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Avani woke as she did most mornings she had a day off from working on her father's ranch. She breathed deep, and breathed out in a long breath, then stretched her entire body at once as she basked in the morning's light.

All done from the comfort of her bead of course.

She hugged the pillows and mentally went over who was at home, and what was going on. Honoka was off doing whatever she and Criani did, and Oblivion had decided to stay at home. What he was going to do all day? He didn't strike her as one to be sitting idly, he was someone who needed to be doing something.

She mentally shrugged, got up, and got dressed.



As she went downstairs, she smelt something cooking... Buring to be exact.

She rushed to the kitchen and looked in. The sight that greeted her, amused her and warmed her heart all at once.

Oblivion stood at the stove, with two pans. They weren't smoking, just making a bad smell. But what really made her heart clench was that he was wearing her apron, a starch white thing against his black.

As he growled at the food, she came in and placed her arms around him and gave him a quick hug after quickly glancing at the pans and seeing everything was fine. She would have to teach him how to cook eggs.

"Thank you for breakfast Oblivion." she said chuckling a bit, "I love the thought and effort."

Suddenly the back door was opened and Avani quickly turned to see her parents come quickly into the kitchen.

Thoughts of burnt eggs and a peaceful breakfast went flying out the window.

Oh dear...

That morning, Talmei Autumntree had the thought of going to visit he daugher as a supirse. He had missed her when she had days off and she came to visit her mother while he was off in the fields. So he asked his wife if she would go out visiting their daughter as well. Since she had taken over the other fields that were now her own, they had seen less of her than was normal, and missed their daughter.

Coming up to the back door of her house that day to surprise her with breakfast, they smelt the smell of burning food. Talmei's fear that his daughter had left something on the stove with out watching it leaped to the next logical conclusion of a father, that of a fire starting on the stove and burning down her house.

So of course, the next logical step was to rush in and save the house.

What he didn't expect to find was his daughter embracing a man. One who looked like an Oblivionite at that.

After his daughter and the man separated, he noticed the feathery tail and ruby red eyes the man had. Not an Oblivionite. But still, a man holding his daughter.

"What is going on here?" He said. Well, to be honest, it was more like roared, but he wouldn't admit it. He looked at the man and said, "Who are you?"


Avani's mother, Maiika, just looked between her daughter and the man, a smile creeping onto her face.

She kept her silence, and placed a calming hand on her husbands back where no one could see. If a man was in her daughter's house, and, apparently trying, to cook breakfast for her, it seemed to her that it was time for her mate to completely let go of his daughter.



"Unexpected" was an understatement. Especially with the emotions flowing through Avani at the moment.

Avani, for her part stood still. Perhaps if she didn't move they wouldn't see her. She watched her father look to Oblivion and then to her. Nope, he could still see her. Perhaps the ground would suddenly open and swallow her whole? No, the ground seemed solid enough. Where was Honoka when you needed her?

Baring any actual miracle her father had suddenly gone blind, or she and Oblivion could suddenly become invisible, it seemed like introductions were in order. Perhaps if she just tried to ignore the situation?

"Hello Papa!" Avani said cheerfully. Well, she hoped it seemed cheerful enough. She then looked to her mother and said, "Hello Mama! What brings you here today? You should have told me you were coming. I would have had some sweet rolls baked."

Avani's father grunted, and Avani ducked her head a little. Ok, can't ignore it away either apparently. So she finally introduced Oblivion.

"Mama, Papa, this is Oblivion. He's Honoka's father, the one who gave me her egg." She laughed nervously and, turning to Oblivion she said, "This is my mother, Maiika, and my father, Talmei." she then looked back at her parents and said, "He's visiting for a while and deiced to make breakfast." She then looked up at Oblivion and smiled, "At least he tried to make breakfast... His heart was in it."



Talmei only grunted again at what his daughter was saying. So this was Honoka's father. Looking at his eyes, they definitely shared that trait. He felt his mate move past him, a loving squeeze on his arm meant to reassure him.

Like Hell he would be reassured.


Maiika brushed past her for once mute husband and went over to Oblivion and took his hands smiling.

"It's a pleasure to meet the man who gave Honoka to Avani, to us." She looked into his eyes and said, "Perhaps later if you wish to truly cook for Avani, I could give you some pointers." She squeezed his hands and said, "Go and relax in the living room with Talmei, Avani and I will cook breakfast for us all."


Talmei glared at his wife.

What the Hell were they supposed to talk about?!

Avani had known all along her mother's goal of shooing the men out of the kitchen, and Avani would quickly enough talk alone with her mother. She feared that either man would quickly do something to each other, and Avani feared that her father would be hurt the most if it became violent.

Not to mention she had just remodeled that room after the incident with her attacker.

"Mama..." Avani said as the other's left the room.

"No need to tell me anything." the woman said setting down some goodies she had brought with her. She went over to the stove and began scraping the mess there, "I have eyes and can see. I'm not surprised though..." she paused in her cleaning and looked at her daughter, "Are you sleeping with him?"

Avani's jaw dropped, but she recovered quickly.

"No..." she shrugged. "We hug, and we've kissed... well, he has." She looked at her mother and said, "But I care a lot for him. It's very difficult to explain."

"I understand." Her mother said smiling. She begain scraping the chared remains again from the pan, "Go and keep the peace, I'll fix up here."

Avani smiled, kissed her mother's cheek, and went to see her two favorite men in the world.



Talmei sat looking over the man across from him. The silence stretched, save for the bids outside, the ticking of a clock, and the litany of the one question he could never ask. "Are you sleeping with my daughter?"

He didn't want to know, he really didn't. But that need to protect her was demanding he ask it. As much as he wanted to ask it, he couldn't. It was driving him slowly mad.

Then movement caught his eye, and he turned as his daughter walked in. She really was grown up wasn't she? When did she become a woman? He smiled at her as he walked towards her, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek. But she moved on and sat next to the large dark man sitting on the sofa, snuggling next to him and then giving him a kiss on the cheek too.

It tore at his heart.

He had to face facts. His little girl was not his to protect any longer. Hell, she wasn't even a little girl.

He sighed, resigned with her choice, and said lowering his head, "Well, might as well ask it straight out." He glared at Oblvion, a little more accepting of the situation than he was in the kitchen, "So, how long have you two known each other?" He looked to Avani, "Seems you've known him a long time my dear."



Avani hesitated at that question. It had been a long time it seemed. Years... So many years.

"I've known him since we moved here." she smiled at her father, "He's been a good friend." She smiled up at Oblivion and laced her fingers with his. It felt right. Avani shrugged and looked sheepishly at her father, "He took me to the starfall... It was the day after we met."

She watched as her father groaned and placed his face in his had. That was a good sign. He wasn't mad, but he wasn't pleased either.

"Oh no worry there Papa, he took good care of me." She said feeling better about the whole situation, "Wouldn't let me out of his sight!"

Her father just rubbed his face with his hand. Yes, he wasn't pleased, but he accepted her lying that one time. Oh well, can't win them all.

Her father looked at Oblivion and said, "Well, he looks like he could beat off people easily enough. At least I know you were safe then."

Avani relaxed. Hard part was over. She squeezed Oblvion's hand and snuggled closer. He really was a nice pillow.

Perhaps it was the right time to tell him he ate one of his sheron?

Avani felt safe from the world. Soudana herself could be outside, ready to beat down the door, and yet, she felt utterly safe in Oblivions arms.
She felt shy too. Her father was there watching them, and she didin't know how to act. So she just was, and accepted Oblivion's touch

She blushed though when he called her precious. Brave and determined, well, she could just wave those away. But he had called her precious. It made her feel good.

Avani lowered her head and said softly, "You never would have hurt me. Even if I could hurt you, which what can a ten year old do to a full grown Khehora I have no clue, but you never would have hurt me." She looked up at him and into those ruby eyes, "I saw it in your eyes. You could have, but you didn't."

She smiled at him and placed her head on his chest. Gods, she didn't care if her father was there. She just wanted to be near him. She could hear his heart, beating in a steady rhythm.



Avani's father watched them exchange words and felt himself softening to the idea of them as a couple. He sighed. He seemed to care for her. But his heart hurt. His daughter had chosen a hard path. But then love seemed to bring that. Hell, any path seemed to bring it. But it would be hard for them in this community of farmers who hated anything khehora.

"Well," he said resigned, "You seem happy."

"I'll always love you Papa." Avani said smiling, "But, yes, I am happy." She then ducked her head and said, "Though there is something else you should know... Oblivion did eat a sheron." she went red, Talmei was stunned, and Avani spoke again quickly, "That's why I was upset... That and he stole Kin..." She glare at Oblivion, apparently mockingly, but then smiled happily, "That's why I tried to pummel him."

Talmei burst out laughing at that. He, apparently, could handle the loss of a sheron, Kin did seem more important.

"Yes, she is brave." Talmei said grinning, "I'll agree with that. Determined too!" He looked at Oblivion and lifted an eyebrow and teasingly said, "You sure you can handle that?"

Avani giggled. She couldn't help it. Oblivion made her giddy sometimes. Poor old khehora indeed.

"If I can put up with sheron, I can differently put up with you." Avani said. She smiled as he tickled her ear with his nose and cuddled closer, "I think we can both handle each other."



These two obviously liked each other enough. Talmei thought smiling. They reminded him of him and Maiika... Still to this day actually. He was suddenly happy, realizing that Avani would spend more time away from his house, and that epiphany made him suddenly regret he and his wife were not alone at their house.

Well, damn.

"I'll go help your mother." he coughed and then stood and left them both alone.

He felt good as he walked to the kitchen. At least his worries about Oblivion hurting her were out the window. Oh he hated that his little girl had gone, but at least the woman she had become had found her own mate.



Avani smiled as her father left. Oh there would be a talk alone between her and him, but for right now, she just rellished the peace between the two men she cared for most.

She snuggled into Oblivion, as if she couldn't get close enough.

"I do care for you a lot Oblivion." she said. It was what her heart ment. Even if he didn't care for her, she would let him know. That at least was what she wanted said. "I am glad to know you." She looked up and then pinched his cheeks very softly and said grinning, "You can eat all the sheron you want and I still won't get mad."

Avani laughed at his sheron remark. She really did hope none went missing because of him, besides she could get her hands on any amount of meat he wanted since she would own some in the future. Better not to tell him that now though... Might get ahead of himself.

Avani placed a hand to cup his cheek, and pressed her head back against his. So much had changed.

"It can be as long as you like Oblvion." She smiled softly and rubbed her thumb across his cheek. Over the past few weeks something had changed. Her heart burst with something when he spoke of what it was they had. She didn't know what to name it... She didn't out of fear he didn't feel it too. "It is something else... I-I fear it sometimes..." She closed her eyes in frustration, "It's a good thing for me, but it scares me." She looked up into those ruby eyes and said, "It's new to me too."

Avani let his face go as he rubbed his brow. She smiled at him and pulled his face towards her and made him look at her. She put all the love and feelings of care into the look she gave him, trying to help him know what she felt.

"It's true, no one will condone it. But we know what we want." She felt tears at that and brushed the thought away saying, "But I have endured it for a long time. Someone attacked me for it. But I know who my friends are." She brushed some strands of hair away from his face, "If you are willing Oblivion, to put up with the slights and horrible words, so am I." She closed her eyes and pressed a cheek to his, "If I have you by my side, then those words and actions will mean nothing to me."

When had it changed, this friendship? She did not know. But it had. And as long as she had what her heart thought of as her other half, then she would be stronger for it.

She opened her eyes and looked into his. Oh the eyes of her young fantasies. She never knew who the owner was, but now she did. She then lightly kissed him on the cheek, so close to his mouth. She didn't want to scare him further, so didn't press it. She then pressed herself into a hug so close to him and said, "I don't know what I'm doing either. So, let's do it together."

She then furrowed her brow at something he said earlier and pulled back and said curiously, "'Don't know how...' to do what?"

Curious thing that she was, that part of her was wanting to know what he meant to say.

One thing that Avani had to say was that Oblivion sure was cute when he was flustered. She imagined that if he was in his khehora form all his feathers would be fluffed up and standing on end.

Though she blushed when he said those things about her. She had never thought herself beautiful. Just a little pretty maybe, but not beautiful. And sweet? She had a sharp tongue if you asked any of the ranch hands... And the fact that if she was a khehora he would...? Well that made her blush even more. She didn't think herself that wonderful.

"You may 'not quite be a two-legger', and I might not be a khehora, but I'm sure we both have a brain and heart." Avani said smiling. "I'm sure that's all you need to make a relationship work."

She petted him on the arms to calm him down and smiled reassuringly up at him.

"I care for you Oblivion." She sighed a little and said, "If I didn't want you here then you would be out on your ear by now." She smiled still and said, "You are not only a friend to me, you are a part of my life. Irrevocably so. A part of me."

"I want you to stay." she said finally, "If you want to stay, stay. I don't mind." She looked sadly at him, "If you don't want to be my partner, to have a life here, then you may leave, just know I will be sad, and miss you very, very much." She kissed him again close to his mouth, "Honoka may be sadden by you leaving, but I would be devastated."

Not to mention her father would hunt him down and tie his innards around his neck in a bow. At least if he showed up again.

"As for suitors," Avani said sitting back and blowing a breath out in a huff and crossing her arms, "I used to have a few, mostly because they were the only ones who would tolerate Honoka and allow me to continue farming, but they have moved on. They found someone who was their match." She shrugged, "None of them had my heart." She smiled at Oblivion, blushed, lowered her eyes and face, then took a chance, "It had always been you in my dreams. Not them."

Avani took his hands in hers and looked at them

"It is a strange relationship, a khehorian and an Orderite, for sure. But I'm sure it's not the first." Avani looked up at him and said, "We are two people, despite what our bodies look like, shouldn't that be enough?"

"But on that subject..." She then blushed and whispered so only he could hear, "I'm sure you are well equipped with anything in this form a two-legger man has anyway." She remembered the day he first showed up in his khehorian form and the other times she had glanced that low on his body. She felt the heat rise swiftly into her face and continued, "I'm sure of that anyway." She looked up at him and smiled a little and shrugged, "There are many ways to be intimate like that than being... 'traditional'."

There had been that book she had seen in her grandfather's library when she was little. She had been shocked silent seeing just how many ways a man and woman could enjoy each other.

And Seren help her, she wanted to see if they were all that enjoyable.

She squeezed his hands affectionately and said, "I want you to be happy. That is my one wish at the moment." she kissed his cheek and said, "If that means staying here and figuring out what we have between us, then I will not deny you anything."

Avani felt like melting into Oblivion. Just turn to warmed butter and just somehow get as close as possible to him. She felt his tail feathers brushing against her legs, feeling loved. It seemed to be a show of affection from him, at leas how he knew how to show affection in his Khehorian form.

He wanted to stay.

Avani's heart burst with happiness. He wanted to stay. He wanted to be here with her. She wanted to just hold him and let him know just how much happiness she found at that statement.

Though, at the same time, the melting feeling turned her very, very, aware that he was almost kissing her. That he was just feathering his lips across hers made her try to catch whatever breath she had left, perhaps barrow some of his. She looked up at him, looking into the ruby orbs that had chased her since she was a young woman.

"No scary dreams..." she said breathing deeply and blinking her eyes rather shyly, "Daydreams of the man I would want for myself... Someone who would want to be with me, and love Honoka, and let me be who I am." She searched his eyes, so close they were, so much the red of her imagination, "I saw your eyes... The same deep red..." She placed a hand on his face and cupped his face in her hands, "They were good dreams, the dreams of a young woman."

She had been speaking against his lips, lightly touching when she said certain words. So now, she lightly placed her lips against his as he had done and feathered them across, so unsure of what she was doing.

She moved a bit back, smiled and said, "No, no young men coming to knock at your door." She smiled a bit at his mention of the door being his and said, "I felt nothing for them, at least, not what I have felt these past few months for you."

She then kissed him at last with that little bit of information, at least what she thought was a kiss. She had never been kissed. A few stolen kisses on the cheeks, but she wasn't about to tell him that. He seemed a little possessive of her, but then she seemed to like that on reflection. But she kissed him as best as she could think a kiss should be from watching her parents at times. And she didn't give a tinker's damn that her parents might walk in and see them. No one else mattered but Oblivion.

It felt good, it felt right.

She moved a bit away from Oblivion and shyly dipped her head and eyes, and slipped her hands around him, and moved close and onto his chest.

Time to be melted butter, she thought.

"Stay Oblivion." she poured all her feeling out to him, "I never want you to leave."

She then pressed a hand to his chest and drew circles on his chest with one of her fingers. "Very much equipped enough." she whispered feeling very shy. She blushed just thinking about it and then said, "Very much to my satisfaction."