Dog Days of Summer

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DISCLAIMER: I don't own Night World.

Pairing: Maggie and Delos

Summary: When Maggie and Delos bike around, Delos wishes to have brought his horses from Black Dawn.

Delos grunted as he wiped sweat from his brow.

"Come on Delos!" Maggie urged, breathing heavily as she forced her legs to push the pedals.

The prince grunted again and heaved an exasperated sigh.

They were riding their bikes around the area (Maggie's idea), under the blazing hot sun. Honestly, why didn't Maggie think of doing this when it was cooler? You know, winter. When it's not so damned hot outside.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Delos muttered, wiping sweat from his brow again.

Maggie glanced back at Delos, grinning enthusiastically. Sweat was forming on her hairline and her brown hair tied in a high, tight ponytail—although some of her locks slipped from it. She was wearing indigo biking shorts and a white tank top with the word "SOCCER" on it. "We're almost there!"

They were biking uphill for the past fifteen minutes now. And it is so hot. The biking path was a bit steep and rough, too. Which makes their activity harder. And the air felt so hot and damned humid. The air hung so heavily around them that Maggie (and even Delos) feels as if the air they were breathing were trying to choke them.

Delos pushed the pedals, forcing himself to catch up with Maggie. Of course, he could always just discard this useless piece of metal and run on foot (which would be easier on him since he's a vampire, after all)—but he didn't want to disappoint Maggie.

Or worse, piss her off.

Sometimes he wished that he brought his horses from Black Dawn. At least then, he and Maggie wouldn't be sweating like pigs. Despite the scorching sun above them, his soulmate reached the top and fist-pumped victoriously—actively.

"I reached our checkpoint!" she exclaimed happily, grinning widely.

Delos smirked amusedly at his soulmate before finally reaching Maggie. She was already drinking a bottle of water—one she packed earlier this morning—and using her face towel to wipe off the sweat.

"Whew," Maggie said, retying her ponytail. "That was great, don't you think?"

"I think that we should've just rode horses instead of biking. It would've saved us our effort and our sweat." Delos pulled a face towel from his black backpack (Maggie made him bring his own) and wiped his face with it, already feeling cool.

Maggie giggled softly. "It wouldn't have been fun."

"Yes it would."

She blinked and giggled again. "I mean, it would but it wouldn't have been as fun as biking. Plus, we're doing this to exercise. Not to feel cool under the sun." Then Maggie drank huge gulps of water before continuing. "If I just wanted to feel cool, then I would've stayed in our room and turned our fan on or something."

"Riding horses are still exercising," Delos pointed out, crossing his arms. "Not just to 'feel cool under the sun'."

Maggie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Really? How?"

"Well, it's a sport. And sports can help you exercise," Delos explained briefly—as if it explains everything. He shrugged. "See, riding horses are also exercising."

"It's not exercising if you're not sweating," Maggie retorted.

"Under this hot sun, riding horses can make you sweat."

"Yeah, well, we don't have horses here," Maggie said. She wanted to add; 'So ha!' but that sounds a bit childish.

"Which is why I wished to have brought my horses from Black Dawn." Delos sighed a bit wistfully.

Maggie smiled softly and patted his shoulder, twisting her bike around so that her bicycle was facing the path they just emerged from. "You don't miss your horses. You just want to ride them." She giggled.

"No harm in that, right?" Delos asked.

"Mm, not really. As long as no one harms anyone, then there's no harm at all," Maggie answered as she gripped the handlebars of her dark silver-colored bicycle. "You ready to go back?"

Delos chuckled softly before turning his own dark-colored bicycle around so that it also faced the path they got out from. "I was ready to go back ever since we stepped outside."

She laughed, a huge grin on her pretty face. "I declare a race, then. Since we're both sweating and feeling hot, I know for sure that we're definitely heading towards our bathroom once we enter our room. So whoever reaches the mansion first will get in the bathroom first, agreed?"

Delos gave her a side-glance. "Why not just shower together?" He smiled at her suggestively.

Maggie blushed and shook her head, shooting a glare at him. Although, now that she took the time to think over his suggestion . . . it didn't sound too bad. What with Delos and his yellow eyes and his dark, disheveled hair and his body being so . . .

Maggie, no! She shook her head again, clearing her head of steamy thoughts of them in their bathroom. Doing stuff. Her blush darkened. "Nope. Not at all."

"Why not?" Delos asked, smiling amusedly as he caught trail of her thoughts and imaginations. He gripped his handlebars as well, looking ready to start the race.

"Because it would be really cramped and tight," Maggie answered, looking to her side while her blush darkened a bit.

"It doesn't sound like you mind though," Delos teased. "I know I wouldn't mind if I was pressed up to you," he continued teasing her. But he really does want a shower right now.

Maggie ignored his comments and forced her face to cool down. "When I say 'Go', the race starts okay?"

Delos grinned and nodded, squeezing his handlebars. He glanced at her slyly—not that Maggie noticed. She was still trying to shove the blood off her cheeks with her mental power.

"Ready . . . set . . ." Maggie said, turning her face down the trail and breathing deeply, ". . . go—!"

When she exclaimed 'Go', Delos leaned over and surprised her with a sweet yet brief kiss. To say Maggie was surprised at the sudden move is an understatement. The race was about to start for goodness' sake (and he just kisses her out of the blue)! How . . . absurd. Sweet, but totally ridiculous. So she was left totally speechless.

And it was exactly what Delos wanted to happened.

He planned to surprise her with a kiss once she utters the word 'Go' so he could get a head start.

And he did. Delos went along with his plan, leaving Maggie—not moving—on their checkpoint.

"That's cheating!" Maggie exclaimed accusingly (after a few moments of watching him speed downhill), pushing on her pedals to catch up to Delos.

Delos laughed. "No it's not," he exclaimed, still ahead of her, "There were no rules specified anyway! So that was definitely not cheating!"

She shook her head, not being able to suppress her laughter. Maggie grinned, a competitive look in her eyes as she forced herself to catch up to Delos—maybe she could overtake him . . .

Maggie sighed softly, breathing rapidly as she attempted to overtake Delos. Sometimes . . . sometimes, she wishes that Delos did bring his horses from Black Dawn. Maybe she could've won if she was riding a horse while he rode his bicycle.

A/N: So how about it? XD I'm going to make each couple a one-shot, showing an activity that I imagine them doing in the summer (thus, why I called this "Dog Days of Summer"). LOL. xD I already have two one-shots planned (huhuhuhuhu, I'm not telling who the two couples are though…). Six more to go! LOL. I was planning to update this everyday for the next nine days 'cause my relatives are coming on August 1 or sometime around the first week of August. But I don't know. I'll brainstorm more tomorrow though. And damn. Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn. I should update my VD story soon since I haven't updated that story in, like, three months. Goodness, I'm that shitty in the summer? *slaps self* Ah, well, I've been kinda out of it recently. T.T I don't even know why the shit I'm feeling like this. *sighs exasperatedly* I'm not going to elaborate on how I'm feeling so… *shrugs*

I hope you guys enjoyed this! :D

One last thing before I go to my awaited slumber (I'm being a shithead of a rebel right now)…

Review, please? n_n

I love you guys forever and ever! :D

And thank you for those who reviewed, placed this in their favorites, subscribed—heck, even the ones who just read this story! I thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. *lots of hearts* Thank you! ^_^