Truth, Lies, and Silver Eyes (A Sequel to STRQ) [Book 2]

Chapter 26: Taiyang

Raven was completely silent as I drove us home. She seemed fixated on the ultrasound pictures.

"That appointment wasn't so bad, was it?" I asked, careful not to take my eyes off the road.

"It was a bit uncomfortable, but I think having you there with me helped a lot," I heard her say.

I felt my face get warm. "Really?"

"Yeah. I guess what I'm trying to say is... thanks for the support."

I couldn't help but smile. "No problem. I'd do anything for you, you know."

"I know. So what are we going to do with these pictures once we get back?"

I thought about it for a moment.
"I just figured I'd hang it on the fridge or something."

"That works. And it'll be in a place where we can admire them," Raven pointed out.

"That's true. So was there anything you wanted to do once we got back?" I asked her.

"I want to go on a mission with you."

I turned my head towards her.
"Really? Why?"

Raven shrugged. "Eh. Why not? It doesn't have to be a tough mission or anything. We could just go patrolling for Grimm somewhere in Vale."

Just as I turned my head back to the road, I saw that the car in front of me had stopped. I cursed and slammed my foot on the brake. The car stopped abruptly, causing both me and Raven to jump.

"Nice going," she snapped.

I sighed. "I'm sorry. I guess I got a little too distracted for a moment there."

"You're lucky you didn't slam into the back of that car! Be more careful from now on."

I nodded as I slowly started to drive again. "Yes ma'am."

She punched my arm "I mean it, Tai. You could've hurt us or someone else."

"I know that. I'll be careful, I promise."

We drove the rest of the way in silence. Once we got back, Raven hung the ultrasound picture on the fridge with a few magnets.

"How does it look?" she asked.

I smiled. "Perfect. I'm about to make some dinner soon. Would you like to help?"

Raven nodded. "Sure. I'll set the table."

As Raven was getting out some plates and cups, I started prepping the food. Raven finished setting the table quickly and came over to me.

"What are you cooking tonight?"

I shrugged. "Nothing fancy. Just a simple stew with potatoes. You can help by chopping some potatoes for me. I've already washed them. They're in that green bowl on the counter."

Raven walked over to the green bowl and grabbed a potato.
"Is there any way you'd like me to cut these?" she asked.

"Not really. You can start by chopping them in half and then cut them that way. It might be easier."
I reached up and grabbed a spare cutting board from the cabinet.
"You can use this to cut the potatoes on," I said to her.

She smiled and took the cutting board. "Thank you."

As Raven was working on the potatoes, I worked on the stew. After a few minutes, I heard Raven hiss and curse under her breath.
"Dammit," she mumbled.

I turned to her. "Are you okay?"

She rose her hand and showed me the cut. It didn't look that deep, but it probably stung a bit.

"I cut myself on accident. Sorry," she said.

I walked over to her and had her place her hand over the sink.
"Don't worry about it," I said. "The good news is that it doesn't look too bad. Plus, I can help."

I gently took her hand in mine and concentrated. My aura activated and began to heal the cut. We both watched as it closed up and went away within a few minutes.

"There you go," I said, smiling at her.

"That's a pretty useful semblance you have," Raven told me. "Thanks for your help."

"Anytime. Although we both might want to wash up again just in case."

After we had washed up, we stared on dinner again. With Raven's help, dinner was ready a lot quicker.

"You know, I think I like it when you help me in the kitchen. Maybe we could cook together more?" I suggested to her, as we ate.

She chewed for a bit before answering. "Okay. It was actually pretty fun. And you never did answer my question."

I stared at her. "Which is?"

"Do you want to go on a mission together or not?"

I sighed. "Raven... as much fun as that sounds, it's too risky. I don't want you to end up straining yourself or doing anything that could put you or our unborn child in danger. You understand, don't you?"

She glared at me. "I guess so."

We spent the rest of dinner in an awkward silence. I had a feeling Raven was going to go on a mission whether I liked it or not. I could either go with her, or let her go on her own, which I wasn't about to do.

"But," I told her, "if you want to go on a mission together that badly... I guess we can find something that could work."

Her eyes lit up. "So... is that a yes then?"

I smiled. "It is. Just make sure it's not too dangerous, okay?"

She grinned. "Will do. I'm going to start looking."

She excused herself, left the kitchen, and went upstairs. I stayed downstairs a while longer, cleaning what was left of dinner. After that was done, I made my way upstairs and opened the door to the bedroom. Raven was already asleep, curled up on her side. Her scroll was still on, displaying a list of missions that were currently available. I was careful not to wake her as I turned it off and climbed in next to her.

"I really hope you know what you're doing, Raven," I whispered as a I closed my eyes to sleep.