Top pic credit: Rogue Heichou

🍋 MATURE CONTENT WARNING: the SECOND half of this chapter is all smut. The smut is only on Patreon. Thank you for understanding.

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~ Three Months Later ~

(song for this chapter: POV by Ariana Grande) ✨

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Ari POV:

"Wow, can they sound anymore insincere?"

"No pity for murderers. Hourglass and Hawks should be locked up. Disappointed in the government for just letting them off the hook like that smh."

"And now they're just allowed to wander the streets free? Wtf Japan?"

"Guys, I don't think the video was real. I mean, Hawks and Hourglass looked so stiff and uncomfortable."

"Bruh, Hawks be looking psycho af with that scar on his face 😂 I'd still hit it tho."

"STOMP ON ME, TED DUNDY-"

"I think they're being blackmailed. If you look at minute 2:09 of the video, you can see Hawks look offscreen towards someone. It's really quick but still there. And then Hourglass looked scared."

"Hourglass has always been a fake bitch. Get her outta here I'm good 😫🤚"

"Hawks has the same scar on his face as his dad Thief Takami! Apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. I'm sure he's proud."

"I just feel bad for them :/ I don't think they're telling the truth and I feel like there's a reason. Maybe they're in trouble or something."

"This video has the worst acting I've ever seen 😂 anyone who actually believes these are Hawks and Hourglass' own words is seriously deranged. I call blackmail on the hero commission's part. #SaveHawks&Hourglass."

"I don't think it's bad acting, I just think they're insincere. I think they know they did wrong, but don't really care. They just did this public announcement to get the press of their back-"

"Hmmm, this doesn't look like the takeout menu you said you were pulling up on your laptop, chicky." I heard from behind me, before a warm pair of arms came around my waist.

I let out a small gasp at being caught, exiting out of the YouTube comments quick as lightning.

Not like it matters though. I know he saw.

I pressed my lips together in defeat, trailing my gaze down to the kitchen table as I melted into the comforting hold of Keigo's arms.

"I...I know. I'm sorry. I just....well, I just thought that since it's been a few months since our testimonial....maybe all of the hate would have...." I trailed off almost inaudible, before I felt Keigo's chin rest atop my shoulder.

He hummed softly in understanding, slowly rotating his face in towards my neck for a small, chaste kiss.

"Ah, save it, little dove. I get it. S'not bad to hope the world will stop hatin' us. You don't need to feel ashamed or try to hide that you care. I care, too. It's very painful, right?" He whispered softly, resting his forehead against my neck as he gently swayed our bodies back and forth in his hold.

And it helped. Just having him here with me, going through this with me. It helped a great deal.

I inhaled a soft breath at the feeling of his warmth, already feeling my negative thoughts fading away as I was the one to slowly close my laptop now and lean back into Keigo's chest.

"Yeah. It's painful. It still hurts me. But....it's not as painful as it was last week. And next week will be even less painful than this week, I bet." I uttered back, gently grabbing onto Keigo's scarred arms as he kept them locked around my waist.

The last feather around my neck lazily detached from my necklace before slowly swirling around Keigo and I freely.

The dull look on my face gradually began to brighten as the feather brushed the tip of my nose. I know Keigo could sense my soft change in demeanor when I felt his lips curve up into a small smile against my neck.

"Mm. You're right. It'll keep getting better—How can it not get better, when my new, soft couch finally got delivered?" Keigo mumbled teasingly against my skin, lazily gesturing to the newly wrapped up couch sitting unpacked in the middle of our apartment.

The apartment in Tengoku that he bought for us all those months ago, of course. So many months ago, it feels like years.

A soft chuckle immediately fell from my lips at his successful attempt at a random subject change, feeling the last lingering weights of my depression wash away when he genuinely laughed with me.

That seems to be how it is now. That's how it's been for the last three months, since we've been home.

And how it's been, is bittersweet—though, I will say that for once in Keigo and I's lives...it is finally more sweet than bitter.

To start with the bitter, so we can end with the sweet....the transition from hero life, to hospital life, to domestic home life has been very difficult for Keigo and I to adjust to.

We've always talked about wanting to retire. But, for two people who have spent the majority of their lives training and working ourselves to the bone every single day...we didn't realize how difficult retirement would actually be—being left alone to wallow in our own haunting thoughts, and all.

Not to mention, we never wanted a retirement that happened in such an unfulfilling tragic way, bound to leave a bad taste in both of our mouths for all of eternity.

The day after Keigo and I finished our live retirement speech, it was finally time to leave the hospital. It was meant to be a happy day, because it meant that we'd both finally gotten healthy enough to survive our injuries, and be able to return home and continue healing peacefully.

But, people were angry. The riots outside the hospital, demanding that Keigo and I 'be locked up' were so bad, that we needed an entire escort team for my family and I to even get from the hospital doors to the car that would basically run us out of the city.

We needed another escort from the city to Tengoku to ensure the angriest rioters wouldn't follow us and find out where we live and try to hurt us.

They didn't. They haven't. Keigo and I live in a very remote area of Japan now. A very small town, full of kind people and friendly neighbors who allow us to mind our business and try to find peace.

And while Keigo had talked surely about selling his penthouse in the city that Diane had bought him so many years ago, it seemed like the commission decided to repossess it from him, anyways—not even allowing him to go back and retrieve any of his belongings, as they packed it clean and gave it away to someone else; to a millionaire from Tokyo, is what I heard.

Apparently, he gifted the place to his mistress. That's what the tabloids said, anyways, but you know we can't always trust them.

Keigo said he wasn't mad about it. He explained that he had nothing personal in there, anyways. Just a toothbrush and extra work clothes.

He was more excited about returning home to our new apartment and finally starting our life.

And for those first few hours that we returned home, life was amazing. We were so excited to be back in the place that had already brought us so much joy, that we couldn't have been more content, sitting in and enjoying the pretty views, and the setting sun.

It's normally when the light turns to darkness for the night, that we both seem to be at our worst. Not just mentally, but physically, too.

My injuries have healed up quite nicely now, leaving nothing more than some scars and a little fatigue. However, Keigo legitimately had one foot through the door of death, and the other barely hanging onto the living. His physical healing process would be a bit more tedious.

He has a harder time breathing now from how scarred his lungs are. He even has an inhaler that he's only used a handful times—simply because he's stubborn and just doesn't want to use it. I know his body still hurts him, and his physical pain doesn't allow him to get the sleep he needs.

It's a whole domino effect, cause when he can't sleep, he stays up all night thinking. Thinking about things that he knows he shouldn't think about. Depressing things. Harmful things. But, thoughts and images that still manage to wiggle their way into his mind, whether he wants them to, or not.

On the nights where I actually managed to get some sleep—which weren't very many in the first few weeks we'd been here, I'd always wake up and find Keigo absent from the bed and the feather absent from around my necklace.

He'd always be in the same place when I went to find him, sitting peacefully on the balcony with his iced coffee and his pajamas on, whistling softly to himself as he telekinetically played with his feather, swirling it around until it caught freely in the breeze, before twirling it back down to his hand.

It was a beautiful sight. To see Keigo, looking out to the mountains and rivers in front of him, with his last feather dancing around his body as if it were speaking its own language to him. Honestly, it probably was. He could feel everything through that feather, after all. Every touch. Every pattern of the wind particles. Every howl from the coyotes down below, to the droplets of water splashing from the misty cliffs.

The morning, or midnight, ritual almost seemed like a form of meditation to him. While I know he went out there to play with his feather, because he was sad he didn't have his wings anymore, he never actually seemed to be devastated when I checked on him. Melancholy sometimes, sure. But, never utterly somber.

"I know you're checkin' me out back there." He'd call out in amusement, not even looking back at the doorway as he unsurprisingly sensed my presence with his feather.

"Damn right I am. The view's looking pretty amazing." I stated back, keeping the air lighthearted as I leaned against the doorway.

The small laugh from his lips was music to my ears and medicine to my soul, as he finally turned his gaze to face me—hair a bed headed mess that fit his lax, retirement look so perfectly.

"Oh yeah? Which view are we talkin'?" He said, tilting his head to the side lazily as the feather made its way over to me.

"The view with the sexy looking hobo outside my door." I uttered, gesturing to the way he was starting to grow out his facial hair just a tad more now.

Ah, but I'm only kidding of course. I liked the look on him. I'd like any look on him.

"You say 'hobo,' but I only heard sexy and y'know that means you want me." He pointed out in quiet, peaceful playfulness, gently swirling his feather atop my nose.

And every time the feather came over to me, it was always the same sweet gesture. It would wrap around my wrist and lightly pull me over to Keigo, as his silent way of asking me to sit with him.

Of course I obliged gladly, so we always sat there together. Sometimes we'd speak freely, whatever was on our mind, and other times, we both enjoyed the comforting silence of each other's presence, looking up at the sun or the moon—depending on the time of day, wrapped up in the bliss of each other's arms. It was healing, in itself.

When we did chat on the balcony, I never bothered to ask him if he was outside, because he couldn't sleep. That much was obvious already.

Instead, I would ask him what he's thinking about. And unlike the very first days of our relationship, Keigo no longer had any torturing internal conflicts of telling me how he really felt.

He was honest. Fully honest and free to speak whatever he wanted to, and he did. Some days, he would say he felt extra sad, missing the feeling of being in the sky. Other days, he said he actually felt okay and hopeful for the future—which was now the present time that fate had been so kind to gift us.

As the weeks continued to pass, his regular answers started to become genuinely more content and accepting. Pretty soon, our night or morning conversations naturally veered away from Keigo's loss, and more towards what he hopes to gain. In other words, his dreams. His new dreams.

One of his favorite new activities was to look up at the stars, with me in his arms, laughing the night away and coming up with new dreams he'd never thought of, simply because he'd never been allowed to do such an innocent activity in his life—thinking for himself. He truly enjoyed it. And, in turn, that made me enjoy it twice as much as he did.

And, so....even though he's spent so much of his life being mentally, and basically physically, tortured by an incredibly horrible woman and her prison of abuse, his emotional wounds started to heal faster than his physical wounds.

Of course, he'd always be a little different. But, different isn't necessarily a bad thing. He was finally finding the happiness that he'd always dreamed of. And upon starting to truly realize and absorb that, the dull look of war and abuse started to fade away from his eyes more everyday, leaving nothing left but peace and utter content.

Me, on the other hand. Well, I was the reverse; my physical wounds had long healed, but my mental ones would scar deep.

Yes, Keigo has changed from this war. But, more than that, I have changed. I've changed so much. Not in a way I'm proud of. I feel weaker. I feel more emotional. I can still hear the cries of the dead stabbing my eardrums in the middle of the night. I weep randomly. I have panic attacks.

The truth is, I am not okay.

But, the other truth, is that I'm starting to be.

It's only thanks to Keigo. I don't know where I'd be without him. Without his kindness and his patience. His complete and utter acceptance of my changes—not trying to reverse them and force me to be the person I used to be, but rather, love me for the person I am now, so wholeheartedly, and find the good in me that I can't ever seem to find in myself.

It's his want to take care of me. His understanding of knowing exactly what I'm going through, because he's gone through the same thing.

Keigo already doesn't sleep. I say that he talks in his sleep, but I can't imagine the horrible things I'm probably saying, as well. I know this because when I'm jolted awake in the middle of the night, sweating and crying in hysterics from another nightmare, his arms are already around me in the next second, speaking quickly but calmly and softly in a way to help me find my center.

"Ari, Ari, Ari. You're screaming, baby. Wake up, you gotta wake up—Shhh. Shhh. It's not real, you hear me? Hey, c'mere. It's not real-"

"G-Get off!!!! Please don't hurt me!!! Please!!!! I'm sorry!!! God, make it stop!! It's so loud!!!" I'd sobbed out pathetically, too high on my agonizing fear and memories to realize that it was Keigo's arms around me at first.

But, he never gave up.

"It's Keigo. I'd never hurt you. You don't need to apologize. We're in our home. You're safe, Chicky—you're alright, it's just me, okay? I've got ya now." He would say through the pitch black shadows of our bedroom, holding me lightly and calmly in his arms even as I thrashed around wildly in them.

And the reason he continued to hold me as I struggled against him, is because he knows what always happens when I come back to reality and realize it's him.

"K-Keigo!!!? Oh god, I'm sorry. I-I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me. Don't go. I didn't mean it." I'd cry harder, suddenly wrapping my arms around him tightly for fear that I'd finally become so fucked up, that he was done with me and wanted to leave.

I don't even know what I apologize for, anymore. It just comes out of my mouth as some sort of defense mechanism.

But, he was patient, holding me in his arms and wrapping the covers around my shivering, yet sweaty body.

"Oh, my Chicky. I'd never go anywhere. Ever. It's not your fault. No, dove. It was never your fault, and Diane isn't going to hurt you. You're safe. You're with me. It was just a nightmare. You were screamin' and I sensed your heart rate wrackin' in your chest with my feather. I was the one who woke you up. Hope ya don't mind, I just couldn't bear to let you suffer like that. It hurts me to hear you scream." He whispered to me soothingly, combing his calming fingers through my damp, sweaty hair as I trembled and cried against his chest.

I would try to open my eyes—quickly closing them again when I saw nothing but darkness. It's easier to see darkness when my eyes are closed, because it's darkness that's supposed to be there. It made me feel like I was still in control, somehow.

But, I could never control my breathing. I could never control my trembling, or the panicked feeling that the world was falling down around me.

And as cliché as it sounds to say, feeling Keigo in my arms helped me control it and find peace again.

Even though it wasn't a position that was most comfortable for his healing body, he'd sit up in the bed, resting his bandaged back against the headboard as he held me in his lap.

"S-S-Stop, Kei. You're....you're back—I know it probably hurts in this spot. I'm sorry-" I'd breath out with a lack of oxygen as all I could do was grip him tighter, in hopes that I'd calm down soon.

"You have nothing to apologize for, little dove. It doesn't hurt. It's fine." He'd lie, gently running his feather down every part of my cold sweating skin, while placing pillow soft kisses to my forehead and neck.

Eventually, my body would untangled from the searing knot of stress it had tightened itself into. My breathing would start to even, my heart rate would start to calm, and the overstimulation of fear in my brain would finally begin to dissipate.

"Ah, there you go. You're controlling it now, good job. See? It's all fine. There's nothing left that can hurt us, anymore." He would remind me, willing to legitimately sit there and hold me endlessly until he'd look out the window and see the sun peeking over the mountains on the horizon.

"I love you so much."

"And I love you even more than that."

"Please, don't ever leave me."

"I wouldn't dream of that. You're my girl. Hawks mate for life, remember?"

And as much as it doesn't feel true during my bad nights of blinding hysteria and post traumatic torture....

He's right. It's all fine now. Actually, the further we move along, it's even starting to become more than fine.

Once the sun comes up high into the sky, the bitter turns to sweet.

Keigo and I have already become like an old couple, barely able to lug our tired, creaking bodies out of bed in the morning—or, rather, the early afternoon, considering we try to catch up on our sleepless nights once the sun comes up.

"Don't forget to take your medication." I'd yawn lazily as we head into the kitchen to find some breakfast to eat.

"Only if you don't forget to take yours, first." He'd smirk back, tossing me a pill bottle with my name on it as we swapped medicine containers like a Christmas gift exchange.

And even though some of the nights were hard, that didn't stop Keigo and I from falling back into perfect old patterns a few days after we'd retired. He was quick to gain back his jokes, and I was quick to gain back my feistiness.

We were both quick to gain back our smiles and laughs. Inadvertently, that meant we were also quick to find happiness again.

Still trying to heal and adjust, one thing that Keigo and I haven't been able to gain back, yet, is the ability to be intimate. The most 'intimate' things we've done involve Keigo sitting naked over the bathtub every night while he lets me change the bandages on his back and the rest of his body. Not exactly a horny inducing task.

But, he was very quick and cocky—no pun intended, to let me know a few days ago that he'd finally finished the medication that previously didn't let him....get it up.

And while my third eye down below was quick to perk up at his little suggestive notion after not having sex with him for about seven or eight months straight now.....I wanted to make sure he'd be completely okay and healthy, before we got intimate again.

Yes, he wasn't a fan of that answer, and neither was I. Yes, we were both gradually getting impatient, but I didn't want to worry that he'd accidentally do something to injure himself.

This bird is kinky, and if there's anyone in this world who would become hospitalized and intubated over a new position in the bedroom, it's him by far.

And knowing him too damn well, if he survived that hospital trip, he'd probably make some type of snide joke about how 'the sex was just so good, it almost killed me—literally.'

Ha ha ha......

So, instead, we've spent our time these past few months with some much needed, abstinent relaxation! We bought a television—purposely avoiding the news, and watch movies. We take walks outside our apartment complex, enjoying the beautiful outdoor nature and roses that we never had the time to stop and smell before.

I've started drawing—not very well, but it's something. Keigo's started cooking and building small things around the house. We're slowly remodeling the furniture in our apartment. My family's house is only a few minutes away, so we spend a lot of time there.

To some, it may seem a boring, quiet life.

But, to Keigo and I, it couldn't possibly be any better than this.

And while I was busy looking at the endless black hole of YouTube comments on Keigo and I's retirement speech from a few months ago, he was too busy getting psyched up over a new piece of furniture that he ordered to even think about that dreadful last day, back at the hospital.

That's the energy I want to have. I don't want to be sad, anymore, or be consumed with the bad. I want to be present with him. So, I will be.

I smiled softly, reveling in the feeling of being held in Keigo's arms as I peacefully looked ahead to the window ahead of us.

It was cold and rainy outside, but in this apartment and in this moment, I have never felt warmer, cozier, and safer in my entire life.

Clearly wishing I'd speak again or pay attention to him, I heard Keigo hum softly against my neck, placing a chaste kiss on it as he gently swayed our bodies back and forth once again.

My body melted back against his more than I thought possible, before I felt the need to turn around in his arms, simply because I wanted to see his face.

He released his hold from me for a moment to allow me the movement of switching positions and wrapping my arms around his shirtless shoulders. Yet, his hands snaked right back to my waist once I'd gotten myself comfortable.

His smile was soft, but so bright. Eyes of honeyed gold looked down at me sweetly, yet knowingly as he could sense I'd been lost inside my own head for a small pass of time.

He said nothing though, letting me be the one to decide whether I wanted to draw attention to my thoughts, or not.

But, like I said. I wanted to be happy. And being here with Keigo made it so easy to bask in the little moments of content.

"You know, last time I checked, I never agreed on the softer couch, because it didn't hurt my ass the way it hurt yours." I pointed out teasingly, making the decision to let go of any darkness I felt weighing me down as I brought the conversation back to something more lighthearted.

Keigo reveled in the topic of fun, gentle eyes immediately rolling up in cheeky amusement now as he bit down on his lip and lazily pulled me closer.

"Yeahhh, but last time I checked, we already established that I have a bony, lil' ass that needed some extra tender love and care, am I right?" He smirked, speaking of his own ass—yet, humming suggestively as his hands slowly began to trail south down towards mine.

I can tell he's starting to get a bit fidgety after eight months of unwanted abstinence on both our parts. His hands—and his eyes, are gradually starting to wander my body more frequently and more heatedly...

....and he's only further encouraged to continue when he's well aware of how much I like it.

I shot him a harmless glare as his hands settled comfortably on my butt, smirking softly in amusement when he grabbed two handfuls of it to squeeze.

"I thought you said your ass was the one that needed the tender love and care." I pointed out playfully, causing him to chuckle as he gave my butt a light smack.

"Ah, still true. But, y'know...there's definitely enough love and care to...go around, I'd say." He whispered, barely needing to crane his head down for his lips to meet mine warmly.

I couldn't help but return his kiss blissfully, melting our mouths together with a lazy, familiar ease that comforted both of us.

"Mmm, is that right? What a chivalrous Prince Charming thing of you to say." I uttered against his lips, feeling him teasingly graze his smug grinning mouth against my own.

"Yeah. I always knew you thought I was romantic as fuck." He murmured, snaking his hand to the back of my neck and pulling me in for another, firmer kiss before I could counter his point.

Admittedly, I couldn't deny the small sparks of heat I felt looming in the pit of my stomach as his soft lips caressed my own so perfectly. I'm not surprised, as this is how it's been for awhile now.

Keigo and I are both so obviously touch starved for each other's bodies.

Since we've been home these past three months—and especially with this new free time we've both been blessed with, we are no strangers to catching up on our kisses. Uncountable moments of bliss seem to revolve around each other's lips, as neither of us can ever seem to get enough.

Each time we go in for another innocent kiss, the moment becomes increasingly more heated from both of us.

The sexual frustration is real. It's getting harder and harder to limit ourselves to strict makeout-only boundaries when both of us end up tangled on top of each other, shirts off, breaths heavy...with our searing bodies begging us for more.

I'm at the point now where five minutes of just kissing him is almost enough build up to push me over the damn edge.

But, I need to control myself. He's still not one-hundred-percent healthy. No matter how much we both want this, I don't want him to get hurt.

However, it seems that I'm already starting to get carried away. Again.

While my thoughts were about restraint, my body spoke first as I came back to the moment with the realization that my hands were already tangled in Keigo's hair, pushing him closer to me by the back of his head.

And he had absolutely no problem with it.

His hands were on both sides of my face now, face tilting deeper towards my own before I felt his tongue come to glide across my bottom lip.

Don't get carried away. Best to stop it now....

....in just a few seconds.

I let my mouth fall open more, causing Keigo to take my cue and deepen the kiss heatedly. He hummed softly at the feeling, gliding a single hand back down to my waist before pulling me flush against him.

"Y'know, Chicky. I dunno if I ever told you, but you are by far the best kisser I've ever had..." He drawled out with a flirt against my lips, causing me to roll my eyes softly and gently bite his lower lip.

"Yeah, I would sure fucking hope so, you little man hoe." I countered softly, causing Keigo to snicker as he wrapped both arms fully around my waist.

"Nahhh, I'm not a man hoe, anymore. You got this bird all tied down now, babe. I mean—okay, I may still be a man hoe—but imma hoe only for you." He teased only half jokingly, grazing his mouth against my own as I felt the warmth of his shirtless body starting to radiate through my sweatshirt.

"Damn right you're my hoe. And don't you forget it." I whispered with my own half joking tease, yet Keigo seemed like he would be more than okay with it, even if I hadn't been joking.

"Mm, and you say I'm the not-romantic one." He purred, diving back in to devour my lips with his own once more.

It did nothing to calm my touch starved body when I felt his bare abdomen pressing up against my clothed one. I could feel every flex and tense of his muscles as his body fidgeted in growing excitement against mine, clearly showing me how much a single kiss was affecting him as well.

My face began feeling hot as my fingers tightened their grip on his hair. His feather twitched atop my necklace as it sensed my growing arousal, causing him to groan softly into my mouth with want—and feed my need, instead of stop it, as he snaked his other hand to the back of my neck firmly to keep me in place.

And then...

"Ah, I want you. I fucking want you, right here and right now." He breathed out in growing lust against my lips, causing a fire of desire to start sparking between my legs.

Obviously, I'd love to have him right now, too. But, I don't want him to over-exert himself and become sick again.

I don't want to see him on a ventilator. I don't want him to die.

As hot as my body felt, and as heavy as my breathing had become, the growing sexual tension in the room caused me to gain a bit of my wits back as I reluctantly and dazedly pulled away from his lips.

But, as I said....it was only a bit of my wits that I was able to recover—and this bit was already melting away when I opened my eyes to see Keigo's darkening golden gaze of pure desire practically undressing me where I stand.

Get it together, Ari. You don't want him to get hurt.

"C...Couch. W-We should....couch." I jumbled out through a haze of pathetically desperate horny, causing Keigo's brows to raise in pleasant surprise.

"Ah, yeah? You wanna take it to the couch?-" He started suggesting quickly, before my breathy chuckle of amusement cut him off.

"Nooo, you horny bird. I meant—we should....start putting together your new couch-"

"Our new couch." He replied with cheeky half sarcasm.

"Yes, yes, whatever. Details...." I started off, before I forced myself to speak the next words of responsible discipline.

"Anyways.....we should probably...go do that." I mumbled deflatedly, keeping my arms wrapped around Keigo's neck.

He nodded in completely disinterested agreement to the idea, yet his hand remained attached to my waist.

We both stood there in hungry silence, waiting for the other person to make the first move to pull away.

But, the longer I looked into those darkening golden eyes of obvious desire for me...seeing those parted, thirsty soft lips of his....feeling the bare, lean muscles of his shoulders straining underneath my fingertips....

The harder 'pulling away' became-

"Well, chicky...." He started off with knowing question, keeping my gaze drawn to his own as he very slowly leaned back in towards my lips.

A small sigh of want escaped me as his face came towards mine. The corners of his mouth turned up with a faint smirk as he saw my lips instinctively part with desired anticipation for a kiss that never came, as he stopped his mouth half a centimeter away from my own.

Our lusting breaths mixed within the minuscule crack of distance between our lips, and his mouth tickled against mine as he spoke again—hypnotic, avian eyes of full focus burning straight past my soul and down into the heating pool of my lower body.

"Go on then, little dove. Let go of me and pull away, so we can go put the stupid couch together, if you want. You're in charge." Keigo whispered with a low, smooth voice and double meaning, that caused a shiver of arousal to run down my spine.

He knew I was turned on. It was probably written all over my damn face.

His mouth teased my own, not moving any nearer to close the distance, but also not retreating for more space either. He clearly wanted me to be the one to make the move—whether that meant pushing forward, or pulling away.

But, quite honestly, while my intentions were good and pure, the longer I stand here, eye fucking him and fantasizing about all of the creative things I'd like to do to him right now, the more my resolve crumbled away into nothing.

That was only made more obvious by the way I smashed my lips forward into his own, feeling eight months of sexual frustration snap and get the better of me all in one go.

The rest of this chapter is a smut and it's only available on Patreon.
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Next and Final Chapter:...fly with me beyond the horizon.