Katherine and I hung out in the gym, where she shared more about her trip into the forest, hunting down a hive, which sounded like it had been mostly frustrating, and I reciprocated with my recent frustrations about Mother. It didn't feel like quite such a big deal anymore, as if sharing the events had lessened their effects on me, spread them out some. After that, we mostly just talked about nothing, getting to know each other better. She did it all while exercising, while I just pushed a bit of iron occasionally, because it was there more than anything.

  After Katherine had lifted the required amount of iron the proscribed amount of times, we left the gym and split up, her to take a shower, me to head down to the kitchen to enact my master plan. I had found a waffle iron in a cupboard earlier, and now was the perfect time.

  So, when Katherine showed up fifteen minutes later, it was to a plate of waffles garnished with sliced fruit and hot chocolate sauce.

  "Are you trying to make me fat? I won't fit in my armour!" She complained with a smile.

  "I'm just looking after your nutrition." I said with a sniff. "Now eat up, while it's hot."

  "You know, I'd have been perfectly fine with a bowl of oats." She said as she sat down on a stool by the counter in front of her plate.

  "What kind of welcome back present would a bowl of oats be?" I said, and pulled another waffle out of the iron.

  "You didn't have to, is what I'm saying." She took a bite, and moaned in appreciation.

  "I wanted to, though. I missed you." I said. She looked at me with her mouth full, eyes sparkling. I smiled, filled the waffle iron with batter again, and prepared a plate for myself.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  "You can take your time eating them, you know. No one is going to steal them from you." I said.

  "Can't. Too good." She said with her mouth full.

  "You're going to have a hard time convincing me you'd have preferred some oats if you keep this up." I said with a smile. I took a bite. The Protector chocolate did equally well melted and drizzled over waffles, which is to say, it was amazing.

  She finished her two waffles by the time I had eaten one, and was all but salivating over my shoulder as I prepared her another one. It took a while to sate her hunger, and by the end I had used up all the batter I had prepared with tomorrow in mind.

  Seems like this plan had been a success.

  ***

  She repaid me for the meal with cuddles on the couch, which was a fair trade in my opinion. We were lying there, me the little spoon with her arms around me, her snoring faintly in a nap. I was catching up on some correspondence and the goings-on in the world, when a message came in from Laura, my military contact.

  ""

  This wasn't fair. I sighed and snuggled closer in to Katherine. But with how Hives could grow in power if left alone, I guessed postponing it a week or two wasn't really an option. I sighed again.

  "" I replied.

  ""

  ""

  ""

  ""

  Not fair at all. Oh well, that was tomorrows worry. For now, I had some snuggles to enjoy.