The Wicked Horse

Bright green eyes were focused on the large flat screen tv in the living room of the large living room. Sky sat crossed-legged on the couch, a fuzzy blanket that she kept here over her lap and her switch controls in her hands. They were plugged into a wheel controller so that it was easier for Sky to cheat as she played Mario Cart eight.

Just as Sky finished her millionth course, she glanced towards her phone to see the time. It was nearing three in the morning and her uncle still wasn't back. He had promised to play Mario Cart with her when he finished his work.

A huff escaped from Sky as she turned her game off and laid down on the couch. Curling up in the crook of it as it was her favorite spot to curl up. There was no way she was going to go easy on him next time he asked to play her Switch with her. Slowly, Sky started to close her eyes and started to doze off.

Although, she didn't seem to fall completely asleep as she soon heard the beeping for the front doors code echoing quietly. Not wanting to speak with her uncle right now, Sky pretended that she was still asleep as she heard the door open and close. He was getting what he deserved. The silent treatment.

Bright green eyes were focused on the large flat screen tv in the living room of the large living room. Sky sat crossed-legged on the couch, a fuzzy blanket that she kept here over her lap and her switch controls in her hands. They were plugged into a wheel controller so that it was easier for Sky to cheat as she played Mario Cart eight.

Just as Sky finished her millionth course, she glanced towards her phone to see the time. It was nearing three in the morning and her uncle still wasn't back. He had promised to play Mario Cart with her when he finished his work.

A huff escaped from Sky as she turned her game off and laid down on the couch. Curling up in the crook of it as it was her favorite spot to curl up. There was no way she was going to go easy on him next time he asked to play her Switch with her. Slowly, Sky started to close her eyes and started to doze off.

Although, she didn't seem to fall completely asleep as she soon heard the beeping for the front doors code echoing quietly. Not wanting to speak with her uncle right now, Sky pretended that she was still asleep as she heard the door open and close. He was getting what he deserved. The silent treatment.

Damien sighed as he plugged in the code for the alarm system. He was bone tired, ready to go upstairs and go to sleep. He had been at work for nearly four hours late because his manager had up and quit, deciding that Damien wasn't paying enough. Rolling his eyes at the thought, he scoffed as he dropped his keys on the small table sitting by the door. He toed off his shoes, heading toward the living room when he spotted Sky. He sighed, running a hand down his face as he studied her sleeping form for a moment.

"Sky?" He called gently, frowning when he realized that she was seemingly asleep. Damien shook his head, moving toward her form on the couch. He slid an arm beneath her shoulders and one beneath her knees before he lifted her up. Damien turned, starting to carry her upstairs.

"Shh. Go back to sleep, just taking you to your room," he murmured when he noticed that Sky had started to wake. Damien trudged up the stairs, holding her to his chest. "The couch isn't going to be very comfortable for you all night, ya silly goose," he teased softly.

@ castle.
A small groan escaped from Sky as she felt her body moving on its own. Then, she instantly relaxed as she heard Damiens voice and instead of asking what was going on, she just snuggled against his chest as he carried her. A faint smile appearing on her lips as she caught a wiff of his cologn.

No, no Sky. You're suppose to be mad at him. She remembered and let out a small sigh as her eyes opened half way. "You broke your promise." She mumbled quietly as she rested her head against his chest, fighting really hard to keep her eyes open. "You said you'd play Mario Cart with me when you came home. You even said you'd try and come home early."

That's it, guilt-trip him, it's the easiest way to get what she wanted. Sky was a good kid, she was very caring and shy, but she did have her stubborn spoiled side. All thanks to her father and Uncle.

Then, just like her, Sky couldn't stay mad at her favorite, and only, uncle. "What kept you at work so late?" She asked quietly as she glanced up at her uncle's face before moving one of her hands and rubbing her tired eyes. Staring at the TV screen for hours really dried them out and they were starting to slightly hurt as well.

Damien could feel his heart breaking when Sky pointed out that he had broken his promise to her. He let out a sigh as he shook his head, kicking open her bedroom door. He moved to the bed and bent down, carefully laying her down. He reached, pulling her blankets over her body. Damien sat by her, reaching out to run his fingers through her hair for a moment. He pouted a bit, cupping her cheek before he dropped his hand.

"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry," Damien murmured, his hand slipping into hers. He squeezed her hand, giving her a lopsided smile. "The manager at my work decided to up and quit because I don't pay him enough money apparently," he said as he rolled his eyes. He shook his head, lettingo ut another, tired sounding sigh.

"I'll just have to go in tomorrow to do some payroll stuff but then I'll be home. How about we go out for a late lunch and then we can do something fun, hm? After that, we can come home and we can play as much mario kart as you want. We can even get some ice cream. How does that sound?"

@ castle.
As soon as she was placed on the bed, Sky felt like she was going to fall asleep. Her bed at Damien's house was always way more comfortable to lay on than the one at home. She could just sink into the mattress and sleep for days. A small frown slowly appeared on Sky's lips as she listened to Damien, her bright green eyes opening and glancing up at him as she listened.

"That sucks." She mumbled quietly as she gently squeezed Damiens hand in response to him holding hers. "Do you have anyone that you can promote to that position? Or do you have to start interviewing people?" Sky asked quietly as she moved to pull the blanket up a little farther with her free hand.

Then, a small smile appeared on Sky's lips at what Damien was saying to her. She released her grip on his hand and held it out with her pinkie finger sticking out. "You have to pinky promise on that one." She told him, feeling childish for saying so, but she felt like it'd help lighten the mood. "If you come back late again, then I'm not gonna make you dinner for the remainder of my dads business trip." She said, sticking her tongue out at him before letting out a small laugh and then burying her face in the blankets as she felt a yawn escape from her.

"Can I come with you to your work one of these days?" Sky asks quietly once she was sure that her yawn was over. She shifted around a little bit so that her head was under her pillow and propped up a bit as she looked at Damien. "I can act as an assistant for a day since you're missing a manager now." Her eyes were getting heavier since it was so late. "Thinking about it, you and dad never told me what kind of business you own."

Damien bit back a groan as he shrugged his shoulders, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I don't know. I don't think anyone I have right now is ready for the position. We'll have to see. My assistant manager is good.. so maybe. I'll worry about that more after our day tomorrow," he muttered, not even really wanting to think about it at the moment.

Damien grinned as he held out his hand, wrapping his pinkie around hers. "Pinky promise, I swear," he said. He leaned over and kissed her forehead before he straightened up. His eyes narrowed almost immediately at her threat. "I mean, if you want to do a whole lot of eating pizza and chinese food... by all means," Damien teased, shrugging. He took a moment to run his fingers through her hair again, his shoulders relaxing as he studied her tired form.

"You get some rest. I'm going to go have a beer and then I'll retire. See you tomorrow, okay?" Damien said, pushing to his feet with a small groan. "Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite," he teased, starting out of Sky's bedroom.

@ castle.
Once Damien left her room, Sky felt her eyes get extremely heavy just before she passed out. She hadn't been up til three in the morning in ages and to be honest. She didn't miss those late-night gaming sessions. Sleep had become a lot more interesting to her, it was when she could allow her mind to shut off so that she didn't have to think about anything.

The next morning, Sky was up first as usual. She didn't know how much longer Damien had stayed up, but since he was still asleep it was safe to say at least an hour more or something like that. Making her way downstairs, Sky let out a small hum as she got things together to have a bowl of cereal. She grabbed the box of peanut butter captain crunch and poured a good amount into her bowl before adding the smallest amount of milk possible before sitting down at the island to eat and play on her phone.

Sitting on the stool, Sky shivered as her bare legs brushed against the counters cool stone finish. She was in her PJ shorts and tank top from last night, so she was a little chilly after being wrapped up like a burrito in her bed.

"Oh sweet, they added new flavors," Sky mumbled to herself through a mouthful of food as she looked at a post on her facebook from her favorite little cafe. "Matcha, Lychee, oh and even caramel? Woah." She murmured as she looked at the new types of bubble tea that were being offered.

Damien slept until nearly eleven in the morning, only forcing himself out of bed because he knew that he had to go to work if he wanted to get home on time to spend the rest of the day with Sky. He certainly didn't want to disappoint her again and end up having to cook for himself for the rest of her visit here. He grinned at the thought, grumbling to himself as he started down the stairs. His eyes were half shut even as he made his way into the kitchen, making a beeline for the coffee machine on the counter.

He was clad in nothing more than a pair of basketball shorts, his fingers blindly pressing the buttons before he filled the coffee filter. "Morning," Damien muttered as he turned toward her. His eyes were narrowed slightly so that he could still adjust to the light in the room.

"How'd ya sleep?" Damien asked, deciding to toss a bagel into the toaster oven. He didn't have much time to get ready before he had to get to work but he would be damned if his coffee was taken away from him. "Better after you were in your bed?"

@ castle.
Glancing up as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs, Sky watched Damien as he came into the kitchen and went right to the coffee machine. "Morning." She replied, her bright green eyes taking in the appearance of his strong muscular back muscles. His wide shoulders and how they seemed to flex so well when he moved around. It amazed her how fit and in shape he was when she barely saw him eating anything healthy when they were together.

"Yeah," Sky mumbled quietly and quickly looked back down at her cereal and started to stir the soggy stuff around in the bowl. "Better after knowing I wasn't going to be here alone." She mumbled quietly, trying to guilt-trip him into letting her tag along to his work.

Glancing up, Sky offered Damien the puppy dog look for a moment before she looked back down at her boring breakfast and started to finish the last of her food. "How long will you be?" She asked as she lifted her bowl and started to just drink the last of the milk and the cereal that was on the bottom of the bowl. "I kinda want to go to the mall today, it's summer so I want to try and find a new dress." She told Damien as she set her now empty bowl down on the island.

"I also want to possibly go to that one cafe you took me to last time I was here. That little one on the main street? That had those good teas." Sky slowly shifted back and forth in her stool, hoping that Damien would say yes to her little suggestion.

Damien fixed Sky with a bit of a glare as he shook his head. "I know, sweetheart. But you would hate it if you came to my work. You know that," he pointed out gently. He had never taken her but he'd always told her that she would hate it. While Damien didn't know how experienced she was, he was sure that she wouldn't be comfortable at the club that he owned. There was no way. Not with the way she blushed over small things all the time.

He dropped down onto a stool beside Sky, taking a large bite of his bagel. He chased it down with his coffee, glancing toward her with a raised eyebrow. "I'll be a few hours. Maybe four at ost," he said with a lopsided shrug.

Listening to her, Damien gave a nod of his head. He was only half listening but he knew that he would do just about anything that Sky asked, within reason. "That sounds good to me. I'll finish up at work and then I'll swing by to pick you up," he paused, taking another bite of his bagel. "Then we can have lunch. We can go to the mall, get you a dress or two," he added with a nod of his head. "Then we can stop by the cafe on the way home. Sound good to you, sweetheart?"

Damien sighed as he finished his bagel, relaxing against the counter in front of him. "I just want to go back to sleep. Is that allowed?" He muttered, rubbing his cheek with his hand. "I'm the boss. I should be able to. Right?"

@ castle.
A sigh escaped from Sky as she rolled her eyes as she was turned down once more by Damien. "I don't even know what kind of business you own, so you do you even know I won't like it?" Sky replied to his little comment about not liking it. "Besides, why can't I just brink my switch and chill in your office?" She mumbled that part as she crossed her arms on the island and rested her head on her arms.

Turning her head, she watched Damien's expressions as he spoke to her about her other questions. Her lips pursed, as it seemed like he was at least trying to work with her on things that they could do.

Then, a small sigh escaped from Sky as she sat up straight again and reached over, grabbing onto Damien's cup of coffee and steaking it to take a sip. "Ugh, needs sugar," Sky mumbled as she wrinkled her nose at the harsh taste of the coffee since she wasn't used to it. Then, she set it back down in front of him. Not the least bit weirded out about sharing his drink.

"Is your job illegal?" Sky asked quietly, going back to talking about his job. "You're not like, a Mafia person or something, are you? Drug distributor or something?" A look of real interest appeared on Sky's face as she waited for a reply from him. "Anyone can do that, but you won't get in trouble if you do since you're the boss," Sky mumbled quietly about his last rhetorical question.

Damien raised an eyebrow as Sky reached across him and stole his cup of coffee. He wasn't the least bit phased because he knew that she would find it too bitter - he took his coffee black. For the longest time, he didn't like how bitter a black coffee was but now that he had gotten used to the flavor, he couldn't even think to drink anything else. He let out a laugh as he shook his head, lifting the cup to his lips once it was back in his possession.

"You forget I practically helped your dad raise you, hm? Forget that I know you well enough to know what you will or won't like?" Damien asked, deflecting her request to sit in his office as well as he knew how. The main lounge area of the club was tame but to get to his office, she would have to pass through some of the more unsavoury rooms that he didn't think she would be able to handle.

Damien couldn't help but chuckle at Sky's question, shaking his head again. "Sweetheart, I am a lot of things but I am not a drug trafficker. I don't want to go to prison for making money when I can do it legally and make just as much. Or should I start making more so I can pay for all of your needs?" Damien teased as he nudged her with his elbow.

@ castle.
A loud whiney groan escaped from Sky as she stretched her arms across the Island and rested her head down as well. "You're hopeless." She mumbled quietly, done arguing about wanting to know what his job is for the day. Tomorrow will be a new day, and a new battle to be waged until she even knows what kind of business Damien runs.

"Why else do you think I call you uncle?" sky asks rhetorically as she keeps her head down on the cold countertop. "If you won't tell me what you do for a living, could you at least tell me why?" She shifts her head to look over at Damien as she slowly crossed her arms to rest under her head once more. "Are you a CIA agent or something? Special ops and you have to go undercover?" She was silent for a moment before Sky got an idea and sat up straight, her eyes wide with interest.

"You work for the gang squad and you don't want any civilians to be around you in case you get in danger. It's why you're so fit, right?" Sky reached over and felt his arm muscles. "Yup, they're not jelly, so you have to work out at the office or something because I don't see your work out here." She said as she pulled her hand back from his arm.

Damien had decided that it was easiest to just go along with whatever outrageous career that Sky could conjure up than try to come up with something himself. He agreed any time she suggested something, in part because it was amusing to watch her frustration when she realized that he was just messing around with her. That she would never actually know what he did for a living. Her father and Damien had agreed about that a long time ago.

"You figured it out," Damien said, letting out a small laugh. "I'd have to kill you if I told you and everything..." he trailed off, winking at her. He sighed as he finished off his mug of coffee before he stood, rinsing the cup out before he set it in the sink. Damien turned toward Sky before he gave her a lighthearted smile.

"I'm going to go get ready then I'm going to skate out of here," Damien said, making his way toward her. He squeezed her in a gentle hug before retreating up to his room, feeling a bit more optimistic now that he had a bite of food and some caffeine in his ssytem.

@ castle.
A loud irritated sigh escaped from Sky as she sat up straight and rolled her eyes in responce. She hated being kept in the dark. She kenw that her dad did finance things for big wig companies and her mom was a nurse when she was life. So, why did Damien have to keep his job a secret from her? He said so himself that it wasn't anything illegal, right? So, what the hell could be so bad about it?

Barely returning the hug, Sky waited for Damien to leave the kitchen before she hopped off of the stool she was sitting on and move to wash their dishes. It was the least she could do since she was allowed to stay with Damien. To be honest, Sky was oretty sure she's be fine with staying at home for the length of her dads business trips, but sometimes it got lonely when he was gone for a month or two at a time. So, staying with a close family friend was Sky's preferred choice.

Once the dishes were done, Sky left them to dry in the drying rack before she moved towards the couch once more. It was the place you's find her most often because she was a huge game nerd because of her dad.

Laying down on the couch, Sky twisted her body so that her legs was propted up on the head rest of the couch and her back was against the side of it. It was a weird way to lay, but Sky felt it was comfortable. "Just remember your promise!" Sky called out as she grabbed her switch from the table and started to play some Zelda instead of her favorite Mario game. "An think of me, being here all alone, bored and lonely. An easy victim if someone tried to break in and rob the place."

"Sorry, princess. You know I love you," Damien called over his shoulder as he left the apartment. He locked the door behind him, figuring that it was safer that way. If Sky needed to leave or open the door for delivery or something, then she could do that then. If she didn't need to, it was better to be locked. As she said, she could be there when someone decided to rob the place. Rolling his eyes at the thought, Damien stepped into the elevator in the condo building he lived in. It had it's own security system; with a front desk that wouldn't allow anyone through without prior knowledge if they were a guest. Damien never worried about leaving Sky when he had to go to work and he was pretty sure that was most of the reason her dad wanted her to stay with him while he was away. Sky was safe with him.

---

Damien stepped through the door closer to two than he would have preferred but he was carrying Sky's favourite latte in hand as a way to apologize. He gave her a lopsided grin when he caught sight of her, closing in on her quickly. He held the cup out to her, raising an eyebrow. "You wanna go ahead and get ready? That way we can head to the mall, we can eat, all that good stuff," he added, nodding as he moved to drop down onto the couch.

He yawned as he stretched out, dropping his head against the back of the couch. "What do you want to do first?" He asked, glancing toward her after a moment of silence.

@ castle.
When Damien came into the apartment, Skys did all that she could to make an annoyed expression. Although, as soon as she saw the chocolate caramel drink in his hands, it almost instantly disappeared. Reaching out, Sky happily accepted the peace offering and took a few sips of the amazing salted caramel latte that she was offered. "Hmmm." She mumbled as she relaxed on the couch, in the same spot she'd been in all day pretty much.

"Thank you," Sky mumbled quietly as she looked towards Damien and sat up crossed legged. Her damp hair sticking to her back. "Hmm, I would like to go out to get something to eat, but you look tired." Sky's lips twitched to the side as she watched the older man she'd known her whole life relaxing on the couch.

"Did you want to just take a nap and then we can get dinner and then shop?" She asked as she glanced at the clock. Knowing Damien, he'd at least nap for a few hours, so dinner seemed like the best way to describe their eating habit. "Unless you think that food could wake you up?" She asked, looking back to Damien, a small look of worry filling her eyes as she took another small sip of the coffee drink before handing it back to him to have a sip if he wanted.

Damien could see the annoyance plastered on Sky's features when he stepped through the door. He had been gone a bit longer than he had originally intended but he'd managed to clear up tomorrow as well which he knew would mean that Sky would eventually forgive him. She might be a little frustrated but at least he didn't have to go anywhere tomorrow now. He cleared his throat as she took the drink, tilting his head to the side as she spoke.

He shrugged, motioning toward her drink. "I had a drink already. I'll be fine, princess. Besides, I promised you a fun day out, didn't I?" He asked, flashing one of his award winning smiles. "So I have to follow through. Don't want you to start thinking I'm trying to ditch out on our dates, do I?" He teased quietly.

Damien took the coffee from her, taking a small sip before his face scrunched and he shook his head. "That's too damn sweet. I don't know how you manage to do it," he said, holding it back out to her. Damien shook his head, rubbing his cheek for a moment before he relaxed. "Come on. Go get that pretty butt ready so we can go out," he urged, stepping forward so that he could drop down onto the couch. Damien groaned as he leaned back, closing his eyes. "I'll just rest while you finish up, okay?"