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Things had come full circle. Ash really had never put much thought into the phrase before but now he thought he could definitely understand. There was a time a few months ago that he would have thought even something as simple as coming to the stables would never be easy again. Things with Dakota had been very complicated before and when they had been nothing felt the way it should be. It was hard to eat, hard to sleep, hard to really make sense of anything but now things were getting better. Things were closer to right than they had ever been and it felt good.

There were still things to figure out of course but their recent decision to at least try to uncomplicate matters was going a little better for them. At least he could be here in the stables again without fear of an awkward run in. In fact, there was something here that was long overdue and as he rubbed down the pegasus before him he thought it was about time to get back to the basics and maybe give some credit to the thing that had brought him and Dakota together in the first place.

“That’s it. I’ve missed you too girl.” He said softly to Blue Sky. Ash reached into his pocket for the treats that he had brought and pulled out a few sugar cubes holding them out to the pegasus as if they were offerings to one of the gods. Blue Sky whickered happily and began to eat. “Just a few treats for you. Maybe you can put in a few good words for us in the rumor mill this time.” Ash wasn’t sure what exactly Blue Sky and the pegasus grape vine had been saying but he and Dakota had been on a whirlwind ride with the rumors around camp and it was time to reign that in. Maybe starting here would help.


Dakota King

A cuddle-holic? Ash wasn't so sure about the name but he couldn't really complain if it got Dakota in his arms. He would certainly welcome any cuddling he could get especially if it was with her like this because he liked being close to her and having her laying against him. It felt right and falling asleep with her like that had been nice. He didn’t know about Dakota but this was definitely something that he would be looking forward to in the future.

When they broke away from the hug Ash got the distinct impression that she was toying with him. He was a hunter and he knew when his prey was playing hard to get. Dakota for her part at least knew what she was doing and Ash, well he found it quite alluring. He wasn't the type to dance around issues however and where Dakota was involved that was doubly true. Dakota could play her games but Ash did want to kiss her and unlike last night this was a better time with both of them aware of what was going on.

"There's only one way to find out." He said as he reached up to stroke her cheek. She looked as perfect as ever in that moment. She had just woken up and had barely begun to recover from her hangover but Ash didn't care. To him she was that Aphrodite cowgirl that was still the object of his affection and that didn't appear to be changing any time soon. She had tilted her head to the side while she talked and Ash thought that was the perfect angle he had been waiting for. Without another word he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers once again.

Ash nodded at her comments about the flower smells. That was one of the things he liked about the Dakota. She was strong, independent and incredibly beautiful but most importantly she was so far and away different from what he had come to expect of the other Aphrodite girls who seemed to commonly be so vain. She really was as beautiful on the outside a she was in and Ash loved it. He realized he didn't have much to offer her and he could see no reason why she had been attracted to him but he had never really been one for questioning things like this. He just went with and now here they were, together and very close.

"Maybe we can try it again sometime. Cuddling is a better alternative than drinking I think." He let his hand brush through her hair but when she spoke again Ash opened his eyes to look at her. "They are, are they?" He said finding a grim bit of humor in the fact that it had taken one of them getting drunk to work out their problems. "Good. I was hoping they were. Just as I was hoping you would remember them. I really do want to make you happy again. Hopefully this is a good start."

"Good. I'm glad the medicine is starting to kick in" Ash finished drying his hair only to notice that Dakota had rolled over and was watching him from the bed. He gave her one of those little sideways smirks not really knowing what had caught her interest but glad that the headache seemed to have faded enough that she could focus on him. It was also nice to feel like the tension between them, at least the resistance he had felt on his side, easing a bit.

Ash nodded as she confirmed his guess about the water and went to get her some. "Seems like a smart thing to do." He said as he brought the bottle back and handed it to her as he set down beside her on the bed. "Thanks for letting me borrow the shower. I guess being cabin leader has its perks." He brushed at her hair as she drank and continued. "Suppose now I smell like a bed of roses with all those girly shower products in there."

A shower really might be the best way to go at this point. Dakota wasn't going anywhere and he didn't really want to either. Thoughts passed through his mind about the girl he would like joining him in that shower but Dakota wasn't really in any condition. If only she hadn't drunk herself sick...but there was nothing for it now. At least there was a chance she might be feeling a little better after he got out even though he wasn’t even sure where they needed to go from here. In any case he guessed he would find out one way or the other.

Ash left Dakota to a hopefully restorative nap while he made his way into her bathroom in search of the shower. He found it without trouble and hopped in for a little restoration himself. As it turned out the shower was actually a good place to think. A lot had happened in the past few hours and he needed a little time to process everything. Last night had gone a long way to rebuilding some trust and even giving him some hope but considering the current situation he didn't know how Dakota was going to react to him when she wasn't under the effects of alcohol. He hoped they would be able to move past this but a lot of that depended on how much of last night actually sank in. He supposed there was only one way to find out so after what was probably a longer shower than usual he headed back out into the bedroom feeling much cleaner at least.

Unsurprisingly he found Dakota where he had left her. He supposed she might still be asleep but he was just checking on her. "Are you feeling any better?" He asked as he came back in still rubbing a towel through his wet hair. He wasn't too concerned whether she would answer him of not. If she didn't then he would let her sleep but if she did hopefully at least some of the side effects would be through with her. "I can get you some more water if you want. To help clear out your system."

Ash chuckled a little. He didn’t think the night was such a big deal. He hadn’t been complaining at the time after all since he got to spend all night with her half dressed in bed beside him but then again he hadn’t been the one who had to deal with the consequences afterwards. That might have changed his mind. “Alright, no regret drinking next time around.” He said and shook his head. “I guess I’ll have to go get that lasso after all.”

Now that the idea had been planted it didn’t look like Dakota was going to be forgetting about it any time soon. That didn’t bother Ash in the slightest. To the contrary he found that he really didn’t need much more motivation than he already had. “It would be a party for two.” He answered with that side smirk he had. “And here I thought those were the best kinds of celebrations. As for your cards I don’t think you’ve ever had any trouble playing them right. At least not with me.” His smirk remained but he was looking at her with hungry eyes now. “Come here silly girl.”