Dashing Devil Omnibus 1: Books 1-3, page 56
“Yeah, it is. Perfect fit for the dashing part of ‘Dashing Devil’, too. Tinker really outdid herself. Most of it was her ideas, Silver and I just had to nix a few pieces. She had all those rippling muscles pf yours covered up. Gotta give the ladies something to look at, big guy. Boy, does this fit the bill,” Kitsune finished with a pleased smirk.
Tinker made a pleased noise from behind Boyd. He assumed it was in agreement with Kitsune’s statement. That assumption lasted until he glanced over his shoulder to find she had taken a bite of Silvie’s cookie and was chewing it slowly with a glazed expression on her face.
Boyd chuckled and took a bite of his cookie. It melted into delicious, buttery ecstasy in his mouth, leaving behind just the right amount of bitterness from the semi-sweet chocolate chips Silvie used.
Cookies were his absolute favorite treat. He kept himself from smashing through hundreds of cookies by only allowing himself to eat home-made goodies. And making treats for himself just felt… wrong. That guilt was why he rarely made forays into baking.
He washed it down with a swig of rich and creamy milk—the good stuff. Boyd then looked sadly at the remaining half of his cookie, feeling betrayed by how big of a bite he had already taken. With a sigh, he ate the remaining half, finishing off the small glass of milk once he was done, his suit forgotten in favor of the rare treat.
“That’s the best cookie I’ve ever had,” Tinker whispered, drawing him out of his reverie.
“It really is. Can’t get Silvie to tell me the recipe, though.” Boyd sighed once more.
It was probably for the best. While it should not be possible for him to get fat, eating cookies every day would spoil the experience. While he wanted to pride himself on his self-control, he absolutely knew he would indulge, if he could. Kitsune was proof enough of that. That’s why he stuck to only those cookies Silvie made for him.
Kitsune let out a soft chuckle with a grin. “She swore me to secrecy after showing me how they’re made.”
Boyd perked up, he was never able to get the recipe out of Silvie, but if Kitsune knew it, then…
“Don’t give me that look.” Kitsune shot him down before he could even start. “I’m supposed to tattle if you even try to get it out of me. That was Silvie’s condition for her showing me how to bake your favorite cookies. She made me promise, and then reminded me that we don't break promises.” She said this firmly, but her expression and what he felt over their Bond revealed her amusement.
Boyd sighed once more in defeat. He would learn that recipe if it was the last thing he did. “Fine.” He looked for a place to set the glass down.
Kitsune took it from him and collects Tinker’s as well.
“So, you like?” Boyd asked, posing a little in his new suit.
“Oh, I like,” Kitsune purred before asking, “Almost all set?”
Boyd could sense an undercurrent of hunger through their Bond.
“I think so,” Boyd nodded, remembering the celebration that was to come.
His conversation with Silvie shouldn’t take too long. What little frustration he was holding on to had been quelled by fat, sugar, and semi-sweet chocolate.
Boyd turned to Tinker and asked, “Is there a sheath for the sword?”
“Ah… sort of?” Tinker half answered. “There is a slot for it under the tasset over your left hip. It coats the sword in a transparent nano-mesh that will protect the blade and keep it from cutting what you don’t want cut. I thought an actual sheath might get in your way and, well… this looks cooler.”
Boyd looked down at his left hip and found the slot she’d mentioned. Boyd collected and then inserted the sword in its slot. It slid home cleanly and smoothly without a sound. It hung at an angle with the pommel covered by the top of the tassets on that side.
He couldn’t tell that the blade itself was covered by anything by looking at it. Reaching down, he touched it. It felt slightly rubbery and when testing the edge it felt blunt. “That’s nice.”
“The nano-mesh retracts into the armor when you unsheathe the sword, so you don’t have to worry about it getting in the way or snagging on anything,” Tinker explained.
“There’s just two more pieces.” She pointed to the rack where the small playing card box-sized objects hung.
“Those attach to your belt in the small of your back. You’ll have to take the shield off to place them, but they should be accessible with it on.”
Boyd pulled the shield off and handed it to Tinker when she held her arms out wide for it. It was almost as big as she was. He took the small objects down, and they clicked onto his belt above his tail like magnets.
“What do these do?” Boyd asked once they were in place.
“Dispense blankets.” Tinker replied.
“Uh… what?” Boyd blinked.
“Well, ah, you see…” Tinker tripped over her words a little and looked at Kitsune for some help.
Kitsune gave her a reassuring nod.
Tinker took a deep breath and continued more confidently, “One of the things people really liked was when you covered Silvie with the tablecloth. So, I thought, just in case… it might be good to have some blankets on hand—for civilians in crisis or hurt team members. That sort of thing. That way, you don’t have to use whatever is available.”
“Oh, yeah, sure.” Boyd nodded his agreement. Something like handing out blankets after a crisis would be great PR. “How do they work?” he asked. There was no obvious release mechanism or button.
“Just put your fingers over it and slide them up, the blanket will be dispensed out the top. You can just pull it out from there. Each dispenser has four disposable, biodegradable, water and wind-resistant, twin-sized, microfiber blankets. They will insulate against both heat and cold and are very soft. They’re made of stuff similar to Hero suits and will provide moderate protection from fire, electricity, and other energies while being puncture-resistant. Try it out. I can make more of them easily.”
Boyd tested the motion she described, finding that sliding his fingers from bottom to top along one of the packs caused about an inch of fabric to extend from the top of the device. Tugging on that releases a tightly packed blanket that unfolded and expands in his hand until it was a soft, twin-sized blanket.
It was a crimson color that matches the interior of his wings, which caused Boyd to raise an eyebrow. It didn’t match the rest of the look she had put together so he looked at Tinker’s hopeful expression with a little skepticism.
She frowned, “You don’t like it?”
“I love it,” Kitsune interjected.
Boyd turned his skeptical look on her.
“Think about it,” she replied with a smirk. “Some Powered Criminal is out there tearing up the place. They come upon a civilian you have already saved with that draped over their shoulders. Not really a common color, is it? So it’s like a flag. It says you’ve claimed them, and they are under your protection. I know that would make me think twice about attacking them, if I was a criminal. You’ve established that you don’t play around. You should lean into that.”
Boyd shrugged in response. “I like the idea of blankets; I’m just not sure about the color.”
“It’ll be like you’re wrapping people up in your wings.” Kitsune’s tone said this should be common sense. “Oh! Can you make them heated?” Kitsune asked Tinker excitedly, her tails swishing together a little more rapidly. “Not very hot, roughly body temperature… maybe a smidge warmer?”
“Yes, easily,” Tinker responded instantly, “although it will complicate the biodegradable feature. I can look into it, it shouldn't be too difficult.”
“Oh, nix the biodegradable part altogether.” Kitsune waved the concept away, then her tails and ears stiffened as an idea came to her. “Make them long-lasting, instead. As durable as possible, and preferably rechargeable. That will turn them into keepsakes. Something people who are rescued by Dashing Devil can hold onto. Oh, I have so many ideas.”
She paused, her ears flicking as she glanced at the ceiling before she continued just as smoothly. “We’ll talk about those later, though. I heard Boyd when I was walking up. He’s absolutely right, you need your rest, and the big guy is needed elsewhere.”
Boyd was confused by the sudden change in conversation until he examined their shared Bond. The vixen’s excitement over her blanket ideas had reminded her of something upstairs that excited her even more.
Tinker, who was becoming visibly more eager at Kitsune’s ideas, deflated sadly at its sudden termination.
“Tinker,” Boyd rumbled, “you’ve done more than enough for tonight. I don’t think I know how to properly thank you for this.” He indicated the suit while still holding the blanket.
Tinker took a sharp intake of breath which drew Boyd’s eyes. She was looking at Kitsune with an expectant expression, apparently searching for a cue. Watching his redheaded lover out of the corner of his eye, Boyd barely caught a subtle nod.
Tinker took a slow breath, trying and failing to meet Boyd’s eyes. “A d-date,” she stuttered, barely loud enough for him to hear.
“Huh?” Boyd responded, not because he missed the words but out of surprise.
He knew Tinker wanted to pursue him, but he’d thought she would be too timid to do so. It had left him feeling secure that nothing would happen unless he pursued her. Boyd wondered if maybe Kitsune had a subtle corruption Power. It would explain how she’d changed his mind so completely in less than a day and why Tinker was now acting outside of his expectations.
“You said you didn’t know how to thank me,” Tinker manages with a little more volume. “So, I’m telling you how you can thank me… with a d-date.” She stumbled over the word date again.
“Tinker…” Boyd started to say, trying to figure out how to let her down easily.
“Seems fair to me,” Kitsune interjected. “Makes sense, even. You have to get to know your new team member, right? A date is the perfect setting for that. Oh, and you’re both free Tuesday night, they just sent us the week's patrol schedule. We are pulling a double starting tomorrow afternoon so Pinnacle Watch can rest. You’ll have eight hours for sleep and another eight hours of personal time Tuesday before we take a night shift, so there should be no excuses there. Silver is okay with it. I’m okay with it. And The Authority is okay with it. Hmm, got any other excuses, big guy?”
Boyd sighed and glowered at Kitsune, unable to come up with anything that wouldn’t be an outright rejection. “I do not,” he admitted with a sigh.
Honestly, a single date shouldn’t be too bad. He had been reconsidering his view on taking more lovers anyway, he just hasn’t had enough time to think about it. Everyone he knew and cared about wanted him to—and it wasn’t like there was no personal gain to be had. His Black Flame lasted longer after he’d Enhanced Kitsune. Maybe it was just a fluke, but without testing, he couldn’t be sure. If Enhancing others meant increasing his own Power, he needed to reconsider the moral arithmetic of the decision.
Boyd was not completely without self-interest, after all.
It had also reached the point where he could not deny being attracted to the small woman. He’d thought their size difference would be an issue for him, but seeing her walking around in that tight little romper this evening had filled his head with… ideas. She was not childlike at all, in form or mind.
It seemed she had a diligent and hardworking personality, which was something Boyd respected. She also clearly enjoyed her work and liked to have fun doing it. If she opened up a little, he could see himself really liking her. At some point, he was going to have to stop fighting what both The Authority—which he served—and his lover—who he respected—wanted.
Why not now?
He turned to Tinker. “As you wish. A date it is… does Tuesday evening work for you?”
Tinker looked surprised that it had worked, but a wide smile spread across her cute lips. “Yes, Tuesday would be fantastic.”
“Would you prefer to go out, or to stay in?” he asked.
Boyd had only ever planned dates around the suite, which meant simply a slightly better candle-lit meal and a shared interest—mostly movies. With his presence in the city being so public, though, he saw no reason not to take her out if that’s what she wanted, other than her personality. Tinker struck him as someone who would prefer a quiet night in over a fancy night out.
“Stay in?” Tinker said, though it came out more as a question… as if she didn’t really think it was an option.
“Sure,” Boyd accepted before explaining, “I can cook you pretty much anything, or we can order in if you have a favorite restaurant. Then we can watch a movie or, if you want, we can come down to the lab and you can show off and talk science.”
Tinker’s eyes widened in excitement at the prospect, but then she shook her head. “I like the idea of staying in, but let’s watch a movie. Thank you for offering to let me talk about science, but it’s too much pressure for a first date. I’d be worried about boring you the whole time.”
Boyd nodded his understanding. It was a reasonable concern. He would listen and participate politely, but high-level science was not one of his core interests. “Okay, but you have to pick the movie, and at least give me some ideas for the meal.”
He could sense impatience from both of his lovers and decided he needed to get a move on with the evening. “No pressure, though. Just message me or tell me by Tuesday morning so I can order what I’ll need. As long as it’s not something that takes all day to cook, I should be fine.”
“Oh, my favorite is linguine carbonara,” Tinker replied automatically. “I’ll have to think about the movie, and… um… maybe get some advice?”
This last was said to Kitsune, who nodded with a warm smile and mouthed the word ‘later’.
“I have a recipe for that,” Boyd nodded his agreement.
It was a simple enough meal. He’d have to make some bread to go with it, and maybe a salad. After a moment of thought, Boyd added, “The date is contingent on you getting some sleep, though. Don’t stay up down here all night again.”
“I was just going to bed,” Tinker stated, although it sounded like a lie.
Boyd gave her a look to call her on it.
“I… uhh… I just have to clean up a few things down here first. It will keep me up if I don’t.”
“Alright.” Boyd relented. “I believe I will be going to bed shortly myself. So, in case I don’t see you, good night. Thank you again for this.” He waved a hand over the suit.
“Good night and you’re welcome,” Tinker beamed. “Just wait for version two.”
“Alright, come on big guy, I’m sure Silver is freaking out by now,” Kitsune urged.
Boyd reached for his Bond with Silvie and found that she was in a complex state. There were equal parts excitement, trepidation, remorse, and arousal.
“Good night, Kitsune, and wish Silvie a good night for me too, please,” Tinker said before they turned to walk away.
“I will. Good night, Tinker. Sweet dreams,” Kitsune replied with a little finger wave before she pivoted to return the way she’d come.
Boyd stepped up beside her, not remembering the way back through the maze-like lab. He would have to correct that—which was why he wasn’t letting Kitsune walk ahead of him. He needed to pay attention. And between her fine ass and that backless negligee, he knew he’d be distracted if she walked ahead of him.
After they took a turn and walked past a couple of aisles, Kitsune asked, “Should I be calling Silver, ‘Silvie’, too?”
Boyd shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind… but I think that’s between you and Silvie. If she doesn’t like Tinker doing it, she’ll correct her—gently, I’m sure.”
“Am I going to get a name?” Kitsune asked innocently, but Boyd sensed the trap.
From what he felt over their Bond, Boyd guessed she was hoping he would come up with something lame that she could tease him for, or something like that. She gave the game away by brushing his side with one of her three fluffy tails.
Instead, Boyd brought his tail around and carefully ran it up her inner thigh from behind. She jumped at the first contact but then gave a gentle shiver when she realizes what it was.
“Do you want a private or a public name?” he asked, adding a little extra heat to his rumbling voice. Now was a safe time to start getting her worked up, after all.
“Uhh…” Kitsune paused her steps, unable to focus with the tip of his tail caressing her inner thigh. “Stop that… well, save it,” she complained, reaching down to grab his tail.
Boyd jerked it away and slid it down the back of her leg.
“Hmpf,” she grumped. “Quit trying to distract me. That’s my thing… get your own thing.”
“No,” Boyd rumbled. “If you are going to distract me by dressing like this around the house, then I reserve the right to distract you in turn.”
Kitsune tilted her head back and forth a few times as if weighing the argument. Her ears drooped and twitched with each tilt, which made the simple motion much more expressive. “Alright… I suppose that’s fair. But, yeah, I do kinda want a pet name.”
“A pet name or a real name to use in private?” Boyd clarified, reaching out with an arm and a wing and wrapping them around Kitsune to get her walking again.
Silvie was approaching a mental point near distress, and he had no idea what state he would find her in. It felt like she believed he was a lot angrier at her than he was—which was both validating and upsetting because she was suffering unduly for his delay.
“Both?” Kitsune grinned up at him from under his arm.
She wrapped all three of her warm and soft tails around his back as she pressed into his side. She felt good there. Really good. Silvie liked to float, so didn’t spend a lot of time walking under his arm. Boyd decided he likes this quite a bit.
“I’ll have to put some thought into a real name, unless you have something in mind. Or if you want, I could just use your actual name… if you tell me what it is.”
Boyd was pretty sure he recognized this area from his trip through here before. The stairs shouldn’t be too far away.
