• DARA'S POV •

 

"Are your parents home?" I asked Chaerin as a precaution, though no cars were in the driveway.

 

She smiled, then said dryly, "Are they ever?"

 

I took that as my cue to get out of the car and pick her back up, to take her inside, to bed. Coming around to the passenger side, I went to put both arms around her, but as always when I tried to offer her help, she protested.

 

"I can walk," she said.

 

"No you can't," I said. "Let me carry you."

 

She pouted. "Why?"

 

"Because it's not so often I get an excuse to hold such a pretty girl," I tried in lieu of the obvious reason.

 

A smile fought its way onto her face. "You don't need an excuse," she said.

 

"You're right," I said. "All I need is permission."

 

She rolled her eyes, feigning as if she were being put out by the whole process. "Alright, fine, I guess you can carry me," she kidded.

 

"Oh, thank you so much," I said, taking her again by the back and the legs.

 

When we got to the door, she turned the knob and I kicked it open. I'd never been inside her house before; it was nice. It was a good size, clean and well decorated. It just didn't look lived in.

 

I had to carry her up the stairs, which admittedly wasn't easy. She then directed me to her door, the second on the left, and I opened it for her, sitting her down on crisp white sheets.

 

"How do you feel?" I asked.

 

"Tired," she said.

 

"Get some rest," I said.

 

"I will."

 

"You need to change," I said.

 

"It's too much work."

 

"You can't sleep in your uniform," I protested.

 

She smiled. "Watch me."

 

I sat on the floor in front of her and began untying her shoes. "You're being ridiculous," I said, though clearly I'd fallen for her in every way.

 

"You love me anyway," she said, hitting the nail on the head, and although she'd meant it casually, I found myself hanging on that one word. The word I'd been playing with for a while now. The word I'd been feeling, but that I'd been afraid to use.

 

I scrunched up my nose, as if I was thinking about it. "Eh, you're alright," I said.

 

She rolled over and stood up, weakly, to open a drawer and pull out a big t-shirt.

 

"Sit," I ordered, and she obliged. I took off her top for her, ped her body liner and took that off too. Her body was killer, but this wasn't the time.

 

"Self control is a virtue," I commented as I put the shirt over her head, then sunk to my knees and took off her skirt.

 

"Then call me virtuous," she kidded, making light of the situation, especially since the current position had my head between her knees. Obviously we were both attracted to each other, but there was no way we were having , given the conditions.

 

"I think I'm way more virtuous than you are," I said, getting up and looking her in the eye.

 

"Yeah," she said, grabbing me unexpectedly by the shirt. "You are." She then pulled me on top of her and kissed me fiercely, and I was far too not to give in.

 

After a while, I sat up next to her, knowing I had to go soon, i