Before I start, I just wanna thank everyone who has read and/or reviewed this story; it truly means a lot.

Chapter 10

Ky stood at the window of the room he shared with Boomer in the X-caper, the young man watching as drops of rain trickled down the smooth glass. He pressed his palm against the window, feeling its coolness. It was an hour or so past midnight, but the moon was up and full in the sky, so Ky could see clearly the red-painted buildings with their slanting, whitewashed tile-roofs, and the small, arching bridges that comprised this; his new home: master Atoch's monastery.

Ky and his friends had come to this place, seeking refuge, about a month ago, after their old home, master Boddai's monastery, had been destroyed by Malice, and master Atoch had been kind indeed, to take them in, in their hour of need. Master Atoch had given master Boddai a room that he could call his own; where he could sleep and gather his strength. Master Atoch had also given Gia a room, and Ekeyon had agreed – though somewhat reluctantly – to allow Apex and Balistar to sleep on mattresses on the floor in his room. The three members of Team Stax still slept in their old beds in the X-caper, and Mookee still slept in his kitchen-drawer.

Ky looked at his wrist-watch; it was time. He turned away from the window, and cast a sidelong glance Boomer's way, the stocky youth asleep in his bunk, completely exhausted after playing with Gia, Apex and Balistar, for three hours straight. Ky chuckled, and then – as quietly as he could – he exited the room, sneaking across the hallway to stand before the door to Maya's room.

Ky knocked softly on the door, and a few seconds later, it opened, Maya peaking out into the hallway. She gestured for the young man to enter, and he did just that, moving past her and into the room. Maya looked down the hall, to where Mookee lay in his kitchen-drawer, and judging by the guttural snores that emanated from that direction, the young woman guessed that the little alien was fast asleep. She smiled and nodded, seaming pleased; then she went back into her room, moving to stand before Ky, who stood at the end of her bed.

Maya studied Ky, his lean but muscular build, the strong angles of his features, his raven-black hair and ice-blue eyes; those eyes! The young woman's heart fluttered every time she looked into those dazzling blue orbs. Maya knew that she loved Ky, this young man with whom she had spent so much of her life, and she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with him as well.

Ky was similarly studying Maya, her angular, yet delicate features, her full lips; so very soft and inviting, the alluring curves and bumps of her slender and lithe body. He marveled at her eyes; those big and wonderful pools of liquid amber, that he felt as if he could drown in, and enjoy doing it. Ky knew, as he had known from the moment they had first kissed, that Maya had stolen his heart.

Without saying a word, Ky moved right up to Maya, and kissed her on the lips; tenderly; lovingly, and the young woman kissed him back, her arms wrapping about the young man's neck. Ky wrapped his arms around Maya's waist, and pulled her in closer, his strong chest pressing firmly against her breasts. As if on cue, the kiss intensified, growing more urgent; tongues touching.

Maya's hands came from about his neck, one going to his chest; to his breast-bone, and stroking up to his neck, while the other went down to his solid waist, and going around to the small of his back. Ky moved his hands down the sides of Maya's hips, and down the outsides of her thighs.

It went on and on, neither wanting the moment to end.

The kiss softened some time later, becoming gentler, their lips touching and brushing, each feeling the others warm breath on their face. And then they pulled away, staring long and hard into each others eyes, a look of profound longing on their faces. They both knew that they could take their relationship to the next level, but though it was tempting to take that most intimate of steps, they decided against it. They wanted to make sure that they were ready when that time came.

''Later,'' Maya whispered teasingly into Ky's ear, and the young woman could not help but smile and chuckle, when she saw the young man's eyes go wide, as the meaning of that single word became clear to him.

They parted then, Ky going back to his own room, crawling up into his bunk, feeling both exhausted and energized at the same time. That one word that was uttered during their encounter spun in his mind, accompanied by a feeling that was a mixture of unbridled excitement and profound nervousness.

Ky fell asleep a short while later.

xxxxx

Maya stood at the window of her room, watching as water trickled down the smooth glass. Fog appeared on the window, as the young woman's warm breath came into contact with the glass; cooled by the incessant rain outside.

Maya smiled. In spite of what had happened: the destruction of the monastery and the revelation that Malice was not her wicked side, rather that she was its gentle side, Maya felt happier than ever, for she had found something that outweighed the bad things ten times over. She had found love. This was the seventh night in a row that she and Ky had secretly met to make out. And they would meet again the next night, and the night after that, and so on, and so on. By Maya's estimation, the world could not be a brighter place at the moment.

Maya turned away from the window and walked over to her bed, lying down, not even bothering to change into her pajamas. She found a comfortable position, and soon enough she fell asleep.

To be continued...

I do not know when I'll be able to update next (school starts tomorrow), but until then: later :)