This technically goes hand in hand with that other Homestuck fic I've got started, and this was going to be put in it, but I don't know where to fit it in right now and I just really wanted to upload it, haha. Enjoy. [If you read the other fic, you may see this again at some point in it!]

Tears quickly began streaming down her face, but she continued to mentally deny their presence. She wasn't crying, Lilla Taura does not fucking cry. Instead, she bit her bottom lip so hard she broke the skin. As a small line of blood made its way slowly down her chin, she shut her brown eyes tight, tears still escaping all too easily. "Mmpf! D-Dir- I-"

He cut her off quickly by pressing a finger to her lips. "Shhhh," he cooed, leaning in and kissing her cheek gently and then wiping the blood off her chin. "Jesus Taura…"

To the untrained eye, even with his calming tone of voice, he was just a stoic guy with some dumb, pointy, anime shades on. But to her, it was like the shades weren't there. She could see right through that damn façade and could see the hurt in his eyes as he hurt her. She knew he didn't mean to do it, and she knew this was all for her own good, but that didn't me- "OW. FUCK, DIRK!"

She snapped her head to glare at him as he cut deeper into the last finger he needed to replace. "Shut up you big baby and fucking deal with it. You wanted your damn hands back to normal, right? How the hell did you even manage this, it doesn't make sense."

Lilla continued to glare at the boy and huffed at him. "How about we talk about what you just did to me. Why the hell did you just kiss my cheek?"

Dirk sat back and crossed his arms over his chest with the slightest hint of a smirk gracing his lips.

"Don't look at me like that, asshole. Are my fingers fixed?"

"Good as new, shithead."

"Good." Lilla stood and stretched her arms above her head before walking away.

"Uh, excuse you. Taura get back here." Dirk stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets with a scowl. "We need to legitimately test them still, Lilla. There's always a possibility of malfunction or improper positioning or-"

The blonde turned to look at him, rolling her eyes as she walked up to him and listened to his rambling. Before he could continue, she wiggled all of her flesh and metal fingers in his face. "They're fine, they work." She crossed her arms over her chest and grinned, eyes narrowed into her usual glare. "Your handiwork is most impressive Mister Strider, however will I repay you for making me whole again?"

Dirk shook his head and sighed. "You really are a pain in the ass Lilla, you know that right?"

"Eeyup, that's the goal here, Strider."

He rolled his eyes under his shades and sighed heavily again. He watched her as she turned and made her way towards the entrance of the cavern. He watched the way she over exaggerated the swaying of her hips so her long, blonde locks would swing back and forth and the way her shoulder muscles pulsed under that shredded tank top with each step. He swallowed his breath heavily as he felt his ears begin to burn. "Shit," he hissed and tried to look away from the ridiculous creature in front of him.

Creature. Yeah, that was one way to describe her. Fucking out of her damn mind was a better one, however.

"Lilla," he muttered as she crouched down and leaned out over the edge of the drop near the entrance. "Lilla!"

"What?!" she hissed, turning her head over her shoulder at him.

"Just…be careful. I don't need you falling off the cliff and needing a new ear or something."

She grinned at him, that stupid, toothy grin with her gorgeous yet demonic brown eyes narrowed, seeming to grin as well. Oh how he hated that damn grin.

Keeping her eyes on him, she leaned her body over the edge as much as she could before she really was beginning to lose her balance. "Is someone nervous about this?"

He was too smart for her though, because as she lost her footing and nearly began stumbling over the edge, he flashstepped and had her in his arms before she could even register that she was falling. "Ya' fucking idiot, don't pull that kinda' shit." He pressed his face into her hair, hugging her from behind as tightly as he could as he purposely fell backwards and onto the ground. He held her in his lap, heart pounding in his chest with his eyes shut tight.

The demon could smell his fear through his sudden sweat, and her eyes furrowed angrily. But the anger was aimed at herself, not him. "Dirk…." She whispered, glancing over her shoulder slightly at him and glancing down at her hands as she realized that they'd settled on his and were holding on to them like her life had depended on it. Her cheeks flared up immediately, but her smirk came back just as fast. "Your Texan is showing, you know."

"Shut up, I ain't stupid, I hear it too," he grumbled back, nosing some of her hair out of the way and then resting his lightly on her bare skin just below her neck.

She chuckled and looked down, noticing his shades in his hand. She quietly pried the hand open and took them, putting them on and leaning back against him a little. "I can't lose you either, you know…"

He picked his head up instantly, gulping hard again, stammering a "Wh-what" to himself.

"You're lucky I have heightened senses or else I would have never heard that." She laughed again before sighing and turning her body enough to nuzzle herself into his chest. "It's a bit cold here tonight, but it feels nice."

"You're fucking insane, Lilla. Did you do that on purpose?"

"Tch, at least I don't behead myself to make someone kiss me."

Dirk's face was completely red now. "You heard about that."

"Roxy," they both muttered at the same time, and then began laughing in unison as well.

"So, Strider, I thought you were gay."

"Fuck you, I'm apparently bi."

"Too soon, Dirk. I don't know you well enough for that y-"

He cut her off by quickly grabbing her chin and pulling her head back enough that he could hastily plant his lips on hers. "Shut. Up. You talk more than I do sometimes." He whispered against her lips, kissing her a bit more tenderly this time, but not before mentally noting her smirk.