Day 2: 13:30 P.M.

~MAKOTO~

"Stop giving me that look. I'm fine. Nothing you can do will make me stay home,” I fussed, crossing my arms.

I currently sat on top of Ryder's bed, who currently stood before me and attempted to get me to stay home instead of heading outside with Jaxson and Scarlet.

"Makoto, you look exhausted."

"I'm not."

"You can barely keep your eyes open," he pointed out.

"That's because they’re itchy."

"That's the worst excuse you've made," he replied.

I huffed, pulling my hood up. "...."

"Baby, don't give me the silent treatment."

"...."

"You’re seriously giving me the silent treatment?"

"...."

"Ugh. Fine. But you have to make sure you don't exhaust yourself. If you even wobble funny, we're coming back." He sighed, giving up. He pulled off his shirt, throwing it in the laundry bin in the corner of the room before making his way to the dresser.

I smiled in triumph. Hehehe, the silent treatment always gets him.

"He hates when you ignore him," Rose emphasized, sounding amused.

The guys and I rarely argued, but if I wasn't going to get my way, I'd learned how to win a few of them over. Ryder hated when I ignored him, which I'd discovered during our time at Anya's Celebration of Life. It was a time we really got a chance to learn even more about one another.

I knew he was only being harsh because he didn't want anything happening to me. He and Marcus had been having weird gut feelings and thought something bad was approaching.

But, Kai had been checking every day to see how the next week would turn out and everything was smooth. Leo's exam would go well, and we'd all be in Heila with no issues.

I knew they loved me dearly and that's why they were being cautious; but if they thought I was gonna sleep all day when I was in Earthala for the first time, they were dreaming.

"Ryder," I called out to him.

He looked over his shoulder, giving me a small smile.

"Come here," I whispered.

He walked towards the bed as I shuffled to the edge, rising to my feet to face him. I slipped my arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. He moaned; his hands relaxed on my hips.

"I get why you're worried. Don't think I don't appreciate it. I love when you and the others show concern. If this was any other occasion, I would listen. But, I don't want to lose so much time resting while I'm here. I've known nothing but solitude and darkness most cycles. To be able to be in a new place with people I love is something I never envisioned myself experiencing. Can you be a little more lenient just this time?" I whispered, looking into his Tyrian eyes.

He nodded, pressing his forehead against mine; his arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a warm embrace; his rose-like scent surrounded me.

"I'm sorry, Mako. I just...you’re so damn precious to me. I know I haven't been very fun to be around so far. I just want to make sure you're safe. Maybe I'm just anxious about heading to Heila. I want us to arrive with no issues. I've waited cycles for this moment...to finally bring you home and return to the life we should have lived. I'm sorry if it's making you feel like I don't want you to enjoy this moment," he whispered, pressing his lips against my neck.

"I love you, Ryder. I understand. But, I want you to have fun too. This vacation is the first in cycles for you. Let's enjoy our time together. I don't know what's ahead of us in Heila, but let's assume this is our last vacation for a while. Okay?" I pulled back to see his expression.

He gave me a small smile, lowering his lips to mine.

"Okay," he whispered against my lips. We took another minute to kiss one another before we pulled away.

"Are you going to shower first?" I asked, lowering my purple unicorn hoodie.

He eyed me for a moment. "How long did Jaxson and Scarlet say we had to meet them in front of the house?" he questioned.

I paused, noticing the hooded glint in his eyes. "Thirty minutes," I replied, biting my lip.

"We could save time by showering together," he proposed.

"Showering together as in we’ll actually shower? OR are you referring to other activities?" I inquired, my voice low as I grinned; my thumb pressed against the zipper of my onesie. I pulled the zipper low enough to show my cleavage. Ryder eyed me slowly, licking his lips.

"Fifteen minutes."

"Twenty," I countered, lowering the zipper to my waist.

"That leaves us ten minutes to look like we didn't have shower sex and actually attempted to get ready," he reminded, his voice low and husky.

I allowed the onesie to drop to the floor, stepping out of it and making my way towards the washroom. I turned and leaned against the door frame, crossing my arms.

"Nineteen minutes." I grinned, watching him slip out of his boxers and briskly walk towards me, causing me to laugh.

"It's the onesie’s fault."

"Oh, stop blaming the poor unicorn onesie." I giggled; his lips claimed mine.

"That onesie prevents me from having my way with you," he moaned.

"Well, it's on the floor over there. You have your moment, sexy," I whispered.

He slapped my ass, causing me to moan. "Get in the shower, Mako," he ordered.

I grinned, leaning up on my tiptoes and claiming his lips, tugging at his lower lip. "Make me," I whispered.

The way his eyes widened with shock before they clouded with lust made my stomach cartwheel with loads of desire. He lifted me up in one swift movement; my legs wrapped around his waist as my arms hooked around his neck. He walked into the shower and closed the door before starting the hot stream of water while his lips continued to ravish mine.

This would be a steamy experience.

"Let's go again!"

"Starlight sakes Mako. No more," Ryder begged.

"Is your girlfriend always this hyper?" Jaxson asked.

"Yes," Ryder replied, sighing.

"Oh, stop being a bunch of babies. It's okay, Makoto, let's go again." Scarlet took my hand as we ran to the line for the huge rollercoaster.

I turned to see Ryder and Jaxson both sigh, having gone on the ride four times.

We'd decided to go to the amusement park; Scarlet stated today was a good day since it wasn't as busy, and most people were still at work.

We'd gone on many rides; this rollercoaster was my favorite so far. I glanced at Scarlet who wore a simple white tank top with the words Babe Cop in red to match her dark red shorts, bright red lipstick, and white sneakers. She wore a white pair of glasses to finish the look, stating she hated wearing contacts and that they irritated her eyes. It had something to do with her being what she called an Elemental.

We were ushered into the seats of the blue rollercoaster; Ryder and Jaxson reluctantly took the seats behind us. There was no one else on our coaster, the other group had taken the previous ride.

"Scarlet? What's an Elemental do?" I asked.

"To be honest, I don't know much about it. It's a person who can control the elements at will, or so says the Starlight History books Cece's been forcing me to read. I only found out about this recently, so I'm a novice," she confessed.

"Can you feel the elements now?" I asked.

"Yes. I try to zone it out, but compared to a few weeks ago, I can sense them without much struggle," she replied, looking at the sky.

I followed her gaze, looking at the wide landscape below us. "I hope...one day we can help bring peace to all the realms," I whispered.

"We will. I don't know why I can state it so confidently. But, I think in time, we’ll be able to make a big impact and stop whatever darkness is coming," she whispered.

"You know about the darkness?" I asked.

She nodded. "Let's just say, we have our sources. But whatever this darkness is, it's approaching and will test all of us," she replied.

I nodded, returning my gaze to the sky as we approached the top.

"We’ll rid it somehow. I trust in the gods," I declared.

Scarlet smiled; her hand landed on mine. She gave me a tight squeeze. "We will. Now, no more worry-talk, and let's keep having fun," she vowed just as the rollercoaster tipped over the edge.

"Let’s. WEEE!" I agreed, lifting my hands up as we plunged down.

Scarlet laughed, while we could hear Jaxson's and Ryder's groans.

"Please tell me this is the last one!" Jaxson called out.

"Pretty please!" Ryder called out.

We both laughed.

"I'm never coming to an amusement park with the both of you ever again," Jaxson announced, presenting Scarlet a chocolate covered apple.

"You had fun. How are you able to deal with Christian's driving, but can't handle a few roller coasters?" Scarlet argued, thanking him for the treat.

"I don't do high speed anything," Ryder countered, presenting me with a chocolate covered apple with multiple nuts.

I beamed, thanking him by biting right into it. "Umhsk alksana," I replied.

Scarlet broke out laughing. "Makoto, chew and swallow haha."

I quickly chewed down the delicious piece of chocolate nut apple before turning to face Scarlet.

"They just don't want to admit it was fun as hell." I giggled.

"Why don't we do something us guys can enjoy," Jaxson suggested; his hand slipped into Scarlet's as he began to walk to the multiple game stations.

Ryder followed suit; his hand gripped mine as we looked around and we headed after them. We looked at the different booths; my eyes landed on a unicorn figurine box set. I stopped in my tracks, causing Ryder to stop.

"Mako?"

"I want that! How do I get that?" I asked, pointing to the figurine set. It would go with the one Marcus had bought me. Scarlet and Jaxson must have noticed our pause, walking back towards us.

"What's Makoto pointing at?" Jaxson asked.

"Unicorn!" I stressed.

"You mean that My Little Pony set?" Scarlet clarified.

"What's that?" I asked, confused.

"It's a show for kids. It had some unicorns, too. They even have episodes about when the ponies are teenagers. Think of it as a bunch of episodes you can watch on Netflix," she explained.

"You mean Netfights?" I asked.

"Netfights?" Jaxson asked.

"Makoto seems to like Netfights more than Netflix," Ryder defended.

"That's what Midnight calls it," I mumbled to him.

He grinned, giving me a quick reassuring kiss.

"I know. Now, do you want that for sure?" he asked.

I nodded my head rapidly. "Yes please," I pleaded.

He grinned, letting go of my hand and approaching the booth, which looked like those games that humans threw a ball into a hoop.

"How many points needed to get that set?" he asked the attendant.

"One hundred in the allotted time frame. They're a limited edition set," he disclosed.

"Limited edition?" I asked Scarlet who moved to my side, while Jaxson moved to stand next to Ryder.

"It's when they only have certain amounts of the item. So, for example, if this candy apple is limited edition, only one hundred people around the world can have it. It obviously depends on what the item is and so on, but that’s generally what it means. A limited quantity of an item. Once it's gone, it's gone," Scarlet explained.

I nodded my head in understanding, staring back at the item with more adoration. It will fit my collection.

"Addiction," Midnight mumbled.

"She'll never admit it," Rose added.

"They are pretty cute though," Hope acknowledged.

"Look there's six of them! We can have one each!" Lexi suggested.

"I want the red one with gold hair," Lily announced.

"...The dark blue one," Midnight claimed.

I grinned; excitement built within me as I bounced on my toes.

Scarlet glanced at me before she smiled.

"Jaxson! I want a set too. Pretty please, baby?" she begged.

Jaxson looked back and blushed, pulling out his wallet. "We'll both play," he announced, presenting the attendant with cash.

"I can pay you now," Ryder said; his wallet in his hand.

"Nah. Let's see how long this takes. We can take turns if anything," he replied.

"We won't need another session. I'll get it on the first go," Ryder announced confidently.

"You play?" Jaxson asked.

"I did when I was younger. Don't have much time now. I may be a tad rusty," he admitted, boyish grin morphed on his lips as he winked.

"Alright, Prince. Let's see how you do." Jaxson grinned, spinning the ball on his finger.

I turned my attention to Scarlet as the attendant set up the scoreboard.

"You want unicorns too?" I asked.

"Nah. If it's limited edition, I want you to have one you can put on display, and one you can keep in the box. Plus, you said you're going to Heila right? You can keep one down here on Earthala and bring one with you," Scarlet suggested.

"Really? But, we don't live here. And we can't stay in Junho's home whenever we come down here," I argued.

She smiled. "Junho has about ten houses that sit there with no one in them. He can spare you guys one house. I'll just ask him nicely." She winked.

"You'll seduce him."

"Same thing."

"I like the way you think." I giggled.

"Sex always wins. Don't get your way? Give them awesome sex. They'll say yes." Scarlet hummed.

I laughed, nodding. "I need to use that tactic more often."

"Hmph, like what you two did this morning," she purred, grinning.

I gawked at her; my face grew red. "I thought you guys were out?" I asked, horrified.

"We slept in. Don't worry, your secret’s safe with me. Junho and the others went out for lunch, so it was just Jaxson and I. Plus, we had our own fun, so can't complain about the noise." She shrugged.

I blushed, feeling embarrassed. "This is embarrassing," I admitted.

Scarlet wrapped her arm around mine. "Nothing embarrassing when it comes to me. Wait till you talk to Cece. She's the sex queen. If you want to know about different positions, just ask her."

"Positions...like in the books?" I asked.

"Books? What have you been reading?"

"Uh. EliaseAnne's collection of hentai books," I revealed.

"Hentai? You mean those graphic porn novels?" Scarlet asked, giving me a curious look.

I blushed but nodded. "Ya," I replied.

Scarlet gave me a good up and down look. "When I look at you, I'd never expected you to read those. You have the innocent look," she admitted.

"Hmm. EliaseAnne said the same thing," I replied, turning my attention to the guys who were setting up.

"Is Ryder the only one you've been sexual with?" she asked.

"Ya. I'm kinda struggling to be honest," I admitted.

"Why?" Scarlet asked.

I gulped, feeling nervous.

She tightened her hold. "Makoto. We're friends. I know, it's kinda hard since we've just met, and I'm not used to having a friend to consult with besides from Cece, but I want you to know I'm here to help if you're in a pinch," she comforted.

"Well...I'm just having difficulty juggling myself between all of them. Ryder and I have always been close because I remember him from my childhood. I'm fine with Marcus and Elias, and even though I just met Kai, it seems our relationship is pretty solid. But, I'm struggling with Daniel and feel he's pushing me away," I vented.

"Why do you think Daniel's pushing you away? He seemed pretty defensive in making sure you were his, this morning," she replied.

"He's dealing with his inner demons I guess?" I mumbled, looking down to the ground. I was trying my best not to show how much it bothered me. I cared about Daniel and wanted to know where we stood. All the tension growing between us and Midnight was getting to me, and I didn't know how to handle it.

Scarlet turned to face me, placing her hand under my chin and lifting my head up to face her.

"You love him just like the others, right?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Then have some alone time with him. Maybe he thinks you love the others and not him? If he's dealing with whatever has happened in his past, give him the reassurance that you aren't going to leave him behind. Some guys are just like that. I noticed the way he looks at you. There's love there. I think he just needs to get over whatever he's dealing with," Scarlet stated.

I took a moment to digest her words; Midnight lingered in my mind to listen in.

Scarlet gave me a light smile. "Trust your instincts and if all else fails, be stern with him and tell it as it is. If you get tired of chasing, change roles. Give him space and let him decide. If he truly wants to be with you, he'll move mountains to reach you," she encouraged.

That makes sense.

"I like her," Midnight admitted, sounding pleased.

"Thank you, Scarlet. That helped a lot." I smiled back at her.

She smiled proudly. "I have an idea. But you gotta do it sometime tonight. I'm going over to the hot springs. You can come with and bring Daniel," she suggested.

"Daniel hates water," I confessed.

She grinned. "Doesn't matter. Use your cuteness and convince him. He'll go," she argued.

"You have a lot of confidence in my cuteness," I mumbled.

"Jaxson! Shoot faster. I'm kicking your ass," Ryder announced.

"Fuck you! Rusty my ass," Jaxson called out.

We both turned to face them; Ryder already at one hundred and seventy points versus Jaxson who was at fifty-four points.

We both glance back at one another before we burst out laughing.

Boys will be boys.