Kyra awoke the next morning wrapped in Riddick's arms and held firmly against his warm, muscular chest. A smile played on her lips as she remembered the night before. Riddick had been so gentle and tender with her. He had treated her like she was some sort of precious, fragile jewel. After living the past four and a half years on her own, most of which was spent in the dog eat dog world of the slam system, Kyra had almost forgotten what gentleness was. The last place she had expected to find gentleness and love was from a man who could kill another man with ease and whose life was so full of harshness and cruelty. And yet he had given her more gentleness and love than anyone she had ever known; she had felt it in his every touch, his every kiss, his every look. She had never felt as safe before as she did right that moment; lying in the notorious Richard B. Riddick's arms.
She rolled over to face him and to admire his strong, handsome features. The room was dim and his goggles were off; Kyra reached forward and carefully traced her fingers down the center of his face, running them softly over his sleeping eyelids. A smile tugged at his lips as he slowly opened his silver eyes, meeting hers.
"Hey." Kyra said smiling as Riddick ran his hand down the side of her face.
Riddick grasped the back of her head and drew her in for another kiss; savoring the way she felt and tasted; the way her small frame fit so perfectly against his.
The kiss became more and more intense and suddenly Kyra flipped him onto his back, her body resting on top of his. An evil little smile played across her face. He reached his hands up and rested them on her bare hips, "Here we go again." He thought, as a smile matching hers broke out on his face. "Hell, yeah."
They spent most of the day in Kyra's room; learning each other, talking, even just lying wrapped around each other in silence, enjoying the others closeness. Finally hunger overcame both of them so they dressed and headed for the galley. They worked together trying to find something to eat and then at preparing it. Little touches were shared between them; Riddick's hand on the small of Kyra's back, her hand running down his smooth, muscular arm. The intense feelings that had sprung up between them finding some release in these small touches and a deep companionship was evident between the two. Riddick even let out a genuine laugh when Kyra splashed spaghetti sauce on her shirt as she poured it into the pot. She stood there for a moment and then flicked the goopy stuff onto him. Instantly he attacked her; pinning her against the wall and then he began tickling her! Trying to catch a breath, Kyra reached out and lightly pinched the lat muscle right under Riddick's right arm. Immediately he dropped her and bent to guard his side. "Ha! I got you!" Kyra laughed as he tried to scowl at her and failed.
He reached forward and pulled her into a hug; both laughing. Shirah walked into the room smiling. They pulled away from each other slightly and nodded at her, acknowledging her presence. She raised her eyebrows, "Long time, no see." She said teasingly.
Riddick looked at Kyra and grinned when he saw a blush creeping up her cheeks. She seemed like a heartless, tough bitch and that nothing could shake her on the surface; but he knew there was more there than what met the eye. Much more. Together they turned back to preparing their dinner.
Shirah reached into the refrigerator, pulled out a leftover cold sandwich and sat down at the small aluminum table beginning to eat. She sat enjoying watching the other two interact. She had seen the way Riddick's guard had come up again when she had stepped into the room and the rather protective stance he maintained around Kyra. She knew that it was nothing personal, Riddick had always been protective of Kyra and now he was just more so. He didn't want anyone, or anything, hurting her again.
When they had gotten the spaghetti heating on the stove Riddick left to check on their progress and the ship's systems. According to the Nav computer they should be arriving at Furya in less than twelve days. A sense of excitement and restlessness came over him as he studied the planet's schematic. This was where he came from, where his family had been; maybe where some even still were. This was the place that would better define who he was, help him understand his strengths and weaknesses. This was a place where maybe, just maybe, he could rejoin the human race.
He had never really felt compelled to try and rejoin the human race before; to begin with, he had told Carolyn the truth when he said he wouldn't know how, but it was more than that.
The human race had treated him with nothing but hatred and fear as far back as he could remember; from the orphanage he had grown up in to the foster homes he had been dumped in. Then, after his last foster father had beaten him close to death, Riddick had grabbed a butcher knife from the kitchen and sliced him open. That had been when he had discovered the sweet spot; when he had heard the whispers for the first time telling him where to aim, how to move, how to fight…How to kill. From then on, his life had been lived running from greedy mercs and getting sent to slam after slam. He didn't trust people, he would never trust people.
Until now. Kyra had turned that all around, he still did not trust anyone else; but he trusted her. He didn't know when or how it had happened, but he knew in his brutally honest soul that he trusted her.
They were the same; they shared similar pasts, similar battles within their lives. They had both killed when they had been used, finding justice for themselves because no one else would give it to them: He, his foster father; she, the slavers who had abused her. They had both been sent to slam for that justice at very young ages.
He knew and understood the fury and hate she felt towards the whole system, the fury and hate which had caused her to risk her life trying to take out just one more of the fucking guards on Crematoria.
He didn't want her to spend the rest of her life running with him all across the Universe, hiding from mercs, dodging slams. He wanted something better for her. She inspired him to want to rejoin the human race; for her sake, for their sake. To create a new beginning for them both.
Sitting in the pilot's seat of a Necromonger warship he decided: He would create a new beginning for them; he would rejoin the human race. For her. Even if he had to wipe out half the population of the Universe; even if he had to kill every single merc and destroy every single slam. He would fight to make Kyra safe. He would carve out a place for her in this messed up universe with nothing but his shivs if he had to. Even if it cost him his life, Kyra would never have to run or look over her shoulder again.