Flame Touched

Chapter Thirty-Eight - Rei

Rei lay next to her husband, happy to have him home again. There was a lot to talk about still. For the time being, she let him off the hook. Unless he brought it up, of course. He'd been so tired as soon as he landed less than an hour ago, it didn't seem wise to bombard him with a fight. Doing so in the middle of the night was also not a good idea. Having him home is what I need to focus on. It's what matters for now. Wow, can't believe how mature I've become.

"Hmm?" Matt asked out loud. "You say something?"

"No."

"Think it?"

She laughed. "Nothing you need to worry about."

"Maybe I should listen to you more often. Eating in bed is kind of fun." He briefly stopped chewing so he could smile, before focusing back on eating.

"I have a lot of good ideas. I'm glad you're starting to see this," Rei said with a smirk. Then she too took a bite. Their meal wasn't the most fancy. What made it wonderful was they were together.

When he finally finished chewing, he leaned over to kiss her cheek while a hand roamed over her stomach in slow circles. "I don't say this enough: I love you."

"You're awfully cuddly today," Rei murmured, turning her face slightly so she could kiss his lips. He'd been extra attentive the instant he arrived. Tired, but attentive. "Why?" was the big question. As much as she wanted to believe he'd missed her as much as she'd missed him, she also knew him well enough to know he hadn't told her some crucial information just yet.

He kissed her bare shoulder. "I feel like I don't appreciate you like I should. And you're going to hate me for this, but I have to go again soon. So this is my way of soaking as much of you up as I possibly can."

"Again? You just got here." She swallowed, blinking back her tears. "You know what? I'm a big girl. I know where to go if I need anything. I'll be fine."

He frowned. "You don't sound fine."

"Because I'm mad, but I'll be fine. Keywords there are: be fine. Right now, in this second, I'm furious." Rei tried to manage a playful smile, to keep it light, to not ruin the moment, but it wasn't long before her angry tears spilled down her cheeks.

Matt brushed them away. "This is the last thing I need to do. I'm sorry. I almost got dragged out again tonight to deal with an issue. Father assured me the other officers had it under control, though, so I don't have to feel guilty for being with you instead."

"Why? Why feel bad for having a life outside of your job? You're only human, Matt." I don't get it. Why is it more important than me? Is this another way for you to avoid me because I'm too clingy?

His body tensed next to hers. "There is an enemy in our city who is going to destroy everything we value. Destroy our nation. So yes, I do feel guilty for not helping. What if this guy manages to get away and I could have stopped it? What if he does something that ends up taking you away from me?" He took in a slow breath. "That's the kind of work I do, Rei. I protect our home from the bad guys. I still chose you. If that doesn't say anything about how much you mean to me, then I don't know what else to say to convince you I'm all-in here."

Rei sniffled. "Go get the bad guy then."

"Dad said it's under control," Matt whispered. "Besides, there are plenty of eyes searching. If they don't find him tonight, I'll join in the morning. I'll be more refreshed if I rest now anyway. Plus, it'll make the hunt a lot more fun if he thinks he has a head start. I love a good challenge."

A brief darkness came over him, and she saw the man he became when he worked. A lot of the tasks he was given were not for the faint of heart. She knew that, and it still shocked her to watch him turn into a total stranger. Her Matteo was only gentle and considerate, not bloodthirsty.

Matt must have sensed her unease. "He deserves what's coming to him, trust me. My next mission is going to take a day or two, three at the most. Then I'll be back here at the castle doing training for a few months. After that..." He kissed her forehead instead of finishing. A secret she wasn't allowed to know yet.

She gave him a reassuring smile and stroked his cheek softly, wanting to be strong. "Okay, well, I'll be fine. Another day or two, even three, won't be too awful. Especially if it means you'll be back for a long time. Be careful."

"The Oceina don't scare me, but I'll use you for motivation to do the job quickly. My only concern is making sure you'll be okay on the off chance something goes wrong." He smirked. "But I am the best, so it's a non-issue." He lowered his gaze to his lap, and his tone grew more serious. "I'm not avoiding you, Rei. Going to the council was a good break. We did have a lot of non-stop time together. When I return after this mission, you don't have to act as though I'm going to disappear. I'm not going anywhere."

"Funny, because you keep leaving," she mumbled. He opened his mouth to speak. She held up a hand to silence him before continuing. "I won't be clingy when you get back. Message received."

He sighed. "Rei."

"I was scared. All of the changes my body has been going through are scary. If you won't help me deal with this, I have other people who can. They understand it a whole lot more, and I don't mean that as an insult to you, it's just the way things are." She wiped away a tear clinging to her eyelashes. "You're a dragon."

"So are you, now. Maybe not quite the same, but close enough." He pulled her closer to his chest.

Rei closed her eyes, focusing on the steady beat of his heart. "Something else is going on with me. I don't know how to explain it. I just know I'm not quite right physically. Is it normal for me to be so tired? To still feel queasy?"

"The transition affects everyone differently. Don't worry about it unless it gets worse."

She didn't feel much comfort from his words. Who knew better, though? Her or him? He was the natural born dragon. Surely he'd know what to look for if the transition process was going awry. "Try to aim for one day to do your mission."

"That's the plan, because I do want to make up for a little bit of lost time. I don't mind spending a few days with you." He winked.

Does he have to rub it in? Ugh. She forced a smile. "You did say you're the best at what you do, so you better not let me down." Rei tried to keep up the enthusiasm. "What are you doing exactly, anyway? Or is that classified too?"

"What I have to." He kissed her lips. "I don't want to talk about work. I'd rather kiss you, or hold you, or love you. Take your pick."

"How about all of the above?" She kissed him back slowly, her eyes closing.

"I'm fine with that."

He placed soft kisses along her jawline, and briefly pulled a strand of her dark hair away from her eyes. She gazed back into his, trying to see into his soul. The same Matt, her Matt, was still there gazing right back at her. Instantly, the knots which had been building in her stomach relaxed—tingled even, as a warmth spread over her skin.

"Promise me you won't try to be too brave if something does go wrong. Promise that you'll do everything you can to come back," she whispered.

"I told you, I'll be fine. Please don't ruin the moment."

"Just promise me this one thing, and I promise I'll let it go." She gave him a small encouraging kiss.

He sighed. "I promise."