"You ready to go, Cutie Pie?"
"Just a minute," I called to Finn who was still in the washroom, adding the last touches to his appearance.
I finished putting on my new uniform, taking a long glance in the mirror at the outfit and my overall look. Our new set of uniforms had been delivered early this morning by Othello, who said he'd return when we were all gathered and ready to head to Father's office in the tall tower of Aslan Academy.
He said he’d give us an overview tour on our way and then we'd get a more detailed tour from Ms. Arcadia, who would give us our new timetables and such.
Thankfully today was Friday and we didn't need to start classes until Monday, giving us the weekend off to absorb all the info and try to adapt to this new dimension.
My new uniform was gold and pink, with hints of lavender purple here and there which was an interesting look when paired with my purple-pink hair which now was beginning to have little streaks of gold as well. I'd never gotten time with Magnor to question why my hair was beginning to do something new, but hopefully I'd remember today during my physical examination.
I wore a short-sleeved blouse with gold buttons that tucked into my gold plaid skirt; the design was marked with pink and purple lines that reminded me of those kilts men would wear in those television shows I’d seen that focused on other dimensions.
I had a sleeveless vest that looked more like a cloak since the material reached my ankles. It was gold with ASLAN ACADEMY RECRUIT in large pink lettering.
Othello explained our ranks would change depending on our performance with each trial taken in the next couple of weeks, but he would go into more detail later on. We could wear any type of shoes, but for fashion’s sake, I wore pink combat boots.
They were originally black, which led to me complaining that they didn't match my outfit at all. So Finn came over and sprinkled some of his pixie dust on them, turning them into the perfect Barbie pink. Every girl who loved pink needed a pixie shifter in their life for situations such as these.
My markings were on display and I wasn't planning to hide them here either, feeling there was no point. We weren't here to impress anyone. We were here to work towards becoming hunters and huntresses.
I lifted my wrists, my mismatched eyes lingering on each winged heart mark. I remembered a comforting warmth coming from them as I slept but I couldn’t remember why. To be honest, I had no clue what happened last night that landed me in the arms of Orion and Finn, but I surely wasn't going to complain.
"Those are the markings that Orion placed on you, right?"
I looked over my shoulder to see Finn approaching me, his bright green eyes staring at my wrists as I held them up for inspection. I checked out his uniform: white sleeveless dress shirt, gold dress pants. The trim of his vest was a lime green that began to shift to pink at the bottom half and his tie had a similar transition from green to pink.
His pink hair was spiked up and I was impressed by his biceps, which were on full display thanks to his shirt being short sleeved. He looked really hot which made me wonder if I'd have to defend my claim on my men. Yes, they were all mine. Someone would have to fight me if they wanted to take them away from me.
"Yes. I haven't got a chance to find out what they represent, but Orion placed them on me after the Forsaken incident in the washroom, just before you guys arrived," I explained. None of us had really elaborated on it and I didn't know when we’d have a chance to really sit down and talk about everything that happened at Old Aslan. Hopefully, this weekend would give us enough time to breathe and accept everything that had transpired. Well, after the whole information overload session we were about to experience.
Finn walked up to me and surprisingly pulled me into a hug. "Finn?"
He didn't say anything, just held me in his arms quietly. I relaxed in his embrace and lifted my hands to press them on his back as I hugged him back.
"How are you feeling?" he whispered in my ear.
"I'm okay, Finn. Are you worried too? I don't get why all of you are so concerned about me. I feel much better than before," I pointed out. I really didn't like how anxious everyone was getting over my health. I was getting better and it's not like I'd walked into any walls or tripped on the stairs lately, so that must have been a good sign, right?
He slowly leaned back to look into my eyes, his expression guarded but his eyes still showed a glimpse of concern. "You don't remember anything from last night?" he asked.
I lifted an eyebrow at him, tilting my head in confusion. "Last night? Do you mean before I went to bed? I think I comforted Arielle a bit in the early morning, but I don't remember anything else. That reminds me, why were you in bed with us?"
He frowned at my question, looking a little sad which made me feel bad. I quickly continued. "I mean...I'm just curious why you were there. I liked it...uh...well, ya, I didn't mind you being there. I just don’t remember why you were there." My face grew red as I tried to elaborate, stumbling over my words.
He smirked, his expression softening as he lifted his hand to stroke my head, calming me from thinking about all the different ways I could have asked my question without hurting his feelings.
"I get what you're trying to ask. I got into the bed because you were cold,” he stated.
I considered that. "I guess being sandwiched between two men is the perfect way to insulate heat," I mumbled to myself.
Finn chuckled. "It was nice."
His hand slid down to my waist, closing the space between us as our bodies pressed together. Our faces were just inches apart and my hands clung to his vest, a perfect diversion to distract myself from how fast my heart was beating against my chest. Not to mention the other equally distracting feelings I had in other areas of my body, which made me squeeze my thighs together.
"So you don't mind if I sleep with you guys tonight?" he questioned; his husky voice sent goosebumps through me. Finn always seemed like the playful type and only showed seriousness when something was wrong or needed action, but right now his eyes displayed a level of desire and intensity I hadn't seen from him before. And I absolutely loved it.
"I don't mind," I replied, almost in a hypnotic trance while my eyes lowered from his darkened eyes to his soft lips. I was still new to the whole thing, only having just gotten used to kissing Orion. I didn't know if I should initiate the kiss or if I was supposed to wait for Finn. Would he know how badly I wanted to kiss him right now? Would he consider me weird for feeling this way so soon?
We'd gotten close over the last few days, with him staying as long as he could every day during my recovery process and doing his best to attend any meetings or appointments concerning my health. It was something I didn't expect, yet it was rather comforting to know how much he and the others cared for me.
It was the complete opposite of the life I’d had only a few weeks ago where no one cared for this useless, supposedly made-up unicorn shifter. My eyes still lingered on the smooth texture of his lips, noticing the way they parted slightly as if Finn was about to say something. I wanted to lift on my tiptoes and confirm if they were as soft as they appeared while also getting to experience Finn's taste. My nerves, however, got the better of me and I clung to Finn's vest tighter, both out of frustration and in desperation to feel his kiss. His lips slowly morphed into a smile and I lifted my gaze to his eyes, which were hooded with amusement and lust.
"Do you want to kiss me, Celestia?" Finn whispered, his voice so low I barely heard him, but my ears had tuned in carefully, not wanting me to miss out on this chance. I didn't know what would happen once we left this room to find out the truth about everything. We could end up in a situation where we may not get any alone time for me to kiss him and I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
I opened my mouth before my logical side had a chance to think of all the reasons as to why this was a bad idea.
"Yes," I whispered. I looked into his eyes that reflected myself back at me, seeing the love that shone in my green and purple irises while my heart beat so loud and fast that I wondered if Finn could hear it.
His smile widened, and he slowly leaned down until his lips pressed against mine. I let go of his vest to wrap my arms around his waist and he lifted his right hand to press against my cheek. It wasn't long before his hand moved into my hair. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss with a level of passion and intensity so strong, I wondered if I'd be able to stop this from moving forward into something more.
Finn's kiss was so different from Orion's, from the movement of his lips to the way his tongue teased my lower lip, begging for entry. I moaned, my lips parting just slightly. He took advantage of the moment to slip his tongue into my mouth. Finn definitely knew how to kiss, making me even more curious about this mysterious pixie, but I had no room in my foggy mind to question it. I was way too concerned with sharing this kiss, and savoring his delicious taste.
When we finally parted, our breathing was rapid like we'd finished a race. He pressed his forehead against mine, keeping his eyes locked on me. They looked wild with excitement and he slowly smiled.
"You taste amazing, Celestia,” he whispered. I blushed at the compliment, feeling a little embarrassed by my behavior. I was still getting used to this aspect of life: being with more than one person and the realization I'd just kissed Finn.
"That was...really nice," I confessed quietly.
He chuckled, pulling me into his arms once more. "If you want to kiss me, never feel the need to hesitate,” he whispered in my ear, pressing his lips to the base of my neck. My eyes closed and I enjoyed every second of those soft lips teasing my feverish flesh. Wow...if this is how it feels like just to be kissed on the neck, imagine what it would feel like in other places?
Orion's kisses were gentle and slow, sending tingles of pleasure through me, but Finn's had a fierceness to them, awakening a strong pulse of desire that left me wanting more. I was kinda glad we had our meeting soon or I didn't know if I'd want to leave.
"You two done?"
We both turned to Orion, who was leaning against the doorframe of our room, a wide smile on his soft expression. His arms were crossed over his chest and his long white hair was styled in its perfect glory, not a strand out of place. Those purple orbs looked between us in amusement and I immediately blushed, realizing he must have been there for a while.
Arielle sat on his shoulder, practically hopping up and down.
"Bru-REE!" she cheered. "AH! My Mistress finally took the next step into adulthood. We should have brought a camera. Ah, I'm going to cry."
OMG, Arielle! I quickly looked to Finn who seemed unbothered by Orion's presence. Finn stretched, putting his hands in his pockets. "Ya, we're done. Unless you’re planning to join. Although that would hold us up and I don't want to have to explain why we were late to Magnor. I think Cutie Pie would faint out of embarrassment," Finn teased, looking back at me.
I knew my face must have been beet red but I couldn't understand how either of them could be so calm about this. "Aren't you guys uh...mad or upset or something?" I questioned, unsure how they would have react to begin with.
Orion pushed off from where he was leaning against the doorway, walking over to us. Arielle fluttered her wings, flying over to land on Finn's shoulder. He reached out and pet her head. "Morning, Arielle." He greeted her with a gentle voice.
"Bru-REE!" she replied, brushing her head against his cheek. I don't know when she'd become so relaxed with Finn, but I figured it must have been during the last few days while I had been recovering. I knew for a fact Arielle was nice to those who were kind and took care of me.
Orion stood before me and leaned in to give me a tender kiss on my lips. I slowly closed my eyes, enjoying the blissful moment and how gentle he was. Regardless of whether a kiss was fast or slow, I loved the intimate moment and moaned in Orion's mouth when he deepened the kiss.
"Bru. Bru. Bru." Arielle began to sing, which pulled me out of my daze. Orion smiled against my lips, breaking the kiss and he chuckled.
"I don't see why we'd be mad. We made a mutual agreement to share you," Orion revealed.
"Mutual agreement to share me?" I repeated, slowly looking between him and Finn who shrugged.
"If we didn't make an agreement, we wouldn't be standing here with no interference from the others. Everyone's been behaving because we all agreed that we'd share you," Finn pointed out.
Orion looked to Finn. "I think we forgot one important thing."
"What?" Finn asked, a curious expression on his face.
"We didn't tell her that we made the agreement to begin with," Orion revealed.
"Oh...ya that probably would have been a good idea." Finn nodded.
"Bru-REE!" Arielle agreed. "Ahh, the joys of male mentality. They all want a piece of my Mistress. Too bad I get first dibs."
She flew off Finn's shoulder and landed on mine, rubbing her head against my cheek. I giggled. "Yes Arielle, you get first dibs when it comes to me," I reassured her out loud. The guys both stared at me.
"You're okay with both of us wanting to date you, Cutie Pie?" Finn asked.
"We'll try to behave." Orion grinned with a glimmer of mischief in his expression.
Finn exhaled. "The look on your face doesn't reassure me at all."
I laughed. "I agree with Finn there."
"I'm innocent," Orion defended with a pout that looked adorable on his pink lips. I grinned, reaching up to wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him without hesitation. I was rather comfortable with Orion and it was starting to feel like second nature to kiss him. It would help me explore this area more and gain experience while I began my relationships with the others.
"Sure you are," I whispered against his lips, noticing the tint of red forming on his cheeks as he glanced away shyly. I lowered back down and looked at Finn.
"I'm okay with both of you dating me. The others too. Um...I'm still new to all of this, but if you don't mind that, I think we could make this work." I gave them a wide smile.
They both grinned, looking like they won the lottery. "We'll learn," Orion agreed.
"Yup. Now, we should head down before the twins get impatient and come up here. They hate waiting," Finn pointed out.
"That's why I'm here to collect you guys."
We turned to the doorway; Hunter was there with a calm expression. His uniform was just like the others but with orange trimming. I glanced at Orion's uniform that had purple trimming. I guess our uniforms are based on our shifter animals?
"Morning, Hunter," I greeted.
He smiled, walking over to us. He reached my side, holding up his hand to stroke my hair. "You look much better compared to the last couple of days. How are you feeling?" he asked.
I nodded, giving him a wide smile. "Much better," I reassured him.
He nodded, glancing at my lips before turning his gaze to Orion and Finn. "You two are really impatient,” he commented with a knowing smile. They both blushed and Finn ruffled his hair awkwardly.
"Go away. Actually, let's get going. We're going to be late." Finn directed Hunter towards the door.
"Hey, I can walk myself and I want a morning kiss, you hogs,” he huffed.
"Get an afternoon one. Let's go." Finn pushed him out the door, looking over his shoulder at us, giving a wink before turning left to head down the stairs.
"It's nice that everything’s slowly going back to how it was before," I admitted. Orion slipped his hand in mine, leaning in to place a kiss on my forehead.
"I agree. You sure you're okay? You don't recall anything from last night?" he questioned.
I frowned, giving him a confused look. "No? Finn asked me the exact same question. Did I sleepwalk or something?" I couldn’t think of what else could have happened.
Orion stared at my lost expression and gave me a reassuring look. "Aside from the fact you were cold so we sandwiched you between Finn and I, you were talking in your sleep."
I blushed. "Ah. Well...um...I kinda liked it. Does that sound weird?" I asked shyly.
Orion blinked before a seductive grin formed on his lips, making my stomach flip in anticipation. "Not weird at all,” he reassured me. We moved towards the door, his hand still in mine. He leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Between us, I enjoyed it too."
We shared a look before we both laughed quietly. Orion squeezed my hand. "No matter what happens next, we all will be here to support and protect you. Don't be afraid and if anyone does try to bother you, kick their ass." Orion hummed.
I couldn't help but laugh. "That sounds totally weird coming from you."
He smirked. "I don't promote violence,” he declared innocently.
"BRU!" Arielle flapped her wings, moving from my left shoulder to land on his right shoulder. "Says the guy who killed a huge Forsaken like it was a twig."
"Arielle doesn't believe you." I giggled.
He looked at Arielle and grinned. "Okay, I was lying, but let's just pretend for this scenario."
I laughed, tightening my hold on his large hand. Orion had changed a lot from when we'd first met, showing me his compassionate side and a more carefree aspect of himself I knew he didn't show to many people. It made me feel special and loved.
The warmth around my wrist returned and I was tempted to ask him about the markings, but I held my tongue, realizing we'd spent way too much time here already. Orion turned his gaze to meet mine. "Let's go find out the truth,” he declared. I nodded.
The truth about Aslan Academy.