Reviews :
Burgie : Definitely. You guys will see Callum again, in Favor's Game. He's absent for a bit, but gets much heavier focus in the next 2 books.
Song Listened To :
Here (In Your Arms) by Hellogoodbye (Taylor Acorn Cover)
*Chapter 198*
Amidst the sound of four paws suddenly thumping to the spire's sturdy wooden flooring, Gideon sucked in a sudden, sharp inhale and pried his eyes from the back of his head in a jolt awake. He sharply furrowed his brow in a scrunch of a grimace, lifted from the coil his spine was in, due to being hunched at the light house's kitchen island, he smacked his lips a little and understood that maybe only two minutes had passed between Kepa excusing herself to grab Gideon's hoodie, from far up atop her climbing platforms, and thump down from the stretch in a return to the kitchen, where she had left Gideon's sat figure. He brightened and collected with her gaze as she rounded the corner; she wore Gideon's red hoodie and a pair of white cotton shorts. The thunderstorm that rolled in was now delicately littering Cherry Ribbon beach with sweet rain, the balcony doors hung open to let in the warm, minty grey of Sugar Rush's stormy cotton candy clouds. The white curtains of the french doors flickered about with the hefty flap of the thicker linens, Kepa sucked in a huge breath through her nose, perked her ears high and lulled her eyes closed in dreamy delight.
"Man, Sugar Rush storms smell SO good," Kepa whispered as she lifted her snout in adorable sniffling. Gideon sighed, rubbed his face in pure exhaustion and sucked in a thick, patient breath as well.
"It's sweeter on the ocean, like this," Gideon hummed in dreamy, smiling delight, "I'm really glad you're here, I'm glad you decided to move to Sugar Rush."
"Me too," Kepa sighed as she slumped her shoulders, though she perked her ears, peered to Gideon in a swing of sweetness and watched as he rested his chin into his hand, to which his elbow rested on the island. With a sag, he smacked his lips a little and dared to flutter his eyes closed, once more. Softly, Kepa spoke up, "Baby, did... Did I make it so you lost sleep last night?"
Gideon heaved a long sigh through his nose, and though he just closed his eyes, he tenderly reopened them and gave Kepa an exhausted, apologetic little smirk. As the two sweetly held gazes, the sound of pattering rain outside filled their delicate silence, and with Gideon's non-verbal answer, Kepa rested her hands to the cold island she stood at, across from Gideon, and peered down to the light mess about her. Having spent the night getting settled in their lighthouse again, she began to reorganize the kitchen in the act of trying not to feel triggered by Gideon's absence. In the act of calling Gideon twice during the night, and then asking him to come over for a small amount of time, so to soothe her worries, she sorrowfully dragged her eyes back to Gideon's tired, unwavering gaze and allowed her ears to gently sag in a drop of understanding.
"I-I'm a big girl, I won't call you during the night, any longer," Kepa whispered sorrowfully, though she held a knowing little smile as she looked down, once more, though Gideon grunted a croak of a tired laugh and allowed his handsome smile to fill her vision, it was something she craved, she narrowed her eyes and took in the show of his handsome face lovingly peering back at her.
"We just need to compromise, or..." Gideon raised his eyebrows, sat up a little and lazily tossed his eyes about their lovely lighthouse. Although the sun was temporarily gone, the whole place radiated warmth like no other, there wasn't any other singular point in all of Litwak's that felt this sacred, this peaceful. He remembered Sezeke's words, he knew he could afford to spend the night with Kepa while still taking their relationship slow, and with Sezeke's very tepid little blessing, Gideon returned his golden eyes to Kepa's and gave her a humbled smile, "Given you're okay with it, I can definitely pick and choose nights where I sleep over. Would occasional sleep overs help you? I know it'd help me... You're not the only one that feels the pain, in the absence, I just... Have learned to not be vulnerable whatsoever."
"I want you to be vulnerable with me," Kepa pleaded gently, she shook her head and tried to recall main instances where he was vulnerable with her, though really only one night stuck out like a beacon of light in the black. She shyly rubbed her forehead, glossed her gaze to the grey rain outside and fluttered her eyes closed in sweet remembrance, "You... You surely recall that one night..."
"Yes," Gideon hummed with a small exhale of a chuckle through his nose, he also looked down in the shyness that crawled over them, and though he wanted to put up a wall and assure her that they had made promises to continue to take things slow, he curiously peered to her and felt his heart jolt clear out of his chest the second the two caught eyes, "My coding's all fucked up, and... I need mental and physical therapy from all angles, but..."
Kepa held her breath as Gideon sat up a bit straighter, sucked in a huge breath and looked as if he was due to wanting to stand up, though he rested his hands to the kitchen island in preparation to do so and hovered for a second, enough to deliver Kepa a roll of coy sweetness.
"You're forever the only one I'd feel comfortable bearing all to," Gideon's deep voice so sweetly hushed in her direction, he finally grunted a stand and gestured to the huge sectional couch of the living room, "C'mon, let's... Can we nap or cuddle or something? I'm really sorry, I can hardly keep my eyes open, I want to finish this conversation with you, but I really just... Miss you."
Kepa gently clutched her sternum in the reserve to wildly swoon, she scoffed a shy little giggle and slowly moved about the island, so to follow Gideon's lead in approaching the couch. In a hefty flop, the two came down to the big couch and very quickly began to get comfortable with one another, as if no time had passed, no shred of hardships had ever gotten ahold of them. With ease, Kepa grunted in the grapple to toss the huge, white throw blanket over their bodies, though as she continued to get situated amidst Gideon's limbs, she raised her eyebrows in a swing of delighted surprise the second Gideon eased himself a little lower than her and politely began to snuggle his head and face into Kepa's sternum, into the gape of the collar of his own hoodie, that she wore. Kepa breathed a small hum of a giggle and eagerly draped her arms about Gideon's head. Gideon lulled his eyes closed and gave her the small little trilling, chuffing noise into her jaw and neck, the two lightly squirmed to get situated, though as the noise hit Kepa's brain, she grinned and squeezed her eyes shut due to just how wildly her heart was fluttering. On cue, Kepa knew she was due to busting out her ability to purr, she knew this was her time to relive dreams she had longed for, so much as the chance to even embrace Gideon, once more, was something she was once crying herself to sleep over. Now that it was all within her reach, she sighed into Gideon's auburn hair and firmly nuzzled her face into his scalp, into his intoxicating scent.
"So, let's... Make a deal then, I won't call you anytime past midnight," Kepa mumbled gently onto his forehead, and though she tried to refrain from purring, little trills of breathy goodness began to rumble from her chest, something that had Gideon worming his big arms about her body and keeping her little figure tightly snug to his.
"Unless I'm not doing anything the next morning," Gideon assured, though Kepa flattened her ears and looked across their warm, dim common room.
"No, love, that's... Still not fair of me, I can see it in your eyes," Kepa murmured sorrowfully, with ease, she began to stroke her fingers through Gideon's wild, soft auburn hair, she looked down to Gideon's sweet face and whispered onto his forehead with the impending threat to lay slow kisses to his skin, "You have to earn trust, but... I have to learn to stand on my own and see my struggles through."
"Well, either way, I just need you to know that even though there may be a small boundary, I'm still here for you. There's no where I'd rather be, in the entire universe, than right here," Gideon whispered into Kepa's throat, he squeezed his becoming-teary eyes shut and relished in the feel of her arms, legs and tail woven tight about his limbs in a snug of rainy-day, cuddling delight. As the words eased out of him, he fluttered his wet eyes open and watched Kepa unfurl her gorgeous wings, in his peripheral, and come about Gideon in a firmer snuggle than prior. With the applied pressure of the squeeze of her wings, Gideon groaned a soft noise and now felt his coding begin to wiggle with the release of wanting to immediately fall asleep. Before being sent off, he knew the two would likely have a much more intelligent conversation about this once he was rested, though he squeezed Kepa's littler body into his and sagged, once and for all. His lips tenderly kissed the side of Kepa's neck in an innocent show of gratitude, to which Kepa firmly revisited her notion of wanting to splay Gideon's forehead with an equal deliverance of kisses. Upon the slow, steady splay of love the two afforded one another, Gideon whispered her a parting notion, "There's not a single person I'd trust falling asleep with, except you."
"Me? A big, bad, scary Game Over winner trusts lil 'ol me?" Kepa mused sweetly, her warm giggling rose from her chest, Gideon grinned into Kepa's throat and firmly exhaled a hot breath through his nose as the two managed to worm deeper in their tangle of limbs, tail and wings.
"With my life," Gideon whispered with great warmth, and with a final, heavy breath out, he sagged in full defeat, once and for all, and was nearly immediately whisked away into this perfect slumber.
Kepa cutely smiled into the mess of Gideon's hair, and as she did diligent work of splaying his forehead and the crown of his head with kisses, she now understood that this was likely one of the deepest, best sleeps she could afford Gideon, something he probably hasn't had in a very long time. Adamant about making sure everything was perfect, just how he'd like it, she squeezed her wings tight about his bigger body and kept him cocooned not only in her huge, warm embrace, arms, wings and all, she began to allow the sensation of purring to take a grip of the both of them. Happy to have her mother back and to truly have another cat around to understand her, she fluttered her eyes closed and knew Gideon was an equal landing spot of security. Hefty purrs rolled over the two in a brain-grip of healing, methodical goodness, simply the soothing rumble of a motorboat engine, she paired this all with the firm massage-like kneading she eventually succumbed to into Gideon's pecks and the tops of his shoulders. Out like a light, Gideon's mouth just barely hung open agape, his breathing evened out and became deep and in rhythm, Kepa smiled into Gideon's messy bangs and loudly purred into their bubble of fur, blankets, wings and rain, every inch of this moment was saturated in cozy peace, a tender, rare feeling Kepa was adamant about keeping ahold of, from now on. Although tears came and went, disbelief that Gideon was actually here with her rolled through her in waves of positive and negative emotions, she was floored this rare, terrifying, wildly misunderstood creature, the love of her entire life, was actually here, laying vulnerable, putting every ounce of his fragile trust into her, no questions asked.
Kepa tearfully smiled into Gideon's face and now did everything she could to not repetitively kiss face, lest she wake him up. Her fervent kneading was bordering the point where she could potentially wake Gideon up if she wasn't careful, and due to this, she did everything to not use her claws. Warm mushes into Gideon's skin, the feel of his hot breath dug deep into her neck and sternum, Kepa sighed and cradled Gideon to slumbering bliss with all the easiness in the world. Just as she tucked her chin over the top of his head, adjusted her arms and got snuggled tight to him in preparation to doze off, as well, she perked her ears in prickled confusion the second Gideon's phone, in his pant's back pocket, began to softly buzz with the methodical vibrate of a phone call. Although a chore, Kepa wormed her hand between the two, around Gideon's backside, pulled his phone from his back pocket and felt her pupils draw out of grogginess the second she read Gideon's caller ID. She felt her heart thump in a swing of dread as she took note that Oliver was the one calling Gideon. In a knee-jerk reaction to put Gideon's phone away and let calls roll, she grit her teeth and understood every single person on the palace lot was due to vying for Gideon's attention, and any dismissed calls could potentially cause others to panic. Kepa put herself in Oliver's shoes, hearing Gideon's phone roll to voicemail was the worst feeling ever, so she quietly answered.
"Hey, this is Kepa," Kepa so quietly hummed as she tucked Gideon's phone to her ear.
"...Oh, Kepa, I-I'm sorry, I... Called Gideon, right?" Oliver staggered in a very real show of terror, to which Kepa sighed and bobbed a nod.
"Yeah, this is Gideon's phone, I'm sorry, I just... Gideon's currently napping, and I didn't want your call to roll to voicemail, I didn't want you to worry," Kepa rushed gently, she sighed and began to lovingly weave her fingers through Gideon's thick hair, down to the soothing scratches on his scalp.
"Oh, thank you, yeah, that's... Nice of you, I would've worried," Oliver fumbled his words, Kepa could hear him nervously smiling, it was here did she wonder if maybe this phone call was destiny, a good chance for the two to make nice. Oliver huffed a shaky little chuckle and dared to prod, "Are you two at the lighthouse? I was gunna see if he wanted to come over, Emery made cookies and I just... Wanted to be with my bro."
"Yeah, we're at the lighthouse, he hardly got any sleep last night so I'm just... Letting him snooze, but I can tell him to call you once he wakes up," Kepa stated with warmth.
"Thank you, Kepa," Oliver's deep voice lovingly pressed, Kepa flattened her ears and looked across the common room as her free hand continued to methodically weave through Gideon's soft hair.
"You and Gideon doing okay?" Kepa wondered, disarmed and gentle, she lulled her eyes closed and was hopeful this conversation would go the way she anticipated.
"We're good, yeah, had a bit of a few nights of scares while he was doing his code-cycling," Oliver stated through a big sigh, "But, otherwise, I... I guess I have you to thank, huh."
"No, not me," Kepa whispered with a sneaky little giggle and a mischievous grin to boot, to which Oliver erupted into happy, mildly annoyed laughter.
"I don't really appreciate you handing me my ass when we were all down, like that, but... I needed the wake-up call, I was able to tell Gideon everything I told you, that one night," Oliver's voice croaked in remembrance, Kepa aimlessly peered down into Gideon's hair and lovingly continued to weave and knead through it all as he slept, "Thank you for keeping me in check, Kepa... It hurt to hear, but I'm... I'm really grateful my baby brother has a woman like you that isn't afraid to go up against literally anyone, in his honor. He's insanely lucky to have someone like you in his life. You're... Probably the reason he's alive."
Kepa sagged her shoulders and looked off, as if to prove she wasn't prepared for Oliver to spill his heart out, like this, to deliver Kepa such a huge, raw lay of compliments, she furrowed her brow in teary shock and looked down to Gideon's sweet, innocently snoozing face. She smiled into his brows as tears blurred her vision, she inhaled a huge, trembling breath and fervently squeezed her limbs and wings about his big body, and with a finalized squeeze, she finally sighed and relaxed as Oliver warmly continued on.
"I was NOT prepared to cry, in this phone call, missy," Oliver grunted as he choked a teary laugh, his grin could be heard, something so contagious that Kepa had to stifle her laughter, so not to wake Gideon up.
"Me neither, dude," Kepa muttered cutely as she wiped her face and sighed in trembling, nasally relief, "I love him... I love him more than anything. I'm glad that's obvious."
"Very... Everything you've done, up until now, has been very telling of your character," Oliver's brotherly tone spilled onto Kepa's shivering, lonely soul, currently void of her own sibling, "I'm sad Gideon kept you from the family, but... I'm just glad you two are doing okay. Don't let Gideon's hardened demeanor fool you... That kid is wild about you."
"He talked about me?" Kepa mused in enchanted wonderment, she continued to stroke his head in pets of adoration as she peered down to the innocent gape of his mouth as he snoozed.
"It was painful for him to do so, at first, but, man..." Oliver laughed and warmly continued on, "He didn't say way too much, but whatever was said, in your name, was as if he was speaking of an angel that somehow chose him to hang out with. He adores you... Don't ever lose sight of that, okay? He needs you."
"Thanks, Oliver," Kepa staggered through a trembling, teary exhale, she finally crumpled, "I'm really sorry for getting in your face... I just..."
"No, don't apologize, you're protective of him, I'd expect nothing less, Kepa," Oliver so warmly assured, he scoffed a small little laugh and brightened, "There's no hard feelings... May be a shot in the dark, but if you're interested, Emery and I would love to have a double date with you guys, whenever you two deem appropriate... Would that be something you both would be interested in?"
"Oh, totally," Kepa huffed in quiet excitement as she wiped her tears with a broadening smile, "I-I don't think going out in public, too much, is something Gideon will want to do, but... Yeah, I think that'd be great."
"Just clear the air, get some lunch, start fresh," Oliver listed kindly, Kepa nodded and sighed.
"I'll have him call you once he wakes up," Kepa delivered in assuring warmth, to which Oliver bobbed a nod and concluded their lovely call.
"Thank you Kepa, see you soon," Oliver affirmed.
"Bye," Kepa stated sweetly, and as she ended the call with Oliver and sagged Gideon's phone across the couch, behind him, she eagerly snuggled her face into Gideon's forehead and now properly drowned the two in the mess of her wings, tail, arms and the blanket draped over them. With the deafening sounds of her healing purring, the splatter of rain outside their agape French doors, Kepa almost immediately fell into a deep slumber woven tight in Gideon's warm, massive, addicting embrace.
