Recap: "Your feelings?" I prompt quickly before he does something else to distract me.

Zavala POV

My feelings indeed. All I have wanted to do sense laying eyes on her again is to touch her, feel her soft skin again. As the thought runs through my mind I glance down at her sweet plum lips. To taste her again would be a dream come true.

I am pulled from my daydreams when Tia rubs my arm. My eyes return to her glowing green orbs and travel over her features. Her hair is down today, framing her face and shoulders, instead of being in its usual braid. The midnight blue showing in the light of the traveler. She is so beautiful.

I kneel before her with my arms on either side of her bare thighs. "I was attracted to you before the night we spent together." I admit recapturing her gaze with my own. "Cayde knew of my attraction to you." I pause and grip the ends of her shirt and letting go again. "He also encouraged me to ask you on a date, which I never got up the courage to do." Tia takes both of my hands and places them in her lap, covering them with her own.

I really hope that means my advances would have been welcome had I actually asked her out.

I squeeze her hands bringing them up and kissing them briefly before returning our hands back to her lap.

"I feel as if I can't be too mad at Cayde for that night because, for me, it was the most glorious night of my life." I look from our hands back to her eyes and notice they are shimmery with unshed tears. I release her hands to cradle her face and wipe the tears from her eyes. "Tia I…" but before I can finish my sentence Tia wraps her arms around my shoulders in a hug. After a beat I wrap my own arms around her waist returning her hug.

"Thank you Tia." I whisper near her ear.

She kisses the tattoo on my neck and whispers back "What for?"

Teasing minx. Two can play that game. I lick the groove of her neck right below her ear and answer, "For giving me hope."

She bites my ear lobe before stating, "Then I should thank you as well."

I release a low growl and nip her jaw line mimicking her line of, "What for?"

She leans back slightly and looks me in the eyes as she says, "For not rejecting me."

I run my fingers through her hair then trail a finger down her soft cheek to her chin. "I would never reject you." I say softly before our lips are together in a heart soring kiss.

She nips my bottom lip then traces it with her tongue. Her kisses could lead a man to his doom.

I open my mouth to her deepening our kiss as I move my arms under her knees gripping her thighs and buttocks in my hands before lifting her and standing in one smooth motion.

Our kiss intensifies as I walk us further into the room away from the patio. I set her down on a table and trail kisses and nips from her mouth to her throat releasing a groan as she scrapes her nails down my back. Vixen! I press her back to the table and grind my covered bulge to her clothed core resulting in her releasing a high pitched moan in pleasure.

I have to stop before I strip us both and take her here and now. "Have dinner with me." I groan just barely fighting the temptation to rip my shirt from her body.

"Right now." she responds and then adds with a cheeky grin, "I was under the impression I was dinner."

Alright she's gonna get it now. I rip the shirt she is wearing down the middle and run my hands down the expanse of her now exposed chest and belly before claiming one of her nipples with my teeth and tongue. She squeaks and holds the back of my head with one hand and grips the table with her other. Heavens her skin tastes marvelous.

I cup her still clothed mons and give it a not too gentle rub causing her to throw back her head and cry out her pleasure. I continue the friction over her covered gem and trace her chest and side with my other hand. I suck her nipple and release it blowing cool air over the dark nub before claiming it again. With one more stroke over her mound I capture her scream with a passionate kiss.

"Meet me tomorrow at my apartment at 18:30." I instruct before claiming her lips once more. I release her lips and press my thumb to her heated core drawing another soft squeak from her before stepping away. "You are absolutely glorious." I breathe before taking my leave.

Hatti POV

Tia finally returned today and asked to borrow my apartment which I agreed to so long as she explained what has been going on with her.

I have been in my room all evening and I'm starting to get a bit hungry. "Hey Chess, would you please go over to the ramen shop and get me some dango and my usual." I beg. "I'm feeling a bit nippy." I jokingly add snapping my jaws in his direction.

"Absolutely oh great starving beasty." my little ghost jokes back. Before booping my nose and flying out my window.

I love my little ghost. I remember when Chess first revived me. I was so terrified and heartbroken knowing that everyone I knew was gone. I felt alone.

Chess helped me through the darkness, he helped me fight and survive. He lead me here where I met my new family.

My reminiscing is interrupted when I hear a scream. Oh no, Tia!

I grab my shotgun from where it rests on my desk and silently sneak out of my room and glance around the corner into my living area. Not here. I quickly and quietly creep along the wall until I see her in my dining room splayed on my table like a feast.

"You are absolutely glorious." a man rumbles before he turns and makes his exit from my patio. That couldn't have been who I think it was.

Rustling from my dining table brings be back to focus and I approach Tia.

"Are you alright honey? Who was that man that you had in here? And seriously did y'all have to do it where I eat." I start my questioning with concern and the longer I looked at her and thought about things it really just became an interrogation. I'm gonna have to get a new table now. I grimace.

"He ruined my favorite shirt." I hear Tia grouse as she sits up fingering the torn fabric.

I sigh and pull a chair up to sit in front of her. I take the fabric into my hands examining the torn edges. "There is enough fabric here that I can salvage to make you something new." I look Tia in the eye. "I will only do it though if you tell me who that man was." I add sharply.

Tia releases a wistful sigh and rubs the torn fabric between her fingers. "That wonderful man was the original owner of this shirt." She chuckles and adds, "I accidentally took it the day I pummeled Cayde.

"Whoa whoa whoa, that was you!" I shriek. "It took six days to fix his face! And it still looks wrong!" I shout in amazement.

She has the decency to look sheepish at least. "I'm sorry Hatti but at the time he deserved it." she says looking abashed.

"Zavala said he threw Cayde through a wall."

Now she smirks.

Wait. "Zavala said? That was Zavala in here bringing you to climax on my dining table! Commander-stick-in-his-ass-Zavala!" At this point I am glad I am sitting down. This is a lot to take in.

Thankfully Chess chose that moment to return. Yayy food!