Hello! Guess who's back! :) Sorry. This chapter had me crawling up walls. So as soon as I put it down to take a bit of a break, I went on a six week vacation. My god it was worth it. I apologize for the short chapter but I felt the need to break the next events up. The chapters might be a little small but they are no less important to the story. It feels good to be home and like last time, expect a chapter every three to four days.

Katie had yelped as a long, strong arm snaked around her rib cage just as the front door clicked. In a blink of an eye, the young brunette dressed in yellow had found her shoulder blades pressed against a marine's hardened chest. It had swelled with every deep inhale. Kuzan's warm breath seeped slowly down the crux of her neck and forced large ocean blue hues to close. Her body grew heavy as she relaxed. For the first time in a week, the brunette felt her shoulders lower. Suddenly Garp's granddaughter had become more than just tired; she was exhausted. Sapphire stained orbs didn't even want to open. A ginger hum escaped her supple lips.

"I heard you were sick, so I rushed over after giving grandpa a piece of my mind," the Katie confessed tenderly before Aokiji's arms opened a little to allow the little woman to turn sideways. Her legs stretched across the cushions of the navy blue couch. Her smooth limbs had become mostly bare. The fabric of her dress rose unexpectedly towards her hips but in the moment, Kuzan's little woman didn't care. Thick, powerful digits slid over her bare thighs and rested tenderly upon her knee.

The man purred listlessly. His body shuttered at the contact of her soft flesh against his palm. She was back, was all he could think at the moment. The marine felt his intestines untangle and as if a great knot had untied. The admiral felt relief wash over him. Now the man in was hungry but not as bad as before. His strength had returned to a degree, and swiftly the officer discovered what he truly wanted.

"I know you just returned," Kuzan admitted while tightening his arm around the smaller woman. He perceived himself to be somewhat of a child at the moment. The marine had no desire to touch or feel her up in any intimate fashion but instead had something entirely different. "Would you make dinner...", he paused. The officer's breath stuck in his throat as Katie had turned to face him. Her smaller form straddled his hips with her legs folded back along his outer thighs. The man hadn't adapted to this sort of lifestyle. It was more than pleasant; it was addictive.

Aokiji couldn't believe what was transpiring between the two of them at that very moment. This familiarity was frightening. He knew precisely what she was going to do next, and it made his mouth grow dry. His heart hammered against the bony cage in his chest while his sharp eyes followed her blue hues. The marine's long arms slipped in and snaked around the brunette once more. Katie felt herself being pulled in closer. Her bosom melted to the contours of his steel-like upper body. The man did everything he could to keep from putting his hands on her rump. His fingers twitched as her body seemed to beg for it.

Kuzan felt the slight prickles of warning on the back of his neck. For some reason, he was nervous. Garp and Sengoku always had a way of popping up at the wrong time and this position would definitely put him in his grave. It could be from all those years of training under them and seeing them in action that forced his instincts to become so alive but oddly, he didn't feel either of the old men nearby. It was almost unprecedented.

"Are you wondering what I said to grandpa," she blatantly asked. Aokiji felt his back flinch. Her voice was soft, low in tone, but her words left him defenseless. To his surprise, the man reacted to the silken textures of her fingers. She glided them over the back of his hands. With a gentle tug, the brunette placed his palms on both sides of her cheeks. The tips of Kuzan's fingers reacted and twitched. He didn't want to stop there. The admiral slipped his thick digits through her dark velvety tresses, forcing her forward and causing Katie to put her forehead against his.

"I bit at him a bit. Honestly, I feel a bit guilty but I was so mad when I came home. Do you honestly know how worried I was when I heard you haven't even gone to the doctor? Oh... And that only one person came to check on you right after I got back! Seriously... I don't know who's more stubborn... You or grandpa?" Kuzan couldn't help but smile. After watching her become so animated through waving arms and scowling expressions, he found the whole thing rather amusing. The marine hated himself for having a sense of relief. In his eyes, she had immediately thought of him and only of him since her return. That single action brought him back to the land of the living. The marine was increasingly becoming more than just hungry.

Before Katie could even react, the young woman felt his broad palm and powerful fingers grab a hold of her long ponytail. The raven haired marine twisted her locks around his knuckles and squeezed tightly. Kuzan held her in place as his thin lips captured her own. A whine of surprise was her only retaliation before his moist tongue invaded the deep caverns of her mouth. An aching sensation filled her loins as his free hand grasped her taught rear. Whimpers of need and heat transpired as a result.

A growl rumbled his chest as he realized he had given up on his discipline. Oh..., how he wanted to consume her. Katie was really all he needed. The admiral ignored the hunger that had gnawed through his gut and into his back. He needed it to go away so he could fully enjoy the moment but the curly-haired man's body was failing him. The pain was coming back and he couldn't control it any longer. The marine's shoulders trembled. Kuzan broke the kiss.

"It's ok," Katie had murmured as she watched him plop his head down upon her shoulder. She could practically feel his body defeat his carnal desires and a disappointing grunt dislodged from the man's throat. "Let's eat first. You did ask for dinner", she continued with her own mind spinning. The brunette had to close her eyes to regain her bearings. "Just...", the young woman paused as she caught herself about to trip over her own words. "I'm going to change my clothes. I don't particularly hate dresses but I'd rather be home in something more comfortable." Aokiji had to strain to hear her wisp of a voice. Katelyn was out of breath and it gave him a bit of a chuckle. Between both of them, he could hear her heart as well as his own, pounding away as if both had ran a marathon.

"Alright... Deal...", he agreed lightheartedly. Kuzan shuttered at the feeling of her hands rub over his bare arms while he straightened himself. The midnight dyed attire he wore wasn't enough to conceal his physical desire that had now only been seen. He couldn't help but to smile devilishly while she squealed and laughed from embarrassment. His dark orbs watched as she disappeared into the hallway with reddened cheeks. The man would have to use this to tease her later on. The admiral was a little flustered himself but he wasn't a virgin, unlike a certain individual, so it wasn't as big deal for him as it was for Katelyn.

Oddly Aokiji couldn't remember when the quilt had shifted off his legs but he did stare at his own large pitched tent as if it had betrayed him. A heavy sigh released into the air. The pseudo sex she had experienced before this would probably feel like heaven compared to the real thing. "At least in the beginning", he muttered in his own thoughts. If he was going to be her first, it would be severely painful. He'd have to make sure of his own feelings and ensure she felt the same. Any hesitance from either of them would lead to a disaster. He could easily see her pushing him away. "Man... What I wouldn't do to be a mind reader", he hissed lowly hissed to himself.