Conner awoke a few hours after he and Trent had brought Kira home. He blinked a few times as sleep left him and turned to see Kira still sleeping soundly beside him. He gently stroked her face and pressed a tender kiss to her cheek before rolling out of bed and pulling his clothes on. Once he was dressed, Conner left the room, careful to quietly shut the door behind him. He could hear the television playing downstairs and followed the noise to find Trent sitting in the living room.
"Hey man." Conner called as he moved into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.
"Hey," Trent replied, looking over at him. "How's Kira doing?" He asked.
"Still sleeping." Came the reply as Conner moved back into the living room. "What time is it?" Trent looked at his watch before answering.
"Almost 7," he replied. Conner nodded and took a seat on the other end of the couch. "Hayden called earlier; he said he went by Jiao's place. She practically bit his head off. So I guess that mean's she's alright," Trent chuckled.
"Glad to hear it." Conner chuckled as he sipped at his water. The two fell into a comfortable silence till Trent spoke again.
"Hey... Do you really think that Kira should be asleep this long?" He questioned, hoping not to panic Conner. Conner looked at his friend and considered his words.
"I hadn't really thought about that," he muttered, a sizeable amount of concern settling in the pit of his stomach.
"I don't want to freak you out." Trent commented. "I'm just saying that she's been asleep for over 6 hours." Conner scratched the back of his neck.
"It's been that long?" He murmured, surprised he had slept that long. He set his bottle of water down on the coffee table and quickly rose to his feet. "I should go check on her," he muttered before all but rushing back up the stairs. Trent stood up and quickly moved after him. "Conner..." He muttered as he watched his friend bolt up the stairs. Conner burst back into the bedroom, the door flying open and crashing against the wall.
"Kira!" He called as he moved over to the bed and dropped next to her. Trent followed Conner into the room and stood by the open bedroom doorway. "Kira!" Conner called again as he shook her shoulder slightly, eliciting a groan from Kira.
"What?" She questioned softly. Conner let out a small relieved sigh at hearing her awake.
"You've been asleep for six hours, you need to wake up," he replied.
"Still sleepy." She argued as she rolled away from him.
"I know baby, but you need to wake up," Conner insisted.
"Why?" Kira sighed as she rolled over to face him.
"Need to make sure you're okay." Trent stepped in, covering for Conner. "Besides tired, how do you feel?" He questioned as he sat down on the bed next to Kira. Slowly, Kira pushed herself up and leaned against the headboard. Her vision swam as she did so and she groaned as she pressed the heel of her hand against her temple.
"Headache... Dizzy." She stated.
"We should call the doctor," Conner stated to Trent as he lightly brushed the side of Kira's cheek.
"Got it covered." Trent replied as he grabbed the bedside phone and the card that was beside it. He quickly punched the number in and waited for it to connect. After a few rings, Trent heard the doctor pick up.
"Dr. Catherine Burak speaking." Came the quick reply from the doctor.
"Dr. Burak, its Trent Mercer. I'm calling about Kira Ford," he spoke.
"Is everything alright?" The doctor asked.
"She's saying she's feeling dizzy and has a headache."
"How long was she asleep for? Or is she still asleep?" She questioned, remembering that she had recommended that Kira sleep for a while in hopes that the dizziness and headache would dissipate.
"She slept for about six hours," Trent replied.
"She's not going to like this very much, but I'd like her to be brought back in so we can monitor her closely." Dr. Burak replied. "I know it's not ideal; however I'd feel better if we could get another MRI in and perhaps figure out what the underlying problem seems to be." Trent tilted the phone away from his mouth to speak to Conner and Kira.
"She says we should bring Kira back to the hospital," he informed them.
"No." Kira whimpered as a stray tear slipped down her cheek. Conner sighed and wiped her tear away.
"Kira, if something's wrong, we need to go back to the hospital," he reasoned with her. "How soon does she want us there?" Conner asked, directing his question to Trent. Trent relayed the question to the doctor and waited for her response.
"She says as soon as possible would be best," Trent told Conner.
"Okay." He nodded as he reached over and squeezed Kira's hand. "I'll be right there with you." He murmured softly. Kira sighed and looked away.
"Thanks, bye." Trent commented as he hung up the phone. "Kira I'm sorry." He stated. "But Dr. Burak is worried that there might be something more serious going on."
"Fine, whatever," Kira sighed.
"Thank you." Conner murmured softly. "I'll help get ready to go," Conner stated to Trent. Trent nodded, understanding that was Conner's subtle way of kicking him out.
"I'll start the car," he replied before leaving the room. Conner moved over to where he had put Kira's clothing down and grabbed all the items before heading back over to the bed. "I know you're pissed." He murmured as he helped her put everything back on. Kira didn't reply and simply let Conner help her change. Once her shirt was secure, Conner helped her to her feet and back into her pants. After her pants were on, Conner sat her back down and helped her slip her shoes back on.
"Ready?" He murmured tenderly as he finished helping her with her shoes.
"I guess," Kira glumly replied.
"I love you Rockstar." He murmured softly as he knelt down and scooped her up. Kira sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder and placed her arms around his neck.
"Yeah, I love you too," she said, her tone still unhappy. Conner pressed a soft kiss to her forehead as he navigated down to the main floor of the house, and then out to the car. Trent was already in the driver's seat and had left the passenger door wide open to make it easier for Conner to get Kira in the car. It didn't take long for Conner to get Kira situated and buckled into his car. Closing the door, he hopped in the backseat. Once Trent saw Conner was in the car and buckled in, he pulled out of the driveway and headed back to the hospital. The trip was silent again, but fast. Trent pulled up outside the hospital and stopped the car.
"You take her in, I'll go park the car," Trent said to Conner.
"Right." Conner agreed as he quickly got out of the car. It took a moment to extract Kira before he kicked the door closed and moved into the hospital. He barely walked in through the door when he was met with Dr. Burak and an orderly with a wheelchair.
"That was fast." Kira grumbled as Conner set her down into the chair softly.
"We've got the MRI booked right now." Dr. Burak replied before casting a glance to Conner. "I'm assuming your friend Trent is with you? We'll bring Ms. Ford back down in about 30-40 minutes once we're finished... She'll be in the same room as before." Conner nodded.
"Alright, thanks," he replied.
"See you in a bit." He commented softly to Kira. Kira gave him a small pout at the idea that he was not coming wit her.
"Love you." He smiled tenderly as they orderly began to push the wheelchair away. Kira sighed and leaned back in the chair as the doctor and the orderly took her away. Conner sighed softly as she was lead away. He only had to wait a few minutes before Trent walked in.
"Hey." He commented as he passed the keys off to Conner. "They take her up already?" Conner nodded.
"They took her for an MRI, the doctor said they'd bring her into the room she was in before when they're done," he replied.
"Wanna head up there then?" Trent questioned as he started towards the elevator.
"Sounds good," Conner nodded as he followed Trent. Just as they reached the elevator, Conner stopped. "You know what; I'll meet you up there in a bit." He commented.
"Everything okay?" Trent asked. Conner nodded.
"Yeah, I just need to get something, I'll see you upstairs," he assured him.
"Sure, take your time." Trent nodded as he moved into the elevator. Conner nodded and gave him a small wave as the elevator's doors closed. He glanced around before spotting the sign reading 'Gift Shop' with an arrow pointing to the left. Conner followed the sign until he reached the small alcove sized store within the hospital. He wandered into the store and began to glance around.
"Can I help you?" The young woman at the front of the store questioned. Conner looked over at her.
"Um, sure," he replied. "My girlfriend's here…..I just wanted to get her some things…." He replied.
"Helpful." She laughed before moving over to where Conner stood. "What kind of things?" Conner glanced around the store.
"Uh….still thinking…..I guess flowers, and a bear?" He replied.
"Alright, we're getting there." She grabbed Conner's arm and pulled him over to the flowers. "What kind does your girlfriend like?" Conner paused for a moment as he tried to think.
"I'm not sure," he muttered, slightly crestfallen. "I think she likes lilies," he said.
"Hey, lilies are a great option." The woman smiled. "What color?"
"Yellow," Conner replied without hesitation.
"Excellent choice." She smiled as she picked out enough for a large bouquet. "Now, you said something about a bear?" Conner nodded. The woman placed a hand on his shoulder and directed him towards the stuffed animal display. He spotted one right away. A medium sized brown bear that had a small red pillow tucked between its hands with 'I Love You' printed on it.
"That one." Conner stated as he grabbed it and held it. The woman smiled.
"Great choice," she replied.
"Thanks." He murmured softly. The woman held the flowers in one hand as she took the bear from him.
"Alright, I'll just start ringing this up, is there anything else you'd like to get?" She asked. Conner paused for a moment.
"This might sound weird... But do you know where I cane buy a puppy?" The woman paused from wrapping the flowers in decorative yellow cellophane and looked at him.
"A puppy?" She asked, a little thrown by that. "Uh…..I think there's a pet store a couple of blocks from here," she stated.
"Fantastic, thank you." Conner smiled. The woman nodded. Once she was done bundling up the flowers she typed in the cost of the flowers and the bear into the register.
"$47.89" She commented. Conner cringed slightly before pulling his wallet out.
"Do you take credit cards?" He asked. The woman nodded. "Great," he replied as he pulled a card out. She quickly rang through his credit card and once it had been accepted, she ripped the slip off and handed him a pen.
"Just need your autograph." Conner nodded and took the slip and pen from her. He quickly signed his name on the dotted line and handed both items back to her.
"I've put a nice vase in the bag for the lilies." She commented as she handed his purchased items over.
"Thank you," Conner smiled as he took his items from her.
"Your welcome." Came her reply. "I hope your girlfriend gets better soon."
"Thanks," he replied before leaving the shop. He moved back the way he had originally came to where the elevators were. He balanced the flowers and bear in one arm as he pressed the elevator call button and waited. The elevator dinged a few moments later as he climbed in and pressed the button for the 8th floor. Conner leaned against the side of the elevator as he waited for it to reach the 8th floor. As the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, Conner stepped off and headed back down the familiar hallway. Within moments he was back at Kira's room and walked in. Trent was occupying the chair that he had been in previously, a magazine in his hands. His head shot up as the door opened.
"Hey man." He commented.
"Hey," Conner replied. "Any news?" He asked. Trent shook his head.
"No, nothing yet," he replied. Sighing, Conner set the bear down on Kira's bed so that he could take the flowers and vase out of the bag.
"Nice flowers." Trent commented, hoping to get his friend's mind off of things.
"Thanks," Conner replied. He picked the vase up at went to fill it with some water in the bathroom. "I hope Kira likes them."
"I bet she will." Trent replied with a grin. "And the bear too... What else you got tucked up your sleeve for her?" Conner chuckled and shrugged nonchalantly.
"Nothing," he replied.
"Uh huh... Likely story." Trent laughed. Conner chuckled and left the bathroom. He set the vase on the table by Kira's bed. He spent a moment arranging the flowers so that all of them would be visible, and just as he reached over to grab the bear and place it beside them, the door opened. Conner quickly stuffed the bear behind his back and threw himself into the remaining chair.
"We're back." The orderly commented as he pushed Kira's wheelchair into view.
"Hey," Conner softly spoke to Kira. "How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Like shit." She replied with a shrug. The orderly wheeled Kira closer to the bed. Once the chair was close enough, the orderly helped Kira out of the chair and over to her bed.
"The doctor will be in shortly to go over your results," the orderly stated before wheeling the now empty chair out of the room.
"Thanks." Kira mumbled as she shifted on the bed and pulled the blanket up. She turned slightly to look at Conner and her eyes caught the flowers. She stared at the flowers for a moment before looking at Conner. "Did you get these?" She asked.
"Maybe." He smiled at her softly. "Depends on if you like them or not." Kira couldn't help it as a smile formed on her lips, her first smile since waking up.
"I like them," she murmured.
"I'm glad." Conner commented softly. "I do have something else for you though..."
"You do?" Kira asked. Conner nodded and shifted in his seat to produce the teddy bear. Trent slowly excused himself from the room, giving the couple some alone time. Kira gasped slowly as Conner handed the teddy bear. Kira looked down at the stuffed animal, her smile growing.
"Its adorable, I love it," she commented. She looked up at Conner and beckoned him closer. Conner grinned and shifted his chair closer to the bed. Once he was close enough, Kira placed her hand on the back of his neck and drew him closer for a kiss. "Thank you, Conner," she murmured against his lips.
"You're welcome Kir." He smiled softly. Kira sighed and rested her forehead against his.
"Happier now?" Conner asked as his hand slipped into hers.
"A little, yeah," she said. Conner gently squeezed her hand.
"Just a little?" He asked. Kira sighed and lightly kissed his cheek.
"I'm sorry," she replied. "I just….hate feeling this crappy…..which only makes me feel even crappier."
"I'm sorry that you feel like crap." He replied softly. "But I'm glad we came back..." Conner squeezed her hand gently. "I do have one more surprise for you... Might make you feel a lot better."
"What is it?" Kira asked. Conner chuckled.
"Well if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise," he teased.
"Well that's unfair Jock." She commented. "You tell me you have another surprise, but won't tell me what." Conner grinned.
"It is what it is, Rockstar," he replied.
"Meanie." Kira pouted slightly as she hugged her new bear close. Conner chuckled and placed a light kiss on her forehead. There was a light knock on the door before the doctor moved into the room. There was a light knock on the door before the doctor moved into the room.
"Your scans came in," the doctor commented to Kira as she entered the room.
"Uh huh?" Kira replied, crossing her fingers that the news was good.
"Well... It's not good news, but it's not bad either." The doctor stated as she sat on the edge of Kira's bed. "It looks like one of the bruises has ruptured and caused some internal bleeding in your stomach."
"What do you mean? Is she okay?" Conner asked, panic in his tone.
"It's not serious right now." Dr. Burak replied, hoping to avoid Conner's panic. "I'm consulting with an internal specialist right now to see what the best course of action is in Kira's case... But our only option might be surgery."
"Surgery?" Kira asked, her voice thin and shaky.
"Yes." The doctor nodded carefully. "It wouldn't be major surgery." She continued. "We're going to run some more tests and do an ultrasound to see where the majority of the bleeding is, and hopefully we'll be able to do a non-invasive form of surgery, known as laparoscopy."
"What's that?" Conner asked, lightly rubbing Kira's hand.
"What we do, is make two incisions in Kira's stomach, one in her abdomen, and then one in her belly button. Once those have been made, we put the microscope in via her belly button, over to where the bleeding is." The doctor replied. "Once we find the bleeding, we'll insert a suction tube to remove it."
"And that will stop any more bleeding, right?" Conner asked.
"Hopefully, yes." She replied with a smile and a nod. "Again, you'll have to stay a full day extra so that we can make sure there are no complications. Barring any strain, Kira should be back to normal within three weeks."
"Three weeks?" Kira spoke, not at all pleased about that.
"Three weeks until your stitches are fully healed and closed up." The doctor corrected. "Most people are able to go back to a normal lifestyle within three days of the surgery." Conner sighed and lightly brushed the side of her cheek with his fingers.
"Kira, the important thing is that you're okay, not how long your recovery time is," Conner commented. Kira just nodded in reply, not trusting her voice to form words.
"If I can get you to sign the medical forms right away, we can get you into surgery tonight Kira." Dr. Burak commented.
"We'll get them signed," Conner nodded, speaking for Kira.
"I have interns doing some research right now, and one of my colleagues is meeting me in a few minutes to discuss them." Came the response. "But Kira, this is by far the safest and fastest method to solving this problem." Dr. Burak moved off the bed and closer to Kira. "I'm asking you to sign the forms in advance of me having this discussion with my colleague, so that if we determine that it's our only option, we can get you in as soon as possible."
"Okay, I guess," Kira numbly replied.
"It'll be okay." Dr. Burak replied. She handed Kira a set of forms attached to a clipboard and pen. It took a few moments for Kira to fill out the required information before she passed it back to the doctor. The doctor smiled and took the clipboard back. "I'll be back soon," she promised before leaving the room. Kira said nothing as the doctor left, but chose to pull the bear tighter against her chest.
"It's going to be okay," Conner murmured as he kissed her cheek.
"I'm scared." She whispered, glancing up at him. Conner moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"I know," he replied, "I am too, but the doctor caught the bleeding right away, and they're going to get you into surgery tonight to fix it. That has to be a good sign," he replied. She moved one of her hands off the bear and gripped Conner's hand tightly.
"I don't want to die Conner." She commented softly. Conner kissed her cheek.
"You won't, Kir," Conner murmured. "They're going to do the surgery to fix the problem and make you all better, it's going to be okay," he assured her.
"Will you be there when I wake up?" Came her question.
"Of course," Conner replied. "I can even ask the doctor if I can be in there with you, if that'll make you feel better," he offered.
"I don't think they'll let you." Kira murmured in response.
"I'll be very insistent and demand that they let me," he smiled. Kira stroked his face gently.
"It's okay... As long as you're there when I wake up, that's all I need."
"You sure?" Conner asked. Kira nodded. Conner smiled and pulled her hand to his lips and lightly kissed her palm. "Alright then," he replied.
"Where'd Trent go?" Kira asked after a few moments.
"I'm not sure," Conner chuckled.
"Did someone call my name?" Trent commented as the door to Kira's room swung closed. "Sorry, I figured that you guys wanted some alone time." Conner smiled.
"Thanks, man," he replied.
"No problem." He shrugged as he resumed the spot he had previously occupied. "So what's the verdict?"
"Seems that one of my bruises ruptured and led to some internal bleeding," Kira grumbled.
"Holy shit." Trent breathed as he sat forward. "Are you okay?" Kira simply sighed and leaned against Conner.
"They're talking about taking her in for a little surgery to stop the bleeding," Conner said. Trent's eyes widened slowly as he nodded.
"Please don't freak out." Kira mumbled as she closed her eyes. "Because if someone does, then so will I." Conner rubbed her back.
"No one's freaking out, Rockstar," he gently told her.
"Good." Came her reply as she curled closer to Conner. Conner kissed the top of her head and continued rubbing her back. Almost 40 minutes had passed before the door to Kira's private room swung open and Dr. Burak reappeared.
"Alright Kira, we're gonna take you down now."
"Are you doing the laparoscopy?" Kira asked, wondering how the doctor's meeting with her college and gone.
"That's the general consensus right now." The older woman replied as she was joined by an orderly. "The problem is that we won't know if the laparoscopy is going to be effective until we get in there."
"What do you mean?" Conner asked, beginning to worry. "I thought you said you were going to do an ultrasound….isn't that supposed to give you a good idea of what will and won't work before you go in there?" He asked.
"Yes, we're going to do that before we even open Kira up." Dr. Burak replied. "However, nothing is guaranteed until we're actually in surgery, Kira is under and we begin our work."
"It's okay." Kira murmured softly to Conner. The orderly moved from Dr. Burak's side and quickly began to prepare Kira's hospital bed for its trip down to surgery. Conner slowly and reluctantly moved away to let the orderly work. Once everything had been disconnected, he pulled the arms up on Kira's bed and nodded at the Doctor.
"The two of you are free to wait in here, or in the waiting room up on the surgery ward," the doctor stated to Trent and Conner.
"Thanks." Trent nodded at the doctor as Kira was lead from the room. Kira tilted her head back to look at Conner as she was wheeled out of the room. Conner gave her a reassuring smile before she disappeared out of the door.
"You okay?" Trent questioned as the door swung closed. Conner sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Not really," he admitted.
"Wanna go wait upstairs?" Conner nodded.
"Yeah, that sounds good," he replied. The two headed up to the 11th floor where the surgical wing was. They walked to the waiting area, where they saw a few other people waiting on news regarding loved ones. Conner and Trent were able to find two empty seats and made their way over their and sat down. The hours passed slowly for both men, although it was excruticatingatley long for Conner. It was nearly midnight when the doors to one of the scrub rooms opened and Dr. Burak walked out, her scrubs stained in blood, her face sweaty. Conner and Trent quickly stood up as she approached, Conner's eyes zeroing on the blood.
"Wha…Is everything okay?" Conner choked out, his throat tight.
"Everything is great." She nodded with a smile. "We just finished Kira's surgery... There was a little more blood than we were expecting to be honest, but it couldn't have gone better." Conner let out a woosh of breath he didn't even realize he had been holding.
"Sh..she's going to be okay?" Conner asked, wanting to be sure he heard correctly.
"We're going to monitor her for a while, just to make sure there aren't any complications... But barring that, she's going to be fine," replied Dr. Burak. Trent smiled and lightly smacked Conner's back.
"Breathe, Conner. The doctor said she's going to be fine," he said.
"Thank god." Conner murmured softly as he could feel tears welling in his eyes. Dr. Burak smiled.
"We're going to be transferring her to the recovery ward on the tenth floor in a few minutes. You're welcomed to sit with her. She's still under anesthesia though, so don't be surprised if she's not exactly talkative, or awake," she chuckled lightly.
"Will you move her back to her room later?" Trent questioned.
"At some point, but I don't think it'll be any time before tomorrow," she replied.
"Really?" Conner questioned. "Why?"
"We want to keep a close eye on her for the night to make sure there haven't been any complications. The recovery ward has a larger staff than the private wing so if anything does come up, she'll be taken care of with a quicker response time," she replied.
"Oh..." Conner breathed.
"Well, I should go back in and make sure she's ready to be moved," the doctor said before she made her way back to the operating room. "I'll send a nurse out in a few minutes when she's situated in the recovery room."
"Thank you," Conner sincerely stated.
"You're welcome." Dr. Burak smiled before moving back into the OR. Conner sighed and ran his hands through his hair.
"Thank god she's okay," he muttered.
"You knew she would be." Trent replied. "Kira's a fighter... She wouldn't let this take her down." Conner smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, you're right," he replied. They sat in silence for a few minutes before a short nurse came out.
"Excuse me, are you with Ms. Ford?" She asked quietly, noticing the families around them.
"We are, yes," Trent spoke up, gesturing to himself and Conner.
"Come with me." She advised before moving back towards where she had come from. The two did as she said and followed her out of the waiting area. She directed them back towards the elevator and moved up to the 10th floor, where the Recovery Ward was. She led them to a wing that looked much like where Kira had been before, except that it had more rooms lined along the hallways and the main area was buzzing with more activity as more nurses and staff members went about the floor. "They just brought Miss Ford in and are settling her in," the nurse stated as she led them down one of the hallways. She stopped at a door just as Dr. Burak and a few orderlies walked out. The orderlies continued on their way as the doctor stopped outside the door to speak with Trent and Conner.
"She's still sleeping," she informed them. "Just so you don't worry, I want to let you know we've got her hooked up to some equipment. It's just a heart monitor for now while she's sleeping, an IV drip with a small dosage of pain medication, and some oxygen. But there'll all just out of precaution and normal this soon after surgery. She's doing fine and you shouldn't worry about anything," she assured them.
"Thank you." Trent smiled as he shook the doctor's hand. Dr. Burak nodded.
"I spoke to the staff, and though it's not usually allowed, I pulled some strings to allow you both to stay with her. If you need anything brought in….a cot, blankets, anything, just stop by the nurses' station and they'll help you," she stated before she and the nurse who had brought them to the room left. Conner quickly moved into the room that the doctor had just exited... Trent followed behind him and shut the door once they were both inside. There they saw Kira asleep. As the doctor had stated, there was a heart monitor rhythmically beeping by her bed and an IV bag on her other side, connected to the inside of her elbow. There was a small oxygen apparatus looped over her head resting right under her nose, shooting air into her nostrils as she slept. As Conner moved over to her bed, he pulled his shirt up slightly and pulled out the bear that he'd gotten Kira from where it was tucked in his jeans. Gently, he lifted her arm and tucked the bear under it before setting her arm back down and slipping his hand into hers. Trent moved one of the chairs in the room closer to the bed right behind Conner for him to sit. Conner gave his friend a grateful nod before sitting down, his hand never leaving Kira's. Moving to the other side of the bed, Trent grabbed the other free chair before sitting down.
"We should probably call the others at some point, let them know what's gone on," Trent commented.
"I guess," he replied. He shrugged. "It's late; we can call them in the morning."
"Oh right." Trent commented. "I forgot how late it was." Conner nodded and absentmindedly rubbed the back of Kira's hand with her thumb. They sat with Kira for an hour before Trent excused himself to go to the bathroom and then to the nurses station to see about cots for himself and Conner. Conner simply continued to watch Kira sleep, occasionally kissing her hand and stroking her forehead with his free hand. A few moments after Trent left, Kira stirred lightly, a soft groan left her lips as she struggled to open her eyes. Conner smiled and shifted closer to her.
"Hey," he tenderly murmured. Kira groggily groaned in response and slightly turned her head to where she heard his voice coming from.
"Hi," she murmured her voice thick and slightly hoarse.
"How do you feel?" Came his soft question. Kira's face scrunched up slightly as she thought about that for a moment.
"A little floaty," she murmured.
"Floaty?" Conner asked.
"Uh huh," she replied.
"Good floaty or bad floaty?" Conner asked, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Kira seemed to shrug against the bed.
"I dunno," she mumbled. "Just floaty…or….foggy," she muttered. Conner couldn't help chuckle slightly at her changing assessment.
"Well, they do have you on some pain meds," he said, "maybe that's making you feel floaggy," he teased.
"Maybe," Kira agreed.
"Why don't you try and get some more sleep." He advised gently. "Trent's getting us cots to sleep on, so I'll be here when you wake up... Just squeeze my hand."
"Okay," Kira said. She paused a moment as she finally noticed the texture against her other arm. She opened her eyes halfway to see the bear tucked under her arm. She smiled and gave Conner's hand a loving squeeze.
"Love you." Conner stated gently as her eyes slipped shut again. He heard Kira sleepily mumble something that sounded like 'love you too' as she drifted back to sleep. Trent returned a few moments later with an orderly, each pushing a cot with blankets and pillows draped over top. Trent moved his cot near the wall where he had previously been sitting, while Conner got up and moved aside to let the orderly get the other cot as close to Kira's bed as possible. It took them a few minutes to get the blankets situated properly on the bed. Once Trent had completed his, he pulled off his shoes, socks and jeans, and quickly changed into the scrub pants the orderly had tucked into their blankets. Conner sat on the edge of his cot to pull his shoes and socks off as well before standing up and changing out of the jeans and into the scrub pants. Once they had finished, both men climbed onto their cots and under the thin blankets. Conner turned onto his side facing Kira and stretched his arm out the small space between his cot and her bed. He let his forearm comfortably rest on her bed as he clasped her hand in his. After a few moments, Conner drifted to sleep.
Ryder sighed softly as sleep left him. He rolled onto his stomach, his arm stretching out at his side as he woke up. He lifted his head up a little perplexed as his fingers came in contact with some sort of course material. He blinked his bleary eyes a few times until he saw his laundered clothes folded neatly beside him. He slowly turned onto his back and sat up, looking around the empty room.
"Jiao?" He called out. He frowned when he didn't get an answer. He grabbed his boxers from his stack of clothes and pulled them on before climbing out of bed. He yawned slightly and pushed his loose hair back as he walked out of Jiao's bedroom. "Jiao?" He called out again as he came across the living room, which was just as empty as the bedroom. He patted towards the kitchen. All he saw there was Tybalt eating out of his wet food dish. He left the kitchen and walked down the hallway towards the bathroom when he heard the soft sound of the shower running behind the closed bathroom door. Smiling slowly, Ryder opened the door and wandered into the steam filled room. He saw Jiao's silhouette against the shower curtain through the steam and watched as she seemed to be fully distracted under the water stream, running her hands through her hair. Ryder grinned and slowly slipped his boxers off, careful not to make too much of a sound. He set his boxers on the sink counter before approaching the empty end of the tub. He slowly peeled the side of the curtain aside and climbed in behind Jiao. She continued to be oblivious to his presence, with her face tilted up under the shower and her eyes closed. Jiao carefully stepped up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist.
"Oh my god," Jiao gasped, startled, as she turned her head to the side. "Jesus, give me a heart attack why don't you?" She breathed.
"Damn... You figured out my plan." He chuckled. Jiao let out a deep breath as her startled heart settled down. Ryder smiled and pulled her closer against him as he gently kissed her shoulder.
"I saw my clothes," he commented, "you didn't have to bring them up, I could've done that," he said. Jiao shrugged against him.
"Figured you'd need them…..you know…..in case…." She muttered. Ryder furrowed his brow and lifted his head from her shoulder.
"In case of what?" He asked. Jiao bit her lip a moment before answering.
"In case you….wanted to slip out unnoticed or something," she mumbled.
"Hmm..." He trailed off as he kissed his way up her neck. "And leave some gorgeous woman high and dry when she wanted round two? I don't think so." Jiao let out a content sigh as she felt Ryder kiss along her jaw.
"Well….I wasn't sure," she murmured. "Just thought I'd leave the option there for you, in case you wanted it," she replied. Ryder slipped his arms off of her and took hold of her shoulder to turn her around to face him.
"Is this your way of telling me you want me to take that option?" He carefully asked. He was relieved to see her shake her head.
"No," she replied. "I'm just saying….I wouldn't have been too surprised, or held it against you, if I had gotten out of the shower and you were gone."
"I'm not that person." He replied. Jiao slowly nodded and let out a breath.
"Okay," she replied. Ryder wrapped his arms around her waist and tilted his head down to kiss her lips.
"Need any help washing up?" He huskily asked against her lips. Jiao giggled softly and slid her arms around his shoulders.
"You should've gotten here earlier, I'm all clean now," she replied.
"Well that's just sad." He pouted softly. Jiao giggled again.
"Sorry, sleepyhead," she teased. Ryder sighed and let one of his hands idly slide down from her waist to her backside.
"I guess we'll just have to figure out something else to do in here," he murmured.
"Oh?" Jiao innocently replied.
"Uh huh," Ryder replied.
"Like what?" She questioned. Ryder grinned.
"I do recall us talking about a round two," he teased, his hand tenderly squeezing her backside.
"I do remember that conversation." Jiao commented around a giggle.
"Good," Ryder said, his grin widening. He kissed her deeply as he carefully turned her in the tub so her back was pressed against the shower wall.
"Never had shower sex before." She commented breathlessly as he pulled away from the kiss.
"Really?" Ryder smiled. "Well then, I'll be sure to be gentle, since it's your first time," he teased.
"Tease." Jiao commented, blowing a raspberry at him. Ryder chuckled.
"Perhaps," he replied. He slid his hands down and grabbed the back of her thighs before hoisting her up, balancing her between the wall and his body. Quickly, Jiao's arms moved up to around his neck. Ryder shifted closer between her open legs and aligned his hips to hers. He leaned in and resumed kissing her as he slid his erection into her. Jiao gasped as he pushed inside her, her walls stretching to accommodate him once again. She tightened her grip on him as Ryder pulled his hips back and thrust back into her. Jiao's head fell back against the wall as she moaned. Ryder groaned huskily as she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer. After a few more thrusts Ryder's pace quickened, sending Jiao to new heights.
"Fuck…" Jiao gasped as he found a rhythm that occasionally hit the receptive spots inside of her.
"Uh huh." Ryder grunted against her neck as he thrust upwards again. Jiao's head slumped forward against his shoulder as she continued to moan loudly, a pleasurable shudder running through her body.
"You keep this up," Jiao panted against his ear as Ryder continued to thrust into her, "and I might decide to keep you around for round three," she murmured before lightly nibbling on his ear lobe.
"I might be okay with that." He commented around a groan as he could feel his release approaching. He rolled his hips to aim each of his thrusts against the particularly sensitive spot he had been hitting before, coaxing her climax closer and closer to the surface. After a few more quick thrusts, both Jiao and Ryder exclaimed loudly as their joint climaxes ripped through them. Both panted raggedly as they came down from their release. Ryder let go of Jiao's thighs and let her set her feet on the shower floor. Jiao leaned back against the wall with Ryder resting against her.
"I hope you enjoyed your first foray into shower sex," Ryder lowly chuckled against her neck. Jiao replied with a small giggle.
"It certainly didn't suck," she replied, running a hand through the long wet locks of his hair. Ryder chuckled and kissed her neck.
"Good to know," he replied. The two stayed in each other's arms in the shower for a few moments, recuperating. Ryder bit back a smile at the thought that technically what they were doing could fall under 'cuddling'. He decided against pointing that out to Jiao, afraid it would ruin the moment. After a while, the water began to get a little cold. Jiao sighed.
"I think we've used up all my hot water," she commented.
"I know where we can find a warm bed." Ryder chuckled. Jiao laughed softly.
"True," she replied. "But we should probably dry off first, I'd rather not get my sheets and mattress all wet," she commented.
"Yeah, that might be a good idea." He commented as he kissed her neck. Jiao smiled and reached over to shut the shower off. The two pulled their arms off of each other and climbed out of the shower. Jiao moved over to the closet and slid on the white bathrobe she had left hanging on the door before handing a couple of towels to Ryder and keeping one for herself to dry her hair. Ryder set one of the towels down on the edge of the tub and used the other to pat himself dry before wrapping it around his waist and using the discarded towel to ruffle his hair dry. By the sink, Jiao was busy drying her own hair before dragging a comb though it. Ryder walked up behind her and wrapped one arm around her waist while the other reached around to grab his boxers from the counter. "We should probably eat something at some point, before going into round three," he commented, lightly kissing her cheek. Jiao chuckled.
"I guess you have a point," she replied. "We haven't eaten anything in…at least twelve hours….that, plus our," she paused a moment as she blushed lightly, "activities…We're going to go into starvation mode soon," she replied. Ryder chuckled and kissed her cheek again.
"We finished off all the pizza," he commented.
"Right," Jiao nodded. "I've kind of gotten my fill of pizza for now anyway," she commented as she moved out of his arms a bit to pull her hair back in a braid. "There's this Chinese place that tends to be open late. Its not exactly high quality….but it does the trick for late night delivery dining options," she shrugged.
"Sounds good to me." He murmured against her skin. Jiao finished braiding her hair and wrapped the end with a hair tie on her counter. She paused a moment and tilted her head back to look at Ryder.
"I'm sorry, I'm being incredibly rude," she said, a light teasing tone in her voice. "Do you need a scrunchie or something?" She smirked. Ryder rolled his eyes and retaliated by giving her backside a light playful pinch.
"Very funny," he dryly replied. Jiao giggled and shrugged as she turned around to face him.
"I'm sorry," she giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Never been with a long haired guy before, not sure what the hair product etiquette is in this situation," she continued to tease. Ryder chuckled.
"Oh, none of those classy guys you know rock the long haired 'do?" He teased, causing Jiao to giggle some more.
"Are you kidding? At the schools I went to growing up, boys with hair pass their ears were a serious dress code violation," she replied.
"Talk about a dictatorship," Ryder commented. Jiao laughed.
"Well, thankfully NYU was less totalitarian," she giggled. "It was practically a breeding ground for scraggly hipster types."
"Are you calling me a hipster?" He asked as his hands moved to her sides.
"No," she replied. "Just saying that when I was in college, the types of guys from high school were more of a minority in hipster Mecca," she chuckled. "Why, would calling you a hipster be offensive?" She teased.
"Not at all." He laughed. Jiao giggled and threaded her fingers through his hair.
"Alright then, I guess technically you could qualify as a hipster," she teased. Ryder chuckled.
"Good to know," he replied before giving her a light kiss. Jiao smiled and eased out of his arms.
"Alright, I'm going to go order dinner. Is there anything you specifically want?" She asked.
"Well... I don't think you're on the menu." He teased. Jiao rolled her eyes.
"Oh my god, that was just beyond corny," she laughed.
"You love it." He laughed as he kissed her softly. He felt Jiao quickly duck away from the kiss, a strange tense energy around her.
"Um…well I'm just going to go put some clothes on and….order….so…yeah," she mumbled before making her way to the bathroom door.
"Alright..." He trailed off. Jiao quickly disappeared out of the door, leaving a perplexed Ryder alone in the bathroom. Ryder sighed and slipped his boxers on once he had dried off enough. By the time he came out of the bathroom, he found Jiao sitting in the living room, her knees up and her feet against the edge of her coffee table. She was dressed in pink pajama pants and a white t-shirt and looking over a take-out menu with her cell phone perched on her lap.
"Hey." He smiled as he moved into the living room and sat down next to her. Jiao looked up at him and gave him a small forced smile.
"Hey," she replied. Ryder frowned, picking up on the tension he had felt just moments before in the bathroom.
"Alright," he began, "what's going on?" He asked. Jiao shrugged.
"Nothing," she replied as she looked back at the menu. "Just trying to decide what to order," she stated. Ryder sighed.
"You know that's not what I'm talking about," he replied, lightly lifting her chin up so she'd look at him. "You're having another one of those hot and cold moments…weird thing is no one knocked on the door this time, so I don't know what's bringing it on now," he lightly joked. Jiao pursed her lips and set the menu and cell phone aside as she stood up. She paced for a few moments before stopping and looking at him.
"Look….I….I want to make sure you're not…under the wrong impression," she said.
"About?" He asked.
"Us," she replied. "I….um…." She sighed. "What we've done….its been great and everything. But….don't get the wrong idea," she said.
"Uh..." He trailed off, not quite following her train of logic. "And what's this wrong idea you don't want me having?" He asked. Jiao bit her lip.
"That this is some sort of….relationship, or something," she replied.
"...Who said anything about a relationship?" Came his response as his brows furrowed. Jiao blew out a breath.
"I just wanted to be sure we're on the same page here," she replied. "I mean you used the L word in there," she went on, jutting her thumb towards the bathroom, "and your tone was just…relationship-y. I just think you should know that that's not something I want."
"...Just so we're clear then." Ryder commented. "I can't say the L word around you, in any sense?" He shook his head, not understanding why she was getting so high-strung. "I mean, is that up there with no cuddling on the list of rules I'm supposed to follow?" Jiao sighed.
"I'm not saying you can't use the L word….just…the context, and the moment….it felt like something," she replied.
"You do realize I was teasing you, right?" Came his response. "I mean, if you're focusing on context…the context was just us teasing each other. I didn't realize to you that meant I was looking for a commitment or something." Jiao sighed and shrugged.
"Okay, fine, whatever. Guess we just shared our intentions, or lack thereof, over nothing," she muttered.
"Sorry." He replied sincerely after a few moments. Jiao sighed and simply shrugged. "Come here?" He requested. Jiao sighed and moved back over to him. Ryder took a hold of her hand once she was close enough and gently pulled her down to sit across his lap.
"Ugh, I feel stupid," she muttered. Ryder chuckled and wrapped his arms around her and held her close against his chest.
"It's okay." He murmured softly. He kissed her cheek before pulling one arm off of her and reaching for the menu. "So," he began, sensing she would prefer a change of subject, "what dishes do you recommend?" He asked as he held the menu open in front of them.
"The Kung-Po Chicken is pretty good." She replied as she glanced at the menu.
"Uh huh," Ryder considered.
"The shrimp with broccoli isn't horrible either," she replied. "Oh, and they have surprisingly good sesame dumplings," she said.
"Sesame dumplings? What's that, like dumplings with sesame seeds in them?" He asked. Jiao giggled.
"No, they're regular meat dumplings in this hot and kind of spicy sesame sauce," she replied.
"Sounds delicious." He commented. Jiao smiled and rested her head against his shoulder.
"I guess one of us can get the chicken, the other the shrimp, we share….and we can split the dumplings," she suggested. Ryder smiled and nodded.
"Sounds like a good plan," he replied.
"Great," she replied as she sat up and picked her phone up. She turned the menu over in his hand to see the number and quickly dialed. Ryder continued to hold her on his lap as she held her phone to her ear and waited for the other end to pick up. He couldn't help smile a bit as he heard her begin to speak Chinese the second her call was answered. He simply listened to her talk for a few moments, unable to make heads or tails of what she was saying. After a few moments she ended the call and set her phone down on her lap. "It should be here in twenty minutes," she stated.
"I'll take your word for it." He chuckled lightly. Jiao grinned.
"Sorry, sometimes it's just easier to order in Chinese," she replied.
"No worries." Ryder smiled as he kissed her. Jiao smiled and kissed him back. Carefully, Ryder laid Jiao on her back along the couch, never once breaking the kiss. Jiao wrapped her legs around his waist as they continued to kiss. Ryder ran one of his hands up her side until he reached her shirt covered breast. She smiled lightly under him as he slowly moved his hand over her breast and squeezed it gently.
"I really don't think we have enough time to do round three before the food gets here," she murmured against his lips.
"Who said anything about starting round three just yet?" He questioned as his lips left hers and moved to her neck. Jiao moaned softly at the feel of his hand on her breast and his lips lightly sucking her neck.
"Oh, okay," she breathed out, her eyes drifting shut in delight. Ryder grinned against her neck and pulled his hand away from her breast, just long enough to slip it under her shirt. She sighed happily when his hand reclaimed its former place. She ran her hand down his side until she reached the waist band of his boxers. She grinned as she slipped her hand in his underwear.
"Don't start something you can't finish." He murmured against her neck as she slipped her hand around his stiffing appendage.
"Who said I don't plan on finishing?" She replied as she moved her hand along his erection. "Consider it returning the favor from earlier today," she grinned, thinking back to Ryder's actions before Hayden had interrupted them.
"Oh fuck." He groaned against her skin as his arms pulled her tighter against him. Jiao quickened her pace, her hand tightening around him as it moved along his length. Ryder panted and grunted as Jiao's movements brought him closer to his release. "Jiao…" He groaned against her neck as she lightly ran her thumb over his tip. After a few more of her strokes, Ryder tightened his grip on her as he climaxed. He groaned after a moment as his body went limp against her.
"Holy fuck." He murmured lazily against her. Jiao giggled and kissed the side of his forehead.
"Glad you enjoyed it," she replied.
"Uh huh." Came his response as Jiao slowly pulled her hand away. Jiao smiled and lightly stroked his back.
"You know, you're going to have to sit up at some point," she teased. "I can't exactly answer the door when our food gets here with you lying on top of me."
"Not yet." He murmured. "Like being on top." Jiao laughed.
"Is that so?" She asked, idly tracing circles on his back.
"Uh huh," he replied. "In fact, I think I'll be including that in round three," he added.
"Oh really? Well what if I decide I want to be on top?" She teased.
"Hmm," Ryder murmured, as if to consider that idea. "I guess we'll just have to have a round four then, to be fair," he teased. Jiao laughed.
"Sounds like you're trying to wear me out," she giggled. Ryder chuckled against her neck.
"Not intentionally," he replied. Jiao giggled and sighed.
"I don't know, I think three might be my limit. I guess we'll have to save round four for another time," she murmured. Ryder slowly lifted his head up to look at her, grinning slightly.
"Are you implying you want this to be an on going thing?" He teased. Jiao blinked, processing what she had just said.
"Well…I guess…..it could be," she replied. She rolled her eyes. "Wipe that grin off your face, its not like I want to you as my beau or something." She shrugged slightly. "I'm just saying….if some other time we find ourselves wanting to…..we could. I mean….its not a big deal."
"Just sex." He commented.
"Exactly," Jiao replied. "No drama, no strings, just plain ole great sex," she said.
"Great sex sounds good to me." He chuckled. Jiao giggled.
"Glad to hear it," she replied before kissing him. Slowly, Ryder's hands slipped down her sides and to the drawstring on her pajama bottoms.
"Food's going to be here any minute," she lightly warned him between kisses.
"Guess I should hold off with the whole getting you naked thing then." He murmured against her lips. "Since I don't want you thinking I'm a minute man." Jiao giggled.
"Wise decision," she teased. "Although, if you did get me naked and I went to answer the door….I'm pretty sure we'd get our order for free, or half off at the very least," she joked.
"As long as they didn't want to join in." Ryder laughed. Jiao chuckled.
"Aw, Ryder doesn't share?" She teased.
"Nope," he replied, moving back down to her neck. Just as he had begun to nip at the skin on her neck, the doorbell rang. "Damn. It." Ryder groaned. Jiao giggled.
"I told you," she replied. Carefully, he pushed himself off her.
"I'll let you get it." He chuckled as she rolled off the couch.
"Fine," Jiao said with a joking sigh as she moved over to her messenger bag and pulled her wallet out. Once she pulled it out she moved over to the couch. "You could go in the kitchen and get some plates out for us, you know…be useful," she teased as she gave his backside a playful swat on the way to the door.
"Kinky." He chuckled before moving towards the kitchen. Jiao laughed as she reached the door. She took a deep breath to settle herself before opening the front door to pay for their delivery. Ryder pulled out two plates and two sets of cutlery as he waited for Jiao to bring their food into the kitchen. A moment later, the front door closed and locked before she headed into the kitchen, holding a large brown bag.
"Do you want to eat in here, or watch another movie while we eat in my room?" Jiao asked as she set the bag down on her table.
"In here would probably be best." Ryder replied. "Otherwise I'd be too tempted to forget the food..." He winked at her playfully. Jiao chuckled.
"Oh dear, do you have so little self control?" She teased. "Makes me worry how tempted you will or won't be at times when we're not totally alone," she joked as she pulled their food containers out of the brown bag. Though she was joking, a part of her was a little concerned what would happen when they were out of her house and around the rest of the team.
"I'll do my best to behave myself in public." He chuckled. "Private... Probably not as much." Jiao blushed as she pulled the last container out and set the empty bag aside.
"I'll keep that in mind," she replied.
"Good." He grinned cheekily. It took a few minutes for the two to serve themselves. As Jiao had suggested, they each took a little of each main course and set the container of dumplings in the middle of the table to share. Jiao put the two containers of leftovers in the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water. As she returned to the table, she noticed that Ryder had taken his chair from its original place-across the table from hers—and moved it closer to her side of the table. Jiao shook her head and set the bottles down as she sat down.
"You can't even sit across from me while we're eating? That's just a little sad," she teased.
"Could be worse." He chuckled as she sat down.
"Oh, how's that?" She asked as she pulled out a set of chopsticks from the brown bag and pulled them apart.
"I don't know." He chuckled with a shrug. Jiao rolled her eyes.
"Doofus," she teased as she reached into their shared container and pulled out a dumpling with her chopsticks.
"I might be a doofus..." He trailed off as his fingers skirted across her arm. Jiao sighed as a pleasant shiver ran through her at the touch of his fingers.
"Eat your food." She commented after a moment as his finger moved to the back of her neck.
"What's wrong, am I distracting you?" Ryder asked as his finger slowly brushed against the back of her neck.
"No," Jiao fibbed as she popped the dumpling in her mouth. She chewed for a few moments before swallowing. "It's just that, the longer you take to eat, the longer we have to postpone round three," she grinned.
"Hmm... You make a valid point." He chuckled. Jiao giggled and nodded.
"Figured you'd agree to my logic," she teased as Ryder pulled his hand away and began to eat his food.
"Oh I agree alright." He murmured huskily as he shoved part of a dumping into his mouth and let his eyes roam over her body. Jiao blushed slightly as she felt his eyes taking her in.
"Good," she replied before popping a piece of chicken into her mouth. Ryder smiled and continued to eat his food. As they quietly ate, Jiao felt one of Ryder's hands slip under the table and lightly caress her thigh. Jiao swallowed the food she had just been chewing and cast a glance his way. "What did we just discuss?" She asked. Ryder merely grinned impishly as he scooped up some food with his fork in the other hand.
"I can eat and do this at the same time," he replied as he kept his hand on her thigh.
"I thought that men sucked at multitasking." She teased. Ryder shrugged.
"I don't know about other men, but I'm pretty good at it," he replied, his hand slowly moving up her thigh and teasingly dipping between her legs.
"But how am I supposed to concentrate on eating when you're trying to turn me on?" Jiao commented around a gasp. Ryder grinned.
"Then perhaps it is you who sucks at multitasking," he teased as his hand lightly rubbed the crotch of her pajama bottoms. She set her fork down as she let out a low moan. Jiao's eyes drifted shut as Ryder's hand continued to move his hand against her, her legs parting slightly. Without warning, Ryder pulled his hand away and continued nonchalantly eating. Jiao's mouth fell open as her eyes darted sideways.
"Fucking tease." Ryder chuckled around his food before swallowing.
"Well, you'd stopped eating," he innocently replied, "figured I'd leave you alone to finish."
"Finish what exactly?" She commented, her eyebrows rising. Ryder laughed.
"Finish your food," he replied. "Why, what did you think I meant?" He asked with a grin. Jiao just stuck out her tongue at him.
"Nothing," she replied before resuming her meal. The two kept on eating for a while longer, Ryder cutting the last dumpling in half with his fork for them to share. He put one half on the edge of Jiao's plate before popping the remaining half in his mouth. Jiao smiled and ate her half. They were just finishing their plates when Ryder felt Jiao's hand on his lap. He paused, his fork mid-raised and gave her a sideways glance.
"What are you doing?" He suspiciously asked.
"Nothing," Jiao quipped as she chewed on a piece of broccoli. For a moment, the hand simply sat on his lap. Ryder continued eating and made nothing of it. A minute later, just as he had swallowed another forkful of food, he felt Jiao's hand begin to move against the front of his boxers.
"Nothing huh?" He groaned. Jiao smirked as she continued rubbing.
"Well, you know what they say," she commented. "Payback's a bitch." Ryder grunted in response. He felt her hand began to pull away and he snatched her wrist and pulled it back.
"You started this." He commented huskily. Jiao shook her head.
"Well, it wouldn't exactly be payback for what you did before, if I didn't stop," she teased.
"You could be the bigger person and not do exactly what I did before," Ryder huskily replied, desperate for her to continue.
"Hmm... I could..." She replied after a moment's thought. She idly let her fingers brush the bulge at the front of his boxers in a teasing manner.
"Jiao…." Ryder groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. He heard her chair scrape against the floor as she shifted closer to him, her hand back to rubbing him as she lightly kissed the side of his neck. Ryder moaned and leaned back in his chair as the sensation took over.
"I should probably stop," Jiao murmured against his neck.
"Don't you dare," Ryder muttered.
"Well, I'd hate for you to…wear out….in here, and have nothing for round three," she replied as she lightly nibbled his neck.
"I'll have plenty of energy." He commented huskily.
"If you say so," she murmured as she continued. After a few moments, Ryder groaned loudly, one of his hands tightly gripping the edge of the table as he climaxed.
"Holy..." He moaned as his head rolled backwards. Jiao chuckled and kissed the spot behind his ear.
"I guess I'll clear the table and let you catch your breath," she teased as she stood up.
"Thanks." Ryder replied. Ryder stayed in the chair and watched Jiao gather their plates and silverware. She dumped what little was left on their plates in the trash before setting the dishes in the sink. She moved back over to the table and collected the empty container, brown bag, and her chopsticks and threw them out as well. Once the table was cleared, she moved back to Ryder's chair and held her hand out to him.
"Think you can manage the walk from her to my room?" She grinned.
"I dunno." He replied. "I think I could make it as far as the table or floor though." He chuckled saucily. Jiao blushed.
"Well, that doesn't seem very practical," she replied. "We'd have to get up and go to my room afterwards anyway," she pointed out. Ryder shrugged.
"Eh, we can worry about that later," he chuckled.
"Really?" She giggled.
"Why not?" Ryder shrugged again. "What, don't tell me kitchen sex is also something you've never done before," he grinned. Jiao looked away, her blush increasing.
"How about we just take the half step for now and settle for living room sex," she replied, taking his hand and hauling him up to his feet. Ryder shook his head and allowed her to pull him along.
"Wow, talk about sexually repressed," he commented. "Your former boyfriends seriously lacked in the imagination department," he muttered. Jiao paused and looked at him, her jaw slightly tight.
"Would you rather no sex at all?" She replied. "Because comments like that will definitely have you going home right now."
"What?" He questioned, his tone confused. Jiao crossed her arms over her chest.
"The topic of ex-boyfriends, and how sexually repressed you seem to think I may be, totally off limits for discussion," she declared.
"I'm sorry Jiao." He replied sincerely. Jiao sighed and simply looked away. Ryder stepped closer and put his arms around her. "I really am," he gently stated. "I was only joking; I didn't mean to upset you." She said nothing as he rubbed her back softly for a few moments.
"For future reference." She murmured. Ryder let out a small relieved sigh at her forgiving him and not putting an end to everything that very moment.
"Future reference, got it," Ryder nodded. He gave her a quick gentle kiss as he continued to rub her back. "Well, we're half way to your room already….I guess we could just go in there," he shrugged, wanting to simply agree with whatever she might want at that moment. Jiao bit her lip for a moment before slowly sliding her arms up around his neck.
"Yeah, but we're already in the living room," she murmured, a small smile playing on her lips. "So, guess we could just…stay in here."
"Mmm... Living room sex." He chuckled against her lips. Jiao giggled as Ryder slowly backed her up towards the couch. As they moved, his hands went to the drawstring on her pants and slowly pulled the bow out. When they reached the couch, Ryder gently pushed her down to sit on the couch. Jiao followed his lead and sat down, her hands reaching out to pull his boxers down for him. "Wait," Ryder quickly spoke as he kneeled down in front of her. He leaned in and lightly kissed the side of her neck as his hands worked on getting her shirt off.
"Um, isn't removal of boxers kind of necessary for round three?" Jiao asked.
"Just wait," Ryder chuckled.
"For what?" Came her question as he pulled her shirt off. Instead of answering her, Ryder worked on getting her pants off. Jiao rolled her eyes at his lack of answer and simply leaned back to lift her hips up to aid him with the clothing removal. Once her pants were off. Jiao expected him to give her an answer, or get naked as well; instead he simply grinned and gently nudged her legs apart. Jiao's eyes widened as she finally understood. She blushed down to her shoulders and bit her lip. "Oh," she breathed. Ryder lightly brushed his fingers along the back of her knee.
"Problem?" He asked, not wanting to make her uncomfortable so soon after his earlier misstep. Jiao nervously gnawed on her lower lip for a moment before shaking her head.
"No," she replied. "Just…wasn't expecting this," she murmured.
"Expect the unexpected." He grinned. Jiao let out a breath as she watched Ryder lean closer and lightly brush his lips against her inner thigh. Her head lolled backwards as a soft gasp escaped her lips. Ryder smiled and lightly trailed kisses along her skin until he reached the apex of her thighs. Jiao moaned as she felt his lips on her, his breath hitting her bundle of nerves. "Ready?" He murmured huskily as his fingers trailed softly against her bare thighs.
"Yes," she replied in a soft excited whisper. Ryder grinned and drew his face closer to her. Jiao let out a high pitched moan as she felt Ryder's tongue slip into her. Her hands dropped into his hair as he shifted closer. Jiao's hips bucked on the couch as Ryder's tongue moved, every wiggle and stroke eliciting another moan from her. Ryder continued for a few moments before replacing his tongue with two of his fingers while his lips closed around her sensitive bud.
"Oh fuck!" She cried out as her hips bucked again. Ryder continued to gently thrust his fingers into her as his lips and tongue went on. "Oh my god!" Jiao loudly moaned as she felt Ryder carefully add a third finger into her. He smirked softly against her as he pressed his teeth against her tender bundle of nerves. "Ryder," Jiao panted, her hips bucking against him as he drove her closer and closer to her peak. Her fingers twisted in his hair as her toes curled against the living room floor. Ryder kept his teeth against the bundle of nerves as his tongue lightly flicked at the tip, causing Jiao's body to tense as small breathless squeals flowed out of her lips. Within moments, Ryder felt Jiao's thigh muscles become taut as she climaxed. After a moment, he slowly removed his fingers and placed them on her thigh before glancing up at her. Jiao was leaned back against the couch, her head rolled back over the top with her eyes closed as she caught her breath.
"You okay?" Ryder asked.
"Uh huh," Jiao murmured. "Definitely….more than okay," she sighed.
"Glad to hear that." He chuckled as he kissed his way up her stomach. Jiao sighed happily, her hands moving down to Ryder's shoulders as he kissed her skin.
"What brought that on?" She asked.
"Just wanted to," Ryder murmured against her stomach as he continued to kiss her. He felt Jiao's stomach flutter as she chuckled.
"Wow..That's a first," she muttered. "I don't think I've ever had…that….without it being my birthday and someone asking 'are you finished yet?' every few minutes," she murmured.
"I aim to please." He grinned cheekily as he moved upwards and kissed her softly. Jiao moaned lightly and kissed him back.
"Thank you," she quietly murmured against his lips.
"Anytime." Came his soft reply. Ryder wrapped his arms around her as his lips moved down to her neck.
"You're gonna have to give me a few more minutes." Jiao commented softly. Ryder chuckled.
"Alright," he replied, giving her neck a gentle kiss before standing up. Jiao looked up at him quizzically as he left the room and walked into her bedroom.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"You'll see," Ryder called back. After a few moments she saw Ryder come back into the living room with the duvet cover from her bed. He laid the cover out on the living room floor. Once the cover was stretched out across the carpet, he sat down on the couch beside her.
"And the reason for that is….?" Jiao asked. Ryder chuckled and gave her a quick kiss.
"Well, not to diss your furniture, but this couch is kind of puny for living room sex," he teased. "I figured we might as well have a comfortable alternative."
"So you're proposing floor sex as an alternative?" She questioned. Ryder shrugged.
"I figure it still counts as living room sex," he replied. "Living room floor sex," he chuckled. "Besides," he added, kissing her again, "I thought we agreed I'd be on top for round three….floor sex just makes it easier," he grinned.
"Hmm." She commented as her eyes drifted shut. "You make a valid point." Ryder smiled.
"Glad you think so," he replied. Ryder took a couple of cushions off of the couch and tossed them on the duvet cover before wrapping his arms around her again. "So, ready to move off the couch?" He murmured against her forehead.
"Oh I guess." She replied dramatically. Ryder gently moved one of his arms under her knees and scooped her up in his arms as he stood up and moved the short distance from the couch to the duvet cover.
"I could have walked you know." Jiao giggled.
"I don't mind," Ryder grinned as she carefully kneeled down and placed her on the makeshift bed.
"Clearly." Came her reply. Ryder chuckled and pulled his boxers off before lying down next to her.
"How you doing?" He questioned as he ran his hand over her stomach. Jiao breathed a content sigh and smiled.
"Good," she replied. "Fully recuperated," she giggled.
"Excellent to hear." Ryder grinned as he moved over top of her. Jiao grinned back at him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she spread her legs under him. Ryder lowered himself on her and kissed her as his hips moved back and gently thrust into her.
"Oh god." She moaned as he filled her. Ryder remained still for a moment to let her walls re-accommodate to him before he moved his hips back and thrust into her again. Ryder ran his hands down her sides as he continued to thrust into her. Once his hands reached her legs he hitched them up over his hips, thrusting into her at a deeper angle. "Oh fuck." Jiao moaned loudly as her hands flew to his scalp. Ryder grunted as he thrust deeper into her, her walls clenching around him. Jiao's hips bucked up towards him, meeting his at each thrust.
"Shit…" Ryder groaned, his grip on her thighs tightening as his pace quickened.
"Do...Don't stop." She moaned as her back arched slightly.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Ryder grunted, his head falling into the crook of her neck as their hips continued to slam together.
"Good." She moaned out as her hands tangled themselves in his hair. "So goddamn good."
"Uh huh," Ryder moaned his agreement as he thrust upwards to hit the receptive spot inside of her.
"Oh god!" Jiao choked out as he hit the spot again. Her head dropped onto his shoulder as each bump against the spot drove her wild. "Oh god….." She whimpered. "Fuck…I'm gonna…" She trailed off into more moans as Ryder's pace quickened even more. Jiao panted against his shoulder as her fingers tightened around his hair. After a few moments, she cried out as her orgasm ripped through her. Ryder's arms gripped her tightly, pulling her closer as he continued to thrust into her deeply, feeling his own release quickly approaching. Within seconds he too climaxed, his hips weakly thrusting into hers a few more times before his body limply collapsed on top of her. Jiao moaned tiredly and gently nuzzled the side of his neck. "Wow…..That….that was intense," she panted.
"Agreed." He grunted against her neck. "But amazing."
"Yeah, definitely amazing," she breathlessly chuckled. Ryder grinned and carefully moved to lie beside her. Ryder sighed and laid his head on one of the cushions he had laid out.
"Only problem is I'm beginning to see what you meant about having to get up to get into bed," he chuckled. Jiao shook her head as her eyes drooped slightly.
"There is no way I'm getting up any time soon," she murmured. Ryder gave a tired grunt in agreement. He paused a moment as he looked to the unused edge of the duvet. He reached over and pulled the side of the cover over them, shifting closer to her as he made a sort of cocoon for them to sleep in. "Mmm, no cuddling, remember," she sleepily murmured.
"Well, it's either let me be a little closer to you, or we freeze." He yawned. Jiao groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Fine, I guess if it's for the sake of staying warm its okay," she relented. "But I better not feel your arms around me," she yawned.
"I'll do my best to keep them to myself." He murmured tiredly.
"Good," she replied as she turned on her side to sleep. She felt Ryder shuffle in behind her as the duvet draped over her naked body. He tucked the edge of the duvet under her to keep it in place around them. Jiao felt him moving slightly behind her as he struggled to get comfortable. After a moment he lay on his side and laid his arm across her waist. "Ryder," she warned.
"Sorry, it's the only comfortable position like this," he yawned. "Besides, my arm's just on you….not around you," he reasoned.
"If I feel it turn into something else..." She threatened.
"It won't," he promised, lightly kissing the back of her shoulder. "I wouldn't do something you're not okay with." Jiao bit her lip, a little surprised at how tender he sounded. She mentally shook it off and chalked it up to them both being tired.
"Alright then," she murmured as she settled under the duvet and closed her eyes. Ryder smiled softly as he watched her drift to sleep. He couldn't help chuckle slightly as he saw Tybalt trot into the living room from wherever he had been hiding for the last few hours and came to a stop at the other side of Jiao. He circled the spot for a few moments before settling down. Ryder closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.