“Roll on to your left side.” She obeyed. He then smoothed out the sleeping bag on the rooftop. “Face down on the blanket.” A roll into the sleeping bag he set out zipping it up around her. Once snug as a bug he stood up on the trucks hood and gripped the bag in one hand. Turning around he walked toward the grill denting the hood slightly beneath his boots. In his walk he drug Midnight from the roof, gliding her body down over the windshield, the blanket protecting her from being too roughed up.
Jumping down on to the ground he pulled her off of the hood with both hands to prevent a hard fall to the cold hard surface. Once her covered feet were on the ground Nick tugged her into hopping along, half ass dragging her to the garage then up into the house. The end of the road was at the side of the dinner table. Unzipping her security blanket, he yanked it out from under her as if a tablecloth until she rolled to the floor. She sensed that she should roll with it rather than crawl away or sit up. Beauty on the wood floor now, she realized the candle lit as their only light source. The scent of warm food enticing.
“Knees!” He told her distinctly, Midnight doing just that. “Hands held behind your back at the wrists. You do not let go until I tell you otherwise.”
“Yes Kami.” She mumbled cooperating perfectly to his command.
Taking the bowl of rice fixings from the table he fanned it under her nose. “No food allergies, right?”
“No Kami.” She watched him set the bowl on the floor in front of her. Hunger was brutal but she withheld going after it. Instead, she watched Nick take off his boots and socks, resting them uniformly to the left of his designated dining chair. Eying her curiosity he turned sideways in his chair and stretched out his right leg, his toes hooking the bowl on the floor and drawing it closer to him.
“Say grace.”
“Thank you for the meal you are about to eat. I await any scraps you deem worthy of my service. I am at your mercy oh Kami. Until I am no longer needed. Amen!”
Nodding at her performance with a pucker he had to admit, “That was perfect. You deserve a treat for that.” Dipping his toes into the rice bowl he collected morsels between them then brought the mess out to poise his foot in front of her. “Appetizer!” His foot mashing along her lips she licked and sucked the rice from his toes until her meal had been cleaned away. Reclaiming his foot, he scooted the bowl between his feet beneath the table. “Under the table. Eat your dinner.”
With chairs out of the way she ducked beneath the tabletop and crawled only on her knees until facing Nick’s lap with the bowl at his feet. Hearing the bowl sliding on the floor from side-to-side Nick smiled and ate his own plate. Ice water in a glass to rinse it down he plucked out cubes to feed her beneath the table directly from his fingertips, she sucks the water enough to fulfill her moment of quenched palate before eating more. Face buried in the bowl she ate every bit, using her tongue to capture the evasive morsels of her dinner.
Remaining quiet, Nick polished off his own meal and sat vigil in thought. Pondering on the days ahead concerning the Shoals and getting things done it was almost daunting. He knew having Midnight along with him out there too early would be a distraction and possibly even draw the ire of those native Santee who would see him disrespect her, mixed heritage, outcast, or not. It was going to require a gradual transition. Current thought only, that could change. This was HIS life, not theirs. She was HIS now, so let them frown.
Hearing a belch and a faint, “Excuse me Kami.” Nick shook his head. For all of her stunning beauty and ability to adapt to his much-needed lifestyle, Nick still found her adorable. He simply couldn’t let her see that reaction, it might soften her as time went on in thinking she could control the gentle side of him.
“Floors messy. Clean it up.” There were bits of rice and broccoli on the wood floor where she had licked his toes then fed beneath his notice. Peering at an angle to witness her, arms still behind her back, he watched her lick the tiny flakes from the floor, easing out from under the table to finish her entire meal before returning to her kneeling at the bowl. His ice melting Nick slid his chair back and bent forward spilling a healthy amount of water into her bowl. Pulling away he observed her bury her face into the bowl to lap and suck up the water and mostly melted cubes of ice. Lifting his foot while she was drinking Nick pressed her face all the way down until the large bowl consumed half of her head. Holding her there for one full minute, his toes curling into her raven locks, he finally released her. She kept her pose until he told her to sit up. Now her nose was cold.
“Finish the water so you don’t spill any, then take the bowl to the kitchen. Remain on your knees, hands behind your back.”
Standing up, Nick collected his plate which had a few stray flakes of rice still on it. Walking to the kitchen sink he held off rinsing it in favor of studying her mission. At first using her forehead to scoot the bowl out into the open, stepping awkwardly between walking on her knees then pausing to lean over for another nudge to the bowl. Waiting for it she finally clenched the bowl between her teeth and carried it. Much faster! Still awkward in walking on her knees on a hard surface she reached his side. Taking the bowl from her lips he rinsed it off with soap and water and placed it in the dish drainer on the counter. Holding his plate out for her she eyed the tiny morsels left behind then licked the plate clean. Nodding with approval he then rinsed the plate and his glass.
“Almost bedtime.” Nick went back into the dining room to blow out the candle, she following him like a lost puppy. He realized after warning her that his bed had two invited guests, that it was time to move them over. “Teeth only… drag your sleeping bag to my bedroom. You can walk on both hands and knees now. Follow me.” She was grateful, it helped her follow much faster like that. Biting into the sleeping bag she crawled after him dragging it along. Down a short hallway then left into the bedroom Nick paused her taking the sleeping bag and folding it out into a nice cozy mat at the foot of the bed. “Knees! Hands behind your back again.”
Cooperating in the faint glow of nightlights she watched him strip out of his clothing then step into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Returning with a second brush he squatted and brushed her teeth for her, then let her rinse before spitting into a paper water cup. Going back into the bathroom to discard it with a rinse of clean water then dumping it he gargled but kept his Scope in his mouth. Coming back without the cup he once more crouched at her side and this time shocked her. He pressed his lips to hers as if to kiss. Sharing his Scope with a gifted tongue she gargled the second he backed away by an inch, their lips barely separated from one another. Showing her his tongue he pressed their lips together again, returning the saliva shared mouthwash to him. One last gargle on his part in savoring her spit he ditched it in the sink. With his back turned to her Midnight dared to rejoice in her kneeling. He just kissed her! Close enough!