Ever After, Part 6

The female genome closed her eyes and nuzzled into Kuja's hand. "Zidane is coming," she whispered into his palm. Kuja nodded and leaned forward to place a light kiss on her lips. Mikoto blushed deeply and waited for Kuja to rise before she opened her eyes.

With a clack, the screen door in the room beyond shut. "Don't mind me," Zidane called out with that grin that had been playing on his lips since he left Lani outside. "I'm just coming in to stoke the fire in the hearth. Dinner should be ready in about half an hour."

As Zidane set about his task, Kuja exited the bedroom in loose-legged pants. His small, pink nipples stood erect while his silvery locks tumbled over his naked shoulders and chest. Zidane turned and almost jumped back in surprise. Barefoot, Kuja's footfalls were totally silent, even for Zidane's keen ears. The beautiful man smirked and shook his head. "Losing your touch, Zidane?"

"Of course not," the young thief grinned. "I was just distracted while stoking the fire." It was a lame excuse, but made for fun. "Besides, if I were losing my touch, Lani wouldn't be outside fuming right now." Zidane poked the tinder with a steel rod once more to make sure the flames could breathe well.

"Fuming? Did you beat her in a duel?" Kuja's tail brushed something behind him as he spoke. He turned to see Mikoto standing there as silent as ever. He reached out to coax her into a loose hug and wrapped his long tail around her ankle.

"No, no. Nothing like that. Well, maybe a battle of wits. Heh, but then I'd have to say it was an unfair fight in that case. Lani was just sharing some intimate details in her life and I couldn't resist being a smartass." Zidane rose from the stool in front of the hearth and caught sight of Mikoto at Kuja's side. Geeze, he really must be losing his touch if he couldn't hear either one approach. Mikoto offered him a shy smile. Of course, he excused himself, Mikoto was always stealthy, and not on purpose. What a fine theif she would have made!

"Hey Mikoto, could you get some veggies chopped? Oh, and some herbs, too. I'm not exactly sure what mistadon tastes like, but it feels disgusting." The female genome nodded to Zidane's instructions. Kuja released her from the hug and followed Zidane to the table. "I hope we cut it right. This stuff isn't poisonous is it, bro?"

Kuja shrugged non-chalant. "Do you honestly think I have ever eaten mistadon?"

"But you said-"

Kuja grinned slyly, "Do you think Lani knew either? I assume they're not poisonous. They are simply an enhanced form of an insect from our homeworld. It should taste like a crustacean-or at least like chocobo. Everything tastes like chocobo afterall."

Zidane hefted a large fillet, eyebrows raised optimistically. "Well, if it is poisonous, I guess we all die together, huh?"

A warm chuckle bubbled up from Kuja's chest as he leaned against the table casually. "Not such a terrible fate, dying with the two most beloved people in my life."

"And Lani," Zidane added as he slapped the fillet down onto the chopping block.

"And Lani," Kuja agreed wryly.

"And Lani what?!" The bounty hunter growled as she passed through the door. She stopped dead when she saw Kuja dressed only in those loose pants. The beautiful man regarded her with a teasing disinterest out of the corner of his eye. "What are you all talking about?" she demanded after a moment of silence.

Another chuckle rolled out of Kuja, but this one was much more a purr than anything else. He explained as he reclined back on the tabletop, "We were only discussing dinner, dear Lani." He rested his long fingers on his slim abdomen.

Sweet gods, but he was gorgeous! Lani thought to herself. It seemed as if he were displaying himself, the way he layed across the table. Lani stepped forward with a grin, crossing Mikoto's path. The genome walked around her, but with a suspicious gaze locked on the back of the bounty hunter's head. Lani rested her hands on the tabletop and took a stab at being humorous. "So, if you're on the table, does that mean dinner's served? I get first dibs."

The female genome's tail lashed about in annoyance and she pointedly concentrated on her task at hand. Honestly, Mikoto had never felt jealousy in her life, but now here it was, fresh, new, and in overdrive it seemed. How dare that tramp think such things about Kuja? Mikoto couldn't clearly read the other woman's thoughts, but it was all plain enough in her posture and lewd stare. Mikoto tried her best to concentrate on cutting the vegetables.

Lani could envision herself climbing up onto the table and straddling that pale, beautiful man as he lay there. Kuja closed his eyes and smiled at the ceiling. His tail curled like a cat's does when it's pleased. "How positively cannabilistic, Lani. You should know that we're dining on mistadon tonight." He opened his eyes lazily so that icy blue only shone as a deep, sea blue. "Unless that was a subtle innuendo." Kuja pursed his lips innocently. Lani's obtuse nature made for great sport.

The bounty hunter knew she was being toyed with too. She turned away with a grumpy, "Yeah, whatever," and decided she would do her best to ignore the spledid dish advertising himself on the table.

After a time, dinner was served. Kuja rolled off the table and helped set out the dishes. Mikoto returned with water drawn from the fountain and finally everyone sat. They all regarded the large hunk of seasoned meat in the center of the table. It did smell delicious, but suddenly when it came to everyone having to try a new kind of food, there was no outstanding hero. Mikoto passed a plate of steamed vegetables around. After it made one lap, she traded it for the plate of meat. If everyone else was just going to stare at it, she might as well be the first to try it. She carved off a rectangle from the fillet. The white meat flaked under her fork. Everyone watched with baited breath as she raised a tidbit to her mouth. The female genome chewed quietly and after swallowing she flaked off another forkful.

Unable to stand the suspence, Zidane finally blurted, "Well, how is it?"

"It tastes very much like sand crab," Mikoto explained evenly as she continued with her meal.

"Great!" Lani exclaimed as she grabbed for the dish of meat a split second before Zidane could get a hand on it. Zidane pouted with his arms over his chest and Kuja just regarded the two like a grown-up suffering the bickering of small children. Zidane caught Kuja's expression and rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile.

Lani served herself a generous portion and then passed the meat across the table to Kuja. Zidane gave Lani a nasty look and she simply smirked in reply. Kuja served himself and then placed the meat before Zidane. Finally, the younger male carved himself a large portion and set to wolfing down his food with great gusto. Maybe all that time around Quina had taught him poor table manners. Then again, he hadn't eaten since breakfast and breaking down a beast three times bigger than you, even with the help of another person, was hard work.

Dinner conversation was nonexistent as they all ate. Occassionally, Lani would glance up at Kuja with an obvious hunger in her eyes. Sometimes, that hunger was directed to Zidane. Mikoto ate quietly while Kuja stroked her tail with his. Suddenly, Zidane choked. Mikoto glanced up incredulously from her plate and looked from the young theif to the bounty hunter sitting at his side. Lani lifted her fork and feigned innocence.

Both Zidane and Mikoto glared at Lani. The bounty hunter shrugged it off with a 'who me?' expression and licked her fork lewdly. Zidane snorted and pulled another serving of meat onto his plate. Again, Lani snuck her hand under the table and traced a line up the inside of Zidane's thigh. The young man's tail straighted, and he tried to close his legs. Before he could guard himself (not that he was moving all that quickly to do so) Lani cupped his crotch in her hand and kneaded the growing hardness with her fingertips.

A resounding smack drew both Kuja and Zidane's attention up from their plates. Mikoto was leaning over the table with a stern intensity in her eyes. A hand-shaped welt on Lani's cheek began to pale as she flushed with anger. Mikoto's strike had been whip-quick and totally unexpected. In a clumsy rush, Lani toppled her seat and readied herself to backhand the female genome. Kuja stood and reached out, trying to pull Mikoto out of Lani's range. The bounty hunter let fly with a furious growl. Mikoto stood there still and eyes still stern. She spoke one word.

"Stop."

A breeze from the momentum of Lani's slap stirred Mikoto's hair. Kuja drew Mikoto back protectively and eyed Lani who stood there like a living statue. The elder genome knew perfectly well what spell Mikoto has used, but the commanding force behind her one, quiet word was astounding. Again, that mix of jealousy and fear stirred inside Kuja. How much power had he given Mikoto and to what end? The young genome hugged her shoulders and turned ashamedly to bury her face in Kuja's chest.

"She was making Zidane uncomfortable," she explained in a small voice.

An icy blue gaze drifted Zidane's way. The thief cleared his throat and pointed down. Kuja nodded in understanding and pet Mikoto's hair. "Release her, Mikoto. She did not mean to make enemies, I'm sure." Those later words were pointed more to Lani than the girl in his arms, though.

The follow through of the slap was halting and Lani seemed confused when she didn't connect. She rested her palms on the tabletop and spent no time in demanding, "What the hell was -that- for??!"

Kuja rested his chin on Mikoto's head and explained slowly, "She could sense what you were doing to him, Lani. I suggest you not make anymore unwelcome advances during your visit."

Lani was perplexed. How could she have known? Did Zidane flash some secret code while she wasn't looking? In her confusion, she lost her anger and finally had to admit defeat. "Fucking monkies," she spat venemously.

Feeling guilty, Zidane decided he had some explaining to do. However, the tension was like a bomb waiting to explode and he didn't want to be the one to trigger that explosion. Kuja led Mikoto away with a quiet excuse. After their passing, Lani turned and expectant gaze on Zidane-the only genome of which she really had any familiarity. Again, she demanded, "What the hell was that all about anyway?"

The young thief set his fork aside and gestured for her to join him as he stood. "C'mon, let's go for a walk and I'll explain along the way."