Let's Play Pretend

All In Time

When Aiden got into Cherry, he was greeted by the widest grin he had ever seen. It was plastered all over Doll's face, doing it's very best in an attempt to reach her ears. As soon as he had shut the door behind him, she stepped on the gas and started talking. Inside Cherry, even Coral couldn't hear them. It had always been their safe spot for conversation.

-Somebody got laid!

She stated it as a clear fact, and he felt a sudden urge to deny it. Because it was a private thing, between him and Jenna. Because it wasn't "getting laid", but "making love". Because it felt surreal to him. But still, he knew he was wearing a dopey smile. Yesterday's actions were written all over his appearance, and... Doll could probably have smelled it a mile away, anyway. There was no point in protesting.

-Yeah... I guess you could put it that way, if you absolutely must.

-So, how would you put it? Did you seduce the maiden and then form a lasting bond atop your hoard of gold? That's what you guys do, right?

-She... Jumped me.

Doll let out a short bark of laughter at that, and her grin grew impossibly wider.

-I like her! It was about time one of you realized what your naughty bits are for! I mean, that stench of desperate lust was really, really annoying! It was like hanging around in a freaking whore house where the ladies were on strike!

Aiden had absolutely no intention of asking her where she had gotten that particular analogy. Sometimes, with Doll, the less you knew, the better. Not that he didn't like her, mind you. She had been his partner for over two centuries, and he trusted her with his life. He loved her as a sister. Her stories from before the agency, though, were sometimes best left to oblivion. If simply for the fact that she was a much different person now, and it always took him time to remember that fact whenever an old, shocking tale popped up. He supposed his morals were somewhat... old fashioned, at times. It was better to focus on the safer topic. It was quickly becoming his favorite one, anyway.

-I like her too. Actually, I like her so much, I love her.

There was an audible gasp from the driver's seat, and Doll hit the brakes so hard, they nearly flew through the windshield. She turned to face him, the grin suddenly a distant memory. She stared at him with a look of... almost disbelief. Then she sniffed him.

-Well, I'll be damned. Aiden Eld, a bonded man. I never thought I'd live to see the day! So, how did she take the news that you're basically married now?

That was... One of the things Aiden hadn't quite told Jenna, yet. He had planned to tell her so much about dragons before... this happened. But he hadn't been able to restrain himself, once the word "need" had passed her lips. It was pure instinct then, with him already halfway bonded to her, to try to fulfill her every need.

He had had... dalliances before. Flings, flirts... And some very regrettable one night stands due to Max's "help" when out on the town. But they didn't really count. There had been no actual romance, just something to let the steam out. For him, but also for the partners. He had always made sure there was no other connection, too afraid of forming an accidental bond with anyone. But with Jenna...

When they met, he had smelled her before he saw her. She had smelled of pure distress, and his protective nature had woken up. Easy as that. Before he even saw her, he knew they were... compatible. And after centuries of avoiding forming any sort of personal attachment, he ran straight towards it, because he had to.

He told Doll all of this, and she listened, nodding. They were once again driving through the nothingness, an old song buzzing on Cherry's radio.