"what! so you haven't had sex yet?"

"shh! lower your voice!" kim looks around the office to make sure no one heard dee. "it's not like we never had sex before. it's just that we're waiting for their divorce papers to arrive before we do it."

"why?"

"she feels guilty if we'll do it while she's still legally married to the father of her kid."

"and so?" dee raises an eyebrow. "i'm sorry. i don't get the point. you're okay with katie now, right? what is she still feeling guilty for?"

"i don't know..." kim shrugs. "maybe that's how she wants to show her respect to peter and katie before the court finalises everything."

dee hums. "but her ex-husband-to-be is already screwing another woman, right?"

"well..." kim shrugs again, but realises she run out of answers. "look. i respect pie and her decision, whatever it is."

"sweet." dee playfully jabs her. "but i'm curious... is she allowing you to kiss her?"

kim nods. "everything is allowed until here." she draws an imaginary line across her waist.

"ooh. hot. i suppose that means you make out a lot." dee picks some papers from the nearby table and fixes it. "and then sleep it off after?" she chuckles.

"are you mocking me?" kim asks, annoyed.

"chill!" dee's still laughing. "i'm sorry." another laugh. "i admire you, really. this must be tough for you." kim was about to speak but dee interrupts her. "i know you respect her decision. that's totally fine. i'm actually amazed at how you two can control it."

"well, i've to admit there were times we almost... snapped," kim admits. "the recent one was a few days ago. remember it was raining the other night? we were making out and got carried away. she usually stops me whenever my hands get playful. but that night she allowed me to take her top off."

dee's eyebrows rose. "take it off like... half-naked in front of you?"

"yup."

"then what happened?"

"pie's terrified of thunders." kim chuckles. "we lost the momentum after a loud thunder disturbed us."

"you should have coaxed her back after she calms down."

kim shakes her head. "unfortunately, katie's terrified of thunders too. she came knocking at the door. pie had to rush to get herself dressed. the three of us slept together that night."

"what a tragic sex story." dee sighs. "do you think you would go down that road if the thunder didn't happen?"

"can't say. i always stop whenever i feel like i'm taking it too far. i don't want to push her into it."

"well, you don't need to push her. you can make her want it too and let her lose self control."

kim looks at dee. "what do you mean?"

"have you ever tried seducing her? not the bold way but the subtle way."

a lightbulb pops in kim's mind. "how?"

"show some skin but don't strip off. embrace her then let go. give her sensual touches then pull back. kiss her but don't give in. you know, it's like giving her a taste of something nice then taking it back so she would want more. make her lust for you."

kim blinks. two times. three times. "are you sure that will work?"

dee laughs. "just try it. let's see how long she can keep her hands to herself."

---

kim hears dee's voice as she stands in front of pie's door.

'show some skin but don't strip off.'

turning the doorknob, she takes in a deep breath. "let's see how this will roll."

the sight of pie reading a book on her bed greets kim. "hey. how's class?"

kim leans over to kiss her lover's forehead. "usual. i have another project to focus on for the coming weekend. you? how's work?"

pie smiles. "the kid i was telling you about got discharged today. i'm gonna miss that cute little boy but i'm glad he's better now."

"that's great." kim unbuttons her flannel. "it seems you enjoy working more after getting assigned in the pedia ward, huh?"

pie nods. "kids and babies are just so cute."

kim lies on the bed, next to pie. the movement causes her flannel to open, exposing her torso. but she masks the intention with a sigh.

"you okay?" pie asks, putting her book down, and kim can feel her girlfriend's eyes on her.

"yeah. just tired. there was a heavy traffic jam going back here."

pie crawls on top of her. "hmm. why don't you change now and then let's have dinner after?"

"you haven't eaten yet?" kim's arms wraps automatically around pie's.

"i was waiting for you. but i fed katie earlier."

kim remembers dee's words again, 'embrace her then let go.'

she flips their bodies around so pie would be underneath her. "thank you for waiting for me." she kisses the woman as her hands playfully run along pie's legs.

'give her sensual touches then pull back. kiss her but don't give in.'

this went on for about a minute. pie's reacting to the touch, her hands clutching kim's back.

'pull back. don't give in.'

even if she doesn't want to, kim slowly pulls away. she gives one last kiss to mark the end of their make out. "let's eat? i'm hungry."

pie could only nod. she looks like she was left in the middle of something.

smirking, kim pushes herself up. "i'll go change."

---

something is weird today.

after kim came from the city, she meets up with pie, katrien, and pie's mom in the mall that afternoon for grocery shopping. since she arrived, pie has been touchy in a way that kim would classify it as subtle sensual. and the smirk the comes off pie's face whenever she does something tells kim that those are intentional.

now kim's sure pie has already caught up with her plans of teasing.

---

"okay. spill. what's up with all that teasing?" kim asks once they get back in the room.

pie chuckles. "i don't know what you're talking about."

"oh i know you were up to something, woman." kim grabs pie's thighs and carries her up over the bed.

"what?"

"i dunno, but i know there is something." kim leans down for a quick kiss and pulls back, propping her elbows on the bed to look down at her girlfriend. "running your fingers along my nape, breathing into my ear, and even rubbing your foot against my leg while we're having dinner. you were teasing me, weren't you?"

"i don't recall doing any of that." pie giggles. "and why are you talking like you haven't been teasing me these past few days, huh? you think i didn't notice?"

kim laughs. "were you teased?"

"well, you did a pretty good job."

"so... does that mean that you teasing me back now means we can finally...?"

pie glances at the direction of the bedside table and smiles at kim. "finally what?"

"oh you know..."

pie says nothing. she grasps kim's left arm, squeezing it lightly. "i'm just happy today."

"happy about?"

"this. us." she looks up at kim. "you. me." she brushes away a stray hair from kim's face. "i know a lot has happened to us since we broke up. i even tried to live a life with another person. but it has always been you, kim. all this time it has been you, and it will always be you."

kim feels her heart warming up. "what did i ever do to deserve you?"

pie shakes her head. "what did i ever do to deserve you? you're an amazing person. and i still ask myself sometimes why you keep wanting me when you can find others who are single and free."

it's kim who shakes her head now. "you know i tried. but you set the bar too high, pie."

pie chuckles.

"i'm not kidding!" says kim. "you did more than loving me. as what i said before, you saved me. not just once, twice, but you saved my life, my sanity. and you're still doing that until now. i don't think i could find another who would do the same for me or will not get tired of understanding me. you never gave up on me despite everything, and i am thankful for that."

"good to know, because i have no plans of letting you go." pie's hand travels to kim's nape. "never again."

"don't worry. i don't have plans of breaking up with you again. never again."

"good." then pie pulls kim down for a soft kiss.

when they pull back, kim asks, "so, about my question earlier..." she runs her fingers on pie's collarbone. "are you okay with us doing it tonight?"

pie chuckles, pulling away from kim to stand up. kim stays on the bed as she watches pie strip off her blouse and skirt.

"what are you planning?" kim asks now that pie's in her undies.

pie smirks. "shower." she walks to the bathroom and stops to turn to kim. "by the way, i have a present for you waiting in the drawer." she nods her head to the direction of the bedside table.

kim points at the drawer to confirm and pie nods.

"i'll go shower now," says pie before closing the door. kim didn't miss the teasing tone in her girlfriend's voice, shaking her head as she opens the said drawer.

the drawer contains nothing in particular but papers. she looks further inside and underneath to make sure she didn't miss whatever item it is, until her eyes catches the words typed on the top paper.

'divorce decree.'

she picks it and reads it, her eyes skimming through the phrases: final judgement, decree and order, having come before the court, done and ordered...

she puts the paper down, her eyes wide. "honey..." she calls.

"yes?" pie peeks from the bathroom door.

"this...?"

"yeah?"

"you are...?"

pie giggles. "wanna join me?"

kim stands up and takes off her shirt and pants in a hurry.

"hell yeah!"

- fin -