Éclair Mocha wiped the perspiration of her brow as she toiled outdoors under the brightness of the noonday sun. She had just mowed her front lawn and wondered if she should start repairing the broken part of the picket fence. It had been two weeks since she had moved into her countryside cottage and every day she had been working on something to fix things to her liking.

   She had bought the property with some money in an account left to her by Zaha Torte.

The years she had faithfully served him as Deneb had paid off in that she probably was well set for the rest of her life. Over the centuries, he had amassed a sizable fortune.

She was free to start a new life of her own, blessed with super strength and the ability to use magic.

   Recently she had been reunited with her older brother, Gateau. But time spent with him would be few and far between. He worked as a sorcerer hunter which meant being on the road most of the time. Éclair had to get used to not serving Sacher. Memories of doing so would linger with her to the grave.

"A nice day, ne?" a soft male voice spoke.

She looked up to see a handsome man carrying a sack of groceries. "Good afternoon,

Marron-san."

"I promised I'd return with some culinary supplies. Your cupboards and ice box were bare," the mage said with a slight smile.

"I'd eventually get to shopping," she smiled. "You didn't have to"

"It's the least I could do," he told her, watching as she stood. Her face was a little

dirty as was the thin white tank top she wore with torn denim shorts.

Truth was that while Gateau and Chocolate were away on an assignment, Marron had spent ample time helping Éclair move into her house and fix up the grounds. She had grown used to him coming by each day and started to look forward to it.

"Aren't you hot in that robe?" she asked, referring to his typical tunic/purple pants

attire. A smirk came to her face when she realized the double entendre.

"Somewhat. But I'm prone to sunburn," he replied.

"I'll say," she nodded, grabbing his hand and touching the fair ivory skin.

Marron's cheeks flushed. "Are you thirsty, Éclair? I bought some lemons."

"Homemade lemonade sounds great," she nodded. "I haven't had that in ages."

   They went into her two bedroom cottage. She was still working on furnishing the place,

Éclair had given herself quite a workout moving a leather couch around, placing it in various places within the living room until she settled on a suitable spot.

"Where's your teammates?" she asked him.

"Carrot and Tira went fly fishing today. They did promise though to ask around about some rocking chairs."

"Why didn't you go with them?" Éclair studied him carefully.

"Gateau asked me to look out for you while he was away," Marron replied. He squeezed the lemon juice and pulp into a pitcher of fresh cool well water. Éclair opened a bag of sugar.

"I'm not exactly helpless, you know. Any creep that wants to trespass on my property will think twice after I stick by foot up his behind!" she made a mean voice.

"You'll get no argument here," he smiled at her.

"You're so beautiful when you smile," she touched his cheek with her hand.

Marron sweatdropped then backed away.

"What? Can't take a compliment?" she probed.

"It's not that. It's just you're so open and uninhibited like your brother."

"Gateau?" she laughed. "Maybe I am like him a lot. We're cut from the same cloth."

"Definitely," he nodded then began to stir the lemonade.

Éclair twirled and did a pose for him. His golden eyes followed her motion.

"Do you like girls, Marron?"

He almost dropped the pitcher on the floor.

"Where did that come from?" he choked.

"Something my brother and I talked about before."

"What did he say?"

"That you once punched him when he asked you if you didn't."

"I would prefer not to talk about my sexuality," the mage stated.

"I'm sorry," she turned away. "Forget I asked."

There was a long pause. "Éclair, I just don't want to make light of a sensitive subject to me. Growing up, I was teased a lot about being gay or ridiculed because I didn't talk about the opposite sex.."

"I understand. I'm sorry you had to go through that," she said softly. "And I'm sorry I teased you. But you should also know that you can talk to me about anything and it won't go past my doorstep."

"Very well," said Marron pouring her a glass. "I like people. "

"People," smiled Éclair. Well, that did include girls.

"What about you? Gateau's told me you won't go out with men who aren't stronger than you…"

Éclair blushed. "I was little when I told him that! He told you?"

"Indeed.  You're all he talked about sometimes. Before he found you…"

"Well he doesn't have to be as built as my brother," she allowed. "But he can't be a wimp either. A happy medium, someone with strength of character, courage of their convictions, and an interest in daily physical fitness…"

Marron chuckled softly. "I like your taste in men."

She downed her glass of lemonade. "Man this heat is sweltering."

Absent mindedly, she rubbed the cool glass between her cleavage.

Éclair's eyes met Marrons. "Are you staring at me?"

"And if I am?" he mustered the courage to say.

"Then I'm gonna have to do something about it."

He backed away "I know better than to engage you in fisticuffs."

"That's not what I had in mind," she said, advancing on him.

He was backed into a corner and knew it would be difficult to fend her off.

A big part of him didn't want to.

Her face was a few inches from his. "I don't think we should fight this," she whispered.

"Nor do I," he confessed. "But we have to think about the consequences."

"We'll save that for pillow talk."

And after she pulled him into her embrace, things started to unfold, namely their clothes.

And for these two young people, nature inevitably took its course.