Date Night: Diya

Oro awoke the next morning in his favorite place: sandwiched snugly between his wives, with Nayeli's muzzle tucked under his chin and Sarahi breathing softly against the back of his neck. It wasn't often he woke up before both of them, and he savored the warmth and softness of their bodies quietly until Sarahi began to stir. Lifting her head and blinking her eyes open, the Sha'khari smiled contentedly at the sight of the Rabbit and Lioness snuggled against each other in her arms. "Hmhm, with the way she's sleeping, you'd think it was her you put on a show with last night," Sarahi whispered in amusement before kissing Oro's cheek softly.

"I'm comfortable," Nayeli answered quietly from under his chin, proving she wasn't actually asleep, "Don't wanna get up. Or dressed." She happily accepted the kiss Sarahi offered to her lips, then bestowed one on the underside of Oro's chin before laying her head back down with a contented sigh.

"I second the motion," Diya giggled from behind Sarahi, where she was apparently still curled up as well.

Tuli laughed from the kitchenette. "Well you don't have to be in any hurry. Kitt and I got a late start making breakfast, so the biscuits are still in the oven," she advised them. The faint scent of coffee filling the air said she was enjoying a relaxing morning as well.

Diya sat up and stretched her arms, looking across Sarahi's back to the Rabbit curled up with Nayeli on the other side. "Hey, seriously, if you haven't already put money down on any plans, can we just hang out here today?" she asked, flexing her toes and rubbing her thighs. "We've done a lot of walking since we landed, and my legs are starting to feel it."

Oro smirked, but bit back any remark about her needing more exercise that might have come to mind. "Sure. You're still gonna have to get dressed to go out tonight, but be as lazy as you like until then. I'm in no hurry to let go of what I've got here," he chuckled, giving Nayeli a possessive squeeze, then turned his neck to share another kiss with Sarahi.

Diya laughed, then draped herself over the Sha'khari's leonine side. "Thanks. I think I can handle that. But what's a girl gotta do to get in on this snuggle-fest you've got going over here?"

Sarahi snickered, and Nayeli reached out to pull the smaller girl across Oro and into the little space she shuffled back to make between them. "Ask," the Lioness smiled, giving her a kiss on the head. Diya blinked, giving an apologetic look to Oro, who looked mildly annoyed. But he just patted her rump once, then reached across her to pull Nayeli in snug again, squeezing the smaller Feline between them. Sarahi pulled Kylan into the pile as soon as he returned from his morning shower, sandwiching him between her and Oro. The little male had no idea what was going on, but he liked it...especially since Oro made no effort to pull away from the sudden spooning. Kitt added herself enthusiastically, and even Tuli finally joined once the biscuits were finished and cooling on the stovetop.

The whole of the morning after that was spent in squirmy cuddles, quiet talk, and two or three instances of shameless pleasure. After lunch, Oro tapped Diya and nodded toward the door. "Already?" the little Feline asked, inclining her head curiously, "Isn't it a bit early? We just had lunch."

"I think you'll appreciate this place more in daylight. We'll worry about dinner afterward. Be sure to bring your camera," he suggested, heading off to the room he and his wives had stowed their luggage in to pull on some fresh clothes. Diya blinked at that, then giggled and skittered off to get dressed as well, suddenly eager to see what he had in mind for her to photograph...

"Well, I have to admit, this isn't like anything I expected," Diya admitted a couple of hours later as they strolled along the little paved path between the trees. They were walking through a large botanical garden and arboretum, displaying every kind of flower and tree that grew in the Scales. Diya was snapping plenty of pictures of the vividly colored petals and bright fruits. "What made you think of this place?"

Oro shrugged, a little embarrassed by his honest answer. "Eh, I was trying to think of somewhere you could get a little inspiration for your photography. I know exactly jack shit about that sort of stuff, though, so it basically boiled down to art galleries where you wouldn't be allowed to take pictures or something ‘colorful'. This was the best I could come up with."

Diya smiled with a quiet laugh, snapping a close-up of some flowers with petals as wide as her head. "Full marks for effort, anyway," she grinned, "But you're bored, aren't you?"

"Nearly to tears," the Rabbit admitted readily, stifling a yawn even as he said it, "I'm sure I couldn't see any of this stuff at home specifically, but flowers and trees in general are nothing new to me. I don't have the interest to tell the difference between here and there." Oro stretched his arms over his head and popped his neck...loudly. "That's fine, though," he continued as he relaxed again, "This isn't really for me. It's for you."

The little Feline walking along beside him gave him a sympathetic smile, hanging her camera around her neck and nudging him down one of the circles where this park tended to place their benches. "Good. Let's take a break and talk about what I want, then."

"Heh...bad choice?" he asked as they found a bench and he flopped down against one of the armrests. Oro couldn't bring himself to be insulted if she didn't approve of his pick of venue, given how little he really knew about the technical parts of her profession. At best, he knew she liked landscapes and nature shots, but got more pay out of wedding photos and special events.

"No," Diya was quick to assure him, climbing up to sit in his lap with her back against his chest. He made better padding than the bench itself, and her legs genuinely appreciated the break. "I just want to talk about something else. I'm a little flattered, actually. Kylan and I are usually kind of an afterthought to you. You don't treat us badly, mind, and frankly you've been a lot nicer than I expected since the spell was broken. But you've never been vague about your priorities, and we're pretty far down the list." She gave him a curious smile over her shoulder. "So what changed?"

Oro just shook his head and stared at the gently waving flowers in front of them. "It's starting to sink in, I guess," he sighed after a thoughtful moment, "Tuli said something about it last night, too. Even Sarahi's telling me to move on. The spell is broken. You were trapped when this all started...but you're not anymore. And you're still here. So I'm trying not to feel so guilty about it, and be pissed off all the time."

Diya chuckled, rubbing her back against him. "If it's any comfort at all, remember you're not the only one with regrets in their life. I don't hold what happened against you." Leaning back to look up at him again, she added, "You still don't like us though, huh?"

"If you mean ‘like' the same way you did the last time you asked me that question, then no," the Rabbit answered as clearly as he could, "But I could stand to be a little closer. You aren't a living reminder of my mistakes anymore."

"Yeah, that's nice," Diya mused, now also staring thoughtfully at the flowers, "I might have changed a little, too. I used to be pretty afraid of you, you know. Now...well, I still am, kind of, but in a different way. It's scary to be able to trust you. You're the kind of guy people are supposed to run away from."

"Fucking right," he growled, instantly dispelling any fears she might have had about insulting him.

Diya laughed softly and continued, "It's scary...but I do trust you now. I think I even like you a little bit. Yes, in that way," she nodded without ever looking back to see what kind of expression he was making, "So...will you be mad if I say I'd like to go somewhere more private, but not back to the hotel?" She did look up at him then, a little embarrassed...and gave him a sly grin when he hesitated to answer. "Do you need to call Nayeli?"

"No," he answered that quickly enough, "We talked before I took Tuli out last night. Given how things progressed when I took her out, and Sarahi, she apparently thought it was explicitly part of my plans for each evening. When I told her it wasn't...and it wasn't," he emphasized, "She told me it should be. Or at least on the table. So I promised not to refuse, but Hell if I'm bringing it up," he huffed.

Diya giggled. "Sorry I put you on the spot, then. You've made it surprisingly hard to keep at a distance this trip," she added, catching him off-guard even more than the suggestion of going somewhere private, "It's been a lot of fun pretending to be your kid, and Kylan has adored getting to run around in his dresses in the open, and you really went out of your way to take us places we could go hog-wild with all that. And now this," she gestured around, "Makes me wonder what kind of treat Kylan's in for tomorrow. It's been a great trip, and it's making me feel all warm and tingly."

Oro was looking at her like he wasn't quite sure who she was at the moment. "Not to put a downer on the mood," he finally said, slowly, and laid one hand on top of her head as a reassuring gesture, "But you do remember who I am, right?"

The little Feline nodded quickly. "Oh yes. I know where your loyalties lie, and I don't intend to test them, or hope to change them. I only like you a little bit...but like I said: I trust you now. That loyalty is part of why. You're only the second boy...I really ought to start saying ‘man' in my head," she chuckled at herself, "Only the second I can say that about, and the other is Kylan. So there's something I want to tell you, to get off my chest, and after I've said it...if you aren't completely disgusted with me...I'm going to be super embarrassed and probably stupidly horny. So...any ideas where we could go?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

Oro frowned, just a little. "Sounds deep. You sure that's what you want to do with your date-night?" When she nodded firmly, he reached into the little day-pack he'd been carrying over one shoulder and pulled out one of the several brochures he kept inside, "Okay. This probably isn't quite what you have in mind, but I think it'll fit the bill, and it's not far from here," he said, turning over the brochure for a karaoke center to be sure he had the location right, "Private rooms to rent, soundproofed to boot, cheaper than a motel...we'll want to pick up a couple of things on the way, though. Good enough?"

Diya laughed as she nodded, looking at the brochure. "How did you know about this? I didn't actually expect you to have an address on hand."

"Well, rain is a thing even in the Scales," he rolled his eyes and waved vaguely at the sky, "Since a lot of what we've done is outdoors, I figured I should have at least one fallback in case of bad weather. So this was it."

"Fuck," the little halfbreed whispered quietly as she slid out of his lap, cheeks glowing and eyes half-lidded as she tried to keep her growing emotions in check, "You've been such a surprise this trip...I really need you to go back to being grumpy and rude when we get home."

"Oh, you can count on it," he promised with a chuckle of his own. Diya giggled and took a deep breath, then followed him out of the garden and down the street to a convenience store before making their way to the new venue...

Something had changed between them by the time they got back to the hotel that evening. Everyone in the family could tell it as soon as they walked through the door. Diya took her camera off her neck and hung it in the entryway, then stumbled over tiredly and flopped right on top of her brother with a sigh. "I love you," she told him quietly, contentedly, and completely unprompted.

Kylan quirked a brow, but answered gently from under her, "I love you, too."

Sarahi giggled, then looked at Oro, and became more concerned. "Good date?" she asked, seeking some reassurance against the tired, almost stern look on his face.

It was Diya who answered, though. "Not done yet." Pushing herself up again, she quietly explained to Kylan, "I told him everything. I'm ending it tonight. Then...I might be done for a while, so have patience with me, please." Leaving him still a little perplexed (he wouldn't catch on to everything she'd just implied for a few more minutes), Diya turned around and sat on her knees in the middle of the mattresses, facing toward Oro but with her head down and her hands in her lap. "It's time now. You can explain it however you like. Then punish me. Please make it hurt, at least a little. I can't clear my conscience otherwise."

The mood of the entire room changed. "Oro, when she says ‘punish'...what is she talking about?" Nayeli asked gently, trying not to sound suspicious of either Diya or her husband.

Oro tapped his foot a couple of times, turning it over in his head. "Still trust me?" he asked the kneeling Feline. She nodded quietly. "Anyone here you don't trust? Any reason you wouldn't want me to give it straight?"

"Because I wish I hadn't done it, obviously," she frowned a little at that question, "But no. No offense, but I've mostly held back out of fear of you. That's gone now, so it's fine."

"Alright," he grunted, then told the story exactly as she'd told it to him, word for word, only changing the pronouns from "I" to "she" appropriately. Nobody moved for the whole thing. Nobody spoke. He didn't take questions. "Now," he sighed when it was finished, "The part that's gonna hurt..."

Diya swallowed and braced herself, but somehow kept that shadow of a smile on her face. Despite her shame, and some lingering fear, she looked forward to putting all of it behind her with as clear a conscience as could be managed. She took some comfort in the fact that nobody was looking at her with anything but pity...except Kitt, who seemed inexplicably amused...and nobody seemed to be trying to stop him from saying whatever he planned to say next.

"I can't just spank you for this," the Rabbit pointed out, "It's way above and beyond that sort of penalty. Like Hell I'm gonna hit you for something that far behind us anyway. By my rough estimate, you deserve a couple of years trapped in a house with a monster, forced to have sex with it at least once a month, and to follow it into a death-trap a couple of times."

Her eyes flew open then, and straight to him. "...That's not fair," she whispered, slack-jawed, and looking a little betrayed.

Oro just shrugged. "Fair as anything I ever got. It does hurt, doesn't it? Knowing there's nothing more to do than live the life that resulted from it."

"I didn't end up in this family because of that," she argued, shaking her head as tears started dripping from her eyes, "I wouldn't regret it so much, if I had."

"No?" the Rabbit quirked a brow, looking honestly surprised, "You don't think so? I have a feeling things would have turned out very differently that first time I spanked you if you didn't have this guilt-complex. We probably wouldn't have spoken again, forget becoming friends. I sure as fuck wouldn't have called either of you for a favor."

Diya didn't have an argument to that. It was true, embarrassing as it was to admit, that first fight had been their initial bond. If it hadn't happened...or if she'd been genuinely upset over it...much of what followed never would have occurred. That thought, oddly, only increased the flow of her tears.

Nayeli hesitantly raised her hand, reluctant to butt-in on something that seemed to have become so personal between these two, but Oro only looked expectantly to her when he noticed. "I agree with my husband for once," she told the crying Diya softly, "If you're still not satisfied, stay with us. We'll help you work it out, and support you through whatever comes of it. Let's talk about it when we get home. I might have an idea, but I don't want to spoil what's left of this vacation. Will that be okay?"

The little Feline sniffled with a nod, rubbing her eyes in an unsuccessful attempt to stem the tears. "I will," she promised, forcing the words past the lump in her throat, "Th-thank you..." Tuli got down to sit beside her, pulling the poor girl into a gentle hug, and Kylan likewise leaned into her back. Sheltered between them, they let Diya cry out all of the last of her guilt and relief until she fell asleep from the exhaustion.