A knocking at the door prompted Dienza to stand. He checked that his shirt was straight, his jeans
neat and his hair brushed. Once he was satisfied he was presentable, he approached the door and
took a deep breath before pulling it open.
    'Well you look sharp.' Risa remarked. She wore a knee length red dress and had her hair styled
backwards much unlike her usual face obscuring bang. Dienza couldn't stop himself from staring
even as he stepped backwards and invited her in with a gesture.
    'I feel under dressed now.' He remarked, his eyes lowering down Risa's form as she stepped past
him into the kitchen.
    'Don't worry about it. You look fine.' She answered. 'And if anyone has a problem, we'll just kick
their asses, right?'
    'Right.' Dienza nodded, closing the door and stepping up behind her. He wrapped her in a warm
hug for a few moments before slinking around to face her. 'I am so glad I managed to talk you out of
that tuxedo.'
    'I can still change.' She retorted. 'Don't think you can tell me what to wear.'
    'Couple hours from now and what to wear won't matter.' Dienza grinned. 'Let's go get stuffed
first.'
    'Sweet talker.' Risa grinned back. 'I hope you can afford a big bill. I'm gonna make you earn this.'

    Kiranni's Char Grill was, in Dienza's opinion, the perfect restaurant. He'd always had fond
memories of the place from his childhood, the few occasions his mother was able to bring him here
were always a special treat. Now it was his venue of choice for his third date with Risa and as the
two of them walked through the front door, he couldn't help but smile at the thought of all those
memories flooding back. A squeeze around his hand brought his mind back to the present and he
wrapped his arm around Risa as they stepped up to the entrance.
    'Table for two?' The attendant asked, a mutt woman of grey and silver.
    'Yes please.' Dienza replied. 'Is there any chance of an upstairs booth?'
    'I'll check.' The woman answered, looking at the screen in front of her before slowly smiling.
'You're in luck, there is one left. Follow me.'
    'Big spender huh?' Risa murmured, nudging him with her elbow as they followed the attendant
upstairs. The booth they were led to, like all of them, was positioned as part of a circle around the
upper floor of the building and had a view out over the rooftops of the surrounding town.
    'Well I am trying to impress you.' He replied, holding her hand in a supporting fashion as she took
her seat before taking his own opposite her.
    'A waiter will be with you in a few moments.' The attendant told them before giving a curt bow
and returning downstairs. The next minute was passed with a damnable awkward silence as Risa
stared into Dienza's eyes. Dienza stared back, wanting to say something but unable to form words
under that kind of pressure. He'd been the same when he and Spiika had begun dating the first time.
Despite knowing her for so long, the thought of their relationship going deeper had triggered
anxieties.
    He shook the thought from his head as a ginger furred leona approached in the restaurant's
uniform carrying a notepad and two menus.
    'How are you two tonight?' She asked, handing them a menu each and raising her notepad.
    'We're doing great.' Risa answered. 'I got a great thing goin' here and it's gonna go all night.'
    'F-Fine, thank you.' Dienza added.
    'Well I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order.' The waitress continued, trying to suppress a
giggle. 'Can I get you started with any drinks?'
    'I'll take a Stray Dog's, on the rocks.' Risa replied with a grin.
    'Uhh, I'll have the same.' Dienza nodded. The waitress nodded and left. Risa's tail curled around
Dienza's leg beneath the table and her hand brushed his arm across the table.
    'I might not be showing it, but I really am grateful you're giving me a chance.' She whispered. 'I
was a little worried I was coming on too strong.'
    'Oh I'm not one to say no to an opportunity as rare as this.' Dienza replied softly. He took her
hand in his own and his tail curled back around hers. 'I hope you brought your appetite with you.'
    'Well you'll see.' She licked her lips. 'I'm a voracious monster.'

    An hour and a half later, the pair of leonas were stumbling back towards Desio street. Each with a
belly full of a half kilogram steak, a plate of chips and salad and four glasses of whiskey. Risa leaned
heavily on Dienza's shoulder and slurred her every word.
    'I th-I thought you were gonna get dropped back there!' She laughed.
    'Pffff!' Dienza scoffed, wrapping his arm around her waist before she could slip over. 'I was fully
prepared to... to pay for the broken glass.' He hiccupped, prompting Risa to burst out laughing and
almost send the pair of them toppling to the ground.
    'Carry me.' Risa whispered, leaning in close and leaving a wet kiss on Dienza's cheek.
    'What am I, a demon?' Dienza slurred. 'Just fall asleep and I'll drag you the rest of the way.'
    'You're stupid.' Risa giggled. 'We're already here.'
    Dienza grinned and lifted her over the step through the complex gateway. 'I can't get over the
look on that waitress's face when you ordered that massive friggin steak.'
    'I can't get over the look on yours when I finished mine before you.' Risa retorted. 'Get me to your
bed now.' She pulled his face close to hers and planted a solid kiss on his lips.
    'Mmmff...' Dienza fumbled through his pocket for his key and missed twice before he got it in the
lock. On the third attempt he managed to get the door open and the two of them stumbled inside.
He clicked the door closed behind them and within seconds the two were in each other's embrace.
Hands brushed through one another's fur and hair as they pressed their bodies together.
    Dienza scooped Risa up in his arms, carrying her haphazardly through the kitchen and living room
into his bedroom. He dropped her onto his bed and draped himself over top of her. His eyes stared
into hers by the dim light of his clock, and he felt her hands slip under his shirt. The mood was
perfect, the intent clear and within moments both of them had shed their clothes and locked into
each other's arms...

    Dienza woke up and stretched, his arm landing in a warm spot in the bed beside him. Risa must
have only gotten up a few minutes before, a fact confirmed by the sound of running water entering
his senses as he reached full wakefulness. He blinked his eyes open and looked towards the
bathroom door as Risa walked back towards the bed.
    'Hi.' She purred, crawling up the bed over him and pressing her naked body to his. Her hands,
freshly cold from the tap made him shiver slightly as she ran them up his sides.
    'Hi.' He replied, folding his hands over her waist.
    'I... destroyed your bathroom.' She whispered. 'Give it like... twenty minutes or something.'
    'Charming.' Dienza smirked. 'Ever the classy girl huh?'
    'Kiss me.' She retorted, brushing herself against him and making her intentions clear. Dienza
obliged, not at all unwilling to participate in a morning round.

    An hour later once the pair had showered and dressed themselves, Risa sat at the kitchen table as
Dienza prepared a simple breakfast of bacon and eggs with toast. The tantalizing scent had drawn
smaller guests, and both leonas exchanged a glance as the sound of footsteps came from both the
pantry and the floor behind the fridge.
    'So where's your rat?' Risa asked.
    'Val and Scrambles are staying in Markep for the night.' Dienza replied. 'Cerrik agreed to babysit
for me.'
    'Cerrik's still kicking?' Risa cocked an eyebrow.
    'I guess.' Dienza shrugged. 'Why, how old is he?' He served up two plates of bacon and eggs
before the toaster popped.  
    'I dunno, but I'm pretty sure he was around most of the time Maron was here.' Risa answered as
Dienza put her breakfast down before her before he took his own seat. The pair began eating with
ears alert. Dienza feigned dropping piece of toast crust to the floor beneath his feet and kept his
attention seemingly focused on Risa.
    The gambit paid off, and a brave micen took their chance to try and sneak between the legs of the
chair out of sight of both leonas. Dienza waited for the sound of the crust scraping on the floor
before sweeping his tail across the floor beneath him. He felt the tiny body and curled the limb
around them, lifting it up to his side and turning to look upon his captured prey.
    'Nice trick.' Risa remarked. The micen was a female of red fur and blonde hair, and looked to be
about two years old.
    'Please don't!' She squeaked. 'I'm sorry! I thought it was okay for me to take that!'
    'I'll tell you what.' Dienza said. 'I'm gonna let my... gorgeous lady friend decide what happens to
you.' He held out his hand with the struggling prisoner and awaited Risa's reaction.
    She seized his wrist and pulled it closer to his face. Her tongue lapped over his hand and the
micen alike while she stared back at him with a narrowed seductive gaze. His fingers loosened their
grip slightly. Risa's mouth opened a little wider and she pulled his fingers and their prisoner deeper
inside.
    He grinned and blushed, letting go of the micen as he felt her tongue curl between her and his
fingers. She slowly pulled his hand from her mouth and slurped slowly before swallowing. 'Mmmh...'
    'I guess that answers that.' He shrugged.
    'Yea, who could resist that taste?' She answered. 'And that mouse was pretty sweet too.' After a
few more moments of staring they managed to break eye contact long enough to resume eating.

    At around midday Dienza was once more in the living room. With headset on listening to the
recording of one of Spiika's drum beats, he tried his best to match the rhythm he'd composed the
day before to it in order to form the basis of a song. Risa had left a few hours ago and he'd used the
time to work on his music.
    After a while he noticed two small shapes in the doorway. Finishing the line, he pressed stop on
the recording and the mic before taking his gear off and heading towards the door. Cerrik and
Scrambles were there watching him, with Cerrik holding onto the younger micen like a parent with
an unpredictable child.
    'How was the sleepover?' Dienza asked, dropping to all fours and leaning down.
    'She's a handful.' Cerrik replied. Scrambles broke free of his grip and sprinted towards her leona
owner, stopping just short of a collision before nuzzling into his chin. Dienza nudged her, knocking
her onto her rump before kissing the top of her head.
    'Where's Val?' The leona asked.
    'I'm not sure.' Cerrik replied. 'She left Markep early in the night to find somewhere else to sleep.
She wasn't comfortable with how... uncomfortable some of the micen were around her.'
    'Fair enough.' Dienza replied, slightly concerned that she hadn't turned up yet. He blinked
suddenly, becoming aware of Scrambles trying to pull his lips open. He withdrew, lifting his head and
setting her back on the floor. 'What's gotten into you?'
    'Oh, umm...' Cerrik blushed. 'She almost got away from me this morning. Followed some of the
others out during the uhh... breakfast period. And she...'
    'She what?' Dienza demanded.
    'She saw what happened to... the woman you caught.' Cerrik explained. 'I wanted to shelter her
from that but... I don't think she's the slightest bit afraid.'
    '...Great.' Dienza murmured. 'Alright Cerrik. Thanks. You can go.' The older micen nodded and left,
disappearing into the kitchen behind the fridge. Dienza leaned back down and rested his chin on the
floor, this time leaving his mouth slightly open. Scrambles reacted just as he expected and feared,
rushing excitedly to his mouth and squeezing between his lips to wiggle inside. Dragging her body
across his tongue, she unknowingly shared her sweet flavour with him.
    Dienza sighed softly, before standing up and heading towards his room. He wished it wasn't so,
but one thing he'd learned about willing micen was that it wasn't something they could be trained
out of. He opened his mouth and dropped her into the palm of his hand before she could squirm her
way to the back of his throat.
    'You're gonna be a real handful...'