Dual Heritage Ch. 04

"You're too sweet, Mark," Sarah shakes her head, "I highly doubt that will ever happen, but I appreciate the sentiment."

Ria smiles, "Well, you never know. Stranger things have happened."

Sarah shakes her head. "Maybe but I'm not in a rush. I'm happy being single and enjoying my freedom."

"Well, more power to you," Ria says as Mark takes her suitcase and slings it over his shoulder.

As they start walking towards Mark's car, Sarah calls out to them. "Don't forget to invite me over for dinner once you two are all settled in!"

"Of course, we'll have to show off our amazing cooking skills," Mark replies with a laugh.

Ria nods. "And we'll make sure to have some wine to go with it."

Sarah grins. "Sounds perfect."

"Will do. Bye Sarah!"

"Bye guys, see you soon!" Sarah calls out as she waves.

As they hit the road, they found themselves stuck in traffic. The streets that were usually empty were now clogged with cars, buses, and motorbikes. Ria groaned, tapping her fingers impatiently on the dashboard.

"Of all days, why today?"

He chuckled, "I don't think traffic has ever picked a convenient day to show up."

As they inch forward, Mark switches on the radio to find some music to pass the time.

"Ugh, I hate traffic."

"I know, it's the worst," Mark agrees, "but hey, at least we have some good tunes to keep us company."

"True. So, what kind of music do you like?"

"I'm pretty open to anything, really. But lately, I've been listening to a lot of indie rock."

"That's cool. I'm more of a pop and R&B person myself."

As they continued driving, the traffic began to move at a slightly faster pace. Mark turned to Ria, "Hey, I was thinking. How about dinner to celebrate once you're settled in?"

"That's a great idea. I could use a nice dinner after all this."

"I know just the place."

Ria raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? And where is this magical place?"

"It's a surprise."

"Okay, I'm intrigued."

Mark grinned at Ria's excitement, feeling pleased that he could surprise her. "You won't be disappointed, I promise."

Ria leaned back in her seat, feeling a sense of anticipation building inside her. "I can't wait."

As they drove, the traffic began to thin out, and they arrived at Mark's home in no time. Mark helped Ria with her suitcase and led her to the door.

"Welcome to our humble abode properly this time," Mark said, holding the door open for her.

She chuckled, "Thanks, it's good to be back."

"Go ahead and unpack in my room. I'll join you shortly."

Ria nods and heads to Mark's room, while he makes his way to Aunt Lida's.

He raps on Lida's door, hearing water running inside.

"Just a moment," she calls out.

When she opens the door, her red, puffy eyes catch his attention. His heart ached at the thought of his beloved aunt being upset.

"Hey, Aunt."

When Lida opened the door, Mark could see that her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

She smiled weakly at him. "How was your trip?"

"It went well. We got stuck in traffic for a bit, but we made it," Mark replied.

"I'm glad to hear that," Aunt Lida said, "And how is Ria doing?"

"Great. She's settling in nicely."

"That's wonderful. I'm looking forward to getting to know her better."

"I'm sure she's looking forward to getting to know you too," he said, smiling.

"You guys must be tired."

Mark could sense that she was trying to hide something, but he didn't want to push her to talk about it. "Yeah, a little bit."

"Well, don't let me keep you. Go and spend some time with her."

He could tell that his aunt was not okay and he didn't want to leave her alone. He stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. "I won't ask anything, Aunt. I just want you to know that I'm here for you."

Lida smiled weakly and patted his back. "Oh, don't you go acting all grown up now. I am fine, really."

He pulled away and looked at her seriously. "I know you will be. But you don't have to go through this alone. Just remember that, okay?"

Lida nodded, touched by her nephew's concern. "Thank you, Mark. That means a lot to me. But really, it's nothing. Just some old memories that resurfaced."

He didn't push the issue any further. "Fine but there is one thing I want you to promise me."

"What is that?"

"Please don't snore," he said with a grimace.

Her eyes widened in shock, "I do not snore!"

"Please don't deny it. I got used to it but Ria might not tolerate the earthquake that occur every night."

She shook her head, mortified. "Oh hush, you. I do not snore that loudly."

"Trust me, I think the neighbors would disagree." Mark grinned. "Remember when I was a kid, I used to think there was a monster under my bed. I used to dream about earplugs."

Lida's cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment. "Well, I suppose I can't deny it completely. But don't go telling Ria."

"I won't have to. Your snoring is like a freight train, she'll figure it out soon enough."

Lida swatted at him. "Uhh, shut up. You're exaggerating."

"Exaggerating? Aunt Lida, you snore so loudly I'm surprised the neighbors haven't complained yet."

"Maybe I can cast a noise-canceling spell or something." She tried to save face

He chuckled. "Like that's going to help. Anyway how about we hit up that breakfast buffet place tomorrow morning?"

"Oh, I don't know, Mark. I am not in the mood. Maybe....."

"I am not taking no for an answer."

"You always were a stubborn one. Fine."

He grinned triumphantly. "That's my favorite aunt. Ria and I will be ready tomorrow morning. Don't be late!"

"Alright, alright. I'll be ready. Now go and get some rest."

Mark gave her a playful salute. "Yes ma'am, I'll see you bright and early tomorrow."

Lida shook her head, but couldn't hide the smile on her face. As she settled into bed, she felt content knowing that she had raised such a wonderful and caring nephew. It had been a while since they had gone out together. She drifted off to sleep, with a lighter heart.

Mark entered his room, feeling a sense of comfort wash over him as he saw Ria's things already unpacked and neatly organized. He smiled to himself, grateful that she had taken the time to make herself at home.

He couldn't help but smile as he noticed that Ria had already unpacked some of her things. Glancing around the room he noticed that she had also managed to take up a fair amount of space in his closet, her clothes hanging alongside his. There were a few of her personal items scattered on his desk.

Hearing the sound of running water from the bathroom, he knocks on the door. "Ria, you in there?"

Silence.

He knocks again, louder. "Ria?"

A pause, then her voice floats out. "Almost done, be out in a sec!"

He walked towards the window and leaned against the frame, staring out at the neighborhood.

As he looked out at the houses and streets, he thought about how much the neighborhood had changed over the years. Some houses had been renovated, some had been torn down and rebuilt, and some of the old familiar faces had moved away.

A few moments later, the bathroom door opened, and Ria stepped out, looking refreshed.

She sat on the edge of her bed wearing nothing but a Grey tee shirt depicting the Pikachu and her hair was tied up in a messy bun still damp from shower. The shirt was was overly large on her and fell down just past her butt.

"Sorry for the wait, just needed to freshen up," she says.

"No worries," Mark grins, "Get everything unpacked?"

"Mostly, just some books and toiletries left," she replies, gesturing to a bag. "Why don't you shower while I finish up?"

He just nods and heads to the bathroom. He quickly turns on the shower and steps under the warm water, letting it wash away the fatigue of the day.

He took a deep breath, letting the steam fill his lungs, and closed his eyes and couldn't help but wonder if he should tell Ria about his powers. On the one hand, he trusted her completely and knew that she would never judge him for something he couldn't control. On the other hand, arcanists were not exactly looked upon favorably in history, and he didn't want to risk losing her respect.

As he lathered himself up with soap, Mark kept thinking about the possibilities and the consequences of revealing his true identity. He knew that he couldn't keep it a secret forever, especially if he wanted to develop his powers further. But he also didn't want to put his relationship with Ria in jeopardy.

In the end, he decided that he would tell her, but only when the time was right. For now, he would focus on honing his skills and learning more about his magic.

Mark quickly steps out of the shower cubicle and reaches for a towel to dry himself off. He wraps the towel around his waist and looks in the mirror, noticing how the steam has fogged it up. He wipes it clean with his hand and looks at himself for a moment, lost in thought.

After a few moments, he reaches for his clothes from the closet. He pulls out a pair of boxers and a blue t-shirt, quickly getting dressed

As Mark made his way towards the bed, Ria continued rubbing lotion onto her legs, her movements smooth and practiced.

She looked up at him and smiled warmly, asking, "How was the shower?"

Mark replied, feeling refreshed and energized after his shower. He couldn't help but appreciate the sight of Ria sitting there, legs stretched out in front of her as she rubbed lotion onto them. Her skin looked soft and smooth, and the scent of the lotion filled the air.

He made himself comfortable on the other side of the bed, stretching out and leaning against the pillows. He turned to look at Ria again, only to find her squeezing more lotion out of the bottle. She lifted a leg and hooked her heel on the edge of the bed, the motion causing her shirt to ride up slightly and exposing a sliver of skin. Mark's eyes lingered on the exposed skin and the way her curves moved.

"Hey, I almost forgot to tell you. I was thinking we could go to that breakfast buffet place tomorrow morning. It's supposed to be really good."

"Really? That sounds amazing! What time?""

"Nine," he replied, trying to keep his eyes off of her legs. "So we should probably get some rest tonight."

Ria nodded in agreement before turning back to her lotion, resuming her movements on her legs. Mark took the moment to appreciate her beauty once again before turning his gaze to her sexy thighs.

"Your skin is so smooth," he commented, lying on his side with his head propped up on a bent elbow.

Ria chuckled softly, "Thanks, it's all about moisturizing and taking care of it. I do this at least twice a day." Squeezing more lotion out.

Mark grinned, "I can see that. Maybe you can give me some tips on how to take care of my skin."

As she massaged the lotion into her ankle, Ria let out a soft laugh. "I'd be happy to share some tips and make it a routine thing for us."

Mark's grin widened at the thought. "I'm definitely down for that," he said, his eyes lingering on her shapely calves. "Your legs are so damn sexy."

She smiled. "Oh really?"

"Yah I love how shapely they are."

"I thought my butt was your favorite?"

"Absolutely. I mean, your ass is amazing too, but those legs..." he trailed off, his gaze fixated on her lower half.

"I'll make sure to keep them in shape for you," she said, playfully flexing her calf muscles.

Mark chuckled, his eyes still fixated on her toned legs. "You don't have to do anything, Ria. You're already perfect." He reached out and traced a finger along the curve of her calf, causing her to shiver with delight.

"Stop it," she playfully scolded, pushing his hand away with a smile. "You're making me feel too good." Ria finished up applying lotion to her legs and stood up, "Alright, I'm all set for the night. Are you ready to turn in?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired actually. It was a long day."

Ria suddenly catches the hem of her shirt pulls it up. Mark is presented with her wonderful globes in full view as she threw her Pikachu shirt aside and and climbs into bed on top of Mark. She pulls the cover as she places her head on his chest and her butt on his lap.

"I guess I have to get used to this." Mark grinned as he placed both his hands on her ass cheeks squeezing them gently.

"Hmmm....Definitely," she whispers.

He couldn't resist grabbing hold of both cheeks and bouncing each one gently

"I change my mind. Your ass. It is the best thing like ever."

Ria just giggled but then removed his shirt and went back to sleeping on him pressing her full breasts to his hard chest, digging her face into his neck so that their cheeks were flush together.

"You are very indecisive," she said.

"Well I uhhhh...need more data."

"We have all night to compare notes."

A devious smile crept onto Mark lips and before he could respond, Ria had already started kissing him passionately .

They continued flirting back and forth like that for some time until both their bodies cried out for sleep but not without giving one last passionate kiss filled with unspoken promises that would be fulfilled later.