Our new routine came easily to us. Caelan had his laptop set up in the living room where he would write during the day, whereas I used my treadmill in a different room so I couldn't put him off. Leon drew up new sketches, ideas and designs next to me. Unlike my brother, he didn't mind me working out while he was working, and it was a good way for us to spend time together before I left for work. I assumed it also helped that our new treadmill was a lot quieter than the old one had been.
Caelan was the one who usually did the laundry, but every now and again I did it. The fabric conditioner we used made our clothes incredibly soft, and it smelled amazing.
The first few months were hard on us, since we had to get used to new jobs, a new house and a city which was much bigger than Riverview, but eventually we had settled in nicely.
Leon and I both wanted to visit Shang Simla in China, and we figured that we had both done well in our jobs and deserved a break. Plus, we had never really been alone. Our parents, siblings and friends had usually always been around, which wasn't made any easier by the fact that Caelan lived with us. I had a feeling he wanted to move and get his own place, but he hadn't mentioned anything yet and I didn't want to kick him out.
For those reasons, we were both really excited to go together. Just Leon and me, in a country very far away from home and everything we were used to. It sounded romantic, and I was itching to get going!
Our flight was booked for eleven at night, so around half nine Leon called us a taxi, and we were on our way.
It was a pretty long flight. Five hours doing nothing but sitting down got boring quickly, and we were exhausted since we had left so late and had still been working during the day. We fell asleep after only an hour, and slept for most of the other four.
Eventually, Leon woke me up. "Good morning, beautiful. Take a look outside the window" he said, so I did. The view was stunning! I had only ever seen China on TV or on photographs in magazines, but none of it had done it justice. It was beautiful, and I couldn't wait to get out there and take a look around.
We hadn't been able to afford a proper hotel, so we had booked a smaller place similar to a B&B at home. It wasn't fantastic, but in a way it was better. We did have our own room and bathroom, which couldn't be said for every bed in the house. It wasn't overly comfortable, but the room was big, and the fridge was re-stocked often, so we had everything we needed.
Our first stop was the Scholar's Garden. In the few minutes before we landed and the one hour before we fell asleep we had looked at the magazine on board, which introduced some popular tourist spots. It asked to show respect by being quiet and not running, which pretty much assured us that no kids would be there which, in turn, assured us some piece and quiet.
It was lovely, and had a truly serene, peaceful atmosphere. Leon and I went to play chess, which was amazing since we were both able to concentrate much better than usually. We weren't sure what exactly caused it, but there was a very relaxing, almost refreshing air about the Scholar's Garden, and somehow it caused us to focus much easier than we were used to.
After a couple of hours of playing chess, we decided to explore the gardens on our own for a little while. A beautiful, obviously well looked after, pond graced the gardens. It was filled with expensive Koi, which weren't easy to catch. Since I wasn't sure if I would even be allowed to reel in some of these fish, I didn't mind that nothing at all was biting. I didn't use very good bait, and was more focused on the fresh and mind-clearing breeze than I was on the actual fishing.
At the same time, Leon spotted a training dummy in one of the garden's corners. I was worried at first that he'd get hurt, but he didn't seem too bad at it, so I left him to it and went back to fishing. I had never felt so refreshed and free in my entire life, and made a mental note that we should come back here one day. Maybe with our children?
The thought made me blush. We still hadn't slept with each other, so kids were no risk at all at the moment. One day I did want children, though, and secretely hoped to have them with Leon. He'd make a good father one day, I was convinced of it, we just had to get... practicing first.
It didn't take long at all until Leon earned his first belt. He looked so fierce and determined in it, that I wanted to try it, too. I had to gain some experience in Kung Fu before returning home, anyway. My boss had offered me a raise and a quicker promotion if I did, the moment I told her that I needed some time off for this holiday.
We had only been able to afford a few days, so getting time off hadn't been a problem, but I had to promise her to at least try it. I wasn't entirely sure how it would assure me a promotion, but I wasn't going to stop her. If she wanted to throw promotions my way, I was going to be quiet, smile, and take the extra money.
After a very relaxing day, we went to the market in the evening, hoping to find a restaurant or some other place where we could eat something. We hadn't eaten anything at all in the Scholar's Garden, and since we had spent nearly the entire day there we were starving by the time evening rolled around.
We didn't find a restaurant, but we did find a little cafe. It was small and cosy, and the prices weren't too high, so we stopped there and ordered. I was very curious about the Chinese cuisine, and I knew that Leon was, too. They offered several dishes we recognised from home, such as Autumn Salad, but we decided on something more local.
Neither of us had ever eaten Chinese food before. I couldn't decide between spring rolls and stir fry at first, but eventually settled on the latter as it sounded more like a full meal.
We felt beaten by the time we made it back to our room. Poor Leon was hurting all over from having used the training dummy, and took a hot bath against the pain. I was hardly able to keep my eyes open as I brushed my teeth, and couldn't wait to get to bed. Somehow, even my bones were aching, even though I wasn't the one who had gained her first belt. I had a feeling that I'd be off even worse once I had, but I was strangely anticipating it. Being used to working out every day, relaxing in the Scholar's Garden had been very welcome, but I missed the strain on my body.
"Ebony?" Leon looked a little sheepish behind me, even though I wasn't sure why. "Would you mind if we visit the Academy tomorrow?"
"The Academy?" I was a little confused by his questions for the following reason. "Don't they only accept members?" I remembered that very clearly from the magazine on the plain, but of course it was possible that the information had been outdated.
"They usually do, but for two months during the year they accept new members, and allow others to try out. The rules are different for tourists. They never used to allow them in, but changed their rules recently. At least the little booklet on my bedside table says so. What do you think?" I had to admit, actually working out in the academy sounded amazing.
"I'd love to!" That way I would be able to work out with the training dummy at the same time as Leon, whereas we would have had to take turns in the Scholar's Garden.
It was getting late, and we were tired. The sun had already set behind the mountains, and it was dark outside by the time we went to bed. Just before we went to sleep, however, Leon pulled me into a hug and gave me a long, passionate kiss. It felt so good to be in his arms, that I once again scolded myself silently. Why couldn't I get over myself? Just what was holding me back from having sex with my boyfriend?
That's when I made a decision. We had a few days left in Shang Simla, and a big room all to ourselves. I would get over myself before we went back home again, and sleep with him. It wasn't the most romantic way of losing my virginity, but I had a feeling that, if I didn't kick myself, it would never happen.
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Wishes Fulfilled:
Work out until fatigued
Get Pumped
Do Laundry
Visit Shang Simla (both of them had that wish)
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