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Opening an eye to peek up at Avery, Kiki smiles at his reaction and raises an eyebrow of her own. “What, you’ve never had fruit with cheese before? Or cheese with wine?” She counters.

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Nero beams, truly happy with Caden despite his cheesy words. “Well, what if I want to return the favor?” They ask curiously as they steal a bite of the mousse, wiggling in their spot happily again. “How would you liked to be spoiled?” Their head tilts, watching Caden.

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”Not in the form of a sandwich,” Avery said and tapped Kimiko’s nose. Avery slipped his hand back under Kimiko’s neck with his other and carefully ran his fingers up her neck along the spine until he reached the dip in the back of her neck where head and spine met. Carefully, he pushed up with his fingertips so her head tipped back, and his fingers sunk in a bit into that dip. It was a great release for the entire neck and was also good for headaches. The only problem was Kimiko’s neck was incredibly tight. Avery anticipated that it would take several more massages before Kimiko’s neck relaxed fully.

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A slow smile spread across Caden’s face as he mulled over Nero’s question. ”I think you underestimate how much pleasure it brings me to spoil you and have you react the way you do,” Caden said and pulled out a ring box from Tiffany containing the white gold ring with diamonds and rubies.

Caden opened the box and plucked the ring out. ”Red really is an excellent colour for you. Green as well.” Caden set the box down and walked back to Nero. He held his hand out for theirs.

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“You haven’t lived then.” Kiki says with a soft giggle when Avery boops her nose. Her eyes go cross-eyed for a moment before she smiles warmly, thinking of how Avery’s wolf had booped her fox’s. She closes her eyes again as he starts to work a little more on her neck. “Thank you for being patient with me on our run earlier, by the way. It meant a lot.” She whispers this.

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Nero shakes their head with a small chuckle as they watch Caden. “I guess if you have all the money in the world, you don’t really deprive yourself of what you want.” They say this in a teasing tone before giving Caden their right hand. “I’ve always been fond of it. With the right coordination, the two go well with each other too. Outside of just Christmas colors, I mean.”

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Avery smiled, leaving his fingers extended in the dip of Kimiko’s neck for a little longer. ”I’ll always be patient with you,” Avery said. ”I’m just grateful you gave it a try for me, for us.”

He relaxed his fingers and ran them up and down Kimiko’s neck a couple of more times before he finished.

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Caden chuckled and slid the ring onto Nero’s finger. ”Exactly.” Caden leaned over Nero’s hand and kissed it before he stood up, letting them go. He picked up his plate and walked back to the dresser. He leaned back and crossed his ankles.

”If you really want to know what you can do… It would be this.” Caden gestured around the room with his fork before spearing another piece. ”Spending time with you, hiding from everything, surrounded by cake. Or some other sweet thing. Although, I think we should go somewhere warmer next time. Jamaica, maybe.” Caden ate the rest of his cake before setting the empty plate on the dresser and stood straight to take his belt off.

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Kiki sighs softly, concentrating on her breathing again until Avery finishes. She waits a few moments to make sure he’s done before she opens her eyes and looks up at him again. “Well, I would need to be able to hunt again at some point, so it helped me a lot too.” She fidgets with her hand before reaching up to cup Avery’s face again, moving so she can kiss his lips softly.

“Time for dessert?” She asks after pulling away.

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Nero does one of their happy wiggles, admiring the ring on their finger up close. Its design is simple enough that they should be able to wear gloves over it without worrying about it snagging. “I do enjoy when it’s just the two of us.” They say with complete honesty, eyes still watching Caden’s movements.

“I just feel bad for hogging all your attention after a bit.” This they say with a small smirk before they try the mandarin orange item next. They try a bite and their eyes seem to sparkle. “Ooooo, I like this one.” They place another bite on their fork and offer it to Caden.

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Avery tracked Kimiko’s movements, a slow smile forming from her touch and her moving in to kiss him. Avery shut his eyes, kissing her back until she pulled away.

He chuckled and nodded. ”Sure. Do you want me to play that song for you while you have your strawberries?”

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Caden was hyper-focused on Nero, so when they took a bite of the other cake, he could clearly see Nero’s reaction. He could practically feel it. He smirked at the piece Nero offered them. Caden walked over and took the piece from Nero’s fork.

The orange mingled with the cake, bringing out the different flavours, and the ginger added a surprising spice that Caden rather enjoyed. His eyes automatically shut as he savoured the piece of cake Nero shared with him.

”Okay, now I don’t know which one is my favourite.”

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“Dessert and a show? You spoil me.” Kiki teases before nodding. “As long as you don’t mind - like I said, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” She sits up slowly, knowing that with all the work he did on her back and shoulders, she might be light-headed.

Once up, she turns to face Avery. “Where are we doing this?” She asks.

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Nero laughs, entirely delighted with Caden’s reaction. “Well, it’s a good thing we have so many of each so we can find that answer.” Nero winks before going in for another bite, their hips bouncing in their own little dance.

“I’ve always enjoyed citruses though.” They say happily, practically humming their contentment.

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”I know but I want to,” Avery assured her. He was still nervous about singing for her, but he was feeling better about the idea.

Avery picked up his wine glass and finished what was left before he shut the TV off and stood. ”In the music room. I can use one of the guitars in there just fine.”

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Caden grinned and kissed Nero’s cheek before he moved away. ”Which is why I got three. So we may each have one, then the third will be whichever one we prefer over the other,” Caden said.

He turned and examined the cheese and fruit platters before he selected a couple and popped them into his mouth. Once his hands were free, Caden unbuttoned his vest and pulled it off, setting it on its hanger with his jacket.

”What is your favourite citrus fruit?” Caden asked.

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“Okay,” Kiki says with a nod. “You go ahead and get ready, I’ll take the dishes down and grab the strawberries.” She tells Avery while smiling. She kisses his cheek before getting up and gathering everything onto the trolley.

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Nero beams at Caden, having another bite as their eyes stay trained on Caden and his movements. They think to themselves how tantalizingly slow he’s undressing. At his question, Nero taps their chin. “Orange is always a winner… I like mandarin oranges especially, but really any citrus will do.” They tilt their head and wait for Caden’s response.

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Avery helped load things onto the trolley with Kimiko. He rested his hands on the handle of the trolley. "Are you sure? I don't mind taking everything down," Avery pressed.

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"Do you think that has always been something you've liked, or is it like overly greasy foods in how you can taste more of the flavours?" Caden asked curiously. He unbuttoned his sleeves before his fingers drifted to unbuttoned the rest of his shirt. He kept his eyes trained on Nero for their answer to his question, and to gauge their reaction to the little show he was putting on for them.

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Kiki shoos Avery’s hands away. “Yes, I’m sure.” She says with a little laugh. “You already made dinner, dessert, and you’re about to be vulnerable with me by playing guitar and singing to me. I can get these down.” She starts pushing the trolley towards the lift before turning to look back at Avery.

“I promise I won’t do the dishes while down there.” Kimiko assures him as she shoots him a wink.

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Nero furrows their brow as they try and think about it. “I don’t know, to be honest.” They say, their eyes darting to where his fingers were unbuttoning. They chew on their bottom lip, glancing between Caden’s abs and his face.

“Necken.”

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Avery took a step forward, ready to follow her anyways but he plants himself in the living room. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, and shrugged.

"Well, alright. If you're sure," he said and slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Don't forget to grab some champagne if you want it with your strawberries."

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Caden grinned, untucking his shirt from his pants but didn't take his shirt off yet. "That is entirely the point, my darling little imp."

Caden rested his hands on the dresser beside him, giving Nero a full view of their chest and abs. "I've been debating on getting another tattoo. Do you think I should get one on my chest or maybe the ribcage?" Caden ran a hand over his chest, then down the side where the muscles of his rib cage spidered between his ribs. Only then did Caden's eyes move away from Nero's to watch the movement of his own hand.

"What do you think?" Caden asked, his eyes flicking back to Nero's.

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Kiki glances back at Avery with an eyebrow raised. “Are you trying to get me drunk, Avery Zain?” She teases as the elevator doors open. She backs in with the trolley to see his reaction.

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Nero unconsciously nibbles on their thumb as Caden puts on his show. Their eyes follow his hand as it trails over his torso before they swallow, their mouth dry. They stay fixated on his ribs when Caden asks his question. Nero looks back up and tilts their head. “…Huh, what?”

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"I don't know. Would that work?" Avery cocked his head to the side while he asked her. He grinned and winked. "Don't take too long," he said and took the hallway down to the music room.

Once Avery was inside, he debated over the acoustic guitar or electric. In the end he decided to hook up the electric guitar since he didn't get to use that as much in staff housing.

Avery went and set up the Les Paul Caden had and fiddled around with the tuning before he decided to play an Arctic Monkeys classic guitar song that most people knew these days to warm up. As he set about the task, Avery's nerves were starting to get worse. Thankfully, it wasn't affecting his playing, but he was worried about playing something that she hated.

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The grin on Caden's face spreads, his eyes danced with amusement. "I'll ask you again later." Caden obliges his little imp by taking off their shirt. His pecks twitch and the muscles on his shoulders flex from the action of pulling off his dress shirt.

He turns, putting the shirt on a different hanger, giving Nero another look at the dragon tattoo that climbed up his back along with the tattoos on his shoulders and arms.

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“Guess you’ll have to find out!” She shouts back as the elevator doors close and take her downstairs. Kiki’s cheeks and ears are warm, but she’s glad Avery doesn’t see them; it would give her away. Once downstairs, she unloads the dishes into the sink, adding the serving bowl and pots - the staff must have eaten the rest of the soup while they were watching the movie. She goes and grabs a bottle of champagne from the cellar before loading that, the chocolate strawberries, and the remaining strawberries onto it.

At the last minute, she quickly makes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cuts it into triangles before adding it to the trolley. Once back on the ground floor, she takes the trolley towards the music room, hearing Avery playing guitar. Kiki enters the music room beaming. “I love that song.” She announces while moving to the couch to plop down with a couple of the chocolate strawberries. Taking a big bite, Kiki moans happily and demolishes the rest of the strawberry quickly.

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Nero picked up the plate with the mandarin dessert, picking up bites and bringing the bites to their lips without looking. Their concentration is focused on the fine specimen that is their boyfriend, their mate, their love. Their eyes trace the tattoo climbing up his back, itching to trace it with their fingers too. A forkful of dessert drops onto the plate as Nero misses their mouth.

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Avery looked up when he heard Kimko walk in. His fingers continue to shift along the fret as he plays out the rest of the chorus. He smirked, unsurprised by her response. "That does not surprise me," he said and dropped his hand from the strings. He holds the guitar and takes a seat.

Avery's eyes drift to the sandwich on a plate Kimiko had carried in. He smirked and looked at Kimiko. "Did you actually make me a PB&J sandwich?"

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"Nero, my darling, do try to avoid getting chocolate in the bed. It makes quite a mess," Caden gently chided. He turned his head to look over his shoulder back at his mate, and flashed a satisfied grin.

Due to the position of a mirror, Caden clearly saw Nero try and fail to eat their cake while they watched Caden undress. The attention Nero was giving to him, thrilled Caden. He was pleased to have captured their attention so fully not only because it made Caden feel good, but because it also pulled Nero back from their past.

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Kiki grins, unperturbed by his lack of surprise. “I sure did, I even cut it into pieces for you.” She teases, pinching his cheek gently as she fully commits to the act before she grabs another strawberry covered in chocolate. “Bloody delicious.” She comments, licking her fingers with a happy hum.

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Nero looks down, seeing their last bite had fallen back on the place without making it to their mouth. They frown, grateful they didn’t drop it in the bed or on their clothes. “Stop being so distracting and maybe I won’t make a mess.” They say with a smirk, taking in their fill of Caden. “Or I can let you clean up the mess later.” That they say with a wink before eating their bite happily.

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Avery glared playfully when Kimiko pinched his cheeks. He glanced down at his sandwich and chuckled. She had cut it into triangles like he was three and he found it highly amusing. Avery popped one of the triangles into his mouth and ate it before he set the guitar aside and stood.

"The strawberries are to you satisfaction then?" Avery grabbed the bottle of champagne and popped the cork without launching the thing around the room. He grabbed a glass and filled it about half way before he pulled out a knife he usually kept on himself and sliced a strawberry and plopped the halves into flute before handing the glass to Kimiko.

"I'll probably sound better if you're drunk so, drink up," he teased.

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"Mmm, that's not a mess I prefer cleaning up," Caden said suggestively. His eyes roamed over Nero, lingering on his legs and another spot that was nowhere near their mouth.

He walked back to the bed and helped himself to more fruit and cheese. He noted oranges but he doubted they were mandarin. No, they would have to wait a couple more months before those came in season.

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Kiki giggles softly at his question. “Quite satisfying.” She says, licking her lips. “And your sandwich?” She watches as he stands up and deftly slices the strawberries after gracefully opening the champagne. She takes the glass with a smirk and tilt of her head.

“So you are trying to get me drunk.” Kiki grins and sips the champagne, letting the strawberries soak a moment before she tries to fish them out with her tongue.

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Nero grins, eyes still trained on Caden as they finish the dessert on their plate. They go for more fruits and cheeses to nibble on. “Do you have a favorite fruit?” They ask of their partner. Nero figures he probably doesn’t have one as is usual with trying to figure out a favorite of Caden’s. They think back to Caden’s question about if their love of citrus came from their human life for a brief moment before shrugging it off and looking at Caden expectantly.

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Avery set his knife down for know, making a note to clean it so it doesn't stick. "It's the best PB&J I've ever had," he said, grabbing another slice to eat happily.

Avery reclaimed his seat and picked up the guitar. He slid the strab over his neck and looked at Kimiko. "Stop that or you're going to distract me and I'll never get through this song," he told her. He pulled his eyes away, willing his brain to think about something else other than wondering what else Kimiko's tongue could do.

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Caden examined the fruit tray like it held the secrets of the world. "Strawberries are rather delicious, but I have a fondness for blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes, too. Lemons and limes are crisp and have always reminded me of spring and sunshine. Coconuts are also fantastic. I haven't had one in years, though."

Caden picked up a slice of cantaloupe and ate it before he picked up the mandarin cake to have.