Thank you slow nights at work, allowing me to write half this chapter in my notebook!

WARNING: Slight references to sexual assault. Nothing explicit.

The moment Lita stepped out of the garage and into Black Hat Manor, she was attacked with the divine fluffiness that was 5.0.5. The bear made joyful noises as he squeezed the girl affectionately.

"Aw, did you miss me, Pachoncito?" Lita said, rubbing his belly as he continued to hold her. "Did you not like being in this big, dark, scary mansion all by your lonesome?"

5.0.5. nodded with a whimper.

"Well, don't worry! Auntie Lita will keep you company until Daddy gets back from camp!"

"Are you quite finished?" Black Hat said with a displeased growl.

Dropping Lita, 5.0.5. backed away and saluted for the demon.

"Stop being a sniveling mess and get me my dinner!" Black Hat hollered.

The bear squeaked as he raced down the hall. Black Hat turned to Lita.

"And you!" he barked. "Go unpack! And be prepared to work in the morning!"

Lita said nothing as he stomped off to who knows where. It was clear their time as a pretend married couple was over, and that Black Hat had returned to his usual grumpy self.

At least now she knew why he was so grumpy.

It was quiet. That was to be expected when it was nearly midnight. 5.0.5. and Lita had gone to bed hours ago, the latter collapsing almost immediately after dinner. And so, Black Hat returned to his nightly quest of finding ways to passing the time.

But for some reason, tonight felt quieter than usual. Black Hat glanced up from the newspaper he was reading and glanced around, reaffirming that the den was empty. Not even the crackling in the fireplace seemed to be making much of a sound. The fire didn't seem to be generating much heat, either, as it was freezing. Well, for him, it was always freezing, but more so than usual.

Putting down his paper, he tightened his coat around his body. "The air conditioning's not broken, is it?"

He waited for a response. Then he remembered that he was alone.

Not being able to withstand the cold, Black Hat stood and began pacing. He rubbed his hands viciously together, creating enough friction to spark a fire. Even then, he still felt cold!

"What the hell is WRONG WITH ME?!" he hollered.

The only answer was the echo of his question.

"And why is it so bloody QUIET?!" he shouted, covering his nonexistent ears with his still flaming hands.

The flames caught onto his hat, but it didn't seem to make him feel any better. Heaving a heavy sigh, he pulled his hands away from his head and psychically doused the fire.

"Might as well play the organ," he said, shoving his hands into his coat pockets as he walked towards the door. "It'll make noise and keep my hands warm." He smirked. "And if Lita comes down to silence me again, we can just—"

Before he could finish his thought, a wall of red light obscured his vision, ghostly faces appearing before him. Black Hat grinned toothily, knowing what this meant.

He was being summoned. Probably by one of his cult members, or some desperate soul looking to make a deal. Either way, this was sure to be entertaining.

When the ghostly wall fell away and he found himself surrounded by people in red hooded cloaks, Black Hat had his answer. The cult members all bowed their heads, holding their candles out to him.

"Ah, evening, gentlemen," the demon said with a tip of his hat. "To what do I owe the…?"

He trailed off at the sound of a whimper. He turned around to see two cloaked figures holding a struggling blonde woman. He couldn't make out much of her features, as she was blindfolded and gagged, but he could tell she was very young, probably not even eighteen. The white dress she wore was long, and would've looked elegant on her had she not been in this situation. Her hands were tied, yet she was kicking her legs hopelessly in an attempt to escape.

"Oh, how lovely!" Black Hat said, clasping his hands together. "You've brought me a snack!"

The girl's scream was muffled through her gag.

"Actually, my gracious lord," said the tallest hooded figure—the cult leader whose name he had never bothered to remember—as he stepped forth. "We've prepared something a little more…special for you."

"Oh?" The demon cocked his eyebrow in interest. "Are you going to brand her first? Perhaps cut out her heart while it's still beating?"

The girl's squealing became much more frantic, but was silenced when one of her captors smacked her hard across the face. The two men threw her down as the cult leader approached her. Once her blindfold was removed, Black Hat could see her blue eyes that widened in horror upon seeing him.

Her gag was removed next, and despite her fear, she didn't hesitate to start begging. "Please, Lord Black Hat! I've done nothing wrong, I won't tell anyone what happened, just let me go! Please!"

The leader grabbed her face, pinching her cheeks together to prevent her from saying anything further.

"Does her beauty appease you, master?" the leader said, moving her face to show all its angles. "And she's a virgin, at that!"

At this, all the bloodlust inside Black Hat instantly melted away.

"Wait a moment," he said, glancing between his cult and the girl. With an exasperated groan, he smacked his forehead. "Are you…are you serious?! How many times do I have to tell you idiots that I'm not interested in a sacrificial bride!"

"Oh, thank God," the girl whispered in relief.

"Blasphemer!" the leader cried as he raised his hand to strike her.

"Not important now!" He rotated his head around, so he could glare at the entire circle. "I never asked for a bride, so stop trying to set me up with one!"

"Would you prefer a groom then, my lord?" the leader asked, seemingly oblivious to the demon's anger.

Black Hat gritted his teeth together. "I have no need for a bride, groom, or…whatever you imbeciles keep digging up!" He glanced down at the girl, who was still cowering in fear. "And why in the world would you think I would find this appealing?! Honestly, how old is she, sixteen?! I'm a demon, not a pedophile! And what's with your obsession with virgins? Who cares if she's a virgin or not?! I know I don't!"

The girl yelped as he grabbed her bound wrists and forced her to her feet. These morons had pulled this stunt before, despite Black Hat's countless protests. He had disposed of all the other girls they'd brought forth. He prepared to do the same with this one, his claw closing around the blonde's neck. She whimpered in fear, her blue eyes filling with tears.

Blue eyes. He hesitated. They're just like…Lita's.

For a brief moment, it was as if he were holding Lita in his grasp. Her blue eyes were locked with his, pleading that he spare her.

He could hear Lita's voice, as if she were whispering into his ear. Let her go. She didn't ask to be here, after all.

Black Hat stared at the frightened blonde for a long while. He knew she wasn't Lita. But if Lita were here, she would definitely say something like that.

And she would be right.

Snorting harshly through his nostrils, Black Hat released the girl's neck, raising his claw. She winced as he brought it down on her.

But instead of slashing her throat, he slashed through her bounds. The girl's eyes opened in surprise as the rope fell from her wrists in pieces.

"Get out," Black Hat said, gruffly throwing her to the floor.

The blonde wasn't a fool. Though still confused, she sprang up and rushed to the nearest exit.

"W-We understand, my lord," the cult leader said, clasping his hands together. "That pitiful wench was unworthy of you. But if you would just tell us what you want, we'll be much more selective next—"

He screamed as fire suddenly surrounded their circle. The hooded figures fell to their knees, holding up their hands pleadingly towards the fuming demon in the center.

"What I want," Black Hat said with a dangerous growl, "is for you to STOP WASTING MY TIME WITH THIS MARRIAGE NONSENSE!" His eye turned red as his voice became more demonic. "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I DESIRE A BRIDE TO BEGIN WITH?!"

"W-W-We just want you to be happy, my lord!" the cult leader said, bowing desperately. "W-We thought w-w-with you being as old as time itself, y-you might be…l-lonely f-f-for companionship!"

Black Hat jerked forward, his face in the leader's. "I'M. NOT. LONELY! AND IF YOU EVER PULL SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN, I WILL DISBAND THIS CULT! BY TEARING YOU ALL APART WITH MY BARE HANDS!"

The cloaked cultists brought their hands and faces to the floor, murmuring their pleas for forgiveness. In a gush of flames, Black Hat teleported out of the cult's headquarters and back to his den. He snarled in frustration as he stomped out into the hall. Since he hadn't eaten his "bride," he had to get his midnight snack from elsewhere.

"I tell them I don't care for love," he mumbled through his gritted teeth. "I tell them I do not indulge in sexual pleasures! But do they listen to me? Of course they don't! Why does everyone assume that just because I'm alone that I'm lonely?!"

And to think they'd thought some random high-school virgin would please him! His pace slowed at the thought of her, and why he had let her go.

It wasn't just because she'd reminded him of Lita. Being raised in a brothel, he had seen women experience plenty of…unpleasantness. While Black Hat had no problem with human trafficking, sex trafficking had never held any appeal for him. Why would someone take pleasure in having sex with someone who didn't even want them? Why would someone even pay for that sort of thing in the first place? Couldn't one just satisfy those urges by themselves? Why waste the money?

Even if he had any urges, he wouldn't have taken that blonde girl. Not like that. Torture was one thing, but rape…

He flinched at the memory of Lita pushing him away, accusing him of wanting to rape her. No. There were some lines not even he would cross.

Once he found something to eat, he was most definitely going back to his wine cabinet.

When he reached the kitchen, he found the light was already on. Sitting at the table was—speak of the little vixen—Lita, munching on a bowl of that sugared rainbow cereal Flug and 5.0.5. liked so much. He couldn't remember the name. Her hair was back up in its usual ponytail, hanging down the back of her white t-shirt, which she wore with plaid pajama bottoms.

"What are you doing up?" Black Hat asked.

Lita looked up, smiling tiredly at him. "Jet lag."

She took a big spoonful of cereal, crunching on it noisily. Upon approaching the table, Black Hat realized her bowl was lacking something.

"You eat your cereal without milk?"

She swallowed before answering. "I like it crunchy." She caught his stare. "If it bothers you, I can take this somewhere else."

"Stay if you must," he grumbled as he went over to the fridge. "I'm also here for a midnight snack."

"Well," Lita said with a shrug, "my liver's off the table. Not using my pancreas, if you want that."

Black Hat chuckled at her sarcasm. "Tempting offer. But I'll decline."

Opening the fridge, he took out a rare steak and sat himself across from Lita. Not caring that she was watching, he bit into the steak and ripped off a piece. His chewing was loud and snarly, spit dripping from his mouth and burning holes into the kitchen table. Lita stopped her spoon midway to her mouth as she watched her boss tear apart the steak like a rabid dog.

Now she understood why he didn't normally eat in front of others.

As he bit off a new piece, Black Hat caught Lita's wide-eyed stare. "Yes, I'm disgusting! Got a problem with that?!"

Lita plunged the spoonful of cereal into her mouth. "I didn't say anything."

"You were thinking it," he said, narrowing his eye as he chomped voraciously.

Swallowing, she said, "What's gotten you in such a mood?"

"I AM NOT IN A MOOD!"

Lita had to duck under the table to avoid the acid spit and half-disintegrated bits of meat flying from his mouth. Cautiously, she peered over the table's edge. Once he'd processed what had just happened, Black Hat sighed and relaxed back into his seat.

"I'm fine!" he grumbled, gnawing on the rest of his steak. "I just got…unexpectedly summoned by my cult in the middle of the night."

"Oh, right," Lita said, rising back into her chair. She'd nearly forgotten about his ritualistic groupies. "What's the deal with those guys? Do they worship you like Satan or something?"

"One, don't compare me to that inferior entity. Two, my cultists see me as their dark savior, thinking their blind devotion to me will spare them from the armageddon I will eventually bring about."

The pride in his tone caused Lita to roll her eyes. "Is any of that true?"

"Eh." His hand made a so-so sign. "But their ritual sacrifices are very entertaining. Most of the time."

He popped the last piece of steak into his jaws while Lita returned to her cereal.

"Then why so sour?" she asked. "They didn't feed your ego enough? Or did their chanting get on your nerves?"

Black Hat swallowed before answering. "They surprised me with a sacrificial bride."

Lita nearly choked on her cereal. "W-What's that now?"

"A sacrificial bride," he said bluntly.

She blinked at him in disbelief. It was difficult to imagine Black Hat getting married, especially with all his anti-love talk. Which would actually explain his mood.

And did he say sacrificial bride?!

"So, um…" She put down her spoon, trying to mask her uneasiness. "H-How'd that go?"

"Oh, terrific! I'm on my honeymoon right now!" He looked at her incredulously. "How do you think it went?!"

The demon slammed his fists so hard on the table, Lita's bowl shot into the air.

"This is the fifth time this year they've done this to me, it's not even amusing!" he shouted. "And the girl they brought this time, I don't think she was even eighteen!"

Lita fumbled as she caught her bowl, a few pieces of cereal spilling out. It would be a lie to say this piece of information didn't disgust her. She'd seen enough demonic ritual bride ceremonies in horror movies to know it was never fun for the "bride" in question.

"S-So, um," she said, setting her bowl down to prevent further spilling, "w-what'd you do?"

Grunting, Black Hat crossed his arms. "Let the girl go, gave my followers a stern talking to and set fire to their hideout."

"You let her go?" Lita asked in surprise.

"Well, I wasn't going to marry some skinny little high school student! I have some dignity!"

This eased her discomfort, knowing that Black Hat had spared the girl. Even if he hadn't wanted to marry her, he still could've eaten her or something.

"Sheesh," Lita said, continuing to eat her cereal. "And I thought my blind dates were bad."

"Well," Black Hat said with a shrug, "she was blindfolded."

She giggled. "I thought you were joking about the whole sacrificial bride thing. You've already told me how you feel about marriage."

He groaned. "I see little point in binding yourself exclusively to one soul for all eternity."

"Not even for procreation?"

"I'm immortal," he said bluntly. "What need would I have for an heir?"

She shrugged. "Well, if you wanted to retire—"

"I am retired!" He snorted harshly. "And why would anyone think I'd want a constant companion when I live forever? After a few decades, it would become rather tiresome, don't you think?"

"Wouldn't you outlive them anyway?" Lita asked, taking another spoonful.

He shook his head. "I can't legally marry. At least where the human law is concerned. A demonic mating ritual is the only way I can be considered," he used air quotes, "'married' to anyone. Divine bonds last for all eternity and can never be broken."

Despite his disinterest in marriage, it was curious that he even remotely knew about his kind's mating rituals. But Lita didn't question it.

"Well, marriage isn't for everyone, I guess," she said nonchalantly. "Probably why half of them fail."

"Then why do it at all?!" He snapped. "And don't say it's because two people love each other very much!"

At times, it was as if she were speaking to a child. "Well, in the case of my parents, they were both alone…and a bit lonely." She caught his scowl. "They were. But when they were together, they didn't feel so alone. Being married meant they could always be together, even when they were apart. And you know," she said with a chuckle, "in case Mom had to make any conjugal visits."

Black Hat rolled his eye. "What is with humans and their obsession with sexual intercourse?"

"Hey!" She pointed her spoon at him. "That's not all marriage is about! My parents had their ups and downs, but they brought out the best in each other, working as a team to raise me." She sighed sadly. "Their time together…didn't last forever, but…Papi said those ten years with her were the best of his life."

Lita paused. "And for the record, not everyone cares that much about sex. I always told my coworkers I was too busy for a relationship, which was true, but that was before I realized I was demi."

Black Hat stared at her in confusion. "Demi-what?"

"Demisexual. Means I don't really experience much attraction until after I've gotten to know a person. But with my track record, that's only happened on rare occasions." She saw her boss cock his head. "It's a real thing!"

He didn't say it wasn't, yet he was surprised to hear her say it.

He disguised his understanding with a scowl. "I couldn't care less if you wanted to bed someone or not. My rules still apply! At least I can count on you to have some self-control."

Taking another bite, she said, "From you, I'll take that as a compliment."

"Even if I had the time for…sexual indulgences," Black Hat said, his cheeks darkening, "I don't know why those idiots would presume I wanted some random girl off the streets! I mean…even if I was just bored, what fun would it be if the girl was screaming all the time?!"

Lita smiled at him.

"What?"

"You're more of a romantic than you let on, boss," she said with a wink.

"I'm a realist!" he exclaimed, placing a hand on his chest. "And the idea of me getting married isn't realistic at all!"

"You mean you've never thought about it?" she said incredulously. "Not once? In two thousand years? Not even when you were a child?"

He huffed as he glanced to the side. "Why would I?"

"Same reason you do anything?" She shrugged as she lifted her spoon. "Boredom?"

Black Hat winced, regretting that he'd opened up to her about anything. "I'd have to be really desperate for entertainment. And even then, she'd have to be one hell of a woman!"

"Female, then." Lita nodded. "That narrows it down. Dementia's interested."

Black Hat growled. "I can't even tolerate her for a minute, let alone an eternity! And while her passion for villainy and destructive behavior is admirable, she can't keep up an intelligent conversation! I swear, every word out of her stupid mouth is a pathetic declaration of her love for me! Who wants to hear all that for eternity?!"

"Communication is key." Lita hung her head back in thought. "I once had a blind date with a guy who would talk about nothing but his," she lowered her voice as she flexed her arms, "awesome muscles and his," she batted her eyes as she flipped her ponytail, "shiny hair!"

Her dopey jock impression caused the demon to chuckle. "Was he a hero?"

"If he was, he did a poor job of hiding it." She twirled her spoon around her bowl. "Worst part was he left me with the check. Not to be a traditionalist, but I was the one on minimum wage!"

"I would've snuck out the back window," he said, pointing his thumb behind him.

She leaned towards him to whisper, "Don't tell anyone."

He burst out laughing. "Sounds like I'm not missing much."

"Yeah," Lita said, eating the last few bites of her cereal. "I only let my coworkers set me up because…well, one, I'd at least get a free meal out of it. Plus, I had nothing better to do with my time." She tilted her spoon towards him. "But you know all about insufferable boredom, don't you?"

Indeed, Black Hat did. Yet he wasn't bored at the moment. It certainly wasn't quiet anymore with the two of them talking. Even the crunching of her cereal filled the silence beautifully.

And his chills from earlier had gone away.

"But I get it," she said, gazing down at her nearly empty bowl. "Being forced into a romantic situation isn't…fun. Especially when you're not in a place to be in a relationship."

Each spoonful of cereal was huge, somehow fitting into that giant mouth of hers without spill, her right elbow on the table to hold up her spoon. It was juvenile, yet he couldn't help but watch in amazement. He, too, had a hearty appetite, despite not actually needing to eat. But liking the taste of food so much often resulted in his mouth reacting in a disgusting and dangerous way that he found it best to eat when people weren't watching. Unless he was feasting on their flesh, of course.

But she hadn't seemed to mind his eating habits. Then again, she'd already seen him do things that were a lot viler. And he found her eating habits…somewhat endearing. Especially with how she could still contribute to their conversation between those enormous bites. The two of them eating together just felt so casual. So…normal.

Why did he like it so much?

Once she'd taken the last bite, she caught him staring. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, quickly turning his attention to the tiled floor. "It…it doesn't matter, anyway. Romance is not suitable for villain life."

"It's fine," Lita said quietly, dropping her spoon into her bowl. "I'd…kind of given up on the idea of getting married long before you came along. I'd probably make a terrible wife."

Black Hat looked up in astonishment. "W-What makes you say that?"

"N-Nothing." Standing up, she took her bowl to the dishwasher. "I'll try to get some more sleep."

The demon watched her back as she left the kitchen. She paused a moment in the doorway.

"Hey," she said, turning her head slightly. "Let me know if you ever wanna vent to someone again."

Then she disappeared into the dark hallway, leaving Black Hat a pleasantly confused mess.

He was alone again, yet the warmth inside him still lingered. He knew what had caused it, and why it had been so cold and silent earlier.

During all that time in Paris, Black Hat had gotten used to having Lita in his presence. Not just for sheer entertainment, it would seem. He had come into this kitchen fuming with frustration, only to calm down after talking with Lita for a few minutes. He found it easy to converse with her, and even now he was still chuckling at her little quips.

Now if my cultists had offered her to me just now…

Black Hat shook the thought out of his head. "She's an employee. Nothing more."

Although he had no romantic intentions whatsoever, he couldn't ignore the fact that he liked spending time with her any longer.

After all, his rules didn't say anything about indulging in casual conversation.

"I don't know," Lita said, holding the pot of ravioli she'd made for lunch up to 5.0.5. "Do you think it's too rubbery?"

5.0.5. sniffed the pot and then held up his paw with a smile. The bear's equivalent to a thumbs-up.

"I miss Flug." She set the pot down and went to get the pasta bowls. "He always makes the best pasta."

A whimper told Lita that 5.0.5. also missed his surrogate father. She was about to scoop the ravioli into the three bowls, when her phone pinged in her back pocket. Knowing it was unwise to ignore text messages in this house, Lita put down the serving spoon and took out her phone.

There was a text message from the boss: When you're done preparing lunch, bring mine to my office. Bring yours as well.

"Weird," Lita said, slipping her phone back into her pocket.

"Mroo?" 5.0.5. questioned.

"Oh, boss wants me to bring his lunch to his office," she said as she continued to serve the ravioli. "Said to bring my lunch too."

A terrified expression took over the bear's face as he shivered.

"I'm, uh…sure it's nothing. Maybe he has some business he wants to discuss? And he wants to save time by doing it over lunch?" That didn't ease 5.0.5.'s concern. "I'll be fine, Pachoncito. I've survived alone time with the boss before."

But she couldn't deny that she was a little worried as well. No matter what job she took, being called into the boss' office alone wasn't usually a good thing.

Lita sent 5.0.5. a reassuring smile as she placed two bowls on a tray. The minute she was out of the kitchen, her expression turned into one of panic. She couldn't think of anything she had done, but it was a natural instinct after being fired over twenty times!

When she reached Black Hat's office, the doors opened automatically for her. This was a relief, as she didn't have any hands to knock with. Her boss was at his desk, looking at some paperwork. He looked up when she came in, grinning as he poofed the paperwork off his desk.

"You got my text, I see," he said, folding his hands onto his desk. "Still not as fun as teleporting you through a toilet."

The doors shut behind her, causing Lita to jump and rattle the dishes.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked with a squeak.

Black Hat cocked an eyebrow. "Have you done something you shouldn't have?"

"Not that I can think of," she said, shaking her head. "But from past experience, whenever I get called into the boss' office, it means I'm about to get fired."

He waved his hand dismissively. "You needn't worry about that. You're under contract. I couldn't fire you, even if I wanted to."

"Right." Her shoulders relaxed as she remembered who she was talking to. "You don't really fire your employees. You just set them on fire."

Black Hat laughed. "Indeed. Fortunately for you, that isn't the case either."

"So…is there a job you need me to do?"

"Yes, there is." Propping his elbows up, he leaned forward onto his entwined hands. "Your job is to bring that food over here, sit down, and eat with me."

A chair materialized in front of his desk.

"Ah," she said, circling the chair. "You wanna discuss business over lunch."

He shook his head. "No business. Just lunch."

Her nose scrunched as she set the tray down. "That's…it?"

"Of course."

She placed her hands on her hips. "What's the catch?"

"The catch is let's start eating before I lose my patience." He gestured to the chair. "Now, sit."

Lita kept her confused gaze on him as she sat down. The grin remained on his face as he took a bowl of ravioli from the tray and placed it in front of himself.

"Did you make this all by yourself?" he asked, picking up the fork sticking out of the bowl.

"Yeah," she said, not taking her eyes off him as she slowly grabbed her bowl. "Don't expect it to be any good."

"Your cooking's at least digestible. Unlike Dementia's."

A black shaker labeled ARSENIC materialized in his hand. He shook the flakes onto his pasta as if it were salt. Lita scooped a chunk of ravioli into her mouth before he had the inclination to shake that thing her way.

"So," he said, causing the arsenic to vanish, "how's your day been so far?"

She stared at him blankly. "Huh?"

"Any problems with your duties? Were the carnivorous plants behaving themselves?"

"Uh, no. Everything's fine and…huh?"

Black Hat took a bite of ravioli. She could hear acidic fizzing as he closed his mouth.

"Lovely weather today, don't you think?" Black Hat said, glancing behind him at the storm thundering outside. "Perfect for an evil laugh."

He demonstrated by laughing maniacally as lightning flashed.

"Alright, now you try," he said, pointing his fork at her.

"I'll pass." She put her own fork down. "Boss, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're kidding, right?" She gestured between them. "We're having lunch together. And not like when we were in Paris and you had to get me food. We're in your office. You're actually eating in front of me!And you're asking how my day's going and talking about the weather?"

"Well, what would you rather we talk about?" Black Hat asked bluntly.

"You're asking…?" She shook her head. "Why am I here? If this isn't about work, then what is this?"

The demon glanced downward as he picked at his food. "I simply…wasn't in the mood to be eating alone today." He scowled up at her. "Is that a problem?!"

"N-No, just…"

She trailed off as she contemplated his words. Was he doing this out of boredom? Or…was he really as lonely as she'd figured? Had he just wanted some company? Not that she minded being in his company.

That's right. She didn't mind.

"You know what?" she said, picking up her fork. "The weather is nice today. I actually like thunderstorms."

As lightning flashed, Black Hat's grin returned to his face. "Did I ever tell you about the time I battled a hero with lightning powers?"

"Nope." Smiling, she leaned forward. "You won, right?"

He huffed. "You're spoiling the ending."

The two of them laughed as they continued to eat and talk. Lita didn't question him further about him inviting her to lunch, as she was having too much fun! But if what he'd said was true, she couldn't blame him for it.

She didn't like eating alone either.

Again. Once I start writing these two, it's hard to shut them up!

I like including lesser-known sexual orientations in my stories, if that wasn't apparent already. Due to my plans for this story, and how it's been going so far, I realized Lita worked best as a demisexual. As for Black Hat...well, you'll see.