Kapuhai Reef

Sparring Room

Ally - 18-4-2011 at 08:06 AM



Bow to your opponent. Engage.

Zori - 6-6-2013 at 03:52 PM

"Again." And Zori waited, his arm muscles tensed, reading himself for the strike he should've received against the target pad glove on his right hand. Although...Zori couldn't help but begin to believe that the word "again" was just a suggestion. He smirked and lowered the pad, his humored gaze on the thin as a rail, seventeen year old boy standing in front of him.

"'Alika?" Zori began, watching the boy shift nervously on his bare feet. "When I say 'strike', you gotta strike. Get me? Stop holding back..." He managed a firm, but encouraging smile, watching the boy nod his head slowly before he got back into a unenthusiastic striking stance. Honestly, Zori didn't blame the kid. Alika had been coming to his gym for the past couple of months and nothing about what Zori had been teaching him was getting easier. But this is what Alika wanted. He wanted to learn to kick box and Zori had agreed, trading out personal lessons for a little maintenance around the gym. The gym wasn't normally on a "barter" system, but when it came to the local kids who's parents didn't have the income to support trivial things like "kick boxing lessons", Zori didn't hesitate to help out. And when it really came down to it, Zori couldn't lie. He saw the same hunger in Alika that he saw in himself when he was younger and looking for anyway onto the MMA scene. Sure, Zori'd already had martial arts classes by the time he was seventeen and he wasn't nearly as skinny...but that wasn't the point. The point was the kid had a dream and nothing should get in the way of a dream. Definitely not money...

"Give me something I can work with. STRIKE." Zori said again, his gloved hand going out to the side, ready for Alika's kick. As usual, Alika's expression went from uncertainty, fear and then, like he got some crazy degree of clarity, his stance steadied and he let got of a side kick that had him nearly parallel with the ground, his heel hitting the tip of Zori's glove. A loud "thwack!" filled the air around them. The kid...was a natural.

"THAT'S what I'm talking about!" Zori pulled his glove off, shaking the sting of the kick out of his palm. He couldn't help but smile. That kind of shit made him love what he did. A kid like Alika beating the odds was worth being his gym's unofficial "repairman", owning just above "par" equipment and the gym's books never quite balancing out. If Zori could've peeked into his future and watched this moment, he would've lived a little better in his past. A little happier. A little less regretful. Nothing would've been as heavy as it seemed. He was happy and life was good...

"Alright..." Zori said putting the target glove back on his hand. "I need you in the center of the glove. Again!"

Fumie - 6-6-2013 at 05:11 PM

KnuckleUp. It was a clever name for an MMA gym and it was very fitting now that she stood inside. The place had so much character! It was the perfect place for the training collaboration she wanted to do with Kidd’s Kids and she was so excited about finding it. A few months of clinics and workshops for something other than basketball was just what the kids already in the program needed, not to mention the neighborhood attention they could attract. This was going to be good all around. All she had to do was convince the owner of the place that a short collaboration was a good way to drum up business and an excellent way to get sizeable donations that he’d probably never dreamed of...That is if she ever got to speak to him. So far Fumie had only been able to talk to his assistant as he seemed to be the most hard working man in Kapuhai Reef. Even her meeting today was supposed to be with the assistant as he was again busy with some class or something. That was good too though. Maybe she’d be able to see exactly what it was she was signing up for before she committed. It was the reason she’d come to the gym herself.

Her heels clicked softly against the cement floors as she made her way down a narrow set of stair which seemed to lead to a bigger room. She could see a few sparring dummies and some retired punching bags lining the back wall and she could hear the voices of a couple of guys working on something. Great! This was exactly why she’d come. She kept straight, stopping where the floor became mat and the wall broke for the hallway just as a very small kid finished a kick that was much bigger than he was. This place was perfect.

“Wow,” it slipped out. She hadn’t meant to interrupt, it just happened. The kid’s sparring partner turned around and Fumie was more than surprised to see a familiar face. “Zori?” Pleasantly surprised.

Zori - 7-6-2013 at 07:32 PM

Fumie. The hell was she doing here? And how the hell was Zori able to easily recall the name of a woman he'd met for ten minutes in passing at the post office...more than a week ago? Sure, they'd talked...flirted a little in the least obvious way and then, that was it, conversation done when her son's school called and requested her presence elsewhere. And that was it. Nothing more. Still, Zori easily recognized those exotic, cat eyes and the honey brown color of her hair against her bronzed, mocha skin. Ten minute conversation and he'd already memorized characteristics. Not good. And in the split second between seeing her enter his gym and hearing her call his name, those thoughts ran through his mind and his response? The most obviously pleased smile he was sure his lips could muster.

"Fumie? Hey..." His deep tenor called her name and greeted her warmly as she walked towards where he and Alika stood, Zori catching the kid's expression out of the corner of his eye. And no surprise, it was much like the one he wore. Wow. The figure fitting number she had on today was a lot more...it was different from the relaxed shorts she'd had on at the post office. And don't get him wrong, Zori wasn't complaining. At all. She just looked...different. Refined. Professional. Professional. Oh shit. The representative! The one from the charity organization he was supposed to be meeting up with that day. Damn. He'd completely forgotten. In between balancing his private sessions and managing the gym, dropping in on the meeting he'd made his assistant manager, Emma, handle had slipped his mind. He would never stop being grateful for her. And if there were small blessings, he was getting one at the moment as the representative was apparently Fumie.

"I'm guessing you're the rep that Emma scheduled a meeting with, yeah?" He took of his target glove, throwing them to the mat as he walked forward, his hand reaching out and clasping her much smaller one. "Small world..."

Small world didn't even begin to explain how...surprised he was that Fumie was standing in front of him again. He could admit that the abrupt end to their conversation had him a little disappointed, but Fumie had business to handle. Business that was much more important than a conversation with a random stranger. But this was a plus. A chance to carry on the conversation that they hadn't been able to finish.

"Sorry for the impromptu meeting. The gym keeps me on my toes." He apologized graciously, nodding towards the stack of towels in the corner of the room, hoping that Alika would get the point.

Fumie - 10-6-2013 at 02:27 PM

He remembered her. She couldn’t help the smile that seemed a permanent fixture on her face as he greeted her. By name. A ten minute conversation in a crowded post office more than a week ago and he still knew details...Shemar did his absolute best to make her feel like there was nothing remotely remarkable about her so it was nice to know she was memorable to someone. Zori especially, if she was being honest with herself. He was just as yummy as ever. Freshly twisted dreads, that smooth mahogany complexion, and those steel grey eyes. Good God...He spoke again pulling her out of her thoughts and asking if she was “the rep” Emma scheduled. How would he know what...No...This was not his gym. The assistant had been very professional in all their correspondence so the only name she had for the owner was Mr. Blount and she’d never thought to ask for a first name. She figured she’d get it when she met him at this meeting...Turns out they’d already met.

“And of course you’re the Mr. Blount who I can never get on the phone,” she laughed a bit, before finishing her thought at the same time he finished his. “Small world...” Her smile grew. Small world wasn’t even the phrase. Who ever would have thought that the handsome stranger, “Mr. Helpful”, from the post office, would have been a potential business partner less than a week later...Maybe after they were finished with the business they needed to handle they could get back to the conversation that’d been interrupted. Maybe over dinner...She could hope, but even as she had the thought her brain simultaneously went to work trying to figure out how she would explain dinner with another man to her husband...something he probably never even thought twice about. Why should he. He just told her the truth...I empower you, baby... Ugh. Fuckboy. But she wasn’t here to think about him and the true level of “ain’t shit” he was. She was here to talk to Zori about Kidd’s Kids partnering with his gym. And they would.

He apologized, something completely unnecessary as he nodded toward the towels for his sparring partner. Oops. “Oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything,” she took a small step back, realizing that she’d done exactly what she claimed she hadn’t meant to. “I’m a few minutes early and I was just taking a look around...I do love this place. It’s perfect for what we want to do with our kids.”

Zori - 12-6-2013 at 04:26 PM

No, she was the one who didn't need to apologize. Interrupting was the last thing that Fumie was doing when she'd walked into the room and unintentionally made her presence known. Before, she'd been a welcomed surprise. And now that Zori matched the person with the profession, she was a welcomed appointment. Point was...she was welcome. And unexpected. It was kind of...surreal, he had to admit. The beautiful stranger that he had chatted up in the post office turning out to be the contact from the nonprofit that had been attempting contact with him for the past couple of days. He'd made a meeting when he'd heard the organization's name, not even knowing that he'd already made contact. He'd meant what he'd said. It was an incredibly small world. Not just professionally, but personally as well. When Fumie left with the same "bigger than life" box she'd walked in the post office with, Zori was sure he wouldn't see her again, chalking their meeting up to a one time thing and pretty much leaving the interaction where it had started. But, as fate happened to do so much in his life, here Fumie was, standing in front of him. That same welcoming, bright mile on her face that she'd worn when he'd first run into her. And when fate presented "second chances", Zori paid close attention to them.

"You weren't interrupting...at all." Catching the towel that Alika had thrown to him as he guzzled down a well deserved bottle of water, Zori toweled the back of his damp neck as he'd worked up a bit of a sweat training with his student. He couldn't help but emphasize the point of Fumie's non-intrusion by beckoning her forward as he toweled himself off and Alike followed suit, his curious eyes questioning Fumie's presence. Zori pat his shoulder as walked closer, both listening to Fumie as she spoke, complimenting the gym. Oh, she'd fallen in love with it? Not strange at all considering that outside of Papa, his two year old pit and his Momma, he honestly couldn't think of one thing he loved more. He'd put sweat, a little blood and yeah, even some tears into the place so it was easy to understand why he felt his chest swell when Fumie expressed her admiration of the place.

"Good. I'm glad you're feeling the place..." He said simply, his heavy arm going around Alika's neck. "...it definitely meets the needs of the community's kids, right Alika?" He josseled the kid playfully, a slight smirk crossing his face before he ruffled Alika's wet hair.

"Hopefully it can do the same for yours." Without hesitation, he handed Alika his own towel and turned to him. "Head upstairs. Pull ups. Three reps. Don't cheat me..." He told him quickly before Alika made his way upstairs without a word of defiance. He knew better.

"So..." Zori began, his eyes settling back on Fumie, Emma standing beside her. "Let's get down to business. So, you're from Kidd's Kids. Gotta tell you that I respect the work y'all do. Being an inner city kid and all..."

Fumie - 12-6-2013 at 06:03 PM

Why couldn’t she stop smiling at him?! Even as he told her she wasn’t interrupting, her lips didn’t relax and her eyes wouldn’t leave his. God, everything in her wanted to put on her professional face and make shit happen as per usual, but her stupid, girlish grin would not fade. He’d had this effect on her last time too. She knew what it was and it didn’t confuse her. It was the way he looked at her. Even after putting two and two together and knowing her reason for being here he still watched her as if there was...potential there. Like he wanted to know her. Like she mattered...But things weren’t about her right now. It was about the gym. It was about the charity. And it was about a partnership between the two. Fumie was more than committed to what she came here to do now that she knew it might mean spending more time with Zori. Of course, it was all about the kids and doing good in the community, but if she could also spend a little more time with a man who thought she mattered...well that would be a nice change of pace.

Zori’s demeanor with his students would also be an asset to the vision she had for this collaboration. She watched him as he interacted with the boy, Alika, whose eyes hadn’t stopped questioning Fumie’s presence since her arrival. He was gentle, yet firm, giving him an assignment before sending him back upstairs into the main gym. Zori was perfect. In more ways than one. Fumie watched Alika leave as another woman entered. She spoke syaing that she was just coming to get Zori for their appointment. “You must be Emma then,” Fumie replied, her hand outstretched for Emma to shake. She took it, as she stopped beside her and Zori began.

“We just do what we can. And the reason I’m here is to show you how much more we could be doing if you wanted to participate in a three month kind of “mini-camp” for some of our kids with an interest in mixed martial arts.” She was trying her damnedest to stop that smile and although it faded a little she felt kind of like a cheerleader as she attempted to sell her vision. Her eyes finally slipped from Zori, hoping that Emma would ease her back into business mode. “All we’re really asking for is a little of your time, no more than 3 days a week, to teach a few classes. In exchange, you’ll get local and national publicity from the media coverage, probably a boost in membership, not to mention a third of all donation proceeds we get during the collaboration.”

It was a good deal. She specialized in good deals. Of course, it would mean a little more work for him on what seemed like an already full plate, but she could help with that too. She was prepared to quell any uneasiness he felt about this deal because it was what she wanted.And when it came to things that had to do with the organization, she got what she wanted. She treated the kids in the program like her own and she’d most certainly do anything for her own children.

Zori - 12-6-2013 at 07:36 PM

The incentives of partnering with Kidd's Kids were, Zori had to admit, nice. The business owner in him couldn't help when his interests peaked at the mention of "boost in membership" and "a third of all donation proceeds". But that wasn't what sold him. Money had honestly never been. Keeping his gym alive, well tended and populated was definitely a concern, but the reason FOR the gym was more important. Always had been from the second he'd opened it. KnuckleUp wasn't just a business venture and Zori's livelihood. It was a tie to the community. It was a way to impact the area around him, not just fill the space surrounding him. When he was younger, it was about him. Him making enough money to get out of the 9th ward. Him getting his foot in the door when it came to the MMA scene. Him being happy, finding love and finally finding himself. But age and experience brought much change. Consciousness changed as there was something about being aware of everything outside of himself. That was what made the gym important. Being able to touch lives using the things he knew. And that's what made being involved with Kidd's Kids important. It wasn't the money or the notoriety. It was the ability to make a change.

Zori nodded quietly as Fumie spoke, finishing her spill about the part he would play in the partnership with the organization. While she spoke, Emma handed Zori papers to sign for equipment repairs, membership agreements and the likes. As usual, she barely peeped when Fumie introduced herself and excited as soon as the forms she held in hand were completed. She was definitely a quiet one, but at least she was thorough.

"I like what I'm hearing, I really do...I guess I was asking more about the kids that we'd be working with here at the gym. I hear Oahu has some rough spots and...I guess I was hoping that those were the kids that this partnership would service." Zori hated to be so forward, but when you wanted questions answered you couldn't be afraid to ask the right ones. He also, in those few words, wanted her to know that the money was one of the last things he was there for. Not that he didn't NEED it, he just wasn't focused on it. Although some of his employees would've felt differently...

"You seem to really have a connection with Kidd's Kids. How long have you worked with the organization...you know, if you don't mind me asking?" Okay, so that was a question that had nothing to do with his gym and the charity, but just to keep it "really real"? He couldn't help it. He wanted to know about Fumie. He wanted to dig into the things that he hadn't been able to ask her in the post office. Why did she choose to work with a charity? What brought her to KR? How old was her son? That last one was a BIG question that probably would come later. The fact was, he wanted...he just wanted to talk...with a beautiful woman. Nothing was wrong with that...

Fumie - 13-6-2013 at 05:28 PM

Perks were what Fumie trafficked in. Ever since founding Kidd’s Kids in the middle of Shemar’s career (sometime after girlfriend number three that she knew about), she had never hesitated to do everything she could for anyone the organization touched. Partners sure, but the kids especially. Most of the kids they serviced were kids that had gotten a really bad shake in life and just needed a little attention from someone positive. She’d never been that kid, but she knew kids like that coming up and a lot of them never got to finish “coming up”. To start, the organization was an attempt to get Shemar’s attention but things changed when she realized she was actually doing something for these kids that no one else was willing to. She was paying attention. She was making a change. And she was trying to get Zori on her team to do the same thing. When things came down to the core, it was about the kids. Seemed to be the same for Zori.

He wanted to know more about the kids. Fumie couldn’t help it, her smile brightening yet again as he easily pushed the money she was throwing at him to the side for what was important to him. “Well I see Mr. Helpful is also Mr. Good-Guy-,” she looked away, sure that the look she was giving him was completely inappropriate for business. Her eyes scanned the ground as she regained her composure to start again...she would finish her statement though, “I like that.” Looking back into his eyes, she started again. With business.

“We’ve got kids coming from a little bit of everywhere for this one. I want to run it like a summer camp so we’re flying kids in from Detroit, DC, Chicago, and yes, even a few from rough parts of Oahu, two boys from Makaha and a little girl from Waianae.” Yes, she already knew very well the kids that were coming and if he was interested in names and backstories she could easily give them as they stood here, but she was sure that wouldn’t be necessary. She could see it on his face, how satisfied he was. She could also hear it in his voice as he asked her about her connection with Kidd’s Kids. Right...

Fumie again found herself feeling awkward. She could easily tell him the truth; how she started Kidd’s Kids “with” her husband and she’d loved it from the start...or she could tell a half truth, “I’ve been with it from the start. I guess I kinda feed off the passion these kids have to do something...more with themselves. They all want it...I just like feeling like I help them get there.” Her smile was back, as she watched him, watching her.

He was doing it again. That look that said she was wanted.

Zori - 19-6-2013 at 07:48 AM

From "Mr. Helpful" to "Mr. Good Guy", huh? That wasn't something Zori hadn't heard before. Mostly because it was who he was...now. He couldn't always say that the personality he carried and the heart he had for the community was who he'd always been. It was only time, understanding and a hellova lot of growing up that changed him, changed who he was and who he wanted to be. And he knew that he could profit that to organizations like the one Fumie was asking him to become a part of. An organization like hers paid for his martial arts training; kept him out of the streets. Kept him above the ground instead of six feet under it. He knew the importance of knowing that there were people who actually gave a damn, no strings attached. Zori was given a chance to see the man he could be, the man he was now, because of people like Fumie. There wasn't a doubt in his mind about joining up with her and playing a small part in paying it forward.

I like that. A soft smirk shadowed across his lips as he heard the end of her statement. He could tell. He could tell that her reaction was completely true when it came to his desire to help out. He saw the respect she wore in the look she gave him...and something else. Something that probably shouldn't have been included in a "professional" meeting between a future partnership. Really though? Zori was sure some of his expressions weren't too "professional" either. Especially, the one he'd given her when she walked through the door wearing a dress that could stop cars in their...

STOP. Focus... And there it was again. The inner dialogue that had tried so desperately all his life to keep him out of trouble and focused. The voice that TRIED to keep balance between good and bad in his life as he had a penchant for choosing "bad" and tipping the scales. But...nothing about Fumie seemed...bad. Zori could already tell she was a woman about her business as she seemed to be one, if not the top spokesperson for the organization. She was intelligent, well spoken and more than easy on the eyes. She had a son. So what? If his fate had been different, he probably would've had a couple of kids, too. There wasn't a warning sign in sight. That being said, why was his conscience speaking up? Because you is trying to protect YOU. And that was the obvious answer. Zori could admit, he'd been through it. Bad decisions didn't exclude the women in his life...and to think that his mind didn't remember and that his heart didn't feel the pain from the past was foolish. Because it did...HE remembered. It was the reason why Hawaii was home now. To get away from all the things that he couldn't help but remember. But just like he'd started over...fresh, made a new name for himself here, couldn't he do that with love as well?

Tuning back into what Fumie was saying, she answered his question with the fervor he'd expected. She'd been with the foundation from the start and she liked helping kids reach their dreams. Zori liked that. He liked that selfless need to make a difference. In a world so heavy with pleasure and self fulfillment, that was refreshing. She...was refreshing.

"And I like that." He said, repeating her words as a wide smile crept over his face. He looked away from her gaze, his eyes focusing on his wraps as he felt the strong need to take them off...just so he wouldn't have to see the blush in her cheeks. And maybe...she wouldn't see his.

"Really though, I would love to be a part of what you and Kidd's Kids are doing. Count me in..."

Fumie - 22-6-2013 at 08:40 AM

Count me in...That was fantastic! Fumie felt her smile grow as the words left Zori’s mouth and put a verbal seal on the deal they were making. He was in and things would proceed as planned, instead of her resorting to ‘Plan B’, which was an slightly less cool summer of surf rather than MMA training. She was more than excited as this was what the kids had asked for and this was what she would now say she could definitely deliver. The kids would be happy, Zori would get some of the things he needed for his gym, and Fumie...Fumie would get to see more of him...She had already come to the conclusion that she liked him the day she met him in that post office and she had no problem admitting that to herself. Where her dilemma started was when she asked herself what liking him meant.

She was married. As much as she hated it, as much as she wished on a daily basis that she had never married Shemar, she couldn’t ignore the fact that she was indeed his wife...It wasn’t fair. Something he could and, more often than not, did ignore was the only thing she could think about when it came to making a decision about someone she wanted. She knew not a person in the world would judge her for starting something with Zori, but she...couldn’t. It wasn’t fair...and not to Shemar or to Fumie but to Zori. He was a good guy and lying to him and starting a relationship she could never fully be in wasn’t fair to him...She wasn’t as selfish as her husband. Fumie didn’t have it in her to do that to people. Of course, that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to torture herself in the name of business.

“That’s awesome, Zori, thank you-,” She put her hand out for a shake on the deal just as he finished unwrapping his wrists. “I do have a few things I have to get you to sign, but we can set something else up for a little later.” She was making excuses to see him again. She was and she wasn’t even being slick about it. This was wrong... “In fact, why don’t you,” Fumie paused reaching into her bag, retrieving a small white envelope, “come to our kick-off fundraiser. It has a long fancy ‘10th Annual’ type name but it’s basically us asking rich people for money.” She smiled, handing him the invitation, “It just dinner and a reception, but the music will be good and the food’s not 10 grand a plate for no reason.” Fumie laughed a little at her minimal description of an event that had been anything but minimal to her over the past few months. “There’s even a plus one for Emma, or your...girlfriend, or whoever.”

God, she was so wrong!

Zori - 22-6-2013 at 12:03 PM

As he removed his last wrap, he threw them to the mat and returned Fumie's handshake, making the partnership between them solid. Of course there was paperwork and the likes to fill out, but as far as Zori was concerned, it was a done deal and over...and so was them talking business? Not like Zori knew anything other than small chat to give Fumie, but it was nice. Chatting with her, that is. He couldn't ignore how well the vibed in the post office and right now. It was...something that Zori hadn't had in a couple of "moments". It'd been awhile. There was no wondering why he didn't want the conversation to stop. But it looked like it was, Fumie offering her gratitude for Zori's agreeing to work with the foundation. And even though he knew it was probably VERY stupid of him to even try, especially with someone he probably would be working along side in the future, he wanted to...keep doing this. The chatting, the subtle flirting. He kind of just wanted to keep hearing her laugh. It was...contagious. A real laugh. Not one of those "courtesy" laughs that women tended to give during conversations. He liked how genuine it was. And that was why an exit was too soon for her.

"No, thank you for considering me...and the gym." Considering him? Hell, she hadn't even known who he was when she walked into the gym. He really hadn't meant for that to sound as crazy as it did. Thankfully she spoke after him, talking about the forms he'd have to eventually fill out and...a kick-off fundraiser? Zori listened to her give him a little information about the event as she reached in her purse and pulled out a white envelope. Uh...he wasn't being rude when the thought crossed his mind that he was about to be in over his head as anything "black tie" was definitely over his head. He knew the basics on manners and etiquette and that was about it. Rubbing elbows with people that could afford a ten grand dinner plate? Not even close to what he was use to. But instead of backing out, he reached for the envelope, a nod of his head in gratitude as he pulled out the invitation and read, reaching the "plus one" the moment Fumie mentioned it.

"Oh...uh..." He said, another smile breaking as he tried to figure out a way to let her know that outside of his Momma, there really wasn't any significant "she" in his life. There hadn't been for awhile...

"No girlfriend..." He said simply, biting his lip through a smile. "And no 'whoever' either." He chuckled a little turning the envelope over in his hands.

"Maybe you'd like to be my plus one? That is, if you're not going with anyone either..."

Fumie - 22-6-2013 at 03:11 PM

Had she seriously just said that? Really?! She had just asked about this man’s girlfriend as if that were any of her business! Why couldn’t she have simply given him the invite and called it all quits? Business was done and her time here should have been too...but, she lingered. She lingered because she liked being around him. She enjoyed his company. She wanted more of it. Was it a crime for her to simply talk to the man? To make a new friend? She knew it was. Because it wasn’t his friendship she wanted; she wanted more. It wasn’t the first time she’d thought about it since things had gone so wrong with Shemar. She’d wanted plenty men before Zori, but there was something about him...something that kept telling her to throw caution to the wind and finally make herself happy. But then there was another voice...the voice that kept telling her how unfair that would be...

But she had asked, and before she could clean it up and apologize for being so forward he was answering, a shy smile on his lips as he paused before telling her...No girlfriend... She couldn’t help the smile that turned into a small giggle that blended with a chuckle of his after he explained that there was no ‘whoever’ either. She liked that. More so than him being Mr. Good Guy. He was Mr. Available Good Guy and Fumie couldn’t help but think how that was more unfair to her than anything ever had been...Nope. She spoke too soon.

For the first time that afternoon her smile faltered. Maybe you'd like to be my plus one? That is, if you're not going with anyone either... She wanted nothing more in life than to tell him absolutely. Yes. That there was no one else and she would love to be his plus one. But that voice...that damn voice in her head, her do the right thing voice. It was screaming at her about how unfair she was being right now. It was telling her she was wrong...

“Oh Zori...-,” she sighed, looking away as the smile fell completely, actually becoming a subconscious pout at not getting her way. “I can’t. I mean, there is nothing I would want more than to be your plus one to this thing, but...I haven’t been completely honest with you and it wouldn’t be fair to you...” She wasn’t making any sense. She wasn’t saying what needed to be said. “I’m, uh...,” she didn’t finish, sighing deeply as she held up the back of her hand and let the ring speak for itself.

She was a complete asshole.

Zori - 22-6-2013 at 04:56 PM

Stupid. He was...damn. He was stupid...and clumsy and...she was married?! Zori couldn't stop looking at the ring on the hand that Fumie had held up to him. Left hand...fourth finger down...huge ass rock. And huge ass humiliation. He was embarrassed. There was no regulation of heart beat that could've kept the blood from rushing to his face and the heat from making his skin prickle uncomfortably. He was usually more...careful. Especially about things like this. He always checked the ring finger. Or at least he always had as it had safely been four years since he'd been interested in ANY woman. And checking that left hand had been second nature until now. Now, he was clumsy...and green as hell. All that staying away from anything that looked like it could've been exotic or attractive and he'd lost the one thing that he at least had a little bit of. Common sense. And now he knew why he should've kept his mouth closed. Now he knew why even though Fumie was intelligent, driven and beautiful, she was hands off. Because she was married.

"Damn..." He said, noticing the inviting smile that she'd carried their entire informal meeting had left her face. Great. He'd asked out a married woman that just so happened to be one of the representatives of a foundation that he'd just partnered with...and he'd also offended that same representative. The luck. No seriously, this was the "luck" that Zori had been talking about. And when he said luck, he definitely was making reference to the lack of.

"I-let me apologize..." He really didn't have to ask to apologize, did he? He could've just gone ahead a done it...and he would've if he could've found the words he was looking for. But it seemed like every word of the English language...and Creole too had just excited his brain...right along with his dignity.

"...that was unprofessional...as hell." He scoffed, realizing that he'd just cursed. "And so was that..." His chuckle was definitely inappropriate but he couldn't hold it back. Wasn't it just like right that he'd ignored dating for four years and when he finally asked someone out, she turned out to be somebody's wife. Wait...wife. Didn't she say that she'd worked for Kidd's Kids since the very beginning? And any one that researched the organization knew that it was owned by none other than Shemar Kidd and operated by...his wife, right? And with a rock that big, that many responsibilities...and clothes that expensive...

"Wait. Fumie...Kidd. Right?"

Fumie - 22-6-2013 at 06:00 PM

Oh God she was a complete and total asshole! She watched Zori’s cheeks flush as hers did the same and they enjoyed the most awkward silence.Floored didn’t begin to cover it and as Fumie opened her mouth to apologize, Zori started first, a ‘damn’ leaving him before anything else did. She knew. God, she was so fucking sorry about all this. She was so sorry but her mouth would not make any words. It was open, and all she could think of was the apology he was owed for leading him on like she had, but nothing came. She was stuck...She had never had to tell a man she was married before! Usually she was able to control herself. Keep things professional when necessary, light, when not in that setting, but with him...God, she was a complete and total asshole!

He suggested an apology on his behalf and Fumie thought she might explode! Before she knew what she was saying the words, “Oh, God please, don’t,” were leaving her mouth in the most pleading tone possible. It was unnecessary. This was all her fault and she owed him the apology. She’d been leading him from day one. Granted, neither of them knew day one would bring them here, together again, but she should have stopped with the flirting and the subtlety as soon as she found out there were doing business together. She was wrong. So fucking wrong.

Yes, unprofessional was the exact word! But it wasn’t him. She shook her head, unable to hold the eye contact they had been holding since her arrival. “No. Zori really, please stop. This is not your fault at all, it’s mine. I just...” she didn’t need to go into why she’d done it. Why she’d flirted and toyed with his emotions. How her marriage to Shemar was complete shit and Zori had been the first man in a long time to look at her like she was...something. He didn’t need her sob story. He probably didn’t want to hear it now...and things only kept getting worse...

Wait. Fumie...Kidd... God. She hated the fucking sound of it now. Having herself associated with the world’s biggest fucking asshole and knowing that his assholish tendencies had rubbed off on her...Ugh! Going back to her maiden name and pretending Shemar never happened would be heaven...But this was earth...and it was feeling more and more like hell by the second. “Yeah. Kidd.” She sighed, her lip catching between her teeth as she tried to think of something to salvage this. “Zori, I’m really sorry...You’re such a great guy I just...I couldn’t...-,” what? Resist? Help herself? Stop things before they got to this point and they both felt like complete assholes?

God she was so fucking stupid!

Zori - 24-6-2013 at 05:02 AM

Her fault? How was any of this ALL her fault. If Zori had to sum up everything, from the post office until now? He'd have to say they shared responsibility. He never asked and Fumie never told. He never looked for the ring that couldn't be unseen now and she didn't make it obvious or show it. So no, he wasn't about to stand there and place blame all on her for something that was...still innocent. They'd flirted a little, but it was harmless. When it came down to it, she'd denied him...which she was utterly justified in doing and they hadn't gone any further than that. Married Yeah, he couldn't deny it...he sure knew how to pick them. Whether they were emotionally or physically unavailable, Zori couldn't help but hone in on them and...yeah. With a sigh, he shook his head, a smirk keeping him from disagreeing with Fumie's self-blame. There was no way she was letting go of the blame she felt and he understood it. She was faithful...there was a little chemistry. She felt bad about it. Zori would've probably felt the same way if he was wifed up.

"No blame, okay?" He said, interrupting her words as they faltered. There wasn't going to be a back and forth about who did what because Zori...Zori wasn't going to let it turn into that. Especially when their partnership still hung in the balance. Especially when he finally figured out who he was talking to. Fumie Hamada-Kidd. The wife of one of the NBA greats and the chair of his non-profit. The fucking luck...

"Wow..." He muttered, nervously rubbing the back of his neck as he broke eye contact, her words confirming what he assumed. What he should've assumed from the moment she walked into the room. Hell, what he should've KNOWN when he saw her drive off in that Range Rover the day she left the post office. And...and she was apologizing again.

"No. You don't do that." He said, giving her the best, reassuring smile he could muster. It probably looked a lot like a grimace, but he meant it. She didn't have to feel guilty about something they DIDN'T do. She was a good wife. He could tell. And Shemar Kidd? He was lucky as hell to have her.

"Hey. We're good. No more apologizing for something that didn't happen." And with that, he squashed it. "Besides, you just made a partner for your organization...and I've...gotta find a tux, right?" He commented, chuckling to break the awkwardness.

Fumie - 24-6-2013 at 05:36 PM

No, no. She was in the wrong here. Zori was a great man, but he was a man nonetheless. Men weren’t about details, they weren’t about...ugh! Why hadn’t she said anything sooner! Why hadn’t she made it more obvious; Shemar sure as hell bought her a big enough ring. She...she had been selfish. She hadn’t said anything about Shemar because she wanted what she wanted. And what she wanted was for him to not exist. With each passing day Shemar became more and more of a burden than a blessing and there were times, like when she was with Zori, that she just wished he’d never happened to her. That he didn’t fucking exist, period...but he did. He was her husband of more years than he should have been and the father of her children. She may not have respected him for much else, but those things...they were things she’d promised to honor. Even if it meant more uncomfortable moments like these...

Wow... Yeah...wow. She shouldn’t have let this happen. Again, Fumie found herself trying to make things okay with an apology. He stopped her as her words failed yet again. She wanted so badly to explain herself. To tell him she wasn’t the horrible person that she felt like, she was just...complicated. Her entire life was complicated and she hadn’t meant to almost drag him into that. But according to him, they were good. They were apologizing for something that hadn’t happened...

“Right...-,” she spoke slowly, unsure of what should come next. “I guess...this has been awkward enough for the day-,” she fidgeted, pushing the hair out of her face, “I guess I’ll see you at the, uh...the thing.” She gestured to the invite, not even able to collect her thoughts to call the event what it was. She was done talking. She was just...really sorry.

And really ready to leave.

Fumie - 21-1-2015 at 03:02 PM

Fumie laughed as she collapsed onto her stomach. Push ups had never been her thing. She had no upper body strength. All of her power was in her legs. Squats, lunges, she could do those all day. Anything that required her arms to hold her body weight? Nope. Granted, Zori was working her. She was getting better. When they started this he might have been able to get 5 half assed push ups out of her before she collapsed; they were at least 20 ahead of that now and Zo would always tell her her form was getting better...It was funny, she thought she would have a hard time with this. Spending time alone with Zori for these “privates”, but she rarely found her mind in the gutter when they were working out. Every now and then, when his hand touched the skin of her waist to even out her hips in a stance maybe she felt a little something. But Zori was a good instructor. He kept her focused...and allowed her to be a little silly sometimes.

She rolled over onto her back, watching him finish his reps...and keep going. Fumie rolled her eyes playfully as he silently teased her. He always said she didn’t push hard enough and whenever she gave up he went above and beyond to show her it was possible. She rolled again, coming to stand this time as she moved beside him and sat on his back. He paused, laughing with her. “What now showoff?”

He didn’t respond with words, but dipped down to start again. Fumie gave a surprised yelp as she tried her damnedest to keep herself from falling off his back.

He was so rude!

Zori - 21-1-2015 at 04:06 PM

"Come on, mama..." Zori huffed as he lowered himself to the floor effortlessly, his body no where near stopping or slowing down. "I know you got a couple more in you." He smirked at his comment, feeling her eyes roll at him even though he didn't see her do it. What she'd given him was what she had, but he had to admit...it was better than what they'd started with. Their face day was hell...for her. Meditation, cardio for warm up and kickboxing. By the end of the session, she'd probably felt muscles she hadn't felt in awhile. But Zori told her when they'd had that conversation in his office weeks ago. He was gonna work her...and he wasn't going to be easy on her because she happened to be his business partner. He'd been a man of his word...in more ways than one. Things had been strictly platonic between them. They'd stuck to the business of him distracting her mind from the heaviness of her life and strengthening and disciplining her body...and she'd stuck to the business of letting him. Sure, things got...interesting from time to time. Like when they sparred, his hands reaching out to fix her form before he thought about what "appropriate distance" looked like. And Their bodies making contact in the midst of joking when things got friendly. But he kept the "main thing" the main thing, though, his mind keeping both their bodies in check.

The reps that they were supposed to finish together ended, but Zori kept going...for good measure, of course. Or maybe he did it just to mess with her which seemed more like right. And it seemed like she thought so too, leaving the floor and coming to stand next to...no, make that "sit on" him. A laugh escaped him as he paused, grinning at her before he lowered himself to the floor again, nearly knocking her off his back from the way he felt her kilter on him.

"You ready to break or you wanna keep being jealous? 'Cause I can do this all day..." He asked, his baritone voice full of the laughs that she always pulled from him. Moving to stand, Fumie stood with him, both walking towards the metal bench that had served as their break spot for the past few weeks. He picked up her water from the bench and softly tossed it to her.

"Minute break and then we're going into sparring." He reported as he picked up his towel from the bench, although she already knew, their habitual session finally sinking in.

Fumie - 23-1-2015 at 08:14 AM

Fumie laughed, trying her hardest not to make a fool of herself and fly off of Zori’s back. Something that obviously wasn’t phasing him as he hadn’t slowed down. In fact, he could “do this all day”. Whatever! Hr laugh turned to a giggle as he finally shopped and gave her the chance to stand. She would take the break. Their warm up was always a bit of a workout in itself. “Whatever, Mr. Universe-,” Fumie giggled as she caught her water, taking a seat. “I don’t have to be jealous. If we keep going like we are I’ll be on your level next week.” She drank, listening to him laugh at her little over exaggeration...She didn’t have fun like this with anyone else.

She was drifting again. Fumie could always feel when she was doing it; veering into “I really shouldn’t” territory with her thoughts about Zori. ut she couldn’t help it sometimes! He really was the only person she really laughed with these days. Sure, she had Eri sometimes. Her baby always had a way of making her smile; something she was trying to cherish before she became a moody and emotional teenager (hopefully a little less so than her brother). But that was different than what she felt with Zori. She didn’t have to think about pleasing him, she just did and their effortlessness was...a relief. She loved being around him because it was time when she didn’t have to work at pleasing anyone. They clicked. It was easy.

She smiled at him as he sat next to her and the overwhelming need to know more flooded her again. More of what? Who cared. She just wanted to listen to him tell her about him, about who he was, what made him tick, why he was so freaking easy to be around. What was it...and why wasn’t anyone else enjoying it?

“Zo, where is your girlfriend?” A blunt question and completely out of nowhere, but she was curious. Why wasn’t he with anyone? “You’re…-” Fumie allowed herself to give him a semi-platonic once over, her hand moving and an elevator motion to match her eyes. “You. I know I can’t be the only one who…finds you attractive.” What? It was true. And at least she hadn’t said what she was thinking initially.

Zori - 23-1-2015 at 04:03 PM

Sitting on the bench, Zori wiped the "barely there" layer of sweat on his face and neck away and threw his towel to one side as he took the time to look at Fumie on his other side...and catch her smile. He'd only caught a few of them, knowing she had a couple of good ones in her arsenal...but this one was his favorite. Her eyes, which were already beautiful as hell, lit up and she looked-she genuinely looked...happy. That was the only word he could use to describe her. An amazing, happy woman. Not that he should've been entertaining thoughts about her, but he liked her that way. Like every second of what she was doing was adding to that joy and even though she'd barely gotten through a couple of reps of push ups, she'd enjoyed every minute of it. Every session didn't start that way. Some days her smile was so transparent that Zori could see right through it. They meditated longer on those days. But today was a good day, he could tell. It was in her laugh, the way she joked around with him...it was all over her. She shined with it. Zori's smirk turned into a wide smile, a flash of the tiny gap people rarely got a chance to see coming and leaving before he was sure she even got a glimpse of it.

Reel it back in, nigga. Hesitantly he looked away from her face as he heard the only thing that kept his dumb ass in check...himself. Yeah, she was beautiful. That was evident. She was also somebody's wife...and the mother of somebody's child. And none of those things had Zori's name on it. So, he would keep his fucking gap and his eyes to himself. It hadn't been hard...okay it'd been a little difficult. The deal they'd made had gone well. He'd given her his time and she'd given him her attention, getting lost in the workout when they were busy with their session. And the one thing that hadn't surfaced? Her attraction to him...and his to her. Yeah. Zori could admit it. There was still...she was still fine. A fine woman and before the workouts, she'd already had the body to match. She was smart, had goals, made moves...and...he was still not the one in her life who could benefit from anything he'd just named. And that shit? He kept it under wraps, keeping it professional and friendly. Could he say that? That they were beginning to be friends? Yeah. He could. It was kind of on the surface, but it was a friendship. They shared laughs. They talked freely...well, within reason. And this...was what Zori had wanted. For her to see that it wasn't about him. It was about having somewhere where she could get her mind off...

Zo, where is your girlfriend? Shit. Zori lifted his head and looked straight at Fumie, damn near grateful that he hadn't opened his water and started drinking off of it yet. 'Cause he would've choked and embarrassed the shit out of himself. The hell had Fumie just asked him? Chuckling for lack of a reply, he grabbed his water bottle lying beside his towel and cracked it open, taking a huge swig as she continued to talk. About how he...wow. Was attractive?

"You're in violation..." He laughed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You know that right?" He was joking, but she kind of...was. Their agreement? To keep the flirting, the hands...shit, everything that would've made their workouts more than friendship. Sure, the occasional hand slipped during a session (completely by accident, he swore) or a look lingered too long, but saying he was...attractive? He sighed as she waited for the answer he was definitely going to have to give. Was he taking it too seriously?

"Uh..." He hesitated, clearing his throat carefully. "...I don't really have one."

"It's just me...and Papa. Been that way for awhile. Why you wanna know? You prying?" He laughed again, propping himself on his knees as he checked his watch and realized he was getting ready to live the longest minute of his life.

Fumie - 23-1-2015 at 04:57 PM

Oops. Had she overstepped? Ha. As if she didn’t know. The look on Zori’s face told her how unprepared he was for that question and if she had to describe the look after he heard she found him attractive? Fumie allowed herself to giggle a little. She was about to ask him what was wrong, but he spoke first. She was in violation. Ahh, yes. The terms of their platonic agreement. But she wasn’t being too forward. Friends talked about their love lives with one another! They were at least that weren’t they? Friends? Sure, she would say so. They spent enough time together. Outside of the business they had in common they talked about other things. Just never this...today was a new day and this was just a friendly chat.

“Violation of what?” Fumie shrugged, her face feigning innocence as her tone came to match it. “I’m just asking.” And she was. Only asking. Sure, maybe a small, sinister part of her was curious for reasons that were less than virtuous, but mostly she just wanted to know more about him...and how he spent his free time...and with who. She really just couldn’t understand a guy like him being single. He was kind and smart and funny and she never felt like leaving when her time with him was up and...she was getting carried away. But the point was, Zori was a good guy...there had to be somebody.

So she waited as he debated whether or not he was going to answer her question. She bit her lip nervously as he finally spoke, his words unsure. He didn’t “really” have one. Well that could mean a lot of things. What was that really about? Fumie couldn’t imagine Zori being one to sleep with a girl on the regular and not call her his girlfriend. Or maybe that “really” was “not at all”. Either way…

“I knew that already. What I’m asking is why…” she took a sip from her water bottle again, “No one fits your type or…?” her questions lingered again. She didn’t know what she was fishing for, she was just...asking. Fumie would keep telling herself this was all in good fun. A conversation to prolong a break so she could catch her breath a little more...but what was she doing really? She wasn’t sure and it seemed Zori couldn’t figure it out either. He steered away from her question. Just him and Papa, the dog he’d mentioned a few times before. Fumie nodded her understanding as his time for questions came. Why you wanna know?

She smiled a little harder, feeling her face go hot like a high school kid with a crush. “I’m just trying to get to know you...Seeing what makes Mr. Universe tick.” She put her water bottle down by her feet, her eyes still on his. “I’ll be fair. Ask me something if you want.”

Zori - 23-1-2015 at 06:31 PM

What made him tick? Certainly not a relationship as he would've been boring or dead years ago. So, Zori had given the safer answer to the "relationship" question. It was just he and his dog. He didn't have the time. He'd been on the island for years and no one had caught his eye. He was a celibate monk that had sworn off all contact with women and now he'd live his life in exile as a recluse. The more he thought about it, all of that seemed pretty damn true. The truth was...he hadn't had the time. He'd met interesting women, but none had been enough to break him out of the repetitiveness that his business had set his life into. He fell into work. He fell into...being by himself. And the truth sounded...sad. Especially when the only woman that he'd even thought about giving his time was sitting next to him as married as she'd been the moment he'd met her. What fucking luck, right? It'd been like that all his life. His luck, he meant. Good things when he least expected it and irony when he got too use to the good things. But he appreciated it all. Fumie may have been the perfect woman that would never be his, but at least she was good company, made him laugh and gave him friendship that he didn't know he was missing. One thing about catching the other side of luck, it taught him how to make...how did his Momma say it? Flowers outta shit...

"You're trying to get to know me." He repeated, his smile growing again their eyes connected. He couldn't help how it lingered, her eyes holding his gaze as well.

"There's nothing wrong with that, I guess." He could admit that. They were just...talking. Getting to know each other a little. Building the friendship that they'd started. Sure, surface was safe, but maybe finding out little things about her that didn't involve her off limits beauty and his attraction to it wasn't a bad thing. He could keep away from those topics if she could. And getting to know each other obviously involved asking questions. He had to ask her questions? That wasn't hard...right? Of course not. Zori could do that.

"Right..." He hesitated again, scratching the back of his head as he drew a blank. And he was about to ask her what? What was her favorite color? What was her childhood like? How long had she been married to a husband that Zori was pretty sure might have been putting his hands on her? Definitely not the last one. That would most certainly get the taste slapped right the hell out of his mouth.

"Uh...so...your kid." Good start. "How old is your son? And it's just him, right?"

Fumie - 23-1-2015 at 07:24 PM

Fumie waited for Zori’s question with bated breath. She wondered what it would be. She knew it wouldn't be anything like what she’d just asked him. Zori knew her husband and she was pretty positive he was a subject he wanted to stay away from. As did she. There was no pleasure to be found in discussing Shemar Kidd. Hell, there was no pleasure to be found in knowing Shemar Kidd. The fact that she’d fucked up and married him was her burden to bear alone. Well, hers and her kids’, which would never be fair to them. She tried to take the brunt of her husband’s selfishness, but a lot of the time there was collateral damage. With Koi more often than Eri, but it happened with both of them more than she would like. Interaction with your father were supposed to be loving...Eri hid from her father and if Koi and Shemar spoke and it didn’t end in a fight there was a hurricane coming...why was she thinking about Shemar right now?

Fumie shook her head clear just as Zori spoke. ...Your kid. How did he…oh right. When she left the post office. She left because of Koi and she’d mentioned that to him. He remembered...Again Fumie found her smile growing. She let her teeth catch her bottom lip to fight it off before she started speaking.

“Well...I have two kids. My son, Koi, is 17 and my daughter, Eri, is 9.” Fumie nodded a bit thinking about rounding that out. Obviously he’d want more than their ages.

“They’re good kids. Eri is probably smarter than I am and her brother…is a handful-,” Fumie laughed at the thought. Koi Kidd was so much more than a handful. But he was her handful. He was her baby and, “...but he’s so sweet when he wants to be.” She laughed again thinking of why Koi wasn’t as much of a mess as usual lately. “He’s got his first girlfriend, but he doesn’t want us to call her that while he sorts out his feelings...she keeps him in line.” She liked this. Talking about her kids and their lives and...not their father. She liked this a lot.

Zori - 24-1-2015 at 08:47 AM

Two kids. Wow. The first one, her son? He wasn't a surprise about him as Zori remembered hearing about him in the post office the day he'd met Fumie. Which had also been the reason why she had to leave so abruptly. But, there was another one? A daughter and a son. Zori couldn't erase the surprise that hit his face when she named them and told him their ages. Not because he had a problem with Fumie having children. Never that. There was something...powerful about the fact that women produced life. Motherhood was strength in his eye. Watching his own mother as he'd grown into the man he was today could attest to that fact. He didn't know why, but he just... had a hard time seeing Fumie with children that age. Maybe it was because she'd looked younger than he'd pinned her for. Either way, two kids...on top of running a non-profit and being a wife and she did that shit in heels and nearly always had a smile on her face? Damn. She was the kind of woman that a lot of women wished they could be...on a bad day. And Zori knew it almost as much as he knew his own middle name that she wasn't appreciated nearly enough for it. She was a super woman left to wash, press and fold her own damn cape.

"Two kids...I wouldn't have guessed it." He smiled, shaking his head. "And they sound as wonderful as their mother." Shit. Really? That had slipped out. Sure, her kids did sound wonderful, but did he to compare them to her? What about Shemar? He had a part in making them, Zori was sure. So, why couldn't he have included the man in the equation that he definitely completed. Because you're jealous of him. And that was the thought that he didn't need, nor did he welcome. That he was jealous of someone else's gift. It was Shemar's gift that he had a hardworking wife and two children to carry on his story, his legacy. Not Zori's. One day, Zori would have his own and despite the uneasiness of his stomach at the though, that future legacy wouldn't include Fumie.

"You and your husband are very blessed..." He mentioned, smiling again quickly before he took another swig from his water bottle.

"To be able to look at a part of yourself through your own eyes is a blessing. I hope to be as lucky one day..."

Fumie - 24-1-2015 at 09:36 AM

He wouldn’t have guessed it? Why, she wondered. Surely she looked like she’d had at least two kids. Hell, according to Shemar, her body had become a wasteland after Eri, despite everything she did to keep it as tight as humanly possible. Zori didn’t see her that way though. Of course he didn’t. He wasn’t her husband. He wasn’t holding some unsupported grudge against her about asking to be treated like a wife and an equal...asking for a little respect. Nope. That was Shemar and without him here, it was almost as if she could feel her self-esteem rise. Zori did that to her. Fumie smiled as he told her that her kids sounded just as wonderful as she was.

“So I’m wonderful, huh?” She laughed a bit, her shoulder leaning into him quickly as she gave him a playful nudge. “Who’s violating now?” They laughed together again before they shared a short silence. And oddly enough, Fumie didn’t feel the need to fill it. Maybe it was the meditation time they spent together, but she was comfortable with him in silence...nothing about them had to be forced. And the silence didn’t last, his voice breaking the air as he finished his thought. Her husband? Ha. Yeah. Blessed.

For the first time since starting this conversation Fumie’s smile faded. “Yes, my husband…-,” she stood then, moving away from the bench as she pulled at her pants. “Shemar often doesn’t realize how blessed he is.” Facts. Only there was no “often” about it. Shemar never realized what a blessing his family was. His wife that did everything she could to keep him happy, even now when all she seemed to do was disappoint. A son who was basically the spitting image of him both inside and out (a constant worry of hers), and a baby girl that would probably win a Nobel Peace Prize one day. He had the perfect family. Why he sought to ruin that had always been beyond her...but it surely wasn’t Zori’s business.

“Sorry. Overshare.” He didn’t want to hear about Shemar any more that she wanted to talk about him. “But they are…my kids bring me nothing but joy.” she smiled again. “And you shouldn’t worry. When you stop being so picky-” she teased, “I’m sure the right woman will make you just as happy one day.”

Zori - 24-1-2015 at 12:03 PM

So, I'm wonderful, huh? Of course she was. The problem was that Fumie had to ask to have someone tell her that she was. She was...more than wonderful. Motivated, fearless, amazing. Zori had more adjectives in his arsenal for her if she really wanted them, not like he should've been opening his mouth to let her know in the first place. She had a man to tell her who she was and Zori wasn't that man. But he smiled, looking down at her out of the corner of his eye as she nudged him, his silent agreement obvious. He didn't have to repeat himself. She was right, though. They were both making minor violations to the agreement that they'd made in his office weeks ago. Keep it friendly. But this was friendly, yeah? Getting to know each other, complimenting each other. Right. He tell himself that lie to keep enjoying the moment that they were sharing.

He shrugged at her question, laughing a little as they fell into a comfortable silence which neither of them were strangers to. Fumie hadn't always been comfortable with the silence that sometimes fell between them. Actually Zori wondered if she had been comfortable with silence at all. With the way her life moved, she was surrounded by noise. Demands coming from all sides. But after a few weeks, it seemed like she welcomed the empty moments, when she could just...think. Their sessions started that way, mind cleansing silence and a release of whatever her life had piled on her that day. The room became of cocoon of exhale for her and Zori was glad he could give her that. He was glad he could give her anything that gave her a break.

And Fumie's reaction to Zori's words pretty much confirmed that from the sound of her voice alone, her smile fading from her face as he watched her stand to her feet...adding a confession to the stress his comment had just placed on her. Zori didn't have to search inside of her words for a meaning just like he didn't have to look hard to see how she really felt. It was plain and simple. Shemar didn't always appreciate her...if he ever did. Zori didn't like to pry, nor did he like to be in the middle of business, much less, married business. But he couldn't help the way the expression that rippled over his face reflected hers. And this was why surface was good for them. It kept them out of each other's business. It kept them from getting too deep. Because "deep" changed the mood in the room from light and fun to brooding and hidden and...

Sorry. Overshare. And just like that, Fumie's smile was back and the discomfort from moments before had disappeared like it had never happened in the first place. But it had. And there were traces and residual left over on Zori's memory that wouldn't erase itself if it tried. He forced a brief smile as she went back to her kids, widening it as she started walking in his relationship territory again.

"Hey." He said simply, standing with her. "So now we're talking about me again?" He rolled his neck as he stood, lightly stretching his muscles for their return to the workout session.

"And I'm not picky, woman." His voice was gruff, but his smile as he bumped her when he walked by signaled the joke in his voice.

"I just believe...that when you settle down with somebody, it's important to know that you can stay with them. That no matter what, they'll always be the first thought on your mind in the morning and the thing you look at before you close your eyes at night. When I find that, I know I'll be good..." He looked back at Fumie and smiled.

"...or am I a delusional as hell romantic in for a surprise?" Laughing again, he started walking back to the sparring floor.

Fumie - 24-1-2015 at 01:13 PM

She was doing it again. Letting Shemar get to her. Why did she do that? Here Zori was, completely engaged in getting to know her. Completely into her...maybe not the way she wanted him to be, but he was paying attention. She should have been right here with him, but what was she doing instead? Thinking about the attention Shemar didn’t give her. How inadequate he made her feel. How unappreciated she was at home. Ugh! She didn’t want to be here. Not ‘here’ physically, but mentally, she didn’t want to think about Shemar at all. Why did she allow him to be such a huge part of her life when she was somehow such a miniscule part of his? She was so stupid.

But she wasn’t about to put all of that on Zori. So she put on a face. She smiled and she apologized and she tried to move past it. More about him. She teased him again, calling him picky before ensuring he would one day be lucky enough to have kids of his own. She was sure he would. Zori was a catch. He was a stereotypical “total package” if she ever met one and it was just a matter of time before some lucky girl got the privilege of calling him hers. But he wasn’t picky…

Fumie laughed as he continued talking, telling her what he wanted out of his relationship. How he wanted to think of that woman first thing in the morning and look her in the eye before he went to bed at night. It was a really pretty sentiment. One she would expect from a guy as sweet as him. She smiled at the thought. She’d lived that lie for a little while; a memeory that seemed like a dream now. Shemar used to love her…

“No-,” she started, holding a smile she didn’t believe in any longer. “That’s honestly a beautiful sentiment, Zo...keep looking for her.” It was time to end this little chat. She was getting into dangerous territory, because there was nothing more she wanted to do than explain to Zori why she couldn’t even remember what that kind of love was like. She approached him on the flooor.

“So. Shall we?”

Zori - 1-2-2015 at 08:06 PM


----------------------------- After the Dinner -----------------------------


She was late. She...was never late. But today, she was uncharacteristically tardy. Which shouldn't have been a surprise for Zori considering the night that she'd had. Then again, he couldn't help but think that her nights didn't usually end in the drunken stupor that he was sure hers had ended in. She seemed like the type that didn't...shit. Who was he kidding? He didn't know what "type" of anything she was. He didn't know how she drank. He didn't know what her nightlife looked like. He didn't know shit about Fumie. He'd learned that fact last night, loud and clear...just like her husband wanted him to. And to be honest, the more he thought about last night, the harder his punches hit the punching bag in front of him. Every "thwack!" landed harder than the one before it. He grunted quietly as he threw a horizontal elbow strike, the bag swinging and rebounded, meeting a powerful jab that nearly threw the bag off the chain it was suspended from the ceiling with. He huffed, pausing to catch his breath as he held the bag on its downswing.

He really shouldn't have been working as hard as he was. When Fumie showed...or if Fumie showed, they had an hour long session to get through and it wasn't going to be effective for her if he was exhausted by the time she got there. No matter how he was feeling or what he was thinking, one thing was for sure...he was her trainer. That was the role he KNEW he played when it came to her. Not her friend, not her confidant and surely not her man. No, that role was already fucking filled as she'd made it known when she stuck her tongue down her husband's throat...

Zori shook his head, his wrapped hand meeting his temple as he rubbed his forehead. Why the fuck was it such a big deal that she'd been with her husband? That she'd kissed him and said loving things about him last night? That she'd actually looked like she loved the man she married? Zori should've been...happy for them. He should've been relieved that she went back to the arms of the man who's ring was on her left index. That's what he'd wanted right? To keep her head clear of the stress in her life so that she'd leave whatever ideas she had about Zori alone and... This is what was supposed to happen. She was supposed to be happy and Zori...was supposed to help her achieve that. So, now that she was happy and in love, why did Zori feel like...why was he...?

He pushed the bag away from himself as the door opened to the hallway, the sound of running feet sounding off of the cement walls. He moved away from the bag, refusing to turn around and see her running through the door after a night with her husband.

"No meditation today." He said, knowing that she'd entered the room. He didn't give her a chance to greet him, to joke with him. To make him laugh. No, they were business today.

"Warm up. Squats and lunges. Two reps of each. Let's get it."

Fumie - 2-2-2015 at 03:17 AM

She was late. She was never late, but this morning…well, afternoon, she was and she could only imagine the reasons running through Zori’s mind about why. Whatever they were, the reasons were probably true as Shemar wasn’t letting her leave before she put him back to sleep. When she finally did get the shower she’d been so desperate for, she was already 20 minutes late to the gym. She didn’t bother to call or text Zori about her tardiness because part of her felt like he wouldn’t care...the other half of her was sure he wouldn’t answer anyway. Not after last night. Fumie knew she needed to apologize. She had behaved so poorly at dinner and while that warranted an apology by itself, there was so much more for her to apologize to Zori specifically for.

She had spent most of their time together leading him on. And she hadn’t done so falsely! She knew every time she flirted with him (despite their agreement), that she was telling him she wanted him. And she did. She wanted Zori even more now than she had last night while she was fucking her husband to his visage. And she didn’t solely mean the physical. She wanted Zori as a person. All of him. Last night, for the first time, she was forced to perform for him and she hated it. Everything she’d ever told him in confidence about her marriage, granted it wasn’t too much, was probably negated with the kiss she’d given Shemar in front of him...But he didn’t understand. She had to explain what happened last night.

Stepping into the sparring room, Fumie paused at the door, unsure of how to begin. She placed her bag down next to the bench, “Zo-,” he cut her off. No meditation today. His voice was colder than it had ever been when it came to her and she couldn’t deny how much she really didn’t like that. She tried again. “Zori, please let me-,” he stopped her again. Warm up. Fumie sighed, her voice faltering as he spoke over her. No. She was tired of not being listened to! She’d spent all morning catering to someone elses needs over her own. She wanted to talk about this! “Zori, stop.” She was not going to suffer through an hour of this cold shoulder bullshit. If he wanted her to go she would, but she would rather talk to him about what happened. She wanted to explain herself.

“Now, I want to apologize to you for last night. I want you to listen to what I have to say about it and then I want you to tell me where you are with things...if you don’t want that, tell me now and I’ll leave. But what we won’t do is this emotionless session where you bark orders at me and I comply. I’m done taking orders today.”

Zori - 2-2-2015 at 05:25 AM

Oh, he was tired of that. Apologies That was all he and Fumie ever did when it came to each other. Apologizing for this mistake, apologizing for that "step over the line". It was-he was tired. Before last night, they'd had a good thing going. A friendship. A place where neither of them where stepping on the other's toes. They were getting to know each other in the best way. Platonically. There wasn't anything to apologize about then. But now, here they were, back to saying "I'm sorry" for things that shouldn't have happened or shouldn't have mattered because, contrary to what he felt or thought, she. Was married. And he was just a trainer and a business partner. And he wasn't going to do this shit anymore. Didn't they agree to no more apologies? None of that seemed to matter at the moment as they couldn't stop putting themselves and the other person into situations where excuses and explanations were necessary. And because of that, he offer to just leave was real inviting as it could've meant the end to whatever ring-a-round game they were playing with each other. But...something in him, probably the stupid part him Momma was always so afraid of, was talking and he... He just couldn't say the words that would make her leave him.

"I'm not giving you orders." His baritone so much heavier as walked to the bench on the wall where they took their breaks. "I'm doing my job. Two different things." As he unwound and removed his wraps for the warm up that he was GOING to do, he looked at her, eyes searching for traces left of the woman he'd seen last night. Because they weren't the same person. One Fumie was devastatingly gorgeous with her tall heels on and a dress that made Zori's breath catch in his throat the second he'd seen her walk through the door of the restaurant. She was confident, sexy and very in love with her husband. She didn't match the woman he saw today. No offense, but she looked like shit, the dark under her eyes matching the expression on her face.

"...and you don't have to explain anything that happened last night. I'm your trainer and your business partner. Not your nutritionist or your counselor." Saying those words made him look away from her as he threw the wraps on the bench and walked back to the middle of the padded mat where they warmed up.

"You were just a woman having a good time...and loving on her husband. Why would you need to explain that to me?"

Fumie - 2-2-2015 at 06:42 AM

Why was it that no one ever fucking listened to her when she talked? Like, really listened. It was probably her fault, not plainly stating what it was she wanted or needed. Not expressing herself simply enough for people around her to understand. And sometimes...coating her shitshow of a life in so much sugar she was confused for the local bakery. Whatever she was doing, it wasn’t at all getting through to Zori...or maybe it was because he refused to look at her. Fumie allowed her arms to hug her a little tighter, as he growled at her about not giving orders. He was simply doing his job.

And when he finally did look at her she wished he hadn’t, his gaze just as cold as his voice and missing the usual twinkle of desire he held when he looked at her. Now he was disgusted and rightfully so. After her little performance last night, he had every right to be. Not to mention she looked like shit. She hadn’t wanted to stay home for fear Shemar would wake up again before she could get ready. So she’d showered, changed, and left as soon as possible. No make up and she’d barely run a brush through her hair. She wasn’t here to impress Zori today anyway. She was only trying to keep his friendship...or whatever it was they’d had before...she was failing obviously. He was her trainer and her business partner. That was it. Not her--the fuck?!

Fumie felt her face go from apologetic to masked rage in mere seconds. That wasn’t fucking necessary. Her fucking counselor? Nah they weren’t doing these snippy side shots today. Had she not been through enough this morning?! She didn’t know what she did in a past life to warrant this constant dumping, but she was doing the best she fucking could her situation and he KNEW NOTHING about that! He would not sit in his self righteousness and judge her while she was offering him kindness. She was tired of being shit on. She had zero patience for that bullshit right now.

“Don’t you ever pretend to know me.” her words were simple, no longer pleading with him to listen to her but demanding it as she straightened her stance. “If I feel the need to explain something, it is not because I enjoy hearing myself talk it is because there are things you do not know.” There was plenty he did not know. The mental and physical abuse she suffered being married to Shemar was not something she was about to let anyone joke about, especially not a man that thought she was one thing but was sorely disappointed to find out she was a multidimensional creature that might be more than one thing at a time.

“Number one, I do not drink. If I am drinking, it is not because I am having a good time. Nothing about last night was “a good time”-,” her fingers made air quotes around his words, his assumptions about her feelings without bothering to ask if it were a correct assumption to make. She noticed his lips twinge and hoped he didn’t try to interrupt, “I am not done. Number two, the only thing I hate more than my husband is being embarassed by my husband. Last night was an embarrassment that I am trying to talk to you about. Not because I enjoy apologizing to you or because I would like to relive anything that has happened to me in the last 24 hours, but because I value a relationship. Our relationship. Something I am obviously alone in doing.”

Obviously. And if that were the case she had no fucking business here. They could cut this training shit short and she could find someone to handle Kidd’s Kids business in a matter of minutes. He never had to see her again. If her fuck up from last night was enough to make him feel this strongly about severing ties with her, he wasn’t going to last anyway. Her life was a complicated thing that nobody but her could ever fully, truly understand. That remained especially true of people who drew their own conclusions and took them as truth.

“Why don’t you call me when you’re finished pouting about how I’m not who you thought I was. I am not who anyone thinks I am.” With that, Fumie bent to pick her bag back up and make her exit. Fuck this. She left home to escape abuse not get more of it.

Zori - 2-2-2015 at 04:59 PM

Don't you ever pretend to know me. Hold up, excuse him? Looking over his shoulder before his entire body turned and faced Fumie, his face crumpled as his eyes narrowed in confusion. Turning to look at her didn't clear up his confusion anymore than drinking water might put out a fire. Her face was...furious. In all the time he'd known and worked with her, he'd never seen Fumie this angry. She was, for lack of a better word, completely pissed at him and for what? Because of what he'd said to her when she entered the room? Sure, he couldn't say that he'd been exactly "friendly and accommodating", but it wasn't out of anger. Even though anger would've been valid as she did know she was almost an hour late and she hadn't picked up her phone once to let him know that she was even showing up? But no, there wasn't anger in Zori. Not enough to be an asshole to Fumie. He was just...damn, he was just putting space between them. The way things had gone down the night before, it seemed like that was the perfect solution to the problem that Zori was seeing. Distance would give Shemar some chill and it would give her a chance to focus on her husband as the entire night reeked of an unresolved connection between the two of them. He was just trying to make it better...and in that, he'd made it worse. A lot worse.

Zori blinked as Fumie went off into a tirade of things that honestly didn't make sense. She didn't have a good time last night? From his view, she'd had the best one...which would've been okay! Considering that Zori wasn't calling her on anything she'd done last night. He wasn't policing her and he would've told her so had she not shushed him before he even opened his mouth right to comment. But one thing he could do was be patient, close his mouth and wait until she said what she had to say because something told him that half of this didn't even have anything to do with him. Half of this was her just needing to get shit off her chest. And he'd let her.

His hand rubbed his neck as she spoke, letting what she had to say swarm him like mosquitoes in need of swatting. It was nothing short of a verbal assault that in some way, he felt crazily responsible for. But nothing that he'd said could've been the sole reason for her words. And then, there was the answer. The only thing I hate more than my husband is being embarrassed by my husband. Subtly, he shook his head, extracting pieces of her rant and tucking them away for the second when she emptied herself fully and there was nothing left to say...which wasn't happening because she was leaving. Shit

"So, you're done?" His stretching resumed as he pulled his right arm across his chest with his left, his eyes on her as she stopped in her tracks.

"If you're done, drop your stuff and come here." He hesitated as he watched her face. "Please."

Fumie - 3-2-2015 at 05:14 PM

She was over this. She had come here to apologize to him, not to be told how sorry she should be. She knew she’d messed up. She got it. All she was trying to do was mend fences. That’s all she ever did. Fix. She “fixed” when her son fucked up. She “fixed” when Shemar was an insufferable asshole. She “fixed” on the rare occasion that she didn’t appear to have it all together and she broke. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t be perfect all the time. She was human. She had feelings and she made choices and sometimes she made the wrong choices. Right now, she was standing in front of a man that she thought she could consider a friend, trying to apologize for a mistake. But fuck it. Like she’d said when she started, she didn’t mind leaving. And that was what she was doing, having told him exactly where he could shove his judgement and assumptions about her life. And what did he have to say after all of that?

So, you’re done? Fumie stopped, her back still to him as she rolled her eyes, a sigh at her lips. She would not cry here. No one had seen her cry in almost ten years and she was not about to let this be the day she broke her streak. It was stupid anyway! She felt like one of Koi’s little friends. Getting all in her feelings because someone didn’t want to be her friend anymore? Was she twelve? It shouldn’t have mattered. She and Zori had business, nothing more...except that wasn’t true. That was why this mattered. This mattered, because he mattered.

And maybe she mattered to him to? His next words made her wonder. He was asking her to stay. Why? If she’d have even thought about saying those things to Shemar...but he wasn’t Shemar. He had shown himself to be a completely different person than Shemar and he was continuing to do so by entertaining her tantrum. She would hear him out. Because f she was being 100% honest with herself, nothing in her really wanted to leave that room. She really didn’t have anywhere to go. Home wasn’t an option as her husband was still there. The only place she really wanted to be was with Zori. Because outside of last night, she didn’t have to pretend with him...and she was so tired of pretending.

She turned, opening her hand so that her bag dropped to the floor yet another sigh on her lips. “I can hear you just fine from here-,” she said it matter of factly, her voice flat. She was tired. She hadn’t notice how tired until that very moment, but she could feel it in every part of her. Until…Please. Fumie hesitated, her arms folding as she bent her head, her feet suddenly interesting. She bit her bottom lip to quell a smile; no one ever said please.

She moved toward him, her arms unfolding as she opened herself to whatever it was he had to say.

Zori - 4-2-2015 at 05:03 PM

Zori stared calmly at her face as her feet finally started moving toward him, her face looking as annoyed and tired as he figured she felt. Not because he knew what she was going through because he'd listened to what she said. He heard her. Her husband. The way her morning was straight from hell and she was tired of being given orders and...tired of not being listened to. Okay. He was listening. Against his better judgement, which told him to let her walk out the door and stay out of business that wasn't his...he was listening. And he didn't like what he was hearing. Despite the meditation, the work out...the break from the life that she didn't stop running for in those high heeled, designer shoes...despite it all, she was still unhappy. And Zori missed it. Well, because it wasn't necessarily his to catch. This was the deepest they'd gotten with each other since they'd met and they'd made an effort to keep it light. To keep her head straight...and his. They were in violation, once again. Breaking all the rules that they'd made...and he didn't care. Not when she was in front of him, looking at him the way she was. Hurt by his unintentional words. Lonely. Angry...and as damn confused as he was.

He dropped his arms as she came closer to him, her steps slow and hesitant. He knew she was still annoyed with him, something he didn't want. At all. He just didn't know how to do it. How to separate himself from a storm he saw gathering without catching the damage it brought as well. He couldn't do it. Not with her, something pulling him back in the second she turned her back to leave. Making him stand there and wait for her to come to him. Making him pull her arms around his waist as he looked down at her...wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Not even caring about their closeness or the fact that she probably didn't want to be touched. Without speaking, he lowered his head, his jaw touching the side of her face as they hugged it out.

"I'm sorry..." He said softly, tightening his hold on her briefly. "I'm sorry your day was shit. And your husband pissed you off. And then I pissed you off." Loosening his hold on her, he looked down at her and smiled.

"What I was trying to say..." He chuckled as he spoke. " ...was that you don't owe me an explanation for what you do, Fumie. Nobody's judging you..."

Fumie - 4-2-2015 at 06:14 PM

She took her time coming to him, expecting him to start talking as she did so, signal her to stop when she got too close. Zori did that. Told her when she was getting too close. When she asked an inappropriate question or he caught her looking at him the way he looked at her sometimes. Zori drew lines and stuck to them. It was respectable and commendable and Fumie did her best to stick to them too, despite how much she liked him...So she waited for the signal to come for her to stop, but it never came. Instead his hands took her arms and placed them around his waist as he pulled her into a hug. Fumie heard herself give a weak sigh, her tears becoming a more and more likely possibility. She let her face rest against his, listening to him apologize.

And he wasn’t just apologizing for what he’d said to her, but for the things Shemar did, for how awful everything was for her. He didn’t know the half of things but for someone to just acknowledge that she was...hurting. Someone saw her hurting. And he wasn’t pretending he knew what was happening and he wasn’t trying to give her any answers he was just there. Without reservation. Nobody’s judging you. Yet another sighed turned to a whimper as she blinked back the inevitable. He always said the right thing. How did he always know the right thing?! Fumie pushed away from him, turning her back as she wiped her face, thankful she wasn’t wearing any mascara. She should go.

If she stayed here she knew she would do something they would both regret and make things even more strained between them. Because Zori got her. He got her the way her husband was supposed to. The way no one else ever had. Despite the boundaries and his lack of solid fact to go on, Zori still somehow understood what she needed. And one of those needs he was not willing to meet...a fact he would probably have to put to the side for the time being because she was tired of denying herself.

She turned back to him, her words still trapped in her throat...but maybe that was a good thing. Closing the short distance between them again she reached out for him, one of her hands cupping his face softly as her eyes met his. She let her thumb run over his lips before she rose on her toes, her mind going back and forth. Would she? Wouldn’t she? Her face inched closer to his, her lips so close she could feel his breath on them. Could she? Should she?

“Thank you-,” she whispered. Fumie’s lips brushed his as she spoke, but she couldn’t. She stayed where she was but she could not kiss him. That wasn’t her line to cross. Zori had been nothing but a gentleman this morning and she would not take advantage of that...but if that were completely true, why was she still so close?

Zori - 4-2-2015 at 07:05 PM

He didn't try to hold on when she pushed him away. Letting her slip from the too close hold he had on her was the best thing he could've done for the both of them. Her head a mess from the crazy day she'd been having and him wrapped up in the need to make the day disappear. That need...was going to fuck him up in the end. Because this wasn't his place. Hugging on another man's wife, no matter how out unhappy he'd been making his wife, was a no-no. It was something that a self-respecting man didn't do. Yet, Zori felt Fumie's absence the second she let him go, her back turning on him. Probably to wipe away the tears that Zori could understand. She didn't have to hide them from him. She didn't have to pretend to be the strongest thing in the room with him. She didn't have to pretend at all. He understood more than she thought he might. Having to be everyone's strength when you're not even sure you have enough for yourself? He'd been the "man of the house" from the second he was born, his daddy dipping out on his pregnant Momma the second she started showing. Zori had to be a man before he knew what being a man meant. Being the thing that everyone depended on was heavy and Zori knew how heavy. Which was probably why he felt for Fumie more than he should have...more than he even knew he really did.

He stayed quiet, letting her work through her feelings. Fighting the urge to force another hug on her, another embrace that he didn't even know if she asked for in the first place. This was the way it had always been with women. Zori couldn't stand tears. He couldn't stand seeing pain on a woman's face. It was almost like seeing his mother endure all of the loneliness that she'd seen as Zori grew up all over again. And with Fumie, it was amplified by ten. How fucked up was that? Of all the women that he'd loved and lost through the years, their stories probably as desperate for happiness and love as Fumie's was and the one woman that he couldn't leave alone was the one he seriously needed to? The married one. That woman whose husband should've been in the place that Zori found himself. Watching her cry. Seeing her wet cheeks as she turned back to him, her eyes connecting with his...her body coming closer to his. Her soft hand touching his face. He fought the desire to close his eyes at the feeling of her skin touching his, his jaw clenching as she ran her finger across his lips.

Why couldn't he open his mouth to tell her "no" as she stood on her toes, her face drawing closer to his? Why the hell wasn't he saying anything at all, tongue licking the lips that her thumb had just caressed. Damn, he was slipping. He could feel it in the way he stared at her lips instead of her eyes as she spoke to him. Thank you...

He should've pulled away...

"You're welcome..." He whispered back, his eyes closing as their lips brushed again, the pleasure of it spreading across his skin. Hot...and so uncharacteristically impatient. He didn't want...shit, he was lying to himself. He did want to. He wanted to so badly. And all the chanting and the meditating weren't going to intercede fast enough to keep him from...

"...shit..." His curse came out in a hiss as his lips pursed against hers slowly, their kiss breaking as his forehead met hers, his breath quickening, biting his lip...as another kiss followed the first one's lead.

Fumie - 5-2-2015 at 01:24 PM

You’re welcome. It seemed like it. Zori wasn’t pushing her away. In fact, she wasn’t sure if he’d noticed, but he was holding her there, his hand resting on her hip as she waited for him to close the microscopic space between them. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to feel his lips against hers and taste him again, the way she had at the gala. Only there was nothing here to stop them. There was no speech, minutes from concluding, there weren’t any prying eyes to ask questions afterwards. She wanted that so badly, but she had gotten to know Zori.She knew he wouldn’t allow himself to want it...Did he? Fumie went back and forth with what she thought about that. Some days, when they trained and he spent more time than necessary showing her a move or pushing her deeper into a stretch, she knew he did. Other days, like mere moments ago, she got the impression he was holding back…

He wasn’t anymore, his resolve breaking as he cursed softly before kissing her. Fumie heard herself gasp, as he pulled away. Could she say she wasn’t expecting that to happen? Not 100% no. But she hadn’t been 100% sure about it either. Zori could have told her no. He could have told her how (admittedly) confused she was and that she should go home. But he didn’t; he kissed her...then he kissed her again, his lips taking hers a second time and staying long enough for it to deepen.

Fumie moaned into his mouth, her tongue slipping past his lips as they twisted against hers, her arms falling around his neck as she pulled him closer to her. She wanted closer. She wanted more. That seemed to be all she could think as they stood in the middle of that sparring room. More. They seemed to be sharing every kiss they’d avoided since the gala and Fumie could not deny how much better her morning was becoming.

Zori - 22-2-2015 at 02:39 PM

...and for the first time, in what seemed the longest damn time...everything seemed right. But...was that right? It couldn't have been. Because everything about that moment...everything...was supposed to be wrong. Zori wasn't supposed to be kissing Fumie. His hands weren't supposed to be holding her, pressing her closer to him. He wasn't supposed to be feeling the rise and fall of the curves that he wouldn't let himself even slip and think about. This wasn't his moment. He was stealing every second of it from...from her husband. She was married. She was still married and nothing had changed about that fact. The few lingering thoughts were still there of she and Shemar, the home they’d built together...the kids...but it didn’t stop him. Nothing would stop him, the long ignored need for affection had built inside of him, filling him so completely that there was barely any room for anything else. And he couldn’t...he just didn’t gave a damn. It’d been so long. All of the denying himself, denying the thoughts that made him a man, that made him human. Putting it all aside to survive without really living. To keep the pain and the hurt and confusion at bay. It’d been too long...and now he couldn’t get every rebelling nerve in him to stop electrifying his body into movement. To keep moving...keep kissing Fumie. Keep tasting her.

That thought brought a deep moan that’d been hidden in his chest to his lips. It spilled over between their kiss, his lips pulling at hers. This was supposed to be wrong. But everything, all of it...the time that was passing between them, the sound of their kisses filling the seconds that ticked by, the way her hands pulled at him, silently begging for him to do everything except “stop”...it felt...right. Maybe it was the insanity of seeing himself flood back into the body he’d kept void of any kind of feeling for so long, but...Zori being there...with her...it felt right. It was almost as if everything was supposed to end up here...with them. Just them. The dinner last night, the gala...all the way back to the way they met. Everything was meant to turn into what was happening now…

...his arm wrapping around her, lifting her off of her feet, her legs wrapping around him as he lowered them to the mat.

Fumie - 25-2-2015 at 03:41 PM

She hadn’t come here for this. The way he was touching her now, his lips pressed against hers, his hands gripping her waist as he tried to pull her closer and she did the same...She hadn’t meant for this to happen. But she wasn’t trying to stop it. Nothing about what she was doing was right. Not because of her marriage; fuck her marriage. She knew this was something Zori had been trying to avoid. He was a good man trying to do the right thing and here she was pressuring him to do wrong...but it didn’t feel that way. Nothing about this felt wrong. She had fantasized about this moment since their kiss at the Gala and even though she knew it wasn’t right to do this with him she didn’t want anything more than what he was giving her right now. And the feeling seemed mutual.

Fumie moaned as Zori did, the sound causing her to shiver in pleasure as his hold on her tightened. She felt light headed, the sound of their lips meeting seeming to bounce off of the walls, egging the two of them on, pressuring her not to stop. She didn’t need the pressure. No part of her was interested in ending what she and Zori were sharing. The kiss at the Gala had been different. They were surrounded by donors and her husband (and his temper) was mere feet away from them. Now? They were just as they were meant to be. The way they always were when she was at peace and happy. They were alone and they were together.

The kiss broke briefly; Fumie gasped as Zori lifted her off her feet, her legs immediately wrapping around him as he lowered them to the ground. Her lips found his again and the kiss continued, her back arching up so that her chest met his as her hips rolled in anticipation. She wanted him so bad. Her fingers raked over his back as she brought them to the hem of his shirt, pulling at it, silently begging him to take it off. She wanted it all gone. Every stitch between them. But they had time. They had nothing but time to enjoy this exact moment of pure bliss.

Zori - 26-2-2015 at 04:59 PM

The roll of her hips against him. The way her center met his. It was damn magnetic, the pull of something so forbidden to the another. Zori wondered if she felt it as her chest rose to meet his, his finger tips tracing the arch in her back. And when her lips met his again? He felt they'd been missing for years. Centuries. It felt right...even though he knew it wasn't. Even though he knew that every moment they spent like this led them further and further down the path of "wrong". And he wanted to finish the journey. With the way her fingertips were grazing the length of his back, her hand was pulling at the hem of his shirt, her eyes silently pleading for him to take it off...he couldn't think of anything better than arriving with her, the feeling so strong inside of him that years of discipline and denial of himself were ready to come to an end. For her...for Fumie.

He pulled away from her and out of their kiss, more than ready to give her anything she asked for as he took off his shirt, letting it fall from his grasp...but he couldn't stop looking at her, their eyes connecting as he hovered over her. She was so damn beautiful. And the sad thing was that when Zori looked in her eyes, he could tell she didn't know it. Maybe she had...before Shemar. Before she hadn't had someone to remind her of the bronze warmth of her skin or the beauty in the almond shape of her eyes. Damn...he could've looked at her forever...or touched her for longer than that.

He looked down to where his hand was resting on her stomach, feeling the rise and fall of her breaths...the way they quickened when his fingertips touched her. Unzipping her jacket, letting it fall open as he let himself feel the parts of her that he'd never given himself permission to touch before. From the feminine lines of her stomach to the valley between her breast, he let his hands explore her. A smile flickered over his lips as her body responded to his touch, his fingers finally coming to caress her throat, his lips lowering back to hers.

Fumie - 26-2-2015 at 05:45 PM

She could feel it in the way his hands caressed her body. In the way his breath caught when her teeth caught his bottom lip and she sucked on it. Lust. He wanted her and she wanted him just the same. It was as if they were drawn to one another, their bodies seeming to meld as they gravitated to each other. And he was reading her; Fumie’s silent request to have him remove his shirt coming shortly after she made it, one hand reaching behind him as he pulled at the neck and tossed it to the side. He was like a fucking statue. A god, carved out of pure marble, chiseled to perfection. Fumie brought her hands to his chest, grateful that he had paused long enough to let her admire him. Her hands drifted slowly down his torso, her fingertips drinking in every line and dip between his abs as she made her way lower…She lost her train of thought as he unzipped her jacket, and his hands copied hers in reverse. They traveled over her stomach, her chest, resting at her neck as his lips fell back to hers.

With her hands still between them she allowed one to dip into his shorts, her hand taking him as she started a slow stroke. Fumie tried to hold back her smile as Zori groaned at her touch. She loved his sounds. The gasps, the groans, the grunts that told her he wanted her. She didn’t get that from the man she married. They stopped enjoying sex together a long time ago and outside of last night, the mere thought of touching one another was repulsive. The same could not be said for Zo. She wanted to touch this man everywhere at once, forever. And she was starting with her favorite part, her hand still working him as his hips matched her rhythm, his length grazing her middle with every movement. Why was she still wearing pants?

She wasn’t sure, but she was hoping he’d take them off of her soon. She moaned as their kiss intensified and his name slipped from her lips. She was in heaven and she only wanted Zori to take her higher.

Zori - 26-2-2015 at 06:44 PM

For a second, he knew he'd forgotten how it felt to have someone...really touch him. How nerves sent signals of pleasure straight from their fingertips to your brain and no matter how scientific it got...it was indescribable. Fumie reminded him as her fingers dipped beneath the band of his shorts, his eyes closing as all words like "wait" and "hold up" left him...and a groan took over. He bit his lip as she touched him the way no one had in nearly four years. It wasn't that he didn't want her hand where it'd found itself. It was kind of the opposite, the shocks Fumie sending through Zori's body had him barely keeping his damn mind from checking out and letting his body take over. Because this? Her touching him, stroking an energy back into him that he'd meditated into dormancy a long time ago...this meant going to a place of no return...if he let it. And he wanted to...let it. Especially with Fumie's boldness. He hadn't expected her to...be so free with him. So soon. But he couldn't tell a lie, he felt hesitation slipping away with every stroke, the level of his groans growing as his hips responded to her, pushing into her caress...feeling her a little more with every slow thrust.

The kiss they shared grew, Zori losing his resolve every time her tongue slipped against his...every time his chest shifted on her and he could feel how fast her heart was beating. He wanted...he just wanted to finally touch her. It'd been a long time and he had admit, he missed it. The connection...how with every he pushed inside, there was an unmistakable pull back. It went beyond instinct. He couldn't describe it...but he knew he'd missed the presence of it. And the desire for it made him more...impatient, his thrust growing stronger. His hand tightening around her chin as he pulled out of the kiss, his tongue licking at her lip before it trailed down her chin to her neck.

...and he saw it. It didn't register at first, the faint, purplish bruise on her neck. He was too caught up in it, deep in the sensation of her hand and his need for her and...

"Wait..." He muttered, a moan mixing with his words. His lip curled as he couldn't help the pleasure he got as he tried to move from her, but his thrust landed between her thighs, catching the part of her that he'd only grazed. His back arched as his words stopped, nearly forgetting what he'd just seen. For a moment, he let the friction build, nearly pushing into her the way he would have if their clothes weren't separating them. He had to stop...now.

"Fumie...just..." Another moan. Another thrust. Her head going back against the mat, pleasure making her bite at her lip. If he didn't stop now, he was going to...he knew what was at stake and he had to stop. His hand went between them, pulling hers out of his shorts, heaving breaths leaving him as he met her eyes.

"Wait."

Fumie - 27-2-2015 at 04:41 AM


She wanted him. Fumie moaned as the space around them swirled into nothing as she got lost in the two of them. There was a small part of her who worried this might not be real. That she was dreaming and she would wake up next to Shemar the way she had mere hours ago with her head swirling and her body aching in what they’d done the night before. But a bigger part of her, the part that was so connected to the sensation Zori’s hands were making as they explored her body, felt like it was real. Like this wasn’t another one of her dreams to wake up disappointed from. That it wasn’t something she would have to stop in the middle of because her alarm went off. It was real. He was real. They were really in his gym about to have sex on the mats of the sparring room.

She smiled at the thought, Zori’s lips leaving hers as his tongue traced a path from her lips to her neck. Fuck. Everything about him was sexy. A turn on. The foreplay was getting to be too much and the longer it went on the stronger her stroke got. Wait[... It was a faint sound. Her subconscious, trying to get her to do the right thing. To pull away from him. Think of her vows, to think of his. Zori told her when he started training her that this couldn’t happen and she was making him a liar right now...but…Mmm...

Fumie moaned out again, as his back arched and he met with her a way that would have been so much more pleasurable if they relieved themselves of clothing. Fuck! The anticipation was killing her. She heard his name fall from her lips again before she bit down to keep herself quiet...well, quieter. She wasn’t sure how long that would last once they got…what? Fumie was pulled out of whatever trance she had been in as Zori’s hand pulled hers out of his shorts. Their eyes connected and he gave her a weak ‘wait’. For what?! Why were they waiting? She wanted this. He wanted this. What was there to wait for? She was sure the confusion was clear on face as Zori drew away from her...Fuck. She fucked up. She’d done something wrong. She knew in the way he looked at her that they weren’t finishing this today and it just...FUCK.

“I’m sorry-,” her words came at a whisper as she was still trying to catch her breath. Fumie pulled her wrist from his grasp, propping herself up on her forearms as Zori rolled from on top of her. He laid on his back next to her, the silence between them deafening as each of them searched for something to say. What was there though? What could they possibly say to one another after almost having spur of the moment, comfort sex in public? Fumie sighed, coming to lie flat on her back again. Her eyes stared at the ceiling as she spoke to him.

“Zori, please say something. I don’t…-,” She didn’t know what that was. In thinking back on the last couple of minutes, it all seemed to happen so fast. One minute she was thanking him for being so understanding and the next she was…really thanking him. She didn’t know how to fix this...probably because most of her didn’t feel like there was anything to fix. She didn’t regret what almost happened here. She regretted not finishing it.

“I don’t know what to say…”

Zori - 27-2-2015 at 07:51 AM

The second his body left Fumie's, he regretted it. He regretted the warmth that escaped him soon as he rolled from on top of her, his body falling to the mat. He covered his face with his hands as he closed his eyes, his breaths slowing with the seconds that passed in silence. Calming himself was his first task as every single inch of him was awake and still resisting against him, anxious to return to Fumie, to feel her skin beneath his palms...her lips against his. He bent his knees as he rubbed his face roughly, his feet planting on the mat as he steadied himself and attempted to slow his racing heart. Tuning out her voice as she apologized needlessly. He needed her to stop apologizing as she didn't do anything wrong. It was...him. He was responsible for as far as this had gotten. He could've stopped her. He could've told her to go home, get her head together and meet up with him the next day when emotions weren't as high as they'd been. But he didn't...he let her kiss him and he'd kissed her back...and more. The thought made him bite his lip. Processing what had just happened between them wasn't helping him, it was making his need for her worse. The only thing he needed to process was the mark on her neck...the one her husband had probably placed there the night before.

Zori's hands went to his locks, his fingers massaging his head through tight knot he'd tied them into. That...was what had stopped him. A visible sign of how much Fumie wasn't and would never be his. And how everything he'd just done with her didn't make him sad or angry...it made him motherfucking jealous. Envious. Because he knew...regardless what he did to her body, no matter how she whispered his name when his hands traced her curves. No matter how beautiful he told her she was or how passionately he made love to her...she would be Shemar's. She would belong to another man. And any mark that he placed on her body, any way he decided to touch her would have Zori feeling like the runner up. Because that love mark did that. It made him feel like he was fighting a loosing battle. Zori could have her body, but the man she shared a house, a family with...a life with...would always have her heart.

His face crumpled at the thought, his ears tuning back into Fumie's whisper, her voice nervous and unsure. He wanted...he wanted to pull himself close to her, wrap his arms around her...comfort her. But that wasn't his place...and it never would be.

"You don't have to say anything." He muttered, dropping his arms to his side. His hand grazed her's as it lay by his side. His fingers touched hers, intertwining with hers. He turned his head to the side, his eyes catching hers again.

"No more apologies. Remember?"

Fumie - 27-2-2015 at 09:02 AM

Fumie had no words. It was the first time in her life that she felt a situation needed fixing and didn’t all at once. She didn’t know why they had stopped. Maybe she’d moved too fast or she’d…done something. It probably didn’t matter. Whatever the case was he was finished with this and her for the time being. She could feel him moving next to her, adjusting and probably hoping to find a position that made him more comfortable with the fact that he almost fucked a desperate housewife. Shit! What could she say to make this okay? How could they go back to before this all went down?...Ha. How ironic that she came her to mend their friendship and solve one problem, and only ended up doing that by creating an even bigger issue. FUCK! She knew he hadn’t wanted this! She should never have gotten as close as she had. She should have said her piece and left him there. She should have gone somewhere to get her head together and tried this shit again when she was herself. But she hadn’t...and now? She didn’t know what to say.

So she told him that. Asking him to say anything at all so that she knew she hadn’t completely messed things up with him. You don’t have to say anything. Didn’t she? Maybe a little honesty for once? Should she have maybe mentioned the fact that less than three hours ago another man had been inside her? How she had been more than prepared to let Zori in next? The fact that she didn’t feel bad about anything that had happened between them this morning outside of stopping? She was horrible. She was officially the slut her husband always referred to her as and that realization didn’t sadden her when she thought about Shemar. It made even more glaring how wholefully and totally unfair she was being to Zori. She couldn’t have an affair. She couldn’t because she could never promise that it would be anything more than sex. She was married. And no matter how miserable the two of them were together, Shemar would never let her leave.

The warmth in her palm from his hand taking hers brought her back to the present as he spoke again, reminding her that there would be no more apologies. Staring into his eyes, she wanted to smile at him. She wanted to kiss him again for doing exactly what he had been since she got here and understanding. She wanted...to finish...But she couldn’t do that. Rolling onto her side, her free hand reached for him, cupping his face as she tried her damnedest not to start shit all over again. She bit her lip.

“I should go-,” Yes she knew that. And he knew it too. She should leave and prevent anything more from happening between them. But when did she do what she should? She “shouldn’t” go. She needed to go.

“I have to go.” She said it as she pulled away from him completely. Her body up before he could protest. She didn’t even bother to zip her jacket back up. She didn’t want time to think about it...to talk herself into going back.