Chapter 23: Cherry Boy!!

Once they made it back to the condo, Tucker let Verosika in and switched on the lights.

The cozy interior was a welcome sight compared to the stormy weather outside. Tucker immediately set about making her feel at home, retrieving a fresh set of clothes and a towel from a nearby closet.

"Here," he said, handing her the items. "Feel free to take a shower and get cleaned up. I'll set up the bed for you and send some emails I need to catch up on."

Verosika took the clothes and towel with a nod. "Thanks."

"Oh and Tucker No Peeping~" She said with a flirtatious wink.

...

As the hot water cascaded over her, she let out a sigh of relief. The past two days had been a nightmare, and the warmth of the shower felt like the first good thing to happen in what seemed like forever.

Her thoughts wandered back to everything that had happened: Blitzo's betrayal, the loss of her belongings, and the surprising kindness of a stranger named Tucker.

She looked at her shoulder where she had Blitzos name permanently tattooed on her. And the tears returned." Your such an idiot..."

....

Meanwhile, Tucker was at a small desk, working on his laptop. Armyn had shown him how to use it.

He chuckled at the memory of Armyn's exasperated yet patient tech lessons. "One day, I'll master this thing," Tucker muttered to himself as he typed out a report to Valentina, detailing everything that had happened during his stay.

He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't hear the shower turn off. The bathroom door opened, and Verosika stepped out, drying her damp hair with a towel while wearing an oversized T-shirt.

Unfortunately there weren't any nnderwear so she was commando underneath.

"Hey, thanks for—" Tucker turned to look at her, but his words caught in his throat. He blushed deeply, unable to tear his eyes away from her.

Verosika noticed his reaction and smirked. She found his reaction quite cute. "What's wrong, Tucker?" She said walking closer as her breast under the t-shirt swayed.

She knew what she was doing, but seeing his cute reaction, she just couldn't help herself.

"Uh, n-no, I mean yes, I mean—" Tucker stammered, looking everywhere except at her.

She decided to tease him a bit, stepping closer. "You're cute when you're flustered, you know that?"

Tucker's blush deepened. "I, uh, thanks. I should, um, check the—"

As he stood up abruptly to escape the situation, Verosika was suprised and lost her balance falling backwards. Instinctively, Tucker reached out and caught her, pulling her close.

She ended up in his arms, chest to chest, with his arms wrapped around her waist. Their breaths mingled, and for a moment, everything seemed to stop.

'Sniff' He smells so good...wait this smell, it seems...familiar?'

Verosika looked into Tucker's eyes, feeling a strange sense of familiarity and warmth.

"Are you okay?" Tucker asked softly, his face inches from hers.

"Yeah," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Realizing the intimacy of their position, Tucker quickly let go and looked away. "I, uh, I'm going to take a shower. The bed's ready for you, and I'll sleep on the couch."

Verosika watched him escape into the bathroom, a small smile playing on her lips. "Acting like a virgin," she muttered to herself, then paused. The realization hit her. She could sense it now—Tucker was a fucking virgin. Now it all made sense, why he smelt so good to her....

Without even noticing her tounge licked her upper lip and her breaths became more shallow.

....

[30 miniutes later...]

After Tucker had showered, he left the bathroom, noticing that Verosika wasn't in the living room anymore.

He assumed she was already asleep and prepared himself to go to bed aswell. He settled on the couch, pulling a blanket over himself and closing his eyes.

...

Five minutes into his sleep, he heard the door to the bedroom open. Verosika walked out, her steps slightly hesitant. She approached the couch, and Tucker opened his eyes.

"V? What's wrong?"

She didn't say anything and just crawled under the blanket with him, resting her head on his chest.

"V-V What are you..."

Tucker felt his chest become wet with tears and heard her whisper, "Can we just stay like this... please?"

"..."

"Verosika, can I... can I hold you?" He said forgetting she hadn't told him her name.

She looked up at him, confused but nodded. Tucker took a slow inhale. Then it happened.

His body began to glow like wildfire. Verosika's eyes widened as she felt an overwhelming sense of warmth and safety wash over her.

The energy emanating from Tucker felt like a mother's embrace, pure and filled with good intentions. It was beautiful, he was beautiful.

"Thank you," Verosika said, feeling herself drift off to sleep in Tucker's arms. For the first time in days, she felt genuinely at peace.

Tucker held her gently, as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

She had never felt like this before, not even with Blitzo, and she never wanted this feeling to disappear.

....

Verosika drifted into a restless sleep, her mind caught in the grip of a nightmare. The scene replayed over and over—she was chasing after Blitzo, her heart pounding with desperation and longing.

Each time she got close, he slipped away, the distance between them growing. She screamed his name, but he didn't look back. Instead, he ran faster, leaving her to fall deeper into a pit of despair.

The nightmare intensified, images of love and hate swirling together in a chaotic storm. Verosika felt herself sinking, the darkness enveloping her completely. The sensation of falling consumed her, a void where everything and everyone around her disappeared. She was alone, abandoned by the one she thought she loved.

But just as she was about to be devoured by the darkness, a golden hand reached out. It didn't let go. It pulled her out of the abyss, away from the despair. The darkness receded, replaced by a warm, comforting light.

She felt... home.

.

.

.

.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Verosika was still cuddling with Tucker on the couch. Her face, previously contorted in distress, relaxed.

A small, beautiful smile graced her lips. Unconsciously, she uttered Tucker's name.

Unknown to the two sleeping souls, a fox-like mark that shined like gold appeared on Tucker's forehead and in-between Verosika's chest, connecting them in an unkown pact.