Part 694 – Well. That Is An Inappropriate Question To Ask.

Robin rubbed the back of his neck. “Well. In other news, I think I’m in love with Isellta.”

Raven raised his head and looked at him as if he’d suddenly started speaking perfect Japanese. “I beg your pardon, sir?”

“Huh. I said it out loud and it didn’t feel as weird as I thought it would. I’m in love with Isellta.”

“I see.”

Robin scowled. “What the heck kind of stupid reaction is that? ‘Ohh, I see.’ What? You think I ain’t meanin’ it?”

“Hardly, sir.”

“Okay. So, what?”

“I…nothing.”

“Is it because he’s a fey and I’m not?”

“No.”

“What?”

“I just don’t understand how such a relationship could work. You’re both…” He sighed. “I shouldn’t have to state the obvious, sir.”

“Oh, go on. Humor me. State the obvious.”

Raven sighed. “I’d rather not. Thank you. I will ask you one thing: Are you able to be in any sort of relationship with him? You may be all gleam and glisten about him now, but what will happen when you are reunited? Will you return to default? Always angry at him? Never kind to him? Treating him like he is the carrier for forty-five incurable forms of leprosy?”

Robin considered the question. “No. I love him. That stupid face of his.” He leaned his head back against the wall. “I saw him tonight on the monitors downstairs. Isellta. I saw him. And I weren’t angry. Not even when that fey witch showed up on the monitors and wickity-wazoomed them. I ain’t sure what happened while those monitors were off, but I know I can finally be happy with him. Stupid little him.”

Raven shook his head. “I don’t understand it at all.”

“Well, that would be your stupid world of problems. Not mine.” He stood. “I don’t get how you can just sit here all night.”

“It’s called relaxing, sir.”

“Yeah? I call it bum-numbin’ and borin’. We sleep all day so we can freakin’ do stuff at night.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Well. If you can refrain from gettin’ yourself staked, captured, tortured, and/or shipped to the middle of the Antarctic Ocean in a leaky canoe, I’m gonna go see if there’s a pub in this side of town. I need a good drink.”

“Be careful, sir.”

“Yeah, you too.”

***

As Robin left the room, Missy woke up. She looked up at Raven and smiled.

You’re still here.

“Of course.”

My lovely shirtless Raven.

He laughed softly. “I’m not shirtless now.”

Mmm. Too bad. You have such a nice looking chest and such pretty skin and you’re so soft and lovely and touchable and can I take your shirt off now?

“No.”

Why? You let me do it before?

“It isn’t appropriate.”

You took your shirt off twice so I could touch you.

“Desperate measures, miss.”

Hm.

“What are you thinking?”

Did you want to take my shirt off to make things even?

His mind almost exploded. “I…I…”

My skin is very soft.

“Missy, I cannot. It would provoke the wrong kind of feelings and desires inside me.”

She looked puzzled by that concept.

“And I cannot. I should not feel such things about someone I am not married to.”

Then, marry me.

“Missy, I…”

Is that a problem too?

“It should not be. Yet, marriage is important. It is not meant to be a quick outing because it’s a sunny day and the wind is blowing right. It is a serious matter. It is something that will impact the rest of our lives. It needs serious consideration.”

Oh. Will you think about it?

“Yes. I will think about it.”

She threw her arms around his neck, catching him off guard. Good.