Virika OS: Curiosity

Jeevika took out clothes for Viren while he was in the shower, humming lightly as she did so. Ever since that day not long after their marriage when she had first chosen his clothes for work and he had picked out something else, he had now made sure to wear whatever she picked out for him. And she tried to follow along with whatever the day required - talking to him about his cases and work for the next day. She never would've thought she could've achieved such a level of comfort and close connectivity with a person before. She didn't talk much, but she listened a great deal and Viren seemed to appreciate whatever she did, even then, although he did try to bring her out of her shell every once in a while.

She remembered their first kiss with a delicious shiver. They hadn't even consummated their marriage yet, on some unspoken agreement they'd take their relationship slowly, but as each day went by, Viren found more ways to romance her, take her by surprise and slowly shed her inhibitions, one by one, without her even realizing it. Rummaging in the drawer for his wallet, she didn't hear him open the bathroom door behind her.

"Good morning," he said from behind her.

She jumped a little, turning back shyly and averting her eyes from the sight of him in nothing but pants loosely hung, snug around his waist.

Well. What a good morning it was.

His back was facing her as he dried his hair with a towel and so she took the opportunity to admire the sight of her husband - fine example of a male specimen that he was - sheltered as her life had been, she'd never seen a grown man shirtless before, but she didn't think that many men looked like Viren. He was well-built with a flat abdomen and muscles in his arms that moved and rippled under his skin in a fascinating way as he moved. And he didn't move awkwardly either. There was a quiet strength in his every motion that both enthralled and alarmed her in equal measures. He'd been nothing but gentle with her. But, the reminder of his strength also served as an inkling of how much he'd been holding back...and what he was capable of.

She wouldn't lie to herself. She was curious and mostly innocent about marital relations. Sure, she was aware of the basics of it. But, she didn't know how it might feel. It would hurt the first time, but would it be a nice sort of hurt? The kind of hurt that one wanted. That spark of heat she felt every time he kissed her deeply - would that be there too? Or would it be more? She didn't know. She certainly hadn't expected she'd enjoy his physical attentions so much prior to their marriage. Growing up in a traditional family with certain rules and expectations had taught her that a good girl didn't think of such things. Yet, she had a faint suspicion that Viren wouldn't mind if he knew.

He caught her watching him in the mirror and smiled. She blushed, swallowing hard, and looked back down at the floor. "I-I'll just go-"

"No, that's okay," he said casually, "I don't mind. Could you hand me my shirt please?"

She picked it up from the bed and held it up to him, still averting her eyes, standing about a safe metre away from him still. Yet, half a minute passed and he had not taken it from her. She looked up finally to see him watching her, with a half-smile, hand held out, palm facing upwards, but kept at his side. He wanted her to come to him.

So, she did. She supposed she could have just handed it to him as quickly as possible and made a run for it, but something stopped her. It was partly to do with the fact that he had went all the way to Rishikesh to make her birthday so special for her and how understanding and sweet he had been. But it also had to do with her own insatiable curiosity. She wasn't Manvi's sister for nothing.

She didn't look away, while handing his shirt to him, and for a moment she didn't let go of it either, even when he was holding on to it. She liked being this close to him, even if she tried not to show it. And then he tugged her forward, just by the shirt, giving her the freedom to choose whether she wanted to be even closer or not.

It was different this way. He'd hugged her before, held her before, but those times had all involved them both being fully clothed. And now she could feel the heat radiating off of his skin, she could discern his each and every eyelash, the shape of his mouth and how very, very different the shape of him was compared to hers.

"You're going to get late for work," she couldn't keep from saying, letting go.

He sighed in resignation, "You're right." Something in his tone of voice indicated he wouldn't have minded in the least if he had been late.

"I'll go get you some coffee," she added, backing out of the room, her heart thudding still.

When she returned, he was now fully clothed and she wasn't entirely certain whether she was grateful for that or disappointed. She handed him his coffee - he was seated on an armchair, reading up on a file - and he drank it quickly, setting both it and the file down after a minute.

"Come here," he said softly, extending a hand.

She opened her mouth, about to argue, but he said with a crooked grin, "I don't think I mind being late to work today after all."

She could hardly argue with that. So she took those few steps towards him, placing her hand tentatively in his. "Do you mind?" he inquired - because if there was one thing she'd learned about him, it was that he genuinely cared what she wanted.

She shook her head with a small smile of her own and he pulled her towards him suddenly, so she was forced to brace her other hand on the armrest, while her face was put in startling proximity to his own. He was still smiling with that mischievous glint in his eyes that made her wonder whether he'd ever really planned to go for work at all.

"Virenji?"

"Mmhm?" he was quite intently focused on her mouth now.

"What are you doing?" Although, it was quite clear what he was doing.

"Do you mind?" was all he responded with, eyes darting back to meet hers and holding them.

She could say yes, yes she did mind. Or she could pull away, walk away - he would probably let her. But she did none of these things because yes, she was curious to see what he would do next, whether he'd let this kiss linger longer, transpire into other things...but, she also wanted. She wanted him too.

So she shook her head and held still. But he didn't move. He waited. And she realized what he was waiting for.

So she racked up her courage and leaned forward, just as he did, pressing her lips lightly to his own and then pulling back. But then he was waiting any longer and seemed to know exactly what he wanted - what she wanted - and he reached up with his other hand to twist gently in her hair and pull her back exactly where he wanted her, angling her head to meet his mouth and it was a thousand times sweeter, a thousand times better. He didn't demand, he asked and she gave. He didn't push her, he pulled her in so she lost herself. He didn't simply stop at one kiss, but hooked her in for a long, luxurious string of kisses that she felt throbbing throughout her entire body, that familiar heat building again. And it felt so good, it scared her. Just a little. Not enough to send her backing away, as it might've once had, though, because she trusted him.

So even when her knees gave way and he hooked an arm under her legs, adjusting her position so that she was sitting - straddling him - she didn't give a moment's pause. Because pausing would give rise to her nervousness, her worry that she didn't know what she was doing and not knowing scared her. This definitely felt different, seated this way, it lent a whole new air of intimacy and closeness and she became excruciatingly aware of more ways than one of how differently made their bodies were.

He broke off, if only to let his lips meander slowly down her neck and she opened her eyes, just for a second and then gasped, "The door...it's not locked."

With a show of immense restraint, he stopped, leaning his forehead against her collarbone, breathing deeply and then picked her up off his lap, set her seated on the bed - which she was quite thankful for, seeing as she wasn't quite sure what to with her legs after they'd just been entwined around him - and locked the door. That swift click however, was enough to set the alarm bells ringing off in her head and she said softly, "You're late. For work."

He glanced at the clock and then back to her. Whatever he read in her eyes made him nod and smile gently, "You're right. I'll see you in the evening then?"

She nodded, smiling hesitantly back, watching him leave and close the door behind him.

And then she flopped back on the bed, eyes staring at the ceiling, trying to sort out her muddle of emotions and thoughts and attempting, unsuccessfully, to keep herself from blushing. Curiosity killed the cat, she reminded herself sternly. Although, your husband certainly didn't mind, that little mischievous voice in her head whispered back.

She'd been taught her whole life that a good girl kept quiet and didn't break the rules. A good girl didn't let her curiosity get the better of her...that it was much safer to sit back and ignore her desires. But Viren took all of these rules and asked her to break them while he watched...or rather, participated...he wanted her reactions, her desires and he did everything he could to satisfy her every wish. So, what was right or wrong, here? She didn't know. But she decided, then and there, she'd go along for the ride.

It wasn't just simple curiosity that drove her.

It was something else that was relinquishing her hold on safety and rules and everything else. But that was okay, Viren had told her, not through so many words, but what he did. It was okay to not always be the good girl. It was okay to be curious.

It was okay to want. And it was okay to love.