Chapter Eighteen

Karin woke up a few hours later and looked around. Suigetsu lay next to her, on his back; his chest rising and falling as he continued to sleep deeply, in the same position that he'd fallen in. She shifted, gingerly; exploring the aches in her body. She winced as a muscle went taut and shot an annoyed glare at him.

He would be able to sleep peacefully, without a care in the world, exactly where he'd finished up. She was sort of surprised though, and disappointed; she would have thought he'd be closer to her after what had just happened.

She stared up at the ceiling, thinking back. She couldn't remember a single time where she'd woken in the morning to find herself in his arms. True, most of the time he had woken up first and was standing over her, but other than that time he'd been dreaming and woken her in the night, he'd never held her while he slept.

The distance between them seemed to be growing exponentially, the longer she lay there thinking. Perhaps she was thinking too much. One event is hardly likely to change a lifetime habit. But part of her wondered what was going to happen when he woke up.

She lay, trapped in her thoughts for an indeterminate time, growing increasingly distraught and worried, until a tired voice broke through.

"Hey."

Wide eyed, she turned to find Suigetsu grinning at her.

"I can feel you thinking from here." He stated smugly, self-satisfaction written across his face.

She was moving her mouth to answer him but no sound was coming out. He yawned and smiled tiredly. She still hadn't said anything. Then he shifted across the bed, to rest his head on her shoulder; his hand moving down to run languidly over her belly.

"You okay?"

His exhale blew across her chest and he watched in fascination as her nipple tightened. She gasped when he brought one finger up to draw soft circles around it.

"You didn't think it would just be once, did you?" He asked, amusement laced through his voice. Her breathing quickened and he propped himself up on one elbow to look at her face.

"Karin." He sighed, brushing away her tears, "Don't you trust me?"

Sobs broke free and she reached for his face, smiling despite her tears. He threaded his fingers through her hair, kissing her gently as he held her close.

Karin woke several hours later, hugging a pillow, with the mid-morning sun shining through the window and Suigetsu smiling at her from across the bed.

"Morning sleepy head." He grinned, "You hungry?"

Karin smiled back, pulling a sheet up around her and hiding half her face in the pillow. Suigetsu's grin widened.

"If I'd known you'd go all shy on me, I would have done that a whole lot sooner."

Karin blushed and threw the pillow at his head, which he dodged.

"Why are you bothering me?" She huffed, rolling onto her other side and nestling into the other pillow. She tensed in anticipation when the mattress dipped beneath her, and Suigetsu joined her on the bed.

"Because no amount of beauty sleep will ever improve your looks." He whispered in her ear, one hand snaking under the sheet to caress her hip. "And I think it's more fun when you're awake."

His hand was straying dangerously close and she gripped it through the sheet.

"And here I was, thinking you were bringing me breakfast in bed to make up for your poor performance."

She shrieked with laughter as he lunged at her, swearing at her poor attempt at humour.

"Get off me, you jerk!" She managed to squeal through her giggles.

"Bitch." He growled in her ear, before rolling her over.

"Arsehole." She looked up at him.

"Moron." He leaned down toward her.

"Lunatic." She said softly as he closed the distance between them.

Before it could become much more than innocent (passionate, heated) kissing, Karin's stomach grumbled.

"It can't have been that bad; you worked up an appetite." Suigetsu muttered.

"I haven't eaten in over twelve hours, idiot." Karin replied, pushing him off her. She stood up from the bed and cast around for her clothes. She scooped her shirt from the floor and turned to face him, one eyebrow arched in question.

"What?" He asked, grinning up at her.

"You shredded it!" She cried, whacking him with the torn garment. He chuckled as he rolled away from her and off the bed; landing on his knees and looking at her.

"Well, you were resisting."

She pulled a face at him, turning away to hold it up and survey the damage. Before she knew it, he was behind her; his arms encircling her waist, his mouth by her ear.

"And you look so much better without it on."

She smiled as he kissed her ear, then down her neck. Then she smirked as she delivered a sharp elbow to his stomach.

"Back off, I'm hungry."

Then she flounced out of the room, leaving him winded and groaning on the bed.

Author's Note: So, this is another short chapter. Sorry about that. My inbox is open to all your complaints. I may even consider posting again within twentyfour hours, if you are so upset about it.