(Disclaimer: I do not own The Bad Guys; just Lilith and my other OC's.)
(Authors Note: Hello and welcome, dearest readers and fellow writers! Thanks again for taking the time to read this story and this latest chapter! Feel free to leave a review as I enjoy reading comments and draw inspiration from them (no hate, please). Enjoy!)
Chapter 8
-The Next Evening-
As the lasagna cooked inside the oven, Lilith readied herself for Mr. Snake's arrival by changing out of her loungewear and into a black bra, a lovely sleeveless, V-neck, wine-colored cocktail dress, black heels, and a black pearl necklace with matching earrings. Switching out her horseshoe lip rings for a pair of black labret studs, she then applied some cherry red lipstick and a dab of Chanel #5 parfum behind her ears. While she hadn't worn this particular fragrance in years (due to its high price), she figured tonight was a special enough occasion to break it out. That, and she was feeling extra fancy.
Once satisfied with her attire and look, Lilith set to work finishing what little tidying up she had left to do in her studio apartment. Thankfully, all that was really left was to set the atmosphere. That being said, she began setting out the dinnerware before dimming the overhead lights before playing some Italian music on her phone and connecting it to her JBL bluetooth speaker that was casually set up in the living room/bedroom area of her studio. Of course, the music was just for background noise, so the volume was low enough to where carrying on a conversation wouldn't be an issue.
With the atmosphere now set, all that was left to do was wait for Mr. Snake to arrive.
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-Meanwhile-
Approaching the apartment building, Snake swallowed the lump in his throat and pushed the numbered call button beside the door and smiled as a familiar voice came on the line:
*:Hello?:*
"Hey, Lilith. It's me."
*:Oh, hey! Hold on, let me buzz you in.:*
"Thanks." There was a slight buzzing sound, to which Snake was able to push the door open and enter the building. Afterwards, he rode the elevator to the third floor where her apartment was located. Approaching her unit, he knocked on the door and was met with an enchanting sight upon its opening:
Lilith stood before him wearing a beautiful cocktail ensemble, while a dazzling smile lined her heart-shaped face. "Good evening, Hubert. I'm glad you could make it over."
"Same here," he mimicked her smile and slithered inside as she closed the door behind him. "I brought you some red wine, seeing as how it pairs well with most Italian food."
"That it does. Thank you for bringing it. Although, you didn't have to," she noted while taking in his fancy attire, which consisted of a nice dark green flannel as opposed to his trademark Hawaiian shirt. "You look very nice in that shirt."
"Heh, thanks. You look amazing."
"Thank you," she blushed, which brought a soft look to his eyes.
Setting the wine bottle down atop the counter, Snake flicked out his tongue and tasted the various scents that wafted through the air: there was the obvious scent of the lasagna and garlic bread cooking in the oven, as well as the fragrance of Lilith's perfume and shampoo.
"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, but is there anything I can get you in the meantime?"
"Just some water would be fine. Thank you."
"You're most certainly welcome." She then stepped into her little kitchen and retrieved a glass from the cupboard and began filling it with cold water from the fridge tap. As she did this, Snake took a moment to glance around his new surroundings: Directly to his left was a small array of jackets hanging on wall hooks, while below them was a mat with three pairs of shoes sitting atop it. Four feet further was a door that led into the bathroom, while directly in front of him was her bedroom/living room area.
Two windows bordered the queen-sized bed, while off to the right of the bed, adjacent to the kitchen, in the corner, was a green recliner and a large bookshelf that was stacked with various forms of literature, framed photos and knick-knacks (mostly miniature figures). Hanging on the wall across from the bed was a purple bicycle and helmet, while directly to the left of the bed was a large wooden dresser that had a 36in TV and PS4 sitting atop it. Beside the dresser was a clothes rack (similar to what Shark kept his disguises on) that was full of Lilith's clothing as there wasn't a closet to store them in. All in all, her studio was really nice and seemed to fit her perfectly.
"I gotta say, I like your apartment."
"Thanks," she blushed and handed him his water. "I know it's kinda small, but it's perfect for my lifestyle and needs. Plus, when I initially moved to LA, there wasn't much available for me to choose from that was within my budget. I got pretty lucky with this place as it's pretty close to all the amenities I regulate. Also, it's not too far from where I work, so that's another plus."
"I'll say it is. By the way, you haven't really told me how or why you wound up moving from Buffalo to Los Angeles. Not that I mind, but that's a pretty big stretch."
The timer suddenly went off, signaling the food was done, to which Lilith donned a pair of oven mitts and pulled the garlic bread out first before then retrieving the lasagna. Setting the main dish aside to cool for a few minutes, she began cutting the bread while Snake sat across from her and listened as she spoke up:
"..I just wanted to put as much distance between myself and my past as possible." Emitting a sigh, she asked, "Would it be alright if I tell you my story after dinner? It's not exactly a cheerful tale and I want to enjoy this meal with you."
With a nod of understanding, he gave her a reassuring look and placed his tail upon her arm, "Of course. By the way, would you like me to uncork and pour the wine?"
"If you don't mind," she smiled.
"Not at all. I just need to know where your bottle opener is?"
"It's in the third drawer behind me," she gestured, to which he slithered into the kitchen and retrieved said bottle opener before using it to uncork the wine. As he did this, Lilith finished cutting up the garlic bread and retrieved the caesar salads from the fridge, along with the ranch dressing and parmesan cheese.
Adding some cheese and dressing to the salads, she then ground some pepper on top and placed them atop the empty dinner plates. Meanwhile, Snake poured some red wine into their glasses before he and Lilith stepped out of the kitchen and sat down at the counter to begin their meal.
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Upon finishing their salads, Lilith set their bowls aside and began dishing up the main course, along with a couple pieces of garlic bread, to which Snake flicked out his tongue and savored the delicious flavors in the air.
"Mm, nice. I can already tell this is going to taste amazing."
"Of course: it's my Nonna's recipe," she replied with a smile. "Most of the dishes I make were originally hers, but I've added my own touches here and there."
"Well, regardless of whose recipe this is, it's absolutely delicious," Snake complimented upon tasting the lasagna, to which Lilith blushed and gave him a smile:
"Thank you, Hubert."
"You're welcome; although, I should be the one thanking you. I can't recall ever having Italian food this good before."
"Well, if you think this is good, you'll have to stop by when I make homemade ravioli."
"Oh? Am I sensing another date in the future," he inquired with a charming smile and a wink, to which she returned the flirtatious gesture:
"Hmm, that depends: Are we an 'official' couple now?"
"Only if you're okay with it," he answered with a warm look in his eyes as he gently placed his tail atop her hand.
At his response, she smiled and tenderly cupped his cheek with her free hand, "I am."
Hearing that, Snake's heart happily thudded within his chest, while his smile grew. The two of them then shared a warm hug, which was then followed by a tender kiss. She/He was kissing her/him! It was like an explosion of fireworks going off as their lips remained joined together. Neither wanted to part from each other, nor did they want this moment to end; however, their moment was suddenly interrupted when Lilith's stomach emitted a loud growling sound, causing her face to turn beet red in embarrassment.
"I suppose we should finish dinner before we get too carried away," Snake chuckled, prompting her to emit an amused laugh:
"Agreed. Although, I certainly wouldn't mind kissing you again sometime."
"Likewise," he winked, bringing another smile to her lips.