Marked [EverlyxSterling]

Kassi smiled to herself when she felt his hands. They felt strong even though he was only gently touching her. She set the tray down carefully on the counter, then watched him as he made a small mound of ingredients. The egg carton was soon in her hands and she smiled and nodded, grabbing the pan indicated before getting a bowl. Eggs were easy.. well, sort of. The only kind of eggs she could make were scrambled. She smiled to herself, remembering the first time she had ever made eggs. The kitchen had been a disaster and Daniel had been covered in eggy goo, but they still made breakfast. That was back when he was too young to care that his sister was a freak. She sighed softly, wondering where he was now.

She cracked six eggs into a bowl, fluffing them up with a whisk after adding a splash of milk. Once it was to her satisfaction, she added a handful of shredded cheese. Cheesy eggs were the best eggs. A dash of salt and pepper later and she was ready, dumping the mixture into the heated pan. Now all she had to do was wait. She put the dirty bowl in the sink and grabbed a clean spatula, going to hover over her creation and make sure it didn't burn.
 
Mikel tended to his share of the breakfast. The bacon came from a butcher who smoked and cured the pork-bellys himself. The slabs peel off thick, with more meat than fat. Truth be told, bacon was one of his favorite foods. He did not consider himself a "foodie", or someone who fetishized the craving of food beyond mere eating. But there was something about the taste of bacon that was reassuring and deeply satisfying. Such satisfaction could only be achieved softly frying the bacon in an iron skillet. The dark metal skillet has removed from a custom space in the cupboard, and it's revelation had the aura of a hidden treasure. Soon, the bacon slabs sizzled and Mikel attended to setting the toast in the toaster, then grabbing clean plates and silverware. He brought out jars of orange juice and a reddish juice without distinguishing labels.

Mikel peeked over Kassi's shoulder, keenly interested. He smiled as he raised his eyebrows in approval. "Very nice," he added. "So," Mikel asked, "is there anything in particular you'd like to do today? I have some ideas if you're game."
 
"The only idea I have is spending time with you, unless you're busy," Kassi said with a smile, stirring up the eggs and watching them turn from gooey liquid to a satisfying yellow solid that was sticky with cheese but nicely spongy when she poked at it with the spatula. She watched them carefully until they were done, then removed the pan from the heat to keep them from overcooking. "What did you have in mind?" she asked curiously, looking over at Mikel.
 
"Well, I thought it would be lovely to take a drive up to the Music Emporium and just ... wander." Mikel tilted his head, in amusement. "I have a feeling you are a closet musician, or at least someone who can feel music as much as visual art ... I''m curious to see you have fun there."

The toast popped up, and the scent of warm grain filled the kitchen, mixing with the salty bacon and fresh eggs. Mikel sat down after Kassi took her seat. "Can I pour you a drink?"
 
Kassi smiled immediately. Ah, the Music Emporium. She had never been because it was too far to walk from her apartment and she disliked the city bus. Still, she had heard of it. That sounded like a fantastic way to spend some time, though she wasn't sure Mikel was right. A closet musician? Her? No, her only form of art was painting. She liked music, sure, but that was it.

"That sounds amazing," she said, rather excited by the idea. She sat down at the table, wondering if she was even going to be able to finish the full plate in front of her even though it all looked and smelled delicious. "Yes, please."
 
"Excellent," Mikel said. He poured a combination of the two juices into Kassi's cup, then his own. "Never mixed them before. As a former painter, I didn't think you'd mind making our breakfast more colorful." The juice was a combination of cranberry and raspberry, and when combined with the orange juice, had a sweet, creamy fruit flavor. Mikel ate heartily, devouring the eggs first, then the bacon, followed by the toast. Each consumed in a sequence determined by his momentary preference; a seemingly random order, but a precise order, nonetheless. Mikel leaned back and released a content hum. "I do love a good breakfast. My usual breakfast consists of boiled oats, with added milk to give it that gritty gruel consistency." He spent the rest of the breakfast just watching Kassi eat her meal.
 
Kassi watched him curiously. The orange and red swirled around each other in a beautiful way before finally mixing into a new color. She smiled and picked up the glass, taking a tentative sip. Oh! That was nice! She hadn't expected the tart taste of the orange and cranberry to mix so well with the sugary sweetness of raspberries. It was delicious. She took another drink before setting the glass down and starting in on her breakfast. If Mikel kept this up, she was going to get fat. And it would be so delicious getting there. Gritty gruel sounded gross, but she kept that opinion to herself. She wasn't one to talk since her usual breakfast was a walk.

"I can't eat another bite," she groaned fifteen minutes later, leaning back and curling an arm around her stuffed belly. Though she had eaten as much as she could, there was still food on her plate. She thought about forcing it down, but it probably wouldn't end well, so she decided against it.
 
"Well, I don't want you sick, poor thing," Mikel said. "We have an adventure planned today. We can just leave the scraps for Gün for whenever he gets his lazy rear end out of bed." Mikel then stood and brought Gün's hornwood plate and deposited both their unfinished meals onto the plate and left it in the table center. "Well, I need to take a shower ... would you mind cleaning up the dishes?" He punctuated his question with an adorable, boyish grin.
 
"Of course not. Shoo," she said, waving him out as she collected their dishes from the table and took them into the kitchen. Once he was gone, she rolled up her sleeves and set about cleaning with a smile. She washed the dishes, then dried them and set them aside in a neat stack since she wasn't sure she remembered where they all went. That done, she rinsed out the sink and washed down the countertops, then cleaned off the stove since she knew bacon grease was a pain in the butt to clean if one waited too long. She looked around to make sure she hadn't missed anything, then she went off in such of the lazy Bear Cat to see if he wanted to cuddle while she waited for Mikel.
 
Mikel took his time taking a shower that morning. Showers were part of a typical routine; they began at an appointed time and lasted about five minutes - no more, no less. There was nothing draconian about the rigidity of Mikel's daily schedule, he just felt certain tasks only needed a certain amount of time to complete. Each task was then completed in its proper order - much like eating breakfast.

Today was different, however. There was no strict schedule, and the Gallery was closed, so Mikel could partake in the unfamiliar luxury of showering at a leisurely pace. He lathered himself and took special care when he normally would rush. Mikel left the shower genuinely refreshed, and dried himself with a white towel that hung just at arm's reach from the open shower door. The mirror was telling him that Kassi might not enjoy the stubble that had grown since their closeness the night before, so he found his razor and turned the bathroom into a steamy sauna, shaving away his bristles.

Mikel emerged from the bathroom feeling like a new man, and walked causally to the bed. There he could see Kassi on her side scratching Gün's belly. The Bear Cat had abandoned all sense of self-respect and was on his back, arms propped straight in the air. Gün twisted his whiskered face to address Mikel's disappointed glare, and simply mew-ed in response. Laughing at his friend's blissful disposition, Mikel moved behind Kassi and began to dress himself swiftly. Soon, he was wearing dark jeans and a white, button-down shirt.

"Ready to go?"
 
Kassi glanced up when Mikel came out, somehow unprepared for the sight of him with nothing on but a towel. For some reason she had expected him to be clothed, and she felt as though her heart stopped when she saw he wasn't. She had already seen him without a shirt on, of course. There was even a painting to prove it. But somehow when there was a towel in place of jeans or pajama pants, things were different. She swallowed and looked back down at the pleased Gün, hiding a blush as she continued loving on the cat with her fingers.

"Absolutely," she agreed once Mikel was dressed. She gave Gün one last scratch, then sat up and slid off the bed to go over to Mikel's side with a smile. "This time I promise not to sleep the whole way."
 
"I should hope not, Lazy-Butt," Mikel said. He playfully pinched Kassi's nose, then gave her a loving kiss that dripped with adorning sweetness. Mikel slid his arms down Kassi's shoulders and went over to the bed. He stood considering for a moment, head tilted. Gün was lying perfectly content in the middle of the bed with his head propped up near Kassi's pillow. Mikel needed to make the bed, but knew he'd have up uproot his drowsy friend. Normally, Gün was up and about, prancing around the house making his daily patrol. Mikel slowly pulled the covers up, but not onto the Bear Cat, curling the blankets around him so as not to disturb him. Gün continued to sleep soundly.

"Shall we?" Mikel asked Kassi.
 
Kassi scrunched up her nose, making a face at Mikel as he commented on her earlier laziness. She was going to stick her tongue out at him, but thankfully she didn't since a moment later his lips were on hers. So nice.. She didn't think she would ever get used to that. He could make her breathless by just a gentle touch. It was insanity. She quickly steadied her pulse when he pulled away, thankful that he didn't seem to notice just how badly he intoxicated her. Poor Gün was still snoozing and she smiled as Mikel somewhat tucked him in. Lazy Bear Cat.

"Yes," she agreed, taking his hand happily and going downstairs with him. "How far away is it?"
 
"Oh, a little less than an hour. You know, we could take the expressway there, and the scenic way back, if you'd like?"

Mikel went downstairs and made a quick inspection of the house, confirming everything was locked up tight. Gün had his own, secret way of coming and going, so Mikel wasn't worried about when the furry lout decided to rise out of bed. Mikel led Kassi to a closet that stood adjacent to the front door; he opened it and pulled out a jacket made from a gray material that resembled a loose-fitting wet-suit. Mikel than motioned for Kassi toward the closet. "Elliana has a jacket or two in there, if you're interested."

Then, the couple walked out to the coup, and drove off into the brightness the day had to offer.
 
"That sounds nice."

Kassi peeked in the closet, poking around until she found a jacket. It was brown and fitted, and she wasn't sure it was her size until she buttoned it and found that it fit like a glove. Convenient. She was going to have to remember to thank the girl if she ever met her. Smiling to herself, she followed Mikel outside and slid into the car. Ah, just as comfy as she remembered. She relaxed as they started to drive, then glanced over at Mikel. A little less than an hour to occupy..

"You seem like you miss your home a lot. Why are you living down here?"
 
Mikel smoothly shifted the manual transmission of his coup, and drove from his quiet neighborhood onto the regional expressway. It was Wednesday morning, and most other drivers were stacked heading into the city in the opposite direction. Mikel, took a perverse pleasure in driving with ease while others suffered grid-lock - going a different direction was part of Mikel's personality.

Once Mikel reached cruising speed, he moved his hand from the stick and comfortably laid it upon Kassi's lap. He had thought about Kassi's question a great deal recently. For all the thought he put into referring to his homeland, and surrounding himself with its trappings, one might justifiably wonder why he left.

"I suppose the reason I live down here is to escape it. That must sound ironic, given how much I prattle on about it. I can't change where I came from, but for all of the North's allure, it can be a restrictive, uncultured place. Different people react differently to its cultural influences; some people are able to re-invent themselves, but I can't abandon my heritage like that - the North grounds me, and I'm a person who draws strength from pragmatism."

Mikel brought his hand back to the steering wheel and moved onto the passing lane. He maneuvered his coup into a group of cars to overtake a slower moving freight truck. Once he passed it, he shifted lanes to drive undeterred in front of it.

"I could never have opened a gallery to my satisfaction where I came from. Few would be interested in new and provocative artwork, and fewer still would be willing to pay money for it. No, dealing art is what I do. Once I realized that, it made the most business sense to locate myself where I might best succeed."

Mikel smiled slyly, then returned his hand to Kassi, but cupped the bottom of her face. His fingers gently grazed her far cheek. "And, I got to finally meet you. That alone is reason."
 
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Kassi watched Mikel, her hands both curled around the one of his that he had given her. As he explained why he was in Milliane instead of his mountain home, her fingers gently slid over his, playing with his hand. She could understand. He had left in pursuit of his dreams, even though he loved his home deeply. She had a feeling that if he had not been interested in art, he likely would have stayed there instead of moving. As it was, he was forced to either leave home or give up on what he truly wanted. She watched the truck go by as they passed.

His story was somewhat like her own, she realized. She could have never painted at home.

She felt his hand on her face and she looked up, blushing from the intensity of his gaze and the touch of his fingers. Her heart stopped and her stomach did a little twirl of excitement, a shy smile playing on her lips as she realized what he was saying. She did not think herself to be a good reason, but the fact that he did made her love him all the more. It was a rather good thing he was busy driving, because she was now sorely tempted to scoot into his lap just to kiss him again.

"I love you.."
 
Kassi felt Mikel's touch slip an inch from her face when she uttered those exquisite words. Mikel was trying to breath through a beaming smile, and was barely succeeding. He gently dropped his hand into Kassi's waiting cradle, and gave her a soulful expression. Regrettably, he returned his eyes to the road. While Kassi's safety was Mikel's primary concern, his eyes yearned to surrender to the undeniable gravity centered on Kassi's sweet smile. Part of Mikel wished they were not so far from his home, for he longed to return to somewhere private and shower Kassi with his amorous attention. No, he thought, the Music Emporium ... first.

Mikel's respiration returned to normal, and he peered out the windshield at the surrounding countryside. After some minutes, Mikel spotted a farm field, colored bright green. Near the center of the field stood a large tree. Probably an oak, Mikel thought. The tree past by in seconds, but in that time, Mikel appreciated its massive structure. Instead of leaves, the tree's branches were filled with a flock of bright white migratory birds, and gave the hollow mass an appearance of being filled with fluttering handkerchiefs. The perched birds burst the dormant tree into a life it was not aware of, and created a contingency that was beautiful to behold. Driving at 65 mph, the whipping wind obliterated any sound the birds made. However, Mikel would have liked to have heard the bird's chorus.

"Kassi," Mikel asked, "I don't suppose you know how to sing, do you?"
 
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Kassi curled her fingers back around his when his hand dropped into hers. Ah, warm. She smiled to herself and glanced out the window, watching the scenery go by. On her side of the road, there was a small white farmhouse. Nothing extraordinary - it was obvious the farming roots of the home had been long forgotten, with no livestock or equipment outside. The whitewashing on the boards was faded and a few shingles were missing from the roof. However, what caught her eye was not the home, but rather what surrounded it. The lawn was a lush green, the driveway patchy brown dirt with bits of gravel. All around the uneven porch were flowers - and not just dandelions and thistles. Blooms of every color seemed to explode from the building, sprawling out to line the driveway as well. Daffodils, lilies, roses, lilacs, orchids.. There were more varieties than she could name. It was breathtaking. She never would have expected such a run-down home to have something so beautiful.

"Hm?" she asked, distracted as she looked back at Mikel. A second later his question registered. Singing. She shook her head a little. "No," she assured him, though her response was a bit too quick to be entirely believable.
 
Mikel gave Kassi a quizzical, sidelong glance. "Are you sure?" he asked, not entirely convinced himself. Mikel leaned back in his driver's seat and gripped the steering wheel comfortably. A wry smile crept across his face, and his anticipation of watching Kassi milling about the Emporium was growing stronger the closer they came. "We're just a few miles away. Time to head off the Expressway."

Mikel took a wide, arcing exit ramp into a dense, suburban area. From the car, the character of the street life was immediately and noticeably different from the central section of Milliane. Carts lined the sidewalk, and gay, friendly people bustled about, walking in every direction. Everything from peanuts to ethnic crafts were on display and attracted pedestrians from all walks of life. On many corners performers plied their trade, and after a few minutes, the street performers lined the sidewalk with greater frequency. Mikel drove east, and after a few blocks the sound of street music could be heard. Mikel's coup stopped for a light, and a man blasted a trumpet number outside on the sidewalk, and the vibrant tone nearly shook the car. At the man's feet sat a quirky top-hat collecting coins from grateful passer-bys.

Mikel found an open space along the street, and pulled over to park. When he opened the door, he saw the road was in fair condition, and minute flecks of glitter and road paint still clung to the surface from years of festivals. Mikel opened Kassi's door and assisted her from the coup, and then locked the doors. In the distance was a bustle of energetic sound. It was The Music Emporium.
 
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