11 11. The Emotion

Later that afternoon I was sitting down in front of the bathroom mirror, with her behind me cutting my long hair saying I need to fit in. I didn't argue with her, I didn't feel the need to. I was feeling all kinds of emotion after our intimate time just hours before.

I was sated under her touches, hundreds of years of being with the nymphs and even the succubus all fades with one morning of our sexy foreplay. I didn't even try to push for more, somehow her feelings matter to me the most. Somehow it gives me another kind of pleasure just to be there for her, to become her protector.

Her elders might just alter my way of thinking towards her, but deep down I felt like this was how it was supposed to be.

"Arkael? Did you hear what I said?" She looked at me trough the mirror, looking adorably annoyed that I was lost in my own thoughts of us.

"I'm sorry, but I was thinking about us...about you, about my feeling towards you..."

She pouted to my reply, obviously thinking that I was ignoring her.

"You're done. Why don't you just take a shower, and clean yourself..." she was tidying up my mess and about to leave me for my privacy.

"Thank you..." I pulled her down for a kiss.

"Mm hmm...shower, now. I'll wait for you in the living room." She said breathless, while she backed away from me.

I finished my shower quickly, she was drinking and sipping her coffee looking outside the window. Our leftover from our brunch was still at the kitchen counter. I could see that she only eat a small portion of her plate.

Her expression was unreadable, she looked so serene yet so sad at the same time. I felt a thud in my chest as I came up to her, and caressed her hair. I was already dressed when she looked at me in appreciation.

"You clean up nicely my dark lord..." she said as she patted the seat next to her, telling me to sit down.

"Thanks to you of course, are you okay?" I sat down and took her hand in mine and kissed it.

"I will be..." she said taking my arm and drape it over her shoulder, she was snuggling herself and resting her head on my chest.

She said it very lightly like she was saying it more to herself, like she was trying to convince herself rather than saying it back to me.

Shani...you will be okay...I will take care of you now...

I was shocked with myself, when I thought of the words so hastily in my mind. But when her body molded perfectly to my side, while her breath was easing under me, I knew...I knew exactly that I have fallen for her. She was taking a piece of my heart and keeping it with hers.

"You want to talk about it?"

"I...I don't know what there is to talk about...it's just that some times, in this kind of silent afternoons I would missed them, it's silly...they're gone. I will be fine..."

"Do you want to..." I was about to ask if she wanted to rest, when she stand up and tugged my hand.

"...ok, I'm good, let's go to the store and get you some new outfits..." she was suddenly back to her cheerful bubbly self again. I was still amazed at her rapid change of demeanour.

"Err...yeah okay, but I don't have any currency and I've been taking advantage of your hospitality. I should find work, where would you think a person like me could work?"

"Arkael, I don't think there's any vacancy for a former king of hell at the moment. Look, I have money...when my parents passed they leave me the house, and they both took insurance and I got my savings from my side jobs. Come on, my treat...until you can pay me back...no hurry." She smiled and pushed me out the door after grabbing her bag and keys.

We arrived minutes later in front of a big shop which sells clothes, shoes, bags even home appliances. I was not comfortable with woman having to pay for me, let alone my future bride.

I was supposed to be the provider for the household. Though the future might have different opinion, but I'm an old soul...very old.

"Arkael...let's go, you can't find clothes sitting in the car." She smiled at me, at least she was happy again.

Maybe this little trip is her distraction.

We were greeted at the door by a middle aged woman, she look at Shani warmly as if she had been coming here regularly.

"Shani, my dear how are you today, what can I help you with?" She came up to her, and give her a hug.

"Myra, I'm good thank you, I hope you are too...I'm here for my...ehm...boy friend." She said with a little hesitation and looked at me, while biting her lip.

Oh how I want to bite it back.

"Boy friend? You amused me my sweet, I'm not a boy and we are more than friends. I am her betrothed Arkael." I kissed her hair, then greeted the older woman.

Myra blushed to my greeting, and gave me a once over. She took my hand, as we introduced ourselves.

"Oh, I didn't know...oh my poor Lionel, that boy had been head over heels for you. He must be devastated, when he hear about this." She said, as she shook my hand and looked at Shani.

"Lionel?" I raised an eyebrow at her, questioning this new found information. Suddenly I was stirring up on the inside, jealousy I believe that was the word for it.

"Come, let's find you something at the men's section...later Myra!" She shouted as she tugged my hand forcing me to follow her inside the store.

"This Lionel fellow, do you like him?" I was suddenly felt insecure with myself. In my entire life, this was the first time I was feeling it.

"Lionel? he's okay...he likes to help around the cottage. I am a woman, some things I could not do by myself, so Myra told me about her nephew Lionel." She shrugged as she picked out couple of clothes and tossed it onto a pile.

"Here, go and try it on for size..." she stuffed me with the clothes and pushed me into a small cubicle.

We finally leave the shop an hour later. Myra didn't give me any look when Shani paid for all of my stuff, I guess the future is different.

She parked her car and went to open the door, when there was a sound from the back of the cottage. I was picking up the bags and was heading towards her, when she headed to the back herself.

"Shani, wait for me..." my words left unheard, as she was already off to the back.

"Lionel? Hey...I didn't expect you to come until a couple of more days..."

"Yeah, well...I figure to cut the tree now before the storm decide to come early, it is right above the cottage."

A young man that she call Lionel answered her. He was shirtless, with a warrior figure and a decent looking face. But what gets me the most was how she looked and smile under his gaze.

Shit!