call it Tomorrow
Sang
Why did I not say that I was... "I didn't think it mattered!" I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, the truth was too complicated. "You never asked anyway, you assumed."
Owen furrowed his brow and I could tell that I was going to get a lecture, but he was interrupted when North groaned and sat up slowly as he held onto his head. Everyone watched him warily.
"Guys," he said huskily, his eyes still closed. "You wouldn't believe this. I just had the most terrible dream. Sang Baby was X and I sent her into a men's bathing house, where she had to have seen things that I never wanted my Sang Baby to ever see."
Kota cleared his throat and I frowned at North.
Really, what was the big deal?
North opened his eyes and looked at us with a terrified expression. "Oh shit, it really happened, didn't it?"
"That was your idea?" I asked him.
North jumped to his feet, elbowed the others out of the way, and crowded in front of me. "Sang Baby, tell me you didn't look. Please tell me that you didn't look."
"Of course she looked!" Silas boomed.
What in the world were they talking about? I frowned at him. "I was there for a specific reason, what else would I have looked at? Did you not want me to look? How else could I tell where I was going?"
"No, you shouldn't have looked!" North's face was a vision of horror. "You should have closed your eyes!"
Why was he being so unreasonable? "How would that have accomplished anything?"
Derrick burst into laughter. He was sitting back as he watched the group of us with an extremely interested expression. "Don't worry. Maro and I caught her hiding in a linen closet near a sauna, way out of sight from anything inappropriate. That's how we knew that she was up to something weird."
Nathan grunted and got up suddenly, he had been watching the scene silently, and grabbed the back of Derrick's shirt behind his neck. "Time to go, interloper." He said, and he proceeded to drag Derrick towards the door.
"Hey!" Derrick tried to scramble to his feet, but couldn't gain enough traction to stand. "What the fuck dude, it was just getting good."
"Goodbye, Derrick." He opened the door and unceremoniously dumped Derrick out into the hallway.
"I've got to see what happens next!" Derrick got up and rushed back towards the door, but Nathan shut it in his face.
Nathan turned around to see that the rest of us were staring at him in shock. "This is a family matter." He said simply. North pat him on the back, as if that explained everything. Really, why did they hate Derrick?
However, as the boys shared with me their excitement (and slight horror) that I had been X all along, I was distracted pretty easily.
Owen
Too many things had been happening, and too quickly. Still, I was honored, but surprised, that Roman and Isabelle Gentreau appeared to approve of us marrying their newly reunited granddaughter. I guess they figured they wouldn't be losing her to someone outside of the community, in any case.
"This way?" Sean asked me, he had never been in this part of the building before. I nodded and we continued past the training hall and made our way down the darkened hallways towards the private offices.
It was actually a nice chance to regroup. We hadn't expected to see Roman Gentreau until after the completion of our current mission, but even I wouldn't turn down an invitation to attend a secret rendezvous. Not with everything that had happened, the stakes were way different now than when we first accepted this mission.
Finally, Sean and I arrived undetected. From here on out, we could trust that the surrounding area was already secure and any conversations to be had remained private. Thomas Washburn had made sure that his offices were always open and clean, after all. He was meticulous like that.
Lucas and Roman were already present and waiting. They stood up as we entered the room.
"Hello, boys." Roman greeted us and Lucas nodded in our direction. Sean and I returned the welcome. Roman made a sweeping motion with his hand, and we all sat. As an elder he had taken up a position behind the desk, while the rest of us took seats around the room. It had been a long day for Roman Gentreau, and the weariness showed on his face.
"So, I take it that a few complications have come up regarding your current mission." Roman said.
He was just going to dive right on into it, wasn't he?
Sean let out a short laugh, "If you are talking about Sang, then yes, she was unexpected. But never a complication." He looked at me, waiting for me to ask the question that was on both of our minds.
I probably shouldn't ask but, "Are you sure that you are alright with this?" I blurted out.
Roman exchanged a glance with Lucas before he looked back at me and tilted his head. "Alright with what, Owen?"
He had to have been joking. Of course, he had to know exactly what I was talking about. "The fact that we are going to marry your granddaughter."
"Well, it was my idea-"
Lucas coughed and gave his father a pointed look.
"Well, it was Isabelle's idea actually." Roman rolled his eyes. "I'm not happy about it, in an old man's opinion it is too soon. I regret that none of you have had a normal courtship. However, there are more things to be hung up over, like her being involved in these stupid games."
He paused, then continued. "I'm more concerned that Sang, apparently, has been through years of abuse and neglect. I'm also disturbed as to why she had been hidden from us in the first place. I haven't spoken to a Sorenson in years. However, now it seems as though the entire Sorenson clan seems to have fallen off the face of the earth despite our best resources searching for them. I don't like having loose ends."
That was new. I had known that Maro and Mrs Sorenson had disappeared, but now the entire Sorenson family?
"Unfortunately," Lucas cut in, breaking my train of thought. "We cannot send anyone else into the arena itself, the tributes have already been selected. President Hendricks is very aware of his staff, so it would difficult to add in anyone new at this point as well. That being said, he does have a lot on his mind at the moment. You know, since he has lost his head gamemaker not only in name, but now also in body as well. We will see if we can come up with something."
"McCoy is gone?" Sean spoke up, concerned. "Are you saying that we should we be watching for him as well?"
"I didn't say that," Lucas had a telltale glint in his eyes now. "I said that Hendricks lost him. The Academy might have picked him up somewhere, maybe."
Oh. Well, that was unfortunate. For McCoy.
"Don't worry," he said as he watched for my reaction, but I wasn't going to give away my real feelings on the matter. "We'll keep him safe for you."
Good. I wanted him still around when I got back.
"Back to the topic of your impending nuptials." Roman began in a foreboding tone.
I fought against the urge to panic, this was it. He already said he wasn't happy about it. My father had been right about one thing; the Gentreau family had resisted joining the main branches of their family tree with both Blackbourne and Hendricks for a very, very long time. I was certain that if it had not been for the blood binding, Roman Gentreau would never have considered allowing this.
"I'm glad it was you."
I glanced up at him, stunned. Surely I had misheard. "What?"
He gave me an understanding look. "Sean," he nodded his head towards Sean, "is the one always going on about destiny. However, I'm a bit of a dreamer as well. I feel that it was fate that allowed you to find her, again. I can think of no better men to take care of my granddaughter than the nine of you."
I felt myself frown, and shame filled me at his words. "That's not true, we failed her before."
"You aren't a child anymore." Lucas said, "and you know better now. You do know that we don't hold anything against you for what has happened in the past. Nor do we blame you for the actions of your father and grandfather. You are not them."
I hoped not. I had done everything I could in my life to not be anything like those two. My mind began to go into that dark place, when I felt Sean stiffen beside me. I realized that I hadn't been paying attention these last few seconds.
"-Hendricks has, reluctantly, agreed to a one night reprise for you and Sang. We've reserved the honeymoon suite for Saturday night."
"What?" I felt myself seize up in humiliation.
There was no way I was having this conversation with Sang's uncle and grandfather. This was so very awkward. I noticed that the two of them also tried to avoid eye contact with me and seemed to be just as uncomfortable.
"Can we not talk about this, please?" I begged. Please don't say it.
Lucas mumbled something under his breath and his cheeks began to turn red, but it was Roman who spoke. "We don't plan on talking about it in detail, but just know that we cannot give your father any reason to dispute the validity of this marriage. Fortunately only one of you will do to make it legal. Since it's your father that is the issue, and you are the top ranking person in the group, it should be you."
Dear lord. He actually said it.
"North suggested that we just kill Mr Blackbourne." Sean interjected. "I don't think that Sang is ready for that kind of relationship... She has years of isolation and abuse to overcome."
Then there was that.
"Gabrielle and my mother will talk to her, we will play it by ear depending on her reaction. Nobody will be forcing her to do anything." Lucas stated in a firm voice.
"We have some time to get used to the idea. Tomorrow is Thursday, they'll be working out details before Saturday. However, considering her past, well... that is another reason it should only be a one time thing, for now and the next ten years or so." Lucas said, his face was still red. "From what I've observed, Sang is closest to Owen at the moment, so he's the best choice for... this."
He took in a deep breath and looked at me. "Consider this another mission, Owen. That's what I'm doing in my mind so I don't punch you in the face."
I just wanted to die.
Roman wearily sighed, he didn't seem as embarrassed as Lucas or myself. "Also, regarding North's lovely suggestion, we cannot just kill Ian. That would alienate your uncle entirely. We know that his loyalty is to Ian. We need Oliver for our cause, no matter how much we may personally loathe Ian."
Lucas frowned. "I still want to kill them both."
Talk about a topic change, thank god. "I still don't agree that we should even consider either of them to be assets. My father is not going to help us. He has lost his mind a long time ago, and my uncle is a wildcard."
"I will not deny that Oliver is a strange individual." Roman stated as rested his elbows on the desk. "However, we will never succeed past Phase Two without him. Everyone has a breaking point. Ian cannot stay neutral for much longer, and Oliver will go with whatever Ian decides. Do not forget, Owen, that our families have a common enemy. Ian understands this as well. The time will come for Ian to answer for the past."
Speaking of breaking points... "I think someone needs to check on the Adair family." I told them.
Roman and Lucas exchanged glances and looked back to me as I explained how Chet's obsession had escalated and has moved on to include Sang.
"That's not entirely unexpected, but it does bring back memories. That there is a family name that keeps coming back to haunt us." Roman looked again to Lucas. "Isn't Dominic still in prison?"
Lucas nodded. "He still has a few years left of his sentence."
Chet Adair was annoying, but I never had begrudged him his hatred of me and my family. After all, I'd hate me too in his position.
Chet was the the third son of the current family lead, who was actually a second son. Dominic Adair, Chet's uncle and the firstborn of that line, had been engaged to Diana Gentreau before her disappearance. From what I understood, their match had not only been based on compatibility, but also on the fact that they genuinely liked each other.
Roman would not have allowed anything less for his daughter.
My uncle, Lucas and Dominic were best friends growing up. I wasn't sure of the particulars, but from what I understood, almost four years after Diana Gentreau vanished, things fell apart for my uncle and Dominic and their friendship crumbled. My father discovered that Dominic and my uncle had embezzled funds from their family treasuries and performed illegal research on human subjects.
Shortly thereafter, Diana Gentreau's body was found. Dominic was thrown in jail, and my uncle - because of the Blackbourne name - had gotten off lightly in comparison. He simply had been put on house arrest. However, nothing had ever been able to tie them to the disappearance and death of Diana Gentreau.
I had only met my uncle a handful of times, his location was rather private. He was insane these days, and he idolized my father. Dominic had a reputation for being influential among the prisoners.
The entire affair not only affected the Adair's family chance into a marriage with the Gentreau family, but it destroyed their reputation among the highly elite. My father had been praised as a whistleblower, which saved our name, but the Adair family suffered.
Roman Gentreau never believed in the guilt of Oliver and Dominic. In his opinion, they had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, the justice system had taken over the particulars and his influence only spread so far.
Lucas openly disagreed with his father, and fully believed that they not only were guilty of the two charges, but that they were the cause of his sister's death.
I wasn't sure what was fact. All I knew for certain was that my father did play a part in Sang's imprisonment as a child. I suspected that the three of them worked together in both the disappearance of Diana Gentreau and Sang's time spent as a captive. Knowing my father, he probably betrayed the other two at some point to make himself look better.
Lucas and I were of the same mind on that, but no proof existed except my memories. Roman, on the other hand, believed that Sang's captivity and his daughter's disappearance were two separate events - and that my uncle and Dominic were innocent in both.
Regardless, if the Adair family were involved, then I had a feeling that they wouldn't stay quiet about Sang's sudden reappearance.
"Keep an eye on Chet Adair." Lucas told me, as if he had known what I was thinking.
"Lucas..." Roman said wearily. "You are worried about nothing."
"No, father." Lucas argued. "I'm not going to leave this up to your intuition. We just found her, and you know that I've never trusted them after... that."
"Dominic and Oliver were your friends too." Roman said sadly.
"Which means that I know exactly what they are capable of," Lucas responded, his voice firm.
We didn't have time for this argument again. "It is already done. I already have more than one set of eyes and ears watching Mr Adair." I told them.
Roman waved his hand, accepting that it was. Lucas nodded. "Good, keep it that way please."
Roman rested his chin on his fist. "Do you have any news of the whereabouts of the member you wanted added to your family? Will you have time to make the addition before the games?"
Sean burst into gleeful laughter at the question and I pinched the bridge of my nose - I could feel a migraine coming on. "You could say that there will be time to make it formal." He told them.
Lucas raised an eyebrow, confused. "What? You don't like him after all? You were pretty adamant about the adoption before you came here."
"No," Sean answered for me. "That's not it. Owen is going to take care of that issue. Personally. Our lost dog happened to be a little bird instead."
Oh god. Shut up, Sean!
I glanced up to see Lucas and Roman's shocked expressions. Finally, Lucas broke into a wide smile. "Really? I am so glad! I knew that she was smart! I bet none of you saw that coming."
"As much as that pleases me to hear," Roman, whose expression had shifted from happy to thoughtful, began speaking pensively, "something is off. From my understanding, the Sorenson family had always declined acceptance into the Academy. Didn't X come about as a contact from a previous agent? Considering that Sang is X, and she had told you that she was taking over for her father..."
He tapped his chin for a moment. "I will confer with the other elders, maybe one of them has information that I do not. I fear that we are missing something important. Perhaps the answer to this mystery will come to light when we find out how a Sorenson ended up with my daughter."
"Agreed." Lucas said. "However, your team is not to focus on that. We will work on things from the outside. For now, your only mission is to continue with Phase One as planned and to protect my little niece until Phase Two begins."
Kota
I woke up only to discover that Sang was no longer asleep next to me.
After freaking out for a total of ten seconds, I had counted while freaking out, yes. I refocused on our connection and was assured that nothing terrible was currently happening to her. She wasn't in pain, or scared, at least. However, from what I could tell she was, sad? Anxious? I couldn't place it.
A quick perusal around the room showed that she was no longer here either. Where could she be?
It came to me suddenly, the roof.
Why would she be up there? In any case, I didn't question it. Instead, I quietly grabbed a robe, noticed that Sean and Owen were gone (I wonder if Sang had seen), and headed in the direction of the elevators. After I had reached my destination, I followed one of the winding paths, letting my instinct guide me until, finally, I rounded the corner and saw her.
Sang sat under a pergola that overflowed with hanging lilacs, so much that I could barely make her out through them. How did she even know about this place?
"Sang." I called out to her, to give her warning so I wouldn't scare her with my appearance. Even so, she jumped slightly upon hearing her name and squinted at me through the veil of plants.
"Kota?" She asked.
I pushed my way past the plants until I had reached where she sat, looking up at me. Her big green eyes were wide, as if she was caught doing something she was not supposed to be doing.
Which was in fact, true.
"What are you doing up here alone?" I asked her as I sat on the stone bench next to her. I so wanted to pick up her tiny frame and hold her in my lap, especially because she was slightly shivering in the night air, but I didn't want to freak her out too much. I settled on wrapping my arm over her shoulders and bringing her closer to me instead. "If you would have woken me up, I would have come with you."
She wrinkled her nose in the most adorable way as she thought, before she softly spoke again. "I needed some time alone... to think."
Oh. I fought to mask the hurt I felt, maybe she didn't want me here with her after all. Perhaps she'd rather have had someone else? Then I realized I was feeling sorry for myself, and snapped myself out of it. We knew this would be difficult from the beginning, this was no time to feel doubtful.
"Kota?" She turned slightly until she was pressed into my side even closer and swung her legs over my left knee. "Not alone away from you, never away from you. I meant, alone in general. I was afraid..." she trailed off.
Afraid? "Sweetheart, what were you afraid of? Tell me." I began to trace my finger down her arm. I loved touching her, and even though she was with us all - I also felt as though she was made perfectly for me as well. Whatever it was she was afraid of, we'd figure it out and get rid of it.
"Are..." She began to bring her finger to that lip of hers, and I grabbed her hand instead. "Are you disappointed that I'm X?"
"How could I be a disappointed?" I asked her seriously. I couldn't believe she was serious, but I could tell that the anxiety was eating away at her. "Listen to me, Sang. You being X is nothing short of perfection. Sure, North is going to have to get over a few things, and I'm not super thrilled knowing that we sent you on some of those missions. The biggest thing is that we will have to deal with is blaming ourselves..."
I watched as guilty look crossed over her face, and I poked her nose. "That's right. You should have said something. We would have tried to find some way to help you sooner."
"That's not fair!" She argued back at me, looking affronted.
I felt my eyes widen. What did I say? "Pardon?"
"I did everything you guys asked me, and more. Even if it meant that I risked punishment, just to prove I was good enough." Sang seriously looked offended right now.
"Wait, what do you mea-"
"You considered X to be one of you this whole time, you said. Right?" The question made me pause. It was true.
"Yes..." I tentatively responded.
She continued as she looked at me earnestly. "X went on the same kinds of missions that any of you would have been assigned if you were there."
To an extent. I didn't want to tell her that North may have insisted on some crappier missions in the beginning, but yes. I nodded at her, reluctantly. I knew where she was going with this.
"Then by all rights," She said firmly. "I am one of you guys. I can do everything that you can do and have proven that time and time again."
Darn it. "You can't look at it that way. It's different, Sang."
"No it's not!" She argued. "I can still be useful!"
Ah. I pulled her the rest of the way into my lap and positioned her until her legs were draped over mine and my chin rested on her head. "Sorry, that's not what I meant."
Ok, now she was mad at me. Maybe I shouldn't have manhandled her. I was so bad at this.
"You are most definitely useful." I told her seriously. "It makes no difference to me if you are back at district six as X, or here as Sang Sorenson. You are our friend, and now our future wife, first and foremost. When I say that 'it is different', I mean this; I knew that there was something wrong with your situation, and despite that, we used you instead of solving your problems. It's always been family first, then academy second. The one time we didn't follow that rule, we come to find out that our girl was suffering all along. Although, I won't deny that we wouldn't have sent you into a men's bathhouse if we knew you were a girl."
I was never going to let North live that down.
She gave me a questioning look and I felt myself falling even harder. Every second of every day I fell even more for this girl, even if she was currently annoyed with me. "How could you have known about my home life, I didn't say anything." She said stubbornly.
"I didn't know the details, but I did know that you needed help - that you needed us." I told her, very seriously. "My ability is claircognizance, which means that sometimes I just know things about people or situations. It doesn't work all the time, but it did for you. When you began to talk to me as X, I knew that you'd be important to us."
She tilted her head. "You mean, you can see the future?"
"No," darn it. Sometimes I wished I could. "Also, some people's personal abilities can prevent me from reading that person as well. Derrick, for example."
"You can't read Derrick?"
I frowned as I thought about my frustration with Derrick. "Derrick is... murky." What other way was there to describe Derrick Brenner. I really wish he'd open up about his ability was exactly, this was getting frustrating. "I wasn't quite sure what to make of him, and I figured that it was the excitement of meeting you and the bonding, which also took some getting used to..."
Sang bit her lip and a pang of self-consciousness hit me.
"That's not a bad thing." I rushed to reassure her. "My abilities are based on feelings and emotions, right?" I asked her, I had to make sure she understood.
She nodded.
Good. "Right, so with the blood binding you can feel my emotions and I can feel yours. That's something new to get used to, and really it hasn't been that long in the grand scheme of things. Also, it's also been slightly different for the nine of us as well. I don't think any of us expected our bond to change as well."
How to explain? "A blood binding, the kind you did, is generally done between two individuals, and it takes the exchange of blood to be effective. Technically, you and Mr Blackbourne were the only two to exchange blood. Yet you are bonded with the nine of us all the same, did anyone explain to you how that worked?"
She shook her head. Ugh, did no one but me care about things like this? At least Sang was interested in what I had to say. And she couldn't look any cuter at the moment, all sweet and attentive.
Ok, I needed to distract myself from her inquisitive gaze.
I cleared my throat. "Well, we did a different kind of blood bond when we became a team. Essentially our bond recognizes us as one individual, yet we still maintain our separate identities and abilities. Actually, I don't even know the full extent of how it works. We are kind of learning how this works as we go. There wasn't a lot of research done on the topic but-"
"You and Owen actually did a blood ritual based on a limited amount of research?" Sang gasped, horrorstruck. "What in the world were you thinking?"
I felt my face heat in embarrassment. "Shush!" I tapped her head. "My only excuse was that we were younger, and a situation had come up. Not that we would change anything about it now, even if we could. It's all a learning experience."
She gave me a doubtful look, but I ignored her. "Before becoming tied to you, our bond also allowed us to tell when the other may have been in danger, needed help, or anything like that. After that point, we knew that we wanted a similar kind of connection with our future wife. I knew it would happen one day, even if some of the others had given up hope."
I could feel Sang relax as I explained, and I began playing with the ends of her soft hair. "I was having a bad day that day, and I was alone in the office. Suddenly, I felt the need to send out a message to district six. That's when I found you."
"Oh." She replied softly. "You know, my first connection to the outside world was through talking to PI. So in a way, you were my first friend. When I came to the Capital, you were the one who found me here when I was alone. You've saved me in both district six and in the Capital, but I feel like I have so much to learn about you."
"Yes, you'll always be my friend first. However, I will say, the type of relationship that I long for with Sang Sorenson is definitely different than what I ever expected to have with X." I glanced down and could see the top her nose turning pink. I could feel a new emotion brewing inside, both her and me. I began to nuzzle my nose behind her ear.
How was this entire marriage thing going to work? As far we had been told, the rules were still in place and Sang had never been kissed. However, I was not an idiot and I didn't believe for a second that certain people were actually following said rules.
We had all felt her excitement when was was alone with Dr Green the other day, and then again earlier tonight with Mr Blackbourne. If sleeping next to her while her lust was a nightmare, then this was just hell on earth.
The only thing that helped the rest of us was Gabriel and his abilities.
Maybe I wouldn't seek my revenge on him after all. But then I thought back to my brilliant plan.
Nah. He still needed a little reminding. For now I'd let him live in fear. I could see it in his eyes, he knew I was plotting something.
I felt her arousal as my hand moved up and down her arm again, and I nearly groaned aloud. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but I didn't want to scare her away either.
"Kota," she tilted her head up towards me and I could see her perfect pink lips part slightly. "Do you want to kiss me?"
God yes. "...why?"
Oh my lord, Dakota Lee! You are such an idiot, could you get any more pathetic. This is when you are supposed to take the girl and kiss her senseless - not embarrass her!
"Oh," her face became even redder and she looked off to the side. "I just thought I was feeling..."
Screw this. Be brave Kota, just remember that North would definitely take advantage of this opportunity! You can do it, you have to be braver than the rest of them! Darnnit, you are family lead for a reason. It's just Sang, for god's sake.
"Yes!" I blurted out, I probably sounded like an idiot but I didn't care. She looked back up at me at my confession, but she didn't seem to think I was a moron. In fact, she seemed eager and expectant.
Oh god, oh god. What do I do now?
She closed her eyes, her face still upturned towards me, and I decided to just go for it.
Sang
Kota's mouth touched mine softly, tentatively, as if he wasn't entirely sure of himself. How could he not be though? He was my first friend, in both worlds. He found me when I was lost, alone and grieving. Once, the lost of a parent. The other, while morning what I had thought would be the loss of my life. He was my Kota. He wasn't afraid of anything.
It was fitting that our first kiss would be here, surrounded by flowers, when our first in-person meeting was in a garden. His lips were soft, but firm, and my mouth slightly opened to let him in more. I breathed in his scent, and he smelled and tasted like spice. My hands gripped his shirt in reaction.
That was all the encouragement he needed, and he seemed to grow more confident with each passing second. He took over fully then, and his sweet, tentative kiss turned passionate and strong. His hand reached up and wrapped around my shoulders, while the other held onto my hip firmly.
He moved me across his lap slightly, so that his body covered mine even more - I felt small in comparison to him - and our mouths danced. I don't know how long we explored each other, my hands running up and down his hidden, but definitely defined, arms and abs, before I came up for a breath.
"Kota," I whispered, but he hadn't stopped. I felt myself breathing heavily as he began to trail kisses off over my face - my nose, my ear lobes, my jaw. "Kota..." I wanted his mouth on me again, I wanted to breath him in more. I wanted to absorb his strength and confidence and everything about him.
It was because of Kota that I was where I was today, it was because of Kota that I was no longer alone.
"Kot-" It was like he knew what I ached for, and his mouth was on mine again - pressing and pulling. I gasped into his as his tongue traced my bottom lip and I felt his hand move from my hip to my breast. Slowly, at first, as if he wasn't sure, he just left his hand hovering over my breast. I could feel the heat of it though, and I wanted more. Instinctively I arched upwards into his touch.
A new ache was starting, his hand became more firm as he squeezed my breast more demandingly - hip fingers occasionally brushing against my sensitive nipples through the fabric of my shirt. I need his touch on my skin, I was on fire. I wanted this shirt gone, gone, gone...
Kota pulled away, breathing heavily. "Ok..." He grunted under his breath.
Ok what? I blinked at him, dazed. "Huh?"
"Must... stop..." He pressed his forehead to mine, his nose rubbing against mine affectionately.
Stop? What did he mean stop?
No! I totally didn't want to stop! Feeling bold, I slipped my hands into his shirt and ran my fingers over his nipples - if it felt good for me then maybe it would for him too. He shivered in response.
"I love you, Sang." He breathed against me, "but be good."
I pressed up and pecked his lips with my own. "I thought I was being good."
Kota chuckled under his breath, his scent washing over me. "Oh, you are being so good. You are so very good. However, I think we need to get back before the others either spontaneously combust or send a search party out to murder me."
My foggy mind instantly cleared and I ripped my hands out from his shirt. "What? Everyone is sleeping, right? They were when I left."
He pulled back slightly, his green eyes twinkled mischievously. "I'm sure they are awake now."
I could only stare at him dumbly.
"Sweetheart," he nuzzled my ear again. "Did you forget that we can feel all of your emotions?"
I stared ahead, stunned. Yes, I had known that. For some reason intimate moments like this didn't seem like something that would... transfer? Be known? Why had no one told me, I was so embarrassed.
I was going to murder them all.