LOVE & CONQUEST-Colonel Quaritch-

E I G H T

          Kirey'a awoke to the feeling of eyes on her. Quaritch's blanket resting over her body once again as it seemed to be becoming a habit. She would have to make note to give him her own so he wouldn't get cold throughout the night.

      "Goodmorning Sunshine."

        She looks to Miles who laid on his side, facing her with his arm used as a prop for his head. Eyes quickly finding his bare chest, completely exposed by the lack of covering. A tagged metallic necklace hung from his neck, lightly pressed against his blue skin.

     "You're still here?" She questioned, as usually she would awake to him already up and about, nowhere to be seen. He was a busy man, always having things to tend to or people to speak with, always running off to the big scary building she had first encountered.

      "It is an off day. No duties today."

     "Oh," she sighed, wondering what that might mean for her as she had nothing to do aside from teach. "No classes then?"

     "No ma'am."

      Kirey'a nods before raising her body to a sitting position. She yanks away the covering and throws her legs over the edge of the bed. Her feet kiss the cold flooring and her expression flashes grim in response. As she does this, Miles too follows her actions and soon his knees are mere inches from touching her own.

     He then rises to his feet, and Kirey'a tries to hide away her eyes as they observe the rippled muscles in his abdomen. Her mouth practically watering at the image.

    "What will you do then?" She finds herself asking, forcing herself to pry her gaze from him.

    Miles leans toward the railing of his bed, reaching for his shirt. Taking it in his hands, he looks back down to her, smiling almost innocently. "I will be in the Compound with the kid for a little while, but I'll be back." He says, pulling the tank top over his head and down to cover his torso.

     Kirey'a's ears flop down, not wanting to see it hidden away so soon. "Can I come?" Hopeful she asks, jumping up to stand closer to him. Her head tilted back as she looks into his eyes with a sweet smile on her lips, wanting to see her little sky friend.

     He then places his hands on either side of her shoulders. Lightly pushing her back so that he may exit the cubby of beds and out into the aisle. "Sorry Kie, it's best you stay here."

    Miles gives her another one of his famous winks before departing from her and out of sight. Not giving her the slightest chance to protest.

     It wasn't much later that Kirey'a found herself by the small pond. She had submerged herself within it and removed her top to properly wash it. It had been days of her wearing the same clothing, and days without having a private moment to clean herself. She figured that considering there were no others around the time would be now.

     As she hummed to the rhythm of one of the many songs of the Omatikaya, Kirey'a stroked at the feathers and strings of her top. Careful not to pull at anything too hard as this was the only one she had at the moment. As she did these, she wondered if she could ask Miles for thread so that she might make a new one.

    Admittedly, Kirey'a spent the day thinking of only him. Imagining his bare chest from the early morning and often his sneaky smiles. She sensed a different aura around him than that of the first day, one of mixed ease and maybe even a little harmony. Perhaps his feelings had changed just as hers did. From the moment she first spoke to him, she felt the faint connection which had only grown stronger as the days passed.
     She hoped his outlook on this world and her people were changing, so that she might go home soon with him and Spider accompanying her. She wanted it so much, for him to become one of the people, to perhaps choose her when the time came. As if a love story much like Neytiri and Jake.