Sero headed back to Amaya's desk, mulling over the events that had transpired. The liaison glanced up at him with a frown as he sat down.
"That was a lengthy bathroom break," Amaya raised an eyebrow. "And what's this about fighting Max?"
"It's a long story," Sero winced with a sigh as he explained what happened. He made sure to skip over his talk with Elizabeth, only telling her about his match with Maximillian and the resulting talk he had with Enzo.
"That... explains a lot about your changes," Amaya said, taking a moment to process the information. "You've certainly grown more confident, and it's obvious you've gotten stronger. But... I can't help but worry about what this means for you."
"Yeah... I know," Sero murmured, looking down at his hands. She didn't have to say it, but with his unnatural ability to reason even the most atrocious of actions, Sero knew Amaya was worried for his humanity.
He was worried too, but he couldn't let himself focus on that. He had to keep moving forward. "I'll be careful," he told her, trying to reassure them both. "I'm not going to let it consume me."
Amaya gave him a soft smile. "Hey, if you lose control, I can always kiss you to bring you back to your senses."
"That so? Maybe I should lose control more often," Sero smirked back, causing Amaya to roll her eyes.
They continued to talk and joke around for a while, occasionally glancing at the clock, counting down the hours until their shift ended. Despite the worry that loomed in the back of his mind, Sero couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment. Amaya was keeping him grounded, and for that, he was grateful.
As soon as the sun began to set, Amaya drove them back to Sero's penthouse, picking up food along the way. After eating, they spent the evening watching a movie, occasionally stealing glances at each other as they munched on popcorn. Despite his newfound confidence, Sero found himself seeking reassurance from Amaya, leaning against her whenever she was close. She didn't seem to mind, in fact, she seemed to enjoy the contact as much as he did.
Amaya snuggled closer within Sero's arms, watching the credits roll on the tv screen. He could feel the warmth of her body against his, the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. It was a comforting sensation, one that made him feel safe and secure.
"Hey, Amaya?"
"Hmm?" She looked up at him, her expression soft and content. Sero's heart skipped a beat, her beauty always managing to take his breath away. "Yeah, Sero?"
"I... never mind," he glanced away, feeling his cheeks grow warm.
They lapsed into silence for a few moments, content to just enjoy the afterglow of their evening together. Finally, Sero cleared his throat. "I... uh... wanted to ask how you were doing."
The Spellblade didn't reply immediately, burying her face into his chest. "Are you asking if I'm okay ever since we saw Casey...?"
"Yeah."
Amaya slipped her arms underneath Sero, hugging him tighter as she continued to press her face into his chest. He could feel something wet begin to dampen his shirt.
"Honestly, I'm still processing it," Amaya quietly started. "And I know it'll hit me soon. But for some reason, it helps that you're here with me."
Sero didn't say anything, just held her tighter. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.
"I'm here for you, Amaya. No matter what happens, I'll be here. I promise." His words were quiet, but firm. He could feel her body shudder slightly against his as she tried to hold back a sob.
"You suck, you know that? Ruining the mood all of a sudden," Amaya muttered, trying to sound angry but failing to hide the quiver in her voice. She pulled back slightly, wiping her face with the back of her hand and looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes. "But thanks. I appreciate it."
"Sorry," Sero relied sheepishly as he brushed away her tears. "Just wanted to check up on you, since you're always checking up on me."
Amaya snorted, managing a weak smile. "Well, you're not too bad, I guess. Just promise me one thing."
"What's that?" Sero asked, curious.
Amaya paused for a moment, then slowly reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. Her touch was gentle, almost reverent. "Don't you dare leave me," she whispered. "I know we're in a strange relationship, but I'll stab you if you ever leave me."
"I won't. Promise." Sero chuckled softly. He knew the true meaning behind Amaya's words. She was scared of losing him, especially after Sero was finally able to get closer to her. He knew she was still dealing with the loss of her own family, sharing his pain over losing Tiero and now Casey.
"I'll hold you to that," Amaya murmured, burying her face into his chest again. They stayed like that for a while longer, Sero's heartbeat slowly calming as it matched hers. He stroked her hair, feeling the softness of it between his fingers. He could feel her body relax, her breathing growing deeper and more regular.
Finally, Amaya gently sat up, rubbing her eyes. "I'm going to change and get ready for bed."
"You're... sleeping over again?" Sero blinked at her.
"Do you not want me to?"
Sero's heart skipped a beat at her question. He forced himself to keep his expression neutral as he shook his head. "No, no. I mean, it's your choice, I just... I wasn't... I like when you do. I mean, when was the last time you went back home?"
Amaya laughed softly, getting up from the couch. "I always have an extra set of clothes for emergencies, if that's what you're worried about," the Spellblade stretched her body. "But, you're right, I haven't been back at my apartment in a while. It's just... right now, I feel safer with you."
She walked over to the bedroom, leaving Sero alone in the living room. He couldn't help but smile at her words.
Amaya emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later, wearing one of his shirts with athletic shorts. Her silver hair was tied back in a messy bun, and she yawned as she plopped down onto the couch beside him. "So," she started, "do you want to watch something before we go to sleep?"
Sero glanced at the TV. "Not really. I'm kind of tired, to be honest." He looked over at her, taking in her features in the soft light of the living room. She was so beautiful, even when she was half-asleep. He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "You should get some rest too."
"You're right. I mean, it's the weekend after all," Amaya mumbled sleepily. "No work tomorrow besides monitoring the situation..."
"How about we go visit Nala and Luna tomorrow?" Sero smiled. "It's been a while since we've seen them."
Amaya yawned and nodded sleepily. "That sounds like a good idea. We can bring them some treats and just hang out with them. They always make me feel better." She raised her arms. "Okay, I'll let Dante know we'll be coming in late tomorrow. Can you carry me to bed?"
Sero chuckled and stood up, scooping her into his arms. She felt so light and delicate in his arms, and her hair tickled his nose. He carried her to the bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed. She immediately rolled over onto her side, facing away from him, and curled up into a little ball. He watched her for a moment, the soft rise and fall of her back as she breathed, and felt a sudden urge to protect her.
Until now, Sero had always seen Amaya carry a strong and composed front, but tonight, as he watched her sleep, he couldn't help but notice the slight tremor in her shoulders as she slept. It tugged at his heartstrings, and he wanted nothing more than to make everything better for her. He crawled into bed beside her, careful not to wake her, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Her back pressed against his chest, and he could feel the warmth of her body through their shared clothing.
The next day, Sero woke up, blearily blinking the sleep from his eyes. He glanced at the clock, realizing that he had slept in for a bit longer than expected. A soft groan caught his attention, and Sero found Amaya still wrapped in his arms.
He smiled, running a hand through her hair before gently nudging her awake. She yawned and stretched, her body molding against his as she woke up. "Morning," she mumbled, blinking sleepily. "What time is it?"
"Almost 11," Sero answered with a grin. "We should get going if we want to visit Nala and Luna before lunch."
Amaya nodded, stretching once more before sitting up in bed. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, the silver hair falling out of its messy bun. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I'll get dressed first?"
To save time on driving, Sero teleported the both of them over to Gregor's home, where the door was flung open as soon as they approached the entrance.
"Oh?" Luna smirked upon seeing Sero and Amaya. As usual, the succubus was holding a can of beer in her hands. "I'm guessing something juicy happened between you two?"
"Ah, well, about that..." Sero scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.
"Oh, hey guys," Nala popped up behind Luna. "What are you guys doing here? I thought you'd be busy at the Ascendants Association."
"We were, but we wanted to see how you two were doing," Amaya replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "And... we brought you some treats." She held up a bag of pastries, a small blush creeping onto her cheeks.
The Shadereaper snatched the bag with lightning speed, immediately opening and popping one of the cream-filled sweets in her mouth.
"Mmm, thanks Amaya," she mumbled, her mouth already full. Luna rolled her eyes, but didn't complain.
"Well, come on in. I'm sure you two have a lot to tell us," Luna smiled knowingly at the pair.
After getting settled in the living room, Luna studied Sero and Amaya intently, causing them to shift uncomfortably. Nala was in her own world, already devouring half of the bag of treats.
"Spill it," Luna finally broke the silence, leaning back in her chair. She sipped her beer, smirking. "I can tell you two started something."
Sero blushed, glancing at Amaya, who was busy twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. "Well, uh, we, uh..." he stammered, clearly at a loss for words.
"Are you guys dating now?" Nala asked bluntly, frosting around her lips.
Sero blushed harder, glancing at Amaya for a moment before looking back at Nala. "Um, sort of. I mean, we're just seeing where it goes, but we've been hanging out a lot lately, and..." He trailed off, fumbling for the right words.
"We've recognized the feelings we had for each other," Amaya finally spoke up, meeting Sero's gaze. "And yeah, we wanted to see where it goes." Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked away, fidgeting with her fingers.
"Cute," Luna grinned, sipping her beer. "I knew it was only a matter of time." She caught Sero's gaze, nodding ever so slightly. He understood the succubus's gesture; she was curious to know about Elizabeth as well, but didn't want to talk about it in front of Amaya. "So, how did this come to be?"
Sero opened his mouth, then closed it. The last moments before Casey's death flashed through his mind, bringing up a well of emotions. It seemed as though Amaya was thinking the same thing, because she hesitated as well. They exchanged glances, and Sero took a deep breath, stopping his Rationality from controlling the hurt and anger.
Luna picked up on the sudden change in mood, setting her can down as she leaned forward. "What... happened?" the succubus whispered nervously. Nala stopped chewing, tilting her head curiously.
Sero swallowed hard, unable to meet their gazes. "Casey... was killed. By Dr. Malek."
Luna's eyes widened in shock. "No..." she whispered. Tears began to form in the succubus's eyes.
Nala's grip on the bag of treats slackened, falling to the ground. "You're... joking, right?" The Shadereaper quietly asked, a visible distress clear on her face. "He's not really dead, right?"
"Amaya and I... saw it with our own two eyes," Sero continued, fighting back tears himself. "The kid's last words were thankful towards us... towards all of us. He said... he said he was thankful to have found another family with us."
Luna's face was a mask of horror and disbelief, her eyes wide and glistening with tears. "Oh gods... oh gods, this is... this is... I..." She couldn't find the words. Nala, on the other hand, looked as though she was about to be physically ill.
"I... went berserk. I don't know exactly what happened, but I... wiped out the members of Culling. Dr. Malek managed to escape in the chaos." Sero finished, a bitter taste in his mouth.
Luna began to quietly sob as Nala simply leaned back in her chair with an empty gaze.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't- I couldn't save him," Sero dropped his shoulders.
Luna and Nala didn't say anything, both lost in their own thoughts. Sero sat there, feeling the weight of what had happened pressing down on him. Amaya reached over and took his hand, squeezing it gently. It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to him.
The silence was broken when Luna finally spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I can't imagine how horrible it must've been... I can't believe he's gone..."
Sero squeezed Amaya's hand in reply, not trusting himself to speak. He wanted nothing more than to find Malek and make the bastard pay for what he'd done. The thought of Casey's death, the pain and fear in the boy's eyes, was a wound that wouldn't heal anytime soon.
"Sorry... didn't mean to drop this on you guys," Sero said, his voice thick with emotion. "It's a long story."
