我从来没有..."她咽了咽口水，然后抬起下巴，直视着他的眼睛。"我从来没有和任何人在一起过。面对我们现在的一切，所有可能的结局..."她的声音越来越轻。"我不想在不知道那是什么感觉之前就死去。和某人在一起的感觉。最近我一直在想...好奇那会是什么样子。和你一起。"
The ground seemed to give way beneath him. Verso stared at Maelle, blood rushing in his ears. The raw honesty in her voice made his chest ache. Of course. She was young, facing death, wanting to experience life before it was too late. It was so perfectly, painfully her. "Maelle, I…" His voice cracked. "I can't."
地面仿佛在他脚下塌陷。维尔索凝视着玛埃尔，血液在耳中轰鸣。她声音里赤裸的真诚让他胸口发疼。当然。她还年轻，直面死亡，想在为时已晚前体验生活。这如此完美又痛苦地像她。"玛埃尔，我……"他的声音嘶哑了。"我不能。"
"Is it the age difference?" she pressed on, leaning closer. "Back in Lumiere, I'm old enough to have my own children. We're supposed to start families young, before the Gommage—"
"是年龄差距的问题吗？"她继续追问，身子向前倾了倾。"在卢米埃尔，我这个年纪早该有自己的孩子了。我们那儿提倡趁年轻组建家庭，在戈马日之前——"
"No," he cut her off, standing so abruptly the log shifted beneath them. "It's not… God, it's not that."
“不，”他打断她，猛地站起身，身下的圆木都随之晃动。“不是……天啊，不是那样的。”
He couldn't look at her. Couldn't bear to see the hurt and confusion in those familiar eyes. Without another word, Verso turned and disappeared into the trees, hating himself for running, hating himself more for wanting to stay.
他无法直视她。不忍看到那双熟悉眼眸中的伤痛与困惑。维尔索一言不发地转身消失在树林中，既恨自己落荒而逃，更恨内心渴望留下的冲动。
His feet carried him blindly through the darkness until his lungs burned. Until the roaring in his ears drowned out everything else. He slumped against a tree, bark rough against his palms as he slid down to sit among its roots. The night air was sharp with coming frost, but his skin felt fever-hot.
他的双脚盲目地载着他在黑暗中奔逃，直到肺叶灼烧，直到耳中轰鸣淹没一切。他踉跄着靠向一棵树，掌心摩擦着粗糙的树皮滑坐到盘根错节处。寒霜将至的夜风凛冽，他的皮肤却滚烫如发烧。
God, he wanted to say yes. That was the worst part: the sick, twisting knowledge that some part of him had thrilled at her words. The truth of who she was should have been enough. Should have made his stomach turn at the thought. Instead, his chest ached with want, and he had never hated himself more.
天啊，他多想答应。最可怖的莫过于此：胃里翻涌着病态的雀跃，竟因她的话语而战栗。她真实身份本该令他作呕，此刻胸腔却因渴望而抽痛，这份自我厌恶从未如此强烈。
***
The camp settled into evening quiet. Lune had taken first watch, her silhouette barely visible between trees at the perimeter. Sciel disappeared into the night.
营地渐渐沉入夜的静谧。吕涅负责第一班岗哨，她的身影在树林边缘几乎难以辨认。熙艾尔则消失在夜色中。
Verso stirred the pot hanging over their small fire, careful not to let the stew burn. He could feel Maelle's presence behind him, sharpening her rapier with practiced strokes. The familiar sound should have been comforting. Instead, it made him acutely aware of every movement, every breath.
维尔索搅动着悬在小火堆上的锅，小心翼翼地不让炖菜烧焦。他能感觉到玛埃尔就在身后，以熟练的手法打磨着她的细剑。这熟悉的声音本该令人安心，却反而让他敏锐地察觉到她的每一个动作、每一次呼吸。
They ate in near silence, broken only by Esquie's occasional ‘woo’ as he chased fireflies at the edge of camp. Verso kept his eyes on his bowl, though he could barely taste the food. The sooner he could retreat to his bedroll, the better.
他们几乎沉默地吃着饭，只有埃斯基偶尔在营地边缘追逐萤火虫时发出的‘呜’声打破寂静。维尔索始终盯着自己的碗，尽管食不知味。能越早躲进铺盖卷里越好。
"It's good," Maelle said quietly. "The stew."
"很好，"玛埃尔轻声说道。"这炖菜。"
He nodded, not trusting his voice. When she reached for the ladle, their fingers brushed. He pulled back as if burned.
他点了点头，不敢信任自己的声音。当她伸手去拿长柄勺时，他们的手指轻轻相触。他猛地缩回手，仿佛被烫伤一般。
"I think I'll turn in early," he muttered, setting his empty bowl aside. She didn't respond as he made his way to his bedroll, but he could feel her eyes following him.
"“我想早点休息。”他嘟囔着把空碗放到一旁。当他走向铺盖卷时，她没有应答，但他能感觉到她的目光追随着自己。"
Verso was drifting on the edge of sleep when he felt the blanket lift, letting in a rush of cold air. Before he could react, a warm body pressed against his back, small hands sliding around his waist.
维尔索正游离在睡梦边缘时，突然感到毯子被掀开，一股冷风灌了进来。他还来不及反应，一个温暖的身躯便贴上了他的后背，小手环住了他的腰。
A sudden void opened in his chest.
他的胸口突然裂开一道空洞。
"Maelle." His voice came out rough. "What are you doing?"
“玛埃尔。”他的嗓音沙哑，“你在做什么？”
"Keeping warm," she whispered against his shoulder. He could feel her breath through his shirt. "The fire's dying."
“取暖。”她靠在他肩头轻声说。他能透过衬衫感受到她的呼吸。“火要熄了。”
A lie. The night wasn't that cold, and her own bedroll lay just a few feet away. But he couldn't seem to make himself move, couldn't bring himself to push her away. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt.
谎言。夜并没有那么冷，而她的铺盖卷就在几步之外。但他似乎无法让自己挪动，也无法狠心推开她。她的手指蜷缩着攥紧了他的衬衫布料。
"We shouldn't—" "我们不该——"
"Why not?" The question was soft, vulnerable. "You never told me why."
"为什么不呢？" 这个问题问得轻柔而脆弱。"你从未告诉过我原因。"
Verso closed his eyes, fighting against the warmth of her pressed against him, against how right it felt. How wrong it was. "Please," he managed. "Don't ask me that."
维尔索闭上双眼，抵抗着她紧贴自己时传来的温度，抵抗着这种契合感有多正确——又有多错误。“求你了，”他艰难地说道，“别让我回答这个。”
She was quiet for a long moment. Then: "I see the way you look at me sometimes. When you think I'm not watching."
她沉默了很久。然后说道：“有时候我能看到你看我的眼神，就在你以为我没注意的时候。”
His breath caught. She wasn't wrong, and that knowledge burned like poison in his chest.
他的呼吸一滞。她没说错，这个认知如同毒药在他胸口灼烧。
"Maelle." Her name came out like a warning, or a prayer. "You don't understand."
"“玛埃尔。”她的名字被唤出时像一句警告，又像一声祈祷。“你不明白。”"
"Then help me understand." Her fingers tightened in his shirt. "Because I'm tired of pretending I don't feel this. That you don't feel it too."
"那就帮我弄明白。"她的手指紧紧攥住他的衬衫。"因为我厌倦了假装自己感受不到这些。假装你也感受不到。"
He should move. Should put distance between them, should tell her the truth, should do anything except lie here with her warmth seeping into his bones. But when she pressed closer, nose brushing the nape of his neck, his defenses began to crack.
他本该起身。本该拉开两人距离，本该告诉她真相，本该做任何事——除了像现在这样躺着，任她的体温渗入骨髓。可当她贴得更近，鼻尖轻蹭他后颈时，他的防线开始崩塌。
"Look at me," she whispered. "Please."
“看着我，”她轻声说道，“求你了。”
Slowly, knowing he was lost, Verso turned. In the dim firelight, her eyes were impossibly bright. She lifted a hand to his face, fingers trembling slightly as they traced his jaw. He caught her wrist, meaning to stop her, but found himself holding on instead.
维尔索缓缓转身，心知自己已无法回头。在昏暗的火光中，她的眼睛明亮得不可思议。她抬手抚上他的脸颊，手指轻颤着描摹他的下颌线条。他抓住她的手腕，本想阻止，却发现自己反而握得更紧。
"Maelle," he tried one last time, voice hoarse. "We can't—"
"“玛埃尔，”他最后一次尝试，嗓音嘶哑，“我们不能——”"
She kissed him. The air crackled with the sheer audacity of it, the terrified hope.
她吻了他。空气中因这纯粹的胆大妄为和战栗的希望而噼啪作响。
For one heartbeat, he remained frozen. Then, with a broken sound, he was kissing her back, deep and desperate. His fingers tangled in her hair, drawing her closer until he could feel her heartbeat against his chest. She gasped against his mouth, and he caught the sound with his tongue, tasting her, drowning in her. Her hands clutched at his shoulders as if afraid he'd disappear.
他僵住了整整一个心跳的时间。随后，伴随着一声破碎的声响，他开始回吻她，深入而绝望。他的手指缠绕在她的发丝间，将她拉得更近，直到他能感受到她心跳抵着自己胸膛。她在他唇间喘息，他用舌尖捕捉那声音，品尝着她，沉溺其中。她的双手紧抓着他的肩膀，仿佛害怕他会消失。
He knew he was damned. Knew he would never forgive himself for this. Knew he should stop.
他深知自己已堕入深渊，明白自己永远无法原谅这样的行为，也清楚他应该就此停手。
With a ragged gasp, Verso broke the kiss, pulling back just enough to breathe. His pulse thrummed in his ears as reality crashed in. This was his sister's mouth he'd just tasted, his sister's breath still warm on his lips, his sister's fingers tangled in his shirt. The wrongness of it clawed at his chest, made worse by how much he'd wanted it.
维尔索喘息着猛然结束了这个吻，稍稍退开只为换一口气。耳中血液奔涌如擂鼓，现实轰然压来——他刚刚尝到的是妹妹的唇，妹妹的呼吸仍灼热地烙在他嘴角，妹妹的手指还揪着他的衣襟。这种悖德感撕扯着他的胸膛，更可怖的是他竟如此渴望这一切。
Her hand slid lower, fingers trailing down his stomach before finding his cock through his clothes. He was hard, straining against the fabric, and when she curled her fingers around him experimentally, his breath hitched sharply despite himself.
她的手向下滑去，手指顺着他的腹部一路向下，隔着衣物找到了他的阴茎。他已经硬了，布料下紧绷着，当她试探性地用手指圈住他时，他不自觉地倒抽了一口冷气。
"Don't—" he choked out, catching her wrist, but she squeezed gently, and his grip faltered. Her thumb traced the length of him through his pants, curious and bold, and for one terrible moment, he forgot how to breathe.
"“别——”他哽住声，攥住她的手腕，却被她轻柔的回握瓦解了力道。她隔着布料用拇指丈量他的轮廓，好奇又大胆。有那么一个可怕的瞬间，他彻底忘记了如何呼吸。"
"Verso," she whispered against his neck, and before he could react, she caught his free hand and guided it under her blouse. His palm met warm skin, then the soft swell of her breast. She was small under his touch, delicate.
"“维尔索，”她在他颈间呢喃，未等他反应便捉住他空闲的手，牵引着探入自己衬衫下摆。掌心触及温热的肌肤，随后是胸脯柔软的弧度。在他掌下，她显得如此娇小，脆弱易碎。"
"Someone could see," he managed, voice quiet, but she silenced him with another kiss.
"会有人看见的，"他低声说道，声音几不可闻，但她用一个吻封住了他的话语。
"Lune's at watch," she breathed against his mouth. "Sciel's lost at the waterfall. And Esquie..." She smiled, fingers still moving over him. "Esquie doesn't care."
"“吕涅在放哨，”她贴着他的唇低语，“熙艾尔在瀑布那边迷路了。至于埃斯奇……”她微笑着，手指仍在他身上游走。“埃斯奇才不在乎。”"
Verso’s fingers tightened reflexively, drawing a soft gasp from her lips. When she kissed him again, he was already lost — one hand still cupping her breast, thumb brushing across sensitive skin, the other sliding into her hair to hold her closer. Her fingers hadn't stopped moving against him, more confident now, and he couldn't help but rock into her touch.
维尔索的手指反射性地收紧，引得她唇间逸出一声轻喘。当她再次吻上他时，他已彻底沉沦——一只手仍托着她的胸脯，拇指抚过敏感的肌肤，另一只手滑入她的发间将她拉得更近。她的手指仍在他身上游走，此刻更加大胆，他不由自主地迎合着她的触碰。
"Please," Maelle whispered, fumbling with his laces. He felt the brush of her knuckles, then cool air, then her warm hand wrapping around him. The sensation drew a rough sound from his throat. She stroked him experimentally, grip tentative at first, then firmer when he gasped against her mouth.
“求你了，”玛埃尔低声呢喃，手指笨拙地解着他的鞋带。他先是感受到她指节的轻擦，接着是微凉的空气，最后是她温暖的手掌将他包裹。这触感让他喉间溢出一声粗重的喘息。她试探性地抚弄着他，起初握得犹豫，直到他贴着她的唇倒抽气时才加重了力道。
"Touch me too," she breathed, catching his free hand. "I want to feel it," Maelle guided him under her clothes, down past her stomach. His fingers found warm wetness, and when he brushed her clit, she shivered. He circled the sensitive spot with practiced movements, drawing soft sounds from her throat as she pressed against his hand.
"「也摸摸我，」她喘息着抓住他空闲的手，「我想感受你。」玛埃尔引导他探入衣料之下，滑过小腹。他的指尖触到一片温热潮湿，当擦过阴蒂时，她浑身战栗。他用娴熟的动作环绕那处敏感，随着她向他的手掌贴近，喉间溢出细碎的呜咽。"
When Verso slid a finger inside her, then another, she was ready for him, slick and warm. Her body welcomed him easily as he moved his fingers, and when he curled them just so, she gasped his name.
当维尔索将一根手指探入她体内，接着是第二根时，她已为他准备好，湿润而温暖。她的身体轻易接纳了他手指的律动，当他恰到好处地弯曲指节时，她喘息着唤出他的名字。
Her hand hadn't stopped moving on his cock, matching his rhythm. Each stroke sent sparks down his spine, made worse by the sounds she made when he touched her — soft moans and half-formed words that he shouldn't find so intoxicating. Her hips rocked against his hand as he worked her closer to the edge, his thumb still circling her clit while his fingers moved inside her.
她的手仍在他的阴茎上不停动作，与他的节奏相合。每一次抚摸都让他脊背发麻，而她在他触碰时发出的声音更让这感觉加剧——那些轻柔的呻吟和不成句的话语，他不该觉得如此醉人。她的臀部随着他的手而摆动，他拇指仍在她阴蒂上画圈，手指在她体内抽送，将她推向高潮的边缘。
He could feel her getting close, feel it in the way her body tensed, the way her grip on him tightened. When she came, she buried her face in his neck to muffle her cry, and he had to bite back a groan at how she pulsed around his fingers.
他能感觉到她快要到了，从她绷紧的身体和收紧的抓握中感知到这一点。当她高潮时，她把脸埋进他的颈窝以压抑哭喊，而她在他手指间的律动让他不得不咬住呻吟。
His own release built rapidly — too rapidly — and he barely had time to catch himself with his free hand before he spilled, hot against his palm. For a moment, there was only their ragged breathing in the darkness.
他自己的快感来得太快——实在太快——他几乎来不及用空着的手撑住自己，热流便已涌入手掌。黑暗中，一时间只剩下他们粗重的喘息声。
Verso’s stomach lurched. He couldn't look at her, couldn't bear to see her face. His hands shook as he wiped them clean on the leaves, movements jerky and desperate. Bile rose in his throat.
维尔索的胃部一阵翻腾。他无法直视她，无法忍受看到她的脸。他用树叶擦拭双手时动作僵硬而慌乱，双手不住颤抖。胆汁涌上他的喉咙。
***
Maelle found him at the cliff's edge, a dark silhouette against the dying light. The Monolith loomed in the distance, its surface catching the sunset in patches of impossible color. She hesitated, boots scuffing against loose stone. For days now, they'd danced around each other like polite strangers, their conversations limited to "pass the salt" and "nevron at two o'clock." As if that night had never happened. As if she couldn't still feel the ghost of his touch when she closed her eyes.
玛埃尔在悬崖边缘发现了他，那抹暗色剪影衬着将熄的天光。远处的方尖碑巍然耸立，碑面斑驳地映照着落日，折射出超乎想象的色彩。她踌躇不前，靴底磨蹭着松动的碎石。这些天来他们像客套的陌生人般互相回避，对话仅限于"递下盐"和"两点钟方向有神经兽"。仿佛那夜从未发生。仿佛她闭上眼时，仍感受不到他指尖游走的残温。
"Mind company?" she asked, voice steadier than she felt.
“介意我作伴吗？”她问道，声音比她感觉的要平稳。
Verso's shoulders tensed slightly, but he nodded, "Always room for one more at the apocalypse viewing party. Best seats in the house."
维尔索的肩膀微微绷紧，但仍点头道：‘末日观赏队伍永远有位子。这可是全场最佳座位。’
She settled beside him, close enough to feel his warmth but not quite touching. Below, mist gathered in the valley like spilled milk.
她在他身旁坐下，近得能感受到体温却未真正触碰。下方山谷里，雾气如打翻的牛奶般聚拢。
"What was it like?" she asked finally. "Before… everything? When the world was still whole?"
"‘那时候是什么样子？’她终于开口问道，‘在一切…发生之前？当世界还完整的时候？’"
"Louder," he said, a half-smile playing at his lips. "Much louder. And brighter. Imagine lights that could turn night into day." His fingers drummed against his knee — a pattern, she realized. Not nervous tapping, but deliberate. "But mostly I miss the music."
"‘再大声点，’他嘴角噙着半抹笑意说道，‘要更响亮些。还有更明亮。想象那些能将黑夜照成白昼的灯光。’他的手指在膝盖上敲击出节奏——她突然意识到，那不是紧张的轻叩，而是刻意为之的律动。‘但我最怀念的还是音乐。’"
"Music?" "音乐？"
"Mm. Grand concert halls. Orchestras." His eyes took on that distant look she'd learned meant he was seeing another time, another world. "I once saw a performance where the pianist's hands moved so fast they blurred. Though that might have been the absolutely criminal amount of whiskey I'd had."
"'嗯。宏伟的音乐厅。交响乐团。'他的眼神变得遥远，她已学会这种神情意味着他正注视着另一个时空。'我曾见过一场演出，钢琴家的手快得模糊不清。不过那可能是我喝了过量威士忌的错觉。'"
Verso's hands lifted, fingers splayed as if reaching for something just beyond sight. The air shimmered, and suddenly there it was — an instrument of dark wood and ivory keys, hovering impossibly above the cliff edge.
维尔索的双手抬起，手指张开仿佛在触碰视线之外的某物。空气微微震颤，突然它出现了——一架黑檀木与象牙键制成的乐器，不可思议地悬浮在悬崖边缘。
Maelle scrambled back. "How did you—"
玛埃尔踉跄后退。'你怎么——'
"A gentleman never reveals all his secrets," he said with a wink. "Though I'll admit, this particular trick took decades to master. Nearly dropped the first one on myself. It would have been an embarrassing way to die. Again."
"绅士从不泄露所有秘密，"他眨眨眼说道。"不过我得承认，这个特别的把戏花了几十年才掌握。第一次差点砸到自己。那会是个尴尬的死法。又一次。"
Verso watched wonder bloom across her face, replacing the careful distance of recent days. He'd been hoping she'd forget that night, write it off as a moment of grief and confusion. But sometimes he caught her watching him with those knowing eyes, and his carefully constructed walls threatened to crumble.
维尔索看着她脸上绽放的惊奇，取代了近日来小心翼翼的疏离。他本希望她能忘记那晚，将其归为悲伤与困惑的瞬间。但有时他会捕捉到她用那双洞悉一切的眼睛注视着自己，而他精心构筑的围墙便摇摇欲坠。
"What else can you make?" she demanded, running her fingers along the polished wood.
"“你还能做出什么？”她追问道，指尖滑过抛光的木面。"
"Ah, well." He grinned, grateful for the distraction. "The rules are... specific. Nothing alive: tried that once, ended up with a very anatomically correct statue that gave me nightmares. Nothing too complex. And nothing bigger than, say, a very small house."
"“啊，这个嘛。”他咧嘴一笑，庆幸话题被转移，“规则很...具体。不能造活物：试过一次，结果做了个解剖学上完全正确的雕像，害我做噩梦。不能太复杂。也不能比，比方说，一栋小房子更大。”"
"A very small house?" "“一栋小房子？”"
"Tried for a regular-sized one once. Ended up with just the kitchen. Very awkward dinner party. The guests kept asking where the rest of it went. I told them it was a very avant-garde architectural statement."
"“有次尝试召唤正常尺寸的，结果只召来了厨房。那顿晚餐派对尴尬极了，客人们不停追问其他部分去哪了。我告诉他们这是非常前卫的建筑宣言。”"
She laughed. It was the first real laugh he'd heard from her in days. "Show me how it works?"
她笑了。这是他几天来第一次听到她真心的笑声。“给我演示下怎么操作？”
"The piano summoning? It's all about manipulating chroma and—"
"“钢琴召唤术？关键在于操控色度与——”"
"No." She gestured to the keys. "Show me how to play."
"“不。”她指向琴键，“教我弹奏。”"
Verso's hands stilled. Having her close again, after days of careful distance... But she was looking at him with such open curiosity, he found himself shifting to make room on the bench.
维尔索的双手停了下来。经过数日小心翼翼的疏远后，再次与她如此接近...但她正用如此坦率的好奇目光注视着他，他发现自己不由自主地在长椅上挪出位置。
"Here," he said softly. "Like this."
""来，"他轻声说道，"像这样。""
Maelle watched his hands move across the keys, creating sounds that seemed impossible - delicate as rainfall one moment, rich and deep the next. His fingers danced with practiced grace, and she couldn't help but remember how those same fingers had felt against her skin, inside her. She wondered if he ever thought about it too, or if a century of living had made that night just another forgettable moment.
玛埃尔注视着他的手指在琴键上跃动，创造出看似不可能的音符——时而如雨滴般轻盈，时而又饱满深沉。他的手指以娴熟的优雅姿态舞动着，她不禁想起这同一双手曾如何抚过她的肌肤，探入她的身体。她想知道他是否也会想起那个夜晚，还是说一个世纪的漫长生命早已让那晚沦为无数可遗忘的瞬间之一。
"Want to try?" he asked, either not noticing her flush or pretending not to. Probably pretending. She'd noticed he was good at that.
""想试试吗？"他问道，要么是没注意到她泛红的脸颊，要么是假装没看见。多半是后者。她早就发现他擅长这种伪装。"
She placed her hands where his had been, the keys cool and smooth under her fingers. "Show me?"
她将双手放在他曾触碰过的位置，琴键在她指尖下冰凉而光滑。'教我弹好吗？'
Verso hesitated, then reached around her, his chest pressing against her back as he guided her hands. "Like this," he murmured, close enough that his breath stirred her hair. "Gentle pressure. Think of it like rapier work. Too tense and you'll fumble, too loose and you lose control."
维尔索犹豫片刻，随后从背后环住她，胸膛贴着她的脊背，引导她的双手。'像这样，'他低语道，近得呼吸拂动她的发丝。'轻柔施力。想象这是击剑动作。太紧张会失手，太松弛则失去控制。'
The first notes were clumsy, but under his guidance, a simple melody emerged. His hands were warm on hers, and she could feel his heartbeat quickening against her spine.
最初的音符有些笨拙，但在他的引导下，一段简单的旋律逐渐成形。他的双手覆在她的手上，温暖而有力，她能感觉到他贴着她脊背的心跳正在加速。
"You're a natural," he said, voice rough.
"你天生就是这块料，"他嗓音沙哑地说道。
Maelle turned her head slightly, their faces suddenly very close. "I have a good teacher."
玛埃尔微微偏过头，两人的脸突然靠得很近。"我有个好老师。"
The last note faded. Neither of them moved, caught in the gravity of shared breath and possibility. Verso's hands still rested on the keys, but his eyes were fixed on her profile, the curve of her neck, and the way moonlight caught in her hair.
最后的音符消散了。两人都未动弹，被共同的呼吸与可能性所牵引。维尔索的手仍停留在琴键上，目光却凝注于她的侧影——她颈项的弧度，以及月光在她发间流连的模样。
"I should check the perimeter," he said softly, but didn't move.
"我该去检查一下周边了，"他轻声说道，却一动未动。
Maelle turned her head slightly, and his breath caught at how close they were, at how her lips parted slightly. "Should you?"
玛埃尔微微偏过头，他因两人过近的距离而屏住呼吸，看着她双唇轻启。'真的该去吗？'
His fingers twitched against the keys, drawing a discordant note from the piano. She watched the movement, then turned her head slightly. Before she could lose her nerve, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.
他的手指在琴键上微微抽搐，弹出一个不和谐的音符。她注视着他的动作，随后轻轻偏过头。在勇气消失前，她倾身向前，将双唇贴上了他的。
The kiss was different this time, slower, deliberate. Verso's hands gripped the edge of the bench until his knuckles went white. When she shifted closer, he made a sound like he'd been wounded, but didn't pull away.
这次的吻不同以往，更缓慢，更刻意。维尔索的双手紧抓着琴凳边缘，指节发白。当她靠近时，他发出受伤般的闷哼，却没有推开。
"I've been practicing," she said, then immediately flushed. "In my head. What I'd do if..." She swallowed, then made herself meet his eyes. "If you let me."
"“我练习过，”她说完立刻涨红了脸，“在脑海里。如果...”她咽了咽口水，强迫自己直视他的眼睛，“如果你允许的话。”"
His fingers twitched against the wood. She watched his throat work as he swallowed, saw the way his eyes dropped to her mouth before snapping away. When she reached for him, his whole body tensed, but he caught her wrist with trembling fingers instead of pushing her away.
他的手指在木头上不安地抽动。她看见他喉结滚动吞咽的模样，注意到他目光如何滑向她的嘴唇又仓皇移开。当她伸手触碰时，他全身绷紧，却用颤抖的手指扣住她的手腕，而非将她推开。
"Maelle." His voice was ragged, but he still held her wrist, thumb brushing over her pulse. "We're out in the open."
"玛埃尔。"他的声音沙哑，却仍紧握她的手腕，拇指轻抚过她的脉搏。"我们在露天。"
She glanced around the moonlit clearing, then back at him with a slight smile. "Scared of getting caught?"
她环顾月光照耀的林间空地，然后对他露出浅笑。“怕被抓到吗？”
"Terrified," Verso admitted, but there was something darker in his voice now, something that made her shiver. His grip on her wrist loosened, became a caress.
"“怕极了，”维尔索承认道，但此刻他的声音里藏着更阴暗的东西，让她不禁战栗。他握着她手腕的力道松开了，变成了爱抚。"
She slid from the bench to kneel between his legs, heart hammering against her ribs. When she looked up, his eyes were fixed on her face like she was something holy and damned all at once.
她从长凳滑下，跪在他双腿之间，心脏在肋骨下狂跳。当她抬头时，他的目光凝固在她脸上，仿佛她既是圣洁之物又同时被诅咒。
"Let me," she whispered. "Please?"
"“让我来，”她轻声说，“求你了？”"
His breath hitched sharply. For a moment, she thought he might refuse. Then his free hand tangled in her hair, and Maelle knew she had won.
他的呼吸猛然一滞。有那么一瞬间，她以为他会拒绝。随后他空着的那只手插进她的发丝，玛埃尔知道自己赢了。
Her mouth was warm, clumsy, and uncertain on his cock, trying to find a rhythm. Verso's fingers trembled in her hair as he guided her, showing her how to take him deeper, how to use her tongue. Each tentative movement sent sparks down his spine. His stomach churned even as pleasure built.
她的嘴唇温暖而生涩，在他性器上犹疑地试探着节奏。维尔索的手指在她发间颤抖，引导她如何吞得更深，如何运用舌尖。每个试探的动作都让他脊背窜过电流。快感堆积的同时，胃部却翻搅着。
"Like this?" Maelle asked, pulling back slightly. Her lips were wet, swollen. He couldn't look away, couldn't stop the way his cock twitched at the sight. His hands shook with self-loathing.
"“这样对吗？”玛埃尔微微退开问道。她的双唇湿润肿胀。他无法移开视线，无法阻止自己因这景象而勃动的欲望。颤抖的双手泄露着自我厌恶。"
"Yes," he managed. "Just... careful with your teeth. And don't—" His words cut off in a sharp breath as she sucked on his tip, more confident now.
“好，”他勉强应道，“只是……小心你的牙齿。别——”他的话语突然化作一声急促的喘息，因为她此刻更加自信地含住了他的顶端。
She hummed with satisfaction at his reaction, and the vibration nearly undid him. His grip in her hair tightened, then immediately loosened. "Sorry."
她对他的反应发出满足的轻哼，那震动几乎让他崩溃。他攥紧她发丝的手突然收紧，又立即松开。'抱歉。'
Maelle pulled back again. "It's okay," she whispered. "I like it when you show me."
玛埃尔再次退开。'没关系，'她轻声说，'我喜欢你展示给我的样子。'
His chest felt too tight, heart hammering against ribs that couldn't contain his shame. But when she took him deeper, watched him with those trusting eyes, he couldn't stop himself from guiding her, teaching her. Every fiber of his being screamed that this was wrong, that he was corrupting something pure, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from her mouth stretched around his cock, couldn't stop the way his hips wanted to buck up into that wet heat. Each muffled groan felt torn from his throat, pleasure and disgust twisting together until he couldn't tell them apart.
他的胸膛绷得太紧，心脏撞击着无法容纳羞耻的肋骨。可当她含得更深，用那双信任的眼睛望着他时，他无法停止引导她、教导她。每根神经都在尖叫这是错的，他在玷污纯洁之物，却无法将视线从她包裹着自己性器的唇上移开，无法抑制腰胯想要挺进那片湿热的冲动。每一声压抑的呻吟都像是从喉咙里撕扯而出，快感与厌恶交织到难以分辨。
She was learning quickly, finding what made his breath catch, what drew those broken sounds from him. When she took him deep, he had to bite his lip to keep quiet. His hands shook with the effort of holding still, with the knowledge that he should push her away but couldn't bear to stop.
她学得很快，逐渐摸索出哪些动作能让他呼吸急促，哪些能引出他破碎的呻吟。当她深深含住他时，他不得不咬住嘴唇以保持安静。他的双手因竭力保持静止而颤抖，明知该推开她，却又不忍心叫停。
The taste of him was strange on her tongue, but she loved the sounds he made, loved how his thighs trembled under her palms. Each muffled groan, each sharp breath told her she was doing something right. When she glanced up, his light blue eyes were glazed with pleasure and something deeper…something that looked like pain?
他的味道在她舌尖显得陌生，但她爱极了他发出的声响，爱他大腿在她掌心下的颤抖。每一声压抑的呻吟，每一次急促的呼吸，都在告诉她做得没错。当她抬眼望去，他浅蓝的眼眸因快感而迷蒙，还掺杂着更深的东西……那近乎痛苦的神情？
A twig snapped in the darkness.
一根树枝在黑暗中咔嚓一声折断了。
Verso jerked back, nearly falling off the bench. Maelle scrambled to her feet, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Their ragged breathing seemed impossibly loud in the sudden silence.
维尔索猛地向后一缩，差点从长椅上摔下来。玛埃尔慌忙站起身，用手背擦了擦嘴。在突如其来的寂静中，他们粗重的喘息声显得格外刺耳。
Footsteps crunched through leaves, followed by Lune's whistle signaling watch change.
脚步声碾过落叶沙沙作响，随后吕涅的哨声响起，示意换岗。
Verso's fingers shook as he fixed his laces. Maelle settled beside him on the bench, smoothing her hair, just as Lune appeared between trees.
维尔索的手指颤抖着系鞋带。玛埃尔在他身旁的长凳上坐下，抚平自己的头发，就在这时吕涅从树间现身。
"There you are," she paused, eyeing the piano with obvious confusion. "Your watch."
"“原来你在这儿，”她顿了顿，困惑地盯着钢琴。“你的手表。”"
Verso stood too quickly, not meeting anyone's eyes, and disappeared into the darkness without a word. Maelle watched him go, then turned back to the instrument. Her fingers found the keys, trying to remember the simple melody he'd shown her. The notes came out clumsy and wrong in the quiet night.
维尔索起身太快，避开所有人的视线，一言不发地消失在黑暗中。玛埃尔望着他离去，然后转回乐器前。她的手指找到琴键，试图回忆他教过的那段简单旋律。在寂静的夜里，音符笨拙地走调了。
***
"That's one down!" Monoco's voice rang across the field, bright with triumph. Morning sun caught the chroma where it danced above the fallen axon, casting rainbow shadows on the grass.
"'解决一个了！'莫诺柯的声音响彻原野，洋溢着胜利的欢欣。晨光捕捉到在倒下轴突上方舞动的色光，在草地上投下彩虹般的影子。"
Sciel moved to collect it, her steps light. "This better work," her hands wove through the air, drawing the chroma into her collection vessel.
熙艾尔轻盈地走向它，脚步轻快。'最好能奏效，'她的双手在空中划动，将色光引入收集容器。
Maelle's blood still sang from the fight, muscles warm with victory. She wanted to laugh, to shout, to share this moment of pure achievement with everyone. One axon down, one step closer. When she turned to find Verso, the celebration died in her throat.
玛埃尔的血液仍在为战斗沸腾，胜利的余温让肌肉发烫。她想大笑，想呐喊，想与所有人分享这纯粹的成就时刻。又一条轴突倒下，离目标更近一步。当她转身寻找维尔索时，庆祝的欢呼却在喉间凝固。
He stood apart from the group, watching the chroma with an expression she'd never seen before — something somber and painful beneath his usual mask. While Monoco launched into a dramatic retelling of his "crucial contribution" and Lune rolled her eyes fondly, Verso turned away. The tall grass swallowed him without a sound.
他独自远离人群，凝视色谱仪的神情是她从未见过的——惯常面具下藏着某种阴郁而痛苦的底色。当莫诺柯开始声情并茂地复述自己「关键贡献」，吕涅宠溺地翻着白眼时，维尔索转身离去。高草无声地吞没了他的身影。
Maelle hesitated, watching the space where he'd disappeared. The others were lost in their moment of triumph, Monoco gesturing wildly as he described his "perfectly timed intervention," Sciel focusing entirely on her delicate work with the chroma, and Lune adding dry commentary to Monoco's increasingly elaborate tale.
玛埃尔犹豫地望着他消失的方向。其他人正沉浸在胜利的喜悦中——莫诺柯手舞足蹈地描述着自己「完美时机的干预」，熙艾尔全神贯注地摆弄着色谱仪，吕涅则对莫诺柯越来越夸张的故事添油加醋地调侃。
No one noticed when she slipped away from their circle. The grass rustled against her clothes as she followed Verso's path, morning dew soaking into her boots. Somewhere ahead, she caught a glimpse of his dark coat between the swaying stalks.
没人注意到她从人群中悄悄溜走。草叶摩擦着她的衣料沙沙作响，她循着维尔索的足迹前行，晨露浸透了她的靴子。前方摇曳的草茎间，她瞥见了他黑色外套的残影。
She found him in a small clearing where the grass had been flattened. Verso stood with his back to her, dark hair catching the breeze.
她在一片被压平的草地小空地上找到了他。维尔索背对着她站立，黑发随风轻扬。
"Didn't feel like basking in our glorious triumph?" she called out.
"“不想沐浴在我们辉煌的胜利中吗？”她高声问道。"
He turned, and whatever darkness had clouded his face was already hidden behind a familiar half-smile. "What, and steal Monoco's moment? I'm not that cruel."
他转过身，方才笼罩在脸上的阴霾已被熟悉的半抹微笑掩盖。“怎么，要抢莫诺柯的风头？我可没那么残忍。”
"Liar." Maelle stepped closer. "I saw your face back there. What's wrong?"
"“骗子。”玛埃尔逼近一步。“我刚才看见你的表情了。到底怎么了？”"
"Nothing's wrong." He spread his hands. "One axon down, one to go. Everything's going exactly according to plan."
"“没什么问题。”他摊开双手。“一条轴突搞定，还剩一条。一切都在按计划进行。”"
"Then why do you look like someone just killed your favorite nevron?"
"那你为什么看起来像是有人刚杀了你最爱的神经细胞？"
Verso laughed, but something in it rang hollow. "Maybe I'm just tired of Monoco's theatrical retelling of events. Did you know he single-handedly saved us all from certain doom? At least three times?"
维尔索笑了，但笑声中透着几分空洞。"也许我只是厌倦了莫诺柯那些戏剧化的往事重述。你知道吗，他单枪匹马把我们从必死之境中救出来？至少三次？"
"Don't change the subject."
"“别转移话题。”"
"Wouldn't dream of it." Verso stretched casually. "Though speaking of celebration... I might have something special back at camp. For after."
"想都别想。"维尔索随意地伸了个懒腰，"不过说到庆祝...我营地里可能还留着些特别的东西。等结束后用。"
"What kind of something?"
"什么样的东西？"
"The kind that comes in bottles and makes Monoco's stories actually entertaining."
"'装在瓶子里的那种，能让莫诺柯的故事变得有趣的东西。'"
Maelle crossed her arms. "You're still changing the subject."
玛埃尔抱起双臂。'你还在转移话题。'
"Am I?" In one fluid motion, he drew his sword. "Or am I offering you a chance to work off that post-battle energy before we drink to our success?"
"'是吗？'他流畅地拔剑出鞘，'还是说我在给你机会消耗战后精力，好让我们能畅饮庆功酒？'"
The challenge in his voice made her blood sing again. She drew her rapier with a grin. "You're impossible."
他话音里的挑衅让她血液再次沸腾。她咧嘴一笑抽出细剑。'你真是不可理喻。'
"So I've been told." He settled into a ready stance, sunlight gleaming off his blade. "Show me what you learned from that axon fight."
"有人这么告诉过我。"他摆出准备姿势，阳光在他的刀刃上闪烁。"让我看看你从那场轴突战斗中学到了什么。"
Maelle lay in the flattened grass, chest heaving, still trying to process what had just happened. Verso had moved faster than she'd ever seen him, each strike precise and devastating. Her rapier lay just out of reach where it had landed after that final disarmament.
玛埃尔躺在压平的草丛间，胸膛剧烈起伏，仍试图消化方才发生的一切。维尔索的动作比她见过的任何时刻都要迅捷，每一次攻击都精准而致命。她的细剑躺在够不着的地方——那是最后那次缴械时脱手落下的。
"That's new," she managed between breaths. The sky above was piercingly blue.
"“这倒是新鲜。”她喘着气说道。头顶的天空蓝得刺眼。"
"I'm full of surprises," Verso’s voice came from somewhere beside her, also winded. When she turned her head, he was sprawled in the grass too, coat spread beneath him like wings. A bead of sweat traced down his throat.
"“我总能带来惊喜。”维尔索的声音从身侧传来，同样带着喘息。她转头时，他正仰躺在草地上，外套在身下如羽翼般铺开。一滴汗珠顺着他的喉结滑落。"
The morning sun painted everything in gold. This close, she could smell leather and metal and him, could feel the warmth radiating from his body. Her pulse, already racing from the fight, kicked harder against her ribs.
晨光将万物镀成金色。如此近的距离，她能闻到皮革、金属和他身上的气息，能感受到他身体散发的温度。战斗后尚未平复的心跳，此刻在肋骨下撞击得更猛烈了。
Verso stared up at the endless sky, acutely aware of her presence beside him. These past weeks had been torture — every shared meal, every brush of hands passing weapons, every caught glance across campfires had fed the hunger growing inside him.
维尔索仰望着无垠的天空，强烈地感知到她就站在身旁。这几周简直是折磨——每一顿共进的餐食，每一次传递武器时指尖的触碰，每一簇篝火旁无意交汇的目光，都滋养着他心底滋长的渴望。
He'd wake hard and aching, shame burning in his gut as fragments of dreams lingered: her body arched beneath his, her breasts filling his palms, her mouth... God, her mouth. The memory of it haunted him, made him hate himself even as he craved more.
他会在坚硬和疼痛中醒来，羞耻感在腹中燃烧，梦的碎片挥之不去：她的身体在他身下弓起，她的乳房填满他的掌心，她的嘴……天啊，她的嘴。这记忆萦绕着他，让他憎恨自己，却又渴望更多。
One more axon. Then either the Paintress would fall or they'd all die trying. No more time for pretending he didn't want this.
再来一根轴突。然后，要么画师倒下，要么他们全都会在尝试中丧命。没有时间再假装他并不想要这一切了。
"I've been thinking. Winner gets a wish, right?" he said, voice sandpaper-rough with more than simple exertion.
"'我一直在想。赢家可以许个愿，对吧？'他说道，嗓音因超越寻常的剧烈运动而沙哑粗粝。"
Maelle went very still beside him. The grass whispered secrets around them. When she turned to face him, her lips were parted slightly, still catching her breath. Those same lips that had been so eager to learn, so warm around his cock.
玛埃尔在他身旁突然僵住了。草丛在他们周围低语着秘密。当她转身面对他时，双唇微微分开，仍有些喘息。那两片嘴唇曾如此渴望探索，如此炽热地包裹过他的性器。
"What's your wish then?" she asked softly.
"'那么你的愿望是什么？'她轻声问道。"
He swallowed loudly, "To grant yours. All of it."
他大声咽了口唾沫，“为了满足你的愿望。所有的愿望。”
Maelle's heart stuttered in her chest. She searched his face for any sign of teasing, any hint of the careful distance he'd maintained these past weeks. Instead, she found something raw and hungry in his eyes that made her breath catch.
玛埃尔的心脏在胸腔里漏跳一拍。她在他脸上搜寻任何戏弄的迹象，寻找过去几周他刻意保持距离的蛛丝马迹。然而，她只在他眼中看到某种原始而饥渴的东西，让她的呼吸为之一窒。
"What changed?" The words slipped out before she could stop them. After all his resistance, all his muttered 'we shouldn'ts', all those times he'd pulled away...
"“是什么改变了？”这句话在她来得及阻止前脱口而出。在他所有的抗拒、所有‘我们不该这样’的低语、所有那些抽身而退的时刻之后……"
But did it matter? He was offering what she'd wanted since that first kiss, what she'd imagined late at night with her hand between her legs, biting her lip to keep quiet in her bedroll.
但这还重要吗？他正在给予她自初吻后就渴望的东西，那些她深夜蜷缩在睡袋里，咬唇压抑喘息时幻想的场景。
"We could be seen," she tried instead, but her body was already betraying her, shifting closer to his warmth. "The others might hear, or come looking, or—"
“我们可能会被人看见，”她试图辩解，但身体却已背叛了她的意志，不由自主地向他温暖的怀抱靠近。“其他人可能会听见，或者找过来，又或者——”
Verso's mouth found hers, and suddenly nothing else mattered. The kiss was different from their previous ones. It was desperate, demanding. His hand tangled in her hair, pulling her closer until she could feel his heart hammering against her chest. When his tongue swept into her mouth, she forgot about being seen, forgot about everything except his lips.
维尔索的唇找到了她的，突然间其他一切都不再重要。这个吻与他们之前的截然不同，充满绝望与索取。他的手插入她的发丝，将她拉近直到她能感受到他剧烈的心跳撞击着她的胸膛。当他的舌侵入她口中时，她忘记了可能被看见的风险，忘记了一切，只剩下他的唇。
Verso kissed her like he'd been starving for it, one hand tangled in her hair, the other gripping her hip. The grass was cool against her back where he pressed her into the ground, his weight settling between her legs. Each brush of his tongue against hers sent heat spiraling through her body.
维尔索的吻如同饥渴已久，一只手缠进她的发丝，另一只紧握她的腰侧。他将她压进草地时，她后背触及冰凉的草叶，他的重量沉入她双腿之间。每一次舌尖相触都让炽热在她体内盘旋攀升。
Maelle gasped against his mouth when she felt him hard against her. Her hands found his shoulders, pulling him closer, wanting more. His mouth moved to her throat, and she tilted her head back, feeling his breath hot on her skin.
玛埃尔感觉到他抵着自己时的坚硬，不禁在他唇间倒抽一口气。她的双手攀上他的肩膀，将他拉得更近，渴求更多。当他的唇移到她喉间时，她仰起头，感受他灼热的呼吸喷洒在肌肤上。
"Tell me," he murmured, "what you want."
"“告诉我，”他低语道，“你想要什么。”"
"Everything," she breathed. "Show me everything."
“一切，”她轻声道，“让我看看一切。”
His fingers trembled at her laces for a heartbeat — that familiar twist of shame flickering through his gut — but then she made this soft, wanting sound, and the world narrowed to this moment. He was already damned. Might as well make it worth it.
他的手指在她的系带处颤抖了一瞬——那种熟悉的羞耻感在他腹中一闪而过——但随后她发出了一声柔软而渴望的轻吟，世界便在这一刻收缩。他早已万劫不复。不如让这一切值得。
When he pulled her shirt open, the morning air raised goosebumps on her skin. Verso bent down, taking one nipple into his mouth, and the way she gasped his name made his cock twitch. His other hand found her other breast, thumb brushing across the nipple until it hardened under his touch.
他掀开她的衬衫时，晨间的空气让她皮肤泛起鸡皮疙瘩。维尔索俯身将一侧乳尖含入口中，她喘息着唤他名字的方式让他下身抽动。另一只手握住她另一侧的乳房，拇指抚过乳尖直到它在触碰下变得坚硬。
Her back arched off the grass when he sucked harder, her fingers threading through his hair. This moment had haunted his dreams, her writhing beneath him, making those perfect little sounds, but reality was sweeter, hotter, better than any guilty fantasy.
当他加重吮吸力度时，她的背脊从草地上弓起，手指穿进他的发间。这个画面曾萦绕在他的梦境里——她在身下扭动，发出那些美妙的小声音，但现实比任何罪恶的幻想都更甜美、更炽热、更令人沉醉。
Verso's mouth left her breast, trailing kisses down her stomach. His hands found the laces of her pants, and this time they didn't shake. He'd thought about this too many times not to know exactly what he wanted to do.
维尔索的唇离开她的胸脯，沿着腹部一路留下细碎的吻。他的手指找到她裤子的系带，这次没有丝毫颤抖。他幻想过太多次，早已清楚自己要做什么。
"Let me taste you," he murmured against her skin. The words made her shiver.
"“让我品尝你，”他在她的肌肤上低语。这句话让她浑身战栗。"
Maelle lifted her hips, letting him slide her pants down her legs. The grass tickled her newly exposed skin, dew-damp and cool in the morning air. When his fingers hooked under the edge of her underwear, she tensed slightly, but he only pulled the fabric aside. His beard scratched gently against her inner thigh as he kissed his way higher, leaving tingling paths in his wake. She could smell crushed grass, morning air, and the metal-and-leather scent of him.
玛埃尔抬起臀部，任他将长裤顺着双腿褪下。草叶轻挠着她新裸露的肌肤，晨露浸润的凉意渗入晨间空气。当他的手指勾住内裤边缘时，她微微绷紧身子，但他只是将布料拨到一旁。胡须蹭着她大腿内侧的肌肤，他一路向上吻去，所经之处泛起酥麻的涟漪。她嗅到碾碎的青草、晨风的气息，以及他带着金属与皮革味的体香。
The first touch of his tongue made her whimper. She'd touched herself before, late at night in her bedroll, but this was different — hot and wet and overwhelming. Her fingers found his hair, soft between her hands. Each flick of his tongue sent new sensations coursing through her body, making her toes curl against his shoulders.
他舌尖的第一次触碰让她呜咽出声。她曾在深夜的被褥中抚慰过自己，但这截然不同——滚烫、湿润、令人窒息。她的手指陷入他发间，柔软的发丝在指缝中流淌。每一次舌尖的挑逗都激起新的战栗席卷全身，令她的脚趾在他肩头蜷缩。
Verso groaned against her. He'd imagined this countless times: how she'd taste, how she'd react to his tongue circling her clit, how she'd feel trembling beneath his mouth.
维尔索在她身上呻吟着。他曾无数次幻想过这样的场景：她的味道会如何，当他的舌头绕着她的阴蒂打转时她会如何反应，她在他唇下颤抖的感觉会是怎样。
Birds sang somewhere distant, wind rustled through the grass, but all he could focus on was her. The sounds she made above him were better than music, these quiet, gentle moans that made his cock strain against his pants. Her thighs squeezed his head, skin silk-smooth against his cheeks. He breathed her in, tasted her need on his tongue, felt her pulse flutter beneath his lips when he sucked gently on her clit.
远处有鸟儿在歌唱，风拂过草丛沙沙作响，但他所能专注的只有她。她在他上方发出的声音比音乐还要美妙，那些轻柔的呻吟让他裤裆里的硬物绷得更紧。她的大腿夹住他的头，肌肤如丝绸般光滑贴着他的脸颊。他呼吸着她的气息，舌尖品尝着她的渴望，当他轻轻吮吸她的阴蒂时，能感觉到她脉搏在他唇下急促跳动。
Can I?" he murmured against her thigh, one finger tracing her entrance. She nodded, breath catching in anticipation.
可以吗？"他贴着她的大腿低语，指尖在她入口处流连。她点头时，屏住的呼吸泄露了期待。
He slid into her slowly, carefully, watching her face. She was wet and warm around his finger, and his cock throbbed at the thought of being inside her.
他缓缓地、小心翼翼地进入她，凝视着她的面容。她的内壁湿润而温暖地包裹着他的手指，想到自己即将埋入她体内的画面，他的阴茎便悸动不已。
Maelle could barely breathe — his mouth on her clit, his finger moving inside her, his other hand gripping her thigh. Each touch was new, electric. She'd imagined this so many times, late at night, but nothing had prepared her for how it would actually feel to have Verso between her legs, touching her like she was precious. Like he wanted to memorize every gasp, every shiver.
玛埃尔几乎无法呼吸——他的唇舌逗弄着她的阴蒂，手指在她体内抽送，另一只手紧握她的大腿。每次触碰都带来全新的战栗。她曾在深夜无数次幻想这一幕，但维尔索真正跪伏在她腿间、像对待珍宝般爱抚她时，那种感受远超想象。仿佛他要将每一声喘息、每一次颤抖都刻进记忆。
She felt him groan against her flesh before adding a second finger. His beard scratched against her sensitive skin as he sucked her clit, and a rush of warmth bloomed deep in her belly, making her arch into his touch.
她先听见他埋在自己肌肤间的闷哼，接着感受到第二根手指的侵入。当他吮吸阴蒂时，胡茬摩擦着她敏感的皮肤，一股暖流从腹部深处炸开，迫使她弓起身子迎合他的抚弄。
Verso could hardly think straight, drunk on Maelle’s essence, the feel of her. It made him desperate to be inside her, to feel her around his cock instead of his fingers. He pulled back, his fingers still inside her. He unlaced his pants just enough to free his cock, unable to look away from her pretty face, flushed, lips parted, watching him with those trusting eyes.
维尔索几乎无法思考，沉醉在玛埃尔的气息与触感里。这种渴望让他发疯般想进入她，用阴茎而非手指感受她的包裹。他抽身后退，手指仍留在她体内。他草草解开裤头释放出勃起的性器，无法从她潮红的脸庞移开视线——那双信任的眼睛正凝视着他，朱唇微启。
He pushed her legs wider and higher, toward her ears. Morning sun painted her skin gold, caught the sweat gleaming on her body, turned her copper hair to flame against the grass. For a moment, that familiar shame flickered through him, but then her hands found her knees, holding herself open for him, and thought dissolved into a pure, instinctual drive.
他将她的双腿分得更开，举得更高，几乎贴近耳际。晨光为她的肌肤镀上金色，捕捉到她身上闪烁的汗珠，让青草间那铜色发丝如火焰般跃动。熟悉的羞耻感曾在他心头一闪而过，但随后她的双手握住膝盖，主动为他敞开自己，所有思绪都消融在纯粹的本能冲动中。
Positioning himself between her spread thighs, he pressed his thumb against her clit as he pushed inside. The sensation of her around him was overwhelming — hot and wet and perfect. He moved slowly, reverently, watching her face as he filled her for the first time. Each inch felt sacred and profane all at once.
他跪在她张开的双腿之间，拇指按在她的阴蒂上，同时挺进她的体内。被她包裹的感觉令人窒息——炽热、湿润又完美。他缓慢而虔诚地动作着，注视着她的脸庞，第一次将她填满。每一寸深入都同时带着神圣与亵渎。
Maelle's breath caught at the stretch of him. It was different from his fingers, fuller, deeper, like he was reaching places inside her she never knew existed. His thumb still circled her clit, sending sparks of pleasure that made her muscles flutter around him. She could feel his heartbeat through where they were joined, could see the way he trembled with the effort of holding still.
玛埃尔的呼吸在他伸展时骤然停滞。这与他的手指不同，更饱满、更深邃，仿佛触及了她体内从未知晓的领域。他的拇指仍在她的阴蒂上画圈，激起阵阵快感的火花，令她肌肉在他周围轻颤。她能通过两人结合处感受到他的心跳，能看见他因克制不动而颤抖的模样。
The grass tickled her shoulders, sparrows chirped overhead, and Verso was finally, finally inside her.
草叶轻挠着她的肩膀，麻雀在头顶啁啾，维尔索终于、终于进入了她的身体。
For a long moment, neither of them moved. Verso's free hand gripped her thigh hard enough to bruise, his breath coming in short gasps. “You feel…” he started, voice rough, then had to close his eyes. The sight of her spread beneath him, taking his cock so perfectly, threatened to shatter his control.
漫长的瞬间里，两人都静止不动。维尔索空着的那只手紧握她的大腿，力道大得足以留下淤青，呼吸短促而破碎。'你感觉……'他开口，嗓音沙哑，随即不得不闭上眼睛。她在他身下舒展，完美容纳他阴茎的画面，几乎要击溃他的自制力。
She rocked her hips experimentally, and his thumb pressed harder against her clit in response. The dual sensation made her gasp. "Please," she whispered, though she wasn't sure what she was asking for.
她试探性地摆动腰肢，作为回应，他的拇指更用力地压上她的阴蒂。双重刺激令她倒抽一口气。'求你了，'她轻声道，尽管自己也不确定在祈求什么。
He understood anyway. His first thrust was gentle, careful, but when she moaned, the last fragment of his resistance splintered. The grass rustled beneath them with each movement, and Maelle found herself grateful for the morning birds covering the sounds she couldn't help but make.
他终究还是明白了。最初的进入温柔而谨慎，但当她的呻吟响起时，他最后一丝克制也分崩离析。青草在他们身下随着每次动作沙沙作响，玛埃尔暗自庆幸晨起的鸟鸣掩盖了她无法自抑的声响。
Each deep thrust drew a wet, rhythmic sound that was obscene and so wrong and so right. Sweat beaded on Verso's forehead, then ran in a cold trickle down his neck, itching as he drove faster, harder, unable to hold back. The damp slap of bodies, mixed with their ragged breaths and her low moans made his cock ache and swell inside her.
每次深入都带出淫靡的湿润声响，如此悖德又如此契合。汗珠在维尔索额头凝结，顺着脖颈冰冷滑落，随着他越来越快、越来越重的动作发痒。肉体交叠的黏腻声响，混杂着粗重的喘息与她低沉的呻吟，让他埋在她体内的性器胀痛发硬。
Maelle's cheeks burned, the heat spreading through her ears, at the sheer volume of their sounds. But embarrassment couldn't hold on – not with how his thumb pressed relentlessly against her clit, how he filled her completely, striking a deep chord that made her vision flash white.
玛埃尔的脸颊烧了起来，热度一直蔓延到耳根，全因他们发出的声响如此之大。但羞耻感根本无法持续——他的拇指毫不留情地按压着她的阴蒂，他完全填满了她，撞击着深处那根令她眼前闪过白光的弦。
A frantic hum vibrated through her, building, tightening, pulling her taut. The air, thick with their scent, seemed to shimmer. Verso's thumb, a relentless, burning point, drove into her, demanding everything. Her grip tightened on him, desperate.
狂乱的震颤在她体内嗡鸣，堆积，收紧，将她绷成满弓。弥漫着情欲气味的空气仿佛在颤动。维尔索的拇指如同灼热的楔子，不容抗拒地钉入她，索求全部。她绝望地在他身上收紧手指。
Then it snapped. Maelle's back arched, a bowstring pulled too tight. She clawed at Verso's shoulders, fingers digging into the muscle. Her jaw ached from clenching, her breath stuttered, and a long cry tore from her throat. Her entire body convulsed, muscles tightening, then releasing in shuddering waves around him. The world narrowed to the hot press of his body and the echoes of her own choked sounds.
随后它断裂了。玛埃尔的背部弓起，像绷得过紧的弓弦。她抓挠着维尔索的肩膀，手指深深陷入肌肉中。她的下颌因紧咬而疼痛，呼吸断断续续，一声长吟从喉咙里撕裂而出。她的整个身体痉挛着，肌肉紧绷，然后在他周围以颤抖的波浪状释放。世界收缩成他身体炽热的压迫和她自己哽咽声的回响。
His own climax hit with a sudden, violent jolt. Verso pulled out quickly, his hand wrapping around his cock. He spilled hot against his palm, body shaking with the force of it. For a moment, he simply sagged, breath heaving, his head bowed.
他自己的高潮以突然而猛烈的冲击到来。维尔索迅速抽离，手环绕着自己的阴茎。他炽热的液体洒在掌心，身体因这股力量而颤抖。有那么一刻，他只是瘫软下来，喘息沉重，头低垂着。
Maelle sighed, a soft, contented sound, and snuggled him, her cheek warm against his shoulder. He felt the light brush of her fingers. Her entire weight settled against him. He stiffened, every muscle suddenly taut.
玛埃尔叹了口气，那声音轻柔而满足，依偎着他，脸颊温暖地贴在他肩头。他感受到她指尖的轻触。她整个人的重量都靠在他身上。他僵住了，每块肌肉突然绷紧。
The sun was higher now, its warmth seeping into the grass, into them. He tasted the metallic tang of fear on his tongue, sharp and sudden. He closed his eyes, clenching his jaw, fighting the urge to run. Not from her, never from her, but from the impossible truth that now sat, heavy and breathing, between them. He had wanted this. Wanted it more than he had allowed himself to admit. And now it was done. And he had no idea how to live with it. Luckily, he didn't plan to continue living for long.
太阳已经升得更高了，它的温暖渗入草地，渗入他们的身体。他尝到了舌尖上恐惧的金属味，尖锐而突然。他闭上眼睛，咬紧牙关，强忍着逃跑的冲动。不是从她身边逃走，永远不会是从她身边，而是从那个如今沉重地、呼吸着横亘在他们之间的不可能的事实面前逃走。他曾渴望过这个。比他允许自己承认的还要渴望。而现在，一切都已成定局。而他完全不知道该如何与之共存。幸运的是，他并不打算活得太久。