Chapter 120 (Book 3 Chapter 48) (Patreon)

The first thing that Rob did was stare.

It wasn't a reaction he was particularly proud of, but considering that the most gorgeous woman he'd ever met was laying next to him, without clothes, as a highlight reel of their horizontal tango replayed in his head...yeah, staring was inevitable. He alternated between being awestruck by how beautiful Keira was and freaking the fuck out, his mind reaching a perfect gridlock of stupefaction as he slowly came to terms with the new state of his life.

Once Rob managed to break that cycle, the second thing he did was call in reinforcements.

Diplomacy, Rob thought, gently poking the Skill. Help. Please.

<Uuuuuugh,> Diplomacy groaned, as they were roused from their slumber. <Why didn't you tell me that hangovers were so...>

The Skill paused, their core glowing white with pure shock as they surveyed the scene. <Oh *hell* no,> Diplomacy stated. <I'm not bailing you out of a mess you could've avoided by listening to me months ago. Especially when my mind feels like it went ten rounds with a pro boxer. This is your relationship; figure it out.>

Wait-

It was too late. The Skill was already sinking into power-saving mode, dead to the world for as long as they desired. Rob's 'reinforcements' had evidently chosen to wait out the coming storm in their fallout bunker, leaving him stranded behind without backup.

Shit.

The third thing Rob did was contemplate his options – which were distressingly limited. He could sneak out of the room, but that was just delaying the inevitable, and a shitty thing to do besides. It wasn't something he would ever seriously consider. In truth, the only real choice he had was to wait for Keira to wake up and have an adult conversation about adult matters.

Which was terrifying, so he quickly moved onto his fourth and final step: distracting himself. He started by checking his system notifications again. Maybe there was something he'd missed earlier, something to keep him occupied, and when the hell did he select Message as his next Crystal Bearer Skill?!?

As if he'd opened Pandora's Box by reading the notification, more memories abruptly came surging back. Rob winced with secondhand embarrassment as he recalled what another dumb stupid idiot who also happened to be named Rob did last night. Because surely that can't have been him, no siree.

"This has been a wondrous evening," Faelynn had proclaimed, as she stood up from her chair. "But I must be heading off. I'd prefer to sleep in my own quarters." She giggled. "I'd also prefer to be away from the premises once Lord Carran discovers the mess we've made."

"Be careful," Zamira had said, momentarily putting her hand on Faelynn's arm before immediately jerking it back. "You're inebriated, and the moonlit nights of a city street are invariably filled with knaves and ne'er-do-wells."

"Zamira, I'm a Level 32 Awakened Class user."

"Knaves and ne'er-do-wells! I've read about them in books that shall not be named!" Zamira rose to her feet, nearly tripping over herself in the process. "I – hmm. This is a new sensation. I rather dislike it."

Rob let out a long-suffering sigh. "I miss cell phones," he grumbled. "We could've called someone to be a designated driver, ordered an Uber...even just being able to get a 'Yes, I made it home safe' text would mean a lot."

Keira sank her chin into her right hand as she twirled an empty glass in her left. "I understood a mere half of what you just said, but it sounds amazing. The texts especially – is that similar to a Message Crystal?"

"A portable Message Crystal that pretty much everyone owns," Rob said. He took a moment to bask in the Ooos and Aaahs before continuing. "Actually, Crystal Bearer's Message Skill is really similar to it. It's even got built-in chat logs. Here, let me show you."

In Rob's defense, not a single freaking person argued against him selecting his next Crystal Bearer Skill based on a drunken whim. He may have committed the crime, but his so-called friends were an accessory to it. As he was swiftly overcome by a deep sense of mortification, Rob brought up the recently-created Message chat log, eyes widening as he read through what he and the conscious members of last night's Party had wrought.

Rob: testing testing 1 2 3
Rob: yup ther we go
Rob: it works like this
Rob: just think the words and they apear
Rob: easy peasy lemon squeasy
Zamira: Truly fascinating. It's as if my thoughts are being transcribed onto a mental sheet of paper for all to purvey.
Keira: Look at this!! BLIGHTSPAWN COMING FROM THE WEST GATE! See how easy that was? We'll never have to create one of those asinine 'remove someone from the Party' message systems ever again!
Faelynn: Oh wow. I kind of want to brag about this to someone.
Rob: hang on lemme try something
Rob:    :)
Rob:    :(
Rob:    :O
Rob:    :D
Rob: heck yeah we've got emojis lesgoooo

I want to die, Rob thought, with a very calm and rational mind.

Once he'd gotten past his self-inflicted cringe, he began to put together a timeline of what happened last night. After the Message debacle, Faelynn went home and Zamira passed out on the floor. That left him and Keira alone. They started chatting, which quickly became flirting, accompanied by them gradually sitting closer to each other. Rob eventually wanted to turn in for the night, but didn't want to sleep in one of Lord Carran's beds, as Elatrans aren't aware of germ theory. He didn't trust them to sanitize things properly. Keira offered to walk him home because of the aforementioned knaves and ne'er-do-wells, which in hindsight was a flimsy pretext that Rob wholeheartedly believed. They reached his personal quarters, and one of them – he honestly couldn't remember which – came up with an excuse for Keira to come inside and chat a bit more. And then...

Well, and then they had sex.

"Muh?"

The voice was beautiful, melodic, and set off Rob's nerves like an alarm bell. He watched with petrified anticipation as Keira slowly sat up, groaning as she rubbed her temples, silver hair cascading around her face and framing it like – not helping, hormones.

"Never again," she muttered, eyes closed and head in her hands. "I'm too smart of a person to poison myself like that. A fledgling, halfwit assassin could've slain me as easily as a babe in their crab."

Rob sent her a wordless Party invite. She accepted it automatically, signing in relief as Push Through dulled the pain. "Much better. Thank y-"

Keira froze. A moment later, her head snapped towards him, eyes bulging. She stared at him, then at herself, then at the bed, then back to him again.

Neither of them spoke for several seconds.

"Hey." Rob gave her a little wave and a shy smile.

Keira winced, recoiling.

Ouch, Rob thought, his arm sinking along with his heart. Keira seemed to realize what she'd done a second later, her hands waving frantically as she started speaking in a rapid-fire manner, sounding more panicked than Rob had ever heard her. "No! No, it's not you! I promise!" She pushed her hair back, taking a moment to center herself. "It's really not you. I'm just not...this isn't how..."

"It's okay," Rob said, trying and failing to keep his voice from sounding deadened. "I'm sorr-"

"NO," Keira said, with a frustrated growl that made Rob flinch. "I like you, damnit. This isn't your fault, it's nothing serious, I haven't told you everything, I need..."

She suddenly hopped to her feet, looking around the room. "Need clothes. Need space. We'll talk later, I promise. You didn't do anything wrong, we just drank too fucking much and I'll never drink again and I can't believe that's how our first time-"

Keira paused. She stared at him, face aghast. "That wasn't your first first time, was it?"

"No," Rob answered, shaking his head. "What...about you?"

"Not me either," Keira said, visibly relaxing. Rob let out a sigh of relief, understanding exactly where she was coming from. The situation would've been infinitely worse if it'd been either of their very first times. At least they had that going for them.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much to say after that – or rather, there wasn't much Keira was willing to say. Rob waited in silence, turning away as she gathered her clothes and dressed herself. It was a somewhat pointless gesture, considering how far they'd already gone, but if she wasn't cool with him then watching would've felt gross. Although, she said she liked him? And that it wasn't his fault? But then why was she so nervous? He was missing several pieces of a puzzle, one he'd never be able to complete unless Keira opened up and told him what was wrong.

But she said she needed space, so space is what she would get. He trusted her. She wouldn't leave him hanging forever.

Probably.

A minute later, a re-clothed Keira was standing by the door, fidgeting in place as she did her best to act casual. "I suppose I'll be going," she said, her hand hovering over the doorknob. "See you?"

"Of course. I hope you're okay, and let me know if I can help." Rob looked her in the eyes. "We will talk later, right?" He asked, a pleading note entering his tone.

"We will," Keira stated, intently. "I swear. Again, this isn't your fault, I merely need time to collect my thoughts. Please excuse my...reaction." She hesitated, emotions warring on her face, before turning around and stepping outside. The door closed behind her with a click that rang out like a gunshot.

Rob sat perfectly still for a few minutes. He poked Diplomacy; no response. Like a puppet with its strings cut, Rob flopped backwards onto his bed, eyes vacant. Time passed as he stared at the ceiling, taking solace in how blank and uninteresting it was.

Happy birthday to meeee.

--

The rest of the day flew by in a haze. There was some talk with the Grand Overseers, and some pats on the back from various Fiends, and he Purged Corruption for hours on end until his reserves ran dry. Rob was informed of several key pieces of news, including how new Corruption infections had almost entirely ceased, and how the two Merfolk prisoners he'd Waymarked here were being released soon. All technically important things – that he couldn't concentrate on due to the far more pressing subject overriding his thoughts. How could he possibly care about mundane matters like the rebirth of a civilization when he and Keira had slept together just last night?

For someone running on autopilot, though, Rob thought he did a pretty decent job. He and Keira spent hours in the same room with the rest of the Party, handling Deserter affairs as normal, and somehow both of them managed to be professional, like the rational adults they totally were. They didn't stumble over their words, and awkward looks were kept to a minimum. It should've been the mental victory that he sorely needed.

Unfortunately, Rob wasn't so distracted that he failed to notice the way that the rest of his Party members were glancing at him and Keira. Somehow, they knew. Rob desperately wanted to ask how far the gossip had spread, but that would require publicly talking about what – and who – went down last night, which wasn't happening until he and Keira hashed things out together in private.

It was with that notion in mind that, at the end of the day, Rob invited Keira back to his quarters. She agreed in an excessively nonchalant tone that may as well have been a shout at the top of her lungs. Neither of them said anything on the long walk there, and by the time they'd reached the door to his room, both Rob and Keira were filled to bursting with apprehension. Little wonder that they froze then and there, unable to open the door and take that next, all-important step.

"So..." Rob began, before trailing off.

"So...." Keira began, before doing the same.

Silence.

"Want to ignore anything ever happened and talk about this later maybe?" Rob blurted out, his mouth moving faster than his good sense.

"Oh fuck yes," Keira breathed. "Does revisiting this a week from now sound good?"

"No, it does not."

Rob and Keira jumped nearly a foot in the air as a low, disappointed voice ambushed them from behind. They whirled around to find Meyneth standing less than a foot away, her eyes narrowed and arms crossed.

"Jesus tapdancing Christ," Rob gasped, his heart going a mile a minute. "How does someone as tall as you sneak up on anyone? What are you, Batman?"

"The two of have you engaged in sexual relations," Meyneth flatly stated. Rob and Keira froze like two criminals successfully picked out of a lineup. "Do not deny this. We know."

"How?" Keira asked, attempting to regain a modicum of control. "Did someone happen to notice when I left this morning?"

Meyneth shook her head. "One of us – whom I will not say, lest you bear a grudge – woke up in the middle of the night. I should remind you that at this point, all of us were still in your Party. This person checked the Party Screen to ensure that everyone was safe, and quickly discovered that both of you possessed the 'Aroused' status effect." Meyneth paused. "This person watched the effect increase from 'Moderate' to 'High' in real time. This person wishes for you to understand the trauma they have endured."

Rob didn't speak. If he spoke, maybe he'd have to acknowledge what Meyneth just said, and that was a challenge he wasn't remotely ready to face.

"The two of you have engaged in sexual relations," Meyneth repeated. "This development is good, and long overdue. Disappointingly – if not unsurprisingly – it has resulted in a discussion that you seem to be avoiding." Her eyes glinted with zeal. "I refuse to allow this farce to go on any longer. You will enter Rob's room, and you will talk, or fuck, or both, in either order, I don't care which. Figure it out."

Before either of them could respond, Meyneth shoved open the door, picked up one dumbass in each hand, and tossed them bodily into Rob's room. Rob and Keira landed in a heap beside each other on the bed, sputtering incoherently as Meyneth sealed their escape route. "In order to give you some privacy," she continued, through the closed door. "I will deactivate Heightened Senses and stand at the opposite end of the hallway. You have one hour. Use it wisely."

Rob and Keira exchanged glances, dumbfounded, as the sounds of Meyneth's footsteps disappeared into the distance.

"Prisoners in our own room," Keira whispered, chuckling. "Perhaps we could still escape out the window?"

Rob smirked. "I think that's a bit too ridiculous even for us."

"Such faith you have in the woman who practically ran from you earlier." Keira's mirth faded. "Rob, I want to sincerely apolo-"

"Please don't," Rob said. "It's seriously okay. You told me that you weren't reacting to me, specifically, and I believe you." He put on a smile that he hoped was reassuring. "And if I'm not the problem, then that means this is something I can help you work through, right?"

The tension seemed to melt from Keira's features. "Well now," she said, her lips curling into a smile of her own. "When did you learn how to say the right things? Is Diplomacy feeding you lines?"

"No, they're taking a nap. It's just you and me."

"That's good to know." Keira reached out and squeezed his hand. "Then, by popular request, I won't apologize. I will, however, thank you for being understanding. It truly means the world to me."

Damn, I really do love her. "I just wish I could do more," he answered, with sincerity. "Would it help if you talked to me about what's bothering you?"

"That is what we've been imprisoned here to do, yes." Keira sighed. "I'd be upset with Meyneth if I wasn't so relieved that she gave me a push. Physically and mentally." She winced. "On several occasions."

Rob blinked as something clicked into place. "Waaaaait," he began. "Before today, did she ambush you too? As in, corner you at an isolated location and start talking about relationship stuff? While not having any fucking filter whatsoever?"

Keira's eyebrows shot to the top of her head as she realized the implication. "You as well?"

There was a pause. Keira snorted, and both of them promptly burst out laughing a moment later. They let themselves go, releasing all the pent-up stress inside, only stopping when they'd run out of breath.

"That's much better," Keira exhaled, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Completely agreed." Rob stretched and settled into a cross-legged sitting position. He was tempted to divert Keira's attention, but Meyneth was right about one thing: they'd put this off long enough. "Okay," he said, with a note of finality. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Keira copied his pose and nodded. "Yes, let's start this now before I can trick myself into panicking again." She took a deep breath, psyching herself up, and took the plunge. "There is a reason I reacted as poorly as I did when waking up next to you. It has to do with events that occurred several years ago – nothing serious, by some standards, but events that affected me deeply nonetheless. As I said this morning, you weren't my first." Keira paused. "But...you were my second. For sex and relationships both."

Rob nodded, waiting for her to gather her thoughts. Curiosity was brewing in his mind – this wasn't sounding like the start of a typical ex-boyfriend story – but he'd keep it in check until she finished. And when the time for questions began, he'd make sure to only ask things that would help Keira to hear. This was about her, not him.

"You may recall that I was hardly the most popular person in The Village," Keira deadpanned. "In a sense, that much hasn't changed. They possess a greater appreciation for me nowadays due to my accomplishments, but when it comes to liking me personally, I have my doubts. The Villagers and I are like oil and water, too different at our base nature to mix properly. Even if they did approach me someday with the best of intentions, I'll never be able to believe that they're being forthright."

She grimaced. "Part of that has to do with how isolated I used to be. When my parents died, I was left with no one. It...gods, it was torturous. I only became friends with Men'ta a few months before you arrived; until then, I was alone except for the intermittent pity that Riardin granted me."

Something must've shown on Rob's face, because Keira immediately held up a hand to forestall his thoughts. "And in case you're beginning to wonder, this story isn't about Men'ta. We were no more than friends." She paused. "Or...did he just pity me too?" After a moment, Keira shook her head, sighing once again. "No matter; it's in the past. I can scarcely ask him now. Regardless; the stage has been set. You can imagine what my life was like in the eight years that I lived in The Village."

Her hands clenched into fists. "You can also imagine why I would be skeptical when – four years ago – someone approached me with romantic overtures. I'd rather not speak his name, lest I be overcome with an urge to break things, so I'll refer to him henceforth as The Asshole. It fits, especially considering I didn't even know his name when he declared his 'love' for me."

With visible effort, Keira unclenched her hands. "Looking back," she murmured, "I was pathetic. Laughable, really-"

"Fuck no," Rob stated. "Whatever happened wasn't your fault. I won't let you insult yourself like that; you don't deserve it."

Keira smiled for a brief instant. "Thank you," she said. "But calling my situation 'laughable' isn't too far from the truth. The Asshole was, if I'm being honest, fairly poor at romance. His personality was dull, he wasn't particularly handsome, his lines were likely ripped from torrid novels, and worst of all, his attempts at portraying himself as a genuinely good person came across as nothing more than grandstanding. No self-respecting Elf would have fallen for any of his bullshit."

She narrowed her eyes. "The thing is, while I was skeptical, I was also starved for affection. To a younger Keira, even more inexperienced in the ways of romance than I am now, The Asshole was a breath of fresh air. Oh, joy, I thought! Someone was recognizing my existence. Halfheartedly, perhaps, but at least they were making the pretense of loving me. So I went along with his advances, and after a few months of courtship, things progressed as they do."

Keira bared her teeth. "Do you know what he said the very next day when I woke up next to him? 'Ah, finally. You were a difficult lock to pick.'"

Rob suppressed the anger rising in his chest, waiting patiently as Keira worked up the motivation to continue. "As it turns out," she said, in a mocking tone. "I was the subject of a wager between him and his friends. They wanted to see how long it would take before he...well. Suffice to say, after he got what he wanted, he was done with me. He told me as much in so many words. I suppose he expected me to turn tail and run away with tears streaming down my face; back then, I was somewhat less outspoken than I am now."

Savage fury blazed in Keira's eyes. "I broke every last bone in his body," she crowed. "And he's lucky I didn't rip his fucking cock off. Gave me a reputation in some circles, but all the better. No one ever tried to pull something like that on me again."

"I see," Rob calmly said, unable to stay quiet any longer. "As a side note, I'd like to point out that I barely got any flak for openly admitting that I'd kill Vargas if I wanted to. My reputation clearly has enough wiggle room for one or two extrajudicial murders. Hint hint."

"That's sweet of you," Keira said, smiling. "But you needn't worry yourself. The Asshole died when The Village was invaded. Ripped into a thousand tiny pieces, I heard." A dreamy, satisfied expression passed across her face. "What's that Earth phrase that's a favorite of yours? Silver linings?"

Keira paused, the joy fading from her countenance as she rubbed her face and sighed. "If only my memories had died with him," she mumbled. "I haven't been able to forget what happened back then. It left me certain that no one could ever love me. That if a person did express romantic interest in me, it would just be as part of another sick joke."

Her mouth twisted into a wry grin. "Despite what Meyneth might believe, I'm not blind. I know that my feelings and your feelings are mutual. I know that you're nothing like The Asshole. I know that happiness has been a mere conversation away for months now. Logically, I know all these things, but up here..." She tapped her head. "Is a big confused mess that's too caught up in the past."

Keira looked away, nervously twiddling her fingers. "So...it would help if you could...say it out loud..."

Rob reached out and held her hands. "I promise you," he began, in a warm voice. "When I say that..." Fuck it, moment of truth. "When I say that I love you, I mean it. From the bottom of my heart, I do."

Keira blushed, smiling shyly as she gripped his hands tight. "What, no hesitation?" she asked, in a faux-annoyed tone. "It seems that you've cornered me. What else can I do except say that...I love you too."

It was strange how much impact four short words could have. In that moment, Rob felt on top of the world, like he was surfing on a sea of clouds as the heavens trumpeted his ascent. His face was burning red as a tomato, and the stress typically coiled in his stomach had been replaced with a light, airy floatiness. Everything felt...right.

They sat like that for a while, just holding hands and smiling at each other. No words were spoken, and no words were necessary.

It was nice.

"This is nice," Rob said.

"It is," Keira agreed. "Why didn't we do this sooner?"

"Because we're stupid."

"Ah, makes sense."

They shared some laughs together, although this giggle fit was much shorter than the previous one. Both of them were well on their way to mental exhaustion, and laughter took more energy than they had to spare.

"In the interest of reciprocity," Keira said, once they'd calmed down. "Are there any past relationship woes that you'd like to discuss with me? Only if it would help, of course. I want to be there for you if I can."

She rubbed her finger over the top of Rob's hand, sending an electric jolt through his body that shut down his brain for a few seconds. When he could think again, he began to speak, deciding that honesty should be met with honesty. "My romantic history isn't very interesting," he confessed. "Had one relationship that lasted a few months. I could try and paint her as a crazy ex-girlfriend, but...no, it was your standard, run-of-the-mill failed relationship. Some people are great at dating from the get-go; we, however, were not. She was a sub-par girlfriend, and I was a sub-par boyfriend. Nothing dramatic, we just both had a lot of learning to do, and by the time we did, the well was poisoned."

He hesitated, before continuing on to the parts that were actually embarrassing. "If anything, any hangups I have come from elsewhere. I kinda grew up being...overshadowed, a bit. A lot. Not the guy's fault, but I guess it gave me something of a complex." Rob offered Keira a sheepish grin. "Honestly? The biggest reason I was scared to confess to you – despite Diplomacy's and Meyneth's encouragement – was because I could never fully convince myself that the most beautiful woman I've ever seen would fall for a guy like me."

Keira went from preening at Rob's mention of 'most beautiful woman ever' to appearing offended over his usage of 'a guy like me'. "That's absurd," she stated, in a tone that brooked no argument. "Are you saying that I have poor taste?"

Rob pointed at her. "That," he remarked. "Is cheating."

"Good," Keira nodded. "If you're complaining, that means it's working." She leaned forward and locked eyes with him. "Listen to me, Rob. I love you. You were there for me when no one else was. The fact that you're kind, strong, and attractive are all just bonuses." She smirked. "Very, very pleasant bonuses."

"Am I that attractive, though?" Rob asked. "Like, I don't think I'm ugly, but-"

"7 out of 10?"

"On a good day, yeah. Compared to the Elatran standard, I'm nothing special."

Distantly, he knew that he was being an idiot for arguing against his own attractiveness. To his surprise, though, he realized that he wasn't worried. Just as Keira trusted him to understand her hangups and work through them with her, he trusted her to do the same for him.

"You've mentioned so before," Keira said, her interest piqued. "I'd like to clarify something – are people of Elatra truly considered to be that attractive compared to Earth Humans?"

A large subsection of the internet would be drooling over everyone except the Merfolk, Rob thought. And even they'd have their fans.

"I can't say for certain what people other than me would think," is what he decided to say. "But in general? Yeah, you guys are hotter."

"Are you judging yourself based on the appearance of other races?" Keira asked. She paused, struggling to put long-internalized social mores into words. "That's not the perspective that most Elatrans take. Elves may have more graceful, polished features than Humans, but that doesn't mean that Elves are inherently better-looking. Humans are attractive by their own standard; one that utilizes an alternative criteria."

Rob thought back. "The gang of Elatran Humans I saw during my Attunement vision were no slouches either."

"That's odd," Keira stated, tilting her head. "I've met Elatran Humans in the past, and you were no less attractive than them. You have...how shall I put this...an exotic appeal. Similar enough to the Elven populace that I grew up with to be comfortable, yet different enough to be enticing." She grinned. "Some might say I'm biased – I say they're missing out."

It was at that point that Rob's insecurities threw in the towel. He didn't think he'd ever completely understand what Keira saw in his appearance, but she did see something in him, apparently, and that was enough to soothe the part of him fretting over pointless hangups.

The rest of him had already been convinced that Keira loved him when she said that he'd 'been there for her when no one else was'. That was a notion he got on an implicit level, as he felt the same way. Keira may have been kind, strong, and attractive, but those were just some extremely pleasant bonuses. They weren't the main reason he loved her.

Rob loved her because, in an alien world that had been trying to kill him at every turn – and still was – she'd been the first one to extend a hand of friendship, even sticking her neck out for him with absolutely zero benefit to herself. He was alive today largely because Keira understood what it was like to be someone with no one else to turn to. Would any of the other Elves have done the same in her shoes? Doubtful. They'd have riddled him with arrows before he could get a word in edgewise.

That was why Keira was special, and always would be. What he felt for her was the kind of emotional connection that could only be forged during the lowest point of a person's life. It was one thing for someone to tell you that you could rely on them no matter what, and another for that person to actually be there at your worst – and do everything they could to help you get back on your feet. She could've easily ignored him or kicked him while he was down. The vast majority of Elatrans would have. Instead, she'd shown compassion, and she'd shown it for him.

He'd find a way to put all that into words when he stopped feeling so tongue-tied when looking at her. Damn if he wasn't the luckiest bastard in the world.

"Feel better?" Keira asked, with hope in her voice.

"I do," Rob said, nodding. "Thanks for the ego boost."

"Let me know if you need another," Keira remarked, smirking. Her smirk froze as she hesitated, gathering the courage to say what was next on her mind. "So...what now? We both love each other. Does that mean we're officially in a relationship?" She started fidgeting again. "Assuming that you'd like to be in a relationship with me. I mean, I would. Very much so. But if you require more time-"

Rob leaned over and kissed her.

Deeply.

A minute later, they disengaged, panting heavily. "That answer your question?" Rob answered, a dopey grin on his face.

Keira tackled him.

Everything that followed was for their eyes and ears only.

--

40 Minutes Later

Meyneth barged into the room, eyes narrowed. After a quick surveying of the premises, she relaxed her posture, meeting Rob and Keira's glares with a nod of satisfaction. "Good. I see that you will not require further encoura-"

"LEAVE."

--

Thanks for reading!