The kiss was well received. It certainly stopped the rambling, anyway. She would have wanted more of it, but she did not want to push things too far. He looked happy.

>> ”Best keep that method a secret love. Lots of people try to get me to stop talking.”

The princess chuckled. Surely this was not a method for everyone. When she asked him about their previous conversation, he blushed again. The tail swatted at her nevously.

>>”Hard to remember which question I wanted ta ask ya... I mean it doesn’t matter right now.”

The princess arched an eyebrow. What else did he have on his mind? Did he always have to have something on his mind...?

>>”Mind if I sleep here tonight?... I mean, ya can say no. Just want to make sure yer okay. Crazy day."

"Sure." the princess smiled and nodded, before shifting on the bed to peel back the covers. "To be honest... I don't want to be alone either." Even with the rescue, being kidnapped had been a scary experience. And being all alone in her room, far from home would have been... too much for the night.

The princess nestled under the covers, tossing the towel to the floor. "Are you going to purr?"

”fer real?” Carrick asked arching an eyebrow then watched her move the covers. She didn’t want to be alone either? He would have been fine on his own but he would have probably spent half the night texting her or making sure she was still in the mansion in the morning, he wasn’t going to argue though. Carrick had some sense.

His eyes followed the towel as she dropped it to the floor. Wait was she expecting him to sleep naked in the same bed with her? He went back into his head and started overthinking, ‘Mate!’ he quickly got out of his head and just started talking trying to be a smooth as possible after he closed his mouth.

He stood and put his hands on his hips, while his tail moved behind him like he was toying with her ”I can turn it off.” he said smirking doubting she’d want that. She told him before she liked it. He took a few steps to the side of the bed and looked at it for a few seconds and debated what he was going to do.

Finally without saying anything he climbed into her bed towel still on. ”So... heh” he removed the towel after some movement under the sheets. ”Really glad yer alright...” he said again not sure what to say now that he was naked in her bed. He knew what he should have said but couldn’t find the words.

>>"fer real?”

"Yes?" she looked at him, confused. Was this another thing she misunderstood? Did he not want to stay for the night? It was really hard to guess what was going on in his head. When he stood, she was sure he was going to bolt again.

>>”I can turn it off.”

"Don't." she liked the purring. And after the day she had, it was very soothing to hear him purr. She liked the rumbling sound. He wanted to make sure she was safe, and she felt safe when he was around. It was strange. But eventually he did get into the bed.

>>”So... heh. Really glad yer alright...”

"I don't understand you, Carrick" she sighed, moving to snuggle against him. He was warm. And confusing. She'd take that, for now. She didn't really need a long explanation, even if he could give her one. "Is this alright?"

>>>"I don't understand you, Carrick"

”I don’t understand me either.” he grumbled and rolled his eyes at himself ignoring the voice in the back of his mind that encouraged him to do everything except for what he was doing. Which was just laying there. ‘Mate!’

>>> "Is this alright?"

He stared at the ceiling as she cuddled up against him he took a breath and his voice cracked, ”T-his is perfect!” he said glad he could at least purr correctly.

”Uh... remember that thing you wanted to do?” he asked hesitating, ”...I... think I’m ready.” he said the purring still continuing and turning towards her. ”I’m just worried he’s gonna try and step in...” he said honestly.

>>”T-his is perfect!”

She could hear the hesitation in his voice, but he was also purring, which was nice. The princess would have been content for the night just with the cuddling and purring. Not that she would not enjoy other things too. But it felt right.

>>”Uh... remember that thing you wanted to do? ...I... think I’m ready. I’m just worried he’s gonna try and step in...”

He turned to look at her, and Amethyst shifted so they could be face to face. She could tell he was telling the truth; it was always easy to tell if someone was attracted to her. And she could also tell he was worried. Even with what happened earlier, he was still afraid of his own other form. The princess considered this for a while. The beast making an appearance... that would have been bad. But that was not a good reason to stay away from Carrick. A small part of her mind still wondering what she was doing in bed with a gorgon at all, she reached up to place a hand on his cheek.

"Let me talk to him." she leaned in closer, looking into Carrick's eyes, at the risk of sounding completely ridiculous. "Mate. Carrick and I. Not you. Got it?"

Carrick’s pupils turned cat like when she rolled towards him worried what she was going to say next. He started to recede back in his head until he heard the usual chatter when he was around her. ‘Mate!’ she touched his cheek and his pupils readjusted on her.

>>> "Let me talk to him."

The shifter wasn’t sure he liked where this was going. His least preferred form usually got louder when he acknowledged it he was afraid what would happen if she did as well. His tail flicked under the covers in recognition.

>>> "Mate. Carrick and I. Not you. Got it?"

Carrick’s mismatched colored eyes locked on hers and he felt his lower lip twitch for a second then went into a smirk. ”Ya sound ridiculous.” in the back of his mind he waited for a response and there was nothing as if the words were all he needed to hear. ”No arguments here. Though I’d be worried if he started to argue.” Carrick said with a little chuckle.

”Alright...” he took a breath, ”Teach me!”

FTB

The roar probably woke up half the Mansion. The princess wondered if anyone was going to come knocking, but no one bothered. Her ears kept ringing for a long time in the quiet after, along with Carrick's soft purring that eventually must have lulled her to sleep, because the next thing she knew it was early morning.

The teaching... had gone well. The bed was a mess, complete with assorted gemstones, loose feathers (both the wing kind and the pillow kind) and a very content-looking Carrick. The princess' half-asleep mind still marveled at the fact that she was sharing her bed with someone who had wings and a tail and a persistent voice in his head. But she was not complaining about any of it. Carrick was a quick learner, and once he got over his initial anxieties, he really had nothing to be ashamed of.

Amethyst sighed, and snuggled closer, sneezing as a feather somehow got under her nose.

Carrick’s eyes snapped open when she sneezed. His pupils dilated as he started to recognize his surroundings. There wasn’t posters on the wall covering claw marks. The room also didn’t smell of leftovers he forgot about everything was clean. ”Bless ya.” he purred looking over to the light pouring in through the window.

A wide grin covered his face when he recalled the events of last night and earlier that morning. If he was alone he would have of done a dance. However, he wasn’t alone. The shifter was currently draped across the Princess with one arm under the covers holding her in a one armed hug while one of his wings made a makeshift blanket on top of her.

Carrick’s tail flicked under the blanket signaling he was awake as if the purring and him talking wasn’t a big enough sign. He wondered what was protocol after what happened last night. They weren’t dating, so should he have just snuck out and let her sleep? He got in his head again and looked to the window. That was probably a safer route. He didn’t have clothes anymore and after the noise from last night... He was pretty sure someone was gonna suggest some form of detention.

His tail flicked more, he didn’t want to go anywhere.

Carrick was up and purring again. Amethyst shifted to look at him, mismatched eyes and all. "Hey." Somewhere under the blankets his tail was doing its own thing, but he did not seem ready to move just yet. The princess winced, wiggling until she fished some gems out from under her hip, and then waved a feather away from his wing. "What a mess..." she muttered, not serious annoyed. She was warm and mostly comfortable. One wing was still draped over her like a feathered blanket.

”Nah, good morning.” he smirked leaning over and kissing her cheek. ”Yeah, more sorry about the roar and the mess. I feel like we both share the blame on that one. Carrick said smugly as he watched a feather get brushed away from her. He shifted his wing a little lower so he could get a good look at her.

Pushing himself up on an elbow he looked at her floor and then the bed. Gems and feathers. He smirked again, ”Seemed to do alright fer meself...” he yawned both wings stretching as one hand reaching out and grabbing the air while his other which was still around her grabbed her hip.

”So am I on the honor role now or do I still keep me C average?” he raised and eyebrow and laid his head back on one of her pillows. ”Surprised no one barged in last night...”

Amethyst had had a concubine before, but with him, she usually knew where they were standing the next morning. Right now, she had no idea. She wasn't even sure she wanted to know.

>>"Nah, good morning. Yeah, more sorry about the roar and the mess. I feel like we both share the blame on that one."

"I might be a little deaf still" she noted, poking at her ear and wrinkling her nose. Definitely stunning in the moment, the roar had never been designed for close range.

>>”Seemed to do alright fer meself... So am I on the honor role now or do I still keep me C average?”

"You really want me to grade you on this?" she arched an eyebrow "I remember me being the one who told you you'd learn..."

And he did, no complaints on that part. She was not sure about the whole grading thing, but she was satisfied. And he had been all cute about it, before he had time to find his usual bravado.

>>"Surprised no one barged in last night...”

"Yeah, me too." the princess admitted "Do you think it would have been a problem?"

”Good thing I know a little signing then.” he said not moving his hand from her side the other one moved a little with his words. Carrick learned to sign so he could ‘talk’ to his half brother. That didn’t turn out well for either of them. ”Well at least I only roared the once.” he smirked.

”Eh nah. Well, never been a good student but safe to say yer me favorite teacher. Dangerous answer I imagine. ” his tail flicked a gemstone. He guessed it was an opal. Maybe a diamond. Now he knew where the gems came from. He suddenly felt bad about keeping the bag from her previous concubine. That was another conversation he didn’t want to think about.

”Fer you and me to be doing... that?” he leaned up on his elbow then shrugged, ”Dunno? We both agreed on it right? Can’t see what the problem would be unless they had some diplomatic rule to keep ya away from bad boys like me.” he chuckled and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

>>”Good thing I know a little signing then. Well at least I only roared the once.”

The princess rolled her eyes. If the roaring was going to be a regular thing, that was going to be a problem. Her ears did not take kindly to the sound. She did not fault Carrick for it, inexperienced as he was, but she did not really want to repeat the experience. Unlike the... rest of the experience.

>>”Fer you and me to be doing... that? Dunno? We both agreed on it right? Can’t see what the problem would be unless they had some diplomatic rule to keep ya away from bad boys like me.”

The princess was quiet for a moment. She did not really have a diplomatic anything as far as dating went, since dating was not on the Atlantean radar. But if she had any kind of a public relationship with a gorgon... her cousin was going to have a field day with that. "Well, we are both over eighteen now" she mused "So that is good, in American standards, right? I'm... not sure there are diplomatic rules. None that I was told anyway."

”Twice over fer me.” he held up two fingers then gave a thumbs up and a smirk. Carrick’s tail kept moving the sheet behind him occasionally rolling a gem. Creating some distraction for him for a moment.

”Bad way fer me to find out.” he chuckled and then continued in a gruff voice, ”Ya touched the Princess, we’re taking yer hands!” he wiggled a few fingers. ”Imagine I can still play... be awkward at first sure, but I think tail can pull it off.” he looked back to his tail for confirmation. The sheets moved in response, tail didn’t seem interested.

Carrick looked back to her ”So it wouldn’t be a problem then to keep this...” he gestured to her then to himself. ”Going?” he wasn’t sure what this was but he knew what he wanted it to be.

”Whatever this is?” he asked hoping she could share her thoughts.

Technically, by American and by Atlantean law, they were both adults now. They could do whatever they wanted (as long as it did not interfere with Mansion rules) (she was not clear on Mansion rules). In fact, Amethyst was comfortable in bed right now and did not want to think of any kind of rules.

>>"Bad way fer me to find out. Ya touched the Princess, we’re taking yer hands! Imagine I can still play... be awkward at first sure, but I think tail can pull it off.”

The princess rolled her eyes. Sure, Atlanteans would have punished him severely for touching her... once upon a time. He did not need to know the details about that.

>>”So it wouldn’t be a problem then to keep this... Going? Whatever this is?”

"I thought it was dating?" she smirked, looking up at him again from poking at his feathers "Unless you changed your mind about the concubine thing."