Doe's POV:

"Hang on. You were how old when you first trashed this kitchen?" I asked an already embarrassed Xander.

He and I ended up sitting at the bar of the dining room far into the night, chatting between ourselves and Lily as soon as she was done for the night.

It was only us left, and so I'd asked Lily if she had any dirt on Xander that got passed down through her family that she hadn't yet told me.

Childhood memories that he didn't want to tell me.

And ones he still didn't want me to hear if the way he had his hand over his mouth and covering his cheeks told me anything.

But he didn't stop Lily from sharing them, which I was happy about because I was loving every single one.

"Six." He finally answered, "But in my defense, that was all Nico's idea."

"Mhm, if coarse it was," I teased.

I believed him since he typically owned up to his antics as a child, it was just fun to watch him get embarrassed.

I hid my smile imagining a little six-year-old Xander causing havoc.

For some reason, my brain could not for the life of it picture a young Nico alongside him.

"From what I heard, you two were up early the next morning digging chocolate chips out from under the cabinets and sweeping a flour mixture off the floor." Lily chimed.

"Yeah... Asterid had to clean up the jar shards for us too," He quietly added.

An old cook if I had to guess.

Lily let out a quiet laugh, "And yet it never dissuaded you from attempting something else a little while later."

"Nico was committed and I...," He thought for a moment, "Didn't want to miss out. If one of us was getting busted, then both of us were."

Lily just smiled, "That's true. If there's one thing I remember from these stories it's that you and Nico were always partners in crime. You two may have caused problems, but we always admired the bond you two had."

Awe.

I knew Nico and Xander were insanely close throughout their childhood, but hearing it from someone else just amplified it.

Xander sat in his red-faced glory thinking back on all of these memories.

"Well, anywho, I'll see what other stories I can find from my family's old journals. I need to do a few more things in the kitchen before I head home for the night. Do you two need anything else before I lock up?" Lily asked.

Xander and I both shook our heads, thoroughly satisfied with the snacks and drinks she'd been providing all night, and she toddled back into the kitchen with a nod.

He let out a long huff of a sigh now this his embarrassment seemed over for the night, getting met with a mischievous raising of my eyebrows.

"How come you've never trashed a kitchen in the dead of night with me." I chaffed feigning jealousy.

He smiled, resting his cheek on his fist to face me, "Because you enjoy your cooking lessons with Lily and I don't wanna get you on the 'banned list' with me."

True. Lily had been keeping occupied nearly as much as Khloe and Marcus did.

"And what makes you think that we'd get caught?" I questioned.

I personally think we'd pull something off fantastically.

"My track record is not the greatest," He began, Hushing down his voice before speaking the next part, "Ask me again after you're a vampire."

He'd really liked saying that sentence ever since we talked about it.

It warmed my heart seeing that shine in his eyes. The excitement and pure joy the thought brought to him.

Seeing him here now that he was no longer hiding anything about his feelings.

It was refreshing, and in a weird way had me falling for him harder.

"Oh! I almost forgot," He grabbed my attention again, "Hypothetically I should be getting a letter back from the place I got you. The one with your family name."

Oh, that's right!

I'd decided a few days after that conversation that I'd most likely end up taking that one since it did technically belong to me according to normal standards. Unless it was horrifically bad.

I voiced that to Xander, earning a quiet chuckle.

"And for your middle name?" He asked again, getting met with silence.

And my signature, innocent 'I don't have more of an answer than the last time you asked' stare.

He responded with a look of his own, high brows and hooded eyes paired with his lips pressing together

"Middle names are harder, Xander," I defended, breaking under his non-threatening gaze, "They're either derived from somewhere or completely random and yet still somehow tie together the rest of the name!"

"I think you're overthinking this," he grinned, wildly amused by my little show, "If you want, we can just share mine."

Doe Augustus...

It didn't sound terrible but that also sounded like an easy way out.

Plus that was his grandpa, so...

"Nah, I'll figure it out by the time that letter gets he-" I stopped as soon as Lily stepped back out of the kitchen, "Lily!"

She jumped at my sudden call but gathered herself quickly.

"Yes, dear?"

"What should my middle name be?"

Suprise took over her face. I guess she wasn't expecting that to be what I was going to say.

That amusement however never left Xander's face.

I trusted her. She's basically taken me in ever since we arrived here.

She was the closest thing to a mother figure I've had up until now.

Her surprise shifted, to a look of playfulness.

"Liligan. Named after me of course." She smiled pridefully.

Liligan?

Doe Liligan?

Hm.

I looked to Xander, seeing in plain sight that he too was thinking it over.

Lily didn't elaborate any further, just stepped up to him and handed him a key.

"Everything else is locked up, just lock the entrance doors on you're way out, and slide it under my door on your way back, hun."

"Yes ma'am," Xander replied, setting the key in his pocket.

We'd most likely be heading back to our room here soon, but we both knew Lily hated kicking us out.

"Wonderful. Goodnight you two." She waved, heading right over to the exit.

We replied with a goodnight of our own before she disappeared.

Xander watched intently, moving as soon as the door shut.

Extending his leg, hooking his foot around one of the legs of my stool, and pulling me in.

The sudden movement and the awful sound of my chair skidding over the wood got a squeal out of me, followed by a quick tug on my thighs.

Then I was no longer on my chair, but instead was joining him on his.

He so graciously parted his legs so that my knee had somewhere to go on this small seat, steadying myself with my hands on his shoulders.

He stared up at me with a cheeky grin, hands holding me steady on my waist while I managed to squeeze half of my other knee on the edge.

"How long have you been holding that in?" I asked casually.

I've figured Xander has a thing for constant or very close physical contact. And that was rather difficult to do when Lily was two feet away.

He contained it well, I think, and made sure to make up for last time whenever we could.

This man made me feel so desired in so many different ways and I fed off of it extremely well.

"About an hour and a half," He replied, skimming his fingers against my shirt, "The constant embarrassment of my past didn't help."

"Awe come on. You guys were cute." I edged on, sliding my hands up to his neck.

"We were a pain in the ass," he corrected. Still with a wistful smile

"You still are, " I teased, "It's just no longer the chefs or your mother that has to deal with it anymore."

"Your sacrifice is greatly appreciated," He played along, "Both you and Khloe are now stuck with the chaos we reign."

I smirked at how he spoke, leaning down to steal a kiss off his lips.

"It has its benefits," I whispered, hearing the kickstart of his purr.

That gleeful shine returned to his eyes at my admittance, him being the one to lean into the next soft but quick kiss.

"Doe Lilligan, huh?" He brought up

"Yeah. I dunno I kind of like it. What are your thoughts?"

We snuck in another kiss between sentences.

"I think it fits. We just have to see how it ties together once we get your last name. Then your citizenship will be ready by the next day."

Well, that's fast.

Then again this has been the initial plan since we lived in Bronwyns' territory.

"I suppose the idea of getting me my own place is no longer in the plans anymore?"

Since, y'know... he's my boyfriend.

He shrugged.

"Not unless you want it to be. Just because we're together doesn't mean you're stuck living with me."

"Sure, but why the hell would I want to live anywhere else," I deadpanned, feeling his laugh against my cheek.

He really thinks he could survive me living somewhere else as if he didn't just admit that an hour and a half without touching me was difficult.

Or maybe it was different if I wasn't in the same room as him.

Eh, whatever.

"Fair point." He concluded, pulling my waist close.

I guess my waist was his first choice when my thighs were covered by sweatpants.

Lucky for me, his hair and arms were almost always in full or partial display.

I slid my hands back down to grab at his biceps before we both leaned into a much slower kiss.

How was I supposed to get this whenever I wanted if I was off living somewhere else?

I could taste the lingering mint left on his lips from the herbal tea Lily had made him earlier, the presence of it making me wonder why I didn't steal a sip while it was here.

This was just going to have to do.

A  pleased hum rose from his throat as I scooted forward to the best of my ability.

I wanted to feel his purr.

The thought of moving this literally anywhere else crossed my mind, but we were already here and I wanted to best the challenge that this odd position gave.

"Sorry you two I just forgot to-"

We pulled away, my heart falling into my stomach as our heads snapped towards the door.

Lily stood there completely motionless, her mouth agape and eyes round.

The silence in the air was deafening, and no one in the room even breathing.

The heated blush of embarrassment roared through me, mixing with that fear of being caught.

Shit...

I couldn't even move to try and play it off, not with what she'd obviously already seen.

Like she hadn't already witnessed at least a few seconds of me frenching her vampiric Prince.

Her eyes shifted between the two of us for what felt like an hour before awkwardly taking a step back with a slight nod.

"Wait, Lily hold o-" Xander's words were cut short by her speed-walking out of the room without another word.

Another long silence, to allow the reality of what just happened to sink in.

I was the first to turn to him and speak

"You didn't hear her coming!?"

"I heard her walk away. After that, I got kind of distracted!" He defended.

He already looked guilty on top of some other things, so I didn't press that any harder.

What's done is done, now we had to deal with it.

The guilt turned to panic, a pinch forming between his brows

Which rubbed off on me rather quickly.

What if she tells someone? What if this gets to someone important and it ends up ruining his family's name. Its reputation?

"Shit... what is she going to think?" He uttered.

"Think?" I repeated.

Her thoughts were a worry for me, but second only to the range of things that might go wrong with this information.

I didn't think that she was a malicious person by any means, but Xander's panic was making me assume the worst.

"Yes! She knows what some pets are used for and what if that's what she thought was going on?!"

Oh...

He was less worried about the secret itself and more so worried about Lily thinking that he was taking advantage of me...

"You're not worried about her telling someone?" I questioned.

He paused for a second.

"I... I can't imagine her doing that. Not right now at least."

True. It was very late.

"I can try to run after her," I offered, already moving to do so.

I felt like it would be better coming from me.

But then what would I tell her?

The truth? Would she even believe it?

"No." He stopped me, "Not yet. We need to figure something out to tell her first thing tomorrow... Something to clear the air and..."

"And what? Just tell her?"

We both looked at each other for a few seconds before he sagged with a defeated sigh.

"I don't know," He croaked, feeling the key we still had to drop off through his pocket, "Let's... Let's just get back to our room before something else happens."