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”Okay,” Avery agrees and kisses the top of Kimiko's head. ”Threaten all you like, little fox, it's not going to stop us. Speaking of, Nic wants to look you over once more, but Cassi is being stubborn. I don't think he wants her out of his sight, so we should go to them,” Avery said before standing.

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Cassi opens her mouth several times to protest but Caden gives her a look that silences her. Instead, she grumbles to herself before looking at Nero. So much for ‘don't touch anything’.

”There should be a few small, flat, round silver containers on the middle or top shelf. She needs one of those. On the bottom shelf in a yellow box is a tea she could take as well.”

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The way Avery kisses her head makes Kimiko’s ears warm. “Fine but I won’t like it.” She mumbles before reaching her hand that’s not attached to her still-sore shoulder towards Avery and looking up at him. “This doesn’t mean anything - I’m still okay.” She says quickly.

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Nero smiles innocently back at Cassi before finding the items that she described and hopping down from the chair. “You can still curse me if you want.” They tell her cheekily. Even if it’s just while she’s injured, the light banter felt like normal.

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Avery chuckled at Kimiko's statement. He took her hand and helped her to stand. ”It'll be our little secret,” he said and led Kimiko into the kitchen.

Avery was glad Kimiko was letting him help her. It soothed not only his worried mind but also the mind of his wolf.

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”Good,” Cassi replied simply. She picked up a sandwich and debated eating it before setting it back down. She felt slightly nauseous, and didn't trust herself to keep the sandwich down at the moment.

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“I’m told Cassi’s nurse was looking for me?” Kiki jokes as the two of them enter the kitchen. She takes the opportunity to lean a little against Avery.

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“Cass, did you have any breakfast?” Nic asks of Cass as she stops herself from eating a sandwich before looking up to see Avery and Kimiko joining them. “Kimiko, I’d just like to know how you got each of the more serious injuries.” He gestures to the empty seat near him as Nero passes by with the stuff for Kimiko, handing it off to Caden.

Kimiko sits down and starts to go through the order of events backwards. Nic isn’t too concerned with most of them - it mostly sounds like the reason so many of the injuries seem bad is due to her being half-human who was roughly treated by werewolves.

“I don’t know how long he did it for, but Terrance carried me by my neck from his mouth while he was in wolf form after he choked my fox to get my star ball.”

Nic takes a closer look at the back of her neck. There didn’t seem to be any punctures as far as he could tell. “My biggest concern would be if his teeth punctured you since the mouth can carry so many diseases, but otherwise get some imaging done if you can just to be safe. Let me know if anything gets worse or infected.”

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A piece of toast and orange juice. Cassi never had much of an appetite before a big hunt like this, and that she was concussed, it was less. Besides, it was just after lunch time. Her appetite might still come back. Avery and Kimiko entered, saving Casi from having to answer Nic's question for now.

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Everyone listened to Kimiko's retelling of her injuries with rapt attention. Caden was angry, and Avery was pissed. Cassiopeia didn't look happy either, but she also looked drained.

Caden put the items for Kimiko in one hand before he shook Nic's.

”Thank you. For everything,” Caden said, gesturing around Cassi's house. ”We'll take Kiki in tomorrow to get some imaging done just in case, and keep you posted. Take care of yourself, Cass. And listen to your nurse.”

Cassiopeia's face flushed, and Caden chuckled. ”Alright, let's head home, and make sure our guests are comfortable for Charles’ arrival.”

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“Can I break their noses?” Kiki asks before leaning on the table to stand up. “Also, I’m riding with Avery.” She grabs one of the egg sandwiches, remembering how hungry she felt earlier and scarfs it down before grabbing the last one on her way out.

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Nic shakes Caden’s hand with a smile. “Happy to help.” He says, nodding before telling Avery to take the rest of the BLTs.

“Okay, are you feeling nauseous?” He asks Cass once the kitchen is empty again, putting his hands on her knees. “‘Cause that can happen with concussions, so I just want to make sure. I have meds to help with that if you’d like.” As much as he enjoys taking care of everyone, he’s glad they have the place to themselves again.

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“Let’s drive the doggies home.” Nero suggests to Caden as they head outside. “I think those two could enjoy a nice drive to themselves. Plus, I can break their wrists if they try anything.” A wide grin slips onto their face when they look up at their mate.

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Caden paused to ponder Kimiko's request as they left Cassi's. ”I don't see why not. Bran didn't say what condition their bodies had to be in, just that they were left alive for questioning. So no head trauma,” Caden stated.

They all got to the sidewalk, and Avery was protesting Kimiko riding with him and Levi's pack, when Nero suggested they take that SUV instead. Caden smiled and kissed their head.

”That's a splendid idea,” Caden said, and switched keys with Avery. ”No more traffic laws broken today, Avery. Okay?” Caden grinned before escorting Nero to the rundown SUV.

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It would seem Avery's mind had been made up for him. He took Caden's keys and sighed, he then looked at Kimiko and suddenly felt nervous. He cleared his throat and walked down the sidewalk before opening up the front passenger for Kimiko.

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The exhaustion hit Cassiopeia as soon as the others left. She felt like she could sleep for days. Max stayed near Cassiopeia, looking between her and Nic every few seconds.

Cassiopeia nodded at Nic's question about feeling nauseous. ”And tired. And sore. And like I've been run over by a werewolf,” Cassi said.

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Nero beams up at Caden when they kiss their head and actually started to feel a little more like themselves as they made their way to the other SUV. “Do you think Cassi will forgive you at least?” They ask Caden as they skip ahead of him to open his door for him. “I really hope she forgives you.”

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Kiki gives a small anxious smile to Avery and climbs into the SUV. “Thank you.” She says as she sits down before she turns to face Avery. “For everything today…” Kiki looks down at his feet as she feels her ears warm. There so much she wants to say but doesn’t know how to say it right now.

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Nic looks at her with a look of both concern and exasperation before shaking his head with a laugh. “And you weren’t going to tell me?” He asks in bewilderment before reaching into his little bag of medical supplies and pulling out some anti-nausea meds. “This is what we usually give patients in the ER when they’re nauseous - it’s dissolvable.”

Handing her one, he reaches behind himself and grabs the bottle of the sparkling raspberry cider that she had liked the day before. “You’re going to let me take complete care of you today, okay?”

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Caden’s smile faltered from Nero’s question. He followed Nero as they skipped ahead to open the door for him. In the back, a couple of the humans were starting to wake, but they were still groggy.

”I’m not sure, my little imp. I think you telling her about Mundus will help, but it leaves us with more questions as well.”

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Avery glanced down the street while Kimiko climbed into the SUV. He could see some movement in the other SUV, and understood that to mean the unconscious wolves were starting to wake. On one hand, Avery was glad he wasn’t in that SUV, but on the other, he wished he were so he could punch them all in the face, but he supposed Kimiko deserved an opportunity to as well.

Kimiko’s voice refocused Avery, and he looked back at her. He smiled and nodded before he started to close her door. He paused when she thanked him again.

Avery’s fingers twitched on the door, wanting to touch her, kiss her, or hold her. ”I only did it to get the towels back,” he joked poorly. Avery winked before closing Kimiko’s door and walked to the other side.

He glanced back at the other SUV, and saw that Caden and Nero were having a moment. He hoped they wouldn’t take long. Avery jumped inside the SUV, set the pile of BLT sandwiches on the centre counsel, turned the SUV on, and grabbed a sandwich to start eating.

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Cassiopeia fidgeted in her seat before answering Nic. ”I was going to tell you… eventually. I just wanted the others to be examined first. Then Nero threatened to tell you, and I knew it wouldn’t go over well if someone else told you I was hurt.”

She held her hand out for the pill, not quite meeting Nic’s eyes. She watched him grab a new bottle of that sparkling cider she liked and smiled. He was an absolute gem, Cassi thought, but she shook her head at the bottle. ”Ginger tea would be better,” she declared. Max moved from his post at Cassi’s feet, jumped onto the counter, and sat below the cupboard with the tea things for Nic to find.

Cassi shifted her eyes to look at Nic and the sincerity in his voice. Maybe it was because she was so tired, or maybe it was because Cassi felt like she could be vulnerable with Nic, but she started to cry. ”You don’t take no for an answer, do you?” she joked, and looked away again. ”No one’s ever taken care of me like you have. Well, there’s Caden, but that’s vastly different from you. I don’t know how to let anyone look after me…My family…when they…I felt so helpless when I couldn’t save them. It was the first time I ever felt weak. I never wanted to feel that way again,” Cassi whispered as she cried. She finally met Nic’s eyes, hoping he’d understand now.

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Nero nods, feeling the tiniest bit guilty that they ruined a perfectly good moment. They notice the werewolves starting to wake up and hop into the SUV from the driver’s side, easily climbing over the center console to sit in the passenger seat. They cast a glance behind them and a couple of the werewolves physically retreat from the demon. They grin.

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Caught off guard by the joke, Kiki laughs as Avery closes her door and gets in on the driver’s side. “I’ll make sure you always have a towel from now on.” She tells him as he climbs in before she eats the egg sandwich she had grabbed earlier.

The fox has so many questions rolling around in her head that she wants to ask Avery, the biggest one centered on wanting to know what he had to tell her. She reminds herself that there’s time, that she doesn’t need to know right away, but it still weighs on her mind.

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Nic keeps the comment he wants to say about the demon to himself, not sure where Cass is with them, but he’s grateful to Nero for making Cass tell him. After handing her the ondansetron, he starts to get up to grab the tea for her, but he stops when he hears Cass’ voice, thick with emotion.

He sits back down, watching her carefully as she talks, a gentle smile on his face. When Cass meets his eyes again, he pulls her in for a hug, making sure not to jostle her head as he does so. He wants to tell her that she needs to not think too much about things like that - that she needs to rest both mentally and physically with her concussion, but boyfriend Nic won over nurse Nic.

“You are the strongest person I know and I’ve never considered you as weak. Your vulnerability shows your strength more than anything else.” He whispers fiercely as he hugs her. “No matter what, I’m here for you. I’ll teach you how to let me look after you.”

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Caden watched Nero with amusement as they climbed into the vehicle, and promptly turned to look into the back. Any of the wolves who were making movement or noise instantly stopped. Caden chuckled and got into the driver's seat.

”Ich fange an, mich zu fragen, ob ich mehr Angst vor dir haben sollte als ich,” Caden said. He waited for Avery to drive before following. He rested a comforting hand On Nero's leg, feeling more at ease, even with werewolves in the backseat.

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Once Caden got in, Avery drove off. ”I guess that means I should return your straws, hmm?” Avery finished off another sandwich before grabbing another.

”Do you want me to stop anywhere? I could get you something else to eat or drink, or whatever you might want while you're recovering,” Avery offered. He remained focused on the road, but kept glancing at Kimiko. He tried not to, but his eyes kept drifting to the black and purple bruises on her neck.

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Cassiopeia holds onto Nic, her tears soaking into his shirt. ”Only if I can look after you,” she sniffed. Cassi placed a kiss on Nic's neck before she pulled back.

”Can I shower before bed rest, or would a bath be better with the head wound?” Cassi asked, gesturing to her head.

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Nero takes off their gloves and stuffs them into their pockets so they can hold Caden’s hand. They grin widely at Caden’s words. “Ich denke, einen dreihundert Pfund schweren Werwolf mit einem Dolchwurf in eine Säule zu werfen, könnte jeden dazu bringen, es sich noch einmal zu überlegen, ob er mir in die Quere kommt.” They gently squeeze Caden’s hand.

“Du brauchst aber keine Angst vor mir zu haben.” Nero picks up Caden’s hand to kiss it before letting it rest in their lap again, placing their hand on top.

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“You stole my straws??” Kiki asks, bewildered at this. “Why?” She asks of the wolf with a small laugh at the absurdity.

When he asks if she wants to stop for anything, she goes to shake her head but stops before she can hurt herself. “I want to take a shower and then maybe take a nap… with you there too…” Her ear flame and she glances out her window, not meeting Avery’s gaze. “Please.” Kiki says this word in a small, soft voice.

She knows Avery rescued her, he killed the man responsible, and he’s worried for her even now, but she still doesn’t know what their relationship is. Did he do it all because she’s ’Caden’s ward’? Kiki could admire that, but she admits to herself that she’ll be disappointed if that’s the only reason he did all of it.

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Nic chuckles softly, opting to run his hands up and down her back as she cries rather than touching her hair or head. “I’d say a bath would be better.” Nic tells her after she pulls away. He cups her cheek as he looks at her. She’s right - he doesn’t take no for an answer when it comes to taking care of someone, especially when it’s someone like Cass.

The nurse takes a deep breath to stop himself from saying the three little words that keep bouncing around in his head before he kisses the sorceress’ forehead and stands. He goes to the cupboard that Max still patiently sits at, giving the cat a head pat as he pulls out the ginger tea. “If you’d like, I can gently rinse your hair and comb it again before you get in the bath. It’ll be best to let the wound dry for - well for fragile humans like myself, I usually say 2-3 days after the cut before you wash your hair.” Nic sends her a wink before filling the kettle and setting it on the stove.

“I think I want to make a table of how all of you heal compared to humans so I can start making better assessments.” He muses as he turns back around to look at Cass. “Do you think you can help me with that at some point? Not today, with the head injury I want you resting both physically and mentally… Sorry, I’m rambling and in complete nurse mode.” He laughs sheepishly before smiling softly at his girlfriend where she sits.

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Caden laughed and nodded in agreement. ”I believe that made all of us pause for a moment,” Caden stated. He ran his thumb across Nero's leg before they captured his hand in theirs.

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”Because you stole the towels! And you were being rather annoying with the straws,” he said, laughing.

Avery shifted in his seat, glancing at the mirrors while he drove. He tried to look busy and distracted, but it was hard to keep the smile off his face when Kimiko asked him to nap with her. He rubbed his hand over his mouth to try and relax, and cleared his throat.

”Napping in a bed would be nicer than napping in the hallway outside your door,” Avery said, and glanced at Kimiko. ”I think you'll find me not letting you out of my sight for a while.”

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Cassiopeia remained seated and watched Nic while he bustled about her kitchen. She knew if she tried to go run her own bath, he would try and pin her down or tie her to a chair. Cassi's head briefly shifted to a vision of him getting on his knees after and she quickly shut her eyes and shifted in her seat.

Nic's voice faded in and out while Cassi regained her composure. ”I can help you compile a chart. I know most of the ins and outs, but Avery can help fill in some of the blanks for wolves, and we're still learning with Kiki. Each Kitsune seems to be a little unique.”

Max jumped back down once Nic started to prepare Cassi's tea. He walked over and nudged her leg before he went upstairs to wait for them. Cassi took the opportunity to stand, using the back of the chair for balance before feeling steady enough to walk.

”Can we start the bath while the water for my tea heats? The adrenaline is gone and I can feel the dry blood and dirt all over.” If it wasn't dirt forming digging in the soil under Cassi's nails or in her hair, she hated being dirty.

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Nero chuckles, wiggling a little in their seat. “I swear I just threw it to keep the wolf away from Cassi and Kiki - I didn’t mean for that amount of force… I think I’ve just become more and more protective of your family as I get to know them…” They nod their head side to side as they think about it. They’ve never had a family before, they realize as their limited memory confirms it for them.

“I know you said you can’t break it after you’ve made the bond,” Nero starts to say, their other hand starting to trace Caden’s hand tattoos as they talk. “But I’m really grateful that you kept me around still…” Their eyes gloss over and they bite their lip to keep them from falling. They could be vulnerable with Caden later, when there weren’t curious wolves in the back.

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Kiki laughs more, shoulders shaking as she lets some of the wound up energy in her loose through the reaction. “I like to make sure I get as much of a drink as possible, thank you very much.” She finally says after some of the laughter subsides.

Avery’s nexts words give her pause as a pleasant shiver goes up her spine as the thought of him with her, keeping her safe. Kiki would normally argue that she doesn’t need protection, that she’s perfectly capable of handling herself, but… she wants Avery to do that for her.

“Earlier, you said you were afraid to tell me what you were feeling… Can we circle back to that now?” She asks, turning to look at Avery more while he drove.

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The nurse chuckles and nods. “Of course we can.” He sets the kettle on low heat for now, figuring it doesn’t need to boil right away, before he walks over to Cass to help her walk. His ears start to warm a little as he tries not to think of Cass’ naked body in her tub last night.

“I-if you want, you can wrap a towel around yourself bathhouse style and sit in your tub while I work at your hair. I’m thinking twin French braids - your cut is almost the middle of the back of your head.” Nic says. He can’t wait for them to take the next intimate steps in their relationship, but he wants it to be on their terms and with Cass feeling like she can make her own choice without any outside pressure from him or others.

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”They’re your family now, too. I know not Cassi yet, but I'm very grateful you protected her and Kiki like that.” If Cassi had been killed, Caden would have struggled not to kill every wolf of the Chicago pack. He hated even thinking about it, so he was glad when Nero moved the conversation along.

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Avery turns down the road that leads them out of Chicago and out to the country when Kimiko asks Avery about what he mentioned earlier. He gripped the steering wheel a bit more tightly, having no idea how to broach this topic.

”You already asked your one question of the day,” Avery teased Kimiko. ”How much do you know about werewolves? More specifically to relationships and their mating bond,” Avery asked.

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Cassiopeia was glad Nic was holding her while they walked up the stairs as she probably would have fallen when Nic stuttered. She couldn't help but laugh when he suggested she wear a towel into the bathtub.

”Are you sure you weren't born in the 18th century?” she teased him.

They reached the top floor and thought about something else she could wear instead of a towel that would soak up half the bath water.

”I can put on a bathing suit and a t-shirt,” Cassi compromised.

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Nero stares at Caden’s hand and their own for a moment as they sit with their thoughts for a moment. They really are starting to feel like part of a family. “I’d do it again.” Nero assures Caden, glancing up and over at him with a smile.

“Though next time, I’ll try to keep my promise of not killing.” The lean over the center console and kiss Caden’s cheek before settling back in their seat.

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Kiki shifts in her seat, trying not to get her hopes up about why this topic is being brought up. “Not much, I’m afraid… Caden’s mentioned it briefly in passing before but… Yeah, I don’t know much.I was actually going to ask you more about it after last night if things had…” This time she can’t help but bite her lip to stop herself from rambling but immediately curses when she feels the cut reopen.

“Sorry, fucking assholes… Please tell me more about it.” Using more of her shoulders than her neck, she turns to look at Avery.

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“Why must you make fun of me for wanting you to feel safe around me?” Nic grumbles at her teasing as they reach the second story and make their way to Cass’ bedroom.

“Why a t-shirt over the bathing suit? You sound like my Mormon friends now.” He counters with a teasing tone. “I really just want to make sure you’re comfortable, this isn’t about me.”

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Avery turned his head quickly when Kimiko cursed. His eyes immediately went to the drop of blood forming on her lips. His eyes flashed yellow, but he regained control quickly. Avery looked out the windshield to make sure they were still on the road before he looked back. Kimiko was looking at him now. Avery reached out and brushed his thumb along her lip to whip the blood away.

”Werewolves undergo something called the mating bond. It's not unlike what Caden has done with Nero, but the small factor is we don't choose who we form the mating bond with. Our wolf has the connection and we just go along for the ride. We can reject the bond, but it's not common,” Avery explained, and looked back to the road.

”When the bond snaps into place everything about that person that we bond to makes sense. Their hair, their smell, their stupid little quirks.” Avery smiles to himself as he thinks about Kimiko and her damn straws.

He glances over at her. ”I've been on edge around you since day one. My wolf has been close to the surface, and hasn't calmed down or shut up. Last night was the first time he settled. It was the first time I felt settled, and then something snapped. I panicked, and I pushed you away.”

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Cassiopeia laughs, but not as much as she would like, as it makes her feel dizzy and lightheaded. ”Make me comfortable? And you call me adorable. Why Nic, are you afraid you're going to ravish me if I bare my shoulder to you?” Cassiopeia teases, taking on a Parisian accent.

Cassiopeia rests her hands on Nic's shoulders, smiling at him. ”I am comfortable around you, and I do trust you to respect me. As much as I'd like you to have your way with me, I don't think I would be much fun tonight.”

Cassi lifted a hand from Nic's shoulder and caressed his cheek. ”I'll get changed and you can start the water,” she said, knowing he probably didn't want to leave her completely in her condition.

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Kimiko listens with rapt attention, especially after Avery wipes the blood from her lip. Her eyes follow his movement, the smile he has when he brings up the quirks, and the glance he gives her when he talks about how his wolf has been on edge with her. She almost stops breathing for a moment before she blinks and remembers to inhale and exhale. “Avery…” She starts to say in confusion before a small smile lifts her lips.

“As you’ve kindly pointed out, I’m out of questions for today, so you’ll need to just tell me what you’re implying.” She fights the urge to grin for two reasons; one, she does want to make her lips worse and two, she wants to confirm what the wolf driving the car is saying.

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Nic puts his face in his hand, shaking his head as she teases him. As much as he wants to point out that sex while on bed rest defeats the point, he lets her have this one. “I’m glad you’re comfortable around me.” He says simply, leaning forward to kiss her nose and forehead.

“Call out for me if you feel dizzy, okay? I’ll go start the bath though.” He gives her one final kiss on the nose before pulling away. He shakes his head as he goes into the bathroom, laughing while muttering something about ‘bare shoulders’.

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The sound of Kimiko’s breathing, or lack thereof, worried Avery, and he glanced at her again. She was staring at him, rapt with attention. He chuckled and focused back on the road.

”It means my wolf recognizes you as our mate. Which means I’m asking you if you would like to go steady with me.”

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Cassiopeia smiled and nodded, watching Nic retreat to her bathroom before she goes to her bed. Cassi gathers the clothes she worse last night to change into after her bath before she picks out a two-piece swimsuit to wear for her bath.

It took Cassi a bit longer to change as she was being mindful of her head, but she eventually managed it, and walked into the bathroom.

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Kiki stares for a moment, surprised Avery just went ahead and said it. She grins widely at Avery, lip be damned. “I can’t believe you’re wording it like that, but yes - I’ll ‘go steady with you’.” She snorts at hearing the words come out of her own mouth.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh at you for it.” She says as she smothers her laugh with her hand.

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Nic turns around when he hears Cass walk into the bathroom and can’t help his grin. “M’lady, I don’t know if I can control myself around your exposed beauty.” He says in a terrible impression of a British accent before he stands up and helps Cass to the bath.

“Your womanly wiles are too much for me.” He continues to tease her before he kisses her cheek. “You do look very nice in that swimsuit and I’d love an opportunity to see it outside of a bath sometime.”

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