As of December 7th 2018 we have 4257 reads!!! This is very crazy to me. Thank you all again for consistently reading and sticking through 25 chapters with me!! I am very thankful.
It has come to my attention that perhaps some of you skip chapters (shocking I know) and you guys are the readers so you can do what you like but remember you can always message me or leave a comment and tell me things you dislike. I am very open to that.
Age
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18-25 (36%)
25-35 (3%)
Over 45 (2%)
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Gender
Female (53%)
Male (16%
Private (30%)
Readers and Country:
Vietnam: 65.574%- idk if y'all r fujoshis or what but I appreciate the support.
United States: 14.754%
Canada: 4.918%
Australia, Austria,, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Sweden each have: 1.639%
Writer's Note- This is a direct continuation of the last chapter. So it's the same night. Someone asked how often I upload so I think of this as a bonus chapter even though I'm still sticking to Tuesday's and Fridays (est) until further notice.
Remember to vote!
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Mike's hair was wet from his shower when he got into bed with me, the tips curling and stuck to his neck. I turned away as he got into the bed expecting him to snuggle behind me. Instead, he splayed his hands on my back, warm fingers tracing the knobs of my spine. "Derrick." He said in a quiet voice. I was beginning to realize whenever he just said my name that there was something beneath it, like a request and something that I was supposed to interpret.
I turned over, looking at his naked chest and his boxer clad thighs. "Yes?"
He looked me up and down, coming closer and tracing my tattoos along my rib cage. "I like when..." he cut himself off, face quickly going red. Even the tips of his ears were scarlet as he flushed deep into his chest. I watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. His gaze was molten when he looked into my eyes. "I like when you take charge."
"Like when?" I encouraged, wondering just how red he could get.
Mike traced a hand down my chest, fingering one of my fading scars. "Like, outside the men's washroom-" he closed his eyes briefly, breathing slowly through parted lips, "-When you pushed me up against the wall, your body against mine, kissing me...I liked it."
I hadn't expected this at all. I sat up and Mike sat up, too, as though waiting for something. His eyes were glued to my face and fixating on my mouth.
"I thought it was hot." Mike whispered.
"Uhm." I stammered, unused to a shy Mike. I almost started laughing because if anything my forwardness at the lounge was an insecure gesture that I found a bit embarrassing. Even if I thought of Mike as mine he wasn't property, I couldn't shackle him up and keep him away from interested eyes. He was his own person before he was my boyfriend. But Mike was sitting there and staring at me...Like he wanted me to do it again. The silence wavered precariously for a moment until the atmosphere changed.
He hugged me suddenly, arms wrapped around my waist. "You're actually adorable." And he was back to his usual self. "I'm tired but let's talk about this tomorrow."
"What is there to talk about?" I said as Mike let me go to turn off the bedside light.
He chuckled as he tangled our legs together and pulled the covers up and over us, "Being versatile."
#
"And like...What does being versatile even mean? Does he mean flexible?"
Dr. Ky Nguyen had been listening to me rant about my day yesterday and was sipping coffee when he almost choked. He paused, clearing his throat before the tips of his mouth curled downwards. "Let's....Not have this conversation. Or rather, it's one you should be having with-" he checked his paper, "-With Mike, not me."
"But-"
Ky covered his mouth with his clipboard but the way his eyes creased I could tell he was silently laughing. He put the clipboard down when he composed himself, "So your accident left you with a lot of missing memories?"
I nodded.
"Did you want them back?"
"Yes and no..." I started, "I wish I knew what Chrissa meant when she tells an inside joke, or when Mike talks about university. Or even when I see movies that I wish I knew the plot of. I know I'm missing things, but there are also things I don't want to remember."
"That's fair." Ky said quietly, "Let's try an exercise." He stood up and put his clipboard down. Impatiently, be gestured for me to stand up.
I slouched up and out of my seat.
Ky spread his arms wide, "Do what I do. Think of how you're just a skeleton with a bunch of organs, and a sac of skin on top."
"Okay."
"Now imagine for a moment that you are tuned into every part of your body. Touch your hand to your heart, and feel your heart beating."
Yikes, it was beating pretty fast.
"Okay, now feel the threads of magic connecting you to the world. Imagine the webs that ebb and flow with magic. Sometimes it feels like like sand on your skin, or slippery like jelly. But if you focus, you can feel it. For me, it feels like buzzing, snaps of electricity zipping through my hands. What does it feel like for you?"
I tried to feel the granules of sand, or the jelly of even the sparks of magic but I didn't feel anything. "I don't-"
Ky sighed, voice growing weary, "Think of when you do a spell, what do you feel?"
My heart was beating faster and faster, thumping hard. "I feel...Hot." My skin started burning, "Like I'm warm all over." Even now I felt my tattoos heating up across my body, points of fire trailing up and down my arms and across my torso. When I tried to focus it felt almost like prickling fire surrounding my tattoos.
Ky sounded pleased, "Let the feeling go and sit back down."
I reorganized myself on the couch, feeling weird. I listened to the quiet with the sounds of Ky making notes against his clipboard.
"When was the last time you injected yourself to get rid of excess plasma?" Ky asked.
I looked at his emotionless face. His hair was up today, the longer parts up and off his face with a small dark clasp. On anyone else it would look childish for a grown man's hair to be tied up that way. But he looked as menacing as he always did, beginning to narrow his eyes when I didn't reply.
I started murmuring, "Maybe a week ago."
Ky tapped on his hearing aid, "Please don't mumble, Derrick."
"Shit." I said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"
He waved a hand dismissively, "More importantly, your magic levels seem to be evening out nicely. Try to be aware of what stresses you out and sets you off. For, me-" his hesitation was so slight I almost missed it. "-My family is very important to me. I try to ensure our safety and comfort at all times. The holiday season is more difficult for me, and by now the children can tell I get on edge. They try to behave more during winter."
"I think, feeling out of control, or angry is what makes me upset. Arguing, definitely."
Ky nodded his head, "That's understandable. Perhaps, you should take up yoga, or some mindfulness sessions."
I stiffened, "Yeah. Yoga isn't for me. And sitting in a room with ambience music isn't for me either."
"You mentioned you paint right?" He touched his index finger to his cheek thoughtfully. "Perhaps that can be a proper outlet for you when you feel like things are spiraling out of control."
"I do like to paint."
"If you tell me what you need we can paint during our next session."
I couldn't hold back my delight, "Really?"
He laughed, and the sound reminded me of rumbling rocks, "Yes really. But I should warn you, I can barely draw a straight line so I won't be keeping up with you easily. I think we'll end off here, today. I'll see you in a few days, Derrick. And next time we will talk about the book."
#
I got back home to see that Mike had decorated the apartment. He ended up choosing a theme of blue and silver, leaving little holiday trinkets around and decorating the tv stand. There was even a silver wreath on the outside of the door.
I put away my things, shrugging off my jacket and inhaling the warmth from inside the apartment. Mike poked his head out of the kitchen, eyes lightling up when he saw me and a bit of flour on the tip of his nose. "Hi." he almost looked shy as he whisked something vigorously, corded veins standing out against the muscles of his arm.
"Hi." I said, feeling awkward.
"Your shoes are still on." Mike said, looking me up and down quickly.
I looked down, seeing my wet boots soaking into the wooden floors. "Shit." I went back to the entryway, managing to bump my knee against the closet as I wrestled off my boots.
I went back to Mike in the kitchen, watching him icing a series of cupcakes. Somehow the kitchen was immaculate but every counter seemed to be full of a baking tray, or an icing bag or a cooling baked good.
"How was it with Dr. Nguyen?" Mike asked, icing swirls atop a cupcake and then using some kind of special tweezers to add red and green beads.
"It was fine, and why are you baking so much? It's the weekend. Who's going to eat all this?" I mean yeah it looked good, but even I had a limit.
"We're having an early Christmas party at my work, and I offered to bake. I'm going all out. I'm talking cupcakes with chocolate centres, and a drip cake."
"A what?"
"I'll finish it tomorrow before I go into work. You can see it then. You're starting up at the tattoo parlour tomorrow right?"
"Yes." I looked around the kitchen, "I feel like we need more space."
Mike froze for a moment, messing up the icing on a cupcake. He frowned, brows drawing in irritation before he looked up at me as though realizing what I had said. "Are you thinking of moving?"
I shrugged, "Maybe."
"You could always..." he was silent for a moment, just applying bids to the cupcakes, "You could always come and stay with me, until you find a place, or maybe not."
I chose not to address the veiled invitation to move in with Mike. "A place down the hall is opening up. It's a three bedroom with two bathrooms and a den. I'm thinking of applying."
Mike frowned, "Oh I see. But, I do feel like I'm taking over your space, sorry about that." Mike finally put down what he was holding and faced me.
I walked up to him, pulling his face down to kiss him softly, "I don't mind if you take over my space." I swiped at his nose, removing the flour there.
Mike kissed my throat and I closed my eyes. "Really, you don't care?"
I couldn't think as his mouth riddled my neck with kisses, "What?" I said, feeling like I missed something.
"Did you think about what I said earlier today?" Mike looked at me with his pale grey eyes, searching for something.
"Think about what? The versatile thing? What does that even mean?" I just wanted him to kiss me again. I brushed my hands up and down his arms, following the veins there.
Mike laughed, eyes crinkling attractively, "You know, instead of pitching I'll be catching."
I blinked, "Catching what?"
Mike shook his head, still laughing. "Why don't you just google it, Derrick?"
I took out my phone, thumbing in the words into the search engine. I gasped softly, seeing the results, feeling heat fly into my face.
"So you've seen it." Mike said, still chuckling. He touched a strand of my hair, curving it around my ear. "Let's go to your room." he said in a low voice, stroking my hair.
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Writer's Note- Small, bonus chapter. What're your thoughts on everything so far?
I really like Ky, is that just me? Idc I'll say it.
Thoughts on seeing a different side of Mike?
Also- in the next week or so I'll probably upload a new story based on the Blood Moon short story I wrote. Please support me, and check it out when it's out.