23 Nothing Else Matters

So close, no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words, I don’t just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Everyday for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

So close, no matter how far
It couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

I never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words, I don’t just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Everyday for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
And I know, yeah, yeah

So close, no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No, nothing else matters

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey
The Channeling Chamber
Jan 25, 2020, 10:00 AM

Finding a seat proved to be easier said than done; in fact, the term seat was a relative one, as there were no actual chairs. Instead, rows of mats were unrolled in the dimly lit room where the inauguration was being held. When Pearl arrived, followed by Phoenix, who was going his best not to trip in his wooden clodhoppers, numerous spirit mediums of all ages were already in traditional Japanese kneeling, feet resting on one’s bottom sitting position. It looked so delicate and pretty … but would surely give his unaccustomed legs an awful cramp!

A lot of the younger girls looked at him and began pointing, giggling, and whispering among themselves, as he was the sole man in the room. He blushed and squirmed uncomfortably in his unfamiliar kneeled position, pretending not to notice, while simultaneously restraining the younger Fey from slapping any of them. She’d begun rolling up her sleeve menacingly as a couple of teenage girls coquettishly batted their eyelashes in his direction.

With so many bodies packed into that small place, it was uncomfortably warm, and he hated to admit it, but he was grateful for the light fabric of his kimono – he’d have sweated to death in his jogging suit. The room was with nothing but candles, both as a source of heat and light. The area with the most lit-up flames was up at the altar, where a tall, slender woman, presumably the officiant, stood in wait. She was dressed in black robes identical to Mildred’s, indicating similar rank or status, and looked to be in her mid-50s, with dark, silver-streaked hair pulled back into a roll behind her head.

All of a sudden, a gong sounded and all heads turned toward the door.

The Master entered the room.

The card shark’s jaw dropped at the sight of her.

His lover looked like royalty. All that was missing was the crown.

She swept in grandly, her gait pure grace, her head held high, her posture straight and proud as she strode purposefully towards the front altar.

In place of her normal purple Master’s kimono, Maya now wore a long, rich violet cloak, with intricate golden embroidery, draped over a fitted, floor-length, lilac kimono, with slits cut to mid-calf to allow for ease of walking. Around her waist was the thick obi, indigo in color, decorated with a large purple amethyst in the middle. It was placed inside a gold buckle setting, which had the Master symbols carved into it. The gemstone matched the hue of the round purple stone that was set in the golden staff. He recognized it as the one that had belonged to Misty Fey, now held in her hand. Her glorious ebony hair was put back into a lace braided bun on the crown of her head, with wispy curled tendrils, now free of the purple baubles, framing her artfully made up, and exquisite face. A purple hibiscus was tucked behind one ear.

She was the picturesque vision of sartorial elegance and dignity.

Phoenix’s breath was caught in his throat. He couldn’t believe Maya still had the ability to have such an effect on him. She hadn’t taken his breath away like this since the night she’d worn that strapless, sequined red mini-dress for him. Although unlike the night of her 21st birthday, when she’d looked like a ravishing, sexy goddess, this time her beauty was still evident, but in a different, more subtle way. Less flashy, yet positively regal. Like an ethereal fairytale princess.

Scratch that! Not the mere daughter of a monarch but an actual queen.

He was still in a daze for the duration of the ceremony and essentially lost for most of it, although he dutifully chanted along when prompted, where it was required by the group. When it was his turn to come up to the front altar, after Pearl, he humbly bowed his head and mumbled “I will” when the officiant asked if he would accept that he was the Master’s second pillar of strength and would help guide her on her path to spiritual righteousness or something of that sort. Then he placed his hand over Maya’s as she lit the second pillar candle, next to the one she’d lit with her cousin, before shuffling back to his seat.

There was some more chanting done and the new leader lit the largest candle in between him and Pearl’s, then the Officiant, at last, gave a pleased smile.

“A soul of hospitality and a heart of humanity is a house of love, peace, freedom, liberty, and justice,” the elder declared, beaming. “The initiation has been completed, and the transfer of power is absolute,” “Mystic Maya Fey, we are honored by your acquiescence of the title of Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, under which we all may prosper. May we be inspired and guided by your wisdom, and may you be filled with peace and tranquility as you begin this new chapter of your life.”

The audience applauded as the village head turned to them and bowed graciously. As she walked between the rows of attendees to exit, they all bowed in turn. Phoenix felt Pearl tug on his sleeve, indicating they were to follow the new Master.

Once outside, the psychic exhaled loudly with relief.

“Phew! That whole ritual spiel was more of an ordeal! Such a nimiety of antediluvian traditions … it all had me in such a swivet!” She exclaimed, pretending to wipe a bead of sweat from her brow and beaming radiantly at the two pillars of strength who stood before her. “Ugh! Thank Mystic Ami that’s finally over and done with! Hey, Nick, you look pretty hot in that kimono!”

She flashed him a sassy wink.

“What are you rocking underneath that thing, anyway? Are you making like the Scottish men with their kilts and going au naturel or what?”

“Maya!” The spiky-haired man blushed furiously and looked pointedly at the pretzel-haired youngster before shifting his mortified gaze back to his swain.

“I guess that means no, huh? Too cold?” She laughed. “It’s kind of windy today too! Too bad…some of these old dinosaurs would probably get a thrill from seeing a man’s parts for the first time in centuries, assuming they didn’t die from heart failure first!”

That did it! Being sexually harassed by his girlfriend in front of her 10-year-old ingenue cousin resulted in morphing the former attorney into a blushing, tomato-faced, mangenue! Phoenix tried to glare at Maya for being such a naughty minx, but that would have required his eyes to shift from the ground and meet Pearl’s curious face.

God’s blood! Please don’t let her ask…

“Mystic Maya, what do you mean by a man’s parts?” The question was asked with the complete innocence of a child who’d never had formal education outside of the village, and Sex Education 101 was most assuredly not part of her spiritual study curriculum! “I don’t understand?”

Before the spirit medium could think of something even more inappropriately embarrassing to say – if that were even possible! – Phoenix looked up and saw the same village elder who had conducted the ceremony exit the Channeling Chamber, followed by the rest of the congregation, and let out an enormous sigh of relief. Not even Maya would be shameless enough to scandalize a whole village of acolytes, some of whom were Pearl’s age or younger, with her continued cheeky ribbing!

… or would she?

Fortunately, he never found out.

“Greetings, Master Maya.” The officiant approached the three of them just then, speaking in a cadence that while civil, was not entirely warm. “Will you be joining us in the dining hall now for lunch?”

“Please, Mystic Matilda, I don’t want to change my title of address,” the diviner insisted. “Mystic Maya is perfectly fine. “As for lunch…”

She questioningly glanced over at her cousin and beau. The former nodded eagerly and the latter discreetly shook his head – between Maya’s saucy badinage and the scene he’d overheard earlier, he had no appetite whatsoever.

“…Um, Pearly will be joining you right now. Nick and I just want to get out of these robes and slip into something a little more comfortable first, if that’s alright?”

“Perfectly fine,” Mystic Matilda flashed a polite smile. “We hope to see you shortly at this celebratory feast being held in your honor, Mystic Maya. I do believe the head chef has even arranged to make an Angus burger, with ramen noodles, especially for you, as you’d requested. Come join us whenever you’re ready.”

“He did?! Man, that is awesomesauce!” The Burger Queen raised a fist in the air. “I was getting so sick of vegetarian cuisine!” She turned to Pearl. “Honey, you go with Mystic Matilda now. Nick and I will join you as soon as we change our clothes, alright?”

“OK, Mystic Maya,” the child agreed amicably, turning away to follow the rest of the villagers to the dining area.

“Hey, Pearls?” The pianist called when she’d walked away a few feet. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

She turned around and blinked at him, the picture of wide-eyed innocence. “What is it, Mr. Nick?”

He fought back a guffaw, despite everything. “Nice try, kiddo. My hat, please?”

Pearl blushed and brought her hands up to her cheeks. “Oops! I’m sorry Mr. Nick! Here you go!”

The acolyte reached into her pocket and handed him back his beanie, smiling sheepishly at her cousin.

“Hey, I tried!” She stage-whispered into her guardian’s ear before scuttling off.

Phoenix turned to his inamorata, who at least had the decency to look somewhat discomfited, and barely swallowed a chuckle.

“Seriously, Maya? Have you been talking to Kay Faraday lately? I can’t believe that you’re trying to turn Pearls into mini-Yatagarasu, although as a great thief of hats instead of the truth!”

They had begun walking back to Fey Manor, but the necromancer physically stopped in her tracks and whirled around on him, all traces of embarrassment now vanished from her face.

“I’m so not sorry, Nick! I hate that hat!” She puffed out her cheeks and pounded her staff on the ground for emphasis. “Though I suppose I ought to be grateful Pearly managed to get it off you for at least the ceremony!”

“I see. I wouldn’t have thought something as trivial as the beanie my daughter gave me would cause you such grievance.” Despite the serious words, Phoenix’s eyes twinkled with amusement while holding the main entrance door open for them and stepping into the empty mansion – everyone else was at the lunch festivities in the dining hall. They plodded down the hall to her room, the clip-clop of his wooden sandals sounding like horse gallops across the floor.

“I know it has sentimental value but it does make you look like a complete hobo!” Maya huffed, tossing her staff to the side. Then, catching sight of his raised brow, she sighed deeply. “But I should just learn to deal with it, right? I mean, a handmade gift from your kid and a part of you …and I should accept that. I’m sorry Nick, I have no idea what’s gotten into me today…”

“Well, you do appear to be more animated than usual right now my love,” he observed, grinning. “Did they slip something into your green tea pre-ceremony or something?”

Although her boyfriend had been jesting, she put a hand to her chin, tapping her cheek with her index finger as she looked skyward in contemplation of the question.

“Hmmm, Mystic Marley noticed I was wound up after my, ah, talk with Mystic Mildred during the dressing ritual, so she offered to pour me some gross belly-wash excuse for a tea, and said she’d add something to help relax me for the ceremony…”

“Your tongue, from the looks of it!” He chortled. “I can’t believe some of the stuff you were saying to me in front of Pearls! Thank heavens Mystic Matilda came along before you got roped into an awkward Q and A with your baby cousin on man parts!”

“I can’t believe I had so little control of the stuff that was coming out of my mouth!” She groaned, burying her head in her hands in mortification. “I have no idea what got into me!”

“Copious amounts of spiked brew or overly relaxing herbs of some sort, I suspect!” Phoenix couldn’t stop sniggering. His significant other scowled at him. “You haven’t been that loose-lipped since the night of your last birthday when you downed one too many Dead Lawyer drinks!”

Suddenly her hands dropped from her face, unveiling an impish grin. It was as if the scenario they were currently in – alone together, in her bedroom – had just dawned on her. She sauntered up to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and treated him to a sultry expression.

“You know, Nick, I can be as just loose with my hips as I am with my lips…”

The siren gleam in her eyes was unmistakable and nearly weakened his resolve to stay
upright and clothed for the duration of this visit, despite his body’s longing ache triggered by the feeling of her lush, ripe curves pressed against him again for the first time in forever.

“Maya, no. We can’t. The elders, Pearls, they’re all expecting us back at the dining hall…”

His voice died in his throat as he stared at her with hungry eyes. Maya had shimmied out of her heavy cloak and let it drift to the floor, so she was down to only the form-hugging kimono.

“We can join them … after we slip into something more comfortable. It took two women to get me dressed into this outfit, who’s to say how long it will take me to remove all these hooks and clasps all by myself? Feel free to offer a helping hand in speeding up the undressing process…”

The top part of the fabric looked like it was straining to remain closed over her now-heaving bosom, and blazing sapphire orbs were now devouring a path up and down her supple physique which his mouth and hands yearned to follow.

Phoenix gave his head a firm shake and did his best to think unsexy thoughts.

Like Wendy Oldbag twerking in a bikini…

“I should have just gone straight back to the guest house to change my clothes instead of coming here with you, Maya. This isn’t right. We shouldn’t be alone.”

She eyed him blankly while pausing in the act of unfastening the frontal hooks of her kimono, stopping at the waist so he could take a peek at the lace lavender bra she was wearing underneath, as well as the smooth ivory skin of her toned abdomen.

“What’s your problem, Nick?” Her expression bore both hurt and confusion. “Why the sudden guilty priest act? It’s not like I have anything you haven’t seen before! Sheesh! If you don’t want me right now, then just say so!”

“Fine! I don’t want you right now!” He shouted, sounding about as convincing as a fat woman on a diet who was eye-banging an all-you-can-eat dessert bar. “There! Are you happy?”

There was a tense silence following his bald-faced lie, which was obvious even without the feel of his arousal at the sight of her partial state of undress. The sexual tension between them was something they could both smell, something they could both taste. The Master raised an eyebrow but blithely continued undoing her clasps, finally stepping out of her kimono completely. She then stood there in nothing but a matching lacy satin bra and panties set, head tilted questioningly to the side.

Maya fixed him with a stare that pummeled every worrying thought in his head and heart until his whole universe was reduced to just that come-hither look.

“Liar. I don’t believe you for one minute,” she murmured, moving closer to him. “Even if that kimono does do a better job than your track pants of concealing the evidence which contradicts your so-called lack of desire for me, it doesn’t matter.  Because I know all I’ve got do is take a gander for myself underneath that thing to establish my burden of proof.”

The seductress stopped until she was merely inches away from his face, and he could feel her breath against his lips with her next words.

“So, why are you freaking out, Nick?”

“I’m freaking out because every second I’m with you, all I can think about is  you … me … and that bed!” He cried desperately, not even bothering to resist as she slinked her arms around his neck again. “And it’s so wrong since I don’t want you thinking that’s the only I want to do whenever I see you, especially after being apart for so long! Because you mean so much more than just that, my love.”

“But what if it’s all I want to do, Nick?” The Master peered up at him with enormous eyes, filled with love, desire and determination. “What if you’ve opened a Pandora’s Box and unleashed a latent, insatiable sex addict here? One who just wants to sink her teeth into you whenever she looks at you – since the very first time you rocked her world? I refuse to feel ashamed or guilty about wanting you. Because I love you, and you love me. Making love is part and parcel of being in love. Now stop overthinking so much!”

“It’s not just that, Maya. I –”

“I will never forget that first night you made love to me Nick,” she whispered, holding his face in her hands and peering searchingly into his eyes. “I remember how tender and passionate you were, but above all, so patient. You took things slow and took the time to make sure that I was ready. Now it’s my turn to do the same for you.”

Long lashes fluttered against his throat, and the delicate brush of the butterfly kiss was so exquisite against his skin that he closed his eyes, just reveling in her touch.

“Is this OK?” She kissed his cheek.

He nodded, his eyes still closed.

“And this?” She kissed his other cheek.

He nodded again.

“And this?” Her lips pressed against his chin then his jaw.

He closed his eyes tighter and released a small, hissing sound between his teeth.

“And – ”

As soon as their lips met, Phoenix grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close, kissing her deeply as if his life depended on it. She let him guide her backward until they reached the bed, then climbed on top of him. His hands roamed over her back, pulling her closer as their bodies pressed together. Their mouths smashed against each other with a fierce desire that had been building since they first laid eyes on each other at the train station.

The next moment, he had his hand behind her head and gently lowered her onto him as they continued to kiss passionately. She was overwhelmed with sensation, her body buzzing from head to toe. All she wanted was to keep pressing against him, entwining her legs with his and running her fingers through his soft hair. She craved his lips on hers for the rest of the night. It felt so good to have his body against hers. Not just anyone’s body, but Nick’s body. Nick, who laughed with her when he didn’t laugh around anyone anymore. Nick, who had dropped everything at a moment’s notice and was by her side during one of the most important moments of her life. Nick, who she loved, who she wanted, and who wanted her. Maya wanted so badly to be wanted, all of her, every piece.

With a superhuman effort he didn’t know he had, Phoenix gave a moan of reluctance, broke off the kiss, and gently pushed her off him, even though it took every ounce of inner strength he had to do so. He rolled over onto his side, taking his lover with him so that she lay beside him on the bed, panting just as heavily as he was. He was sickened by how cruel it would seem to reject her. How could he possibly explain?

Instead of resorting to the instinctive poker mask that he’d lately been utilizing in such emotionally-charged dilemmas, he could feel tears building in his eyes and did not attempt to hide them.

“We can’t do this,” he rasped.

She smiled understandingly, but it fell away again almost immediately as she looked down.

“Because of the Elders waiting for us?”

He nodded. “You know that the minute we go back into town –”

“As you wish.” She stared up at the ceiling. “Then we’ll just stay here.”

He cracked a half smile. “Forever?”

“Sure, why not?” She shrugged. “The Master’s boudoir seems as good a place to live as any.”

“Nice big bedroom with a pretty view of the garden.”

“Plenty of light.”

“Everything we’d ever need.”

“Except food. We could send Pearly out daily to personally bring us the chef’s daily specials as part of our VIP room service.”

They both snickered at their silly fantasizing for a moment, then Phoenix affixed her with an earnest expression.

“Maya, if I make love to you one more time, I won’t ever be able to let you go again. It was agonizing enough the last time.”

“But Nick –”

He placed a finger against her lips, silencing her.

“There’s more. I can’t hold this inside any longer. When you asked if part of the reason for my attempted restraint just now was because of the Elders waiting for us in the hall, I wasn’t being fully honest. It’s only part of the reason.”

He rolled over and sat up so she could see the full sorrow in his eyes.

“My love, during your frumious pother with Mildred earlier this morning … when Pearls came out, the door was open. And I heard everything.”

Maya gasped and sat up as well, her hands flying to her lips, and her eyes round with dismay at the realization of how devastated Nick must be feeling after hearing that wretched Svengali unleash all her pejorative vitriol.

“Oh, God, Nick! I’m so sorry…”

“Well let me rephrase that. I may not have heard it all the virulence,” he corrected himself, his voice tinged with rancor. “Pearls shut that door pretty damn fast. But I still heard enough.”

“You can’t let that miserable blatherskite hag get to you! None of it is true! And it doesn’t matter to me what they think, Nick! All that should matter is what I think, and what I feel. I don’t care what they think of you!” Maya reaffirmed.

The pained, haunted expression in his eyes broke her heart.

“But I care what the Kurain vox populi thinks and says about you,” he retaliated quietly. “Don’t feel you should compromise your lustrous new career just because I ruined mine.”

Phoenix knew he was doing the right thing, even though it was gutting him.

I can’t expect her to throw away her life as the Master for some abjured reprobate/borderline criminal, and thus destroy her reputation… none of this was her fault! Furthermore, there’s no place for me in Kurain! The palaver of my presence would only hinder Maya’s already difficult task of wielding any power or respect here. It would become all about me and that would be completely selfish. . I refuse to be that pebble in her shoe. I love her too much to do that to her.

The psychic swallowed back the sob building inside her chest as she got up off the bed, suddenly feeling very exposed and vulnerable in her nearly naked state. With shaking hands, she quickly donned her regular Master’s kimono, her mind reeling at what horrible, irreparable damage had been done to their relationship from this visit.

His obdurate expression distressed her, enough that somehow she couldn’t find it in her to shriek how he needn’t stultify himself and make such an excruciating sacrifice; that since he’d shut the door prior to hearing the entire brabble exchange, he’d missed the most relevant detail from his Willyard girlfriend’s rebuttal to the Dragon Lady’s attempted hectoring.

The part where Maya had made it unfathomably clear that her solicitations and alliance with Phoenix Wright were the one thing she would never, under any circumstances, compromise or negotiate on – and the village elders’ sophistic abhorrence to him be damned!

She’d fought so hard for him, for them, tooth and nail… yet overhearing one horribly-timed, mud-slinging vituperation was all it took for him to just throw in the towel.

It was Misty Fey all over again – publically shamed over falsehood and propaganda and thus “not having the right to face or associate with her.” Her mother, her sister, and now her paramour … the three people who’d exerted the most fundamental influence on her existence, all taken from her without warning … Because of a lie, an injustice! It wasn’t right. Moreover, it wasn’t fair!

Is Nick going to disappear from my life, too?

“Be straight with me, Nick.” Her voice trembled. “What does this mean for us, then?”

This was Phoenix’s cue for him to do the magnanimous thing and tell the love of his life it was fine for her to move on if she wanted to, to find someone who could truly dedicate himself and stay with her. But he couldn’t force himself to say the words, even though he hated himself for it.

“I can’t leave the city, and I know you have to dedicate yourself to your new Master duties and leading Kurain. I never want you to feel you should have to give any of that up for me, either. So for now…I don’t know. Maybe someday, things will change; when things have cooled off a bit here, but for now…”

He couldn’t meet her eyes anymore. He knew if he saw tears in them, they would be his undoing, and he was barely holding it together as it was.

“…I don’t want to be stirring up any more dramas for you here at the village anymore. I think it’s best if I don’t come back here for a while. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s OK, Nick. I get it.” Her voice was hollow.

“I’m so sorry, my love. I think I need you more than you need me. I’m just a hindrance to the Master thing, and in terms of relationship, I just … can’t help or support you the way I should.”

So that was it. He thought he was being noble, trying to set her free, unburdening her while he alone bared the weight of the world on his shoulders. It was such a typical paragon Nick thing to do that she would have laughed if her mind wasn’t already screaming in a panic about what this all ultimately meant.

I won’t lose Nick! I can’t! I was powerless to tell my mother how I felt, that she did have the right to face me, but I know better this time.

“Oh, Nick! Why do you think I needed you here so badly today? The only reason I thought I could get through this whole Master ordeal was because of you!”

The necromancer walked over to the bed where he was still sitting and reached for his hand, her fingers warm against his.

“If all I have with you now is today, I don’t want to lose any more time,” she stated quietly.

When Phoenix leaned forward to kiss her, he could taste the salt on Maya’s lips from tears, although he was uncertain if they were hers or his. It was like gravity, this force between them, a pull as strong as the tides and unlike anything he’d ever felt before. He’d meant it as a joke when he’d said he could stay here forever, but he suddenly felt it was true. She drew back for a moment and tipped his chin up with her finger, pulling him into a standing position, all the while looking deeply into his eyes.

“And I need you too, Nick.”

Her lips were once again impacting his. He was already kissing her back, moving his hands up her arms, sliding slowly across her skin. Holding her in his desirous gaze, he pulled her to him, pressing her right up to his body. One of his hands moved up the back of her neck, twining his fingers in her hair and tipping her face up to his. He brought his lips down again, this time barely brushing them against hers.

“You know,” she said with a teasing smile. “You never did say anything about my ceremonial outfit or new Master hairdo today, buster! Didn’t you think I looked just a little pretty?”

He regarded her with utter seriousness like he always did.

“I thought you looked beautiful. Then, and now. Especially now.”

“Beautiful?”

“My love, you are so beautiful it hurts me sometimes.”

Phoenix’s lips moved to hers, starting gently and then growing more intense and hungry. His kiss consumed her. His hands moved down her arms, over her hips, and to the hem of her kimono. He gathered the fabric in his hands and began pushing it up her legs. She surrendered to his touch and the way his kiss ignited her mouth. His hands kept moving upwards until he had removed her kimono and thrown it to the floor, then he pulled her close and fell back onto the bed with her on top of him. His own clothes quickly followed suit.

Once they were both bare, it was Phoenix’s idea to prolong gratification for as long as possible, not allowing them to touch each other, kiss, caress, or even brush each other with their breaths for a while. He lay still while leaning above Maya as she lay back on the pillow, mocha eyes fixed on him.

They gazed at each other for the longest time, both their hearts pounding, and the blood rushing through their bodies.

Every part of her longed to be touched. Her lips tingled in anticipation. He smiled and brought his hand to within an inch of her breasts, moving over the air between them, as if caressing her. She moaned, closed her eyes, and waited.

Despite how long they’d been distanced from one another, Phoenix had nevertheless come up there in a desperate hope to have the strength not succumb to his primitive urges, but now it was all he could do to keep from ravaging her like a ravenous beast.

“It’s exquisite, this torture,” he murmured, the air from his mouth warm against her throat.

She squirmed, moaned again, and ran the tip of her tongue over her lips in anticipation of his kiss. But he raised his head, far enough away so she could still feel his breath but couldn’t reach his lips.

“Every inch between us is like a mile.” His voice was hoarse. “Now you know how painful it is for me to return to the city and what it’s like to look out of my window every day and think of you.”

“There’s never a day I’m not thinking of you, Nick.” Her gaze never left his. “As selfish as this may sound, you’re a part of me and if you hurt, it’s like hurting me. If I love you, it’s like loving me. That’s why I don’t ever want you to go.”

“Maya,” he whispered, his lips drawing closer and closer until they finally met hers. It was the most electrifying kiss they had shared yet. She held onto him tightly as they explored each other’s bodies with a fierce desire. She never wanted the moment to end, and when it seemed like it might, she cried out and begged for more, digging her fingers into his shoulders and hips. Their lovemaking was more frenzied than it had ever been, their bodies writhing against each other until they were both slick with sweat, their hearts racing and their lungs struggling to catch their breath.

Gasping, they lay back, their heads beside each other, his arm around her shoulders, and waited to catch enough breath to speak.

“Can you ever doubt my love for you?” He buried his face into her fragrant hair.

“No more than I can doubt my own for you,” she choked out, then felt her eyes well up with tears. What they shared was so beautiful, so right. But how could so many make it out to be something wrong, something ugly? And because of these same, hateful people, Maya had no idea when she’d ever set eyes on that beauteous face of his again. Or if they’d get to be together, like this, ever again…

“Don’t,” he whispered tenderly, as though sensing her thoughts. “Please don’t look so sad, my love. I’m sorry about everything I said earlier – if it made you feel bad, or brought back any painful memories…”

She turned her head away and fought back the urge to weep at his loving concern.

My life has been more tragic than a Shakespearean heroine’s, He’s truly the Romeo to my Juliet, except they only had their parents protesting their union. Nick and I have my entire village – hell, the entire world’s disapproval regarding ours! The only man I’ve ever loved, who’s ever let me feel even a snapshot of happiness in this tormented sorrow-fest that I call my life, and he’s being taken away from me, again. It seems my penitent existence is fated to be more bad memories than good.

“We can’t ever fully escape bad memories,” he susurrated. “All we can try to do is outweigh them with happier ones. And in our case, don’t stress about what the future may bring, but just enjoy the present. Even if we only have the here and now, we’re going to savor every moment of this paradise together for as long as we can, OK?”

He crooked a finger under her chin, tilting it up so could smile down into her face, all the love in the world written across his features, until eventually, she had no choice but to return it.

“Who gives a flying fart if the who universe thinks we’re mismatched and have no business being together? What matters is that we know where we stand with each other. You and me, Maya, we have a good thing here, don’t we?”

“Yes,” she agreed readily, the corners of her mouth lifting into another smile, this one unforced. “We really do, Nick.”

A soft gasp escaped her lips as he shifted his pelvis and eased into her once more. Wantonness took precedence over old, painful reminiscences and hapless realities.

The hell with all my current obligations and duties. I’m just going to bask within this moment for now and the devil take the hindmost.

Maya wanted this. She wanted Phoenix – forever, but also… for now. For the mindless rapture, however evanescent, that only he could give her, along with the bliss that transported her mind away from the problems that plagued the two.

Paradise, he’d called it. She arched her hips against his, closed her eyes, and held on to him for the return trip.

Again, the world had collapsed around them, and this time they knew they couldn’t fix it, just as they both knew they had no answers on how to solve the many cruel injustices which kept them forcing them apart. All they could do was hold each other, and seek solace in one another’s arms in some effort to still have something to cling to through all the madness and mayhem to make things better.

And before the day was over, they’d both relinquished any measure of conscious inhibition or control on their desire to be together for the first and last time in Kurain Village, and Lord only knew when else, ever again. It was a spontaneous moment of fleeting perfervidity, and they wanted to hold onto it to stay as close as physically possible to each other. She was soothed by the stress of his embrace, and remained quite still, relaxed against him, mingling into him. And he let himself revel in the bliss of being locked together in an elemental embrace beyond their superficial foreignness. There was nobody else in the world at the moment. It was just them. Nick and Maya.

Nothing else mattered.

Metallica – Nothing Else Matters