Consumed » Kai Parker

Fifty Nine

Responsibilities are tiresome.

Saturday morning, however, is well-known for its instant cure to the exhaustion of the week prior. This particular morning is no exception to that universal truth, allowing Kai and I to shed our figurative armor and just bask in the beauty of sleeping in. No interruptions.

The Geminis are returning tomorrow as discussed for their training with Kai, which marks today as a rare breather in the midst of this coven crisis. Therefore, I intend on taking full advantage of our uninterrupted morning together, especially with the added benefit of no class today.

Yesterday, after we finished catching up on some well-needed shut-eye, Kai followed through on his suggestion of enacting my official Moving Day. We loaded my car up with boxes and spent hours transferring my personal items into them with appropriate labels tacked onto the brown cardboard, then even more hours back at the apartment putting everything in its new, rightful place. It definitely gave my new dwelling a more homey feel, seeing my own belongings in conjunction with Kai's. I'd say it's also nice to have a larger clothing selection here at last, but I can't pretend I don't enjoy borrowing my boyfriend's comfier articles of loungewear.

However, it definitely is preferable to have a personally stocked kitchen over the mediocre buffet at the mess hall.

Kai's sound asleep, his lids firmly keeping his blue irises hidden from view while his soft, steadily-paced breathing overtakes the pleasantly quiet room. One of his arms is lazily thrown over my waist, the other stretched out behind him. I lift my head from the pillow, resting my palm against the side to prop it up for a better look at the oblivious witch.

Dark brown locks of hair atop his head are tousled from the restful night, tickling his forehead. His lips are parted to slowly cycle the air through his lungs, the plumper bottom one drooping. The side of his face is smushed slightly against the pillow due to his position, making my mouth twist up into a small smile.

With the storm by the name of Joshua Parker upending everything in his son's path recently, it isn't often that I get to witness Kai in a state of complete serenity. Moments like these, when he has succumbed to rest, are among my favorites, so I'm sure to indulge in them wholeheartedly.

I trace my fingers over the side of his face, continuing the leisurely path down to the prickliness of his stubbled jaw and over the pulse point in his neck. A fond fascination overcomes me whenever Kai's close enough to touch, even in the most innocent sense of the phrase. It's a comfort to feel his physical presence as a reminder that he's here, with me, and not going anywhere soon. Nearly a week without him after Maryland had robbed me of the little advantage, so I don't lose sight of its value now that I have him again.

My hand lightly trails down to his shoulders, running over the blade and savoring the feel of firm muscle beneath his skin. With a tentative touch, my palm finds his back and the milky white ridges of countless scars that spread across the tan expanse. It feels like I'm holding my breath as I trace them, my mind returning to the prison world when he had let me get a closer look at the marks before violently flinching away and demanding that I stop.

Now, there's no jerking movement in response to the contact the tips of my fingers make with the faded lash marks. I fall into deep contemplation about the source of the harsh remnants of cruelty permanently etched into Kai. These scars have had an effect on the witch that goes more than just skin-deep, but a psychological one that has found a way into his general mentality, ticks, and behaviors. Kai's past experiences with Joshua can never be erased and neither of us are delusional to believe that it can, no matter how much time elapses.

However, it doesn't have to overcome who he is. Since 1994, it's evident that Kai has struggled with that truth but it's something I can see him coming closer to terms with during each passing day. He has allowed himself to grow into a person outside of the abomination Joshua once convinced him he was. He embraced his ability to live, to succeed, to love.