Chuckling softly, Lee took her in his arms and ran his hands through her long, blonde hair. "Hey," he told her, "It's easy when I'm with you." The truth of the matter was, he had been feeling just a little different lately. It was nothing he could put his finger on - just a feeling at the back of his mind. Cradling her warm, sweet-smelling self against his shoulder, he kissed her softly atop the head, needing no words to express his love.

At just over six feet tall and somewhere around 270 pounds, Lee certainly didn't fit the typical Chinese stereotype. Sure, he had the tan skin, black hair, and brown eyes - but he was very much an American boy at heart. Not only was he an ex-scholastic athlete, a college student, and a fraternity brother, but his girlfriend was as American as apple pie.

"Don't you have a class in the morning?" Candace asked a while later.

"Nope." Smiling, Lee released her from his embrace, sorry to see the night end. "But you do. A lab assignment, if I'm not mistaken."

Flashing her brilliant white smile, she said "Oh, those geeks can get by without me." Candace was a good student - could have been a great student - but held herself back. Like so many others, she had fallen victim to the ideals and opinions of those around her. As beautiful as she was, she had learned early in life that the smart kids - the browners - were never the most popular. And she sooo wanted to be popular.

"Come on, you know you enjoy it." He hated it when she slipped into her 'dumb blonde' mode, especially since he knew what she was capable of. As they became more comfortable with one another, she was slowly learning to just be herself, but he still wished she would drop the act altogether. "Do you really think any guy wants to settle down with an airhead?" With a scowl, he said "Sure, they may be good for a night on the town, but-"

Not wanting to argue, Candace pressed her lips against his, stopping his words with her tongue. It didn't take long for him to return the kiss, but as passionate as it was, she missed the rougher, more forceful technique of past boyfriends. She would never tell him - it would be a blow to his masculine pride - but he kissed like, well, a girl.

"Okay, I think that's enough." Gasping, she pulled away, but allowed his firm hand to remain on her breast. She loved the way he gently kneaded the soft, ivory flesh, playfully rubbing his thumb across her nipples. "Walk me home?" Letting him help her to her feet, she wrapped his arm back around herself, content to enjoy his touch for a few minutes longer. Finally, they ended their night with a brief kiss goodnight, both aware that anything longer would mean neither of them making it to class tomorrow. * * *

Swish, swish, swish - spit! Still tasting the minty flavour, Lee wiped the excess toothpaste from his lips and smiled. "Hmm," he murmured, rubbing his chin, "Looks like we can get away without that tonight." Actually, it had been close to a week since he had last needed a shave. For some people, that was nothing unusual, but he was used to running the old electric razor across his face three or four times a week.

"Must be all that healthy crap Candace has you eating," he chuckled to himself. Giving himself one last glance, he called "Bathroom's free!" and headed off to bed. He idly wondered if anyone else had noticed his recent clean-shaven look, but didn't really dwell on it. Instead, he tossed his shirt on the back of the door - not even noticing the fact that his Playboy centerfold had disappeared - and slapped at the light on his way past. * * *

"All right, I'll head inside and see if I can't get some information out of those mercenaries we passed."

"No. Let Lee go." Grinning, Lance poked his best friend in the ribs and joked "Why bully, when you can persuade, eh?"

"You really think they're gonna talk to a cleric? Hell, I'll be lucky if they don't kick my elven ass out the door." Usually, he got right into their weekly gaming sessions, but just didn't seem interested tonight.

"Shit, with a body like yours, they ain't even gonna notice the ears." Grabbing a Coke from the fridge, Dave told him "Just take out your dagger, make a few slits in your robes, and you're all set."

"What?" Jumping up out of his chair, Lee challenged "Is that another fat joke?"

"Hey, cool down, bud." Always the peacemaker, Lance suggested "Let's just stay in character, okay?" A little shorter and in better shape than Lee, Lance was much what you would expect in a Chinese-American boy. Easy going but not afraid to defend himself - or a friend - he was good to have around.

Scowling, Lee sat back down, looking over his character sheet to see what he had missed. Suddenly, he smiled, realizing he'd been set up. "Funny, guys, really funny." Reaching for an eraser, he asked "When did you make me a chick, huh?"

"Shit, you always play a chick, moron." Adjusting his glasses, the DM pleaded "Can we get back to the game now, please?" Rolling a black die around in the palm of his hand, he warned "Unless you get some help, that Lich is gonna kick some major ass."

Bewildered, the dark-haired young man had no idea how to respond to that. He wanted to accuse them of taking the joke a bit too far, but nobody was laughing. Suddenly uncomfortable - as if he were among strangers - he nervously reached down to snatch his binder from beneath the table. As he flipped angrily through the pages, he whispered softly. "Son of a bitch." Every character in the book was a woman - with the carefully chosen skills and proficiencies to match. It was wrong - he had never seen these characters in his life - but there was no denying that it was all in his handwriting!

"Shar'alith?" Slumping his shoulders, Dave yelled "Lee! Pay attention." Tossing a six-sided die his way, he challenged "Fuck, you gonna join us in the tavern, or what?"

Lee just shook his head and stuffed the elf into his binder. Slamming it shut, he replied "Sorry, guys, but I gotta go."

"Come on." Grabbing his sleeve, Lance said "We've barely been at it half an hour. Stick around."

He wanted to explain, but didn't understand it himself. He'd been feeling uneasy for a while now, but lately things had been getting downright strange. "I've got an essay due in the morning," he lied weakly. He hated doing it - especially to his friends - but he just wasn't feeling himself. "See you guys later."

Watching him go, the others just shook their heads and returned to the game. * * *

"Oh, yes, yes - right there!" Tossing and turning on her bed, Candace passionately urged her lover on. Unable to resist, she thrust her fingers into his short, black hair and pulled him even closer. "Oh, fuck, Lee, Lee, Lee!"