★ LOVE STORY ★
SWEET CONFESSIONS
AND BITTER TRUTHS

the memory of last night lingered in Elaine's mind as she worked in the quiet, fragrant kitchen of the patisserie. Every detail of her evening with Lyney replayed in her thoughts-the warmth of his kiss, the way he made her laugh, and the way his eyes softened whenever he looked at her. She had fallen asleep with a smile, her heart light as air.

Now, even as the early morning hours pressed on, she felt a rare sense of contentment. Baking always brought her peace, and today, it felt even sweeter. The soft hum of her favorite tune filled the air as she sifted flour and folded butter into delicate layers of pastry dough.

The patisserie was silent save for the gentle clatter of her tools and the rhythmic thrum of her movements. Elaine cherished these early mornings when she could work uninterrupted. The rising sun filtered through the windows, bathing the counters in golden light and casting a soft glow on the trays of dough and bowls of ganache she had prepared.

As she began slicing strawberries for the morning's tarts, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hard at work already, my love?"

Elaine gasped, spinning around to see Lyney leaning casually against the doorway. His signature mischievous grin was in place, but there was an undeniable warmth in his gaze as he watched her.

"Lyney!" she exclaimed, setting the knife down. "What are you doing here so early? The patisserie isn't even open yet."

He pushed off the doorframe and sauntered over to her, his movements smooth and deliberate. "I couldn't wait to see you," he said simply, his voice low and playful.

Her cheeks turned pink as he closed the distance between them. "You're impossible," she murmured, though her smile betrayed her.

Lyney reached behind her, plucking a perfectly ripe strawberry from the cutting board. "Is this for me?" he asked, holding it up with a teasing tilt of his head.

"Lyney-"

Before she could protest, he dipped the strawberry into a bowl of rich chocolate ganache and held it to her lips. "Taste it," he murmured, his voice softer now, coaxing.

Elaine's heart skipped as she opened her mouth, the sweetness of the chocolate mingling with the tartness of the fruit. "Mmh," she hummed, savoring the flavor.

"Delicious, isn't it?" Lyney grinned, his eyes never leaving hers.

She nodded, swallowing. "It's good, but I think you're enjoying this more than I am."

"Guilty as charged," he admitted, his gaze dropping to her lips. Before she could react, he swiped a dollop of whipped cream onto his finger and held it out to her.

"Lyney, you're ridiculous!"

"Am I?" he teased, leaning closer. "I just think whipped cream suits you."

The proximity made her breath hitch, and she hesitated before playfully swatting his hand away. But Lyney was quick-he smeared the cream onto her cheek, laughing as she gasped in mock outrage.

"Oh, you're going to regret that!" she declared, grabbing a handful of flour and tossing it at him.

Lyney dodged, but not before a fine dusting of white powder coated his hair. "Now you've done it," he said with a smirk, grabbing a spoonful of ganache.

Their playful battle escalated, leaving them both laughing and covered in flour, chocolate, and cream. As Elaine reached for a towel to clean her face, Lyney's arms slipped around her waist, pulling her gently against him.

"Truce?" he murmured, his voice low, his forehead brushing hers.

Elaine's laughter faded, replaced by the pounding of her heart. "Truce," she whispered, her hands resting lightly on his chest.

For a moment, the world stilled again, and Lyney's lips found hers in a kiss that was sweet and heated all at once. The intensity of it sent a shiver down her spine, and she found herself melting into him, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. She wanted him again. She wasn't allowed. She shouldn't. But it was almost unbearable not to have him near her anymore. She wanted him in every way imaginable.

Elaine pressed herself closer to him, which made him grin. Lyney stumbled back a little and laughed quietly into the kiss. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she murmured.

Lyney nodded, amused. "Nothing," he repeated. His hand stroked her curves, he looked straight into her eyes. "Or I should just check it by myself?" Before those words could register in her brain, he swiftly turned her around, pushing her against the wall.

"Wai-wai-wait-wait," Elaine was bubbling, but it was too late. His hands ran under her dress. She could feel his hands over her ass cheeks, caressing.

"So you were doing nothing, Elaine?" he teased her. Lyney pushed her long hair to the side and placed soft kisses on her neck. His right hand stroked her leg higher and higher. "What a pretty little liar you are." His fingers teasing her wet clit, exploring and rubbing them.

Elaine couldn't suppress her soft moan. It felt so good. His fingers felt so good. His fingers inside her, on her, felt so good! She would be lying if she said she hadn't waited for this. And she was sure it would have happened yesterday if it hadn't been for the things with her grandfather.

Lyney turned her to face him, her back against the wall, his fingers pushing further into her. "Admit that this was your nothing." He leaned in and pulled her into a kiss. "Say it." He kissed her again. "Say it, my love."

"What?" She teased him back. "That i want you, that i need you?" Elaine ran her hand under his shirt and felt him tense. "I Want you inside me, now." His eyes flashed. He grinned and pulled her into more heavenly kisses.

But then the spell was broken by the sound of footsteps outside the kitchen. Elaine stiffened, pulling away.

"Someone's here," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Lyney stepped back, his sharp instincts kicking in. He wiped his face quickly with a towel and gave her an apologetic smile. "I'll get out of here before they see me," he said, glancing around.

Elaine nodded, watching him slip toward the back exit. But in his haste, he left something behind-his hat, perched neatly on a stool.

The door to the patisserie swung open, and Elaine turned to see her grandfather entering, his expression stern as always. Great, just now she had almost melted in Lyney's arms, moaning, and now her grandfather came... oh she would have loved to continue.

"Good morning, Elaine," he greeted, his tone curt.

"Grandfather," she replied, quickly wiping her hands on her apron to hide her nerves.

He glanced around the kitchen, his sharp eyes missing nothing. "Busy morning?"

"Yes, preparing for the day," she said quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice Lyney's hat.

Her grandfather sighed, his gaze softening slightly. "Elaine, I need to talk to you. It's important."

She set down her utensils and gestured for him to sit. "What's wrong?"

Her grandfather hesitated, his expression clouded with grief. "It's about your parents."

Elaine's stomach twisted. "What about them?"

Her grandfather's face hardened, lines of pain and anger etching themselves deeper. "Elaine, your parents didn't willingly give you to the Fatui," he began, his voice breaking slightly. "They were forced. Dottore... that monster... demanded you for his experiments. They didn't have a choice."

Elaine's breath caught, her chest tightening as she struggled to comprehend the words. "Why now?" she echoed weakly. "Why are you telling me this all of a sudden?"

"He wanted you for his research, to push the boundaries of human potential. When your parents refused, the Fatui made threats. Not just to them, but to everyone they cared about. Eventually, they gave in to protect you, hoping that by cooperating, they could find a way to get you back."

She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. "But... they didn't get me back."

"After they handed you over, they tried to gather allies, to expose what the Fatui were doing. But before they could act, the Fatui eliminated them. They silenced them to protect their secrets." Her grandfather's voice was heavy with sorrow. "You were just a child, Elaine. You couldn't have known."

Her mind spiraled, unearthing memories she had tried so hard to bury. The sterile, cold halls of Dottore's laboratory. The sharp sting of needles, the relentless experiments that left her body trembling and her spirit fractured. But it wasn't just her suffering that haunted her.

"I wasn't the only one," she whispered, her voice trembling. "There were others. Other children..."

Her grandfather nodded gravely. "I know. None of them made it out, did they?"

Elaine's shoulders shook as the images surfaced-her friends, those who had shared her pain, who had whispered dreams of escape in the dead of night. They had kept their plans from her, thinking it would protect her. But when they tried to flee, the Fatui hunted them down.

"They didn't tell me," she said, her voice breaking. "They didn't want me to get hurt. But I saw them... I saw them lying in the snow. Lifeless." Her hands covered her face as sobs wracked her body. "I see them every night. Their faces. Their blood on the ice. And I was the only one who survived. Why? Why was I the only one?"

She remembered the angelic voice. The wings, the harp. Anemo Archon. He. He had spoken to her. He had given her hope. He had saved her.

Her grandfather knelt beside her, his hand on her shoulder. "I'm telling you this, so you remember what horribly people they are. You need to stay away from the Fatui. They've already taken so much from you. I can't lose you too."

Elaine nodded numbly, her thoughts swirling in a tempest of grief and fury. She felt like the walls were closing in around her, the weight of his words suffocating. "I... I don't understand," she stammered, her voice trembling. "Why are you telling me this now? I don't have anything to do with the Fatui!"

Her grandfather's face darkened, and his gaze shifted as if he were carefully choosing his next words. "Just promise me you'll be cautious," he said firmly.

"But why? What aren't you telling me?" Elaine demanded, the frustration bubbling to the surface. "You're acting like there's some danger I don't know about. Is that why you were talking to The Knave?"

Her grandfather stiffened, his grip on her shoulder tightening slightly. "Elaine..." he began, his voice heavy with caution. "You shouldn't be asking about her. She's not someone you want to be entangled with."

"That doesn't answer my question!" Elaine snapped, standing abruptly. "You keep speaking in riddles, hinting at things without actually saying anything. Why were you talking to her? What's really going on?"

His silence only fueled her anger. He looked at her with an expression she couldn't decipher-part regret, part sorrow, and part fear.

"Elaine, just trust me on this," he said finally, his voice low and weary. "Please. Be careful. That's all I ask."

But his words only frustrated her more. "Be careful? Careful of what? You're asking me to trust you, but you're not telling me the whole truth. How can I trust you when you're keeping things from me?"

Her grandfather sighed deeply, his age showing in the way his shoulders sagged. "You'll understand in time."

"No, I won't!" she shot back, her voice rising. "Not if you keep hiding things from me! I can't live with all these half-truths and secrets!"

Her grandfather reached out to her, but Elaine stepped back, shaking her head. "I can't do this right now," she said, her voice breaking. "I'm going home."

She turned on her heel and walked out, her chest tight with frustration and hurt. Her grandfather didn't try to stop her, and that only made the knot of emotions inside her worse.

As she left, Elaine's mind raced with unanswered questions. Why had he been speaking to The Knave? Why was he so insistent on warning her about the Fatui now? And why did he have to speak in riddles instead of telling her the whole truth?

By the time she reached her home, her head was pounding, and she felt no closer to understanding anything. The only thing she knew for sure was that her grandfather was hiding something-and that truth, whatever it was, seemed poised to change everything.