2. H O L Y W A R : Peacekeepers

Epilogue II + Author's Note

DIVISION, Pt. I

"Thanks for taking me out for dinner tonight, DK."

"Well, what was I supposed to do? It's your birthday. It would be quite rude of me to let you spend it all by yourself."

"You say that like I don't got any friends."

"Er... allow me to rephrase."

"Too late. I'm insulted. That's points off your 'good boyfriend' score."

"Oh, the shame!"

Kia laughed and nudged D'kala with an elbow as they came to a stop in front of his apartment. "You're hilarious. Now, where's that present you promised me?"

"Stay here—I'll retrieve it," D'kala replied, heading into his apartment.

"Retrieve?" Kia repeated, following him inside. "Seriously, DK, when're you gonna start talkin' like a normal person?"

"I thought I told you to stay out there!" D'kala protested. "I don't want you to see it yet!"

"Fine!" Kia raised her hands innocently. "I'll stay in the kitchen."

"It seems like you're always in my kitchen," D'kala called from deeper inside the apartment.

"Yeah, well, that's your fault for leaving all your good food lying around!"

Silence followed Kia's good-natured retort.

Kia frowned. "DK?" she said, walking out of the kitchen and poking her head into D'kala's bedroom. "You there?"

"GAH!" D'kala spun around, startling. "Kia!" he cried, shielding a large object with his body. "What happened to staying in the kitchen?"

"Ain't the '50s anymore, DK. Now step aside and lemme see the goods!" Kia demanded, a triumphant grin on her face.

D'kala sighed. "So much for timing," he grumbled, moving away and gesturing to what was behind him.

Kia's jaw dropped.

A metal sculpture—covered in a layer of black lacquer—sat next to D'kala's bed. It was shaped like two panthers with their foreheads pressed together and tails intertwined.

"I know it's a little much," D'kala said, wincing, "but I wanted it to be, well... special."

Kia approached the sculpture, her mouth still open. She ran a hand along one of the panthers' spines, enthralled by the detail. "Is... is this what you've been workin' on all this time?" she breathed.

"Well, it started out as a side project at the beginning of the semester," D'kala admitted. "But I decided to turn it into something more meaningful." Then he added, "Happy Birthday, Kia."

Kia stared at him for a long time.

Then she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him onto the bed, kissing him fiercely. D'kala let her roll on top of him, closing his eyes in bliss as he ran his hands along Kia's powerful, curved body.

Wait...

...what am I doing?

D'kala stopped, and Kia pulled away. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

D'kala swallowed hard. To his feline senses, Kia's scent was overpoweringly tempting—and that wasn't even factoring in the human and animal hormones that were throwing a party in his brain.