A Word of Praise

She was so incredibly precious. Chris couldn't quite understand how a person could go through that and come out so beautiful on the other side. He didn't expect her to tell him about it, not like that. But he understood her better now. If hating rich people was the only outcome of that disturbing past, he'd more than welcome it. Damn, he'd get rid of his own money if that's what it took.

But he knew it wasn't. She was scarred, more so than he could ever have been, even with his few shitty events in the past. And still, she was the most amazing person he had ever met.

"My father did arrest the fucker, you know?" She said after a while. "Well, he couldn't do it himself because they kept him away from the case. But he knew enough people on the force to get it done."

"He was a cop?"

She nodded. Chris couldn't begin to imagine how hard it must have been on him. A police officer that had his wife murdered by a drunk driver and couldn't even keep him in jail because of the crooked money-controlled system. "He didn't recover," she mumbled under her breath. "I don't know how he lasted that long, to be honest."

"I don't understand." He didn't want to interrupt her, but she didn't seem to mind. It was as if only then she realized he needed more information to understand her meaning.

"He died when I was eighteen. They say it was a work accident, could have happened to any cop. It was, but he was dead long before that."

Chris stayed quiet for a while, trying to think of anything he could say that would soothe her. When he couldn't, he took her hands and kissed her palms, then her wrists. She caressed his cheek and he looked up to study her face. She was unbelievably strong and so utterly beautiful. And he loved her more than he could ever deem possible. There was not a thing he could say to comfort her, but he desperately wanted to. He wanted to have been there for her, to have met her sooner, and kept all the sadness out of her life. But since he couldn't, he just stayed there and held her close for a long, long time.

"I'm hungry."

"What?" He frowned and pushed her away for a second to look into her eyes.

"I need food."

"I know what hungry means Kiara, I just... Are you ok?" He was having a hard time adjusting to her change. Wasn't she sad? "Good, so feed me. I have a performance in three hours."

If she wasn't going to linger on the tragedy, he wouldn't either. But he couldn't help but feel the shift in their relationship. She held his hand to help him out of the bench and didn't let go when they walked away from the garden. He looked at the silks he didn't climb and was almost glad he dodged that, even if it was his idea.

He was still thinking if there was anything else he should say or do. If it was ok to move on as she had just done. But then again, she wasn't moving on now. She had done it long ago when she was a fucking child. He could feel the anger rise again, thinking about a small version of his Kiara going through that.

Then, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking, she stopped walking and hugged him.

"Thank you,” she whispered. "Thank you for staying."

***

Chris stayed in the hotel all day to watch Kiara's performances. All he needed to crash into the meetings were semi-formal clothes and a confident business smile. Even if her routines weren't as touching as the first ones he watched, he was still impressed by her ability to match whatever style was requested of her.

And every time she looked his way and smiled from up there, he would welcome the warmth she brought and feel his pocket for the small box he was keeping there. Ever since she agreed to meet him every Saturday he was carrying the damn thing, waiting for the right opportunity to give it back to her. Patience was hard on him, but he could wait a bit longer.

As she finished the last piece, she came to him with a different kind of smile. She seemed especially cheerful as she grabbed his hand and power-walked outside, where the empty corridors provided them a little privacy. "What is..."

She pushed him against a wall and glued her lips to his. He didn't fail to respond, pulling her closer and entangling his hands in her hair.

"I missed you," she whispered against his lips.

"We were talking half an hour ago." He smirked, but he understood. He missed her like hell.

"Not like that, idiot!"

She kissed him again, and he wanted to stay forever with her in his arms. But soon they heard the people getting out of the conference room and Kiara detached from him at lightning speed. He couldn't help but love this little trait of hers, how she shied away from public attention whenever she wasn't on the stage.

"I did book a room, you know?" He whispered and loved the way she shivered in his arms.

"They wouldn't let you in by virtue of your dashing smile?" She asked with a sarcastic smile, and he really felt like fucking her against the wall right there because of it. And she was right, the hotel did require a reservation before he could get inside. He didn't think he'd be lucky enough to use it.

He led her to the master suite he had booked, and she shot him a questioning smile, certainly doubting he booked such a nice room with no hidden intentions.

"All standard rooms were booked already. There is a sales convention going on, you know?" He smirked and enjoyed the view of her exploring the room.

"I need a shower, I had three performances today!" She went straight into the bathroom, and from the room, he heard her cheering. "Fucking perfect!" "What is it?" He asked, curious as to what could be perfect in a hotel bathroom.

"I hate tub and shower combos."

"What?" He finally got to the bathroom and noticed the tub was separated from the shower. "Oh, that. Does it matter?" He was never one for baths anyway, so he never thought about it. "Yes, Christopher, it does."

"Why do you keep calling me Christopher?" He rolled his eyes. He actually got used to it on her voice and was beginning to like his full name in a way he didn't before, but he had to ask. "Because it annoys you." She shrugged. "Now, can you please fuck me in the shower already?"