Despite the shit show that was the other day, Charlie actually managed to have a peaceful night rest.
In fact, it was relaxing, too relaxing, considering how much stress she'd gone through the other day. But when she woke up, that peace didn't last long.
A dull throb pulsed through her temples as she groaned, rubbing at them with both hands. "Ugh… fizzy hangover," she muttered under her breath. She wasn't exactly a heavy drinker, she wasn't one at all. And apparently, her lightweight tolerance extended even to carbonated lemonade.
As she rubbed her eyes open, she decided she wasn't quite ready to move yet. The bed was warm and soft, and she could definitely use a few more minutes' beauty sleep. That was, until she heard a chuckle right next to her ear.
She froze.
Slowly, Charlie turned her head, and there he was: Prince. Lying right under her, very much awake, and looking more amused than surprised.
Her mind blanked for a second before everything from last night came rushing back. Oh… oh no.
"…Good morning," she greeted awkwardly, her voice a little high-pitched. Her headache spiked when she tried to sit up, and she winced — that hangover really wasn't helping.
"Morning, Princessa," he said, his voice still heavy with sleep, a low, raspy tone that made her heartbeat skip. His mask was partially dissolved, revealing his mouth up to the top lip. She swallowed hard, realizing that she was actually lying on top of him.
And now that she was aware of it… oh no, it was suddenly very warm in here.
She immediately blamed the carbonated drinks. Definitely the carbonated drinks. The pillow wall didn't help either.
Prince smirked as if reading her thoughts. "Not much of a Morningstar, huh?" he teased. His arm, which had been wrapped around her waist all night, was now resting casually on her thighs.
Charlie let out a small laugh despite the situation. "Heh… guess I'm not. I really hate waking up before my alarm."
"I can tell," he said with a grin.
"Are you… hungry?" he asked next, leaning a little closer — close enough that their faces were just inches apart. Charlie's eyes flicked anywhere else. Her body tensed, but she didn't move away.
Before she could answer, he leaned in even closer, whispering something in her ear — something that made her eyes widen in surprise before her cheeks flushed pink.
"Wha— you— I—!" she stammered, completely thrown off, as he chuckled under his breath and finally let go of her.
Though, to her confusion, it almost seemed like he didn't want to.
Just as she was about to roll off the bed, he gave her a quick, cheeky squeeze on the butt.
"Eep!" she yelped, jumping up and glaring down at him.
He just laughed, stretching his arms over his head, his muscles flexing as he sat up. "Relax, Princess. No harm done."
"Seriously…" Charlie muttered, face still red as she turned away to fix her hair.
"Anyway," he said, his tone shifting, "while you were asleep, I got the information you wanted — about your little pet."
That got her attention instantly. "Wait, you did?!"
He nodded. "There's gonna be an auction in the Doomsday District, where the old Overlord Theatre used to be. But—" he added, his tone sharpening, "—the location of my bike is on the other side of the city."
Charlie nodded quickly. "Okay, then we'll just grab Razzle first, and then—"
"No," he interrupted flatly. "We get my bike first. The longer it's in their hands, the more likely they'll mess with it."
Charlie frowned, crossing her arms. "And what about Razzle? I paid you to—"
"You paid me to find your friend," he cut her off again, his tone growing colder. "And I did. I know the boss running that auction. Nothing's gonna happen to your pet."
Charlie's eyes narrowed, her voice rising slightly. "He's not my pet! He's my family! He's alone right now, scared, and you're worried about a bike?!"
That got his temper flaring. He stood up, glaring right back at her. "It's not just a bike."
"And Razzle isn't just a pet!" Charlie shouted, her voice echoing off the walls.
Her eyes glowed red, faint cracks of demonic energy showing around her face as her true demonic appearance slipped through.
Prince stared at her for a moment. "Sorry, but my bike comes first. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go get my—"
"No." Charlie's voice came out sharp. "If you're not going to help me, then I'll do it myself." She turned away, snapping her fingers, her red suit appearing over her pajamas in a flash of gold and crimson.
He blinked. "You're serious?"
"Yes," she said firmly. "Thank you, but I don't need your assistance anymore. You can go find your bike. I'll go make sure my friend is safe."
For a brief second, her voice cracked. "To think I actually thought…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "Never mind."
Grabbing her bag, she turned toward the door. Dazzle, who had been quiet the whole time, gave Prince a disappointed look before following her out.
The door slammed shut behind them.
Prince stood there for a long moment. Then he scoffed and muttered, "Little Miss Princess must be on her period."
"Never mind," he muttered to himself. "She signed a contract, either way, I'm getting paid." His smirk returned, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
He cracked his neck, his grin growing sharper. "Now then… let's take care of the idiots stupid enough to steal from me."