Dancing Meme

[pyroknight]

Did you ask your partner or did they ask you? Have you got two left fee or is the Viennese Waltz your jam? Maybe it’s awkward or it could be romantic or both? Either way it’s cute as hell and a time you won’t soon forget.

1. Post your character and the character you want to interact with in the subject line.
2. Use RNG and enter 1-9 to pick a scenario.
3. Try not to step on each others feet!
4. Rinse & Repeat

scenario

1. Club House. You're in your secret place: near a stream in the woods, your club house, the secret garden, an abandoned building. The place where you two always met or the place that you just decided to meet or maybe you guys just came across each other? It's time to throw caution to the wind and dance.

2. Glamorous Gala. Beautiful party with bright lights and dazzling ball gowns. Maybe you were invited or you snuck in, perhaps it’s a masquerade and you're able to parade around as someone else. You’re here, might as well enjoy yourself. You can dance in the grand ballroom or maybe out on the patio or into the garden were you are alone and uninterrupted.

3. Beneath the Moon. It's night, perhaps just after a fancy dinner or as you find yourself on a stroll through the park. What better way to complete the night than with a slow dance? Maybe you want to bathe in the moons light and you begin dancing without a care in the world. Everyone’s asleep, no one will see you.

4. Home. Who needs a fancy place to dance? Just push the coffee table out of the way and play the music. It could be fast or slow or just learning how and wanting to stay out of sight. It doesn’t matter what’s around you.

5. Inappropriately. You’re at the grocery store, the library and you hear a song you just want to dance to. Surly someone will join you or maybe you’ll get funny looks until you pull them to dance will you. You only live once, might as well enough it?

6. Club. It's hard to hear and you might have been drinking or maybe you just arrived and you got stuck in the middle of the dance floor? If you can’t talk you might as well dance.

7. Silence. Who needs music to dance? The Rhythm is all in your head or perhaps you and your partner are softly humming a tune to step too? It’s a secret, shared between you and them. With your hands held lightly together.

8. Once upon a Dream. Caught singing and dancing in the woods and you just decided to go with it? Disney would be proud. It can happen anywhere and just maybe you are in a dream together and you’re dancing with only clouds to hold you up.

9. In the Rain/Snow. There is no reason to stop because of weather. You can keep dancing and having fun. Everyone else runs for cover but its moments like these when you really live.

Comments

[ki2k]

For his part, Kitt was caught in a whirlwind of feelings, some emotional, some physical, all of them confusing, and all of them definitely worth more exploration. He was overwhelmed, and yet... he liked it. Who knew it could be like this? It really was no wonder that humans sought these experiences, as they were both exhilarating and darkly seductive. The term 'forbidden fruit' sprang to mind, but no, that wasn't right. This wasn't so much forbidden as... frightening. Frightening fruit? But frightening in an exciting way, like outrunning the police on a stretch of deserted highway. Yes. That was a metaphor he could understand. Outrunning the police, but on the way towards home, because didn't it feel that way when he was with Ruri? As though he had found home? A new home, that they had created together. Unlike her, Kitt embraced hope and warmth and the trust to be found in family. He'd never been alone, not until his arrival here - but even then, he'd soon found Ruri again, and she'd made everything safe again. Home.

But now he was risking everything. Was that wise? What if this wasn't what she wanted from him? Did he even know what he wanted? His body seemed to, certainly. She wanted to kiss him, but that didn't necessarily mean she wanted more - or did it? Michael had been kissed on numerous occasions by numerous women, but he hadn't taken it farther with every single one of them. How did he know which ones wanted more?

His head was spinning, trying to make sense of it all. First things first: yes. He wanted more. The kisses had only confirmed that. Reflecting back, it surprised him just how often his thoughts had turned to Ruri, whether they were together but in different areas of the apartment, or whether they were miles apart at their jobs. Thinking about her had become almost a distraction - why had he not noticed that before? It had simply become a natural part of his daily existence. But even if he wanted more, did she? And if she did, were they really ready for this? Was a kiss just a kiss, in this instance? And yet he couldn't stop thinking about her, the undercurrent still there even now. The thought of their bodies moving together, the soft warmth of her lips against his, the feel of her hands on him...

She was speaking, saying his name. How many times had she said it? He was still standing there frozen, his hands raised in an almost comical parody of being arrested. She had arrested him, of that there was no doubt. His eyes had been cast down as he tried to get his breathing under control, to cage the animal that was his heart. Now as he slowly looked up at her, his eyes were still slightly wild, a glaze over them of incomprehension. He was trying to make sense of her words, he just needed a few seconds more as he willed the painful aching in his groin to stop.

"I'm sorry." It was more a whisper than words. Did he want to stop?

No. No. No, he did not. But careful, so careful, he had to be careful.

Even now, there was still that tone in her voice. Home. He shook his head once, slowly, then looked up at her again. "No." But he also knew his wasn't the only decision to be made. "Do you?"

Trust. Safety. Fear, comfort. Reassurance. Home.

[pyroknight]

"Please don't be sorry for kissing me." Her voice was soft, begging.

Ruri watched him, yearning to close the distance between them. She had lived her whole life without this kind of warmth and she didn't want to anymore. She didn't think she could live without it and it couldn't be with just anyone. It had to be Kitt. There was no one else who made her feel like this.

She stepped forward and closed part of the distance between them before pausing.

"I don't want to stop." Ruri's eyes were on the ground as she spoke, her voice steady. She had to focus on breathing as she rose her gaze to meet his. "I- I can't explain how I feel but I want to be with you Kitt. For-" She swallowed feeling the bubble of uncertainty rise in her chest. "For as long as you'll have me."

What exactly was she asking him? Ruri's head spun as she considered the implications of her own phrasing. She wasn't sure what she meant her the true depth to what she felt but she knew that those were the words that she wanted to say. It didn't have to make sense to know that it was what she wanted. Something in her heart told her and whatever else happened, she wanted to listen to that voice.

[ki2k]

He was shaking his head, mostly unaware of the action, denying her words as she spoke them. "It's not that." He looked up at her briefly, then his eyes dropped back to the floor. How he could ever be sorry for that? It was a singular moment in his life, one he would never forget and never, ever regret. His first kiss, and it was beautiful.

No, that wasn't the problem at all. The problem was that he'd spent too much time before then thinking about her, wondering what she thought of him, and little by little without his realization or even his permission, his feelings for her had grown beyond friendship, transformed into something more. He wasn't ready to put a label on them, not yet. And really, what was he even doing? He wasn't human. His human body was an affectation at best, and certainly not who he really was. He was artificial, with emotions that were as synthetic as the mind who possessed them. He'd never spent any significant amount of time considering human females, other than as a mental exercise, trying to figure out what drew Michael to them like a moth to a flame. He'd simply never been interested. So why was he now? What had changed? Just because he now had possession of a fake human body? Was it really affecting his patterns of thinking so much that even the AI was being modified? Ruri. What on Earth was she doing to him? This was crazy. It wasn't right. Couldn't possibly be right.

Was it right?

The kiss had far exceeded anything he could have imagined - and since when was he imagining kissing anyone? No, not just anyone. Ruri. And more often than he cared to admit. But now that he had, he wanted more. What right did he have? Well, the good thing at least was that all of this thinking and uncertainty seemed to have cooled his ardor somewhat. He was still half-hard, but no longer aching. So long as he made sure not to touch her again, he should be okay. A cold shower and some time alone, yes. And dear gods, he needed to not remember what it had felt like to hold her. To kiss her. To... she was coming closer to him. His hands were still in the air, and he was determined to keep them there so he couldn't do anything stupid with them, like holding her. He watched her warily as she approached, feeling like a cornered animal.

Wait, what? What was she saying? Her words were breaking through his defenses, to the point where he could practically hear them crumbling around him.

"... You don't want to stop." He cocked his head to the side, still eyeing her. Had he stopped breathing? "I. I want to be with you too, Ruri." For such a long time now. Had he passed out? Was he dreaming this? He did feel lightheaded... For as long as he'd have her? What did that mean? Did she really think he might not want her? That he'd discard her like some old shoes? "Ruri, what does that even mean, 'for as long as I'll have you'? You don't just throw people away, especially if you lo-" His breath caught in his throat. "Care for them."

He finally lowered his hands, but his body was still tense, still battling that fight or flight instinct that he had no rights to in the first place. He licked his lips, his head half-turned, because it was easier to look at her if half his face was shielded, hidden from her gaze.

"I want to be with you." He let out a breath, feeling as though his last had been hours ago. He was making an admission of his own, and it felt momentous, overwhelming. "For as long as you'll have me." Now he turned back to watch her, because he needed to see her face, to see her eyes. Hiding was all well and good, but it also made it difficult to see who he was hiding from.

"And I. I don't want to stop, either." He could have now, as he was physically feeling back in control of himself. But that didn't mean he wanted to leave it that way, because as scary as it had been, it had also been exciting, giving in to that reckless abandon for the too-brief moments of their kiss. "Ruri, I've never done this before. I've never." He dropped his eyes again, but with an effort made himself look at her once more. "Never been like this with anyone before." He was back to holding his breath, wondering what she might think of him now.

[pyroknight]

"Forever." Ruri spoke before she could stop herself. Forever meant something different to her than it did to others. She had already experienced an end. She had already died and come back. Forever was pass life and death. Even if he were to turn back into a car and she could never kiss him again, she'd want to remain at his side.

Forever was a long time

Her heart ached in her chest, reaching out to Kitt as he looked away from her. It hurt to see the conflict in his demeanor. "I want to be with you." She repeated softly. "Forever."

Ruri felt her pulse quicken as Kitt's gaze rose to meet her own. Her body felt flushed and her head was spinning but she didn't want the feeling to end. It was terrifying and wonderful all at once. Was it love? Ruri didn't know but it was important and she didn't want to forget or loose this feeling. Just as she didn't want to forget or loose Kitt. He was more important to her than she realized.

"Then let's not stop." She spoke softly, taking a small step towards him.

His admission didn't surprise Ruri. He had told her that he hadn't been human for very long and, unless he'd been seeking that sort of experience, it'd stand to reason that he was virgin. Ruri felt her cheeks warm as a blush colored her skin. "I-" She licked her lips. "I haven't done this before either." Ruri was nervous to admit that she was a virgin, even after Kitt's confession. She had died in middle school and had to get used to being adult after returning. She couldn't very well tell people that she was a twenty something year old virgin. Not to mention that this was the first time that she'd grown this close to someone. It was the first time that she wanted to do this with someone.

"That's okay. Isn't it? Can't... can't it just be you." Ruri didn't want anyone else. "I don't want anyone but you. It'll all be new, for both of us." New and awkward, like the main characters of a story; their story.

It was Ruri's turn to look away, her heart was hammering in her chest while her mind frantically raced. Would he think it was weird that she hadn't had sex? She hadn't kissed anyone before Kitt nor had she raced pass any of the other bases. Wasn't it okay if she just kissed and did those things with him?

[ki2k]

Kitt wasn't even sure if he could die. What a pair they made - a dead woman, and an artificial construct who could possibly be immortal. And yet, Forever was still a long time. Right now, he couldn't imagine spending any of it without her with him.

Hot and cold and both simultaneously. He felt dizzy, yet a clarity had settled over his mind. Flushed, but shivering. Aching, but wary. How did humans ever manage to reproduce? He was having difficulty enough just trying to still his mind and sort through these feelings. Or maybe humans simply threw caution to the wind and acted without thinking? It would explain many things, especially about his driver's behavior. No wonder he was always on the outs with Bonnie. And all of this was distracting him from what he wanted to think about, but if he thought about her then all of his resolve would flee again. Humans! Ugh!

She closed the distance, one step, enough to bring his attention back into focus. Not necessarily a good thing, as it made his heart start doing slow, sickly flips within his chest. Let's not stop, she was saying, and his ears were burning with the implications. It was what he'd wanted, what he'd imagined in his own bed several floors away from her. And now? He was standing his ground, at least. That was a start. Had he been seeking sexual activity? No, not actively. But his view of sex was somewhat skewed, having watched the behavior of one Michael Knight towards women for over four years. Sex was easy, sex was casual, sex happened with people you barely knew and were easily left behind and forgotten. He'd always assumed that his first experience with sex would be along those lines as well, a casual attraction that led to a hookup. It wasn't supposed to be serious, all-consuming, terrifying. What if he messed up? What if Ruri didn't like what he was doing? What if she left, unsatisfied and angry? What if he embarrassed himself? It wouldn't matter if he never saw her again, but with Ruri? It was everything. He needed to be good for her, to take care of her. How could he do that if he had no experience?

And then... what? She hadn't done this either? What?

"No, no, wait, Ruri, no. This isn't - you've never done this before? How is that possible? Isn't this something that humans are supposed to be hardwired for? You start to explore as teens and..." He trailed off, unsure of how to explain his understanding of teenage hormones to her. "Ruri, I've studied my driver. I've read the books trying to get a better understanding of him, and human sexuality. You're... Ruri, it will hurt you. The first time for women, it's painful. Unless you're with someone who knows what they're doing, who can take the time and be careful, and even then it will still hurt. Ruri, I can't be the first. I'm clumsy and nervous and unsure about all of this. I'll hurt you more than I should and I can't do that to you. I care for you far too much. I don't ever want to do anything that will hurt you." The good news was, this conversation had become an effective cockblock.

Moving towards her to close more of the gap, he wrapped his hands around her upper arms, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead, and a whisper into her ear. They could be the main characters in their own story, but after. When she wouldn't be hurt by him. "I don't want anyone but you either. There has been no one else who's made me feel this way, who has made me want these things. Every time I leave it's like I've lost a piece of my heart, and every time I see you I'm whole again. And I can't hurt you like that. I won't." She needed to go to a bar, a party, anywhere. Be a normal human. Find an experienced lover. Then come back to him, and teach him what she'd learned about what she liked. He would be waiting.

With his hands still on her arms, and maintaining a very deliberate space between them, he sought her lips once more, relieved to find that they were still so warm, so full, so soft.

[pyroknight]

Ruri couldn't contemplate casual sex. Sex was something you were supposed to do with someone you had feelings for, someone you trusted. She was sure that it was fun but it wasn't a game to her. She couldn't go out and have sex with anyone. There was only one person that she had even considered it with and that person was Kitt.

She felt her heart twist into knots at his reply. Ruri knew that it would hurt, she's read books on the subject. She's a writer, she's done research on everything that she hadn't experienced herself and that included sex. She realized that she was asking a lot from Kitt but to go out and find someone else. She couldn't believe what he was saying. How could that be okay? She didn't want to do that.

"No." She spoke firmly, realizing a second to late that he had kissed her. Her palms rested on his chest, her fingers splayed out over the hint of muscles that she felt through his shirt. "I don't want to have sex with anyone else. Kitt, do you really think that sex is like that? That people are easily interchangeable? It doesn't work like that. Not for me." She didn't want to close him off but she wanted him to understand.

"I want you and no one else. If that means that it'll hurt than that's fine. We'll practice together. We'll learn what the other person likes and try new things. Even if I had sex with someone else, you don't know that it'll help. Not everyone is the same." This was a big deal to Ruri and she didn't want Kitt to treat it so lightly.

"It's you or no one." Her voice didn't give room for argument, Ruri wasn't going to be forced to sleep with someone so she could then sleep with Kitt. "I'm sorry." Her fingers curled around him as if to cling to him. She didn't want Kitt to pull away or for him to stop kissing her but she had to speak her mind.

"I don't want anyone else."

[ki2k]

No, that was different. What she was describing was lovemaking. In Kitt's mind, they were two very different things. Sending her out to have sex with someone would be just that - sex. No feelings, except for attraction and lust. He'd seen it plenty of times, he knew how it worked. Michael had only become monogamous once Stevie had come back into his life - and when she'd gone again, he was right back to his philandering ways. It was how humans behaved. It was how his human behaved - and he'd been programmed specifically for that one human. Everything he knew about humanity had been learned at his feet. Admittedly, Darnell had been very different; he hadn't once seen Darnell chase any skirts, or any trousers, for that matter. But KITT was not programmed for Darnell. He'd accepted him, become friends with him. But... His head was spinning again. Too much conflicting information. What was the answer here? What was he supposed to do? What would Michael do? He suddenly wished that Michael was here; he could have stepped easily into Kitt's shoes and taken over. But here he was alone, and he had to make these decisions for himself.

No, wait. These were Ruri's decisions too, weren't they?

It occurred to him that all the while he was thinking these things he was still occupied with kissing her. Where had he left off with paying attention to her? And in kissing her, just like that, his little - no, not little - friend was back. This was awful, this whole thing. She wouldn't do what he wanted her to do - what was she saying? He had pulled back to listen to her without even realizing it.

"It's not that they're interchangeable, no. I don't feel this way for anyone else, if that's what you're asking. But I've seen enough to know that it's... Michael had a different woman on his arm every week. He slept with most of them, I know, I was there. It never bothered him, and it never seemed to bother any of the women. They knew what they were getting into. It was just sex. It didn't have any meaning behind it. That's not what I want with you, Ruri. I want more than that. But I don't want to hurt you, because of what I do want with you. I don't want to push you away - I just don't want you to be hurt." He wasn't entirely sure why she didn't understand this. "I was programmed to help people, not to harm them. You mean too much to me."

But she was still being stubbornly insistent. And some of what she was saying made sense. "No, not everyone is the same, but." His voice dropped again, wavered on his next words. "If I look at you, and I see you're in pain, it's not something I'll ever forget." It would be etched permanently into his memory. "How can that be fine?" It wasn't that he was treating it lightly; on the contrary, he'd spent quite some time analyzing this subject from many different perspectives.

He swallowed hard at her pronouncement, unsure of what to say, or how to convince her that she was making a mistake. Perhaps if he went out and sought some experience...? But his heart twisted in his chest at the thought of being with anyone else. Was that - was that how Ruri felt of what he was asking her? Could she really be all right with him hurting her?

His voice, when he found it again, was soft, uncertain.

"I have never had the opportunity to choose someone for myself. I was programmed for Michael, and learned how to be who I am from him. When he was injured, I was assigned to Darnell. There was never any input as to what I wanted, what I would choose. But now - I choose you, Ruri. If you will have me. I don't want anyone else." He paused, bringing his arms down so that his fingers could now curl around hers, holding them to his chest. He caught her gaze again, held it there. "I will do my very best not to hurt you." Still holding her hands to him, he leaned in to kiss her again, needing the reassurance of her lips on his.

[pyroknight]

Ruri wanted to argue with him but then he was kissing her. It was soft, warm and inviting. She didn't want it to end but... they had to talk about this. Ruri needed him to understand. He wasn't completely wrong but he wasn't right either. The world wasn't black and white and she didn't want him to see it like that.

"Kitt." She breathed his name softly as she broke their kiss. Her arms remained around his center as she held herself close to him. Ruri wasn't going to pull away but she needed him to listen to her.

"You cannot decide what I feel, who I want to be close to or how I define things in my life. I cannot just have sex with people. I'm not that kind of person. That person has more than a few names and none of them are very nice. In most societies that isn't okay, just sleeping around with as many women as you could? That's awful and it's awful for a woman to do that too." Her words were hard but passionate and filled with every ounce of feeling that throbbed in Ruri's chest.

"I want you. No one else. I will not sleep with anyone else and it'd break my heart to know if you had also. There are ways that we can learn that doesn't involve other people." She paused and inhaled a slow breath. "There are more ways to hurt someone than physical pain Kitt and suggesting, acting like I have to sleep with someone else first, hurts. It hurts more than having sex would." She didn't even have to have sex to know that to be the case.

"Kitt, I won't ask you what you feel but... think about me with someone else. How does that make you feel?"

[ki2k]

He knew what he was doing - he was trying to distract her from continuing this conversation. Not that he knew what to do with that distraction, because it was all tied in to what they were discussing. He shook his head to clear it when she broke the kiss, but he was glad that she still held him close. It was important, that closeness. He had been needing it, and that was a recent realization for him. What else did he need?

He found himself nodding along as she spoke, looking down at the floor, unable to meet her eyes, soft 'I know's' whispered under his breath at each of her points. Of course she was right, what she did with her life was entirely up to her. He had only meant to guide her into doing what he thought might be best. Obviously she didn't see things his way. It wasn't wrong, or bad, but it dismayed him. For all of his life, his only power was that of persuasion, trying to help the humans around him to make decisions that he hoped were for the best. He could cajole or sometimes even coerce, but he could never, ever demand. That wasn't the nature of his programming. He was designed to serve humans, to protect them, sometimes from themselves, but he could never override a human's order once their decision had been made. Such was the case with Ruri now. He felt that she was making a mistake, but if her mind was made up? He didn't have the right to say otherwise. Humans! This was all beginning to give him a headache.

Her words were seeping in, wrapping around his mind, becoming a part of him. She wanted him. No one else. She didn't want him to be with anyone else. Only him. And then thinking about her with someone else?

He brought his hand up to his temple, squeezing his eyes shut against the sudden bright, sharp pain that had bloomed there. Her words were penetrating, burrowing in, settling there, causing him to stagger back with his hands now clutching his head. She chose him. And he'd chosen her. And even the human part of him understood those implications, tried to fight against the reprogramming, if only out of fear of the unknown, of taking a great leap without any sort of knowledge of where he'd fall. The driver imperative, subdued for so long, suddenly roared into life, reminding him - demanding that he remember who he was programmed for, and for what purpose. And for the very first time in his life, he was fighting back, pushing back against it, forcing his own will upon it. His choices. His decisions. He was on his knees on the floor now, exhausted from the battle that had taken place entirely in his mind.

And he was free. He blinked a few times, shaking his head, shaking away the remnants of that particular bit of programming that had muzzled him for so long. His decision, the person he wanted to be with now, the person he had chosen, and now no longer bound to Michael by programming but instead by the fondness of love for a man who had become his best friend, but not the person he wished to spend his life with. The person he loved.

He looked up cautiously at Ruri from his position on the floor, feeling terrible tears pricking at the corners of his eyes when he really thought about that last question she'd posed to him.

"I... Heartbroken." He was unconsciously curling his fist into his chest, emphasizing the point. The thought of this woman sharing the most intimate parts of herself, physically, emotionally, with anyone else, brought him to a black and utter despair.

[pyroknight]

"Kitt." Her anger vanished and worry filled it's place.

She took a step towards Kitt as he fell to the ground. "Kitt?" She lower herself so she could see what had caused the sudden change or if he was somehow hurt. Had she done this too him? How? What was going on? "Kitt!" Her hands rested on his shoulders as his mind fought with his programming. Ruri had no idea what was going on. She felt panic flare through her limbs as she mind raced.

She felt tears prickle at the corner of her eyes as she watched him, worry and fear knotting in her stomach. 'Please be okay.'

Then he was looking up at her, tears in his eyes. "Me too." Her tears began to fall, following in steady waves down the curve of her cheek. "I don't want to break your heart or mine." Ruri leaned towards him, pressing her forehead to his as she spoke. "I just want you Kitt. Forever."

She wanted to tell him that she loved him but the words stuck in her throat.

[ki2k]

The headache was still there, pounding behind his eyes, but so easily forgotten with her there on the floor in front of him, their foreheads touching and her sweet, sweet words echoing in his mind. Just want you. Forever.

It was then that he noticed that Alexa was still playing ridiculous Christmas music in the background. He called over his shoulder, "Alexa, shut off the music. No, wait. Alexa. Mascagni. Intermezzo, Cavalleria Rusticana. Softly, please." He turned back, reaching up to cup her cheek with his palm, but instead he pulled away, concern on his face, worry knitting his brow. "You're crying, Ruri." He used his thumb to gently brush away some of the tears, then held her face in his hand, leaning in so that his lips were meeting hers again, knowing now that he was ready to take things further. "I won't break your heart." He spoke the words into her mouth, a whisper, full of intent. "Forever." It sounded just about right. His own tears were falling, but he hadn't noticed them either, too lost in his thoughts of her. Love was a given, though unspoken. There was something else he needed to know.

Reluctantly scooting away from her, he stood up carefully. When he was sure he wouldn't be overcome by any stray waves of dizziness or pain, he held his hand out to her to help her up as well.

"I need to know something, Ruri." He held her gaze for a beat before he continued. "Do you trust me?"

[pyroknight]

Ruri hadn't noticed the music until Kitt spoke to Alexa to change it. Suddenly the room came back into focus: the partly done decorations, the soft lights of the Christmas lights around the room and the glimmering sheen of the garland.

"I'm-" A hand rose to her eye as his thumb brushed away the tear. "I was so scared. I thought something happened to you." She had been worried and frustrated and it had come out in those few loose tears. "You're crying too." Ruri reached forward and brushed the moisture from his cheek. She didn't want him to cry. "Are you okay?" The question was out as he rose to his feet.

Ruri followed, feeling her knees protest as she stood.

"Of course I trust you Kitt."

[ki2k]

He didn't care about the decorations anymore, at least, not for now. Now, they had more important things to discuss and do. They decorating could wait. He hoped that Alexa would continue to play soft classical music after that piece finished.

"Me? No, no, Ruri. I'm fine. Perfectly fine. I just had to... work a few things out in my head." The bracelet on his wrist was a constant reminder that even when he was human, he wasn't really human, and it hadn't liked the argument that had taken place. It pulsed softly on his wrist, but Kitt ignored it.

Her fingertips against his cheek made him shiver, the intimacy of the touch another new experience. "I- I am?" He shook his head, both hands cupping her face now as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I am wonderful, Ruri. Never better."

He smiled fondly at her as she stood to join him, his hand tightening around hers, squeezing gently. "I'm glad one of us does." The smiled turned teasing as he led her to the bedroom, his heart beginning to pound in his chest as they approached the doorway.

"You're sure?" He turned back to her, seeking answers in her eyes. "If at any time you're not sure, we'll stop." Yep, a heart attack seemed imminent.

[pyroknight]

Ruri's eyes closed as he kissed her forehead.

His lips were warm and soft. It made her want to feel them running across every inch of her skin. As he pulled away and her eyes opened, a soft but noticeable blush began to spread across her cheeks. She'd never had these kinds of thoughts before but it seemed as if Kitt had opened a door that led to a new realm of imaginations.

She followed after him, her fingers curling around his in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. "Kitt." She spoke his name softly. "You aren't going to hurt me." It might hurt a little but Ruri was confident that she was ready for it.

She stepped forward when he paused at the bedroom door way and gently brushed her lips across his. It was light, teasing and just long enough to inhale the intoxicating aroma of his breath. He really did have an amazing affect on her and she wanted to experience every sensation; every step of the way.

"I'm sure. Please don't stop." She spoke against his lips before closing the sliver of distance between them. Her lips met his in a slow hard kiss.

Her hand slipped from his, gliding up his chest and then looping around his neck as she held herself flush against him. She knew that they were close to the bed but she didn't want to stop now. Ruri was fire and fire was passion.

Kitt had ignited that flame.

[ki2k]

He could, and most probably would, oblige her in that, once they were settled into a comfort zone of sorts with one another. Right at the moment, his heart was still trying to beat its way out of his chest, and hearing was difficult over the roaring in his ears. He couldn't deny to himself that quite a bit of his time lately had been devoted to not only studying sex manuals, but... doing some imagining of his own. It had been disconcerting at first; he still thought of himself as an AI, a car, first of all and a human a very distant second. Why the human's thoughts should suddenly be so intrusive was uncomfortable for him, but try as he might, they not only persisted but increased the more time he spent with Ruri. Without even realizing it, she was helping him to become more comfortable with the idea of himself as human - and because of that, he felt he was ready for this next step. The time for imagining was over - it was now time for doing.

If only his heart would calm down.

If only the remnants of doubt would fall away.

"I hope I won't." His voice was equally soft as he reached up to gently stroke away some of her hair from her face, his hand then cupping her cheek. The light kiss that she brushed across his lips made him sigh as fire raced through his nerves, every sense heightened by her closeness.

His voice was a whisper, hoarse with anticipation and growing need.

"Until now, I've always known exactly where I was going, everything I needed to do to get where I needed to be. But now, I feel so lost. I have no idea what I'm doing, or where I'm going. I've never felt this way before." He stopped, his fingertips tracing the contour of her cheekbone. "I like this feeling." It was terrifying, yes, but also exhilarating, freeing.

And then she was speaking again, and kissing him, and this time the kiss was slow, and deliberate, and full of promises made long ago. He responded in kind, his hands now free to drop to her back, to pull her closer to him, to feel the heat that rose between them. The bed was right there, waiting for them. Slowly, with trembling fingers, he reached for the hem of her shirt, breaking off the kiss to look for the permission in her eyes before he tugged at it, wanting nothing more than to rip it away and discard it, offended that it was in his way, a barrier between them. He needed it gone, he needed to taste the skin beneath the garment, to lick and suck and claim. She'd lit a fire within him as well, and only she could quench the flame.

[pyroknight]

Ruri smiled at Kitt, her expression soft, affectionate and warm. "We can be lost together." She whispers against his lips. "Hand in hand or with me sitting behind your wheel, I will be with you, going wherever we need to be." Her dark eyes met Kitt's as the depths of Ruri's affection reflected back at him. Her words, while poetically placed, echoed the sentiment of every nerve and feeling in her body. It didn't matter where they went or what form he was in, she would be with him.

Her arms lifted over head, giving him a silent affirmation that this was what she wanted. The cold air of the room bit against her skin but Ruri could barely feel it. All she could feel was the heat of Kitt's gaze as it brushed across her exposed flesh.

Ruri's bra wasn't anything fancy. It was black and simple, holding everything perfectly in place.

Her fingers gently hooked into the waistband of his pants as she stepped backwards towards her bed. She didn't have to look to know where their destination was nor did she want the space between them to grow. Even across the few yards to the bed, she wanted to feel the warmth of his skin against hers.

When she felt the bed against her the back of her calf she paused, released the waistband of his pants and rose her fingers to the hem of Kitt's shirt. Her hand trembled as desire, affection and anticipation coursed through her limbs. Ruri wanted this but she knew that they should take it slow, to savor every new step that they took together.

[ki2k]

Kissing her was easy, remarkably so. All he had to do was close his eyes and lean in, feeling the gentle pressure of her lips against his, the wet heat as their tongues met. it was also distracting, nearly to the point of forgetfulness, but he didn't want to forget what he needed to say, before anything else happened. Her words warmed him from within, making him more certain of what he was going to say. "Ruri, I think you should know that... I'm not sure, I've never felt like this before, but. I think I might be in love with you. And I think I have been for a while." He waited, frozen in place, searching her eyes again for any sign that might mean he'd said the wrong thing after all. "I needed you to know, before we did... this." He gestured between them, but he was fairly sure they weren't going to slow down or put a halt to their desires, not then.

His pulse quickened with a sharp intake of breath at the sight of her standing before him in her bra, his gaze dropping to her chest as his eyes widened. He'd seen her body before, in the bikini she'd worn at the beach, and he'd been just as transfixed then, but this was different. A bikini was meant to be seen, to be shown off, a garment that displayed a woman's assets while also keeping them hidden away from casual onlookers. But this - a bra was an intimate undergarment, and allowing him to see it meant that they were more than casual. He was suddenly very aware of every nerve in his body, every beat of his heart. It astonished him, how quickly this body had felt the stirrings of sexual urges, after he'd spent so many years as an outside observer to the human condition. But this human body was no unfeeling automaton; it was soft and messy and raging and passionate and hormone-fueled, his reactions at times uncontrollable, his thoughts unorganized and chaotic. It was everything he'd never been, and even more besides. He was afraid to embrace it, and yet he couldn't deny the irresistible pull as it beckoned him to be more than what he was. And what he was in this moment was painfully, wickedly, wonderfully aroused.

He followed her lead gladly, walking her backwards towards the bed, his eyes on hers, a tiny smile tugging at his lips as she mimicked his actions with his shirt, as her fingers hooked into his sweat pants. At the bed, he pulled off his shirt, barely breaking eye contact as he reached for her, his hands closing around her waist, skin-on-skin and glorious. Kissing her again was as easy as before, but this time, his hands moved to her bra, fumbling with the clasps, eager to see and feel more of her against him. Yes, yes, they should take this slowly, every moment committed to memory. When he had her bra unhooked, he took a half-step back to smile nervously at her as he gently slid the straps off of her shoulders, his fingers trembling. "You are magnificent, Ruri." He had to swallow, to take a breath and bite his lower lip before he could drink in the sight before him, afraid of losing control too soon.

[pyroknight]

Ruri exhaled as his words washed over her. She felt them, as if they were created out of heat, sinking into her skin and warming her from within. "Yes." Her voice had an airy quality to it. "That wasn't what I meant to say." She usually had a handle on words, spoke so well, but Kitt had tied her tongue and her stomach into knots, making it harder to think and speak. "Me too. Oh, Kitt." She hadn't wanted to say anything because she hadn't want to push things to far, to fast. "I feel it too. I love you so much." Ruri felt moisture prickle at the corner of her eyes. "I was jealous and... I knew I shouldn't be." She had no claim to Kitt but she'd felt it all the same.

She closed her eyes and inhaled, steadying her nerves. "Before we keep going. I want you to know that I want this. With you. Here. You're the only one." They'd talked enough that Kitt already knew all this but Ruri wants him to hear her say it again. To assure him that this was what she wanted. Every second of this.

Ruri had to steady her fingers as Kitt's shirt was discarded to her bedroom floor. She wanted to touch him, to feel her lips brush across his skin, to breath him in. Ruri had seen Kitt without a shirt before but she had looked away. She wasn't going to look away now. She stepped towards him, her palms gently resting on his pectorals as he pulled her into a warm kiss. Ruri shivered as flesh met flesh and heat danced across her skin. It was absolutely amazing.

She felt the tight pinch of her bra and then the material relaxed. Ruri held her breath as she slipped the thin straps of her bra over her shoulders. The cold prickled at her skin while her pulse quickened beneath the heat of his stare. She wanted to touch him, to feel his palm, lips or chest against her breast but she waited. Dark brown eyes looked up at Kitt as he spoke, her breath catching in her throat. "Am I?" Her voice was breathless and light as she stepped towards Kitt, placing her hand back on his chest.

"It's all for you." She kissed the curve of his neck while the peak of her breasts brushed against Kitt's chest.

[ki2k]

She felt the same way. She said it back! He was caught up in the moment, perfect joy swelling up in his heart. He reached to cradle the back of her head, to brush his thumb over her ear, to pull her to him so he could press a firm, buoyant kiss to her forehead. His own eyes were watery as he pulled away again, smiling and shaking his head with amused disbelief at her next words. "Jealous? Why? Jealous of whom?" He pulled her to him again, enfolding her into a tight hug, rocking her with him. He couldn't remember any instance where he'd even so much as given another woman a second glance, because his heart belonged to no one else. Ruri had already claimed it long ago, whether she knew it or not. He'd broken through his own programming for her; he might now be considered rogue, defective, malfunctioning - but he didn't care. It was worth it. It was all worth it. He chose who he wanted to belong to, and who he wanted to belong to was her.

"You're the only one too. For so long now." He finally released her from the hug, the air now chilly on his bare skin, gasping softly when her palms made contact, forgetting everything when he kissed her.

And now, he was still staring, made uncomfortably aware of that fact when she spoke again. Her hand on his chest once more, he closed his eyes and licked his lips before answering. "You are. More than I was capable of imagining." He shivered as her lips met his neck, as her bare breasts pressed into his chest. "Everything I am." All for her, for as long as she would have him.

He slid one arm around her waist, caressing her back, working his way down. He was busily kissing her temple, finding his way back around to her lips, murmuring words of love, finding them so easy now - why had they been so hard to admit to before? Their relationship had started so inauspiciously, so coincidentally, who could have imagined it would lead them to this moment, here, right now? His free hand had been busy too, coming between them, cupping her breast with the tentative exploration of inexperience. It wouldn't be perfect, not this first time, but they would learn. His hand on her back had reached her ass, running over it, feeling the firm contours as he gave into his desire to squeeze it, just a little, just to see what she would do. He was terrified, exhilarated, and feeling just a tiny bit playful. Still kissing her, deepening it, his tongue twisting with hers, he brushed his thumb across her nipple, stroking it, feeling it harden against him. That too, was now squeezable, so he did, a tiny pinch. At the same time, he trailed his other hand up to her back again, but this time, he slid his fingers beneath the waistband of her pants, hoping for more bare skin. He had, in his time, and in order to better understand his driver, read numerous books on the subject of love and sex and even several how-to books on the subject, never once dreaming that he'd actually be able to put some of that abstract knowledge he'd gained into practice.

He only hoped he did it right, and didn't disappoint.

[pyroknight]

Ruri didn't get a chance to answer him. She was swept away by the proximity of his body and the heat of his touch. Kitt didn't have to be perfect in the traditional sense of the word, he was already perfect, because he it was Kitt. Kitt was kissing her!

"Kitt." She exhaled his name seconds before their lips met again.

She felt the heat of his chest against her as she pulled herself close to him, her pulse quickening with each lingering touch of skin pressing intimately against skin. "Ah-" Ruri exhaled as his lips brushed against her temple and then lowered back to capture her mouth in a heated kiss. She didn't think she could love kissing someone this much. Her tongue tangled with his as little gasps and moans pulled from her throat. She wanted to breath him in, taste every bit of him.

Her breast ached to be touched, her nipple hardening beneath his thumb while heat pulsed through her torso. The experience was dizzying and only made more intense as his other hand slipped beneath her waistband. Ruri's hands slipped between them but instead of pulling off his pants, she began to fiddle with the button of her own. Her fingers were trembling as she unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, kicking them to the floor before pulling at Kitt's sweat pants.

She broke their kiss and looked up at Kitt, panting softly against his lips. "Let's move to the bed?"

[ki2k]

The bed was behind them, so he angled her towards it, helping her to sit, then joining her with an anxious smile on his face. "Here we are." Dumb dumb dumb! He'd been worried he might lose his nerve. Now he was worried she'd change her mind at his stupidity. DUMB! Okay, okay, maybe he could salvage this. Another kiss? He smiled nervously again, then leaned in to once more take her in his arms, his lips to hers. She was nearly naked now, and his hands trembled as they trailed lightly over her skin, the brush of his fingertips along her back and sides. "Ruri. I'd like to try something. May I?" He nudged her backwards, so that she was laying down, then scooted along next to her, on his side and facing her.

For a long moment he paused there, simply gazing down on her, her firm breasts, tight stomach, long legs, supple skin. He caught her eyes, watching her as he shifted, trying not to think about the fact that he'd never done this before, instead attempting to put into practice what he'd previously only read about.

Leaning over her, his kisses began slowly, softly, starting at her lips, nibbling his way down to her chin. He took it in his teeth, followed by a lick to soothe any pain he may have caused. Then it on to her jawline, alternating feather-soft kisses with teasing swipes of his tongue. His free hand had settled on one of her breasts again, stroking and playing with her nipple. His tongue had reached the tender skin behind her ear, and his hand moved to her stomach, tracing lazy patterns there as he took the shell of her ear between his teeth, as he had done with her chin. A soft chuckle escaped him, breathy in her ear. His hand had moved still further down, his fingertips tapping at the waistband of her panties, but then he pulled back to smile awkwardly, and perhaps a bit mischievously, down at her.

He shifted again, his teeth catching her chin for a brief moment but this time, instead of going up, he began working his way down, sucking along the underside of her chin, placing a gentle kiss into the hollow of her neck, whispering once more his love for her.

He had to slide his body further down along the bed as his tongue continued its explorations, finally reaching the swell of her breast. His pulse was pounding in his temples, his arousal nearly uncontrollable, but he forced it back down, swallowing his own desires in order to focus on her, to take her nipple into his mouth and worry it with his tongue.

He fervently hoped that she had forgotten his stupidity of before.

[pyroknight]

Ruri sat on the bed and then waited for Kitt to follow. She was nervous but also happy. Her feelings were like waves, rolling against her senses only to ebb and then return. She was nervous and then excited and then bashful and then eager; each emotion fighting for control as they warred within her.

"Yeah." She exhaled the word while an affectionate smile played across the delicate curve of her lips. "You can try anything you want." Ruri didn't know what he wanted to do but she was willing to try anything at least once. Slowly, they'd learn and they'd learn together.

She shifted and laid down, her eyes following Kitt as he slipped along her side. She watched his expression as his eyes slowly brushed over her frame, warming her skin as if his stare could somehow touch her. Her breaths became heavier and her mouth dry as she imagined what Kitt might be thinking when he looked at her.

Ruri returned his kiss, slow and careful before his lips dropped to her chin. She felt the wet heat of his breath against her skin and then the soft scrape of his teeth. It didn't hurt but the contrast was unexpected, sending pleasant shivers down her spine. Her breasts began to ache as his palm played and teased her nipple, her body making it apparent that it wanted more of his touch. It felt like she was on fire but burning from within.

As his tongue touched behind her ear a low moan escaped from her lips. "Kitt." She spoke his name as if it was a lewd or improper secret that could only be shared between them. "That feels good." She didn't want him to stop or, at the very least, she wanted him to know that whatever he was doing, she liked it. Neither of them had practice and Ruri wanted to assure him every step of the way.

Ruri's breathing became heavier and more unsteady as his affections traveled down her throat, over her clavicle and up the swell of her breast. "Ah-" The note plucked from Ruri's lips as his lips circled the peak of her breast. "Kitt." She spoke his name but nothing else as her head pressed back against the bed. Her nails gently scraped along his shoulders, up the back of his neck and then through the silky strands of dark hair.

She wasn't thinking of anything except for how amazing Kitt made her feel. Like a breath of air, Ruri wanted him to fill her and surround her. "Your mouth feels-" Her voice shuttered as a gasp rose to her lips. "-good."

[ki2k]

He was smiling to himself, her whispered and breathless encouragement the only assurance he needed to know that he was doing things right so far. He ached to be inside of her, to have their bodies joined as one, but they weren't ready yet, it wasn't time. He needed to be slow, to take his time, to be gentle, to demonstrate that Ruri wasn't just some fuck, but a woman that he truly cherished. It was so hard though, and getting so much harder to hold himself in check, to keep himself from taking her for his own.

No, stop. He pulled away to settle his breathing, his lips hovering over her stomach as her nails scraped against his skin, leaving burning trails of desire in their wake. He needed her to be ready for him before he would allow himself his own pleasure, though the need for release was becoming nearly unbearable.

Measured breaths, calming breaths, blown against her skin as he edged further downward, his fingers toying once more with the fabric of her panties. He shifted again, rising up on his palms so that he could gently nudge her legs apart, making sure to catch her eyes for silent permission. Everything he tried, he wanted to be sure that Ruri would approve. He was programmed never to harm a human, and he wouldn't start here, with her. With a sigh and a hint of a smile, he positioned himself between her legs, with his hands flat on the bed on either side of her, his head tilted to one side as the smile turned mischievous. Leaning in, he caught her lips again in a brief kiss, then he sat back, angling to press his tongue to the space between her breasts, trailing it down to her belly button.

He looked up at her again, his hair falling into his eyes. His grin turned wolfish, predatory. He could smell her now, this close, the scent of her arousal. He'd never quite understood before why humans were so preoccupied with sex, but in that instant it had become crystal clear to him. It was a primal instinct, a biological need. The scent was heady and intoxicating, inviting his desires. Farther down still, scooting himself backwards, he didn't look up this time as his teeth caught the waistline of her panties, tugging at them, a small growl escaping him. He hooked his fingers into the elastic, but before he pulled them down and off, he touched his tongue to the wetness between her legs, through the fabric. Once, again, again. He could taste her now, and he wanted more. Sitting up again, he pulled her panties off of her hips, sliding them down her legs, over her feet, until they were gone, out of his way. With one more glance at her, still assuring her approval, he laid down on his belly between her legs, holding himself up with his arms, taking a long, mesmerized look at the breathtaking sight before him, laid bare for him. With another sigh of contentment, he parted her, his breath warm as his tongue sought out and found the heat between her legs.

[pyroknight]

Ruri's thoughts were hazed by the heady pleasure of Kitt's touch. She didn't want him to move slowly but she understood Kitt's restraint. He didn't want to hurt her.

Her teeth gently dug into her lower lip, sending thin tendrils of pain through her body. The pain mingled with her desire but it only seemed to heightened the warmth of Kitt's touch. She released the pressure on her lower lip, her mouth parting as a low moan plucked from her throat.

Ruri looked down as he gently nudged her legs apart. Her chest rose as she inhaled and shifted, nodding her head in silent permission. She didn't trust herself to speak with his fingers teasing at the edge of her panties. Ruri wanted him to take them off, for him to explore the wet heat that had begun to gather between her thighs. She had never felt like this before but her body told her what it wanted.

Every one of Kitt's touches sent her mind reeling and her head spinning. She almost didn't notice when he returned for another kiss. "Kitt." She whispered his name as he ran his tongue down her chest. Fire trailed across her skin and then chilled as the air pressed against his path. It was a simple touch but amazing. Heat blossomed in her chest as her fingernails continued to scrape against Kitt's skin, only dropping away when he pulled out of reach.

It was impossible to look away as his teeth tugged at the elastic of her underwear. He looked so perfect, nestled between her thighs. Her hips rose gently, pulsing towards the pressure of his tongue as soft moans and gasps fell from her lips. Heat twisted and gathered in her lower abdomen before it began to spread through her frame. "Ah-" Her head pressed back against the mattress and her eyes closed as her desires threatened to overwhelm her senses. She looked down at him when he paused, panting softly while a bright red flush had spread across her cheeks. At his silent question she found her voice and answered. "Yes." Her thighs shifted together as he pulled her underwear down the lovely curve of her legs. Once the fabric was tossed to the side she gave him room to return to his previous position between her thighs.

Ruri felt a nervous flutter in her chest as Kitt stared at her, uncertainty suddenly peaking through the lust that he had encouraged.

All of her worries flitted away as Kitt's tongue dragged along the slick folds of her sex. "K-Kitt." She gasped his name as her fingers sank into the mattress, gathering the sheets within her palms. The heat in her abdomen turned to fire, dancing and twisting through her body with overwhelming pleasure.

[ki2k]

Gods, this, this, this was really happening. The tang of her desire exploded across his tongue, sending rippling chills through him, his stomach tightening as his own body continued to respond. Her scent, her taste, he'd never experienced anything like them, never imagined how such a delicate and heady combination could affect him. He wanted more, all of her, to feel her around him, the private dance of their bodies moving together...

Focus. Calm. It wasn't time, not yet. Now was still for her, only for her, as his tongue continued to explore, sliding along the slick folds, tracing her contours. He found the nub he knew would be there, pulling back momentarily to blow a heated breath, delighting in her reactions. Lowering his mouth over her again, he sucked and pulled at her clit, making sure to gently soothe with his flattened tongue immediately after. She was incredible, she was amazing, she was. His.

And he was hers.

He shifted again, so that he could bring his fingers to her opening, slowly and gently pressing into her while he continued to lap at her with his tongue. He would stop if she wanted him to, if her discomfort became too intense, but for now he was more than happy to finish what he'd started, focusing his efforts on making her come for him, wanting to hear the sounds of her cries as she gave herself over to the sensations. With that in mind, he slid his fingers farther into her, marveling at the wet heat surrounding them, while he used just the tip of his tongue to draw circles around her clit, up, over, against, and into her, a lazy, satisfied smile on his face as he felt her body tense, telling him to redouble his efforts.