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"Your Radiance?"
Hearing a small, nervous voice calling to her from just beyond the bedroom door made Golden Cheese stop brushing her hair and sit up straight. "Yes?" she called back. "You may enter."
The door slowly opened, and out poked the head of a thin, red-haired woman - one of her cherished palace attendants. "Forgive me, Your Radiance," she said. "I know you don't like to be disturbed so early in the morning-"
"Nonsense," Golden Cheese told her with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Time and attention are only two of the endless treasures I can afford to shower my subjects with. Now, tell me! What may I help you with?"
"T-the sentries," the attendant stuttered. "The ones stationed in the far east. They've sent word to us that they've spotted an outsider."
"An outsider... And who might this outsider be?" Golden Cheese was no fool; she already knew who this outsider was. But asking anyway caused no harm...
The attendant gulped. "The Beast," she whispered, so quietly yet with such a great tremor in her voice that Golden Cheese felt a sharp pang of sympathy in her heart hearing it. "He- t-they saw him at the edge of the Parmesan Desert. They don't know where he came from or how he arrived, but- but he's here within our borders."
"I see." Rising to her feet, Golden Cheese patted down her collar and gave the attendant a firm nod. "Don't worry. I will go and take care of him."
"W-what?!" The attendant's eyes widened. "But... isn't he dangerous, Your Radiance? Will you be facing him alone? You must bring some of our warriors with you!"
"Nonsense," Golden Cheese said again, offering her a confident, reassuring smile. "I'm more than capable of dealing with the Beast myself. I've done it before, remember?"
"I do... I just..." She lowered her gaze. "I... I worry for you, Your Radiance. We all do. This isn't the first time he's come here..."
"And I doubt it will be the last," Golden Cheese murmured. She gently placed her hand on the attendant's shoulder. "Do not worry. I shall see to it that he leaves without harming any of my treasures. However many times I must."
She nodded her understanding, though she still didn't seem entirely convinced. Golden Cheese turned back to dressing room table, reaching for and taking back her spear from its resting place beside it. "Do the others know?" she asked.
"Yes, my lady," the attendant said. "Smoked Cheese was the one who sent me to you, in fact."
"Good." She started making her way past her. "Go back to him and tell him he's in charge until I return. Say that I'm ordering him, Mozzarella and Burnt Cheese to double down on the kingdom's defenses for the entirety of my absence."
It wasn't really necessary, arguably. Burning Spice had promised her he'd stay far away from her kingdom and wait for her only in the barren sands of the Parmesan Desert's furthest fringes, so long as she kept her end of their bargain... and he'd kept his word thus far, much to her surprise. But she could not afford to let her guard down regardless. She'd be a fool to do so.
"Of course." The attendant bowed deeply. "I... We will anxiously await your swift and glorious return, Your Radiance."
Golden Cheese stopped, turned and briefly placed her hand back on the attendant's shoulder. She smiled at her again - though her head was bowed, she hoped she could nevertheless sense her comforting gesture.
Her smile evaporated as soon as she pulled away and began striding down the hallway. Having to endure Burning Spice like this was troublesome in its own right. But coming this early? Stomping onto her land and frightening her sentries in such a way? Implicitly demanding her attention when she's yet to finish her morning routine? She only finished getting dressed mere minutes ago. She's only barely finished combing her hair. She hasn't even tended to her wings yet. The unapologetic insolence of this... this obsessed brute!
Making her way to the nearest balcony, she marched towards the railing and jumped onto it, perching atop the glittering gold bars and gazing down into the busy streets of her kingdom. Even where she stood, the city's endless sights and sounds filled her ears as though she stood right there amongst them. Men, women and children, talking and laughing as they wandered up and down the golden walkways together. Cheesebirds of all shapes and sizes, chirping to one another as they fluttered through the air and weaved through the palm trees and street signs. Cars, bikes, motorcycles sailing past them all, in every which way, their owners journeying towards work, and home, and fun places with their friends. Peace and prosperity - or, the Golden Cheese Kingdom's interpretation of them.
Another smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Soft. Small. Brief.
She's doing this for them... just for them. No one else.
She straightened her back and turned her eyes to the cloudless sky above. With one mighty flap of her wings - her disgustingly unkempt and unpolished wings - she took off.
Golden Cheese could feel the harsh desert sun beating down on her wings and back as she soared above the hot sands towards her destination. Even now, when it was only just past dawn, the heat quickly rose from refreshing to sweltering and baked both Golden Cheese herself and the desert beneath her. Bearable, at least for her - but for an outsider, probably the opposite.
...Did it bother him at all, she wondered? Born and raised where he was, Burning Spice was likely acquainted with similar weather, surely? She even remembered there being a desert somewhere in the region. He must be able to handle such unrelenting sunlight (without shelter available for miles, too) then, right?
...Why is she wondering this? What did it matter to her how he fared while she made her way to him? Honoring their deal was already one gift too many. He didn't need her... no, not concern. She is not concerned for him. He's a grown man, a Beast, and the wielder of the Light of Destruction. Concern from anyone would only be insulting to him.
...Not that she cared whether or not she insulted him, either. That was still less than the absolute least he deserved.
She already knew where he was - never mind needing a map (which she did not, she knew the Parmesan Desert like the back of her hand), she could sense his presence all the way back west. He must be concentrating his power and intensifying his aura via the Soul Jam so she could find him. A familiar tactic; she and her comrades used to do the same with each other when they'd gotten separated on their adventures in the distant past.
Did he... did he ever used to do that with his friends...?
Eventually, Golden Cheese got to where she needed to be. A familiar mess of wild, ankle-length, jet black hair came into her field of vision; such a conspicuous stain on the otherwise pristine, golden sands. His back was to her, arms seemingly crossed... but he seemed to realize that she was rapidly approaching, and whipped his head around to face her. His eyes burned bright - brighter than even that cruel sun watching over them both. His mouth exploded into a massive grin, stretching from ear to ear, his sharp teeth glinting in the morning light.
"Finally!" Burning Spice called out to her as she landed several yards away from him. "We meet again, my little golden thief!"
"Indeed," she called back, dusting herself off as she made her way towards him. "Sooner than I would've liked, if I may say."
"Oh, I disagree," he said, meeting her halfway and staring down at her with that much-too-pleased grin. "I can never meet you soon enough, little thief. Our encounters bring me more joy than anything in this world."
"You mean our fights to the near-death?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Our little grudge rematches? Our two-person battle royales?"
"But of course," he answered gladly. "How else do I stave off boredom nowadays? You are all that remains to excite me. To make my blood boil."
He leaned down, bringing his face mere inches from hers. "You make me feel alive, my little golden thief. What other prey do I hunt? What star do I follow? What horizon is there left for me to chase, besides the one where you await me?"
She returned his smoldering gaze, unflinching. "I'm well aware of your feelings, Burning Spice," she said. "And I still insist that you're free to ponder and pursue all of those things anywhere else but here. You're the one who asked for this arrangement, not me."
"And yet, you choose to entertain it," he shot back, his grin turning from excited to downright smug. "You've awakened and surpassed me, haven't you? You don't have to do what I ask. You don't have to give in to my demands. I entertain you just as you do me... don't I, little thief?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Hardly," she spat. "I do this so you don't go on another rampage to stave off this so-called boredom of yours. Be grateful that I've agreed to waste my time doing this even once at all, let alone once a month."
"I am." His smile changed again, this time from smug to... seductive. "Anything to see such a beautiful bird again, for however long I can."
She said nothing, her irritated stare only hardening even more.
"Now then." Burning Spice stood up straight and took proper hold of his axe, his eyes beginning to glow ominously. "Let's get to the entertainment."
He expected her to raise her spear in tandem - but instead, he only saw her cross her arms indignantly. "No."
He blinked. "What?"
"No," Golden Cheese repeated, louder.
Instantly, Burning Spice's manic expression vanished, the fire in his eyes dying down to an annoyed simmer. "No? Why not?"
"You made me come here before I finished my morning routine," she huffed, jabbing a finger at his chest. "I'll have you know that it is quite important to me. Therefore, you're going to sit here and wait while I finish. Do you understand?"
"Morning routine...?"
She didn't wait for him to say anything else. She simply stomped away, putting a few feet of distance between them and sitting down with a huff.
"What even is it that you need to do? You look fine the way you are."
"Shush. Let me get done and then we can have our silly battle, alright?"
He most certainly did not shush. Of course he didn't. "Do you need... a bath still? Perhaps?" That sultry look came back in full force. "There's no water here..." He made a show of licking his lips. "But it isn't necessary. I can help you clean up."
She shot him another hard glare as she stuck her spear into the sand. "My wings, you lecherous idiot," she snapped. "I didn't get to preen before I came here. I do that every single day after I get dressed, before I bother doing anything else. I feel... improper if I don't. It's an insult to my glorious image."
"Ah." He chuckled. "My little bird just needs to fluff up her pretty feathers, then? That shouldn't take long. I'll be tarnishing them again soon, anyway."
"I'll take as long as I want to," she said, unfurling one wing and holding it in front of her. "These are the consequences of interrupting me. Deal with them."
He chuckled again and sat down across from her, resting his chin in the palm of his hand and watching her intently as she worked. His eyes drifted back and forth between those pretty, shining feathers and the strong yet delicate hands that combed through them, wiping away any dirt and grime. Patting them down gently. Every so often, she would bring her fingers to her lips, wetting them with her tongue and using them to smooth a feather over, as a finishing touch.
To think Burning Spice would one day come to envy fingers, of all things...
"Hurry up," he growled at her. "Or let me help you so this goes faster. I want to fight already."
"You stay right where you are!" she snapped at him. "You honestly think I'd let you anywhere near my wings after what you did to me?!"
"That was ages ago," he muttered. "Who cares anymore? I'm not going to do it again. Don't worry your pretty head or ruffle your pretty feathers over it, birdie. Just let me come and help you."
"Absolutely not! Come near me and I'll stab your eyes out!"
"Do you promise?" he asked with a mischievous smirk.
"I do," she answered, before turning her attention back to her wing. He laughed again, louder than before - he lived for her anger, for her threats. But he did nothing else to incite her otherwise, and went back to watching her in silence as she finished one wing and began tending to the other.
...They truly were pretty. Burning Spice spoke no falsehood when he told her that. Golden Cheese's wings seemed to have been spun from the finest gold; her feathers twinkled in the light, their sparkle more captivating than that of even the rarest jewels. He often had trouble looking away from them - even when they sat torn to shreds and caked in blood in the palms of his hands, ripped away from her so brutally. They never truly lost their luster, even in their darkest moments. Not to him. Just like Golden Cheese herself.
...He had trouble looking away from Golden Cheese, period. Beautiful in triumphant victory, beautiful in terrible defeat. Beautiful in battle, beautiful standing still. Beautiful sitting in the hot sand across from him, pointedly ignoring him and his staring as she preened. Beautiful.
When she finished her other wing, she started trying to reach behind her, her face scrunching up in annoyance as she tried and failed to grasp at... whatever she was reaching for. "Damn it," she muttered. "If only I'd done this earlier..."
"Done what?" Burning Spice asked.
"Now is about the time I must take care of my pin feathers," Golden Cheese answered. "I normally have my attendants help me do so, because they often grow in places I can't reach on my own. If I'd remembered, I would have spared the time to deal with them before I bothered coming here."
"I see." He tilted his head at her. "And where are they, exactly?"
"They're everywhere, but I find them in my scapulars most often- may I ask where you're going, Burning Spice?"
He had already left his axe in the sand and made it halfway across the gap between them by the time she'd finished talking. "You said you can't reach them," he said. "I can."
"You won't."
"Then we will sit here in the sand forever while you try and fail to finish your beloved morning routine," he muttered. "Have you not stolen enough from me already, little thief? Atone for the theft of my precious time and let me help you already."
She opened her mouth to retort, but paused, seeming to mull his words over for a long moment before she nodded curtly. He thus continued on towards her, until he'd made it around and sat close behind her.
He moved quickly, carelessly, grabbing hold of one wing in one rough motion - and as soon as he did, she gasped and flinched so hard that her wing jerked itself out of his grip involuntarily.
"Don't..." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "P-please... not like that. Please."
Memories of their first battle in Beast-Yeast now flooded Burning Spice's mind, the image of her hanging limp in his grasp as he tore her apart standing out more than the rest.
Strange... Funny, really. He thought he'd forgotten what guilt felt like eons ago.
He tried again. This time, he moved slowly, gently; he cradled the tip of her wing in his hands, letting his fingers just barely ghost over the tips of her feathers. She sat still, tense, as if waiting for him to make the same mistake again. To hurt her again, like he had more than once before.
"I don't know what pin feathers look like," he said.
"They're nestled within little white shells," she said, peeking over her shoulder to look at him. "Keratin... They'll come apart easily if you simply rub at them. They're quite brittle."
He nodded. Carefully peeping underneath the feathers within his reach soon revealed exactly what she'd told him to look for: little wisps of feathers sprouting from the flesh of her wing, encased in tiny, semi-translucent shells.
He took one between his thumb and index finger and squeezed. A small cracking sound reached his ears. Just as she said, the shell quickly shattered within his fingers, crumbling to flecks of white dust and blowing away into nothing. Out of the remains of the keratin shell came a feather: fresh and clean and beautiful, shining as bright as all the others.
Burning Spice found himself slowly being hypnotized as he worked, eyes focused and unblinking as he diligently combed through Golden Cheese's wings and freed her pin feathers one by one. Another shell uncovered, another gentle rub or squeeze, another light dusting of keratin scattering to the winds. Another brand new feather freed from its prison. Another jewel for Burning Spice to behold. Ridiculous as it may have been, he was enthralled. Completely absorbed.
But not enough for Golden Cheese's behavior to escape his notice. The longer he worked, the more he felt her begin to relax in his grip. Her shoulders slowly slumped. Her hands - the ones she'd laid to rest on her knees, that had been clutching them so hard that Burning Spice could see her knuckles turning pale - stopped trembling. Her wings even began to push back against him - nudging him, as if they were asking for more attention. Attention he was more than happy to give.
He freed the last pin feather eventually, watching with satisfaction as the shell crumbled away and the new feather unfurled, joining the others in adorning their lovely owner. But... he didn't stop. He didn't want to.
Instead, he continued to let his hands roam free, weaving his fingers through feathers new and old, relishing the feeling of soft bristles tickling his skin. Golden Cheese, surprisingly, did not resist - in fact, she started leaning backwards, further into his touch.
He chose to be bold again and let one hand drift away from her wings, down to her side. She said and did nothing.
He gave her waist a gentle squeeze. She said and did nothing. Nothing except... let out a soft sigh of contentment.
He let his arm slowly snake around her waist, giving her a half-hug. Still no reaction; she was too absorbed in the other hand still massaging her wings.
It was only when Golden Cheese felt herself being pulled backwards, into a man's chest, and a chin making itself comfortable atop her head that she finally snapped out of it.
"Burning Spice?"
"Yes, my little thief?" he asked playfully, smiling into her hair.
"What are you doing?"
"What do you think?" He started lightly tracing the shapes of individual feathers with his finger. "A pretty little bird asked me to help her preen her wings. I've only been obliging her, out of the kindness of my heart. Is that not a gesture worth appreciating?"
"You..." She stopped and sighed again. When has preening ever been this... distracting? "I never asked you to... hold me."
"You never asked me to stop, either," he purred. "You haven't tried to pull away from me at all. In fact, I seem to recall you leaning into my touch just now. Am I doing that good of a job?"
She crossed her arms and huffed. "Are you not done? We've been sitting here for some time... I thought you wanted to fight?"
"I do, pretty bird. More than anything." Somehow, she could sense his smile growing bigger as he spoke. "Or... almost anything. Having my precious little Soul Jam thief melt in my arms is really quite a sight to behold. Perhaps I can convince you to let this be part of our arrangement as well?"
"Hmph... you insolent..."
Once again, the words died on Golden Cheese's tongue and she found herself doing exactly what he'd accused her of: leaning into his touch as he continued pampering her undeterred. She wanted nothing more than to get angry, to swat him away in embarrassment... but so weak and docile has she become that all she could really bring herself to do was nestle into his chest and allow him to keep doing whatever he wanted.
She can't even talk, she's so... comfortable. She was struggling to even focus on anything, save for the feeling of rough, strong hands exploring her wings and the Light of Destruction pressing into her back, so warm and smooth...
"Insolent? You flatter me. But you seem to be having trouble finding your words... Will my bird not sing for me? Has my thief at last been robbed of something herself?"
Yes... insolent. The most insolent man she's ever known. More than Smoked Cheese. More than that dragon friend of Hollyberry's. More than any man who has ever lived.
But even so... what he said seemed to rouse her some. Enough for her to lift her head and turn her eyes up to him, and be compelled to ask...
"Why do you call me that?"
That seemed to take some of the wind out of his sails, at least. "What?"
"All these names you give me," she said. "It's always 'thief' this and 'bird' that. You know my true name, do you not? Why is that the one name you refuse to refer to me as?"
"Why..." He faltered, averting his gaze. For a moment, he seemed lost in thought; as if such a question had never entered his mind before...
"Because..." He looked her in the eyes again and finally answered, "It's special."
"It's... special?"
"Yes." The faintest blush appeared on Burning Spice's face, dusting his cheeks a pale pink. "Saying it so seldomly preserves its flavor."
"...I see."
"These... little names I give to you," he continued, "I like them. They suit you." His lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Your reactions to them amuse me."
"I knew that, at the very least," she muttered.
"But did you know that your real name is my true favorite?" he asked her. "I love your name, little thief. I love its glorious sound. I love how it tastes on my tongue. It's too important to say so often and so jokingly, don't you agree?"
"'Little thief'... hm." Golden Cheese laughed quietly, shaking her head. "Is a thief all I'll ever be to you, then, Burning Spice?"
"Of course not," he said. "You've always been so much more."
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"You're my little thief..." He gave the base of her wings a light squeeze, earning him a shiver. "You're my pretty bird..." Back in the feathers his hands went, losing themselves in them. "You're my prey..."
He leaned down and pressed a small kiss to her neck, right by the edge of her collar. "You're my only equal..." Another kiss right above where the first had been. "My other half..." Another one, higher than that. "My beloved..."
At last, he reached her face, and he whispered to her, "You're everything to me, Golden Cheese."
Golden Cheese shivered at that - at the feeling of lips brushing against the shell of her ear, at the quiet yet strong tone of his voice, at how... unapologetically sincere he sounded.
...And at the fact that Burning Spice just went ahead and started peppering her cheeks and neck with kisses, which she instinctively offered to him without resistance.
"Burning Spice..." she murmured.
"Golden Cheese," he said into her ear once more - half a growl, half a moan - before returning his attention to her neck. She felt her face grow even hotter.
"Stop it," she said weakly. "We... we need to have our battle. Isn't that... what you came here for...?"
"I came here for you, little thief," he said. "That is all. Nothing and no one else."
"You-" She cut herself off with a light gasp when she felt Burning Spice give the back of her neck a quick lick. "I-I'm very grateful for your help with my preening, Burning Spice. Truly. But... let us get back to business, yes? So I can return to my kingdom."
"Your kingdom..."
"Yes. M-my subjects are waiting for me."
"Right..." He smiled into her neck. "How... delightful it is that you succeeded in reviving them, little thief."
"Indeed." She couldn't stop that proud, happy smile from spreading across her face when she said that. "It is my life's greatest accomplishment."
"But you could have accomplished it sooner," he said. "If you'd come to me for help, like you did today."
"How so? What could you have done to help me and my citizens?"
A large hand came to rest on her lower abdomen. Right between her navel and the waist of her skirt.
"I could have helped you make more of them."
And that was that.
The pair of wings that had folded themselves so neatly against Burning Spice's chest seemed to go out of their way to smack him square in the face as Golden Cheese shot up and out of his lap. Out of the sand and back in Golden Cheese's expert grip her spear went - as well as aimed directly at Burning Spice's throat, the tip just barely digging into his flesh and forcefully tilting his head up so he could look her in the eye.
"Hehe..." Burning Spice chuckled quietly. "Oh, my little golden thief."
"Moron," Golden Cheese spat at him. "Pervert. Troublemaker."
"Names for ME now, eh? I'm touched, little thief!" His eyes began to glow again, his signature grin stretching from ear to ear. "But they aren't necessary!"
He rose to his feet and walked back to his axe, taking it into his hands and adopting a fighting stance. Golden Cheese allowed him to do so without further resistance, but nevertheless pointing both her spear and her furious stare straight at him every step of the way.
"Now then!" he yelled. "Let us get back to the entertainment!"