Warning! Mature content in this chapter. You've been fairly warned.
Chapter 11 - Love Admitted & Secrets Revealed
"Kisses are like tears, the only real ones are the ones you can't hold back."
The kiss came so suddenly onto Kimberly's lips that she found herself unable to really comprehend what was happening. The low rumbling of thunder in the distance seemed to jump start her mind. Slowly, she started to take everything in. The cool sensation of the rain as it fell onto her hot skin…the rapid pounding beneath her hand of a heartbeat belonging to another…the gentle touch of loving hands that were cupping her face…and finally the intense and fiery kiss that was being placed on her lips.
Tommy poured everything into the kiss. He hoped she could feel the longing and love he held for her that he had been denying for so many years. Slowly he pulled away from the soft lips that he had yearned for.
"I love you." Tommy said quietly. He was surprised at how easily the words had come from his mouth.
"What?" It was all she could manage to say after his confession. Her mind was still reeling from the sudden kiss that it wasn't ready to grasp the words that he had said. A small chuckle escaped his lips. He placed a gentle hand under her chin and tilted her head up so that she was looking directly at him. He watched as her eyes scanned his begging for answers.
"I love you." Kim's eyes grew wide as he repeated himself. She couldn't believe what she was hearing nor did she know what to say. She had always wanted to hear those words come from him but that was before everything had happened. After the attack she swore she would no longer love the man that ruined her life. Why? Why was she still happy to hear him say those three words? Kim didn't realize that she was crying until she felt Tommy wipe the tears away.
"Let's get out of the rain." He gave her a reassuring smile and gently grabbed her hand as he led her back inside. An evil smirk spread across Nicholas' face as he stepped out of the shadows and watched the two walk hand in hand. He had seen and heard everything.
The rain had soaked both Tommy and Kim to the bone. If they had been walking around in the afternoon everything would be fine but the cool night air had set in causing both to shiver as they walked to the room. It was a long and quiet walk back inside. Kim still hadn't responded to his confession.
"Go ahead and take a shower. I'll wait till you're done." Tommy said as they walked into his chambers. Kim nodded and grabbed some dry clothes before heading into the bathroom. He let out a heavy sigh as he quickly discarded his wet clothing and slipped into some comfortable dry pants. He made his way back to the living area and plopped down onto the couch. I did it. I said it. Tommy thought as he sat alone. Now what? Was she really going to accept his feelings after everything he had put her through? He did regret everything but feeling regret wasn't going to change anything. It wasn't going to magically erase his past transgressions.
The shower was exactly what Kim needed. It warmed her frozen body and gave her time alone to think. She never in her life expected him to confess his love to her. Yes, she had dreamed about it but that was a long time ago. Did she still love him? Despite everything that had happened the answer was still yes. Kim dried her hair as she walked out of the room. Tommy was sound asleep on the couch. He had had a long day. He had patrolled, helped build a room, frantically searched for her and confessed. Kim couldn't help but smile as she walked over to him. His hair was still wet and dripping on the couch.
"You're going to get sick if you don't dry yourself properly." she said quietly as she took a seat next to him on the couch. She did her best to dry his hair as gently as she could so as not to wake him.
"Thank you." Tommy said quietly. Kim stopped her actions immediately. She turned away as a light blush spread across her face.
"You're welcome. You should take a shower before you get sick." Kim said and pushed herself off of the couch. Tommy stood and grabbed hold of her hand before she could walk away from him. Although she had acknowledged her own feelings she wasn't ready to face him. She wanted to have a proper conversation about their situation. Nevertheless, she knew that if he kissed her again she wouldn't be able to stop herself from letting him continue. Tommy pulled her back against him and wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm sorry…for everything. If I could take it all back I would." He whispered. The feel of his breath against her ear gave her goose bumps. Kim knew what he meant. She felt the same way.
"Me too." She said as she gently pushed his arms away so that she could turn around and face him. She brushed a few damp strands of hair out of his face before gently touching his cheek. Tommy leaned into her soothing touch and closed his eyes. It should have been this way from the beginning. Tommy opened his eyes slowly and gazed at the beautiful woman in his arms. He loved her but did she still love him? He had to know. Slowly he began to bring his face down to hers. A deep blush spread across Kim's face as she realized he was closing the distance between them. She had plenty of time to stop him if she had chosen to do so but there was a yearning inside of her that longed to feel his lips against hers once again. He knew that doing this was most likely going to cause both of them a lot of trouble but he didn't care. He would face anything as long as he had her. Tommy slowly pressed his lips against hers and smiled when he felt her kissing him back.
Adam had searched his half of the castle frantically looking for Kimberly. She had to have known the dangers of wandering around the castle alone. What if Nicholas found her? What if the King found her? A light coming from a familiar room caught his eye as he searched through the castle. The light was on in Tommy's room. Adam let out the breath he had been holding and began to make his way to his cousin's room.
"Tommy must have found her. He wouldn't go back without her." Adam said sounding more like he was trying to convince himself. It didn't take long for him to reach the room. Adam opened the door and immediately regret doing so. There they were wrapped in each others arms. Tommy wearing only pants and Kim wearing only a nightshirt. His face turned bright red. He couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or anger but it didn't matter. He had walked in on them in too many awkward positions and this one topped them all. Tommy and Kim reluctantly pulled away from each other to take a breath and look to see who had interrupted them. Tommy took one look at Adam and knew he was in trouble. This is not going to be good. He thought to himself as he remembered his cousin's previous warnings about starting a relationship with Kimberly. Tommy opened his mouth to give him an explanation but was cut off before he could say anything.
"Learn to lock your god damned door!" Adam yelled before slamming the door shut and storming off to his room, still red in the face. Tommy stood completely shocked that that was all he had to say. The sound of Kim's laughter brought him back to reality and he couldn't help but join in and laugh at Adam's embarrassment.
"You really do need to take a shower." Kim said as she threw her towel at him. His hair was still dripping and if he stayed that way he would definitely catch a cold. Tommy nodded and made his way to the room. Kim smiled and locked the door Adam had complained about before heading to the room and laying down on the bed. It had been an extremely long day and so much had happened. Before she knew it her eyes fluttered shut and she was fast asleep. Tommy was very surprised when he came out of the shower and found Kim sprawled out over the bed. He let out a little chuckle and covered her with a small blanket. Despite stretching out over the bed there was still plenty of room for him to join her. They were both exhausted. He crawled onto the bed that he missed sleeping on and made himself comfortable next to her.
Kim was very surprised to wake up the next morning wrapped in a strong and warm embrace. Tommy's arms were loosely wrapped around her and his head was resting on her shoulder. She had really expected that the previous day's events had been a dream but seeing him next to her confirmed the reality of it all. She glanced down at him as he slept and couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked. Like all of his worries had lifted off of his chest. Kim smiled and leaned down to place a small kiss on his forehead.
"Good morning." Tommy said sleepily as he stirred from the movement and the kiss he received.
"G-good morning." Kim said a little embarrassed that she had woken him. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She prayed that it would go unnoticed.
"Are you blushing?" Tommy asked playfully. Kim threw her arms over her face and gave him a muffled no for an answer. "Yes, you are let me see." Tommy said trying to pull her arms away from her face. The two played and laughed for a little bit until Tommy pinned Kim's arms above her head. It took them a few seconds to realize the position they were both in. Tommy was on top of Kim, had her arms pinned down, and was positioned between her legs. The blush spread across both of their faces when they finally realized how it looked.
"I guess now would be the perfect time for Adam to bust into the room." Tommy said jokingly tying hard not to focus on the fact that there wasn't much clothing between the two of them. Really it was only his pair of pants, the oversized shirt she was wearing, and her underwear that were in the way.
"He can't come in. I locked the door last night." Kim said not really thinking of what her words had implied. Tommy could feel his heart beating faster. They were alone and nobody could disturb them. Visions of his previous dreams and hallucinations infiltrated his mind. The feel of her grinding against him, the sound of her moans. Yes, it had all been in his head but it felt so real. It was all starting to become too much for him. If he didn't leave now he wouldn't be able to stop himself. Despite knowing how dangerously close he was to losing control, he made no attempt to move away. He had no idea that Kim was feeling the same sexual tension that he was. She probably realized their awkward position before he did. She was very away of the fact that he was settled nicely between her legs, she could feel it. The sight of his naked chest hovering above her, the firm yet gentle grip on her hands, the subtle feeling of him rubbing against her had pushed her senses to the limit. She loved him and he loved her. There was nothing wrong with taking their love one step further. She could tell he was holding back, reasons no doubt having to do with their situation. But she didn't care anymore. If she had to be the one to make the first move then so be it.
Kim moved her hands free of his and used them to push herself up. Tommy was stunned when he felt her lips being pressed against his. He was even more surprised when he felt her tongue run across his lips. His mind was slow to grasp what was happening but when it all clicked he decided to take the lead. He willingly opened his mouth allowing her to enter and massaged her tongue with his. Tommy gently pushed her back down onto the bed all the while continuing with the intense kiss. Kim's hands roamed over his muscular back for a bit before finally tangling themselves in his hair. Tommy's hands, however, had made their way to her legs and were caressing them up and down, each time moving closer and closer to her underwear. Kim pulled away from his kiss and let out a small moan when his hand reached its intended destination. Tommy used this small break to catch his breath and trail fiery kisses down her neck and to her collar bone. He pulled his hand away from her and received a tiny groan of disapproval. He knew she wouldn't like the fact that he stopped and he wasn't too thrilled that she wasn't squirming under him but he had to take off her shirt. He wanted to see her full beauty. Tommy began with the bottom most button and placed wet kisses on the new areas of skin that were unveiled. The only thing holding the shirt onto Kim were the sleeves. Tommy' kisses stopped when the shirt hung loosely on her shoulders. Kim opened her lust filled eyes and was taken aback to see that he was just staring at her. Was something wrong? Did he not like what he saw. She began to feel self conscious and started to wrap the shirt back around her but was stopped by him.
"You are so beautiful." He said looking down at her lovingly.
"You're just saying that because I'm naked." Kim said playfully and turned away, a hint of pink forming on her cheeks. She was trying to play tough but it was hard when she felt so embarrassed.
"You've always been beautiful." Tommy said before leaning down and pulling her into another passionate kiss. He had almost lost control when he looked upon her naked form. If it wasn't for her witty remark he would have taken her right then and there but it wasn't what he wanted. He wanted their first time to be slow and passionate but that was easier said than done. Kim wasn't making it any easier on him either. She wrapped her legs around him and pressed her now wet panties against his hard member. Tommy pulled away from her kiss but held her tight as he moved them to a sitting position with her on his lap thus giving her better access to grind on him. His hands wandered her back while he sucked on her right breast.
"Ahhhhhh." her moan escaped her lips without her even realizing it. The sound of her pleasure and the feel of her gyrating was enough to get him to let out a moan as well. Control was going out the window.
"Please." Kim said in just above a whisper. He knew what she was asking for. He wanted it too.
"What is it that you want Kim?" He asked teasingly. She pouted when she heard his question. He knew damn well what she wanted. Why did he have to make her say something so embarrassing? "Tell me."
"I-I want you." Kim said looking away from his penetrating stare. That was all he needed to hear. He lay her back down and pulled off his pants while she pulled off her underwear. He positioned himself at her entrance, feeling her juices drip onto him.
"I love you Kimberly." Tommy said sincerely before pressing his lips against hers and plunging deep inside of her. Kim's moans were muffled by his intense kiss. Slowly he moved in and out of her enjoying the sensation of her tightness. He wasn't much for being a loud lover but there was something about Kim that made him moan more and louder than usual. It didn't take long for Kim's hips to start moving in time with his. It felt so good to finally make love to the girl he had always been in love with. He mentally cursed himself for being such an arrogant asshole who was in denial and not doing it sooner. Tommy was fully enjoying himself but he wanted to feel more of her. He pushed himself back up holding her tight against him into the sitting position they had been in earlier. Kim slowly slid down his member and took him fully inside herself. It was so much deeper than before and had hit a certain spot that made her gasp every time he moved.
"Feel good?" Tommy asked already knowing the answer. It felt amazing. Slowly he helped her moved up and down but within seconds she was doing it on her own and driving him crazy. Tommy's head fell back as she swiveled her hips in different directions all the while still plunging him in and out of her. He was going to loose it soon and so was she. He could feel her getting tighter and tighter by the second. Kim's body clamped around him when she reached her peak thus making him reach his as well. Both cried out in pleasure before collapsing onto the bed. Their heavy breathing slowed as they lay next to each other. Tommy pulled a blanket over their sweaty forms and pulled her to him. She heard him say 'I love you' one last time before sleep overtook them both.
Tommy had received a pretty serious talk from Adam a few days after his confession to Kim. He warned him about showing his emotions for her publicly. He warned him that others would be able to use that against him. But Tommy just couldn't resist her. He had denied himself of her for far too long and now he couldn't get enough. He would take the consequences as they came but for the time being he was just going to enjoy being in love. The weeks went by a lot faster than they had before. Guard duty had changed dramatically from being an intense protective eye over Anteros to leisurely walks through the Kingdom with Kimberly at his side. Everyone knew the two were in love despite the fact that they denied every claim. They were cute lies but they weren't fooling anyone, especially not Kat. Even if Tommy swore he was done with her, she was not willing to hand her Prince over to the slave of Anteros. She was going to find some way to break the two apart even if it meant betraying him.
The day had started off like every other day with Tommy and Kim strolling along peacefully through the Kingdom. A pair of bitter blue eyes watched their every move as they walked and hatefully took in every single one of their guarded loving actions. The way he would hold her hand, brushed her hair out of her face, or smiled as he whispered in her ear made Kat physically sick. She didn't know if she would be able to stand looking at their behavior around each other every day for the rest of her life. The thought of fleeing the Kingdom she had grown up in crossed her mind for a second but left as quickly as it came. She couldn't leave his side. He would realize sooner or later that this slave was not the one he should be with. Kat was pulled from her thoughts when she saw the Prince approached by a distraught Knight.
"Young Prince, I'm sorry to disturb you but there were a few rogues spotted scouting the field outside the Kingdom." It had been quite some time since the rogue warriors had last attacked. What were they doing so close to the Kingdom?
"Gather the Knights that are not on duty and meet me at the front gates." The Knight nodded and ran off to do as he was ordered. "I need you to stay in my chambers until I return. I don't know what the rogues are planning but it's not anything good." Tommy said as he walked hurriedly back in the direction of the castle.
"Won't it be faster if you go to the stables and meet the Knights at the entrance?" Kim asked when she noticed the route they were taking.
"I will walk you back."
"Tommy don't be stupid. This is serious . You need to get there as soon as possible. I can make it back to the castle on my own." Tommy hesitated as he thought it over. She was right of course, but that didn't stop him from worrying about her. He changed their route when the alley that led to the stables came into view. The alley was the quickest way to the stables and a great place to talk to Kim alone, away from prying eyes. Tommy stopped and turned to Kim once they reached the darker part of the alley.
"Go straight to the castle Kim." Tommy said seriously.
"I will. I promise." Kim said reassuringly trying to quell his worries. Tommy smiled down at her and placed a quick but loving kiss on her lips before heading to the stables. Kim let out a small sigh. If only they could show their feelings for each other in the open. She turned and began to make her way out of the dark alleyway but stopped when she heard movement from behind her.
"It must be so nice to be you." Kat said as she walked out of the shadows, sarcasm dripping off of her every word.
"You have the love of the Prince and no worries in the world. Too bad the same can't be said for your family. Oh well, I suppose being locked in the dungeon for the rest of their lives doesn't matter when you have the Prince all to yourself." Kat looked Kim up and down and let out an unimpressed chuckle before walking out of the alley. Kim leaned back against the wall as if being pushed back by the weight of Kat's words. She was happy. She was loved by Tommy and she loved him back. But all the happiness in the world couldn't make her forget about her family…could it? Her father and Gabriella were still locked up in that horrible dungeon and what about Keira? The sudden laughter of children caught Kim's attention immediately. She watched the small group of children run playfully past the alley and felt her chest tighten when the last child ran by; none of them being her sister. Tears instantly fell from her eyes. She had forgotten about them.
Tommy had just finished saddling his horse when the Knight from before ran into the stable.
"Sire. The rogues are gone. The watch patrol said that they were roaming the fields but left shortly after I found you."
"That's good to hear but I don't want us to let our guard down. They don't just leisurely go for walks. Notify the night guards to be on high alert tonight." The Knight once again left and did as he was ordered. Tommy let out a sigh and started to take the saddle off his horse. She should be back at the castle by now. Tommy thought as he walked out of the stables. It was a shame that their day together had been cut short but he was happy she was safe in the castle. The chances the rogues would return were high which meant Tommy would need to be ready for anything. He knew that Kim wouldn't be too thrilled with the idea of staying inside his chambers all day but it was for the best. He made his way back to the alleyway he had used earlier. Maybe picking up some flowers for her would help make breaking the news of staying inside a little easier. Tommy's pace quickened when he heard the faint sound of someone crying. His heart almost stopped when he found Kim crouched over and crying right where he had left her.
"Kim! What's wrong? What happened?" He asked worriedly as he rushed to her side. It took a few minutes for her to calm down enough to actually speak.
"My family. I've forgotten them." She said between sobs. The all too familiar feeling of guilt washed over Tommy. In all honesty he had forgotten about them too. The only person that mattered to him was Kim. "Please Tommy. I need to see them." Kim looked up at him pleadingly. It was the first time in a long while that he was not able to look her in the eyes. There was nothing he could do for her. Seeing her family would only put them in more danger and most likely make her more upset.
"I…I can't do that for you. I'm sorry." Tommy pulled her to him wishing there was something more he could do for her. Kat covered her mouth to stop herself from letting out the laughter that was building up inside. She had stayed near the entrance of the alley after leaving Kim hoping to hear her break down. A satisfied smile had formed on her face when she heard Kim's quiet sobs. But hearing Tommy say he couldn't give her what she wanted just made her day.
"What about Keira?" Kim asked suddenly. "You said she was still in Anteros, right?"
"Yes. She's here but I don't know where. I haven't seen her since the attack."
"Please. I need to see my sister." Tommy let out a heavy sigh. It was a bad idea. Things would only get worse if he allowed the two to meet. He knew this. Despite knowing the severe consequences that would most likely occur if they were found out Tommy couldn't stop himself from agreeing to do as she wished.
"Ok. I'll find her." Tommy helped Kim to her feet and walked her back to the castle. It would take a lot of planning and luck to pull this task off. Kat leaned against the entrance of the alley in shock. The slave had a sister and Tommy knew about it yet didn't lock her away in the dungeon with the rest of the traitors? How could he betray his Kingdom? The shock slowly faded from Kat's mind and turned to hate. It was her fault. She must have been the one to manipulate Tommy into committing such crimes. Kat knew that if word of this reached the King then Tommy would more than likely receive a harsh punishment. That was something she did not want. There had to be someone who could help her use this information to tear Tommy away from Kim….but who?
A/N: There always has to be someone to rain on other people's happiness, am I right? Of course, if it's my story it's always gonna be Kat. I'm such a hater I know lol. Anyone wanna take a guess at who Kat might seek out for help? To me it's pretty obvious which sucks but hey I'd be thoroughly surprised if I managed to pull one over on anyone XD. Hope nobody was offended by the maturity of this chapter. I did give a fair and BOLD warning at the beginning so no complaining allowed.
A/N x2: Ooooh look at that a second author's note lol. Really this one is to apologize and also to explain a few things that are going on right now. So first, I'M SO SORRY for leaving yall hanging like that for so long. Like I said in my last update, graduation kept me busy. But it's over now! It was a beautiful ceremony but I am terrible with farewells especially when it comes to my students. So the teachers and parents got a good laugh at me and the kiddos as we hugged and cried together. Damnit, I'm getting teary eyed thinking about it again. T.T
So now that that's over what could possibly keep me from posting the next chapter? Quite a bit actually. For the next two weeks I will have little to no time for myself.
1. This week marks the beginning of the entrance exams. Since I am the only person here fluent in English, I am given the honor of marking the tests...well the English section of the test.
2. I am a member of two yosakoi teams (Japanese dance of full out energy! look it up). One team has a performance at the end of this month, the other team is gearing up for the big competition in June. So what does that mean? Three practices this week, one being 4 hours long. orz I'm gonna die.
Ok so that explains this week, how about next week? Well, I'm glad you asked.
3. You see my friends, my weekend was destroyed by an evil visitor I'd like to call "Evil tooth that claims to bring me wisdom but doesn't." Yup, my wisdom tooth has decided it's had enough of being ignored. Sunday, I was a mess, crying and begging for sleep because when I'm asleep, my whole mouth doesn't hurt. Yesterday, I went to the dentist (which is saying a lot since I hate any and all doctors). Good news is that sucker is coming out...bad news is I have to wait till next Monday. So for the rest of this week I have to deal with the pain of my impacted evil tooth wreaking havoc in my mouth. They did give me some meds but to be quite honest Japanese medicines just aren't that strong. If someone could send me some awesome American painkillers I'd love them forever.
4. Last but not least, I will have a friend from the States coming to visit me during her spring break. I say her spring break because we don't have one here. So next week I will be doing my best to entertain her and work at the same time.
I will do my absolute best to find any bit of time during this two week stretch of hell to work on updating. But please try to understand if I don't. Thank you all again for reviewing and letting me know what you all think of the story. It really does make my day when I get a review. XD Take care my friends and I hope to talk to you all soon.
~Lina