Chapter 328 Jade (2/2)
”When will your rebellious years end?” Lino asked.
”When will you grow up?” Seya asked back. The two had a brief stare-off before they grinned out; she casually walked up and hugged him, pushing him at Hannah afterwards. ”You two should make-up or whatever quickly, because by god I'm ready to leave this hellhole.”
”I shall take off too.” Jade chimed in as Seya turned around and left. ”It was a pleasure to meet you both, truly. And, I hope you shall come to the Council Room tomorrow to bid farewell, and hopefully accept our gratitude. It is certainly not much, but saving us all cannot be paid off so simply anyway.”
”... Jade, was it?” Lino asked, smiling faintly as Hannah pinched his side; he, however ignored it.
”Yes.” she nodded, feeling somewhat awkward underneath that gaze.
”We'll meet again.”
”... uh-yes, I certainly hope so.”
”... what was that?” Hannah quickly questioned as Jade left. ”Are you planning on grabbing at her as well?”
”Oh, yes, sure. Let me go around and start collecting women to add to my bountiful collection of exactly one. Fuckin' hell.” Lino responded quickly with a sigh.
”Then what's with the interest?” Hannah asked as she glanced toward Jade's fading back.
”... just a personal interest of mine,” Lino replied mysteriously. ”And yours, really. But, more on her much, much later on. Let's talk how you're gonna reward me.”
”For what?”
”For making one of your dreams come permanently true.”
”... what?” Hannah asked with faint interest.
”Khm, so-- here's the shit...”
”...”
”...”
”... what's the shit?!!”
”I got us a Dragon pet!!” Lino exclaimed with joy.
”WHAT THE FUCK?!!” Hannah exploded out.
”EXACTLY!!” Lino shouted back. ”That old fucker bet me before we started fighting; if I won, he'd become my pet, and if he won, I'd become his. And guess what?!”
”YOU FUCKIN' WON YOU BEAUTIFUL BASTARD!!”
”I FUCKIN' WON!!” Hannah threw herself into his arms and began kissing him repeatedly till the point Lino was beginning to choke due to shortness of breath. ”So, we cool?”
”... we're always gonna be 'cool',” she chuckled faintly, pulling a few strands of his hair behind his ear. ”I love you, Lyonel. And unless you burn my heart to ash, that ain't gonna change.”
”Even if I burn your loins?” he asked with a playful smile, pulling her close in.
”That's the thing that's kept me warm in this frigid hell,” she replied wryly. ”Though I suppose you'll have to cool it down slightly when we get back to the mainland. What if I, god-forbid, get pregnant? Wouldn't your brain combust?”
”... what if you?” he asked softly.
”... huh? You serious?” her long eyelashes fluttered in surprise as her eyes widened, meeting his honest gaze.
”Yeah, what of it? Wouldn't it be fun if we popped another one of us into the world?”
”... we're not going to have a kid because it would be 'fun'.” she said somewhat angrily.
”Then how about because I love you and because I wanna have one with you?”
”... where did this come from anyway?” Hannah asked, trying to cover up her bashfulness.
”I've been thinking about it for a long while, actually,” Lino said. ”And, well, doing the whole make-pretend with you and Seya really showed me what a wholesome dad I'd be.”
”Yeah, right.”
”Oh, shut up. You know I would.”
”Let me put it this way: if we have a girl, I feel fearful for every dick-bearing bastard out there; if we have a son, I fear for every womb-having chick out there.”
”... oh, wow. You may not realize it, but I have a heart Hannah. And it bleeds.”
”... you know too damn well you'd make a great dad,” she mumbled under her breath. ”You just, you know, caught me off guard. Which is something you're apparently really good at.”
”Well, it's only fair,” he said, smiling warmly as he lifted up her chin. ”You disarm me altogether. That's far, far worse.”
”... okay, yeah, we're having a kid.” she replied fiercely, licking her lip.
”W-wait, like right now?”
”What? You drop a bomb like that on me and expect me not to get horny?”
”No, that's not it-- you're always horny anyway, I was--”
”Nope, we're not having kids. Ever. Till we croak.”
”W-what, wait!! What'd I do now?!!”
”Go die!!”
”... oh for the love of... Hannah, wait up! You're not horny all the time! You're barely ever horny! I practically have to douse with a bucket of water to get you goin--oh my god, stop charging an attack!! I'm not fuckin' position to defend myself you crazy bitch!! Fuck!!”