Sly told me I should visit the "soon-to-be" clinic before the grand opening.
He sheepishly mentioned that if there was anything he had missed, he would do his best to find it for me.
Everyone seemed excited, so we all decided to go.
Nyma asked why I chose to call it an "eye clinic," so I tried to explain the concept to her. I told her a clinic is a place smaller than a hospital where sick creatures or those with health problems, go to receive treatment and get well.
She seemed to understand, noting that her mother's place is called a "healer's hut."
Then, she asked me what a hospital was.
Now, I have no idea if hospitals even exist here.
....
When we arrived, everyone was amazed by how well Sly and Ghost had organized the space.
Since the building has three floors, the first floor is divided into four rooms:
1. A waiting room where Nyma will entertain the patients.
2. An eye equipment room where I will examine the patients.
3. A room for Puoma, who will prepare eye drop solutions and medicines.
4. A showroom for my frame designs, where patients can choose their glasses after their exams.
The second floor was not divided into smaller rooms. Sly suggested keeping it as an open space, kind of like an office, for the magical devices we'll use to manufacture eyeglasses in the future.
Ghost added that I could store my "unimportant" stuff here to keep the first floor spacious.
Lion can't magically expand the rooms because the building is sandwiched between others.
The third floor is divided into five smaller rooms.
Ghost explained these are for us to stay in if we are too tired to return to the castle.
Nyma immediately claimed one as her own.
Puoma took her time choosing, but once she found a room that suited her, she stayed inside, likely planning how to decorate.
Having shared a room with Nyma for so long, she was delighted to have a space of her own.
Orm, not wanting to be left out, turned one room into a very fancy bathroom and toilet.
Another room was designated as a guest room for Ghost, Orm, or Sly.
Lion raised an eyebrow, while hissing, asking where he is staying while narrowing his eyes at Sly.
Ghost replied nonchalantly that the extra room was for Lion and me to share.
Suddenly, Lion became very cheerful.
...
While everyone else was busy decorating, Lion pulled me into our vacant room, as he took great pleasure in repeatedly emphasizing.
Lion magically removed the door. I started to protest, but he grinned mischievously.
It turned out he had enchanted the room so that the door would only appear for the two of us.
He walked toward me and pulled me into an embrace, telling me how much he missed spending time with me and how grateful he was for the massage.
I wrapped my arms around him, snuggled my head against his chest and closed my eyes.
I told him I missed him too, but I hadn't wanted to disturb him because I knew how busy he was.
He caught my chin with his hand, forcing me to open my eyes. He asked why I hadn't approached him as he wouldn't have minded the interruption, as my presence helps relieve his stress and fatigue.
I bit my lip. That Sly!
He studied my eyes intently and I quickly looked away. He tried to convince me to tell him the reason, but to no avail.
Finally, he sighed, shaking his head with a suspicious smile.
Instinctively, I backed away and hurried toward the door which, for some reason, did not appear.
He slowly stalked toward me like a predator.
...
Since there was no furniture yet, I had nowhere to hide.
He continued his approach with a smile that made me want to confess everything.
Suddenly, he was in front of me. I tried to run, but he grabbed my waist and lifted me high. His grip triggered my sensitivity. I tried to squirm away, but I couldn't help it.. I started laughing uncontrollably.
I laughed until tears came to my eyes, pleading for him to stop. In my struggle, I accidentally pushed him hard and we both tumbled to the floor.
I lay there panting, trying to catch my breath, while Lion sat up, chuckling.
He threatened me with another round of tickling if I didn't tell him the truth. I confessed immediately, explaining that Sly had seen him looking aggravated in the workroom and warned me not to disturb him.
He started to get up, but fearing for Sly's safety, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He immediately reciprocated with passion.
I bit his lip and began to pull him closer. As my hand moved toward his chest, I could feel his heart racing.
Soon our tongues tangled. I straddled him, and his arms locked around my waist as I moved to his chest.
I pulled back to remove his shirt and his breathing grew heavy. His eyes deepened in color as I held his chin and kissed him hungrily. I moved my hands downward as he pulled back to bite my neck.
He looked at me with pure hunger. I nodded and he eagerly removed my clothes.
As I sat before him, his gaze made me feel as if I were melting.
He moved closer, his hand reaching for the back of my neck, when suddenly we heard a loud BANG.
I looked at him.
He tried to ignore it, pulling me back to him, but then came another almighty BANG.
I asked if he should check it out. He closed his eyes, exhaled slowly and murmured words that spelled trouble for whoever was making that noise.
It fell silent.
Lion pulled me back into a kiss, his hand moving toward my chest. He broke the kiss to lick my shoulder, but just as he moved lower, a third, even louder BANG interrupted us.
This time, Lion looked murderous. He grabbed his shirt and threw it on.
He apologized, gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and stormed out of the room.
A moment later, I heard Sly, Ghost and Orm screaming from outside.