Lewd System: Every Scream and Moan is EXP

Jax had her pinned against the wall.

His hand gripped her wrist. His other arm caged her in. Their bodies were close enough that he could feel the heat radiating off her skin.

Roxana's chest heaved with each breath. Her wine-soaked shirt clung to her curves, leaving very little to imagination. Sweat glistened on her collarbone.

"Let go of me," she growled. But her voice wavered.

Jax didn't move.

Instead, he smiled. That slow, dangerous smile that never reached his eyes.

"You know... for a drunk princess, you're kind of hot when you're angry."

Roxana's face flushed crimson. "W-What?!"

His eyes traced down her body. Slowly. Deliberately. Taking his time.

Her heaving chest, barely contained by the wet fabric. The soft curve of her stomach, rising and falling with each breath. Her thick thighs pressed together, trembling slightly.

"And that belly?" His voice dropped low. Almost a purr. "Cute. Makes you look soft. Squeezable."

His free hand left the wall.

Roxana's breath hitched.

His fingers traced down her side—slowly, deliberately. He felt her shiver under his touch. His hand slid over her hip, feeling the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric of her shorts.

"You're... you're..." Roxana's words died in her throat. Her thighs pressed tighter together. Her pupils dilated.

Jax leaned closer, his lips brushing against her ear.

"What's wrong, Princess? Getting hot?"

His fingers hooked into the waistband of her shorts. Just barely. Just enough to make her gasp.

"I can feel you trembling," he murmured. "Is that anger? Or something else?"

Roxana's brain short-circuited.

Her mouth opened and closed. Her face was so red it looked painful. Her body betrayed her completely leaning into his touch even as her mind screamed at her to fight back.

"I—You—" She stammered, voice cracking. "HOW DARE YOU—"

She headbutted him.

CRACK!

Jax stumbled backward, blood spurting from his nose.

"OW! Fuck!" He clutched his face, laughing despite the pain. "Okay! Okay, you earned that one!"

Roxana pressed herself against the wall, one hand clutching her chest, face still burning. Her thighs were still pressed together. Her breath came in ragged gasps.

"Don't you EVER touch me like that again!" she screamed. But her voice cracked. Her body still trembled.

Jax wiped blood from his nose, grinning through the pain.

"No promises, Princess."

They faced each other across the destroyed room.

Both exhausted. Both battered. Both running on fumes.

The house looked like a warzone. Walls cracked and crumbling. Furniture reduced to splinters and ash. Small fires smoldering in every corner. Half the ceiling collapsed between them.

Roxana's lightning flickered weakly around her fingers. She could barely stand.

Jax's sword felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. His shoulder throbbed. His nose wouldn't stop bleeding.

But neither would back down.

"Ready to give up?" Jax asked.

"Are you?" Roxana shot back.

They stared at each other.

Then charged.

One final clash.

Roxana gathered what little lightning she had left and thrust her palm forward.

Jax swung his sword with everything remaining in his body.

They met in the middle.

BOOM!

The shockwave blew out what was left of the windows. It cracked the remaining walls. It knocked both of them off their feet.

Roxana flew backward and crashed into the remains of the couch.

Jax slammed into the wall hard enough to leave a crater in the plaster.

They collapsed.

Neither moved.

From outside, a terrified voice called:

"IS EVERYONE ALIVE IN THERE?!"

Rudiger.

Jax lay on the floor, staring at the ruined ceiling. Every muscle screamed. Every bone ached.

Roxana lay draped over the couch wreckage, arm over her eyes. Her chest rose and fell rapidly.

They both took a breath.

"SHUT UP, RUDIGER!" they shouted in unison.

Silence from outside.

They lay there for a long moment.

Then Roxana snorted.

Then Jax chuckled.

Then they were both laughing—genuine, exhausted, slightly delirious laughter.

"You're..." Roxana wheezed. "You're not completely terrible."

"You're..." Jax coughed. "Less annoying than I expected."

"I'm still furious you called me fat."

"I'm still furious you destroyed my house."

"OUR house."

"MY house."

"I arrived first!"

"I am superior!"

"It's academy housing!"

"Then it's MY academy housing!"

Roxana tried to summon lightning. A single weak spark fizzled out on her fingertip.

Jax tried to lift his sword. His arm refused to cooperate.

They both gave up.

Minutes passed.

Jax slowly, painfully crawled across the debris-covered floor toward the couch. Every movement was agony.

He collapsed beside Roxana—half on the ruined cushions, half on the floor.

Their shoulders touched.

She didn't push him away.

"I think I broke my liver," Roxana groaned.

"I think my nose is permanently crooked now."

She giggled weakly. "Good. Improves your face."

"Bitch."

"Bastard."

But there was no venom in it anymore.

Silence settled over them. Comfortable this time.

"So," Roxana said finally. "Who gets the house?"

"We flip a coin."

"I don't have a coin."

Jax sighed. "Then we share."

"Fine." She turned her head slightly toward him. "But I get the master bedroom."

"Like hell you do."

"I'm a princess."

"I don't care if you're the Goddess of Creation herself. I'm not sleeping on a burned couch in my own house."

Roxana smirked. "Then we share the bedroom too."

Jax side-eyed her. "You trying to seduce me, Princess?"

"In your dreams, peasant I will cut the bed into two but now seeing your pervyness you will sleep in other bedroom."

They both laughed weakly.

Jax thought for a moment.

"How about this. You take the master bedroom. But on special occasions, I get to sleep there."

Roxana frowned. "What special occasions?"

"Like tonight when I have special guest." He closed his eyes. "Don't think about it too much."

She stared at him.

Then snorted.

"Fine. Whatever. But you stay on your side."

"No promises."

She elbowed him weakly. He didn't even flinch.

"Okay," Roxana said after a while. "Rules. If we're living together, we need rules."

Jax groaned. "I'm listening."

"First. No walking in on me in the bathroom."

"Deal. No getting drunk and destroying the house."

Roxana winced. "...I'll try."

"Not good enough."

"Fine." She huffed. "I'll only drink on weekends."

Pause.

"And holidays."

Pause.

"And bad days."

Jax raised an eyebrow. "So... every day?"

She punched his shoulder. It had all the force of a gentle breeze.

"Shut up."

He grinned.

More silence.

Then curiosity got the better of him.

"So why'd you really get drunk tonight? And don't give me that 'celebrating' bullshit."

Roxana's smile faded.

She was quiet for a long moment. Her arm stayed draped over her eyes.

"Because I'm a failure."

Jax frowned. "What?"

"My sister is the Queen of Meridax." Her voice was hollow. Empty. "Beautiful. Powerful. Beloved by everyone. The perfect ruler. The perfect woman."

She let out a bitter laugh.

"And then there's me. The third princess. The chubby one. The one who drinks too much and talks too loud and can't do anything right." Her voice cracked slightly. "The disappointment who got shipped off to a floating academy in the middle of nowhere because nobody wanted me at court."

Jax stared at the ceiling.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Roxana's head snapped toward him. "Excuse me?"

"You just destroyed half a mansion while blackout drunk." He gestured vaguely at the devastation around them. "You almost killed me like six times. Your lightning magic is genuinely fucking terrifying. Well of course I wasn't using my real power but still you maybe better than the one I fought for trial and the same person the guest for tonight"

He turned his head to meet her eyes.

"You're not weak. You're not a failure. You're not a disappointment." He held her gaze. "You're just sad. And you're dealing with it the wrong way."

Roxana stared at him.

Her eyes glistened.

"...Thanks." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I think."

Jax looked back at the ceiling.

"And for the record—you're not fat. You're thick. There's a difference."

Roxana laughed. It came out wet, choked with emotion she was trying to suppress.

"You're still an asshole."

"And you're still a drunk."

She punched his shoulder again.

But she was smiling. Really smiling.

"I think..." She took a shaky breath. "I think we're going to get along."

Jax nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I think we are."

They lay there in the wreckage of their home, shoulder to shoulder, staring at the stars through the holes in the ceiling.

Two broken people.

Maybe they could fix each other.

Or maybe they'd just break everything else around them.

Either way it wouldn't be boring.