Francy's p.o.v

I didn't even see when Elric managed to drive from his place all the way to my neighborhood, down my street and park in front of my house.

I was so in thought, I automatically left the car and headed inside. The house was exactly as I had left it. Except maybe it was cleaner. I knew Mom and Dad were at work so I just kicked my sandals off in the hall and walked into the living room. God, I missed home.

I suddenly heard Dorian meow and he walked out of the kitchen, probably hoping whoever was home would give him attention. Then he saw me and meowed even louder.

I scooped him up and hugged him.

Momo and Pierre rushed over and soon as they heard Dorian and they wrapped around my legs. It was a parade of joy for my babies.

Elric picked them up and we headed to my room.

I threw myself on my bed and Elric threw the cats next to me.I started cuddling and playing around with them. They were all in pet me mood.

I missed my babies so much. I missed the smell of my room, the fluffy pillows, the pink decor, the small details that made my room cozy.

"I'm gonna grab something to drink from the kitchen. Should I get you something?" Elric asked.

"Water is fine." I answered.

Ugh.. I can barely say a word without thinking back on Halo's words.

He came back with a glass of water for me and cold tea for him.

I took a sip of the cold water washing down my parched throat and then left the water on the nightstand.

Elric sat down on the bed, leaning on one arm and then held the glass with the other. His dark hair was falling on each side of his head, outgrown probably because he was too lazy to cut it. He was wearing dark shorts and a black shirt even in summer. The bracelet I gave him for Christmas was on his hand unmoved, along with a few rings on his fingers.

As he brought the glass up to drink from it , his bicep tightened.

Oh yeah, it was clear why other girls would go for him.

I let go of Momo and sighed.

"How many girls did you date before me?" I asked.

Elric choked on the tea.

He wiped his mouth with his wrist and looked at me.

"Why..this question..now?"

I liked to think I could ask Elric anything. I usually did. The "his past" topic never came up, but I didn't want to pry if he wasn't ready to tell me.

There was only one topic I had no intention of hearing and that was his dating past.

I told him. Unless one of your exes shows up before us I don't want to know anything.

And life was great.

But now I was curious. Did he ever date someone like me? Did he use to date girls that understood his past and his work?

"How many did you date?" I asked again. "What kind of girls did you date?

"I didn't date anyone seriously.. Umm. just uh.."He was perplexed if he was using the right tone and the right words.

"And you slept with them? What were they like? What did you like about them?" I asked.

He rubbed his forehead anxiously and then placed the glass on the nightstand.

I looked down in my lap. Of course, he slept with other girls before me. I wanted him to have experience.. I mean ..that experienced mature vibe is something I loved about him but..

I couldn't help it. Did he have feelings for any of them? Did they know him better than me?

That stupid Halo and her brazen behavior brought out fear in me.

He sat in the middle of the bed, opposite of me, and took my hands in his lap.

He tried to meet my eyes. "What instigated this topic, beautiful? Hmm? This isn't like you. "

I looked down again.

He caressed my cheek with the faintest touch and held my chin gently. "What worries you?"

"What's your type?" I asked.

He broke into a grin. "Hmmm.. pretty girls who like cats."

I smiled and pushed his hand down. "I'm being serious."

He took my hands in his. "Hmm well... I'm quite specific."

I panicked. Specific. What did he mean by that?

"Go in details," I said.

He was serious. "They need to be at least your height."

Okay.. seems I lucked out there.

"And I just cannot date someone with longer or shorter hair. It needs to be exactly the length like yours.."

Um... what?

He sighed. "And this is very important. She has to come in threes. Three brothers..three cats..otherwise I'm out."

I smiled and hit his knee. "Ugh, you player. You had me going there for a second."

He smiled. "That answers your question?"

"What about personality?" I asked, circling with my finger on his knee.

"I like a bubbly personality. Someone who can make me laugh.."

I tried to number the times I made him laugh in my head. Should I take up comedy classes?

He continued." Someone sweet, gentle..."

Okay. Check check...

He smirked.. "With kissable lips.."

"That's physic..." He pressed his lips on mine and pushed me down on the bed.

The cats immediately scrammed off the bed.

"What is it that worries you?" He asked over my lips. "Is it because you lacked attention?" He pulled my lips between his teeth.

"Should I dote on you more?" He pressed his lips on mine for a second.

I realized I was holding my breath.

All the sweet words Elric has been saying to me rushed back into my mind. I was stupid. So so stupid to let one girl with nothing more than a crush on my boyfriend make me insecure.

The worst thing was I almost forgot how well I was treated. And how well we knew each other.

I wrapped my arms around him pulling him close to me. "I want kisses. Lots and lots of them."

He brushed his lips over mine. I could feel his intense energy in the way his eyes slowly closed and his body pressed over mine.

His lips touched mine and I was lost in his taste of sweet and cool. My fingers traced the curves of his back as I ran them down to his waist and under his shirt.

His body was burning hot. Every time my fingers would sink into him he would flinch and sigh over my lips.

His fingers grazed over my neck before placing his mouth on my neck. Unheedingly I wrapped one of my legs over him letting him sink further in my body.

The room was quiet except our breaths on each other's skin. The bed under me felt like deep waters letting me fall further into the depths while the man I loved tormented me with slow kisses and faint touches that promised many things.

It was pure daylight, yet I badly wanted to be wrapped in the darkness so I'd have the courage to tell him how much I wanted him on me, under me, to hold me, to stay in this bed with me.

His kisses became lighter and he slowed down the tempo until his lips separated from mine and the fantasy was shattered.

I fluttered my eyes open and touched his cheek gently.

He smiled and pressed a final kiss over my lips. As his eyes gazed into mine there was nothing I could focus on except him.

My fingers traced the outline of his lips. His eyes tracked my movements with equal curiosity, comfort and adoration.

"Elric...why don't we ever talk about your past?"

He looked down at my lips. "Do you want to know more?"

I nodded.

"Even if it's scary, sad and you might not like what you're about to hear?"

I nodded again. "Only if you want to tell me."

He gave me a smile. "Well.."

He proceeded to tell me everything including the bits I had already heard about. How he was homeless for the time being when his father kicked him out of the house.

"I had no close friends. So I was forced to sleep in alleys the first few days. I was cold and miserable and wanted to go back home begging."

How he struggled to survive and got mixed up with a really bad crowd. The hacking, the stealing of personal information, using people and prying into their weaknesses to get money out of them..

"I had to do all this just to get by. But then the big money got in, I got better and better every day at doing what I do..I was so good, so fast and people praised me for it. But I was so over my head that I couldn't stop and see the damage I was doing. I had no morals. And that's how I ended up with the nickname Lucifer."

He spoke of all the ugly things he did, he spoke with regret in his voice but with clarity so I can hear the bad person he believed himself to be.

"But very soon I started being disgusted with myself. I had sleep paralysis that kept freaking me out and I started avoiding sleep. I was way too stressed out to function in real life. Finally, I had enough and when I got some payouts I decided to rent out a place. I came up with the devil's den idea and just tried to get my life in order, leaving that lifestyle. I don't forgive myself for the things I did. I was horrible to some people. But I have no excuses for it other than I only thought of myself at that time."

I still held him close even though I was in thought.

"So..?" He waited for me to say something.

"Those things you did were horrible. I'm so glad you grew from that and you're the person I know today." I rubbed his back gently. "I hate that you had to live through that and be that person. I hate the circumstances, I hate the bad people that got you into it and the bad side of your profession. But I really love this you right now. With all your flaws and past mistakes, and with a different lifestyle. Full of ambition and creative ideas for games."

He seemed to be processing what I said.

I continued caressing his back in a calming manner.. "Don't think so badly about yourself now. God knows I can't be held responsible for my mistakes in the past. I almost killed my cat once with paint."

He chuckled amused. "How can I forget?"

I could feel the warmth of his hands as they were pressed on my back. "I was a bit scared of what you might say. I didn't want you to say that, you just don't care about my past, but I didn't want to hear you were repulsed by it either. I'm relieved to hear your thoughts on it."

I brought my fingers up to brush his hair back a little. "You didn't doubt me, did you?"

He smiled. "At the beginning I did. Ace even called me out on it. But after being together with you for some time now I was sure you wouldn't throw away everything we have. You'd hear me out first."

"I'm so amazing aren't I?" I grinned. "Aren't you so grateful to have a wonderful girlfriend like me?"

He raised a brow and kissed my neck in a ticklish manner. "I'll show you who's the amazing one in this relationship."

I laughed and tried to nudge him off, tickling his side.

He was quick to return the favor.

We tossed and turned in the bed until we fell down on the ground.

Dorian suddenly walked over and just laid down next to us.

"I think he wants your attention too." I told Elric.

Elric got up and picked me up in his hands.

"Woah wait.." I scream-laughed.

"Sorry Dorian.. I have to finish what I start first. And this woman here needs a proper date."

He grabbed his car keys and headed out. "Where are we going?" I asked, laughing.

"You'll see. Now stop wiggling your butt."

"You've never complained before." I teased him.

He gave me a look and then sighed in defeat.

***

Remi's p.o.v.

Ahhhhh,

Tim was really good at getting off all the weeds and branches and whatnot from the top of the greenhouse. He was even better at cleaning the glass. Not to mention sweeping.

But he couldn't charm Sole to save his life. And she was not making it easy on him.

The whole day he was trying and trying to start a conversation or compliment her.

"Let me help you Sole.." He'd say and she'd just pass him the broom moving onto something else.

"You're doing that well..did you learn it from somewhere" he'd say and she would just shrug.

And so on...

I sighed disappointed and sat down next to Kai who was in the shadows, snacking in the fruit bowl I had made him before.

I dusted off my dirty hands and sulked.

"What's bothering you?" He asked.

"Tim and Sole. I don't think Sole is interested at all. She did say she doesn't like guys like Tim, but I really wanted them to work out."

Kai lifted the fork and I opened my mouth and waited. He put a small piece of watermelon in my mouth.

"Sucks to be Tim."

I chewed and swallowed. "Oh well... Guess he might change his mind about helping us now."

"Huh?" Kai raised his brow.

"It was part of the deal I had with him. We get him to meet Sole and he will help us bring over some bigger stuff for the house. But I don't blame him if he backs out now."

Kai was serious. "You made a deal with him instead of just helping the guy?"

I nodded.

His face broke into a smile and he chuckled. It was one of those plain evil chuckles you would hear villains do on TV.

"What ?" I smiled.

He just waved his hand trying to calm himself down and repress the smile.

"Whaaaat? Tell me." I was curious now.

He just leaned over his elbow on the table and smirked. "I love you."

My heart skipped a beat.

Sole walked over, wiping her hands. "I cleaned everything that I could, but I have to go home now. I'll come around eight to paint."

Shiiiiit. I glanced at Tim. If she leaves now there goes the plan.

"Okay Sole. Thank you for helping." I smiled defeated. "See ya."

She gave Kai a polite silent nod and then went back into the house to wash off, before leaving.

Tim glanced at the house and then disappointed he headed our way. Oh, damn it. He just had to go and see her leave.

Kai suddenly put the fruit bowl down and got up.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I'm making sure he does his part of the deal." Kai winked and then headed in Tim's direction.

After having a brief chat with him, Tim went back to work.

I don't know what was said or done, but Tim did agree to come over next week and do his part of the deal.