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How to Care for Your Human [Gambuiness x Degu]

Serenity just barely caught the sound of the door opening, glancing over to see that Matthew had finally joined them. He looked far better, his arm obviously healed and able to be used normally. A smile tugged at her lips at the sight before she returned her attention to what she was doing, pausing only when he actually approached and spoke. It didn't surprise her that Charles and Leta wanted to spend time alone together after everything that had happened.

"That makes sense, I don't blame them. They've both been through a lot." They all had, but especially Charles and Leta. "It was.. Interesting." She made a face, bringing him up to speed on how meeting her half sister had gone poorly at first, and civil by the end, at best. Ragnar's interruption was a welcome one, and she stared hungrily at the food. Tyrath stumbled around as the kids released him, taking a seat and relaxing as Serenity took her own with Matthew.

"It looks really good." Looking a bit guilty for the way she was staring at the food, her cheeks turned pink as she waited patiently for the others to start eating. Once they had, she hungrily dug in and made a soft noise of delight. "This is really good. Thank you for inviting us, Ragnar, Sascha."
 
The food tasted as great as it smelled and when they were done eating, Matt felt a bit ashamed about the sheer amount of food he had put into himself. ''That was one hell of a feast.'' he said towards Ragnar and Sascha. ''Thank you.'' Sascha stood up and put the remaining food into a bowl that Matthew could take with him for Leta and Charles. During the lunch, nobody talked much except for the kids, who saw human people for the first time in their life and whispered to each other with their hands held in front of their mouthes. From time to time they giggled when they exchanged some words with each other.

After the lunch, the kids went into their rooms and left the grown ups to do their boring talking. When Ragnar and Sascha had cleared the table, after they declined the help from anyone who offered it, they all sat at the table. For a moment it got silent and no one really knew what to say. Matthew was the first who started to talk. When he started to speak, he turned his face towards Ragnar and Sascha.

''I think that I speak for all four of us, when I say how grateful we are, that we are allowed to be here. And Sascha, thank you for bringing this woman over today, who took care of my arm, that was very nice. Since I don't know anything about the Santfei, I don't know what is considered as normal around here but this woman today, really had a crazy vibe coming from her. Somehow I was under the impression, that she was more interested in me than in healing my arm. I don't want to sound ungrateful but she was really forward.''
Ragnar looked at first to Sascha and then to Matthew, since he didn't knew who went over to Matthew and healed his arm. So Sascha replied, ''The woman who healed your arm today was Celina. Together with Lucas and my husband she leads this village.'' When Sascha finished her sentence, Ragnar looked to Matthew. ''What do you mean when you say, that she was forward?''

Matthew explained to them, what had happened and even told them what Celina asked him when Leta and Charles appeared. Ragnar looked to Matthew and was lost in thought for a moment before he started to laugh. Since Celina was on his and Tyrath's side during the meeting this morning, he thought about why she did what she did. Finally he understood her motives and even thought, that it was uncommon, maybe even strange, but he couldn't help but to admire Celina's dedication.
When he was able to stop himself from laughing, he realised that everyone at the table was looking at him. ''No, that is definetly not normal behaviour around here. Let me just say, that Celina already was interested in your brother, when he was living here. That is all I will say about that. If you are not interested in her, then tell it to her straight away though I can not guarantee you, that she will then give up.''
Sascha smiled a moment later when she understood, the thoughts of her husband. She knew him well enough, as that she could understand what he just has told anyone.
 
Not only had the Santfei fed them, but they were even giving them leftovers to take back to Charles and Leta! It was astonishing, compared to the reactions of the others that had seen them upon arrival. It warmed Serenity's heart, and she could already feel herself growing rather fond of Sascha. The children were adorable, and watching how they flocked to Tyrath was surprising. For the way that he normally acted, it was strange to see that he had a soft spot for children. If he had been around when she was growing up, would she had gotten that kind of affection?

"Really now?" Her eyebrows shot up as she listened to Matthew talk about how Celina had hit on him, she felt a strange streak of jealousy rear its ugly head up. Where had that come from? Conflicted over the sudden emotion, she tried to push it away and listen to the rest of the conversation. Tyrath was snorting with laughter over it, shaking his head.

"I can't say I'm very surprised. She is an.. Interesting woman." Shaking his head again, he glanced over at Serenity before his lips quirked in a smile. "Serenity." Her head lifted and she gave him a curious look, nodding to signal she was listening. "We should see about honing your magic while you are here. I have no doubt your friend has been helping you, but I am curious which of my gifts you received." She looked from him to Matthew before looking back, nodding again.

"It couldn't do any harm." If she was going to be living there for some time, it couldn't hurt to learn more about herself, and what other things may develop over time. Matthew had done a good job of helping her so far, but even he wasn't aware of what might be in their future.
 
Serenitys' reaction to what he told everyone here surprised Matthew. There was something between them, he knew that but it was unlike her to show so openly that kind of reaction. But he couldn't deny, that he liked it. He was hoping, that it wasn't a one time thing but that she would finally start to open up a bit more.

It took him a moment to understand what Ragnar meant, when he had mentioned, that Celina also tried to make Max her partner. When he finally understood it, he didn't felt any better. ''So am I a trophy now or how should I understand that?'' Ragnar looked to him with amusement written all over his face. ''No, not like that. Celina is a kind of person, that always thinks ahead. Her thoughts are rarely about the here and now. She is probably planning far ahead with you and your brother and since you both now are on the agenda of the organisation, that means that you both are at risk. She only thinks about the possibility, that both of you get caught by the organisation. So no, you are certainly no trophy and in addition I can guarantee you, that aside from her, no one will try anything. It is just how she is, please don't hold that against her. And if I may be so honest, without of her and what she did this morning, you wouldn't be here right now.''

Matthew didn't liked the thought, that he owes her something but if what Ragnar said was true, then Celina didn't just healed his arm but also was responsible, that his family and he were safe now. But he didn't liked the thought, that Celina would try it again when she had the chance. Taking a deep breath he leaned back into his chair and thought about the situation when he heard Tyrath talking to Serenity.

The idea to train her skills further was good and would give her and her dad some time to develop a connection with each other. But somehow there was a feeling of diappointment inside of him at the thought, that she would no longer need him to train her magic further. The time when they discovered her abilities and trained them was the only time during the last days, that were filled with joy or fun. Maybe it would bring her closer to her father which would be a good thing, for sure. But still ...

Thinking about, what he would do if he would be in her position, he understood that she wanted to spend time with her new found family. It was probably the first time in forever, that Serenity was with someone, because she wanted to and not because someone paid for her. In addition, they had enough time available to spend time with each other. Looking over to Tyrath, goosebumps started to build all over Matthew's body when he thought about, how he would react if he ever should find out, that he had bought his daughter. Swallowing hard he turned his attention back to Ragnar and Sascha. The food coma and the exhaustion of the day got to him more and more, ''Thank you for this wonderful lunch once again. But I am done and will return to our house. Bye.'' Before Matthew could stand up, Ragnar mentioned to him, ''I will visit you tomorrow and show you around a bit, so that you know where you can find everything here.''
''Sounds good.'' replied Matthew. Looking forward to just relax and do nothing else, he stood up and grabbed the bowl, that Sascha had prepared for Leta and Charles.
 
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Stop being jealous. Nothing happened, and he's not yours to begin with.

Shaking her head a bit to try and clear the intrusive thoughts, Serenity listened to the conversation around them the best that she could. She was still distracted, of course, but able to pick out more parts than not, once she concentrated on it. Tyrath's eyes were moving between her and Matthew curiously, bright orbs finally focusing on Matthew as he seemed to inspect him. It was mere observation, no one emotion ruling over another as he finished and turned his attention to Ragnar.

"Good, they should know where to find the places that they need. Especially the water, seeing as how it is getting so warm in the year." Not quite unbearable, but warm enough that clothes were becoming more bothersome with each passing week. "Serenity, will you return with your friend, or shall we discuss more things without the attitude of your sister interrupting the conversation?"

"Now?" She hadn't actually expected him to want to talk or do any of the training right away, but it was as good a time as any. "Um.. Okay, I guess we can do that. Matthew," She turned to him, managing a small, hesitant smile. "You should try and rest up if you can, or at least relax. I'll be okay, and I'll see you later, okay?" They still had the remainder of the late afternoon and evening before night fell, and after a brief goodbye to the others, she left the house with Tyrath.

"Are you going to throw fire at me again?" Although his face was calm, there was a hint of amusement to Tyrath's tone. "I will say, I was not expecting that." Tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants, he led her away from the house and started through the village. "It is a good thing it did not happen for everyone to see, or I never would have heard the end of that. Stories like that do not die out, not for a long, long time. Come now, let's see what else you can do with that fire."
 
Matthew said his goodbyes to everyone and listened to Serenity when she told him, that she will stay for a while longer with her father.
Until now, she either was his property, at least officially or she had no other choice but to stay with him, like it was the case in the recent days. But now everything had changed for her. Not only did she found her dad but she was living together with him in the village, where he seemed to be very respected. She was finally free to do whatever she wanted to and even though a part of Matthew was hoping, that she would come with him, he was happy to see her doing, what she wanted to do. Just having a choice and doing what she wants.

''Alright, have fun you two and good luck.'' he replied to her with a smile on his face before he left the house with the bowl in his hands.

After a short walk Matthew returned to the house but it was empty. Either Leta and Charles had left to explore the village or they were in their room, doing whatever they might do. Thinking about what he could do, he placed the bowl in the kitchen and walked back to the lift. It wouldn't hurt to know a bit more about the village and so he left the house again and started to walk towards, where he thought the center of this village would be.
On his way through the village he saw other Santfei and he couldn't believe, that they managed to live, hidden in front of the humans for such an immense time. Those he met reacted in a rejecting way or just ignored him. Only a few greeted him back and only the kids, who were surprisingly few, looked at him a little longer and showed their curiositsy openly.
The village itself was very beautiful, there always was some space between the different kind of houses so it never felt as if they were crammed together, like it was the case in the city.

Reaching a river, that was running through the whole village, he sat down on the grass, pulled his shoes of his feet and put his feet into the water. The water was rather cold but it was a nice contrast to the heat of the day. Laying his back into the grass, he closed his eyes for a moment and tried to think about nothing.
When he opened his eyes the next time he realised, that he must have fallen asleep for a short moment. Looking around, he saw a Barn sitting in the grass near him. ''Adam right?'' said Matthew in a greeting manner. Adam smiled at him before he replied. ''Right. Slept well?'' Sitting up, Matthew pulled his feet, which were freezing by now since the sun started to disappear, out of the water and dried them on the grass before he put his shoes back on them.

''Ragnar asked me to bring you a few supplies, so that you got what you need for the next days but when I arrived at your home, no one was there. Then I found you here.'' said Adam. ''That is nice of you and Ragnar.'' replied Matthew while he stood up. Adam showed him where they stored the supplies and together they brought everything they might need towards the house. Matthew thanked Adam before the Barn left again. Leta and Charles were at home as well by now and sitting in the living room, each of them with a plate of Saschas and Ragnars food in front of them. ''This is so tasty Matthew.'' said Leta with food in her mouth and returned her attention to her plate.

When Leta and Charles finished eating, they talked about their first impressions of the village and Matthew told them where Serenity is right now. They talked a bit about the recent days and how happy they were, to be together again until Leta asked the question, that was lingering on Matthew's mind as well. ''What now Matthew? Will we have to stay here forever?'' asked Leta. ''I have no idea, for now we are safe and we should take some time to recover before we think about what we will do next.'' replied Matthew to both.
 
"I.. Think it's time we take a break from that." Stomping on the burning shirt with a quiet curse, Tyrath shook his head. "Lit my damn shirt on fire. Are you sure you didn't do that on purpose?" Serenity snorted and shook her her, extinguishing the flames and taking a step back. As wary as she still was of him, she also had no wish to harm the man offering protection to her and her friends. Friends. It was such a strange thing to say, to truly have, but that's what they were.

"What else can you do so far?" Pausing and giving him a surprised look, her eyebrows nearly touched as she thought. What else could she-- How it hadn't immediately come to mind she wasn't sure, but her cheeks went pink when it finally did. Tyrath was staring at her curiously, examining the color in her cheeks but making no comment on it. Whatever it was, he wasn't going to push.

"I guess I.." She trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck and looking embarrassed. "I turned invisible once. I don't know how and I haven't been able to do it again." He didn't look as surprised by this information, but rather curious, nodding his head and preparing himself. For the next while they practiced with little success, but success nonetheless. It was only when it started to get dark that she shrieked, realizing she had spent the entire evening training with him.

"I have to go!" He gave no argument, leading her back through the village to where she was staying. She wasted no time in getting upstairs, scampering around taking off her shoes before turning to the others. "I didn't even realize how late it had gotten." Looking at him with a sheepish smile, she plopped down in a seat and sighed. "That was.. Interesting. Exhausting, though."
 
Leta, Charles and Matthew talked for a while about their first impressions of the village and about Santfei in general. Mathew told them what happened with Celina and her advances which they all found rather odd. After a while, Charles left Leta and Matthew alone and went upstairs. Leta turned to Matthew with a serious look on her face. ''We need to talk Matthew.'' He saw right away that she was serious and refrained from making any jokes or stupid comments. Instead he turned his full attention to her. ''Okay? Shoot.''

''I am serious now, so you better listen carefully. I don't know what exactly is going on between you and Serenity but I have seen you and her holding hands and last night, I saw how you slept close to each other on the couch. Are you two a thing now?'' Matthew didn't knew that Leta had seen them on the couch and was surprised by her direct question. ''Well, no I don't think so.'' he replied. For him, Serenity was more than just a friend or like any other girl but he didn't wanted to tell that all to Leta now.
Leta inhaled deeply before she replied, ''Are you sure? Because you better be Matthew. She is a part of our family now and on top I like her very much, so you better think about what you want from her before you hurt her. I love you, you know that, but don't think that I will forgive you if you hurt her.'' Matthew swallowed hard at Letas' words, ''Of course I won't hurt her. You know me Leta.''

''Right, I know you. You like to act before you think. I know that you have no intention to hurt her. All I ask from you is that you know what you do and more importantly, that you know what you want. If you want to be with her, then you better get your ass up and show her that you like her. You always have been a complete idiot when it came to such things. If you don't want to be with her, then don't give her any wrong ideas or hopes. She deserves better than that Matthew.''
He leaned back and let Letas' words sink in, what did he want? He wanted to feel this feeling that always came up when they touched each other. He wanted to be close with her, get to know her better. That probably was the reason, what hindered him from really asking her out, he knew so little about her.
But in the end, Leta was right. If he wanted to be more than just friends with Serenity, then he couldn't just go on like he did until now.

Leta saw that he was thinking about what she had told him and that was enough for her. So she laid back, put the smile back on her face and kept on talking about, how it was possible, that Santfei could exist and no one even knew about them.

A while later, after Charles already had returned, Serenity came back and sat down on the free seat. ''You really look exhausted Serenity. Had a good time with your dad?'' asked Leta and listened to her answer. When Serenity stopped talking, Leta stood up and Charles followed her, ''We will go to bed, it was a long day and I have to process quite a lot. Sleep well you two.'' Together with Charles, she went upstairs and a few moments later they heard a door closing.

Matthew felt tired as well, the nap he took at the river didn't took care that he was more awake now but he wanted to spend a bit more time with Serenity, before he would go to sleep. 'you better get your ass up and show her that you like her' What Leta said came back to his mind, so when the silence started to get awkward, he spoke up. ''I already put your stuff into your room, just in case you are wondering where everything is. And there is another floor, above our bedrooms where I haven't been yet. Would you maybe like to go there with me? Sasha said that the view from there is fantastic and tonight, there only are a few clouds in the sky.''
 
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"It was fine," She shrugged. "I accidentally set his shirt on fire, but it definitely could have been worse." Nodding her head, she gave him a small, tired smile. "Thanks. I'll handle situating it all tomorrow, I'm too exhausted right now." She perked up at the mention of the top floor, however, already excited at the prospect of seeing the night sky. Matthew's company was a bonus, of course, and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink at the thought of being alone with him where they weren't sleeping. There had been no attempt made for any further kissing since their previous time, and she caught herself glancing at his lips before quickly looking back to his face.

"That sounds nice." There were more important things to deal with than errant thoughts of kissing him again, and she forced herself to stand despite having just sat down. "I can't remember the last time I was able to just sit outside and look at the stars." With how different the setup of the village was compared to a city, it seemed very likely they would be able to see many of the stars clearly. "Lead the way."
 
He couldn't help but to giggle when Serenity mentioned, that she accidently set his shirt on fire. 'Was it really accidently?' he thought to himself, thinking about the temper, she sometimes had. Matthew kept the thought to himself and didn't really believed, that she would do something like that intentional, since he still remembered her shocked face when she threw the fireball at the attacker in their house.

Standing up, Matthew walked to the stairs and went up to the first floor. From the stairs, they entered a room that that led into a hallway. There were two doors on the right side of the small hallway, that led to the bathroom and his room. Another two doors were on the left side, which led to Serenitys' and Leta and Charles room. At first he showed Serenity her room, where he had placed her belongings. The room had a big bed, just as it was in each of the rooms, a closet and a desk. Matthew had placed her things on the desk, so that she wouldn't have to put them off the bed, when she later wants to go to bed. In addition there were two windows in the room that were currently not visible due to the curtains in front of them.
''This is your room, our rooms look mostly the same, Leta and Charles are in the room next to yours and mine is right opoosite to yours, next to the bathroom.'' Turning around, he saw a weak smile on her lips as well as the exhaustion, that was written all over her face. It was a long day with lots of things, they have to process while they tried to get accustomed to their new surroundings, especially to the Santfei.

Leaving her room, they went to a staircase, that was at the end of the hallway. It was a bit longer than the one, they walked on a moment before and led to the top of the tree, where their house was build into. Reaching the top, there was a hatch, that Matthew opened and went through. They stood on a platform, that had the form of a square and each side had the length of thirteen feet. On each side of the square was a balustrade and just like everything else in the village, it all was made out of massive oak wood. Since there were no electrical lights in the village, the only light that reached them came from the moon above them that was reflecting the light of the sun. It was enough, to see what was in front of them and around them but not enough to see very far. There were no chairs or tables but on the floor were a lot of blankets and pillows.

It wasn't really cold this night, but the missing light of the sun on the skin and the gentle breeze that was surrounding them took care, that Matthew pulled the sweater he was wearing a bit tighter around him when he put a few blankets on another on the floor, so that Serenity and he had a comfortable place to lay onto. When he was done, he lay down and invited Serenity to join him. Together they looked up to the sky and Matthew couldn't believe the sheer amount of stars, he saw. ''Wow, that is just ... '' He struggled to find the right words for the view, that was above them.

For a moment he was just silent and enjoyed to have Serenity by his side, while they were looking at the stars. ''You know, it's been two days now since we were just for us.'' Quickly he added, ''Don't get me wrong, I am very happy that we are reunited with Leta and Charles. That we are living in this village is great as well, just as it is, that by some miracle you and your dad found each other.'' Turning his head, he looked over to Serenity. He swallowed hard before he continued. ''But I liked the time, that we have spend at the house alone as well, just you and me. It wasn't perfect, due to the circumstances which brought us there but I liked it to be there with you.''
 
The bed in her room was absurdly big, and had she not been so excited to sit outside with Matthew, she likely would have sprawled out and gone to sleep right then. She blinked in surprise at the realization that his room would be right across from hers, right where she could see it. Not that there was any cause for concern in regards to anything unkind, but it just meant that unless she kept her door closed, her mind would be wandering all night. After all, they were going back to sleeping separately again, and even after only a short time of doing so together, it would take some adjusting.

"It's nice." She nodded absently, continuing to follow along behind him up the stairs and outside. The sight of it made her pause momentarily before going up the rest of the way, lips curving into a smile. It was absolutely beautiful, with plenty of room to spare for moving around and choosing her own spot. "It's beautiful." Breathing out the words as she stretched out beside Matthew, she nodded in agreement.

"I knew we would be able to see the stars, but I didn't expect it to be so breathtaking." Laughing quietly, she tilted her own head to meet his eyes. "I'm not really sure finding him would be called a miracle, but--" She paused suddenly, the shock clear on her face before her cheeks turned pink again. So much for keeping her mind away from their time alone and the kisses. "It was nice.." It was a bit of a pity that time seemed to be at an end, but she couldn't be too upset. They were safe, they had a place to stay, food to eat, and clothes on their back.

"We can just enjoy this for right now." Scooting a bit closer, she sighed and settled her head on his shoulder. "It's so nice out here I could almost sleep out here, if not for how comfortable that bed looked." Laughing again, she raised an arm and traced a line through the air. "Look at all those stars. I never knew there were so many stars before. If the saying about wishing on stars was true, we would have more wishes than we knew what to do with."
 
'Yeah, it was nice.' thought Matthew, as he turned his face back to the incredible sight above them and closed his eyes for a moment. Hearing Serenitys' words, he felt her leaning her head against his shoulder. ''Yeah, let's just enjoy this.'' The amount of stars they were able to see was overwhelming and he smiled at the idea, of having a dream come true. ''Well, I would have a couple of ideas.'' he replied as he relaxed and just enjoyed the view.

''Since we probably will be here for a while, we will have lots of opportunities to enjoy this view.'' His thoughts travelled to the situation they were in and for the first time he realised, how entirely different the Santfei were living together, compared to humans. There are no slaves or some that see themselves as more worthy than the others, at least from what he had seen until now. ''Coming here was for sure the right decision and I have to say, that I like it here so far. Though I hope, that this one woman isn't showing up again.'' he giggled when he thought about Celina. ''The way they are living here is so different from how we humans are. And I don't mean that everything here is so nicely made and that the nature is so close but rather how they are to each other. No slaves or degrading of others, here everyone seems to be equal, that is how it really should be.''
 
"We could come out here every night if we really wanted to." The amount of freedom they had, at least in regards to their actual housing situation, was astounding. "I was worried that coming here would be dangerous, and it still might be.." She trailed off, licking her lips before sighing deeply. "But you're right, there's no slavery, and for the moment it seems like we have some sort of protection. Even if it's only my father and Ragnar, it's better than nothing." That, and both the men were quite large, so that definitely helped when it came to others leaving them alone.

"It's going to be difficult adjusting to living here, I think. At least for me, the way I live has changed so much, so fast lately." Not even a full month and she was in her third place already. With no idea when things would settle down, she resigned herself to living as comfortably as she could, especially with her new abilities. All she could hope was to keep control over them and learn more about them, all while she remained at Matthew's side.

"We should do something nice for Charles and Leta," The thought came suddenly and she immediately voiced it. "Now that we're all back together, and they've finally just admitted their relationship. I don't know what we could really do, being here and with limited things, but surely there will be something we could plan out."
 
Matthew desperately tried to hide the disappointment he felt, after he had been friendzoned by Serenity. But he couldn't stop thinking about, what he did wrong? He tried to steer the conversation back to their time at the house in the woods, when they were alone, trying to tell her that he liked the time with her ... that he liked her.
'It WAS nice.' The words kept running through his mind while Serenity talked about, how she experienced the village and the Santfei until now.

When she mentioned, that they could do something nice for Leta and Charles he finally was able to concentrate on something else and he liked her idea very much. Not just because they finally opened up to them, regarding their relationship but even more, because both of them must have really suffered during the recent days.
''That is a great idea, especially after all they went through. Maybe we can somehow make a surprise day for them, where we prepare something and then leave the house to them for a full day. That way, they could just enjoy each other without of having to take our presence into consideration. Maybe even prepare something for them, so they wouldn't even have to leave the house for the whole day. Though ... we would have to look for a place to stay.''

He had no idea where they could stay or what they could do, maybe Sascha or Ragner have an idea. He would never ask Tyrath for help, he just couldn't get behind, how that guy ticked. At first he seemed to be cold hearted, then he helps them to get here and be save and then he even played with the kids from Sascha and Ragnar. If he would have never seen that guy before and only have heard those things, he would think that Tyrath is a nice guy. But he has seen him and especially this look on his face, that he sometimes has. Matt felt goosebumps coming up in his neck when he thought about him.

''I will talk tomorrow to Ragnar and ask him, if we could stay somewhere, out of the house, for a day.'' His focus returned to the starry firmament above them as he felt his eyes slowly getting heavy. ''As beautiful as this sight is, I think I need my bed and a good rest. But we should definetly come here more often.'' Even though she just zoned him, he still liked to spend time with her so he really meant it, when he said, that they should come here more often.
''Let's call it a night and get to bed before I fall asleep here completely.''
 
"You like it?" She lit up, a look of excitement crossing her face. She hadn't been entirely sure if he would want to do something like that, with everything else going on, so the approval was welcome. "I'm sure there are lots of things we could find to do during the day, especially with the weather being so nice." Maybe they could go swimming again, or just explore the village. Or at least explore the parts where people weren't just glaring at them.

"I'm sure Ragnar has somewhere we could go." Shifting herself away and sitting up, Serenity nodded firmly at his comment. It was getting late, and she was exhausted as well. It was going to be strange, though, sleeping in a bed by herself after cozying up on couches with Matthew. "I hope you'll be able to get some good sleep, now that your arm is healed up." Forcing herself to her feet, she smiled shyly at him before edging back towards the hatch.

"We should do this again soon, definitely. Good night, Matthew." Scurrying off before her face could turn red again, she managed to get to her bedroom without tripping over her feet. The door shut with a quiet click before she leaned back against it, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. How had life even come to this?
 
Before he had the chance to wish her a good night as well, Serenity already was on her way down the stairs and as Matthew himself reached the bottom of the stairs, he only saw her door getting closed. ''Good night Serenity.'' he said, walked over to his door and entered his room. When he lay down in his bed, he couldn't help but to feel that something was missing. It have been just a few days, that he has spend the nights with Serenity but he already got so used to having her next to him, that he missed the feeling of having her by his side. Hugging the pillow it didn't took long for him to fall asleep.

The following week was rather calm. During the day, Matt didn't saw Serenity very much since she spend a good amount of time with her dad. Leta and Charles enjoyed to be united again and to openly show their dedication for each other. It was sweet to see them so openly sharing their love for each other. The Santfei in the village had their difficulties to get accustomed to the humans, most just kept their distance to them or ignored them. As long as they didn't got hostile and just kept their distance, he was okay with that. Those he already knew tried to show the others, that their guests had no evil intentions but he already knew that it would take a lot of time for the Santfei to accept them, or even to approach them.

The four met each evening at the house to eat something together and to tell each other what they experienced in the village. Before Serenity and Matthew went to bed, they spend nearly every night an hour or two on the plattform and enjoyed the view that the sky offered them or talked about their ideas for the free day for Leta and Charles.

Matthew talked a lot with Ragnar and Sasha during the week. They told him, their ideas about what Serenity and he could do, when they want to leave the house for a day but none was really to his liking. He came up with an idea at the end of the week, when he was exploring the outskirts of the village and checked the forest, that surrounded the village. Again and again he went through small clearings which would offer a great place to spend the night, if he could get a good tent and the necessary equipment for it. After he had returned to the village, Ragnar confirmed to him, that he could provide them with all they need, if they want to go into the woods.

At that night, after they were done eating, he met wit Serenity on the plattform and told her about his idea. ''... but that would mean, that we would spend a night in a tent. Would that be okay for you?''
 
How much had she actually seen Matthew the last week? Or even Charles and Leta, for that matter? It had been a whirlwind of activity, from exploring the village to spending more and more time with her father. All for training, of course, but she was finding his presence more tolerable with each growing day. Her half sister on the other hand, was a bit unbearable with her sour attitude over the situation.

By the time the week was over she had gotten much better control over her powers though, and even gotten the hang of turning invisible.. For the most part, at least. It had ended in some awkward mishaps and failed attempts for awhile, but she'd gotten it under enough control she could manage it for short bits of time. Holding it long term however, was still a struggle. Hopefully there would be no need to do so, but in their current situation it was a fair possibility.

There was an undeniable pull. I knew that your mother would be the only woman I ever loved, that I wanted to spend my entire existence with her. Leaving was the hardest thing I ever had to do.

Her father's words stuck with her, nagging at her as she struggled to comprehend them. It had been an awkward discussion at first, hearing his feelings for her deceased mother, and mumbling out some tidbits about hers for Matthew. Or what he clearly saw and mentioned, anyway. The Santfei had been very blunt with his statements and questions, and left her no room to wiggle away from the conversation once it had started.

The night was nearly done, dinner had and cleaned up as she joined Matthew up on the platform. Their platform, really. It had become a ritual to spend time together there, and she had been looking forward to it all day. The mention of a tent gave her pause, a curious look on her face before she nodded. Aside from it being out of the ordinary to sleep outside, it didn't sound terrible at all.

"That would be fine, yes." She nodded and smiled at him before turning her gaze to the sky from her spot on the ground. "It sounds lovely, honestly. Just the sounds of nature and the stars around us. As long as it doesn't rain, I think it will be a very good night."
 
Matt was unsure if she would agree to his idea. Staying outside in just a tent was new to himself but he liked the thought to be able to spend some time alone with Serenity again. In addition it was way better than to spend the night at Ragnar and Sashas house or even worse, to ask her father if they could spend the night at his house. Throughout the whole week he hadn't seen her father again and only heard about him, when Serenity told them something about the time she spend with him, what only happened rarely.

But his main concern, regarding his idea was, that she maybe wouldn't like it to be alone with him again. Ever since she had friend zoned him, they still spend each night together on the plattform and each time she put her head on his shoulder, as if she wanted to be close to him. And each time it fueled his desire to be close to her. But he knew about her past or at least had an idea about it and made no further attempts, to have her close.

Somehow Matthew expected, that she didn't liked his idea, be it because she would be alone with him or just because staying a night outside wasn't her thing. When she then said, that it would be fine to spend the night outside, he couldn't hide the surprise on his face but to his luck, she right away mentioned that it was okay as long as it doesn't rain. The comment put a grin on his face. ''Then let's hope that it is just the right weather for a night outside.''

Thinking about everything they would have to prepare for Letas and Charles day alone, he said to Serenity ''Sasha told me, that tomorrow is a market in the village, where we can get all we need in the morning to make some food for them. She even offered us her kitchen, so we can prepare everything there and keep it as a surprise for Leta and Charles. If you want, we could leave right after we brought everything over here. Or is tomorrow too early for you?''
 
"I hope so," Her words were sincere, the excitement she felt over the prospect no longer surprising her. There was always that bit of longing to have time alone with him, although they didn't do much more than sit together and talk. Still, it was enough to improve her mood every night, no matter how the day had gone. Even the days that had left her completely frustrated were fixed by her nightly time with Matthew, calming her nerves and easing away the anger.

"A market?" She knew that they were popular with humans, even the enhanced ones, so it didn't come as much of a surprise that the Santfei had something similar. "That sounds nice. I'll be happy to help with the food, but you know I'm not very good at cooking. I don't know how to do much at all, honestly." It was embarrassing, really, and something she needed to remedy while they were there.

"Tomorrow is perfect." Getting to her feet and moving around the platform, she stopped just at the edge and gazed up at the sky. "I'm already very excited, I can't wait to see the look on their faces." Even if Charles couldn't vocalize his feelings on the matter, he always did a great job at expressing himself even without words. She could almost visualize it already, the sly looks exchanged between Charles and Leta when they were told they had the house to themselves.. For an entire day. "
 
''Me neither.'' he replied to Serenity, when she mentioned, that she wasn't good at cooking. ''Sasha offered to help us though she demanded, that we work as well in the kitchen. She has the opinion, that everyone should at least know some basics about cooking and would teach us some stuff.'' While he had talked to Sasha and Ragnar, he didn't even tried to argue with Sasha or to deny her offer. Just like Serenity, he wanted to give Leta and Charles a wonderful day and it wouldn't be a good way for them to start their day with some terrible food and since they both had experienced Sasha's cooking skills first hand, he couldn't decline this chance. In addition it would be good, to learn his way around the kitchen. The times where he had always someone in his house, that would take care of that were over, so it was about time to expand his horizon further.

Matthew stayed on the wodden ground and looked to Serenity, while she gazed to the stars and asked himself why he couldn't stop to look at her this way. Deep inside he knew the answer but it didn't made him feel any better about it. He never was one who desperately tried to find a girlfriend or woman. His studies and his family always was enough for him. And then she came along and turned everything upside down, in the best way possible. This feeling inside of him right now, that is only there because of her, was beautiful and uncomfortable at the same time. Until a few days ago, it was only beautiful but then he made the mistake, to try and take it further. He still regretted the attempt he did towards her, if he had just kept his mouth shut, than maybe they ... ... ...

Matt forced himself to stop thinking about the what if and focused back on the here and now. ''Great, then tomorrow it is. Sasha warned me, that if we want to get the best things, we should be there early. Should I wake you up tomorrow morning or should I handle the market alone? I know that you like to sleep a bit longer than me.'' he said with a soft smile towards her before he stood up and walked next to her. ''I am really looking forward to tomorrow.'' he said and found himself really looking forward to the time, he would spend alone with Serenity. Of course he wanted to give Leta and Charles a beautiful day as well but ... shaking his head, he walked back to the hatch and opened it. ''I will go to bed now, Good night Serenity.''
 
At an unkown place

The man, who earlier had given out the order to get rid of Matthew, while he was at the hospital, now was sitting behind his desk and was lost in thought. His dark eyes were focused on the phone in front of him. The situation he found himself in could only be described as bad. His organization had no idea where Max was hiding himself and was looking for him wherever they could without of any success. Now Matthew Onto, his brother, was gone as well after the decision was made, to get rid of him and to make matters worse, it seems as if he found out about the Santfei and worked together with them. At least according to the reports he had received from Trevor, the leader of the underground, a few days ago.
The rules left no room for interpretation when it came to the Santfei. If they show up in some kind of way, he had to inform the three leader of the organisation. The only people, who had more power over the organisation than him. He informed them two days ago and their order were simple. No matter what, make sure to keep the public in the dark about the Santfei and get rid of Matthew Onto!

He was thinking about what he should do, if they couldn't locate Matthew Onto when one of his spies, that he had placed in the underground, entered his office. Looking up to him he raised one of his brows, ''What are you doing here?''. The guy was obviously nervous and stepped from one foot to the other as he replied, ''The situation at the underground is getting out of hand sir.'' Rolling his eyes, he let the guy know, that he slowly started to get impatient. ''What do you mean by that? Explain.'' Not once did the guy look up or in the face of Mr. Xander or as all the employees in the organisation called him, Mr. X.
''Mr. Xander, sir, two days ago, some people found Trevor Swan, you know the leader of the underground, dead in his house.'' Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes and processed this new informations. The underground could become a problem without of having the idiot Trevor as his underling. ''Why is it then getting out of hand? Isn't his son taking over?'' He knew enough about Trevor's son as that it wouldn't be a problem to get him under his control as well. The man became more nervous and Mr. Xander slowly began to lose his patience. Rolling with his chair a bit back, he focused on the magic inside of him and created an exact copy of himself, that stood up and walked over to the nervous guy.
''Speak, before I punish you for wasting my time.'' the copy hissed from behind the guy.
''Sorry sir. The thing is, his son has been found dead as well, by the side of his dad. An unknown woman was in the room too, she was dead as well.''

Mr. X became more and more frustrated from the amount of problems, he had to face and which didn't seem to become less. The underground had to be under his control. Their network was way to valuable for him and in addition, they could become a threat if they are led by the wrong person.
''Who is going to be there new leader?'' he asked in a sharp tone.
''That is not decided yet. There are two candidates and they will decide that at the end of the week. One is a young girl that is very popular among the people there and the other is one of the guys, that belonged to Trevor's inner circle.'' he answered quickly and felt a moment later a breath on his neck before the world turned black for him.

For a moment he let the frustration take over and let that out on the man in front of him. The familiar sound of his neck breaking didn't really helped him with his problems but at least it calmed him down a bit. One thing after another. He couldn't do anything about the underground until they had a new leader, so Mr. Onto it is. But how could he get him out of wherever he might currently be?
 
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"I'm happy to learn. Have to earn my keep somehow," She shrugged. It was nice having choices, but she still felt obligated to help out in any way that she could, even if it was just with small tasks. "You can wake me up if I'm not up already. I'll try to be awake, though." She was slowly but surely forcing herself back into a proper schedule, even if it was taking time to get used to it.

"Good night, Matthew." She waited for him to go through before following, making sure the hatch was closed before she headed towards her room. They had a long day ahead of them, lots of things to do and the knowledge of that was going to make it difficult to sleep. The door clicked shut behind her and she sighed, leaning back against it and closing her eyes. A night alone with just Matthew, again. With the shift in his demeanor, the lack of attempted intimacy again, would he enjoy it, or be annoyed by the closeness? There didn't seem to be any problems with their nightly time on the platform, nor the way that she liked to lay her head on his shoulder. Still, it worried her, even as she opened her eyes and got changed for bed.

Surprisingly enough, sleep wasn't as hard to find as she'd thought it would be. It still took some time, her mind running over multiple possibilities of how the new day could go. Once she was asleep, however, she didn't wake until the morning, rolling out of the bed and stumbling tiredly around the room. It was early, she knew that much by the fact that Matthew hadn't come to wake her yet, and she sleepily ran a brush through her hair before dressing in a pair of shorts and a fresh shirt. A small bag was procured and other clothes thrown in, some essentials for throughout the day to avoid having to return before they camped out for the night.

"I'm up, I'm up." Trudging out of her room grumbling, Serenity rubbed at her eyes before setting the bag by the floor. "We can go whenever you're ready, and see what this is all about. I'll just eat something while we're out, otherwise I'm going to want to go back to bed."
 
Throughout the whole week the feeling remained, that something was missing when he laid down in his bed and tried to find some sleep. Just as it did this night. During the beginning, when they accidently touched each other, like in the mall or when they fell asleep on the couch in the house, there was this feeling inside of him, as if something was pushing him constantly into her direction. Something that caused a desire, to be close to her.
Then at the time, while they were at the house in the woods, it became different. It was no longer just a feeling he couldn't explain to himself. Though he didn't really understood and still doesn't, why it could be that they had such a connection to each other. But he knew that he wanted to be with her and when they kissed for the first time he was sure, that she felt the same. But then they came here and something had changed. After she had zoned him, he wanted to respect her decision and tried to distract his thoughts towards her.

Of course it didn't worked out. The main reason was, that during the last week, they spend some time with each other alone on the platform and it never got uncomofrtable or awkward between them. It was the opposit, instead of trying to keep some distance between them, they laid there side by side with her head resting on his shoulder. But that wasn't all, when they weren't talking about the beautiful view or their plan for Charles and Leta, they spoke about the experiences they made in the village. To his surprise, she even mentioned once, that she talked with her dad about her mom and after that she told him, that she really misses her mom.

Matthew expected them to grow distant after she zoned him but it felt, as if they were closer than ever before, but on a different level. Never before had Serenity talked to him about her mom or mentioned, that she missed her. They became closer in what they talked about and there conversations were no longer just about magic or getting out of a difficult situation. They didn't opened up very much about their past but were comfortable enough, to talk about, how they feel right now and how they experienced this new situation with the Santfei.
Reminiscing about the past week, he slowly fell asleep.

***
Leta slowly woke up from the familiar feeling of Charles, kissing the inside of her thighs and slowly trailing with his tongue towards her pussy. Since they arrived at the village, Charles woke her up this way on every morning, which they often did as well, while they were living in the house in the city. But since they arrived at this village it became different, more intense. The days while they were separated and both were about to face a future, without the other, they valued their time together even more. And moments like this, when they were only for themselves have become way more precious for them. They both loved Serenity and Matthew and liked to spend time with them but the few moments, when they were for themselves were the secret highlight of the day for them.
''Hmmm, good morning my love. I love it when you wake me up this way.'' she said to Charles in a hushed voice in between the moans that left her mouth, what spurred Charles on, to keep on doing what he did. When he finally reached his destination and flicked and circled his tongue along her most sensitive parts, she pulled the pillow, that her head rested on, away and pressed it against her face. When she couldn't take it any longer, she removed the pillow from her face and grabbed his head with both her hands. ''Come up here and kiss me. I want to feel your lips on mine.'' she begged him with some tremble in her voice as Charles crawled up towards her and took his sweet time, to give each part of her body some attention, until he reached her face and looked into her eyes. There were no words necessary, she knew exactly what he wanted to tell her by the look in his eyes. ''I couldn't imagine a life without you as well. I want you ... now.''

When he leaned in to kiss her and their lips finally met, she tasted herself on his lips what only fueled her desire for him further as she felt his hard on, poking against her. A grin grew across her lips when she laid her hands on his broad shoulder and pushed him to the side, so that he was lying on his back next to her. Leta followed right after and a moment later she sat on him and slowly guided his dick inside of her. With a deep moan she said, ''I would really like to treat you the same way, you just did but I am way too horny right now.'' Charles just smiled and placed a hand on each of her hips when she slowly began to rock her hips against his.

***
Just like every other morning, Matthew woke up when the first rays of the sun flodded his room. But unlike the other mornings, he was happy that he didn't put the curtain in front of the window before he went to bed. This way he had enough time to prepare himself for what Serenity and he wanted to do.

When he left his room, to go over to Serenity and wake her up, he was surprised to see her leaving her room as well. ''Hey, good morning.'' he replied to her. ''We still have a bit of time, why don't we eat something downstairs and then go to Sasha?'' he said in a hushed tone, hoping that Leta and Charles were still asleep and wouldn't recognise them. The look on her face reminded him on the times, when they woke up side by side and he couldn't help but to smile. ''And I think that we both need a coffee.'' Together they went silently downstairs and drank a coffee, while they prepared something to eat, that they could take with them while they walk towards Sashas and Ragnars house.

A moment later they were standing at the lift and moved to the ground. With a mischievous grin on his face, Matthew turned to Serenity. ''I don't think, that they have an idea, of what we have planned today. We are a great team when it comes to planning something.'' he said to her. ''Your idea is really great and I can't wait to see the surprise on their faces, when we return later.''

Most of the villagers were still asleep or inside their houses when Serenity and Matthew walked towards Sashas house. Upon reaching their destination, they saw Sasha already standing in front of her house, waving her hand with a smile on her face as she saw the two coming. ''You are right in time. The market will open in a few minutes. Let's hurry up.'' Right away they walked through the village towards the center of it, where the market would be. ''Thank you once again for helping us out Sasha, we really appreciate it.''

Together they arrived at the market just when it started. There were tables placed across the place where the different goods were offered. It were roundabout twenty tables and each offered a different good. Veggies, Fruits, Meat, Bread and spices. The smell that was hanging in the air was just wonderful and even though, they had just eaten a bit at home, Matthew felt his mouth watering from the sight and the smell, the market offered. Behind each table stood one to three Santfei who took care of the customers and praised their goods. Matthew recognised, that for the first time, no one looked at them or treated them as strangers, which led to a relaxed atmosphere.
 
"Coffee, yeah." Still sounding groggy, she nodded and trekked after him. Caffeine was definitely going to be necessary to get through the day, and she was rather fond of it regardless. More than happy to drink it down as fast as the heat of the drink would allow her, Serenity slipped out after Matthew as they set off for the day. "I'm glad you like the idea, I'm excited to see their reactions too." Her excitement was already steadily growing, and they hadn't even gotten the food, let alone cooked it or done anything else yet.

"It really does open early, huh?" Yawning and running a hand through her hair, she secured her bag around her shoulder and nodded. "Yes, thank you. I'm very excited, although if I'm being honest, also nervous about it. I've never done anything like this before." Looking a bit embarrassed at the admission, her cheeks turned pink as they entered the market. There were so many people around them, but unlike the humans with animal features she had dealt with in the past, the Santfei didn't bother her as much. Perhaps it was knowing that she had the blood of one running through her veins, perhaps it was feeling at ease under Tyrath's protection.. But at the forefront of it all was the feeling of safety that came with being in Matthew's company.

"There's so much food here!" Her eyes went wide as she sniffed at the air, approaching a table and giving it a quizzical look. She pointed at one of the fruits there, questioning the vendor and then Sasha before deciding that it looked appetizing. "Even if we don't use it for the meal, I want to try it!" Defending herself with a sheepish expression, she shrugged her shoulders. "Why not?"
 
The market was simply overwhelming. Not only because of the surrounding smell, that lingered in the air but the whole atmosphere of the place was very relaxed and friendly. Matthew couldn't say, wether it was because of the market itself or because they were here together with Sasha, that Serenity and he were more welcomed or at least got the impression of it. In the end, he didn't cared too much about the reason for this nicer behaviour and just enjoyed the atmosphere while they checked the food that was offered.
At the beginning, he was wondering where the Santfei got all the food from, there were no big fields inside or near the village, where they could grow the food. Instead there were little gardens in front or behind some houses, where some Santfei grew their food. But that would never be as much, as it was offered here. He found out later, how they managed to get this done. Those Santfei, that offered the food, were specialised in the duplicating spell. They grew a few fruits or veggies or whatever they offered, and spend once a week nearly all of their magic, to duplicate as much of the food as possible, so that everyone would get enough for themselves and their famillies.

The thing that really blew his mind was, that no one paid for the food they took with them. Everyone took as much as they needed and went on to the next table. Sasha explained to Serenity and Matthew, that money wouldn't make much sense in this small village and would only cause friction between the Santfei. That all sounded too good to be true but the situation they were in right now was proof, that it worked out. ''The three leaders are taking care, that each different profession, is covered by enough of our people. That way we make sure, that we always have enough people for certain jobs. The profession one of us does, is available for everyone in the city. No exceptions.'' explained Sasha to them.
It was a giving and receiving and he realised, that this probably strengthened the feeling of living in a community, where they take care of each other and are not just neighbours, who know each others names.

On each table a bowl was placed with small pieces of food to try out, Serenity and Matthew left no bowl untouched and tried everything at least once, some of the new things even more often. Sasha realised quickly, that if she lets the two decide what they should take, they would take way too much so she took over the lead and told them about the dinner she had in mind and what they would need for it. The whole visit to the market was a joyful experience and Matt often found himself glancing over to Serenity when she had this big smile on her lips. He couldn't help it but to feel his heart beating faster each time, he looked over to her. Seeing her in such high spirits happened more often during the last week and it felt somehow really good to see her this way.
When they had everything together they left the market and made themselves on their way to Sashas and Ragnars house. Both Serenity and Matt had maybe tasted a bit too much of the things that were offered what caused them to feel full and good.

At the house, they were greeted by Ragnar and their kids, who were playing outside and made the most of the beautiful weather. Sasha hurried them up to go inside, so they could start cooking and have everything finished before Leta and Charles would get suspicious and look for them. Sasha turned into a chef and told them both what they would have to do, what is important to take care of and constantly checked what they were doing. The atmosphere was mostly fun and from time to time, Matthew and Serenity even teased each other which led to constant little fights between them which always ended with Sasha stepping in and them laughing at each other. Though one time, Matthew took it a step too far when he distracted Serenity so much, as that she nearly burned the food in the pan she was using. Still laughing he turned around and walked away when he felt something hitting his back. Turning around, he saw one of Serenitys shoes lying on the ground and when he looked at her, she had a mischievous grin on her face. ''Don't you dare.'' he said with an even bigger grin, remembering the day when he had bought her and she threw her shoe at him. With a laugh from Serenity, she threw her second shoe which landed against his chest and then dropped to the floor.

''You will regret that.'' he said smiling as he bowed down and grabbed her shoes. ''Just need to find a garbage can.'' he said and turned around to quickly walk away with her shoes.
 
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