There's a certain feeling of contentment I get when my eyes graze over his pleasantly, smooth face. Within the dark corners of my mind, there laid my eagerness to soften my heart up to him, a curse I would gladly take on one condition. 

If he could refrain from making my cheeks hurt. The sheepish grin that would be plastered across my mouth was just a glimpse of the kinds of things he did to me. My mind tingled. I got a tingling sensation in my fingertips. My damn toes would curl up. The world would spin and turn slowly, like there had been a gravitational pull.

Okay. 

Maybe I'm exagerrating. But you know how people say to every action there is a reaction? I have probably the same wholesome reaction to whatever he says or does, although it cannot be denied that it is hard to keep up the same happiness for a while. I had been talking to him for a while now since I met up with him finally few days ago. 

Seattle is exciting, to say the least. 

Since then, I have opened up to him about the hurdles that I face each waking day. A start to the friendship we would continually develop, maybe into something more, but I wasn't holding onto a string of hope. I know he is a busy man, and the exhausted expression on his face when I would often meet up with him was evident that his chaotic schedule was getting the best of him. Chaotic, in the sense that he was busy being busy.

Likewise, he has been opening up to me as well, and it was a battle to admit to him that I had been on the same boat lately. Looking alive but feeling dead, would probably be the best way to describe my state of consciousness right now. He has his own story to tell though, and I certainly wasn't a reliable story-teller. 

Luckily, the time I had spent so far with Lucious had impressively exceeded all negative thoughts that dared to enter my mind. I was very specific about things in my life, and much to my surprise I noticed a little more 'hop' to my steps. My smile grew wider. The fear of not knowing, had turned into a courageous step I would take to break barriers. 

Those barriers were mostly communication. Lord knows that I have an inconvenient problem  with interacting to people, and shamefully it would hinder me from taking on certain roles or tasks in the family. Bummer. 

I could have made a name for myself. 

Anyways. I used to tell myself I would never find a man like him.

If it wasn't for the history we shared, I probably wouldn't have had the guts to approach him. It had been a while since we had last seen each other. In addition to that awkwardly exciting moment, it had also been a while since I had felt butterflies fly around in my stomach, like each fluttering sound was made each time I uttered a word to him. 

Needless to say, we were taking things slow. Well I don't know about him, but I definitely didn't want to force the rekindling of the bond we shared in the past. Alot of things have happened since then. I have changed. The world we live in today has changed drastically. From the way things were set up, people had grown increasingly aware of the drug epidemic and cops who sat in their chairs every evening as they dislocated their shoulders trying to pat someone on the back for their hard efforts. Bunch of fakes, well I thought.

Change was good though. I embrace the opportunities to switch up my lifestyle, but does it all really matter if you don't have someone to share your good memories with? My heart tightened, and I looked away from his direction when I remembered my naivety before to ignore the signs. 

Don't get me wrong though. I was grateful that I would have a family to come home to, but often I would stay up late nights wondering:

Where I went wrong. Why did we part so quickly? Did I get fed up with the not knowing? Was I too closed off? Was he too closed off? Were we both in denial of each other? There was a certain kind of reaping that takes you right before you sleep. I spent many nights burying my head into the pillow, wishfully thinking 'what if?' 

***

"So, get this," I managed to blurt out between bites of the bread roll, which I had been waving around in my right hand, "...what if I showed you some of my moves? Loosen up some of that tension."

I shook my head, biting down on the last bit of the roll that I had brought from the market earlier, before revealing a wide grin on my face. It clearly showed all the lining of my teeth, and I was aware that paired with the messy style of my hair and the sweat around my forehead post-training, I looked goofy. 

Just as goofy as  him though. A hearty giggle resounded in the air at his stoic expression, which only prompted to bug him more. "Aw come ooonnnnnn." I groaned, waving my hands around restlessly. 

For the past thirty minutes, I had been hyping him up. Excited to show him just what yoga and meditation can do to your body! I knew I needed a stretch to get myself back in the comfort zone. I was still feeling breathless from the training that I had endured. I tagged along with him to the Kono Fitness Centre, an adventurous decision I had made to get out of the house for once. 

I was done being cooped up within the walls for so long. I reckon I pushed my pretty limits good. He did too. My eyes stayed steady on him, waiting for what he would respond with. I noticed his sweat soaked face, making me purse my lips slightly, before going to his bathroom to fetch a towel. I nonchalantly walked out of the bathroom, holding the small linen waffle towel, waving it in his direction to get his attention.

"Also gezus. You're sweating bullets." I expressed in a playful manner as I threw it over his shoulders in a playful manner. 

As I walked over to the yoga mats that I had set down for the both of us, I turned my head over my shoulders and raised my eyebrows playfully. 

We have fun.

You'd be surprised with the amount of times they've hit it off in the past few days but long before it all they'd stay distant from one another and it just makes you wonder: what is she doing or what is he doing right about now? Do they even think about one another? Lucious surely did and maybe while it was never said out in the open he kept his hopes up. He'd been traveling on business and mostly sticking around the Windy City to help out a friend with her business and then taking cares of jobs that were required of him and Lucious was an important asset to his family yet there was nothing more motivating than having someone of upper structure get their hands dirty for the family just as much as the next guy.

Business was the only thing keeping him afloat in life. There are a lot of things that kept a person occupied and Lucious usually found his way around but every time all he thought about was the woman he had met days ago, even with an invitation to come out to Seattle and have lunch; his schedule was pretty much ripping any off time he had but to do it all for Mei, the man could shave something off to spend some time with her since he had the power to send someone else to do his bidding, it wouldn't be out of selfishness either, sometimes when life calls you just have to answer.

Lyon keeps a stoic expression most of the time when he talks with anyone. Some people would've taken him to be a serious man that gets the job done or that he's so busy that fun doesn't exist to him. More like something optional and he refuses to do it regardless of how many chances he is given but sometimes life changes and you change with it. There's more to life than constantly working or seeing to it that the needs of someone else are more important than the needs of yourself; People would be calling Lucious a compassionate individual and yet his expression remains the same.

Did he expect to meet a woman with Mei's caliber? No. But life throws you curveballs and you don't expect it, not even from a mile away. No matter how serious he looks, it was still capable of winning her over in a heartbeat, enough to get someone's stomach riled up with the purpose of being nervous. Life does change someone, but in mysterious ways.

***

Lucious sat down on the chair wearing something casual for a change. Even without his hat, which is something that he takes with him everywhere but today wasn't one of those days, there was no need to hide himself from the person that opens up to him the most and yet her voice makes everything else sound different... "...what if I showed you some of my moves? Loosen up that tension."

He sat there with such a beat look on his face though it didn't stop him from looking goofy. She shared just the same expression but nonetheless Lucious started to guess in his mind where this was gonna end up going, the expression on his face gave it away before he stared at the floor then back at Mei. Her giggle ended up topping it off. "Aw coooooome on." She waved her hands around with relent and eventually Lucious submitted.

"...Okay. But only because you've convinced this far."

Yoga the acts of meditation weren't exactly something he'd get into personally and had nothing against people who did it if that was even something they would be inclined to do. There was a fitness center not far from the house, and it’s be Lucious' first time ever stopping by though it was worth it with how Mei was talking about it. Their session was extensive and by the end of it all... their bodies were pushed to the limit and that was obvious enough with Lucious sweating bullets yet most of the time he could feel her glare just being stuck on him, almost like glue. Lyon watched her walk off as he stood there dripping in sweat, to cope with that she came back with a towel and had it tossed over his shoulders, he felt like a wet dog.

Lucious wiped the towel all over his face and left the rest to camp on his body. This was just the beginning since the yoga mats were prepared and just as they took their positions, she turned to him with such a goofy eyebrow raise, the man couldn't help but not to stare just as they were starting.

"You thinking of something fierce there, princess? Or is the staring apart of the routine, invented a nice little exercise for the eyes..."

She could tell more than anyone that his statement was filled with jokes. That was the start of the fun, time will tell where it leads.

I figured he had enough of me trying to make him pursue yoga, which for the record, holds many benefits for the mind, body, and soul. My eyebrows stayed raised in a quirky manner, and a smirk slowly appeared on my pale, sweaty face. 

"...Okay. But only because you've convinced this far."

We both looked at each other for a moment, our eyes connecting as if we needed a second to just appreciate each other's presence. Well, at least I thought that was what we were doing. His stare made my heart flutter, and I would try to hide it, but I had a feeling he knew about all my sneaky eyes, which would fall to places better le-

He suddenly gave up, letting his knees surrender to the yoga mats, before I let out a teasing scoff. "Already, my love?" My eyes landed on his droopy smile, which slowly snaked it ways on his face, and he was already making it hard for us to get started. I suddenly looked at the time on my wristwatch, its hands ticking ever so slowly as if it was waiting patiently for Lucious and I to get the fun started. 

"You thinking of something fierce there, princess? Or is the staring apart of the routine, invented a nice little exercise for the eyes..."

His comedic remark earned another giggle from me, and I rolled my eyes in amusement. If he wanted something fierce, this was just beginning. Yoga wasn't meant to be fierce though, or maybe his kind of fierce was toned down a little more. In spite of that, I made up a quick comment on the spot about his progress. 

"Mhm. Sure I am, but before we start doing things with our eyes, lets first start on getting those muscles stretched out." 

I prompted him to start from the beginning again, and gave him moral support by throwing in some encouraging compliments here and there. "Yep. You got it. There we go. So on all fours, arch your back, and as you raise your left hand, make it stay raised at eye-level. At the same time, you'll be raising your right leg up off its knees, and stretch it bac-" 

My immediate excitement for his first time doing yoga, quickly turned into a feeling of tranquility as we both were sync in our moves. Arching my back and following all the steps that my yoga teacher had taught me one day, I closed my eyes and hummed quietly to myself. 

However my eyes shot open again when I looked to my right, noticing Lyon in his own world. I tried so very hard to stifle the giggles that were threatening to escape my lips, but at the same time I got a real rush of joy within me- seeing him in such a calm peace of mind gave me peace as well. I was never one to assume anyone's battles, but I reckon the demons that would usually come in the night were gone. Just for today, maybe, but the point is that there are so many ways to take all that pain you have built up inside you, and turn it into something magical. 

Now this, was magic. I seemed to be stuck in a dream-like haze. The day glow peeked from the crack of the windows, and the sun was shining on one spot in the room, giving everything a sunny, warm, and radiant vibe. 

The room was complete silence for a while. I realized I had been sitting upright, hands in lap, for far too long. More work, less play. I said to myself. Or was it more play, less work? I think the man needed a break once in a while. Then tomorrow he would go back to his usual routine, whatever that was. I wasn't going to keep him up for long, and I would understand if I had to be shooed away later. 

I'd be willing to leave of course. With directions of a hotel. 

After a while of just gawking dreamily, I stood up slowly from the yoga mats as to not make a sound. He seemed to be in his element, and I would leave him to relax for a while as I take a breather or something. 

This felt like a dangerous thing to do though. I felt like I was walking in unmarked territory. A place where I shouldn't just be wandering about. 

My kind of fun certainly wasn't going into people's rooms where I had no permission to enter in, but when I saw the door cracked open a tiny bit to his office, I decided to seize the moment and walk right in. I bit my bottom lip in a nervous manner, as my eyes danced around the interior of the room. I wanted to ask him who was his assistant, or his room stylist, because this certainly was a sight to see. 

I walked closer to his main office desk. My eyes looked over at the papers that were piled neatly on it. I knew they must be extremely confidential to be reading anything that was on there, so I swerved away from the decision of intruding on his business. I just wanted a little looksie, that's all. I would be out in a second.

His planner was open on his office desk, and its pages were flipped open, like he had left it open just before they went out to the fitness center earlier. On the top of the page, his penmanship looked to be quite neat, though as the days of the planner would go by, I noticed that the ink had just been so casually handwritten that I almost couldn't deciper what he was trying to say. 

Not noticing it before, I could see a time and date set for something special. My eyes peered downwards onto the word spill on the book. Jealousy wasn't my cup of tea, but I seemed to be getting a whole bottle of it tonight as I saw the word that was written next to the name of a lady that did not ring any bells.

Tuesday

Date: 8/21/1936 

Date night - Faye Lucciola.

I questioned if I was too much of a hassle for him. Maybe I had been too confident in us? I knew it was the devil speaking. I brushed the thought away. It made my heart churn, just thinking about ruining the chance of us being together again. This was quite a distraction from my criminal specialties, yet somehow I didn't mind the thoughts of developing a little crush enter my mind. My surprise to this date night or appointment of his was something I wouldn't dare to bring up in a conversation, knowing the jumpy, nervous and stubborn lady inside of me would burst out in flames over something like this. I looked away red-faced and huffed quietly away from the desk.

Anyone who knew me well enough would know that I would often try to play innocent after doing something I wasn't supposed to do, and you bet that was what I had planned to do once I had exited out of the room. 

Although it seemed that he had caught up to my mischievous act already. I didn't even realize he was here already. He had shown up like a thief in the night. 

I froze as I heard his body shuffle behind me.

"But before we start doing things with our eyes, lets first start on getting those muscles stretched out."

The one response to his only statement, maybe she didn't catch but somewhere down the line she will. They were taking it slow, so they thought and maybe one another hadn't actually opened about how they felt yet though the meditation was probably getting to him at this point since Lucious followed her every move, being the rookie that is he he has to follow the more experienced person and he did just that; one of the perks is being a fast learner which would undoubtedly be a crazy one to have in the world that they live in, especially when they have to do criminal activities, nonetheless.

He was distracted. Moments after continuing to do the moves and taking in deep breaths after he reached a position to rest took his mind off things, anything he planned, the assignments he had to send people out on; it all disappeared for a few minutes. Lucious wondered if this was just the yoga doing it all or it was just some mystic thing that sneaks into the user's head, not like he would think much of it but it was another idea to keep himself distracted another time.

Of course, Lyon wasn't really focused on anything around him which means he didn't really keep his eyes on Mei; not that he necessarily had to since she's not a child but sneaking off is probably something he hasn't uncovered yet. Lucious realized this when he began to take a break from the meditation practices and found out she wasn't at her mat. The question is, where did she go off to? The man stood up and began to investigate like any rookie detective that just got into the division but it didn't require the skills of one to potentially found out where someone had went, not if there was an obvious clue.

His office door was open and it was cracked more open than when he had left it. His eyebrows raised up, questioning why it was open since Lucious thought the door was closed but maybe in all the time of going out to do the practices he forgot, which many people do so there was no harm done though to what purpose would it serve if Lyon just happened to catch her in the act? Sneaking up to the doorway, his eyes scanned the office inside and there she was.

His planner was left open there on the desk. There was a lot of things that needed to be done tomorrow and pretty much the rest of the week and a schedule needed to be followed if things were supposed to operate smoothly, especially when there was a "deal" that needed an overseer to make sure shit doesn't go south. If there was one thing he didn't want her to found out was the date with Lucciola, this was arranged long before Lucious decided to reconnect with Mei though by just finding it out; anyone could assume the worst.

Lyon watched as she huffed and walked back from the desk. Was it Jealousy? Rage? Sadness? It was nothing he could spot at such an angle and decided it was time to step in, slowly closing up behind her and eventually his breathing decided to send chills down her spine, guilt, something that fills up any person that gets caught in troublesome behavior.

"So. You snuck into my office and probably looked at something you shouldn't have, then again you shouldn't be in my office at all but the cat's out of the bag since you no doubt got into my planner."

The chilling thing was; his tone was calm. Anyone else would've probably busted in with rage or yelled, but people who need to aren't as fearful as they be.

"Yet. I can explain, if you found the page where I had a date in a few days, that was arranged before you and me decided to... go out, in a sense. Though, I'll just say business came up and I'm not sure where I'll have time to reschedule."

Lucious slowly walked around her and reached for the pen that sat next to his planner. He crossed out the name.

Tuesday

Date: 8/21/1936 

Date night - Faye Lucciola.

Lyon looked up at Mei and he walked back over to her, though his intention was to keep the distance between her and him close.

"There something you wanna say to me?"

"So. You snuck into my office and probably looked at something you shouldn't have, then again you shouldn't be in my office at all but the cat's out of the bag since you no doubt got into my planner."

One of the many characteristics of Lucious that I had noticed not long after we had decided to meet up was his calm demeanor even in the face of impending doom. I was glued to my spot in the floor, and ideally the best thing to do right then and there was confess that I had been a naughty girl, entering mindlessly into his office. 

Instead of playing the innocent card and making up excuses for my malicious behaviour, I raised my chin slightly, not too much but just enough so I was able to see his lips. There was a tone of worry in my voice, afraid that he would reply back with something that would intimidate the soul out of my body, and I spoke in a clear manner.

"Look I can expla-" 

I began to voice my concern over the matter that had arised, but he quickly interrupted my intention to explain myself and broke the silence instead with his rightful explanation. There was no denying that I was still a little hurt from the note I had seen before, but I slowed down my breathing and relaxed my shoulders to look up at the man I had been spending my time with recently. I knew when I needed to just be quiet and let the other person talk freely. I cleared my throat in a shy manner, looking in his direction but not to his face, before nodding slowly. 

"Yet. I can explain, if you found the page where I had a date in a few days, that was arranged before you and me decided to... go out, in a sense. Though, I'll just say business came up and I'm not sure where I'll have time to reschedule."

Desperation flared in my eyes as I tried to peice the puzzles together. It made complete sense, of course, that maybe he just had forgotten to cross it out or something. I wanted to move forward and forget about what I saw, but I couldn't but help think that what I had with Lucious was just a fling and nothing else. 

I clung to my morals and nodded instead at his explanation that had occurred, which was a stark contrast to the peaceful moments we were just sharing before on the yoga mats. There was no way for me to tell what he was thinking right in that moment, but I knew when someone was being genuine or not. 

It was either he was good at playing the good guy, or was hiding under a mask of innocence and deceit, because I believed him. I truly did. He justified what he said when he reached around me to grab a pen that was sitting on his desk, before crossing out the date scheduled for that tuesday. He walked back around from the desk, and stopped when he reached me. Lyon stood in front of me, almost towering over my small figure, and I glanced at his broad shoulders that matched the disporportion of his body well.

There was a short gap between us, and I refrained from even taking one more step closer. One more step and I was sure that he would be able to hear my heart beats if he tried to take a listen. His action was followed by the simple, yet fear-provoking words. 

"There something you wanna say to me?"

It was crazy to me how he could impact me in the most mysterious ways with a soothing tone. A fit of rage and guilt mixed with endless desire travelled through coarsed through my veins as I tried to unpack the words that came out of his mouth. Making eye contact seemed to be a risky move, but there really no other option if I wanted to speak to him in a respectful manner. 

I didn't think I'd be let go so easily, but that was okay. I didn't want to run from him anymore, a mistake I had made in the past with him. Clenching my fists secretly as I hid my arms behind my back, I spoke in a soft manner. 

"I don't tend to mix well with players, though I'm sure that is not what you are. Truth is, when I saw that lady's name handwritten in your planner, I started to feel.. Jealous. Judge me all you want, but I feel like even if we have only been spending a short amount of time with each other, I feel gravitated towards you..

..You know what, I remember I once picked up a book from the shelves of a local library, and it was about these two lovers that had met by fate. I'm not one for cliche romance novels, but I do remember your name creeping into my thoughts again when I flicked through the pages of that book. Since then, I began my mission to find you. And here we are. Though I feel like we could do much better than be protagonists in a corny novel like that. You know what I feel we should be? The reigning king and queen of a mighty land called Equestria. Or something."

There was a flicker of joy that flashed in my eyes, and with all the courage I had used to say that -speech-, I was mentally drained. The other half of me was also physically drained from the exercise and stretching we were doing before. 

I wasn't expecting him to respond back to me, but I was hoping what I said would earn a smile, or even a quirky twitch from the lips.

Now that the cat had escaped out of the bag, the elephant in the room was addressed. The tension that settled in the air ever since I arrived to Seattle was not quite killing me, but I felt like I couldn't function probably with him being around me. Not that was a bad thing, but I noted for myself that next time I wanted to focus on some paperwork or heavy duty stuff, I would send him a telegram that I would be much better off in Detroit. 

As I snapped back to reality, my gaze was penetrating into his pupils, and I watched carefully for any signs that he was trying to process what I said. 

I gave a minute to compose myself, and unclenched my fists as I set my arms casually beside me. I couldn't quite catch what he said, too busy glancing nervously around the room. I cleared my throat, embarrassed that I had zoned out and looked back at him. The look in his eyes distracted me from gathering any sense of understanding. 

"What?" I breathed.

"Though I feel like we could do much better than be protagonists in a corny novel like that. You know what I feel we should be? The reigning king and queen of a mighty land called Equestria. Or something."

Lucious let the corner of his lip rise in amusement. A king and queen, yet everyone knows that they all have their own kingdoms, their own people and their own armies though in the world where you're surrounded by corrupt cops, drug dealers, mobsters who do nothing but fuel the fire. You're just inclined to be apart of that world and get into your own criminal acts, some people try to avoid it and others just get amused by it, the thirst for violence or maybe it was the fire to just beat the hell out of someone.

Sometimes, the fire inside your body burns high enough that you just want to kill someone and at the end of the day, who's gonna ask questions? No one, because not even the cops will take a report if it meant putting the individual to rest, end of the day most of the cops in the town are under someone's payroll and yet anyone with enough pull has someone on their payroll. But, it's like a game of chess, you need to use your pawns to find common ground.

Life plays like a chess game. You have the king and the queen, you're enforced by rooks, bishops and knights and you have a small squad of pawns that are willing to do your bidding; when you are the king and you have the queen, you're at the top of the world and who do you have defending you? The knights and the rooks and the bishops, they'll answer your every command do the dirty things for you though Lucious was in his own world at the time.

Lyon snapped out of it and began to move around his desk and close the planner and stuff into a drawer. But he wanted a distraction, he grabbed the pen and began to click it out of being random, though his rhythm was slow and it was consistent and he never changed up the pattern. Was it a signal that he was about to do something bad, manipulative? Probably not. What happens out there is that people end up taking someone for granted and they'll only receive a reaction, whether that's becomes a reward or a consequence is yet to be seen.

He stopped clicking when he went back in front of Mei and reached down to pull her up, a nicer alternative than being on the floor. Lucious didn't really let go just yet, the man had him right where he wanted her, though he thought back on what she said.

"I don't tend to mix well with players, though I'm sure that is not what you are..."

Lucious smirked.

"I'm no player. Especially if I know what I want... You say we should be the king and queen of a kingdom, yet you have me right here like a chess piece but you haven't made your move yet, so my question to you is, what are you waiting for?"

The way he was rocking my world...

 Was I so foolish to fall so quickly? My mind went over the words he had uttered to me in response to my rambling. There was no answer for a while, but I waited patiently for him as the chaotic ways of the world outside continued. It was just us in that moment. Perfectly still. The only sound that could be heard at that moment was the wind blowing away outside, and the occasional twigs that would tap against the window from being swayed with the wind.

It was usually a habit of hers to zone out in uncomfortable situations like these, but she was alerted back to the situation at hand when she was suddenly pulled up by Lyon, her eyes widening slightly. With a confused expression on her face, she mirrored his penetrating gaze. 

"I'm no player. Especially if I know what I want..."

Even though I was doing a pretty good job of stabilizing myself against his body, I couldn't help but feel myself try to wriggle out of his grip out of embarassment that he had responded in a way I hadn't expected. What did he want though? My eyes were glued to him for a quick second, before slightly turning my head down at his arms which were wrapped around me.

"...You say we should be the king and queen of a kingdom, yet you have me right here like a chess piece but you haven't made your move yet, so my question to you is, what are you waiting for?"

The smirk on his face gave me a good idea that he was getting a kick out of this. I was aware I probably looked red as a tomato, even more redder than usual because of my pale complexion. I was hoping he didn't mind my weird reaction to him, but I took a minute to stare at him in awe.

I thought carefully about the question he posed. I started to feel self conscious about the fact that I had spoken to him so directly before, and now he was asking me the real reason why I hadn't been making a move. 

Apparently it was his turn to be direct now, and I caught myself struggling with the words in my head before I came to a conclusion that I was out for the kill. Like a hunter spying on their prey on its tippy toes, I headed for the direction that Lyon and I should have been heading towards a long time ago. 

"Because I'm afraid to admit that maybe I am not the right queen fit for a man like you. You need someone as bold as you. Someone to hold you down. My issues with communication and commitment are far from stable." 

I managed to let out that last sentence through heavy breathing, which I was eager to slow down before I would do something unexpected. Seize the moment, my heart called out longingly to me. 

And I did.

Keep in mind, I was not solely driven by lust, instead I was doing what had been long overdue in the time we had gotten to know each other. There was a sinking feeling in my stomach when I thought about him being with anyone else, and my heart couldn't take any more pain. Not in the romantic way, at least.

"But you underestimate me, Lyon." 

I slowly unwrapped his arms gently from my body, and I suddenly changed the mood of the air around us from awkwardly tense to beautifully dangerous. No doubt it was dangerous. I knew I was entering foreign spaces, but I promised to myself right in that moment that I would begin to make my moves. 

In my defense from not making the first move, a chess game seemed to be an inaccurate depiction of what I think represented what we had. Something like a monopoly board game seemed to be better. The game's exciting promise of fame and fortune, and a king and queen facing their adversaries of the world they live in, paired with the continuous pressure to show a good example.

In the past, I would rush into opportunities like these, and often fail in trying to succeed. The temporary rush of adrenaline of rising up the ranks made me hopeless in the end, and inevitably I had given up on doing something good for myself. 

This time, I felt emotionally equipped in his arms, and ready to take things to the next level. Slowly, of course. The saying only fools rush in was a common saying with some of the people I would often interact with back at home. It lingered in my mind for a while.

With the sudden change of mood, I placed one finger on his chest and pushed him gently to the direction of his office chair. Keeping my head steady with his, I invited him to sit on it.

I looked into the eyes of the man I wanted to spend a long time with, if not forever. As we kept our eyes locked on each other, my index finger lightly trailed over the outline of his jaw, before setting my hand back down. 

Nothing crazy. Nothing too weird or awkward. 

Quite simply, I began to place myself on his lap. I sat there for a while with one arm wrapped around his neck for support, while the other rested in my lap. I smiled in a gentle manner. 

"We've stayed silent for far too long. I think it's time you give my royal seat on the throne."

Ideally I shouldn't have been on top of him in that moment, but I didn't mind playing sassy for a moment.

Maybe he was the master of the game slowly putting all the pieces into play, the puppet master behind all the suspenseful plays, hiding in the shadows while the plan all comes into plan; though his feelings were genuine since this was something they'd probably kept thinking about or dreaming about even, Lucious wasn't really sure about her feelings until later on. If he was gonna convince her to make her move then now was the time, and that time came.

His eyes ran up and down her body with desperation though his stoic expression was enough to fool anyone. Who knows what's going on in the mind of someone with his personality though someone never made his thoughts run like this before, it was always a bunch of "what ifs?" scenarios being run across his brain. Though, her words were just easy to turn around if said right.

"Because I'm afraid to admit that maybe I am not the right queen fit for a man like you. You need someone as bold as you. Someone to hold you down. My issues with communication and commitment are far from stable." 

Lucious' upper lip quirked in agony.

"I'll turn you into my equal, eventually, if that is what you desire..."

Her breathing was out of control but that's probably the amount of tension that was in the room, lust, agony, madness all in a single package just dropped right there between slowly succumbing to their emotions and clinging onto the heart like a bunch of daggers getting ready to slide through and it'd be a clean strike yet they restrain themselves from such a move. The man stood there holding her within his grasp as her breathing decided to consume what was dire.

Jealousy definitely ended up hurting some people. The strongest ones overcome that non-sense.

"But you underestimate me, Lyon." 

Lucious looked at her she began to slowly drive his hands away and loosen the grip. One thing lead to another and he was brought back to his office chair right behind the desk, her cold finger slightly outlining his jaw. Their eye contact was strong at best, though being sassy just put the cherry on top.

"We've stayed silent for far too long. I think it's time you give my royal seat on the throne."

"I'll give you the seat. As long as you're ready to get your hands dirty, with the life we live in; failure is almost never an option and we always need to contribute, listening to the people we work, you almost get used to it."

His finger trailed down her arm though and heat overcame the both of them, but Lucious didn't mind. That's what happens when you play with fire.

Unlike other experiences with men where I would lose my sanity and ultimately fail the both of us, being in his grasp made me feel warm and fluttery inside. It was neither forced or awkward, and I stared back at him through blazing eyes that demanded of his attention. There was no turning back now, and the only direction from here is upwards, though I knew I had to remember to tread slowly. 

It would be a shame to enter this world with him, confident and driven by each others passions for success, and suddenly fall back down. This was just beginning though, and I was certain that we would make it out of the corruption that terrorized those streets outside. 

His gaze deepened into mine while his expressionless face said it all. I didn't say it loud, but I would have asked him if he knew just how silly he was to think that he could fool me with his stoical behaviour. 

Though we were moving at a moderate pace, I could still feel my confidence in myself staying the same. There were others out there. Other ladies would be in pursuit of Lyon, and it crushed my insides knowing that I was too much of a coward to intervene, but when I looked into his eyes, I could feel myself come back alive again. Ressurected. 

We were like, two peas in a pod. Never in a millon years I'd have thought that I would get the chance to be this close to Lyon, and not wanting to sound like a fangirl, I still kept to my professional manner. 

However, it seemed that hell broke loose when I noticed his eyes move up and down my body. I stiffened immediately under his hard stare, and tried to look away, but who could resist the temptations when his breath was sending tingles down my spine and earth-shattering desires that would soon cause me to let him take me in the end.

"I'll turn you into my equal, eventually, if that is what you desire..."

The day had been organized by the both of us, yet everything that was happening right now was unplanned, but it would be all worth it. I had found my home in a sea of wavering souls, and I would travel with him to all the other ends of the world, and continue our bond there. 

"I'll give you the seat. As long as you're ready to get your hands dirty, with the life we live in; failure is almost never an option and we always need to contribute, listening to the people we work, you almost get used to it."

The hairs along my arm stood up instantly when I felt his finger wander gently across the skin that was so exposed to him. The whole room was dead silent, and if one was to make out any sound, it would just be the sound of their heart beats making noises, the outcome of their bold actions on that night. 

Even with the little experience I had in this thing of ours, the fire in my eyes surpassed the doubts that were threatening to invade my mind, and I fought it until I could muster up the words to say in response to him. 

Lyon triggered something within me. It was like a wake-up call, knowing I had been sulking in my fears for too long. Fear that I would never be able to the woman I aspired to be. Intellectual beings that would unintentionally lure men in with their looks. 

That could be a dream for any little growing up, but I would like to think that my eyes were only set on one man, and one man alone. I just hope he held the same protectiveness over me, but as they say, time can only tell. 

I didn't want to waste any more of it. 

Looking up from my eyelashes, I wanted to solidy my true intentions of being here. Still shook by his gaze, I looked back down to one of my hands that still remained in a resting postion on her lap. My other arm was still wrapped around his neck as the intense body heat was intense to the both of us.

I took my free hand, and locked it with his. 

My fingers closed the gaps between his fingers, and much like a jigsaw puzzle with its complications and intricate patterns, we ended up sorting our differences and making a connection that would hopefully deepen what we had going on.

"I'm ready to take this step with you, and though promises can be hard to make, I assure you that I'm here till the end. Not only I am aware of the connections we have to carefully make, but also of the activities that would have to be carried out. For me, no matter how heavy the load is, it is just about how you carry it." 

Not only aware of the alliances, mobsters and rival cities that roamed the land, but I also had a very detailed view on the people that would occsionally come out on the streets and voice their concerns or stories, hoping to get the recognition that they deserved.

To put it simply, I believed veryone had a voice, and I intended on using mine to help people find their voice too. 

Lyon's presence softened the blow of me feeling like a nervous wreck about this huge step, but he created a spark in me that seemed to be requesting for a standing ovation. 

And If he thought he could be a master of the game...He was right. 

"And also. Good game well played, my love." I spoke softly in a cheeky manner, as I looked up from our hands that were intertwined with each other's, and I desperately searched for the same feeling of desire in his eyes. 

Everything was just going right and he could see her look then from lust to worry from a simple up and down look to just examine her body, her mood can change quickly but he could ignore that since there was something a lot better to look that beyond her personality so when they sat there together emotions were probably spiking like a power level going past its limit but there were no consequences even though she had stated she had wanted to go slow but then you wonder how easy it might be to dominate someone, strike when they have an opening. This was different however.

Guys wanted to be him and there was girls that wanted first shot with me; the date that was marked in the planner wasn't the only one yet she didn't have the time to skim through it since there were more dates planned out in the past and they went through but all he had to do was explain that this was before they had even decided to meet and that would be easy to cope with unlike some others.

"I'm ready to take this step with you, and though promises can be hard to make, I assure you that I'm here till the end."

Lucious kept watching her as she decided to state her vows, nothing crazy but nonetheless it was said with genuine emotions and he looked at her lips move with each word yet her eyes were just filled with fire, that's what he wanted though, someone that would be able to step in when it was required and would be willing to get blood on their hands just for the sake of romance.

"Glad to hear you say that. As long as you're serious about it then we'll prosper."

But he knew words weren't enough. When they intertwined hands it felt like the piece of a puzzle sliding into its final spot, their eyes shared the same exchange but if Lucious was gonna be able to seal that cow like a letter, a move needed to be done.

"And also. Good game well played, my love."

"Thanks for playing."

Lucious was hesitant at first, even for a man like him, or was it just to tease? He moved his head closer and gave Mei a kiss. Simply something just for assurance, it was probably something unexpected since this of course was never planned, besides the yoga idea but sometimes plans just change.

Some more drastic than others.

It was crystal clear to me now that my trip to Seattle was worth it. It was worth a million reasons, to be able to see the man I had been anticipating for so long. 

A few hours had passed already, with the ticking of the clock which seemed to quicken its pace as if time had been too kind on me lately, and needed me to think and act quick. Time was of the essence, and so I intended on not wasting it.

There were lots to do. Many things to organize before I would figure out where I would stay next. Rent a motel perhaps? I certainly wasn't financially stable at this moment, and I shyed away from asking if I could stay the night. 

He seemed to poke at my shyness, and I would respond back by sticking my tongue out playfully in a childish manner like we were both little kids again. 

Plans do change, and people grow as they learn to love the things that makes or breaks them. I was well aware of the spontaneity of our situation and of the backlash that I could potentially receive from clinging to a man that I thought, was way too good for me. 

But as the night ended quickly, and the day glow darkened back to its night time routine, I learnt many things, besides the fact that he actually came to like yoga now, and I was very joyous about that..

More eye candy for me. 

Anyways, I learnt that while my insecurities would continue to poke at me, and degrade me further into self-deprecation, he was still going to be there for me. And likewise, I would be there for him. This was just the beginning of our story though, as there is more to come. 

I found myself in his arms that night, a good sign that I wasn't being kicked out anytime soon as his grip on me tightened, and my 'little crush' pulled onto my heartstrings. As we laid there side by side, his chest connecting with my back in our comfortable positions, I felt my eye lids flutter sleepily. 

And as they did, the last thing I thought of was the kiss that seemed to seal our fate. 

It would be the first thing I would wake up to in the morning too. 

It lasted only a short time though. I had to leave early, and figure out what I would do for the rest of my time here. I thought about moving to another city, maybe find myself before I would come back to him, with all my limbs intact hopefully. 

"Wait for me. I'll be back real soon, like I never left in the first place. I just need to do a couple of things." It was tough leaving, but I knew that he understood somewhat. Since he was going to be busy, and I was going to be busy as well, we needed to learn to stay strong when one of us was not with the other. 

My face was leaning close to his, and I gave careful thought to whether I should return the kiss. 

The corners of my mouth quirked up, and I placed my index finger playfully on the tip of his nose. "Boop. Okay seriously. Bye now." I expressed with a twinkle of amusement in my eyes as they rolled. I think his goofiness was rubbing off on me. 

I moved out of his front porch finally, and those 'couple things' I had to do involved going back to Detroit. I feared for the mother instinct in me. I was going to pay respects to my fallen cousin, and I needed all the strength I could muster up.