Time Chamber (Part Two-Hesitant Love)


Mature Content


"Kakarot, no!" Bulma had known something was wrong when she woke up to find her novel gone. He was sitting on top of the fridge, flipping through each page with rapt attention.

"I'm curious... do humans really like this stuff? And what was with your dreams last night?"

"Stay out of my head."

"I wouldn't learn anything if I did..."

"Please, give my book back, Kakarot."

"Not until I finish it. It's definitely better than that biology book. While it has a lot of technical stuff in it; this other book... You still haven't answered my question. Do humans like it when this happens to them?"

"It's just a way to get what we want when we can't have the real thing... Haven't you ever heard of imagination?!"

Jumping down, he wrapped his arm around her waist, immobilizing her as he grabbed her chin, tilting her head back. Her eyes were wide... "What part of that book were you on?"

"Half way..." she gasped, feeling his mouth nibble along her jaw. He had learned that from just reading a book? Moving to her ear, he bit down and she squeaked, jumping back and holding it, her face turning bright red. "That's so not fair..."

"The thing about this bond we accidentally forged... I know when you're enjoying something... I can sense your energy level rising." He liked stalking her; the longer they stayed in this room, the more he wanted to taunt and play with her. Kakarot wanted to know if he could corner her like the main person in the book. She kept retreating, and just like that he had her against the table, leaning over her. "You're confusing Bulma. You like reading this stuff, but then you turn into a kitten that wants to scurry under a bed or something?"

He traced her jaw with his thumb and forefinger, and with deliberate slowness, he pressed his body forward until she was locked in place and then kissed her. Just as he read, he pushed against her bottom lip with his finger and she inhaled, startled at the sharp increase in heat. Her head started to spin and she couldn't move as he enveloped her in a blazing storm of fire and need. Guys didn't read romance novels... They said it was stupid nonsense, and she could only lie helplessly as he assaulted her mind with a girl's fantasy.

To top it off, he was genuinely curious and had no hesitation at trying anything that she read about. Thankfully he hadn't pushed her past what she was too afraid to try... They had stuck to kissing or cuddling. "I should go train," he whispered, pulling away.

Bulma watched him go outside, feeling a growing sense of disappointment. While she had put in place some of the boundaries that kept him from going too far, she almost wanted him to push past that. Still, she couldn't help but sit up, content with how things had been lately. While he still had some aggression stored inside of him, he didn't try to push her away anymore. In fact, he made it a point to hold her when she got tired.

Deciding it was a good idea to wash their clothes... "Kakarot... before you go outside, can I have you shirt so I can wash it?"

"Shouldn't you wash the pants as well? They're pretty dirty and..." he sniffed and cringed. Bulma blushed, turning around when he started to undress. While she might have taken his lack of modesty as a way to mess with her... Kakarot wasn't like that. He had this naive and innocent nature about him and there was nothing more to it than that. Bulma sighed... It was possible that she was the only one getting sexually frustrated. He never went past kissing her. Did he even know what sexual frustration was or how to deal with it?

From what he had said about his brother and how they thought of mating and sex... Kakarot probably had no idea about any of it, taking his cue from her books and thoughts. Hearing a drop beside her, she looked down to see almost all of his clothes at her feet. "Do you even have any clothes on?"

"Nah... I can train like this until they're clean and dry."

Bulma trembled, struggling not to turn around. With tremendous will power, she knelt, and quickly made her way to the bathroom. Sure enough, she had all of his clothing in her hands, including mini hand and ankle weights. "Did he have these on when I kept dragging him around?"

"That's why it surprised me so much," he said behind her, watching the heat in her neck rise. It was comical to watch, and if she only knew that he had read every book in her bag. Kakarot was itching with curiosity, but despite Bulma not being afraid of him, she was hesitant about his intentions or where everything was going to lead after they escaped the Time Chamber. He didn't point out that the bond they had forged several days earlier was going to make that impossible. Kakarot knew nothing about it; however, every time he thought about her walking out of his life, of anyone else trying to do anything he read in those books...

Bulma had no idea about the aggression building up inside of him... He made it a point to not bother her with it... If he kept going off the handle, she'd try leaving the building to come after him again and she always got seriously hurt. Kakarot did want to learn as much as he could about her... but he didn't know that much about human and Saiya-jin compatibility. Their bodies, according to the biology book were very similar. Minus her lack of strength and tail, it was probable that he could take her just like he read about and it would work regardless if he was Saiya-jin or not.

Grabbing a piece of her blue hair, he rubbed it between his fingers, amazed at how soft it was. He had noticed that it was getting longer, and in a couple of her books, the guy would latch on and tilt the girls head back, giving them more access to their throat and other parts. Growling, he watched her tense and he retreated. As strong as he was, he could never forget that she was human. Still... He watched her disappear into the bathroom and he struggled with himself... Bulma, at this point, was divided about taking furthers between them. She had no lack of reckless courage; he would give her that much. The more he learned about her the harder it was to keep holding back.


Bulma flinched at the stench coming from his clothes. She needed to wash them more, but she wasn't very good at it. If she had known they'd be stuck without a washer and dryer, she would have demanded one before coming in here. While she was grateful for every day that she was alive, her longing to go home continued to grow. She couldn't imagine life before the Time Chamber and Kakarot, and the thought of going their own ways was beginning to physically hurt. Once they had gotten past their initial greetings and introductions, they had become good friends, both learning from the other. He laughed and teased just as good as any best friend that she could hope for.

Before now, her only friends were robots. They didn't laugh or care that she was the smartest person in the world, and as she watched Kakarot absorb the information in the text books and novels in her bag, she had a feeling he was equally as smart, if not more. Bulma tried to think about what else was in there. She had two of the dragon balls in one of the side pouches, a calculator, pens, and paper to do her homework with, and... Oh my god... She spent a lot of time at hotels while her parents traveled, and because of that, she had something that had helped her deal with the loneliness from not having or wanting a boyfriend.

Forgetting about the bar of soap on the floor, Bulma jumped up and before she knew what was happening, she had stepped on it and watched in horrified terror as her head came crashing down on the stool she was using to scrub their clothes. When she opened her eyes, she was lying on the floor, Kakarot leaning over her, anger and fear in his eyes. "Don't move, Bulma."

She felt sick, a wash cloth being applied to her forehead. There was another underneath her... "Damn it, Bulma. If you didn't know how to do the laundry..."

Bulma wanted to laugh, but the room was spinning, and there was no way she would tell him the real reason she had fallen. It had nothing to do with washing the clothes; she didn't want him to see or find what was hidden in her back pack. He had a natural curiosity about everything and she refused to answer any questions that pertained to her toys and what they did.

"So that's what this is about," he muttered. Turning her head gently to the side, he cleaned the gash in her forehead. "You idiot. We have no idea how long we'll be in here; if we get hurt or sick... I'm not a doctor!"

Was he worried about her?

"Why the hell wouldn't I be?" he shouted.

"Stop reading my thoughts," she demanded. Her voice sounded pathetic and she felt herself blacking out, waking several hours later. She was still on the bathroom floor, a pillow supporting her head and a blanket pulled over her. The room wasn't spinning in circles at the moment, but she still felt out of it. Kakarot was sleeping against the tub, a hand propped against his knee.

He looked exhausted and pale. What was wrong with her? She should have the strength or energy to move, and yet all she wanted was to go back to sleep again. Drifting in and out of awareness, she lost a sense of where she was or how long she stayed this way. Every time she saw his face, he looked pale and stressed, even thin. Was he eating?

"Do you ever worry about yourself?" he demanded tiredly.

Before meeting him, that would have been a definite yes; however, it seemed that when it came to him; her mind couldn't focus on anything else. When she finally had enough strength to sit up, it was slow, but it was better than how dizzy and weak she had been. Touching the side of her head, she winced. It still hurt... Snatching her hand, he held it, and with a gasp, she felt herself being lifted off the floor and carried to the bed. "You're still not well; until they get us out of here, you can't move."

He felt so warm and that was the last thing she remembered for a long time.


Kakarot, when he felt the fear in her mind, tried to go to her. Finding her lying on the floor, blood gushing from her head, he felt as if the life had been ripped out of him. He had known enough not to move her and as he searched through her books, he found other ways to deal with a head injury like hers. It wasn't a lot, but he did what he could, firmly entrenching himself in his mind to find what helped relieve the swelling and pain she was feeling.

He had no idea how many times he had almost lost her... The injury too her head was deep, and because he couldn't get them out of the Time Chamber, he had to helplessly sit back, wait, and watch. Not only could he not help with the fight outside of the Chamber, he couldn't do a damn thing to help Bulma either. So intense were his emotions, that dangerous energy swirled around him, his tail leaving dents in the floor as he waited... waited... and waited some more. She was reckless, clumsy, smart, the worst cook he had ever met in his life, and to top it off she couldn't even scrub a shirt. So why, when he thought of her dying, did he feel as if he were being torn apart. The mark on the side of his neck hurt, but at times, he also felt his link with her weakening, as if she was slipping away and he held on.

Kakarot woke to someone shaking his shoulder... Opening his eyes, hoping that it was Bulma, he saw Krillan. "Are you okay?" he demanded, seeing Bulma lying on the bed.

"The door's open?" Kakarot gasped, dropping the legs down from the chair he was sitting in.

"We had no idea that the room had a time differential compared to the outside world. While two earth days have passed out there; you've been in here for two years."

"Two... years..."

Kakarot didn't have time to worry about the time differences. Grabbing Krillan by the shirt... "Are there any senzu beans? Please... if she doesn't get one..."

Careful not to hurt her, Kakarot lifted and carried her outside, placing her down as Mr. Popo came running up. "I can heal her," he gently spoke. Kakarot waited... it seemed that was all he had been doing lately, and he watched as a white energy flowed from Mr. Popo's hands to the gash on her forehead. It was getting smaller and he saw the color in her skin begin to return. "She will live," Mr. Popo said, pulling away to let Bulma wake and sit up.

"What happened?" she whispered, and before she could get an answer, Kakarot crushed her with a giant hug. "I'm sorry," she said.

"I don't care if you stick to your inventions... I don't care if you read your books... I never, and I mean never, want you to do housework for the rest of your life."

"That's a bit over dramatic don't you think," she giggled. "How bad did I get hurt?"

Instead of answering, Kakarot just held her, pulling her into his lap, eclipsing her as he folded himself around her. He had come so close to losing her... What if Krillan hadn't opened the door... Bulma felt hot tears against her neck... Stunned that someone this strong could cry... for her... she could only hold on, hoping to comfort him. "Kakarot..." she gently spoke. "Kakarot... I'm alive... It might seem like you didn't do much... but that's not true. If you had moved me... if you hadn't tried to stop the bleeding... Everything you did bought them time to come after us... Please... it hurts when you cry."

"What's she talking about?" Vegeta asked, but Bardock cut him off.

"Kakarot's extremely dangerous right now... if we go anywhere near him or her... if you thought he was hard to deal with that day before the Tournament... he'll kill someone this time. It's a good thing we don't live on Planet Vegeta any longer."

"Why?" Krillan asked. He saw nothing out of the ordinary... I mean it was strange to see Kakarot acting so emotional over a girl, but that was perhaps normal considering how long he had been inside the room.

"The mating mark would have had them executed and it wouldn't have been quick. Still, it means Pepper was right. Without the Ice-jins interfering with our mating instincts or rituals, we're not as mindless as we would have thought."

"I don't understand," Vegeta demanded. "Weren't you worried about her?"

"Yes, but it seems that not only has he not finished the mating ritual, but he refuses to out of concern for her human strength in comparison to his own. It's not an ideal situation and he'll turn savage if he continues resisting his Oozuru's need to mate. As for your question... Pepper said that the Ice-jins were drugging us. On our own, we would never willingly hurt the females of any race to mate with us. She never went into all the details, but if you force a male Saiya-jin into a mating frenzy... well I think you've heard the stories from Raditz and Turles."

"Isn't that reason enough to separate them?" Vegeta asked.

"Kakarot's in a lot of pain right now," Bardock growled. "While it might seem like only a short time since he went in there... It's been two years for them, and there's a strong possibility he's been holding back his instincts to mate for a good portion of that... You can ignore my warning, Vegeta, but if you think he's entirely sane right now... Kakarot might seem docile and easy going and under normal circumstances, he's probably the least aggressive out all of us... Try to take her from him... You'll be dead before I can stop him."

All they could do was wait, the sun setting. With the battle in West City and the Lookout over, they had a moment to breathe. "Is he aware of the time parameters of that room?"

"I never let him go in there," Bardock said. "As far as Kakarot's concerned, he was forced to stay and hide inside there while we risked our lives. That is a second reason to keep your distance right now. Until he's had a chance to deal with his emotions and we've had time to explain everything... Believe it or not, she's the only thing keeping him from losing control."


Bulma started to realize that they weren't inside of the Time Chamber any longer, a strong breeze making her shiver. Kakarot tightened his arms, trying to keep her warm without releasing her. Poking him in the ribs, he snarled... "Stop... If I let you go, you'll find a way to fall off the Lookout."

"But... I think we have an audience."

Kakarot glanced at Bardock, his father forcing the others to keep their distance, standing between them and himself. They were at an impasse. Kakarot hadn't thought much about what he'd do once they were out of the Time Chamber, but he still remembered the distancing they had forced on him with Pepper. Would they make him stay away from Bulma now? "Leave me alone with him," Bardock ordered. "I'm not Raditz, and at the moment, that's a good thing. Return tomorrow... There's a lot that we need to deal with before our battle with Frieza, and it has everything to do with that Army."

"Are you sure you can handle him?" Vegeta asked.

"Thanks to Pepper, yes."

"Is mating with her even possible?"

"The humans are compatible with us; so to answer that question, yes." Kakarot watched them leave, Kami and Mr. Popo retreating deeper into the Lookout. The only person that hadn't was the last person he expected to stay. His father, while he didn't seem hostile towards Pepper or himself any longer, hadn't gone out of his way to reconnect with him either.

"Kakarot, I'm not going to take her from you; you're going to kill her, however, if you continue to smother her." Bulma was tapping his arm, struggling to breath when he loosened his grip.

"Is that something I get to look forward to?" she gasped for air. "I was never into the jealousy crap, Kakarot."

"I'm not even sure what that word is?"

"He's not worried about that," Bardock explained. "Raditz, while he's a great fighter and protective of the younger Saiya-jins, has absolutely no clue when it comes to what the two of you are dealing with right now. All he knows about mating and women are the stories he heard from other Soldiers as a child. To protect women from that kind of fate, he's tried to keep Kakarot and Yamcha away from them, not understanding that he's going to cause the same thing that the Ice-jins did, only without the drugs. Kakarot, listen to Bulma and trust your instincts. Unlike your brother, I'm not concerned that you'll hurt her; not unless you keep fighting the Oozuru's right and need to finish what both of you started in there."

"Do we have that kind of time?" he sighed. No, he didn't want to let Bulma go, but they had a battle to fight. "I'm sorry... While you guys were fighting..."

"Kakarot... that battle ended one day after you went into that room. As Krillan told you, your two years inside the Time Chamber, was two days out here. It's a one for one correlation and an effective way to get a lot of training done and before you say anything else... That human girl you're so afraid of breaking... she's the one that dragged you in there while Kami bought you time for us to get here. You were the one that fought that Army alone for over a week; it took another day for Vegeta and the others to take over and finish the job."

"It's over..."

"Kakarot, we need your ability to focus and think, and you can't do that while you're in emotional turmoil. I'm going to give you one more Earth day to deal with it; take her back in there and don't come back out until you've completed the bond. As for you..." Bardock growled at Bulma. "While I understand that you wanted to help him, a Saiya-jin isn't a pet or wild animal that spends a night or two with someone and walks away. When you marked him, you initiated a mating bond, and it's stronger than the human contracts of marriage, and if you walk away or betray him... If you choose to allow another man to touch you... he will know and the pain is beyond anything you can do to him physically. I'm not supportive of a human and Saiya-jin mating together, but as Pepper has pointed out, she's the last one of our kind, and there are several males that need a mate. I cannot and will not stop this, but if you shred his mind a part, I don't give a damn about how I feel about hurting or killing a woman, I will make you suffer."

"A mating bond?"

"Dad... I don't know anything about mates or bonds."

"The humans have very effective ways of mating, and none of them involve hurting each other. Well, that depends, but neither one of you are into that kind of stuff, so it doesn't matter. I believe you've already read some of her books; while they're complete nonsense, they do give you hints about what women around this planet are wanting, but their males fail to give or provide."

"I won't kill her," Kakarot asked, feeling some of the pain inside of him recede. He had been fighting the Oozuru for so long, and he was at the limits of his sanity.

"No. Other than our tails, physically we're the same and can produce in the same manner. I'm sure there are a few other differences, but none that will prevent you from finishing the claim."


Bulma didn't know what to say or how to think when she found herself back inside of the Time Chamber, backing away from Kakarot. He didn't approach, sensing the panic in her. While she was attracted to him, she hadn't been prepared to deal with taking their unfamiliar connection further. Kakarot already knew his father wasn't going to let them out until this situation was resolved, and he hadn't been lying. If Bulma rejected him after initiating the mating bond, Bardock wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

He had no choice but to give her time... Going outside, he decided it was easier to train, his Oozuru protesting, raging for release. If she didn't let him have her and soon... For the first time in his life, the person he was most afraid of, was himself.


She slid to the floor, wrapping her arms around her legs. If she had known that what she had done was permanent, she wouldn't have bitten him. Bulma didn't hate Kakarot, but... She didn't know anything about the Saiya-jins. Would she really rip Kakarot's mind apart if she tried to leave him? The idea seemed to make her chest hurt, her heart pounding painfully fast... She couldn't think past her growing fear. Bulma had never been in a relationship before... She didn't even have friends. The only person she had learned to trust was herself, and she covered her head and trembled. Looking at her bag, she briefly remembered what it was that had caused her to rush out of the bathroom in such a panic.

How long had he sat there, not sure if she was going to live or not? When was the last time he had eaten? While she might not know much about the Saiya-jins, she knew unlike the human boys that had laughed at, pulled her hair, tossed her books into garbage cans... Kakarot had done nothing but ensure that she was taken care of or safe. Forcing herself to stand, she took a frightened breath and went to the doorway, watching him train.

Kakarot froze, turning to see her take a step towards him. "What are you doing?!"

He was moving before he could think, and with a yelp, she was on and trapped against the bed. "You... reckless...insane... I'm sorry. You shouldn't have tried that... I can't hold it back anymore."

"I'm the reason you're hurting; I think I can feel it. I've been hurting for weeks now, and not from the fall. It's all over my body, but I'm not running a fever. Reaching for the hem of her shirt, she started to slide it off, Kakarot grabbing her wrists and stopping her. He was still fighting himself... she could see the agony he was putting himself through. "I thought this would be a good chance for a pop quiz... I mean that's if you've really been reading my text books and novels."

"This isn't a book and we're not in school, Bulma!"

"Do you have to have a school to learn anything? Didn't you want to understand the differences between girls and boys? The pictures in those texts can only do so much... So..." she breathed, "Care to see if you've retained what you've read... I mean... I might have been mistaken, but you don't strike me as a mindless brute that thinks only of fighting."

"Bulma... I'm not an idiot... You're terrified right now."

"Yeah well... you keep thinking it's you that I'm afraid of, but it's not! I'm afraid that you'll leave once this is all over. I know that guy said this is permanent, but so is a contract of marriage and people break those all the time! I'm rich and I'm smart. All the men ever wanted from me was the fame and power that I can give them."

There were tears in her eyes, and he wiped them away with his tail. Kakarot studied her eyes... it was like he was looking into her soul, searching for something, and he must have found it. "Bulma... I won't be able to stop if we go any further... I can't... I've been fighting the Oozuru inside of me for too long."

"I'm not asking you to fight it... I told you a long time ago that I'm a big cry baby. I make a big deal out of everything that frightens me, and while this is out of character for me, I think facing this will be worth it. I trust you, and I trust your instincts."

Lifting her arms above her head, he took the sash from his waist and tied them to the head board. "I think I like that image in your head the most," he chuckled, her eyes wide with shock. "It frightens and excites you at the same. You have no control, but there are things that you want me to do, things that you've only read about, seen on that weird box. I have no desire for your money and status doesn't mean anything when I'm one of the top finalists in every martial arts tournament."

"Kakarot..."

"I have another reason for doing that," he growled, his eyes glowing. "If you start to fight or resist anything I do right now, I won't be able to control what the Oozuru does. I'd like to avoid hurting you." He traced the curve of her neck, pausing at the line of her shirt. "Do you have any idea how hard it's been to see everything in your head, to not know if we're able to do even a fraction of it, and act as if I'm not affected. And despite how frightened you are right now, you're wanting even further loss of control. You're hoping I won't take it too far, but you're willing to take the chance to trust me."

Taking her shirt, with a single pull, it split into pieces, peeling away from body. He thought about doing the same to her bra, but decided to pull the cups down, exposing what he had only seen in her biology text. Trailing his fingers across them, he was mesmerized at how round and soft they were. In the center were two nipples, and while they were designed to produce milk for the young, they also served to arouse a woman just before joining with them. Curious about the other differences between a man and a woman, he took off her shorts and tossed them, her panties tearing when he pulled them from her trembling thighs.

Moving himself so that he was at the end of the bed, he pushed her legs up, spreading them apart and studying her. Bulma felt completely vulnerable, but she couldn't free her hands. Curious fingers slid between her slick folds, pulling and stretching them, revealing a tiny nub. "This is what helps to get you prepared for mating; am I right?"

"It's called sex, Kakarot," she hissed, gasping when she felt him poke at it with a finger.

"Same thing..." He slid a single digit inside of her, pulling it back out to see a slick substance coating it. Rubbing it, he understood that this was just as important to the mating process. For humans it helped to prevent them from getting hurt. Men that didn't prep their females could cause serious injury, and it happened to often. It was one of the reasons why a lot of girls turned to their books or toys they could buy. They were afraid of getting hurt and discarded. It seems Saiya-jins and humans had a lot in common, but humans didn't have the excuse of drugs to excuse that kind of behavior. Saiya-jins, without being drugged, would want to ensure their females were taken care of.

In Bulma's books, almost every one of them mentioned that this stuff was edible. Lapping at it, while it wasn't what he called sustainable for food, wasn't bad either. His thumbs pushed against the folds hiding her small nub, keeping it from trying to retreat. Using his shoulders to prevent her from closing her legs, he used his forefingers to stroke it. Bulma's back arched off the bed, unprepared for the jolt of pleasure shooting through her body. "Oh my god!" It had been too much, too fast, and her legs tried to clamp shut, but Kakarot grinned, refusing to let her escape. The Oozuru roared for release, and at long last, he stopped holding it back.

Each stroke had just enough pressure to elicit a response; her shaking increased, her energy spiking. There was something building, and because he wanted to understand what was building and threatening to overtake her, he persisted. Curious, he spread her as far as he could, never once losing sight of her clit, he lapped at it with his tongue, almost like a tickling motion and she screamed, her mind going blank as a wave of pure pleasure washed over her. She had had an orgasm before, but they had never been that strong, and it always left her craving something that she couldn't get on her own. It had been a single stroke of his tongue... What would happen when he finally slid the one thing she was terrified of, inside of her? She had heard they were different than a toy, harder, wider, and would he know to stretch her first?

"Bulma," he snarled. "Are you saying that I haven't been studying?"

Latching his mouth onto her clit, he slid a finger inside of her, slowing prepping her as he drove her over the edges of her sanity. She thrashed and kicked, her feet digging into the mattress, but he refused to relent until he knew she didn't have the ability to think about the mating process. He had a good idea of what she liked and what she didn't. There were several novels in her bag; while they weren't her favorites, they served a purpose. She hadn't expected this kind of pleasure and he wanted her to learn that he alone could give it to her. A mate? He hadn't expected it, but she was his and with a savageness that made her shiver, he made his way back up her body, discarding his pants and settled on top of her, careful not to crush her.

He wasn't one to prolong anything, and if taking her virginity was painful, he'd do it and wait until the pain subsided before completing the mating process. "Sorry," he whispered, stroking back hair, surging forward at the same time that he claimed her mouth. She whimpered, and he waited... it seemed that was all he did anymore. "You're amazing," he complimented, stroking away each tear.

Pulling out, he repeated the process a few more times, careful and slow as her body adjusted and accepted his. If she had resisted or fought him, he wouldn't have been able to control himself, and as she relaxed, the fear and pain turning to pleasure and acceptance, he felt his mind calm. Still it wasn't enough... he needed... Ripping the sash from her wrists, he flipped her over, and blanketing her with his larger body, surged into her. "I'll never let you go," he swore. All she could do was hold on. He was not gentle, but she couldn't say that he was hurting her once the pain subsided. She could feel him, not just physically, but emotionally. Now she understood. There was nothing that either would not know about the other, and it terrified her, but she found that she also cared for him, it was a feeling that had started with a flicker and now it was a bright flame. She had no idea if this was love, but he would never place his needs above her own; she was certain of it.