1. Macabre Marmalade (COMPLETED; EDITING)

XXIII (10.2)

WARNING: EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT

Todor opened his eyes looking at the ceiling of a car. His head was leaning on something soft while a hand caressed his hair. It felt warm and gentle. His stomach started to growl as if he never saw food in his life.

"You are awake," Cassandra said as her face appeared above him. Todor realized his head was on her lap and that they were in a car that was moving somewhere.

"I am hungry," he said without thinking. He tried to figure out if he dreamt No Terror or if it was all real.

Cassandra laughed, her breasts shaking in mirth right in front of his eyes. He tried to get up but Cassandra pushed him back.

"You are not moving anywhere. It turns out these mooks that attacked us were as much after me as they were after you," she said moving her hand through his hair again. "So, just relax there. We will stop to get some food along the way before we go to the Governor's mansion," she went silent for a beat before she added: "You saved my life, thanks."

"You saved my life as much as I did yours," Todor said, a bit of petulance entering his voice. He hated praise he didn't deserve because that would mean he will have to work harder to be up to the standards everyone else expected of him.

"We are going to Governor's mansion why?" Todor asked closing his eyes and enjoying her touch.

"Because of your friend's buddy, the Governor ordered us to come," Cassandra said. Todor heard someone else fidgeting. He turned a bit to see who else was in the car with them, but all he could see were a front sits.

"Whose car is this?" he asked snuggling his cheek on Cassandra's thigh. Realizing what he did he froze for a second. Oh, well, it seems she doesn't mind, he concluded as Cassandra continued to pull her fingers through his hair.

"It's Governors. General Felixsos got a call from her while you were napping, so she sent this two suits to 'protect us from further incidents'," Cassandra laughed. "They might be high-level sorcerers but I bet they would have kicked the bucket when those two golems showed up."

Todor just smiled at that. She is just putting airs in front of the governor's people.

"Hope I can afford to fix my car," Todor said as his stomach roared again. He didn't have the strength to move much.

"They moved it from the street and took it to the city parking lot," Cassandra informed him. "If it can be done, I bet you will be able to do it."

"Don't toot my horn, Cass. You haven't known me long enough to have such high confidence in me," Todor said honestly.

"It's not the kind of horn I want to toot right now. So shut your tuskless mouth if you want to find out what I really want," she said jokingly.

"Oh, no, stop, you are moving too fast," Todor said deadpan.

Before he knew what happened, Cassandra's hair was all around his face and her mouth was on his. It was just a gentle touch of their lips but it was enough for Todor to feel electrical shock through his body.

"What was that for?" Todor croaked when she sat up.

"In my culture, greatest bond two people can have is when they fight and bleed, side by side. No matter what happens, we fought overwhelming odds together and survived. A worthy tale to add to our life saga," she put a palm on his cheek. Her hand was warm and crisscrossed with scars. "You will always be my battle-brother no matter what else happens."