Léan, all cuddled up against Kratos, was intent on only one thing after doing what they had just done--taking a nap. He curled himself completely around Kratos like a second blanket and closed his eyes. "...If we sleep now...we will miss breakfast in the next few hours..." he mumbled, but he didn't seem to care all that much. A nap sounded better than food right now, after all.

Hebs' body jolting up had stirred Shadow from sleep despite the other's hopes. He had a smile on his face--apparently, he'd been having the most wonderful dream--as he came to, stretching his arms out. He seemed to notice the lack of a soft warmth laying next to him, though, because he opened his eyes at once and peered blearily up at the scaled male beside him. At once, the fallen angel seemed to realize that something was off. He sat up slowly, rubbing at his eyes.

"...What are you doing up? It's too early..." he complained, not awake enough to have a full grasp on his powers yet. "Go back to sleep. I need someone to cuddle with...and you're warm..." Shadow's hair was all over the place and slightly frizzy with static. He looked even more hilarious than he usually did after a long nap.

Kratos let his eyes slide shut as he relaxed even further. Now that he and Léan had shared something intimate, it made the other much more precious to him. "Doesn't matter," he mumbled as he rested his lips against the merman's cheek. He tightened his hold on him even further, not enough to suffocate him though, and let out a deep breath. In a matter of seconds, the life man was out like a light.

Hebs almost jumped when he'd felt Shadow shift to sit up and he dropped his hand before he'd found himself smiling in amusement. "I'm not warm," he reminded him as he chuckled. That must be his cold sweat that can't come out from the pores of his skin. He didn't have pores, after all. Just scales. Hebs reached out to have his fingers run through Shadow's hair and leaned in to kiss him lightly on the lips. His free hand rested on the space beside them as he let his lips linger there for a few more seconds.

"I just had a nightmare." His voice was low but it was enough for Shadow to hear. Pushing the other down with him as he pulled up the blankets, he cuddled with the ringmaster and tried to fix his hair by having his fingers try and play with the strands. "Go back to sleep." The snake man smiled softly.

Shadow slid his arms around Hebs absently as he started playing with his hair, yawning and settling down once more. "Mm...we need to get up soon, though. Remember...there is a show today. And tomorrow, Johnny should be here to pick up Blake. Do you...think Blake could participate in the show, if Kratos monitored him the whole time...? Perhaps he could try to use Pepiji. He's not a very dangerous creature..."

Having Blake perform in the show would attract more customers...that is, if Blake was up to it. Blake wasn't confident about his powers at all...

Shadow suddenly paused and then sat up, rubbing at the side of his head. "...Do you, ah...think..." He paused, shaking his head to clear it. "I'm going to see Rousel after Johnny comes to pick Blake up. Would you...would you want to come with me? I...would really like company. I don't like going to see Rousel alone."

Sometimes, Shadow could be a walking irony. "And here you were telling me it's too early." The snake man shook his head a little before he'd wondered that. "We'll have to be sure Blake's ready for it. We wouldn't want accidents to happen especially not when it's his first show."

When the other had sat up, he shifted as well to sit and put his hands on the bed just in between his legs. Hebs looked curious when the other had trailed off. This was one of those rare times when Shadow couldn't firmly say his words. It was only when the ringmaster had finished talking did surprise touch Hebs features. Surprise because Shadow never did show any signs of, well, weaknesses until now. It made Hebs' heart skip a beat. Bringing up a hand to have his fingers tuck some strands of hair behind the ringmaster's ear, he gave the other a smile.

"All you need to do is ask." He slid his hand down to rest on the back of the ringmaster's neck as he pulled the other in again for a deep kiss. Shadow was just too cute for words right now.

"I suppose only Kratos can be sure if Blake is ready or not. He should try testing him with Pepiji and see how it goes. He could do minor things only..." Shadow mused under his breath, cracking one of his closed eyes open.

Shadow eagerly responded to Hebs' offered kiss. "...Mm." When he finally did pull away, for air, the fallen angel had a silly grin on his face. "You will go with me, then?" he asked, as if he was searching for final conformation. "Rousel is not the easiest creature to deal with. He's very strong and manipulative. As for his lifelong career...think Ursula from The Little Mermaid...he is a sea witch, essentially. A mercenary who does odd jobs...the jobs no one else wants to do or is capable of doing."

It sounded like this Rousel was an unpredictable character...

Hebs blinked at that silly grin on Shadow's face and sighed as he rested his forehead on the fallen angel's shoulder. How could the other be so cute? "Yeah," he mumbled, looking rather embarrassed at his own thoughts. His embarrassment was quick to die down though when he'd heard him talk about Rousel and he pulled his head back to frown a bit. "How'd you get along with him?" he asked as he shifted a forty-five degree angle to face the ringleader and not give his neck any strain.

"And, didn't you say Pepiji's a rascal?" Hebs scratched his forearm a little and made a face when he'd seen some of the scales getting off. He probably should start soaking in hot water right now. Putting the sheets aside, he turned again to set his feet on the floor and get up from the bed. "Let me borrow your bathroom, too." He gave the ringleader and small smile, "I'll be sure to clean it afterwards." After all, skinning isn't exactly a very clean process.

"Well, I told you that I met him on my boat, right? He was raiding my food and I caught him. We're very alike, but...he oftentimes has more malicious intent than I do. It's why I like to keep a good eye on him. He's...very strong. He tends to get uncomfortable if I bring anyone along with me to see him, but...going alone is just asking for trouble. He likes to flirt with me."

Shadow grinned all of a sudden, looking amused. Now, how would Hebs react to Rousel's strong come-ons? That would be interesting to see. When the other suddenly stood, though, he hummed under his breath for a moment. "Pepiji is a little rascal. But he's a weak little rascal...slippery and sly, but weak. He would be a good starting demon for Blake to toy with..." Pausing, Shadow stretched himself out on the bed and then settled down to await Hebs' return. "Take your time."

Hebs was pretty sure there was irritation that crossed his face when he'd stopped in his tracks at the words 'flirt with me'. Bringing up a hand to rub his neck, he rolled it around and swiftly snapped it from side to side. There was a pop and a crack. "I'm sure you'll be having fun seeing me jealous." He put his hand on the frame of the door to the bathroom and turned to look at Shadow. There was a look of annoyance apparent in his eyes before he'd shaken his head and stepped into the bathroom.

Well, Shadow wouldn't be Shadow if he didn't do those things to try and strum a string in him. He knew he still had rivals, like that of Damon and Rousel, to get through Shadow but what kind of challenge would it be if he gave up halfway? Hebs may be jealous but that was about it. He was in no position to tell Shadow to come running into his arms or something. Plus, he was going to be okay as long as he didn't give that to Shadow yet. Keeping his said, well, 'virginity' intact and whole is something he'd like to do. It was one of the very reasons why he isn't allowing Shadow to take the top position.

To Hebs, if he did that, he'd be afraid he'd be a nuisance to the ringleader especially since the bottom position meant being unrestrained and open. Giving one's everything to another. Hebs feared he'll just crack if he did so without Shadow being sure. In all honesty, Hebs isn't as strong as most people who knew him would think he is. In fact, the smiles he wore... they may be assuring everyone around him but that was only a show - something he's learned to do while he grew up.

Hebs let out a quiet sigh as he soaked himself into the hot water. Bare naked and relaxed, he took his shirt and dipped it into the water before he'd used it to get the old scales off of him.

It was an hour or so later when the snake man finally left the bathroom in nothing but a towel around his waist. He was still dripping wet but his scales have become awfully bright. They even looked smoother than before. "Cleaned up your drain and prepared a bath for you as well," he told the man as he smiled, "If you want to, that is. I'll go get changed and prepare breakfast."

The grin that spread across Shadow's face when Hebs started looking very jealous was absolutely priceless. He leaned backward a bit, looking quite smug. Of course he was going to test his limits with Hebs. He liked teasing the younger male, after all. It was fun. "Mm...oh, I will. Who knows--he might even decide he likes you more than me..." Rousel, like Shadow, couldn't help flirting or commenting to an attractive person, no matter the situation. But Rousel was much more aggressive than the fallen angel was.

Shadow stretched his arms absently as Hebs disappeared into the bathroom, looking pleasantly amused. He didn't mind allowing Hebs to top until they were both comfortable about their feelings. It was obvious that the azure-haired male was still very conflicted...after the visit to the villa, though, that would hopefully be all cleared up. But...just how was Damon going to react? Was he going to want to be revived permanently? Did he want Shadow back? If the two of them had both honestly loved each other, wouldn't Damon immediately jump at the chance to live again?

Well. Shadow had said that Damon had died of terminal brain cancer. Would he...even be mentally competent once he was revived? People who suffered from brain cancer often had a great mental regression near the end of their life. Did that happen to Damon? Any thought at all of Damon seemed to sour Shadow's mood. He flopped entirely back down on the bed and then pulled the blankets up and over his head, scowling.

It was so hard to read Shadow. So, so hard. After all, he was the one who could read minds...and no one could read his and tell what he was really thinking. He was such an enigma. Like Hebs, Shadow often smiled when he had no reason at all to smile. He'd lived a long time and gone through many tough times. It was a wonder that he was still as sane and generally pleasant as he was after all those years. Immortality was not always what it cracked up to be, after all. Staying alive and well while people you love and care about wither away and die...again, and again, and again.

"...Oh." Shadow sat up slowly as Hebs returned, blinking. "A bath sounds nice. By the way, when you finish with breakfast...our dear merman and life man don't need it. So, feel free to let them sleep. They had a rough night last night." The way he said that was suggestive enough to get the point across.

Standing from his position on the bed, the fallen angel sauntered cheerfully into the bathroom.

Hebs watched Shadow go to the bathroom and sighed before he'd shaken his head. "I don't think I even want to know what went on with them," he mumbled under his breath as he ran his fingers through his wet hair. A few strands fell over his face but that was about it. The rest stayed back, held back. And, how could anyone like him better than Shadow? When he stood beside the fallen angel, he was more of a freak. The ringleader's beauty surpasses just about everything.

Somehow, he's starting to believe that he just likes Shadow because of his irresistible beauty and charm - even if he may turn S or M at times.

This is frustrating, somehow... Covering the lower half of his face as his cheeks turned a pale pink, he let his eyes slide shut for a moment before he'd resumed his steps toward Shadow's door. He exited the man's room and shut it behind him. Gathering himself for a second or two, the snake man left for his room to change and start on breakfast just after he'd trekked on to the kitchen.

Shadow spent a longer time than was necessary soaking in the tub, all splayed out with a dreamy look on his face. Why was it, he mused, that a long soak in a warm tub seemed to make everything all better? It was like it had medicinal properties, even though Shadow knew that was impossible. He laid his head back against the ceramic edge of the tub, frowning.

He hadn't meant to upset Hebs in any way. Honestly. He just wanted to test a few things. The strength and genuineness of Hebs' feelings for him, for one. And, also, he wanted to test his limits and see what he could or couldn't do. This was the one thing he hated about actually starting to fall for someone. Monogamous relationships were very difficult for him. He was used to being 'free,' in that sense. Free to flirt, free to fuck...changing his lifestyle was difficult. Damon hadn't minded Shadow's behavior. The two had been confident enough of their feelings and trusting enough of each other for that sort of lifestyle to work...

After a few long, relaxing minutes, Shadow was up and out of the tub, all dressed in a fresh gray turtleneck and an old pair of blue jeans. It was strange not to see him wearing something black, and it seemed to change his look as he made his way out toward the kitchen.

It really made him change his look. Honestly, it made Hebs forget he was just going to put the carrots into the pan, not his whole hand. Jumping, bolting and bumping his back against the edge of the counter, he hissed in pain and leaned against the counter with his forehead pressed against the cold tiles. His hand, which had probably suffered a first degree burn was under running water while his other hand held onto his back. "You could've at least announced you were going to come in..." His cheeks were unusually red and his eyes were tight shut.

The garlic and onion he was currently working on with the carrots to saute were left. Sizzling. "Please continue cooking the food." It was a good thing, too, that he didn't burn his good hand - the hand he'd frequent at that.

Shadow looked quite concerned, and shocked, when Hebs reacted in the way he did--only then did he realize what the younger male had done. Dashing forward to help him, Shadow slid a cloth underneath the cold running water and, after getting it thoroughly soaked, he began to wrap Hebs' hand up in it. "Keep that on until it starts going numb. Then remove it and wrap it in a dry cloth..." The fallen angel ordered simply before turning to tend to the food. "I do apologize," he added quietly. "I had no idea you would react in such a way."

The way he cooked...it was like watching an Iron Chef competition. Cooking was something that Shadow just loved to do, but didn't do often. He took the time to pause while letting the food sit for a bit. "...Do you think it would be worth it to convince Rousel to join us?" he asked all of a sudden, seeming serious.

Hebs was thankful for the help Shadow offered but looking at him really made the snake man's stomach go into turmoil. What the hell was happening to him? Keeping his gaze at the cloth around his hand, he made a face and mentally slapped himself for causing such a thing. Just when he'd molted too. "Neither did I," he mumbled, looking both embarrassed and irritated at the way he was acting and feeling. What was he? A fifteen-year old boy?

When he'd looked up, though, to see Shadow cooking, he wasn't the least bit surprised. Hell, he was reminded of his admiration for him and his cooking abilities. Unable to hold himself back from smiling softly, he started to work on his hand when it had gone a little numb and changed the wet cloth to a dry one. There was surprise, though, on his face at the question and he momentarily stopped what he was doing to look up at Shadow. That was a bad move, it seemed. He couldn't look away. Shadow really looked good in clothes that weren't black. He suddenly remembered him wearing an all white attire. That was freakier than when he was wearing black but he looked like what he had been then.

"That depends, I suppose," he started as he made a fist with his burnt hand. The pain had him flinching and looking away from Shadow. "If you have an offer he can't refuse? And, if he'll be a good addition to our group..."

"Rousel likes living in the ocean. It would not be easy to coax him onto land for an extended period of time even though he could travel easily on land if he wanted to..." Shadow mused after setting the food back on one more time to crisp them to absolute perfection. "I don't want to force him. I can bring it up, but...I've offered many times and he's always refused. Maybe he can come to visit, though, and he could bring him back home before we leave for the villa?"

It would be four days, now, until they left for Austria. Shadow wasn't exactly enthusiastic about it, but it had to be done. The place was always a somber reminder of his immortality...so many graves...so many lives lost. But...this had to be done. He knew he had to speak with Damon, but he didn't want to. He was afraid of what the other would say. Damon always had a knack for seeing right through all of Shadow's facades--he was one of the few people who could easily read the fallen angel. Shadow hadn't always liked that...but it had grown on him.

Clearing his mind, the tall male started fetching plates. They would all have a bigger share than usual because two of them weren't going to be joining them at the table. As he doled out servings of food, he spoke again.

"Rousel is not very well-behaved. But he is quite a sight to see and would attract visitors. I think he might, ah...get on Kratos' nerves, though. He, ah...likes pretty sirens."

Hebs looked amuesd at the other's last words. "We'll have trouble keeping Kratos from killing Rousel, won't we?" he asked the other as he chuckled and rubbed his back with his good hand before he started taking the plates to set the table. "But yes. We can bring it up. It'll be up to him if he'll want to come with us for a few days vacation - maybe." Once he was sure everything is set, he tugged a little at the front of the dark blue shirt, v-necked he was wearing. It always had the tendency to pull back and reveal more of his nape and the top of his spine.

"And, if what you said is true about him attracting visitors... that would certainly benefit us."

"Mm...most likely." Shadow ghosted out toward the table and then sat down slowly. "When we do go to see him...please try not to get too close. He's very strong and has decided to pull me under more than once for kicks in the past. He won't be very accepting toward a stranger, at first. But...I just don't want to go alone. He makes me nervous while I'm alone."

Shadow liked Rousel. Really, he did...but the big man made him nervous from time to time. His kind wasn't known for being pleasant, after all. 'Witches of the sea' were outcasts underwater. And yet, Rousel loved his underwater home and didn't want to leave...

"...Oh. Gian and Alfie," the fallen angel suddenly remembered, moving to stand up.

Hebs was still standing when Shadow had sat down. It was a habit of his to wait for the others to come to the table before he sat down himself. "Oh?" He seemed thoughtful before he'd nodded. "I'll take note of that." Somehow, though, the idea of Shadow being nervous didn't seem to fit the other's image at all. It had him imagining just how a nervous Shadow would be like. Though he was going to see it later, he couldn't help it. It just sounded too interesting to pass up.

"Ah yeah," he said with a blink just when he'd realized that too. Setting his hands on the other's shoulder and putting him back down on his seat, he smiled again at him. "Let me wake them up. Could you get us drinks here?" Hebs retrieved his hands and rubbed lightly at the dry cloth before he'd disappeared out the kitchen door, to the hallway and stood in front of Alfie's door.

He was pretty sure Gian was with him. "Gian? Alfie?" he rapped at the door before he'd opened it, "Breakfast's ready."

Gian seemed to stir awake first. He seemed to nuzzle Alfie's neck before he'd lazily opened his eyes halfway. "A minute," he mumbled, his voice hoarse as he shut his eyes again and relaxed further onto Alfie, "Just... a minute more..."

Shadow smiled in a gentle way as Hebs pressed him back down into his seat. "I can..." Once the other was gone, he once again rose out of his seat and disappeared into the kitchen, pouring drinks for all four of them. He was able to balance all four glasses easily as he made his way back out to the table, setting them down and placing one at each seat. He then sat down again, waiting for Hebs to return with the other two.

Alfie grunted his agreement to Gian's statement, still more than half-asleep. Even the knowledge that there was food ready didn't seem to have much of an effect on the naga, who just wanted to cuddle with Gian for a few more seconds...or minutes...or hours...

Yep, he'd be pretty much content laying there all day with a warm body next to him. After a few moments, though, his stomach began to fight him, gurgling its disapproval to the red-haired man and trying to urge him out of bed. Grudgingly, Alfie sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "C'mon, Gian...let's go and get food...then we can go back to sleep," he promised, yawning widely after he spoke.

Gian groaned. He didn't want to get up. His lower lip seemed to protrude, making it look like he was pouting. Grunting, too, and letting out a deep breath, he slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position. His eyes were still closed. "I hate being woken up..." The boy was mumbling this. Hebs could only chuckle. "I'm sorry, but we can't have breakfast and lunch set together at ten in the morning, not when we're having the show tonight."

That, and Hebs was reminded he had to ready some of the other things that was going to be needed for later.

"Come on you two, Shadow's waiting at the table. The other two won't be joining us so you're the only ones we're waiting for." Gian's stomach grumbled too and he yawned widely before he'd pushed the blankets aside and got out of the bed. Stretching out and hearing a few bones cracking, he mumbled something inaudible under his breath and went on ahead, brushing past Hebs to go to the dining table. He looked like a mess, though, with the bedhead and all.

Alfie slowly followed Gian after he brushed past Hebs, his eyes barely open. He wasn't coordinated as he slithered along, occasionally turning too early and smacking face-first into the wall. Obviously, he wasn't awake yet. He grumbled whenever he did so and just continued on. When he smelled food in the near distance, though, the naga's eyes popped all the way open and his speed suddenly increased.

Shadow was waiting for them all as Alfie returned and promptly sat in the seat he knew was his--the plate that had the most food was usually Alfie's. Immediately, the redhead began to shovel food down his throat, making pleased sounds in the back of his throat. Food was usually a good way to get on Alfie's good side. He paused to chew thoughtfully, though, and then peered in Shadow's direction.

Something about the way Shadow looked--he was now eating slowly and gazing off to the side--indicated that he was in deep thought. About what Alfie didn't know. But he sure as hell wanted to know.

Hebs looked amused when he'd seen Alfie bumping into walls. He would've had reached out to try and shake the sleep off of the naga but knew better than to do so. After all, that was going to happen. Seeing him wake up at the smell of food, Hebs smiled and shook his head before he'd tugged a little at his shirt. It was a little hot. He wasn't sure why.

"Everything all right?" Hebs asked Shadow when he'd noticed him being quite silent. It seemed Shadow was too far in thought to even have noticed Gian's greeting. "Shadow?" He thought he'd add in Shadow's name just in case the other was thinking he wasn't talking to him. Taking the spoon, he thanked the universe for the food and started on his breakfast - at a slower pace than Gian, though.

Gian was eating his food like there was no tomorrow, stuffing his face with it. He'd noticed Shadow's far away look but didn't pay it any attention like that of Alfie and Hebs. He was far too occupied with the superb taste of the food. It wasn't hard to tell that it was Shadow who'd prepared the food. Something seemed to have happened to Hebs hand and he pointed at it with his spoon. "What's up with that?" he asked Hebs who only blinked and replied with a sheepish look. "Something had, well... happened." Shadow's 'new' look, too, just got to Gian and he was unable to keep himself from whistling.

"Looking good, Shadow. Is there an occasion today?"

"...Hm?"

Shadow blinked, his attention now focused on Hebs. "...Oh. Oh, yes--I'm all right. Something just occurred to me..." Unfortunately for any curious souls, the fallen angel left it at that and didn't elaborate. Alfie looked disappointed. Of course, he'd wanted to hear what was really bothering the older man. Usually, when Shadow was this quiet, he was plotting. But...was it serious plotting or fun plotting? The naga was staring hard at his face and trying to figure it out.

Shadow almost choked on his food when Gian spoke and had to pause to swallow carefully. He immediately chuckled once the food was down his throat. "Mm...no, not really. I just felt like wearing lighter colors today..." he replied simply, being completely honest. "As for an occasion today...our show is tonight. Don't forget that."

Hebs looked curious himself but he didn't press the issue. It wasn't rare for Shadow to be thinking so much. After all, he did hold a lot of responsibility being the 'father' of this small family of his and the ringleader. Smiling in amusement when he'd seen Shadow's reaction to Gian's blunt question, he reached out to run his hand up and down the fallen angel's back while he looked at Gian who let out a thoughtful, "Ohh."

"And, I'm not forgetting that. I just don't want to think about it." Grinning at the fallen angel, the boy continued to eat his food. Hebs only shook his head before he'd resumed eating as well and ate his portion quite quickly. Once he was finished, he leaned back and watched the others eat with his arms crossed over his chest. "When were we visiting Rousel again?" he asked as he tilted his head a little.

"After the show. I asked him to meet me in the evening," Shadow replied simply as he ate, eyes closing. He still seemed to be deep in thought despite having apparently spilled the beans on what he was thinking of. It was so, so hard to get the entire truth out of the azure-haired man. But typically, the thoughts he kept to himself were just little worries. No big deal.

Alfie didn't seem convinced that Shadow was musing about something trivial. As such, he kept a close eye on the older male. Shadow noticed this, but he didn't seem to care.

Just as he was beginning to fall silent again, Shadow perked up. "Mm...Blake is getting up," he noted, quietly, as he started to rise from his seat. "There are leftovers. I'll make him a plate."