The King And His Goddess Of War

Chapter 8: Dingus

I sat in the kitchen after coming back home late. Of course, Zuka had to move so slowly with Toothy that we got back around ten and apparently, from the vents with my mother, I felt alive. I sat, eating yogurt with my blanket around me like last night. But there was an unexpected visitor.

"Who's there?" Colby was here, behind me. 

He came over to me and when he noticed me- messy bun and all -he leaned on the counter across from the one I was sitting on. "Colby, please talk to me," I say. "I know it hurts, but I'm sorry about what happened last week. I know I may have destroyed our friendship, but I really want to mend it. I honestly miss you."

Colby was silent for a moment before he took a deep breath and looked at me. "How could I say no?" he says with a light chuckle. He blinked and I noticed how he was so different from his brother. Zuka took after his father's looks and Colby took after his mother. Colby was more poised and gentle looking while Zuka was striking and dangerous. "Ari, I was just mad that you shot me down, but then I realized it's way too soon. I do like you, but I am willing to harbor it to be a great friend of yours."

His response made me smile. "Thanks Colby. For a second I thought you were going to be a whiny b***h about it like some other people, but you, thankfully, weren't."

"Some other people?" he asked, grinning.

"Tyson was being a whiny b***h when he was in the infirmary. Like come on! You didn't fight anything!" I explain, eating the rest of my yogurt. "I know you got stepped on by a larger creature, but doesn't that happen often?"

Colby smirked. "Well, maybe I can tell Tyson you said that."

***

I went into my room and sat on my bed, holding my blanket in my hands. Thankfully, the maids don't service me, so I'm left to clean my room myself. If they do come in here to clean, I wouldn't want them to. I have some personal items in here that I don't want anyone cleaning or messing with besides me. Like my father's favorite dagger with the golden leaves running down the sides of the blade. 

He was a son of Hecette, but he was granted everlasting luck and good fortune. He crafted blades for the war when he was younger in the Greenwood Village and then when he claimed, they took him into the Academy to train. When he was strong enough, they found his everlasting luck transferred over to battle as well. With him in their troops, they would lose less soldiers and win every battle. 

Eventually, he left to go home and never went back. I bet you can guess why.

I jumped when the window opened. I should have known Zuka would be back after what happened a while ago, but it never came back into my mind. "Ari, I need company," he sighed. "And a hug."

I stood up from my bed and lazily stuck out my arms in his direction. He filled the air and hugged me to him, holding me like I were to die at any moment and he would never be able to hug me again. "And why have you come this time?" I asked, placing my arms around him and benefitting from his natural heat. 

"I felt lonely," he replied simply, digging his face in my hair and holding me by the waist so I couldn't move. "Besides, you are the closest person I trust at the moment. My parents have been lying to me and Colby won't talk to me because of what happened." 

"Well, I'll be here for you I guess," I teased, giving him a small smile. He loosened his grip on me for a moment, letting me lean backwards some to look up at him. We stared and stared until he leaned forward, swooping me back into his control and locking his lips with mine. I reacted without really meaning to, kissing back. When I did, Zuka gained some confidence and caressed my face with one hand and wrapped his whole arm around my small frame. I moved my hands to the base of his neck, holding him to me. 

His lips battled for dominance with mine until it was like a dance. He led the way and I followed, but we were both in equal control, kissing passionately enough to satisfy both people. His hand roamed my back as he sighed into the kiss. A sound of relief, comfort, satisfaction. But he didn't stop there. He turned towards the bed and grabbed my legs, lifting me to wrap them around his waist. He sat, our lips never parting. I was now in his lap, our kisses never boring or slowing. 

We released what we gathered up from the past week and honestly, I was okay with it. I am sad to say I'm the one that broke the kiss. I had to breathe! Our chests were heaving from the lack of breath and his grip on me never faltered, holding me tightly so I didn't fall backwards onto the floor. He just stared at me, his eyes dancing with joy and laced with desire. His hair was messed up because apparently I was running my hands through it without really knowing. 

"Kleine Rose, can I kiss you again?" he whispered, still catching his breath from the kiss we had just shared. 

"Kleine Rose?" I ask, raising a brow.

"Little Rose," he translates. "Kleine Rose is Little Rose in German."

"Okay then, Ein Starker," I reply. "That means Strong One in German. And yes, you can kiss me again."

He smirked, knowing what I said. He kissed me once again, this time claiming dominance immediately and pulling me back to him and rolling over so he was on top of me. His hands stuck onto my hips or caressed my face and neck, nothing less, nothing more. He respected my boundaries, thankfully. He eventually stopped kissing my lips and went to my jawline, leaving soft kisses that I adored. It was a new feeling that I never thought I would feel and I was enjoying it greatly.

Dammit times three.

He noticed that I tensed up when he kissed my neck so he continued to kiss my neck until I relaxed, his fingers playing with my hair that he took down from the bun. He smirked against my skin when I became silent, relaxing slightly. He moved back to my lips and kissed me once more before he just held me in his arms, my back against his chest and his lips against the back of my neck. The only blanket that covered us was my blanket that I carried to the kitchen and my pillow was Zuka's arm while Zuka lay on my head or wedged himself to rest his head on my neck.

It seems whenever I’m with Zuka, I feel genuinely happy.

***

"Wake up, Kleine Rose," Zuka whispered in my ear. 

I was still tired, but I knew I would have to get up and feed Mighty after I didn't see him last night. "But-"

"I know, you would rather stay here with me, but we all have things to do," Zuka chuckled, loosening his grip on my waist. I grumble incoherently and grab a pillow from the head of the bed and whack Zuka with it. He jerks away from me and runs a hand through his tousled hair, smirking. He gets back to me on the bed and kisses my temple. "Tired, Ari?"

"Ein Starker, I would rather not get up. I like missing breakfast," I groan into the pillow. "Besides, I don't want to face Colby."

"Colby will be fine with whatever is going on between us," he says, smiling. He throws on his shirt that he apparently took off during the night and lifts me up from the bed, the blanket falling and the cold air hitting my skin. I shiver at the cold air and jump into my closet, changing quickly into a plain shirt and jeans with combat boots. I throw an Aggie's jacket over it and throw up my hair and everything's okay. 

When I get out of my room, Zuka is there, leaning against the wall beside my door. "Are you sure he'll be fine?" I ask, a nervous feeling boiling my blood. "He seemed pretty upset at us just hugging." 

"Then he doesn't need to know," he shrugs, opening the door to breakfast. Tyson was there with Colby at his side, but no one else was here. Still too early for the soldiers to be up yet. We were at the early risers breakfast apparently. Colby glares at Zuka and smiles at me, gesturing to me to sit in my usual place. My bean bag chair. Zuka sat in his bean bag chair next to mine, relaxed and normal. I get my muffin and my smoothie and sit back down, ready to eat after missing dinner yesterday.

"I swear if anyone touches my smoothie or muffin, they're going to feel my wrath," I threaten. I don't want anyone eating my food anymore. "I promise they will not be able to have children."

Tyson's and Colby's eyes widen dramatically and they move their hands away all of a sudden, sitting on them or putting them behind their backs. Zuka doesn't react and I glare at him and he finally takes the threats seriously, putting his hands to the back of his head and nodding in understanding. "Zuka, there will be no exceptions when it comes to my food," I say, getting everything straight.

"There are exceptions?" he asks, smirking.

"Maybe, if you're nice and you're not a dingus," I reply, taking a bite of my muffin. 

"A dingus?" Colby laughs.

"Yeah, what really is a dingus?" Tyson asks.

I shrugged.

"Only my mother knows."