Chapter Text
she wandered aimlessly around Mossgrotto for a long time; Shakra had said they would explore the place together on Sunday's night , but her anxiety wouldn't let her endure another night of waiting.
Hornet pushed aside a patch of moss and hid beneath it, right where she had been struck by an arrow the night before. She brought neither a lantern nor a silkfly so that no one would spot her; just sat cautiously and peered around.
Silence, she didn't expect to sit for hours in pure silence, but had no other choice.
What if that archer never shows up? How much longer she was supposed to wait ? She forced herself to wait in patience.
Each hour felt like a month , maybe the archer would never show up . Maybe she was late to figure out about their plans , if only she hadn't let her guard down...
Finally . Hornet noticed a faint halo of light emerging from the cave , right from the entrance leading from Wormways to Mossgrotto.
She readied her needle but didn't move from her spot; Hornet preferred to see and hear more, and to be certain of what the real danger was.
Several bugs figures emerged with their heads covered in cloth; nothing of their faces could be made out. They possessed young, athletic builds; Hornet did not recall ever seeing such young men in bone bottom.
" Do you think that's enough to make some booties for that stupid white doll? What if they find out?"
" no worries. "
The tallest one says , Hornet narrowed her eyes.
White doll ? Could it be...
" We just need to pin all the blame on her. Given her past, she really does a great job of casting suspicion on herself; the death of that bug last night is on her claws, too."
" But we couldn't find the body. "
" the other bugs probably ate its carcass."
Great , they didn't know who they had messed with.
Hornet was almost losing her temper . stay still. Listen.
She told herself to wait more , focus on each single detail.
The rasping sound of something being dragged across the ground was heard, and the third bug revealed himself. A heavy box, full of... full of what?
Hornet moved silently ahead; nothing could be seen from that distance. She surmised that the box contained Plasmium, but what use would they have for it, after all?
She leaned a little further forward, hoping to see better, but nothing was distinct in the darkness.
However, the moment she pressed her claw against the rock beside her, a few stones tumbled to the ground; the sound froze all three of them in their tracks.
" Who is there ? " One of them shouted .
Hornet decided to stand her ground rather than attack; launching an assault in pitch darkness—where one could barely see a thing—did not seem like a good idea at all.
She had seen enough for one night; the best course of action was to leave before the sun rose and her location was exposed.
........
Lace woke up after sensing that the pillows around her had grown cold; for about ten years, she had not been used to sleeping without the warmth of her companion's body.
" Hornet ...?"
Lace hadn't opened her eyes yet, but began running her claw over the sheets around herself; she told herself that the idiot must have rolled around on the bed so much that she'd slid onto the floor.
No one answered. Lace yawned and rubbed her eyes, no one was sleeping on the floor , the cold sheets made it obvious that it's been hours since the last time Hornet had slept beside her.
Lace didn't have the energy to get dressed; she simply wrapped the sheets around herself and climbed out of bed.
She glanced around; there was no sign of Hornet's cloak or her needle.
She decided to step out of their room and look around; the bellhome was plunged into absolute silence.
The light from the string lights was very dim, and apart from the silkfly placed inside the glass, no other light was visible.
Lace knew the chances of Hornet having gone to check on Cashmere were next to nil, so she didn't bother herself looking there and went to the living room instead.
She sat on the sofa and stared at the ceiling. As if the ceiling held something interesting; as if gazing at the ceiling would solve her problems.
" Hmm spider... You must be tired of me, too..."
Lace hummed , her voice tired and empty.
For what reason did she have to go out in the middle of the night without saying anything?
Maybe Hornet had lied to her . Perhaps even she, deep down, mistrusted Lace, and their relationship brought her nothing but shame.
No , Hornet wouldn't lie. But what if she ....
Before Lace could lose herself any further in her thoughts, the door opened, and Hornet closed it behind her with the utmost care.
Speak of the devil. who are you hiding yourself from ?
Lace wanted to throw all of those cushions at her .
Hornet hadn't spotted her yet; she was simply setting her things down on the floor cautiously, making sure not to make a sound. But the moment she turned around and saw Lace on the couch , she jumped just like a cat that had had a bucket of ice-cold water dumped on it.
" Someone didn't expect to see me awake."
Lace crossed her legs together, her tone playful and her face filled with madness.
Hornet quickly pulled herself together and stood at attention, then coughed to clear her voice before speaking.
" You'll catch a cold if you stay naked; I don't think those sheets will be enough. "
Hornet stepped a little closer and, after removing her cloak, draped it over Lace's shoulders.
Gods above how can someone's cloak be this heavy?
Lace wanted to strangle her; she had left her alone in the middle of the night, yet now she was professing love and affection.
" I'd rather catch cold than get shoulder pain. Did you just come here to drop off your things before heading out to explore again? "
Lace's voice was burning with anger . How did she dare keep things from her?
Hornet was begining to explain, but suddenly changed her mind , instead of talking, bent down to hold Lace in her arms .
Once Hornet made sure she was holding Lace firmly in her arms, lifted her up so they could return to their room.
" Spider ! Put me down or I'll skewer you with my pin."
The only effect Lace's words had on Hornet was to make her hold on even tighter; Lace, recognised this stubbornness so for her part, made no move to pull away.
" Where were you spider ?..."
Hornet stayed still and remained silent, then after taking a deep breath, continued climbing up the stairs.
Lace buried her face in the crook of her neck; she knew Hornet would explain later , yet she couldn't help but blame her.
With every step Hornet climbed, Lace could feel the heaviness of her breathing.
The sound of her footsteps on the stairs was different, even the way she held her in her arms. The sheer extent of her exhaustion was evident.
Perhaps Lace shouldn't have talked to her in that tone ; perhaps understanding would have been better.
" Hey spider..."
" Hmm? "
Hornet stood on one of the steps for a while and stopped climbing, letting Lace have her say.
"Thanks for the cloak ."
After moments of silence, Lace felt a gentle kiss on her forehead.
The scent of iron and cinnamon emanating from the cloak mingled with the rose fragrance on her skin; now that she thought about it, wearing that cloak hadn't been such a bad idea after all.
When Hornet bent down to lay her on the bed, Lace wrapped her arms around her neck to make her lay down beside her.
Lace wanted to bite and kiss every muscle of her that tensed; had she not been sleepy, she certainly would have spent the night by kissing her till morning.
Lace waited for her to settle onto the sheets beside her, and then she spoke.
" Spider dear ,Your recent behaviour worries me."
" You know I won't let anything happen to you."
" What are you hiding from me?"
Hornet lifted her mask for a moment, and after a few minutes of deathly silence, rested it upon Lace's chest.
It was as if she had changed her mind about giving an answer.
Lace didn't like this silence; she simply sighed and began fiddling with the fur at the back of her neck.
Usually, Hornet would start purring as soon as she realized Lace was stroking her, but this time she remained silent.
It wasn't hard for Lace to realise she was stressed.
" I'm trying to protect you."
Hornet answered after minutes, her voice was tired, hopeless and broken.
It seemed to completely contradict what she said.
She couldn't let Lace know about the things she had heard , she wasn't completely sure if her mate was ready struggle with more stress .
" From what Hornet? Protect me from what? "
" It's not something easy to discuss. "
" Please"
" Not yet , I'll tell you when the time is right."
Hornet gently ran her claw under Lace's chin, then lifted her mask so their lips could meet in a brief kiss.
Lace's curiousity only grew bolder , unfortunately she knew Hornet wouldn't answer her , no matter how hard she tries. Hornet wouldn't talk about something if she doesn't want to, no matter how much pressure is put on her.
As soon as Hornet broke the kiss , Lace began to speak again.
" Oh spider ... You're putting too much pressure on yourself. Why won't you just tell me the truth ? "
" Shhh...I want you to go on with your normal life as if nothing happened; I’ll handle it myself. "
Hornet leaned closer to press her forehead to Lace's , Lace finally had a life , just for herself.
Not controlled by anyone else , if anyone was going to disturb her mate's life , she had to cross from Hornet's dead body.
It took Lace years to accept herself, to realise she deserves to live and enjoy all those big and small moments , and if Hornet had one duty, it was taking care of her.
" Will you be here when I wake up ?"
" Right beside you. "
" Promise? "
" Promise. "
Hornet's tone proved that she wasn't lying.
Lace decided not to pepper her with any more questions; when the silence between them grew long and heavy, she closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.
.........
" Hornet , open your mouth."
" I am a carnivorous predator; stop belittling me."
" I SAID OPEN IT "
Lace shouted and forced the spoon of vegetable soup into Hornet's mouth , Hornet shared one last look with Cashmere that was staring at her and swallowed it.
Vegetables.... Terrible...
If she had known that the result of all the effort she put into freeing pharloom would be having to force-feed herself vegetables, she would have handed herself over to Grandmother Silk on a silver platter.
The function of those sharp jaws was to tear its prey's flesh to shreds, not to eat vegetables.
Cashmere giggled and clapped for her. Like Hornet was a ridiculous clown to him.
All this humiliation and misery was just so Cashmere would learn to eat. that spoiled, pampered brat.
" Now it's Cashmere's turn ~"
Lace then picked up another spoonful and moved it toward Cashmere ; he opened his mouth with eager delight.
" Hornet , clap !"
" It’s not like he won the Medal of Honor; he just wolfed down a spoonful of soup."
" I SAID CLAP"
Hornet obeyed her mate's command and applauded that spoiled, foolish child.
Unlike Hornet, who ate nothing but meat and blood, Lace was an omnivore. So they expected their offspring to start with vegetables, Hornet’s nightmare.
With Lace now occupied with Cashmere , Hornet slowly found a chance to escape.
She inched backward while seated—just a little further back—and then made her escape.
She quickly grabbed her needle
and slipped out of the bellhome, taking great care to close the door softly so that neither of them would notice.
" Huff ... That was close ."
" What was close red maiden?"
Hornet hadn't been paying any attention to the little bug that was standing beside her , and at the sound, she jumped into the air in sheer terror.
Then she composed herself and stood like a respectable lady, as if she hadn't nearly had a heart attack just moments earlier at the sound of Sherma's voice.
" Red maiden had anything bad happened to you ?"
" Hehe nothing ... "
Sherma gave her a confused look , but decided to act like nothing had happened. He shrugged and offered her a packet of snacks.
" Red maiden! I made these cookies myself."
" You have my thanks little one. "
Unfortunately, Lace didn't let Hornet enjoy her brief moment of peace any longer.
Suddenly, she opened the door, hooked the round pommel of her pin through the loop of Hornet's cloak, and pulled her inside.
Sherma, seemingly accustomed to this situation, shrugged nonchalantly and continued on his way, acting as if Hornet hadn't just vanished in the blink of an eye.
Inside the bellhome situation was different :
Hornet was shocked by Lace's strange move, and the cookie went down the wrong way. She was on the verge of choking, and Lace was frantically pounding on her back to keep her from suffocating.
Lace was still mad at her but had no desire to become a widow.
" Oh my oh my ! spit it out!"
" Gghhlllgglll"
" You idiot! spit first, then speak; otherwise, you'll choke and die."
Lace rubbed circles behind Hornet's back, that didn't seem to be enough.
Hornet punched herself in the stomach and finally spat out the cookie . She took a few deep breaths and started grumbling again.
" Who should I see if I don't want to eat vegetables?"
" As far as I recall, someone said a few months ago that they would take on the responsibility of raising him."
Lace said and took a few deep breaths to calm herself, then shot Hornet an indignant look and went to sit beside Cashmer.
Cashmere was sitting impatiently in his chair, waiting for Lace to spoon-feed him; as far as Hornet could recall, her own first experience with solid food had been hunting with her bare claws and her own web . not waiting around like a spoiled brat for a soft, easy morsel.
" Mommm?" Cashmere called.
" Fuck " Hornet groaned .
" Fa?... Fuggg?"
Cashmere eagerly slapped the table and tried to mimic the word Hornet had just uttered.
Hornet realized what a terrible mistake she had made .
A fact driven home when a fork came flying with great speed and slammed straight into the wall just above her horns.
The look Lace shot her made it clear: if she repeated that word again, the next fork wouldn't hit the wall. It would land right on her mask.
"Hornet honey ~ " Lace showed her the second fork , then continued "Why won't you come here to enjoy your vegetable soup?"
Hornet didn't keep her waiting, and after minutes of struggle and screams , finally she fully finished her soup.
" What a good spider ~ mwah "
Lace planted a kiss on her right horn , then she picked up the empty bowls to take them away; it was worth at least that much.
Now that Lace was in a good mood, she could remind her that, sooner or later, she would have to leave.
" Shakra and I agreed to go scout things out tonight and make sure there’s nothing going on; I’ll be back by morning. "
" What's the rush little spider? There are still two hours left until eight."
Then Lace turned her back on her and started washing the dishes; great. now it was Hornet's turn to keep an eye on that idiot.
Cashmere was sitting Infront of her while his entire mask was covered in soup.
Hornet couldn't fathom exactly what Lace saw in this repulsive creature that made her dote on it so much.
Hornet was clean and cared about personal hygiene; she brought fresh prey for Lace every day, tidied her bed, combed her hair and did everything to protect her.
But this fool? A freeloader, lazy, and he couldn't even speak. yet Lace loved him with all her heart.
Not fair.
" Mowmmmm" Cashmere tried to get her attention .
" Speak son , need anything ?"
Hornet then picked up towel lying nearby and began wiping Cashmere's mouth; he resisted as if she were smearing molten lava onto his skin.
" Stop being dramatic. "
Cashmere roared to signal he is not satisfied with being cleaned this way.
Hornet ignored him and continued nagging.
" Always mom, mom and mom. Just say something new, will you? "
And the moment Hornet finished cleaning him, he blinked several times and prepared to cause a new problem for her.
" Ffff... Uhm... Fffuuckk"
Cashmere shouted and burst into a laugh, thousand of words existed and he had chosen to mimick the worst one .
Lace turned off the tap and turned towards her to speak to her.
" Hornet.... Did you just teach him to say...."
" No no no it's not what you think it is."
" Come here little spider ~ just some friendly chat "
Lace didn't need to wear slippers and couldn't have worn them even if she’d wanted to , but she had set a pair aside because she had heard that using slippers was one of the techniques of motherhood.
" No thanks ."
Hornet stood up and backed away; she knew full well that Lace wasn't going to use that slipper against Cashmere.
And the moment Lace picked up one of the slippers, Hornet knew what awaited her.
Hornet was cooked , and Lace was ready to cook.