(Declan, Earth)

The absolutely pungent people Declan has kissed for money…

Not that there have been many pleasant kisses in his life.

He sat on his sword, his legs dangling as he watched his target through the second-story window. What kinda idiot doesn’t shut their curtains?

But the open curtains gave him the perfect vantage point to watch the CEO and his wife sleep. When neither of them stirred for 15 minutes Declan made his move. He floated to the window two rooms over. Hanging off the windowsill, he took his sword in hand, punching a hole in the glass with the hilt. Letting his sword go to let it float down and support him under his feet, Declan reached through the hole with his gloved hand and unlatched the window, pushing it open, ignoring the brief blaring of the alarm. Before pulling himself inside, he threw in his sword to destroy the spare room’s single security camera, and dropped in quietly. He summoned his sword back to himself and pointed it at the hole in the window, then drew a little circle in the air, watching as the glass pieced itself back together. He glanced around the room. A nice guest bedroom that is half the size of Declan’s whole apartment. He let go of his sword, leaving it floating as he softly walked out the room and down the hall to the target’s room, destroying cameras before stepping into their line of sight, then repairing them once he was past.

He walked slow, quiet, and low to the ground as he made his way around the bed to the CEO, keeping an eye on his wife.

Declan took off the mask covering the lower half of his face and hung it on his belt. With a silent sigh and a quick kiss on the CEO’s lips his heart stopped and Declan’s job was done.

Declan left through their bedroom window, using his sword’s ability to relatch the window behind him.

*

With his mask affixed to his face again he stepped off his sword onto his tiny balcony. The second both of his feet touched the concrete slab the sliding door was thrown open and Gwen flung herself into his arms. She pressed her lips to the sculpted lips of his mask. Even though the mask covered his nose he could still smell the chili peppers on her breath.

She let him go, stepping back, her auburn hair messy and falling into her flushed, smiling face. “I guess tonight’s dinner is spicy.”

“Yep!” She gave me a wide, proud smile.

Declan smiled back though she couldn’t see it, “Great, I’m starving.”