ZARIA

Chapter 18

Kei

Kei lay on the bed, basking in the glow of his orgasm, his lips pulled into what must have looked like the dorkiest smile to ever grace a respectable man's face, but he didn't care.

He was happy, so fucking happy, and after so much time, so many years spent in loneliness and anger, regrets and what-ifs, he thought that he deserved to smile as much and as goofiest as he damn wished.

He felt a movement beside him and moved his head to the left to see Zaria, her beautiful eyes wide and unsure as she watched him.

He felt a pang of pity for the beautiful young woman; the sight of her so unsure of her place in his life, even after the wonderful experience they'd just shared, made him wish that he could hunt down each and every one of the bastards that had destroyed her so utterly.

But he couldn't, so instead, he turned to the side and wrapped one of his arms around Zaria's waist, pulling her closer until her head was safely snuggled into the crook of his neck.

He felt more than heard her sigh as she snuggled even closer, wrapping her arms around his waist, practically latching onto him like a koala bear, which made him smile in amusement.

Kei had long suspected that Zaria was desperate for affection, for someone to care for and love her. He could see it in every move the girl made, in every hug she gave Ren that went on for just a bit too long, and most of all, in the longing that entered her eyes whenever he hugged Ren or told him that he loved him.

Looking back, that sadness probably drew him so instantly to Zaria because, on some level, it reflected his own.

Sure, he had Ren and Betty and his work, which he loved despite how much he sometimes wished to send it to hell and retire early, but he was still human and needed affection, something that, since Jessica left him, he hasn't managed to find in anyone, until Zaria.

"That was..." Zaria started before stopping, hiding her head further into his neck, the tips of her ears turning red.

"Wonderful." he finished for her, making her eyes snap up despite her obvious embarrassment.

"You are wonderful, Zaria. Thank you."

Zaria's eyes widened in surprise, confusion swimming in those beautiful, brown orbs.

"What for?" she snorted, her mouth quirking in one corner, making her look so adorable that he barely managed to control himself and not ravish her again.

"For trusting me. For giving yourself to me so beautifully. Besides Ren, I think it was the best gift anyone could have ever given me." he said, one of his hands coming up to Zaria's cheek and caressing it softly as he spoke.

He would later realize that he should have expected it, but somehow, he didn't, panicking for a moment when Zaria's lower lip started trembling and her eyes filled with tears, a few of them spilling out and running down her face.

"Hey. Hey, what's wrong?" Kei urgently questioned, trying and failing to think of what he could have done to make Zaria cry, but the girl just shook her head before hugging him tightly, obviously unable or unwilling to talk about it. So, he decided not to push and simply returned the hug, one of his hands slowly caressing Zaria's scarred back while he whispered reassurances into her ear as she silently cried.

•

"You are too," Zaria mumbled sometime later, her tears long gone, in their place an occasional hiccup.

She was still hugging him, but she had loosened her grip slightly so he could turn just a bit to look down at her.

His heart panged at the sight of Zaria's puffy eyes and red cheeks, making him feel awful that his words had caused her to cry, but at the same time, he knew that it was precisely what Zaria needed.