The One Who Got Away – CH 13

Chapter 13: Spurred

The next morning when Kay got to the office, a big vase containing a huge flower bouquet waited on her desk – light pink peonies. Beaming and feeling giddy like a teenager, she stuck her nose into the fragrant blooms. How did Seth even know these were her favorites? 

She found a small printed card taped to the vase. It read: "

"Forever. -S."

 

Kay's heart fluttered. With a swooning sigh, she took out her phone and snapped a picture for him.

 

"They are wonderful,"

she texted under the photo.

"Thank you.”

He responded a couple of hours later, probably only now done with the morning routine.

 

"You're very welcome. Do they smell nice?"

 

"Heavenly."

 

"Good, I'm glad."

 

"How did you know peonies are my favorite flowers?"

 

"You mentioned it once about eight years ago."

Kay gasped at her phone.

 

"And you remembered all this time?!"

 

"Of course, I had to."

 

She sighed with smitten grin. Oh Seth. 

"Wow, Kay," her boss Martin admired the flowers when he was stopping by her desk later that morning. "Got a secret admirer?"

She laughed. "Not so secret. They're from my boyfriend."

"Oh," Martin raised his eyebrows. "I wasn't aware you had a significant other. Good to know, you can bring him to the barbecue."

Right. She hadn’t even thought of that yet. The boss had sent an invitation to the whole firm for a barbecue at his house, in a couple of weeks' time, with the option for a plus one. "I'll ask him," Kay smiled. "Just… is your garden accessible without stairs?"

The boss frowned. "I suppose. Why?"

"He uses a wheelchair."

Martin's face fell in shock. "Oh, I'm sorry."

'I'm sorry'? What was she even supposed to say to that? 'Thank you'? 'No need to be sorry'? 'Me too'? Ugh. Kay just blinked at him with a polite smile, because really no suitable answer came to her mind. 

The boss cleared his throat. "Anyway, yes there is access to the garden from the front of the house. No stairs there."

"Great. I'll let you know if I come with him or alone."

"Yes, of course, uh, whatever works best for you." The boss ran a hand over his sweaty forehead, then awkwardly changed the topic to the project he had wanted to talk to her about.

Gah, Kay thought. She probably needed to get used to this kind of exchange. Have to come up with a couple of polite standardized phrases. Martin surely wouldn't be the last person to apologize to her for the fact that she had a disabled boyfriend. And while ignorant, people just meant well. Seth had taught her that.

When she arrived at the house later, Kay found him in the living room, working on the computer. Inadvertently, she stopped in her tracks for a second, a sense of deja vu abruptly befalling her. Amazing, the relativity of things. About five months ago, she had walked in on him just like this, and it had shook her to the core. Back then, seeing him paralyzed and operating an electric wheelchair through a straw had seemed like the worst fate imaginable. Back then, Seth had looked frail to her; utterly dependent. And now, today, Kay saw something entirely different: She saw the man she loved in his chair instead of the bed – and the chair meant independence. She saw him working instead of being sick and exhausted, and that meant he was well. Which was something Kay now knew not to take for granted. Endorphins rushing through her body, she crossed the room and slang her arms around him from behind. "Hey you."  

He turned his face toward her with a grin. "Hi."

Kay placed an affectionate kiss on his dimple. "Have you been up all day?"

"No. A couple of hours in the morning, and now since around four." He smirked sheepishly. "Getting there."

Inhaling his scent with a sigh, Kay buried her nose in his neck. "Mhm, I missed you."

"Missed you, too" he mumbled. "Hold on. Let me close this up."

She watched how he turned his attention back to his work for a moment. Kay had seen him navigate the computer before, but it was still fascinating to her how he just needed to stare at the screen for the cursor to react. Seth saved and closed the program, then aimed for his control stick. Kay took two steps away when the chair backed up a little with a low humming sound and then turned in her direction. Leaning back, Seth looked up at her with a shy smile, and she bent down to kiss him – properly this time. When she was about to straighten up, he searched her gaze and pointed his chin down to his lap. "Come", he said softly. "Sit."

Kay didn’t know why it made her weak in the knees. Maybe it was that damned voice of his, or the fact that this was probably the first time he invited anyone to do that. In any case, her cheeks were burning and her stomach was fluttering when she lowered herself down onto his lap. Gingerly, she twisted to put her legs through under his arm rest, and she could feel his thighs give way under her, sinking deeper into the cushion underneath them. With a goofy grin, Kay moved the control stick out of the way and put her arms around Seth’s neck, gazing into his eyes. "You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do this." 

"What?" He chuckled softly. "Sit on my bony lap?" 

Kay playfully rubbed the tip of her nose against his. "Do you find that so hard to believe?"

He just shrugged, and she pulled him into a passionate kiss. Her stomach somersaulted and a warm tingling sensation spread all through her body. 

Seth sighed softly and buried his face in the crook of her neck, his lips touching her skin with light kisses. Kay shuddered. "Now imagine I would have listened to you and actually backed down," she murmured, lovingly running her hand through his hair.

Seth nodded slightly. "I know. And that actually goes for several respects."

True. "Tell me something ", she said, resting her chin on top of his head, because his face was still buried in her neck. Did you really not know that whole time?"

"Know what?"

"How I felt about you. Or did you know but simply decided to ignore it?"

Seth swallowed and was quiet for a moment. Then he wriggled his head up to make eye contact. "I knew you cared, but I could not for the life of me imagine that it was still in that way. What I tried to ignore were my own feelings for you." A smile twitched on his lips. "Failed miserably."

"And when I kissed you?"

"When you kissed me…" – his gaze slipped for a second, then he looked back at her shyly. "I got scared shitless."

Kay pensively ran her thumb along his jawline. "And are you still?"

He shrugged weakly, and the awkward look in his eyes said it all. Which didn't come as a surprise to Kay, but she uttered a heavy sigh nonetheless.

Seth gazed at her with affection. "But", he said emphatically, looking deeply into her eyes. "I'm also very happy."

Kay smiled. "I guess that counts for something." She stroked his temple. "Let's get some fresh air. Enjoy the garden for a bit."

Seth nodded, and she climbed from his lap. As if in response to the pressure lifting, his legs immediately began to bounce, straining against the straps keeping his feet in place "Oops." Kay smirked, leaning down to put her hands on the trembling thighs. "Maybe I was too heavy for them." 

He laughed with a shake of his head, and Kay strained her neck to place a kiss on his lips. 

"What do you want to drink?", she asked, as she straightened up. "I'll get something and bring it outside."

"There's that horrible herbal tea Brian ordered me to finish," he said. "I'll have that."

Kay nodded and was already walking towards the kitchen, when Seth called after her. "Kay? I need my control."

For a millisecond, she looked at him in confusion, then grimaced sheepishly. "Sorry" she muttered, as she went back and moved the sip 'n puff within his reach. "Rookie mistake."

The evening sun was warm and gentle, and the birds were singing when they entered the garden. Kay put their beverages on the lawn table and took a deep breath of the grassy air. "The last time we were out here, we got pretty wet.” 

Seth looked up at her with a half-smile. "It would make for such a fun memory, if it wasn't for the infection I got from it."

"Hey", she teased, "don't forget that it also led to other things. We might still be in the friend zone right now if not for that rain." 

He produced an ambiguous smile. "Pretty ironic, considering that we never really were in the friend zone to begin with. We just pretended to be."

“Yeah, we were really good at that, weren't we." She sat down on a garden chair. "I actually managed to convince myself for a while that I wasn't in love with you anymore."

Seth maneuvered as close to her chair as possible, and Kay leaned over for a quick kiss. She drank some of her coke, then offered Seth his sipping cup. He accepted the straw with a grimace, and after taking a few sips, shuddered in disgust. "Ugh."

Kay laughed. "It can't be that bad."

"Don't believe me?" He raised an eyebrow. "Try a sip."

She did, and the brew had such a disgusting bitter taste that she almost spit it out. "This stuff must be extremely good for you," she shuddered. "Either that or Brian wants to poison you."

Seth smirked, and he looked at her coke. "Can I have some? Need to rinse that taste."

Kay leaned over and brought her glass to his lips, hoping not to spill anything, because this was a first for her. So many firsts now. They almost got it right. She retracted the glass when his eyes darted up to hers, and only one small drop escaped in the process, which Kay swiftly caught with her finger as it was about to dribble down his chin. With a chuckle, she licked it off. 

Seth smirked sheepishly. "It's crazy how much I've gotten used to straws."

"Kind of a shame", she remarked. "Because some beverages are not supposed to be consumed through a straw."

Seth laughed. "Oh yeah? Which ones?"

"Coffee for example, and wine."

He cocked his head. "Speaking of wine. What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Probably hanging out with my boyfriend," she grinned. "Why?"

"We're going on a date."

A surprised smile lit up Kay's face. "Really?"

He winked. "Told you I'm taking you out, didn't I."

"Yes, but… do you feel up to it?" God, that sounds awful. "I mean, are you well enough?"

Seth gave her a somewhat annoyed smirk. "Yes."

"Ok." She smiled, leaning over to kiss him. "Looking forward to it."

"Me too."

Kay put her hand on his, and he glanced down, watching how her thumb stroked over his skin. Then he looked back up again, his eyes dancing over her face. "You're so beautiful," he whispered. "I always wanted to tell you, and now I finally can."

Giddy Warmth spread through her chest. "You have told me though,” she smiled. "Every time we had sex, really."

"That's different,” he shrugged with a smirk. "I was allowed to say such things when we had sex, but never outside of it."

Kay let her hand run into his hair. "Oh Seth," she sighed. "My Greek God."

"Greek God?" He laughed softly.

She grinned sheepishly. "It's what I always called you in my head. Because it's what came to my mind when I first saw you. Still does." How can anyone possibly not see it?

Seth made that subtle movement with his chin, and they shared a long, sensual kiss. Kay was so happy she could have cried. About the fact that after all those years, they were finally here, together. "I'm curious," she mumbled, when they pulled apart and lovingly gazed into each other's eyes. "When I unexpectedly walked into your living room after four years… what did you think?"

Seth hesitated, and his gaze slipped for a split second. Which was not exactly the reaction Kay had expected. "What?" she queried. "Tell me."

Squirming a little, he produced a weak shrug. "I thought life is really fucking cruel."

She gave him a contrite smirk. "You weren't happy to see me?"

He chuckled faintly. "Of course I was happy to see you. But you were pretty much the last person that I wanted to run into unexpectedly like that." 

"Right." She nodded in understanding.

Seth shifted his shoulders in discomfort. "People seeing me like this for the first time has always been kind of…"

"Hard?" she offered.

"More like brutal."

Kay stood up and climbed on his lap, swinging the control out of the way and resting her arms on his shoulders. Seth leaned back against the headrest, looking at her. "Those faces of complete shock when they see me… I kind of feel guilty for doing that to them. As absurd as that may sound."

She nodded, squeezing the back of his neck. "Yes, I remember you actually apologized to me for giving me a shock. That broke my heart." 

He breathed a silent sigh, his shoulders twitching. "It's how I felt."

"Thanks to my flabbergasted face," Kay cringed. "I'm just so bad at hiding my inner reactions."

Seth fondly bumped his forehead against hers. "It's what I love about you. And of course you were shocked, how could you not have been."

Chewing her bottom lip, she shrugged. "I don't know if shocked is even the right word. I was just… overwhelmed. I had missed you so much, and to see what had happened to you –" she broke off when the memory brought back all the emotions from that day. Including that particular lump in her throat. She bit down on her lip.

Seth just looked at her, his eyes tender, and they wordlessly gazed at each other for a long moment. Kay sighed. She wrapped her arms all around his neck and hugged him tightly, pressing her cheek onto his. There it was again, that feeling of grief. Strange, how it seemed to become stronger lately, as if she had unconsciously pushed it down before. As if now that she was free to feel all her love for Seth, she was also free to feel all those things about his injury, too.

"Sounds like we both had mixed feelings about seeing each other that day," he said softly.

Kay nodded earnestly. "I was so… relieved to have you back, and yet so utterly devastated." She winced at her own wording. "I mean..."

"I know how you mean it," he mumbled, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. "And I love you."

Kay buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I love you, too." So, so much. 

They stayed embraced like that for a while, simply enjoying each other's closeness and the peaceful atmosphere of the greens surrounding them. Golden hour was almost over. Seth gave Kay a tender kiss on the head. "As much as I would love to have you on my lap forever, I should probably take some pressure off for a while."

Kay smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, perhaps a good idea." She untagled herself and climbed off of him. And just like before, his legs reacted with spasms again, which this time around took hold of his trunk, too. Kay grimaced. "Now I feel positively guilty. I shouldn't sit on top of you for so long. Or maybe not at all."

The muscles in Seth’s neck contracted when he drew a breath. "Don't be ridiculous." His voice was shaking slightly with vibrations in his abdomen. "You know a butterfly could sit on me and trigger this. It doesn't mean anything."

She eyed him sceptically, not convinced, and he lent her an appeasing smile. "We'll figure it out as we go. Don't worry about that stuff."

Kay moved his control in front of him, then sat down on the lawn instead of her chair. She watched how Seth went into tilt mode, leaning her head back as she deeply breathed in the aroma of freshly cut grass and flowers. The evening sun had disappeared behind a tall tree now, and the ground felt pleasantly cool beneath her palms. "I wish we could lie in the grass together,” she thought out loud, running her fingers through the green blades with a small sigh."

Seth, from his fully tilted back position, peered down at her. "Then let's do that."

Kay's eyes lit up. "Really? Would that work?"

"Sure," he smiled. "We'll just need Brian."

And so the PCA threw a couple garden chair cushions on the lawn, then he and Kay prepared to lift Seth out of the wheelchair; with Brian taking a secure grip around his chest and Kay picking up his legs. "Make sure to hold on to them well," the PCA told her, fastening his own grasp around Seth’s wrists. "They tend to slip."

On the count of three, the two of them hauled Seth up – which actually took more of her strength than Kay would have expected. One of his legs actually tried to slip from her grip, with his midsection just hanging down like that. "Still heavy," she grunted, and Seth smirked at her: "Still a sack of potatoes."

Once they had set him down somewhat ungracefully, Brian made a few adjustments to his positioning, placing one cushion under his butt and the other under his head and shoulders – and that was it. With a happy grin, Kay let herself fall next to her boyfriend. She leaned over and placed a kiss on his lips. "Are you comfy?"

He smirked adorably. "As far as I can tell. You?"

She laid her head down, gazing into his eyes with a smitten smile. He inched his head a little closer, and she met him halfway until the tips of their noses touched. "This is nice," he mumbled, before meeting her lips for a tender kiss. 

Then they just lay there, staring up together at the cloudless sky, listening to the birds singing their lullaby. After a while, Seth turned toward her. "Can you take away this pillow?" He slightly wriggled his head. "I want to feel the grass."

Leaning on one elbow, Kay slipped a hand under his neck and pulled the cushion out, tossing it to the side. "Thanks," Seth mumbled, and he rubbed his cheek into the green. He closed his eyes for a moment, sighing softly.

Kay watched him with a smile, swooning at those long dark lashes of his and the content, relaxed look on his face. "How does it feel?"

"Feels amazing." He twinkled at her. "Thank you for this."

She smiled. "No, thank you."

"For what?" he laughed. "It was your idea, and I didn't do any of the lifting."

With a chuckle, Kay softly punched his shoulder and then kissed him. Oh but you did, she thought. Just in a different way. 

Later, Kay set the patio table for dinner, and Brian brought out the food he had prepared. Seth had parked in his usual spot, and the PCA took a seat next to him. For a moment, somewhat awkward silence ensued while Kay filled the plates. The three of them had had countless dinners together like this – but this was the first one with her and Seth being a couple. The PCA as a sort of third wheel was suddenly a thing where it previously had never been.

"Thank you for dinner, Brian", Kay noted kindly, before digging into her plate of oriental lentils and rice. Brian always cooked wholesome stuff, mostly vegan. She didn't know if it was just his thing in general or if it was to ensure Seth’s healthy diet. Maybe both. She glanced across the table, planning on watching Brian very closely tonight – for secret educational purposes. Currently, the PCA was busy assisting Seth with his drink. As he put down the cup, he did a critical double take on him, apparently taking notice of something. "Want me to get you a sweater?" 

Seth lent him an appreciative smile. "Yes, please."

The PCA disappeared into the house, and Kay eyed her boyfriend closely, unconsciously chewing her lip as she tried to figure out what had given Brian the idea. She couldn't spot any goosebumps on Seth's neck, and he wasn't visibly shivering, so what then had tipped the PCA off? 

Seth noticed her probing gaze, and he gave her a quizzical frown. "What?"

Kay squirmed a little, smirking sheepishly. "Trying to figure out how Brian knew you're feeling cold."

With a shake of his head, Seth chuckled. "I've got no idea. He just knows."

"Damn."

He laughed. "Don't look so bummed."

"I'm not bummed," she protested. "More like spurred."

"Spurred?"

Kay shrugged. "I want to be able to know, too. Just like him."

He made a funny face. "I don't know if I want you to study me for hints and clues of discomfort, though."

She rolled her eyes with a laugh. "Oh come on, you know how I mean it."

Seth winked at her. "I do."

Brian returned with the sweater, and after he had put it on Seth, they continued with the dinner, chatting about Kay’s latest news from work. Meanwhile, she made sure to study how effortlessly Brian managed assisting Seth with his food. With her first experience from yesterday still very present in her mind, it amazed her how the PCA did it all without the smallest mishap or interruption. Her plan was to virtually absorb his technique – even though it was hard to find one. Granted, he seemed to have figured out how to fill a fork with just the right amount, so that nothing would drop and Seth wouldn't have his mouth stuffed. He also reliably met the right height and angle in which he needed to aim for the other man's mouth. Where Kay could not find any technique or pattern at all however was how perfectly Brian always knew what Seth needed – when he was ready for the next bite, when he was taking a break, and when he wanted a drink. They managed that synchrony without Seth ever giving any instructions whatsoever, and mostly even without eye contact. He ate almost as easily and automatically with Brian's assistance as he would have with his own arms. 

Now the PCA smirked whimsically in Kay's direction. "Dude," he said to Seth. "I don't know if it's you or me, but we seem to be very fascinating." 

Blushing, Kay produced an awkward shrug. "I'm sorry, I can't help it. It's just amazing how in tune you guys are. I can't be the first one to tell you that."

"You're right," Seth noted. "You're not the first one." 

"It's like you're reading each other's minds."

Seth chuckled. "He definitely reads mine. Unfortunately it only goes one way." He took a sip of his drink that Brian was holding up for him without any prompt at all.

Kay threw up her hands. "See?! This is exactly what I mean", she exclaimed, then looked at the PCA. "How did you know just now he wanted a drink?" 

Brian smiled, scratching his neck. "I wouldn't even be able to tell you exactly. It's just experience, that's all. We've been doing this for almost two years."

Kay shook her head in amazement. "It's so interesting how you don't even need to say anything. After how long do you reach that level?" She looked at Seth. "Did you just use less and less instructions over time, until there were suddenly no more words needed?"

The two men exchanged a silent look then, and something strange flashed up in Seth’s face. After a small pause, Brian softly cleared his throat. "When Seth came to our rehab center, he was still on a vent and couldn't really talk. So we had to find other ways of understanding."

Oh. Now the penny dropped for Kay. Suddenly it all made sense – the way Brian was able to read Seth like no one else could, and the quiet bond the two of them shared.

Seth, eyes somewhat distant, nodded at his PCA. "You did, for the most part. I wasn't offering much help at that point."

Brian shrugged. "You had enough going on as it was. It was my job to figure out what you needed."

Kay chewed her lip, regarding her boyfriend pensively. He had a somewhat pained look on his face right now, the memory clearly not being an easy one. No wonder – the mere thought of it affected her, too. Their eyes met briefly, and he attempted a smile – with little success. Kay cleared her throat. "That explains a lot," she said softly. "I wasn't even too far off with mind reading."

Brian awkwardly scratched his beard. "It's just basic observation and empathy."

"Even that is a gift not everyone possesses, though", she observed.

Seth nodded in agreement: "He says he's good at reading me because he's been with me for so long, but that's actually not true. He was like this even on the very first day." He looked at Brian warmly. "I'll never forget how you basically took one look at me and knew I was in pain. You didn't even ask, you just left the room and then brought back a cool pack for my head."

Kay smiled at Brian. "No wonder he hired you off later on."

Somewhat self-consciously, the PCA scratched his neck. He threw Seth an amicable look. "I guess we just clicked. That's a big part of it, too."

"I'm curious, though", Kay addressed her boyfriend. "During that time… how did communication work on your end?" She was fully aware that Seth probably wasn't too keen on further delving into the whole topic of the early days, and that if not for Brian being part of the conversation, he might have just changed the topic right now, like he so often did. 

He uncomfortably shifted his shoulders. "I blinked for Yes and No, and if I needed to get across something specific, I just mouthed words. Mostly about basic things like pain, temperature, sleep… stuff like that." One corner of his lips twitched. "Wouldn't have had much else to say anyway."

Brian had been nodding quietly. "I think we started to wean you off the vent after about… four weeks?" he remembered. "And then it was a gradual process and you were able to talk more and more."

"It was a while before I could have a real conversation, though", Seth remarked. "I ran out of air after every word, and I didn't fully have my voice back. So I wasn't really bringing much to the table." 

Brian was shaking his head. "Dude, I disagree." He leaned across Seth's lap to readjust his left hand, which had somehow managed to turn itself over. "It always takes two. I remember very well that even with the little words you had, you always managed to be exact and to the point with what you wanted to say. Not all patients are like that. With you, I could always be sure to have all the info I needed. And you were always honest."

"I trusted you. 'Cause you never tried to bullshit me." Seth turned his gaze to Kay. "Some members of the rehab staff like to give pep talks and be chipper all the time. They want to make you feel better."

She nodded in understanding. "That's probably not always what you need after such an injury."

Seth looked down. "Yeah. Brian was more along the lines of 'You got dealt a real shitty hand, nothing there to sugarcoat.' I appreciated that."

Kay nodded knowingly. That was exactly how she perceived Brian. Honest and direct, but always kind and sympathetic. A bit like Seth, she realized. "Do you ever miss working at the rehab center?" she asked.

Brian weighed his head. "Eh, not really. It's a very rewarding job, but it also takes a toll on you. I'm better off now." He grinned at Seth. "I get to hang around this great house every day and eat dinners on a patio."

The other man chuckled. "What he actually means is that I pay him better."

"Oh come on, Dude, don't insult me", Brian grabbed his chest, laughing. "Seriously," he said to Kay. "When he asked me to be his carer, I didn't even need to think about it. There's no one I'd rather work with."

Kay nodded with a smile. "He's pretty great,” she said, lovingly glancing at her boyfriend.

Seth reciprocated her look, grinning adorably. Then he rolled his neck. "He needs to go lie down."

"Tired?" she frowned.

"Just beginning to notice it's the first time this week that I've been up for so long." 

"I was about to suggest the same", Brian agreed, already getting up. He moved the control stick in front of Seth. "Let's get you settled."

Kay started to clear the table. She went to the kitchen and took care of the dishes, all the while listening to the sounds from down the corridor. She heard water running in Seth’s bathroom and the buzzing of an electric toothbrush, then more water. Later, the door opening and the sound of the wheelchair disappearing into the bedroom. There wasn't much to hear after that, except for short exchanges between the two men every now and then, of which she couldn't make out the actual words. After a while, there was another electric whirring sound – not the wheelchair, so probably the lift. Once that stopped, Kay heard Seth's voice with something that sounded like a curse, then he groaned, which automatically made her tense up. Pausing in her tracks, she listened intently. There was only virtual silence for several minutes, and at some point she relaxed again, taking back up her task of cleaning a pot. The next thing she heard were Brian's footsteps approaching the kitchen. "Kay?" He leaned in the doorway, wordlessly pointing his head towards the corridor. Kay put down her kitchen towel, smirking at him. "Alright, thanks."

Seth was sprawled out in the middle of the bed, the lift sling still under his body. His limbs had not been carefully arranged like they normally were, and he was also still fully dressed; except that Brian had taken off his shoes and his sweater.

Kay cocked her head as she approached the bed. "I was expecting to find you all tucked in."

He chuckled half-heartedly. "I wish it would go that fast."

She sat on the mattress and leaned down to give him a kiss. His lips tasted like toothpaste and left a cooling sensation on hers. Shifting to lie down next to him, she swung her legs up with a bounce and was about to put her arm across his chest when Seth's legs abruptly twitched and then his whole body started to shake like crazy. Kay winced, and she suddenly knew how to contextualize what she had heard a few minutes earlier. She laid her leg across both of his and held his arms, gently pressing down on the vibrating muscles, riding the spasms out with him until they finally stopped. She lent him a sympathetic look. "That bad, huh." 

He was breathing heavily through the nose, glancing at her awkwardly. "Waiting for the meds to kick in."

"This might be a stupid question, but why can't you take those preventively? So that you don't get such bad spasms in the first place?"

He gave her a contrite smile. "Because they have side effects. I tend to get very sleepy. And spasms aren't only bad, they have their upsides, too."

"You mean maintaining muscle tone?"

He nodded faintly. "And they keep the blood flow going. It's not a bad thing for my body to keep moving, even if it's in the most annoying way."

Kay carefully laid down her head next to his, the tip of her nose lovingly brushing his ear. Seth turned his face toward her. "Anyways. I just wanted to see you before turning in. Kiss you goodnight."

She frowned, putting her hand on his cheek. "I want to stay."

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, then lent her an apologetic look. "It's not a good night for that."

Kay sighed in disappointment. "Is this you being weird again?"

Seth squirmed a little. "No. Or… not entirely. There's also stuff Brian and I still need to do."

Kay knitted her brow, studying him. "I've just got to ask," she pondered. "Is this how it's going to be? You sending me home after dinner every night, just in time before I get to see anything you don't want me to?"

Grimacing, Seth shook his head. "Of course not." He didn't look hurt or uncomfortable – he looked sorry. "Look, I… I'm really trying. It might not seem like it, but I am."

Kay uttered another sigh, squeezing his neck. "I know you are", she whispered, bumping her forehead against his. "I know.” Her fingertips lightly brushed over his jawline. "I just want to be close to you, that's all." 

"I know. And I want that, too." He paused, giving her a look. "It's only been two days, Kay."

She snorted softly. "You're saying this as if we'd just met. This might be new, but we aren't."

Although – the moment she said it, Kay realized that wasn't actually true. Not for Seth anyway. He swallowed, looking at her tenderly. "I wish I could hold you right now."

"Me too." She wrapped her arms fully around his neck, rubbing the tip of her nose against his, then gave him a firm kiss. "I guess I'm just gonna have to hold on tight enough for the both of us."

To be continued...