A little bit

Heather's toned body clings to yours. Her crying had died down but she still hadn't moved from your embrace. "Thank you Michael. I didn't mean to waste your night when you wanted to clear your head." She mumbles into your shoulder. You're hand continues to run through her hair in gentle caresses.

"Anytime I spend with you isn't wasted. Being with you has calmed me down, so I think I should be thanking you." You can't see her reaction but you're pretty sure her mouth curls into a smile as you feel it along your shoulder. "Are you feeling better now?"

"If I say yes would we have to stop straight away?"

"Not if you don't want to." She snuggles into your chest as your arm cradles under her.

"Yes, I am feeling better. All thanks too you Michael but I want to stay in your arms for a little while longer." You comply and keep Heather held. You look down at her face as she relaxes. Her rosy skin glows healthily under the light from the full moon, her full lips slightly parted as she blows breaths out slowly which have a minty freshness in them. Her chest rises and falls under each breath, her blanket tightly wrapped around her which clings to her curves.

Being hypnotised by her beautiful features you don't notice how much time passes. "Oh gosh, I almost fell asleep. Sorry again." Heather gasps as she tries to sit up. You scoop her up, arm under her legs and behind her shoulders.

"I'll take you back, you can sleep in my arms." You stand up and start walking back inside.

"I can walk, it's okay. Really."

"Heather don't worry. I know you could walk back but if you fall asleep in my arms then you'll probably have good dreams."

"If you insist, I'm not going to argue with you." She rests into your arms, a large smile fills her full lips. Without any effort you walk through the house and all the way upstairs, back to Heather's room. With her door still open you slip inside and lay Heather down in her bed.

"Goodnight Heather." You kiss her forehead. As you make to move away she grabs the back of your head and pulls you back for a sweet kiss on her lips. You don't use your tongue, just kissing with your lips, her full lips soft and gentle against yours.

"Goodnight Michael and thank you." She breathes against your face.

"Uh yeah... anytime." You say taken aback slightly. You leave her room and close the door quietly behind yourself. With thoughts lingering on her kiss and the warmth from her body still clinging to you, you find sleep finds you very quickly when you lay back in bed with mom.

* The Connected Space.

"Hello again Michael. How did it go with Lucy?" You mysterious Rikka asks.

"Good. Really good actually better than I could've-" You stop yourself. "Wait, wait, wait, wait. How the hell do you know what her name is Rikka? I almost forgot that you knew last time but I've never told you before."

"Michael really?" She giggles in the void around you. "I thought you would've figured this out by yourself."

"I've not had much time to dwell on our chats with a fucking apocalypse happening and all!" You sigh and calm down. "Sorry, I'm just frustrated... And worried so could you please tell me how?"

"The more I integrate with your body the more I am able to connect to your mind. I was originally designed to take over straight away, wiping you out and taking full control. Part of that would be involve retaining all of your memories and mannerisms so as not too arouse suspicion that something had happened."

You run your hand through your hair. "So when the merge sequence was accelerated last time it connected to my mind instantly?"

"Precisely. The forceful merge would wipe your existence from the conscious mind. You would be dead."

"Well thanks for sharing. At least I won't struggle to sleep now." You let the sarcasm drip through your words.

"At least I took control of it and was able to merge peacefully with your body."

"What happens after seven days? Back when you first got injected into me you said something about the merge taking seven days to complete?" You ask.

"If we remain merged peacefully then we would coexist in the same vessel. We'd share your body."

"Cool..."

"Right now there is nothing that we can do about it so I must ask you to focus on your goals. What enhancement can I perform on you this time, we missed the last one so this will happen instantly."

"I would like..."