<div align="center"><strong>-=Vincent Kincaid – Putting it all on the line – The Gamble’s Infirmary=-</strong></div><br/><em>”Can you believe that?  I feel fine.  It’s just a silly bump, I’ve had worse!  It’s you I’m worried about.”</em>Vincent felt a tear well up in his eye when he felt Mae slide her hand into his for a soothing moment of contact.  As simple of a gesture it had been, the vast and significant meaning behind it had left him feeling ripped off that there was no grand finale of fireworks and celebratory trumpeting that went along with it.  For the hand fate dealt them that day, Vincent felt that it owed him at least that much.  The tear never fell, but all that weight that he had felt moments before had melted away.  The spark between them had not died and was hopefully on the verge of erupting into something magnificent.<br/><br/>“Just a silly bump on my end too.  Well… perhaps a few silly bumps.  As I said, I went at them like a rogue bus.  The basic laws of physics dictates that both objects will feel the impact, though in most cases it is the bus that keeps on going with an extra dent or two while the more squishy object is typically worse for wear.”<br/><br/>The sight of Mae sitting up made Vincent a little uneasy, especially when she obviously experienced a bout of dizziness.  He knew he wouldn’t have the energy to catch her if she fell forward, but he was confident in his ability to do foolish actions that would get him hurt for the sake of Mae’s well-being.  The past hour had given him plenty of practice.  He may not be able to stand easily, but he was certain he could fall like a champ and would be able to interpose himself between his love and the ground.  The idea of Mae lying on top of him certainly was appealing.<br/><br/><em>”Woah, moved too fast.  I’m good as new, real shiny.”</em><br/><br/>Despite her words, Vincent was not entirely confident and readied himself for Operation: ‘DO A BARREL ROLL!’, which would precede the “USE THE BOOST TO GET THROUGH!” maneuver.  He waited on edge while she steadied herself.<br/><br/><em>”You know, if you changed your mind about sleeping with me you didn’t have to go to such extreme measures.  A simple, Mae… I’m just not that into you would have done the trick.”</em>That remark had shocked him so much that he very nearly jumped the gun on the operation without need.  He then burst out into hearty laughter.  “No no, you’re looking at my master plan all wrong.  I willingly got beat up to get us both a doctor’s slip excusing us from work while ordering us to get plenty of ‘bed rest’.  You see…”  Vincent’s expression turned mischievous.  “At the bare minimum, we just got the next twelve hours guaranteed to ourselves.  Couldn’t have our first night together get interrupted by launch orders now could we?”<br/><br/>He watched as Mae slid off the table and landed steadily on her feet.  Thankful for that because the ground looked rather hard and unforgiving from up there.<em>”Where does it hurt?”</em>A familiar excitement radiated through his body as she walked to his bed.  “This general region.”  He said gesturing with his hands to the entirety of his body.<em>”Want me to kiss it better?”</em>His lower lip was capture between his teeth as he anticipated what she was running through her mind.  The feeling of her fingers sliding along his torso was more soothing than any ice pack, hot tub, or ointment known to humankind.<em>”If they force a grounding on us, at least we can spend it incarcerated together.”</em>A grin spread across his lips.  “Let’s just hope we get sent to our room.”<br/><br/>The tip of his tongue moistened the part of his lips as a bandaged hand caressed Mae’s cheek.  When he spoke his tone was warm and sincere without any trace of humor or sarcasm, though there had been a trace of nervousness.  Something that was quite rare for the man.  “You took a blow to the head.  You really shouldn’t be standing…  This bed isn’t exactly big, but would love to share it with you.”  Taking his suggestion, Mae climbed up the bed with Vincent’s hand at her hip offering balance until she got comfortable by straddling his hips.  The next moment, the two of them were locked into a deep and passionate kiss that brought about all the same sensations he felt when they were in the restaurant.  He was certain that would be something that would never get old.  His hands held on to her, one holding lightly upon the side of her neck while the other rested upon her hip.<br/><br/>It wasn’t long before he felt Mae’s balance shift slightly as she started grinding against him just a little bit.  In reaction, his mind went into fervor compelling his own body to express his own passion for her.  His touch became more firm, letting her know just how much he wanted her with him.  His breathing became heavy with need and desire, the discomfort from his injuries not even registering amongst the building pleasure.  By then his heart was racing with desire, causing his body to warm up considerably making his touch all the more inviting.  Vincent had dreamed about that for so long and they were on the cusp on achieving everything he had ever wanted since meeting her.  A portion of his mind instantly recognized the lie in that realization and despite the rampant wanton desire that sent his thoughts into a wild torrent.  That small area of his brain bellowed out with such power and authority that it stopped the escalating passion dead in its tracks.<em><strong>NOT LIKE THIS!</strong></em><br/><br/>Vincent broke the kiss prematurely gasping out “Wait…” as he attempted to catch his breath from the sheer intensity of it.  “I can’t...  Not as we are now...  Not yet…”  Taking another steadying breath, he considered his words before meeting her gaze.  Her eyes were doubtful and on the verge of being hurt, which were a stark contrast to his, which were hopeful and nervous.  “Mae.”  Vincent’s words were soft and sweet as his fingers caressed her cheek lightly.  “I’ve had a crush on you from day one.  But that was months ago and during that time those feelings have grown into something much, much greater.  By now it should be no secret that I want you.”  He began his next statement with a gentle laugh.  “Our first kiss should have been more than enough evidence of that…  But that isn’t enough for me.  I cannot be your fling, one night stand, or friend with benefits.  While I’m sure such moments would be beyond amazing, I will always be aware of just how fleeting they are.  That is something that would eat me from the inside out until the pain becomes too much to bear.”  Vincent took in a deep breath to steady his nerves.<em>Here goes nothing.</em>“Mae.  I cannot just be your lover.  Not with these feelings I have for you.  I want to be yours as much as I want you to be mine.  If we are going to take our relationship to the next level, I need it to be the whole package.  I want to be with you in every way possible and will desire nobody else as long as I have you.  What I'm saying is, I want you to be my nü peng you more than anything in the verse."<br/><br/>Vincent held his breath as he waited for Mae's answer.  Either he had set into motion everything he had hoped for or had just threw away what would surely be the best night of his life.  But he was serious about what he said, only having a sample of Mae would potentially ruin him in the long run.  So he had to put everything on the line and hope.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>nü peng you = girlfriend