Rain had been coming down steadily for almost a week, and none of the Gangreen Gang had felt like leaving the shack. But by now, the boredom was nearly palpable.
Sprawling in his usual seat at the head of the makeshift table, Ace idly drummed his nails against the splintered plywood tabletop as he watched LilʼArturo pace back and forth in front of the biggest window, muttering Spanish four-letter words under his breath and glaring daggers at the rain outside every now and then. Even if Ace didnʼt understand what LilʼArturo was saying, the gang leader shared the obvious dislike of so much water coming down at a single blow. Big Billy sat in a corner on a chair, chewing pensively on a candy bar. Grubber who was sitting astraddle on another chair next to Billy was blowing small raspberries as if talking to himself. Sprawled out face-down on the couch, Snake was keeping himself busy with a game of solitaire. Every now and then, he flickered his forked tongue.
Ace furrowed his brow when he noticed Snake sitting up swiftly to pile up his deck of cards after he had flickered his tongue again, a bit more rapid this time. Surprise crept across the reptilian teenʼs face since he had sensed a subtle change in the air. The rain was about to stop anytime soon, and there was something else that Snake couldnʼt quite put a finger on. He closed his eyes and flickered his tongue again. A gasp escaped him when he realized that the air was carrying an unfamiliar scent. It was faint and pleasurably sweet, quite similar to saffron.
"See anything green?" Aceʼs voice snapped Snake back into reality. Unnoticed, the gang leader had sat on the couch as well. The younger Gangreen flinched before he said, "Rainʼs-s-s gonna s-s-stop s-s-soon."
"How ya know?" Audibly surprised, Ace pulled down his shades to look at Snake.
"Different s-s-smell outs-s-side," was all the reptilian teen would say since he wasnʼt used to Ace asking for his opinion.
Ace gave this a quick thought before he cleared his throat and said loud enough for all gang members to hear, "Okay, boys. Letʼs go downtown as soon as the rainʼs gonna stop." LilʼArturo and Big Billy cheered after Grubber had blown a cheerful raspberry in respond. The younger Gangreens gathered at the door and took turns to check if the rain would really subside. As soon as it had, the Gangreen Gang left the shack. Snake who was leaving lastly paused to flicker his tongue again. He raised his eyebrows and couldnʼt help smiling when he caught the faint unfamiliar scent again. Snake closed the door of the rickety shack and followed the other gang members who had already reached the dumpʼs iron gate. As Snake had caught on, Ace shot him a look.
"Whereʼs-s-s we-s-s gonna go, boss-s-s?" Snake wondered. Before Ace could think of a reaction whatsoever, Grubber blew a few quick raspberries.
"Arcade sounds good," Ace confirmed as the gang strolled downtown. Snake smiled in anticipation since the arcade was one of his favourite places. In addition, the faint scent he had noticed was growing stronger with every step. Thus, Snake assumed the source to be somewhere downtown Townsville.
Due to the weather, only few people had come to the arcade. As soon as the gang had entered the temperature-controlled room, Snake noticed somebody sitting behind the information desk that sat where the money changer had been before. It was a girl in her early teens with ebony skin and dark brown curly hair that was trimmed almost down to her delicate narrow skull. If it hadnʼt been for her earrings consisting of delicate silver chains with colourful smiley faces attached, Snake could have mistaken her for a boy at first sight. On closer inspection, he noticed her carefully trimmed nails that wore bronze nail polish and her full lips that were shimmering reddish.
When the gang approached the desk, the girl's black beady eyes fell on Snake before she shifted her gaze at the other gang members, one by one. Ace leaned on the desk and smiled broadly trying to get her attention.
"Hey there, doll," he said and held a few crumbled dollar bills out to her when she spared him a glance. Glancing back at Snake with cordial curiosity, the girl took a pack of chewing gum cigarettes from the pocket of the black vest she wore with what looked like a rainbow-coloured V-necked blouse. She put one of the chewing gum cigarettes between her lips like a real cigarette and began to take small bites and chew until the cigarette had disappeared in her mouth. When her lips parted, a gap was revealed where her left eye tooth was supposed to be. Snake couldnʼt help staring at this slight imperfection, as well as at her delicate snub nose.
As he quickly flickered his tongue again, he realized that the ebony girl was the source of the unfamiliar scent. Ace leaned in close to the girl, obviously trying to keep her attention. Much to Snakeʼs secret glee, the boss Gangreenʼs notorious charm offensive left the ebony girl totally unimpressed. Handing out small pouches of game tokens to each gang member, her fingertips brushed along Snakeʼs left heel of hand which made the reptilian teen shiver slightly at the gentle touch.
"Have fun," she said in a dark smooth voice when each gang member had gotten two pouches of tokens. Snake worked up his courage to give her a small smile. A pleasant chill went across his back when the smile was returned. Then, he went to play at his favourite machine. He smiled when he noticed that his high score had remained undefeated. But he found himself nearly unable to focus on the game this time. His mind kept wandering as he cranked his neck to keep an eye on the ebony information desk girl. He couldnʼt forget the moment when her fingers had brushed his skin. Of course, he had met other pretty girls before. But this was the first time that somebody seemed to return his interest, especially with Ace around. Snakeʼs heart sank into his gut, and a sigh escaped his black lips when he suddenly found the girl gone.
When the gang left the arcade, Snake turned around on the door step, looked at the still unoccupied desk and whispered, "Hey there! Nice to meet you-s-s. Have you-s-s ever been told that you-s-s s-s-smell lovely?" A small smile crept across his lips as he quickly followed the other gang members.
It took Snake a whole week to work up his courage and go back to the arcade. After the sun had set and the gang had shared a large pizza with every available topping for dinner, he snuck out, heading for the arcade as fast as his feet would move. But when the brightly lit arcade came in sight, Snakeʼs courage was shrivelling with each step. Thus, he just paced the sidewalk across from the arcade, peeking through the windows every now and then at the girl who was back at the desk. After a while, he sat on a bench near a streetlight, looking at her through the glass door. After a while, the girl got up and came out. Snake gasped when she went straight at the bench he was sitting on. This time, the girl wore an oriental-ish dress made of cotton fabric in different shades of blue falling down to her calves over a pair of dark blue jeans leggins and under a red long-sleeved jogging top with a half-opened zipper, showing the neck of the dress that was decorated with golden fancywork. The dress was clinging to her body frame reminding Snake of the shape of a small Coca-Cola glass bottle, making her look more petite than she had appeared at first sight. Nervously, the reptilian teen wiped his hands on his tanktop. Smiling, the girl stood next to the bench and said, "Hi there! Nice to see you again."
"S-s-same here-s-s," Snake replied when she held out her hand at him.
I'm Bonnie," she said when he took her hand to give it a light squeeze that was returned immediately.
"S-s-sanford," Snake replied, his voice trembling with excitement as his hand kept holding hers for what felt like an eternity, "People-s-s call-s-s me S-s-snake."
"Snake," Bonnie repeated, rolling the name around her mouth like a piece of candy while giving a small lisp herself, "Pleased to meet you." She took a half-empty pack of chewing gum cigarettes from her vest pocket, offering one to Snake and taking one herself.
"Chewing gum cigarettes," she answered his unspoken question.
"Never s-s-seen thes-s-se before," Snake said, admiring the pale stick of chewing gum that had the size of an actual home-rolled cigarette and taking in the faint sugary scent with a quick flicker of his tongue.
"My dad used to run a candy store in Citiesville. He brought a crate of them along every second week until he was retired. I grew up chewing them," Bonnie explained with a little smile tugging at her lips and brightening up her ebony features that looked so even and smooth that Snake had to fight the urge to caress her cheek with his tongue to see if she'd taste like chocolate. When another smile crept across her face, he slowly ran his thumb across the back of her hand instead. He was amazed about the smooth softness of her skin. Suddenly, Bonnie drew in her breath sharply.
"Whatʼs-s-s wrong?" Snake wondered as she disconnected their hands.
"My break is over," Bonnie said, getting up, "Well, Snake, it was nice to see you again. See you around." Before the reptilian teen could think of an answer, she crossed the street. Snake watched the movements of her dress that seemed to dance against the light shining through the arcade's glass door. Before she sat at the desk again, she turned around and quickly waved her fingers at him. Snake returned the wave and sat on the bench, hoping for her to come out again soon so he could cherish her presence a little bit longer.
It took until next dawn until Bonnie left the arcade. A shoulder backpack made of black leather was slung across her chest. When she noticed Snake still sitting on the bench, with his elbows resting on his knees and his head resting on one hand, she waved her fingers at him again. Smiling to himself, Snake got up and crossed the street to meet her halfways. Smiling at him, Bonnie put her left hand on his arm and ran it along until her hand had found his. Snake couldnʼt help shivering when she wrapped her long slender fingers around his hand, running her thumb across his knuckles. Following an inspiration, he asked, "May I-s-s... walk you-s-s home?" His heart danced points when Bonnie agreed.
After a while that felt much too short for Snakeʼs taste, they had reached a two-storied whitewashed house. A sigh escaped Snake when Bonnie stopped walking and said, "This is my place. Thanks for walking me."
"You-s-s welcome," Snake said, his slanted pink eyes locking with her beady eyes that resembled black pearls, "The s-s-streets-s-s of Towns-s-sville can be dangerous-s-s when you-s-s all alone." After what felt like an eternity of pleasant shivers running across Snake's back, he forced himself to let go of Bonnieʼs hand, rubbing his palm and fingers along hers in the movement.
"Okay-s-s," he said, giving her a small smile, "I-s-s going home now. Hope you-s-s have a nice day."
"The same to you," Bonnie replied, "Get home safely." She smiled back, making Snakeʼs heart turn a somersault. Then, she went towards the house. When she had gotten out of sight, Snake set off for the city dump. At the next corner, he paused and turned around, blowing a light kiss into the direction of Bonnieʼs house.
Snake took a few short-cuts on his way to the dump, hoping that nobody had found him gone yet. But as he inched open the door, he found himself confronted with Ace who sat at the table, staring him down deprecatingly while drumming his nails against the splintered plywood table top. As he went to sit across from Ace, Snake thanked whatever God out there for the small favour of LilʼArturo, Big Billy and Grubber being nowhere to be seen.
"Where ya been?" Ace asked in a low voice that made Snake gulp. Yet, he held Aceʼs gaze as he said, "Arcade-s-s."
Ace pulled down his shades and leaned forward to look Snake dead in the eye. When Snake quickly blinked and glanced sideways, the oldest Gangreen began to grin.
"Ya didnʼt go dere to play, huh?" he snickered, "Ya went dere for dat girl again!" When Snake just gave a slight nod in reply, Aceʼs grin widened.
"Snakeʼs got a girlfriend..." he teased in a sing-song voice.
"Bonnie's-s-s NOT my girlfriend!" Snake snapped, his hands curling into fists in his pockets.
"Bonnie, huh?" Ace repeated, slightly taken aback by Snake losing his temper so suddenly. Calming down and slowly uncurling his hands, the reptilian teen gave another nod.
"You really do like her, huh?" Aceʼs voice hit the "I know how you feel" register as he nudged Snakeʼs shoulder.
"Tell ya what. From what I saw, she likes you, too," Ace continued, "She hardly looked at me or the other guys, remember?" Smiling to himself, the reptilian teen nodded.
About two weeks later, on a sunny after-noon, Snake took another stroll to the arcade, carrying two small pizza boxes and a plastic bag with two cans of soda he had stolen from the local pizza parlour. He had been thinking of Bonnie all the time, and he craved for hearing her smooth dark voice, looking into her pearly eyes and feeling the gentle touch of her hand. He went straight to the bench opposite of the arcade, sat down and put the pizza boxes next to him.
Bonnie was sitting at her desk, chewing one of her cigarettes and handing out the small pouches of arcade tokens to a bunch of elementary school kids. Snake waved his fingers at her and smiled when Bonnie waved back. About 15 minutes later, she came out, walking straight at the bench.
"Hi!" she said softly, sitting down and holding out her hand at Snake.
"Hi-s-s!", Snake replied, wrapping his hand around hers and running his thumb across the back of her hand, "Howʼs-s-s you-s-s?"
"Iʼm fine, thanks." Bonnie smiled and sat down on the bench before wrapping her fingers around his and running her thumb across the back of his hand in respond.
"You-s-s had dinner-s-s yet?" Snake asked after cherishing the touch of her hand and admiring her for a few minutes. She was wearing a seagreen blouse with a pair of harem trousers made of different-coloured patches and black sandals. Her carefully clipped toe nails wore silvery polish with colourful glitter while her fingernails were shining with clear polish.
"Not yet." Bonnieʼs smile widened as she glanced at the pizza boxes that sat between them.
"I-s-s hope you-s-s like pizza." Snake opened the top box, revealing a small cheese pizza cut into 8 equal slices.
"Are you asking me out on a dinner date?" Bonnie asked. Snake nodded. Bonnie took a deep breath, leaned in close enough to brush noses with Snake and whispered, "Then, Iʼd love to have pizza with you."
"Then it's-s-s chees-s-se pizza tonight," Snake announced. Brushing her nose against Snakeʼs again, Bonnie whispered, "Cheese pizza... my favourite." Snake shivered slightly when he felt her breath touch his skin. He closed his eyes halfways to cherish the sensation and the pleasurable chill that went up and down his spine as well as all over his back. When Bonnie leaned back again, breaking the contact, Snake had to bite his tongue to keep himself from asking her not to. But since there was pizza to eat and soda to drink, he handed her a pizza box and a soda can and said, "Enjoy-s-s." As a respond, Bonnie picked a slice and took a huge bite, chased by a gulp of soda.
"Delicious," she said through a mouthful before a small belch escaped her. Snake smiled to himself, watching her eat on delightfully, obviously not being embarrassed at all by her belch. A chuckle escaped him when he noticed a crumb of cheese that had settled in the corner of her mouth. At first, he thought of telling her to wipe her mouth. But then, following another inspiration, he leaned in close and brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth, taking in the crumb. Bonnie blinked in surprise before she leaned into the touch, slightly turning her head to brush her lips and nose against his. She gave a throaty sigh when Snakeʼs hand slipped along her arm and shoulder to cup the back of her head. Simultaneously, the tip of his tongue brushed along her mouth, slightly tickling her lips. Shaken with happiness, Snake closed his eyes for a second when Bonnieʼs lips opened, granting access to his tongue. His heart pace began to quicken as her tongue met his, caressing it. Her mouth held the taste of the pizza and soda as well as the sugary taste of her chewing gum cigarettes and the fading taste of chocolate. Cherishing their tonguesʼ touch, Snake ran his thumb across the back of her skull. Her curly hair felt much softer than he had imagined. Another shiver ran across his back when Bonnieʼs hand slid up his arm and shoulder to caress the back of his neck, tousling his long black hair. Snake couldnʼt help shivering at the contact of her fingertips. Thus, the kiss was interrupted.
Sighing happily, Snake leaned back and returned his attention to his pizza box and his soda can. Bonnie leaned in close to peck his cheek before she resumed her meal as well, not really caring that she had overdrawn her break already. She took a final gulp from her soda can to wash down her last bite and put the pizza box and the can aside.
"Thanks for the wonderful dinner date. You picked a nice place. I guess I'll come here more often," she said, caressing Snakeʼs shoulder and admiring his scaly skin.
"My pleasure-s-s," Snake replied through his last mouthful. He quickly swallowed and put his box aside as well to cup her face and claim her lips for another deep kiss. This time, he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close.
Giving a deep sigh of happiness, Bonnie wrapped her arms around Snakeʼs rib cage, resting her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes when their mouths parted for breathing. A giggle escaped her as a stray strand of his long black hair tickled her nostrils. Tenderly, Snake brushed the strand of hair aside and ran his index finger along the back of her nose until the end of her break suddenly returned to Bonnieʼs mind.
"Iʼm sorry. I have to go back now," she said, gently freeing herself from Snakeʼs arms. Snake couldnʼt help laughing at her getting twitchy so suddenly.
"You-s-s s-s-sweet," he said, pecking her cheek, "Letʼs-s-s get you-s-s back to work, then." Hand in hand, the pair got up, picked up the pizza boxes and soda cans and crossed the street. Bonnie took the pizza boxes and soda cans to dump all of it in a trash-can next to the door. Having reached the information desk, Snake cupped Bonnieʼs face again, kissing her good-bye.
"S-s-see you-s-s later, honey," he said.
"Get home safe," Bonnie answered, pecking the tip of his nose. She went behind the desk to sit down and watch Snake put his hands into his pockets and stroll out. He turned around on the door-step and blew a little kiss at Bonnie. This time, he took his time to get back to the city dump, still cherishing the sensation of Bonnieʼs smooth lips against his and her tongue caressing his as well as her fingers caressing the back of his neck and tousling his hair.
"Well, well, well... look who found the way home," Ace said when Snake slipped through the door being ajar about half and an hour later. The boss Gangreen had tilted back his chair, crossing his arms in front of his chest. LilʼArturo, Big Billy and Grubber who were reading some tattered comic books lifted their heads to give Snake a questioning glance and gathered at the table, flanking their leader who beckoned Snake closer with the crook of his finger. The reptilian teen bit back a sigh and sat down across from Ace who leaned in close to pull down his shades and lock his blue eyes with Snakeʼs pink ones.
"Where ya been?" Ace asked as Snake began fiddling around with his wristbands.
"Out-s-s," Snake replied, struggling to hold Aceʼs gaze.
"You were with her again, was you?" Ace continued, a grin spreading across his face baring his fangs.
"With who?" LilʼArturo piped in.
"Snakeʼs got a girl-friend," Ace said without breaking eye contact. Snake squared his shoulders and opened his mouth as if to protest but the skin beneath the reptilian teen's eyes darkening a few shades was every answer that Ace needed to know full well that Snake had fallen in love, lock, stock and barrel.
"Duh... girl... friend?" Billy parotted, scratching the back of his head. In respond, Grubber wrapped his arms around his hunched body and blew a few short raspberries that were very similar to long, wet kisses.
"Caramba!" LilʼArturo gasped, folding his hands across his heart, "Serpiente enamorada!" The youngest Gangreen dissolved into chuckles, causing Snake's whole face to darken.
During the following week Snake used every opportunity to sneak out and meet Bonnie, much to Aceʼs growing dismay of losing grip on his second-in-command who had started to talk back more often than the boss Gangreen was used to.
After he had snuck out at dusk to pick up Bonnie at the arcade again, Snake came home around midnight with his head hanging so low that the tip of his nose was almost brushing the ground. Bonnie hadnʼt been to work, and since Snake had overheard a conversation between two other arcade employees that had mentioned her being absent due to illness, the reptilian teen was beside himself with worries. As soon as he saw the next opportunity he left the shack again, setting off for Bonnieʼs house. The closer he got to the two-storied whitewashed house, the more nervous he became. What would Bonnie say about him showing up at her house uninvited? Looking at the wooden door adorned with a metal doorknocker that was shaped like a loosely curled-up fist pointing downwards, he took a deep breath and raked his fingers through his hair to smooth and untangle it before he grabbed the doorknocker. A slender dark-skinned man of about Snakeʼs height with a carefully trimmed beard answered the knock. His dark brown eyes peered through a gold-rimmed set of glasses at Snakeʼs curved posture.
"H-h-hello S-s-sir," Snake said, straightening up as good as he could manage in a trice, "Is-s-s Bonnie home?"
"Bonnieʼs not feeling well," the man said before a short ebony woman with graying straight hair falling down to her shoulders came to stand next to him. Her black eyes lead Snake to assume that she was Bonnieʼs mother since they held the same warm expression. She wiped a hand on her cherry-red apron and held it out to Snake. The reptilian teen smiled as he shook it timidly and introduced himself, "Iʼm S-s-sanford. I-s-s met Bonnie at the arcade-s-s."
"Come in if you like," the woman said, stepping back to give room, "Iʼll see if Bonnieʼs feeling a bit better by now." Snake watched her crossing the hall towards a plain door that had the same colour as the walls. Much to Snakeʼs amazement, the door seemed to lead to the garden. Keeping a close eye on Snake, the man lead the way to the kitchen, offering a chair before sitting down across, looking the reptilian teen over carefully. Snake was relieved when the woman came back and the man left the room.
"Bonnieʼs asleep," she explained, putting a bowl of soup on a tray and another one in front of Snake, "She felt faint the day before yesterday." Snake sat shaken until the soupʼs delicious scent of tomatoes, carrots and pumpkins reminded him that he hadnʼt eaten yet. He picked up the spoon and started to eat. The woman smiled at his appetite while she put a small plate of animal-shaped salted crackers next to the bowl onto the tray, along with a steaming mug of fruity-smelling tea.
"That's-s-s for Bonnie?" Snake asked. The woman nodded and suggested, "Would you like to bring it to her? She hasnʼt eaten much since the faint, and maybe itʼll make her feel better to see a friend." Beaming all over, Snake got up and took hold of the tray.
"Bonnieʼs room is in the hut behind the house," the woman said, opening the plain door for him. Snake was surprised to see a round whitewashed hut with a roof of pale red shingles sitting in a corner of the garden. A narrow path of cobblestone lead past a few fruit trees. Taking a deep breath, Snake approached the square dark brown door and knocked. As a drowsy "Yes?" answered to the knock, he grabbed the handle and opened the unlocked door. The dimly-lit room held light brown wicker furniture, consisting of a single bed resembling a huge market basket, a two-drawer bedside table, an oval glass table with two armchair seats with red upholstery and a matching two-seater couch, a wardrobe and two cupboards of different heights. A single straight wall and a door interrupted the round room shape, forming what Snake assumed to be a bathroom. About half a dozen candlesticks of various sizes and material with colourful candles were sitting all over the room. The biggest one made of brass sat next to the armchair Bonnie had spread her blouse and trousers across. The big candlestick held 5 red-orange candles.
Snake put the tray on the table and spun around when a match came ablaze suddenly, lighting up a violett candle that was propped into the neck of a small orange bottle on the bedside table.
"Hi, Snake," Bonnieʼs warm voice rang out. She was sitting in bed, propped up against a pillow, with a thin blanket covering her up to the waist. Admiring the delicate floral pattern of the white short-sleeved bedware she had put on, Snake sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned in close to peck her lips and her cheeks.
"Hi, honey-s-s," he whispered, taking hold of her hand, "How-s-s you-s-s?"
"Much better now." Bonnie smiled.
"Your mom s-s-send s-s-some food for you-s-s. Jus-s-st in cas-s-se you-s-s be hungry again." Snake cranked his neck to point his nose at the tray before he got up and brought it over. He carefully put it into Bonnieʼs lap.
"My mom?" Bonnie repeated before she laughed softly, "Thatʼs Pauline and Ernie. They were close friends with my parents and adopted me when Mom and Dad died in a train accident two years ago." Snake gulped hard when Bonnie couldn't stop a tear from rolling down her cheek. Carefully, he wiped it off her jaw, tenderly kissing the wet trail it left. Then, he picked up a bird-shaped cracker, gently nudging its head against Bonnieʼs lips.
"Come on," he whispered pleadingly, "Jus-s-st a mors-s-sel. For me-s-s." Slowly, Bonnieʼs lips opened, allowing Snake to put the cracker on her tongue.
"Thereʼs-s-s a good girl," Snake said, leaning in close to peck her temple when her lips had closed around the tip of his finger, "You-s-s canʼt get better without food-s-s." He kept nudging her lips with a cracker until the small plate was empty. Content with his effortʼs result, he picked up the mug of tea and fed her spoonfuls until Bonnie took the cup herself to take a sip and put the tray on her bedside table.
"Your roomʼs-s-s nice," Snake said, brushing his nose against Bonnieʼs, "And you-s-s s-s-so beautiful in the candle light."
Smiling, Bonnie wrapped her arms around Snakeʼs neck and pulled him close to claim his lips for a deep kiss. Snake wrapped his arms around her as well, pulling her close to intensify the kiss. Then, he rested her back against the pillow. Bonnie gave a small yawn and tenderly looked at Snake as the candlelight was flickering out. Smiling, the reptilian teen bent across her to spread little kisses across her face. Then, he couldnʼt help yawning himself.
"Make yourself at home," Bonnie offered, patting the blanket and scooting aside before propping a fresh candle into the bottle's neck and lighting it up. Snake hesitated before he took off his sneakers and his hat and laid down on top of the blanket. He looked Bonnie over for a moment, admiring her smooth skin gleaming softly in the candle-light, before he crept underneath the blanket, scooting closer to her welcoming warmth and snuggling close against her.
"S-s-sweet dreams-s-s, honey," he whispered. Bonnie giggled when his tongue brushed her ear.
"Sweet dreams," she replied and rolled over to peck the tip of his nose as Snakeʼs hand found hers underneath the blanket, entwining their fingers. Smiling to herself, Bonnie took a deep breath and fell asleep. Listening to her regular breathing, Snake closed his eyes and fell asleep as well.
The forenoon sun crept through the shutters to find Snake and Bonnie still asleep, him snuggled close against her back with his arms around her middle. Snake gave a soft sigh when sleep was wearing off. He scooted closer into Bonnie's comforting warmth and straightened himself up on an elbow to bend across her and brush his nose against her cheek. Bonnie gave a sigh resembling his own and shifted to cuddle into his chest. Snake shivered slightly when she slipped a hand into his tanktop, her fingertips tenderly tracing the patterns of his back scales. Smiling to himself, the reptilian teen pulled her close against him, spreading small kisses across her face.
"Hi," Bonnie whispered, "Sleep well?" Snake gave an affirmative sound when his lips brushed the tip of her nose.
"Yes-s-s, thanks-s-s," he whispered. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time when he had slept so peacefully.
"Will you-s-s be in trouble for me-s-s s-s-sleeping here?" he wondered, snuggling close against Bonnie who put her arms around him and kissed the tip of his nose.
"Nope, Pauline and Ernie don't mind me having overnight guests." She smiled, keeping to herself that Snake was her first male overnight guest.
Snake shifted in another position to pull her close and kiss her on the lips.
"Have you-s-s ever been told that you-s-s s-s-smell nice, honey?" he whispered, letting the tip of his nose wander along her neck.
"Not yet, thanks," Bonnie whispered back before the sensation of Snake's breath on her neck made her dissolve into giggles. It took Snake a moment to make the connection. Smiling to himself, the reptilian teen let his lips crawl along her neck, spreading little kisses all over. Then, he stood up on his hands and knees, looking her over and cherishing her laughter.
"I-s-s love you-s-s," he said and laid down at her side when her laughter had subsided.
"I love you too," Bonnie replied, snuggling into his rail-thin body and claiming his lips for a kiss until they felt hungry and shared the soup that had stood forgotten. Snake was relieved that Bonnie had recovered her appetite.
It was late after-noon when Snake finally decided to set off for the city dump.
"Get better s-s-soon, honey," he said before he got dressed and went for the door. Laughing softly, Bonnie climbed off the bed to walk him to the door. Snake cupped her face and kissed her good-bye. Leaning against the door-frame, Bonnie watched his curved figure disappear into the fading daylight. Then, she went back to bed. A happy sigh escaped her as she buried her nose into the pillow that still held the scent of Snake's hair and skin.
A few days of Gangreen Gang activities later, Snake and Bonnie were spending some time at her place again. Since it was a sunny day that was way too good to waste it inside, they had huddled together in a big hammock hung up between two cherry trees by Ernie, cherishing the afternoon sun and some refreshments put on a nearby stool by Pauline.
"Say, how come I've never seen you and your friends at school?" Bonnie suddenly wondered, stirring Snake from his comfortable position. The reptilian teen rolled on his belly in a lazy movement, rested his head on his folded arms and said, "We-s-s not going."
"And your parents don't mind?" Bonnie furrowed her brow, taking sips from her iced vanilla-flavoured fruit tea. Taking a deep sigh, Snake began to tell about the gang's everyday life, always expecting her to get angry. Much to his amazement, Bonnie listened attentively without interrupting him. When he had finished his tale and had sat up, slightly rocking the hammock, she simply gave a little sound of acknowledgement. Snake cranked his neck to look at her stunned.
"So you and your friends are the Gangreen Gang," Bonnie stated, taking hold of his hand, "I've seen the name graffitis scattered across Townsville. Some are pretty cool."
"Why, thanks-s-s." Relaxing, Snake laid down at her side again without disconnecting their hands. He scooted closer to brush noses with her and kiss her on the lips.
"Say, where is the dump you mentioned?" Bonnie wondered after she had eaten a spoonful of deep frozen blueberries for refreshment. Snake closed his eyes halfways and described the route as good as he could. Bonnie snuggled close against him and suggested, "Maybe we can spend some time at your place next time."
"Are you-s-s s-s-serious?" Snake gasped.
"Sure thing. I've never been at a dump, and I'm sure that nothing bad will happen with you around," Bonnie explained, taking hold of his hand again. Blushing slightly, Snake brushed his nose against hers again before he agreed, "S-s-sure we can s-s-spend time there. But don't you-s-s ex-s-spect too much, honey-s-s." Bonnie gave a small giggle in respond. Snake put an arm around her, a small smile crawling across his lips.
About a week later, Snake prepared himself for Bonnie coming over. Browsing a battered suitcase holding his limited amount of clothes, he picked a pair of blue jeans and a red tee shirt he had found in a charity collection bin once but hadn't been wearing ever since. Ace watched in amusement as Snake was trying to talk Lil'Arturo into letting him borrow his precious pocket comb. Finally, the youngest Gangreen agreed on condition that Snake would steal something special for him at next opportunity. Trying to untangle his hair as good as possible, Snake promised on his heart.
"What's all the fuss about, anyway?" Ace finally asked, making Snake sit with him on the couch. Hesitantly, Snake told him about Bonnie dropping in.
"Bonnie," Ace repeated, "And you didn't think of telling her you'd talk to us first?" Snake closed his eyes, expecting the punch. But instead, Ace started laughing his head off.
It took the boss Gangreen minutes to get a grip again. Deep within, Ace couldn't help being impressed by Snake standing his ground, as if the reptilian teen suddenly had remembered that he was, in fact, an inch taller than Ace. Looking at Snake smoothing down his hair, brushing invisible dust off his clothes and even picking at his nails to clean them throughly from dirt and grime, Ace smiled.
"Don't ya worry, all will be fine," he said, putting his hand on Snake's shoulder and locking his blue eyes with Snake's pink ones. For a moment, the familiar insecurity crept across the reptilian teen's face but it passed when Ace said, "She didn't dump you when you told her about the gang, did she? Just be yourself." Snake nodded, a smile spreading across his face. He adjusted his hat and went to pick up Bonnie at the arcade where she had been working the daytime shift.
Nodding to himself, Ace turned to the younger Gangreens and made them pick up some of their mess. Big Billy did as he was told while Lil'Arturo and Grubber were discussing what to do first. As Ace cleared his throat, they started picking up scattered comic books and littered empty chips bags and soda cans.
In the meantime, Snake sat on the bench across from the arcade, watching Bonnie who was looking adorable to him in a grass-green tee shirt with a red skirt falling down to her ankles. A red plastic gummi bear figurine on a silver ring sat between her breasts, garnishing the tee shirt's neckline. Smiling, he waved his fingers and blew a little kiss at her. About half an hour later, Bonnie left the arcade. Snake smiled to himself when she crossed the street and sat down next to him.
"Hi, honey-s-s," Snake said, embracing her and gently poking the gummi bear figurine, "How's-s-s you-s-s? You-s-s look beautiful."
"I'm fine, thanks." Bonnie closed her eyes halfways as he claimed her lips for a hello kiss.
"You-s-s ready to s-s-see the dump?" Snake asked, taking hold of her hand and entwining their fingers. Bonnie nodded and let Snake lead the way. He stopped at the iron gate and looked at her questioningly. Taking a look around, Bonnie nodded and smiled at him. As Snake was becoming more and more nervous, he explained everything they passed to Bonnie, like a few terminally rusty car-wrecks that Ace had claimed as a smoke retreat and a small beat-up fridge Lil'Arturo would use as a hide-out every now and then. Bonnie listened attentively until Snake stopped walking and pointed his nose at the shack.
"We-s-s here," he said, lifting Bonnie's hand and brushing his lips against the wrist to comfort himself. He smiled when Bonnie ran her thumb across the back of his hand in respond. After he had taken a deep breath, he lead her up the few stairs and opened the door.
Ace who had taken his usual seat at the head of the table got up and offered a palm-up hand to Bonnie, smiling broadly. Snake's hand tensed a bit until Bonnie's fingers gave a gentle pressure to his skin while she gave a gentle low-five to the boss Gangreen. Ace flashed her a grin before he introduced the younger gang members and offered her a seat on the couch.
"So," he said, "Let's hear a bit about you, Bonnie."
"Very well then," Bonnie said, "I was born and raised in Citiesville where my dad used to run a candy store until he was retired. I came to Townsville after he and Mom died in a train accident two years ago."
"So you were moved to your Townsville relatives?" Arturo wondered.
"Not really," the ebony girl clarified, "Some friends of my parents took me in. And Townsville has become my home since." Smiling to herself, Bonnie pulled a pack of chewing gum cigarettes from her pocket to put one of the chewing gum sticks into her mouth. In a swift movement, Ace snatched it from her lips and said, "Pretty girls shouldn't smoke." Laughing, she took it back and began chewing it. Then, she offered the pack to the gang members. Lil'Arturo, Big Billy, Grubber accepted before Snake took one as well. Ace raised his hand to indicate that he didn't like chewing gum. While the younger Gangreens were chewing pensively, she looked around the room.
"S-s-so, how do you-s-s like our club hous-s-se?" Snake asked her, putting his arm around her shoulders.
"Not bad," Bonnie said, "I just wonder..." Her gaze shifted from Snake to Ace who leaned in close and pulled down his shades to give her a sceptical glance.
"What would you think about moving into a bigger place that has a room for each of you?" she wondered, mirroring the glance.
"Be more specific, doll," Ace said. Snake preferred to observe their conversation, flickering his tongue every now and then.
"Well, there's this huge mansion on the hill on the other side of town. Midnite House, they call it," Bonnie answered, "It's said to be haunted since its first owner shot his wife and then hung himself, so nobody wanted to claim it. You'd remain as undisturbed as here, just with more space to live." Lil'Arturo and Grubber leaned in close as well, their interest obviously being awaked while Ace leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms and arching an eyebrow as if saying, "Sure I know that one. Ya talkin' ta Ace, ya know." But since the idea of getting some personal space without having to go outside had a good sound to the boss Gangreen, he said instead, "Ya gotta point dere, doll. We'll take a look, and then we'll see."
On the next after-noon, the Gangreen Gang left the shack and set off to investigate "Midnite House", as the mansion was called by the townsfolk because of its dark blue roof. Since it had been her idea, Bonnie met them halfways to tag along.
Midnite House was looming over Townsville, its dusty windows and red brick walls glinting in the setting sun. The gang and Bonnie were greeted by the huge front door slowly creaking open and leading into a dimly-lit hall that held old-fashioned furniture. Curiously, they walked around, taking closer looks at the partially furnished rooms and checking the lights and water taps. Much to everyone's amazement, everything was in acceptable condition. It took about half an hour until each gang member had settled for a room. For some reason, Big Billy had chosen a room in the basement while Lil'Arturo and Grubber had taken a shine to two rooms on first floor. Thus, Ace who had settled for the former master bed room on second floor announced that the Gangreen Gang would move in as soon as possible.
"Let's-s-s move at night-s-s," Snake who had settled for an attic room suggested as they gathered in the hall again, "S-s-so the Powerpuff Girls-s-s won't get-s-s in our way-s-s."
"Good idea, Snake," Ace confirmed.
"Can I give you a hand?" Bonnie offered.
"Nah, it's better if we're taking care of things ourselves." The gang leader put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
"But thanks for the offer, Señorita," Lil'Arturo piped in.
"De nada, Arturo. Con mucho gusto," Bonnie responded, making the youngest Gangreen smile broadly.
Gasping hard, Snake sat up and pushed the blanket off, feeling for the skin at his left shoulder-blade. A frustrated hiss escaped him when his fingers found a small crack running across. His annual molt was about to begin. Which meant that he would be fit for nothing but moping around uselessly for weeks. Snake closed his eyes and sighed deeply as he tried to calm down, focussing on how Ace would react to this. The reptilian teen was positive that the boss Gangreen wouldn't jump for joy since he didn't like to hear excuses when he had plans cooking, like the gang's relocation.
But as annoying as the molting was since it was draining a lot of energy, it was more of a horror to Snake that it would keep him from meeting with Bonnie than Ace throwing a hissy fit. However, the mere thought of Bonnie witnessing his skin disintegrate and peel off made tears form in the corners of Snake's eyes. He snuck out quickly as they started running down his face and went for the rusty Ford Plymouth he had discovered as a retreat during the last molting. He sat in the passenger seat, pulling his knees up to his chest and letting the tears flow.
All of a sudden, steps were approaching. Biting back another sob, Snake looked in the rear view mirror and sank further into the seat as Lil'Arturo and Grubber strolled along. Grubber had one of his arms wrapped around a torn pillow case he took chocolate bars from, consuming them as rapidly as Lil'Arturo. Obviously, they had snuck out for a late snack that could almost pass as an early breakfast, given that the new day was almost dawning. Snake shifted into another position, rolled down the window and cleared his throat to become noticable. Grubber and Lil'Arturo opened the door and sat in the back seat to share the candy with Snake. It didn't take long until Lil'Arturo noticed the wet trails of tears on Snake's face and asked what was wrong. It took Snake a while to pluck up his courage and share his troubles with the younger Gangreens. Even if neither Lil'Arturo nor Grubber could give advice, them listening attentively was a greater comfort to Snake than he had expected.
"I'm sure she'd understand," Lil'Arturo finally said, patting Snake's back, "Señorita Bonnie is..." Snake lifted his eyebrows as Grubber blew a few short raspberries, adding his two cents. The three teens fell silent before a grin spread across the distorted Gangreen's face.
"Yes-s-s, Grubber. She's-s-s really s-s-something s-s-special," Snake agreed, chewing his last chocolate bar, "I-s-s love being with her-s-s." He wad the wrapping up into a ball to flick it through the window. It fell into a small heap of punk wood close to the car's rusty bumper. Then, all of a sudden, the three gang members yawned simultaneously which made them snicker. They collected their senses and went back to the shack that was filled by Big Billy's thunderous snores, mixed with the less noisy snores from Ace. The gang leader had sprawled on the couch while Big Billy had settled for a small heap of thin mattresses in a corner. Lil'Arturo climbed on top of Billy's back while Grubber made himself comfortable in his usual seat, an old swivel chair, sitting down astraddle and resting his head on his arms folded across the back rest. Every of Grubber's moves made the chair moan its protest. Snake picked an unoccupied seat at the table, coiling himself up on the seating surface. Taking a last look at the sleeping gang members, he yawned again and drifted off to sleep.
Until next noon, the Gangreen Gang remained dead to the world. Then, a loud thud was heard as Ace rolled over, losing his balance and hitting the floor. He picked himself up, letting loose a string of Italian-sounding four-letter words. The sudden noise stirred Snake and Lil'Arturo. When they had seen that nothing was amiss - even Ace's sunglasses had remained in place and intact –, they shifted into another position to sleep on. Aside from deep breathings and a small burp, Billy and Grubber didn't react at all.
During the next few days, the Gangreen gang was busy packing their stuff and discussing what to take along and what to leave behind. Finally, they had packed their personal belongings into suitcases, crates and bags and loaded them onto a handcart.
They had walked about half the way when they heard Bonnie calling out for them, tagging along. Ignoring Ace's eye-roll, Snake held his hand out to her, entwining their fingers. A moment later, a red-haired girl in a pink frilly dress appeared in front of the gang. Ace stopped walking and faced Blossom who hovered at his eye level, giving him an upset stare.
"Not so fast, Gangreen Gang!" she said strictly, "What mischief are you up to now?"
"Nothing," Ace replied and flashed her his most charming grin, "Just taking our stuff to another place."
"Like where?" a second girl's voice asked from behind, sounding just as strict.
"Midnite House," Bonnie spoke up and turned around, facing a black-haired girl clad in a green frilly dress hovering at the eye level of Big Billy who carried Lil'Arturo on one shoulder and the hand-cart over the other.
"And why is this your business?" Buttercup asked, looking Bonnie up and down.
"I'm helping my boyfriend," Bonnie retorted, running her thumb across the back of Snake's hand and gave him a smile. Snake ran his thumb across the back of her hand in response and smiled back. A tense moment of silence hung in the air until Ace cleared his throat and said, "Well, girls, we've gotta go on. Sorry." Blossom and Buttercup looked at the gang members and Bonnie before they floated away, leaving a streak of pink light and a streak of green light in the air.
"Break's over!" Ace ordered as soon as the streaks had vanished into thin air. He began to walk on, making the rest of the gang and Bonnie follow suit. It didn't take long until they were greeted by the impressive front doors of Midnite House that lead into the dimly-lit hall. Snake sat Bonnie on a chair in the hall and kissed her on the cheeks before he said, "You-s-s wait here. I-s-s take my things-s-s into my room, and then I'll s-s-show you-s-s." Bonnie returned the kiss on the cheek and nodded, watching the reptilian teen grab his suitcase and a duffle bag and climb up the stairs. About 15 minutes later, he returned and lead Bonnie to the attic room to show her a chocolate brown leather armchair, two dressers and a colourful hammock that sat in a metal frame. Snake sat her in the armchair to sit on her lap and hug her tight and kiss her. All of a sudden, Bonnie decided to head home again.
"I'll be back later and bring some goodies for you," she said when Snake hung his head.
"Goodies-s-s?" The green scaly face brightened up as Snake flickered his tongue and licked his lips.
"Yeah, as a welcome feast. Just need to know what to bring," Bonnie clarified, "I know you like pizza. What else do you like to eat?"
"Jus-s-st me, or the other guys-s-s, too?" Snake tilted his head to the side.
"I think I'll bring something all of you can live with." Bonnie smiled.
"Burgers-s-s are tas-s-sty," Snake thought aloud. Bonnie nodded, thinking about the fast food restaurants in town, a McDonald's, a Burger King and a newly opened White Castle. She kissed Snake's lips and got up to leave.
It was early afternoon when Bonnie returned to "Midnite House", carrying a picnic basket loaded with two small paper bags from McDonald's, two paper bags of different size from Burger King and a big paper bag from White Castle, along with soda cans of different brands and tastes. Each bag held an assortment of burgers. Bonnie knocked at the front door. When the door opened a tiny crack, she peeked in to call, "Hey, guys! Anybody home?" As silence answered to that, she decided to put the basket on a small table in the hall where it would be noticed. On top, she put a sheet of paper that read, "Hey, guys! I thought I'd make your day and bring you a welcome dinner. Enjoy. See you around, Bonnie" She blew a little kiss into the hall and left.
The Gangreen Gang came back about half an hour later and cheered when they noticed the basket and discovered its contents. They gathered at the kitchen table and divided the burgers and the sodas. Ace opened and raised a can of Cherry Coca-Cola.
"To Bonnie the generous!" he cheered.
"To Bonnie!", Lil'Arturo, Big Billy and Snake responded in unison, clicking their sodas against Ace's. Grubber blew a quick raspberry, raising a White Castle Bacon Cheese Slider to click it against the sodas before he ate the Slider with a single movement of his tongue.
"Too bad she didn't wait to join us," Lil'Arturo said between two bites from a McDonald's Cheeseburger. Ace who was devouring a Whopper with cheese just shrugged, taking a sip from his bottle.
"S-s-she s-s-said s-s-she'll be back later-s-s," Snake said through a mouthful of McDonald's hamburger before he washed it down with a sip from a strawberry soda.
A knock on the door made the gang members raise their heads. Grubber took a sip of his blueberry soda and went to answer it. For a few minutes, his raspberries interrupted the chewing sounds of the other gang members. They grinned broadly and cheered when he returned with Bonnie in tow.
"Hey, guys," she greeted, running a hand along Snake's arm to brush her lips against his cheek. A blush crept across the skin beneath the reptilian teen's eyes as he whispered, "Hi, honey-s-s."
"Thanks for the goodies, doll," Ace said through a mouthful of meat, cheese, salad, tomato and bun mingled with the spicy sauce.
"My pleasure, Ace," Bonnie smiled and sat down on the chair next to Snake, "I'm glad I picked something all of you can live with."
"Haven't had a Whopper in weeks," Ace said, leaning in close to pat her shoulder.
"Actually, I asked Snake what you lot like to eat, except for pizza, I mean. He called burgers tasty," Bonnie replied, shaking off his hand, "And since I wasn't sure what kind you'd like, I bought different ones for variety."
"Bonnie, you're awesome, doll." Ace put his hand onto her shoulder again, giving it a light squeeze. Bonnie just smiled before she looked over the paper bags scattered across the table.
"Say, is anything left?" she wondered. Quickly, Grubber unfolded one of his long sinewy arms and pushed a Burger King bag towards her, blowing a cheerful raspberry. Then, he pulled a can of fruit punch soda from the basket that sat amidst the paper bags and placed it in front of Bonnie. In the blink of an eye, Ace reached out to open the can.
"Thanks, guys." Bonnie reached into the bag, taking out a Crispy Chicken. She unwrapped it and took a big bite, followed by a gulp of soda.
"Well, how far did you get with her yet?" Ace asked as he sat Snake on the couch over a beer for a man-to-man talk. The reptilian teen took a sip of beer and shrugged one shoulder before he replied, "I-s-s found out that Bonnie's-s-s got ticklis-s-sh ribs-s-s."
Taking a sip of beer himself, Ace arched an eye brow as if saying, "Ticklish ribs, huh?" However, no matter how the boss Gangreen was itching to hear more, he kept himself from asking for details. Ace knew that Snake was about to have a wonderful experience when Bonnie would give herself up to him for the first time – something that Snake couldn't wait to happen, as Ace could see clearly. The boss Gangreen smiled as he remembered when he had been with a girl for the first time. But he could see also that Snake was at a loss with his next move. Ace took another sip of beer and asked, "You just touched her ribs so far?"
"Nope-s-s," Snake said, casting his eyes down, "I-s-s tickled her, and my hands-s-s... jus-s-st went up her blous-s-se..."
"Did she push you off?" Ace furrowed his brow. After a moment of thinking, Snake shook his head.
"Ya know, if she's okay with what ya do, maybe ya should keep doing it," Ace thought aloud. Snake gave this a thought as well before he nodded while he remembered a late sunny afternoon when he had dared to slip his hands up her blouse for the first time while tickling Bonnie's belly and ribs. He had noticed that tickling Bonnie was arousing him beyond all known limits. Ace shook his beer can to check if it really was drained, and since it turned out to be, he crushed it between his hands and tossed it into a black plastic trash bag that was hung up at the wall within arm's reach.
"Two points-s-s," Snake chuckled, tossing his empty can into the trash bag as well a moment later. Ace gave a small chuckle in response.
"You-s-s know, I-s-s like to go all the way with her-s-s," Snake confessed all of a sudden.
"What keeps ya?" Ace asked with the serenity of experience. Snake gave him a sideways glance since he didn't know how to put that he cherished the skin-on-skin contact with Bonnie on the one hand but wasn't sure if they didn't go on too fast on the other hand. After a while, Ace said, "If ya'd like to go all the way with Bonnie, play to your strengths."
"What s-s-strengths-s-s? That I-s-s don't know what to do?" Snake furrowed his brow in confusion and slight annoyance.
"Exactly," Ace affirmed solemnly, "You cup her face, as gentle as you can. Then, you look deep in her eyes and say, This is all new to me. Please be gentle."
"S-s-seriously-s-s?" Snake sat slack-jawed until Ace smiled and said, "Sure. Girls will believe this stuff." As Snake kept staring doubtfully, the boss Gangreen blew his chest and said, "Well, do I get along with the ladies or not?" Hiding a yawn behind the back of his hand, Snake nodded. He sank further into the cushions and shifted into a comfortable position to sleep. Ace hauled his body off the couch and went to sit in a outworn lounge chair he had found the other day. The red and blue woven cloth seat creaked and moaned its protest as Ace shifted into a comfortable position.
A few days later, Snake picked up Bonnie at the arcade again to walk her home. After Bonnie had lit a reddish tea light candle that sat in a small glass holder sitting in a delicate black metal frame on her bedside table, they cuddled on her bed until the candle light flickered out.
Snake put a new tea light candle into the glass holder and lit it. Much to his amazement, Bonnie responded by taking off her blouse to reveal a white lace front hook bra cloaking her full breasts like sheer spun yarn. Snake admired her smooth skin that was shimmering beautifully in the candle light as she shifted into a comfortable position. Snake sat up, tenderly looking her over before he bent across her, spreading little kisses all over her upper body. His lips crawled down her throat, went along between her breasts and across the shallow curve of her belly. As a respond, Bonnie ran her hand along his spine, her fingers slipping into the waistband of his shorts and caressing the small of his back. Shivering, Snake closed his eyes halfways and took off his tanktop. He smiled at Bonnie before he ran his fingers across her breasts, gently teasing the nipple. As he cupped her left bosom, he shivered again at the sensation of her nipple getting puffy against his palm. The sensation brought back the throb to his crotch. He leaned in close, claiming her lips for a deep kiss. Bonnie responded eagerly, shifting into another position to take off her pants, revealing a pair of panties matching the bra. Breaking the lip contact, Snake admired her hips and thighs, running his hands along before he bent across and spread little kisses across the panties. A small moan escaped Bonnie when his lips brushed along her hip bone. Snake paused and smiled when he caught a sniff of Bonnie's scent that seemed to be a lot more intense than on the day they had met. He ran the tip of his nose from the crown of her head all the way down to the soles of her feet, taking in her scent with deep breathings. His smile widened when he brushed his nose against the tip of her crotch, realizing that the scent was the strongest at this spot. When the scent made his own crotch throb, he flickered his tongue and licked his lips, whispering, "I-s-s love your s-s-smell."
The reptilian teen closed his eyes when the ebony girl took his hand and kissed his fingertips and palm in respond.