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"I believe it is more closely related to asshole than a sewer cover. Cass was just specifically calling out men rather than all people," Caden roughly explained.

It took a few minutes but Caden became successful in finding some of the make-up Nero had requested. He returned to Avery's bedroom and shut the door behind him before depositing the goods into Nero's lap.

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Cassi blushed from the way Nic was looking at her. She reflexively went to tuck some hair behind her ear but it was all braided back. She blushed more before taking Nic's hand to stand. She was amused by his attempts to keep them both in the same room no matter what.

"I'm starting to think you like being with me, by how much you want to keep me in the same room as you," she teased him.

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Nero gleefully takes the makeup from Caden and gets busy, a terrifying giggle slipping out under their breath before they shift back with a large grin. “Klappe zu, Affe tot.” They say happily before hopping out of the bed and holding the makeup in their arms.

“Now to hide all of his mirrors…”

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Nic chuckles as he helps Cass to her feet. “I don’t always get to keep you close between both of us working.” He explains, kissing her forehead before leading the way back to the gym and its showers. He keeps hold of her hand, his thumb lightly rubbing her hand.

“So I like to take advantage of moments like these.”

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Caden looked at Nero briefly with alarm when they laughed that way. Once Nero shifted back to reveal their masterpiece, Caden had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. However, that didn't stop Caden from taking several photos with his phone.

He looked at Nero's full hands and patted their shoulder. "I'll grab the mirrors," he said and gathered the one in the main room before wandering into the bathroom. It was a little more difficult to take the mirror from the bathroom wall, and it would be obvious it was missing, but hopefully Avery wouldn't notice straightaway.

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Cassiopeia remained glued to Nic's side while they walked back to the training room. She had to admit, aside from Nero's memories, she was enjoying the extra time with Nic. The rest of the week he would be busy trying to hunt down this creature for them, and Cassi would be in her store working as well as doing her own research to prepare to take the thing killing people in Nic's hospital down.

"That makes sense. You did really well with Kiki today," Cass noted. She looked up at Nic while they walked, tracing his facial features with her eyes. "Thank you for looking out for her like that."

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Nero’s giggles are hard to smother at this point as Caden leaves the room with them, the two of them holding loot. With Caden’s guidance, Nero returns the makeup items to the owners with grateful glee before the two of them make their way back to the main house.

“I want to be there when he finally sees his reflection.” Says the imp with wiggling excitement. It’s not just the thrill of pulling off such a good prank though, Nero feels like it will definitely help when Kiki and Avery finally talk.

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Nic glances down at Cassi and smiles when he notices her watching him, his ears tinging with blush from both her attention and her compliment. “I know she’s older than me, but… between her nickname and her temper, I can’t help but think of my Kiki as a little kid. She had such a temper at that age.”

Nic glances away from Cass with a different smile, one that’s more wistful as he thinks of little six-year-old Kiki Wu stomping around like a baby Godzilla when she couldn’t have her way. “Pair that with my instinctual need to be a caregiver and I couldn’t stop myself from helping.” He looks back down at Cassi and kisses her head. “You had quite the big-sister energy with her too.”

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"Well, we have some time before he wakes I am sure. I think we could probably talk to Crowley before he wakes," Caden declared. He walked inside with Nero and paused to listen for any conversation. A door closed near the training room, but aside from the construction noise that was now starting, Caden couldn't hear any other conversations. He would wait until after his shower with Nero to go check on Kimiko.

Caden pulled Nero along to the temporary bedroom they shared. "On the plus side, the construction for our room should be done today."

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Cassiopeia smiled as Nic spoke more about his sister. "She sounds like she would have been a handful, but just as passionate," Cassi surmised.

Once they were back in the training room, Cassi stared at the damaged wall in deep thought. Nic's kiss brought her back and she leaned into him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him.

"Kiki is young. She may be older than you, but she still is quite young with a lot still to learn. She's strong though, and brave. She's gone through the majority of her life by herself. I so rarely see her..." Cassi leaned her head against Nic's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Do you want children?" she asked suddenly.

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Nero nods in agreement as they scamper to keep up with Caden’s long legs. “Oh!” They say happily at the mention of returning to the other bedroom again. “I can’t wait to have a swimming pool of a bed to sleep in again.” With a grin, they hop ahead of Caden so they could pull him in for a hug.

“By the way, with Crowley…” Nero starts after a moment. “He’s going to figure out quickly that you mean more to me when he sees us… Are you okay with that?”

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Nic smiles happily when Cass wraps her arms around him and returns the gesture, holding her close. “She does give off a lot of ‘lone wolf’ energy.” He says in agreement to Cassi’s information. “If her and Avery are bonded now, that should help you see more of her, ri-” His question is cut off by Cassi’s.

“Oh, uh… Guess I hadn’t really thought about it…?” Nic answers honestly, clearly flustered. “Do you want kids?”

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"As am I." Caden missed his room. It was the most sacred place in the house to him, and he missed seeing Nero in their bed waiting for him.

Caden stopped walking quickly when Nero jumped in front of him. His arms went out automatically, and his hands held onto Nero's hips while they spoke.

Caden broke into a smile and pressed his forehead to Nero's. "I am more than okay with him knowing. It may place a target on our backs, but there already is one. I'd rather they know who you are to me. Maybe that'll make them think twice," Caden said before he kissed Nero.

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"At one point I did," she said, pulling back to look at Nic. She smirked at his facial expression. "Breathe, Nic. I don't want five kids in five years," she teased him.

She released him from her hold and took his hands in hers. "Scientifically speaking, my body is young enough to still have children without complications, so it is a very real possibility for us. But I've been around for three hundred years, and although I do think about the idea of children from time-to-time, I don't feel the urge to have children anymore."

Cassi's concentration remained on their hands as she intertwined their fingers while talking. At one time having children was part of her duty, but one she was excited to fulfill. She had always loved working with the children to train them and care for them. She thought she could be an excellent mother one day, but then everything changed. She no longer had that motherly urge she once felt, but the idea was still there. Besides, Nic was human. Cassi's children wouldn't be used for some demon's army now.

Cass looked back at Nic and placed one of his hands on her cheeks. "It is possible that if we have children they will develop some magical ability," she added.

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Nero blinks up at Caden as he presses his forehead to theirs and breaks out in a beam as Caden speaks. Despite the nerves of figuring out more about Mundus, Cassi’s family’s involvement, and who was stalking the imp, Nero can’t help a trill of excitement. The aspect that they’ll start being more open about their relationship with Caden is something they’re eager to experience.

When Caden kisses Nero, their rambling thoughts happily melt away. They throw their arms around Caden’s neck and stand on the tip of their toes as they kiss him back happily. Maybe the future doesn’t look so grim after all.

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Nic chuckles sheepishly, definitely not thinking that, but he did have thoughts of little redheads with tangled curls running around his knees for a brief moment. As Cassi continues, Nic smiles grows. Even though he’d never really given it a thought, he knew his mom would have loved the idea of grandkids.

The thoughts start running quickly when Cassi mentions having children with Nic and a goofy smiles slips onto his face. He runs his thumb along Cassi’s face, tracing the bone underneath her eye. “You wouldn’t be the only sorceress anymore.” He says softly.

“Will magical children be harder to rear compared to human ones?” Even in a sweet moment like this, Nic can’t help his scientific instinct to know more on the subject. He blushes as he recognizes this in himself. “Sorry, I mean… I wasn’t sure if you could and I didn’t want to put any pressure on you when it came to making a family but… I would love the idea of raising one with you.” Bending, he presses his lips to hers gently.

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After a moment more, Caden scooped Nero up and carried them the last few feet into the bedroom. Caden pushed the bedroom door closed with his foot, and carried Nero into the bathroom. He set his imp on the bathroom counter, continuing to kiss them deeply.

Caden was grateful Nero was who they were. He was grateful to be present while they went about the task of discovering themselves, but Nero still had a life about them that consumed them both.

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Cassi felt a pang twinge in her chest from Nic's words. No, she wouldn't be the only one anymore. How lovely would that be if she could recreate her family, and bring the art of sorcery back into the light. Suddenly Cassi could picture it all so clearly. A couple of kids running around with black hair, flowers growing behind them as their powers started to show.

Once again, Nic pulled her from her thoughts and she couldn't help but laugh. "For someone who doesn't know magic, probably, but for us, I don't think so. No more than any other child."

Her heart swelled from his words, and she happily returned Nic's gentle kiss. She slid her hand into his hair, not worried about leaving dirt marks since he would be showering soon.

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Nero wraps their legs around Caden once he lifts them up and even as Caden sets them down on the counter. It’s nothing out of the ordinary for these two, but Nero feels a great sense of love and devotion for Caden. Maybe it’s because they’ve discovered just how much they’ve come to rely on him or relief that his family isn’t falling apart. Either way, the imp enjoys the moment.

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Nic’s mind races as they kiss - it feels like they’ve known each other for ages by now and the urge to settle down with Cassi is strong, but he gently reminds himself that there’s no rush. When he feels some of the dirt on Cassi’s hands mix in with his hair, the tall man chuckles against Cassi’s lips. “Are you giving my hair a mud mask?” He teases.

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Cassiopeia breathed against Nic's lips when he spoke to her. Her skin tingled from the simple yet intimate gesture. His comment had her laughing, though, and she broke the kiss completely.

"No, but maybe I should," she joked and tapped his nose. She took his hand and led Nic into the bathroom, so he could shower and she could take care of her hands and arms.

"Is there anyway I can convince you to remain behind while we summon Crowley?" Cassi knew the main reason they were summoning him was Nero's problem, but they also needed to know who held the contract for Nic's father. Since Nic was involved, Cassi could see Nic wanting to be there, but she really didn't want him involved.

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Nic’s drying his hair off after showering and changing when Cassi proposes he stay behind. He pauses in his task to look at her with a slight frown. “I thought this wasn’t going to be dangerous.” He says before tossing the towel into a hamper in the locker room.

“I’d really rather prefer going with you guys this time.” Nic goes on to say before stepping out of the room and holding the door open for Cass to get out as well.

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The closer they get to leaving Caden’s place to go summon Crowley, the more Nero fidgets. There’s not really anything to be nervous about, but they still worry that the demon will end up leaving them all with more questions than answers. Nero holds a small box with all the ingredients they needed minus the human blood as they wait with Caden for Cassi and hopefully Nic to join them. Kiki had offered to start reading through some of the imp’s books for information.

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”Well…no. It’ll be safe, especially with Caden and Nero there…I just…I dunno, worry or whatever.” Cassi mumbled. She had her shoes and socks back on now that she was completely clean from the dirt. She walked out ahead of Nic and stared down the hallway, knowing Caden and Nero were waiting for them, but she hesitated to walk down the hallway.

As soon as the supernatural community found out Nic was involved with them, it put a target on his head, and she was trying to delay that for as long as possible. Cass had set up protections for him as much as she could, but there were always risks.

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Caden rested a hand on Nero’s leg, giving them a gentle squeeze. ”Should I take you back into the shower? I obviously didn’t do a good enough job if you are still worrying. I can do that thing with my tongue you seem to like so much,” Caden said, hoping to get Nero to relax and smile.

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Nic shadows Cassie pulling her against him for a moment. “What if I just stay in the car?” He asks, kissing the top of her head before resting his chin on it. “I can’t just wait at home, wondering if you’re okay or not.”

Nic closes his eyes as he remembers the day they all left to save Kimiko and how much he worried even before he found out how injured they all managed to get. “Not again.”

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Caught off guard, Nero snorts before laughing. “Well, when you put it that way, who would want to go meet with the King of Hell?” Nero straightens and kisses Caden’s cheek and pats his other with their hand.

“Maybe that’s what taking the others so long.” They joke with a smile.

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Cassiopeia froze briefly when Nic pulled her in from behind. She stared down the hallway while his arms settled around her, and his chin rested on her head. Cassiopeia leaned back into her boyfriend, resting her hands over top of his and sighed. His touch was healing and it sent a pleasant tingling feeling through her body that didn’t calm down.

She appreciated that he was willing to compromise with her, but she felt bad doing that to him. ”You don’t have to wait in the car. Just don’t leave my side. Okay?”

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Caden chuckled and squeezed Nero’s leg. ”Maybe…but they’re in the hallway. Cassi is trying to convince Nic to stay behind, but Nic doesn’t want to,” Caden said and kissed their cheek.

Caden didn’t make a habit of listening in on private conversations, but sometimes he couldn’t help himself. He had shifted his ears slightly to enhance his hearing to see if he could understand what was delaying the others.

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Nic can’t help but grin even if Cassi can’t see it. “As if I would want to be anywhere else anyway.” He says with a chuckle, moving his chin to kiss her head again before releasing her. Crouching, he picks up his backpack and slings it over his shoulder as he takes Cassi’s hand in his and starts down the hallway.

“Guardian of my blood and my body now.” Nic teases. He knows there should still be some sterile needles and syringes in his backpack - something he often carries around for various reasons, one of the biggest being that he trades users for their old ones to dispose of.

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Nero chuckles at the dilemma, glad that they’re not dating a human. They’re about to ask what the decision is when Nic and Cassi join them, effectively answering them. “Who’s ready to meet Lucky the Leprechaun?” They ask brightly, eager to get it over with.

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Cassiopeia blushed at Nic’s nickname for her. She walked along with him, though, trying to not overthink and worry.

Once they joined the others, Cassi sighed. ”Hopefully we find some answers,” she said in response to Nero’s comment.

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Caden led the group outside to the SUV. He drove to a remote location that didn’t have any significant landmarks or points of interest in hopes of keeping Crowley off the scent of where they had truly come from.

Once they were in the field, Caden helped Nero set everything up. ”How long do we have once we have Crowley summoned?” Caden asked, wondering if the demon would give them enough time to answer their questions.

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“Should be as long as we are able to keep him entertained, which is around fifteen minutes, give or take.” Nero says before brandishing a cocktail with a little umbrella in it.

Nic looks at the setup of everything, not understanding most of it. Cassi had his blood after he had drawn it in the ride to the location. “And you’re sure he’ll know who struck the deal with my father?” Nic asks for the umpteenth time, keeping an arm around Cassi.

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Nero nods and waves off Nic’s question. “The man loves the sound of his own voice, so I doubt he’ll refuse to answer.” Tilting their head, they make sure everything is set up correctly. They don’t add that Nero might owe him a favor for his answers.

Nero adds most of the ingredients in a bowl and mixes them as they start the incantation. They add Nic’s blood last, letting Cassi empty the syringe into the bowl, and light it on fire as they finish the incantation. “...et ad congregandum eos coram me!”

Red smoke covers the ground before Crowley emerges. His eyes find Nero first and he sighs dramatically. “And what might you want cait-sith? You’re not usually one to summon me.”

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Cassiopeia rested in the crook of Nic's arm after she added the blood to the bowl. She had been impressed with the way Nic had drawn his own blood effortlessly, but now she was worried. Red smoke curled around her feet before the King of Hell appeared, and he looked just as how she remembered him.

His eyes landed on Nero readily, and Cassiopeia decided to remain quiet for now to let Nero address him first.

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Caden stood a couple steps behind Nero, holding the other “gifts” for they would need to pass on for Nero. He found himself smirking when the demon called Nero by his favourite nickname for them.

”They summoned you by request for us,” Caden said, drawing Crowley's attention to himself.

The King of Hell glanced Caden over before looking behind him to see Cassiopeia and Nic. Crowley raised an interested brow at Cassiopeia and the arm Nic had around her.

”The Storm Witch, a shifter, and a human. My my, what interesting company you keep nowadays, Nero darling.”

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Nic swallows a lump in his throat when Crowley looks at him, his arm tightening around Cassi when the demon raises an eyebrow. When he refers to her as ‘The Storm Witch’, Nic raises his own eyebrow but says nothing. There’s no need to draw attention to himself right now.

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Nero resists the urge to roll their eyes, instead shifting their weight so they can put a hand on their hip and smirk. “What can I say? It keeps things interesting.” There’s that name again - Nero desperately wants to ask what it means but holds back.

“First things first,” Nero says before handing the cocktail with its tiny umbrella to the King of Hell. “We’d like to know who holds Ren Wu’s contract. It would be a new one, just within the month.”

Crowley’s brow raises again as he glances over at Nic. “I can get that for you but what’s in it for me?”