Whatever.
Okay. I did not proof-read. Do not bother pointing out mistakes because I don’t CARE. I hate this story. It’s shitty and the only reason I bothered finishing it is because I’m not throwing out something I’ve spent time on. DO NOT point out mistakes. I will bitch at you if you do because I DON’T FREAKING CARE. Okay? Okay.
It was one of those hot days, the kind that left you wanting only to sprawl on your back somewhere and not so much as twitch a finger until the air cooled down a good twenty degrees. Tanzikala had never understood how Kadei could take hot showers when it was already this hot. It was a strange thing to do, in her opinion, but it was something Kadei had always done. Of course, Kadei never minded the heat so it was not as if he would be bothered by going from the warm bedroom in to the scorching water that he showered with. It was just Kadei, anyway. She could not complain about that.
But then there was his other oddity. Why did he wear long-sleeved shirts in this kind of weather? He had to be crazy, right? Not only was he wearing long sleeves in the heat but after taking a shower and stepping out of the boiling water there, he went so far as to put a long sleeve shirt on again. Now, that itself was strange. It was a wonder that he did not overheat and pass out, you know? That was not the thing that was really getting to her this time, though. You see, that isn’t something that actually bothers her, it ‘s just weird. Now, though…
Kadei, having finished his shower and almost fully dressed-he was half-way done buttoning his shirt-had stepped out of the bathroom, allowing Tanzie to see that, sure enough, the water in use had been as hot as ever. Yes, her husband was crazy. Again, though, it was not the hot water or the long sleeves that were getting to her. No, it was not those. “Kadie…” She half-whined over the sound of the news from the TV against the wall opposite their bed. “Are you going to come lie down?”
The question seemed to confuse the man as he looked up from the last button to blink at her through a curtain of soaking blond locks. He never toweled his hair dry when it was hot out and maybe that is what made his scorching showers okay. “What? Of course I am, ippin,” he replied, tilting his head a bit as he fixed the last button and arched a brow at his wife. “Why would you ask me that?”
Tanzikala laughed, finding that there was no other way to react to the expression on the model’s face. It was cute, ridiculously so, and there was an ever-present hint of childishness in his confusion that just begged to at least be smiled at. “Nevermind. Come here.” Still looking a bit confused, Kadei brush his hair out of his eyes and made his way to the bed, flopping down in manner that would be surprising to anyone who did not know him well. He settled in on his back, hands clasped where they rested on the pillow above his head. “I’m glad you’re home, we missed you like crazy. Was it a good trip?”
Kadei smiled, shifting a hand to reach up and grab her hand before sitting up for a moment to pull her in to a tight embrace. “I missed you guys, too,” he assured her, placing a light kiss at the corner of her mouth before he returned to his former position on his back. He inhaled deeply, allowing himself to revel in the familiarity of being home, in this house, in this room, with his love. His eyes closed, happy to just listen to the news rather than actually watching it-he was tired and jetlagged, anyway, and could not quite manage keeping his eyes open.
The woman sighed softly in mock-annoyance as she shifted her position so that she could begin to undo the work that Kadei had done before in buttoning up his shirt. The model squeaked, cracking an eye open to watch her unbutton the white garment. “Why are you doing that, ippin?” He asked, though it was a silly question, really, as he knew very well what she thought of using him as a pillow when he had a shirt on.
“Because. I want my pillow and I want it without annoying fabric on it,” she responded, giving him a ‘why did you even ask me?’ look that would have been taken as annoyance if not for the soft smile on her lips as she reached the last trio of buttons. Kadei closed his eyes again, biting his lip in an attempt to mask his nervousness as she undid the last button. There was silence then. A long silence, started by a hitch in the woman’s breathing.
Kadei licked his lips, suddenly worried about the reaction from Tanzikala. Perhaps it had not been a good idea? “Is…something wrong?” He asked, voice hushed and quite clearly holding a note of anxiousness as he spoke. Tanzikala did not respond at first, instead resting her fingertips on the black ink that now lie just below the pierced navel of the man stretched out beside her. It was new and it was unexpected-Kadei had never mentioned wanting a new tattoo nor had he told her that he had a new one.
“When did you…”
“Mi-chan and I went…a couple weeks ago…”
Tanzikala traced the letters, seemingly enthralled with the fancy font as much as she was by the word itself. There was only one meaning-one reason-that she could think of for the tattoo was there at all but he had never mentioned that either. Tanzikala frowned, looking up at her husband’s face but seeing that his eyes were still closed and he was still biting his lip nervously. “But what about-”
“I’m done.”
“Done…? You mean you…”
“I retired. I retired before I went to Japan…I just had one more job I had to do before everything could be complete…”
The woman took a deep breath, gaze sliding back down to settle on the black ink on his abdomen as if not believing that he really meant it. He was done. He had retired. There would be no more long trips in far-off countries. No more hectic schedules. No more struggling with time differences. He was no longer a model. He was ready to be a father now, to be home. To be with her and Ame and Emmy. “So you are…”
“I’m yours, ippin,” he murmured, allowing his eyes to open a little and a loving smile to touch his expression. “I’m yours.”
She released the breath she had not meant to hold, moving to lie beside him and wrapping her arms around his half-exposed torso. Tanzikala smiled, leaning in to kiss her love’s lips before she nudged his shirt away from his shoulder, placing a kiss on the bare skin there. “I love you, Kadei…” She whispered, resting her head on his shoulder as she watched him absently turn the TV off before he settled a hand on her arm. The sentiment was echoed, earning another smile from the woman as she snuggled closer to the other. “Thank you…”
Retired. Retired. It was true, then. It was exactly as the freshly tattooed black ink read.
Yours.
Kadei was hers now.
Hers and no one else’s.
The font.
IHateThisStory.
It’s stupid. And shitty. And should go die. Okay? Okay.
It was one of those hot days, the kind that left you wanting only to sprawl on your back somewhere and not so much as twitch a finger until the air cooled down a good twenty degrees. Tanzikala had never understood how Kadei could take hot showers when it was already this hot. It was a strange thing to do, in her opinion, but it was something Kadei had always done. Of course, Kadei never minded the heat so it was not as if he would be bothered by going from the warm bedroom in to the scorching water that he showered with. It was just Kadei, anyway. She could not complain about that.
But then there was his other oddity. Why did he wear long-sleeved shirts in this kind of weather? He had to be crazy, right? Not only was he wearing long sleeves in the heat but after taking a shower and stepping out of the boiling water there, he went so far as to put a long sleeve shirt on again. Now, that itself was strange. It was a wonder that he did not overheat and pass out, you know? That was not the thing that was really getting to her this time, though. You see, that isn’t something that actually bothers her, it ‘s just weird. Now, though…
Kadei, having finished his shower and almost fully dressed-he was half-way done buttoning his shirt-had stepped out of the bathroom, allowing Tanzie to see that, sure enough, the water in use had been as hot as ever. Yes, her husband was crazy. Again, though, it was not the hot water or the long sleeves that were getting to her. No, it was not those. “Kadie…” She half-whined over the sound of the news from the TV against the wall opposite their bed. “Are you going to come lie down?”
The question seemed to confuse the man as he looked up from the last button to blink at her through a curtain of soaking blond locks. He never toweled his hair dry when it was hot out and maybe that is what made his scorching showers okay. “What? Of course I am, ippin,” he replied, tilting his head a bit as he fixed the last button and arched a brow at his wife. “Why would you ask me that?”
Tanzikala laughed, finding that there was no other way to react to the expression on the model’s face. It was cute, ridiculously so, and there was an ever-present hint of childishness in his confusion that just begged to at least be smiled at. “Nevermind. Come here.” Still looking a bit confused, Kadei brush his hair out of his eyes and made his way to the bed, flopping down in manner that would be surprising to anyone who did not know him well. He settled in on his back, hands clasped where they rested on the pillow above his head. “I’m glad you’re home, we missed you like crazy. Was it a good trip?”
Kadei smiled, shifting a hand to reach up and grab her hand before sitting up for a moment to pull her in to a tight embrace. “I missed you guys, too,” he assured her, placing a light kiss at the corner of her mouth before he returned to his former position on his back. He inhaled deeply, allowing himself to revel in the familiarity of being home, in this house, in this room, with his love. His eyes closed, happy to just listen to the news rather than actually watching it-he was tired and jetlagged, anyway, and could not quite manage keeping his eyes open.
The woman sighed softly in mock-annoyance as she shifted her position so that she could begin to undo the work that Kadei had done before in buttoning up his shirt. The model squeaked, cracking an eye open to watch her unbutton the white garment. “Why are you doing that, ippin?” He asked, though it was a silly question, really, as he knew very well what she thought of using him as a pillow when he had a shirt on.
“Because. I want my pillow and I want it without annoying fabric on it,” she responded, giving him a ‘why did you even ask me?’ look that would have been taken as annoyance if not for the soft smile on her lips as she reached the last trio of buttons. Kadei closed his eyes again, biting his lip in an attempt to mask his nervousness as she undid the last button. There was silence then. A long silence, started by a hitch in the woman’s breathing.
Kadei licked his lips, suddenly worried about the reaction from Tanzikala. Perhaps it had not been a good idea? “Is…something wrong?” He asked, voice hushed and quite clearly holding a note of anxiousness as he spoke. Tanzikala did not respond at first, instead resting her fingertips on the black ink that now lie just below the pierced navel of the man stretched out beside her. It was new and it was unexpected-Kadei had never mentioned wanting a new tattoo nor had he told her that he had a new one.
“When did you…”
“Mi-chan and I went…a couple weeks ago…”
Tanzikala traced the letters, seemingly enthralled with the fancy font as much as she was by the word itself. There was only one meaning-one reason-that she could think of for the tattoo was there at all but he had never mentioned that either. Tanzikala frowned, looking up at her husband’s face but seeing that his eyes were still closed and he was still biting his lip nervously. “But what about-”
“I’m done.”
“Done…? You mean you…”
“I retired. I retired before I went to Japan…I just had one more job I had to do before everything could be complete…”
The woman took a deep breath, gaze sliding back down to settle on the black ink on his abdomen as if not believing that he really meant it. He was done. He had retired. There would be no more long trips in far-off countries. No more hectic schedules. No more struggling with time differences. He was no longer a model. He was ready to be a father now, to be home. To be with her and Ame and Emmy. “So you are…”
“I’m yours, ippin,” he murmured, allowing his eyes to open a little and a loving smile to touch his expression. “I’m yours.”
She released the breath she had not meant to hold, moving to lie beside him and wrapping her arms around his half-exposed torso. Tanzikala smiled, leaning in to kiss her love’s lips before she nudged his shirt away from his shoulder, placing a kiss on the bare skin there. “I love you, Kadei…” She whispered, resting her head on his shoulder as she watched him absently turn the TV off before he settled a hand on her arm. The sentiment was echoed, earning another smile from the woman as she snuggled closer to the other. “Thank you…”
Retired. Retired. It was true, then. It was exactly as the freshly tattooed black ink read.
Yours.
Kadei was hers now.
Hers and no one else’s.
The font.
IHateThisStory.
It’s stupid. And shitty. And should go die. Okay? Okay.