{ AHT }

"Ehehehe. Hey hey!"

The first thing I see in front of the chalet is Olga, the bombastic daughter of the man who forged our documents for twenty years straight. She took over his job afterwards. Steady for a 65-year-old. Flashy earrings, baggy pants, and a graphic tee with Mr Sheffield's face from The Nanny plastered on it and saying Boo-yah!

I don't know why she is obsessed with the guy. I like Niles better.

Ki and I have come here after breakfast, wearing light. She's in a crop top and capri pants with a sunhat on top of her head. Me in a loose, open shirt—showing off my shoulder-to-chest tattoo—and a pair of shorts. My hair in a fishtail braid. Made a mistake yesterday by wearing so many clothes.

"That's all you can say? Hey?" I deadpan.

"What do you want me to say?" Olga places her hands on her hips.

"Apologise."

"Hah! What for?"

Ki scratches her nape. "For not informing us?"

"Bah! You constantly change numbers. I don't bother to memorise anymore."

I rub my face roughly. "Damn it, Olga."

"You found us eh?" Olga cackles with no remorse.

"Whatever. Can we get in?"

"Halt! What's the password?"

Is she for real? Ki's eyes widen and she says, "You're joking."

"Nuh uh."

"Why did they send their old grandma to guard the chalet?" I grumble.

"Watch it! I'm still strong like an ox!" The elder flexes her arm proudly, patting her a non-existent muscle. Her arm flab jiggles. Haih...

"You've known us. Known for fifty years!"

"Yes and I don't know why you both barely aged since the moment my father first helped you," she says with a harrumph. "You two could be vampires for all I know. Or impostors using these poor couple's skins when they were dead decades ago! I've had enough of wondering."

...

We stare at her. She looks as if she nailed a point.

"You're done?" Ki cocks an eyebrow.

"I can go all day."

A chuckle escapes from me. "Never struck you as paranoid."

"I wouldn't be if you tell me what you two are?"

This is the first time she's threatening us. People can't help being curious, I guess. Ki walks back and rests against a stone wall near a bridge, sighing and fanning herself with her top since the weather is getting hot.

...Mmph. I'd rather stay in bed with her and have my way—

"Stop gawking at your wife and tell me what are you?" Olga scolds.

I clear my throat while my sweet Ki giggles. "Do you remember, baby? The last password was fifteen years ago, I think?"

"I see now. Rather dig back an old password? You two found the Fountain of Youth and didn't want to share it. Eh? Eh?"

We just laugh at her wild theories. Oh Olga...

"Hm. Something about Todd," Ki recalls.

Wait! "Right! Piece of—!"

Olga yaps, "Stop beating around the bush and get on with it."

"Todd kusok dher'ma?"

"I let you two pass. For now. Next time, I want answers!" She flashes a toothy smile and motions us to come in.

"Todd can't catch a break, huh?"

"Hah! Never take pity on a cheating two-time swindler..." Aaaand she continues cursing the man in Russian.

The chalet from the outside is deceptively small because the whole family of twelve is in here. Three grown adults are fighting over a cookbook in the kitchen. A handful of kids are wrestling in the TV room. Others are playing a board game and coming close to a screaming match.

Ki asks, "Break time, Olga?"

"Of course. We work hard, we—"

"Drink hard," says a man, passing us by with a bottle of red wine in hand and heading towards the board game.

It's not even noon yet.

"What my son said." Olga beams.

"Should we come back another time?" A smirk curls Ki's lips.

"No no, I almost finished them. I remember your schedule to meet us, so I did a head start." She leads us to the corner of a bedroom, where a messy workspace takes place.

"Why did you bring in your other kids?" I inquire. "I thought they're out of this business?"

"They saw their dear old mumsy was having trouble with a surge of clients nowadays and figured to help me just this once. Besides, who can say no to Hawaii?"

She starts working while Ki and I look around the bedroom. Among the books stacked up on luggage, there's one with fable stories. Ki is interested in it and Olga has given her permission to read it.

...A boy peeks through the door's gap. The bluest eyes I've ever seen.

Ki tilts her head my way. "Startling eyes."

"I thought so too."

Our whispers create more curiosity within the boy, inducing him to sneak in. He stretches his arms out to us to... shake hands? We both... hesitantly shake each of his hands.

"My name ith Jata and I'm thix and a half!" He beams, so wide that I can count how many missing teeth he has. It's six.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ki and this is my husband, Aht."

"Cool! Are you two giantth?"

I give him a small grin. "Giants? Yeah." He isn't intimidated by me...

"DOUBLE COOL!"

"Sobliudayte tishinu," Olga warns.

"Izviniitye, babutka..." Jata makes himself quieter.

"Aww, on prosto zvolnovan," Ki laughs.

Olga huffs while the boy's eyes grow big. My beloved and I sit on the edge of the bed.

He squeaks, "You can underthand uth?"

"Ne vsoh." I muss up his hair. "Slishkom mnogo yazikov, chtobi za nimi ugnat'sya."

"Thkol'ko yazikov!?"

"Jascha!" Jata or Jascha flinches by the voice. A man stands at the doorway with a chiding expression. The wine guy. "What did I tell you about bothering babushka? And speak English, it's rude in front of them."

"Thorry, papa. But they can thpeak—"

"I heard them but be courteous. What if other clients are in this room as well?"

"But there is none," Olga drawls.

"It's hypothetical, mam," her son complains. She cackles and I share an amused look with Ki. The man bows. "Excuse my son and me. I hope you two have a good day."

"Alright, go on Jas." Olga pinches the kid's cheek.

"Nithe to meet you two!" Jascha runs off—

"Wait!" Uggh, it's a stupid question but I want to know. Ki raises an eyebrow at me. "You are... not scared of me?"

He blinks quickly. "Ehmmm you are thcary. Though more to funny."

"...Uh?"

"It'th like this!"

This darn kid.

Is making the most constipated face ever.

The ladies are laughing like a tyrant's empire crashing down. Ki throws herself over my lap.

"Gospodi, pomogi mne. Idi syuda!" The father drags this adorable little imp by the ear and out they go.

"Goodness, he'll be Olga 2.0," I snort.

"I'll take it as a compliment." Olga pats her chest, prideful before organising our documents for a final check.

Ki opens the fable book on her lap, skimming through the pages. In a second, she stops at one page. "Aht! A story about The Raven and The Serpent." Her merry eyes are dancing with affection for me... I kiss her and read it with her.

A hungry Raven, searching for prey, came across a Snake lying at full length on a sunny bank. He...

Seized him in his horny beak and would have devoured him, but the Snake, twisting and turning about, bit the Raven with his venomous fangs, so that he died in great pain... In dying, he confessed that he was justly served for seeking to satisfy his appetite at the expense of another's welfare.

...

Olga's voice startles us. "Why are you two hushed?"

"It-it's uhm. Nothing. Very... into the stories," Ki murmurs.

"Right... Here are the files. See you two in the next few years!"

...We thanked her. Make our way out of the chalet, not before the blue-eyed boy waves us goodbye with enthusiasm.

The heat from Friday noon should be excruciating for me as we stroll on the pavements, but the story earlier did.

"Aht?" A sweet voice beckons me and I look at her. Beautiful her. A kind-hearted, exquisite creation from Them. "Please talk. About anything."

"The story. It is similar, my Ki. And no, you didn't attempt anything that'll damage my welfare, but..."

"But what?" Her forehead creases.

"I did escalate the cause of your banishment."

"Aht." Her palms hold my cheeks firmly and coax me to look at her, straight into the eyes. As if I'm her world once more... "So what?"

"What do you mean so what? That's death for spirits, no? A higher one at that."

"From that death, I feel alive for the first time ever. Don't you get it?"

We kiss. Slow, tender kisses... Got to cut myself some slack. She grins, lopsided and puts her sunhat on top of my head.

She frowns instantly. "I should've felt guilty instead. I coerced you for oral when we first met."

Why does she even think that?? "You did not! You saw how I lust for you and not by my erection only."

"Aroused doesn't mean consent..." Worried wrinkles on her forehead appear.

"This is ridiculous. I did consent."

"After I pushed my naked body on you and persuaded you to masturb—"

I cut her off with a searing kiss... "One, if I'm sure you weren't naive about sex, I would've taken you right there and then. Two, I was scared you'd reject me once you knew how inexperienced I was. Three, if I really didn't want you, I would have walked away and never come back, even when you were kind to me. You know me, Ki. I don't give a fuck if people are nice to me and expect something in return. We talked about this already."

Her frown has lessened as I keep peppering my kisses on her. "One time. What about masturbation? Now I think about it..." She muses.

Aish. "Remember how you wanted those cheeseburgers so bad, even though they weren't good for you because you had a stomach ache?"

"How it wasn't good for you?"

"Spirit and human? Half-human basically," I sigh. "Forbidden."

"But I kept asking for sexual activities after that."

"You said that I wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to you. You see me clearly, correct?"

She blushes and nods.

"You knew how badly I hungered for you?"

...She blushes deeper.

"When you hungered for me in return, did I ever hesitate?" I laugh and tell, "You should've heard what my thought was before you even seduced me. I wanted to grab your hips and pound into you. Lick your skin. Word by word."

Her cheeks are wonderfully maroon and her eyelashes flutter. I hug her side and smell her hair, then we walk again.

"Wow," she breathes out.

I chuckle and she holds me. She's in serenity... and in a mood. We walk faster. I should've known my ranty confession was going to rile her up. Not that I'm complaining hehe.

"The fable is wrong for one more thing then," she hums happily.

"Yeah?"

"The raven wasn't the only hungry one."

____________________

{ Ki }

"God, Ki."

His wet hair sticking on his sweaty body is icing on the cake when he spreads out, panting like this on our bed. So unrestrained and giving...

I lick up his drool on the chin, creating a shiver throughout his body. He whines a bit after I kiss his temple and lay in his arms. Neither of us cares how sticky we are.

"We missed lunch again, baby."

His lips trace my cheek... "Mhmm, cuddle for two minutes."

"Five."

He embraces me like home, placing his lips on my crown.

As the window is left open and lets in the salty wind into our room with light curtains dancing and marigold sunbeams flooding in from the sunset, I watch the sea on the horizon. My cheek nuzzles Aht's chest further.

Had a distaste for sand for a long time, despite I adore beaches. Twenty-five years ago, only then I went to a beach again with him. Some things I had to learn to let go and enjoy what's given.

"...What if we move, Aht?"

"Hm?"

"After... others have passed and we stop doing this vigilante thing, what if we sell the house at Northcote and move to one of these islands? Permanently?"

He's silent for a beat. "I'd love to live on a beach with you, my Ki."

"You don't have doubts, my fire? I want to live where fewer people around too."

"None at all! Being a recluse together with you is a dream," he sighs in delight. "After thirty years, alright?"

Giggling, I bury my face in the crook of his neck. "With certain rings on our fingers?"

"Perfect." He snickers, "Though you have to choose which wedding custom."

Agh, the most dreadful thing of all!

____________________

Joanne waves to us hi when we pass each other on the street after dinner. Gerome ignores us. Seb... seems mellowed out. He even shoots us a small smile.

Someone perches in front of a grocery store where Aht and I walk towards for snacks. Their head is tucked behind their knees.

Hm. "Who's that?"

A person perches near the store with their head tucked behind their knees. This street is almost empty, no one is checking up on them. We reach out and I see some of their face—

"Nohealani?" Aht pinches his brow together.

"Are you alright?" I peer at her and she looks up at us with swollen, wet eyes. "Oh dear..."

I give him a look, he sighs, and we're perching on either side of her. For me, he is great at consoling people whenever he's given a chance. They just have to see past his exterior.

"I'm– I am fine. Lani is fine too," she sobs.

"Could've fooled me," he mutters. "Should we call your family?"

"NO!"

Holy—! He jumps but I jump bigger.

"Whoops. Okay then."

"I'm sorry. No, my family doesn't know about him."

"Ah. Boy trouble?"

She seems hesitant to tell us further. I pat her back gently. "It's okay if you don't want to," I reassure.

"I can't even tell my friends about him. They hate him," she cries louder.

"Is there a reason?

"I mean, he's a little arrogant but he's sweet! I love him."

Aht softens his tone. "Why are you crying?"

"My good friend. She told me that he cheats on me with several people."

"You trusted her? Maybe she's jealous of you."

"Oh no! She is eight years older than me and has a family, her husband has business deals with Mr. Tanquary. She always looked out for me. Her daughter is a bit spoiled, though." Too much information there... Lani's brow furrows. "Her first impression of my boyfriend wasn't good. 'Too charming', she said."

"Does she have proof of this?"

Her mouth curls downward as she withholds more tears. "She took pictures when he went out with other women on our canceled date nights."

I exchange worried looks with Aht. "What are you going to do about it?" I ask.

"Not sure. In the next few months, he will travel back to his home country and settle his family issues."

"He'll come back here?"

"I hope so."

"Why??" His eyes widen. "Give chances to other guys out there. Way better dudes."

"He's my first everything," she sighs. "I love him too much."

This man can go fling himself into a black hole! I'm this close to lecturing her. Aht squeezes his eyes shut from that info.

I gaze up at the night sky. "Why him? Aside from being sweet?"

"He's having trouble with his family and needs comfort. He isn't always like this." She gazes down at the asphalt.

Your Highness, I wish I could protect her from any pain when she learns the hard way. The man is too cruel and too little for a person who loves cosmically. I know because Aht's and mine were the same as hers before.

Naive, fresh love.

"I have to get going. He'll be here to pick me up at any moment." She stands up, wobbling.

I ask her, "Can you please get tested or something? You used protection, right?"

"I will and I did. Thank you both for listening and caring for me, a mere stranger." She stares at us, wistful. "I wish I'd find love like you two."

I smile at Aht and he returns it. "You can find it in the future."

"Not all have the luck to find a partner of a lifetime. It's okay... But if I have children, biological or adopted, I know their love for me will be enough." A delicate curve forms on her lips. "Maybe even more than romantic love."

Children. She's able to have kids but not this love. Meanwhile, we both... I think life can be merciful regardless of the costs.

"I wish you well in your future endeavors, Lani."

"And dump the dick if you find the will. He doesn't deserve you," Aht mutters.

"Aht!" I slap his chest.

She laughs hopelessly and shakes her head. "I am weak around him." An expensive car turns around the corner, reaching here. "That's my ride." She rubs her eyes with harshness.

"E akahele. Aloha," I utter.

"A mālama iā ʻoe iho! Aloha!" She waves goodbye before entering the car. Before she shuts the door, we hear the motherfucker's name.

"Hi, Sammy."

The car drives off. We watch the car for too long until it disappears from our sight.

I scoff, "Ew Sammy."

My love guffaws to the night.