Love Me Tender (A Kaimelia - Kai Bartley/Amelia Shepherd - fanfiction)

Part 11

Fiddle. Is. Adorable.

If this was a test, I definitely passed because he took a liking to me immediately and now won't leave my side.

It might have something to do with the fact that I'll give him a treat for just looking at me with those cute puppy eyes, but I'm gonna choose to believe that he just likes me a lot.

"What breed is he?" I ask, petting the dog who's sat down by my side, pushing against my leg in an attempt to get even closer it seems. I don't know much about dogs so if the answer is something very common, I'll have to take the embarrassment and roll with it.

"He's mixed breed. Saved him from a kill shelter as a tiny puppy. He was so young that he should've been with his mother and had some severe health issues, but luckily nothing permanent," Kai explains, moving around the apartment. It's an open concept studio apartment with a sliding wall separating the bedroom area so we can talk while they're getting ready.

"You're a really lucky guy then, huh?" I say to Fiddle who pants happily in agreement. Of course everything I find out about Kai just makes me like them that much more. I am in so much trouble. And it is going to suck very much if this does turn out to be tumor related.

"I feel bad that he had to be alone for the whole night.." I say, remembering how I asked Kai to stay the night. I don't regret it, but maybe it wasn't the best idea to get even more mixed up in this thing.

Of course I think of that now, as I'm about to spend the whole day with them.

"Oh no, he wasn't alone," Kai chuckles in response to my worried face, joining us in the kitchen now. My mind is already filling in the blanks - maybe they got Fiddle together with their ex and so they share time with him. Or maybe Kai actually has someone in their life, it's just casual. Or an open relationship, people do that, right?

"I have this awesome neighbor. The coolest chick ever. She takes Fiddle on walks and feeds him when I'm out for too long," Kai explains.

The coolest chick. Got it.

"Okay, that's good then. That.. yeah.. He didn't have to be alone here," I stumble on my words, feeling dumber by each passing moment.

Kai smirks and for a moment it seems like they can sense my thoughts so I look away, focusing on the bulletin board on the wall that's filled with colorful notes and pictures.

"Yeah, he adores Juliet," they continue, the name making me gag internally. "She's like.. 70 or something and an army veteran and has the craziest stories to tell so we go on walks together a lot. Plus, she can use the exercise, she had a stroke last year."

And now I feel so stupid. I was picturing a young hot blonde and the reality couldn't be further from that.

"She sounds great," I say, actually meaning it. Sounds like a perfectly harmless old lady and meanwhile I'm here, making a complete fool of myself. This isn't like me, why am I feeling like this?

Kai moves around the table towards me, stopping in front of me and leaning closer. I'm sitting on a kitchen stool so they're even taller like this and I feel like my heart is skipping beats from just looking up at them.

"Are you typically this jealous or do I have that effect on you?" they ask with a smirk on their lips, making me blush slightly.

"I'm.. not. I don't have a reason to be. No, a right to be. We've only had one date," I shake my head, talking faster than usual and feeling embarrassed by it.

"You have a right to feel however you wish. Besides.. Didn't you say that last night was our second date?" Kai is laughing now and I can't hold back the smile forming on my lips as well.

"Shut up," I say, shaking my head and turning to look at Fiddle, but their hand on my cheek stops me.

"Make me," Kai says, the challenge clear in their tone. The way they tower over me makes me feel completely and utterly surrendered to them, but a stubborn voice in the back of my mind is keeping me from letting them win.

"You're impossible," I say instead of giving in to the desire to close the gap between us.

"And?" Kai pushes me to say more, meanwhile leaning in closer. 

My eyes drop involuntarily to their lips, my mind going blank because of it. "And.. arrogant," I add defiantly. It's almost impossible to come up with any negative words to describe Kai and even this one doesn't apply, but I'm not one to give in easily.

"And.." Kai repeats, their lips now so close that I can feel their breath on mine. My body is reacting without my permission, heartbeat quickening along with my breathing.

Their other hand is on the kitchen island, supporting them as they're leaning over and I run my hand up their arm without breaking eye contact. Their typical button-up shirt is replaced by a casual tee and I love the feeling of their warm skin under my hand.

And by the looks of it, Kai likes it too. 

"And amazing," I eventually give in and as soon as the word leaves my lips, Kai presses theirs onto mine. 

I can't wrap my mind around how they make me feel when they kiss me. It's like I'm falling and desperately need to hold onto them. So I do, putting both arms around them and allowing them to pull me up to stand. All of a sudden, I'm in the air and I yelp as the ground disappears from under me. Kai laughs, breaking the kiss for a moment.

They set me down on the kitchen island, standing between my legs which really makes me feel something down there too. Good lord, help.

"Can't believe I mistook you for tough and unapproachable back at Hopkins," Kai says, moving a strand of hair from my face and kissing the bare skin it revealed.

"So you wanted to approach me?" I ask, curious now. We had come across one another a few times at school and talked a bit, but really not much.

"Of course," they answer, like it's the most obvious thing in the entire world. "I've always thought you're brilliant and beautiful."

And the pure honesty in their eyes is enough to nearly make me cry again.