"Me and Stella are going on a date," Adam announced casually to Hazel and Jacob, then sprouting a dastardly grin. "Don't wait up."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "I could totally be goth."

"It's a lifestyle, not a clothing category," He said dramatically, running fingers through his hair. "You can't wear black clothes and be a goth, you have to feel it in the night sky as you howl at a moon that has forsaken you in its heart, in the wind that blows past you like you don't exist, in the stars that have been gone for millennia but still shine across the cosmos."

Hazel wrinkled his nose and bopped him on the head playfully. "You're ridiculous. Go have fun, Daddy."

"Bye, wifey," He teased with a flirtatious wave as he veered from the front door to circle to the basement.

Jacob frowned. "Why did you head for the door if she's downstairs?"

"Never let them know your next move."

He disappeared down the stairs and Hazel rolled his eyes. "Fucking dork. Wanna snuggle?"

Jacob grabbed his hand nervously and shuffled up to rest his head over his racing heart. "Can we do a little more, later?"

Hazel pumped his fist. He loved how close they were getting. "Hell yeah."

*

Stella was wandering around on the ceiling when Adam came down and he smiled, pleased with her antics. "Get down! Bad cat!"

She yelped and slammed onto the floor in a huff. "Ow." He instantly lavished her with kisses and nuzzles and she giggled up at him. "Hi, Adam. Are you ready?"

"Am I ready?" He laughed disbelievingly against her cheek. "Wrath is already running. Come."

She got up to interlace her hand with his. When he glanced over she bit her lip and smiled coyly. "Fuck, your hands are so warm."

He tossed her a sarcastic look. "That's because you have less circulation than I do." He opened the door to pat her butt as she went out and sent his other two Mains a wink.

"He's getting sillier," Jacob murmured quietly as they watched them walk hand in hand to his car. Adam opened the door but snatched a kiss and Stella laughed, shoving at him. "It's odd, but good odd."

"You think fusion mixed you two a little?" Hazel asked non-confrontationally. "You've been a little quiet."

"I feel like I miss thinking sometimes." He sighed happily and snuggled into Hazel more. "I haven't had a ramble in a long while."

Shyly, he poked his cheek. "I love to listen to Steven ramble, it's really cute. Would you ever wanna... I dunno, like... ramble at... me?"

Jacob almost laughed. He was acting bashful, like he was proposing a dirty fantasy instead of probably the sweetest gift Jacob had received in a while. "If you're up for it, I'd love to. I'll give you a spray bottle and a jar of coins to shake at me if I start to drive you nuts."

Hazel brought him to the basement since it was free, set him down and rushed around to grab the weed, grinder, and after a quick look around, a bottle of champagne. "Yeah, that's right," He teased to a giggle. "I just brought out the romance."

Jacob blew him a kiss and grabbed it. "Very good, then. Welcome to Happy J The Clown's talk show. Get comfortable. Snuggle with me until I get too antsy."

*

Stella squealed when Adam handed her a dust mask. "You didn't," She deadpanned softly. His eyes went alight and she started to bounce in place. "You didn't!"

He nodded once and kissed her hand. "Black dust masks for my immortal queen, and one for me so I don't get cancer. I found this place on one of my walks."

He guided her to a menacing building, she could almost see the lighting and hear the thunder crashing around it. Truthfully it was just a little cloudy, but Adam was always prepared with his Black Backpack of Wonders. He pulled out two heavy duty flashlights and pulled his mask down to kiss her. "Just one more time before we get down there. It'll probably be hours."

Adam reached carefully through the broken glass of a door to open it and glanced around before ducking inside. Stella followed, swinging her flashlight in every direction to see the dust and decrepit walls slowly deteriorating. "This place is creepy."

His eyes narrowed a bit, she could feel him smiling at her. "It's awesome is what it is. Come on, hold my hand."

Adam was the most affectionate to Stella, on a technicality: she embodied the breed of soft bumblebee goth (because of her tendency to only dress in black, white or yellow) that made him ache to worship and please her. His normally firm, sure touch was ever so gentle when he clasped his hand with hers. She was, for all intents and purposes, his queen and he was her valiant knight. She was royalty to him, and he was absolutely infatuated with her.

Something skittered by and she jumped, then soothed by a hand touching her waist. "I've got you. Nothing in here is dangerous, I already scouted for gems."

Stella sent him a look. "Does Steven know about that?"

"He does now," He allowed carefully. "Maybe I'm getting restless, Stella. Maybe I need something to do."

They stopped over a completely pitch black hole that lead to Satan knows where and squeezed each other's hands. They jumped and Adam whooped, laughing as Stella screamed. Suddenly she reached for him, realizing they'd been falling for two seconds too long and that they'd hurt if they hit the ground.

But then Adam shouted, "Take a deep breath!" and they plunged underwater.

Stella didn't dare open her eyes, this was ocean water but tainted with age and algae so she poked her head into open air and gasped next to Adam. "That was so much fun! Scary, but fun."

"By jove, I think she's got it," He laughed through his own panting. "Okay, this is a slightly harder part: you're gonna have to swim behind me because we have to duck a portion of floor to come up on the other side." She couldn't see him pointing until she glowed, and sure enough when it shut back off she could see the very faintest trace of light under the tunnel floor with a cramped space they could just barely fit through. "I'll guide you, but you have to trust me, even if you're running out of air."

"Of course," She whispered tenderly. "Guide me, O Valiant Knight."

He reached underwater and kissed her hand. "Anything."

He dove under and she followed suit, forcing her body to feel where he was in front of her.

Anything, he'd said, and he meant it. Anything she asked of him he would do, no matter how morally ambiguous. He was sworn to her without a word, from the second she was perceived he felt inexplicably protective and full of adoration for her. It was vastly reminiscent of Gomez and Morticia Addams.

The water was murky and she almost got kicked in the face by Adam but they found a good system, she'd tap his foot to let him know she was still behind him, and he'd pause when he had doubts. But Adam was an exceptional swimmer, she was surprised even blind by the powerful strokes and his comfortability.

Anna started to panic, they were running out of air and Steven felt a flicker of anxiety inside of Stella too. His bubble wouldn't fit down here. He could definitely drown, he was certain he could.

Stella reached forward to tap Adam's foot but he was nowhere to be found. Had she lost him? Was he waiting?

Just as she was about to gasp for air, a sure forced grabbed her and pulled her just a foot or so out of the water. "Breathe evenly, love."

She coughed a few times and did as he said, pleased when his backpack unzipped to show it was dry and waterproof. He'd put everything in baggies anyways, and pulled out a pack of baby wipes to delicately wipe at her face. He snickered at her foundation and makeup coming off. "You're already so freaking pretty, you don't need to ruin my life with makeup you know."

She kissed him and then his cheek to smear the black lip stain she was wearing. "Whatever."

He beamed and turned red, but left the mark. "Almost done, close your eyes." When he was done he kissed over every inch of her face and then her lips. He was a man of fire for Stella, that's what made their relationship different. Adam was ice and he had always been rather cool in many ways both literally and figuratively, but for Stella he was in flames that arched high above his head and stranger than that, he had the constant urge to show her.

When he pulled away he sighed. "Sorry, sometimes I can't help myself. I'm so in love with you."

Stella blinked at him and leaned forward to bite his lip hard enough for him to draw in a sharp breath and growl. "Don't apologize for loving me. I'm teeming with estrogen and that was so hot."

A shark-like grin found its way to his face and he groaned under his breath. "You're so fucking perfect. Come."

He guided her through a dimly lit tunnel and pointed with his flashlight. "Over there is an underground bunker, we can visit it later."

Stella craned her neck to watch it pass and tried to see as much as she could through the crack in the door. "That sounds so stellar! Why don't we go there, Daddy?!"

"Because," He rumbled, pushing his hands against a stone door. "This is slightly more interesting and you need rest." He braced his feet and let out a bellow that shook the walls and brought dust down on them both as he pushed the door open enough for them to wiggle in. "After you."

Her jaw was dropped. "Stars, you're so strong!" She exclaimed. "I'm so glad I brought a big strong man down here with me," She tacked on flirtatiously as she approached him. "I'm just a girl, I wouldn't have been able to push it open all by myself."

Adam was clearly enjoying her silly game but raised an eyebrow. "Shame on you for trying to get me to fuck you in here." She walked past with a strut on purpose and his impolite eyes watched her butt bounce with starvation. "You just might get what you want."

He backed into the room and pushed the door shut again, then flipped on the lantern by the entrance. "Welcome to my lair." He paused and giggled. "My nerdy ass has always wanted to say that and mean it."

Stella's eyes traveled over the completely renovated cave in awe. The floor was fitted to every earthy curve the rocks made in black carpeting, though the small crunch under her feet said maybe it was also sprayed to be waterproofed. A massive black and purple bookshelf brimming with novels and manifestos sat next to paintings of black roses, and it internally made her cheer that Adam had finally made himself a flower too.

Then she turned to pout playfully. "My clothes are all wet, and it's getting cold."

Adam licked his lips and slung off his backpack. "Then get naked and come to bed, I happen to be really good at warming people up."

Stella giggled and took his hand. "How'd you get a bed in here?"

"There's another entrance, but the way we went is way more fun."