"We are Mates..." - Alex

Even though we've known each other for years, sometimes her 'lapses' just astounded me. But then Koko's joy in helping me, a lowly mortal, brought our broken little souls together, albeit meeting surrounded by infamous killers didn't seem like the best friendship. But, really, that's a story for another time.

"I guess that means something, huh?" She explained. She turned back to the waitress who already laid our dishes carefully upon the table, winking once more at the defenseless woman, "Thank you deary, for the food." The waitress's face turned a solid crimson.

"Koko! What will Cerberus think 'bout this?" I argue after Hades decided that the humans were more enjoyable than he originally thought; he left Cerberus, his old three-headed guard dog, in charge of the weeping dead.

"Alex, you silly goose, Cerberus is wrapped around my little pinky finger. We are Mates after all," she responded absently, lifting a spoon full of mashed potatoes to her mouth.

"Mates... great, we're back to this," I groan.

"Of course deary, I'm still disappointed you haven't gotten over the whole, 'they're better without me' shtick," Koko chewed her medium rare steak, the one she ordered hours before I even arrive to this town. Using her 'all mighty powers.'

I just gripped my fork tighter and watched my hand lift the beautiful slab of meat to my agape mouth.

Koko's bodyguard stood stiff behind her and eyed me like I was a killer. Well, I was but.... meh.

"Koko, your Wolf man is glaring at me."

"Oh, him? I'm walking him around to break him in. He is the fifth one this month," she smirked. "It's a pain. Cerberus thinks I can't look after myself." I burst out laughing, my eyes filling with salty tears.

"You still haven't told him yet?" I let out between uncontrollable giggles.

"Well, no... but I will!" She poked her food like a stubborn 3-year-old.

"Of course you will, as a world-renowned assassin you kinda 'need' to."

"So YOU say, 'as a world-renowned assassin, you kinda 'need' to' talk to your Mates," Koko retorted.

"Yeah, yeah," she turned to the growling man. "So you won't tell my Mates, right? I mean, I'm the one who can make your life more like hell than hell itself."

"..." he just shrugged his massive shoulders.