Nathan sat behind the desk in his study, his eyes closed and his face serene. He didn't notice that Susan had walked into the room and was unaware that she had been trying to get his attention for the last minute.

"Dad?!" She finally shouted and Nathan jumped a little, startled. He plucked out his ear buds and came back to reality.

"Hey, Susie Q," he said brightly. "Sorry, I was…" He motioned to the iPod in front of him. "…well, I certainly don't have to explain that to you, hm?"

Susan studied her father. "Dad, are you okay?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I'm great."

"That's kind of what I mean." She cocked an eyebrow in jest. "You haven't gone from alcohol to pot, have you?"

Nathan laughed. "Which me do you like better, this one, or the one from last year…and so many before it."

"Don't get me wrong, the 'new you' rocks and all, I'm just trying to figure it out."

He chuckled. "I am an enigma, trying to figure me out would be like trying to…"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you've been having sex."

Nathan didn't flinch. "My teenaged daughter just thought about my sex life, I'm the one who should be worrying about you. I'm sure there's another reason you wanted to talk to me?"

She smiled. "Yeah, can you drop me at Rodine's tonight on your way to class? We have a science thing."

"Uh huh. Do you want to…" He was interrupted by Susan's cell phone.

"Hey, Charlie." She waved at her father and left the room.

"…grab some dinner?" A few months ago, Nathan would have been slightly irritated at how quickly his daughter's attention could be grabbed from him, but things had changed and he was honestly grateful for the alone time. He thumbed through Sydney's music, curious to see what else was there. He had been caught up on a Sting tune as soon as he turned the iPod on.

Aside from a noticeable affinity towards Maroon 5, an admitted guilty pleasure of hers, he found her taste to be surprisingly eclectic. Sprinkled between some other vapid pop tunes, very obviously mood lifters, he found classic rock, jazz, orchestral pieces…but he had noticed another trend altogether. There were countless songs of heartbreak, some that he knew others that he didn't.

He found his heart breaking as lyrics flowed behind his closed eyes. "…Too afraid to go inside, for the pain of one more loveless night. But the loneliness will stay with me and hold me 'til I fall asleep. I'm a ghost of a girl that I want to be most. I'm the shell of a girl that I used to know well…" He hadn't realized that the song had caused a couple of tears to fall from his eyes until it was over. When the first chords of "Coconut" cut into his thoughts, he took out the ear buds and thought about everything Sydney had conveyed to him. She was desperate to avoid being hurt again and it was more than evident that she meant it when she said music would help him to get to know her better.

He shook his head. "She might really never let me all the way in…"

Later that evening Sydney walked into martial arts studio – she wasn't quite sure if dojo was the correct word in this case – and found herself hoping that she wasn't intruding upon Nathan. The building seemed empty despite the smattering of cars in the parking lot and eerily quiet as well. The main part of the building looked like a well-padded gymnasium, though she did notice doors splitting off in various directions. She began to hear a few grunts and footfalls coming from some of them and she realized those must be where private sessions were taking place. She peered into a couple of rooms before finding the one where Nathan was training.

Not wanting to interrupt, she leaned against the doorway and watched, instantly captivated. Nathan was sparring with his instructor, but it wasn't quite what she had expected…to be honest, she had no idea what she was expecting, as she knew nothing of Wing Chun. The look on his face was one not only of concentration, but meditation. She watched him block every move placed by his instructor with a grace that didn't seem the least bit out of place. Her fascination was cut short.

"Your guest, Nathan?" his instructor asked, smiling politely.

Nathan turned and Sydney couldn't help but smile as she saw his eyes light up. "Yes." He made his way to her and took her hand in his, the act fluent and natural. "Syd, this is Sifu Wes."

Sydney returned the man's smile, confessing, "I was going to guess Sifu, but then I worried that using a 'Kung Fu Panda' reference might be disrespectful."

"Not at all," Wes replied. "It was a somewhat accurate cartoon."

"So, um, can I just watch from over there?"

"Sure, for now."

"For now?" Sydney was a little confused.

"You heard the man," Nathan said gently. He took her hand and led her to a chair next to the window. "Don't get mad," he whispered, "but he's the one person I can't keep things from. He's helped me through a lot of my issues here and…"

Sydney understood immediately. For Nathan, this was like therapy and nothing he said left these walls. She caressed his face and kissed him chastely. "I get it." Neither of them saw Wes smile at this tiny exchange.

Nathan went back to the center of the room and his training continued. Sydney couldn't tell if she had been blinking or not as she watched. She was mesmerized by the control both men had, as well as by the movements of Nathan's muscles beneath his skin. He had gotten a tad overheated at some point and was now shirtless, the waistband of his sweats dipping just below his naval. Yes, this was most definitely a turn on for her, but there was also so much more to it than that. She could somehow tell that he was strengthening his physical and mental cores simultaneously. With each strike came a breath that seemed to speak to the room without any real words. She imagined this as Nathan expelling his frustrations, his worries, his…

"Syd?" Nathan was waving his arm.

"Huh?" She had been so lost in everything she didn't fully realize they had stopped.

"Everything all right?" Wes asked.

"Oh, yeah, just…this is all pretty intense, isn't it?"

Nathan answered her. "It can be. Can you come here?" Sydney rose from her seat without hesitation. "So, watching is one thing, but feeling it…that's a little different."

Her eyes grew wide. "Are you guys going to beat me up?" Her tone was far from serious.

Both men laughed, but Nathan answered. "Not quite. May I?" He motioned to position her body and she nodded silently. Nathan put her back to his chest. "Oh, I'm a bit…"

She blushed. "You're good, er, fine, I mean…" Wes turned his head, repressing silent laughter. Sydney sighed. "I'll dry." She reddened even deeper.

"Right," Nathan agreed, his smile crinkling the skin around his eyes and somehow making him even more attractive to her. "So, loosen up for me hm? Just let me guide you through a little something."

Unable to resist, and feeling oddly comfortable, Sydney asked. "Is this going to get kinky?"

"Not so much," Wes laughed. "Nathan, you need to bring her by more often."

"Oh, no," Sydney said quickly. "I don't want to be a pain or anything, I just…"

"You're far from that," Wes said. "I haven't seen this guy so relaxed in…huh, I've never actually seen you this relaxed, Nate."

"So," Nathan said a little too loudly. "I'm just going to take your hands here…" He took Sydney's right hand, then her left, lacing his fingers on top of hers so he could control her arms much like the rods on a Muppet. "…and you're going to…" And just like that, Wes threw a gentle blow that Nathan helped Sydney to block.

Sydney giggled. "No disrespect meant…but that was really cool." Nathan helped her with a couple more blocks, then a few blows of her own before letting her arms go back to her sides.

"I know you have a group class at eight-thirty tonight, so, I'm going to grab a towel and we'll be on our way." He bowed to Wes and jogged toward a locker room.

Wes took this moment to have a word with Sydney. "Sydney, I know this isn't my place and I'm not trying to pry, but whatever it is that you and Nathan have…it's made a difference in him over the past few months."

Sydney furrowed her brow. "Months? We've only been, uh, seeing one another for a week or so."

Wes smiled. "I know." He looked around as though someone else were there to hear. "He'd try to kill me if he knew I said this, but I'm pretty sure I can take him." He winked. "I think he's been kind of crazy about you for a while." Sydney lowered her eyelids. She felt like Wes had violated something, but he soon crushed that fear. "I had to tell you that, Sydney, and please don't think I'm threatening you, far from it." He sighed. "Nathan was in a bad place for a very long time. He stopped coming to me for ages and…I've seen him at his worst. First your friendship with him and now, well, whatever it is you might have with him…" The man nearly grunted in frustration at trying to find the right words, but Sydney understood.

"We've sort of set boundaries already," she replied softly. "We've both been badly hurt in the past and…" She found herself smiling, happy to know that there was someone looking out for Nathan. "I'm pretty sure you'd kick my ass if I hurt him."

"Much better," Nathan said, walking back into the room. "We didn't hold you up, did we?"

"Not at all," Wes said with a genuine smile. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Sydney, I do hope you'll come back."

"I'd like that." She meant the words.

Nathan and Wes bowed to one another and said goodbye. Wes left the room, leaving Sydney and Nathan alone.

"So, what did you think?" Nathan asked.

Sydney smiled fully. "It was pretty amazing. That body of yours is capable of quite a bit, isn't it?" Her hand was on his chest, her heart rate increasing.

Nathan put one hand over hers, holding it steady against him. The other, he used to caress her face. The mood had changed instantly. His thoughts went to the music from earlier and he drew her closer to him without any effort on either of their parts. Without a word, he looked into her eyes and she could tell he was searching for something. He moved his face close to hers, his eyes never veering from her own; he took a moment to study their color, they were darker than his and made him think of rich chocolate. It wasn't until his lips made contact with hers that he closed them, Sydney doing the same. The kiss was unlike any they had shared…or Sydney had ever felt with anyone. Nathan moved so that his hands were now on Sydney's back, holding her in a new, almost protective way – all without breaking their kiss. She wasn't sure why, but the feel of his lips, the warmth of his body, and the way he was holding her had her on the verge of tears…the happy kind.

When they finally broke apart and breathed air that wasn't shared, Nathan looked…peaceful. He was certain he had just conveyed what he needed to. He took her hand and, a charming smile on his face bringing them back to reality, asked, "Sushi?"

Sydney blushed yet again that evening, her body feeling almost liquid. All she could muster was, "K."

***Christina Perri – The Lonely***