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III
HOW TO SURVIVE A MODERN AU
-Adventures in a Mundane World-
Chapter 1 – Kili's First Bike
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You HAVE to listen to this song while you read this! "Til Kingdom Come" Coldplay
Kili felt Danika's arms come together tightly around his torso, holding him around his ribs as her hair swept past her in the strong wind passing by. The rumble of the motorcycle beneath wasn't as loud as the whistling of the air as it rushed over his ears, deafening him to all else.
Danika's chin rested on Kili's back and he was suddenly grateful that he'd tied back his long hair—it might have whipped into her face otherwise—and she snuggled closer to him, peeking around his shoulder at the amazing sight in front of them. They were on a single road made of faded, grey asphalt with long, flat tracks of land on either side of the road and a scattering of small mountains in the distance before them.
Kili's hands were stretched out on the handles of the motorcycle, but he squeezed his upper arms to hug down on hers around his ribs, keeping his gaze forward though he didn't need to turn his head to see her smile. Behind aviator sunglasses, he was smiling as well. And he had every reason to.
Freedom. New life. New surroundings. Bright blue sky, green cactus brimming with yellow, white, and pink flowers, and red mountains. He'd never seen rocks in that color, more accustomed to the dreary grey of his homeland, but it impressed him. The desert was alive with more color than he'd expected and it immediately enticed him into becoming excited for this change he'd originally been so afraid of.
The Arizona spring was warm over them and the wind that beat against them filled and ruffled their light clothing as both looked forward and enjoyed the freedom and speed of the motorcycle. He'd never lived in a desert before, but this was where Danika was from and he was already enjoying the feel of sun on his skin, the dry heat reaching all the way to his core.
I could get very used to this, Kili grinned even wider.
"I knew you'd like the bike," Danika called to him, and he was surprised he could hear her over the wind.
Oh, yes—riding through the warm desert on a motorcycle with his wife just behind him—he could get very, very used to this.
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Can't you just feel the freedom when you listen to that song while you read?
And yes, I'm from the desert, so driving with the top down while passing through the less civilized parts is one of my favorite things to do!
In the next chapter, we'll see their new digs and see how Kili reacts to neighbors