Chapter 4: I'm Home.
For the past day Dust had been at odds with Fidget when it came to Ginger's offer.
"Dust, why don't you just move in with her? Nothing is stopping you." Fidget was once again trying to convince him to move in to Aurora Village.
"No Fidget, I'd just be a burden." Which was kind of an ironic statement when he thought about it, he knew deep down that he was only being a burden on himself, but he didn't want to admit that.
"Why do you always think that? I don't think Ginger would have offered if that where the case?" He knew of course, Fidget was right. Ginger wouldn't have offered if it would have been a burden.
"I'm not going back Fidget." Dust stated with even less authority to his voice. These conversations where starting to wear on him.
"You can't hide from the village forever." His eyes widened, was he really that easy to read?
"I...I'm not hiding from them." He really hoped Fidget didn't notice the stutter.
"You're lying, if you aren't hiding from them, then why do you leave early enough to just miss Calum and Bean?" Dammit, she had a point, Dust couldn't deny that.
"Drop it Fidget, I don't want to hear this anymore!" In all honesty, he thought that came out a bit too harsh, but he really was getting sick of the conversation.
"Fine, I'll drop it, if it makes you happy." Fidget said with a hint of sadness.
To his surprise, she actually did stop the conversation. Usually it took more then just raising his voice to get her to stop, but now that wasn't the case. Although he did feel pretty guilty to hear that upset tone in her voice. Without saying another word, he set off for Aurora Village, he needed more supplies from Mordecai.
What he didn't realise at first was that his conversation with Fidget dragged on longer then he had expected. He hadn't even noticed how later into the day it was until he came up to the gates of Aurora Village, then he noticed Calum and Bean.
'OK, keep calm Dust, they probably haven't noticed you yet.'
"Who's there?!" The taller of the two, Calum demanded.
'Shit. Well no use in hiding anymore.' Dust stepped up further to the gate, and closer to the guards.
"No way? Dust?!" Calum let out in shock, "We thought you where dead."
Dust winced when he heard that. He couldn't tell them that technically he had died. They wouldn't belive that.
Bean sounded the alarm, while Calum walked over to Dust. "You're coming with us."
Dust, Calum, and Bean all walked into the village, where everyone was at the village center in heed of the alarm that was raised. Except for Haley, she was working. Upon seeing him the entire village (minus Ginger and the Moonbloods of course) where shocked. Their hero had returned from the dead.
The village of Aurora had held a party that day to celebrate Dust's miraculous return to them. During the party he had actually told the story about what happend to him, from the Battle at Everdawn Basin, to his awakening at The Glade. Of course he left out the fact that he actually had died, instead saying he was in a coma. Luckily they didn't press further, everyone already knew about the mystical properties of a Sword of Elysium, so everyone guessed that Ahrah protected him. After the day's festivities Dust went back to his camp in The Glade, he had a lot of thinking to do.
Haley had gotten a call from Matti over the Transmitter. Apparently today, Matti was just taking inventory then shutting down the Forge for the day, which meant she was getting a day off. Well since she wasn't needed at the Forge that meant one thing. Lazy day! She went back too sleep. She was out for another half an hour before she was rudely woken up by her door opening.
"Sorry, I didn't even realise you where still asleep." Ginger apologized. Haley couldn't hold it against her, normally she was gone by now.
"It's alright." Haley sat up with the covers still held up against her.
"I'm guessing you have the day off today?" Ginger asked, and was answered when Haley nodded. "That's great..." Why'd Ginger stop talking, Haley looked down. The covers slipped off, leaving her topless form for Ginger to see. Oh this was embarassing. Oh well time to have some fun at her expense...again.
"Do you like what you see?" Haley shyly teased. While embarassing, Haley couldn't look away from Ginger, she was currently blushing so hard that the tan in her fur was slowly going red, all the while slowly hinting down at the covers that where now on Haley's lap. "If you wanted to see more you could have asked." She took off the covers, revelaing boxer shorts that where tight enough to show off her womanly physique, but loose fitting enough to cover her unmeantionables. Ginger didn't look all that pleased. "What's wrong? Did I ruin your fun?"
"Why are you naked?!" Ginger asked in a paniced craze, "You told me you usually slept in just your jeans and a top.
"That was actually only half true," Haley was starting to enjoy watching Ginger squarm in discomfort. "Actually I normally sleep topless like I am now, I only took off the straps of my overalls and slept in my clothes if I was too tired to 'get dressed.' Plus I'm not naked, I'm still wearing boxers. Unless, you want me to take those off. Or better yet, you can take them off for me." Haley loved picking on Ginger, it became her new favorite past time. Plus the fact that her fur turned red as she got more and more embarassed was just too cute to her.
"Whatever, just get dressed, we have to talk." With that Ginger left the room as fast as she could. Haley didn't really like the sound of that, maybe she went a bit to far, but she would't know until she got downstairs. She put on a button up shirt. Then went downstairs.
"I'm here. What did you need to talk about?" Haley sat down across from Ginger.
"I thought I told you to get dressed?" Ginger's blush was starting to creep back up.
"I did, I put on a shirt." Haley stated.
"Yes, but you only buttoned it halfway, I can still see your cleavage. Also you're not wearing anything else apart from the boxers." Ginger was really starting to lose her composure.
"Hey, I'm lazy today, sue me." Haley was really having too much fun with Ginger at the moment. "Anyway, to the topic at hand, you wanted to talk."
"Yes I did, I was thinking about allowing another guest into the house." Ginger started.
"Why do you need to talk to me about this? It's your house. You can bring in whoever you want." Haley felt she was making a point, a point that Ginger immedeatly countered.
"True, but you live here too, I had already offered the room, but I didn't even think about how you would feel about it. So How would you feel about having a guest staying?" Haley didn't even think about that. She was living here albeight temporaraly. As long she she was a guest, she had a say too.
"I have no problem with it." Haley shrugged.
"Great, he'll be so happy when I tell him." Wait, he? Did Ginger really say he? Oh she made this way too easy.
Oh shit, did she actually say he? She was trying not to say anything about Dust, at least she didn't mention him by name. She could recover from that slip. She saw the michevious look on Haley's face, or maybe she couldn't
"So, you found a guy? Looks like I missed my chance." Haley said with mock sadness.
"Haley." Ginger really hoped against hope this wasn't going to start.
"Wait, I can always share you with him." Haley started to let out a laugh.
"Haley!" Ginger shouted, she had to stop this quick.
"Just tell me if you need some privacy, I could probably find someplace else to crash for the night. Or better yet, I can join in." Ginger's jaw dropped in morbid shock.
"By The Overseers, HALEY!" Ginger was bright red, and Haley's laughing really wasn't helping her composure any.
"Man, you are just way too easy." Haley said between laughs.
"You done?" Ginger asked.
"Yeah, I think I embarassed you enough for one day." Haley flashed an all-too-innocent smile.
"Thank you, anyway I wanted to know if you'd be comfortable with a guy coming in." Ginger now wasn't too sure if she should be worried about Haley, or Dust.
"Sure am." Haley empaticaly responded. That wasn't much of a shock, considering she had been living with boys most of her life. However, this was a different case.
"I want to know I can trust you around him, can I?" Ginger asked.
"Trust me around him? I think it should be, do you trust him around me?" Haley countered
"I know I can trust him." Ginger stated, defending Dust's honor.
"Well I don't know if you can or not." Okay, maybe her fun wasn't done yet. "If he's cute he might just steal me away from you." Haley let that joke hang.
"What?!" Ginger was starting to get embarassed again.
"I'm kidding, I'll be on my best behaviour." Haley said "After all, I don't want to upset you baby."
Ginger was redhot in terms of her blush and embarassment. "Good. That's all I wanted to talk about." With that Haley went back to her room, all the while purposefully swinging her hips in a sensual manner, when she knew Ginger was watching. "If I have to go through this, I can only imagine what Dust will have to endure." With that Ginger went to go start her day.
Ginger had gotten up early to see Haley off for work.
"See you later." she said as she gave Haley a hug.
"See you tonight." Haley returned the hug, viewing a new oppurtunity to mess with her friend she gave Ginger's butt a squeeze. "Mmmm. I'll say it again, I really want a piece of this tail."
"If you behave, you can." Wow Ginger actually fired back, and now Haley was blushing, and was at a loss for words, for a second.
"I'll hold you to that." She said before she left for Archer's Pass, once again swinging her hips when she knew Ginger was looking.
Ginger was bright red, she didn't know what caused her to say what she did, maybe some payback, but it backfired right into her face, though she did have to admit, Haley was pretty good looking. Although she could be biased, Haley was her friend after all.
ten minutes after Haley left there was a knock on the door. Ginger opened the door after the third knock.
"Welcome home, Dust." She said to her new house guest, and half-brother.
Dust was stading at the door way with Fidget resting on his sholder.
"I'm home Ginger."