An Adventure Back Home

The Thief had been busy for a few months, letting his parents work things out after the baby was born and catch up on much needed alone time they weren’t getting. It was no problem, able to tend to the small racoon with mushroom growths, and if he did have any problems it was easy to find a parent among his members who was more than willing to help. It did mean he was stuck at the guild and doing more paperwork and trust his own workers to do what was needed, but he also trusted them and they indeed lived up to their standard. Now it was time to return his sibling, and part of him worried.

“Are you sure you and dad will be alright? I can watch the bean a bit longer.” Thief told the Traveler as he handed over the bundled baby, big eyes just staring at the papa and wiggling until able to snuggle up against the pale skinned male.

“We shall be alright, your father and I will be staying with the Wizard for a bit. He’s received a surplus of business recently so we’re heading that way to help and also boost our own for the coming season. I thought you’d enjoy having this holiday time off, aren’t you and your interest doing well?” Bouncing the baby bundle, eventually the tiny hands came out to cling, and their little mushroom companion peaked out.

“We are, just...” In the end, he knew he was just worrying. Getting a forehead kiss, Traveler also knew this.

“We shall be fine, go have fun. I heard from your rabbit friend that Love is heading somewhere soon, maybe you should go see what that is all about.” Raising an eyebrow at his dad as he wished him a safe trip, once his family was gone he looked around for Love.

Easy to spot, he was talking to Anselik over what looked to be a few drinks with a large backpack in hand. He hadn’t seen him most of the week with his sibling being watched and cared for, so it had been a bit since he ran into him. With new information in hand though, he strolled over to investigate if what his father said was true.

"-And I kid you not, it was this big!"

Stretching his arms out as far as they would go, Love was just telling Anselik about the last mission he had been sent on before he had called them to catch up before he'd be out of commission for another week. His drink sloshed, though not a drop spilled from the unusually graceful hand. Of course with the usual over exaggerated details and dramatic chase scenes that were happening less frequently after his guild training, but he was fairly certain the sassy rabbit was use to such things by now.

It had been awhile since he returned home. As enjoyable as life was outside the city walls, however, he didn't wish to make his parents fret too much. Leaving a few days to simply be a good noble, he'd relax, attend a party or two, and leave a day or two at the end to find another escape route. While his parents adored him so, he craved a life of adventure and to play with the danger they so desperately tried to protect him from.

Thinking there was also one more thing he had found outside the city walls, the devil himself strolled up to the two of them. "You're in luck! I've got just enough time for one more story before I'm outta here if you wanna listen?"

Anselik was sipping his drinks, ears twitching as he was indeed listening to Love and his possibly over dramatic story. He was very used to this, often not there for guild related missions as he was only a valued customer and had to take Love’s word on what happened. Though, he was getting privy to when it was maybe spiced up a bit just by knowing Love.

Slightly released to get a new drink as Thief popped in, he excused himself and returned within a moment just so he could listen in. There was always something fun between those two, and if he knew when Love was busy that meant he could set up his own sort of _spicy_ dates for Shev and him.

“You know I could listen to your voice all day, but where are you heading off to? You got quite a few kisses to catch up on don’t you know.” Sure, some of that was his own fault, the baby considered old enough to him to understand  and he didn’t want to scar the poor thing with his gay desires.

Hands on hips, Love was no mind reader, but he wasn't about to let the best excuse he could grasp slip from his fingers like that. "And who's fault is that? I wouldda caught back up before leaving if you weren't busy yourself." Course he didn't blame Thief, missing him on the contrary. Times he did happen to be around when the pair was getting attention from the other guild members he'd even say it was downright adorable. A few thoughts crossed his mind seeing the tiny family, but part of him was starting to miss his own quicker too.

"Goin back home though. Don't need the old folks gettin worried and puttin out some stupid kidnapped poster or whatever. Not the kind of attention I'm lookin for." Maybe if Thief didn't get themselves too busy he'd try stopping by to pay his debt instead of running off to spend his extra energy adventuring first. Taking a longer sip of his drink to finish it off, he winked at the guild master, "I know Anselik will be lost without me, but don't tell me you'll miss me too?"

Tsking at Love, even if it was sort of his fault he wasn’t about to take that fall. He had plans, plans that were about ready to come into motion. He had been flirting with Love for a bit now and though Love met his own family, he hadn’t seen a single hair of Love’s. Which he was sure the other had reasons for, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to still plan this out.

“Should have been caught up before then, remember you have a 50% increase per day. So you’re up to...” Counting on his fingers, the number had increased quite a bit just in that short week away from each other. Not that he was about to complain. “50,000?”

“What did he start with, if you don't mind me asking?” Anselik inquired, sipping his new drink as Love tried to finagle his way out of this one.

“About 1,300, I was even nice and only counted weekdays with that increase. Imagine what it would be like otherwise.”

Gaping at the other, this went beyond highway robbery, "W-What do you mean every day!? What the hell kinda interest goes up every day." And to think, he didn't even count the weekend in that. "And you stay outta this..!" he huffed, pointing a finger at Anselik. They were as much of a menace as he was and tended to find enjoyment in his ever suffering agenda with Thief. "That's not even possible to keep up with the interest in a single day anymore. How do you expect me to pay it back at this point??" Rubbing his face into his hands, Love groaned, wondering what it was going to look like when he came back from home. "aaaAAA..! I can't just bring you with me dammit, I gotta go home!"

“Mine does, I have quite a high interest rate.” Thief couldn’t say he felt bad for this, covering his mouth as he smiled at Love’s reaction. He wanted to, but he was getting so much fun from the debates going through Love’s mind over what to do. Anselik snickering softly didn’t help, the other also seeming to love watching the spicy lifestyle catch up to him.

“Mmmmm, with you gone only a week in time the amount would be up to 380,000. Knowing your parents it might even be a month, that’s a number I wouldn’t want to inquire about. Thief would become a billionaire with all your lip debt.” Swirling his glass of red wine, Thief was thinking about it and the rabbit was indeed right.

“I mean, you could indeed take me home. That ride back home would be a good amount of time to pay off some of that debt of yours. Maybe if we make a tiny little deal I’ll even skedaddle right after that.”

Hells, he hated that they weren't wrong, especially considering how it had taken him longer to get out the last time. His parents were becoming more creative to keep up with his growing ability to escape. Peering through his fingers to Thief, the quick math for a week alone was baffling, making him think about what was going to happen if it got so out of hand like that. Depending on the consequences, perhaps he could simply deal with the debt and see how high the numbers could get if it wasn't too bad.

"Alright, let's say hypothetically I didn't take you home, and I wound up stuck for a month before I was able to return. What would happen with such a high debt?"

Leaning on the table near Love, Thief smirked at the question of what could happen if the debt ran too high. The honest answer was nothing, this all but a fun game and a reason for Thief to keep stealing kisses whenever he wanted. Hell, he didn’t even keep an exact count anymore, that was all up to Love at the end of the day.

“Well, all debt has to be paid off in the end. Who knows what fun ideas may come to mind as the amount goes higher, I can already list off a few suggestions. I myself enjoy the idea of you being indebted to me for a lifetime.” Reaching out to gently touch Love’s face, those devious eyes of his sparkled at all those _interesting_ ideas in his head. “Though, I might be willing to not have interest for today if you can pay off 5000 of those kisses today. You’re leaving soooo soon though, a real shame.”

One would think Love to be threatened by the Thief's words and gestures if he was feeling properly indebted to them. But no, the worst that happened would be him licking his lips nervously. His head asking all the wrong questions, such as the meaning behind that spicier stare he caught more often than once.

"What.. about till tomorrow afternoon?" Working desperately against himself for no real reason, the vague suggestions worried Love just enough to continue trying to break down his debt. "It'll be a long ride home through the night. I um.. I bet I could make it if given a sleepless night together..!" Not exactly what he meant, flustering even at his own words, "with our clothes on.. of course..." it was hard not to stumble over his tongue around the thief though.

“Mmmmm, we can take our clothes off too if that’s what you're into. I wont judge.” With teasing out of the way though, his plan worked perfectly with only some minor vagueness. “I think that may be doable. Only for you though, and that pretty face of yours.” Stealing a smooch, Thief stood back up. “I suppose I should go pack before we head off. It’s best to make a first impression in your strange hellish lands.” Flinger wiggling, Thief already had a prepared ‘to go’ bag so he was fine, but he wanted to let Love sit in his choices for a moment.

Anselik was also there to help this process, letting the air stay quiet for a moment before he spoke up. “Oh my, moving so fast it seems. I thought you said things weren’t getting spicy, keeping little secrets from me?”

Turning himself back towards the bar and Anselik, Love wondered how in the world he was supposed to manage something so absurd. Thief was a suave gremlin, but made it pretty clear they had picked him to chase for some reason he was still trying to find out. With Thief only getting prettier by the day, he was blurring that noble line in his self consciousness in favor of touching too. The sassy royal rabbit wasn't helping anything either, but they was just how they were.

"Pfff spicy..?" He questioned, about to show off his own tendency to lie again, "oh my dear, long eared friend, I've done so many spicier things that what thief and I do is merely a mild flavor in comparison! Your definition of spicy is clearly needing some work~" probably far from the case. Boasting to his friend didn't usually turn out well considering they'd turn him over to his interest at the first opportunity, but the act was a welcomed distraction while waiting.

“As much as I would love to believe you, I have many doubts. When you can look the Thief in the eyes when he starts talking lewd, without blushing or running off, then we can come back to that. For now, your title of romantic innocent noble holds true.” He would say he too shared this title, but after getting married his life has been full of a lot of romance but not innocence. He was fine with this at least.

“Now, now. I’d say Love was more of a romantic maiden waiting for his true love, not ready to let just anyone take away that innocence.” Back rather quickly, Thief wrapped his arms around Love and gave him a gentle smooch on return.

“He can be your maiden, worry not about that one.”

Tsk-ing Love rolled his eyes, "Puh-lease, I can do that with my eyes... open." Not exactly something the original phrase went well with, he at least attempted to patch it up smoothly. Just thinking about some of the things Thief whispered into his ear at times got him warm though, not blushing yet, but even he could admit they got exotic.

Not something he had to think long about thankfully as the demon was surprisingly fast at packing. He didn't question it much, knowing they were often traveling anyway so it'd make sense to be speedy. "I told you a thousand times, I ain't no maiden..!" huffing he leaned into the other, the part about being Thief's maiden wasn't touched, but Love would always prickle up over his lack of experience being brought up. "Man, common, let's get outta here, considering we have places to be now."

“You aren’t just any flower maiden, you are mine~” Thief purred, but waved at Anselik as he wandered off with Love. In hand of course, fingers twinned gently together as he let Love lead the way. He knew where they were heading, as that was the first place they ever met, but he wanted to see how Love traveled back home. If it was long enough, maybe they could work off quite a bit of that debt that was racked up from his unreasonable interest. That, he was interested in.