^_^ Thank-you soooooo much for all of your support and kind comments... It really meant alot to me! ::huggle glomps and pocky for everyone!:: Here's some bishies for you all, with and without chocolate, and plenty of kawaii little nekos to keep you happy. ^_^ It was night, about twenty minutes before lights out and Kimodo was watching Kanani as she studied a chapter on fight technology on Frizzghigge and how it compared to other technologies. He always watched her when she studied; he loved to see how peaceful her face looked when she was focused on her task, and the way her hair caught the golden lamplight made her seem ever lovelier. Most of them liked to watch her, so studious was her expression, since it seemed as if they were seeing genius in the works. However, for Kimodo it was different. He loved her genius, but mostly he just loved her. He loved the way she moved, smiled, thought, spoke, worked, combed her hair, read, ate breakfast with dark circles under her eyes, and even the way she slept. Everything about her was new and perfect and wonderful to him, and that's why he wanted to spend the rest of his life on her arm and at her feet in worship. She noticed him studying her and looked up slowly, shooting him a quick smile. //I mustn't simply die of joy and euphoria right now. Dying would be very inconvenient since if I were dead how could I touch my beautiful Kanani? Oh, by the bountiful gods she is perfect! The goddess of beauty in her purest live form... No, the goddess Delia: Fickle and perfect ruler of the moon... But my precious Kanani isn't "fickle" at all... She's splendid in her newfound independence... By the gods the abound I love her! Oh, smile once more angel... Give me new life and meaning with your perfection my dearest love... Man, have I got bad, or what?! He smiled back at her kindly, winking lightly. Smooth, Kimodo, if I do say so myself...// She went back to her studies without another word. //No! No! Look back at me, love! My precious darling woman, look at me! Stare upon the face of the man who loves you! Kanani! Please! I will fall at your feet and worship you forever! I will walk to the ends of the universe for you! I will search the planet for anything to amuse you with and then I shall offer you my endless self and my fathomless love if you were to only look at me! That's all I want, Kanani! Look at me and smile, dear one, for that is all I wish of you to do for me for all my life! Look upon me and then let all the rest of my days be spent worshipping you with all that I have... Oh, Kanani... If you would let me, I would do some things to you...// He made his mind stop right there before it plummeted into it's usual downward spiral. "Kimodo? Is there anything the matter? You look a bit red..." "I love you." //Oh, shit...// "What?" she said, in shock. "Gods, Kanani! I can't take it anymore! I love you! Hear me? I love you, Kanani Rujikal! Did you know that? Of course you didn't since you're looking at me like I'm mad, but Kanani, my precious, beautiful, wonderful, adored Kanani, I'm only mad for love for you!" All was spoken in one breath and he stood afterward, desperate and pleading to her with his eyes. //Love? What was that again... Oh, yes... Jukilo explained it to me... Isn't that when a mother or father loves a child? No... That's not what he means... Um... Think, Kanani, you stupid woman! What does "love" mean... I think there was a love between mates... Yes! That must be it! He loves me as his mate! No... I think I'm seeing this wrong... Let me try again... I think I have it! When one person wants another to be his of her mate because they are in love. That's it. He wants to mate me?! No, Jukilo said that people can love eachother without mating or being related through blood. That must be what he means. Yes, I understand it now... My, but I wish I knew what to do... Do I feel the same? No. I can be pretty sure I don't, but I adore the way he treats me, and I am very attracted to him... If only I could kiss him... Wait. He loves me, right? He wouldn't mind, then... In fact, he would enjoy it, I think! Good... I have no clue how long I've wanted to do that... He is so handsome... Wonderful...// And so, in a move that shocked them both out of their minds and nearly killed Kimodo with joy, Kanani launched herself at him and gave him the longest, slowest, hardest, most passionate, ardent and burning, soul-searing, body-warming, saliva-using, tasting, teasing, and wild kiss that she herself had ever thought possible. Panting and red-faced they parted slowly and Kimodo dove in for another one of nearly equal weight and passion. Finally, light-headed and with dark motes swimming before her eyes, Kanani broke it off, holding him tightly. His breathing was harsh and heavy, warm against the back of her neck. She then began laughing breathlessly, "I have no idea where that came from, Kimodo..." "I don't care where it came from, as long as we can do it again..." They both laughed and held eachother for a long while more until they heard the others coming in. It was against protocol for a recruit to get into a heavily romantic relationship with another one, so they had to keep it a secret from everyone. They knew that they could risk getting dismissed if anyone found out. The theory of the Imperial Army was that if a man or woman were to get into such a relationship, there was a risk that the woman may become pregnant. Also, there was the risk of over-attachment in battle that could risk the lives of not only those in the relationship, but possibly other lives as well. A marriage between recruits could take place only if they were on night leave to go into town and they left the Army for eighteen months before returning. The protocol regarding such things was very old and in need of re-doing, but since it was easy for a skilled pair to keep it under wraps, no one had found cause to change the rules. Also, since there were so few women in the Army, there really was little to safeguard against. And so, Kanani and Kimodo were forced to keep their newfound affection a devious little secret from everyone. It wasn't going to be easy. In fact, the trouble started as soon as the others came in. The first question out of Muchi's mouth was about Kimodo's swollen lips. Then no one believed the awful story he told, so Kanani had to change the subject, saying the swelling seemed to be going down and had anyone read chapter thirteen? The next day, they had to keep up a careful façade so that no one-specifically the Chicken Brothers, as Likal and Orfaldo had come to be called-would find out and squeal about them. It was not, as a matter of fact, totally hellish in every way. They got plenty of time together and joined as a study pair for the schooling. Also, Kanani taught him choice phrases in the Orlovian sign language that they could use during the day. They learned, quite nicely, how to be utterly discreet and careful the entire time. No one knew anything. Except Spowaban. Spowaban, like other people of Winstcha, was capable of hearing the thoughts of those he had a close bond with. Of course, the things he heard were vague and largely not understandable, he got the basic gist of everything, and that was plenty for him to have to deal with. He knew she had strong, mostly lustful, feelings about Kimodo and seemed to feel he felt them, too, but other than that he was clueless. More than anything, though, he was shocked. Kanani, he had thought, would never do anything against the rules; especially something so rash and unpredictable as a love affair.