It had been three days since the kiss. The indesgression, as his sister had called it when they spoke over the phone. That was the most polite thing she’d called it, in all honesty. She’d also threatened to leave school and come smack him upside the head, with the caveat that she wouldn’t actually do it ‘because he’d enjoy it’.

All in all, it had been a pretty good conversation given the topic he’d brought up.

Funny how he found himself returning to the now familiar places where they had spoken, fought, and… kissed. He wasn’t sure what he was hoping for.

Or at least he wanted to tell himself that he wasn’t sure.

He wanted to see her again. He wanted to talk to her, make sure she was okay. To make sure she hadn’t been penalized by the Negaverse too harshly, or better yet, at all if no one knew what they’d done.

Hells bells, he wanted to offer to get her to someone who could purify her again so that maybe they could do this…safely, honestly. He didn’t think she’d listen, though. He just…

Liked her. In a ‘I know nothing about her, but she beats the s**t out of me and kisses well’ kind of way that was the only safe way they had to be right now.

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Three days….

Three days of thinking, avoiding, and anxiety.

Three days of practicing with her father to get better at her boxing so she can maybe join MMA sooner rather than later.

Yes, she avoided certain places when out on patrol, it was for the best. She shouldn't WANT to risk anything happening with that senshi no matter how she kept thinking about the kiss they shared or what would have happened if it evolved into something more…Just what the hell was wrong with her? She could easily find this type of connection with someone else if needed. But then again…

No, she needed to stop thinking about that.

Pezz had unknowingly wandered back to that spot, lost in thought. Taking starseeds, energy? She's missed quota for those three days, something that has never happened with her. As much as she wanted to talk to someone, it was a risk that she never thought of before that kiss she shared. “I…I have to kill him.” That was the only solution. At least it meant that she wouldn't be so conflicted in her duty…And she could just…Keep his starseed close and make sure it never…Dissappears. A sick way of honoring, but at least her loyalty wouldn't be doubted. Especially over something happening so fast that she couldn't control the gradually growing idea.

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It should probably have been something that he considered. He hadn’t, though; it was her after all, and him. There was a sort of light optimism that he’d gained at some point, and it was a dangerous thing.
So when he saw her, it was relief that crossed his face, chased by a smile. “Cinderella! You’re alright! I was getting worried when you weren’t there the last few days. You didn’t end up in too much trouble, I hope!”

He stepped towards her, trusting, hopeful.

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At first, she didn't exactly pick up on the voice coming to her ears, but then when she looked up Pezz froze on the spot. She should just walk away, pretend she didn't see or hear him. However, she had a duty to fulfill, one that she promised upon awakening to the negaverse and joining this war in the first place. With a grace that even she didn't know she possessed, the captain moved towards the senshi, her hat dipped low so that it covered her face.

Don't think, just take. She's done it plenty of times and she could do it again, no matter how sick it made her feel. Just take, and then she could weep about how none of this made sense to her or how this was the ONE TIME she would feel like s**t for snuffing out a life.

As soon as she was close enough [thinking about how comforting that pseudo embrace was the last time almost caused her to hesitate], her hand, quick as silver, implanted itself into the chest of the senshi before her. The feel of her hand around a starseed was something she never managed to get used to despite what she displayed towards her comrades. If these guys were the enemy, why would something that is akin to a soul feel so…Warm? Alive and just….Wrong?

Her hand squeezed slowly, “I-I'm sorry….” she whispered, but why couldn't she just finish and pull the damned thing out? This is what she had to do right? It's her ******** duty to take out these terrorists…So why did this feel wrong?

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“Ah…” His breath caught in his throat as her hand slipped past the boundaries of his chest and into it.
His mind repeated a mantra simple and potent. ‘It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts.’
He couldn’t draw breath.
“C…Cinderella?” He managed, lifting a shaking hand to touch her wrist. “Don’t… please don’t.”
He had to ask that, because he had a sister to go back to, a sister to call tonight or tomorrow night to check in. Because he wanted to hope that…
That he could save her; that he could have saved her. He had to reflect that not a lot of people would be sad, but his sister would likely blame him for his own choices.

“You don’t have to…” he grimaced. “We can, we can find another way.”

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Her hand squeezed again and it was like she could almost feel the cracks forming…

Find another way? There WAS no other way! But she didn't want to kill him either! “I'm not Cinderella…” her voice was quiet, contemplating even, “There is no other way this can work. We are enemies, and it is my job to rid the world of your kind, considering you are labeled as terrorists and vigilantes.” Her hand squeezed just a bit more but the strength behind it was faltering, “I…”

She couldn't do this, not to this senshi.

Her hand left his chest, leaving the starseed intact.

Pezz pulled away, looking up at him with blue eyes full of confusion, anger, and something else. “Y-You're lucky I'm feeling nice today…” She wasn't sure what this situation was, but… “I'm sorry.” She didn't know what else to say.

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He shuddered as she pulled her hand free, relief and that something in him that craved the darker things mingling in a feverish tangle.

“I am lucky, Red. I met someone who cares enough to be nice to someone they're supposed to be at war with. I mean, we’re all considered vigilantes.”

“There is always another way; it just may not feel like an option yet. But I promise it is.”
He shook his head, reached out, and brushed her cheek.
“You could join me… I know our side is wierd, but we don’t have superior officers trying to scare you into obeying.”

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Red?

She could…Deal with that nickname she supposed.

Pezz fought the urge to lean into that touch, shaking her head, “I cant…It means I leave everything behind. I'll have no one and I don't want to lose my family.” She had little brothers now, and they were so cute. Rose was an amazing mother and her father was something else; she was so glad she reached out to him when she turned eight-teen. To give all of that up, along with the benefits that the negaverse provided?

Only to join a side that was disorganized with no benefits and only loss?

Not worth it.

“I…I wont kill you, we just cant be seen together…” She swallowed, “B-But…” How did she put this? “I…” She wanted to explore whatever this is, “W-We just have to be careful.” That was all the clarification she was going to give, “Your side is disorganized, with no benefits. I don't really gain anything by leaving all that I know behind.”

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“You could stay with me, for one… and as for Family, we could keep them safe from energy drain or… well, starseeding.” He said quietly.
“But no pressure, it’s just what I know… my side is disorganized, and we have really insane cats who do the recruitment rather than us. But we make the best of it.”

He exhaled and brushed a hand along her cheek.
“... we can be careful. Maybe… next time let me know if you’re going to stick a hand in my chest? Normally I like dinner first.” He teased.

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The response she gave was an eyeroll.

“As if I’d buy you dinner….” There was no malice behind what she said, only a light joking air. “Now, this isnt…Dating or anything like that [she wasn't sure if that was the right move]...B-But…” What would this be? Sure she found him…Very attractive, but h-how do you say let’s be enemies with benefits? Even that sounded a bit strange. “M-Maybe we could just…” She kind of wished he would take the hint and just DO something already…Shes never been good at stuff like this.

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“Seduce you as a benefit?"
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back close. He knew now better than ever what a risk it was to have her closer than arms length, but all the same.

“I’ll kiss you again, if you tell me a little about yourself. If we’re going to risk it all, I want to know you better.”

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Huh?

“T-Thats!”

Not how she would put it, but that is what she was asking for right? There was a very…VERY…high squeak when she was pulled back close, looking up at him with a bit of a shocked look. “T-Tell you about myself? I don't think you need to know much….It's a risk.” Besides, what would she say that wouldn't give away her identity?

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“Isn’t it already a risk? We won’t recognize each other, I just… want to know what you’d like. What foods you like, What colors you like. I want to know if we want to sneak into movies together or stuff like that. It’s hard for us to do a lot of stuff together, but I want to give you… more.”

He shrugged. “Not that I won’t supply you with plenty of kisses… maybe more if you’d like.”

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He kind of had a point but…

“My favorite color is….P-Pink, purple, and blue. I am not a picky eater, but I do like my dad’s barbeque. I ummn…Skatebord, I box, and sometimes I practice with my father who is an MMA fighter. I…I don't mind sneaking into movies.” She didn't understand what he meant by giving her more, but perhaps it was something she could look into another time.

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“I like… red, and blue, I’m not picky either not really…I can’t skateboard for s**t, and I’d love to do boxing but I mostly go to the Gym and do Bar fights. I feel like… more alive when people are fighting dirty and sometimes drunk. You know, when they feel no pain.”

He leaned in and bumped his forehead against hers.
“... I like, kisses.” he murmured and bent in to kiss her.

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When they feel no pain? “Sadist much?” honestly she couldn't say much on the matter given the fact that she did take a bit of something out of scaring the people she takes energy from. She wasn't expecting the forehead bump, but she did blush at the last bit, subconsciously wetting her lower lip just as he came in for the kiss. Pez was still going to chalk it up to lacking intimacy for quite a bit but damn his lips felt good. This time she wasn't running either.