[Night]

  The team sat around a big crag fire camp that Jubilee had set up. Nearby, a barbecue grill and the air was filled with the smell of cooki, seafood, and veggies. Aron was in charge of the grill, flipping burgers like a pro.

  "I didn't know you could cook," Kitty said, gazing at the nicely grilled steaks. Her mouth was already salivating, just from the smell.

  "There's a lot you don't know about me," Aron replied, winking at her.

  Betsy, now ba casual clothes and glowing faintly with residual energy, leaned against a driftwood log with a rexed posture. "Well, I'm hungry as hell after all that training. If the food tastes half as good as this smells, I'll be impressed."

  Jubilee sat cross-legged on a b nearby, toasting marshmallows over the fire. She g Betsy and grinned. "You were badass earlier. Splitting the o? That's some anime-level stuff."

  Betsy smirked, her pride evident. "Just wait. That was only a taste of what I do now."

  Jean rolled her eyes pyfully as she handed out ptes. "Let's not start measuring power levels. This isn't a petition."

  "Yeah, because you're still at the top, huh?" Kitty teased, stig her to at Jean.

  "Jealous much?" Jean shot back with a raised eyebrow, earning ughter from the group.

  Pietro zipped in and out of the circle, stealing bites of food from everyone's ptes before they could react. "Gotta admit, this is some of the best downtime we've had in ages," he said, leaning on Wanda, who gave him a withering gre for pilfering her food.

  "Try that again, and I'll hex you into week," she threatehough there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

  "'t catch me," Pietro quipped, vanishing in a blur.

  Goldy barked excitedly, wagging his tail as Jubilee tossed him a piece of grilled chi. "Good boy, Goldy!"

  As the night wore on, the team fell into easy versation, ughter ringing out across the beach. Aron finally joihe circle with a pte piled high with food.

  "Alright, everyone, dig in," he said, sitting dowo Jean, who immediately stole a fry from his pte.

  "Hey!"

  "Sharing is g," she said with a smirk, popping it into her mouth.

  Betsy watched the exge with a small smile, though her thoughts wandered. She felt a weird pain in her heart, seeing Jean and Aron. Their little pyful versation hurt her a bit. The memory of that day when she kissed him after losing the bet fshed before her eyes. But she quickly suppressed all that feeling in her heart and just acted normal.

  "To new beginnings," Wanda said, raising her soda in a toast.

  "To badass power-ups!" Jubilee added.

  "And to the best barbeque I've ever had," Pietro chimed in, earning groans from everyone.

  They all raised their drinks, the king of gsses and s sealing the moment.

  The group fell into easy chatter as they ate, their earlier worries and rivalries fotten for the moment. Jubilee reted an embarrassing story about a mission gone wrong, causing everyoo burst into ughter. Pietro tried—and failed—to eat five hot dogs in under a minute, much to Wanda's amusement.

  As night fell, Aron materialized a guitar. He started strumming a few chords, the melodic sound joining the rhythm of the waves.

  "You didn't tell us you pyed," Kitty said, leaning forward with i.

  "I never got a ce," Aron said with a wink. He pyed a soft tune, his voice low and melodic as he sang a song of adventure from his past life that he used to hear all the time. The group listened in silehe firelight refleg in their eyes.

  When the song ehere was a moment of quiet before Wanda broke it with a small cp. "Alright, I'll admit it, that was a good song. You're not just a show-off. You've got some actual talent."

  "I'll take that as a pliment," Aron said, grinning.

  The group rexed more as Aron put down his guitar.

  Jean grabbed a deck of cards from her bag. "Alright, let's settle this ond for all," she decred, shuffling the cards like a pro. "Who's the reigning champ of beach poker?"

  "Not you, that's for sure," Jubilee teased, stretg out on her b.

  "I don't know," Betsy said, her tone light as she grabbed her pte and sat closer to the group. "I feel like tonight's my night."

  "Only because ylowing—literally," Kitty joked, earning a chuckle from Betsy.

  As everyohered around to py, Aron leaoward Kitty, l his voice. "What do you say we duck out for a bit? I could use some quieter pany."

  Kitty raised a brow, but her lips curved into a sly smile. "Quieter? Are you saying I'm better pany than a hyperactive speedster and a firecracker who keeps roasting marshmallows?"

  "Just maybe," Aron replied with a grin, standing up and her a hand.

  Kitty g the group, who were too busy bantering over card rules to notice. She slipped her hand into Aron's a him help her up. "Lead the way, grill master."

  The two of them walked along the beach; the fmes were reg behind them, growing dimmer and dimmer as they walked toward the water's edge. The night was cool but not cold, with a gentle breeze carrying the salty tang of the o. The moon hung low; its pale light cast a silver path across the rippling waves.

  They walked hand in hand in fortable silence, enjoying each other's pany along the water. Eventually, Aron pulled Kitty closer and ed an arm around her waist. She smiled up at him, resting her head on his shoulder and twining her fingers in his.

  "This feels... nice." She murmured.

  "Sorry for making you worried even though I promised not to do that again," He said softly, looking at the sky.

  "You did nothing wrong. So, don't apologize. I was worried, yeah, a little bit. But I know you. I know your strength. I believe in you and your vi, but I was a little jealous of Jean. She got to spend too much time with you," Kitty admitted, blushing a bit.

  Aron turned her arouly and faced her with an ear expression, log their eyes together, and said, "Thank you. I... uh..." He trailed off and then cupped her cheek, pg a chaste kiss on her lips, which she accepted willingly. The kiss was slow and sensual, filled with passion, their lips and tongues dang in sync as the tension rose.

  Kitty deepehe kiss, letting out soft whimpers as his lips captured hers again and again, the heat pooling inside her like liquid fire. Her heart rate increased as her desire increased, and she felt a need unlike any she had ever experienced before. Aron tio explore her mouth, sav the sweet and delicious taste. She returned his embrace eagerly, her arms encirg him, pulling herself closer, reveling in the feel of his body pressed against hers.

  He grabbed her waist and pulled her up in his arms. Her legs ed around his torso. Without a pause, her lips went back to the kiss with more fervor and passion than earlier. Kitty wanted more, more, more. She let her mind go and gave herself freely, wanting only to enjoy this moment. She felt his hand on her butt, squeezing it firmly. And it made her melt.

  Then she realized something. He was starting to carry her to a safer area while tinuing to hold the kiss with his wonderful lips.

  After a long and satisfying walk along the beach, they finally broke their kiss, a small trail of saliva drippiween their lips. Their breathing was heavy, and their hearts were beating rapidly.

  "I want you, Aron. Make me yours tonight," Kitty said, gasping for breath, her face flushed, pupils dited with arousal.

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  [14 advance chapters] [No double billing]

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