Chapter 6: All right, there will be a second time

 Vincent: Archer, prospective Hero, amateur Chef. 

Augustine's lips are so soft. Our noses are pressed together. He fits so well into my arms. Like he belongs there. Where has he been all my life? In a kitchen, probably...

My tongue licks along his lips, and I beg for entrance. He shudders, and tries to get away from me. I give him a small kiss, to make him see that we can take it slow, if he'd like to, and then let go of him. 

"Sorry," he mumbles. I chuckle at that. 

"What for? That you ended the kiss, before we could get to the action?" I ask, and he blushes a lovely crimson color. 

"What I did. I..." he is adorable, when he stutters. Makes me want to spoon him. Mm, Tine as my little spoon, with rain outside the window or the tent. I look up at the sky. It is clear. Shoot, my fantasy will have to wait. 

"It was wonderful. The jell-o must be ready by now," I say, give his hand a little squeeze, and stand up. Now it is the moment of truth. Whatever will I be outed as a liar, or if the idea with the crushed nucleus will be my saving grace? My hands are sweaty, as I take a cup and a spoon.  

Scooping some of the dessert, I eat it up. I let it stay on the tip of my tongue, to get a feel for the flavors. It tastes like a mix of different fruits. Oranges, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, to name a few. There is a slight acidity to it all, but it makes it all the more pleasant. I smile. 

"The Parsons family recipe for slime jell-o has been successfully executed once more," I say, and hand him the cup and the spoon. He chuckles. 

"Let me be the judge of that," he doesn't shy away from the fact that I have already used the spoon, and gets himself a generous helping. I watch as he eats the jell-o, and closes his eyes. He moans lowly, as he begins to suck on the jell-o. That makes me slightly tight, in certain areas. The noises he makes. It is like a dirty symphony for the ears. 

When he opens his eyes, he shoves another spoonful of the jell-o inside his mouth. He moans again, and, before he manages to close his eyes, I go to him, and sit by him. I open my mouth, and tap my lips. 

He giggles, and scoops up more of the jell-o. Then, he gives it to me. We finish the cup, with him feeding me spoonfuls from time to time, and I lean into him. 

"So, do I have a spot in your party? In your kitchen?" In your heart. I stop myself from asking the last one because it is too soon. If he doesn't let me use my tongue during a kiss, then he will be spooked, if I come onto him too hard. 

Patience, Vince. It is a virtue. 

"You have a quick mind on your shoulders," he tells me, and I smile bashfully. Ah, so he noticed that I was making up the recipe on the spot. "One that needs to be nurtured." 

"About..." I begin, but he taps my lips with the spoon.

"You won't be the first to lie to me, about cooking," he tells me, and sighs. "I doubt that you will be the last, either." 

"Sorry," I mumble from behind the spoon. He giggles. 

"If you are to become an Archer Hero, then we need a full party. With a tank, a rogue, and a mage," he tells me, and my eyes widen. 

"You think I can become a Hero?" I ask him. It almost sounded like he is ready to support me in my dream. 

"If you believe that I can become a world-renowned Chef, I'll believe in, and work towards your dream," it sounds like a vow, not a simple promise. I move my face closer to his. 

"I'll invent you 1001 recipes," I whisper, and he giggles. 

"I'll hold you to that," he gives me a peck on the lips, and pushes me away lightly. "Right, we need to pack. The jell-o has to find itself in the dessert shop on Fawn Street." 

I groan, and he lightly swats me on the back. I get the message. With him, work and pleasure must be one and the same. That won't be hard. I genuinely enjoyed my time making the pies, and later the jell-o, with him. There is something about how he takes control of the situation, and gives instructions without sounding condescending, that makes him into a good Chef. 

We pack the jell-o, clean the cauldron, bury the fire pit, so there won't be any forest fires from the embers, and he takes his bottomless bag. He surprises me, by taking my hand in his, and smiling at me.

I wonder, if he minds, that my hands are sweaty, right now? The moonlight gives him an ethereal glow, bathing his blonde looks in silvery light. His hair is far more vibrant than my own. I am sort of envious of that. 

We begin the long trek back to town. On the way, I hear the snapping of a branch. Turning behind me, I wonder what sort of animal could have caused it. The forest is dead silent.

So silent, that I can hear my heartbeat. Augustine lets go of my hand, and takes a hold of his harp. I nod at him, and take off my bow. 

What slithers out of the darkness surprises us both. It is a half-human, half-snake. With the upper part being that of a human, a man, with black hair, and blue eyes, and a frown that can freeze a person in their tracks. The bottom half is a black snake tail that glows blue in the moonlight. 

"You ransacked my dungeon, for jell-o?" The man asks, and we both share a look. A dungeon core, that can separate itself from the dungeon. This is bad news.