The couch collapses under both of our asses, while we both sink in far further than reasonable. In the midst of our laughing, Cory's shoulder bumps into mine. I freeze.

He giggles for two more seconds before noticing. "What, Lori?"

I feel my womanhood shaking a little. Shit, now I must be turning red. Fuck, now what?

"What's on your mind? I'm curious," he sends me a wry smile.

Failing to hide my redness, I place my hand on my face and turn the other way. He knows. He fucking knows. Face him, Lori.

Cory then singly asks, "hmm?" as I gently push him away at his chest, barely able to control my nervous laughter. "Oh, piss off."

The boy then rests his chin on his fist, still smiling, and flies a finger to crash into my nose. "You're so cute. I guess I'm the tough one now."

I swat it away, still giddy like a child. This Jackal isn't going to fight itself off, now I have to face it.

"Okay, you know what's going on," I face him, grabbing his shoulders. "Tell me how to–"

"Shhh," he puts the other finger on my lips. He brushes my hair behind my ear, mulls his hands over my arms, and places his palms atop of mine.

My corneas almost slammed shut. "Tell me more about what's on your mind," he whispers straight into my ear.

"Do I even need to, you moron?" I giggle.

Our foreheads touch. We lock fingers. Now almost the entire bottom half of my body is shaking like a handheld rescue pager. I fold my legs trying to contain myself. Cory moves his body closer to mine, and kindly pushes me to lay down on the sofa. He lets go of my hands and holds my waist instead, then drawing circles on my shoulder, plucking on the strap at my sports bra.

I grab his face and kiss him.

~~

"You're so flexible, wow," Cory says next to me.

"And now you're more than just a pain in my ass," I run my fingers through his lush black hair. "Not the battle I was expecting."

Shit.

"Thank you for the experience, Cory, and I mean it," I look straight into his wide pupils, then get up, grab my clothes, cover my boobs and lower half and walk briskly out of the living room, heart about to escape from my throat.

Already I can imagine Adel telling me, "This is exactly what you wanted, what the fuck is the problem now?"

"Now you know what I'm actually afraid of."

No idea where I even am regarding my period.

"You okay?"

The mere prompt of his voice makes me want it again.

Whatever, Lori. Enjoy it for once. You may not even get a chance to do this again for all you know.

"Hey, you okay–"

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I straddle him, taping his lips shut with my finger this time, and put his hand on my bosom.

~~

"You know, I could hear both of you trying to be quiet," Adel grumbles, hunched over a desk.

After rolling my eyes, I kiss Cory on the cheek and let go of his hand. "What's new?"

"What the hell are you so busy on?'

"Some loose wiring you broke," she turns and faces me with an expression flatter than the desk, for about two seconds, then turns back to her work on a piece of my suit’s helmet. Small trickles of smoke come from her task. “Wasn’t the Jackals that did this damage this time,” she grumbles. “Then again, you usually break the shit back when the show was a thing.”

Nice to see we’re back to our old ways.

"Do you want help?"

Adel silently shoos me away, rubbing her eyes in fatigue.

~~

"What was on your mind after we were done fucking?" Cory swings my hand in his as we plod along the muddy path.

"In which instance?"

"Either."

"Really, not that much. Brain was mostly turned off at that point," a giggle of mine shakes the last half of that sentence.

He smirks. "You bled quite a bit."

My cheeks start to burn again. Way to put me on the spot. Even a Jackal doesn't scare me like this.

"Oh my God," I mutter, look away, nervously smiling. "You're so dumb."

"Dumb, but experienced."

"I can't handle this. This can't be forever,"

"It won't," Cory says. We both stop walking.

Now I'm speechless. I stare at him, only holding his hand tighter.

Seconds go by.

"I know," I look down, hugging his long, lean stature. Tears start to sprout from my eyelids.

"I mean, I hope not, but with both the UWWA and Jackals-"

"Shut up!" I snap, sobbing. My biceps and thighs Bulged a hair as I shouted at him. "I know, I know, I know, damn it!"

After a 180, I stomp forward and leave him with an exasperated sigh, only to keep crying, then collapsing and planting my ass in the mulch and mud, sobbing harder and harder.

Two arms reach around from my back and I lose control of myself in his arms again.

~~

In a hazy head high of bliss and warmth, we both peer out the window. Outside, the sun tires and is ready to go home itself. Well, behind the mist and gray, with ribbons of orange and red glowing through it like a diffuser lamp.

"Sometimes I'm afraid you're just going to crush me next time your Bulge whatever kicks in when your legs are around me," Cory mutters. "Which is kinda hot, but still kind of terrifying."

"I'm more scared shitless than you, I promise."

I hold him closer. "You get all your stuff ready for tomorrow?"

"Of course not."

"Go do that."

He pecks me on my lips. "Yes, madam," he mocks.

Clang, clang. "You're a decent shot for static targets."

Cory reloads a magazine into his .45. "I'd hope for something automatic for moving targets," he mutters.

From off the table, I grab the SMG and extend it to him, muzzle pointing away. He looks down at it, then probably at my chest, then at my face.

"This thing is a lot heavier than I imagined," he says, gripping it and opening the collapsible buttstock.

"Yeah," I keep my eyes on him as I walk down the range, then turning to him. "Now, I'm going to move around, and you try to hit me," I say as I get on all fours and mock a Jackal's running gait.

"What the fuck?"

I get back up with a giggle. "Try this instead," I switch on the laser sight and grab the HUD. "Select 'SIM MODE' and hit as many as you can," the interface boots as I shove the integrated glasses over his eyes.

His eye-hand coordination isn't bad. "Now try walking," I give him a little push in the center of his back.