Chapter 51 - The Spark Is Back

Chapter 51: 51 - The Spark Is Back

(Yaya’s POV)

"The first time I inhaled it, I was still a hatchling. I didn’t know what it was, but it got rid of my fear. So, I kept doing it."

The image of a cute baby Noodle sneaking around and getting high on the gas popped in my mind. He was probably an adorable little thing.

I scooted closer to him, my hip brushing against his as I peered into his face.

Noodle lifted his gaze to meet mine, eyes blinking.

I felt like a kid again, discovering new things for the first time. I used to be curious about everything, from the stars in the sky to the worms in the ground. But then, someone had stolen that curiosity from me.

Now, I felt that spark again. I couldn’t resist this chance to learn about the inner workings of my supposed mate.

Could he read the mood? My eyes landed on his lips, then moved up to his eyes. It was always interesting to find out.

Would I get a kiss? A bite? A hiss? Or would he look away and continue his sewing like an oblivious virgin?

Some steamy action to lift the gloomy mood, or a silly rejection to make me laugh?

My heartbeat picked up in anticipation. I didn’t know which outcome I wanted more.

"Mate, you are seducing me again..." Noodle made an unimpressed face, which morphed into an eyeroll that held a hint of fondness, "...can’t you see I’m busy?"

His possessiveness would always be reduced to zero whenever there was no threat of me being taken away. The more comfortable he got, the more his true personality emerged.

"You want me to stop?" I asked.

The needle moved between his fingers. He glanced at my lips, then back at his work. "No. Don’t stop. I like it."

I moved closer. "How much do you like it?"

He didn’t answer at first, then sighed, "Enough to not bite you, for now, mate."

His answer made me smile. So, I leaned in further, closing the distance between us. I stopped just before our lips touched, waiting for him to close the gap.

His view on sharing kisses was still very limited. They weren’t an intimate act for him, and once I saw them as nothing more than a survival tool, like Noodle did, they became a pretty fun thing to do.

Noodle gaze shifted from my eyes to my lips, and back again, as if he was weighing the consequences. Then he tilted his head and pressed his lips against mine. His tongue slid inside, and I felt the sharpness of his fangs graze my skin. A warning to behave, perhaps.

He always started with his saliva, wetting the inside of my mouth, making my throat feel parched and hydrated at the same time.

I parted my lips wider, inviting him to explore further, and he did. His tongue curled and twisted around mine.

The sensations were not as strong as before, thanks to the cooling gas, but it brought out a different kind of heat. A lazy heat. A slow-burning, simmering warmth, like a gentle caress from the sun.

Poof! A dense cloud erupted between us, making us break the kiss.

Jump! A gasum bounced on my lap. Noodle’s gaze locked onto the furry creature. His hands wrapped around it, ready to crush it.

"Isn’t it cute?" Dickhead was at the entrance of the shelter, water dripping from his hair as he saved the gasum from Noodle’s grasp. "I thought you might like a new pet."

The gasum stared at me with its big, round eyes. Its ears twitched, and it made a squeaking sound, "Suu. Suu." It sounded cute, but it might have been a battle cry for all I knew.

"New pet?" I picked it up. It had a round, chubby body that made it look like a blue, fuzzy ball with legs. "What do I need a pet for?"

Dickhead’s eyes fixed on my lips, which were still glistening from Noodle’s saliva. "I thought it’s a good time for an upgrade from the old one."

He was holding another gasum under his armpit, its legs kicking in the air. He handed it to Noodle, "One for you too, Kurus. Make it get used to you, or else you won’t be able to resist Precious’ scent next time."

Noodle took the gasum from him, examining it with a serious expression. "How?"

"Great question." Dickhead sat in between us, crossing his legs, turning me into a third wheel by pushing me to the other side of the shelter. He placed his gasum on Noodle’s lap and demonstrated, "You tickle it like this. See? Then you pet it until it gets sleepy. Simple."

Noodle copied his movements. The gasum made a high-pitched squeal as Noodle’s hand slid down its fur, and he immediately let go of it. "It doesn’t want to get petted by me. It must be scared."

"Of course, it is," Dickhead said. "You are a predator. You need to be gentle. Like this, see?"

Vick tickled the gasum’s chin. It made a low, rumbling sound and closed its eyes, leaning into his touch. "There. Easy."

Someone was stealing the attention of my mate, but I let it go. The more Noodle interacted with Dickhead, the more I could laugh at how Dickhead was failing to win Noodle’s favor.

Noodle had his own idea of how to tame a gasum, "Mate, I want yours."

"Huh?" I looked up from my lap.

He pointed at the gasum on my lap, "I want to try with yours. Give it to me."

I handed it over. The gasum squeaked in protest and scratched Noodle’s hand. It escaped his grip and jumped back to me, "Suu!"

Noodle glared at the gasum and reached for it again, this time more carefully. He lifted it by its scruff, and brought it close to his face, "You will be a good pet, or I will eat you."

The gasum actually understood him and went still in his hold. Its ears drooped, and it let out a sad sigh. "Suu..."

I wasn’t sure if the gasum surrendered or just played dead. But Noodle seemed pleased and put it on his lap. "Done."

He began to tickle it as Dickhead had shown him, and soon, the gasum was purring in contentment.

"I think it needs a walk," Dickhead said, watching the two bond. "It’s been cooped up for too long. It needs some exercise. Why don’t you take it for a walk with you?"

I glanced at the downpour outside. "Did nobody teach you not to go to the forest when it’s raining?"

Right at my words, a loud crack of a tree falling echoed in the distance, followed by the pattering of raindrops hitting the leaves.

A life cycle of a tree: it grew, it fell, it rotted, it fed the new trees. Repeat. The rain and strong wind made it faster.

"Run." I grabbed my stuff and rushed out of the shelter. I kicked the gasum coop open on my way out.

Dickhead and Noodle followed me, each holding a gasum in their arms. We watch the tent get swallowed by a fallen branch, its weight crushing it into the ground.

Their attempt at building "our" family’s first home, down the drain. The sight was so pathetic, I had to chuckle.

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