I'm going back to the girls.

…

…

“Master!” Gwendolion throws herself against you as you close the door behind you. You pat her lower back and squeeze her. Behind her, the others are in the kitchen, cooking something from the looks (and smell of it.)

“Hey, you,” you smile at Gwendolion as you both hug. Her eyes sparkle, even in the mismatched collection. You feel her heart throbbing with anticipation— she clearly wants a kiss from you. You oblige her gesture and give her a kiss, but when you notice neither of the girls behind her notice, you make sure to provide her with an extra passionate one. A little moan leaves her mouth, and she looks at you longingly with a soft tint crossing both cheeks and her narrow nose.

“What was that about?” she asks; her voice is small, so it doesn’t alert the others that she might be getting special treatment. The movie you took her to changed her slightly, and she acted more…human. Her demeanor changed; she seemed more independent and unique than her identical twin, Mikko.

You smile as you pass her, squeezing her butt slightly, which makes her jolt forward. “Just proud of you, is all,” you tell her, making the blush more prominent. She holds her hands and nods. “Keep at it, Gwen. I like seeing you like this.”

“I- I’ll try…Master…” She trails off, darting her eyes to the others as Arabella greets you.

“There you are,” she says. “I thought you were going to be back sooner.”

You cleared your throat and slid into a chair. “I stopped at the bar for a drink. Chatted with Scarlet because she was there.”

You see Arabella stiffen at the name, and she looks at you for a few moments before she continues. “What did she want?”

“Nothing,” you shrug. “Well, she wanted to hire me for a gig. Pay’s good, and since she’s been hired as local law enforcement, I have no reason to distrust her.”

Arabella snaps her fingers at Gwendolion and points her to help Mikko on the stove. She joins you on the other side, lowering her voice before she starts talking. “Don’t tell me you’re really considering working with her, Master.”

“I am,” you say, matching her level of concern. “Don’t you think I should? Maybe warm her up more to us than she already has?”

“No,” she hisses at you. “She’s going to try to kill you. Have you not considered her as the enemy? She’s probably working with the ARS still. Who knows how much thought she’s out into this operation to get us and terminate you.”

You can tell by Arabella’s expression that she’s passionate about this subject. Not to mention her distrust of Scarlet. You know all that distrust had been earned with their past history, but you don’t feel your intuition telling you there’s any danger… You sigh. “The pay’s really good, Arabella.”

“Don’t,” she pleads. “Please, I don’t ask for a lot, so just this one time, don’t put yourself in a foolish position to be scammed or killed…or worse.”

“Aight, relax.”

“You won’t then?” Arabella smiles slightly, her eyes screwing tightly into yours. “Tell me you won’t be impressed by her.”

“Work is work, Arabella.”

She frowned, looking like you’d shattered her with those four words. “You’re making a mistake even considering it. What will I do if I lose you?”

You can’t help but make a face. “I dance with **** every time I do a contract. You insult me by not putting more faith in me.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles half-heartedly. “You don’t know her as well as I do. And I can’t help but worry.”

Arabella’s ears have lowered so low it almost looks like she’s making her small to make herself more appealing to your softer side. Perhaps she’s noticed that you’re more kind to the twins. “Arabella,” you sigh. “Please, act your age.”

She blushes. “What else am I supposed to do when you don’t listen to reason or my concern?”

Your knees touch, and there’s a connection of emotion. You lick your lips and grab her hand. “I’m listening.”

Subtly, the warmth of your hands is exchanged. Her breathing is calm, and now that you’ve confronted her, she’s sitting straight. Your eyes meet, making the corners of her mouth quirk slightly in a **** smile– a **** of habit to show happiness when she feels the opposite. You sigh and let go of her hand before getting off the chair. “What’s for dinner?”

“Stew,” she says. “Beef stew with carrots and potatoes. Nothing fancy, but it’s been a while since we’ve all had it, so I thought it would be a good change of pace for a while. Did you want something?”

Dinner is eaten with friendly banter and some discussion about your contracts. However, when Mikko offers Scarlet as a subject matter, the mood sours, and you find yourself avoiding specific topics that you know Arabella isn’t fond of. When dinner is over, you crawl into bed and lay there in the dark, thinking.