Andy Gale curled his body affectionately around mine after our shower. He must have sensed my nerves, as his intimate caresses were soft and delicate. My head was nestled in my arms as I lay flat on my stomach, Gale stroked the bare skin of my back, the warmth of his palms a welcome sensation of affection. The silence was comfortable as it hung between us, nearly an hour passing as we bid our time relishing each other's proximity. The doubt and anxiety that Gale worked to sooth came and went in waves, coming and receding like the ocean tides in the forefront of my mind. "You're going to make yourself sick with worry." Gale crooned, pressing kisses into the damp tendrils of hair on the back of my head. Even Kaito was being tender and affectionate, his normal serious self nuzzling and

