Yeah, we were like that. Regular fuck-bunnies us two. Anytime we wanted, however we wanted. Hah! Lookit you! You got this look on you like you just swallowed your own tongue, so you can just imagine how people were like back then. Sex was the dirty word, nobody had yet even found the gall to make bad words that were worse than that. But we found out the secret. We broke the mirror, walked under the ladder, and let a whole litter or coal black kats cross our path and were none the worse for the trip. The bad luck was all in their heads. I'm a romantic so I still don't really want to accept that sex is just something someone needs to "get over". When we broke all those taboos, we did it holding hands. We loved each other. I have to believe that part really mattered.

I spent the rest of the day in complete turmoil. I couldn't make one straight decision, including getting dressed so I went buck for the rest of the day. I wandered the house trying not to think of things to do, but trying to figure out what to do first. My head could not keep to one train of thought without derailing and I before I could make a decision about whether to work on the deck or do the dishes, I'd forget what I was worrying over. As my stomach was twisted in all sorts of contortionist ballets, I spent the rest of the day pacing about the house getting very little done. Celes wouldn't be happy about that. With that thought looming over my head, it simply became a downward spiral.

I knew Celes was gonna be home late. We lived out in the country without any chocobos, so a trip to the town was a whole day affair. But time seemed to be slipping through my fingers with almost unnatural speed and my head wasn't getting any clearer. I don't know what it was that was making me so jumpy. I couldn't believe it was simply eating that stupid brownie. Sure Celes would be mad, but it was just a small lil slice after all. How much of a fuss can someone make over that?

Another problem I had to deal with was the hard on I couldn't seem to get rid of.

That particular mystery was actually something I was very grateful for. It allowed my to ignore temporarily my other more mundane (yet somehow overwhelming) responsibilities. I stared down at it in the middle of the living room as if I'd never seen one before, wondering what the hell could have possibly gotten its attention. I'm not one of those impulsive quicker-picker-uppers people, so this was a rare occasion. Now I've not been one to compare (nor have I ever had the opportunity), but I'd like to think that I'm a fairly 'impressive' young man, but that didn't matter worth dick (if you'll excuse the pun) because fact was plucky Chucky was about as attentive as one of those old hounds you always saw sitting next to their hill-folk master out on the porch of some dilapidated house. He didn't raise his head for nothing unless there was a damn good reason, and sometimes not even then. I even questioned his loyalty to my beloved, but I wasn't too worried. I swear that woman could get a pine tree to bear fruit just by telling it to, if she wanted. Still, something had plucked his interest that I wasn't aware of, and that almost never happened.

So there I stood, pondering the possibilities of what could have possibly woken up lil buddy, when from across the hall, I heard the sound of the front door open and close shut. My head jerked up towards the sound instantly (the real one folks, let's keep the jokes a lil more sophisticated…and stop snickering dammit!).

Celes was home early!

I stood there frozen for a moment, not sure what to do and looked back down at myself. Charlie was still wide awake, pointing at me with his accusing finger as if all this was my fault. I swerved my head towards the clock and was stunned to see the time. Celes wasn't home early after all. I was about to try and make a dash for the bedroom in an attempt to get at least the minimal amount of clothing on or around me before explaining why I hadn't gotten any of my chores done, when a sudden thought pierced through my head like a lightning strike.

The brownie!

But as quick as that thought came was the response. There was nothing I could do about that now, so I'd better get dressed and make the best of the situation. I made the dash and as Celes called out my name and announced her arrival to the house in general, I sneaked my way past her and ran up the stairs. Master Warrior though she was, I was a Master Treasure Hunter and I don't think even she could have heard me, no matter how fast I sped up the steps. With a rush I was in my room and in front of the closet, grabbing anything I could recognize as part of my wardrobe. With incredible speed I dressed with whatever I had snatched from the drawers and slowly closed the closet door. As I adjusted my bandana, I walked to the door and looked up.

Celes was leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed. There was a moment of silence that passed for who knows how long.

"Honey I can explain…"

"You stay in this room while I decide how you will be punished."

I swallowed and just continued to stare at her, dazed. She pushed herself away door frame and just before turning around looked up and down and then raised an eyebrow and smirked a bit. Then she left as I wondered what she thought was so interesting. I widened my eyes and looked down, then promptly zipped up my pants. Charlie had yet to go back to sleep.

"Down boy." I said with dry sarcasm.

I walked over to the bed and fell down into it, staring at the ceiling and pondering Celes' words.

"You stay in this room while I decide how you will be punished."

She said it with such calmness, almost indifference. It was actually kind of scar—

A bright light flashed in front of my eyes and I heard a sound that came and went too fast for me to know what it was. For an instant of a moment, my whole body felt…well I'm not sure, not even now. It happened too fast for me to know what it was. I only knew what I knew then, that it forced me to sit up and cry out. But by then it was gone. It was so quick I couldn't tell right then if it had even happened. I looked down at myself. Charlie was asleep.

I heard the door open and looked up. Celes stood there wearing a pair of tight black leather boots that came up to her thighs, a pair of equally black gloves that almost reached her shoulder, and a wicked looking grin. She wasn't wearing anything else, although she did have a Cat o Nine held taught between her palms.

"You've been naughty little boy." She said and walked up to the bed.