“Ugh…” Sophia groaned as she laid on my couch looking like death itself. Some more years had passed and now we were ten, and next year we were going to have to pick fields of study to specialize in.
Alex sat near her, still always looking far more like a girl than their sister and genuinely they pulled it off better than her too. “It’s not that bad sis.” Alex said.
“It’s like college but we’re ten…” Sophia groaned.
"It's still annoying…" I sighed. "While I'm glad it's a lot simpler than normal school…it's still work."
“So either of you know what you want to specialize in?” Alex asked.
That was the million dollar question. We had literally everything at our fingertips yet still… To make it easier the school gave us a list of most likely specialties we could go into. These ranged from things we had interest in to things that would come naturally to us based on our species and or magical affinities and such. As a result, one of my options is literally Grim Reaper… which turns out my family manages death! Well, some of them, but the fact we do it… insane…
“Can I say I don’t wanna do anything and bum it?” Sophia asked.
"That would be neat but I doubt it, our parents would kill us if we don't choose." I said honestly, as I tried mulling over if I should be a grim reaper or some hunter because I still had a thing for hunting and guns…well, I could technically mix the two of those, which made sense…"Ugh, there's too many choices!" I whined, flopping over and groaning.
“I’m gonna be a cherub like dad.” Alex said.
“Alex… that’s not a surprise. Pretty sure even the demons of hell could look at you and know that’s your life goal…” Sophia huffed.
"Okay, so the hell are Cherubs here? Cause so far I've heard there's three kinds, the tiny cupid looking things, the four headed winged monstrosities…or the horny police." I said carefully. "Are they all correct or what?"
“Oh, well Cherubs work determining the most optimal love connections between mortals.” Alex said. “Given free will is a thing we don’t force people to fall in love, rather we nudge people together and can help certain events to help their romance grow.”
“Basically they’re all matchmakers from the ethereal plane shipping mortals together.” Sophia said.
"Alright…and yes, everyone could tell." I nodded.
“Well, wouldn’t being a reaper help you in our Equis adventure?” Alex asked me. “They are some of the best fighters in the family and few can even win against them.”
"And while that's true, I'm a Soul eater, both from my Arrancar part, and my Death Wolf part…and while I was thinking about mixing it with hunting since I'm a fan of guns and hunting…it's still a lot to think about…"
“Well, yeah but if you want to return to that place a badass they are probably your best bet at one shotting that Nightmare Moon bitch.”
"That's if they aren’t getting a hell of a lot stronger.” I said carefully.
“They said Equis should be on a slowed timeframe right?” Sophia asked. “If that’s the case you’ll still be getting stronger faster than they would. Not to mention, you’re not a member of The Family. By default you’re basically a god level being.”
… Oh…
“Well…wouldn’t someone like Pain or Demon want to even the odd’s so it’s not too easy for me?” I asked nervously. “Not to mention I was still going to go around the world and become an Arrancar version of the Avatar from what mom told me about the others…but there was this one Arrancar that was supposed to ‘be my enemy’ besides the four that I was supposed to search and possibly train with…” I frowned.
“You can still do that when you get back, just learn other skills while you’re here. Why not take advantage of the situation you have now. To not too is just dumb on your part.” Sophia huffed.
“I mean…that’s true, and I’m still going to do it, just having trouble thinking of what to actually do…maybe I should do the Grim Reaper and hunting stuff…”
“I’m sure you can do both and learn some great skills.”
“I suppose.” I shrugged. “Well, I guess I know what I’m doing.”
“Goodie for you…”
“Why not be a Cherub like me?” Alex asked.
“No.”
“Awh, but it could be fun!”
“Rather go through chemo again…”
“You’re so mean sometimes…”
“No, that’s just my personality quirk.”
I always find it hilarious how twins can be on such opposite ends of the spectrum that where they not identical, you’d hardly know they were even family.
“Can’t help but find it funny…” I chuckled and shook my head.
“So, you’re the new rookie?” The black cloaked man asked. Once I signed up I was teleported to the Reaper training center. It looked almost like a boot camp.
“Uh…yes sir?” I asked nervously, hoping this won’t be as bad as I think it’ll be.
“Come this way then.” They said, motioning to follow. I did as they walked me through the fields and into an office-like building. They sat down at the desk and pulled their hood back… They looked like an ordinary human man. Light brown hair and orange eyes, and tan skin. “Now then, Mike, son to Eclipsa, half Floof Noodle, Half Death Wolf. And a reborn at that.”
“And Arrancar, I know I’m technically not an undead anymore but that should still be there.” I said carefully, cause if I magically lost that then…Lillinette might not exist anymore…oh wait…oh no.
“Right. So, given your species you will have a natural talent for the work. Now then what branch of the Reapers are you interested in going into?”
There are branches?
“Uh…there are branches?” I inquired.
“Of course. There’s Natural Causes, Violent Ends, Afterlife Escorting, and lastly Bounty Hunting.”
“Well…I’ve always been a fan of hunting.” I said honestly. “What kind of Bounty Hunting we talking about?”
“The Ethereal planes and other such dimensions souls can feely wander are all teeming with enemies and even some monsters. Purgatory and Hell especially. Bounty Hunters can track and capture souls that escape their sentences if sent to a punishment, demons that try and attack peaceful soul Afterlifes or even if need be gods and high ranking necromancers throwing the quota of souls off in a world or dimension.”
“That sounds about right…though it also sounds like a pain in the ass with the possible amount of paperwork needed.” I mentioned.
“Not really. Typically it works like this, an Angel, Soul or entity from these planes submits the bounty to us and a Reaper picks up the job. The only time paperworks is really involved is if the job took an unexpected turn or it was a trap to try and imprison the Reaper in question.”
“Fair enough.” I nodded. “So just like normal Bounty Hunter stuff, that should be simple enough."
"Heh, so is that the branch you want to train for?"
“Sure.” I nodded. “Fit’s the most with both my powers and my experience in hunting.”
"Alright." He said, pulling out some paper and began writing some things down. He then handed it to me. "Fill that out then head on home. Within a few days your mentor will show up to teach you the ropes and evaluate you."
“Thank you.” I said, signing my signature on the form he gave me. “Here you go.”
"Alright. We look forward to having you in our ranks."
With that done I went home. A few days later my mentor showed up at the house. He was dressed In an all white leather duster, matching white boots included and he was a gray rabbit humanoid being.
"You ready kid?" He asked me, speaking in a deeper voice than I expected.
"As ready as I'll ever be." I said honestly, kind of expecting this to be rough. "Also it's nice to meet you."
"If you say so." He shrugged, raising a finger up and space seemed to tear open and form a portal. "Come on then. Let's see just how green you are." He said as he stepped through it.
I blinked at how…easy it was for him to open a portal. "Well, hopefully I'm not too green here." I said, following after the rabbit quickly.
Once we were through I found myself standing next to him in a large field of blue grass and a full gray sky above.
"Alright kid, so do you know how to fight?"
“Well…so far I’ve only fought the physical embodiments of my depression demons and a Silhouette Beta…both as it’s mimic form and it’s abomination berserk form.” I said. “After that it’s just been me trying to figure out my powers to a better extent.”
"So little to none. Got it. Any weapons experience?"
“I do have experience with a Katana, twin energy pistols, but I have the most experience with a .32 caliber Winchester hunting rifle.” I answered. “Used to use it when me and my dad went hunting...back on earth…” I sighed.
"Right." He said, raising his Assistant up and pulling out a small handgun and tossing it at me. I caught it, almost dropping it. "Come on." He said, walking through the grass as I followed.
I looked over the handgun real quick, checking it’s grip, safety and all important things. “Jeez, maybe it’s just because I’m ten but this is weirdly heavy…” I thought to myself carefully.
As we walked through the fields I saw a lot of weird things. Trees made of flesh. Tendrils reacting up and down from the sky. A giant skeleton made entirely of animal bones. Snakes with rat heads. Birds with exposed rib cages that were alive and flying.
“Uh…I don’t think I did any hallucinogens before coming here…”
“This is Purgatory. At least, Purgatory Prime anyway.”
Purgatory… Prime?
“What do you mean Purgatory ‘Prime’?” I asked in confusion.
“Purgatory isn’t just one plane that overlaps with the realm of the living, it’s also its own dimension that all planets with life have a connection to. While each planet that has life has their own Purgatory on it, they can all link to Purgatory Prime. It’s like one of many nexus points across the realms.”
“Right…so what are we doing here besides making me feel like having an acid trip without the acid?”
“Majority of the bounties you will be getting are to deal with rogue Purgatory Monsters going where they shouldn’t.”
“Fair enough.” I nodded. “So monster hunting is also part of the job, got it.”
“It’s the most common work you’ll get.” He nodded.
“Alright…just like hunting back home, only instead of deer, that deer can possibly grow wings and breathe fire.”
“That is a possibility. Now then, today I’m gonna see how you do against one of Purgatory Primes' more friendly creatures.”
“And what would that be?” I inquired.
“Spined Rabbit.”
“And…what kind of ‘spined’ are we talking about with this rabbit?” I asked.
“Metal razor sharp spines that once it gets running it can start spinning by curling into a ball and cut real deep into your bones.”
…Oh…
“Ah, yes, Bun the Buzzsaw Rabbit, my favorite Sonic character.” I joked weakly at what I imagined that rabbit could do.
“Did that rabbit ever slice limbs off like a hot knife through butter?”
“I was making a joke…and how is that ‘friendly’?”
“It kills you pretty quick compared to other monsters. They like to play with their food.”
…Oh boy…
“Ah, yes…instead of it being a friendly bun, it’s the killer beast from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” I groaned.
“No, that does not reside here.”
… Jesus Christ…
“I was joking…” I whined.
“You should know that when it comes to the realms and all the Multiverse of Multiverses they hold, even a joke is true somewhere.”
“Well…this is going to be a nightmare and a half.” I sighed.
“Glad you’re realizing the difficulty of the job. Too many young brats think this is like some video game or easy work. Most don’t last basic.” My mentor spat. He then stopped. Looking out in the field… I saw a ten foot thin rabbit with little fur but dagger like teeth, a back with the metallic razor blades and it was eating the corpse of some… thing. “Welp, there’s one.”
“Right…” I muttered. “Really wish I had my rifle right now…” I thought to myself, causing feeling the handgun I’m using now and looking at that…thing was rather concerning. “Alright…just take a deep breath, and let’s see if I still have my Reishi.” I thought, taking a deep breath and focusing, trying to find my spiritual energy to hopefully make something like a cero bullet or at least infuse the gun with the energy to make the bullet at least somewhat stronger.
… Nothing… Crap, right, mom said that would activate when puberty hit… I'm still at least three years away from that…
“Well, what are you waiting for?” My mentor asked.
“Just…hating how I still don’t have my powers yet…” I grumbled, taking a deep breath and aiming the pistol. “Also just…more used to rifles for hunting than a pistol.” I said, raising the pistol up and aiming carefully at the thing, cause even if it looked thin it’s hide was probably still tough enough…as I aimed towards its vitals, I undid the safety, took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.
Click!
What?!
I ejected the magazine… empty?
“Heh. Well, you actually pulled the trigger. Aimed half decent too.” He chuckled, taking the empty gun from me and pulling out a loaded magazine from his Assistant and loading it in.
I pouted. “And were you going to tell me it was empty from the start or expected me to just go in like a jackass thinking I have the power of God because of the gun?”
“I wanted to see if you could actually pull the trigger. Most punks look at the weapons and the target and fuck off. They don’t try.” He said, now handing me the gun back loaded. “Now that I know there’s some grit in ya, show me if your bite is as strong as your bark kid.” He said, giving me a smirk.
“The click also ruined my groove.” I huffed. “No idea how tough the thing is but I knew I had a good shot…” I pouted, shaking my head as I raised the gun again, got it into the right spot as before, took one deep breath to calm myself down from that nonsense and another as I pulled the trigger on the now loaded gun.
The bullet hit the thing in the neck, making it roar as it spun around. Acting quick I fired at it’s head, hitting it in the mouth, neck, eyes and such more before the gun ran out. Thankfully the thing went down with all those bullets. “Heh. Not too bad.” He said, walking over to the corpse and stomping on it’s skull, kicking through it to ensure it was dead. “Now for the reason I agreed to mentor you.” He said as suddenly a purple aura began to rise out of the corpse. He grabbed it, and walked over to me with it. “Eat this.”
… What?
“Uh…I presume that’s…it’s soul or something?” I inquired. “Also, sounds more like you had an ulterior motive, why did you agree?” I inquired, gently taking…whatever the hell was coming out of it’s body.
“This is its soul. When I heard you were part Death Wolf, I just had to see for myself that you had what it took to be a Reaper. Now that I do, consider this a pet project of mine.”
“Well…alright.” I said, gently taking the soul and…starting to eat it somehow.
…It tasted like raw meat. It took a while, but eventually I ate the whole thing… I gave a burp when I finished… oh man that… was less filling than I expected-
Spined Rabbit Soul Devoured.
Speed Increased.
Agility increased.
New Ability Obtained. Metal Spines.
New Ability Obtained. Rapid Spin Roll.
Oh… well that’s useful.
“Uh…when did I magically gain the ability to absorb abilities and gain stats from eating?” I asked in surprise. “Cause if it’s just ‘eat anything’ then I feel cheated I’m not stupid strong from Grandma’s cooking.”
“It’s not the flesh that can give you this power, it’s the soul. You have to eat the soul to gain their powers. Death Wolf biology usually doesn’t go that far, but given your part of The Family now, you can do much more.”
“I never actually asked, but what does being a part of ‘The Family’ mean?” I inquired.
"It means you're part of the cogs that keep reality working and in check."
"Huh…that's...interesting." I said, thinking about how Mom normally acts…and not entirely convinced. "Didn't know they help run creation itself with how they…all normally act."
"Don't just help, they all run it. The big stuff. Their kids and folk like me are the ones who help with the small menial tasks."
"Huh…right then." I nodded. "And what does mom run specifically?"
"Your mother is Eclipsa. She runs the expansion of the different universes growth. Think of it like this, you know how when the big bang happens the universe grows infinitely, yeah she keeps it growing."
"Damn…mom is very important." I said in realization.
"Yes. She and that brother of hers, but enough about that." He said, handing me another full magazine. "Come on, let's do it again."
"Alright." I nodded, grabbing the magazine and reloading my pistol quickly. "Ready for the hunt."
We walked through the fields of Purgatory Prime for a long time. Each time he would have me shoot at one of those Rabbits and when it was dead, I ate the soul and then he'd give me a fresh magazine.
I couldn't tell what time it was but I know it's been a while.
Eventually he made a small fire and we were resting next to it.
"Well, this was an eventful day." I said readily.
"Training ain't over. This is just a break." He said, throwing some more sticks to the fire.
… I don't even know this guy's name… he's experienced… I can tell that much.
"By the way, what is your name?" I asked, as I now tried to distract myself from either more training or…the growing feeling of missing dad…
"Rust." He said flatly.
"Rust is an interesting name." I said honestly, wondering if his name was just picked, or if it had some meaning behind it involving his race or he somehow had Rust powers.
"Just what I was named."
"Alright." I nodded. "So why did you choose to mentor me? Just happenstance or was there something else to it?"
"Easy. There's nothing more in this whole wide creation I hate more than a Death Wolf." Rust said as he tossed more sticks into the fire. "And if you can't guess the reason why, then I guess you're as stupid as you look."
"I'm…sorry to hear that…" I said sadly, immediately getting what he meant. "So why did you pick a Death Wolf if you hate them so much?"
"Because, I'm gonna train you to get strong. Get skillful. Get resourceful. Then, when you're a full fledged Reaper Bounty Hunter and all grown up, every time I see ya, I'm gonna beat the ever loving crap out of you. Consider it an investment in my own long term entertainment and revenge."
"I'm not your average Death Wolf, and when I get my powers back I'm sure it'll be me kicking' your ass." I said readily, not wanting to take his 'investment' like a bitch.
"Heh. We'll see little pup." He smirked. "I almost respect that fire you got in ya."
"I'm just full of surprises." I said with a smile.
Ouch… owe… owwwwwww….. I groaned as I dropped to my bed… it's been six years since my training under Rust and now he's testing me in hand to hand combat… even with my powers back that damn rabbit doesn't hold back…
I popped my muzzle back in place and let my healing factor kick in as I began doing the same to my broken fingers… ouch… One of these days I'm gonna…
"Well, at least I'm faster and stronger now…and my Steel Skin is tough enough to at least make it difficult for the bastard…" I grumbled. "Cero Claws certainly caught him off guard…"
Once the last of my broken limbs and such were snapped back into place and my healing factor repaired the damage I dropped back onto my bed, sighing. Guess I'm lucky he didn't start actually beating the crap out of me til last year… still, he heals faster, hits harder and is overall faster and still stronger… and that's without using a weapon…
I groaned as I forced myself to sit up-
"Mikey!" I was body slammed by the overly hyper and still extremely feminine Alex. Who was these days sporting some really convincing dresses, usually with a skirt-shorts.
Still sore… ouch…
"I'm still in pain my big bottomed friend…" I groaned. "Seriously, how it all went to your buns and thighs is beyond me…"
"Hehe~ I did lots of squats!" They declared as they got off me. "Glad to see you're back. You and sis are gone so often it gets boring."
Right. Sophia ended up also joining the Reapers but in the Natural Causes department.
"Yeah, sorry about that Alex, just been busy with someone training me to be their petty revenge." I sighed, and while I do understand their pain…this is becoming just straight petty at this point.
"Well, if you're free now how about we hang out?" They asked as they gave me some puppy dog eyes… god damn it why are they so adorable?!
"Alright alright my thick angel, stop being too adorable." I chuckled as I gently pat their head.
"Awh, yay!" They cheered as they gave me a hug.
My blush was immediate… I may end up with Alex at some point… I've already been through lots of awkward and embarrassing moments and after some thinking I realized something…
I genuinely think I like them…
I also think that Derpy wont mind, and Polkadot will think it super kinky….
I decided to be a bit…forward. "Hey…how about we…go on a date instead?" I asked carefully, trying not to reach down and grab the thickness like I used to do with Derpy all the time.
"A d-date?" They asked, gaining an awkward smirk with a hint of panic. "I- uh, yes! I gotta go get ready!" With that Alex took off out my bedroom window like a bullet…
… Holy crap I just did that?!
I shoved my face into my pillow and screamed. "I'm so goddamn stupid!" I mentally screamed in embarrassment.
Jesus fucking Christ I never felt like this with Derpy or Polkadot… though I guess Claire and I might have had some moments like this accidentally… strange. I know I've always been into girls but for some reason Alex has been the only exception… granted they're way more girly than guy… plus I've known them for years…
Well… can't take it back now… don't want to either… Alex has always been there. A bit… air headed at times but loyal, dependable, a good ear to vent to, cute as all hell…
… Shit am I just realizing I actually like Alex like that?!
"Just keep calm, he's a femboy, could pass as a girl….also can't really be blamed cause…damn that ass…" I thought to myself quickly.
As I did though I remembered their… rear, I felt hotter than normal… and something else got… stiff…
Okay… I might have questions I'll need professional help answering… or maybe just some good advice cause… this is all new to me…
"Okay, being Bisexual is new…or maybe I'm just that into ass…or I'm sixteen and still going through my horny phase…" I thought, trying to find some reason as to why I'm okay with this.
"MIKE!" I jumped as my door was suddenly kicked down by the actual female pink winged angel. "If you're gonna date my brother you better not just be after their ass!" Sophia yelled, holding me at holy sword point.
Gulp!
“There’s other reasons I swear!” I said quickly. “Now put the sword away before it gets broken.”
"This is a holy sword dumb ass. You both can't break it, and it can leave a real nasty scar on you." She said, pulling the sword back and down. "So, Alex rushed back home, is going through their closets and make up like a tornado and when I ask why I get told you turned a hang out into a date. Did you finally realize you're Bi or did you realize Alex has had a crush on you for years?"
Wait, say what and what?!
“Is that why he kept doing those ‘accidents’!?” I asked. “I thought he just got really into anime all of a sudden!”
"Yes… my god you are such a guy…" She groaned. "Plus on top of being muscular you're also fluffy. Buff and soft are Alex's two most liked traits in men and you fit both."
And my blush returns…
I groaned loudly. “Ugh, whatever…” I grumbled.
"So, given you mentioned having a wife, a child and a girlfriend back on Equis, I take it this is your first time finding a male attractive?"
… Well this is a conversation I wasn't expecting to have…
“Well…yes…” I said carefully. “I do care about them, I’m not just after their ass…even though they have ‘accidentally’ shoved in my face more than once.”
"Yeah, it was really hard not to slap them for that…" Sophia huffed. "But they're head over heels for you. So, you definitely find them physically attractive… when did that start?"
Oh god… uh… maybe… two years ago? That's around the time Alex really began… developing those… and started using some makeup and…
“Two years ago…especially when they decided make up was fun and they really wanted leg day to be in their daily routine…seriously, squats have done his ass and thigh’s wonders.”
The sword tip was at my snout, making me yelp before Sophia pulled it back again. "Hmm… and before that you only ever thought of Alex as a friend then?"
“Well, they're loyal, dependable, even before the makeup they were really cute…bit of an air head but we both know that.” I shrugged. “They’ve been my friend for years.”
"Hmm… well, that settles it then." Sophia nodded.
“Settles what?” I asked carefully.
"You've also had a crush on them for years but never realized it until now."
… Okay…. Actually yeah that makes sense… I didn't even know Claire liked me until…
“Well…I suppose that makes sense.” I said sheepishly.
"My guess is back in your old human life you never actually met someone like Alex in person either?"
"No. Midwestern America. Few people were ever open about that stuff and those that were…" I took a breath.
"I see. So having never been shown anyone like Alex before, you wouldn't have ever known." Sophia nodded.
“Right…so just bisexual.” I said. “Well…alright I suppose.”
"Well, bisexual with a specific type of male you like. I'm guessing you never felt this way about any other male before?" I shook my head. "Well, Bi or just really into femboys, try and treat my brother right. Cause honestly you two would make a cute couple."
“Yeah…and to be perfectly fair, I think Derpy would be cool with it and Polkadot would find it kinky.” I said honestly, and Claire…ho boy would Claire get a kick out of this.
"Gonna be fun introducing your wife and girlfriend to your new boyfriend." Sophia laughed… oh that is going to be a thing…
“Oh boy…that’s not gonna be fun…” I groaned.
Alex showed back up about an hour later, now dressed in some skinny jeans that… really showed off their curves…
They were also wearing a blue top and a long sleeve… I wanna say it's a jacket but it clearly is only meant to be worn around the arms and back cause that barely goes halfway down their torso and there is no way in hell that zips up.
We started this date off walking through the park.
Together.
Alone…
“Is it weird that this park is empty?” I asked, knowing it was awkward but fuck me do I really need something to distract myself.
"It is a bit odd. Maybe everyone is doing something else elsewhere?" Alex offered, about as red as a cherry.
“Mom better not have tried to do some nonsense here…” I grumbled.
"I'd expect more my dad to pull something like this." Alex laughed weakly. "So, how's the training going?"
“Rust is still being petty and not holding back in his training.” I said honestly. “I’ve hit him a few good times but he’s been doing this a lot longer so it doesn’t do much.” I sighed. “Like, again I know why he doesn’t like Death Wolves…but given that I’m an ‘investment’ for his amusement and revenge, it’s just petty at this point.”
"Maybe that's all he has?" Alex offered. "If he lost something special to him, maybe he doesn't have anything else to keep going for?"
I looked at Alex, giving them a smile. Sometimes they said some really profound things.
“Well, that’s depressing for him.” I frowned. “Cause the moment I beat him in a fight…he might not even have his ‘revenge’ anymore.”
"Awh… poor bunny man. Wish we could help him."
“He hates but mildly respects me because I’ve been taking absolutely none of his shit…and I don’t know if he’ll like you cause we’re now dating.”
"Maybe he needs a hug?"
Heh… the closest he came to doing that was when he suplexed me into a pile of volcanic monster crap….
“He took offense to my attempted hugs by suplexing me.” I said honestly.
"Maybe hug harder?" Alex said. I chuckled at that.
I gently pat Alex's head. ‘You’re adorable.”
"I am! You think so?!" They asked happily as they grabbed my wrist and pulled… now they are hugging my arm… woah… that is… this is… nice.
Were they a girl I'd be feeling pressed up boobs but while Alex lacks that they have the softest skin I have ever touched!
“You have very soft skin ya know that?” I inquired.
"You have soft fur." They said, rubbing their cheek against my arm. "Even with your muscles feeling like a rock."
“I do work out a lot.” I chuckled. “But how’s your training been?”
"Pretty good. The hard part has mostly been with trying to get two compatible people in the same area."
“I don’t know, it seems like you're doing a pretty good job at it.” I teased and lightly pulled them closer.
"Heh, I uh… I try."
I smiled. “So, what else have you been up to as of late?”
"Oh, usual. Daily squats, yoga, some cardio and flight exercises. Other than that mostly just watching TV."
"That's fair." I nodded. "Wish I had as much free time when I'm not recovering from broken bones…but I read, watch TV or play video games." I shrugged.
“Oh, well what are you watching on TV? I’ve been really into Echo Barrier.”
"I've been skimming through some old favorites, currently I'm watching Chaotic which really needs more seasons." I said honestly.
“Why don’t you just find a universe where it has more seasons?”
…What?
"Uh…I can do that?" I asked.
“You didn’t know? Just look up the show online and there should be options for it across the multiverse. There are a lot of crazy things but also a lot of really cool versions too.”
"Alrighty then, gonna have to look into that after this." I said honestly.
“There’s a lot of cool things in the Multiverse. Especially on TV.”
"I can imagine." I said honestly. "And there's a lot of lovely things in the Multiverse, and you are one of them." I teased.
“Hehe~”
Our walk continued through the park rather quietly and nicely. When the sun was starting to set we got off to the main roads to all the various businesses and looked for a place to eat.
Once we found a place we each took a seat across from one another in a booth. This place was a restaurant but it had a cafe vibe and probably was both given the amount of people just hanging around in here.
"Well, this is a neat little place." I said honestly.
“Yeah, it’s not that formal and really relaxed feeling.” Alex nodded as we were then given menus and looked through them. Once we ordered we just sat here and waited. “So, after this what should we do?”
"Well, what do you want to do?" I inquired. "There's movies, going home and watching TV, there's a lot of things."
“Well, I was kinda hoping we could go out dancing?”
"I can't dance for crap but sure." I said simply. "Dancing sounds fine to me."
“It’s not really about dancing well, it’s just to have fun.” Alex said, smiling as our meals came.
"Thank you," I nodded to our server. "And yeah, just having fun is always a good thing."
“I’m really happy you turned this into a date Mike.”
"I mean…to be perfectly honest I'm surprised you didn't try to make any of our hangouts a date sooner." I said honestly.
“I was… nervous. Plus I know you talked about your Equis family, wife and girlfriend so… I wasn’t sure you would even like me like that…”
"It took me a bit to think about if I'm Bi or not…but then your sister forced me to realize quickly at the sword point."
“Oh… so that’s where she went after I told her about our date.” Alex said. “I wondered why she flew off so fast.”
"Yes, she immediately assumed it was because of your ass, which she should know better." I frowned.
“Oh, a lot of guys and some girls have tried to date me for my looks before.” Alex sighed. “Some even got touchy and, well usually when that happens sis deals with them.”
"And what about the 'accidents' between you and me?" I asked. "Not the first time my face was in 'mount bubble'...so was it just anime esc accidents or was it like your sis said and it was you 'giving hints'?"
“Well… I won’t lie, some were planned… others were genuine accidents.” Alex laughed, blushing a bit.
"At that point you could have just asked." I said. "Do you know how many times Ive had to 'relieve' myself from those times?"
I blushed as I realized what I just admitted while Alex was now even redder. “I uh… you’re welcome?” They said. “I didn’t think you actually found me that… attractive.”
"Have you ever really looked at yourself in the mirror?" I asked. "Not like 'oh this skirt goes great with my denim jacket', but in the 'wow, I look really attractive' kind of looking?"
“Heh… I just try and make myself look cute or pretty. I usually don’t think of how I’ll look to others… except you…”
"I mean…" I trailed off a bit, feeling myself blush brighter. "You always looked amazing Alex."
They giggled, a happy smirk on their lips as they began to eat.
We finished our meals before heading off, Alex taking my hand and pulling me along. “Come on, I know a really good place for our dancing and it’s really fun!”
“What’s the place?” I asked, following along with a warm smile at seeing them so excited.
“It’s called ‘Vibe it’ and it’s a really cool dance club.”
“Sounds like a nice place with some good vibes.”
Alex pulled me along until we came up to the club. The sign was a neon one, bright blue letters. The building itself was fairly large. The bouncer, yes there was a bouncer, looked at us then let us in. Once we were in I began hearing the music play loud and once inside I saw there were a lot of people either dancing, talking at booths or tables, relaxing and standing around and all in all everyone had a smile or seemed to be having a good time.
Once Alex pulled me into the crowd on the dance floor, they got right to moving. Somehow they managed to shake and move without much planning but they aligned perfectly with the music, giving them an amazing scene of their moves.
Awkwardly, I joined in, just trying to blend in. My awkward smirk devolving into laughter as I genuinely felt ridiculous. Alex was laughing too but kept their eyes and smile on me as the songs changed and time flew. All the while, Alex and I had so much fun. I never had this much fun in my human life before…
I missed out on a lot before… but not this time.
Eventually, we had to leave. Somehow I was more sore than after training but so happy. “Heh. It’s late huh?” Alex said as we looked up and it was night. “Well, I guess we should head home huh?”
“Yeah… before we do though.” I held Alex by the shoulders, kneeled down and give them a kiss on their lips. Alex’s wings immediately went up and spread out all puffed up, but they wrapped their arms around my neck and kissed me back. This felt… amazing. Like my first kiss with Claire or Derpy, I felt sparks, desire, joy… love. When it ended, Alex was fairly red but gave me a warm smile with large eyes filled with happiness. “Let’s do this again sometime.”
“Yes. You free Tuesday?”
“Yes.”
“See you Tuesday~”
With that, Alex and I parted ways and I went back home, fell on my bed and felt… alive. For the first time in a genuinely long time… I felt alive.
To be continued...