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Caden briefly turned the airplane mode off on Nero’s phone so he could pull up photos of a Boeing 737, one of the larger planes more common in America. There would be lots of them at the airport once they landed. Caden turned airplane mode back on but Nero would still be able to look at the pictures.

Nero’s exclamation pulled Caden’s attention, and he laughed, handing Nero back their phone. ”Yes, a secret bookcase leading to the bedroom,” Caden said, and opened the door the rest of the way for Nero to see.

The bedroom contained same colour scheme as the rest of the plane. There was a king sized bed, and a private bathroom in addition to the other one near the cockpit of the plane.

---

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Avery held Kimiko’s leathers in a bundle, watching her while she stammered. He smiled gently, finding her bashful attitude to be quite endearing. He added her leathers to the bag before zipping it up, and pocked the keys to the bike.

”Well, I’ll make sure to be more fair in the future, and won’t kiss you until you decide to kiss me,” Avery countered. He hated the idea, but he didn’t want to push Kimiko faster than what she wanted.

Avery led Kimiko into the arcade, unable to take her hand with his being full. After they walked in, Avery was able to hand off the helmets and his bag to coat check. Once he had the ticket, he looked at Kimiko.

”Do you want to have something to eat or drink first? Or do you want to take a walk around the building to see what they have?” Avery already knew since had been before, but it was Kimiko’s first time.

There were a bunch of old arcade games, pinball, shooting games, racing games, silly games to win prizes, and a lot more. There were also pool, a bowling alley with a handful of lanes, and a place for axe throwing on top of the bar that had a bunch of seating for dinning.

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Cassiopeia unloaded the trolly, and made her way back to the elevator with Nic. ”He’s good. I keep telling him once you and your dad are settled he can come spend a couple of nights with you. He seemed thrilled by the idea, but well, you can’t really tell. But I do know he misses you,” Cassi said as they stepped back into the elevator.

She leaned against the back of the elevator and smiled up at Nic. ”How was work today?”

One of Cassi’s highlights of her day now was getting to talk to Nic about how work had been. The conversation happened mainly over the phone, or while Cassi had been helping Nic pack.

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Nero empties their flute of champagne before exchanging the empty glass for their phone from Caden. Then they skip into the bedroom to look around. “Our secret bookcase door will be better though, right? Can’t just have a big old doorknob sticking out of a book, that won’t fool anyone.” The contractor had come by and looked at the wall between their room and what would become Nero’s office once it’s finished. The only thing waiting is for the, to get started on it.

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Kiki makes a face at Avery’s words. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.” She mumbles as she follows him into the arcade. At least, she hopes he knew that’s not what she meant - did she need to tell him he had just flustered her?

The fox is pulled from her thoughts when Avery asks what she wants to do first. She’s entirely too nervous to eat right now so she grabs Avery’s hand before answering. “Can we take a look around? Unless you’re hungry, then we can eat first.” She shifts her weight nervously.

It confuses her - she’s been clinging to Avery as much as possible over the last week, but now she suddenly feels shy around him again. Is it because it’s our first date? Kiki asks herself.

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“I miss him too.” Nic says before leaning his side into the elevator as Cass looks up at him. “Work was a little busy, but that’s to be expected on a Friday. Most of the staff has welcomed me back now, so that should help me actually get things done again.” He grins as he looks down at her. “Did you get up to anything else today other than being the perfect girlfriend?”

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Caden sipped his champagne and ducked his head to walk into the bedroom. ”Our secret door bookcase will be much better,” Caden assured.

Caden had hoped work would start and be completed this weekend but they were finishing a job, and Caden would have to wait until the following week. The work this contractor did was superior, making the wait easier to bear.

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Avery looked down when Kimiko reclaimed his hand, and his pounding heart settled, turning into a flutter instead. ”We can look around,” Avery assured her. First, they needed passes for the games.

Avery walked over to the front desk and bought him and Kimiko wristbands that had these little pieces you could scan at the games to play. He handed Kimiko hers and slipped it over his wrist. It was a little snug on Avery, but not uncomfortably so.

”Let's go this way,” Avery suggested and reclaimed Kimiko's hand. He pulled her to the side with the little bowling alley and axe throwing.

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”Jane called you a celebrity with how everyone just stops to greet you in the hallways,” Cassi said with a grin.

Cassiopeia kept her arms at her sides, with one hand on the trolley while she looked up at Nic. She was even shorter than her usual 5’6” because she was leaning back, and Nic seemed taller as he leaned next and towered over her. She had the sudden urge to run her hand through his mess of hair.

It was chaotic and wind swept, despite the helmet he always wore. And Cassi could picture Nic running his hand through it a hundred times a day while at work. The elevator doors opened and Cassi looked away.

”Nope! Being a perfect girlfriend is a full time job,” she informed Nic. The words girlfriend and boyfriend still sounded so unique and foreign to Cassi's ears. She just liked the way the words sounded when Nic spoke them, because she knew he was talking about them.

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“Good.” Nero says with a grin before they cannonball into the bed, the skirt of their dress flying up as they do so. They spread out in the bed and try to take up as much room as they can with their small frame. The bed isn’t as comfy as the one at Caden’s, but it was decently comfortable still.

“So what are we going to do in this secret place you’re taking me to?” Nero asks, sitting up. Their hands move to their hair to make sure it’s all in place still.

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Being doted on by Avery made Kiki smile, a little bit of blush coloring her ears as he slipped her wristband on for her. When he grabs her hand, a goofy smile slips onto her face and she happily follows where Avery pulls her. She sees the bowling alley and eyes it with a tiny bit of interest but when they pass by the axe throwing, she gets really excited.

“Oh! I’ve always wanted to do this.” Kiki says, practically bouncing as she leans into Avery more.

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Nic places a finger under Cass’ chin as she looks away, pulling her face back towards him so he can kiss her. It’s a gentle and soft kiss, not anything more as they’re busy unloading the truck still, but it’s sweet and welcome after a long week apart.

Nic lets his hand drop as he pulls away and smiles at Cass. “Good thing you’re so good at your job.” He says as he tucks a piece of hair before grabbing her hand and pushing the trolley with the other one so that they can exit the elevator before the doors close on them.

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Caden watched Nero jump onto the bed with mild amusement. He tipped back his glass and finished the rest of the champagne. He set the empty glass down on a table before closing the bedroom door and smiled at Nero crookedly.

”Lots of things, but if I tell you, it’ll give it away,” Caden announced. He stripped off his jacket and tossed it onto the bed. He was actually wearing a black t-shirt under the black suit jacket just to prove Nero wrong. He did own t-shirts.

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Avery stopped to watch a couple of people throw axes and hit the wooden bullseye at the end of the lane. He grinned at Kimiko’s joy. ”Do you want to give it a go?”

When Avery had been looking at places to take Kimiko, the axe throwing had been a big selling factor for him.

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Cassiopeia’s body tenses when Nic turns her face to look back at him. Her stomach plummeted, and she relaxed when he kissed her. It’s over far too soon, but Cassi is left feeling the lingering effects of the kiss. She fights off a giggle from his attentiveness. When he hooks her hair back behind her ear, she sighs.

Cassiopeia lets Nic pull her along while she talks. ”My hair has been finding ways out of the bun all day,” she informs Nic. They reach the van, and Cassi starts off-loading more boxes so they can get to the couch and little side tables.

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Nero sticks their tongue out at Caden before stealing his jacket to wear, wiggling their way into it while still on the bed. “You know, t-shirts look good on you.” Nero looks at Caden and bites their lip before looking up at his face.

They didn’t miss that Caden has closed the door, hoping that adding layers that he takes off would tease him. They beam innocently up at their mate, nodding their head back and forth to a beat only they can hear.

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Kimiko nods enthusiastically, very grateful that she can show a larger range of emotion now that she’s almost fully healed. The most annoying injury had been the split lip and bruised cheek and she’s glad they’re gone. “I have pretty good aim usually, but axes are heavier, right?” She asks Avery, turning away from the axe throwing to look up at him.

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Nic doesn’t miss how his kiss affects Cass, but chooses not to tease her about it. He takes a look at her hair as she busies herself with getting to the couch. “Do you want me to braid it for you real quick?” He offers, organizing the boxes a little as Cass offloads them.

He takes a quick look around to make sure everyone else is inside before he speaks. “Also, as lovely as your backside is, please make sure to use your knees, dear.” He stands outside of the truck and grins lopsidedly up at her.

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”Not nearly as good as that dress or my jacket looks on you,” Caden said. He doesn’t miss how they layer themselves or seem to inch away from him. It’s all part of a game that Caden has come to enjoy playing.

His eyes drift down to Nero’s legs, mesmerized by the look of them as Nero lays there and watches him. Caden’s eyes drift slowly back up Nero’s body until his eyes lock with theirs. ”Do you still want me to read to you?”

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Avery smiled at Kimiko when he looked at him. ”They are, but they teach you how to throw them properly here. I don’t think the weight should be a problem for you. You were already strong,” Avery said honestly.

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”Ah, maybe for tomorrow? I think I can manage for the rest of today,” Cassiopeia said. The moving day was nearly over anyways.

Cassi handed Nic a box before she went to grab another. Her face flamed from Nic’s comment but it didn’t stop her from squatting with her back to him and picked up a box more slowly than usual.

”Like that?” she asked, standing back up and turned to look at Nic with a sly smile.

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Nero smirks as they follow Caden’s eyes until his are locked onto their own. “Maybe another time - something else has caught my attention instead.” They wink slyly before jumping off the bed and running into the bathroom. “This bathroom for instance!” They say gleefully.

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Kiki purses her lips and narrows her eyes playfully at Avery. “Then why does my trainer make me work on upper body strength so often?” She teases before pulling him along so they can get an instructor and lane for the axe throwing. She doesn’t miss that the human employee seems to think she won’t be able to participate.

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Nic bites his lip as he watches Cass tease him, very aware of how warm his ears had grown. “Much better and much more distracting.” He throws a glance at the doors to see if anyone is walking out before jumping easily into the van, plucking the box out of her hands to set it down, and pulling Cass in for a deep kiss,

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Caden watched Kimiko dart into the bathroom, and stopped himself from running across the room to grab them and throw them back onto the bed. He took a deep breath in before staring up at the ceiling, and shook his head. A smile forms on his face, and Caden walks calmly over to the bathroom door.

”Mhmm, the bathroom, is nice.” Caden’s frame took up the doorway, and he just stood there and watched Nero.

The bathroom had a little shower, only big enough for one, a sink and a toilet. It was rather nice for an air bus.

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Avery grinned at Kimiko and squeezed her hand. ”Because your trainer wants you to be able to do more than just throw an axe,” Avery said, nudging Kimiko with his elbow.

The instructor for the axe throwing appraised Kimiko, and Avery nearly punched the guy. Avery’s fingers twitched at his side, playing a melody in his head to keep himself distracted while he told the instructor just to teach them both and not worry about what Kimiko might or might not be able to do. Avery understood the person was just doing their job, but it didn’t make Avery any less territorial.

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Cassiopeia’s stomach fluttered when she watched Nic throw a look in the direction of the apartment before he easily hopped into the van. Her eyes tracked him while her blood pounded in her ears, and goosebumps formed on her skin.

She had backed herself up until she touched the side of the van. Her box was soon gone and Nic’s lips were on hers. Cassi didn’t hesitate to wrap a hand around the back of his neck and the other slipped into his hair, feeling the impossible softness of his pitch black hair.

They hadn’t been intimate like this for several days, and even though Cassi knew this was a tease that would leave her craving more, she happily fell into it.

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Nero tries their best not to look like a guilty party trapped, but it’s hard when they turn around and see how much of the doorframe Caden takes up. The little imp momentarily considers locking themself in the shower before they decide that would just be futile. With an innocent smile, Nero spins in a circle to look around before meeting Caden at the door. “I, uh, seem to have trapped myself.” They say before biting their thumb as they look up at Caden before smiling crookedly.

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Kiki, sensing the tension practically rolling off of Avery, squeezes his hand and places her other hand on his upper arm, leaning into him more as the instructor finally lets go of his previous misconceptions. When he finally offers an axe, Kimiko kisses Avery’s cheek before unwrapping herself from the wolf to take the axe.

She makes a show of looking like she’s trying to line up the axe with the target before she easily tosses it and hits the bullseye. Kiki turns to look at Avery and smirk, feeling like she could be the Chesire Cat’s twin. “Wow, I must be lucky, huh?” She says in her best ‘valley girl’ American accent. The instructor just kind of stands there with his mouth agape before he hands over the rest of the axes for their turn and goes to help someone else.

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Nic pins her a little more against the wall of the van, one hand leaned against it for support by Cass’ head while his other hand holds her waist. He lets them both get a little lost in the moment, Nic almost ready to pick her up and move her to the now available couch, until he hears the doors open and the very clear voices of Jane and Kat.

He pulls away from Cass, breathing a little heavily, as he runs his thumb over her bottom lip, subconsciously licking his own before he pecks her nose and picks up the box he had stolen from her. Jane and Kat’s faces appear just as he starts walking to exit the truck with the box. “I think we’re about ready to try our hands at getting the couch inside.” If either of his friends notice how red his ears are, they keep it to themselves.

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Caden grinned, chuckling softly, and looked around the small bathroom. ”Yes. There aren’t many places to hide in an airplane,” he informed them.

His eyes fell back on Nero, becoming distracted by the way Nero was biting their thumb. Caden lifted his hand to rest on Nero’s and gently pulled their thumb away. He held their wrist, and examined their thumb. ”I thought you preferred when I bit you,” Caden said, and looked at Nero with a raised eyebrow.

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Avery pulled his attention from the idiot instructor when Kimiko takes an axe to go line up. She makes the bullseye easily, and Avery smirked at her response. He took the remaining axes from the instructor and set them out on the wooden ledge.

”Beginner’s luck for sure,” Avery agrees, and waits for Kimiko to retrieve their axe.

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The press of Nic’s hand on Cassiopeia’s hip burned in the best way. The heat worked it’s way lower as she fell more deeply into the kiss, and her hold in Nic’s hair tightened until he pulled away. Her arms dropped right away, but her eyes remained drawn in by Nic’s.

His thumb on her lip had her seconds away from biting it or pulling him back, but Nic had the good sense to grab the discarded box and walk away. Cassiopeia turned away and busied herself with pulling boxes forward to regain control of her faculties.

Okay, maybe she couldn’t handle the teasing. Her stomach still rolled, and she had to actively breath in and out evenly to get the clenching of her body to ease off.

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Nero makes a sheepish expression, their face turning red at the comment. “I do…” They say as they twist their hand to hold Caden’s wrist and bite down on his thumb instead, a wide grin spreading on their face.

“Sometimes I just need to bite something though.” Nero says, holding Caden’s thumb in between their teeth as they talked still.

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Kiki laughs before making the trek to go grab her axe from the wall before rejoining Avery. “I think that chump will think twice before underestimating someone again.” Kiki coos with a wide grin as she sets the axe on the ledge with the others. She tucks her hair behind both ears and looks at Avery, waiting to see his attempt.

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Nic sets the box on the trolley before he and Jane pick up the couch and head into the elevator with it, but he stays a little distracted by the pretty little sorceress he had left in the moving van. When the elevator doors close, Jane calls Nic’s name several times before he realizes and grins sheepishly at her. “What was that?”

Jane huffs, but laughs as she shakes her head. “I was asking how the two of you were doing, but that kind of answered my question. I’m glad you’re going to have your own space now because you two need it. Although, there’s always the on-call room.” She wiggles her eyebrows at Nic before laughing as his ears grow warm again.

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Caden’s eyes flashed when Nero bit down on his thumb. He smirked and stepped closer to Nero. ”Then by all means. Bite me as many times as you want,” he said before he snaked his arm around Nero’s waist and hauled them back into the bedroom.

He laid Nero down on the bed and kissed their jaw, distracting Nero from his thumb enough to pull it back and capture their lips with his.

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”At the very least,” Avery said and picked up his axe. He flipped it over in his hand and tossed it with both hands. It landed just shy of the bullseye, but Avery doesn’t mind. ”So, should we have typical first date conversations?” Avery asked, going to get his axe out of the wood.

He pulled down and lifted up on the axe to get it to easily release his hold. In the back of his mind, something told him to throw his last axe of the night as hard as he could and then watch the trainer struggle to get it back out.

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With Nic gone, Cassi can breathe a little easier. She turns around and gets out of the van to see Kat standing there smirking. Jason and Todd get into the back of the van and haul the other heavier pieces out before heading back in.

“So,” she said, giving me a knowing look.

Cassi blushes and grabs the trolley. ”The shorts worked,” she said shyly.

Kat laughed and grabbed a box to carry. “You thought they wouldn’t?”

”No… I just didn’t think they would work that well. I wore them for you and Jane to enjoy as well,” Cassi reminded Kat and gently elbowed Kat’s side.

“It’s been enjoyment for all,” Kat assured her.

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Nero giggles as they’re carried out of the bathroom. They try to keep their hold on Caden’s thumb, but he knows their weak spots and soon captures their lips. They smile against Caden’s lips before kissing him back, holding his face with both of their small hands. They nip at his bottom lip, unable to stop the giggle that leaves them.

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“I’ll be honest, I’ve never really been on a proper date before. What are the typical first date conversations?” Kiki leans against the little ledge as Avery makes his way back. “Shame about the bullseye though.” She adds as a tease before she throws her next axe. She doesn’t make a big show of aiming this time, easily hitting another bullseye.

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“I’d rather have our first time not be where I work.” Nic mumbles as the elevator doors open and the two lift the couch and carry it into the apartment.

“Wait, you two haven’t…??”

Nic gives her a flat look. “It’s never been the right moment - last week she had that concussion and this week I’ve been busy with work and the move… I want it to be special.”

“You’re such a girl, Nic, I swear to god.” Jane says before quickly changing the subject as Ren Wu comes through the door with more boxes.

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Caden ran his hands down Nero’s side until he feels the skin of their thighs under his hands. He squeezes their legs just as they bite his bottom lip and giggle. Caden chuckles and nips Nero back.

”You are a giggly little thing today, aren’t you? Does that mean you’re excited for our adventure?” Caden asked while running one of his hands up Nero’s leg.

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Avery sat his axe down and leaned against the wooden ledge, shrugging. ”My talents lie in other areas,” Avery said, smirking sideways at Kimiko. She makes another easy bullseye and Avery turns to face Kimiko better.

”Anything really. For example, what kind of dates have you been on if not a first date?” Avery asked.

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Shortly after Ren gets to the right floor, Kat and Cassi do as well. They had a rather similar conversation that Nic and Jane were having, except Cassi’s was more forward in wanting Nic to have sex with her. Anywhere at this point. Of course, she said that, but she wanted something special with Nic as well. The slow burn was great but if the moment in the back of the moving van was any indication, she was loosing her resolve on holding back.

Cassiopeia wheeled the trolley over and started unloading boxes that said kitchen onto the counters with Kat’s help.

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Nero nods as much as they can in their current position. “Even if you won’t tell me any of the details.” They say, squishing Caden’s cheeks in a little before kissing them again. His hands on their legs keeps sending enjoyable chills up their spine.

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“I can’t wait to discover those talents.” Kiki winks at Avery, facing him too as he asks his question. She almost starts chewing on her lip, but she stops herself out of habit from the last week, pulling on her fingers nervously instead.

“I’ve, uh, only really been on like one… I don’t usually make time for dates?” She tells him sheepishly before practically running away to retrieve her axe in embarrassment.

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Jane glances over at Kat and the two share a knowing look before Jane turns to Nic. “You know, the medical director’s been on my case about sending someone to this nursing convention in Montana the first week of November. You should go and take Cassi here with you.”

“I just got back to work-” Nic starts to argue but Kat moves closer to and puts a hand on Nic’s shoulder.

“You’ll be back at work for like six weeks by then. You two should go.” She says with an alarmingly pointed look at the nurse.

Nic glances nervously between the two friends before looking over at Cass. “Hey, Cass? Would you like to go to Montana with me in November?”

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Caden smiled on their lips, kissing Nero back softly. ”Good, because I am excited to spoil you, and to show you off,” Caden said. He ran both his hands further up Nero’s legs, pushing their short dress up now.

Caden’s lips fell back onto Nero’s, and he kissed them more deeply.

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Avery wanted to take Kimiko’s hands to stop her from fidgeting, but she runs off quickly, leaving Avery alone to smile at himself. He turned around, watching her retrieve her axe.

He didn’t mind hearing that Kimiko hadn’t been on many dates. It made sense to him, and it didn’t even bother him if she didn’t date but participated in the other aspects of a relationship. It was a hard world to go through it without anyone. Sometimes energy needed to be released to feel normal again.

”Would you mind terribly if I showed off a little?” Avery asked her.

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Cassiopeia was setting the last box she had on the counter when Nic asked her to go to Montana. The box dropped on the counter, and she stared across the room at Nic in alarm.

”What? Why?” She looked from Jane to Kat, and then Ren, looking for help.

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Nero nearly breaks the kiss to once again ask where they are going, but finds kissing Caden to be the more enjoyable thing right now. Especially with his wandering hands. They return the passion of the kiss, moving one hand to the back of his neck while the other one plays with his earring. Kissing can be a good way to pass the time, right?

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Kiki sets her axe down and quirks an eyebrow at Avery’s request. “By all means, go ahead. I might even enjoy the show.” She replies with a small smirk. If Avery ‘showing off’ meant using any of his fine muscles, Kiki would definitely enjoy it. She was also thankful for the change in subject.

It’s not as if she’s hung up on Caden, but he really is the only one who took her on a date before. For a while, Kimiko thought he’d ruin all other possible dates because he had been a perfect gentleman… and lover. She’s just not sure of how Avery will react if she tells him that the last time she had been intimate with someone else had been with his ‘alpha’. She begins fidgeting with her hands again.

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Jane immediately snorts with laughter, nearly doubling over as she cackles. Nic shoots her a glare before smiling gently at Cass. “There will be a medical convention in November, one of the focuses being on nursing. It’ll take place in Montana and I’m wondering if you would like to go to it with me.” Behind him, Jane finally catches her breath, leaning on Kat for support after her uproar.

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Avery grinned and picked up two of the heavier axes. He turned around to find his mark. Avery rotated the axes in his hands effortlessly. He took a deep breath in, flipped both axes in the air before grabbing the handles and flung them at the wooden board. They landed evenly on either side of the bullseye, but that was fine because Avery wasn’t aiming for the bullseye. He simply wanted to frame it. The impressive part was that the axes were in line with each other.

Avery turned around and picked up a third axe. He winked at Kimiko before throwing the third and it hit the bullseye, right in between the two axes already in the target.

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Of course Cassi’s face pinks when Jane started to laugh. Nic doesn’t tease Cassi, thankfully. He usually leaves that for when they are in private, instead, he explains more about why he’s going to Montana.

”Oh,” Cassi said, nodding over and over again. That made more sense. But how long was it, and what about her cats, or her plants? What about her shop and Nic’s plants? What if she was in the middle of a case? Cassi had never really, ‘gone away’ or had a vacation.

In the past, when she wanted to go somewhere new, she packed everything up and moved on. She had never just ‘gone away’ for the weekend. She supposed she could ask Kimiko to stay at her place if the girl was still around at that time. Maybe one of Caden’s employees would enjoy the change of scenery?

Her and Caden were still barely talking. They’d had a few conversations but brief and always in the presence of others. Cassiopeia still hadn’t moved past his involvement with Nero, and with the two of them going to New York for the weekend, it was almost like the last nail in the coffin for Cassiopeia. Caden was very obviously in love with Nero despite their past, and although it was admirable, Cassi struggled with the idea severely.

Stuck in a spiral of thoughts and anxiety, Cassi hadn’t realized she still hadn’t answered Nic or that she was staring at the floor, still nodding her head, and fiddling with her hair.

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“That was bloody peng.” Is all Kiki can say. It was a true show of skill that he had gotten the first two axes to align, but the wink that Avery shot her before hitting that bullseye made her knees suddenly feel a little weak.

“I mean I’m feeling rand- I mean that was hot.” Her cheeks and ears flame as she realizes how attracted she is to Avery in that moment and she looks away from him, realizing how much she needs a drink.

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Everyone was laughing a little at Cass’ reaction, but Nic knew something was off when she got quiet and just nodded. “We’ll be right back.” He tells the room before grabbing Cass’ hand and leading her up the stairs and out on the terrace. He has a feeling being outside will be much more helpful than in his room.

“What’s going through that mind of yours? Are you okay?” He asks her gently. Nic’s glad to find that the little chair and table he had at his old place is already set up here and guides Cass into a chair.

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