Yuri did his best to keep his black mood to himself when he joined everyone at the dining room on their private floor. He had received another long voice mail from the good doctor, most of which involved him rambling about the importance of keeping Kathy sheltered and isolated.

" Good Morning. " - Yuri, said. He murmured before taking his place on Kellion's right.

" Morning. Where's Kathy? " - Kellion, asked. As befitting his position, he was seated at the head of the table.

As was typical of his personality, he also had his girlfriend seated on his lap even when there was a perfectly good chair next to his.

" She's coming. " - Yuri answered.

Seated across the vice president, Helios noticed his friend' unsmiling facade.

" Something the matter? " - Helios, asked.

Yuri shook his head.

" Just someone making nuisance of himself. " - Yuri, said. He made himself smile, noticing how even MJ, seated beside Helios, glanced at him in concern.

But then his phone buzzed and his smile disappeared. The assigned ringtone told him it was yet another voice message. Kellion frowned at Yuri's word.

" Is it, Nelson Athanas? " - Kellion, asked.

While Kellion spoke, Aria tried to get off his lap, hoping he was too distracted to notice. But it was futile, Kellion only pulling her back down as soon as she started to rise. The familiar sight of the president and his girlfriend's psychological tug of war restored Yuri's mood somewhat, and he could feel a bit of his tension evaporating.

Despite being polar opposite, the curvy blonde was known to be sarcastic and reclusive while the president was notorious for being an outrageous flirt, the two still managed to make it work. As such, he was able to answer blandly.

" It's been over a year since I last spoke to my father. " - Yuri, said. He changed the subject promptly

" You've sent out the memo about Kathy? " - Yuri, added. He didn't want to risk having his mood go from bad to worse, which tended to happen whenever Nelson Athanas was a topic of conversation.

" Yes. " - Kellion, answered.

" They understand, of course. " - Kellion, added.

The Alcolytes Triad had no secrets from each other, and yesterday the president had made the decision for the officers to temporarily take there meals in their private dining area. It was to give Kathy time to adjust to being constantly surrounded by people, and the other members had been given a brief explanation about Kathy's special circumtances.

" Thank you for going out of your way to make Kathy feel at home. " - Yuri, said quietly.

" We have each other's back, always Yuri, " - Kellion, said sobbered. He paused.

" I only hope that she won't be...bothered by the presence of volunteers when we finally join everyone. " - Kellion, added.

" I'll cross that bridge when I get there. " - Yuri, said. He stood up and excused himself from the table.

" I should check on Kathy and see what's holding her up. " - Yuri, added.

But when he stepped out of the dining room, the first thing he saw was Kathy, in the act of closing the door to their suit. He stilled at the sight of her, thinking she was too beautiful for anyone's peace of mind.

She was again attired in one of her swirly cotton dresses, its billowing fabric making her appear like an exotic nymph that could slip through his grasp anytime. Staring at her, 'I deserve an award for last night', Yuri thought. It had been hell, feeling how close she was, remembering the taste of her mouth, but also knowing that it just wasn't the right time to touch her.

Kathy turned to him then, her lips parting in surprise at the sight of him.

" Good Morning. " - Kathy, said.

" Good Morning. " - Yuri, said. He wished he could stop staring at her mouth.

When she didn't show any signs of moving, Yuri walked towards her. The nearer he was to her, the more remembered. The taste of her lips. The sound of her gasp. The softnes of her curves. 'Fuck', but he wanted her again. When he reached her, she murmured his name, and he swore in his mind at the way the musical lilt of her voice was pure temptation in itself.

" What is it, sweetheart? " - Yuri, said. He struggled but failed to keep decire from lacing his voice.

In a voice that was huskily sexy and adorable bemused at the same time, his fianceé confessed.

" I'm feeling weird again. " - Kathy, said.

'Uh-oh', Hallie thought. She had been about to come out of her room when she heard Yuri's fianceé speak, 'Kathy was feeling weird again?', wondering if the words were a prelude to a lover's quarrel. Hallie decided to stay inside her room. She wanted to close the door but didn't, afraid of drawing attention to herself.

'It was an odd', Kathy thought as she considered the impact of Yuri's blue gaze on her. The onslaught of sensations was overwhelming, with the way her heart raced beyond her control and her throat becoming unnaturally tight, which prevented her from breathing properly.

And, oh her body it was tingling all over, tiny sparks of electricity bursting from every cell and making Kathy feel restless and aching. Instinct as old as time told Kathy that only Yuri could get rid of the ache inside her, and she murmured his name again.

" Yuri. " - Kathy, said.

This time, it was both an invitation and a demand, and most of all it was an innocent plea for Yuri's possession. A plea that Yuri was also doing his best not to answer. Because if he did. They wouldn't be leaving their room for at least a week. A half-weary sigh escaped him.

" You better stop looking at me like that, sweetheart. " - Yuri, said. Kathy only blinked at him.

" How do I look at you? " - Kathy, said.

And because this was Kathy, he knew she wasn't playing coy. Even so, it didn't make any difference to his dick, which was doing its best to burn a hole through his pants. When he didn't say anything.

" Is it because you're like me, Yuri? " - Kathy, said.

As always, her words were an enigma. It might have frustrated other men, but not Yuri.

" What do you mean, sweetheart? " - Yuri, asked. He was no longer able to stop himself from touching her.

As he caressed one pale, silky soft cheek with his knuckles, a part of him expected her to reject his touch, knowing that such intimacies were still strange to her. But she didn't. Instead, she closed her eyes and proceeded to destroy him with sweetness.

" When you look into a person's eyes, are you able to tell what they're feeling? When you look into my eyes now, do you know what I'm feeling? " - Kathy, said. He eyes slowly opened.

" Ah.. Kathy.. " - Yuri, paused when Kathy cut him off.

" You do, don't you? " - Kathy, whispered.

'Fuck', he thought. He refused to answer even though they both knew the truth. He was like her. He saw people's souls in their eyes. And in her gaze, he saw a gift he didn't and would never deserve. She thought he, Yuri Daniel Athanas was her life. It cut him to the quick, and he found himself shaking his head.

" Kathy.. " - Yuri, paused.

'God', he thouht. How did he tell Kathy that he wasn't what she thought he was? She had only started living again, and if he told her that she was wrong that he was not the one who had rescued her 14 year old self from being permanently broken, he might as well throw her back in the bloodstained days of her past.

If he shattered her dreams. If he told her that she was mistaken, that he was not the other half of her. If he admitted to lying about loving her. He might as well be Madame Antonia. And that he could never do. He would rather throw away his honor now than hurt her in any way.

" Yuri? " - Kathy, asked. She was looking at him questioningly, trustingly.

He heard himself lie.

" You're right. " - Yuri, said.

Slowly, he took her in his arms, and the way she automatically curled her arms around his neck, the way she fitted her trembling body with his even when the hardness of his cock, still alarmed her. She was killing him again and again with how damnably sweet she was, and he wondered bleakly if the day he'd deserve her would ever come. Tightening his arms around her, he murmured against her hair.

" It's exactly as you say. I see your soul in your eyes. " - Yuri, said. A paused and then.

" I'm glad, " - Kathy, paused.

" Does it mean you also know I'm feeling weird again. " - Kathy, added.

Yuri wanted to laugh and groan at the same time. Only Kathy. Only her beautiful bundle of honesty could make his mood swing from despair to arousal in an instant. As his body rocked with silent laughter, causing his cock to rub against her mound.

" Very very weird. " - Kathy said almost worriedly.

" When you say you're feeling weird... " - Yuri bending his head and whispered. And paused. He was summarily rewarded with a tiny, sexy whimper.

" Is that another way of saying you want me to kiss you? " - Yuri, added.

Yuri had whispered the words directly to Kathy's ear, and the effect on her was instantaneous and electrifying. Her body jerked, her knees buckled, and her fingers clutched his shoulders in a desperate grip while the music of his low, séxy laughter played against her skin as the world spun.

And then they were kissing. Mouths fusing, bodies clasped against each other, hearts beating in a hard, exciting tandem. If yesterday's kiss was a gentle breeze, this morning's was a thunderstorm passion. And she wanted it. She wanted more. She wanted everything. And she told him so.

Yuri had planned to keep the kiss short and sweet, but then he heard Kathy moan against his lips.

" More, Yuri. Kiss me harder. Make me feel feverish. " - Kathy, said.

His brain shut down. He forgot about being Yuri Daniel Athanas, forgot about his rigid observance of proper decorum. Right now, all he knew was that he was a man, kissing a girl who wanted him as much as he wanted her.

His tongue slid in, claiming and devoring what was his for the taking. He kissed her more. He kissed her hard as promised. And he kissed her long and deep, his tongue thrusting in and out of her mouth until he knew that he had made her feverish. As promised.

Yuri only lifted his head when he knew they both needed to breathe.

" Kathy. " - Yuri, said.

Common sense kicked in, and Yuri stiffened with guilt. 'What the hell he was thinking, mauling his sweet innocent Kathy in the hallway?'. But then he made the mistake of looking at Kathy. Her eyes were glazed, her lips swollen, her cheeks flushed with passion.

He had to give himself one last kiss, Yuri grinding his mouth down on her one last time. He would have stopped at the first sign of struggle, but instead Kathy respond to his kiss with equal abandon, even rubbing her body against his. Yuri managed to tear his mouth away after an eternity. Breathing hard, he gazed down at Kathy in a mixture of disbelief, consternation, and rampaging desire.

" How do you do it? " - Yuri, asked.

To which his innocent temptress, only blinked up at him.

" Do what? " - Kathy, asking blankly. His smile didn't reach his eyes.

" Terrify me. Every damn time. " - Yuri, said. The confusion in her eyes deepened.

" Me? Terrify you? How? " - Kathy, asked innocently.

" Like I've never been terrified for, " - Yuri, said honestly. He knew it had to be one of the biggest jokes in his life.

Kathryn Ice Rewis, a young girl whose condition might make her permanently dependent on the care of others people, terrified Yuri Daniel Athanas, who had never suffered a single moment of regret after choosing to leave behind his life as the Athanas Heir.

Unable to help it, he reached for her face again, and his chest constricted at the way she unhesitatingly laid her cheek on his palm. 'No questions', Yuri thought harshly. It was always no questions, no hesitations, no doubts with Kathryn Ice Rewis, and the world would always think she was crazy for it.

When he released her, it was as if she sensed what he was already planning to say, a fearful, worried look entering her gaze.

" Yuri. " - Kathy, said.

'God, why did it have to be her?', he thought. Why couldn't God have given him the usual, selfish empty-headed heiress? He could have lived with that, would have devoted his life to make such a woman happy even when she bored him to death. He would have welcomed any punishment with open arms because Yuri deserved to be punished.

But instead, he was given Kathy. The sweetest, most innocent girl in the world. The girl he would never deserve.

" Kathy, I have to tell you... " - Yuri, inhaling heavily said.

Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a familiar voice, call out to them from behind.

" Break it off, lovebirds. " - Hallie, said.