The couple had just made it back from their honeymoon destination.
"That's the last of it, "Joe said as he set down the previous box. I shook his hand and thanked him as well.
"So where's wifey?" He asked as he turned his head around and looked behind me.
I looked bewildered. He began to chuckle,
"You lost her already?"I scowled,
"No, not every room besides the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom is set up yet."
"Well, y'all need not be doing anything but being all over each other, so those are the only rooms you need right now anyway," Joe explained as he disappeared behind the kitchen wall, emerging with juice and water for me.
"Damn, how much water can two people drink?" He asked, but then he began laughing lowly to himself,
He clapped me on the back and shoulder, "Haha, my boy, that's my dude." I looked over at him as I discretely tried to check for where she could be without raising alarm bells.
"Y'all wearing each other out, huh?" When I didn't answer, I guess he took that as an answer,
"Well, just make sure y'all eat, and I mean food, actual food, too," He said as the front door opened again,
10, Three, and a little later, my wife filed in. Ten had two boxes stacked up together in his hands,
After Joe helped Three with the four boxes he had, he rushed over to help 10 with his, too.
"Thanks, dude," 10 said as he followed Three to the kitchen,
"Always, dude. I'll always be there for all my dudes." When I turned my head back, the sunlight seeping into the house was gone, the front door was closed and, upon further inspection, was locked, and my wife wasn't standing on the threshold any longer.
Three walked into the living room as ten followed, laughing as he sat,
"Just water in there."
Joe turned to him, "I'm saying!"
They both began laughing a bit louder. Three joined in after catching on. I stood against the front door, watching. From the angle, I could see her in the kitchen, adding more stuff to the already fully stocked cabinets, shelves, and pantry.
"Mmm, well, welcome home, nigga." Joe said as he stood up,
He slightly pushed me out the way of the door, hugging me, before the light returned. Ten and Three hugged me as well, congratulating me again before following Joe outside,
"Tell wifey we have gone, "Three and Joe said.
"Yeah, we'll let y'all continue to get close, and soon y'all will multiply."
Ten said as he clapped my shoulder, holding as he spoke, laughing, and closing the door behind him as he left.
I made sure to lock it before I moved away from it.
"So I guess it's just us now," Ken spoke as he faced his wife,
"Yes, I guess so. So, what do we do first?" She asked as she spoke again.
"You know I'm not even sure myself." Ken retorted as he rubbed his aching neck.
Looking around at the massive downstairs area that seemed to shrink, she had an answer to her question,
"Unpack." Ken nodded as he followed his love into the kitchen, where most of their boxes needed attention. Finishing up with the cabinet, the two had made their way around the kitchen, and all that was left was the refrigerator, but that would have to be a little later as the living room needed to be done. Grabbing the last box from her and breaking it down, Ken spoke up,
"You know why Joe and the guys think we need so much water in the fridge?" She laid the last of the cutlery in place before closing the sliding cabinet draw,
"No, why?" Ken disappeared with the boxes, placing them in the garage before returning. She was now in the living room with two boxes open in front of her,
"They think that we need to hydrate ourselves because we've been doing things to each other nonstop." Ken laughed a little as he told his wife what his friends had said earlier that day.
"Oh, but we need to hydrate because it's hot at this end of the cul-de-sac." She clarified as she placed items from each box on the table or the floor below near the table.
"I know, but that's what they were implying. Just thought you should know." Ken explained further,
She nodded as the two fell silent, emptying boxes around the room, the floor, and the furniture, which became more visible as the boxes disappeared. Ken continued coming in and out of the house as the alarm sounded each time he left with boxes and returned empty-handed. With the last trip, he returned to the sofa to relax from all the movement, his eyes not focusing on any specific thing until his love melodic voice broke the comfortable silence,
"Should we be doing stuff?" she asked. Ken blinked slowly, and he nodded. She leaned in. The two kissed for a while before continuing to unpack the rooms on the lower level of their house.
~
The air was thick with steam as the couple moved about their room, preparing for bed. Skin brushes touched each other simultaneously as they dressed for comfort and sleep. The two had finished unpacking enough for the day to have their necessities for the evening and night.
Ken finished getting ready for bed earlier than her, watching from the Ottoman as she moved from one side of the room to the other. Her skin was like butter, and he wanted to reach out and touch her. Her skin called him to feel the smoothness under his fingertips.
The bathroom light went off, as Ken had already moved onto the side of the bed. As the lights dimmed, the two found themselves engulfed in each other, legs intertwined as their skins touched.
