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Kiki opens her mouth in fake outrage before quickly grabbing more chocolate to smear on Avery’s face. “I think you missed a spot.” She says, smiling wickedly before jumping for his cheeks and getting a good smear on one of them before she goes to run off.

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”You little shit,” Avery said with a laugh. He stuck another finger in the chocolate bowl and turned to get her. ”Don’t you know you shouldn’t run from a predator?” Avery declared.

He dashed around the kitchen, faking back and forth around the counters before he finally got her pinned to a wall and smeared the chocolate along her face and neck.

”You’re ruining the dinner I slaved over making for you,” Avery teased.

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Kiki fights the giggle that threatens to escape as she runs from Avery around the kitchen, but true to his word about being a predator, he’s pinned her. Exasperated laughs leave her as she’s smeared with chocolate. “Now, now,” She chides trying to spread the chocolate on his face more. “I offered to help!” She can’t fight the giggles anymore and she genuinely laughs, her eyes closeting for a moment.

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Nero ponders the question for a moment. Where did they want to eat? “Well, how fancy are we going to be for this ‘event’?” They ask as they dry off before going into the other room to pick an outfit out.

“Because even though I am masterfully adept at avoiding food messes, I don’t want to show up with ketchup and mustard dripping down my front.” They pull out a dress that should match the necklace Caden had gotten them to show the dragon.

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Avery tried to pin Kimiko’s hand to keep her from smearing more chocolate on his face. He laughed and shook his head, but he couldn’t seem to let her go. Kimiko shut her eyes, and it did something to Avery.

This. This is what Avery knew Kimiko had been hiding under all those layers. Her false bravado when she put on the attitude of Caden that first night. The hundreds of questions she asked him to avoid the attention on her. The anger. The fear.

Avery brushed his thumb across her cheek, his eyes falling onto her lips. Screw it. He closed the distance between them, brushing his lips against hers. It was tentative at first, a question to keep going, even though Avery wanted to give in to what he wanted, but he wouldn’t do that to her. Not when she was already giving him so much.

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”Relatively fancy,” Caden said. He joined Nero in the bedroom, pulled out his suit from the closet, and hung it on a hook. He let his towel drop to the floor and started to dress.

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Kimiko is about to open her eyes, wondering why Avery had gone quiet but still pinned one of her hands when she feels his lips on hers. It’s so gentle that it hardly feels like kiss, but Kiki’s closes her eyes again and presses her lips against his, eager for more than just a tentative kiss. She holds his neck with her chocolate-free hand as she deepens the kiss.

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Nero slips on their clothes, grabbing a pair of chunky heels. They look at their hands for a moment, trying to decide what gloves they should wear with the outfit before choosing a nice pair they felt went well with everything.

“Will this work?” Nero asks Caden, doing a little spin. “Or is it too much?” It’s difficult to discern what Caden had meant by ‘relatively fancy’.

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Avery sighed against Kimiko’s lips when she returned the kiss. His relief is palpable, and he happily kisses Kimiko in return.

Avery didn’t expect much out of the infant stages of this relationship, and he was always happy with whatever Kimiko gave him. Any positive response he got thrilled him because it meant, to him, that Kimiko was starting to trust and feel safe with him. They may have kissed before, but this kiss, in this moment, felt different somehow.

Avery intertwined his fingers with Kimiko’s chocolate-covered one, the rest of him content in keeping her pinned to the wall while they kissed.

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Caden unboxed the new watch from its package, slipping it onto his wrist before he searched for his ring. He spotted the ring box for Nero’s engagement ring and made a note to hide that before Nero found it.

Caden slipped his ring on and looked at Nero, smiling as they did a little spin so he could get the full look. ”It’s perfect, my darling imp.” Caden walked over and pecked Nero’s lips softly. ”Let’s go see if there is room for us to eat in the hotel’s restaurant.”

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Kiki tests her strength against Avery’s hold over her hand, but ultimately gives up as he laces his fingers with hers. She guesses she can function through a kiss with only on hand. And boy, does she enjoy the kiss. Kiki can’t pinpoint the reason, but this kiss feels closer than the other ones shared between them.

Her free fingers trace imaginary lines on the back of Avery’s neck as she thinks about deepening the kiss, but she holds herself back. Kiki doesn’t want to rush this relationship; there are already so many different factors that make their courtship unable to be normal that going in sex-first as she had done in the past did not feel right.

Kimiko pulls away just enough to catch her breath, but she can’t help but notice the chocolate on his cheek. Before she can overthink it, she licks some of it off - a tiny little flick of her tongue. She just wanted a taste. “Hmm… you taste like chocolate for some reason.” She teases as she pulls away to meet Avery’s eyes. She purposely ignores the blush creeping onto her face.

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Nero nods excitedly, brimming with pride from Caden’s compliment. They grab a small black bag that will really only hold their phone before looping their arm through his. They’re able to reach a little closer to his height now with the heels on but not by much. Caden still has about a good foot on the imp. “What kind of food do they have?” They ask as they head into the elevator.

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Avery feels a mix of ease and disappointment when Kimiko breaks the kiss. The kiss had been simple, but it was passionate with a hint of what they could be like if the kiss deepened. It was something Avery wished to explore, but he was of like mind with Kimiko, and didn’t want to push this relationship fast. It wasn’t like the others.

Avery cared for Kimiko deeply. He didn’t want some hard and fast romance that only lasted a few weeks or months before either of them moved on. Although Avery had some deep relationships in the past that lasted longer than months, this one already felt different for one important reason. Kimiko was his mate.

That’s where he felt this ease with her. Everything they did felt right, felt natural. The disappointment came from, of course, wanting more than what he could have at this moment.

Avery felt a tongue on his cheek and opened his eyes to hear Kimiko speak. He laughed, shaking his head and pecked her lips.

”Probably because I am covered in it now, you awful girl.” Avery released Kimiko from where he had her pinned against the wall. He walked to the sink and soaked a fresh towel. ”Come here,” he said, beckoning to Kimiko with a finger.

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”Mmm, a little of everything, I believe, but basic as well. Nothing like the first dining experience I took you on, more simple, but it’ll do tonight before the show,” Caden said.

He pushed the for the main floor and leaned against the side wall of the elevator. His eyes skimmed over Nero, noting their legs and the heels they wore. A slew of images filled Caden’s mind on where he would like those heels on him, and he rubbed his chin, chuckling to himself. Quite insatiable.

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Kiki laughs and shakes her head. “Awful girl?” She asks as she’s released while her eyes follow Avery. She takes a look at the towel in his hand and smirks as she makes her way over. “What? Not going to lick my face?” She teases, knowing full well that if he did something like that, she wouldn’t know how to react.

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“The show?” Nero asks, bouncing now that Caden’s revealed another secret about tonight. They look up in time to see him rub his chin and chuckle, making Nero smirk. “What are you chuckling at?” They ask, almost completely sure that they know exactly what he was thinking.

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”Chocolate is bad for dogs,” Avery joked and started to gently rub the spots where chocolate still adorned Kimiko’s face and hands.

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Caden grinned at Nero, bouncing from side to side, gaining excitement from Caden’s brief hint. ”Once we are fully bonded, maybe I’ll show you what I’m thinking,” Caden said and kissed Nero’s temple.

The elevator doors opened, and Caden escorted Nero out of the elevator and down the hallway. The couple turned heads as they walked. Caden was aware of all the stares but ignored them completely as he made his way to the dining room. He spoke to the maître d briefly before he and Nero were led inside to a table with two seats by the window.

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Kiki snorts, unable to help herself as she laughs. “I guess I get to have all the strawberries to myself then.” She says with a greedy smirk before licking her finger to help get some of the chocolate off of Avery.

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Nero narrows their eyes, a little disappointed, but otherwise happy and curious. It doesn’t come as a surprise that Caden’s able to get them a table, but the view at the window is very nice. Nero lets their eyes wander, barely paying attention until their server clears their throat.

“And to drink?”

“Moscow mule please.” Nero says before resuming window-watching. They don’t catch that the server asking to see their ID.

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”And then you’ll get a stomachache,” Avery admonished. He snorted when she stuck her finger in her mouth and then proceeded to wipe it from Avery’s face. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

”It would be faster if you just licked it off my face.”

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Caden chuckled at the aloofness of his love. He looked at the waiter. ”MaCallan 18, neat. And they’re over the age of 21,” Caden said and gave the waiter a pointed look.

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“Worth it.” The fox replies with a grin before she goes to get the chocolate off of her finger. A strangled noise comes out of Kiki at Avery’s whisper, her cheeks and ears flushed.

Unable to think of a retort, Kiki can only mumble, “But I’ll ruin my appetite.”

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Nero turns their head and tilts it when they hear Caden speak. “Moment mal, das gesetzliche Mindestalter für den Alkoholkonsum ist einundzwanzig? Wie absurd.” When the waiter looks between them, Nero shoots them two thumbs up.

“Please don’t make us ask for your manager.” They say before turning back to Caden. “Habe ich mich genug nach einer Karen.” They ask him as the server goes ahead and leaves their table, still looking confused.

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Avery didn’t move away after he whispered in Kimiko’s ear. The strangled noise that sounded from her made it tempting for Avery to do more. However, her worded response made him grin, and he turned his head to whisper again.

”Ah, well, we can’t have that.” He kissed her cheek before pulling away. He used the towel to wipe off his face and neck, getting what he could of the chocolate without actually looking in a mirror.

Avery returned to the stove and poured the stew into the serving dish. Everything was still piping hot despite the brief chocolate fight. He brought the tray out of the oven next before retrieving his phone and turned the game off.

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Caden smirked at Nero and flipped through the dinner menu. ”You did. Although, I was trying to avoid calling on the manager,” Caden teased. ”Speaking of not looking one’s age. Do you have an ID?” Caden glanced at Nero before perusing the menu again.

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Kiki stands kind of stands frozen in shock for a moment before she wills her legs to move. “And you called me awful.” She mutters as she helps by taking dishes to the sink. When she joins him again, she notices some chocolate still on his face. Feeling emboldened and wanting to get him back, she licks it off.

“You missed a spot.” She says as she walks away, hoping her flushed ears didn’t give her away.

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Nero pursed their lips before chuckling. “Oops.” They pick up their own menu and start looking at it when Caden asks about an ID. “I’ve never needed one before...” They tell Caden sheepishly. They eye the ‘steak frites’ item on the menu and their eyes widen in excitement before they add, “Und selbst wenn ich eine für diesen Körper hätte, glaube ich nicht, dass das Geburtsdatum und mein Gesicht übereinstimmen würden.”

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A smile played on the corner of Avery’s lips when he felt Kimiko approach him. He really tried to keep a neutral expression, but he wasn’t expecting her to lick his face. Avery paused, looking at Kimiko only after she walked away. She was making it incredibly difficult for Avery to keep restraining himself.

Avery cleared his throat. ”Thank you, little fox, for saving me from certain death. Maybe I can show you later how grateful I am.” He glanced sidelong at Kimiko to see what she thought of that.

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”Wir können es ändern, damit es passt. We need to get you a passport before I take you outside of America. Ich kann vielen Leuten Geld zeigen oder ein hübsches Lächeln auf den Lippen haben, aber die Sicherheit am Flughafen gehört nicht dazu.”

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Kiki can’t help but turn to peek at Avery when he says that, especially when he calls her little fox. “What did you have in mind?” She teases. “Dinner, chocolate strawberries, and a massage are so much already.”

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“Oh, I guess you make a good point.” Nero says as they kick their feet in the chair, drinking some of the water the server had brought over when they first sat down. Speaking of, the waiter comes back with their drinks and takes their food orders. He avoid’s Nero’s gaze which the demon found more entertaining than anything else.

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Avery grinned, debating on teasing Kimiko further, but he was already on edge as it was.

”After your massage, I could run you a bath, pour you some champagne and add a couple of strawberries to the glass,” he determined. ”Yes, I think that would be sufficient.”

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Caden checked the time on his watch before he ordered a salad to start and the bass for his main. He handed the waiter his menu before picking up his drink.

”We’ll save dessert for after,” Caden told Nero. He took a sip of his drink before reaching his hand out, palm up in a silent offer for Nero to take his hand.

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Kiki gives Avery a strange look with her mouth open in awe, trying to figure out how she won the lottery with this man. She clears her throat, turning her face away from him. “I should help you get chocolate off your face more often.”

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Nero nearly teases Caden by pouting about the dessert, but notices his hand. The imp wiggles in their seat before grabbing his hand before sipping their own drink. “I suppose I can live with that.” They say happily.

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Avery laughed and shook his head. ”No, you really shouldn’t.” If that happened again, their supper would be long cold before they got a chance to eat it.

”Should we take everything upstairs? We can keep watching the game or watch a movie while we eat,” Avery suggested.

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”Thank you for understanding, my little imp. You’ll have to forgive me for my indulgences earlier. It shifted our timeline slightly. However, I think dessert after will be a nice way to conclude our outing today,” Caden declared.