One Night in Osaka

There were others on the bus as well, some of whom offered a friendly wave as he passed by, but none of them really registered. She was HERE. Of all the insane surprises he'd had this morning, this one...

"Alessia dear, is this...?"

Donovan looked to his right, and an older woman with features somewhat similar to Alessia's sat next to a handsome young light-haired man, both of them giving Donovan a quizzical look.

"YES, mother. This is him. Now leave us alone, I need to talk to him." Alessia had stepped forward and grabbed Donovan's free hand, dragging him towards the back row of the bus. "Come with me. We need to talk. Right now."

Donovan let himself get seated, his bag gingerly placed in the overhead rack, and Alessia sat down right next to him, her gaze as intense as a searchlight. He felt her cast a pair of spells, and then she spoke again. "Alright. I've linked us up, we can talk privately. SO TALK. Are you following me? Because if you are..."

Donovan spoke just under his breath, remembering how Alessia's spells could send even quiet whispers into someone's ears. "I swear to God, you are the last person I expected to see just now -- and that's saying something. I've had this reservation for weeks, I have no idea what's going on right now."

She ran a hand through her glossy hair. "And we've had this lined up for almost a year now. Bloody hellfire, this is surreal." She looked up and met his gaze. "Look, I need to say something --"

"I'm sorry."

They'd both said it, at exactly the same time, but Alessia spoke up again next. "You go ahead."

He looked her right in the eye as he whispered. "I'm so sorry for everything I said to you. I'm so sorry for everything I did. Last night was almost perfect, and I ruined it for both of us."

She put her finger against his lips. "NO. I hurt you. You were understandably upset and confused, and I was too damn wrapped up in... in ME... that I failed to be a goddamn human being. I never meant to hurt you, and I never meant to treat you the way I did. I'm so, so sorry."

He took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Are we really on this three week tour together?"

She nodded. "Certainly looks like."

"Can we... start over?" Donovan swallowed hard. "There is so much going on right now that I can't even pretend to understand, but I do know this much: kissing you last night was one of the greatest moments of my life, and if I have a second chance to make things right with you, then that is a gift that I do not want to let go to waste."

She turned and leaned into his side, her head resting on his shoulder, and Donovan felt a huge thrill of relief at the comfort this simple gesture brought him. "...You don't think I'm some shameless tart, for lifting my skirt in a back alley like that?"

He clasped her hand again. "I don't think you're a tart. I think you're Alessia, the most amazing woman I've ever met, and that I want to learn everything I can about you."

She turned her head to meet his eyes once more. "And I'm so very eager to teach." Her fingers were suddenly tracing along the edge of his zipper, and her lips widened into a broad smile. "The very instant we have some proper privacy, you and I are going to apologize to each other until we can barely move. Does that sound alright to you?"

He smiled back. "Very much so. And to think, twenty-four hours ago, all I wanted out of life was a bowl of ramen. Funny how one crazy night can change things, hm?"

Alessia responded by lowering his zipper, and slid one hand inside his shorts without another word.