A/N: Well I finally got this little bit updated. I know what you're thinking - bout time. Heck, I'm thinking that too. But life is funny sometimes. We set out to do so much, but we only manage a little at a time. So, without further delay, here's the next chapter.

I will warn you, there is a brief instance of mild language and the latter parts of this chapter are a bit saucy. I will say I thought it was needed to advance the story.

Kiss and Make Up

Adam could hardly believe how his weekend was beginning. On the drive home from work, he had expected that he would come home, watch some television as best he could, eat some cheap food or even leftovers, sit and talk with Ayana a bit, and then go to bed just as he did every night. Instead, he found himself eating his favorite food and fighting with his wife. He had to wonder how the fight had even started. He had barely said anything when Ayana had him the news about her new job.

Adam glanced across the table at his wife, and he wanted to groan as he saw her deliberately avoiding his gaze. Silently, he took another mouthful of ceviche. He had to admit that he probably shouldn't have reacted the way he had when she'd told him she found a job. While he'd hardly said more than two words, Adam knew he didn't have to say anything for her to know he objected. Still, he couldn't help but assign some fault to Ayana as well. After all, she was the one who had the last word earlier, and she was also the one who had told him that she didn't want to hear any objections in the first place.

While he had to admit he found her childish ways endearing most of the time, Adam also knew that there were some less-than-preferable qualities of her personality. He remembered a few times while they were dating that she would overreact and then sulk if things didn't go her way. He thought the sulking was worse since she would do just as she was doing now: avoiding his face and keeping silent. He hated it when she acted that way, but he had learned to take the bad with the good. He silently added to himself that he wouldn't have married her otherwise.

More than that, he thought that Ayana should have known better. During their engagement, short as it was, Adam had spoken of the plans he had for their life together. He had told her that he wanted to shoulder the responsibility for providing for them; that he didn't want Ayana to worry herself over money. He would get a good job, they would live in a good house, and they would never want for anything. Of course, Adam knew that nothing had gone according to that plan, but even so, he only wanted to take care of her.

Adam dug at the floor with his toes as he continued to ponder the situation. He had to admit that a second paycheck would help matters. While he could have gotten a second job, the job he had now always managed to wear him down. With Ayana working, at least he wouldn't have to worry so much about their finances. Still, he hated the idea of her needing to go out and work just to keep them afloat.

Adam sighed. He supposed it didn't matter who was in the right. He felt saddened and more than just a little guilty at having hurt his wife's feelings, even if they were hurt far too easily. He thought he should say something to ease her, but when he looked up and saw Ayana staring off to her side, he could think of no words. With another sigh, Adam resumed eating, though he did so almost absentmindedly. When he began to taste only metal, he realized that he had emptied his bowl. He heard the chair across from him scraping against the wood floor, and he knew that Ayana had finished eating as well.

An idea sprang to mind just then, and Adam quickly stood.

"Sit," he said, hoping he sounded sincere enough. "I'll get the dishes."

"No, I'll do it," Ayana answered tonelessly.

"No, really, I don't mind," replied Adam quickly.

"I'll do it," Ayana repeated, standing as she did and gathering her bowl and his. Adam sidestepped to avoid her, as he thought she might have pushed him aside otherwise. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he heard a few mumbled words as she passed him. He watched as Ayana all but stomped her way into the kitchen. He cringed as he heard her roughly place the dishes in the sink and began to wash.

Adam rubbed his forehead, wondering how long Ayana would let herself stay angry. While she never held onto anger for long, Ayana could still stay mad if she wanted to. Adam stood where he was, unsure of what to do. He wanted to do something, anything, to ease the tension. The last thing he wanted was to share half the bed with her when she was in this sort of mood, and he didn't want to sleep on the sofa either. He knew he should do or say something, but again, nothing came to mind. Looking towards Ayana again, Adam huffed and shrugged, finally deciding he could do only one thing. He came up behind her.

"Ayana, look," he began, "about your new job. I, well, I shouldn't have acted that way." Ayana did not turn around or even act as if she acknowledged him. "Will you look at me?" Adam asked, though he immediately clenched his fist in frustration when he heard the tone in his voice. He hadn't meant to sound so irate, but it had happened.

"Look," he began again, "Will you please look at me? I'm sorry. It just...I mean it just happened so quick."

Once again, Ayana kept her back to him and continued washing without a word. Adam's hands again tightened into fists and he began to quiver. He didn't want to say anything, but with every passing moment staring at her, the tension grew heavier and heavier. Finally, Adam could not keep anything to himself any longer.

"Damn it, Ayana," he said at last, not even noticing that he swore. "What do want me to say? I'm trying to apologize, you know. Look, I know I should have taken it better, but you could at least say something. I don't want to spend the weekend not speaking." He was about to say more when he noticed Ayana's shoulders trembling. At first, Adam worried that he had made her cry. He also worried that she might hold this night against him for a long time.

To his surprise, however, he heard not the sounds of sobbing but laughing.

"What's so funny?" Adam asked, now entirely confused.

"Oh, just that you can be so cute when you mope," Ayana replied, with no trace of bitterness. "You're even cuter when you get mad; the way you wave your arms around and pace a little." She turned, and Adam saw her face light and almost carefree, as if nothing at all had happened. "I just couldn't keep doing that to you."

Adam felt his shoulders sag as a knowing breath left his mouth. She had done it to him again. Like a child who held its breath, Ayana could hold her tongue to get what she wanted, and Adam could not resist falling for it. Of course, Adam also knew that she would rarely act in such a way. Still, he didn't like when she did. His eyes widened slightly in surprise when he felt the palm of his wife's hand come to rest against his cheek.

"I forgive you, by the way," said Ayana. Adam managed a weak smile and a nod. It amazed him how quickly she could go from having her feelings hurt to acting as if all was right with the world.

"Okay," Adam said softly. "Can we at least talk about this?" Ayana quickly withdrew her hand, and Adam couldn't help but wince.

"I'm still taking this job, Adam."

"I know," he replied. His voice sounded far too forceful, and he raised his hands and spoke again, now gentler, "I know. But please, Ayana, let's talk about this."

Ayana only shrugged and took a step closer, silently giving her consent. Adam walked to the sofa and sat down, and Ayana sat beside him. He took her by the hand and looked her in the eyes, hoping that he could tell her through his gaze that he truly only wanted to talk. Taking a deep, contemplative breath, Adam began.

"Now, look Ayana, you know I hate the idea of you working."

"I know you do," she replied, "but, Adam, I hate the idea of you working yourself to death just to keep us going. You take every bit of overtime you can, just to get a little extra, and it's not even enough."

"You're not supposed to worry about it," Adam answered with a shake of his head. "It's my job to worry about keeping us afloat."

"You're my husband. It's my job to worry about you."

"Oh, Ayana, I don't want you to have to worry about anything. I'm the one who has to worry about putting a roof over your head, clothes on your back, food on the table." Adam watched as the same mischievous smile appeared on Ayana's face once again.

"You know," she said, taking on the tone of voice she had used when he first came home, teasing and almost flirtatious, "there was a time when you couldn't wait to get the clothes off my back." Adam felt his face turn red and hot, and his eyes grew, by his guess, about two sizes wider. Of all the things his wife could have said, he never expected those words to leave her mouth, at least not in the current situation.

"Where did that come from?" Her smile disappeared slightly, and Adam spoke again. "I mean I just never expected that." He heard Ayana chuckle a little, and even though he didn't know why, Adam found himself laughing a little himself. "Seriously though," he went on, "we talked about this when we were planning our wedding."

"Which part?" Ayana added with a smirk, and Adam knew exactly where she was going. If they weren't trying to resolve the matter of her job, Adam might have asked why her mind was heading in the direction it was. She hadn't acted so coyly since their first night on their honeymoon.

"Now, let's not derail the conversation too much. Look, Ayana, I understand why you got this job, but I didn't want you to have to worry about things about this. I just wanted to be the one to take care of you."

Adam took it as a good sign when her smile reappeared, though it was very different this time. Instead of a look of mischief, her face appeared warm and loving, and she leaned forward to give him a slight peck on the cheek.

"What makes you think you haven't?" she asked. "You've taken great care of me."

"I haven't been able to give you everything you wanted, Ayana," Adam replied, looking away as he spoke, as if to say it made him feel ashamed of himself. His eyes looked to the television first, then the walls, and then the kitchen. While the small screen was hardly any indication, Adam wished he could do something with the color of the walls, since neither of them liked it, and even give Ayana a dishwasher to spare her hands. Of course, he thought of other signs that could say he was a poor provider, like their shower always running cold and colder. Even the sofa they sat on seemed to say he hadn't done as well as he should have.

He heard the springs in the sofa shift as Ayana scooted closer. He felt the warmth of her hand against his cheek once again, as she brought his face back towards her before she withdrew her hand.

"Baby, you've given me plenty. Okay, we don't have everything we want, but we have enough. You don't have to think you're a bad husband just because we don't have a lot. I didn't take this job for that. I took it because we could use the extra money." Adam began to regret showing her the bank statements and bills each month. Of course, he had himself to blame, since he had said he would never hide things when they were married. Still, he hated for her to know they were only getting by, even though he did the work of two people, stocking shelves and waiting tables.

"It won't be much," Ayana added, "but it will help put a little extra in the bank."

Adam only nodded. He really couldn't argue. Still, when he closed his eyes, he could picture himself coming home to have his loving wife greet him. He knew it was somewhat outdated, but it was his dream. Then when he opened his eyes and looked around again, the look of his reality reminded him that he needed to be realistic.

"When do you start?" he asked, with a tone of reluctant acceptance.

"This Monday. Like I said, it's just some clerical work, filing paperwork; you know patient records, order forms, all that stuff. It's not like I'm not qualified for that."

"I never said you weren't qualified," remarked Adam. "Heck, you could probably even get on as a doctor." Ayana said nothing, and only responded with a wide smile and a light shake of her head, as if telling him that he knew she couldn't have made it as a proper doctor yet. Adam thought back to college. While they both held the same science major, he had pursued the technological tracks, and Ayana had chosen to pursue the medical track. She had confessed that she had planned to enroll in medical school on one date when their relationship was beginning to mature. But when Adam had proposed marriage, she had decided to take a new course.

"Well, you're smarter than most doctors anyway," said Adam, "and prettier too."

"What was that about not derailing the conversation?" Ayana teased.

"Turnabout is fair play. So, what would your hours be?"

"Almost the same as yours; Monday through Friday, ten to six. And like I said, I won't be making much, but it will help us out a bit. Besides, I can't sit around and play games all day. I want to do something."

Once again, silence lingered between them. Adam gave his head a pondering scratch. He pondered all that had happened since he came home. He pondered Ayana's words, even words that she'd said during their college years. And he pondered the situation of their lives.

From a financial standpoint, he knew Ayana had done only what she could, and he knew it would help. He didn't make much as a stock boy and a waiter at the grocery store, even if it was the same as working two jobs. He had tried to find a better job, but it was hard in a small town like Appaloosa Plains. A little extra income would help.

Adam also realized that, for the time being, this would be as close as Ayana could get to her dreams. As Adam thought about that, he recalled how he had wanted, even since he was growing up, to find a career in engineering. He enjoyed tinkering as some called it, and he had dreamed of creating. It was a dream that life had denied him, and Adam found he could not deny Ayana her own.

Adam also realized that Ayana was not bored of married life, but she was bored of idleness. He supposed there was only so much to do around the house. Adam also understood that Ayana wished to be, truly, his partner and share the load of life.

And when he looked into her eyes, Adam found there was only one thing he could say.

"All right, Ayana," he said at last. "I'm not giving you 'permission.'" He mentally added that Ayana didn't need permission to do anything, but he said nothing of the kind as he went on, "and I still don't like the idea of you working, but I'll support your decision. And, Ayana, I'm really sorry about how I took the news."

"Don't worry about it, Adam. It's okay." Her words reminded Adam about why he loved her childish nature. She could be quick to mope, pout, or even stomp her feet, which he had seen her do only in front of him, but she could also just be just as quick to forgive and forget. With a smile, he leaned forward to kiss her lips, and she was more than happy to oblige.

"So," Adam said after they had pulled away, "you made that whole dinner, just to brace me for the news."

"Didn't quite work out the way I wanted it," his wife answered.

"Well, it was still good."

"Glad to hear it. Ceviche is hard to make. By the way, that wasn't the only reason I made it," said Ayana.

"So, what was the other reason?"

"Well," Ayana began, taking the material of Adam's sweatshirt between her fingers, "since I start work on Monday, I thought we might make this weekend a little special, starting tonight."

"What did you have in mind?" Adam asked, with a curious tilt of his head.

"I thought we might relive some old memories," Ayana said. She paused, and Adam knew she liked to do that sometimes, if for no other reason than to keep him in suspense. With a smug little smile, she added, "like our honeymoon."

"Oh," said Adam, drawing out the word as he recalled her earlier behavior. "So, that's why you were acting all..." He struggled to find the right word, although frisky seemed the most appropriate. He found a small smile growing on his face at the thought of all she had done since he got home, and Adam found himself feeling touched and flattered. He hadn't seen her act the way she had tonight since that day when their plane landed for that weeklong vacation. Adam even found his face turning a slight tint of red as his mind thought of a few of those 'old memories' as Ayana put it.

"Yeah," she replied with a nod. "I thought it might get you thinking a little. I had it all planned, since you left for work this morning." Adam raised an eyebrow at her words. He had not noticed it before, considering how tired he was even when he awoke, but now that he thought of it, Ayana had worn a rather amorous look when he'd kissed her good-bye after breakfast. Adam found himself idly rubbing the back of his neck, mentally chiding himself for not paying attention.

"Of course, things didn't really work out like I'd hoped," she continued. "I'd wanted to text you something a bit flirty, but since you don't have a cell phone, I couldn't. Even though I was a bit sneaky while I was at the store, I thought about coming up behind you to surprise you. I wanted a candlelight dinner, but we didn't have any candles. But I thought your favorite dish would have still made a good start, and I even made..." Just then, she quickly buried her face in her hands and grunted.

"What it is?" Adam asked.

"I completely forgot about the dessert."

Ayana sprang from the sofa and hurried into the kitchen. Adam curiously followed and watched her rifle quickly through the fridge. He wondered what sort of dessert Ayana had prepared, and while he was sure it would be delicious, he also hoped it wasn't anything too extravagant. Cost aside, he knew he didn't have much of a sweet tooth. To his relief and surprise considering everything else she'd done or even envisioned tonight, Ayana pulled out two parfait glasses filled with chocolate pudding. She handed one to Adam before pulling out a spoon, which she also handed him. He looked down to see a single red raspberry placed expertly atop the thin layer of skin.

They returned to the sofa and silently ate. Adam popped the berry into his mouth, grimacing a bit at its tart flavor, but then he took a spoonful of the dark brown pudding. The smooth texture and sweet taste was pleasing, especially with the taste of the raspberry lingering on his tongue. There was one flavor, however, that Adam didn't recognize. It was slightly bitter, but it didn't take away from the sweetness of the chocolate.

When he looked over at Ayana, the dessert reminded him of their earlier fight: sharp but small and then sweet, and Adam smiled warmly, glad that his wife wasn't the sort to hold onto things for too long.

"I made it from scratch," Ayana announced proudly.

"It's delicious," Adam commented, wondering if she'd planned for the fight as well, considering how well her choice in dessert seemed to fit the situation. They said nothing else while they ate, although Adam began to wonder what else his wife had pictured for tonight, and he couldn't resist asking. He was sure it was very different from how things had turned out, and certainly different from how he expected the night to proceed.

"Well, I didn't picture us eating the dessert like this," she began and I certainly didn't imagine us having any kind of argument over my job. I figured, we'd talk about it, and then finish dinner and watch some romantic movie. Later, I was going to tell you to wait right here. I wanted to surprise you by standing right over there." Ayana pointed behind them, and Adam turned to see her pointing straight at the door to their bedroom. "I was going to put on that purple nighty you liked so much, the one with the black lace trimming."

Adam's face grew red again, though he was sure it was more than one single shade, and he felt his cheeks turn hot at the images her words conjured in his mind. He remembered the sight of Ayana sitting on the bed in their honeymoon suite wearing that short silk gown, her barely hidden legs tucked underneath her. He remembered how she would tease him by sliding one of the straps down, fully exposing one shoulder.

"Oh, you like that idea," he heard Ayana say. Shaking his head, Adam looked over to see his wife with her head tilted slightly and a grin of smug amusement painted on her face. "I can see your mouth hanging open. Getting a good look?"

"Oh, you," Adam replied with a slight groan of exasperation.

"I was even going to slide down that one strap again," Ayana went on, clearly paying Adam no mind. "I could just picture you running over, scooping me up, and then..." her voice trailed off, and the way she looked at him told Adam to finish her sentence with his own imagination. Adam didn't his mind go too far, but he had to admit he would have enjoyed all of those plans Ayana had made for tonight.

However, Adam couldn't help but feel more than a slight twinge of disappointment as the heat from his face began to fade along with the accompanying fantasies.

He was sure that he would not have had the strength to act on those particular ideas. He doubted that after running back and forth across the store he could do anything but shuffle. And while Ayana was hardly as heavy as a box full of cans, Adam didn't think he could manage picking her up and carrying her anywhere. Still, he had to admit he wished he weren't so tired; he probably could have tried it otherwise.

"Boy," Adam said at last, slightly hesitating as he spoke. He wasn't quite sure how he should respond to everything his wife had told him. "You sure made some plans." Adam immediately thought the words sounded stupid, but they were the only words that came to mind.

"Well, maybe I did go a bit overboard," Ayana answered. "I guess I probably should have waited until later to tell you about my job." Adam shifted slightly and uncomfortably, as he knew what Ayana meant by 'later.' He doubted they would have even got to that point, and he hated the thought that he would have had to tell her 'no.' Adam saw her begin to stand, and he rose quickly, reaching for her empty glass.

"I'll get these," said Adam, "you've done plenty already." Wearily but willingly, he shuffled into the kitchen. Adam thought washing the cups was the least he could do for her after all Ayana had done for him. Besides that, he did feel a bit ashamed at having jumped to the conclusion that she'd done all this just because she'd bought something and was trying to convince him to let her keep it. Of course, Adam also wished that it had been something that trivial. Thinking about all Ayana had planned, he would have rather told her 'no' to something she had bought.

As he filled the cups with water, he heard the springs in the sofa shift again, and he glanced over to see Ayana, likely on her knees, facing him.

"I know I did plenty. I even shaved my legs for this," she called to him.

"Still teasing me," Adam muttered with a slight shake of his head. With a tired sigh, he finished washing the glasses and put them away. Stretching one of his aches away, Adam returned to the sofa. "Those sure sound like special plans," he said.

"But you're tired aren't you?" Ayana finished for him. "Of course, we still could you know. I mean both of us felt pretty jet-lagged on our honeymoon, but that didn't stop us."

"We both crashed after we got to our room, and then that night we were both wide-awake," Adam reminded her. It also surprised him that even after an argument, albeit a brief one, she still had her mind set on jumping into bed. He wondered if he should ask her why she was so fixated on it, but he didn't quite know the words to ask it delicately.

"Well, I guess that's true, but I've missed you, Adam," she said, leaning her head against his shoulder and placing one hand on his leg. "You know," she added casually, "we haven't had sex in over a month."

In shock at her choice of wording and her rather nonchalant way of saying it, Adam pulled away, and his eyes grew large again. He had not expected her to be so straightforward, but like the overgrown child she sometimes was, Ayana often said things in just such a manner.

"Ayana," he said, sounding very like he imagined his mother would sound when he was a child and he would blurt something out without thinking.

"Oh, we're in our own house, Adam," Ayana shot back quickly.

"I know, but..." Adam pointlessly turned his hands as if trying to communicate what he wanted to say, but even didn't know what he wanted to say. He supposed there was really no need to be shocked. They were married after all. Besides, they were alone, and as his wife had pointed out, in their house. All the same, the conversation had caught Adam off guard; at least the part concerning their love life.

"What? Are you afraid the neighbors might overhear us?" Ayana asked in jest. Adam said nothing, and at his silence, she gave him a rather impish grin and crossed her arms. "When did you get to be such a prude anyway?"

"Hey, I am not a prude, Ayana," Adam firmly declared.

"No?" she asked with a teasing shrug. "Then what is it?"

"I'm...I'm just tired that's all."

"Oh, is that all? I was beginning you just weren't man enough to play."

"Now, that's not fair," Adam replied, waving his finger back and forth with every word. He spoke with only mock indignation, because she had used the very same taunt to get him to meet for a game of basketball at campus gym, and she never once actually meant it. It had also become something of a running joke between them.

Ayana laughed, and Adam knew the same thought had come to her mind as well. Despite his fatigue, Adam pulled his wife close.

"Come here," he said before quickly again claiming her lips, only he made sure to deepen the kiss. He thought he had just enough strength to do that much at least. As Adam held her, her stroked Ayana's back and her hair, and he couldn't help but feel his love returning. Oh, he had always loved her, even after they had settled into the routine of life, but now, Adam felt as though he had just now met her and romance was only now blooming.

"How was that?" Adam asked as they pulled away. "See I can still play."

"Not bad for the first quarter," Ayana replied, deepening her voice to an almost sultry level. She began to reach for him, to wrap her arms around his neck, but Adam held her by the wrists.

"Now, come on, Ayana," Adam moaned. He wanted to ask why she was so insistent, but before he could say even a word, his wife spoke first.

"Adam, don't you miss it?" she asked, and it sounded as if she were pleading with him. "Don't you miss those days?" As Adam looked into his wife's brown eyes, he saw love, desire, and even need gazing back at him. He began to get lost in her eyes and her question echoed in his mind. As he continued to look, Adam felt as if time were slowing down, allowing him the chance to think.

He admitted that he hadn't thought a great deal about that aspect of their married life. The past few weeks had seemed like only work and worry, and he knew that was exactly what they had been. Adam thought of the routine of his life; get up in the morning, eat a quick breakfast, go to work, take a brief break for lunch, go back to work, come home, eat dinner, talk with Ayana, and then go to sleep. He had not even had time to think about how often he and Ayana had only slept in the same bed.

Then there were all the worries and cares of life. Did they have enough money saved to pay their bills? Did they have enough saved for any sort of emergency? Was he doing enough for them? Romance certainly didn't have much room in his mind, and when Adam had thought about it, he began to realize just how much he did miss Ayana, even though they saw each other every morning and her side of the bed was only inches from his. He felt oddly lonely, even with his loving wife at arm's length.

"Yes," Adam said at last. "I miss it." Adam couldn't explain why, but as he continued to stare into Ayana's eyes, he could feel as if all the aches and pains of his job and even the cares of life fading away. At this moment, he felt as if he could have gone a bit further right there on the couch. "But let's just wait a bit...baby," he added, trying to match his wife's tone from earlier. "I don't know if it was that kiss, but I feel like I just had a jolt."

"That's probably the coffee," Ayana remarked.

"What coffee?"

"I brewed a little and mixed it in with the pudding," she explained with satisfaction painted on her face. "I figured it would kick in soon enough."

"Oh, you," said Adam, now realizing exactly what that taste was that he couldn't identify. He had to give his wife credit for her creativity, not to mention her persistence. In the face of all she had done, Adam wondered how he could keep refusing.

"Pretty good, huh?" Ayana asked, though Adam supposed it was not really a question she wanted him to answer.

"Yeah, pretty good. But," Adam added. "We're not going to get started right now." Ayana started to open her mouth, and from the look on her face, he could tell she wasn't happy. "Now, just hold on, Ayana. I've thought about it, and I think I'd like to follow that plan of yours a bit. I messed up part of it, so why don't we just start off with that movie you mentioned. You get comfy in your PJ's, I'll see if we have any popcorn left, and if our microwave will pop it. We turn the lights down low, and then we'll see what happens afterward."

"You don't want to see me in that purple nighty?" she asked, still teasing him.

"Get going," Adam lightly ordered. Adam rose as she did, and he watched as she scampered off towards the bedroom. With a wry little smile, Adam gave his wife's backside a slight slap. Ayana squealed and turned around. "What? Like I said, I'm man enough to play."

"I'll make it a short movie," Ayana remarked. "After all, we do have to make up for the argument...properly."

"Always getting her way," said Adam as he heard the bedroom door close, and he headed to the kitchen to see about the popcorn. "And I don't think I'd have it any other way."

A little later, Adam sat on the couch with Ayana's head in his lap. They had no popcorn, but Adam knew it didn't really matter. He couldn't help but smile as he thought of the situation. Just like when they had shared their first kiss, they were in a darkened room watching some animated movie. He hadn't really paid attention to the events on the screen; all he knew was that it was about a prince looking for his princess. Adam dared not shift at some of the more overdone moments, as he had agreed to let her choose. He supposed he had it coming to him anyway.

Adam leaned down to kiss Ayana's head, and he lightly stroked her arm. He thought of how she had emerged from the bedroom wearing that old college jersey T-shirt of his, which he had given her, and a pair of turquoise pants. While it wasn't her nighty, Adam thought she looked good in anything, although he probably would have even described her as 'sexy.' Adam bit his lip, thinking of just what his wife had managed to do him. Adam had to admit, whether it was the coffee or the kiss from earlier or even both at once, he felt great, even after a rough and disappointing workday. He hadn't even thought about the raise that he didn't get. Of course, he also supposed that expectation had something to do with it, as his wife had firmly planted the same longing in him as well.

Adam suddenly felt Ayana's hand rubbing against his knee and moving up towards his thigh, as if she could read his mind. At this moment, even her touch felt as if she left sparks where her palm had been. It was as if to tell him to keep the moment alive. Adam began to wonder which was more appropriate: letting the movie finish or just whisking Ayana off to their bedroom to get started. He was sure there would be no objections. But, for some reason, Adam didn't want to rush. He wanted to make sure this moment, this night was as special as his wife had intended.

And then when the film began to pan away from the prince and princess, sharing their final kiss, Ayana sat up, and Adam pulled her close for another kiss, the same one he'd given her only moments ago. Perhaps it was the remnants of their earlier moment living on, just as she wanted, but Adam found the taste of her lips intoxicating, more than last time. He did not want to separate, but when he did, he found he wanted more than just the one kiss. Even in the dim light, he saw in her eyes that she wanted more as well.

"So, shall we make up properly?" Adam asked with a coy smile, standing as he spoke. He offered her his hand, and Ayana gladly accepted.

"Since we're making up from an argument," said Ayana, "you know the rules. You started it so..."

"Yes, Ayana," he answered with a nod. "You get the top."

She flashed him one last smile, and Adam knew the time for words was now over. Hand in hand, they walked the short distance to their bedroom. Adam did not even bother to shut the door behind them, for he found himself too lost in the moment. All he could think about was how he could not believe how his weekend was beginning.

A/N: I figured I'd bring it full circle for Adam. He couldn't believe how he weekend was starting at both times. He comes home to a brief argument and the day ends pretty well for him. I hope that wasn't too awkward to read. It was a bit awkward to write, but hey, how else would Ayana end up in the hospital later? I also hope you didn't mind my brief use of language. I also hope it seemed realistic enough. I figured even the wife might start to miss that aspect of marriage, so I thought Ayana might be the initiator in this case, with Adam working himself to the bone the way he does. I also figured that sometimes kids can switch gears rapidly. They can go from fighting one minute to being the best of friends the next. In the game, Ayana is childish so I thought that might be an element of her personality.

My original plan was to cover the whole weekend and what Adam and Ayana did. I could still do it, but it would probably be more of a filler chapter, and I don't want too many of those. I mean the chapter after this originally was going to be a filler because it would take place back at the hospital in the present. If you want it, I will write that weekend chapter, but I could just as easily move on to the interlude.