CAUTION: Spoils aspects of Innocent Hopes, Twisted Realities, as well as aspects of When Nothing Remains, and much of Usurpation of the Darkness through chapter 13.

Seriously, major spoilers here.

Assuming you wish to continue, read on…

Background: This is the second chapter of the 'Gold is Lily's mate' AU begun last chapter. Again, a reminder that while this collection of one-shots as a whole is rated T, this individual arc is rated M because of Gold.

"You're procrastinating," Lily drawled.

"You are distracting, and far more interesting than my parents," Gold purred, running his muzzle down her back. He had no desire to hurry, not when anything more interesting might happen. Sure, they had already done 'interesting' things once that very morning, but that made the prospect of doing so again even more enticing, not less.

"Come on," Lily warbled, pushing his muzzle away with the edge of her wing. "We already agreed that we're going to go be polite. Your parents should hear it from you, not some random gossiping light wing."

"Nobody is going around gossiping in this weather," Gold quickly retorted, setting his paws just behind where her wings could reach, putting just enough weight on her hindquarters to force her to sit down. "We can stay here until it stops raining. That is a good excuse."

Lily looked back at him, her expression somewhere between annoyed and amused. "Do you plan on holding me here?"

Gold looked down at his paws, which were firmly pressing her to the stone, and then back over at her. "Looks like it," he said smugly. She was thin and he was strong; she had no choice but to give in if he put his paw down – literally. "My parents can wait."

"How confident are you of that?" Lily asked, trying to twist around and free herself. She was, of course, not at all successful.

"Confident enough to do this." He lunged forward and sprawled across her hindquarters, keeping her down with his stomach instead of his paws.

"Overconfident," Lily huffed, twisting her neck to look back at him. "Get off."

"No. I am on top in this relationship!" he crowed. After being manipulated into promising not to go after other females, he was enjoying turning the tide on her. This was how it should be; he was in charge when it came to-

There was a subtle shift under his stomach, but it wasn't nearly enough warning to prepare him for what came next. Lily, having repositioned herself, heaved forward, shoving her bony spine upward. She didn't actually throw him, but her spine drove into his soft stomach, totally forcing the air out of him, and she had no trouble sliding out from under him after that.

Gold had bigger worries than keeping her pinned, anyway. He collapsed to the ground, wheezing breathlessly, and barely noticed pressure on his sides and front while his lungs laboriously struggled to pull in that which had been displaced. It would be the height of embarrassment to die because he had annoyed his mate, but he didn't think he could help that.

Of course, he wasn't really dying. It just felt that way for a little while. And when the pain cleared, humiliation replaced it.

"What were you saying?" Lily asked sweetly, her grey eyes boring into his from her place straddling him, her left paw lightly pressing on his throat, the other three paws and tail pinning his limbs. "Something about how being on top and being in charge are related?"

Gold tried to wrap his tail around hers to pull her to the side, but her tail was elusive, pushing his down without offering anywhere to grip.

"I'm on top if that is what it takes to get you to respect me," she continued lightly. "And if you want to be on top of me, or on me at all, you need to go be polite to your relatives, and then mine."

"If you-"

"And we will do something fun after all of that, at nightfall so that you do not act impatient and try to hurry things along," Lily continued, totally overriding his attempt at negotiating. "But only if you behave."

Gold decided that the best way to salvage some dignity from the situation was to nod and savor the feeling of her body on his, regardless of the context.

It took Lily a moment to realize what he was doing. When she did notice, she shook her head, growling lightly, and hopped off of him. "That's not going to work if I have to pin you again," she growled.

Gold said nothing in return, rolling to his paws and shaking himself. Their little power struggle wasn't over yet, and she had just given him a good way to make sure she regretted trying to make him cooperate.

Maybe regret was the wrong way to put it, actually. He looked over at Lily as they walked to the falling curtain of cold rain that marked the end of the ledge. He didn't want to make her regret anything, really. That sounded too harsh. He wanted to convince her to just let him take charge.

"The sooner we go, the sooner we can be out of the rain again," Lily declared, leaping out into the cold day.

"And the sooner I can warm you up," Gold called out suggestively, flying close behind her. Usually he was more subtle with his innuendo, but he wanted to test something. "Warm from the inside out."

Lily faltered midair and glared back at him, her eyes wide and uncertain, before looking forward once more and flapping just a little harder.

Gold purred smugly as they flew up over the mountains. Yes, he had been correct. This would work. By the end of today, Lily would know better than to try and turn things around on him. She might be smarter than he had thought, but he was still going to be the one in control.

O-O-O-O-O

"Gold!" His Dam roared out the moment she caught sight of him, though he had taken the lead and come around from behind precisely in order to postpone that moment as long as possible, and thus was almost close enough to land before she noticed. "Get down here!"

"Already doing that," Gold quipped, landing heavily and splattering pooled rain everywhere. He was reminded of the rock he and Lily had picked out and how it would not allow water to pool like this, and could not hold back a smug purr. His impatience seemed… totally reasonable, actually, even in retrospect. But he was still glad she had insisted they take the time to choose then.

"And you!" his Dam hissed just as Lily landed beside him. "You trough! My son is better than-"

"Dam!" Gold roared, feeling far more defensive than he had anticipated. "Do not call her that!" Aside from the insult itself, he really didn't like hearing his Dam accuse Lily of being easily convinced to mate with any male who asked; she certainly was not that, given how long she had led him on without actually giving anything more interesting than a few teasing touches. He had wished she or Crystal or Honey was that easily persuaded.

"She is one," his Dam hissed angrily. "Disappearing with you overnight? That is shameful and dishonorable. And I am mad at you too, son, so do not think you are blameless here."

Gold cast a quick glance back at Lily, but she just tossed her head in his Dam's direction, for some reason declining to defend herself. Well, if she wanted him to defend her, he had no problem being her big, strong mate and doing so.

"We are mates," he said loudly. None of their neighbors appeared to be listening, huddled on their own rocks, but he was sure all who were listening could hear him. "And have been since yesterday. So no, she is not what you are calling her."

There was something viscerally satisfying about the way his Dam's tirade abruptly died away as that information sunk in, and Gold was glad Lily hadn't burst her bubble immediately. It was much more fun this way, even if his Sire was nowhere to be seen and thus not around to add to the entertainment of the moment.

"You… Oh." His Dam pawed at a puddle directly beneath her head, looking down for a long moment. "I see."

"I did say we should come tell you immediately afterward," Lily volunteered. "So, I cannot blame you for leaping to conclusions when we could have prevented it but chose not to."

"But I still think you should apologize," Gold added hopefully, still savoring the moment. His Dam was overbearing at the best of times; it was rare to see her so off-balance.

"I do apologize," his Dam said emphatically, looking up and approaching Lily. "Welcome to the family, and congratulations."

"Thank you," Lily said primly, her head held high. "Apology accepted."

"Please, come over to the high part of the rock," his Dam offered, leading Lily to the one slanted part of the family rock, the one she usually occupied. "I wish the weather was not so horrible."

"We all do," Gold said quickly, interjecting himself back into the conversation before his Dam could totally exclude him. She hadn't even begun to yet, but he knew how she worked and had absolutely no intention of being sent off to 'do something useful' like his Sire always was whenever his Dam wanted to talk to someone interesting. Lily was his mate, and he wasn't letting that happen.

Actually, on that thought, "What is Sire doing out in it, anyway?" he asked, awkwardly bringing the conversation around to that very topic.

"Out fishing," his Dam blithely replied, waving a wing dismissively at him. "So, Lily, can I expect a young one from you two soon? I hope so."

Gold saw a chance to further both his immediate and long-term goals, and spoke accordingly. "It will not be from lack of trying if last night is anything to go by."

Lily's ears swept to the back of her neck, and she ducked her head in embarrassment. "Gold, please," she hissed.

He merely grinned in response to that; if it was already making her plead with him, then a whole day of similar comments should be enough to get her to fold.

"So, you do want eggs?" his Dam pressed, ignoring the byplay either out of politeness or determination to get a solid answer. Gold suspected the latter.

"Perhaps not for a while," Lily replied bashfully, still looking anywhere but his Dam's face. "And we do not know if I can have eggs. Some females cannot."

"We will be sure to thoroughly investigate whether that is true in this case." Another little suggestive comment, and another round of cringing from Lily, though she cast him a subtle glare the moment his Dam looked away. He flicked his ears and quite inappropriately brought one of his hind paws up to drive home just how not bothered he was by innuendo in front of his Dam.

"Put that down before you scare somebody," his Sire called out, startling him and making Lily duck her head yet again in shame. Gold did his best to restrain his first impulse, which was identical to hers in this case, and turned it into a respectful nod.

"Put what- Oh, the fish," his Dam exclaimed, totally waylaid by the sopping wet food his Sire tossed down. "Dear, take two for yourself and Gold and go flying with your son, will you? He has just taken a mate, and I want to talk to her."

Gold sighed in annoyance, all too aware that he and his Sire were being put out of the way, but didn't protest beyond that. There was only so much he could do, and he didn't want to try any more suggestive comments or actions after his Sire had caught him at one. There was nothing really to be lost by doing as told.

Of course, his Sire didn't even have to think about it; he had long since surrendered to doing as told in every instance. He was done eating and up in the air so fast Gold had to gulp his fish down and scramble to catch up.

"If what I saw is anything to go by, having a mate will not tame you," his Sire began without preamble once he caught up. They flew side by side in the pelting rain, heading up. It would be far more pleasant above the clouds.

"I am taming her," Gold asserted confidently, blithely ignoring Lily's demonstration as to the contrary earlier that morning. He had the upper paw now, and that was all that mattered. "So, no."

"Good luck. Females do not take kindly to being controlled," his Sire advised as they powered up through the dense clouds making the world below so miserable.

"How would you know?" Gold muttered to himself. His Sire hadn't taken charge for a moment for as long as he could remember.

Then they broke through the top of the clouds, and Gold sighed in relief. The sun felt amazing on his scales, and the lack of rain even more so. It was windy but pleasant above the clouds.

"Is there any advice you would want from me?" his Sire asked eagerly. "I have flown these winds for season-cycles. I know how it works."

"Nothing I can think of." Any advice from his Sire would just go toward making his relationship as one-sided and boring as the one his parents shared. Even if his Sire gave advice, he wouldn't listen.

"Not even practical things?"

"Like what?" What was there to be practical about in being mated? What did his Sire even mean by that?

"Such as how to avoid having an egg until after you have both had your fill of lacking responsibility. You should not rush into anything immediately. You will not get your independence back for a long while once the process is started."

"I already knew that much." He didn't like being proven wrong, but it seemed to be happening more and more often lately. Here was some advice he would listen to, even if he wouldn't need it with Lily. If there was some easy, surefire way to negate her threat in regard to other females, he would at least be more free to choose to break his word later. "But yes, tell me."

"First, you should pay attention to her moods. If she is irritable or overly clingy, try to get out of mating that night."

"Sure," Gold drawled in a flat voice. He was entirely sure that was worthless in terms of actual effectiveness. How in the world could her mood matter? And he wouldn't want to mate with an angry or clingy female anyway.

"Then go sparingly," his Sire added. "No need to do things every single night. Make it something for a special occasion."

Again, that was worthless. Gold was beginning to think his Sire didn't actually have any advice that didn't boil down to 'do not mate with her very often'.

"And when you do mate," and here his Sire spoke quickly and didn't look him in the eye, "be mindful and end it outside."

It took Gold a moment to puzzle through exactly what that meant, but when he did figure it out he was once again disappointed. That was nothing he had not seen other pairs doing down on the ledges, and he knew that some of those pairs had wound up with eggs later anyway. Not only was it advice sure to take some of the fun out of mating, it also wasn't even effective when done.

"I understand," he replied. "There is nothing else?"

"If there was, we would not have had you so soon," was the honest reply. "We were planning to wait a few more season-cycles."

He had figured as much, given the lack of younger siblings following him. "I suppose you will enjoy having your independence back now."

"We certainly will not mind it," his Sire agreed. "Now, we should just fly for a while, to give my mate and yours of time to get to know each other."

And so that his Dam would not scold them and send them out again. Gold didn't argue, but his resolution to not let this happen to him only got stronger.

O-O-O-O-O

When Gold returned to his parents' rock, he could tell that his Dam had taken the conversation in a similar direction to the one he had taken part in with his Sire; Lily seemed to be in a constant state of mild distress, her tail and paws fidgeting aimlessly as she listened to his nattering Dam.

"I think we have some other relatives to visit," Gold volunteered cheerfully, landing beside his mate and wrapping his tail around hers. He was all too happy to swoop in and save her from continued awkwardness. "See you some other time, Dam."

"Yes, we do," Lily agreed, quickly leaping off of the rock. "Let's go."

"Did you embarrass our son's new mate?" Gold heard his Sire asking from behind him as he spread his wings and took off once again.

"I do not know what would embarrass her," his Dam replied blithely. "Advice from one female to another should not be embarrassing, and it is not as if she does not know what I speak of."

And then Gold was too far away to hear them, soaring through the rain with his mate.

"That was rude," Lily remarked, sounding far too composed. Where had her unease gone?

"I saw no reason to linger. And you certainly did not complain in the moment."

"I don't want to be on bad terms with your Sire or Dam, but I don't want to spend much time around them either," Lily admitted. "Your Dam is nice enough, but still."

"Agreed. I do not plan to see them aside from when I cannot fly away fast enough," he said firmly. "Once a season, maybe. They will be happy to have me out on my own and not their responsibility anymore."

"And you're happy to be away from them?"

"I would rather live away from prying eyes and ears," Gold purred, gliding up under Lily and tossing his wings up to caress her sides in a risky move that might have gone wrong if he was a weaker flyer.

Lily shuddered and lurched in the air, then dipped to the side to fly alongside him instead of over him. "That is another thing. Stop it."

"Stop what?" Gold purred suggestively. "Touching my mate? I thought you wanted my attention solely on you."

"Remember, I'm not stupid," Lily snarled. "The looks, the innuendo, the gestures, it's all intentional. There's no way you would come up with so much in so short a time if it was not. So, stop it unless you want to sleep alone in the rain tonight."

"That was not our deal," Gold retorted, hiding the twinge of desperate unhappiness that threat brought to his heart. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much anyway. "I am being polite and going along to greet everyone who needs greeting. You do not get to change the terms if you want me to believe you will keep to future agreements. And if you will not, why should I keep to my side of things?"

"Why do you even want to make me uncomfortable?" Lily asked, clearly approaching it from a different angle now that he had countered her initial argument.

This time around, he had an answer to the sort of question that had so disoriented him last time. "Because I like doing it and your reaction is fun."

Lily favored him with a long, even stare as they glided toward the far side of the valley, now passing over the pond. "You like embarrassing me?"

"Yes."

"Then I suppose you won't mind if I do the same," she snarled, diving to land on the shore of the pond.

"I have no shame," Gold asserted confidently. He wouldn't mind if Lily started making coarse suggestions and jokes at him; the only problem he anticipated was restraining himself from acting if she was suggestive enough.

"We shall see," Lily growled threateningly.

"Try." Gold led the way into the cavern. Sure, he didn't know what Lily's Dam looked like or which side-cavern was hers, but he could just improvise. He wasn't going to let Lily lead-

"This way," Lily rumbled, rubbing her side against him as she shoved past him. She was into the narrow corridor before Gold could react, and by then there was no counter except to act as if he had intended from the beginning to let her go first.

"Pina?" Lily hissed, poking her head into one of the small entrances to one of the many side passages that lined the corridor. Gold examined the rock all around them as he waited, idly resting his front paw on top of Lily's slowly swishing tail, following it as it moved aimlessly. She didn't seem to mind it, which made him purr happily. If nothing else, just having a mate around to touch and play with made waiting for things far less annoying.

"Lily?" An older female's voice hissed out in reply after a long wait. "Come in. Nobody else is here right now."

"Good," Lily said enthusiastically. Gold followed her tail into the side-cavern and proceeded to sit on the end, acting as if he was doing nothing unusual. It wouldn't be obvious unless she jerked it out from under him, meaning it would be her fault if she brought it to her Dam's attention.

"This is Gold, I take it?" Pina asked, her voice soft but insistent. "I heard about your taking him as a mate. How are you?"

"Embarrassed," Lily replied bluntly. "I had hoped that rumor would not have reached you yet. Sorry for not telling you sooner."

"Claw told me himself last night," Pina replied with a shrug. "I do not mind. You had more interesting things to think of and do yesterday. I know the feeling."

Gold looked Pina over appraisingly as she turned to face him. She was older, but that probably meant more experienced, and what was more, he heard only a distant fondness in her voice when she spoke of Claw. Had he not made that promise to Lily, he might seriously consider trying for her someday, once he got bored of easier catches like Pearl had promised to be. He still might if he ever got tired of Lily.

The twitching of Lily's tail beneath him reminded him that he would probably need to greet her. "It is good to meet someone Lily thinks well of," he said diplomatically, not willing to put his paw in his mouth with Lily's Dam. The last thing he needed was a nagging older female prying into their affairs, and even if Pina was not that sort, he would gain nothing by disrespecting her.

"She had a hard time convincing you to think well of her," Pina said neutrally, her tone giving no clues as to where she was going with that statement. She sat on her hind legs, apparently relaxed, but her alert ears and frills defied that appearance.

"I think very well of her as of last night," Gold said smugly, slipping in yet another innuendo almost by reflex. Not his most inspired or all that creative, but just vague enough that even a suspicious light wing would not be able to call him out on it. He had to be more careful around a light wing he didn't know; she might not be as oblivious as his Dam.

"I plan on smoothing the rough edges off of him," Lily said loudly, casting Gold a quick glare. "Try and ignore it for now."

Pina barked a loud laugh, startling Gold. "Do you?"

"Of the two of us, I'm the one on top," Lily said significantly. "It won't be hard."

Gold wasn't entirely sure he had heard what he thought he had. Surely she had just used an unfortunate turn of phrase. "I am right here, you know."

"Yes, you are," Lily agreed.

"So," Pina said, clearly trying to take the conversation to safer skies, "have you two picked out a rock yet?"

"Oh, yes, it's great," Lily said enthusiastically. "Small, but that's good for us. When it gets cold I'll be sleeping on top of him anyway."

Again, Gold couldn't be sure she had done it intentionally, but he was suspicious now, and more than a little bothered by what could very well be another reference to that humiliating moment this morning. But how could he object? What Lily had just said made total sense to the point where he really wasn't sure if she had meant anything by it. Calling her out would just end with Pina knowing what had happened, which was far worse than a few possible references.

"And it is slanted to redirect rain," Gold said lamely, trying to at least participate in the conversation.

"That is a good thing," Pina hummed. "I do not have that problem here, but a few of my friends constantly complain about rain puddling around them in the night. On days like today, I think most of them will envy your choice of rocks."

"And most of them will envy your choice of mate," Gold hummed to Lily, not meaning for Pina to hear him.

"More than you would think, as long as you let him keep his confidence," Pina agreed, addressing Lily. "Do not even try to rid him of that. It might make him boring."

"Why do you keep talking like I am not here?" Gold asked irritably. "And she is not going to 'let me' keep anything, because she is not going to change anything about me!"

"Oh, sorry," Pina warbled, looking Gold in the eye. "I really am not used to the mates of my friends actually wanting to talk. I should not be making that mistake with you."

"No, you should not," Gold agreed. He wasn't going to be like his Sire!

"Out of curiosity, what are the most common complaints you hear about your friends' mates?" Lily asked. "I didn't even know you had many friends who were not also Claw's mates."

"You forced me to get some," Pina said fondly. "The first time I spent a good part of the day wandering the valley looking for you, maybe I could have ignored everyone, but you were an amazing hider, and I would have been bored out of my mind without talking to whoever wanted to walk with me."

"How long were you looking for her?" Gold asked, confused. "Surely there are only so many places to hide in the valley."

"I thought so, but she got so good I only ever found her when she got bored of hiding," Pina continued nostalgically. "I ended up telling her that we needed a new game, only to find out she just wanted to be outside!"

Gold rumbled with laughter for Pina's benefit, not really seeing the humor in that. He supposed it was either a 'had to be there' kind of thing, or just a joke he didn't get.

"I think we got off track," Lily politely suggested. "Complaints?"

"Oh, yes," Pina hummed. "Let me think… Well, laziness is a big one. Of course, most of them could do with being more active themselves, too."

"I'll have to get on top of that," Lily casually remarked, not even looking at Gold as she spoke. "I know I'm not as active as I should be."

Gold couldn't help it; he twitched at the word 'top'. At this point, he wasn't even sure whether it was abnormal for Lily to use it so often; maybe he was just noticing it because he had been taunting her in the same way. But it was effective, intentional or not. He didn't like remembering that moment, and she kept bringing it up!

"Other than that, I think the big complaints are not things that will bother you," Pina continued, unaware of Gold's discomfort. "Males being too independent, males not being independent enough, spending too much time fishing and flying for fun, avoiding responsibility… I cannot see you letting any of that happen."

"I am not lazy, or any of that anyway," Gold supplied indignantly. "She does not need to do anything. I am her mate, not her unruly fledgling."

"Oh, you could help her improve too," Pina said consolingly. "Teach her to have more fun, maybe help her make some more friends. And, of course, there is the one thing all mates do together. Should I expect to be called over to watch an egg for you two anytime soon?"

"I think we're going to avoid that for a while," Lily answered. "It's not my top priority, for sure."

Gold flinched again, even though she had used the word in the most innocent way possible. He wondered whether this conversation would ever end; a part of him wanted to run out of the side-chamber howling. He dreaded the next incidental use of the word.

"I suppose there is something to be said for not having one," Pina said quietly. "At least you are choosing to live that way, and can stop choosing so at any time."

Lily flicked her tail impatiently under Gold and leaned forward, pressing her nose against Pina. "Sorry, I didn't mean to put it that way." Her tail flicked again, more insistently, and he realized she was telling him to let her go so that she could move, so he shifted and released her. It would not do to be caught holding her down.

The moment her tail was free, Lily moved forward again and embraced Pina. "Thanks for being here for me," she murmured, so quiet that Gold barely caught the words. "I don't want to take you for granted."

"You are not," Pina replied just as quietly. "And you should be able to rely on at least one of us."

"I won't forget you just because I don't share a cave with you now," Lily promised, reluctantly pulling back. "Just ask if you want to come over and spend time with us on our rock, or go flying, or anything. If you don't, I'll have to come here."

"We would not want that," Pina rumbled lightly. "Gold, it was nice meeting you. Treat her well, and make sure she treats you fairly too. I will see you around."

"And you," Gold replied, nodding and making his escape as fast as would not seem strange. He didn't really care for the mushy stuff between his mate and her cavern-Dam; it didn't involve him, even if Pina did seem less overbearing and thus far more tolerable than his own Dam. At least they were done now.

Or were they? "We do not have to go talk to your other cavern-Dams now, do we?"

"I think I already said just Pina," Lily replied lightly. "Cressa and Grass aren't exactly at the top of the pack in being good Dams."

Gold twitched compulsively and gave in. "Stop saying that."

Lily, far from being confused or even acting oblivious, purred smugly at him. "Oh, is it bothering you? I wondered if you would even notice. I worried I was being too subtle."

"Two can play at this game," Gold threatened. He was not going to be outdone at this, of all things. Innuendo and sneaky suggestions that nobody else would notice were his tools for convincing her to let him be in charge, not hers!

"Two are, but I think I'm winning," Lily said impassively. "I don't know what you thought you were going to get from annoying me, but I know I won't stop until you promise to reign it in."

"Not stop entirely?" Gold asked, too surprised to object to the larger statement.

Lily dropped her head and shrugged her wing shoulders. "What, am I supposed to pretend I don't like it a little?" she asked. "It's just that you're using it to bother me, not to…"

"Seduce you." Like he had done before they were mates. "You liked that?"

"No, but I was not your mate then," Lily replied, looking up and fixing him with an intense stare, one that seemed halfway between annoyed and longing. "It would be okay now, but now you're going crazy with it and using it to get me back for this morning."

"You keep talking about changing and fixing me," Gold growled. "I am not letting you take charge like that. I am the one who is supposed to be in control here."

"Who told you that?" Lily asked dismissively. "And besides, I want to improve you. Such as, for instance, getting you to stop embarrassing me as a form of retribution. I will consider the end of that a huge improvement."

"What if I do not want to be improved?" Gold shot back. "What if I like what I am doing now?"

"Then you're probably going to develop a nervous tic triggered by the word 'top', if the last few times I've said it are any indication," Lily purred maliciously. "If you want a truce, it has to go both ways. I'll stop entirely if you tone it down. I think that's more than fair."

"Or we could just go all-out and see who breaks first," Gold growled. "There are only so many ways you can work references to one event into conversation."

"Oh, I can go much further than that. Maybe I'll spread the story of what happened as an amusing little anecdote about how males need to be shown their place," Lily threatened.

"I will brag about how you moaned and panted under me last night to every male I know," Gold countered. He didn't actually want to do that, if only because there were more effective ways to brag, but he had to respond in kind.

"You wouldn't," Lily hissed angrily.

"I will if you do the same, so do not try it," Gold said firmly, glad he had finally gotten the better of her-

"Fine. So what, we're just going to torment each other as we are now?" Lily asked irritably. "What do you want out of this? What were you expecting to get?"

Gold found himself answering honestly simply because he saw no reason not to. "I want you to stop trying to control me like my Dam does my Sire."

Lily stared at him as if he was crazy. "And your brilliant plan was to humiliate me until I begged you to stop, and then hope that I just left it at that, with you having the upper paw forever? And you thought that would get you the happy, willing mate you told me you wanted just last night?"

Gold became acutely aware of the fact that they were arguing in an empty corridor, only just out of hearing range of the side-cavern Pina was occupying. Anyone could be listening in, and Lily was bringing up private things now. "Stop talking about that. Yes! I thought that would work!"

"Do you think it will work now?" Lily asked impatiently, her tail lashing the air.

"No," Gold admitted. Certainly not now that she had found a counter. At this point, he would take the truce she had offered, but there was no way to bring it up again without looking and feeling as spineless as his Sire was.

"So-"

"Lily?" a rough, quiet female voice interrupted. Lily's eyes widened, and she stared at someone behind Gold. "What are you snarling about?"

"Just a little argument," Lily said quickly, addressing the female Gold couldn't turn and identify without looking like a clumsy fool at this point. He knew that voice, but he couldn't quite place it. Something was off, like it was lower than normal.

"Are you okay?" Lily continued, sounding worried. "Your voice is different."

"My throat hurts this morning," the female admitted. "You know why."

Lily's face hardened, and her anger no longer seemed directed at Gold at all. "Yes, I do. Do you need help coping?"

"No, it is just a bruise. Why are you arguing with Gold?"

"Just a lover's spat," Gold called out impulsively, twisting around to look the same way as Lily under the pretense of caressing her. She shoved him away with a wing and a disgruntled look, but he made it around in the tight corridor without looking ridiculous, or so he hoped.

And it appeared the female speaking was Pearl, with a dark discoloration on her neck, which explained why he thought he should be able to place her voice. "What happened to you?" he asked.

"Nothing," Pearl insisted. "What do you mean by-"

"We are mates as of yesterday," Lily interrupted, shoving past Gold and approaching Pearl. "You are sure you do not need help?"

"Yes, it does not hurt so much, it just makes my voice scratchy." Pearl shook her head. "Congratulations? You do not seem so happy about having a mate now."

Gold noted the wistful, dark tone in her voice and reluctantly dismissed it. He had promised Lily, and chasing Pearl was just going to have to wait, no matter how susceptible he thought she would be, obviously unhappy and possibly jealous. Lily needed to be dealt with before he could risk even contemplating anything else.

"I am, I am," Lily said quickly, "we're just… still working some things out. Want to go flying?"

"Sure," Pearl purred huskily, her throat apparently affecting that too. "Is Gold-"

"Gold is going to go do something else for a while, and think about what we've said," Lily interrupted, shooting Gold a cold glare. "I'll meet him at sundown, or whatever passes for sundown on a miserable day like today."

Gold knew he should argue with her trying to tell him what to do once again, but he didn't feel like trying to worm his way back into her good graces just yet, and some time away from her sounded like a good idea. So he said nothing, and obligingly flew in the opposite direction once the three of them were up in the air, immediately angling himself to break through the clouds.

Once he was up in the open air, he tried to think, to clear his head the way the air had cleared around him. He wanted to be in charge so as to avoid being like his Sire, and he wanted Lily to be a happy, enthusiastic mate. But his ways of getting those things clearly weren't working, or at least weren't working with each other, and she had quickly countered his newest tactic.

She had countered him, he was probably going to have to accept her truce, and she had the nerve to be mad at him! When she was the one trying to change him, trying to force him into obeying!

Gold seethed for a while, just letting his annoyance out in angry hisses and growls. He knew better than to let it fester; if he had ever done that, he would never have been able to win over any female, because he didn't have nearly enough patience to be happy with how long it took to get anywhere without seeming desperate.

Once he was done, he knew what he had to do. There was no point in denying that Lily had won this round in their struggle for control; that much was obvious. He was going to agree to her terms. He would just have to not lose next time.

And if he wanted her happy and willing tonight, he would have to be a good sport about it, as frustrating as that might be. But it would be worth it, and it was his choice to do so.

With that in mind, he dove beneath the clouds and sought out the rock he and Lily had claimed the day before, staking out a place on it and covering his head with his wing. He would get some sleep and wait for her to return. Their struggle wasn't over, he was just letting her have this battle. Another way to try and gain control, to escape his Sire's fate, would come to him soon enough.

O-O-O-O-O

Lily didn't return until much later, as darkness was slowly falling across the valley. She landed on the open part of their rock, and with only a moment's hesitation lay right beside him, pressing her cold scales onto him.

"Back already?" he managed, having only dozed fitfully. It was hard to sleep in the driving rain with nobody around to share warmth. He uncovered his head to see her staring directly at him.

"I thought about what you said," she admitted quietly. "About not wanting to be controlled. I agree."

"To what?" He could feel his hopes rising within him as what she was saying sunk in.

"That I don't want to be controlled either," she clarified, crushing some of his hopes then and there. "Are we going to stop this stupid taunting game like I suggested earlier?"

"Yes, we are," he grumbled. "I will tone it down, and you will never again speak of this morning." He had added a little to her side of the deal, just to see if he could get away with it, but he didn't think she would object.

"Good. Are you going to keep trying to put yourself in charge?" she asked softly.

"Yes," he admitted. "I will not be like my Sire. You could just let me." Maybe, just maybe-

"No," Lily growled. She blinked irritably, clearing an errant raindrop out of her eye, and abruptly pulled her wing over both of their heads. "You do not want to be like your Sire?"

"You saw my Dam today, ordering him around and sending him away because she felt like it," Gold said bitterly. "I will not be like that. The way they are is boring and I will never let myself be ordered around so easily."

"So you agree that it would be just as boring if I was so easily cowed?" Lily asked. "Surely if it is bad one way, it is bad the other."

"At least I would not be the one bending my neck in that case," Gold countered, feeling deeply unsettled. He hadn't thought of it like that.

"So let's just agree that we are equals, stop trying to control each other, and make peace," Lily offered. "I want to improve you, but I can make it fair."

"Fair?"

"You'll see. So, do we have a deal?"

"I do not want you to change me," Gold complained.

"I changed you from a desperate single male to a male who has what he wants," Lily hummed enticingly. "You'd be lying if you said you did not like that change."

"True… What do you want to change?"

"Like I said, you'll see," Lily insisted. "But I can hold off for a little while, and it will be fair. Not me controlling you or vice versa. Isn't that what you want?"

"Yes." He could always use her insistence on it being fair to stymie anything he didn't like, and not having to worry about becoming spineless and submissive would be a huge weight off his shoulders.

"Now," Lily hummed thoughtfully, "let's talk about your little suggestions and inside jokes."

"And?" Gold licked her face, safe in the knowledge that such a small movement would be invisible from outside the sheltering canopy of her wing, if there was even anyone watching.

"I am still getting used to this," Lily growled, shaking her head as if to dislodge the spit left behind. "But… you can make your little suggestions as long as you make them sparingly and with good intentions."

"Okay." He had already agreed to as much, and agreeing again lost him nothing while making her happy. He hadn't forgotten their other deal, the first one made today, and having her in the mood was necessary for that one. "And you know, I did go along and be polite to everyone today. You promised something in return, remember?"

Lily blinked and stared at him consideringly. "I did," she agreed. "To the ledge?"

"Who needs a ledge?" Gold asked impishly. "The way I see it, the rain will drown out any little noises, it will be dark soon, and we can flame ourselves with the excuse of being cold, meaning nobody will see anything at all if anyone glances over here in the first place."

"The rain will also cool our scales and make the camouflage wear off quicker," Lily objected. "And then we'd be exposed in the middle of the valley, and more than likely in the middle of something." Her warm voice suggested she didn't really mean that as a reason they shouldn't so much as an obstacle to be overcome.

"So, we will make it fast," Gold offered. "You up for that?"

Lily purred quietly, licking him back. "Let's try it, sure. But I'm stopping you the moment I feel our camouflage fading away, so you had better be very fast."

Gold nodded enthusiastically. "I can do that." He didn't know about the future, but right now he definitely didn't think he was in any danger of acting like his Sire. This was his idea, after all, not Lily's. And he knew she was embarrassed by this sort of thing, so she was stepping out of her comfort zone for his sake. He suspected she was aware of that, but still.

Neither of them was in any danger of falling into the one-sided relationship he dreaded. That was more than good enough for him.