* Â non-sexual acts of intimacy. Â always accepting.
â  ⡠ ADJUSTING JEWELLERY / NECK TIE / ETC.
     before eyelids even click open   â   mechanical,  routinely   â   he knows heâs slept in.      he waits for memory to jolt him up,  muscles sore from last nightâs endeavours,  effiaâs whispers at the shell of his ear sending chills down his spine.      and heâs late for work.      he scrambles from the sheets,  too tight,  too smothering,  with little care for whether she wakes up or not   (   frankly,  heâs surprised she stayed the night,  their rendezvous always fleeting,  a greeting here,  a nod of the head there,  an impromptu visit on her behalf   )   as he gets ready in record time.
     he has what could be considered by some as the fastest shower,  water still lukewarm when he jumps in and does what he can to wash her off him.      she never leaves  ;  not completely.      he towel dries his hair,  brushes his teeth,  leaves the bathroom   âââ   and she near enough gives him a fright,  breath hitching as he staggers back from the doorway.      â      jesus   â   !     â      breath recuperating,  he becomes irritable,  sliding past her and muttering as he gathers his clothes.       â      youâve got to stop doing that.      â
      itâs unclear exactly what that is  ;  startling him when heâs still drunk with sleep,  or showing up in the first place ?      grumbling,  he haphazardly dresses,  figures heâll grab a coffee on the way to bring him back to a more fluid consciousness,  and overall tries to ignore her presence in the room as he crosses off a mental checklist of his belongings.      when heâs ready to go,  as far as heâs concerned,  she stops him,  tells him to wait,  shows no inhibition in adjusting his tie as she sees fit.      he rolls his eyes as her other palm finds leverage against his chest,  touch surprisingly gentle in comparison to their usual rough and tumble.
      â      are you done ?      â      the annoyance has been leached from his voice,  exchanged for a playful quip that lifts his brows and curls his mouth.      but he canât help but think how the scene looks  ;  a poorly devised caricature of domesticity,  housewife fixing up her husbandâs attire before he goes to work.      he shudders unwillingly,  and heads for the door before she can see his eyes wavering.      â      stay out of trouble.      â