Finding What's Real

"Whatever you say."

"Soooo, you're bi then?

"Whoa, you're just the queen of segues, aren't you?"

"Hello, didn't we just have the 'I'm socially awkward' conversation?"

"Technically, no; we had the 'you're witty, but not on a human timetable' conversation."

Vinnie noticed Kira reaching under the neckline of her dress and glanced over to see her pull out and apply lip balm before tucking it back into her bra. She caught him looking and rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know. Boobies are not pockets. Believe me, where I go, the lip balm goes. That means I have to get creative. You do not want to be around me without lip balm."

A lip balm addiction? Or an oral fixation, maybe? Behave, dude. Vinnie shifted in the driver's seat and reached over to playfully tug her hair. "Pan actually, but I find that I normally lean towards males or someone with a more masculine personality."

"Pan... OH! Pansexual. That's cool. When did you figure that out?"

Vinnie was instantly relieved that Kira didn't seem to bat an eye, but then, she'd never been closed-minded as a teen. "I started noticing guys when I was about 16, and I did some experimenting in college." Experimenting was putting it mildly. His undiagnosed illness at the time caused him to be hypersexual. That no one got pregnant and that he didn't contract some kind of STI was a miracle.

Kira scoffed and scrunched up her face. "Yeah, I did some experimenting in college as well."

"Wait, did someone take advantage of you?"

"No! No, nothing like that. Let's just say that I learned a lot about myself and I'm not very happy with it."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"Heh, no thanks." Her tone bordered on sarcastic.

Vinnie had things he didn't talk about himself, but he hoped that she'd open up to him more over the next week. He decided to let it go for now, and they finished the ride home in silence.

"You think you can walk to the door, or should I carry you?"

Kira looked him up and down. "You're not exactly the hulk and I'm not exactly a 100-pound waif. How do you plan to carry me?"

"Challenge accepted." Before Kira could react, Vinnie was out of the car and around to the passenger side. He yanked open the door, swiftly unbuckled her seat belt, and threw her over his shoulder.

She screeched and smacked him on the back. This was fun. He'd always wanted to reenact something he frequently read in his favorite romance novels. He slid a hand under her dress, ostensibly to keep his hand from slipping and dropping her. When he grasped her thigh, he got a surprise. She hadn't shaved her legs. Why he loved that, he had no idea.

"Dammit, Vinnie, put me down!"

As he opened the door, they were once again greeted by the kitty chorus, which got noticeably louder when they saw the cascade of her straightened hair brushing the floor. He watched their eyes dilate and they both calibrated to pounce simultaneously.

"Oh shit!" Vinnie rapidly put her down and turned her against the wall to shield her from the playful attack. He ended up with a mouthful of hair and an armful of flailing woman. They both panted and cracked up laughing as Lara climbed up the back of Vinnie's suit to get to Kira's shoulder.

He dropped his head on her opposite shoulder and turned his head into her neck. "I think Lara's adopted you. Come on, let me feed them and you go change into something that you actually want to wear."

She tilted her head and stared at him pensively for a moment before retreating upstairs. Vinnie let out a sigh and adjusted his dick in his pants. "Come on brats. It's food time."

*****

Kira came back downstairs feeling much more comfortable. She and Vinnie took one look at each other, and both burst out laughing. Vinnie was wearing a tee that said, "Sorry I'm late, I didn't want to come."

Must...Have...Shirt...

"Vinnie, that shirt was MADE for me. Literally."

"You can have it...if I can have yours." Vinnie raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Kira's shirt had a picture of a llama that said, "My Llama Don't Like You and She Likes Everyone." Of course, she wasn't wearing a bra, so her boobs appeared to be down to her waist. That might have been part of Vinnie's fascination.

Vinnie stood and removed his shirt and handed it to Kira, eyebrow raised in challenge. She stared at, suddenly filled with a flirty confidence. She snatched it, turned away from him, whipped her shirt off, and threw the other one on before Vinnie could blink.

"Here you go. All is right with the world now." Kira resisted the urge to lift the neck of the shirt to breathe in Vinnie's scent. Vinnie was much bolder and looked her right in the eye as he inhaled hers. Kira gasped as her clit throbbed. Oh no. Uh uh. Nope, flirting is fine, but I'm not going down that road. It only ends in heartache and with me feeling even more like shit about myself. Kira bent and lifted Lara like a shield and then settled on the far end of the couch.

Vinnie chuckled and picked up Link, only to sit right beside her. "You're wearing my shirt. I must not have cooties. Here, your feet must be killing you." He turned her towards him and pulled her aching feet across his lap. When Link started to nibble on her toes, he handed him to Kira who immediately cuddled him in with Lara on her lap.

Vinnie turned on the ginormous TV and looked at Kira. "Preferences?"

"What time is it?"

"Almost midnight."

"Peacock, please."

"Oh no...no. Not you, too."

"What?" Kira asked innocently, taking the remote from his hand and making a selection on the TV.

Just then, the iconic music started for On Patrol Live, frequently shortened by fans to OPL. It was a documentary-type show that followed police officers and it was broadcast in real time. Vinnie looked at her in exasperation.

"What? No OPL for you?" She tickled his balls with her toes, and he almost shot off the couch.

"Oh, you're in for it now, Spice." He grabbed her ankle and tickled her foot, making her jerk and both cats scatter.

She squealed and yanked her foot back reflexively. As he started to advance toward her, she yelled, "Popcorn!"

He froze. "Popcorn?"

"Popcorn. It's a Friday night, On Patrol Live ritual."

"You know that it was live from 9-12, and it's being re-aired now, right?"

She gasped in mock surprise. "And how do you know that, Mr. Anti-OPL?"

"Lucky guess." He hopped off the couch to go start the popcorn that he'd already prepped in his popcorn maker. He, too, required popcorn on Friday nights. He flipped the switch to start the pan heating and poked his head back into the living room. "Let me know if someone claims he's wearing someone else's pants before I get back in there," he said with a devious grin.

She threw her head back and laughed.

Chapter 6

The next morning, Kira was awakened by two sets of claws systematically digging into her breasts, the loud sound of purring, and a chuckle coming from the side of the bed.

"Did you find the soft and squishies, you little heathens?"

She cracked an eye open, trying to form some semblance of the death glare.

"Uh oh, the mama kitty hasn't had her coffee yet. Let's stop impaling her for now, shall we?"

She watched Vinnie freeze as he realized what he said and couldn't help but laugh. Something about him just broke through all her shields. In some ways, it was just like when they were kids. In other ways, he was making her feel new and thrilling things. It was a dangerous combination.

He grabbed the kittens and left the room, and her eyes were drawn to his ass in his tight athletic shorts. She had the strongest urge to bite it. She got up and shut her door, making sure that it locked, and got back into bed. She pulled out her phone and turned on one of her favorite porn vids and slid her hand into her panties. She quickly alternated worked her clit in circles and stuffing her fingers in her pussy, stopping occasionally to lick her fingers, which pushed her to the edge. Her body went taut, and her eyes clenched shut as she came, doing her best to keep quiet. She continued rubbing for a moment, trying to draw out the orgasm as long as possible before letting out a relieved sigh and wiping her damp fingers on the sheets. Hopefully, that would tide her over.

She got up and went to the bathroom to pee, brush her teeth, and wash her hands before finally unlocking her door and opening it to find Vinnie on the other side.

"Spice did you want..." He sniffed, and she thought she heard a growl. She looked around for the kittens, thinking they must have been playing.

"Did I want...?"

Vinnie unfroze, but his eyes held an intensity she hadn't seen before. He cleared his throat. "Eggs and livermush. I remember how much you used to love livermush."

"Yes, please!" Oh yum. Livermush was something she seldom bought for herself because it was so fattening. "Is the coffee ready?" She walked past Vinnie who still had an odd expression on his face and headed down the stairs.

*****

"Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck," Vinnie whispered. He'd heard the click of the door lock, so he had his suspicions, but when she opened the door, he got a good whiff of her arousal and instantly went hard as a rock. He breathed deeply, thankful that she'd gone downstairs already. The scent was heady and uniquely Kira. It smelled like her, but deeper. It was almost like he'd been given an aphrodisiac. He crept into the room again and looked at the bed where she'd lain and found a tiny wet spot. He palmed his erection and gave it one good stroke before forcing himself to get it together. It wouldn't do for her to catch him humping her bed with his face buried in that spot.

He turned and went downstairs to feed his Spice. Oh, she was his now. Whether she knew it or not, she'd claimed him. He gave himself a mental shake and closed his eyes for a moment. Be rational, Vinnie. That sounded more manic than rational. He took a deep breath and re-centered himself. Damn illness. Sometimes, it was hard to tell what was true emotion and what was amped up by his disorder. His meds did a good job of keeping him level, but stress and big changes could trigger episodes.

"How did you sleep?" he asked Kira as she tried to untangle Lara from her hair.

"Really well. Though, the wake-up left a bit to be desired. Those damn claws hurt!"

"I know, right?! How can something so tiny be so painful? I feel like I have tiny nicks everywhere. I need to look into those nail caps before I need a new couch and a new body." He served her a generous portion of livermush, eggs with cheese, and a flaky biscuit.

"Damn you; a biscuit, too?"

"You're on vacation, Spice. You can afford a few carbs."

"Have you seen me? Do you not see this double chin? This is why I avoid FaceTime and pictures. I'm not naïve, Vinnie. I know I'm not ugly, and I'm not one of those girls that will ask if something makes my 'insert body part here' look big, but I'm realistic. I'm more than just a few pounds overweight. Some of the meds I take make it worse, but I take ownership of it. I can be impulsive and tend to overeat, and Lord, keep me away from cookies. Not the ones you buy on the cookie aisle in the grocery store, but the freshly baked ones." She rolled her eyes and blew out a quick breath. "Anyway, yes, I'll eat and very much enjoy the biscuit, but please don't act like you have to make me feel thin. It's something I'll probably never be."

Vinnie stepped away from the stove, straddled Kira's lap, and took her face between both hands. "You, Spice, are one of the most gorgeous people I've ever seen."

Kira rolled her eyes and tried to turn her head away.

"Uh uh, look at me. Do I look like I'm trying to placate you? I respect what you're saying, and I understand impulses all too well. I'll explain in more detail someday. But don't sit here and think you need to hide or watch every calorie or think you're anything but perfect."

"Vinnie, come on. This is ridiculous."

"I'm not finished yet, baby girl." He turned her face to meet her eyes again. "No one is perfect, no one is "normal"; all we can be are the best versions of ourselves. And I happen to think your version of you is perfect the way it is."

"'Baby girl'? You're pushing it now," she responded somewhat nasally and poked him in the side where he'd always been ticklish. "Now get off me before my breakfast gets completely cold." As he started to rise, she held him back and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Thanks, Vinnie."

*****

"I thought we'd spend today playing on the beach and leave first thing in the morning. Does that sound good to you?"

Kira's eyes lit up. "I haven't been in the water in ages."

Huh? "Spice, you live in Charleston."

"Really, genius? I had no idea." Eye roll. "Honestly, I love to sit on the beach and watch the water, but it's no fun playing on my own."

"You don't have many friends at home?"

"Not really. I'm a terrible friend. I loathe talking on the phone, I abhor social media, the bar scene makes me want to hurl, and quite frankly, I'm a weirdo. I'm the chorus of Radiohead's Creep with the word Freak substituted in. I'm great at being social when it comes to doing my job, but outside of that, I'm a hermitizing wallflower."

"Hermitizing? Is that a Spice-ism?"

"Believe it or not, it's a real word. The fact that I know this should be a clue as to my solitary lifestyle. I have some internet friends that know the real me, but home isn't really a place where I can be that person. I even find myself hiding from Angie, and there's no reason for it."

"Why are you telling me this? Don't get me wrong, I love that you are." Vinnie was simultaneously crowing internally that she was confiding in him and terrified that he was going to somehow screw up the trust he was earning.

Kira tilted her head and looked at him with curiosity. "I'm not sure. There's something about you that makes me feel like we're more alike than we know."

"Still more alike than we know. Remember that uncanny connection we had? I'm willing to bet it's still there. We'll be spending a lot of time in the car starting tomorrow. Let's table this for now and go have some fun."

"I actually did bring a bathing suit. I had a feeling that if I didn't, Angie would have given me something ultra-risqué to wear."

Vinnie laughed evilly. "Oh, she did."

Kira dropped her forehead to the table. "I don't even want to see it."

"I do," Vinnie said seductively.

Kira looked up at him with darts shooting from her eyes and he waggled his eyebrows playfully.

She flipped him off and went upstairs to change.

*****

Kira examined herself in her skirted, royal blue, paisley one-piece and actually felt like she looked...not awful. The skirt hid the bulge at her belly and the tops of her thighs, leaving her shapely legs and bust on display. The top part tied around her neck and came up to mid-back, so there would be no boob-spillage or poppage. She finished the look with her jelly sandals that were more supportive than flip-flops and would hold up to the water and sand abuse. She looked up to find herself smiling and the sight was almost foreign.

"Hey, Feisty-Spice, you coming?" Vinnie yelled from downstairs.

She took a deep breath and headed downstairs to find Vinnie wearing a sun shirt and basic trunks printed with a mash-up of comic book characters. He was poised with an economy-sized bottle of SPF 50 sunscreen, the cap flipped up and ready to go.

"Assume the position."

She dutifully turned around. "I should probably go without. I need some color."

Vinnie snorted. "There's color and then there's lobster. Need I remind you of the summer of 2000 when you tried to lay out and tan like Angie? 20 minutes later, you were crispy-fried, Santa-suit red. Or when we went to the amusement park in 1999 and your right arm got burned from resting it on the car door frame while we were on the way there?"

"Fair point. Have at it, then."

Vinnie rubbed the cool lotion all over her back and shoulders, being careful to get the back of her neck and the tips of her ears also. She'd pulled her hair into a messy bun on top of her head and would have completely forgotten how vulnerable her ears would be. Vinnie's hands had slowed, and she felt his body press to hers as he smoothed his hands down her arms. His breath brushed the back of her neck, and her arms and legs broke out in goosebumps making her shiver. She turned around and took the lotion from him to finish applying to the areas she could reach.

"Aww, you took away my fun, Spice." Vinnie was pouting. It was a little bit adorable. A little bit.

"You're a pain in the ass, Vin."

"Well, actually, I can be a pleasure in the..."

She slapped a hand over his mouth. "Behave or I won't build sandcastles with you."

He nodded vigorously, and she took her hand away.

"Now, turn around and I'll get your back."

"Uh, I'm wearing a sun shirt, but if you're just looking for an excuse to touch me..."

Damn. Busted. She smirked and smacked him on the ass. Beach fun, here we come.

Chapter 7

The next morning, Kira awoke once again to a lovely, claw-filled boob massage, this time with a kitten butt directly in her face. She could have sworn she shut the door the night before. She glanced in the direction of the door and saw Vinnie trying to stifle a laugh.

"You know, this is becoming a creepy habit of yours. What time is it anyway? It looks like the butt crack of dawn." She squinted at the window.

He pushed off the door frame and came to sit on the bed. "It is the butt crack of dawn. Sorry, not sorry." He picked up link and nuzzled his purring head.

She glared at him. "You couldn't have picked up the one whose butt was in my face?"

"That wouldn't be any fun." His devilish grin was toe-curling. "Most women would freak out at their breasts being poked with tiny needles. You must have a whacko pain tolerance."

She shrugged and turned Lara around so that she had a purring face instead of a fuzzy butt. "Eh, my boobs aren't very sensitive."

Vinnie raised an eyebrow and gave her a saucy wink. "Maybe you just haven't had someone master them yet."

"Oh, the ego. Your daddy is just full of himself, isn't he?" she asked Lara. "Does everyone just fall for your charm?" she asked, directing her question back to Vinnie.

"Only the ones who aren't very interesting." He looked her straight in the eyes with something that looked a lot like a heated promise. "Come on, time to get going. I have plans for us this evening, so we have a long drive ahead of us today if we're going to make it in time."

"Are you going to fill me in or keep me in suspense?"

"It's a surprise."

"I hate surprises." Deadpan.

"Me too," he responded with entirely too much cheer, "but too bad, I'm not spilling."

She grumbled and got out of bed, making sure to flash her panties as payback. She smirked as he froze. "I'll hop in the shower, and then I'll be ready."

"So will I, Spice. So will I."

*****

"Ready to go?"

Kira was back in her trademark denim and red Chucks and had her hair carelessly pulled back into a bun. She was wearing his tee again, and with her bra on, her breasts stretched the fabric nicely across the front and gave the illusion of a tapered waist. He growled audibly.

"I hear them, but I don't see them. Where are Link and Lara? I want to say goodbye. I hate leaving them." As if summoned, Lara appeared and scaled Kira's body to perch on her shoulder. Kira turned her head and accepted Lara's nuzzle. She reached up and pulled Lara to her chest to hug her tightly and buried her face into the soft fur.

Vinnie carefully extracted Lara and handed Kira Link to snuggle as well. "Don't worry, they'll be here when we get back.

"I know, but I'll be going back home."