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+ Chapter 1: Of Gods and Lolitas +
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Warmth. Glowing warmth.

Amon at once wanted to groan aloud and snuggle further into the bed with the girl curled into his side. The usual guilt and panic which accompanied these moments upon entering wakefulness evaporated as he realized that Robin was still asleep. His free hand slid down to cover her small one resting on his chest. Amon stared upwards at the ceiling and listened to Robin's slow breathing, feeling her heart beat steadily against his side.

It was wrong. It was so wrong for him to enjoy these moments. He had absolutely no business allowing Robin to sleep in his bed with him in the first place, much less to take pleasure lingering in their close proximity. She shifted in her sleep as if in response to his inner thoughts, her small foot rubbing along his shin. A small murmur escaped her lips and she moved closer still, Amon's arm tightening around her shoulders against his will. Long, soft hair fell over his arm when Robin shifted again, her arm snaking over his chest. Closing his eyes in a futile attempt to ignore the feel of Robin beside him, Amon desperately tried to focus his thoughts on something other than the girl sleeping nearly atop of him and the growing bulge between his legs.

This wasn't a normal sort of thing, was it? A grown man falling for some adolescent girl, taking her as a ward and later allowing said ward full access to his bed any time she wished?

For a moment, Amon frowned as he contemplated the matter before giving up in exasperation. If anything, the truth most likely came down to the fact that the two of them were lonely and at night gave in to their vulnerability. He did not think this was a normal sort of thing, but on the other hand, Amon had never had much of a normal life. The only person he could safely take this issue to was Nagira…and let's just say, that sounded less than appetizing to Amon. Nagira never failed to take advantage of any situation of which he could mercilessly remind Amon of his interest in Robin – no matter how hard Amon himself vehemently denied any such interest. Sometimes, he wasn't sure why he kept up the charade; possibly it was due to himself having yet to come to terms with the idea of loving a girl…or a witch…and some part of him realized that it was blatantly obvious that he indeed did have feelings for Robin. In fact, Amon had a sinking feeling that it had been obvious for quite some time.

Not that Robin realized this.

No, not that girl. She was far too preoccupied with her own feelings--not to mention coming to terms with being a genetically-engineered super witch. That sort of thing generally came as a shock and took a bit of time getting used to, Robin being no exception. Also, she tended to mistake his aloofness for dislike. She seemed incapable of realizing that he, in fact, did care for her. Amon paused in his thoughts. Well, he had spent so much time keeping her at a distance and spouting those "witches need to hunted" lines, which just might have influenced what Robin believed he thought of her.

Not only was she a witch, but the witch who could save the witchdom. Who would have guessed that such an incredible power would lie within someone so sweet and innocent? Someone so gentle and loving. An image of the coy expression Robin had worn the night before appeared before Amon's face. Maybe she wasn't that innocent, he reassessed, but still rather naïve in most other areas.

Without realizing it, Amon's thoughts shifted directions. If she wasn't so reserved in her nature--and hadn't grown up in a convent as well--he mused over what she would have been like. Would she be more aggressive towards him with her desires? What did she really want with him anyway? Had her thoughts matured enough to desire sex? Or did she merely want a kiss?

Amon raised the hand not around Robin's shoulders to cover his face in frustration, a small sigh slipping between his lips. His hand slid back, pushing through his hair and he turned his head to the side, squinting at the sunlight streaming through a small crack in the curtains. These were not questions he should be asking himself. They were wrong…and inappropriate…and wrong…

If only she was just a little older...

The internal conversations always ended with the same wish. A few years could have eased his mind considerably. Even eighteen would have made Amon paused at the idea of pursuing a relationship, but seventeen made him outright balk. In the meantime, Amon continued to age as well. It was unfair.

If only…

It did no good for him to wish away Robin's age. He had to accept that this was the hand life had dealt him. Besides, she was still a witch and while Amon had mostly accepted this fact, he was still uncomfortable with the idea of becoming involved with one of those. What he really needed was find himself a nice human woman and settle down one day…

Like hell.

Who was he kidding? Amon had tried that in the past. Touko had been the last in a string of many highly attractive non-witch women. None of them had been right; none of them were like, well…her. Frankly, a part of Amon had given up on ever finding a compatible mate until he had met Robin. In many ways it felt as though she was the perfect compliment to himself. She never tried to change him and even put up with all of his morose moods, which was always a plus in "Amon" relationships. The other women he had been with had genuinely loved him. They just didn't know him. Amon never let anyone in; never let anyone within the wall he had spent most of his life creating. Robin, on the other hand, had managed to nearly pulverize the gate to his heart in a matter of months. He still hadn't granted her full access, but she was allowed more permission than anyone else ever had. None of this mattered anyway. He didn't have much time finding another woman while he took care of the girl. Again, Amon felt his thoughts gravitate towards the injustice of the situation.

Robin shifted against him, bringing Amon back to the present. She was awaking, stirring against him as she stretched in the little bit of morning light sneaking through the drapes. Still half asleep, Robin lifted her hand from beneath Amon's and rubbed at her eyes. She brought her head up from his shoulder and squinted at him. Seeing that Amon was awake and looking down at her, Robin propped herself up on an elbow, her face brightening into a smile.

Now there's a face I could spend the rest of my life waking up to.

The thought came sudden and unbidden, startling Amon. Never had he had that particular thought about a woman before.

But she's not a woman yet, an irritating voice countered, cutting through his reverie. His focus returned to Robin, now staring quizzically up into his face. Amon cleared his throat.

"Sleep well?" he asked. Her face brightened again and she nodded her head. "That's good." Amon gently pushed Robin's shoulder back as he sat up. A moment later, she was at his side, peering into his face.

"How was your sleep?" she asked, watching as Amon yawned and stretched his arms overhead. His shirt lifted to reveal the bottom portion of his toned abdominals. Robin's eyes dropped ever so slightly and she blushed, turning her face away.

"Fine."

"What should we do today?" she asked, glancing back to him from the corner of her eye. Her face still bore a faint blush.

Amon pulled his shirt back down into place and shrugged. "What do you think we should do today?"

Robin looked to him in surprise. "What?" she said, surprised at this turn of events. Usually, it was Amon who decided where and when they would go--anywhere.

Scooting back on the bed until his back rested against the headboard, Amon gave another little shrug. "I don't feel like making the decisions today. So?"

Robin's brow crinkled as she mulled over the question. "Well…" she said before trailing off. She looked down to the bed and frowned. "I'm not sure."

"Maybe we should eat first?" Amon suggested, fighting back a smile at his confused little ward.

Immediately, her face lit up.

"Yes!" she exclaimed before blushing again and looking away. "What I mean is, that sounds good." She paused, her eyes staring off in space. "I'd like a bit of coffee, too," she added.

Amon fought the urge to roll his eyes and exited the bed. Robin always liked a bit of coffee--regardless of whether it was the early hours of the morning or late at night. "We'll be sure coffee is our first stop." He walked to the window and pulled open the curtains, squinting in the bright morning sun. Another beautiful sunny day. "Do you want to get ready first?" he offered.

"All right." Robin jumped off of the bed, gathering some clothes into her arms and nearly skipping to the bathroom. "I'll be out soon," she added, poking her head around the door.

Amon nodded back to her, then turned towards the window. He managed to spend a few minutes enjoying the scenery until his mind sunk back into the gutters. Don't think about it, the voice in his head warned. Don't think about the naked girl in the bathroom just a few feet away from where you're standing. He rested his head against the glass of the window, no longer seeing the morning sky. You're not helping matters, a different voice shot back. An image of a naked young Robin standing in a shower with her back turned towards him came flooding before his eyes, wet long hair trailing down her smooth back. No, no, NO! his mind screamed. She usually takes a bath, not a shower, another voice noted in an effort to be helpful. With all of his remaining willpower, Amon managed to push the thoughts from his mind. Looking down, he stared at his white knuckles of his hands grasping the windowsill.

This was bad. Very bad. As time went by, Amon found himself more unable to avoid such thoughts. He was moving from love to lust as the days progressed. For God's sake, the girl is sleeping with you at night! And you LET her. There was only so much temptation one man could take.

Even if that man was Amon.

From behind, he heard the bathroom door open and Robin padding towards her bag on her (unused) bed. She paused after reaching it. Amon felt her eyes boring into her back and imagined the confused look on her face. Or maybe he was just paranoid and his conscious was guilty. Making an internal bet with himself, Amon blanked his expression and turned to face her. Yes, definitely obvious confusion on that pretty young face over her guardian's strange behaviour.

"I'll be out shortly," he was all he said and rushed past the perplexed girl.

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Breakfast proceeded more or less well, given the thoughts circling within Amon's mind. He even managed to be somewhat civil towards Robin and not aloof as he had been after they had first begun sleeping together. On the other hand, it was difficult for him to remain angry or upset with the girl for very long. Robin's incessantly hopeful face and ever-present desire to please him always managed to creep past his wall and work it's magic on his heart. Damn heart.

Robin nonchalantly reached for her ritual daily espresso and brought it to her lips. She gave a pause, then looked straight at Amon. "Have you thought any more of what we discussed last night?" she asked in a business-like tone.

He should have known the matter was far from finished. If ever Amon made a decision which displeased Robin, she would spend days--sometimes weeks--trying to wear him down. Her results were hit or miss, depending on how firmly Amon was attached to a specific decision. Unfortunately for Robin, this happened to be one of those decisions set within stone.

"Actually I hadn't," he said, looking away and reaching for his own coffee. Terrible stuff really. Amon had only begun drinking the sludge with any regularity since working with Robin.

Her face fell, but was replaced a moment later by her trademark coy look. Amon steeled himself. He could not--would not--allow Robin to turn his mind on this matter. Even if she did look rather attractive with that look on her face. Amon could conjure an image of her crawling up to him in bed wearing just this expression combined with some sexy lingerie--

Amon started. Shit! His mind reeled. This was not the time to be thinking such things while in public and Robin sitting in front of him, staring at him all the while. Picking up his coffee again, he threw it back, scalding his throat as it slid down. By this point, Robin looked utterly bewildered.

"I've already made up my mind on the matter," Amon said, willing his voice to remain neutral and steady. He disengaged his eyes from Robin's and stared down at his plate. "Don't ask me about it again."

Silence. Once Amon had gathered enough courage to look at her, he found Robin gazing down at the table with a crestfallen expression. Part of Amon felt guilty about making his young ward upset…but not enough to change his mind.

Robin leaned forward and Amon steeled himself. Be strong.

"Do you think we could go to the grocery store today?"

"What?" Amon asked, thrown off by the sudden shift in topics. "Of course. We're getting rather low on food in the kitchenette." In reality they weren't, but Amon considered it a welcome change of conversation.

Robin nodded her head then returned her attention to the espresso cup. Having already finished two so far this morning, she nonetheless signaled the waiter and ordered another. Amon didn't bother to stop her, having long since lost his battle to curb Robin's caffeine intake. A fresh, steaming little white cup was set before her. Lifting the cup to her lips, Robin closed her eyes and took a sip. A small smile crept over her lips and a faint mmm escaped her mouth. Amon felt a familiar sensation growing below and turned his head quickly to stare out the hotel restaurant's window. Holy hell. Today was going to be a long day indeed.

Once Robin had finished her espresso, Amon paid the bill and the two prepared to leave for the grocery store. He reasoned that this was just the sort of outing needed to clear his head. As they were about to leave, Amon noticed an attractive boy about Robin's age staring at his ward. Robin's head swiveled towards the young lad, catching his eye, then blushed and glanced away. God help him, Amon could not stop himself from giving the boy a stern and reprimanding glare as they passed.

Anger swelled within as the boy merely raised an eyebrow and stared back, unfazed by Amon's attempt at intimidation.

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"Does this look good…Amon?"

The hesitant voice at his side brought Amon back to the present with a jolt. He turned around to find Robin looking ever-quizzically at him with a box of crackers in one hand. If he didn't find some way to take his mind off of the situation, Amon feared that within a week that confused expression would be permanently etched into her face.

"Sure," he replied with a shrug of his shoulders to indicate that he did not care one way or the other. Apparently pleased with his response, Robin plopped the carton in the basket Amon held in one hand and returned to browsing the shelves.

While it was true that neither were great cooks--or frankly even some sort of basic cooks to begin with--the thought of eating endless meals out had grown less than appealing over the past couple of years together. It was in these moments that the two packed themselves off to the nearest grocery store to forage for food. Most of the hotels in which they stayed had kitchenettes and the two tried to keep the refrigerators and cabinets well stocked. Since neither could cook well, there was plenty of instant food mixed in with a hodge-podge assortment of various supplies that were less than useful for creating a decent, well-rounded meal. Not that either of them knew enough about cooking to perceive this little fact.

One surprise Amon had discovered since living with Robin was the girl's voracious appetite. She had concealed this well when they had worked together at Solomon. It was a mystery to Amon how the tiny girl could eat so much and yet not gain another ounce. Luck of the youth, he thought bitterly. He had the jealous wish that he too still had that sort of metabolism.

An attractive, blonde woman about Amon's age and dressed in a sharp business suit came into the aisle, her attention at once focusing on the man in her path. She gave a demure smile as she walked past Amon and Robin, feigning interest in the various boxes on the shelves. After a moment, the woman glanced over her shoulder to Amon, a faint blush creeping over her cheeks as their eyes met. A temptation that Amon could not resist, his eyes ran over the woman's body as she left the aisle. He turned back to the task of grocery selection, only to find Robin staring at him with an open and displeased frown. Amon's guilty face slid away as the girl's jealous eyes turned to watch the other woman walk into the next row. Robin spun on her heel to resume scanning the goods upon the shelves.

A few additional items went into the basket (couldn't get too many things, seeing as they had walked to the grocery store and therefore were required to haul the items back to the hotel) and the two proceeded to the check out counter in silence. Robin stood to the side, still angry and icy, leaving Amon to take care of the transaction. The process finished, he took the bags and the two exited the store.

They lingered in the mid-morning sun a bit as they continued along the street. Robin strolled in front of Amon, looking into various shop windows at the selections housed within. For a moment, he considered offering her the opportunity to go into the stores as a sort of peace offering, before stopping himself. He had been with her long enough to know that today Robin was looking around and not interested in purchasing anything. She was letting the situation in the grocery store pass in her own time. So, Amon allowed her window shop and followed a few paces behind.

Perhaps it was the slow feeling of the morning which lulled Amon into a false sense of security. The incident in the grocery store fading into the fog of the past, Amon's eyes ran down Robin's figure, taking in her golden hair stirring in the light breeze, over her thin mauve sweater hugging her slight curves and down her calf-length black skirt. She stood with her back to him, making Amon pause as his eyes ran up her body. A mixture of desire and hesitation passed over him as he watched her. As a general rule, there were some parts of Robin that Amon considered off limits to his eyes. But there was something about the day that had relaxed Amon.

What the hell…Amon thought before his head tilted ever so slightly to the right and his appreciative eyes landed on her tiny rear.

"My God, you are going to hell," a lilting male voice whispered into his ear. Amon's first reaction was to freeze, caught off gaurd. He turned his head to the side, glaring into his brother's face--frighteningly close to his own, he noted in surprise. Nagira grinned back at him. "Like what you see?" he added.

Amon ignored him, choosing instead to take a few steps forward but still remaining far enough behind Robin so that she would not notice his presence. Needless to say, he didn't want to chance her overhearing the inevitable conversation. He rolled his eyes and turned to face his brother, feet planted on the pavement.

"What?" he asked.

"Hmm, nice greeting," Nagira said with a knowing smile. "I think the real question is, what do you want, little brother?" He pulled out a cigarette from beneath his coat. "No, strike that. I think I have a rather good idea of what you want at the moment. Want one?"

Amon shook his head. "No, I don't. What makes you think you know what I want?"

Nagira gaped back as though his brother was insane. "Are you serious? You mean besides the fact that it's blatantly obvious? Okay, fine. How come you didn't hear me come up to you? The old you would have heard me, but you appeared to have…other…things on your mind." Nagira grinned his Cheshire smile again. "Did you like it?"

Mind reeling from the overt implications of his brother's words, Amon didn't quite grasp his brother's last question. "Like what?" he asked.

Nagira rolled his eyes. "Her ass. Did you like her ass?"

"What?" Amon replied, growing more tense by the millisecond as the nightmarish conversation progressed.

"Don't tell me that's not what you were looking at. Trust me, one can always tell when a man is staring at some woman's derriere. So, did you like Robin's ass?"

Robin. Ass. Two words Amon did not want to hear in the same sentence.

"Could you stop saying that?" he asked, casting a quick glance over his shoulder at the girl in question. Dear God, if she happened to overhear…

Amon shuddered at the thought.

"What?" Nagira said, his face too innocent. "Ass?"

"Yes," Amon hissed. "Stop saying ass."

Nagira chuckled and walked forward a few paces, his gaze falling over Amon's shoulder at the girl behind him. "It's not place to say so, seeing as I consider Robin some long-lost sister, but I have to admit that she does have a rather nice figure." He paused to study her. "Slight build, nice legs, tight rear…not so much to speak of in the bosom region, but there are worse things." Nagira tossed a glance to Amon. "I get the feeling, though, that you're not just interested in what she looks like." He grinned at his brother's unease. "You know, you really need to get laid," Nagira commented with an amused smile. "You'd feel more relaxed."

"With whom?" Amon said. A memory of the woman in the grocery store came to mind, but he pushed it aside. A one-night stand was not what he needed at the moment. However, he couldn't yet bring himself to think about what he did want.

Nagira paused and nodded. "I guess you have a point there. Don't want to go sleeping around when there's a girl waiting for you at home."

Amon rolled his eyes at the last comment, but decided it was useless to argue semantics with Nagira. "I don't think she's too happy with me at the moment, after this afternoon." He cringed. Since when did he begin thinking aloud? First the slip up with the tattoo last night and now this.

"Oh?" Nagira asked as he straightened. "Did something happen?"

"No," Amon responded, glancing to his brother out of the corner of his eye hoping for the best, but also knowing that there was no fooling Nagira.

"What happened?" he asked, eagerly taking a hold of Amon's shoulder.

"I…" Amon wondered what had possessed him to admit this to his nosy brother. Half brother. "…she happened to see me…looking at another woman."

Nagira stared at him, face incredulous. "You…another woman…" he trailed off. His hand rubbed at his chin and his gaze moved to Robin again, still oblivious to Nagira's arrival. "Jeez. If I were Robin, I'd be pretty pissed, too."

Amon sighed in exasperation and leaned against the outer wall of a building. "It wasn't as though it was purposeful. It's a natural male response," he added out of irritation.

"Yes." Nagira nodded, his expression that of a sympathetic fellow man. "I know how that can be."

"You haven't been in a serious relationship in years," Amon scoffed.

Nagira began to speak, then closed his mouth and looked away. "Yeah." He glanced back to Robin. "Well, I guess I should announce my presence now."

Replacing his somber look with an easy smile, Nagira strolled up to Robin and tapped her shoulder. Amon remained a few paces behind, watching as Robin first tensed at the intrusion then brightened upon seeing Nagira. A jealous pang ran through him as she threw her arms around his brother and gave him a big hug.

"Are you staying for awhile, Nagira?" Robin asked as Amon approached the two.

"Sort of," Nagira replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and winking to Amon in the process. "I came to pick someone else up, but couldn't resist stopping by to see you two a little early."

A peculiar look came over Robin's face, but Amon dismissed it as being surprise at Nagira's sudden appearance. He cleared his throat.

"We should probably get back to the hotel to put these groceries away." He ignored Robin's glare and led the way back to the hotel.

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Amon paused when he reached the door to their room, a moment of panic overtaking him. What if the hotel maid had not yet come? It would take Nagira all of three seconds to realize what was going on with himself and his young ward. Amon did not need to add more fuel to the fire where his brother was concerned. Sensing the two behind him sharing puzzled looks, Amon reached out and swiped the key card, relaxing as he entered the room. To him immense relief, the maid had already come through their floor, erasing all traces of the night before. Amon tossed the key card on a table and proceeded into the kitchenette to deposit the bags. From the other room, he could hear Robin rustling around.

"I'm going to get some ice," she announced, holding up the ivory plastic bucket. Robin turned her attention to the older brother. "Nagira, could you come with me?" she asked, grabbing his hand and dragging the bewildered man from the room.

Amon watched them leave, then returned to the task of putting away the measly amount of groceries.

Teenage girls.

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"What's going on?" Nagira asked as they walked down the plushly carpeted corridor to the ice machine. "Don't they have people here who will get you some ice if you ask?"

Robin didn't answer until after they had rounded a corner, checking to make sure that they were alone. She looked up. "I'm glad you stopped by when you did. I need you to do something for me," she said, keeping her voice quiet.

"And what is that?" Nagira asked, getting the distinct vibe that this was something she wished to keep from her guardian.

She extracted an tiny tube from her pocket and held it out to Nagira. He first glanced at her with curious eyes, then picked it up with his forefinger and thumb.

"Looks like some sort of fancy microfilm case," he murmured in surprise, holding up the tube to his eye.

"Like what?" Robin asked.

"Microfilm. It's a type of analog data storage no longer commonly used." He frowned. "Where did you get this?"

Taking a deep breath, Robin steadied her nerves. "I-I found it…you know the red amulet I have?" Nagira nodded. "It was inside of it. I think this–" she indicated the tube in Nagira held with a hand, "–might have had something to do with why my mother left me with the amulet."

"I thought the amulet protected you somehow."

"It does, but…" she trailed off and looked down to the red carpet. "It seems like more than coincidence that this was concealed inside the amulet, given what we know…about my past."

"So, you want me to find out what's on this thing?" Robin nodded. "And is there a specific reason you are keeping this from Amon?"

Robin gasped at Nagira. "How did you…"

Nagira rolled his eyes. "You are too easy to read, Robin." He regretted his choice of words as a faint blush covered her face. She averted her eyes to the ground. He paused, considering the item in his hand. "I don't think it's a good idea to keep this from Amon," he said, shaking his head. "Amon won't be a very happy camper when he finds out that you have kept something this important from him."

"I can't tell him about this yet," Robin said, not looking up. "He…he already is wary of me with what he knows." She lifted her pleading eyes. "What if there's something even worse about my past concealed in that container? Something to make Amon…" She dropped her head again, unable to finish the thought. "I don't know if I could take that." Robin clenched the hands at her side. "Besides, I hardly know anything about Amon's past. Why should he know so much about mine?" she asked, her voice surprising Nagira with its bitterness.

"I understand your anger at the situation," he said with a sigh, "and I am well aware that Amon can be a stubborn jackass, pardon my French. However, there is a difference between his past and yours – and you know that." Robin didn't look up. Nagira lifted the tube back to eye level again, his mouth tightening into a thin line. "I'll find out what information is here," he said after a moment. "And, I won't tell Amon either."

Robin lifted her head and gave Nagira a grateful smile.

"However," Nagira continued, "I strongly suggest that you tell Amon what's going on. I could be wrong, but I don't get the impression that Amon will react negatively to whatever is on this microfilm." Robin slid her eyes to the side to focus on the neutral beige wallpaper. "Trust me on this," Nagira said, waiting until she glanced back to him.

"Okay," Robin said at last. "I guess I can tell him about it." She sighed. "Later. Later today."

Nagira nodded in approval. "Good." He glanced to his watch. "Shit! It's already one. Let's get the ice and head back to the room. I've got to get moving soon." Nagira looked back to Robin and winked. "I'll be back tomorrow, so don't worry. I think I should be able to track down something in the meantime."

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+ Next Chapter +
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Chapter Two: The Bird and the Snake