A few days later….training alone at the gym, he thought about the nightmares haunting him, knowing very well that this was just the beginning of his mental training. Nathaniel finished a set of exercise and looked out the window, the city was radiant and the sun shone so ever bright but he was conflicted and in desperate need of help to master the Temhos.
I know I have learned a little about my new, apparently limited powers and this----Dark energy that feeds it but this is still not enough. The daily exhaustion from its usage are unbearable sometimes. It's like I have drank three bottles of whiskey plus a dash of gin on top of that. He put down the Dumble frustratingly. And I thought I had the power of a thousand men…it only takes four sets before I feel fully exhausted from training.
He wondered down the locker room ignoring every glance pointed his way. I know it has only been a few days but…it makes little sense to me that the use of the powers would come with such severe consequences----or is it the price they all paid 2,500 years ago too?
He opened his locker and changed his clothe. And there is no one to guide us…not yet. Have patience Nathaniel, you're like a 12 year old all the time----he mumbled to himself, imagining what one of his future tutors would say if he saw him in that state of mind.
He needed distraction and fast because it was too early to party and if he were to sleep until dusk to fast forward, the Temhos would simply gift him with countless nightmares to weaken his mind even further. With an energy drink in hand he walked out of the gym determined to stay outside and enjoy the weather with a friend or two.
He stopped and called David and instantly received a text message---Hey buddy, busy right now, call me back in a few hours? Nope I'm good, in a few hours I would have already found someone to distract myself with.
He called Peter next, "Hello there old friend? How are you doing?" Peter said warmly.
"Not much just strolling down this little village, looking for a source of entertainment, care to join?"
"I love your honesty," he laughed joyfully, Nathaniel always made him laugh, "I would have loved to join you but Anja and I are at Hallstatt for a couple of days! I will make sure to send you a poster card."
"Of course you are…what is this the 90s. No need for poster cards. Enjoy your trip old friend and ahh---say hi to Anja for me, will ya?"He hung up disappointingly and headed back home, all the while he brewed a plan to do something for the day.
Sitting on the dining table lost in his thought Nathaniel picked up his cellphone and called Sarah to fix another date. A few ring back tones later she finally answered her phone--pretending not to know who was calling "Ja Frau Mayer" she said coldly.
"My, I am hurt. You didn't save my number, did you?"
"Nathaniel? Is that you?"
"The one and only---can you talk?"
"Yes, but only for a few minutes, what's up?" she said very casually, not sounding excited or even remotely happy from his call.
"Freakingtastic! Not much, the weather broadcast seems great for the day, and I wanted to go out for a small photo-shoot in Schönbrunn gardens---would you care to join me? Say at 3ish"
"Oh—I am not very photogenic; besides I have a very tight schedule today."
"Come on, I am pretty sure you can empty a tiny block from your schedule---besides my specialty is landscape anyways. I can promise a well spent evening!" he persuaded lightly.
"Ok, let me check my schedule---da da da----yeah, I guess we could go if you could change the time from 3 to 5."
"One of the advantages of being a freelancer and lucky for you…I can work when I want and how I want---sure, 5 p.m. sounds good."
"Ok Nathaniel, I really have to go. My boss has been breathing down my neck the whole day. Talk to you later!"
"Talk to you soon, Sarah."
She hung up the phone and excitingly ran to a colleague to tell her about the phone call.
"Melanie! Guess who just asked me out on a second date?!?" she said gasping, almost out of air from the excitement.
"From the looks of it---I'd say Mr. King?"
"Yes, I think he really likes me---I tried to play hard to get and was afraid he would pull back but at the end he caved---we are going on a second date in a few hours…any advice?!" she said excitingly, fidgeting nervously hoping she would not ruin her chances.
"Girl first things first---you are a bit too excited about him and the date…you should treat it like just another evening. Nothing special just a date with some handsome guy---else you will feel pressured and say or do some dumb thing and ruin your chances with him. Remember modern day guys are more nervous than you are on a date so always keep this in mind and hold the power."
"Ok, ok, you're right. I am obsessing over this guy too early on---but God, he is so handsome and charming. What else? What else?"
Melanie cleared her throat, looked at her awkwardly for Sarah's excitement seemed a little too much to her and continued, "Dress nicely but don't try too hard. Where are you guys going again?"
"He said Schönbrunn gardens."
"Ok, in that case let your attire lean more towards casual than formal---you are trying to be elegant but not too much to come off as try too hard. Here, take my jacket instead of the green blazer you wore this morning, that will suit you better."
"I cannot thank you enough Melanie. Love you!!"
"Love you too girl---just please don't mess this up or let him take you for granted. If you ask me, there is something suspicious about this guy….but since he makes you happy I guess you should give him a shot---just don't attach yourself too much, can you promise that?"
"I will try my best—hopefully he will do a lot of dumb things to turn me off a bit so I can stop seeing him as this God-like deity but thank you so much for all the loving advice." Sarah said as she hugged her colleague tightly.
At Nathaniel's place, he grabbed and rubbed off the dust from his camera and trudged to his work station to take some online orders for some extra cash---A man has to do what a man got to do, I am barely making any money to ends meet."—he thought as he anxiously opened his laptop for work orders, pouring himself a glass of gin—his eyes were widened----"Boy the inbox is full…can't complain though. He smirked and began to work.
The orders were many and he only had time for a few before he was to head out. As Nathaniel continued to work deeply on some of the videos, his thoughts slowly drifted into deep thinking in the background. Now even with the Temhos at his disposal, he still felt a deep emptiness within…an endless pit of void that could probably never be filled with love, attention or even the Temhos itself.
Slowly a deep despair corrupted his mind---waves of sadness kept hitting him emotionally the same way before the transformation. Nathaniel finished up a few more orders---he could not take these feelings anymore; thus, he sent in his last video and began drinking longer shots before he noticed the clock which pointed to 2:15 and rushed to the bathroom to clean up and brush his teeth. Great…our second date and I am already going to give away my second deepest secret. He looked at himself fixing his hair on the mirror. Hi Sarah, I like you a lot and---I also happen to be an alcoholic who has been drinking a lot---pfff and I mean a lot before I came to this date! He brushed his teeth intensely and desperately searched the web for a way to get rid of the alcohol breath.
Maybe I should take a taxi!! He rubbed his chin slowly---Nahhhh, I'll be fine!---He said gazing upon his expensive watch and headed to the nearest subway station all the while he thought about the past not far gone.
The countless women he had seduced and made love to, the passion the carelessness the fun….but now, the tables seemed to have been slowly turning, as fate may have it, he was slowly developing feelings for this Austrian girl who happened to be just his type both look-wise and personality-wise and Nathaniel could not resist her.
At the end of the little trip to the 12th district of Vienna, he managed to talk himself out of the stress and nervousness and came out of the subway station fresh and confident. He looked himself at the reflection of a window---damn even I want a piece of that hm hm.
Reaching the main entrance to the palace, he quickly checked for his breath and began chewing a gum while checking for the time—14:55----See! I told you I would make it not only in time but five minutes earlier! He groomed a little before he noticed Sarah walking towards him, pretending to be on her phone, talking to someone.
The mere sight of her, her beauty and elegance made Nathaniel excited and put a smile on his face---for once in a long time he truly admired the woman he was seeing…however, after a few seconds of staring at her approaching, he snapped himself out and, with his trademark smirk, looked at her, she hang up the phone and stared back at him with a shyly smile.
"Hey! How are you? How long have you been waiting here. I truly hope not for too long!" she said nervously, shivering a little from the cold wind blowing from all sides.
"Oh, just a little bit, nothing a cup of tea at your expense can't fix!" He grabbed her face and kissed her on the lips gently, surprising her.
"So, let us get the formalities out of the way. How was your day so far?" he talked while seductively staring at her waiting for her to open up a bit about herself and for him to be a good listener. Women, in his experience, regardless of type or background, loved a good listener. Not to be confused with a yes boy—he thought carefully.
They slowly trudged in the palace's gardens and Sarah, who was having quite a stressful day, was relieved to have finally found a pair of ears that were willing to listen to her banters.
Nathaniel on the other hand, was taking mental notes on her every word and move. Trying his best to figure out her likes and dislikes and how opinionated she was. He could not stand a woman with strong, illogical opinions. The more she talked, the softer and more feminine she became as she felt the tension from her work slowly lifted from her mind as she stared at Nathaniel ever patiently listening to her and her superficial banters all the while he held her hand and caressed it when she felt overtly emotional.
After a while of banter, Sarah stopped. She did not want to share too much and be an open book to him. God I really like this man, please tell me his intentions are pure and maybe I will start going to Sunday mass again. I might even want something serious to happen between us…I don't know…..it might be the mystery bubble surrounding him. Maybe he is a psychopath…just like the last one. She feared but did not allow the sensation to overwhelm her.
Sarah held on to his hand as they reached the top of the hill---deep into the gardens of the palace. Nathaniel took several pictures of the landscape from atop the hill and they continued to stroll hand in hand in silence as if they had known each other for years. After a few more shots, he stopped, grabbed Sarah's hand and headed towards the café nearby.
"As promised, today we shall have tea! This place has the best tea in town—I dare say one to die for!" He said exaggeratingly as he opened the door for her.
Sarah rubbed his hands on his shoulders and arms from the cold wind outside thankful that she was in a warmer place and curiously gazed upon the environment, she had never been to this café somehow. Nathaniel carefully and swiftly chose a table and pulled out a chair for her thinking and knowing that it was his turn to be vulnerable---he could not be the mysterious type, at least not entirely, not after how she opened up to him.
At his recommendation she ordered the Chameleon tea. He took a deep breath looked around curiously and then found an excuse to talk about his week and his job. The two deeply connected on the daily struggles of the day-to-day life and the frustrating, irritating people they had to deal with either online or at the office.
Their order was placed on the table. Sarah took a quick glance at her phone while taking a sip from her tea. Nathaniel thought she looked really cute, a picture would not do justice to her beauty but he was willing to take what he could and so he took several pictures of her distracted with her phone, delightfully enjoying her tea and the comfort of the café. The pictured looked gorgeous he thought as he obsessively stared at them before he once again snapped himself out of it.
"Nathaniel, no! I told you I am not photogenic---I look terrible in every single picture they take of me!"
"Goodness gracious, you really have a low self-esteem, woman! I don't like to pay unnecessary compliments, but you look sensational in these pictures---and just between you and I, in real life too." He smirked with a wink and handed over the camera to her.
She glanced upon the pictures in amazement, for once Sarah looked stunning. She satisfyingly continued to drink her tea without saying another word. They stared at one another the whole time as they contemplated their date without exchanging a word for a few minutes---I just love the awkward silences!
"You paid for the coffee last time! Besides you told me I had to pay for it for being late remember?" she took out her credit card from her purse, persuading him not to pay.
"Jesus, I was obviously just messing with you…I would never allow my date to pay for anything. What kind of man do you think I am?" he smirked in a cockish tone.
"Times have changed, Nathaniel. It is not the 19th century anymore and as a woman I too can pay for our date!"
He grabbed her hand and walked out the door, "I truly appreciate the gesture---really made my heart melt; but as said before, the expenses are all on me!" She didn't say anything but smiled. She felt the chill of the wind again and constantly rubbed her hands on her arms to warm, Melanie's jacket was not thick enough to protect her tender shoulder and body from the relentless Fall winds. Nathaniel involuntarily took off his trench coat and put it on Sarah's shoulders---what in the hell is going on?! I did not just do that out of the kindness of my heart----he thought as he smiled at her, concerned about his feelings for her.
"Nathaniel it is ok, it is not that cold. I can handle it." She tried to push away the trench coat.
"Oh, you are a terrible liar my dear Sarah! Your trembling body says otherwise…do not worry; I am not judging you for being a woman or being weak or any of those shenanigans. I just want both of us to be comfortable and at ease when we are spending time together."
She stared at him up and down, he was only wearing a black shirt with nothing to cover his torso, "What about you? Aren't you cold?! What if you get sick? I could not forgive myself for wearing such light clothing and making you pay the price for it!"
God, I am about to barf from all the kindness I'm showering at her----"Oh, my reasons are selfish. Besides, I lived up in the North Pole for five years. working and building a whole lot of toys for little kids for that fat old Santa Clause. That by itself has made me cold-resilient to a point that I now feel like an ice giant from Nordic myth." Sarah laughed at his silly comments.
"No seriously, if you feel too much cold at any point just let me know and I'll give back your trench coat." She covered herself in his trench coat at long last relieved of the cold weather. My God he smells amazing. I could get use to all this.
"Can you stop worrying?! I am charging you for every minute you are wearing it…a side hustle of mine. I go out with girls and then trick them into wearing my jacket or blazer and then charge them at the end of the date. The profits are through the roof!" he said cockishly.
She laughed again touching Nathaniel gently as they strolled down the hill and back into the lower gardens. Sarah thought hesitantly to herself for a few seconds before she said, "You know, my friend is performing live at a bar near Schwedenplatz; I am going there in a bit---would you care to join me?" she finished saying shyly as she was unsure of her own decision of asking him out again.
He checked his phone for the time and pretended to also check his calendar and then calmly, while rubbing his chin and calculating, said "Yeah, I believe I could accompany you for a while---not longer than an hour though. I got some personal business to attend to." He smirked and grabbed her hand.
Sarah smiled widely but quickly hid her smile as to not seem too excited, "I have to quickly rush to my place, not to worry, it is on our way to the bar anyways so I can get some warmer clothes, is that ok?" she said nervously.
"As long as you don't take forever---I guess I could wait. This doesn't mean that I will stop charging you for the trench coat…oh that is still an ongoing thing. I need to make ends meet somehow."
She chuckled again as she gently touched Nathaniel's forearms while she grabbed his hand back and they headed towards the subway station.
A few minutes later and they had swiftly arrived at Schwedenplatz and hurried straight to Sarah's flat. She handed over his trench coat and was unsure what to do next. Noticing her anxiety, Nathaniel said in a deep tone of voice, "I'll be waiting---don't take long else I'll go back home----no kidding in the latter." he said with a forced smile really trying to set some strong boundaries. He was not accustomed to wait for women very often.
She simply nodded and anxiously went up to change. She returned promptly and guided the way to the live show. The two entered the dark corners of the bar, there was only a strong light projected at the little stage and Sarah had a hard time seeing what was in front of her thus; Nathaniel took the lead and with his new powers saw right through the darkness like a lion patrolling his territory in the dead of the night, found a well suited table and pulled a chair for Sarah.----My God, he has such a strong vision I could have never been able to find a table in this place!
After a few songs the band stopped for a short break. Sarah took the opportunity and grabbed Nathaniel's hand and introduced him to her friends and the singer who was also a friend. They all chatted for a bit and eventually went back to performing. After a few more songs, Nathaniel decided that it was time for him to leave and practice his new earned powers a bit more.
He seductively grabbed her face and pulled it close to his and whispered into her ear, "I would love to stay a bit longer, but I really have to go!" As he was about to kiss her on the cheek and leave, she held his hand tight and said, "Wait here for a few minutes, I'll quickly go to the lady's room so we can get out of here—I am also exhausted---ich bin fix und fertig!"
She swiftly came back and they said goodbye to her friends and left the bar. Nathaniel did not know what her plan was. He continued to stroll side by side her, the air felt different—it was as if there was love in it while they walked hand in hand through the streets of Vienna, Sarah shyly kept looking at him and then away with a cute giggle.
He looked back at her with a smile when suddenly the Temhos stroke, "Oh goodness-----she is so perfect!! Oh Nathaniel you have to make love to her!" the deity said in a seductive voice never heard before. He stopped for a moment. He was experiencing an excruciating headache from the voices---he quickly looked at himself on the front camera of his phone to see if his eyes were red----to his relief they were normal.
"Nathaniel, are you ok? What happened?"
"Oh nothing, just a typical case of migraine---fingers crossed, it will go away by itself."
"Are you sure? You look like you were suffering from quite a bit of pain back there. I tell you what, come up to my flat and I'll give you ein kopfschmerztablette."
The Temhos whispered again "Hahaha, perfect. Take the opportunity and make love to her in her own bed oh it will be glorious, I promise you that!" "Ahhhhhhh damn it." Screamed Nathaniel out loud in anguish.
"Goodness, come with me! We are just a few feet's away."
Nathaniel continued to struggle with the headache and his thoughts were dominated by the Temhos—all he could think of was to make love to Sarah---he tried to resist and go back home but with little luck failed, the pain was too strong for him to do anything about it. Thus; he held her hands and barely trudged to her apartment building while resisting the urges the best he could.
The thoughts ran on a loop in his mind---for the first time in a long time he was afraid of himself, "What if I can't control them and I actually do something. I might be the devil's son but I could not live with my conscious. He desperately talked to himself before an inner voice screamed at him-----CALM YOURSELF, YOU FOOL!! I shall take it from here-----the voice of reason in his head took over the situation. He seemed calmer but he pretended that the headaches were ongoing while Sarah help him up the stairs.
She opened the door to her flat---the smell, the plants, the simplicity of little decoration here and there---the beauty of a flat with a woman living in it just made him brighten up. Even though my flat is always clean and organized, it constantly misses the touch of a woman and God I craved it so much. He trudged in, too weak to hide his admiration.
"Here, lay down and take this pill---drink the whole glass." He calmly lay down on a sofa in her tiny living room while looking at her who was quite worried about him. The feeling of a woman caring for him calmed Nathaniel down even further---the whispers were gone and would not disturb him or this moment. He kept pretending for the headache to be getting worse as to receive more attention from her.
She lay down next to him and held his hands and caressed them. As Nathaniel put his guards down, the Temhos tried to invade his mind yet again and the headache came back… "ahhhh God."
"This is not good. If it keeps going on, I am taking you to a hospital!" she said strictly with a look of extreme concern in her eyes.
"Don't act like that….what are you, my mother? I'll be fine…..I appreciate the—ahhhh---the gesture but it is just a migraine headache passed down the family…I just need to rest for a short while and it'll be gone." He closed his eyes and tried to rest for a moment.
She got up and brought him another glass of water. Seeing no improvements, she pulled his hands and led him into her bedroom "Don't get any funny ideas mister. I am just taking you there to lay down for a bit and hopefully recover from this sudden headache." She said strictly again, narrowing her eyes and making some rules along the way.
He lay on the bed with her right beside him. She caressed his face gently and humming a song that sounded like a lullaby. He stared at her with a smile---"I feel so vulnerable and stupid, what are you doing to me, woman!" he said chuckling a bit.
"Don't talk and relax! The pill I gave you was quite potent. It will take effect soon." She whispered gently as she touched his face. Nathaniel got a bit up and grabbed her face and brought it closer to his for a kiss. "Nah ahh, no funny business mister, you promised!"
"Oh I did not promise anything. You are just putting words in my mouth woman!" he protested with a little laughter.
After a few minutes of lying in bed together, Sarah got up a bit and asked Nathaniel "How is your head? Are you feeling better?"
"I feel kind a dizzy…are you trying to drug me and take advantage of me, miss Sarah?"
"Nathaniel, can you be serious for a second? I am worried about you."
"Yes, to your relief the headache is almost gone."
As they talked the landline at Sarah's flat began ringing non-stop. Who could it be? She thought surprisingly. No one ever called her on her landline anymore.
Curious, she rushed and picked up the phone—Oma!---she screamed, it was her grandmother. They talked for almost half an hour as Nathaniel stayed in bed watching her talk trying to figure out through his own broken German, what was going on, bad news he guessed…the end was not pretty as her initial smile turned into anguish and despair.
He used his hearing abilities to figure out what were they talking about----Sarah's grandma delivered the shocking, sad news of her grandfather passing away a few hours ago at a local hospital---they were going to bury him soon and she was asking her to travel to their hometown and attend the funeral.
"Oh boy, she looks more devastated than I anticipated—didn't she mention that her grandparents were quite old though…boy oh boy, now I have to pretend that I care a little." He said annoyingly as he rolled his eyes.
Sarah hung up the phone and began weeping; trying her best to control the tears while she grabbed a paper towel and headed to the bathroom--she could no longer hold the tears and began crying loudly. Watching this, Nathaniel ran after her and put his hands on her shoulders from behind with a look of concern and asked her about the phone call, "It's nothing. I can handle it!" "Come on, that was not nothing, what happened? I am here for you!"
"My---my grandfather passed away a few hours ago—I just---I just need to be by myself for a while!" she said strugglingly trying to hold her tears while pointing the way out for him to leave.
Nathaniel, however, could not leave her like that all alone and in a deep pain of losing a loved one. "Sadly, my dear Sarah, I cannot do that for I know the pain of losing a loved one all too well to let another fellow human being go through it all alone in the darkness of her apartment. You can cry and let out all the sadness---I won't judge you, I promise you that. You have taken care of me this evening and now it is my turn to be your solid rock if you may, no cockiness, no joking around inappropriately just a peace-loving friend trying to help."
She reluctantly agreed to his suggestion while being emotionally overwhelmed by constant childhood memories that began haunting her mercilessly, "Don't be shy Sarah, just let it all out! I got my shoulders for you! Do not think of me as your date but as a therapist who is helping you through this sad times with no judgment, no funny business just strictly professional setting." He said in a tender voice caressing and comforting her.
Her cries quickly turned into anguish as Sarah listened to his advice and slowly let go of all the constraints. He panicked at first from his own suggestion but the voice of reason within him screamed, "BE STRONG AND STOP BEING A COWARD…BE A MAN AND STAY TRUE TO YOUR WORDS!!"
With that message heard, he got his mental state together, held her tied, comforting her while kissing her bare shoulders as they both laid on the bathroom floor for several minutes. He slowly stroked her beautiful blonde her that smelled of expensive women's shampoo and conditioners, tenderly kissing her neck all the while he kept slowly shushing her as her cries of anguish turned into weeps and like a little girl, she turned around and hugged Nathaniel tightly, putting her head on his shoulders.
"Sarah, let me take you to your bed. Let us cuddle for a little; a loving touch of another human being can always ease the pain." Said Nathaniel in a deep voice as he picked her up from the bathroom floor and into his arms and got up.
"Oh God, I am such a terrible person to say this but….I actually tend to get really hungry when I am sad…maybe we should order something real quick." She said covering her eyes out of shame.
"None-sense, it is totally normal for some people to get very hungry and grieve with food. No need to hide those pretty, gorgeous eyes of your from me, Sarah." She blushed, smiled and looked away shyly, he strolled to the kitchen and said, "The good news is that we won't be ordering any processed, disgusting fast-food from a pizzeria which probably cost them only 3-4 Euros to make and destroy our organs in the process. I mean, I know we are young and all but it is never too early to take care of one's body and health. Let me see your kitchen supply shelf and your fridge---I am fairly certain I can cook a delicious meal for the both of us." He put her on the floor and got to work.
"Please Nathaniel, I am very hungry, can we quickly order food from the local sushi place instead? Cooking always takes too long and I am really hungry." She said with a sad face as she looked at him with Bamby eyes holding her hands on her belly.
"Ohhh, I promise you I can cook an amazing dish and get your hunger satisfied in mere minutes. In the meantime, I shall make you an appetizer to keep you busy while I cook the main dish. I'll make you a quick famous Italian one…recipe of la mia mama Italiana!"
Sarah looked at him doubtfully, wishing she could change his mind while she continued to give him the Bamby eyes but to no use. He took out a pack of toast breads from a shelf and with a pan and a bit of olive oil, roasted the toasts and delicately cut some cherry tomatoes and grated some cheese on top of it.
With a final touch, a bit of spices on the top, Nathaniel served it to Sarah, "Ecco qui! Here you go; secret family recipe---Italian Crostini! I know it is not much but hey, at least I made it with love!" he said with a wink and his typical smirk.
She began to dig in and watched with amazement how quickly and delicately he cooked with so much care and passion. She could feel the energy from his looks, his air, and body language, Nathaniel genuinely cared about her and was concern over her current state of mind. Sarah felt flattered and at long last at ease as she took the first bite off the appetizer, a bit relieved from the constant fear of him being a player and having sinister intentions.
I'm for once so happy that he is part of my life, that for once I have a man that takes care of me and my need without being overtly nice or needy. She continued to watch him gather all the ingredients on counter.
"My, my; look at this---we have all the ingredients for our favorite dish, pasta al-pomodoro. To be fair the ingredients are very basic…I would have been shocked and disappointed if you didn't have them in your kitchen, Sarah." He delicately sliced cloves of garlic but stopped, thought for a few seconds and then gave an eye to her, she was simply staring at him, "Come here you! What am I your personal chef?! Help me out in here!" shouted Nathaniel expectingly, pulling her to his arms. They diced gloves of garlic and cherry tomatoes together. He held her from behind; their hands intertwined moving so ever delicately and in sync.
She felt even more relaxed, as if she could finally let go of everything and stay in the moment. She smiled so joyfully, her eyes meeting Nathaniel's shyly every now and then, "Eyes on the garlic cloves! Else you gonna add one of our fingers as a new ingredient to this fabulous dish!" He said with a smile back, kissing her on the cheek.
The pasta boiled and the rest of the ingredients were added to the pan, "And now on to my family's secret spices; thank goodness I carry them with me all the time!" He said sarcastically as he poured a pinch of salt and black pepper to the pan and finished up with some olive oil.
Sarah just stared at him, he was cooking so effortlessly and with ease, it captivated her how Nathaniel managed to distract her from her sorrows so easily, "Don't you just stand there hopelessly staring at me! You had your appetizer, now grade the cheese, will you?" he said in a dominating tone while he slowly poured pasta into two plates.
They sat down and Nathaniel poured some grated parmesan cheese on his plate, "Should I put some on your plate too, me lady?" he said as he looked at Sarah with a smile, expecting her to comply, "Yes, but not too much. I'm a bit of lactose intolerant. Lukas brought the cheese last time we had a gathering."
"Well, since we are eating. I will ask for no more details about your intolerance. Bon appetite!"
While eating, she sneaked peaked at him more than a few times but Nathaniel did not care for he didn't like to talk while eating, it was a meditation session for him.
After dinner was over, she quickly got up to clean but he swiftly stopped her, "Oh, I am an expert when it comes to cleaning plates…my mother really wanted a girl." He said awkwardly with a forced smile.
"Actually I feel really heavy, not to sound like an ungrateful, spoiled girl but you made too much pasta. I am going to head to the bedroom---care to join? No funny ideas though." She teased in a strict tone, confusing him a little with her mixed signals.
"Hmmm, what kind of man do you think I am, Miss Sarah? I am not that thirsty for a woman's love." He put his hands on his waist, asserting dominance, and gazed upon her with a smirk, "But I take your invitation as a friendly one; thus, I shall oblige."
He took his time to clean the dishes and the rest of the kitchen as to not come off as too eager. Nathaniel trudged into Sarah's bedroom, casually checking the messages on his phone---"Nothing, no news from my brother or the cursed covenant, not sure if I should be relived or jump up and down and helplessly panic." He mumbled to himself nervously.
"Playing hard to get Mr. King? Do you always play reversed roles?" she said in a low voice teasingly smiling at him.
"On the contrary Miss Sarah; I always am available for that one girl I really like. I'm just waiting for a message. Crossing fingers for some hectic event to have taken place in my absence but atlas and to my dismay, everything seems in order and quiet…too quiet if you ask me!" He said changing focus between her face and his phone screen, concerned about the fact that for once things were going smoothly in his life. "That's just too good to be true…something wicked is brewing beneath the surface. I am sure of it!" he whispered sounding almost paranoid while fully controlling his facial expression and forcing a smile.
Nathaniel was addicted to drama and pain---peace in life was not a possibility, not in his life. In spite of that, he took the opportunity to turn off his usual over-thinking mindset and for once let go of negative thoughts and truly believe that everything was in order---Just lie beside this beautiful woman and finally enjoy the evening without the inclusion of passionate sex, overthinking and obsessing over something or alcohol!
He casually put his phone on the end table, lay beside her and held her hands. Sarah in return put her head on his shoulders the tears were slowly falling off her eyes again as she stared at him with needy energy for more love and attention.
"Shhh, baby! It is alright, you can cry as much as you want and remember, I am not your date but your therapist and this is a very plutonic cuddling. Just the touch of another human being not for pleasure but to soothe the pain of grief and loss can have amazing effect in the whole process." She listened to his words like a hypnotic instruction. Sarah cried heavier as she hid her face in his shoulders, he began to stroke her beautiful blond hair and kissed her cheek, encouraging her to keep going, "Let it all out Sarah! It is totally normal and only human to cry deeply for the loss of a loved one."
She continued to cry for a few more minutes before her cries turned into weeps of despair. "I have so many memories with my grandfather, I am not sure if I will ever get over them---it is just too damn hard. He was so kind----these past few months he kept begging me to visit him, but I was always too busy with my new job…I feel so much guilt now---oh God why didn't I visit him?!"
"It's ok Sarah. A bit of shame and guilt is fine but don't let those negative emotions consume you, we're all only humans and imperfect. No one told us when and where will we lose our loved ones."
As he was finishing the sentence---he sensed a very needy energy from her. She just wanted to be vulnerable, and Nathaniel was so caring and loving that she could not hold herself any longer. In an instant she got up, looked him in the eyes full of tears and began kissing him passionately.
Nathaniel kissed her back, caressing her hair, trying to figure out what was happening----Jeez, this is a fine pickle I got myself into…I thought I was giving her the nice-guy vibes…why is she kissing me?---they continued to kiss intensely while Nathaniel grabbed her hips to asses dominance.
She moved her hand inside her shirt and caressed his chest. Nathaniel kept the pace as he began caressing her belly and in the middle of the kissing session, he pulled up her shirt and went down to her belly and kissed it several times---she moaned and pulled his hair gently, "Oh God---easy there tiger…go a bit slower this is—is more intense than I anticipated."
Nathaniel ignored her pleads and continued---Ohh, she is a sensitive one, isn't she?---he licked every square inch of her belly and hips making her shiver in pure pleasure. After a short while, she could not handle it anymore hence she put her hands on his face, brought him up to kiss on the lips again while kissing and licking his neck, too.
He slowly moved his hands on to her breasts to see her reaction. She did not react and kept kissing his neck…ding ding ding ding…we have a winner—Seeing her acceptance, he held full grip over her breasts and began groping them from inside her bra gently—this made Sarah stop and start moaning again.
He thought---what better than to kiss her neck and ears to increase these puny bits of pleasure!---he moved his lips across her neck, licking and kissing it while still groping one breast. "Baby" she said stopping him "it is not a rumble fight, could you please be gentle and slow down a little? I really want us to take our time and really discover each other's bodies like a puzzled erotic map!" she whispered smiling and caressing Nathaniel's cheeks gently, "After all, you are not planning to make this a one-night stand, are you?"
He rolled his eyes and stared deep in her eyes, intimidating her, "I hardly if ever take orders or even advices from anyone, least of all from the woman I am about to make love to, but----unfortunately for me and fortunately for you---I do intent to see you more often than I anticipated." He said in a deep voice, his bedroom eyes fixed on her ocean blue eyes, as he continued to kiss and tickle her, making her laugh at loud.
They continued to kiss passionately for a while until Nathaniel felt her eagerness to move to the next stage and that's when he began to unbutton her shirt and take it off. She helped him take of his shirt too.
He stared at her torso making her self-conscious, "What's? Am I too chubby for your taste?" she said in an insecure tone covering her upper body, "On the contrary Miss Sarah, your torso is just a view to die for!" He said in a deep voice with a smile as he kissed her on the lips and slowly moved down her neck and between her breasts.
She was aroused but could not help but to test him one last time. She grabbed his face and looked him into the eyes making sure that the look in Nathaniel's eyes was one of compassion and romance and not one of pure lust. She continued to stare for a few awkward seconds but Nathaniel didn't do anything. He just stared back at her with a genuine smile, that was when Sarah let go of his face; allowing him to continue what he was intending to do.
He moved back to her breasts, grabbing and kissing them from the top as he so ever gently groped and caressed them while slowly reaching her back to unhook her bra. He pretended to struggle for a few seconds not to come off as a professional---finally with a little help from Sarah, he managed to unhook them. She had a gut feeling that Nathaniel exaggerated that part. She could sense from his fake facial expression that he was doing so to make her feel more comfortable about his long, infamous history with women.
Sarah kept staring at him while Nathaniel played and groped her breast---admiring them like a young teenage boy presented to his first pair of female breasts. So ever curious and fascinated by them, "You haven't seen a lot of action lately, have you tiger?"
"Ah lady, if a man has to even remotely mention the women he is seducing then he is not seducing anywhere near as close as he boasts. My reputation speaks for itself! You kind of offend me with your rude comments—jumping right into conclusion for I have not lacked action but have not seen breasts so ever beautiful as yours….is there anything about you that is not hot?" he said in a deep voice biting his lips gently while changing focus between them and her lips. "Not sure which one should I worship more, your soft, delicious lips or your perfect breasts!" he said obsessively, kissing her and playing with her breasts.
"You flatter me Mr. King I----she was interrupted by him who rubbed a hand on one of her breasts and gently sucked and licked the other making her moan in sheer pleasure, "Please be gentle—they are very sensitive!" she said in a high pitch voice, covering her eyes from the intense pleasure.
"You are lucky I like you else no one ever tells me what to do without facing my wrath." He growled kissing her lips again; swiftly going back to playing and sucking her breasts. Sarah continued to watch Nathaniel as she caressed his face and stroked his hair all the while she enjoyed herself deeply.
As the minutes went by, she expected Nathaniel to get tired but he was just getting started, sucking and groping them even harder by each passing second. It aroused her even more; she moaned loudly holding on to the sheets on her bed.
She begged him to stop for she could no longer handle the pleasure to which he did not obliged immediately but rather slowed down and proceeded to move towards her pants, pulling them down slowly and kissing her belly gently.
He pulled down her pants and began kissing her private parts through her pink panties that were already wet. She crossed her legs in embarrassment but Nathaniel kissed her thighs and slowly opened her legs and continued to kiss her private part.
It went on for quite a while for he intended to tease her and she was too shy to protest or resist. All she did was to cover her eyes, she was clearly aroused and could not wait for what he was to do next.
When Nathaniel finally saw the look of impatience in her eyes, that's when he slowly began pulling down her panties with his teeth, his eyes fixed deeply at her's.
He looked at her sex in amazement "Not to objectify you or anything but you really don't have an ugly body part now do you? I mean I rarely pay so many compliments to a woman during love-making but me lady, you have peaked out!"
"Stop it you!!!" she said still covering her eyes while turning really red both from sexual arousal and shyness. He got the signal and began by softly kissing, slowly licking her sex all the while he wetted his finger and gently sticked it inside of her.
Sarah began moaning lightly again but as the licking got faster and as he continued to play around with his finger. She tossed and turned while begging Nathaniel not to stop until she finally reached orgasm inside his mouth.
"Oh Nathaniel, I am so sorry!! I---I was so concentrated on the climax that I forgot to warn you….." she looked around for a towel, "Here let me fetch a towel for you." She said nervously, "All that hard work for the climax and that's how you thank me? It's alright! Don't panic. Not to alarm you about being a freak or anything but---your climax is my reward for all my hard work." He said as he got close to her face with a smirk and stroked her hair, "Yes, and I thank you for that but if you think I am going to kiss you with that wet face you are hardly mistaken Mr. I am not that freaky."
"Oh thank God for that! I was not expecting anything of that nature. I was simply expressing my happiness and stopping you from panicking. Now, go bring some towels…our business is not remotely close to compilation!" Nathaniel said in a deep voice the smirk still on his face. He stared at her walk away in her beautiful birthday suit, "God, why does she has to be perfect in every shape and way?!? I mean, what are the odds…I really don't want to fall in love again…not after that last episode." He mumbled to himself; the thought of the past not long gone haunting him.
She came back from another room, several towels in hand and lay them down on the bed while she shyly covered her breasts and sex, "Oh a little shy, aren't we? I have already seen the full package, gorgeous! And let me tell you, you are absolutely stunning! Now, come here!" Nathaniel said seductively in a deep voice, pulling her towards him and laying her beside himself in bed. He caressed her body while he passionately kissed her lips and neck.
He licked her neck while wetting his fingers and pushing them inside her, making her wet again, "Ohhhh" she moaned, pulling his hair and biting her lips. Watching her melt in his hands, Nathaniel continued to kiss her neck and ears to make her even more wet.
As the minutes went by, she grew impatient and pulled him from her neck to her face and stared into his eyes and whispered, "I think I am ready now!" he stayed silent, took the dominant frame and while still staring lovingly into her eyes, sticked his erection inside her, stroking gently, holding eye contact and kissing her lips in the process.
His eyes turned red for a slight second, Sarah noticed it but did not freak out or react. She simply thought it to be an illusion of her body from the ultimate heat and pleasure. Nathaniel continued to make love to her, burying his face in Sarah's neck as she locked her feet behind his back and held his hair. They enjoyed the process of lovemaking intensely while beads of sweat went down their chests. The two lovers glowed from the sweat covering their body.
Moments passed, the pleasure was intense and heaven like for the two. Sarah scratch his back from time to time as she reached several orgasm until he looked deep into her eyes and right then and there she knew it was time as she held his face and whispered in his ears, "Come inside me!!" he too reached orgasm and fully collapsed into her arms like a lifeless body. She kissed his face and stroked his hair while holding him into her arms in a motherly way…just the way he liked it.
"So, do you always carry protection around? Wherever you go?"
"Oh sweetheart, can you at least give me a minute to recover before you start with your endless questions?" he nagged, his face buried in her neck.
"Ok, ok I'm sorry. Didn't know you would turn into a grumpy little boy after sex."
He lifted his head, his dark eyes meeting hers, "A. I made love to you woman; don't you ever mispronounce that ever again!" He growled looking at her eyes asserting his dominance, "B. yes I believe I have earned the privilege of resting in the arms of the woman who I just made love to even if it means for just a few minutes and feel like a grumpy little twat, haven't I?"
"Apologies your majesty, is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?" Said Sarah in a fake British accent, "Nay, just kiss me face and stroke me hair while obsessively looking at me would suffice for now, me lady!" he said in a British accent playing along her little joke.
They cuddled for a bit while Sarah's traumatic feelings for her grandfather resurfaced. She began weeping in his arms as he held her tight and close to him. With tears still filled in her eyes, she was about to cry again, "Shush baby, it is alright, he is in a better place!" he whispered in her ears, his eyes turned red again, but Sarah did not see it happen. Her eyes became heavier and heavier and she finally fell asleep so ever peacefully in his arms.
As she fell in a deep state of sleep, Nathaniel looked around her room----I could really use some booze for all the drama I have been through today, first I fake to care about a girl I met just a few days ago and now----now it seems I am falling for her from head to toe. That's never a good sign but---he looked at her peacefully sleeping---but God damn it she is beautiful, kind and just the type of woman I am missing in my life…after all that prick Alonso did mention that we would need a woman in our lives to tame the beast within; to keep it under control!
He slowly laid Sarah's head on a pillow and got off her bed, put on his underwear and went to search the flat for a bit---maybe I should just go back home….but then again, that is exactly what I do with the one-night stand girls and Sarah just lost her grandfather…God I hate caring for people so freaking much…time to become detective gadget and look for something strong to relax. He thought and went inside the kitchen.
He looked around the cabins for a while, "lo and behold!" he found a bottle of gin which was almost full and seemed to have been there for months---oh that will do just fine he said as he quietly looked for some ice inside the freezer.
Sitting down the dining table and pouring some gin down a glass he drank and contemplated the things that went through just on that evening alone. So many events took place all at once and deep down he knew it was just the beginning of the massive change that was about to come, "The calm before the storm." He mumbled taking another sip.
Nathaniel drank the whole bottle and quickly rushed down to the garbage can and got rid of it and came back to her flat with his new powers as to not disturb anyone in the building---thank God these old Viennese buildings don't have security cameras else I had to spend hours each morning mesmerizing people to forget what they saw on the footage---he thought as he washed the glass and went back to Sarah's bedroom to sleep.
She was undisturbed and deep asleep like an angel. Nathaniel looked at her with a smile for a while, he had not looked at any girl like that in a long time. His eyes felt heavy from the alcohol and the weariness of using his powers hence he quietly joined her side in bed and fell asleep right in her arms.