The Sun - Lord of Mysteries (fanfiction)

Chapter 94: Recipe

"Here." Aucuses smiled as he handed her a cup of coffee.

"I brewed it precisely how you like it..I crushed the coffee beans.....I also ensured that the water was sufficiently hot..." He went on to enthusiastically describe the entire process, breaking the awkward atmosphere around them.

Lilith finally smiled and took his coffee that she ever so enjoyed in her hand.

"Come on." She indicated with her hand. "Let's sit down first."

Aucuses nodded and followed Lilith up the mountain's green slopes.

They were both carrying a cup of coffee as they walked towards the tree in the moonlight. The atmosphere gradually became calm and serene.

Lilith and Aucuses sat in the shade of trees, sipping their coffee in silence while gazing at the stars in the night sky.

"I am sorry." Aucuses said, breaking the silence. "I should have stopped playing the music as soon as I noticed you..."

"It's fine." Lilith smiled, shaking her head. "You didn't mean any harm. If we are bent on apologising, I should be the one more sorry"

Aucuses wanted to say more, but sighed inwardly after feeling her guilt through her words.

"How are you?" He asked abruptly, interrupting her emotions, while turning and peering at her with his hand on his chin. The gentle breeze blew through his messy white hair.

Despite gazing at the unfathomable golden eyes that contrasted spectacularly with his messy white hair, Lilith remained unaffected by the charming man. She could even see a glimmer of concern in those deep, mesmerising eyes. But, did she still feel anything? Nope, not at all.

She looked up at the sky, away from his gaze. Her face remained calm and soft, expressing no signs of her inner turmoil.

"I'm fine, Aucuses..." She replied quickly, while blowing off the steam from her coffee and looking up at the sky. "Many thanks for the coffee. I really needed this."

Aucuses noticed a flash of pain in her eyes. He sighed and didn't press into this situation anymore.

His music was also tinged with reminiscence. It will evoke memories, whether tragic or sad; it didn't matter to his music. He played it to push people to confront that tragic event while maintaining faith in life and finally moving on.

He can guess that his music must have evoked some dreadful memory of Lilith, looking at her worse condition.

"As usual, your coffee is divine." She continued, her gaze fixed on the coffee. Then, she jolted, as if recalling something.

"Where is the recipe?"

"You promised to give it to me the next time we met. So, where exactly is it?" Her face was expectant, while looking at his coat pocket. She yearned for his coffee recipe. She was always bothering him about it.

The coffee was well worth the value. It was truly divine, and she was very curious about how he made it.

"I forgot." Aucuses scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I was away dealing with Solomon's plans."

"It was hectic and tedious, as Solomon had left behind well-thought-out and intricate plans..." He continued, purposefully ignoring her increasing glare.

"Aucuses." Lilith spoke up to interrupt him. But he kept going, forcing her to yell at him. "Aucuses! Stop!"

"What?" Aucuses said, his face blank. His gaze, however, was fixed on her beautiful face.

'That took her a long time...' He finally looked at the beautiful face that had stumped her heart. 'She is truly...she...'

Allow him to emphasise it once more. There are no words to describe "Beauty" of Lilith.

Lilith felt a piercing and intense gaze on her face. The gaze was wanton, moving down her face, neck, and finally to her breasts.

'The audacity...this jerk...' She was thinking with her heart racing and unusual emotions that she didn't want to acknowledge.

She immediately spoke up, trying to keep his attention on her face. She also wore an indifferent expression.

"There's no need to act any longer, Aucuses. You said the same thing last time I asked for the recipe. You did forget, didn't you? It seems like you always forgot when it's about me..."

'I just want to make the coffee with my own hands for you...' Aucuses grumbled in his heart, but didn't say anything out loud because it would shatter the fragile barrier between them.

Yes, there is a wall. It's a metaphorical barrier that neither he nor Lilith wish to breach. It was preventing them from admitting their feelings for each other. It was what kept them both from taking the next step.

Aucuses was aware that Lilith was aware of the 'wall.' How did he find out about that? Honestly, It was just a gut feeling.

He unconsciously smiled, though it wasn't a happy smile. But he quickly regretted even smiling in that way, as Lilith, who was already very unstable, noticed.

"Are you smiling?" Lilith asked, and it was the final straw that broke the camel's back in her heart. "Your smile now resembles the one you had while playing the guitar." She whispered.

"The reminiscent smile."

"You had it while dreaming about the past. You also have it now. Does this coffee often remind you of her? If it's so special, why do you always give it to me?" Her words completely revealed her jealousy after hearing his sad song about love and breakup.

"Oh.." Aucuses approached her and flicked her brow with his index finger. "You dolt, it was just a song."

"It was not even my original. To alleviate you doubts, I have not fall in love with anyone in the past; that was a time when I was just messing around..." He came to a halt, looking at her dazed and dull eyes, which were most likely caused by his flick.

"You know what? Let's go." He spoke abruptly. The atmosphere around them was becoming increasingly tense as time passed. He didn't like it at all. So he made a decision.

"Where?" Lilith awoke from her trance, caressing the spot where he flicked gently with her hands.

"To Trier, the city that never sleeps." Aucuses spoke up, rising from the ground and reaching out a hand to her.

Lilith looked at his hand in silence before looking right into his golden eyes and asking in a solemn and serious tone. "Was there really no one?"

"No." Aucuses said, while his heart arose with strange happiness, seeing her all jealous.

"There wasn't anyone." He emphasised it again.

Lilith still didn't take her hand right away, instead staring at him before finally sighing and taking his hand. She stood up as well, passing the cup back to Aucuses.

"I finished it, here." She said, looking away.

"I'll give you the recipe." Aucuses said, taking a pen and a note from his coat.

"No." Lilith declined, pressing her hand against his fingers and preventing him from writing.

"What?" Aucuses was perplexed. "Didn't we just fight.?"

"I'd prefer it if you always brewed it for me."

"You don't have a problem with that, do you?" She cut him off with an enchanting smile.

"Absolutely not." Aucuses responded after a brief daze caused by her shocking words. It had a profound effect on him. Truly profound.

He also grabbed her hands tightly, sliding his fingers against hers, tying their hands together like a knot. He stuffed the pen and note back into his coat pocket.

Lilith asked, nodding and ignoring his clinging actions. "Where are we going in Trier particularly?"

"It's a surprise." Aucuses spoke mysteriously.

"Let's go." He continued without giving her another chance to ask a question.

Lilith and Aucuses faded away in a blinding flash of light from the mountain....