Moonlight Cantata
It's warm under the sheets…a little too warm in fact, and with that thought you push the silk layers off you with one hand while the other groped around the floor nearby for the night shift you had so eagerly discarded the night before. Your movement hardly makes a rustle, even to your own ears, and for a moment you stand and look around the room, wondering what to do now that you've left the bed. Your eyes move over to the low hanging window to the left, the only source of illumination in the relative darkness surrounding you and your feet move of their own accord. It's a full moon tonight, you think, and remember that it heralds something quite important later today…or rather someone quite important.
You stare unwaveringly at the gleaming orb of whiteness overhead for long, long minutes while your mind struggles against the cocoon of detachment you've so easily wrapped around it. There! It's free and the first thought on your mind is, "Grandfather will not be pleased." No that's a gross understatement; Sofu will be livid when he finds out…if he hasn't already found out and is just biding his time. Perhaps you should tell him that it's only happened once- ignore the two other times this 'accident' has occurred…yester-night and the night before that too. What's wrong with me, you sigh to yourself, eyes dragging off the moon to stare critically at the blood tipped mess you've made of your lacquered talons. You had no idea that they could dig in so deep…or cause so much damage. Rules are made for a reason…you've chanted this mantra for so long, you should have ownership rights over it. And yet there you go breaking every single one of the-
"D?"
Your ears pick up the fumbling about on the bed long before your eyes follow, and for a moment you can't help but note the irony. There he is, shrouded in the darkness and here you are, bathed in the moonlight. He's bunched the delicate sheets around his tanned, bare waist with one hand while leaning against the other, throwing his entire weight into that fragile bone. It's going to be sore in the morning, you want to say, but there is so much more to say. Your eyes meet and the uncertainty in his sends a jolt of fire through your veins because it mirrors the expression in your eyes.
The silence reigns for a time as you each wait for the other to speak but neither of you has quite summoned up the courage to face the consequences of your actions. You look into his eyes and a wry smile touches your lips. He knows boundaries have been crossed but has no idea just how many or how far reaching…and for a moment you can't help being angry at him for his ignorance. Your eyes flick down and you murmur, "There's a big shipment coming to the store today."
You look up just in time to see the flash of fear in his eyes and wonder, whether it is fear of you or for himself. He pushes off his supporting hand and drags it through his pale gold hair…for a moment you don't realize that the raspy growling is actually speech. "….do you want me to leave then?" There! The crux of the matter…
Your smile is an unreadable puzzle as you get off the ledge and slowly walk to the side of the bed. The shift slides off with a sigh but you barely give him time to feast his eyes before you slide back in between the sheets. They are still too warm. You reach out to rub his work toughened, battle scarred torso and whisper in his ear. "If you want to, but it would be nice if you choose to stay Detective," You brush a kiss to his cheek and lean back. "I need someone to do the heavy lifting."
Your smile becomes a chuckle as he huffs and turns around, showing you the full extent of your handiwork on his body, and you slip your arms around his waist. For now you'll let him believe you didn't see the relief in his eyes before the familiar irritation…you'll let yourself believe that it didn't make your worries go away, even if just for the moment.
