Chapter Eight: What Do Your Answers Say About You?

Butcher settled the benign vehicle into the steadily moving flow of traffic as Olivia pulled a stack of magazines from the passenger door's side pocket.

Butcher kept glancing over, memorizing her profile, wanting to interrogate her until he knew every detail about her.

"What's that you got there?" he asked as she thumbed through a glossy magazine.

She closed the magazine and showed him the cover that boasted tricks and tips for a flatter belly, fuller lips, and no more visible pores.

All five lanes of cars slowed quickly as a large accident ahead was beginning to cause major delays. Butcher glanced over as he let a big rig over.

He squinted at the page she was reading before reading the article title aloud. "What your sex and dating preferences reveal about yourself."

Olivia started to close the magazine before Butcher's hand shot out with viperlike speed and closed around her small wrist.

"Read the first question."

"Why? Those quizzes are pointless."

"It might be fun love," he growled as he released her wrist and dropped his hand to the top of her thigh and squeezed gently. "Question one," he murmured.

Olivia narrowed her eyes and cleared her throat before smoothing the magazine page flatter as she read the first question.

"At the end of a blind date where you really connected and feel like you could share the world with this person, you, A. Invite them in for a "nightcap" and have them in your bed before you can pour a glass. B. Wish them goodnight and arrange a second date and leave both of you wanting more with a hot make-out session C. Arrange for a second date and give them a single kiss, after all one night does not make a partner for life, or D. Who said the date ended, soul mate baby, viva Las Vegas wedding chapel anyone?"

Olivia lapsed into silence when she finished reading the question.

"Well?" he said, "which one love?"

"I read the question; you get to answer first."

"D," he said without further argument.

She reread the choices and set the magazine down, "really, D? Just like that?" she asked as she snapped her fingers.

"Yes," he said as he stopped short when the car in front of them came to a complete stop. "Sometimes it just takes one look, and you know it's the person that you can't and won't live without."

"Well, that seems fast," she finally said and stared down at the glossy page.

"Your choice then?"

"I don't like any of them, but I guess C."

"Very safe," he teased and added, "read the next one."

"When you're into someone, where is your favorite place to be kissed or caressed? A. neck, B. chest/breasts, C. back or D. lips?"

"D," he again answered with zero hesitation, "and your choice?" he asked, anxious to hear her answer.

"I don't like these questions, and besides that's all situational anyway," she stammered.

Olivia glanced over at him and cleared her throat. "Question three, when do you start thinking about marriage? A. Love at first sight can equal being married that night. B. When you start doing any of their laundry. C. After you've moved in together and discussed it as adults. D. No one will ever tie me down."

Butcher looked over at her briefly, "well?"

She shook her head, "these quizzes are so ridiculous, they're all nothing I'd pick but parts of B and obviously talking about it before hand. If you're cleaning up after each other, you've probably seen the other not at their best," she reasoned.

He nodded, "I could see that," he agreed. "I have to go with A."

Olivia reread A and pressed her lips together.

She felt a warm blush fill her face when he closed his hand around her left hand and traced the pad of his thumb in circles on top of her bare ring finger.

"Question four," she started in a rush, looking forward to moving past the question.

"What is your ideal wedding? A. A traditional wedding with a five-tiered cake and a Hawaiian honeymoon. B. Hop in the car and elope wherever the road takes you. C. A quiet intimate wedding with a handful of friends and nice dinner out. D. I only attend weddings with open bars and endless pastel Jordan almonds."

They were both silent as the mile markers passed, "I have to agree with you that none of those answers truly fit," he said.

"What would your answer be if it was a fill in the blank?"

"I'm happy with any kind of wedding," Butcher said as he glanced over and raked his eyes over her, his pupils dilating with heat.

"Which one would you pick?"

"I've always wanted to find a dress like one of those cartoon princesses," she said with an embarrassed laugh, "and a fancy cake."

"That sounds just fine with me," he growled and urgently squeezed the top of her leg.

"Question five," she said and scanned the rest of the page. "Good lord, there's still five more questions," she thought as she read the words with the curvy font from the glossy page. "How about children and when is the best time for that conversation? A. Children are created through love, talk about it all the time. B. Kids or no kids, doesn't matter to me. C. I'd have to be financially stable and in a solid relationship first. D. No."

"No, I mean D," Olivia said firmly.

"Same," he said quickly in the same tone.

"Well that's a relief," she said with a laugh, she had not wanted to debate that with him.

"It is," he agreed and added as he shook his head. "I didn't want to have that conversation with you," he admitted.

"Question six, you get an unexpected and impromptu three-day weekend. How will you spend it? A. Call pals and/or significant other and take a redeye to Vegas. B. Romantic bed and breakfast with your sweetie. C. Spend the weekend binge-watching tv and eating take-out D. Get to the home improvement store and finally clean out the closets and shampoo the carpets."

"They're all not the worst choices," she added after she finished reading the question. "I'd prefer to stay close to home though, my ideal would be a blend of C and D."

Butcher smiled, "I could get around that."

Olivia closed the magazine. "Can we take a quiz break?" she asked as she rolled down the window a few inches.

Butcher watched her dig to the bottom of the side door pocket before pawing through the glove compartment.

He was about to ask her what she was looking for when she gave a relieved sigh and pulled a battered pack of filtered cigarettes from under the vehicle manual. She fruitlessly scanned the dashboard for a lighter.

"Here ya go love," he murmured as he fished a grass green lighter from his pocket.

He declined her offer to share the half-empty pack. "I don't smoke, that's just for luck."

"Does it work?" she asked as she leaned towards him as he flicked the lighter and produced a flame.

"Well you're sitting next to me right now."

She inhaled and held the smoke as she regarded him without a readable expression before exhaling out the window.

As Butcher continued to put more miles on the large engine, hours in the opposite direction, Starlight coughed, her lungs still burning from Homelander and Stormfront's combined assault on the mechanic shop turned safe house.

The Female had healed faster and had already wired together a bunch of computer, tablet, and phone parts to hack into the local law enforcement servers.

Both women mourned differently and collectively as they worked on a plan to topple Vought. The Female had found a condemned building with a decent roof and the two women recuperated there as they tried to find out what happened to Butcher and the Vought scientist.

The law enforcement network had been quiet, Starlight assumed that Vought told them to end their investigation after some significant money changed hands.

As Starlight wiped dried blood from her nose, hours and hours in the opposite direction, Butcher exited the interstate and eventually ended up on a dirt road which eventually led to an RV rental and storage lot and summertime campground.

The large-bannered entryway said to proceed forward to drop off your car for a complimentary wash before parking or to rent an RV, it was a left turn.

There were a few cars waiting to turn left and Butcher flipped on his turn signal before looking over at her. She'd lapsed into silence. "What's going on in your head over there love?"

She wouldn't have been able to summarize even if she'd had eight hours to prepare.

"Are you really serious about an actual life together?"

"Yes," Butcher said as he reached over and grasped her left hand, his rough palm in sharp contrast with her smooth skin. He squeezed her hand and traced the pad of his thumb in slow circles on the top of her bare ring finger.

"I didn't plan on this happening love," he started before he moved up in the slow-moving line. "Tell me what you need from me."

Olivia stared down at his large hand closed around hers as he approached the drive-through registration booth.

Luck or something was with Butcher and Olivia. The bored teenager behind the counter didn't even look up at them once. Butcher filled out the form with some bullshit personal information and paid in cash. The kid passed Butcher a set of keys with a blue plastic fob and turned his lack of attention to the next waiting customer.

Butcher parked next to a sleek gunmetal grey RV with turquoise accents. "What do ya think?" he asked breaking her out of her daze.

"It's fancy" she said honestly and both of them heard her stomach growl. She giggled embarrassedly.

"I'll stock the fridge as soon as we get a little further from here. There's a little minimart I can stop at before we head out."

Butcher moved their bags to the RV as Olivia took a self-guided tour.

She was relieved to see a small shower that he said had hot water as well as a gas stove. She peeked in the cupboards and under the sink before finding him unpacking the clothes, some still with tags, into a small dresser in the cozy bedroom.

The full-sized mattress was covered with a sapphire blue bedspread. "Which side of the bed would you like?" he asked, deliberately injecting heat into his words.

"Against the wall please," she whispered and backed up until the opposite dresser stopped her progress.

Butcher nodded and held out a grey plastic bag towards her. "What's that?" she asked as she tentatively took the bag from him and reached inside the bag.

He remained quiet as she answered her own question.

"This is nice," she murmured lamely as she pulled the deep violet nightgown from the bag.

"I'd like you to put that on."

She pretended to not hear him and couldn't move away fast enough when he suddenly closed the space between them. "Put it on love," he said sternly.

"Now?" she asked, stalling.

Butcher nodded and took the bag from her hands. She held her breath as he pulled the buttery soft gown free and pressed it into her reluctant hands. "You can change in there if you'd like," he said huskily and pushed open the small bathroom partition.

"I don't want to change into this right now," she said as she stay rooted to the spot.

"Do you not like it?"

"It's very pretty," she admitted.

"So, why don't you want to wear it?"

"Because you still terrify me," she thought and looked anywhere but him.

"I'm afraid you're going to kill me," she wanted to say and instead tucked the gown back into the plastic bag as she spoke. "I'd just like to get something to eat and clean up. Plus you keep saying we need to get more distance between us and Vought."

Butcher put a hand on either side of the dresser and leaned close enough that he could smell the tobacco odor that clung to each strand of her hair.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Do you hear me?" he added when she remained silent.

Olivia nodded, not trusting her voice.

"Do you find me so repulsive love?" he whispered.

Olivia couldn't find her words as he paused, "answer me," he murmured. "Do I disgust you?" he added raggedly.

She shook her head. "No," she said softly and trailed off into silence, returning her attention to a spot on the wall over his broad shoulder.

"No, what?"

"I've never gotten so close to someone so fast, it's so much," she stammered as felt her blush return and fill her face grow hot from the tips of her ears to the curve of her chin as he pressed himself against her. She could feel him growing hard against the front of her body.

"Speak carefully," Butcher thought as he considered his words and reveled in the electric trembling that was racing throughout her body.

"Is that scaring you?" he managed as he struggled to keep his tone even.

Olivia nodded and tried to keep her breathing under control as Butcher smoothed an errant lock of hair behind her ear.

Butcher began tugging at her clothes when she closed her small hands around his wrists. "How many people have you killed?"

He ignored her question and shook her hands free so he could resume unbuttoning her shirt.

"How many?" she repeated breathlessly.

"Several," he growled as he gave up on the buttons and ripped her shirt open.

"Are you just going to do whatever you want?" she managed before he wrapped her up in his formidable embrace before she found herself underneath him on the firm mattress.

"I want to fuck my soon-to-be-wife, my forever bird," Butcher said on a strangled groan as he dropped a hand to the zippered closure of his pants and fumbled with the top button.

"We didn't talk about that," she stammered and felt her eyes widen in shock at his words.

"Let's talk now," he growled as he forced her thighs further apart until he could insinuate himself closer to her wet, tight center.

"That's not fair," Olivia managed as Butcher licked his finger and teased her clit until she was pressing her pelvis against him.

"What's not?" he whispered as he licked a wet line up her neck, feeling her rapidly beating carotid pulse under his tongue.

Olivia wasn't able to answer as her sudden orgasm overtook her and would've made her knees shaky if she'd been standing. Butcher smiled against her neck as he slid a couple fingers into her wet pussy and felt her tightness spasm around him.

"You said you'd travel and live with me," he murmured as he resumed painfully slow circles around her swollen and oversensitive clit.

"Yes," she gasped and felt sweat spring to the flushed skin of her forehead.

"I want you to be all mine, my wife," he whispered raggedly as he slipped a hand between them and freed his rapidly hardening cock.

"Marry me," Butcher growled as he plunged himself inside her. Olivia cried out as he was suddenly filling and stretching her wet, sensitive femininity.

She couldn't find her breath let alone her words as Butcher thrust himself as deep as he could, continuing at a growing rhythm, their intimate flesh wetly kissing.

Butcher shifted and captured her wrists and pushed them back to the surface of the bed, never losing his steady pace as she met his eyes. "Marry me," he growled and made her gasp as he thrust deeply.

"What's the alternative?" she asked herself as he made her body feel alive.

"Yes," she breathlessly managed.

Butcher felt her thighs begin to shake as the head of his cock brushed a sensitive spot inside her.

"Yes?" he groaned before he dropped his head to the curve of her shoulder and clenched his eyes shut as he came inside her.

Olivia felt tight coil of pleasure rip through her. The force made her tighten her thighs around his waist and thrust her pelvis against his cock that was still throbbing, buried deep inside her.

"Yes," she managed and sagged underneath him until he pulled his softened cock from her wet center and settled on the bed behind her.

Her stomach growled even louder than before and soon an involuntary shout fell from her lips when Butcher yanked her on to her back and pressed his lips to hers and kissed her until she was breathless.