Come slowly, Eden

Lil had been gone for a while, prancing around the countries as if she was some kind of traveling animal that never traveled in a herd. Almost like a lone wolf. But the hunter had taken months off for a vacation for herself.

She hadn't kept in touch with any of her friends or acquaintances and she knew that the moment that one of them saw her, they would probably flip out.

At least she would think so if Mav showed up out of nowhere. Lil shoved her hands into her shimmering golden shorts as she walked down the maze silently and quietly.

Thinking.

Tilting her head slightly to the right, she realized she had confused feelings towards Mavrik Mafters when she was away. She wasn't too sure what they were but they were there. But something about being surrounded by attractive men that were in the beach with only their speedos just didn't seem right to her.

She shrugged it off, even now a days, because she didn't want to bother with it.

"So, how long have you been following me?" Lil asked without turning, feeling Mav's presence behind her.

outfit.

Mavrik smirked mischievously, tilting his head to the side as he heartily appraised the golden shorts that had caught his eye- and barely glancing at any other area to notice exactly who's shorts they were.

"Sparkly." he praised under his breath, before kicking off of the wall he had been leaning on and pursuing the shimmering colour around the corner it had disappeared behind. Mav shoved his hands into his pockets, amused by this girl. Had she not noticed someone was following her?

The man frowned, suddenly recognizing he dark hair that swayed above the woman's hips. Was that her? She'd disappeared- without a word to him, which had annoyed him to no end- and admittedly, he'd felt slightly hurt. His blue gaze finally lifted from her shorts, and studied the figure for less than a second, before his face broke into a grin at her voice- unable to hide his happiness, and partly relief, at seeing her again.

"Longer than acceptable." He replied, picking up his speed so he slipped into the same pace as her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"You should kill any man who's following you." Mavrik chuckled. He didn't want anyone touching the woman beside him. "Apart from me- although I doubt you could kill me."

"It was my shorts, weren't they?" Lil stated more than asked, "Was that what caught your attention?"

The woman forced herself from allowing her mind to wander to other extremeties of the her mind. Overthinking was something she hardly did but this was different. When personal feelings were involved, everything was always different. The female smirked as he sped up to catch up with her.

"Well aren't you a little creepy," Lila laughed as her arm wrapped around his waist soon after he placed his around her shoulders, her thumb hanging itself in one of his belt loops. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you were checking me out before you realized it was me."

Her other hand was placed into her sparkly shorts pocket. She was fairly tall without heels but with her added platform heels, it made her about the same size as Mav. She wasn't exactly his height but she was close. Lil smiled happily as she felt the familiar lips placed themselves on her forehead. The brunette did miss him and those nagging feelings had appeared once more but she soon pushed them back again.

"But what if that man could end up being my spouse? Besides, there's got to be more than one way than meeting people in a pub," she said. "So enlighten, King Mavrik, with how you pick up woman. Don't you at least follow them for some time before deciding if you want to date them or not?"

"No," Mavrik smiled widely, and looking at the woman next to him. "Actually, I just sensed your lovely personality, and that you're a really great listener- and you're just adorable with kids." He teased, holding his hand against his heart- as if truly smitten- before chuckling, the low sound rumbling in his chest.

"Of course I was." he threw her a quick wink, before looking up again in the direction they were walking. "Those shorts look good." He paused. "Too good. I want them gone." he warned.

Just as he turned his head to speak to her again, Mavrik's blue eyes narrowed slightly as he scrutinized her carefully. "Why are you tall?" He asked, voice slightly pouty.

"Spouse?" The man tried to mask his amusement, only a small smirk slipping through, one eyebrow raised questioningly. Since when had Cosgrove wanted to marry?

"No- besides, my charm acts quickly. I don't have the time to wait around and make a judgement."

"Well, no, that can't be it considering one of those three things are completely false," she pointed out with a finger sticking up in the air. "I mean, we did talk about the whole kids thing. I did say I didn't want to be a baby cannon, remember that conversation? Not too keen about it yet Mav or probably ever."

Looking down at her shorts, Lil raised an eyebrow as she faced towards the man as she took a step back playfully, with a slight smirk one her lips, "So first you're checking me out and now you want to get me out of my pants. Geez, who knew you'd be the one to want me out of these?"

"Heels, King Mav, heels. I would think you'd know all about them," she laughed.

"Not saying that I actually want to get married any time soon but hey, a boyfriend would be nice, especially now since I'm like twenty-five and going back to teach at Hogwarts. Fuck, I'm old," she murmured the last part to herself.

"So you're saying that with your quick charm, woman basically come on over and drop their knickers on the floor after a few minutes?" She joked with a grin.

"Sarcasm, love." Mavrik laughed, lowering her pointed finger with his own hand gently, as if trying to calm her down. She was so childish sometimes- he couldn't quite decide if it was irritating or endearing.

"Not ever?" The man raised an eyebrow at Lila, not entirely surprised but still confused at her set decision. Some young women were already planning out their baby's rooms- and here was one who had decided that it just wasn't for her. Mavrik's blue eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinising her carefully- and trying to imagine her with a child.

The picture he had thought of didn't look so bad.

"I don't know." He grinned, shaking off whatever odd places his thoughts were leading him to. "I think I'd like a mini King Mav." He wanted to be a father. He knew that- it had always been something he knew he would want, eventually. Not necessarily a wife, or a big house- but a child, yes.

"That's not what I meant!" The man insisted, pulling her back into him stubbornly as she took just one step away. He didn't like the distance between-

"I meant, don't wear them out. Or I'll put you into a convent, Cosgrove." He threatened, not even daring to linger on the train of thought he had been on moments before.

"And what is that meant to mean?" He asked defensively. He didn't know about heels. "I don't like them, either." He smirked, and stopped walking to look down at the shoes in question. "Right, take them off." He instructed gravely, frowning deeply. Mavrik liked it when he had the height advantage.

"What happened to, uh..." Mav attempted to recall the other man's name. "What happened to...Callum?" He asked, more than a little hesitant on the name.

"Pretty much, baby girl." He grinned impishly, which lasted for a few moments, then faded.

"So. Are you going to say why you vanished or are we keeping secrets now?"

"I don't think so, no," she shook her head as Lil shrugged and looked at a nearby children that were playing some kind of game. Analyzing the parents that accompanied them, she frowned at how worn out and old they looked and when one of the kids fell to the floor and started crying, it's mother came after it to help it.

Lila didn't think she'd be able to take care of another person; besides, she had made many enemies during her times as a hunter and during those times, all the woman had to do was watch her back.

Another back would be too much for her.

"Besides, I think I put up with more than enough kids when I return to Hogwarts so why on earth would I want to add more into the equation. Especially those that I can decide to have," she added as she returned her gaze to Mav, her face scrunched up in slight disgust.

Lil's smile reappeared a few seconds later though, "Well good luck finding a woman that's going to birth your child. Going to feel bad for whatever bird has to carry your offspring for nine months of her life, having to take care of her child for eighteen more years." **

"Sure, sure, of course you didn't mean that," Lil grinned as she wiggled her eyebrows in a suggestive yet playful way as she was pulled back into his arms. "I promise I won't tell anyone about how much you want to shag me and what not."

"So wait," she began as they had stopped. "First you check me out and then want me to take my pants off, followed by the removal of my shoes? Yeah, you're so trying to shag me," Lil said as she shook her head, a light chuckle escaping her lips that were turned into a smirk.

"But no, I'm not taking them off and you can't make me," she added tauntingly as she poked his chest.

Lil shrugged, "I don't know. Things just didn't work out I guess, besides, he has a kid and like I said, I'm not a kids person, you know, unless they're Axel but other than that, nope."

"Oh you know, needed sometime away from the cold weather England brings every year," she shrugged as the brunette looked away, "That and I had to take care of some business in Finland."

And by unfinished business, she meant getting rid of a few people who had been threatening her for some time and she was finally getting fed up. Lil's way to get rid of the bastards were to kill them.

Mavrik shrugged noncommittally, eager to drop the subject about kids. How had this come up again? The man didn't enjoy talking about the future all too much. It always lead to him stressing, or going out to find someone to sleep with. Of course, that wasn't particular different from his usual regime, but it felt wrong when he did it like that. At any rate- his future didn't concern him, because he wasn't in it yet. At least, that was his logic.

"They'd be lining up, Lil." Mav grinned childishly, squeezing her shoulder playfully. "It'd be a privilege to carry my child." He declared, mockingly dramatically. Although, he could only imagine someone as perfect enough to entrust his child's well being with.

"Cross your heart?" He teased. "The boys would kill me if they knew." He laughed. He couldn't shag Lil. She meant too much to him.

"Yes, because bare feet are so sexual." The man smirked, shaking his head before swatting away her poking hand.

"Are you certain I can't make you?" Mavrik raised an eyebrow, latching onto the challenge. "Because I think I can." He dared, a dark, devilish glint in his blue eyes.

Mavrik scoffed. "He wasn't good enough for you anyway. I could tell." He dismissed, looking down at the woman. He'd be hard pressed to think of anyone who was good enough for her. He raised an eyebrow at her again. "And exactly why did you not tell me?"

"Well, I don't see them," Lil smirked as she turned her head over her shoulder. "Clearly they aren't lining up so I think you're getting a little too ahead of yourself there Mav, maybe you should try the whole dating or something."

As they walked through the gardens, the maze only got more complicated. She didn't think much of it though considering both of them could probably find their way out if they actually put their mind into it. Though this was time with Mav and for the most part, she always worshiped that time.

"And hope to die," she teased jokingly as she crossed her heart with her right index finger. "But if it ends up being a bad time, you should know I would tell them that you were very, very bad. I'd like to see them torture you till no end."

"Well that one boyfriend I had, Chad, I think, he had some odd fetish for feet," she pointed out with a small frown. "Real creepy but... you're right."

Lil glared at him, prepared to run if he actually took it like a challenge, "I'm sure you can't and I'll make sure you won't."

"Because you boys can get so worried sometimes and would rather do the work for me at times," she began, "and I wanted to do it by myself so I thought it would be better if I kept it to myself."

"I don't want kids yet, that's why they're not here." Mavrik rolled his eyes, but took a moment to consider what she had said. "I probably should date someone, eh love?" The man's face contorted slightly in both confusion and disgust at the thought. There was no one of particular interest in a while- Alexa Thorpe was entertaining, but he had not seen her in a while. He really should have made more of an effort with her, but...there were so many distractions.

"I think if you did that, I'd run away with a blonde to the Falklands." Mavrik chuckled, not daring to imagine what the rest of the Brotherhood would do to him.

"They're very pretty feet." Mavrik praised, surrendering his hands into the air before returning them back to their original positions.

His eyes lit up at the challenge, his whole stance becoming more alert. "How much do you want to bet?" He smirked, looking down at her.

"It would have been nice to know you weren't dead." Mavrik said conversationally, looking around at the maze garden. He honestly thought that sending him an owl wouldn't have cost her much time.

"Alright, well, promise me that when you decide to choose the womb that your child will be convinced from, that I can help you choose the lady? Don't want you to choose some ugly person with a terrible attitude," Lila laughed lightly at the thought of having to choose someone to bear his child, although it be quiet a funny thing to do. "However, dating is a positive thing to do before you choose a woman!"

Lil arched an eyebrow as she looked at him in mock surprise, "I never pegged you to run away with a blonde, maybe a red head, but never a blonde."

"Oh shut up," she rolled her eyes at his compliment.

"What's the prize?" Lil smirked, ready to bolt at any moment, "What are you willing to loose?"

Grinning, Lila looked at him, "Oh hi, I'd like you to know that I, Lila Cosgrove, am alive and well. Just like you to know that." She shrugged, "Besides, I like to say it takes a lot to kill me."