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Burgie : Thank you so much!

Firesong-Writes : Thank you friend, truly! Happy New Year to you, as well. I'm stoked for the comic, I already have 3 months-worth of content ready to go and ready to upload through my spring semester. This will be a slow burn event, and I'll probably be skipping filler chapters that don't progress plot, but for the most part, it's gunna be awesommmme.


*Chapter 137*

Tepid water splashed down onto Gideon from above, drenching him from head to toe. Still half awake, he stood delightfully slumped in his brand new shower and allowed the sound of the running water to soothe him. The bathroom's crown molding was laid with skillful architecture, embedded LED lights that mocked sunshine. His room and bathroom were underground, though due to such trickery, Gideon took a step out of the gentle rain fall spray of a shower head and peered his delightfully happy eyes about his pristine, faux-sunny bathroom. Clad with matte grey tiles, teal and black accents that hugged the whole of his lovely room, Lash's words about the impending notion of fragile neighbors only just now hit him between the eyes. If other gamers moved in, Gideon would then be also considered a fragile neighbor. He scoffed a sleepy chuckle at the idea, and as he tiredly reached for the body soap on the shower ledge, so to begin cleaning his body, rushing glints of the night prior came to the forefront of his imagination.

He fluttered his eyes in remembered shivers, cocked an eyebrow and lofted his gaze to the bathroom door, something he didn't even realize he comfortably left wide open. With Kepa soundly asleep in his bed, he hung on this feeling and heaved a long sigh through his nose. He was happy that he was dipping his toes into this brand new reality, the prospect of full swapping was something he could definitely see on the horizon, and as Valentine's Day creeped closer and closer, he bobbed an assured nod and now understood that Kepa was definitely correct about the avenues of garnering confidence. Having done a decent amount of deep-digging last night, emotional healing and the willingness to offer trust in one of the most vulnerable acts a man could be laid in, he realized that he could feel his back stand a bit straighter, the golden, glowing feeling in his broad chest embodied pride, a very delicious, humble swathe of promised confidence he had never felt before. As he began to clean his body with his bigger, soapy hands, he closed his eyes in methodical, contemplative thought and wondered how he could carry on with this day balancing those scales of introspective work turned into molten, outward drive.

Gideon's new bedroom was equipped with the same set of LED lighting the bathroom was, the baseboards illuminated at night whilst the crown molding shone gentle sunshine-like light into his previously cave-like, underground bedroom during the day. He raised his eyebrows and took note that Kepa had gotten up and had gone upstairs, though as Gideon manifested himself his favorite pair of faded yellow sweats and a clean pair of boxer briefs, he hobbled into his clothes and relished in the sight of Kepa's shawl-like cover, bra and jeans haphazardly casted on the floor, at the foot of the bed. Although no amount of full love-making took place the night prior, Gideon still fluttered his eyes in dreamy delight and knew he'd be relishing in those moments for quite awhile to come. He inhaled a refreshed breath and was humbly delighted to feel no guilt over Kepa's selfless acts last night. However easy he knew it'd be for him to sit and wallow in the idea that he could've treated her like a Queen in return, and didn't, he felt confident that he knew Kepa well enough, that she wouldn't go to such lengths if there were strings attached to the very generous gift she had given him. For the first time in his life, he accepted said gift and act of sheer selflessness with one hundred percent gratitude, humbled receiving. A light and airy feeling that almost had him skipping up the stairs in pursuit of his lovely jungle tigress.

"Good morning," Gideon's very deep voice only croaked, though he cupped his fist to his mouth and firmly cleared his throat. He huffed a raspy chuckle and brought his tired eyes to Kepa's adorable, brightened stance inside his sunny kitchen. Gideon stiffened and cleared his throat, once more, before retrying, "Good morning."

"Good morning, I know it's only right to assume that you're hungry, huh?" Kepa cued cutely.

Having made herself entirely at home, Gideon scoffed a noise of delight and stepped up to the small kitchen island. His new kitchen was beautifully kissed with white brick, a small hearth of a stove area that Kepa looked adorable stationed at, in her white tank top and black underwear that hugged her cute cheeks. Gideon skillfully eyed her and allowed the ogling to persist, due to given permission the night prior. Gideon bobbed a tired nod and felt floored that she settled in wherever Gideon was, she had opened the eggs in the fridge, prepared bacon available, had made herself tea, coffee, toast and had a decent amount of fruit already. This was evident due to the sheer amount of items so cutely and haphazardly scattered about the counters near her. Gideon pulled up a stool and sat on the same side of the island that Kepa stood, the gape between the island and the hearth she stood at. He only wore his sweats, his hair was wet and delightfully ruffled, his skin glistened and his eyes twinkled with the shimmering glint of hanging on to the christening feelings his skin had obtained the night prior.

"Starving," Gideon's deep voice continued to hover in a state of growling, grumbling, raspy delight as he tried to warm it up from lack of use. He allowed his eyes to assess his new little studio home for the first time in the sunshine. He had a lovely little living area with big, bay windows that overlooked a private, miniature backyard of a garden casted in the dappled light from the huge trees the courtyard provided, the shorter corridor that wormed to his front foyer practically glowed hot orange from the direct hit of sunshine casted in from the front door's gaping windows high above it. His little home smelled similar to the lighthouse, due to Kepa's womanly touch and amazing cooking, he sagged and felt entirely at peace, just like Lash had hoped. Gideon eyed Kepa in stewing, loving adoration and felt whole, "I hope my shower didn't wake you up..."

"It was the lack of your presence that woke me up, but it's okay," Kepa shook her head and tossed Gideon a look of smiling, incredulous nonchalance as she shrugged and seemed unbothered by it all, "I'll bet that shower felt nice... I snuck a peak at you."

"...What," Gideon huffed shyly, his face turned beet red, he certainly wasn't offended by this, though he still felt as if they were dancing on new territory that would warrant shy eyes and red faces for quite some time to come.

"You have a cute butt," Kepa snipped with a girly giggle as she jostled the bacon about the searing pan, the small flame it hovered over nestled nicely in the hearth she confidently stood at. Kepa's giggling strengthened as Gideon groaned a shy, drawl of a grumble out into the room and looked off in grin-stifling embarrassment, "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. You left the door open!"

"I didn't think about it, I just felt comfortable, it's what I always do," Gideon grunted with a grin his handsome face now couldn't conceal, he looked down to his lap and twiddled his big fingers, "I want to thank you, again, for last night... Th-that was... Indescribable."

"Anything for you," Kepa mused happily, she took the bacon off of the heat, cleaned her hand on a nearby hand towel and finally turned to face Gideon. In the two or three steps of a gap she closed to stand tight in his presence, she assessed his handsome, exposed, squeaky clean upper body and finally visited his fiercely alluring golden eyes all properly aglow from the sunshine casted into his home. She caught a breath and gingerly rested the toe beans of her hand onto Gideon's left shoulder, she shakily sighed and peered deep into said haunting, hypnotizing gaze, not knowing that he considered hers equally as hypnotizing. Her ears only gently perked as curiosity got the better of her, "How are you feeling, due to it? What's on your mind?"

"Well... A lot, but, I-I actually wanted to also thank you for what we did afterwards, I forget what you called it," Gideon mused in sweet discovery, he assessed the adorable way Kepa's loose, light pink bed head waved down her shoulders and breasts in a frizzy, dainty show of proving she came upstairs directly after waking up.

"Aftercare," Kepa returned lovingly, her adorable eyes narrowed with closed-lip, smiling emphasis.

"I-I didn't realize that was a thing... Furthermore, I didn't realize it'd be a thing I needed," Gideon huffed a breath of smiling disbelief as he shook his head, "Whatever the science is behind that, my brain feels like it gained another layer of protection around it, or something."

"It's pivotal, especially since... I mean, you're struggling to show vulnerability, but really stuck your neck out, last night," Kepa explained gently, "Not discovering what type of aftercare you require would've done you a massive disservice. I would have simultaneously helped you and failed you, all in one fell swoop."

"Well, it all benefitted me, you helped all around," Gideon sighed in warm humility, he looked down to his hands and relished in the way Kepa's much smaller hand gingerly pet Gideon's left shoulder and clavicle in sweet, stroking pets. He peered back into her eyes and narrowed his sweet, handsome gaze for emphasis, "Thank you... From the bottom of my heart."

"You're very welcome," Kepa whispered, she gently hooked her finger underneath Gideon's chin and secured the two into a warm press of a smooch, they tried to conclude said puckers of kisses though allowed a handful to spill about the two. Kepa giggled on Gideon's mouth once he lovingly hooked his right arm and hand about the dip of the small of her back. She hooked her left arm in a drape about Gideon's strong, thick neck and fluttered her eyes, "So, somehow, post-orgasm, my jokes are FAR funnier than usual, I guess."

"I don't know what the heck happened, everything you said was a riot and I love that you ran with it," Gideon roused into sweet laughter as the two held their smiles in a hover mere inches from each other, the flutter of eyelashes and the flush of cheeks set the kitchen ablaze.

"Laughter is the cure-all," Kepa whispered, she planted a firm, final kiss to Gideon's lips before she peeled away from him in a slow sag to insinuate she was going to return to her positioning at his brick hearth, "Only issue is, from here on out, every time aftercare is involved between us, I gotta come up with new material..."

"The cuddling and back rub worked just as well, your tales and jokes were icing on the cake," Gideon mused lovingly. Feeling bravery soak him, he cleared his throat, innocently eyed Kepa's back side and figured taking notes wouldn't do him any harm, "Well... Wh-what about you? What would you enjoy?"

"Me?" Kepa hummed, she shrugged and began to plate the two a delicious breakfast, and though her tone held nonchalance, Gideon could tell by the way her tail gingerly swat in a slow, upward lift of flirty cuteness that she was pondering on her own ideals and was preparing to give Gideon future homework, "Oh, I don't know..."

"Yes you do," Gideon grumbled with a smile, he shook his head and scratched the center of his chest as he sat a bit straighter and lurched to stiffen into an upper-body stretch of groaning delight.

"My main love language is touch... I try not to stereotype myself as a house cat, but I do love being pet," Kepa tenderly explained, she tossed her gaze over her shoulder and cutely caught with Gideon's. He was en-route to leaning down, so to slowly grapple for her tail. With ease, his big, gentle hands brought her tail up a bit and in a sag over his lap. In unfurling strokes of his bigger fingers, he meticulously pet and felt the velvety soft fur on her tail, "I can see myself enjoying a back rub... Especially from someone with hands as big as yours."

"Someone," Gideon guffawed in playful offense, Kepa rolled her eyes and looked off with a teasing smile, "Can I be that someone?"

"You ARE that someone, Gid," Kepa muttered shyly, her ears sagged in a further swathe of said shyness as she began to bring Gideon his plate of food. He graciously received it, and once she brought her plate over to the island so the two could sit and eat together, they enjoyed their first few bites in sunny silence. Kepa gently tapped her finger to Gideon's phone, which was faced up on the island between them, so to see the time, "What time is your class, again?"

"In an hour," Gideon mumbled with his mouth full, he smiled into Kepa's eyes, "Did you want me to meet up with you at the lighthouse afterwards?"

"...Truth be told, I would love to have the afternoon and evening alone, if you're okay with that," Kepa stated in a squeak, as if it were illegal. Although Gideon felt his heart sink in mild dread, he bobbed a nod and showed an outward display of understanding, "I wasn't expecting to leave home last night, and not return, so... I just want some alone time. I hope that doesn't hurt your feelings..."

"No, not at all," Gideon prod, though his stomach clenched in nervousness. Suddenly the night prior came rushing him with that dreaded hit of guilt he was floored to be without, though now that it firmly presented itself, Gideon felt the urge to speak his mind come about, however haphazardly that'd be, "This, uh... Doesn't have to do with what we did last night, does it?"

"No, not at all," Kepa side-eyed Gideon with a cheeky little smirk, "Something in me knew you'd worry about this, though..."

"Just... Sudden distancing," Gideon muttered nervously, "I know all too well what that means. I'm too much to handle."

"... Well, yeah, last night, you nearly were," Kepa erupted into shy giggling, and with her coy insinuation, Gideon couldn't hide an annoyed smile even if he wanted to. Kepa nudged Gideon's arm and shook her head, "This is nothing against you. Everyone needs alone time, you, of all people, should understand this."

"I do, I just... I caused this feeling, in you," Gideon worried.

"You didn't cause anything, you didn't force me to come over, you didn't force anything that happened last night," Kepa rattled in clean succession, she warmly gripped Gideon's shoulder and shook it, "Every single detail of last night, from the party to the minute we both rolled over to go to sleep, was all consensual. I wouldn't have come over, or done any of that stuff with you, if I didn't think it'd be fun or beneficial."

"But..." Gideon felt his heart thud in nervousness, the feeling of abandonment held his ability to reason in a vice grip, "If you felt that way, how come you feel the need to close off now?"

"Because, everyone has a social battery that wears down," Kepa urged, she sighed and gave Gideon an apologetic smile, "Tell you what... Why don't you stop by the lighthouse after your class for an hour or so. Gives you a chance to decompress after learning, you can tell me all about it, maybe have some lunch, and then we can go about our separate ways for the evening. Does that sound good?"

"... Yeah, I can do that," Gideon stated with a lilt of worry, his shy, golden eyes peered to Kepa's in a sting of proving to her that he needed more reassurance.

"C'mon, Gid, you know everything is more than fine between us," Kepa whispered after a few minutes of silence between the two. She stood, grabbed her near-empty plate and squeezed Gideon's shoulder with her free hand, "Just trust... Remember, it's okay to be vulnerable to those who are trustworthy."

"I'm so sensitive to feeling like people don't want to hang out with me," Gideon murmured shyly as he finished his food, as well.

"Well, I do, genuinely... But I also understand when I need time to be by myself and recharge, so that the next time we DO hang out, I'm at my best," Kepa instructed knowingly, soothingly, Gideon knew deep down that she meant well, and was certainly right.

Gideon bobbed a nod, heaved a long sigh, finished the scraps on his plate and understood that this was another test of trust. The idea of being vulnerable to the notion of allowing Kepa space, even when it made Gideon's triggers and traumas dance like wildfire. Having to separate the notion of pure abandonment from Kepa's idea of distance was filled to the brim with communication, came with a time-release and was given with the promise that Gideon was nowhere near the issue, were all things that had Gideon holding on to a shred of hope for dear life. Understanding that, to any other normal individual, this kind of situation would be a cake walk. He tried his hardest to put himself into that position, where this genuinely was easy, he tried to believe that this wasn't just an evil simulation repeating itself. He knew, in his heart of hearts, that Kepa was requesting an innocent request, and it was his duty to honor it with the knowledge that she wasn't abandoning him. Before too long, both beings stepped out of Gideon's new home, dressed for the day, eager to press on and see just what this kind of day would look like. The two strolled out into the sunny courtyard, filled to the brim with gorgeous, leafy foliage. Although the sun was out, there was a kiss of frost on nearby grass patches, all delicately laid between thin, woven, mossy cobble paths. A kind of cold that stung the nose and cheeks, it was clear it'd greatly warm up later in the afternoon, just in time for Gideon's visit to the lighthouse.

"Y'sure you're going to be okay flying?" Gideon worried quietly; having briefly discussed just how Kepa would get home, she opted for flight, something she was becoming braver and braver about.

"Y'know, it's... It's something I'm a little nervous over, but if I complete this flight, from here to the lighthouse, it'll be the longest flight I've taken yet," Kepa whispered, she scrunched her shoulders in a dainty show of excitement. She wore a cozy, adorable, black little pea coat and jeans, her gorgeous wings were unfurled in preparation, she inhaled a deep, refreshed breath as the cold winter air tossed their hair about in a flitting ruffle of breezy easiness, "I'm sure I'll be okay... I guess if it becomes too overbearing for me, I can land somewhere briefly and catch my breath."

"You're going to do great," Gideon's voice confidently soothed over her soul, and as if it was the most natural, easiest thing to do, Gideon scooped Kepa into a big hug. He buried his face into her little shoulder, he inhaled her sweet, intoxicating scent, all layered with spice and warm notes of coffee, he fluttered his eyes in delirious dizziness over the sheer idea that this incredible little being was all his. Kepa squeezed a happy giggle out of her rib cage as she draped her arms tight about Gideon's neck, and as he pushed a few kisses into the side of her face, the two eventually met eyes in their tight, nose-squished proximity. His barely-fogged breath coat her warm lips, "I'll see you after my class, then. I'll text you when I'm on my way, okay?"

"Okay," Kepa nodded with a smile, and as the two melted into an innocent smooch of a kiss, it easily softened into something a bit more romantic.

The two stirred in easiness, Gideon's much bigger hands slowly slithered up her lower back and into the cute bends of her incredible wings. Kepa's fingers grappled the back of Gideon's head as their lips unstuck and revisited in a flurry of romance that was easily whisking them away, and though the two were due for parting, Gideon almost squeezed Kepa a bit tighter and wondered just what catastrophic things would happen to the world around them if he pulled her back into his new abode and continued where they had left off last night. With tight inhales on each other's flushed cheeks, Kepa diligently broke the kiss in understanding that anymore lallygagging, and Gideon would be late for school. The two cutely panted on each other's mouths with the flutter of eyelids, it was here did Kepa take a gentle step backwards and release from Gideon's gravity, though not without the slow, seductive draw of her hands down Gideon's broad chest.

"Fly safe," Gideon cued cutely, Kepa perked her ears and sprawled her wings to their full, majestic extent.

"I'll do my best," Kepa mumbled in a drawl of teasing uncertainty.

With one last toss of loving warmth between both beings, Kepa firmly jumped into the air, accompanied two hefty flaps and was smooth about her transition upwards and into the sky. Once Kepa finally had gained speed, her wings sprawled in long down-flaps, the last bit of her seen casting over the massive courtyard and arena walls was the clip of her incredibly cute little tail sails. Gideon breathed a long, hefty, fogged sigh of mixed emotions; floored to be dating such an incredible creature, he knew this day came with its own set of challenges. Respecting her space and understanding he would be welcome for return once she was rested up was something he had to quickly digest as a thing that wasn't a personal attack. Grateful to have class, where he could drown into his own thoughts and really dig deep to find stability in this new miniature venture, he turned heel so to begin sourcing the arena's teleportation pad. Upon turning, his skin nearly came clean off of his muscles and bones with the idea that a set of eyes was diligently watching him.

"Starting anew in Turbotime too, eh?" Beaux warmly called across their two-dozen foot gap, the air of comfortability and welcome written all over his aura, Gideon sagged in a sense of smiling understanding and slowly began to close the distance, to revisit his great-nephew and discover new ideals, branches of family he was well aware likely didn't get enough screen time on the theatrical display that was Gideon's life.