I should probably change my update days to Wednesdays considering that's my one consistent day off.


The air in the dark tunnel had felt cooler, so the sudden heat of Lestallum felt oppressive. Prompto whined that it had to be twenty degrees hotter than in Leide. Lunafreya was sitting in the seat closest to the window and looked through it at the landscape. The area was lush, and she imagined that there must be lots of rain to come with this heat leading to such an alive looking region. She remembered the desert-like area around Hammerhead and the blighted coeurls, and wondered if this lush landscape meant that the blight wasn't quite as strong.

"Is this what cities look like in Lucis?" she asked, turning to her companions.

"Once upon a time." Crowe answered.

"Insomnia is so huge makes this place look like a rest stop, and it's the biggest city outside of it." Noctis added. Lunafreya nodded. She had never visited cities, perhaps her captors too concerned it would be difficult to maintain their grip on her in such a populated place should they decide to free their Oracle. No. She thought to herself, they could drop me in the middle of Insomnia and still hold their grip. She knew that it was the blight they couldn't control, and even her powers were no match for the epidemics cursing the cities across the sea. Only Altissia's strict border controls kept the disease from plaguing them.

"I wonder what Lucis looked like before the Nifs." Noctis mused. "I mean, Insomnia couldn't have been the only city in the entire country. Wonder if Lestallum would have eventually become huge."

"The glaives used to tell me stories about the big cities in Galahad." Gladiolus's voice joined in. "They said the cities weren't quite as Insomnia, but 'insert my dick is bigger than your dick' city comparison joke here" the comment had Nocits musing if Crowe deep down held the same resentment towards his family as the traitorous Glaives for what happened to Galahad, and was glad the new Shield was following the Regalia separately.

"After we visit… Iris, was it? I would like to stop by the hospital should this city have one. You mentioned she came with a lot of refugees, there may be many injured I could assist." Lunafreya requested.

"I think with the way we ran away from the Empire, I believe it prudent to keep our identities more secret." Ignis answered her.

"With this oh-so-incognito car?" Gladiolus asked, "I mean, this car is freakin' awesome, you think the average citizen can afford a thing like this?"

"This car is older than my dad. Just looks like we took good care of an old car."

Noctis and his shield requested to be dropped off at the front of the Leville while Ignis searched for parking. Lunafreya followed Noctis, and the three Shields staying with their charges. Ignis assured them that he was a big boy and perfectly capable of walking to the hotel, understanding their urgency to see Iris. Gladiolus was taping at his phone as the group entered the lobby, assuring the man at the door they were merely meeting with someone as they all sat down.

"She still sleeping?" Noctis asked.

"Not all of us prefer to coma. She's up, will be down in a minute." Noctis ignored the jab and nodded. Lunafreya sat beside him, her hands folded in her lap as she kneaded her fingers. She was greatly relieved to know that Gladiolus's sister was safe, as well as the other two individuals that were mentioned. She wondered what her own brother was doing at this time, and lamented her lack of a phone with which she could reach out to him. She couldn't even borrow Noctis's phone for such a purpose, never being allowed near any method of external communication she had never memorized his number. She made a mental note to find a radio later to seek out news about her brother. Surely if anything happened to Nifleheim's Commander news of such would spread.

Ignis entered the hotel lobby a few minutes after the rest of them and sat down in one of the chairs provided. Noctis had gotten up and began to pace, while Gladiolus mirrored him closer to the elevators. Prompto was bouncing his leg, attempting to play on his phone as a distraction but with his friends too antsy to play with him he put the device back in his pocket and fiddled with his camera instead. Crowe was sitting to Lunafreya's left, also clearly agitated by the air of nervous energy.

"Gladdy!" A young voice jarred Lunafreya from her thoughts, leaping to her feet and looking in the direction of the sudden sound. A teenaged girl with jet-black hair was running off the elevator towards her brother.

"Iris!" Gladiolus pulled her tight into his arms. "I was so damn worried." He told her.

"Oh come on, I'm your sister, I had to escape Insomnia else you'd come barging into the city tearing the buildings apart until you could get my butt to safety."

"Damn right. You said Jared and Talcott are safe too?" Iris nodded, "I haven't been able to get in touch with anyone else yet. Any word from dad? I heard things at the Citadel were really bad…" She looked up at him with knit brows, tapping her palm against her thigh. Gladiolus bit down on his lip, reaching up to grip her shoulders, his fingers digging into her skin. He dodged her gaze, shaking his head. "Dad… he fell in battle protecting our King."

"Dad…" she whimpered. Her lip quivered, and she closed her eyes tight. She bit down on her lip to steady herself, chest heaving with rapid breaths as she shook her head. She leaned against her brother who hugged her tight, squinting his own eyes.

"He went out like a Shield, our King is safe because of him. It's how he'd want to go."

"I was so scared for you when the news started talking about Altissia. Then we heard an explosion from the Citadel." Iris replied. "Both you and dad… I thought I was alone." She swallowed hard, biting down on her lip again. Her arms tensed and she took in a deep breath, letting out a slow shuddered sigh. "Gladdy… the Empire… the stuff they said on the radio."

"I'm fine, so is Noctis." She pulled back from him and he tilted his head and Iris managed a weak smile at seeing him. Noctis met her eyes and stood, walking up to her. He welcomed her into his arms, hugging her tight,

"So glad you're safe."

"You too."

"Your dad… I…" he hesitated at the quiver in his voice wondering what the hell he could even say. "I can't thank him so I'll thank you." The choked sob she tried to muffle in his shirt brought a lump to his throat. He let her cry against his chest until she began to pull away, running the back of her hand under her nose.

"At least you and Gladdy are safe." She offered.

"Why don't you guys go get some lunch, I want to check on Jared and Talcott." Gladiolus stated. Noctis nodded, understanding the subtext to his words. Ignis stood and gave Iris a hug, letting silence speak for him, Iris giving him a forced smile and an appreciative nod. Prompto walked up to her as well with a hug,

"Hey what if I go buy you a big stuffed chocobo in town?" he offered. He knew there were no words he could offer her to ease this pain, but couldn't endure polite silence like Ignis either. She giggled at the offer and smiled,

"As long as you get a cactuar for Talcott. He loves those things."

"It's a deal. How's he holding up?" She shrugged, and he nodded at her meaning.

Lunafreya knit her fingers together watching the exchanges. She wanted to offer the girl some form of comfort. Whether with words, or her light; but for once it felt intrusive were she to step forward. She was surrounded by ones she loved and she was a stranger. The Oracle an obscure holy figure from a foreign land. But it went against her very nature to see pain and do little to ease it. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at Noctis.

"I'm glad you're all safe." Iris remarked, and waved to them before turning to follow her brother into the elevator. Noctis gestured towards the door, and she followed him after waiting several seconds to watch the elevator doors close.

"I'm happy his sister is safe." She stated simply. "Though I wish I could offer her some comfort. I suppose there's little I could offer. I used to bring words to those who came for healing in Tenebrae."

"I think what's best for her at the moment is to let her be alone with Gladio."

"You're right."

"Come on, let's go get lunch like he suggested and I think I overheard Prompto promising to get her a chocobo plush and a cactuar for Talcott." She gave him a small smile and a nod, following him out of the Leville.

"So minor complication." Prompto noted. "Anyone manage to run away from Altissia with any gil? I mean, I had some in my pants pockets by coincidence, but I don't think I can feed five people with it." He looked at the coins in his pocket and tisked, stuffing it back it. "May have to go on a hunt just to get enough to eat."

"Pauper Prince. Sounds like a childrens book." Crowe commented, getting a heated look from said man. "I'm kidding! Lighten up. Come on, hunters tend to cluster in diners. It's like some movie-trope… only, you know… real." She commented.

"Wait, we're really going to do a hunt?" Prompto complained.

"Unless you propose another idea to make money, I do believe your joke-turned-plan is our only option." Ignis answered him. Prompto groaned,

"But I'm starving! How do you propose we fight on an empty stomach?"

"I'm all for stealing." Crowe offered with a shrug, immediately proclaiming it was a joke at the look Ignis was giving her. "Man, I thought Luna here was the champion of death-by-glare. Looks like we have a new winner!"

"Why don't we check out the street vendors? Think I saw a few. Usually cart food is pretty cheap, we can see if we can scrape enough change, e at up, then go find a way to earn some money?" Noctis suggested as compromise.

"Oh. Good idea." Prompto declared, and re-counted his money. "Might be enough." They found a cart selling skewers and Prompto had enough money for four, leaving the gunman frowning.

"A free sample then, for our Oracle." He smiled at the blonde woman in their party, who immediately looked at Noctis,

"She gets that a lot." He shrugged. "Just… a convincing doppleganger." He saw the way she stiffened and tried to force a smile.

"I'm quite all right." She insisted. "Still full from breakfast. I can wait until lunch."

"It's alright miss, you can still have the free sample." The vendor smile at her, "for reminding me of our Oracle. I still pray to the Astrals she made it out of Altissia in one piece. I don't trust the garbage the Empire is spewing anyway." The man mused.

"Thank you, but I'm all right."

"Awe come on, you're so damn skinny, eat something." Lunafreya knit her brows and flushed.

"I…" she paused, "I just don't like to eat meat. Other than seafood…" she felt uncomfortable with all the pairs of eyes on her.

"Huh, guess that makes sense." Crowe cut off the silence before it could settle. "Now that I think of it, I can't really picture you eating dead butchered animals."

"Ugh thanks for the vivid imagery. Think you just turned me vegetarian." Prompto complained. "Let me have my illusions! Pretend the deliciousness is just… food."

"Pescetarian…" Lunafreya clarified. "I… I eat seafood." She shrugged, and gestured at him "you can have the skewer." She gestured at Prompto.

"That explains a lot. Like why you rejected bacon. Delicious delicious bacon… oh man that stuff is amazing."

"I do admit… I quite miss bacon." She smiled.

"Wait, you weren't like, born- almost vegetarian?" he asked. They thanked the vendor for his generosity and complimented his food before starting their walk to find a diner.

"I can't quite bear the thought of eating animals. And my mother was like that. After…" she paused. "I suppose I wanted to be more like my mother. It befitting of the Oracle image was just… coincidence." She shrugged.

"I guess I always just took it for granted." Noctis remarked. "Tenebrae always had such good seafood I thought it was just a Tenebrae thing."

"Well let's see if a vendor has something seafood-y or vegetable-y for ya." Prompto suggested.

"Diners usually have something cheap like eggs and toast for pocket change." Noctis answered back. Lunafreya agreed with the thought, and the group carried on. They walked the length of the street surprised that they had trouble finding a local diner, or even bounty posters for hunts that could clue them in.

It took nearly twenty minutes but they found a hole-in-the-wall shop that was serving as Lestallum's hunter's hub. Ignis pulled his wallet from his pants pocket to prove to the man they had undertaken a hunt before.

"Wait when did you get that?"

"In Hammerhead, after the sabertusks Takka gave me this card. I guess hunter hubs run it through a machine like a credit card to add points after you complete hunts. It's how they can tell how accomplished of a hunter you are, with how far many hunters travel."

"Huh. Smart." Gladiolus shrugged. "So how many points do we have?"

"One."

"Just one?!" The shield admonished,

"The hunt we did for Cid didn't count."

"We aren't kids, I mean look at me," Gladiolus gestured at the man, "give us a good hunt. We're hungry."

"Rules are rules." He replied. "You have one point? Find a kiddie-hub." He held out a small piece of paper with the information on it. "Bounty from a nearby town. Take it or leave it."

"Guess we gotta prove we got the big dicks afterall." Crowe remarked. "Let's get this done, get your points." She hesitated, tapping her chin, "Or," she pulled out her wallet and slipped out a plastic card of her own, handing it to the man.

"Now this card I can worth with." The man pulled out a clip board and handed it to Crowe, "here, you can do either of these." Crowe slipped both pieces of paper from the board before handing it back to him,

"We'll do both."

"Officially I'm telling you that hunt is for you and not the greenhorns. They get themselves killed I ain't responsible" Crowe nodded,

"I'll keep these idiots in one piece. Except that one, I haven't seen what she can do but I learned never underestimate the skinny ones." She answered with a shrug, turning to give Lunafreya a wink.

"So where are we going?" Ignis asked, ignoring her insult and trying to keep the others from rebuking and starting an argument. He pulled out his map, asking Crowe to point to the location specified on the bounty flier.

"Should we go back and take the Regalia?" Prompto asked, frowning at the distance.

"It's not that far, you can handle the walk." Ignis replied.

"You sure hate any kind of movement for a skinny guy." Crowe remarked, lifting a brow at him.

"Hey you just said yourself don't underestimate the skinny ones."

"I dunno, you qualify more as scrawny than skinny."

"Hey!" she laughed, giving him a punch on the arm,

"Lighten up. I'm just teasing you. Regis wouldn't have made you a Crownsguard to the Brooding Prince if you couldn't hold your own. Now come on." She tilted her head in the direction of the road and the small group began to follow her. Lunafreya gave Noctis a small nudge with her shoulder when she saw his pout at Crowe's nickname, offering him a small smile when he looked at her and he relaxed his posture. Ignis periodically checked the map, preferring to know for certain over Crowe's reassurances that she was familiar with the area enough to lead them without a map.

"The hell are those things?" Prompto asked. They found the pack grazing off the side of the road.

"Anuks."

"Freaky looking. The blight doing this? Like those coeurls?"

"Man. You guys really never left Insomnia, have you?" Crowe quipped back. "This is just normal wildlife." Prompto bit down on his lip, fingers gripping his gun, knuckles flushing white. He pulled it from the holster, thumbing the safety as he turned his gaze away from the brunette woman and onto the bizarre animals.

"Well let's get this over with, I'm starving."

"Agreed." Ignis echoed. Noctis and Lunafreya nodded their agreement.

"Watch this," Crowe smirked. She ran ahead of the group ignoring the warning shouts from them all. She reached out with her hand, willing fire to come forth and preparing to feel the wind whipping around her as she bent the flames to her will. But rather than the pillar of fire she was commanding, a small ball appeared in her palm, the warmth wrapping around her fingers as the air around her remained still save for the gentle breeze. "The hell?" she looked down at her palm, trying to will the fire to grow but found it wouldn't answer her call. She shifted her gaze back up to the pack of animals and the male charging away from the pack, head low. She let out a startled yelp, throwing the ball of fire and it exploded upon impact with the ground. She shielded her face, curling into a ball at the unexpected reaction. Heat washed over hear, and the anak bleated in pain, the pack echoing in reply as they charged away from the flames. Crowe bat madly at the flames caught on her clothing, feeling pain erupt down her limbs and the exposed skin on the back of her neck, her mad thrashing on the ground extinguishing the fire starting on her back.

"Crowe!" Lunafreya's voice was distinguishable in the sea of sound, and she looked up to see her charge running towards her, kneeling on ground before her, "let me help you."

"What the shit happened?" she complained, sitting up and shaking her head when Lunafreya reached out to her. "I'm your shield," she clarified, "not the other way around."

"You are better equipped to keep me safe when you are uninjured. Please, allow me to help you." She asked again. Crowe looked up at her, expecting a sarcastic grin, but instead merely saw Lunafreya kneeling near her, hands resting in her lap.

"Hey guys, your little moment is sweet and all, but we could use a little help!" Prompto complained, punctuated by the bark of his guns. Crowe mumbled something under her breath and allowed Lunafreya to heal her burns, and nearly knocked the woman over in her haste to get to her feet and join the fray. The anaks had scattered, searching for a way to regroup around the invading humans and the obstructing landscape around them flanked with thorn bushes. Crowe tried to summon the flames again, searching for her connection but could only manage the same sphere of flame.

"Damnit!" she hurled the fireball in the direction the anaks were fleeing to get them to turn around, staggering as she threw herself off balance. Her fingers tingled and she looked down at her hand and noticed that the skin was a light pink with a slight discomfort. "The hell happened to me?" she asked. She had always relied on her magic since Regis took her into the Glaives after the fall of Galahad. What the hell? What the hell?

"Noct!" Crowe turned at the sudden shout, Lunafreya brushing past her, hands glowing gold as she slid on the scorched grass where Noctis lay after being kicked by one of the anaks fleeing her flames. "Here," she cupped his cheeks, and after a few moments the pair got to their feet, Noctis giving her a nod of thanks as he ran to where Ignis and Prompto were trying to take down the large male anak, hoping that it would leave the others confused, and thus easier to accomplish their hunt. Crowe tried to force her concerns back, flexing her fingers as she shook the rising dizziness from her head. She took a deep breath to stop herself from hyperventilating as she thought about why the fire wouldn't answer her call like before. Her heart raced in her chest, throbbing in her ears as she looked up and summoned another fireball in her hands, wondering what the hell is wrong with me?

"That. Sucked." Prompto complained as he lay back on the grass, ignoring Ignis's comment that the soot would get in his hair and it would take him a week to shake the grey stains out of his blonde hair. "What? The chicks dig that salt-n-pepper look anyway. I'm exhausted. Those things sucked."

"Still went better than the sabers." Noctis answered. "At least I think both my eardrums are intact."

"Enough already! You ever gonna let me live that down?"

"Nope"

"No" Noctis and Ignis's replied simultaneously.

"Pretty sure I even heard the mullet shout no in the distance." Crowe added. She was idly flexing her fingers, wrinkling her nose at the discomfort in the tender skin of her palm.

"Crowe?" Lunafreya's quiet voice called her name. "Let me see your hand." Crowe looked down at the skin of her palm that was beginning to peel.

"I'm fine." She answered.

"Please." Crowe looked up at the Oracle and sighed, letting her heal the burns in her palms.

"I need to get back to Hammerhead." I need to ask the King what's happening to me

"We just got to Lestallum?" Noctis replied, furrowing his brow. "Everything all right?"

"Yeah. Just, got some questions I didn't think of while we were there. Come on, we have to go blow a frog up too. Heard you're a good cook four-eyes, I'll be careful not to fry the legs too much so you got something to cook." She winked at the advisor.

"Ignis." He corrected.

"Or Specs." Prompto grinned.

Noctis clasped Lunafreya's hand, happy for the chance to explore Lestallum together. He was a bit surprised it was so easy to convince Crowe to allow them some alone time, but he supposed she was trying to earn Lunafreya's trust, and forcing her company on the young woman was not the best way to do it; being her Shield or not.

"You seem pretty tense." Noctis remarked.

"Hmm?"

"My fingers are getting a little numb." He smiled at her, holding up their joined hands. She saw his fingertips were red, and her own knuckles were white. She let go quickly, pulling her hand back.

"Sorry."

"That's not why I brought it up." He answered her apology. She met his gaze, I'm fine rising to the tip of her tongue but instead she let out a slow sigh.

"I'm still… adjusting." She answered honestly. "I keep expecting to see Ravus, soldiers, or Caligo." She lifted a hand to her side, fingers lightly brushing against her aching ribs. "It feels so strange that I don't have to pretend we're merely good friends." She continued. "Though I must admit, should we visit Hammerhead again it would be prudent to not share a tent." She smiled. Noctis chuckled a little, remembering their embarrassing encounter with this father and relieved that she was able to joke about it.

"While I don't think I'd sleep really good knowing you're in the same place but not next me, I gotta agree with you on that one."

"I agree." She smiled and reached for his hand again, "I'll be gentler this time." She smirked.

"Hey I have an idea. They have these cable-car things, we can see the whole region from up there." He offered. She nodded at him, agreeing that it sounded lovely. They followed the cables until it led them to a small building where they could purchase their tickets, and after waiting in a short line were loaded into one of the cable-cars.

She quickly moved over towards the window, smiling as it lifted from the ground and she was given an aerial view of Lestallum and the surrounding land. She beckoned for him to sit next to her, and he shifted from his seat on the bench across.

"I wonder if all of Lucis looked like this before, like your father talked about." She mused. "It's so green…" she paused, tilting her head, "that's the meteor." She recognized it from her studies, a crater where Titan slumbered, carrying a meteor upon his back that had threatened to wipe out half the life in Cleigne. "It does look… odd." She recalled, "I thought it was more… blue." She mused. "It's somewhat gray. Though it could have just been the pictures taken, touched-up to look more beautiful." She shrugged. She turned to him and saw him shrug in response.

"I only ever saw the meteor on T-V or in pictures as well. Guess we'll be seeing it up close ourselves soon, huh?"

"In time. I don't think we can appease Titan just yet." She answered. She wished Gentiana were here to offer them guidance. She had studied this quest for half her life, yet embarking on it was proving a much different affair than she imagined. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt fingers brush against her cheek, and she turned quickly towards the touch, and Noctis jerked back his arm.

"Sorry…"

"No." she answered his apology, and reached out to him. Do it again. She brushed her fingers on his cheek to mirror his gesture, and he brought his hand back to her cheek in response. "I'm sorry I'm so jumpy." He shushed her apology, leaning forward to place a peck on her lips.

"I'm gonna admit… I didn't want to come up here just for the view outside the window."

"I ever tell you sometimes you feed me the cheesiest lines?" she chuckled,

"Guess it's a good thing you're not lactose intolerant" She laughed and shoved him, and he smiled at her, welcoming her as she scooted closer and wrapped her arms around him.

"Guess it's a good thing I haven't seen enough romance movies to alter my standards." She teased back.

"Standards? What are those? If you had any you'd realize I'm just some lazy scruffy dude." he answered back, and she laughed at him, shoving at him again and he pulled her back into his arms, pressing a kiss against the top of her shoulder, and she rolled her arm and shifted slightly. He took the hint, tilting his head to kiss her neck, fingers tracing the line of her back, his other hand sliding down her form. She felt his hands brush down her ribs but controlled her wince to a moan. He gripped her harder, mistaking the sound for pleasure. She reached up, pushing his hand down to her waist. She leaned back in and kissed him to prevent his inevitable apology.

After a few soft kisses he pressed against her harder, prodding her bottom lip with his tongue until she allowed him to taste her, his nasal sigh tickling her skin. It was odd to share such affection with him without sneaking behind closed doors and curtains; and the thought caused her to pull away with a disappointed whimper from Noctis.

"How far is the next station?" she asked, peering out the window.

"We have a little time… and no one would care." He tried to assure her. She flushed and apologized, eyes level with his. "It's okay…" he assured her, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "I shouldn't push you. If you're uncomfortable-" she cut him off with a fiery kiss, wanting this chance with him. Wanting to take advantage of this alone time in a cable car high above prying eyes, trying to will her rising pulse to calm. His fingers traced the skin of her lower back beneath the hem of the short top, and she felt goosebumps roll down her arms, cheeks and ears heating up, hoping the color would subside before they reached the station. "Maybe we can rent a hotel room tonight," he whispered in her ear, his breath against her neck sending another chill through her. She smiled, humming her agreement at the thought of sharing a bed with him once more, one that came with no risk of danger lying just outside the door. His fingers brushing along her lower back while his tongue tasted hers was beginning to make her mind wander, and she pulled back from the kiss to give herself time to recover from her flustered state.

She worried about the approaching station and the prying eyes within. These people won't hurt you for showing him affection. The people have never wanted to hurt you. Only the Nifs. She tried to assure herself, but wondered if the people of Lucis would hold her in such high regard should her demure and holy Oracle reputation be tarnished. She felt a sudden wave of guilt that she was in their city but wasn't amongst them healing them.

"Luna?"

"Sorry." She smiled at him. She knew that he understood her desire to heal, and pressing the matter would only make him feel as bad as her, and she didn't want to ruin this moment he made for them. She pulled back from his embrace, resting her palms on his chest. "Thank you for bringing me up here." She turned her head towards the window, shifting to turn and lean her back against her seat, nudging Noctis with her shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her in answer to her request, thumb idly brushing the skin of her arm while her gaze returning to out the window to enjoy the view of the rest of their ride. "Whenever I thought about the Covenants I suppose I never actually thought I'd get to see Lucis like we always talked about. I know that sounds silly and contradictory."

"You always talked about the places you wanted to see. I'm sure collecting all these royal arms and Astrals you'll get to see them all." He offered. Her mouth pulled back in a smile that didn't touch her eyes and she nodded. She wondered what it would be like to see Lucis, and all the places Noctis always wrote to her about. He had never seen them himself, but rather relayed stories told by his father, or places featured in movies and shows. She hoped she could enjoy seeing some of them despite the wildfire chasing them.

"And you too… you always talked yourself about wanting to travel if it was ever safe to leave the wall." She answered. She felt him stiffen and turned in his arms, her brows furrowed and an apology ready on her tongue.

"I wonder if his health will get a little better now that he's not constantly channeling the crystal to keep that wall up." He pondered, squeezing Lunafreya's arm.

"Crowe wanted to visit Hammerhead. We can go back, check on him."

"We've been gone like, eight hours? Pretty sure he's in one piece after a work-shift." He answered her. She shrugged, leaning her weight against him.

"I would not argue with everyone resting for at least a day." She had to admit she was quite relieved by his reply.

"Give us some time to think of the next step?" he asked.

"We can do that later… you wanted to enjoy a view. Let's… enjoy it, and worry about the next step later." She shifted in his arms, reaching up to cup his cheek and placed a brief kiss on his lips.

"Good plan."


So I really really don't like the last several lines of this chapter but I spent like 4 hours on a handful of lines and just threw in the towel. I hope you like it anyways.