ROUGH DRAFT - Coye 6.9 (Patreon)

Forgot to upload this one, my bad!

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His day of rest and recovery suited Coye well. He was feeling fully healed the next morning and he spent an hour celebrating that fact upon waking up, giving each of the girls some love until it was time to get going with their day. Possibly more exciting than getting to have rougher sex again was the fact that he get to visit Dorothy now, and no one wanted to keep him from her.

He and Byng were walking up to the Guild after dropping Suzette off at her store, and already he was feeling the after effects of his battle. People looked at him more than they already use to. He got some friendly waves, a couple whistles and even a few pat on the backs from random village folk. It was all strange, to say the least. Coye had never seen Cransmere in such high spirits. If it weren't for the perpetually gloomy atmosphere, it might've almost felt inviting.

'You ready for this?' Shayla asked as they got halfway up the path.

'As I'll ever be.' Coye exaggerated. Really, he was feeling pretty good about things and so was Byng.

"If you think the town is treating you nice, wait'll we go inside! I got a feeling things are going to be real different, gaha- hah?" She stopped midsentence and looked ahead, noticing the party of four from the other day coming out the entrance.

Contrary to the way they treated Coye the other day, right now, each of the four looked at him in reverence. It was almost like they couldn't believe he was actually here right now when in fact this was his place of work just the same as them. The longer they stared the more awkward it got so Coye spoke up.

"Hey. We really need stop meeting like this."

"I'm so sorry!" The leader of the party, Windsor, immediately knelt down before Coye. "I've never been so wrong about someone in my life! If you ever have need of my sword-"

"get in line!" His partner nudged into him and took the same hose as he looked up at Coye. "I can't believe you went toe to toe with Auguris! That was the coolest shit I've ever seen!"

"Told ya," Byng smirked at him as he reddened.

"It was nothing, I just... Well-"

"I'm more impressed about the way you stood up to Britni," Erreldi leaned forward on her magical staff and grinned. "That was really romantic. I had no idea that you and the boss were-"

"we're not," Coye blushed and shook his head. Soon, maybe, but he didn't want to get ahead of himself. "I just couldn't stand there and watch after what happened to her."

"And I thought I had one hell of a punch!" Rissa, the catfolk brawler, performed a demonstration punch and struck the air. "We had shitty seats but I still felt like I heard his skull crack toward the end there!"

"I don't know about-"

someone had heard the commotion outside and opened up the front door, checking on the situation. It was Tansy, the halfling rogue who questioned Auguris during the match over his unfair tactics and incited the crowd to throw things at him. The short, seedy thief type smirked when he saw Coye.

"Hey hey hey, look who we got here!" He poked his head back in to the Guild and cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting, "he's here!"

What happened next was exactly as Coye imagined. A big group of 30 to 40 adventurers and ten to twenty staff members poured out of the building and started swarming he and Byng, but mostly him. Everyone wanted to say something to him, all of it positive. Coye heard it all. Praise for his bravery, admiration over his strength from some rookies, apologies for being rude to Dorothy, and so much more.

He tried to keep up with as many of them as he could, from Milse telling him Orlandis could learn a thing or two about romance from him to Burkhart, who was inexplicably covered in lighning burn scars, saying that in a few years he might be ready to fight himself.

Coye thought he'd be able to handle this all but the more they crowded him the harder it was to take. Being the center of attention was easy at first but difficult after a few minutes. Byng tried to help him by interjecting and answering questions for him, but he had eventually had enough for now.

"I'm sorry, everyone. I don't have time for this right now. I'm a little overwhelmed and I have to go and talk with Dorothy. Maybe after I'm done with that I'll hang out in the lounge for a while, but I'd appreciate the space right now."

There was some murmuring among the crowd as well as a few expected whistles, but they listened to him surprisingly well. A few people showed signs of affection as they walked into the Guild, patting his back, asking for handshakes or fist bumps, all that stuff. When they finally cleared out, he was left exhausted.

"Welcome to the rest of your life around here, gahaha!"

"You don't really think this will keep happening, do you...?" He grimaced at the thought.

"Is it really so bad?" Byng leaned in and crossed her arms behind her back. "Don't think I can't tell you enjoyed it a little."

'He totally did,' Shayla confirmed. 'And I'm happy for you, baby. Having more friends will do you some good, I think.'

"I don't know about that, but we'll see..." Coye shrugged. He wasn't against having more friends either but he really wasn't thinking about it that much at the moment. "What's your plan? More solo quests for today?" He asked Byng.

"Yup. Now that you're going to start doing Gold -ranked quests, I have to start hauling ass even harder than before! You've been doing one crazy thing after another and I don't want to fall behind. You go and talk to Dorothy, I'll figure something out at the quest board."

"Sounds good. You have to be getting closer to Silver -rank by now, don't you?"

"No idea," she grumbled. "They won't tell me a thing."

"Yeah, that's how it was for me, too..."

"Oh well," Byng shrugged. "I guess you're just gonna have to give me a kiss for good luck!"

"I think I can handle that," Coye smiled and leaned forward.

'Seriously? Doing this right in front of the Guild is asking for trouble. The front door is literally right there, you never know who's gonna-'

it was Britni. She opened the door moments before their lips met and stood there frozen the same as the lovers. There was a mix of emotions on her face, making her altogether hard to read if you weren't a Pixie. Shayla feel how embarrassing jealous Britni was, however, and Coye was to embarrassed to capitalize on it. She gave him advice instead.

'On second thought, go for it. Rub it in a little!'

Coye wouldn't dream of antagonizing her, especially not if she was acting nicer like he'd heard. Even Byng was capable of showing restraint as she pulled away from Coye and got out of the way.

"Sorry about that, sometimes a girl just gets the urge, y'know?" Byng tried to laugh lately.

"Whatever, I don't care," Britni shut her eyes and dismissed them.

"How are you doing today, Britni?" Coye let her be done with them that easy. He wanted to make an attempt to reach out and for his effort, he got a casual response.

"Could be worse, I suppose. Going out on a few kill quests... Need to work out some sudden frustration..." She grumbled.

Coye was pleased. This was so far the most pleasant back and forth he'd had with Britni since... ever? It was casual, yes, but a marked improvement on their typical interactions.

And then Byng jeopardized it by teasing Britni. "What's the rush? I thought you won big the other day, gahaha!"

Britni stared at the Gengaggi with anger and lightning started to crackle around her body, but it wasn't a serious amount. Just reflexive. "I don't need money to kill things! I kill monsters because it's fun and any true Midgardian throws themselves into battle as often as they can!"

'That sounds like a shitty way to live,' Shayla raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not gonna stand in your way, but before you go, thanks." Coye smiled cutely and Britni was overcome with sudden emotions.

She didn't want to stand there awkwardly, so she crossed her arms and looked away. "It's fine. I never paid you back for that one time, so... Consider us even."

"That one time?" Coye tilted his head.

Britni was glad didn't bring it up and smiled, but Coye legitimately didn't know what she was talking about. "Forget about it and get out of my way. I've got monsters to kill."

He did but after that Coye followed Byng's lead and teased her little just to see what he could get away with. "Would you add me to the kill list if I told you how flattered I am you believe in me?"

Britni paused and Byng and Shayla expected the worst to happen, but against all odds the big bully actually cracked a smile. It was a tense one, and you could tell she was fighting against her nature, but she was definitely amused by his comment. "It's nothing like that. I knew you were going to win because were on the verge of picking a fight with me. Anyone with the balls to do that would never lose to someone like Auguris. That's all."

'Some girls are just so roundabout with their feelings,' Shayla sighed while Coye held back the impulse to tease Shayla for calling the kettle black.

Britni then moved past the two of them, but as she walked away without a word, Coye had another idea. "Hey-" he called out. Britni looked back at him, keeping quiet for a moment as she waited for his words. "Remember what I asked you the day you got back from your Cordycepper quest?"

Britni turned bright red and the anger summoned her lightning and she whipped around. The less she thought about that day and the way Coye behaved, the better. "The only thing I remember about that day is-"

"it was a yes or no question," Coye interrupted, somehow finding the spine to laugh at her frightening reaction. In a way, it was cute. "I just met the part where I asked you wanted to go on a quest sometime. Figured I would remind you that's an open offer."

"Whoa there, I'm right here," Byng laughed uncomfortably and nudged him in the elbow. She was mostly joking, but she was surprised to see him propose that to her.

'Are you trying to get both of us electrocuted?' Shayla bopped him on the head. 'I know you may or may not be into that, but I'm pretty damn sure I'm not!'

Britni simply stared at him for several moments before turning away and walking into the distance. "How about you go see your precious little Dorothy, why don't you? Maybe you and I can talk about that some other time when she's not waiting for you, loser."

For a second, Coye almost thought there was some warmth behind that word this time but it was gone just as quick as Britni was. He smiled, but Byng then dragged him the side of the building by the wrist and interrogated him.

"So... You're not trying to hook up with her, are you? Because that'd be pretty damn ballsy of you, short-stuff."

"No," he laughed softly. "I was just trying to be nice and playful. She felt different to me, don't you think?"

"Still seemed as bitchy as ever, but..." Byng folded her arms and thought about her bias against Britni. She liked Coye, that was fairly obvious. She figured Britni couldn't be all bad if that was true. "Who knows? Maybe your crack her open and find out there's a halfway decent person beneath all the layers of bitch."

'I wouldn't go that far, she's still unhinged as ever from my perspective... but... I do think there's something different about her, yeah. Just play it by ear and don't take any risks with her if you can help it, got it baby?'

"Sure thing. Let's head in."

Without any further distractions, Coye and Byng entered through the front door. There were some adventurers at the counter registering their quests, but it wasn't Tammy handling it, nor was it Dorothy. The front desk had two more people than it usually did. Tammy was overseeing two of the maids as they both filled out paperwork and discussed the finer details of the adventuring plans.

Tammy looked up from their work and nodded at the two of them from across the room. She told her assistants to keep doing what they're doing and then raised the bar so she could exit the desk and talk to them.

"Sup, killer. Killers green girlfriend. Like my new assistants?" He gripped her head back and Wiska and Chelanne, who were struggling to keep up but doing their best.

"What's going on with them, shouldn't they be cleaning up somewhere?" Coye tilted his head.

"They felt bad and volunteered to try out work as a receptionist," Tammy shrugged, though she was clearly happy about the development. "I'm training them the same way I did with Suzette. They might not have as much natural talent as she does, but it's a start."

"Hey, that's pretty cool! Good for you, Tam." Byng extended her fist toward Tammy, who responded with a casual fist bump. She not so subtly wiped it on her skirt after, though.

'I'd make a joke about how it's not like her job needed to be any easier, but that's probably a good thing for her.' Shayla thought.

Coye smiled at the development. "I'm really glad that Dorothy won't have to do that alone anymore."

"I would be offended if it weren't true," Tammy sighed.

"Wait- I didn't mean to imply you don't-"

"it is what it is," Tammy shrugged.

"Where is the boss, speaking of?" Byng asked.

"Office, last I checked. She slept all day yesterday and after getting a big breakfast she wanted to look over everything the three of us filed yesterday."

'Damn. I knew she needed a rest, but... That's pretty extreme!'

Coye was worried immediately after hearing that, but Tammy raised her hand and shook her head. "It's not how it sounds. You'll see."

Coye and Byng exchanged a quick look at each other before wishing Tammy luck with her trainees and heading to the lounge. Again, there was a small crowd in front of the quest board who stopped what they were doing to give Coye attention and make friendly remarks at him. He smiled and waved but kept to himself.

"I'm gonna see what all the boards got for me. You do your best in there, alright?" Byng clasped his back as they both made for Dorothy's office, giving Coye a surge of confidence.

"I will, so you do your best out there today, too. Okay?"

"I think I can handle that," she smirked. "Don't mess this up!"

'I'd be surprised if he found a way,' Shayla thought. 'This should go smooth as possible.'

"Hope so," Byng mumbled before moving back to the crowd, who parted for her and gave her a place to look.

Coye was now alone as he lingered in front of Dorothy's office. Emotions were stirring up inside of him and he couldn't wait to see how she was doing, so he knocked on the door and preemptively called out, "Dorothy? It's me. Are you busy in their?"

"Coye? Oh, ah, no! Please, come right in!" She sounded excited, making Shayla smirk.

Coye entered her office and they both found her at her desk wearing her usual attire, but it was clean, and she was looking much, much better than the last time they saw her. Even better than that. Dorothy looked healthier and more rested than Coye could ever remember seeing her. Some of the bags under her eyes had cleared up and her pale skin was a little clearer. And then there was the wide smile on her face that appeared the second she looked at him. Dorothy looked happy and healthy, though Shayla noticed right away that she was evasively looking away every now and then. Whenever she did, Shayla sensed a small current of arousal coursing through Dorothy's thoughts and it made the Pixie smirk.

'I love it when I'm right,' Shayla said mainly to herself.

'What do you mean?'

'You'll see...'

Her cryptic comments didn't mean much to him as he was too busy focusing on the lovely sight of his Guild Mistress. He smiled back at her and then surprised her by locking her office door behind them. She blushed a little at this, but as he approached the desk she mumbled, "I was hoping you'd show up soon. Why don't you, um... Have a seat, and-"

Dorothy watched as Coye ignored the chance to sit opposite her at her desk and walked past it to the scarcely used couch behind her desk which was sandwiched between two large bookshelves and had a curtained window behind it. He seated himself and while looking straight at her he patted the area beside him, gesturing for Dorothy to join him.

Even though she was feeling infinitely better, Dorothy almost couldn't handle such forwardness. She blushed harder and said, "that's... ah... Not what I meant, but... Maybe-"

"what are you waiting for? Sit."

Dorothy gulped and found an excuse to stare at the wooden floorboards below. "Yes, Coye..." She found herself saying automatically.

Dorothy got up and soon sat directly next to Coye, wondering what she was so nervous about only moments before. Everything felt natural now that she was by his side and relief took hold of her. She became more relaxed, if still embarrassed. This embarrassment only got worse as soon as he talked, though.

"You're looking good today."

"Oh. Um. Thank you... I'm not sure why, I still haven't found time to wash up or anything. I don't know if Tammy told you but-"

"yeah, I heard you were pretty sleepy yesterday." He smirked at her.

"Something like that..." Dorothy giggled softly. "In my defense, I'm pretty sure I needed it..."

"You don't need to justify it," Coye insisted. "I'm just happy you're feeling better."

"I could say the same for you. How are your injuries? Did you get enough rest?"

"Mostly. I had a couple of visitors yesterday and I woke up a couple of times throughout the day but I mostly slept, too. Auguris came to visit me, by the way."

"I wish I could act like that surprises me," Dorothy sighed and slumped her shoulders. "When that man wants something he doesn't know how to give up."

"He didn't have to give up. I told him I'd do it."

Dorothy looked at him with surprise. "Wait, really? But... He wants to drag you around on Gold -ranked quests, doesn't he?"

"Which is exactly why I wanted to."

She gulped nervously and looked at him closer, ignoring her impulses to be evasive. Dorothy rarely got a chance to see what her adventurers were capable of. She knew broadly the strength of each one and kept up-to-date on their progress and developments as was her job, but seeing them fight all hell like yesterday wasn't a common occurrence.

She had to acknowledge the fact that Coye was significantly more powerful than she even thought. He could probably handle some gold rank monsters, especially if Auguris was there to lazily chaperone him. The thought both worried her and made her proud.

"As your Guild Mistress, I'm happy to hear that but... I'm really concerned as your... um... Your... Friend?" She stammered, wrestling with the uncertain reality of their relationship. "I'm just warning you that gold rank monsters are tougher than anything you've ever fought before. You've only battled up to high C-tier enemies before. This will be a significant jump up in difficulty."

"That's what I'm hoping for. I want to get stronger." Coye clenched his fist and Dorothy witnessed a fire in his eyes similar to his battle expression. He was serious, confident, and he knew what he wanted. She had to look away, she didn't know why she was so weak to him when he was bold and daring, but she was.

"Stronger than your father?" She asked somewhat wistfully. There was a slight bit of cynicism as she said this that confused Shayla, but she let it slide for the moment.

Coye didn't pick up on it and he only laughed. "No one stronger than him."

"Right," she returned the laugh although it was less sincere. She searched for another topic to quickly change to, but the one she landed on was embarrassing. Dorothy was flustered and couldn't think of much else so she just asked. "I hope your injuries didn't interfere with your, um... Your treatment, Coye. Are you doing all right with that?"

Coye looked at her and saw how nervous the subject made her but was surprised she even brought it up. "I'm doing all right. You don't need to worry about me, really."

Then, to make things even more awkward, Coye took Dorothy's hand and surprised her by squeezing it tight. She burned bright red and Shayla was almost damaged by the sudden spike in explosive emotions, but after a second or two it past and Dorothy became okay with her current situation. More than that, she even squeezed his hand back unconsciously

Coye stared straight at her face and made things even worse. He was deeply concerned and fully expressed it in his expression, before asking, "what about you? Besides the long nap, how are you really feeling?"

Dorothy clammed up. She was starting to sweat both on her brow and in her palm but it eventually calmed down enough for her to open her heart. As soon as she did, it all spilled out. "Better. Much better. Better than I've been in... um... ever?" She nervously laughed. "I don't want to sound overly dramatic or anything like that, but... None of this would've been possible without you. I'm very thankful for everything you've done for me, Coye."

Coye noticed her sweaty palms and her awkward expression, finding it cute while also wondering if this was how he came off to others at times. He'd understand if that was the case. She was very cute like this and it made him smile even harder.

"It wasn't all me. I didn't tell you to stand up to Auguris or to give that announcement speech about the betting. That was all you. You managed to get everyone in the room excited about what you were talking about, you were funny, charming, and when they clapped, they were clapping for you. When things were at their worst for you, you didn't give up."

Shayla was watching Dorothy very closely. Things were getting very romantic in here and her vicarious enjoyment was at an all time high. She was invested, and it was hard for her to control the impulse to magically fuck with the situation. But she didn't. It was important for Coye and Dorothy to talk about their feelings on their own.

Dorothy wasn't conscious of it, but she opened her legs a little wider and pressed her foot up against Coye's on the ground. She looked away from him, staring off at the distance while remembering everything is said. It was true, and yet... "You don't get it, do you?" She laughed. "I can only do that because you were there for me. I saw how hard you defended me and... I... I just knew I couldn't give up. I'm not that strong, if you weren't there for me I probably would've broken down and gave up once and for all..."

"You're putting yourself down again."

She found the courage to look him straight on and said, "I'm really not. I'm just being honest about how much being around you encourages me to try and improve myself. It's... It's almost like you make me believe there's something in me worth standing up for."

"That's because there is, and I've always seen it."

"Maybe if you stay close enough to me, I'll start to see it more for myself.

"Are you worried you won't be the same if I'm not around to help?"

She nervously laughed and said, "I don't want to be away from you long enough to find out what would happen." Dorothy froze after she realized how that came out but didn't correct it. She meant what she said and would own up to it.

"Good thing I don't plan on going anywhere," Coye smiled and took his hand away, only for Dorothy to suddenly miss it when it was gone. "So are you not doing any work today?"

"Oh, um no. I'm just here to check on a couple of things and maybe read a book or two while I'm down here. I don't want to lay in bed all day, but I figured I'd get back to work tomorrow perhaps."

"I'm really happy to hear that."

"Yes, well... The gold we made is enough for me to relax a little."

"Take the next two days off at least." He said, suddenly demanding.

"Two?" Dorothy blinked, wondering where his sudden shift in behavior came from. "Why two?"

"Because I told you so," his reply was sudden and serious, but he soon smiles to show her he was teasing. "Weren't you the one who said I should tell you what to do more often?"

Dorothy went silent before blushing and remembering hadn't said something to that effect. "I guess I did..."

"I can stop if you want."

"Hold on, now. I- I was just surprised! I didn't say anything about stopping, did I?" Dorothy turned to face him and leaned in, suddenly passionate. When he started smiling at her, though, she got embarrassed. "Not that I'm desperate for you to, um..."

"No, of course not," Coye smiled at her and she realized it was a knowing smile. Dorothy felt embarrassed and wanted to move on so she looked away and change the topic.

"You know, I was a little upset to find out you didn't tell me you found a way to learn magic. How did that happen? Did one of the tutors I recommended a while back finally come through, or...?"

"Oh, the magic?"

'I knew she was gonna ask... Guess we cant really get away with doing in front of the whole Guild without turning some heads...' Shayla sighed. 'Just be evasive, push it off.'

'That was already my plan.'

'Good boy, you're learning.' Shayla sounded smug.

"No, it wasn't any of the tutors..." Coye shook his head and closed his eyes, wondering whether to lie outright, to obscure the truth, or to just ask Dorothy to wait. He played it cool at first. "I just made some improvements on my own, that's all."

"Really?" Dorothy didn't want to sound like it, but she didn't buy what he was selling. "Sorry if I'm being nosy, it's just that... Whatever you did to break Auguris's armor at the end there had to be really powerful. It's, um... A little hard to believe that you figured out how to do that on your own. What even was that, a jinx?"

That was precisely what it was, only a fairy jinx. Dorothy's expertise didn't solely focus on monsters. She was a very sharp woman and as a Guild Mistress she was well-trained in knowing many details about different styles of combat, magic, and anything else she would need to know to properly manage her adventurers. By knowing the in-depth secrets of their skill sets, she could match them with quests best suited them in their abilities. Not that many listen to her advice. That might be changing soon, though.

"Dorothy, can I be honest?"

"Um... Yes, always?" She instinctually leaned a little closer as if expecting him to trust her with a great secret.

"I'm not ready to tell you about how I got magic."

Her disappointment was immeasurable and she looked away embarrassed. "Oh. Okay. I didn't mean to pry or-"

"you weren't!" Coye was quick to cheer her up and he took her hand again, giving her a smile that did wonders for her mood. "I'm just saying that I want to tell you more about it, but it might be a little stressful to hear about."

"Why? Did something happen to you? Are you all right?" Dorothy's relief only lasted for a moment and she started to assume the worst.

"I'm fine now, it's just... It's gonna be a lot to take in. The time has to be right. Sometime after your break. Okay?"

Dorothy still felt a little let down that she wouldn't learn his secrets, but she was fine with the compromise. She smiled knowing that Coye would share more of his life with her in a roundabout way. "Of course, Coye. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be there for... Well, for as long as I can."

Coye tilted his head at her comment there, thinking there might've been another meaning, but he didn't catch it. Shayla did, and he wasn't going to like it whenever it came up. She wanted to protect him, so she bopped him on the head to distract him as she suggested, 'are you ever going to show her those cards, or what?'

"Hey, remember how I said I'd show you my collection?" He'd almost forgotten he'd brought them. He smiled and extended the binder to Dorothy, who fiercely snatched it and grew happy when she realized what it was.

"Oh, can I, Coye? I've been waiting for this ever since you first told me you started collecting them, I-" realizing how fired up she just got without meaning to, Dorothy blushed and meekly lowered Coye's binder. "Sorry... It's like I said, I... I don't have any friends I can talk to this about, so..."

"I already said you could look through them. Did you want my written permission?" Coye teased.

Dorothy was taken aback by the tease, but pulled out a rarely seen pouty expression where she puffed out her plump lips and frowned. "I feel like I'm learning so much more about you today, Coye. I never knew you could be so mean."

"Yeah? Don't worry about it. I'll play nice if you want me to." Coye's voice trailed off, sounding almost seductive.

"Ah... ahaha..." Dorothy didn't know she was in for and in a nervous hurry she opened up his binder, looking through his cards as he sat there amused at how awkward she was.

'She can't stand against even the tiniest bit of teasing, can she?'

'Isn't it great?'

'It sure is something...' Shayla smiled, admittedly finding amusement in the way Coye was getting used to playing with Dorothy.

Looking through Coye's election didn't take very long. He only had a couple pages full by now, but it was still worth it. Dorothy found a couple of cards she'd never seen before and he had a few shiny cards that she didn't.

"Oh, interesting. You have (card from the first pack)?"

"Yeah, why? Is it anything special? I got it from my first pack."

"That's not just lucky, that's-" her eyes went wide as she felt something on her thigh. Dorothy gulped and raised the binder over her face to poorly hide the fact that she was now looking at the source of the disturbance. It was exactly what she thought it was. Coye had snuck his hand on her thigh where was now resting like it was his.

Where on earth was this coming from? All the flirting, the teasing, and now this? It was too much. Or maybe it would've been, if Dorothy wasn't as into it as Coye was. She peeked over the binder, catching a glimpse of his casual smile. He was a little redder in the face, suggesting this made him a little embarrassed too. It was hard not to think about her fantasies from the other day, with his hand where it was... but Coye wasn't doing this to be lewd, was he? This was just... Casual intimacy. Yeah.

He wasn't making a big deal about it, so neither would she.

"Well, suffice to say you were really lucky to land that one..."

"Yeah? I feel lucky."

"Ah... um... ah..." She froze again, making it hard for Coye not to laugh.

'Are you trying to give her another heart attack? As cute as this is, you're really pushing your luck here, baby.'

'You're probably right,' Coye admitted sadly and took his hand away from Dorothy, who felt relieved and saddened at the same time upon its absence.

Dorothy closed his binder and handed it back to him, and as she did, she came to the realization that things were so fundamentally different in their relationship now and it all seemed to happen so suddenly. Before she knew it, things were just like this. If she got swept up in his pace, who knows where things would lead?

Dorothy didn't think she'd mind finding out.

"So, um... Now that that's out of the way... Were you going to be leaving soon?" Dorothy asked.

"Did you want me to?"

"No!" She blurted out instantly. For once, she decided she would own it instead of getting embarrassed. "No, not at all. I just... I think we might've run out of things to talk about as of the other day."

"We did talk for like seven hours," Coye laughed.

"Well... Instead of talking, how about we do something else...?" Dorothy looked away and started twiddling her thumbs together. "Something I've always wanted to do but never have before."

'Whoa there,' Shayla was suddenly on the edge of her seat. 'I didn't think she had it in her! I-'

"You've never, um... Actually played RealMonster, have you? Like... The actual game itself?"

Shayla felt dumb for thinking this nerd actually had the courage to go there, but she also laughed at Dorothy's innocence. Bit by bit, she kept seeing what Coye saw in her. She hated how her pettiness as a pixie blinded her to Dorothy's charms, but at least she was now moving past that.

"I haven't!"

"Me either!" Dorothy added excitedly.

"You already said that," he laughed.

"I... ah... Well, that's not important. Do you... Maybe want to learn how to play with me?"

"Dorothy," Coye smirked. "I would love to learn how to play with you."