Even after having a few minutes to process the question, Aiden Could still not quite understand what was asked. As though the inquiry was some great formula yet to be solved by man. No. Rather, something like that would have been so much simpler to answer than this. He simply couldn't wrap his head around it.

"W-wha-" the words would not form no matter how hard he tried to speak them. It was as if he had forgotten how to speak his language. All this did was earn a chuckle from the very woman who had been his tormentor, both physically and psychologically. Aiden looked above only to see Maya smiling down at him, her beautiful eyes shining like sapphire. The beta was left breathless. From the elegant dress she wore to her naturally red hair, there was no denying that Maya was a beautiful woman. Even here, trapped in front of her laying down form, and stuck between confusion, adoration, and fear Aiden could not deny that. Though the times when the titanic killer would go without any sort of dye were rare, she wore her natural charm well.

But even in the face of such apparent splendor, Aiden refused to give in. Because when he looked up he didn't just see a towering beauty. He saw his devil as well. The very same who had ruined his life. A life he was just now managing to piece back together. One that didn't include her. Why? Why now did she have to come back into his life?

Aiden would have preferred staying under some guise at Lynette's home. Instead, he felt as though he were standing at the very entrance to hell itself.

The beta fell backward, unable to think straight and losing strength in his legs.

"W-well? What a-a-are you waiting for?" He was so certain that this was it. That this was going to be the night he died. But he was ready for that. Aiden was prepared for the moment he died so many years ago to finally catch up to him. There was no malice in Maya's eyes, however. No desire to kill. "Th-this is the part where you kill me? Right? So...so do it?"

His voice was in utter shambles. Shaky; almost pleading. As though he were trying to urge Maya to finish what she started.

"Get it over with already! We both know you want to!"

But nothing of the sort came. No quick slap of her hand to crush him, nor her fingers upon his head to pop it like a grape. There was nothing. Maya only brought her head closer to her beloved's body, until her lips were mere inches from his face. Her smile vanished and looking up only showed that Maya was watching Aiden intensely. Right now, she focused only on him as he in turn could focus only on her. The sounds of her tongue moving within her maw permeated the silence, giving way to fear; the very same the beta had steeled himself against.

He could hear it slosh around whatever saliva was building up within. How it ground against her teeth, each more than enough to mash Aiden's body into a fine red paste. Worst of all, when the spit grew too bothersome as it continued to fill her mouth, was the gulp that followed. So close that Aiden would have sworn there was an echo that crossed the entirety of the apartment.

Maya's lips parted, strands of saliva connecting the interior of her mouth. "You want me to kill you? After all this time?" She exhaled, so lightly yet with just enough force that the tux he wore was forced even higher against his body as it was blown back. "And after I got you dressed up?"

Maya was trying to scare him. That had to be it...right? Make him terrified so that she savors the kill. That's what she does, after all. She's a devil. A monster. Like a cat playing with its prey, Maya toyed with those she kills. It's just who she was. So that's all this was. Even drunk and a victim of her feelings, that could never change.

"We both know that's what you want" Aiden affirmed. He tried to stand up, but the closer he got to the lips in front of him the more his heart began to race. Anymore, and he'd chicken out of his death.

Maya's tongue snaked out from her mouth, gliding across, and glistening her lips. Her breath smelled of wine, but any drowsiness she displayed earlier wasn't apparent anymore. Her focus only grew more fierce as she seemingly pondered on the beta's words.

"What I want?" Maya's stern expression softened, If only a little, as before Aiden could react he found her tongue tracing the upper half of his body. It shot out like a snake and even seemed to wrap around the beta's body like one too. But never once did he feel the pull of being drawn into her salivating jaws. She was tasting him, savoring his apparent flavor. Maya moaned softly as she forced Aiden even lower onto the ground, the pink monstrosity that was a simple muscle outmatched any sort of resistance he could muster. Slowly but surely, Maya was bathing her beloved in saliva. Already, there were more than a few times when he was forced to swallow the excess amounts of fluid which clung heavily to his body.

Things couldn't get worse. Or at least that's what he thought. Just when the pressure was at its greatest, it alleviated. Strands of spit snapped away as, for a few moments, the beta was allowed the chance to breathe.

Only a few moments, however, as before he knew it the pressure returned, only now in the form of her lips. Mostly placed upon his chest, Maya relentlessly showed Aiden's body in kiss after kiss. She was vicious in her 'assault', never breaking even to breathe. But not once did she attempt to inflict pain. In fact, it felt rather...good. A point that Aiden refused to accept. Though he tried to fight against Maya's advances there was nothing the beta could do other than allow things to run their course.

Before long the roaring beauty relented, giving both herself and her obsession the chance to catch their breath. Her smile had returned, along with a blush upon her cheeks. Though there were a few times when she allowed herself the chance to drink in the past, each time that she did only served to turn her already unpredictable behavior even more erratic. Something which Aiden had often made sure to steer clear of. Even now he wasn't sure how things would go thanks to Maya's drink-clouded mind.

"What I want..." The red-haired beauty began in an almost viscous, lustful tone. "Is for us to have a lovely dinner. And while we do, I want to talk about us. About our future."

Such a notion was laughable, even in a situation like this. Aiden was just about ready to tell his captor this until her index finger pressed down on his chest, knocking the wind from his body, and preventing him from speaking.

"No, no, no. No talking. Not yet anyway." Maya's fingers wrapped around Aiden's body, carrying him as she stood. She was careful not to stretch her dress and proved to be sturdy enough to maintain her composure despite wearing heels AND remaining intoxicated.

"You'll have plenty of time to talk later." She told him. "For now, you're going to hear what I have to say. If you behave, I'll even give you a gift. Sound good?"

She didn't even wait for his approval or denial. Aiden just remained silent.

"Good"

Making her way to the dining table, Maya was certain to keep her ‘one and only’ close to her chest; her heart. It was beating faster than usual. She was nervous, as well as excited. Such an intense mixture of emotions was almost enough to make her wish to skip dinner altogether, but she had to learn restraint. Roxanne's medication was able to give her a clearer mind, more so than normal. Through it, she understood that her actions had only ever pushed Aiden away.

This time things would be different. She was certain of this. All Maya needed was the time and effort required to finally win her beloved over again. Then things could go back to the way they were when they were both happy together.

No, things would be better. She would have Aiden and Lyza by her side, her two great loves with her as the world changed once more. She could hardly wait.

"And here we have it~" Maya brought Aiden closer to the table, presenting the food she had prepared. "Now, I know you weren't a big fan of seafood, but this was the best I could do on short notice. Not too bad if I say so myself."

She lowered the beta onto the table, waiting patiently as he stepped off of her palm. He was in awe, not just at the food but the preparations Maya went through effort of setting. A true candlelit dinner, just for the two of them. It would almost seem romantic... was he with anyone else. Instead, as he looked towards the plate of food, all he could imagine was himself as an added ingredient and slowly being brought towards his tormentor's lips.

Maya took her seat behind him, tearing the beta away from his thoughts. She sat with her head resting upon her hands, watching, and waiting for Aiden to make his first move toward their meal. "Help yourself," she urged. "I didn't use anyone alive if that's what you're afraid of."

A cruel joke which didn't help to ease the tension crashing down on Aiden's back. Maya was either unaware or uncaring of how her obsession perceived her humor and instead helped herself to her plate. She had provided how servings, one for each of them. A foolish choice as Aiden would never be able to finish it by himself, even if his ability to eat was restored. But there were other motives behind Maya's decision; ideas that she believed would bring the two of them closer together.

Ideas that she didn't wish to waste any time acting upon. Her gaze turned towards Aiden, the beta remaining in the same spot, unsure of what to do. A chuckle drew his attention and turning back he watched as Maya rested her chin on the table after moving her still rather full plate to the side.

"You know..." Maya's voice was low and soft, seemingly washing over Aiden as she spoke. "My dad used to feed my mom the food off of his plate as if every dinner they were on was a date. I want you to do that."

Aiden processed the request but still couldn't quite follow. His confusion only served to bring further chuckles from Maya. She placed her index finger on the corner of her mouth as her lips slowly parted. Moving her finger to her tongue she tapped the pink muscle twice before closing her maw.

"From your plate, Aiden." She explained. "I would be oh so grateful if you shared some food with me. I mean, it's not like you'll be able to finish it all. Right?"

Aiden's heart skipped beat after beat as he carefully thought om each word, each syllable, that was directed at him. He saw that Maya was waiting patiently, and yet his legs remained frozen in place. Fear played a role in his stagnation, yes, but there was something else. Something far easier to understand, despite its nature.

Confusion.

"What's....happening?" The beta finally asked.

"W...why are you doing this?"

Maya's smile never faltered. Though Aiden refuses to move she did not despair. The titans’ reached over and grabbed a small piece of sushi, easily manageable for one of Aiden's height, before dropping it softly in front of him.

"Right now? Mostly ‘cause I'm hungry." Once more she placed her finger upon her lips. Showing just what she wanted her beloved to do. "Mind helping with that?"

Aiden looked at the piece of food for longer than might be normally acceptable. Slowly, he raised it as best as he could. Though it was half his height the sushi was relatively light. There were certainly heavier dishes Maya could have made, and even if it wasn't her intention a dish as light as this was ideal for a beta to carry. Even if it was one at a time.

As he walked he noticed how his teeth began to chatter. He looked forward, watching as Maya waited in silence like some god ready to receive its sacrifice. Her blue eyes glared down on him, weighing the beta down further. But still, Aiden continued his advance until finally, he stood where he was told to go. He watched as Maya's tongue snaked out from between her lips once more and came to a rest before her little lover. The smell of wine flooded Aiden's senses again. And with it came images of his tormentor's teeth snapping around his body.

Though he had accepted his death survival instincts took over and he threw the piece of sushi onto her tongue. The retraction of the muscle came fast. Far faster than he anticipated. Had Aiden placed the delicacy calmly and gently then he may have been pulled in with it. Rather, he was now out in the open, forced to watch as Maya's teeth worked to mash the contents within her mouth.

She moaned in exaggerated satisfaction, enjoying her handiwork for far more than it was probably worth. A show in front of her beloved and nothing more; A game that she was playing with an unwilling participant.

"Not bad at all~" she mused. Placing a hand on her cheek she relished in the minuscule yet sharp flavors of the dish. "Honestly, I was a little worried. The shrimp was close to expiring, but this dinner might have saved it. Nice!"

"What do you think?"

The more this went on the less fear Aiden felt. It was replaced by undeniable confusion. He couldn't properly wrap his head around what was going on, and against his better judgment, he gave his thoughts voice.

"This is stupid" the beta mindlessly spoke.

There was a moment, brief though it was, where Maya’s expression wavered. Her previous, in a way joyful, expression grew distressed. Only a brief period of time, however, as just as quickly was she able to recompose herself. From her cheek she moved her hand under her chin, resting her head upon the limb as her eyes closed.

“Couldn’t you say that’s just how love is?” she argued, remaining to keep her eyes shut as she thought of old images of her parents once more, their love proving a grand inspiration in all that she did here. They would do anything for one another, just as Maya would for Aiden. “No matter how stupid or how twisted, love can spur many to act. At least, that’s what my mother used to say.” In many ways, it was one of the greatest lessons she had been taught early in her childhood. Engraved to such a point that, even if one’s actions may seem wrong, in the name of love anything could be committed.

“Wouldn’t you agree, Aiden?”

Regardless of this being perhaps the first time she’s even mentioned her parents to him in such a way, with the past only ever offering an occasional remark towards her mother and father, the beta couldn’t accept what was being said to him. Yes, perhaps love was meant to be stupid at times, even inspiring idiocy in its name, but with how Maya puts it, it appears as though she believes her twisted nature is acceptable if done out of affection.

Aiden swallowed his breath before speaking. “T-that isn’t…” he stuttered for a time and fell silent as he forced himself to regain composure, an act which compelled a coo from Mayas’ lips. To her, any semblance of bravery was just as adorable as the one who tried to stand tall and made even more so by her tipsy demeanor.  All she wanted to do was press him against her cheeks, her lips, her tongue, and even her most intimate of parts. Instead, she exercised patience. Maya would have her due.

Or so she thought, as what Aiden next said drove her blood to run cold.

“That isn’t love, Maya.” He saw her expression change. Like pebbles tossed within a once calm pond, the beta noticed the breaks in her demeanor. She was calm before, smiling even as Aiden fought to maintain whatever brave face he was wearing. In the dim light, in front of someone who could end his life in an instant, to be brave in such a situation was no small task. To change the once seemingly indissoluble expression of someone so far above you, even more so.

And yet, Maya’s brows furrowed. Though her lips remained closed, Aiden could see the muscles of her jaw tense as she clenched her teeth. The world shrank away as Maya lowered herself to the table, nearly laying on it. But no matter how low she got she couldn’t truly find herself eye-to-eye with her stubborn beloved.

Maya scoffed, nearly blowing Aiden onto his rear. “Of course, YOU would think that.” She snapped. As befitting one in her state of mind, Maya’s expression quickly changed from joy to annoyance. Though her head did not leave its perch the titaness’ palm closed into a fist, something which forced an instinctive step back from Aiden.

She noticed quickly, and a cruel smile returned. Maya did indeed bring her hand down, but not in the life-threatening crash one might assume. Gently, she laid her hand upon its side as it rested behind Aiden, effectively forcing him against a fleshy wall that could close in around him at the drop of a hat.

“Poor little Aiden~. So deprived of affection that when you actually see any you’re ignorant to it.” Her tone was condescending; insulting. A personal attack that the beta was able to see through right away. Maya brought her index finger close to Aiden’s head, caressing the side of his face softly. “Is it so wrong to love someone the way I love you? The way my parents loved each other?”

Her caressing was meant to both put Aiden at ease, as well as remind him of his position. So that he may give Maya the answer she wished to hear. To her surprise, he remained unafraid. Even more, stalwart against her advances.

“Maya, that’s obsession, not affection” the beta shot back. He thought carefully about his next words before smiling, something which caught Maya off-guard.

“Of course, seeing as that’s what your parents taught you, it’s obvious why you can’t tell the difference.”

There was a snicker before Maya placed her finger on top of Aiden’s head and ruffled his hair. “Is that the best you can do? Insulting what they had?”

“Well, it’s more insulting what you think.”

“Still useless” Maya reasoned, the faintest tinge of venom audible in her voice. “Besides, what does it matter now anyway? We both know I’m going to get what I want.”

Aiden forced Maya’s finger off of his head, taking two strong steps forward and away from her hand. He could continue arguing with her, but then that’d be no different from arguing with a wall. Instead, he could break her. Just as he had done before.

“And what exactly would that be, hmm?” he rested his hands upon his waist like some judging parent. “That’d I’d forgive you? That some spread of food would fix everything? Or that wearing some nice dress would make it too hard for me to resist your ‘charm’. As though you ever had that?”

He laid into Maya, letting lose his denial of ever accepting her again.

“As if any of that could undo what you did to me? As if anything you thought up could erase what I had to go through because of you? Wake up, Maya! Because it isn’t going to happen.”

Aiden saw it again, the distress in Maya’s expression. As clear as her attempts to salvage what they may have had. But as he had made clear, the two of them were far and beyond that point of recovery. He wanted her to get angry, to see her break down just as had happened a year ago.

Instead, and much to his surprise, she remained calm, though it was clear there were signs of struggle. Maya’s hands shook, almost itching in anticipation of grabbing the badmouthing beta and slamming him against a wall. She resisted the urge and blocked out any other sort of intrusive thoughts. To act on them now would just be proving Aiden right, and at the moment that is the last thing she wanted to do.

More than anything, she wanted to prove him wrong and show that she could change. For the absolute better. But it did not help that Aiden made things so difficult at times. A trait that had been carried over from his previously normal life. She found it cute then, annoying now.

Maya hung her head, as though in defeat. Aiden took it as a sign of victory; that he had won. He was proven very wrong when, once more, Maya’s fingers wrapped around him. Now even more tightly than before, not caring for what oxygen had been forced from his lungs.

“You’re really going to make me do this, aren’t you?” Maya stood from her seat, fed up with Aiden’s pigheadedness. Even with what little air she was allowing him, Maya’s annoyance grew when she saw his smile. “Oh, for… I’m not going to kill you! So wipe that fucking grin off your face.”

Where once there was a sense of victory, even in the face of what was assumed to be death, now confusion returned. Even more strongly than before.

“Well, then what?” Now Aiden was just acting impatient. Odd for one in his situation.

“No” Maya squeezed her fist just tightly enough to where Aiden was forced into silence, the pressure preventing him from speaking out further. “You don’t get to talk. Not anymore.”

Maya quickly felt her patience waning and came to regret having not drunk more. At least then the banter would be bearable. But here she was, forced to skip ahead of dinner, the start of their date, for what she had hoped would be the last resort should things go south. And just as she had feared, they quickly did. It was abundantly clear that the gentle approach just wasn’t going to work the way she had hoped. Not with someone like Aiden anyway.

But could she really blame him? He had a point in his rant, even if his intentions were to hurt her. She hurt him worse. A hundred times worse. But, of course, that wouldn’t stop her. Rather, that would urge her to act further, even more fiercely than before.

Maya made her way to her bedroom; all the while Aiden was forced to wait in her fist in silence. He’d bite her if he would, but the beta was in such a position that it was all but impossible. Opening the door, he was witness to what Maya had planned. The bedroom, much like the dining table, had been prepared with romance in mind, though here it was more apparent just how quickly Maya was moving to get everything in order. From one table to another, lit candles of disproportionate sizes allowed for a dim, barely perceivable light. The sheets to her bed, red so as to fit the forced mood, were haphazardly tossed on, along with whatever pillows Maya could find that fit the atmosphere.

What she must have assumed to be a passable attempt at a couple’s room seemed just as twisted as she was, a forced attempt at her definition of love. In a way, it made Aiden feel more uneasy than the actual dinner planned. That unease quickly grew when he noticed, upon one of the room’s nightstands, a casing of pills that appeared too familiar to be a mere coincidence.

The very same Roxanne had given him, nearly gone now, and used to ease his trauma that came in the form of memories. A chill ran down his spine as he understood the effects the medication had. He was, after all, one of the first people Roxanne had tested it on. Now it became clear who was the second. And to make matters worse, Maya had mixed in her possible intake of the medication with alcohol.

He struggled as best as he could, but no matter how hard Aiden tried he could squirm free, nor could he gain himself any sort of wiggle room.

“Maya, you need to listen to me! You gotta throw up what you drank fast! Those pills, you’re not supposed to take so many, or drink with them! They’ll just mess with your head!”

The Titaness’s grip softened slightly, giving Aiden the faint hope that Maya was willing to hear him out. It was dashed once she brought her hand against her left breast, forcing the beta against the mound as she toyed with both it and him.

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up~?” she asked with a chuckle. A shiver ran down her spine as she felt Aiden try to push away from her embrace. A fruitless effort as whenever he made any sort of progress she dash his effort with just the most minuscule amount of strength. Never enough to kill him, just what she needed to make him submit.

“You know, the suit you’re wearing belonged to a beta I killed, right? And that portable little house? It belonged to a nice little family who thought it was a good idea to offer you little things shelter.” Maya’s hand relaxed slightly, allowing Aiden the chance to breathe. Her index finger pushed his head forward, massaging it against a rather sensitive spot. One which the beta felt stiffening.

“I went through a fair bit of people in preparation for tonight, and here you are ruining it~.” Though her voice carried a mocking tone, there was a hint of anger within. The massage grew more fierce as her rant continued.

“I went through a loooot of effort to make everything bearable for you. But nooo, you’d rather focus on the past; take you’re mind off of everything I did here.”

Aiden could tell she was moving, possibly onto the bed given how the world felt as though it were shifting around him. It was hard to tell, however, as he was currently fighting for even the smallest bit of air. But any effort he made to free himself only served to offer Maya pleasure, and any chill she felt creep up her spine as a result added to the beta’s struggle.

“So cold. So selfish. Though I suppose you always have been, even when we first started dating. But that’s okay. I can be selfish too…”

Just when it felt as if the pressure would be too much, that Aiden’s head might burst like a melon, Maya released her hold of him. He fell, plummeting until he crashed against her tights’ covered thigh. He needed time to get an idea to make sense of what was happening. As far he knew, Maya’s constant shifting of moods, at a rate far too frequent to even be normal by drunken standards, was a product of the medication provided to her. The question which came to mind was how she came by them. The only person who had them was Roxanne, and that’s because she made the damn things.

Though apathy was a side effect Aiden could recall, and even suffered through, the inverse was just as possible. Juggling between emotions, just as Maya was, proved a very real possibility. And for one in his position, very dangerous. Aiden rolled off of her thigh, plummeting onto the bed as the giantess shifted her body. She turns and twists herself so that she may remove her clothing more easily, tossing them to the side and leaving on only her bra, panties, and the aforementioned tights, all black.

Maya sat with one leg over the other, her eyes constantly focused on Aiden as he tried to stand against her shifting form.

“You know, I wanted to reach this point naturally.” She explained with no absence of annoyance. “Have a nice meal, enjoy a movie together, enjoy each other’s FUCKING company before getting here!” she calmed herself, taking a few moments to breathe in and out deeply. Maya undid her ponytail, allowing her crimson hair to fall free around her shoulders. Uncurling her strands with her fingers, Maya forced her lips to curve upward into a sadistic smile.

“I suppose that wasn’t going to happen though. You were right, what we had before is past the point of saving, but that doesn’t mean we have to end things. In fact, why don’t we begin again? In…in a w-way, we both can have some fun~.”

Though brief, Aiden heard the cracks in Maya’s voice. She turned away, positioning herself to reach the end table by her bed. He saw it, momentarily, but without a doubt. Her eyes glazed over, and an all-too-familiar smile that became the sole thing he could focus on.

Soft laughter filled the air as it became evident that Maya was no longer in a proper state of mind, if ever there really was one for her.

“Maya, let’s…let’s just take a step back, okay?” Aiden backed away slowly but knew there was nowhere he could run this time. He was too small, and worse vulnerable to what Maya might do to him. “I’ll apologize, okay? Let’s just calm down…”

“Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk…all you ever do is taaaaalk.” Maya mocked. Her voice droned on as she hung on the edge of lunacy and drunken stupor. Her mind was a mess, though the one object she could see clearly within a world of madness was her desire; her obsession. “You talk even when I tell you not tooooo. Naaaughty~”

Maya giggled as she drew from the end table’s drawer what she had been searching for. At first, Aiden wasn’t sure what it was he was looking at and believed he was looking at nothing more than a wrapped-up doll or action figure. It had the silhouette of a female but remained so still that it couldn’t have been alive.

And then it twitched, kicked, and finally screamed in pain.

“I…caught this little beauty a few days back. I think?” Maya mused over where she had found the beta, the memory seeming oh-so-distant now. “I killed…her friends? Her provider too, I’m sure…kept her as a gift…”

“For you…”

Aiden’s blood froze in his veins. The more he looked upon the screaming, blind, and terrified beta the more he saw himself. Back to when he was stitched up, bound in wrappings and bandages. But unlike him, theirs’ wasn’t the work of an expert. Their wrapping was sloppy, bloodied, and without a doubt unfathomably painful. They were bound, unable to move freely. A man-made terror created just for him.

Maya held the stitched beta close to her sadistic, beaming face, taking pride in not just having crafted her ‘gift’ by hand but in also seeing the look on her beloved obsession’s face.

“All for yooooou~” the monstrous devil sang in a tune that would send even brave men running.

“My sweet one and only~”