Sweet Sunrise

     Sweet Sunrise

       by, Seanna Marie









 Stopping on the rock, I needed to catch my breath. The soft wind picked up blowing my red hair around my face. Gazing at the pool of  crystal water, I smiled. Reaching out a hand, I watched silvery droplets form in my palm before bringing it to my lips for a drink. Sighing at the sweet taste I heard his deep velvety voice behind me as he laughed. "Save some for me little one. Else I go thirsty." 

 A soft smile plays at my lips. We'd begun hiking at first light this morning. Wanting to see the sunrise over the jagged peaks of the mountains. Sure we could've flashed up here to this beautiful place, but why? What would be the fun in that? Turning around to greet my beautiful mate who in this form was a six foot seven mountain of a man with hair the richest ebony, hanging to his shoulders with soft curls that framed his face making him look more angel than man. Which was indicative of the truth, because that's just what my Gavin was, an angel. And while he could have manifested water himself in an instant and true there was a small pool of it just before us, how would I learn to use my fae powers without practice. With a teasing grin, I held out my and we both watched as the droplets of water which were already present in the air pooled in my little palm. He puts his lips gently to my hand and drinks, a deep satisfied sigh coming from him after he was through. I giggle. "That good my love?" 

 I was rewarded with his beaming smile. I swear the likes of which could like up the darkest tomb. He reaches out and gently runs a hand down my cheek. "You're doing very well my faery." He said as he pointed. "Look." He points to the mountainside before us. "The sun rises." I turn and press my back to his chest, melting into him as he wraps strong arms around my body, holding me close as we watch the sun kiss the sky.

 Here in this place, all alone just the two of us. The things of the world seem to pass away. The feel of his arms around me coupled with the cool breeze blowing around us, causes my body to shiver ever so slightly. Something that does not go unnoticed by Gavin who looks down at me and smiles. "You're cold Ginny. We should go." Looking up at him I shake my head. "Not yet my love. I'm not really cold." I say as I turn in his arms and wrap my own around his lean waist. Raking a heated gaze over his clothed body, I bite my lip. "If you're too concerned over me being cold, why don't you warm me up?" I said with a wicked grin. In a heartbeat, we were laid on the soft grass, naked. 

 Bare to each other, not just in body, but mind and soul, I sighed. The cool breeze caressing my skin a mere breath before his hands trailed softly down my sides. As I look into the bluest eyes I ever want to see our lips meet. His hands trail back up my sides stopping to tease my breast. Arching my back, my body inflames instantly at his command. Needing to touch him more, I reach out running my hands softly down his back all the way to his rear. Squeezing lightly, I pull him to me and all at once we are one. As my body adjusts to take him in, a soft moan escapes me and we begin to move together, in unison, our bodies saying what mere words cannot express. Both bodies heating and tightening, coiling, screaming for release. In one white hot moment, seeing stars as the waves of pleasure he'd built in me begin to crash over and over. I cry out his name. A breath later he joins me in bliss, rocking slowly to wrench every last bit of pleasure out of us both, before collapsing beside me on the grass. 

 As our bodies cool and calm and we catch our breath my gaze searches the sky. The sun now well on it's way across. "Well, I'm no longer the least bit cold." I say with a giggle which gets a short laugh from Gavin. "That's good little one. Let's go home." He said an instantly before flashing fresh clothes onto us both and flashing us home.

The Dreamer Teaser

The Dreamer

Preface:

It wasn't until just now that I was absolutely sure I was being followed. Although I didn't dare look back to see who it was. I was sure it was a man, I could smell the scent of his cologne on the breeze. The night air chilled me to the bone. I pulled my jacket tighter around me and picked up the pace, hoping to round the corner knowing I could hide in the alley beyond this street. My breathing picked up it's pace.

“Come on Raine, keep it together, just a few more feet, and maybe, he won't find you.”

I thought all of this in my head, as I rounded the corner into the alley, then ducked quickly into the alcove and sucked in a quick ragged breath, so as to make as little noise as possible. I listened very carefully as the footsteps grew closer, dangerously close and stopped, just feet from where I stood. I could hear him breathing, my own lungs about to burst with the effort of holding it so long, I heard him take a step, was that a step in my direction? No, couldn't be. But there was no sense lying to myself, it certainly was. He was coming closer, I heard him sniffing, almost as though he were smelling something, my perfume? I was sure I hadn't put any on in my haste to leave the house this evening. All of a sudden my lungs could no longer bear the lack of oxygen and I sucked in a loud breath, and there he was, right in front of me. His face partially obscured in shadow. The only thing I could make out was those eyes. Those sickeningly frightening eyes. Pitch black at the edges with what appeared to be flames where any other trace of color should be. It was then that I screamed. I bolted upright in my bed and looked around at the familiar scene before me. My dresser, my own room, my mother running in with a wild look on her face.

"Raine! What is it?"

Seeing the sheens of sweat across my forehead she asks,

"Another dream huh?"

"Yeah, mom."

"Bad one I see."

"Very"

I shake my head to try to clear my head of the remnants of the nightmare.

she hugs me close to her.

"maybe this one wasn't real Raine, maybe it is just getting to you, maybe this time there is no-one to save, maybe..."

Chapter 1

It was then that I had to interrupt my mom. As well meaning as she was, I knew she was wrong.

"Mom, you and I both know it has never been that way. There is always someone, somewhere, some problem that needs to be solved. Some evil that must be overcome. Otherwise I wouldn't have been given these.... gifts."

Ever since I can remember I have had the dreams. Nightmares is a more accurate description. They come and go, and until recently that's all they were is dreams. But not long after my sixteenth birthday I started noticing some changes. Like a power growing inside me. I prayed about it. I didn't understand. This is something my pastor had never covered at Church and though I had spoken to him of the dreams he just dismissed it and said he would pray for me, though it never seemed to changed anything. Anyway, after my sixteenth birthday, this power and strength began to grow and I noticed I could do things. like push things with my mind and fire would come from my fingertips and the palms of my hands. So whenever these dreams would come, when they would actually happen in real life, whoever was in danger, or whatever the threat was, it was quickly obliterated. I had never needed any help. But I had also never seen a monster like what I saw in this dream. It was not like the usual fare, vampires, werewolves and the like. This was something much more sinister, something much more evil. I don't even know where to begin, demonic doesn't even begin to cover what I felt in this dream. It was much more. I was going to need help, but who, what, even my preacher, didn't know how to help me with just the normal dreams. Who could I turn to?

My mom just sat there quietly while I pondered all of this in my head, as she was used to my quiet moments after my dreams. She knew I would need a few moments to think it over and decide what the best course of action would be. When the dazed look was gone from my face she asked me the obvious questions.

"How bad is it?"

"Bad, mom"

I've always been honest with my mom about my gifts, and the danger involved and she has always been very accepting knowing God has blessed me and accepting that nothing would happen that God hadn't set ahead of time, and that he would help me and keep me safe.

"Well, do you have any idea of what and when?"

"No, nothing yet, Just an image of the, well I don't really know what he is. Just that I have never seen anything like him before, and I know that I am going to need help. But I don't know who or what form that help is supposed to come in. I have never met anyone else like me mom. I am not sure what to do about this but to wait, pray, and see where it leads."

"Ok Raine, You know best, with your gifts and your abilities, I won't question your judgment on this as long as you remain guided down the right path, just go with your heart and don't rely just on yourself."

"Never mom, I know better. I have to get ready for school now. I don't want to be late. Has dad left for work yet?"

"Yes, about a half hour ago. I need to get your brother up. He should've been up ten minutes ago."

"Ok, Thanks mom. You know, you're the best, I don't know that any other mom could be so calm and understanding about all this."

"Raine, this is your lot in life, and if you're strong enough to do what God has set out for you to do, then I am strong enough to be there for you."

While mom set out to get Xander up for school, I headed to the shower to start my day. While I got ready, I thought more about my dream, remembering those eyes and the way they seemed to be on fire, blazing away with fiery flames like the very pits of Hell itself. And I wondered, what kind of evil could he possibly be?

Proofs I've done

Rachel Stone and the Statue by CC Joie
Numerous Bella Morte Shorts
Media Relations by C A Hargreaves
Whips, Wings and Bloody Things by C A Hargreaves
Paranormal Door Monthly Oct/Nov 2012 edition by PDP Authors
A Lesson Learned by C. C. Joie
Hot in Here by C A Hargreaves
Punishers Heat  by C A Hargreaves
Naughty by Blythe Cooper

Training Day

As Jori took his hand in hers, understanding the trust he had to offer his hand knowing she required nothing of him and she never would only his loyalty and at least his friendship. As she looked up at him trusting him too, she was glad to have trusted him thus far and was so thankful to the ancient powers that be for allowing her to see as she had that night in the bar, while giving her the wisdom to keep what she saw to herself. As she glanced around, she realized that suddenly they were in a field. “Looks like we're here?” she said softly.

Smiling as they appeared at the place he'd normally come to just to escape the never ending pushing and shoving of the humans in the city. “Of course we are. This is one of my personal escapes. Still in the human realm, but that's it. Away from everything.” he said releasing her hands before bringing aiming posts a few paces away into view. “For now, we'll use this a practice range so you can get use to your powers and the same with me. Since I still have to figure that out.”

She nodded, taking a step back from him and looking at the aiming posts. “So what are we practicing now?” She glanced around, she knew it wouldn't be guns, they hadn't brought them, not that it mattered but neither of them really needed to practice that.

Grinning at her at her question he slowly raised his left hand as energy slowly started to manifest in the palm of his hand as he started to explain. “I brought you here mostly so we could get used to our powers, and so you could learn to fight more like I do. That way you won't always have to rely on human weapons if you find yourself fighting demons instead of humans. Guns help but they dont really get the job done with us." He said releasing the little ball of fire at the target that he had his hand pointed at. Of course it hit near the center of the target leaving a scorch mark but otherwise it was undamaged. It was then that he noticed something that he hadn't commanded his body to do. His body was changing, rather quickly from what he could tell into something softer then what he was used to. He watched as his hands turned into girlish hands with longer nails, the hair that he normally kept short but long in front was now long all around, and when he looked down, oh gawd. He looked up quickly at Jori. He had her breasts. And when he really looked at his hands they were the size of hers, and he no longer was looking down at her, but eye level with her. He was wide eyed for a good minute before he did anything else. Staring at the real Jori while he was turned into her unwillingly. Clearing his throat, he spoke "Well... this is not what I expected to happen..." his voice was definitely female and not his own but hers. "Uhh.. I didn't do this..." raising both hands into the air thinking she might start freaking out that he'd taken her form by choice.

Jori had been listening intently to Yoichi explain about guns not really being choice against demons when suddenly something strange started to happen. He was changing somehow. While she knew Yoichi could take any form, this was not his normal choice. Especially when it looked right now as though she were looking into a mirror, Jori took a step back not sure what to say. A confused giggle erupted from her mouth as she gazed at him. "Yoichi?" she began walking around him taking in the sight of him as her! "Oh my!" she exclaimed as she reached out to touch him. "Is that what I look like?" At that she had to bite her lip to stop the laughter that threatened to bubble over. She knew Yoichi would not want to be in the body of a girl. "We can fix this..." bites harder onto her lip "... I think." She said as another small giggle escapes her.

He simply stares at her for a full minute gauging how she was reacting to the sudden change that had happened on its own. He was still in the clothing that he'd put on, exposing half of one breast to her which for some reason he felt embarrassed about. Quickly he buttoned up the shirt haphazardly. "Uhh. I'm not sure what just happened." he said, looking at his own body before looking up at her again. Surely she must of found this odd. "But yes... Its me... I have no idea what's going on but I can't change back... Its like being locked in a sealed room...." he stated, not being able to change was kind of freaking him out but he had the keen feeling that it might wear off, eventually.. "anyways.. Umm" why couldn't he stop looking at her... Himself, he didn't even want to remove his pants to see if it was a complete change or not, but he had a feeling it most likely was one, sadly enough.

When he said he couldn't change back, her face took on a very worried expression. "Not at all?" she said softly, all traces of humor had left her. How horrible for a man, especially one such as he, to be trapped suddenly in the body of a female. She watched as he just kept staring at himself in her body, which actually made her blush. "Yoichi." she said simply "Can you look at me so we can work this out?" suddenly realizing he WAS technically looking at "her" she frowned. "Ermm this me." walks over to him and lifts his chin to meet her eyes. "I know this is confusing, but we can fix this." tries drawing on the ancient power to try to help but nothing happens to him. "That's interesting." She looked about helplessly as she tried to think of how in creation this could have happened.

Did he whisper what he said about not being able to change? "not at all.." he looked from his... Well her breast back up into her eyes as she told him to stare at her, not him as her. "You know there might be a simple solution..." he could sense that she was trying to use her powers almost instantly, it must of been that power that held him captive or his own. "well... I do know we shared a lot of genetic material in the last few hours. This might just be well a reset of sorts... Maybe..." He said trying to think of the only thing that made sense to him. Putting both hands on her shoulders he looked her in the eyes.. With the same eyes she had. "lets.. Just pretend this isn't happening for now and it might go away." How very childish to say something like that, and he didn't even know where it was coming from.

Jori sighs softly and thinks how hard it was to be having a crush on someone who is now your clone. But she doesn't say that. "I didn't do this did I?" frowns hoping that she somehow hadn't done this to him but wondered if the ancient power had, like maybe to show him things from her perspective or some weirdness like that, maybe so he'd see she really could be trusted but then again wouldn't he also see her vulnerabilities, this would make him the one and only person in the universe who knew her almost as well as she knew herself.

He shook his head, causing the hair that wasn't bounded back to move in front of his face. Brushing the hair away, something he wasnt used to doing."I honestly don't think so. When I change I normally need to have some sort of genetics to go off of... Oh..." he paused wide eyed at what had happened. He had her genetics all over him a few minutes before. And using his powers might of caused the change but didn't explain why he couldn't change back. "Maybe its the powers you transferred to me. You were saying sometime ago that it had its own will or something like that." Now he understood it might be to just to teach him more about her, having him stuck like this. "well since I'm not sure of what your able to do. Maybe we should switch the teachings around? Most of my powers is just using your will and mind to do things. You're the only one that knows how to use yours." He said with a slight smile trying to make the best of this, before his eyes slipped down to her chest again and drifted back up. Damn he was still thinking as a man. And for some reason whenever he thought of himself, being a selfish creature by nature was unnerving. There were feelings he had no idea existed. He blurted out loud. "You really do care about what happens to me, in more way then one.... Don't you?"

Jori was listening patiently to him as he had been trying to figure out what had happened, it was really unnerving her to try and decipher what was spoken out loud and what was only his thoughts when suddenly she heard her own voice say, and very much out loud something she had been feeling for a little while now. Her face flushed a very deep red and she looked at him and stammered. "Um I uh..well..." bites her lip. "Oh my God..." she didn't know what to say to him suddenly seeming to know some of her feelings. How much would he learn? She thought to herself. "Yes." finally, one word, one syllable but no way and no sense in trying to explain, he would soon likely learn more about her than possibly even she knew seeing as the ancient power seemed to be controlling this little excursion into her for him. Her expression changed to show how vulnerable she was at the moment and how worried she was of what he'd think of learning this and other things about her.

He paused for a minute, looked to her, and back away from her with a blush of his/her own? Why was he embarrassed about having said something about it? Taking a deep breath he wrapped both of his arms around his stomach. "Well... Umm I'll just ask questions later, how about... you teach me a little?" He asked bashfully, why was he acting embarrassed about admitting her feelings?

Reorganizing her thoughts, she went about trying to describe the ancient power to him. "So my deep dark secret is, that behind the ancient power and the tigress, I am powerless." looks into his err well her own face and hopes she did the right thing by telling him. "When I need or want it I call out to the power and it surrounds me and lends to me the ability to mask myself from the view of others and to do things like help you to re-energize or rearranging the office. It is entrusted to my care. And now to yours. Can you try it?" lifts his face which now mirrored her own and looks into eyes, which were also her own gazing past herself and looking through to him. "I believe in you and I trust you Yoichi, I have told you the truth about me which no-one knows, can you use it?" smiles softly at him, letting him see her trust and loyalty shine through, hoping that as he learned about her and her deepest thoughts, feelings and fears that he didn't hate, despise or hurt her.

As Jori lifted his face, her face to look at her, he couldn't help but smile, just a little bit. Taking in everything she was saying about herself that he wouldn't of guessed or been able to guess with the way she acted in the office, especially around him. Nodding and lightly hitting his bottom lip he tried to call forth on her powers, not demanding in anyway, just asking for its assistance like she'd described to him. Slowly he felt a different power coming forth, not his own. The majority of it focused in his palms. "uhhh I don't know what to do." he said lightly placing his hand onto her arms, trying his best to mimic the way she'd help him replace the energy he used to fight. "like this?" he asked nervous about what he was doing as energy slowly poured from his hands and into her.

Already being saturated with the ancient power, what he was putting into her was overflowing and it radiated from her as a great light, her skin glowing with the ancient power which covered and guarded her. She smiled softly at him. "You're doing it, and you're doing it just right. Believe me, I would know if it was wrong. You're requesting it, not demanding. See if you demand it or misuse it, it causes an anger to surge through the power that isn't protective or comforting or at all helpful. It's dangerous to the user and those around him or her." calling to them herself she thought to try and do the same as he was pouring back into him the goodness and light that was radiating in her. She watched him carefully. "How do you feel?"

As he kept his hands on her all he really could think about was giving her more kisses, but thought better of it. As she started to do the same thing to him. "This is amazing!"

Jori nodded as a multicolored light glowed and rose from their joined hands rising up over their heads creating a similar light show to what they'd seen earlier in her office. Looking up into the swirling colors she saw an image of dragon and a white tiger they appeared to move slowly around each other, regarding each other not as foes, but as friends when all at once they joined, the dragon surrounding the tiger. She dropped her gaze back to the face that was a mirror image of her own. "Yoichi do you see that?"

Watching the colors fly above them and between them his eyes grew wider, watching as the shapes of a dragon, and tiger appeared in the lighting. It was the same marking he'd made appear on his arm when he placed clothing on himself. "Yes, I did... It looks like our powers... are ... I don't know what to say to this." He said looking simply amazed as the lighting slowly faded as he pulled his hands away from hers. While he calculated what he was going to say. "I think it has to be that some gods don't want us to seperate... Possibly ever... Which is strange... since gods are jealous by nature and jealous of just about everything even though they don't show it."

As the light show vanished Jori looked over at Yoichi and into her own face which he was for some unforeseeable amount of time wearing. While it was odd, for some reason she didn't mind, even though it seemed he was to learn something about her which the ancient power had deemed he needed to know, why was it though that she still wore her own body, was there nothing she needed to learn? Or was it that she needed to learn it through Yoichi? Jori strongly suspected given the owners of the ancient power that it was the latter. Then a new thought caught her attention and she arched a brow at Yoichi, daring to speak aloud, she might as well, it seemed they were to learn and share everything now, as he was wearing her skin and knowing her emotions and again it seemed now that she could suddenly read at least his thoughts, at the current point in time whether she wanted to or not. While her mind rambled at warp speed Jori arched one black brow. "Ever?" A confused grin crossed her features. "What in the world would that mean? And for two how do you turn this particular thing off?" she said as she pointed to her head and her mind that was chock full and overflowing.

"For the most part, but you know, a jealous greek god and a deadly one." He said as his thoughts continued about what he was going to do with her if they indeed had to stick together for the rest of their unnatural life spans. Of course they could simply go about doing what they were doing. But then again after words there would be nothing else to do after a hundred years assuming the people that wronged her were humans. Course there were just them, naked, they way she'd kissed him while they'd shared each other was burnt into his mind. He stopped for a moment in wonder as she said something else before pointing to her head. "Oh, Uhh.. well I guess I never really thought you'd get that one... It's good for one on one encounters with people not so good with a lot of people around.... But there's no off switch. I just ignore everyones thoughts but my own most of the time." He said with a shrug, he had a vague feeling that she just heard everything he'd been going over.

As Jori was listening to his words, or what she had at first thought were words, she suddenly realized again that only part of it was in fact spoken out loud and as she did her cheeks reddened as his whole thought process went on, then when she saw that he'd realized that she probably had heard his mental ramblings, she looked up sharply, dark eyes wide and wondering. "Just ignore all that huh?" Then thinks to herself how she didn't think she'd really want to ignore any of it and how for a guy he sure thought alot. Keeping her soft laugh to herself, she thought about what else she could teach him. She pretty much taught him how to use anything he got from her with just one shot. Only he still looked just like her, except for the scantily clad look he had going on at the moment. "You want to try to put some clothes on that fit?" she asked gently, considering he kept glancing down at what was technically her exposed breast.

He sighed, what was he going to do if he couldn't get out of her body in time? Surely he wasn't going to stay like this forever. Right? "Umm right I guess I could put on something more fitting...." He said glancing one last time at his/her breasts. Forcing his powers in he managed to slip on a tight fitting short cut white shirt, but somehow managed to forget the those blasted things that fit over breasts. And a pair of blue jean shorts that hugged his rear.* "Better? I think its not bad considering what I could of put on." he said with a smile, as he thought of the utterly exposing things he'd seen back in Japan before he'd fled. And just for the fun of it, pulled a complete image into his mind to give Jori an idea of what he could of put on. "If you don't learn quickly I'll be more of a distraction then what you think I am already." He said with a quick wink and a soft smile why did her smiles feel softer then his own?

Jori watched the gradual change of clothes and grinned at his choice, it was a good choice. Then as the image popped into her mind of what he could've put on, her eyes went wide. "That's cute, but this isn't the beach." She winked and grinned at him. "You're doing great. Now what do I need to learn? And you're so keeping that outfit for me after you're done with it." she said with a grin.

He thought for a moment, going over what else she may want to learn since the targets were still up and not smoking anymore he thought it was better to start there. "Okay, well you can have this once I'm done being you for who knows how long. But I think you should learn to shoot without using a gun." He said pointing to the targets. "You remember what I told you about it right? Just will it to happen and you should feel a charge before the discharge." Of course, the point of his finger wasn't doing anything just pointing to the targets. "Hit the center one first try and we'll call it good and we can go back to the office."

Jori listened to his words and nods, putting her hand out so no one got hit by accident and she thought about fire shooting from her hand into the center target, at first nothing happened, then suddenly a blast of fire seemed to shoot down her arm and out of the palm of her hand blasting the center target apart. Shocked she took a couple steps back and looked at Yoichi. "Oh God. Did I do it right?"

watching her stand there with her hand up, he crossed his arms just under his breasts, trying to keep his stomach warm for some reason. Just as he thought nothing was going to happen, the shockwave of the fire ball she'd shot at the target, blew his hair back in a flurry rush. Clapping his hands together in a slow but appeasing manner. "Very good, very good. A little too much but if that'd been a demon it wouldn't of lived for a second." he said with a smile as he walked over to her. "Now the hard part, you get to take us back to the office. You know the physical building well enough that it should be easy." he said slowly taking her hand into his own and laced fingers with her. "Up up and away." he said jokingly.

letting out a relieved breath at his approval Jori grins, as she listens to her next task she nods. As he laces his fingers with her own, her heart skips a beat. "To the office, alright I think I can do this." She said breathlessly as she closed her eyes picturing Bella Morte Inc in her mind and that she needed to be there now.

An Interesting Idea (A Bella Morte Tale)

An interesting idea

Yoichi yawned, pulling the covers off of him as

he sat up on the bed, and placed his feet down on

the heated tile flooring. Standing he slowly

made his way over to his master bathroom, with

a step in waterfall shower that turned on

automatically once he was under it. Being

blasted with water on all sides, he washed

himself quickly before rinsing off and stepping

out and into the a giant warm air blower that

dried him in less then two minutes. Flashing

clothing on, he slowly made his way down one

of the many hallways, content with what he had

even if it was too much for just one person to be

living in such a large house. Finally he made it

to the living area, sitting down in an arm chair,

he turned on the tv slipped it to the news and

watched as they went on about the weather for

the day and what’s been happening in the city.

Jori walked down the hallways of the Bella Morte

Inc. Offices and up to Yoichi’s office door

knocking on it. She already knew though, it

was empty. In fact she didn’t feel his presence

anywhere in the building. A slight worried

frown creased her face and suddenly an image

went through her mind and the next moment

she was outside his house. Looking up at the

massive front door, thankful she landed on the

front porch as no-one really liked people to just

appear before them. Like the last time, but her

focus had been off. Now she was learning, and

was landing in better places. Reaching up she

pressed the doorbell and waited a moment. “I’ve

really got to get the hang of this.” She mumbled

softly.

“I really hope that’s not some religious folk

again trying to talk to me about Jesus. I met the

man… He’s not all that great…” He mumbled to

himself as he pushed himself out of the arm

chair and walked towards the front door on the

other side of the room. Opening the door, “Im

not…” He paused seeing that it wasn’t a bunch

of religious people standing in front of his door

but Jori, instead. “Sorry thought you were some

missionaries wanting to talk to me about Jesus.”

he said rolling his eyes before stepping off to the

side, “Come on in. Got plenty of room in here for

two.” he said with a yawn as he rubbed his free

hand across his eyes to rub the sleep away.

Jori smiled, then gives him a confused look. “I

don’t think I’m qualified to preach to anyone.”

Laughs softly and steps inside. “Are you

alright? I thought you usually slept in the

office?”

He shrugged, before closing the door behind her

“Yeah normally I do. Just needed to step out for a

day. Tired of looking at the same walls every

morning and having limited space in my

bathroom.” He said, before realizing he had

actually made her worry that something was

wrong with him. “But nothings wrong. Just

thought since I have a house I might as well use

it every once in a while right? So do you want

the grand tour?” He asked turning the tv off

with his powers, cutting the news reporter off

mid-sentence.

Jori nodded, looking around. It was much like

hers. Lush, welcoming. But his wasn’t girlie in

any way. And she hadn’t seen her house but a

handful of times in the past several months. In

fact it was getting near to time to check in, let

her butler know she lived and remind her dog

who she was. “Sure. If you like. It’s beautiful in

here. I like useful and straightforward myself

as well.”

“Alright just follow me and try not to get lost I

guess.” He said with as he started toward the

dining room, that he never really used. “Dining

room, never use it. Just thought it’d make me

look more normal so the cleaners would be like,

what in the world is he.” He said gesturing to

the short cut japanese styled table.

She nodded, completely understanding that. “I

know what you mean. With only me and a dog,

I never use most of my rooms either. I think

three are all I use. Out of well over twenty.” She

spoke softly in the great space as she followed

along behind him.

“I dont even have a dog. Or any pet really..” He

said as he continued forward onto the kitchen,

which was right next to the dining room.

“Kitchen, for obvious reason it’s here. But then

again it’s nice to cook something.” He said

walking over to the refrigrater and pulled out a

beer. “Do you want something to drink?”

She shook her head. “I’m good. I’ve just had some

water at the office.” Not mentioning the huge

hunk of skittles cake she had right before, she

grinned.

He smirked as he cracked open the bottle and

started walking again, leaving the bottle top on

the counter to give his cleaners something to

clean up at the very least. “Alright.. So I think

you might think this is a little much for a

guest bathroom.” He said opening a door and

stepping into the downstairs bathroom.

Jori grinned. It was amazing. Especially to

never be used. But too much. No. They needed

their creature comforts with the lives they lived.

“I don’t think it’s too much, no. I mean given

what we do, we’d like to see something beautiful

on the occasion we do go home. At least that was

my thoughts when I decorated my place.”

He smiled, he didn’t know why he was, but, he

was happy to see that she seemed to be enjoying

the place that he lived in. “Well I think I might

of used it once on accident. No wait… My

bathroom was being worked on at the time. So I

was forced to use this one.” he said before he

made his way back out of the bathroom and

headed towards the back yard.

“Your bathroom must be better than the Taj

Mahal’s to have to be forced to use this one.” She

laughed softly teasing him. Following him to

the yard. “I bet you’re glad to be home for a

change then”

He smiled, he wanted to show her his bathroom

and bedroom but that could wait. First he

wanted to show her the back yard that had all

the privacy in the world. “Well heres the back

yard.” He said opening french glass doors to the

back yard to step out on a deck that over looked

the garden and pools. “What do you think? Not

too girly right?”

Jori’s eyes widened, It was awesome. All outdoors

but no-one able to watch you in your bikini over

the fence. She laughed softly at that thought,

remembering. “Very nice. At least you don’t

have to threaten to poke anyone’s eyes out, out

here. They can’t be nosey.” Laughs still

remembering her neighbor.

He smiled at that, he never really met his

neighbors well the closest one was a about a mile

away. “Well that’s one thing. I think the closest

person is about a mile from the front door.” He

said with a grin, stripping off his shirt and

dropped his pants to leave him in just a pair of

boxers before getting up on the railing and

looking at her. “I can show you the rest of the

house later. No big rush right?” he said with a

toothy grin before jumping into the pool and

resurfacing with hair all over his face that he

brushed back. “Come on in, the waters warm.”

She nodded in agreement. Then laughed softly

as she watched him jump off the railing into the

pool. Looking down at her black miniskirt, she

shrugged replacing it with a black and white

zebra striped two piece. She walked down and

jumped in, laughing. “It is warm, nice.”

He couldn’t agree more, it was nice to be out of

the office for a change. “So I heard something

about a skittles cake? What’s that all about?” He

asked as he floated closer to her letting his head

bob just above the surface before gently hitting

the side of her arm. “Some sort of celebration?”

She grinned. “Yes, It’s Maschera’s birthday. I

got her a cake.” Smirks “It was really good. We

saved some for you and Lexi when you got

there.”

He tilted his head to the side as he stood up not

understanding what that meant, “Birthday?”

He asked shortly not understanding what she

was talking about, he knew people celebrated

them a day once a year when they got older but

he didn’t know what it was called. “What do you

do on a birthday?”

“Well,” She started, thinking. “Generally we

give people gifts and cake and they turn a year

older. It’s a pretty happy occasion til they get to

higher numbers”

He frowned even more, sounds like something

he wouldn’t be taking part in, considering how

old he was. “Okay so we’re not going to celebrate

mine then. I’m ancient.” He said with a bit of

humor behind the last bit.

Laughs softly. “That’s only if you’re unhappy

with your age. And you demon boy, look d@mn

good for ancient.” Laughs and splashes him.

He couldn’t help but laugh, something about

her made him more, alive. “Well would you want

to celebrate your 989th birthday then? Because

if you don’t let me know.” He said as water

splashed onto his face causing the hair to fall

back down in front of his eyes. Rubbing the

water away, he splashed her back. “But thank

you, Im pretty sure you wouldn’t want me to

look like an old guy. Now would you?”

Jori arched a brow as she was hit in the face

lightly with a splash of water. “I fear you’d look

good whatever skin you’re in.” As she spoke she

moved over to him and brushed the hair out of

his face before simply splashing him again and

laughing softly. Just loving being near him.

As she touched him, even if it was to brush away

the loose hair he couldn’t help but smile, until

she splashed him again. Frowning a little, he

grabbed her, before flashing them into his room,

completely dry. “Here’s my room. Theres like… I

think thirty others but Im not going to show

you all of them. Just the one that’s important.”

He said giving her a light kiss on the cheek

before stepping back before his body decided it

wanted more than just a hug from her.

She laughed softly and looked around gasping

slightly at their sudden change of place. “I can

see why you like it. It’s private, and has

everything you need, and it’s convenient.” Jori

ignored the heat that still radiated in her arms

from his touch. And just looked around the

room.

He smiled at that, of course everything about

his place was private. He didn’t want

unwelcomed guests coming in without him

knowing it. “That it is, you should see the

bathroom.” He said opening the door to the

bathroom with the walk through shower. “What

do you think of this?”

Jori smiled. “That’s really impressive. Very nice.

You’ve got a nice setup here Yoichi.” She glanced

around appreciatively. “You have good taste.”

He followed her into the bathroom, in it’s

massive size that seemed to fill maybe one side

of the house, well more like two of the bedrooms

that had been next to his. But still. “So, do you

like it here?” he asked slightly quietly as he

leaned against the counter with the double

sinks.

Jori was gazing out the window, when she heard

him talking, she turned and smiled. “It’s really

beautiful here, and quiet.” She looked back out

the window at the view. Which she could see

through the shower and smiled softly. “It’s

amazing. No wonder you like it so much.”

He smiled at that, happy that she liked it here

just as much as he did. “What would you say, if

I were to offer to you…” he stopped slightly

embarressed about asking her this question,

“Would you like to move in, maybe?” he asked

slightly hesitant.

His words jolted her back to attention and she

looked up at him. He looked so cute, standing

there like that. “Me? You want me here with

you?” She smiled, but asked the question.

“What for?” Her feelings for him aside, she

would definitely do this if it’s what he really

wanted. She really cared for him, and the

thought of being near him all the time, well it

made her happy.

He looked into her eyes, he was tired of being

alone most of the time, “Well… Im alone, all the

time, except when I’m at the office. You’re there…

And I enjoy it, but I would like if we could also

spend more time outside of work with each

other…” He said, he was already slightly

twitching from just asking her his question.

Given he was so unsure of what her answer

would be, “You can bring your dog… As long as

he doesn’t ruin the garden.”

Walks across the tile, and stands in front of

him. “If you really want to keep me around, I

will. I really don’t like my house much anymore

anyway. And my dog, she has better manners

than that. My butler, he has taught her

everything she knows. He would have to stay

with her. Is that alright? I barely even know he’s

there when I am home.” Looks into his face to

gauge his reaction to her words.

He thought about what she said for less then a

minute, “I don’t mind if your butler comes

along with your dog.” He said looking at her

with so much, emotion, and passion in his eyes.

How could he not want her around? “Trust me, I

may get bored of humans, but I don’t think I’ll

ever get bored of you.” He said thinking that

was more of a compliment to her than he could

think of, “So you’re fine with moving in then?

You can have your own rooms or what ever you

need. Not like I don’t have a room already. And

if you want to remodel. Just say something.” He

said with a crooked smile.

Jori smiled. “Where do you want me to be here?

That’s where I’ll go. If you want me in my own

room, in my own room I will be, if you want me

with you, I’m with you.” She put it simply and

quickly before she lost her nerve to say her

feelings on it, and smiled nervously, her cheeks

flushing slightly.

He thought about it for a minute, before

realizing what he’d just said, “Uuhh I mean like

for your things.. If you want.. That is.. You can

stay in here with me. Well not in here, but we

could share my room.” He said stumbling over

his own words like a nervous child for some

reason. “It’d be nice to have company for a

change.”

Jori looked up at him and smiled. “Ok.” She

said simply. “I am tired of being alone too,

and….” She looked back toward the window to

hide the flush in her cheeks. “I’m kinda hooked

on you Yoichi.”

He couldn’t help but smile as she said

everything was okay, he was enthused that she

was going to be moving in with him, sure they

had enough money between them to own a small

country if they wanted to, but he didn’t like

ruling over people like the gods. Sure he was

selfish but not that much. “I’m hooked onto you

as well, Jori.” he said turning around to face the

mirror, seeing that she was facing the window

that looked into the back yard.

Turning back to him, she couldn’t help it. She

wrapped her hands around his waist, and

hugged him. Watching his face in the mirror,

since she was behind him. “I guess it’s good we’

re in the same boat then.”

He smiled as he felt her hug him, he couldn’t

believe that he just asked her to move in. “Yes

we’re in the same boat. Lucky us though it’s a

pretty big one.” he said with a grin as he turned

around and hugged her back.

Jori smiled, it just felt right to hold him like

this. Granted it was just a hug, but it just felt

right. “Yes, lucky us. And I’m so glad.”

If she was going to move in with Yoichi, she

really needed to be able to talk with her butler,

and explain everything. Let the poor guy know

that he was coming too, and that he would still

be caring for Jori’s dog and plants. He’s always

been really attached to Jori since her change.

Though she’d employed him for a while before

that. And he’d helped her bring her dog up to be

well mannered and kept her well groomed. In

fact, as little as Jori ever went home she was

amazed, that her dog Geisha even knew she was

her mistress. Yet, every time Jori set foot in her

door, Geisha greeted her, quite literally by

bowing. It was the cutest thing ever and showed

the invaluableness of Gunnar, her butler. So in

the interest of the poor mans sanity, she knew a

little conversation was in order. She didn’t have

a whole lot she wanted to bring with her, clothes,

boots, plants and people mostly so she would go

over and pack up with Gunnar’s help and get

this done. She was actually more than happy to

leave her home. The halls and rooms just

stifling her with memories. She was happy now,

there was no need in living in a miserable place

while trying to light it up as much as possible.

She looked over to Yoichi. “You sure you want to

do this right now? I’ll go get things packed up

and brought over now if you want, but it’s up to

you.” She wanted this, it was him, Yoichi who

seemed to have brought some semblance of life

back into her being. This just seemed natural,

especially when he himself felt like home to her.

Nodding as he walked in step behind her to the

front door and made sure it was locked before

they left to get a few of her things. “I honestly

don’t mind. I’ll tag along… Got to meet the dog

that’s going to be living here while we’re away

right?” He said, taking her hand into his. It’d

been a very long time since he’d been happy.

Well happy happy, not murder happy. He knew

what it was like, but he still wished there was a

way to fix the problems of life that seemed to

trickle in on them. “Ready to move home?”

Feeling his larger hand grasp her own, she

sighed softly and nodded, pleased with her

decision. She felt safe and comfortable, and yes

very happy. She’d actually forgotten what that

felt like, then he’d shown her. And everytime

she saw him smile, her heart did flips. “I am. Are

you ready to meet Geisha and Gunnar?” She

chuckled softly at what she thought of as her

dynamic duo.

“Sure thing.” He said ready for her to flash

them to her place at any minute so they could

get the ball rolling. He was glad he’d asked her

to move in with him. Sure he had less privacy

with another person around, but he could trust

her. He could be himself around her and not feel

like she was going to use any of it to black mail

him or try to cause him harm. His hearts raced

every time he saw her and he didn’t know how to

explain it.

“Oh yeah, when we get there just hold still for a

moment and let her do her thing.” She told him,

smiling, knowing he’d understand in a few

seconds, then holds tightly to his hand and

pictures her own house, her butler and dog, and

suddenly they are there. She waited patiently as

Geisha bowed low over her front paws in greeting

and Jori crouched down to hold her hand out,

rising Geisha shook it with her paw. Jori laughed

softly and rose as Geisha went to stand beside

Gunnar who had come over to hug her. “Hello

you two.” She smiled as she had known Geisha

would show proper manners in front of Yoichi,

she didn’t even try to sniff around him or

anything, she sat next to the butler waiting for

an introduction. “Guys this is Yoichi. Please

make him welcome.” She watched as Geisha

repeated her actions with Jori on instinct, as she

was prone to do. Jori arched a brow. Waiting as

the two men made their acquaintance.

He raised an eye brow as they appeared inside

her house, next to what appeared to be a bowing

dog, how strange it was to see a dog bow, then

shack hands, then walk away and do the same

towards him. But he could already tell the dog

didn’t like him, just by the way she was staring

at him. “Hey don’t give me that look, Geisha.” he

said looking at the dog with a raised eye brow,

she barked, “Yeah I know Im not.” He said before

looking at Gunnar and politely greeted him.

“Sorry about that. I just happen to speak dog.

She doesn’t like how I smell.” He said looking

back at Jori. “So you gonna tell them the news?

Because she’s annoyed with me right now.” He

said pointing at Geisha.

Jori arched a brow of her own, looking from

Yoichi to her dog, then back to Yoichi. “What is

it exactly that you’re not?” She grinned softly

then looked over to Gunnar. “We’re moving. All

three of us are going to live with Yoichi. I know

it’s sudden, but honestly it’s what I want too.

Can you please get the essentials together

Gunnar?” Gunnar gave her a knowing look

before coming and nodding and kissing her

cheek. “Very good miss Jori. I thought it was way

too sad around here anyway.” He turns and

looks at her once more. “He doesn’t mind Geisha

and I coming as well?” Jori shook her head and

smiled. “No Gunnar, there’s a place for you two

there too.” Watches as he happily turns to gather

what they needed. Jori sent him a wave of power

to help him. “I’ll be along to help you in a

moment Gunnar.” She called out, before

turning and looking up at Yoichi to hear his

answer to her question.

He smiled, at her how couldn’t he help but smile

at her just from looking at her, it was defiantly

going to make this next job slightly hard just to

stayed focus. “Oh, she can tell Im not human.

And doesn’t like my scent is all.” Geisha barked

again, “Yes you can have your own room. But

I’d like it if you didn’t ruin my garden by

digging holes all over the place.” He said without

even looking over to the dog, “Do you need help

packing or anything? Or will I have to keep

company with Geisha, Lady of Doom.. That’s

what she really wants her surname to be.” he

said before he looked over at Geisha with a grin,

then back to Jori. “So you need some of your

things right? Lead the way miss.”

Jori nodded, and took his hand, which was

beginning to just feel natural to her and walked

to her bedroom. “This is where I don’t sleep.” She

said with a grin. Making light of the why’s of

her practically living at Bella Morte Inc. “I

think just my clothes and jewelry, boots and a

few things from the bathroom.”She thought

about it a moment and then there were a few

boxes on the floor. She began putting her clothes

in them. Then steps into her closet and begins

shoving a huge safe out which was full of

weapons. “And this. This is the extra security.”

She grunted out as she shoved the safe out of the

back of the closet.

He followed her up, hand in hand up to her old

bedroom. He took a seat on the bed before

standing up quickly and walked over to the

closet and pulled the safe out with a easy that

just oozed how stronge he really was. “SO you

want to bring a safe? To a place that has no

weapons, but a demon dwelling within it?” He

said with a light laugh, “Don’t blame you there.”

He said pulling the safe out to the center of the

bedroom.

She smiled and opened the safe to reveal some

weapons that would make anyone drool, then

had a second thought. Suddenly the safe

vanished. She looked at him. “Do I honestly need

a cache of weapons at home?” Grinning she went

back into the closet and went through her

hangers, pulling them off the rack and placing

them in the boxes. Then headed to her drawers

emptying them inside as well, a slight blush on

her cheeks as she passed by with armload of

lacey underthings, before going quickly back

and finishing. She looked around the room.

“The rest can stay.” Walks over to him. “See

anything else I might need to bring?”

He stood there, slightly dumbfounded as she

made the safe vanish, he’d just pulled it out for

her, only for her to make it go away? He sighed,

then just stood there, watching her pack up her

things. When she walked by with the lacy

underwear he couldn’t help but picture her in

them right that moment, of course they were

different colors but he was able to without a

problem figuring he liked the reds and blacks a

little better then the rest. “Not that I can think

of, of course you don’t have to sell your home, so

if you want to keep some things here that’s fine

by me. Like if you want to get away and have

your own space.” He said, with a slight grin, his

mind still running a muck with the lacy.

Jori chuckled softly, she’d seen his face when the

safe had disappeared. “The safe it at the Bella

Morte offices, where we keep the weapons. I think

that those weapons will be more needed there.”

She smiled up at him. “Thank you for helping

me get it out here where I could do something

with it.” She loved watching him move and

when he’d moved that safe so easily, it had been

all she could do to keep focused and not get

distracted by the beautiful way his muscles

rippled under his shirt. Leaning up, she kissed

his cheek. “I Don’t know yet what I want to do

with this place.” Looks up as Gunnar enters with

Geisha right on his trail. “Miss Jori, we are done

with our tasks. Everything is ready to move.”

Gunnar glances up at Yoichi after looking to

Jori. “What now?” He asked them both.

He simply smiled as she kissed his cheek, it

seemed so long since they’d last shared a kissed

that her lips seemed to have left a burning mark

on his skin as she pulled away. “Well you don’t

have to worry about, you can decide later on

that.” He said flashing her things into his bed

room in his mansion right before Gunnar and

Geisha entered the room. “Well then we’ll head

over to the place then.” He said focusing his

powers on everything that he’d packed for

himself and Geisha he flashed half of the stuff

into the living room, and the rest of it into a

shape bedroom that was almost as big as his, but

without the bathroom that was five doors away

from his room. “If you don’t like the room,

there’s plenty to pick from, just figured you

might want to be close to our room but you don’t

have to be.” He said taking a deep breath before

looking at Jori as he widened his power’s

effective field so he wouldn’t have to hold hands

with everyone in the room. Except hers before

flashing them all into the living of his house in

one big, flash that could of been mistaken as an

explosion.

As she listened to Yoichi and Gunnar talk, she

smiled softly. Gunnar politely nodded and

spoke to Yoichi, when he did Jori thought she’d

died. “Very well sir. I’m quite sure the

accomodations are perfectly suitable, my only

concern is seeing to my mistress and her

companion’s every need.” Gunnar indicated Jori

and Geisha, then with a subtle nod of his head,

Yoichi himself. Which made Jori smile. “Thank

you Gunnar.” She said as they suddenly

appeared in Yoichi’s lavish living room. Gunnar

and Geisha both glanced around, Geisha softly

sniffling the air then looking up to Yoichi and

barking. Figuring she was communicating

with him about where she herself was to sleep,

Jori dismissed their strange conversation and

smiled. Gunnar looked at them both. “Might I

excuse myself to become acquainted with the

place so I am able to serve here?” He asked, Jori

looked up at Yoichi to allow him to answer the

man himself. Jori looked at the boxes, then

watched them disappear to their respective places.

Knowing she still had yet to do the ones up in

Yoichi’s room.

“Yeah. You can do whatever you need to. I have a

cleaning team come in once a week to clean the

place up so you don’t really have to worry about

cleaning up unless you want to.” He said before

turning his attention to Geisha, “Yes, you have

your own room, if you want. Theres three doors

with dogs so you can go in and out all you

want. One in the kitchen to go outside, and two

upstairs for Gunnar’s if you want to sleep there,

and the room next to his if you want to sleep

alone.” He said manifesting a map of the house

with an exact layout of everything before

handing it to Gunnar. “I just ask that you

refrain from going into the basement. Lots of

old stuff down there that’ll break easily, only

room that has a key that’s kept in a safe for

such reasons.” He said before looking at Jori with

a gentle smile. “Do you want to go unpack you’

re things?” he asked with an all to easy smile

that some how reached up to his eyes.

She watched both Gunnar and Geisha take off

in search of both the layout of the house and

where their rooms were and sighed. She loved her

two loyal companions, but she was happy to just

have it her and Yoichi for a moment. She turned

to him. “Yeah, you want to come show me where

they need to go?” She let her thumb lightly

stroke over his hand that was clasped in hers as

she spoke.

He smirked at her, with a cocky grin, as he lead

her down one of the long hallways to the their

bedroom and opened the door, the boxes that she’d

packed where neatly stacked at the foot of the

bed, and a new dresser had been added to the

room as well, right next to his. “If you want to

hang anything up, there’s a walk in closet

that’s only half full that you can use. With

plenty of hangers.” he said slowly walking over

to the bed, and opening the top box that he’d seen

her put her lacy undergarmates in and pulled

out a red one. “This I wouldn’t mind seeing you

in sometime.” He said before putting it back

into the box.

Jori listened to all he had said, nodding, then

watched him open the top box and she blushed. “I

think it can be arranged.” She smiled softly,

before walking over and reaching into the box

herself and taking some of the things over to the

dresser and putting them inside. Then deciding

she had had a long day and didn’t want to deal

with it she saw it done and it was. She looked at

Yoichi. “Well, do you feel better now that this is

all done?”

He nodded, oh how he couldn’t wait to see her in

red, it would be a tasty morsal for his eyes. “I

feel better just having you here. If you want to

shower and relax or go to the bathroom down the

hallway and use that tub, you can. Everything

here is pretty much at your disposal.” He said

purposely saying that she could use everything

in the house for her own relaxation, including

himself if she wanted. “Now as long as Gunnar

and Geisha get lost in the east side of the house

even with the map since theres three floors over

there. We’re good.” He said in a teasing voice, as

he walked over to her, lightly laying his hands

over her hips and pressing his lips to hers. The

sweet flavor of her lips should be illegal for a

woman to have, since they were so addicting.

Jori smiled, glad he was happy. He deserved it.

Then laughed softly at the part about Gunnar

and Geisha. “I’m good right here with you.” She

said softly just before his lips met hers in a

scorching kiss. Which she gladly returned

deeply. She had meant it when she’d said she

was hooked on him. She couldn’t or didn’t want

to spend a day with out hearing his voice, which

was still a slightly foreign concept to her, but

then after spending a day as him, nothing

much surprised her. As they kissed she wrapped

her arms lightly around his neck, melting into

him.

He chuckled while they kissed, it’d been hours

since they’d last shared a simple kiss, but now.

It wasn’t going to be like that. Sure while they

worked they would have to maybe limit their,

personal time, but they still got stuff done in a

timely manor. “Well, a nice hot bath will help

you relax and melt away the labors of a day.”

He said and before she could protest it, they were

in the bathroom down the hall, the door locked

and two towels already laid out on the counter.

“Hot bath, plus me. So it’s not like you’re going

in alone.”

She smiled up at him. “As if I can resist that.”

H3ll it was all she could do to just resist him all

day long, much less him and a nice hot bath

too. She pulled her shirt over her head and then

reached down to turn on the faucet, letting the

water heat before rising and reaching to help

him with his tshirt.

Lifting his arms as she came back up, he

allowed her to take off his shirt for him, leaving

him bare chested. Shacking his head to make

the hair fall back into place, he undid his pants,

most likely just to be a tease in that way. “Well,

that’s a good thing then.” he said with a smile

leaving his pants up but undone as he moved

slightly closer, to help her with her bra latches. “I

never understood why they have to be so

complicated.. Its like they’re trying to detour

men from them..” he said finally just causing

the bra to vanish and reappear. “Well here’s a

welcome home gift from me to you.” He said

purposely flexing every muscle possible at one

time on his upper body, causing his whole upper

half to get bigger it seemed like.

Jori chuckled softy at his antics and smiled up

at him. And could she ever appreciate the view.

MMMM the man was just d@mn. “I think

maybe the person who invented them was off

their rocker somehow.” She dropped her skirt to

the floor, revealing the black lace beneath it. A

slight blush heated her cheeks as she stood there.

She didn’t know why, it’s not like he’d never

seen her. But to stand her before him nearly bare

to his eyes was odd even considering he’d been

her for a day and knew her body intimately in

every way. She met his eyes again with her

own. “A gift for you as well.” She smiled softly

hoping he’d like it.

He licked his lips, body on fire from desire.

“That may be true. I’d like to go back and kill

the guy before hand so it’d be easier to get off.”

He said while he eyed her body, oh how he loved

her body. Sure he’d spend a good day in it, and

new it well enough but he could never have to

much of her. She was defiantly a drug for him.

Dropping his pants he placed a foot into the

water of the top that was running, noting that it

need another minute before actually getting

into it. “Looks like we’ll have to wait another

minute to get in.” He said, stepping closer again

to her, letting his body press up against hers

and letting his bodies heat seep into her to keep

her from getting too cold.

As his body heated her own, it wasn’t just the

chill he kept away. Her heart beat sped up and

that delicious heat started at the top of her head

and moved down to her toes. She grinned. “Yes,

but some of it, is very nice to look at, is it not?”

She ran her hands up his back letting her nails

graze his skin. “And you seem to like the lace”

He couldn’t help but let his back arch as she ran

her nails down his back, he loved the light pain

that was replaced with pleasure instead, “Of

course it is. I would look at a painting of you all

day if I had one as exotic as this.” he said

running his fingers light up and down her

sides and stopping at her rear and gave her a

gentle playful squeeze. “And lace is, very…

Arousing…” he said clearing his throat for some

reason to keep himself from pausing.

Jori gave a soft laugh. “You won’t need one now,

unless you just have to have one. And two I have

a feeling I won’t be wearing this particular slip

of lace for very long, if the bra was any

indication.” Her fingers now tangled lightly in

his hair, she reached over gently with her foot

and shut off the water for their bath, which from

the steam rising appeared to now be ready.

He growled low in his throat, letting his fingers

trace the thin piece of clothing before pushing it

down her legs until he was unable to without

using magic, which of course he did. Grinning

he wiggled his hips around, letting the pants

he’d undone fall to the floor, showing nothing

but flesh. Flicking a switch with his toe, he

turned on the steaming jets to allow the water to

rush past them as if they were in a river, or

stream, which also kept the water heated as well.

“Well now we’re both evenly matched. And you

know, I’d only want one in case you were gone

for to long.” he said leading the way into the

tub, stepping into it first.

She followed, stepping lightly into the tub. “We

are. And you can find me anywhere with a

thought.” She smiled at that. Although hoping

there’s never quite that much distance between

them. She waited for him to sit down in the tub

so she could snuggle into his warmth. Which

she suddenly realized she missed already.

Taking a seat into the tub, the water slightly

pushing him down to the end of the tub but not

really, he was like a rock sitting in a river,

unmoving. “Well that’s true. But Im not going

to bother you if you’re out on a mission.” he said

prompting his arm up on the edge of the tub to

leave a spot for her to get settled into .

She settled down beside him, thinking over his

words. “I don’t think you’d be a bother to me at

all. Might be kind of shocking for the target

though.” She grinned. “Suddenly have a huge

dude pop in and say he just wanted to check on

me.” Laughs softly at that thought. As she

leans into him, gently putting her hands into

the water and letting the jets shoot the water over

her palms, creating a tiny waterfall.

He sat there, content with her being next to him

for the time being letting the water rush over

and remove the stresses for the day. He couldn’t

believe what he’d asked her to do, and he was

pretty sure she couldn’t really be living with

him now. It was a different change of pace, that

he was going to like for sure. “Well yeah, but

still. What if I got you shot by just suddenly

appearing, sure you can heal but it would be my

fault if that happened.” he said watching her

play with the tubs jets. “So you like the tub I

guess?”

Having been shot once already and healed, Jori

shrugged slightly. “It’s part of the job. But

thanks to you, now I won’t die from it.” looks up

into his face. “I appreciate you so much, not just

for what you did, but for who you are. I hope you

know that.” Those few softly spoken words were

all she got out before she kissed him softly.

“Well Im glad that you do…” he said letting his

words fall as she kissed him softly on the lips,

oh how he loved the taste of her. He could stay up

all day and night connected to her lips if she

didn’t need to breath. Slowly he ran his hand

over her body letting the water graze over them

as he fondled her body in his hand.

Her back arched softly as his hand sent heat

flooding her body. She just loved being near

him, and his lips were the rarest and best

ambrosia for her. His body, her blanket comfort

and security. She loved the feel of him. No

matter what he was doing, a slight brush

passing her in the hall at work even would set

alight to her. A soft sound of pleasure slips from

her lips just from his soft touch.

He smiled in between their kisses, lightly

tugging at the with his teeth as he gently

soothed her bodies acks and pains by using

some of the ancient power she’d given him to

help sooth her the same way she’d done to him

after they’d gotten back from their mission.

Granted he was also doing several other things

to get at the same time to make the pain go

away as well. “I…” he paused bringing his lips

just barely away from hers, “Think Im in

love…” he whispered before putting his lips up

against hers again.

Jori sighed softly as her whole body seemed to

melt, then as she heard his softly spoken words

she blinked and looked at him. Their lips

pressed together tenderly, her mind reeled. Did

she hear what she thought she heard and as her

heart skipped a solid beat, she wondered. Could it

be possible that she actually felt the same way.

She thought it, but she knew she did. She just

hadn’t admitted it to herself yet. She pulled

softly back and blinked again. “Wh-what?”

He looked at her with his head tilted still from

kissing her from an angle. His heart was

racing, he was half hoping she would of heard

what he’d just said but if she did, what would he

do? Would she reject him and cast him off or

accecpt it but not feel the same way back. At

this point he realized he’d do just about

anything for her. “I…..” He paused again, “…

love you…” he said quietly half hoping she’d

heard him and half didn’t. What a complicated

feeling love was, he didn’t know which he

wanted but he knew he wanted her to be with

him no matter what happened.

She took a deep breath before she realized it all

those fears flooded her mind, she moved and

gently climbed onto his lap, looking directly

into his eyes, the water rushing around them

unnoticed. “Yoichi, stop. I love you too.” She just

blurted it out, not wanting to lose her nerve or

choke on the words as she was prone to do. Just

praying that now that she said them, she

wouldn’t lose him too.

He stopped thinking for a moment, letting her

words sink into his thick skull as she moved

and sat on his lap facing him, how could he not

be in love with her? That was a stupid thing to

think of. “Im glad you do too.” he said taking

her lips in on his again with more passion and

more heat then any of their prior kisses. And he

was just glad that he had her, for who knew how

long they would live. It was only a matter of

time before they joined together as she sat up on

his lap, and when they did, he let out a low

muffle groan of pleasure.

A soft whimper escapes her as they two became

one and she gazed into his eyes. Tangling her

hands in his hair she sighed as they showed

their emotions by touch. She loved the way he

moved, breathed and felt. Everything about this

man/demon/everything to her. As they moved

together she revelled in this time with him and

the decision they had made. “I want to make you

happy Yoichi for all the time you have given to

me to live.”

"You already do, just being with you in

anyway, shape." He said slowly rocking his hips

against hers. Letting the water barely pass

between their two bodies. He was most likely the

happiest demon at the moment in the world.

Considering he had no master to answer to, or

anything like it. Just one person that cared if he

wasn't at the office for a day, relaxing. And she

helped soothe that over, she melted away all of

his past anxieties away just by being with him

in any shape or form.

She gazed into his eyes as their bodies rocked

softly in the warm water, the whole day just

melting away from her. She was tired and

nervous and just felt run-down, but here, now it

was all gone, there was only him, her and

they're bodies moving as one. Heat began to

slowly build and flow within her. "I feel the

same Yoichi. And I've never really felt anything

so strongly."

It was like they were on the same level of

existence, mentally at least. He felt so,

connected to her, besides the obvious of ways, he

could never of found this just by hitting up

every woman he ran into over the last twenty

years he was on the surface. Sure a lot of them

would of been more then willing to do so, but he

didn't feel like it, never had until he decided to

work with Jori as a co-worker, and that was just

because she peaked his interest for being

different from other humans. Nuzzling his face

into her neck he lathered her with kisses,

starting from her collar bone all the way up to

her lips as he felt the burning passion build

inside of himself.

It was the kisses that did it, sent her over the

edge as wave after wave of pleasure erupted in

her. Her head fell back, instantly her lips

missing the warmth of his as a little cry escaped

her their bodies continued their slow rocking as

her own tightened around him. She looked back

into his eyes whispering his name breathlessly.

"Yoichi...." As she felt his own pleasure

mounting.

Only after she was sated did he allow his own

pleasure to erupt, her bodies spasming only

made it that much more intense for him as he

let his own go. As gently as he could he bit her

collar, trying his best to not draw any blood as

he did so while letting his powers run loose,

causing the water to change colors and the air to

literally buzz and visibly shake as his body

finally came to a more relaxed state with hers on

top of him. "Oh Jori..." he said lightly, letting

their bodies be swallowed in the water till the

only parts above the water were their heads.

"You're so beautiful... No matter what anyone

else says."

Jori sighed softly, completely relaxed and

feeling much better than just an hour before as a

soft smile crept across her face. "And you're

amazing Yoichi, anyone who says differently

is wrong." Both inside and out, he was the most

amazing person, she knew it and if no-one else

ever did, that was their sad loss. "I'm glad that

we have done all of this. I don't think I could

ever let you go if someone tried to make me."

She lays a tender kiss on his lips.

He couldn't help but be warmed by her words

letting her tender kisses pave their way over his

lips as he returned them while he lightly laid his

hands on her lower back, holding her to him. It

wasn't until he pulled away from her

bombardment of kisses that he noticed that his

powers were still buzzing about, causing the

water to change colors and the air was still

fizzing with them which was slightly amusing

to watch. "Well I don't care what other people

think most of the time." He said lightly rubbing

her back, "I only care for one persons thoughts

right now and that person happens to be here."

She smiled again, glancing around at the color

and sparking of his powers as she untangled

herself from him and sat besides him the water

was beginning to grow cold. She looked over at

him and winked. "Oh really, they are? Where?"

She pretended to look around as she teased him,

before looking back to him a sly grin on her

face.

He pushed her lightly on the shoulder, "Pretty

sure you should be able to find them just fine."

he said slowly pulling his powers back, allowing

the last of the colors to fade from the water. "But

yeah the water is starting to get cold. Is there

anything you want to do possibly?" He asked

standing up and almost falling over, his legs

were slightly numb from their actions but he

could deal with it.

Standing up, she put her hands on his arms to

help keep him from falling, not that he needed

her help, it just seemed the natural thing to do.

She stepped out first since she was closer and

grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her body,

then handed him the other. "Nothing in

particular. What about you?"

Smiling, as he felt her hand on his arm he got

out before she handed him the towel and he

began to pat himself off. "Not that I can think

of, we could retire for the day or something if

you want to." He said before realizing she was

still human and would most likely want

something to eat. "How about we get something

to eat first? You must be starving."

She thought about that for a moment then

nodded. "Just a little. Sounds good." Pictures

herself in a pair of shorts and a tank top to wear

down to the kitchen.

Flashing a pair of black leather pants and

nothing else he placed the towel over his

shoulders wrapped around the back of his neck

as he walked towards the bathroom door and

unlocked it. "Well let's get you something to eat.

Don't want to starve now do we?" He said with a

grin, as he opened the door and held it open for

her.

Following him, she walked out into the

bedroom. And laughs softly. "You eat

something too, I know you won't starve but still

no-one wants to eat by themself." She said

grinning up at him as they walked to the

hallway.

Leading the way to the kitchen he walked

through the living room, to the kitchen. "What

would you like? Sushi, steak? Anything special

that I might not know how to cook." He said with

a little bit of a smile as he opened the

refrigerator that was stocked with just about

everything possible.

She shrugged. "I'm not picky. Whatever's on

hand is fine. I'll eat whatever you want at the

moment." She walked up to the island and

picked up his beer cap and moved it between her

fingers as she spoke.

"Okay so pork fried rice, and pot stickers and

shrimp." he said pulling out a sliced slab of

pork, opening a cabinet to pull out a rice cooker

and a bag of rice before opening the freezer to

pull out a zip lock bag of shrimp that'd been

freshly delivered the other day. "So is there

anything else you might want?"

Her eyes wide, she shook her head. "No, and that

sounds good actually. You want some help?" She

asked as she twirled the bottle cap between her

fingers before flipping it off her thumb and

watching as it landed in the trash. She walked

over to him waiting to help.

"Yeah you can help, how about you get started

on the shrimp? I'll get started on the the rice and

pork." He said flopping the bag of shrimp onto

the counter as he started the stove top, then

placed a pan onto the warming top. "So how do

you like you're meat?"

She grinned, picking up the bag of shrimp and

winking. "Just cooked enough so it doesn't eat

me first." A soft laugh escaped her as she opened

the bag and began preparing the shrimp. "How

do you want this cooked?" She asked thinking

of the myriad of ways there was to actually

make shrimp.

"How about, you surprise me then?" He said with

a grin, as he allowed the pan to warm and he

filled the rice cooker with water and a few cups

of rice. "Okay, so just enough to not bite back."

He teased lightly nudging her with his

shoulder.

She laughed softly just enjoying this time with

him as she looked around for a small pan.

Finally finding one she set it on the stove and

got a little bit of butter from the fridge and put

it into the pan on medium heat, while the pan

heated she moved back over to the shrimp which

was ready to go into the pan. Tossing it lightly

in, she let it begin to saute slowly while adding

some herbs and spices. "I hope sauteed works for

you, it's the only way I am really good at doing

these." Grinning as she found a spatula and

gently moving them around the pan.

He grinned, while he watched the steam roll out

from the rice cooker while he started chopping the

pork up into little cubes using his fingers like

tiny knives that could cut through just about

anything, "Well good thing I'm not a picky

eater, when I do manage to eat something that

doesn't have a soul in it. But since you're

staying here I might as well pick up that habit

it seems." he said as he started tossing some of

the pork into the hot pan that he had set up. "Can

you hand me a couple of eggs?"

Jori gave the shrimp one more toss through the

pan, then walked over to the fridge, grabbing

out two eggs and handing them to Yoichi. "Sure

thing, Here you go." She smiled at the way he

handled cooking things and cutting things.

Since Jori'd never really done alot of cooking,

her knowledge was limited but enough to get by.

Gunnar usually made sure that when she was

at home she did eat and eat right. It just wasn't

at the top of the to do list for her most days.

Fortunately the ancient power helped her make it

through. But as she handed the eggs off to him

she thought that maybe there was some merit to

it.

"Thank you." He said reaching over to grab a

wooden spoon that looked like it'd never been

used before, and started moving the pork around

in the pan so it wouldn't stick to the surface.

Cracking the eggs on the side of the pan with

one hand he pour their contents into it, mixing

them with the pork and breaking the yoke up at

the same time. "So it would seem like you

hardly cook without an aid or someone else

doing it for you. How does cooking for yourself

feel?" He asked as he turned the heat down a

little just as the rice finished cooking and the

warmer kicked on for it.

In truth, Jori was enjoying herself, here with

him, cooking and talking. She nodded,

smiling and went back to her pan, moving the

now done shrimp around with the spatula.

Turning the heat off and moving the pan, she

spoke softly. "I'm actually having fun." She

thought, though, that it had more to do with him

being there than the actual thing they were

doing. They could be doing laundry together

and she'd probably be content. She laughed

softly at the rambling in her own mind.

Figuring if he didn't hear her thoughts he'd

probably think she'd lost it.

"You're very strange. You know that." He said

with a teasing smile, having heard most of her

thoughts as he finished up the pork and eggs.

Mixing a bit of rice with rest of it letting it

brown just a little before he pulled the pan off the

burner and turned it off as well. "Well food's

done." He said of course there were other things

he would like to eat but she would most likely

not really count what he was thinking as food

per say. Pulling out two plates and forks, he

pulled out another spoon for the rice and left the

wooden one in with the fried rice dish. "You can

go first, I don't eat much human food."

Taking the shrimp off of the stove and putting

it and the spatula with the rest of the food. She

arched a brow. "Is there something you're in need

of at the moment?" She takes a plate and puts a

little rice and shrimp on it and sits on one of the

stools. She hadn't been listening so much as a

couple of words had slipped past making her a

bit concerned.

"Not really, I just don't eat human food is all.

There's nothing in it for a demon besides the

taste of it." He said taking a spoon full of rice,

then another of the fried rice and a couple pieces

of shrimp. "I don't really need blood all the time

either, it just one of those habits to drink it every

day, like an addict of sorts." He said taking the

second stool and sitting on it facing her as he

slowly ate the food with her. "And if you're still

hungry we'll have desert." He said with a grin

and a wink.

She smiled, relieved he was fine. She shook her

head, the man/demon was practically

impervious to anything, why she worried for

him was beyond her. Nodding, she lifted her

fork and took a bite of rice, it was amazing.

After swallowing she spoke. "mmm That's really

good. For someone who doesn't eat, you cook very

well."

Smiling as he took bites off of a little bit of

everything, "Well I did grow up in Japan for a

while before I was forced into slavery." he said,

he didn't want to really talk about that, but it

did happen. "Before all the wars and what not,

but I did cook for a while, helped some people out

from time to time. Nothing big just made some

food for the poorer people that could barely afford

rice." Pausing for a few minutes to watch her eat

what he'd cooked before continued eating

himself. "But yes, I did learn to fit in better,

part of that whole, I need to survive thing so I

did."

She continued eating, she had been a little

hungry, which was strange given the huge

hunk of cake she'd had with Chera. But didn't

elaborate any on what he'd said, she felt, quite

literally how it made him feel and the feeling

just felt, how would she put it, painful, wrong,

kinda made her a little sad and sick to think of

him being forced to do anything. So she just

listened, not commenting on what he'd said, but

nodding. Reaching out she snagged a napkin

and wiped her mouth, before speaking.

Thinking that her comment would be neutral

enough. "Fitting in, it's something we all need

to do. Makes perfect sense, with our differences."

She always seemed to know what to say to him,

for the most part at least. But he continued

eating the rest of his food before putting his

empty plate down on the counter, oh how he

wanted to snack on her right now, just to drive

her nuts. "Yeah fitting in is a good thing,

especially when people are superstitious and

believe in demons that'll take their souls."

Finished eating, she slid her plate away as she

nodded. "Especially when it's all true." Jori knew

far more about supernatural things than she'd

ever thought to know. And sometimes it just

sucked, but most of the time it was good. The

sucky parts were when you were on their bad

side. This thought made Jori grin slightly. That

was a place she'd been a time or two. Rising, she

collected their plates and scraped hers into the

sink before turning on the water and the

disposal. Keeping busy seemed to help with her

Yoichi centered ADD and allowed her to think.

She really did love him. Which was a total life

changer for her. After setting the plates in the

sink she walked back over to where they sat and

looked at him. "Any desire to do that today?"

She asked softly as she gently brushed the hair

from his face. He looked so boyish and cute like

that. But she was interested to see how he was

holding up. Really holding up.

He tilted his head off to the side, watching her

wash off the plates even though he'd explained

that his cleaning team rarely had much to clean

up since he just used magic to do everything for

him. So what little messes he did make he just

left for them to clean up, and generally they

were small enough to only take a few minutes to

do. As she sat back down and brushed his hair

away from his eyes. "Not really. I haven't

vanished for a day or two without being

unattached to someone. So there's been no need,

at all really.." he said he was still not use to the

idea of not having to feast off of souls at least

every couple of days, but it didn't matter did it.

He didn't need them anymore and that just

meant he'd have to learn to control the whole

blood-lust part of killing. Which actually

seemed easier to do with her around, Jori alone

distracted him enough from his own cravings

that it was enough to make him think he was

actually more human. "Anything you'd like to

do now? We've relaxed, eaten, been talking, what

do normal 'couples' do?"

His question sort of jolted her back in time as

she saw all the things her and Cree used to do.

From watching TV to long walks, mock

wrestling for the remote. Waking up every

morning together and talking before work over

coffee and the news. So many things went

through her mind, a soft, sad smile crossed her

features. "So many things, things that seem

easy and natural to do, no matter what it is, it's

perfect."

Well at least she was giving him ideas, but he

didn't like the sad look about her face at the

moment, he'd been working so hard to keep it

away. Surely he'd have to figure out something

other to do besides being intimate with her, sure

it was fun while it lasted but he wasn't sure how

well her body was at taking part in the act so

many times in a day. Yes, it was definitely

time to take a break from that course of action

for the time being, maybe in the morning time

or later... "We could go for a walk in the garden.

There's... I think a two mile path through it that

leads to the patio stairs for our room." He said

giving her a smile and placing his hands on

hers. "Anything to make you happy. And to

remove that sadness from your face."

His hand instantly warmed her and comforted

her. But she hadn't been expecting the whole

train of thought he'd just had and she'd caught

it by accident, every last word. A couple of

things went through her mind as she thought

over what he had not said, one was d@mn, she

was just as addicted to his body as he was to

hers. And the thought of not holding and

touching him in that way made her bite her lip

and curse inwardly, while making her think of

it and want him even more, all while wondering

the same question. Was it doing anything to

her to do this so much? She really didn't care if

it did. She'd rather have him than anything in

the world. Secondly, if you could even call it

secondly with the myriad of thoughts she'd

already had, she thought about how he just

thought about not wanting to see her sad.

Gently she stroked his hand with her thumb

and smiled for him. "It's not that I'm sad so

much, it's just..." She really didn't know how to

explain it. She was in a sense laying those

memories to rest, and wanted now to make new

ones with him. While hoping that history did

not repeat itself. There was consolation though

in the fact that Yoichi wasn't exactly human,

and no-one really knew how to destroy him

except those who hunted him. And she intended

to help be sure they never found him. She

nodded softly. "A walk sounds great." She said

as she stood and stepped closer to him, keeping

her hand in his.

His gentle smile turned into the cocky smirk he

always seemed to get whenever he over heard her

thoughts, it was strange to do so and he couldn't

be sure that she hadn't noticed he'd been doing it

more often since he knew she was hearing him

and he could hear her every so often when he let

his guard down. Just holding her hand set his

body on fire, which he had to push down just so

he could function like a normal person again.

"Alright, lets walk." He said standing up next to

her, with a flick of his wrist the pans and pot

that they'd used to cook in where placed in the

sink and submerged in water to make the

cleaners lives a little easier when they came.

Walking with her towards the doors he opened

them again, just by waving a finger allowing a

cool breeze to enter and pass around them as

they walked out onto the porch and down the

steps to the cobblestone walkway that went

through the garden. "So we're evenly addicted to

each other bodies it would seem." He said

purposely saying what they'd both been

thinking before just to put it out there.

She chuckled, nodding. "I'd say so." She said as

a slight blush heated her cheeks for no other

reason than to do so, since there really was no

reason for her to blush. He knew her as well as

she did. As they walked, she looked around at

what flowers and bushes she could see and

inhaled their soft fragrance. "I don't think I'll

ever get used to how beautiful it is out here." She

said softly. "I already love it here." Thinking to

herself that anywhere he was would feel right to

her now, as she reached out and touched a soft

dark purple bloom on a bush as they passed.

He couldn't stop himself from being, quirky

with her, being blunt was something he was

used to, but just being who he was without

anyone around he found easier to do with her

than alone even. "Well, I really enjoy having

you around." He said as they walked, and he

watched her inhale the scents of the different

flowers in the garden. Walking under an apple

tree he plucked off two apples and handed her

one. "You should have one, they're way better

then the ones at stores." He said taking a bite of

one letting the juice explode over his lips and

part of his face. "Lots of juice, don't fight the

explosion of flavor." He said with a chuckle.

Laughing softly, she watched him. "Looks like

it" She said, really wanting to just kiss his chin

and taste it that way, but the thought just set

fire to her being, so instead she bit into her own

apple, licking her lip to catch the juices before

they ran down her face. As she chewed, she

nodded slightly. "mmmm. You're so right." She

said after swallowing, the temptation to kiss

him still very strong, but she knew where that

could go. So she stayed where she was, grinning

while she enjoyed the view of him.

Just watching her bite into the apple made the

fire raise even more, and her tongue licking her

lips to get the juices before they ran down her

face didn't help much either. His whole body

quivered at the thoughts of what her tongue

could do to him. Finishing up his apple as

quickly as possible he tossed it back into the

garden near what looked like a compost pile.

"But yeah... Life is so much sweeter than what

it's made out to be." he said before he slowly

started walking down the path again, only to

stop a few feet ahead and turn to wait for her to

join him once more.

Taking one more bite of her apple, she began

walking to catch up to him, tossing it over her

shoulder in the same direction his had went.

Finally reaching him, she laughed. "Well, it can

be. It just depends on where you are in it. And

the people that surround you. I personally like

my whole cast of characters as they are now."

She said thinking of each of them, who in their

own way made everything in life much more

fun. Alexa with her quirky personality, and

Maschera being the warrior she was, who in rare

moments when it was safe, dropped her guard

and could be really funny. Then Yoichi, who

was literally the antithesis to them all. But who

had relaxed a few degrees while adding his own

degree of sweetness to everything. She looked up

at him. "How are you doing with the other two

girls? Are you starting to feel more comfortable

around them?" She wondered as the thought of

how everyone just fit in together crossed her

mind.

He had to think about her question for a

moment, he'd spent a little bit of time with

Alexa the other day before they headed out, to

check something out. But it seemed like a while

ago. "I guess not too bad." he said with a shrug,

other woman seemed like a distraction, they of

course didn't have as much of an effect as Jori

did but he couldn't help but notice that they were

all women from time to time, "They're all great, I

suppose to the meaning of it. But definitely not

you." He said as they walked through an arch

way made of rose bushes, that went straight by

a water fountain with ancient gods that had

long been forgotten by man. A man and a

woman, holding each other as water spouted

from their fingers. "How's trying to not jump

me right now?" He asked teasing her to keep his

mind away from his past.

She grinned, chuckling at his comment.

"They're good girls. I trust them with my life."

She spoke softly. "And to your question, it's

about like anything, practice makes perfect, as

they say." She laughed softly as they came up

to the fountain and she sighed. "That's really

beautiful." She said softly, trying to figure out

who or rather what they were. Then shaking her

head thinking it wasn't really as important she

guessed as the way they just made everything

so calm, so serene. Noticing a slight difference

in Yoichi's emotions, she kept walking.

Thinking of something that would get his mind

off whatever was causing it. When she

suddenly saw the prettiest roses ever, and not to

mention one of her favorites, though it seemed

not many people really cared for them. "Those

are amazing, do you know how rare it is that

anyone will actually grow them?" She asked

him softly.

He continued past the fountain following Jori to

a patch of black roses that he had to grow

himself and not allow the gardeners to even

touch, and they were professionals. "Yeah, I get

asked how I grow these by the gardeners that

come by... They always try to clip them down..."

He said waving his hand over a patch of grass to

allow another bush to push its way up towards

the others before it also bloomed. "I cheat most of

the time. But it works for the most part. I like

these flowers."

Jori laughed as she watched him 'grow' the

flowers. "I told you, you have good taste." She

said as she walked over and knelt before the

bush, stroking her fingers over the petals, and

smelling the scent of them. "They won't be

clipping them down with me around, that's for

sure." She said on a soft laugh before rising and

taking a step back just to admire them.

"Oh I put the fear in them if they ever touched

them without asking me first. They can water

and fertalize them but that's about it." He said

as he took her hand again, with a soft smile and

a warm body that ached for hers. "But yeah they

are. They have their ups and downs I suppose.

Not too surprised that they figured out that we're

sleeping together." He said nudging her with his

shoulder very lightly, "You're such an open book

when it comes to that sort of thing." He said

looking up and seeing the start of the stair case

that would take them to their room off in the

distance.

Jori grinned, nudging his shoulder back with

her own. "I can't help it. Chera can pick out

anything to do with me. And Lexi well she's just

really smart." She laughed softly. "Besides, I

didn't exactly see you denying it either." She

said teasingly. As she saw the stairs ahead, she

sighed softly. She was pretty tired from their

day and sleep was beginning to look really good

about soonish.

Laughing, which felt foreign to him as they

continued walking towards the stair case. "Well

why would I try to deny something as beautiful

as you? If you wanted it to be kept secret then I

would have." he said as he started up the steps to

the bedroom. Sleep sounded amazing, and for

some reason his body was started to crave that

needed rest that he'd been denying for a few

days. Opening the doors before they even got to

the top of the stairs he couldn't help but think of

what she would be sleeping in, on their bed.

Pausing a moment, she looked at him and

laughed. "I wouldn't ever want to hide you from

anyone. Not in that sense." The thought was

laughable to her, she continued on with him. As

they went through the doors she sighed again.

Suddenly feeling the weight of the day. She

glanced around the room, she sensed that

Gunnar and Geisha had found their respective

rooms and had settled in for the night. Smiling

she walked over and sat on the bed. "Tired?" She

asked Yoichi, wondering how much humanity

and it's needs had seeped into him.

Sighing he walked over to the bed and flopped

down onto it, facing the ceiling for the time

being. "Well that's nice to know, but yes. I am

fairly tired after today, and yesterday." He said

with a yawn that he couldn't stop from

escaping. Flashing off his clothing he moved up

the bed, snapped his fingers so that the doors

closed by them selves again while he pulled the

sheets over him. "You going to do what humans

normally do before going to sleep?" he asked

with a raised eye brow, curious to what she

normally did before going to bed since he'd

never really seen what she normally did since

the last time they'd slept it'd been in the office,

after having a rough go round with each other.

Smiling, she got up and went into the

bathroom, brushed her teeth and washed her face,

then came back. Dropping her shorts to the floor

and pulling her top off, she slid into bed next to

him. "Of course." She laughed softly as she

spoke. Pulling the soft sheets up over her body,

she turned to face him. A soft yawn escaping

her. "I'm really glad we did this. I'm glad to be

here and with you." She said as she finally

closed her eyes. Sleep overtaking her.