Kou lay in bed with Keera snuggled close to him. The sun was just starting to come up, casting dancing rays of light around the bedroom, dazzling his eyes. He loved it. Sunrise had always been one of his favourite times of the day, and he often missed it due to the late hours he worked.
He rose, pausing to make sure Keera was tucked in warmly, and he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before he made his way over to the window.
It was going to be a nice day out. The sky was clear, the bit of a breeze he could get from the slightly-opened window smelled fresh. It looked like it was going to be a real nice day.
He turned to look at Keera as she mumbled something in her sleep, and he frowned at the sight of the bruises on her arms. His thoughts returned to the night before, and he closed his eyes. What a scare. What a stupid night it had been. Damn Volt.
Things had been going just swimmingly...or had they? Had it been time to take the relationship to the next level? He didn't regret spending the night with her...far, far from it...but he felt that, between Volt and the incident, he'd been pushed into making more of a committment than he'd been ready to make, and he resented it. He sighed. Brushing his hand through his floppy long hair, Kou tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. No, he hadn't been ready to make such a committment. He wasn't sure if what he felt was friendship or love, and was angry that circumstances had dictated his actions.
Just then Keera awoke, and regarded Kou with a dopey, sleepy expression.
"Morning."
"It certainly is," Kou agreed, smirking at her. "What a lovely case of bedhead you have, my dear."
"Mmmph." Apparently deciding that it wasn't time to get up yet, Keera buried herself back under the covers. Kou watched her for a moment, then went to sit on the bed, beside her.
"Kee?"
"Mmmm?"
"We have to talk."
"Don't gimme that line. Stay or go. No strings attached."
Kou felt like he'd been slapped in the face...he'd expected warm, fuzzy feelings, some affection, some cuddling...not a "take it or leave it" command.
"No, Kee...I want to talk about things."
"Ohhh," she groaned, rolling onto her back and squinting up at him. "There's nothing worse than a man who wants to talk things out. I meant what I said. No, listen to me," she continued, as Kou was about to interrupt her. "All I want is a friend and a lover. Nothing more. I don't want a boyfriend, I don't want another husband, I don't want any of that crap. I want my freedom and I want a terrific friend that I can have great sex with. So far, you fit the bill perfectly. So...it's there if you want it. All I ask is that you're faithful, or you tell me if you're sleeping with someone else. Can you dig it?" She rested one forearm on her forehead, blocking out some of the sun.
In fact, that was the exact sort of arrangement that Kou wanted, and faithfulness was no problem for him. But it was her matter-of-fact statement that left him feeling as though he'd been doused with ice water, and his sarcastic tone reflected his affront.
"Well, that was certainly romantic," he began. Keera rolled into a sitting position and grinned at him sleepily, her hair sticking up everywhere.
"Romance? Oh baby...I can give you romance till you beg and plead for mercy. Friendship? You betcha! Great sex? I'll knock your socks off."
Kou felt a little dazed, and more than a little out of control of the situation. "Well, how about I let you know?"
"Sorry, Kou baby, the offer's only good for thirty more seconds. Then you're outta here."
"No...no...wait a minute...who said you get to call the shots around here? Hey...wait...what's this about *another* husband? And..."
"And nothing. You tell me your past, I'll tell you mine. I'm going to make breakfast."
Keera hopped out of bed and made her way to the kitchen, leaving a confused and bemused Kou sitting amongst the blankets.
Damned woman! He seethed, resentful at her bossy, manipulative ways... After a moment, though, he smiled to himself. Oh well, he thought...romance, friendship, and great sex? What more could he ask for?
Wearing nothing but a smile, his arms opened wide, he went to the kitchen, and pulled Keera close.
"That offer still good?"
Her answering laughter and kiss assured him that it was.
*****
The End! :-)
He rose, pausing to make sure Keera was tucked in warmly, and he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before he made his way over to the window.
It was going to be a nice day out. The sky was clear, the bit of a breeze he could get from the slightly-opened window smelled fresh. It looked like it was going to be a real nice day.
He turned to look at Keera as she mumbled something in her sleep, and he frowned at the sight of the bruises on her arms. His thoughts returned to the night before, and he closed his eyes. What a scare. What a stupid night it had been. Damn Volt.
Things had been going just swimmingly...or had they? Had it been time to take the relationship to the next level? He didn't regret spending the night with her...far, far from it...but he felt that, between Volt and the incident, he'd been pushed into making more of a committment than he'd been ready to make, and he resented it. He sighed. Brushing his hand through his floppy long hair, Kou tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. No, he hadn't been ready to make such a committment. He wasn't sure if what he felt was friendship or love, and was angry that circumstances had dictated his actions.
Just then Keera awoke, and regarded Kou with a dopey, sleepy expression.
"Morning."
"It certainly is," Kou agreed, smirking at her. "What a lovely case of bedhead you have, my dear."
"Mmmph." Apparently deciding that it wasn't time to get up yet, Keera buried herself back under the covers. Kou watched her for a moment, then went to sit on the bed, beside her.
"Kee?"
"Mmmm?"
"We have to talk."
"Don't gimme that line. Stay or go. No strings attached."
Kou felt like he'd been slapped in the face...he'd expected warm, fuzzy feelings, some affection, some cuddling...not a "take it or leave it" command.
"No, Kee...I want to talk about things."
"Ohhh," she groaned, rolling onto her back and squinting up at him. "There's nothing worse than a man who wants to talk things out. I meant what I said. No, listen to me," she continued, as Kou was about to interrupt her. "All I want is a friend and a lover. Nothing more. I don't want a boyfriend, I don't want another husband, I don't want any of that crap. I want my freedom and I want a terrific friend that I can have great sex with. So far, you fit the bill perfectly. So...it's there if you want it. All I ask is that you're faithful, or you tell me if you're sleeping with someone else. Can you dig it?" She rested one forearm on her forehead, blocking out some of the sun.
In fact, that was the exact sort of arrangement that Kou wanted, and faithfulness was no problem for him. But it was her matter-of-fact statement that left him feeling as though he'd been doused with ice water, and his sarcastic tone reflected his affront.
"Well, that was certainly romantic," he began. Keera rolled into a sitting position and grinned at him sleepily, her hair sticking up everywhere.
"Romance? Oh baby...I can give you romance till you beg and plead for mercy. Friendship? You betcha! Great sex? I'll knock your socks off."
Kou felt a little dazed, and more than a little out of control of the situation. "Well, how about I let you know?"
"Sorry, Kou baby, the offer's only good for thirty more seconds. Then you're outta here."
"No...no...wait a minute...who said you get to call the shots around here? Hey...wait...what's this about *another* husband? And..."
"And nothing. You tell me your past, I'll tell you mine. I'm going to make breakfast."
Keera hopped out of bed and made her way to the kitchen, leaving a confused and bemused Kou sitting amongst the blankets.
Damned woman! He seethed, resentful at her bossy, manipulative ways... After a moment, though, he smiled to himself. Oh well, he thought...romance, friendship, and great sex? What more could he ask for?
Wearing nothing but a smile, his arms opened wide, he went to the kitchen, and pulled Keera close.
"That offer still good?"
Her answering laughter and kiss assured him that it was.
*****
The End! :-)