Part I: Adjustments

I stood at the sink washing the usual massive pile of dishes while watching out the window for Goku. He was due back home any minute from his spar with Vegeta and I knew he'd be hungry. He always was. Even though he was a kid again – no thanks to a mistaken wish – he still hadn't lost even one iota of his prodigious appetite. One would think with a smaller frame, his stomach would have shrunk accordingly but no, his appetite was just as huge as it always was.

I sighed.

While training that Uub kid, he had returned for a visit every month or two and would stay for a couple of days and then would leave again. One visit about ten years into Uub's training, he cheerfully told me the next time I saw him, he'd be back for good and wouldn't have to leave again.

I had no idea he'd come back as a child. He wasn't expecting that either. I remembered that day vividly. He didn't seem too happy about it at first, but he was the kind of person that was rarely truly fazed by anything. He just took it in his stride and quickly seemed to get used to being a kid again while I almost had a heart attack when I first saw him like that.

Over a year had passed and I adjusted to his new transformation and what that meant. He looked and sounded identical to what he did when we were both twelve and had just met for the very first time, tail and all. While I… very much did not. I was a grown woman – an aging grown woman.

The wish had consequences, even if it wasn't his fault. Goku ended up sleeping in Goten's room after that. I never signed any divorce papers. I couldn't. How in the world would I explain the situation to a divorce attorney, anyway? I knew my heart would always be his, regardless of what he looked like on the outside and his heart would always be mine.

I'd just have to… wait for him to grow up. Of course, when he hit his twenties, I'd be in my eighties. There was always Other World – a place where I'd be young again for all of eternity. He told me many years ago he pulled a few strings while up there those seven years after Cell and convinced King Yemma and a few others to let me keep my body when it would be my time so then we really could be together forever when he joined me however many centuries later.

Centuries.

He was a child again! That already added more to his lifespan. Goku didn't really dwell on such things either way, but he knew he would out live me by a long shot mistaken wish or not. He stopped aging at around twenty-five and when I did not… oh, there were many nights when I wondered… Would he wait for me when I went and he had centuries?

Goku was still Goku, child or not. He didn't really think of those sorts of things. I supposed the difference really wasn't all that drastic. He was always such a child at heart, anyway. After that wish, his outside matched his inside, but that didn't stop me from missing the man he used to be. When those strong arms of his were locked around me, nothing could tear us apart. At least, that was it felt like. I was wrong, very wrong. Things did tear us apart, sometimes separating us for years at a time.

Yet, he returned. He always came back somehow. It just… sometimes took a lot longer than I think either of us liked and sometimes he would come back different than he was. I loved him anyway and I knew he loved me, too.

He had been spending much more time away from home as a kid. I didn't think he was avoiding me in my old age. At least, I hoped he wasn't. I was in my sixties, after all. I wasn't exactly a spring chicken anymore. He had told me before, years ago – when I started really aging and he still didn't look a day over twenty-five – that he would love me no matter what and I believed him and treasured his words.

Since he was a kid again, was he avoiding me?

"Chichi! I'm home!"

His higher pitched, raspy voice reached me just as I heard the front door close.

"Hi, Goku. I'm in the kitchen."

He walked in and immediately a loud rumble sounded, rattling the windows and everything in the kitchen. Somehow, that sound was louder than it normally was when he was an adult. I had no clue why that would be.

The sound stopped making me jump decades ago. In fact, the sound stopped making me jump within the first year of our marriage. It was just so quintessential Goku. The sound was even comforting some days.

I looked at him and gave him an amused smile.

He blushed slightly and reflexively rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, heh."

"I take it you're hungry."

He nodded vigorously, an eager smile on his young, angelic face. That expression never changed. I could see that exact same expression on two other little faces in my memories of times long since passed.

I turned around and pulled some stuff out of the fridge for him and set a couple of pots on our stove to reheat the food. While digging through the fridge, the door giving me shelter, I took the opportunity to wipe a tear off my cheek.

After a few minutes, all of his favorite foods were warmed up and ready to serve him. He voraciously dug in like he did every meal. His food had his full attention as he quickly cleaned plate after plate while I stood at the ready with a large pot of tea to keep him topped off. There were things I did well even in my old age. I was still plenty capable of feeding all of my boys whenever they graced my table.

That day, it was only Goku and me. He had even returned home a little earlier than he normally would have from his usual spar with Vegeta, saying he just wanted to spend time with me and that he had something to show me. He refused to say more than that.

I filled his cup up one last time as he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach.

"That was great! Thanks, Chichi!"

"You're welcome, Goku."

He belched.

I put my hands on my hips. "Excuse you, buster. Remember, that does not belong at my table!"

He merely giggled. "Oops! Sorry, Chichi!"

It was hard enough to stay mad at him when he was an adult. It was danged near impossible to stay angry with him as a child. I just rolled my eyes and turned away from him to hide the small smile tugging at my lips I was quickly losing the fight against.

I heard his chair scrape against the floor. "Thanks for the meal, Chichi! Want to go for a walk with me? I could use some sunlight after that."

I turned back around to see him standing next to me, a hopeful look on his face.

I quickly but gently stacked up as many dishes as I could carry. "Sure, Goku. Let me get this cleaned up, then we will go."

"Okay! Then I can show you my surprise for you!"

I took my stack to the sink and started scrubbing. I had just finished scrubbing his breakfast dishes when he got home and asked for more food.

That was just life with a saiyan.

The sound of ceramic plates being stacked reached my ears. What was going on? I turned back around to see Goku building a four-foot tall tower of dishes, hovering as he gently balanced the last plate precariously on top. He lowered himself to the floor and that tower swayed as he lifted it.

My eyes went wide. "Goku–!"

"Don't worry, Chichi!"

Those three simple words out of that mouth always had the exact opposite effect he intended for them to have. My heart sped up a little bit as my hand reflexively twitched toward the swaying tower of dishes in his small hands.

He quickly discovered walking with such a tower was no easy task, his steps beginning to grow erratic as he fought to keep it balanced. My heart was ready to stop.

He lifted his short self in the air a foot and drifted toward the sick, the tower much steadier. He deposited his stack in the other side of the sink, never breaking a single one.

I stared at him, my jaw slack and my eyebrows got to know my hairline. He looked very, very proud of himself, his chin held high – as high as it could go at any rate.

The general effect on that little body of his was actually funny and I laughed.

He looked perplexed. One eyebrow was raised while the other was pulled down slightly, his head tilted to one side – another expression that hadn't changed one little bit. "What's so funny?"

I just shook my head and stifled another giggle. Not a drastic change, indeed.

My spirits felt lifted just having him nearby and safe, even if he was a kid again. Having him home safe was all that mattered.

I turned to the sink and began the long task of scrubbing the two giant towers of dishes.

He hovered next to me, high enough to be eye level with me – which was only a couple of feet off the floor for him since I was barely at five feet, four inches tall – grabbed a scouring pad and started scrubbing.

I stared at him again, shocked once more by what he was doing. He so rarely helped with the dishes.

The sharp, loud sound of ceramic shattering shook me from my shock. My eyes narrowed and a vein popped out of my forehead as I turned to face him.

Goku cowered, shrinking away from the sink and dropping back to the floor. He held his hands up, palm out. "Sorry, Chichi! I was just trying to be helpful!"

That brought me up short and I felt my temper flare sizzle out.

Helpful? Him? Since when? I crossed my arms and eyed him suspiciously.

Rarely, he would try to help just to be sweet, but I would usually end up pushing him away because he always broke too many dishes. The other times when he helped me clean, it was because he was about to drop a bomb on me and he thought helping me clean would soften the blow.

I bent down to get into his face and crossed my arms. "What is it this time? Is there another hugely powerful bad guy out there threatening the planet? Do you have to leave again?"

I stopped and repeated the last words I said in my mind. Did he have to leave again?

He was intensely fascinated by his shoes.

My mind started spinning out of control and my next words slipped out of my mouth in barely more than a whisper. "You really are leaving again, aren't you?"

I couldn't stop the tears that sprang to my eyes and the lump that formed in my throat as I straightened up.

He looked back up at me and lifted himself into the air again so we were eye level and stared into my eyes. When he spoke again, his words were uncharacteristically calm and very serious.

"I'm not going anywhere, Chichi."

In those rare moments, when he was so serious like that, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was telling me the truth.

I blew out a breath as the lump in my throat shrank, but still eyed him suspiciously. "Then what is it, Goku? You're hiding something."

He gave me a small, playful smile. "I already told you! It's a surprise! If you come with me, you'll find out."

With that, he flew out of the kitchen and I heard the front door open.

I glanced at the sink still full of dishes and the shattered plate on the floor. I huffed then raced out after him as fast as I could without hurting myself.

He stood waiting for me about ten feet from the front door.

I frowned as I caught up to him. "Whenever you're done with this little game you're playing, you will help me with the dishes! Heaven help you if you break one more, Son Goku!"

He held out his hands palm out again like he had in the kitchen. "I promise, I'll help you with the dishes. Now come on! Let's go!"

He seemed oddly excited as he trotted off into the woods.

I stretched a bit and took off after him, pleased to feel how easily and painlessly my muscle still glided and stretched over my bones with every step I took. I was in my early sixties, but still in very good shape.

We dodged and weaved through the trees, holding to a narrow, winding game path. He kept up the steady pace until we reached a small clearing full of wildflowers, their wonderful aroma reaching my nose. The blooms were various shades of bright red, orange, yellow, pink, purple, and swaying in the gentle breeze, waving in a dazzling rainbow of color.

"Oh, Goku! They're beautiful!"

I glanced around me.

"Goku?"

I was alone. Utterly alone.

Confused and a little hurt, I bit my lip wondering what his big idea of leading me out there was when I felt a small earth quake. We had earthquakes in the mountains. A little earthquake wasn't worrying.

A minute later, I felt an unnerving sensation of being watched.

I glanced around me more seriously, squinting into the shadows. I didn't see anything but subconsciously shifted into a fighting stance anyway. There were wolves and various large ferocious cats in our woods. They generally tended to leave the boys alone, having had their tails whipped on many occasions from choosing to pick on any one of the trio of saiyans.

I was strong in my own right, but no match for mountain lions or wolves. I was only human. I was fair game. I glanced around for the nearest climbable tree and spotted one with branches low enough that I could reach about twenty feet away from where I stood in the center of the small clearing.

I learned early on taking walks in these woods that trees were safety when Goku wasn't with me. The wolves and lions in our area couldn't climb. They could jump, but not climb and as long as I found a good stable perch high enough, I was safe until either they gave up and left or Goku – or one of our boys – showed up to rescue me. Dinosaurs weren't usually in our neck of the woods so I would be safe from anything airborne as well.

I turned toward it and bunched my legs up, prepared for a mad sprint to safety, hoping I could outrun whatever it was that was watching me.

That creepy sensation of being stared at intensified as a chill went down my spine and the hair on the back of my neck rose. I knew whatever beast that was eyeing me for its next meal was right behind me.

I turned very slowly on the spot.

My heart almost painfully shuddered to a stop and I felt my blood run cold and drain from my face. My eyes became saucers as I clapped a hand over my mouth. My breath was caught in my throat, leaving my scream stuck, too.

I subconsciously took a step back as I stared at the predator fifteen feet in front of me. Too close. Much too close. I would not have made it to that tree.

Standing fifteen feet in front of me was Sasquatch with strange dark red fur.

I had heard legends from an elderly couple we met who lived on the other side of our large mountain range when Goku and I were newlyweds and out exploring far from home one day. I thought they were crazy and politely told them so.

They were serious.

As I stared at the beast in front of me, I ate my words, as I was sure I was about to become lunch myself.

I slowly slid another foot backwards, but the beast didn't move a muscle. I could feel its eyes drilling into me. I hoped whatever it was getting ready to do… it would make it quick.

It still didn't move. It didn't even twitch. It was just watching me so maybe it was more curious than hungry. I really had no idea.

Upon noticing that strange behavior, my eyes looked at it in more detail. I'd never be able to outrun it anyway. Up to that moment, I had only noticed the thick but short fur covering its arms and chest.

My eyes moved down. Since when did Sasquatch wear pants? Then I noticed another strange feature: Sasquatch had… a tail.

I looked back up and traced one of its arms with my eyes and found a strangely human looking hand. A hand that was oddly familiar…

My eyes darted up to the beast's face.

Piercing, inhuman, red-rimmed, yellow eyes met my gaze.

My eyes roved up to his hair.

His.

His hair was fairly long, reaching his shoulders in unwieldy jet-black spikes, but nothing like the length of brilliant golden hair when he was a Super Saiyan 3.

I read his expression. His lips were turned up amusedly, the look strangely contrasted with the intensity of his eyes. I looked closer at his eyes. His eyes. The color and sharp angle of his brow were intense, but his eyes were soft and relaxed.

My lips mouthed his name but I couldn't make any sound come out.

The corners of his lips pulled up a little higher. "Hi, Chichi."

His deep, slightly throaty voice reverberated through my bones and made the little hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I shifted a foot forward and took my first hesitant step toward him and then another. My heart hammered painfully against my chest as I became utterly captivated by his piercing yet loving eyes, drawing me toward him.

I continued slowly forward while Goku held stock-still, my eyes never leaving his.

Finally, I was close enough to reach out and touch him and I did so. I ran my fingers through the surprisingly soft, silky fur on his abdomen and traced my hand up to his exposed pectorals. The exposed skin there felt the same as it always did, slightly leathery and rock hard but still very warm.

One hand on his chest, I slid my other hand slowly up to his shoulder and slid my hand down the length of his fur-covered arm toward his hand. I reached the end where the fur stopped just short of his hand.

My hand found his and our fingers intertwined. I squeezed his hand.

His hands felt exactly the same. So very gentle with me but tough enough to beat the toughest of evil into submission, slightly scarred and callused from the evidence of his many fights.

I looked up at his face, his piercing eyes full of love and a glint of something else. Something inhuman. Something predatory.

I shifted my other hand that rested on his chest toward his face and stroked his cheek. The skin of his face felt exactly the same as before that stupid wish, slightly leathery like his hands, but smoother and very warm. His eyes drifted closed, and he sighed, utterly relaxed.

A deep, continuous rumble caught my attention, vibrating through his chest as I stroked his cheek, the sound reminding me a little of a cat. He was actually… purring. It was just about the sweetest thing ever.

I moved my hand a little higher and into his strangely soft and very thick hair. My fingers slid down his hair and through the locks that hung over his shoulder.

I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and my eyes locked on his tail, the appendage swaying slowly to and fro somewhat like a content cat's.

I reached the end of his hair and my hand continued its journey back down to his chest.

A deep sigh escaped him and I glanced back up at his face. His eyes were still closed and his lips held a small, relaxed smile.

My hand slipped around the outside of his arm.

With each gentle sway of his tail, my hand moved closer. Then, it was within my reach.

I darted my hand out and caught the tip of it in a light grip.

The effect the simple, light touch had on him was instantaneous.

His body went utterly rigid the same second I felt his fur bristle and the rumble from deep in his chest stop. I looked up at his face. His eyes were wide and staring at me. His jaw was clenched almost painfully tight, so tight I wondered how he wasn't cracking all of his teeth.

The hand that wasn't holding mine was balled up into a tight fist. The one that was holding mine twitched slightly, like he was fighting the urge to do the same with that hand. I pulled my hand away and immediately that hand was a tight fist, too, both arms rigid against his sides.

I bit my lip to hide an amused smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. I knew his other forms made his already sensitive senses even more so. This form must be even worse – or better – for him.

I brought my other hand around and ran my fingers through the even softer fur of his tail, the simple stroke bringing a shudder out of him as his fur stood on end.

I felt his eyes boring into me. I lifted my face to look into his eyes and raised an eyebrow, a small seductive smile playing on my lips.

Through his tightly clenched jaw, he breathed, "Careful with that."

I gave his tail a slight, experimental tug, working off of a particularly vivid memory when we first met as kids and his knees hit the ground, hard.

He snarled a deep, throaty snarl, so low pitched it reverberated through my bones. "Come. Here. Now."

The words seemed to go directly into my head in addition to reaching my ears, his tone clipped.

Just as he reached toward me, I dropped his tail and sprang back a couple of paces.

He actually looked a little bit irritated with me, showing more teeth and his brow pulled down further. He looked distinctly hungry – and for once, not for food – and very irritated I was denying him the thing he was so desperate for. The expression was so unlike Goku, I couldn't help but giggle at his obvious discomfort.

I may have giggled but my heart galloped in my chest, urging me to get away from my hunger-crazed beast of a husband.

He usually loved it when I got playful with him. He told me once when we were newlyweds when he returned home with game one night that he loved the thrill of the hunt. Later that night, I got creative and gave him something entirely different to hunt. He loved it.

That night, the little game I started exposed a side to Goku that I had no idea was there. A side to Goku that… actually scared me a little bit at first. The way he eyed me… it was almost animalistic. I had no idea what that was about at the time. Since he was my first, I had nothing else to go off of, but something told me other men didn't get quite that way in the bedroom – at least not to the same level as Goku.

The effect was only temporary and his soft eyes returned soon after. He requested that particular game often and I got creative in different ways to keep it challenging by trying to cover my scent and my tracks. He loved our little game and in the end, he always caught me. He'd be giggling as he dropped down off a tree, landing right in front of me, but the moment his hands met my body, all bets were off and my sweet, slightly clueless Goku was no where to be seen as that animalistic side took over.

His Super Saiyan Four self was very much not amused by my little game as evidenced by the almost pained expression on his face half way between a scowl and a grimace and looked like he very much wanted to skip the foreplay and jump straight onto… well… me.

Poor Goku looked positively… starved. And very, very irritated.

Goodness knows one must never get in the way of a hungry saiyan and his food. But one must never get in the way of a hungry saiyan and his food. That was exactly what I did. I denied him – at least for the time being – the very thing he needed to sate his appetite: Me.

I stuck my tongue out at him before whirling around and sprinting off into the trees, with no clue where I was going.

He snarled so loud it was almost a roar. His deep, velvety voice reached me through the trees. "Oh, so that's how you want to be!?"

My heart pounded as I heard fast footfalls race into the woods after me.

I was almost truly afraid. What had I gotten myself into?

I dodged and weaved through the trees as fast as my legs could carry me, very thankful I had maintained my great shape.

I came to a particularly large oak deep in the woods and darted up to it. I immediately pressed my back into its rough bark as I worked to catch my breath, my heart galloping away in my chest.

"This is a very dangerous game you're playing, Chichi."

My blood ran cold.

I could have sworn he was right on the other side of that trunk. His voice was low with a very un-Goku-like menacing edge.

I had not heard him approach. The breeze had me upwind of him, but it didn't matter. Goku had other ways of tracking me. When he was in hunting mode, he was utterly undetectable by mere mortals and impossible to escape. I hated to think of whatever added advantages that new transformation of his had given him.

I had no chance, but still I had to try. I started that little game. And I was determined to give him something to hunt.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Goku had taught me a little ki sensing. My sense would never be as finely tuned as his was, but I could at least sense those around me. I berated myself for not trying that sooner.

He was directly on the other side of the trunk from me. I sensed him shift a foot forward to sneak around it toward me.

I blew out a breath and quickly planned out my next move.

I darted around the tree, around the other side from where I knew Goku was waiting. I was rewarded to see him disappear around the trunk seconds later after I had left my hiding place.

His tail trailed behind.

I rushed forward, grabbed it, and gave it a good strong tug.

Like in the clearing, his knees hit the ground and he roared like a frustrated lion.

I whirled around and – feeling especially bold – called over my shoulder as I raced away, "That was careless, Goku!"

My eyes casted around for another hiding place as I sprinted through the woods, each footfall echoing off the trees.

I came to a large ravine with plenty of smaller ones branching off. I picked one at random that was just wide enough for me to slip through. I had to be careful with my strides lest I raked my shoulders along the rough, jagged walls of rock and dirt around me. I ran until I reached the end of it, and pressed my back into the rough, cold rock.

I caught my breath then froze as I heard a snarl.

That snarl was not Goku's.

My eyes darted around, my heart beating at a quick, nervous pace.

I looked up and straight into the hungry yellow eyes of a wolf standing at the edge of the narrow ravine five feet above me. Five more pairs of eyes appeared to stare down at me over the edge, their teeth bared. Their hot, stinky drool splattered down on me, steaming in the cool air of the deep woods.

I could have taken one or two wolves easily. How would I have faired against six large and very hungry wolves? I didn't have a prayer. If they attacked me one at a time, then I'd simply take them down one at a time. Having observed enough hunts during walks with Goku, I knew wolves work as a team and wouldn't attack me until they could all work together.

They instinctively realized the deep, narrow ravine I was in was only big enough for one to attack at a time. For the time being, I was safe as long as I didn't leave that spot.

I crossed my arms as I attempted to come up with a strategy as the wolves continued to stare down at me and dribble their disgusting, hot, stinky drool on my head and shoulders.

I walked forward, intending to peek into the main ravine fifteen feet back the way I came, when a louder snarl reached my ears.

That snarl echoed through the ravine. I heard the wet sound of jaws smacking seconds before I saw it. A wolf had stalked in after me. It called back and forth in sickeningly excited yips with its pack on top of the ravine.

Well, one wolf I could take. As long as the others didn't join in, I thought I might just get out of there alive. The wolves thought I was an easy meal so they only sent one of their own after me.

The drooling wolf in the ravine with me settled down on his haunches, bunching up his muscles to spring at me.

I shifted into a ready martial arts stance and flowed into my first attack at the same time the wolf released its tension and sprang up at me. I ducked down and – with quick reflexes honed by years of training to maintain my shape – slammed a fist into the beast's gut as it sailed harmlessly over me.

It crashed hard into the wall of rock just a few feet behind me and fell limp. Either unconscious or dead, I wasn't sure. I wasn't going to wait around to find out.

I sprinted toward the opening of the narrow ravine as I heard the sound of claws scraping dirt. My feet pushed on, faster, spurred on by the icy panic clutching my heart. Angry snarls sounded just feet behind me and I wasn't sure if I was just imagining feeling their hot breath on me or if I really was feeling their hot breath on me.

They were close. Much too close.

I ran like a bat out of hell out of the opening of the narrow ravine and slammed into a solid wall of fur-covered muscle. A comfortingly familiar arm locked around me, saving me from bouncing off the wall of muscle from the force of my impact.

I felt a crackle in the air and buried my face in his warm chest to shield my eyes from the bright light of a small ki blast aimed and fired at the wolves.

I pulled my head back and turned just in time to see the remaining five wolves flying through the air with their tails between their legs and loudly howling their terror.

I turned my head back to look up into the face of my rescuer.

Amused eyes found mine.

I raised a very much not amused eyebrow. "And just where have you been this whole time?"

He smiled a sheepish sort of smile that made him look much more like the Goku I was used to despite his… severe new visage. "I… was watching. I was going to help you when you needed it and I did. You were doing so well by yourself until the other five decided to round on you."

My temper flared up.

He dropped his face so his lips tickled my ear, sending goose bumps up and down my spine. "Nice punch by the way."

"I swear, Son Goku, if you're trying to butter me up, I'll–!"

I never got to finish that sentence because warm lips hungrily found mine as his strong arms wrapped around my waist and lifted me up so my face was level with his. In fact, thought became a more and more difficult thing as his lips left mine and worked their way down my exposed neck, awakening feelings that had lain dormant for over a year. A soft moan slipped out of my lips.

He paused to look at me, his face flushed. The expression he wore just about sent chills down my spine, for he eyed me briefly every bit as hungrily as those wolves had and attacked my lips in a voracious and fiery kiss once more.

I twitched involuntarily as I felt something else wrap firmly around my waist in addition to his arms as we kissed deeply. I dropped a hand to investigate and found his tail, the thing that was responsible for the whole mess I got myself into. I gave it a gentle squeeze and he stiffened as a deep, throaty growl emanated from the man holding me and reverberated through my bones.

With lightning speed, it unwound from my waist and curled firmly but gently around my wrist.

It held my hand there to keep me from trying any more sneaky attacks against his weakness.

I felt his tail release my wrist as he pulled away from our kiss and his eyes burned into mine, his teeth bared slightly in a feral half-snarl half-smile, and breathing hard. The tip of his tail twitched like a cat's ready to pounce on its prey and that was exactly what he was about to do.

He lifted us up into the sky and flew toward the clearing he had first led me to.

As soon as our feet touched down, he attacked my lips once more and with a few loud rips, our clothing was discarded. Goku usually knew better than to do that, but I decided to give him a pass that one time, since apparently that new transformation of his made certain primal instincts apparently very, very strong.

I suppose I am still young and pretty enough for him, was my last coherent thought to myself as he pulled us down on the soft bed of wild flowers and electric sparks crackled around us.

Always, Chichi.

I froze for just a second and then melted back into our deep kiss.