When darkness turns to light *EDITED*

Chapter 25

"I told you to be careful up there." Ember sighed as she walked arm in arm with Blaze, who was cradling a sleeping Ash in his other arm. Polka, holding his mother's hand looked up at his sister as she sighed and rolled her eyes, "It's just a scratch Mom, no biggie."
"Just a scratch? You were bleeding!" Ember frowned at her. Flaro sighed and moved her hair aside to show the scratch on her forehead, "It's fine now, just put a gauze on and done. Besides, it was just a branch."
Blaze chuckled, "Yep, definitely hasn't changed a bit."
"Hey." Flaro pouted, "I've gotten taller."
Ember shook her head and sighed, "Honestly." As they came closer to the edge of the forest. Flaro brushed her fingers over the cut above her eyebrow, "I'll take care of it later, honestly Mom you worry too much."
"I think I have good reason to seeing as you tended to hurt yourself a lot when you were little young lady." Ember huffed, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head again. Flaro smirked and hugged her mother tightly, "Yeah, yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Good night." Ember sighed, smiling and hugging her back, then Polka. Flaro hugged her father and kissed her baby brother's head, "We'll see you in the morning." She smiled as Polka took her hand and they began walking back to their home. Ember and Blaze waved them off before returning to Skullo and Ruby's, leaving the chilly night air behind.

Slash's ears perked at the sound of the door opening and Polka skipped in, "We're home!" He called, walking over and sitting beside him. Slash hummed, too engrossed in his work. Flaro sighed and stretched, "Ok, who's hungry?"
"Me!" Polka grinned, holding his hand up. Slash hummed again, tapping his pen to his chin in thought. Flaro raised an eyebrow and waved a hand in front of his face, "Helllloooooo? Earth to Workaholic." She called, no reply. She rolled her eyes and reached over, flicking the side of his head, "Hey."
"Ow, what was that for?" Slash whined, rubbing the spot she flicked and looking up at her. She smirked and leaned on the couch, leaning over his shoulder and snatching the paper from his hand, "What's this?"
Slash reached up and snatched it back, "Nothing for you to worry about." He smirked back then frowned, standing up and moving her hair aside, "What happened?"
Flaro rolled her eyes and moved her hair back over her cut, "I just got caught with a branch."
"You should be more careful."
Flaro groaned and tilted her head back as she turned to the kitchen, "You sound just like my Mom. It's one tiny cut, it's not gonna kill me."
Slash grabbed her hand, pulling her back. Flaro raised an eyebrow at him as he brushed her hair aside again and leaned closer, pressing his lips over the cut. Flaro froze, feeling like her eyes were growing to an impossible size. Slash pulled away and brushed his fingers over her now healed forehead, smirking, "There."
Flaro blushed bright red, feeling steam puff from her ears again as he let her go. She rubbed her arms awkwardly, "Urr, thank you." She coughed embarrassedly before mentally shaking herself, "Ok, dinner."
He watched her disappear through the archway calling over her shoulder, "I hope pizza's ok with you."
Slash sighed before turning to the sound of giggling behind him. Polka peeked over the back of the sofa and grinned, "You loooooove her."
Slash stared at the boy in surprise before stumbling his words out, "What? N-no, no I don't."
Polka jumped off the sofa dancing around him, "You love my sister, you love my sister, you love my sister!" He sang. Slash looked worriedly over to the archway before catching the boy and covering his mouth, "Shhh! She might hear!" He whispered. Polka began laughing behind his hand and looked up at him innocently, "So you do?"
Slash blushed and let him go, rubbing the back of his head, "I urrrr.... Yes."
Polka folded his arms and nodded, "Aha! I told them so."
"Told them? Told who?" Slash frowned.
"My friends. We all made bets on if you liked her or not." Polka smiled cutely.
Slash raised an eyebrow at the boy, "Aren't you a little young to be making bets?"
Polka looked around hesitantly, holding his hands behind his back, "Noooo."
They stared at each other for a few silent seconds before Slash finally said, "I won't tell if you don't."
"Deal." Polka nodded, holding up his pinkie finger.
Slash stared at him confusedly, "What?"
"Pinkie promise on it. If any of us break our promise, we have to break our own pinkie finger." He grabbed Slash's larger hand and wrapped his pinkie around his, "Like this."
"Awww, look at you two." Flaro's voice cooed from the kitchen. Slash looked up to see her leaning in the archway smiling at them. He blushed and turned his head away when she pinched his cheek playfully, giggling. He grumbled and pushed her hand away, "Would you stop that?"
"Why? I like annoying you." She laughed, ruffing his hair again before turning to Polka, "Wanna help me make some pizza bud?"
Polka nodded and grabbed her hand, "Ok!" He grinned.
Flaro nodded to the kitchen, "Alright, let's go."
Polka whooped and raced to the kitchen as Flaro smirked over her shoulder at Slash, "He likes you."
Slash avoided her eyes, blushing, "Well, he's a nice child."
"Awwwwwwww, wittle Slashy turning into a softy." Flaro cooed in a baby voice, cupping his face in her hands. Slash blushed brighter as she giggled and flicked his nose, "Dinner will be ready soon if me and Polka will be making it, I hope you're hungry."
Slash nodded and smiled as she turned and walked back to the kitchen, winking around the doorway. He sighed and sat back down on the couch, trying to cool down his burning face, she's been getting closer to him everyday! If he had known that all it took was for him to let her see her family to get her to like him more, he would've done it ages ago! He shook his head and turned back to his work, listening in closely as the two siblings in the next room chattered and giggled.