Everything Else

"You smell different."

"I have a new cologne." When she only gave him a stare back, he said, "It's like…a perfume. For guys. It's a scent and you spray it on yourself."

"Like a skunk."

"…Sort of." He made a face then, more at the fact that she knew what a skunk was than the comparison. "So there are those down here?"

"Of course, Overlander." She was in his lap, straddling him, and was able to bury her head in his neck, sniffing slightly. He really smelled…peculiar. Not like him at all. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not.

Gregor only sat there though, absently running a hand down her back as he processed the consequences of an Underland skunk. That is the last monster he wanted to run into.

"Are they…big here?"

"Mmmm. What are you supposed to smell like?"

"Luxa, it's just a scent. Tell me about skunks."

She sniffed again before pulling back so they could see each other. There was no torch in the room and they were alone in the darkness. Out of all the beds Luxa crawled into over the years, she thought sharing one with the Overlander was her favorite. Then again, he was only going up against her parents, Henry, and her grandparents. And those times were only when she had a nightmare as a child.

Again, Gregor was more worried about the skunks. "Where exactly are they located? Like, are they a Dead Lands thing or-"

"I see you once in a month and not only do you smell…odd, but you are more focused on a skunk?"

"I love you," he assured her as he ran his hand down her back, sliding it around to grasp her hip. "But skunks are-"

She shifted in his lap in a way that only she knew to. Groaning, Gregor took his other hand and moved it up to he forehead before knocking her crown up and off. Letting go of her hip, he easily caught it with his second hand.

"Don't be the Queen right now," he mumbled as he moved to wave it in her face. "Just be my girlfriend."

Though seasons did not affect those in the Underland often, they did Luxa extensively. At seventeen, she had learned that there was only one good one. Summer. The rest were horrid and kept Gregor in school for the most part. The horror.

He kept telling her that he would be eighteen soon enough and then they wouldn't have to worry about school. She only reminded him that then he would work and find a real life, something that he himself had said was what normal people in the Overland did. Either that or went away to this horrible thing called college. All seemed as if they would take him even further away.

Snatching her crown away, Luxa quickly replaced it on her head. While righting it, she told him simply, "I can be both."

"Known you a long time and I don't think so. You seem to favor one more than another, depending on how much time we spend together. The less I see you, the more you get comfortable being single."

Single. Girlfriend. They weren't real words to her. But he made them real. She knew words that no one else in the Underland knew. And it was a challenge, at times, not to tell some of the older generals to shut up when they were annoying her or tell others to go fuck themselves. Really, really hard.

"I am better suited as the Queen than your girlfriend."

"In what way?" He grinned at her then, that one where he tilted his head to the side and showed her a flash of teeth, so she knew that she had officially distracted him from those stupid skunks. "Because I think you're the best girlfriend I've ever had."

"I had better be the only."

"Does it matter?"

"Does it matter how many other guests I have entertained in the confines of this room?"

He groaned slightly. "Why do you win every argument?"

"Because I am the Queen."

Shifting to sit up taller, he leaned back against the headboard of her bed with a sigh. "Are you going to feed me in the morning?"

"Gregor-"

"Please?"

She grasped his jaw in one hand, which made him hide his grin as she was trying to seem so in control and everything. He gave up a lot for her.

"Beg me."

"Thought I did."

She squeezed slightly, causing his cheeks to go in like a fish, his lips puffing out. And yeah, okay, so he was kind of letting her do it as well, but he liked seeing her happy. And dominating him made her happy.

"Hungry now," he told her when she relaxed her grip. "Will wait. Please?"

"What do you want?"

"I dunno." He grinned when she released his jaw fully. "Meat."

"Do you want it now?" She wasn't kidding anymore and shifted back in his lap, as if ready to get up. "Eat it in bed?"

"Is that an option?"

She shrugged slightly. "If you are hungry, I will get you food, Overlander."

"Can we still, like, mess around or whatever? Or will watching me eat completely turn you off?"

She pushed his head then with one hand before standing. "You annoy me."

"You love me."

The guard at the entrance to the royal wing did not even blink an eye when Luxa came to him with her request. It was rather late in Regalia, but the mess hall was still open so all the drunks could get their fill. It was not a stretch for Luxa to ask for food so late. Everyone knew who it was for, but it was not a stretch.

It wasn't so much of a secret anyhow, after Luxa was of age. From what she knew, when most queens served on their own, they took lovers. Even multiple. It served as to keep a man off the throne, which would certainly over shine her as far as power went.

If anything, considering Luxa only had one and it was always the same man, it was not that big of a scandal. It was different, of course, with him being an Overlander. That did cause some talk, more out of fear of a bastard, but Luxa ignored those concerns for the most part. Gregor brought these weird…things from the Overlander which more or less quelled her fears.

"If you stain my sheets, I will harm you," Luxa threatened when she returned to Gregor. "Severely."

"Been there, done that." He wiggled his butt slightly when she handed him a plate of food. "You hungry?"

"No," she said slowly as she got back into bed. "And I was wrong. Watching you eat is turning me off."

She had not been expecting his arrival and had been asleep before he showed up. Apparently, Nike had picked him up, as prearranged between them. Why she wasn't allowed to know of his visit beforehand was beyond Luxa. Why he felt the need to surprise her was silly as well. She would much rather know when he was coming. Anticipation was part of the game.

"Ha ha. More fun. Now I have to turn you back on." He winked at her. "Tell me you can withstand this sexiness."

She didn't even blink. "I can withstand."

"More like abstain. You know you want me."

Luxa only laid back down, resting her head near his thigh as he sat crossed-legged, the plate in front of him.

She was the Queen. She could have any man in her bed at any given moment. Instead, she was left with a teenage boy who just completely dropped a piece of pork on her bed.

"Gregor-"

"It was an accident. You knew when you gave me food that this would happen." He wagged a finger at her. "You caused this problem, Luxa. Don't blame me for it."

Oh had she caused the problem. The biggest problem. She had not brought the warrior to the Underland, but she was the reason his ghost kept coming back.

During the summer months or other breaks, Gregor was in the palace constantly. His mother hated it, but she couldn't afford to move to Virginia. It was always next month that they were leaving until it had been years and she finally gave up. Luxa admired Grace's tenacity…mainly because she knew she had more. Luxa knew that she would win Gregor every time over his mother and it was actually another fun factor in their little game.

A very fun one.

Gregor wiggled his butt suddenly, making her frown.

"What?" He was beginning to annoy her, but she was certain that was his goal from the beginning. "What are you happy about?"

"It's just good food. All I got to eat the past week was pizza and burgers. I like, you know, real food sometimes."

She sighed slightly. "It's been a month, Gregor."

"I have school. You know that. I can't…" He sighed slightly. "I missed you. And worried about you. Worried about how you were, what you were doing, who you were talking to."

"All the generals and soldiers that could fill your space."

"No one could take my job," he told her with confidence. "It's not just all about sexing you up, Lux. I gotta put a smile on my face as you berate me, come to terms with the fact that I'm basically a male mistress, and-"

"Stop speaking. I dislike your voice at the moment."

He went back to eating, though it didn't stop his speech. "You know, you could try being loving sometimes. You get me flies with sugar than vinegar."

"Why would I want flies? You make sense."

When he looked down at her, she just pressed her face into her thigh, refusing to look back at him. She felt more comfortable, when he was with her. It was not just his presence either. She liked that, of course, but it was more the thought of him not being in the Overland that she loved most.

When he was in New York, he could be doing anything with anyone at any time. She only knew the Overland from his stories and she found that she did not rather like it. You did not have swords, which left him open to anything. You had to go to horrible places like school, which kept her from seeing him constantly. Then there were the other people that Gregor did not seem to get along with very well.

Which actually was not a bad thing. He spoke some times of other girls and it bothered her to no end. She had many tells, she always had, and he usually steered the conversation back onto other things to keep her anger down. He liked her jealous, but not too jealous.

Jealous. Worry. Love. Care. And, as much as she hated to admit it, patience. It took a lot to be with Gregor and all of those things, as well as many others, played into that. She took so many different emotions to new levels with him. She did not like for her other cousins to have contact with Hazard. That was jealousy. The thought of Gregor knowing other girls and possibly spending time with them? That was true jealousy. It put the other to shame. When Nike went to the fliers' land and did not send word, Luxa worried. When Gregor disappeared and did not show up when promised? That was worry. That was sick to her stomach, convinced he had either decided to leave her forever or been killed worry.

He brought new meaning to all words. Possession, anger, resentment. Fear, compassion, enjoyment. Devotion, loneliness, faithful. Every time he left and every time he returned, there was a new challenge and new situation to deal with.

As much as she needed him, as much as she wanted him, a lot of times she pushed him away too.

She wasn't an easy person to get along with on a basic level. On a personal level, it was almost impossible. Even Hazard took to hating her and her attitude at times. And Gregor was far more than just personal. He crossed that line long ago. As much as she hated it, he was the closest to another person she had ever been in her life. He knew everything.

And she hated it.

When she was crying, he was able to tell immediately what it was from. When she was happy, he immediately tried to replicate whatever it was that made her that way. When she was angry at him, even if he didn't know what he had done (sometimes it was nothing he could control), he immediately tried to remedy the situation. They fought, sure, they had always fought, but he was always far more concerned with making up.

"So what am I getting tonight? Other than the food?" Gregor wiggled his butt again. "Do surprise visits, like, constitute an oral sex thing or-"

"Gregor," she groaned, rubbing her head against his thigh. "Be quiet."

"It's just a question. Not a demand or nothing. I'm fine with just a handy if you-"

"You accuse me of being too much like a queen when you first return, I accuse you of being different as well."

"In what way?"

"In every way." She shifted back slightly, turning her eyes upward to stare at him. "You try too hard to make me laugh."

"Of course I do. I assume that you have not laughed since I left."

"You cannot be serious."

"I very much so am, Lux."

"I do know other people, Gregor."

"Yeah, well, you don't have nobody in your life like me. And I don't got nobody like you either, so it's okay."

"Mmmm." She rested her head against him once more. "I miss you when you go."

"Clingy much?"

"Gregor-"

"I love you. And I miss you too. It's not…I don't like anyone near as much as I like you. Not even just in a sexual way."

"You sure seem to be bringing it up enough, for it not to be."

"I'm horny, baby."

Luxa shut her eyes tightly before letting out a slow breath. She wanted him. She missed him. She had to keep reminding herself of that.

"I just meant though that I would rather be here, you know? Than anywhere else. Except maybe Hawaii. I dunno. I've never been there, but it sounds really cool and chill."

She didn't know what he was talking about, but just took to ignoring that comment. "I like you better here."

"Even when I'm annoying?"

"You are annoying me currently."

"You're just jealous because I got food and you don't."

"I got you the food."

"And?"

Talking to Gregor was always different. Because no matter how long he was gone, the second he was back, their relationship was back. It was like it was frozen and thawed the second he returned. She hardly felt awkward around him and he never seemed to hesitate before telling her whatever he was thinking.

Unfortunately, that included when he was…horny.

"I do not even know what a gnawer would think, Gregor," she mumbled to him then when she got another whiff of him. "Perhaps this cologne is good. It shall hide your scent."

"Do you like it? Just thought I'd try something different."

"It does not smell like…you," she said slowly. His normal scent was what she assumed was a mix of what his home smelled of and the streets of New York. It was not wholly horrible. "But it does not stink either. I suppose."

He wiggled his butt. "Does it turn you on?"

"Okay, Gregor. Enough. I am not laughing anymore."

"I don't think you've actually laughed once tonight, babe."

"Yes, well, your comedy has slowly become stale."

"Yes, well, you're not that fresh either, babe."

"Do not start on a bad note."

"I started on a good note. It's slowly turning sour." He made a face then. "Oh, by the way, I've taken up a new skill."

"Skill? What other skills do you possess? To have a new one, you must have an old one."

"I have many skills, okay? Now be quiet. I'm talking."

He would have gotten hit, had she felt up to it. She was slowly becoming tired once more however, the excitement over him coming back slowly dying down.

"I'm learning to play the guitar, you see? An instrument. I-"

"You took time out to not only buy an instrument, but also start learning it, but were unable to see me for a month?"

"…I think you're missing the point here."

"You have ten seconds to get to the point."

"Just that I got a new skill, you know? I'm versatile."

"Nope. Not the point. The point is that you chose to play an instrument instead of be with me."

"I chose to get an education than be with you. Some women find that hot." Then he looked down at her and saw her face. "And I know that you are not those women."

"Certainly not."

"So instead, maybe we should change the subject and forget that I mentioned anything."

Patience. She needed a lot of patience.

"I just like messing with you," Gregor told Luxa after they had set his plate to the side and he laid down with her. "You know that."

"I also know that apparently you think you have many skills."

"I do. You just hate to admit it."

He was facing her as she curled up towards himand smile when she reached out to rest a hand against his chest.

"You can play…music then?" she asked slowly.

"Nothing you'd know. And nothing I'd know, actually. I'm not too good at it."

"Then it is not a skill."

"I said I will still learning, didn't I?" He leaned forwards resting his head against hers. "Now you sound more like my girlfriend."

"And you are calming down. You are too riled up when you first get here."

He gave her that toothy grin again. "I'm just in love with you."

She only sighed. "If you knew what I had to deal with, being with you-"

"You're not all that great either, babe." He reached up then, pressing a hand over the one she had against his chest, caging it there. "But I keep coming back. And you can't fault me for that, can you?"

Sometimes. Sometimes she hated the way that he thought he could just show up back in her life, demand things, require her attention. Sure, when he was around, the gnawers were not so pushy and Hazard was not so defiant, but that only stroked his ego even more. It made him think that she…needed him. And she hadn't needed anyone since she was a child and she needed her dead parents. Then her cousin stepped in and completely shattered her.

She didn't need anyone…at least she didn't want to.

But, once again, he as changing the definition. Need with Henry was a desire. She wanted to impress him, craved his praise. She would have done anything to impress him. Anything.

With Gregor, it was completely different. She needed his attention, fine, but by the same token she knew he would never take it away. It was not conditional. She didn't have to do for him for him to do for her. She craved his presence, but if it was not there, she knew how to go on. She could want him and needed him without shutting down when he was gone.

Luxa turned her head then to kiss him gently. Against his lips, she mumbled, "You still want me?"

That made him laugh. "Is that an invitation or an open survey?"

"Greg."

He only smiled at her before letting go of her hand. "For the record, Lux, that never has to be a question."

There was just so much that Gregor taught her and showed her that it was hard to keep track. Because there was more to life than just the act of living it and the ending of it. Henry lived his life only to prove himself in death. The more time Luxa spent with Gregor, the less she even thought about something like that. Dying had always been a threat, but it was slowly becoming a distant memory. Henry said there was no eternal fire, but there didn't have to be. Light just had to shine for as long as it was needed. Because your life was an eternity. It was your forever. Maybe not everyone's, but yours. And Luxa was learning to like her eternity.

And living for yourself was good and well, but eventually you had to stop worrying about what you were living for, else it would consume you. You had to just find the moments and stay in those. And yes, moments ended and feelings didn't last forever, but that was what made it good. Gregor always told her that you could not make up if you did not fight.

Protection. Admiration. Loyalty.

Desire. Hope. Relationship.

Happiness. Sadness. Hatred.

She felt all those. Constantly. Sometimes even all at the same time. Not even always about Gregor. Sometimes it was the gnawers, other times even the nibblers and the spinners constantly were causing headaches. That was probably why it felt so good when she was able to just press her head into the crook of his neck and let it all go. When she could grip his upper arm and just feel everything. All of it. And nothing mattered then. And that was better than life and death. Just feeling everything and nothing mesh together meant so much more to her than it should.

He always liked to cuddle. Always. Sometimes he liked to sleep with his chest against her back, one arm strew over her head so that when he curled it, she could hide in the crook of his arm. Other times he liked for her to sleep against his side or on his chest. He just liked to have her close, because it meant she was real, that it was all real, and he wasn't just crazy. Someone actually cared about him and wanted him.

She felt the same way.

That night though, they laid facing each other, her head next to his, hardly touching. He had awoken her that night after all and kept her up for awhile. She was truly just ready to fall asleep. There was nothing better than waking up and realizing that he was still around, after all.

He wouldn't let her sleep though. Not when something so important was bothering him.

"So, Lux, about this whole skunk thing."

She peeked an eye open. "Tell me you are joking."

"Lux, these are serious questions, okay? Concerns. For my safety."

"Gregor-"

"I know you want to sleep. And you can. After you answer a few very basic questions that will help further my time here."

"I am tired, Gregor. I-"

"Few question. Very basic. Now, this population of skunks, are they my size in the Overland? Or are they gnawer sized? Nibbler? Crawler? These are very vital to my survive. Also, where do they mainly conjugate? Because I have been here awhile now, many years, and-"

She grabbed his jaw in one hand, clenching it into a fist. His cheeks caved, like a fish, almost immediately. Staring him in the eyes, she gave him her deadliest of stares.

"You are going to be quiet, Overlander. Or I am going to harm you and make you a very, very sad boy. Do you want that?"

He could only shake his head slightly in her grip.

"Very good. When I let you go, you are going to roll over, face the other way, and leave me alone for the rest of the night. Yes?"

Nod. Definite nod.

"Good." She kissed him then before releasing him. Then he did the exact opposite as promised and wrapped her up in a big bear hug.

"Overlander-"

"Now that I've got your attention, I'm going to need a really detailed report on this whole skunk thing. Cool?" He gave her a squeeze. "Now, to begin, have you ever been sprayed? If so, are you a supporter of the tomato method?"

She hated him. She really, really hated him. In a way she never hated something before. But she loved him too. Unadulterated, completely unfiltered, and with all her heart.

And that made life and death irrelevant.

So…this chapter got away from me. It was supposed to be in par with the length of the other chapters, but some how wound up being nearly twice their size. Got half way through and decided to just go for it. It was the last chapter, anyways. And the more the merrier, right?