Chapter 14: Safe In Your Arms

“Excuse me,” Kaname exclaimed in a haughty aggravated tone. “I hate to break up this heartwarming, yet disgusting reunion but...”

Sousuke gently grabbed the girl by the upper arms and pulled her away. “Anahita?” he asked studying the young girl’s face, remembering the last time he had seen her. A young girl following him around like a helpless puppy. He had ignored her at first but after time had passed, he actually enjoyed her stories and small gifts. She had been one of the few people he had felt comfortable around as a child.

“Kashim,” she said pressing her body even closer to his. Sweat began to break out on his forehead and he stiffened in her invading embrace.

Kaname’s patience was growing thin and she stamped her feet angrily. “Excuse me! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she yelled at the girl.

Anahita looked up at Kaname, her eyes suspicious and probing. This girl was obviously with Kashim, she thought. She felt a slight stab in her heart wondering why he would parade another woman in front of her. “Who is this, Kashim?”

He panicked. “This is...she’s...this is entirely inappropriate-”

“I’m his girlfriend,” Kaname interrupted, quickly grabbing him by the back of his shirt and pulling him away from Anahita.

“Is this true?” Anahita asked her face saddening instantly. Since the day he had disappeared, she had always kept a candle burning in her heart for him. Her Kashim, home at last! she thought with glee. She had pictured this for years, the moment she would see him again, even imagined going to find him one day. And no overbearing so-called girlfriend was going to ruin their reunion! she thought with fire in her eyes.

“Miss Chidori is indeed my girlfriend,” he said hoping to abate Kaname’s raging temper.

“Ana! Kashim and Miss Chidori are very tired from their journey,” Rustam scolded his daughter. “You may do your catching up tomorrow after they have had a chance to rest. Now, show them to their room.”

Ana made a sour face and eyed Kaname warily. “Right this way,” she gritted out walking past them both.

“Ew,” Kaname said following behind Sousuke. Who did this girl think she was? This was a part of Sousuke she didn’t know and it made her feel vulnerable. HE wasn’t exactly the type to spill his life’s story and she wasn’t the type to pry. She was definitely going to have work on that.

Ana grabbed Sousuke by the arm as they walked down the hallway giggling nervously. “You have the best room in house. We don’t get many guests but we’re always prepared for visitors.” She smiled sweetly up at him batting her eyelashes. “I can’t believe you’re here Kashim.”

“It was required,” he replied standing out in the hall as Ana fumbled with the keys. “We will not be staying long.”

That’s what you think, Ana thought wickedly. “Whatever you need...anything,” she cooed at Sousuke, “just come and get me. I’m the room down the end of the hall.”

“Thank you, Ana,” Sousuke said with a short nod.

“Goodnight,” she said walking past them, shooting Kaname an evil grin.

Kaname stuck her tongue out in response feeling triumphant. What a little twit, she thought.

Once they were in their room Sousuke felt himself finally relax a little since they first left Tokyo. He sat on the edge of the bed and began removing his outer robes. Kaname stood staring out the window at the darkness her mood very heavy and distracted. He couldn’t help but notice her rigid appearance as she grabbed the drapes and yanked them closed.

“Is there something wrong, Kaname?” he asked innocently while folding the cloth.

Suddenly, a sharp pain exploded through his head as he went flying backwards on the bed. “You big jerk!” she cried after throwing the nearest thing she could find, a small stool, directly at his head. “All you’ve been doing since we left China is telling anyone who will listen that we’re newlyweds! Yet, you can’t open that stupid mouth of yours and tell some girl sucking your face that I’m your girlfriend?”

“That hurt,” he groaned rubbing his forehead.

“Why am I here? Huh, huh Sousuke?” she screamed stamping her feet like a child.

“I told you already, it isn’t safe to return to Tokyo.” He sat up still rubbing his head.

She wanted to scream! This entire trip was probably for nothing. Sousuke and his overprotective, paranoid ideas. How was she supposed to trust the words of that smug Leonard Testarossa? How could Sousuke trust him? It took every ounce of her sanity to keep from knocking some real sense into him.

She just needed sleep, she thought, wondering where this extra sense of brutality was coming from. It had been days since she had actually woken up feeling refreshed and even longer since she had felt the softness of a mattress. Most of her sleeping was done on buses and trains or in the backseat of cars. Staring at the bed was making her feel sleepier by the second and she gave into the yawn that had been nagging her for the past few minutes.

“Ahhh!” she groaned falling onto the bed. “Go away, I want to sleep.”

He just sighed and stood up walking across the room to peek through the curtains. Why was she being so difficult? He swore to her that he would never let anything happen to her again no matter what the cost. So why did he feel like she was slipping away from him?

Peering over his shoulder, he watched her for a few seconds realizing she was already sound asleep. His breath stopped short in his chest and he swore he had never seen her look so peaceful, so...beautiful. Her hair was tossed casually above her head laying like silk over her arm. Her soft pink lips were slightly parted as her chest rose and fell with each breath.

For the first time since he had met her he really saw her, understood why he felt so strongly about her . She was his salvation, his calm after the storm, the driving force that made life worth living. He couldn’t remember what he was before they met and he wished he could tell her somehow. But every time he tried to speak the words just wouldn’t come to him.

Walking across the room, he sat down on the floor in front of her, face to face. He wanted to reach out and touch her but he didn’t want to wake her. “Kaname,” he whispered and she didn’t stir. He felt his chest tighten and he closed his eyes laying his head down on the mattress next to hers. It wasn't long before he too drifted off from the sheer exhaustion of their travels.

.o.o.o.o.

Kaname bolted upright in the bed, the dream still fresh in her mind. Closing her eyes she grasped her chest as fresh tears sprang to her eyes. It had been a long time since she had dreamt of her mother and right now she felt even further away from her. Images of her mother’s smile flashed through her mind and she let out a little whimper. The pain was never going to lessen no matter how much time went by. Her chest tightened and she suddenly had an overwhelming urge to run, anywhere just to relieve this pain.

Sousuke! She scanned the dark room frantically as panic began rising inside of her. She immediately stilled seeing him sitting there on the floor, his head lying on the mattress, sound asleep. He had fallen asleep next to her. Earlier I acted like such a spoiled brat. Guilt reared its ugly head and she slid off the side of the bed onto the floor next to him.

He opened his eyes and lifted his head watching as she glided over closer to him. “Are you alright, Kaname?” he asked his voice still softened from sleep.

She lowered her head as new tears formed in her eyes. Why do I always do this? Her whole life she has had to deal with pain and sadness. And now that one good thing happens, having him in her life, and she kept pushing him away. All she wanted was to feel safe, to know that he would always be there. Sure, he had said it plenty of times, but she just didn’t feel it. She wanted to scream, to punch him, anything to make him feel something.

Crying again? What did I do? Has the traveling finally broken her? This wasn't what he wanted, but for some reason it was always the outcome. It didn’t matter how often he saw her cry, it always affected him the same way. The best course of action here would be to comfort her, he thought looking down. Kurz had said women were delicate emotional creatures that needed constant reminders of their beauty and superiority. Then he thought back to their first kiss and how she had reacted, but for some reason he didn’t care if she got mad at him.

All she could think to do was throw herself in to his arms but before she could move strong hands were already wrapped securely around her. She didn’t have time to be shocked, just leaned into him, savoring the warmth of his embrace, the way his hands sincerely, honestly held her close. One hand was firmly holding her around her back and the other cradled her head against his shoulder and all she could do was cry even harder.

“Kaname, what did I do?” he asked his voice taking on an unfamiliar worried tone.

“You didn’t do anything, Sousuke,” she replied through sniffles lifting her head, their faces inches apart.

“Then why are you crying?” he asked noting the small flecks of burgundy in her irises. He always was fascinated by her eyes, even remarking once to Kurz it was his favorite physical feature on her.

She looked away trying to stifle the new tears. “Don’t you ever just cry for no reason, Sousuke?” she lied hoping to cover her obvious weak display.

He knew she was lying. This whole trip was making her so tense and more aggressive than usual. It was obvious it was his fault even if she didn’t admit it. Perhaps she needs reassurance. Kurz had reminded him on several occasions that “girls were emotional train wrecks just waiting to explode”. Maybe this was what Kurz meant, he thought to himself as he watched her expression change from distressed to masked again.

“Would right now be the wrong time to kiss you, Chidori?” he asked.

She smiled and chuckled lightly. “You don’t have to ask me anymore, you idiot,” she said lowering her face.

He watched a slight blush spread across her cheeks. It was just like before when he had seen something in her lying in bed, and she looked so captivating, so innocent. He couldn’t stop himself from reaching up and pushing a small piece of her hair from her face. His eyes swept over every inch of her face, examining the subtle curves of her delicate face, the way her eyelashes framed her eyes, the little crease in her brow from frowning. It was like he was really seeing her face for the first time and it affected him like never before.

What’s happening? His body suddenly started feeling very odd and the room felt very small. Something had changed; this was completely inappropriate behavior. It went against all his training, even if she was his girlfriend. He had no business being with someone like her. She was a Whispered and even though he new very little about that part of her life, he knew she was important, too important for a lowly soldier like himself. Why is she still here with me?

Something inside of him guided his moves, just like in the Arbelest. He imagined gripping the controls, how it felt to control the massive machine, feel it’s movements beneath his hands. His whole body came to life and he welcomed it, harnessed it. Is this how I’m supposed to feel? It was very similar to how he felt when he was fighting in an AS: adrenaline pumping, heart racing, nerves alive. His breathing sped up and he couldn’t focus on her face any longer.

“My stomach feels strange,” he admitted his breath ragged. Did I say that out loud?

When she glanced up his eyes looked hazy, stormy, like she had never seen them before: imploring, denying, animalistic all at the same time. It was like he was fighting in internal war with himself, reason and desire battling against each other. It made her insides flip-flop with excitement and she clung to him tighter as her own body began to respond to his awakening senses.

It was like a light came on inside of him and he suddenly understood how she had felt all this time, why she was constantly angered by his mediocre reactions to her obvious flirtations. For the first time he understood what she was feeling and it made his insides jolt with the realization. This is what Kaname feels when she looks at me? No wonder she blushes all the time.

He still wasn’t sure what drove him forward or how quickly he moved but he bent down but he couldn’t stand for another second not feeling her lips against his. The instant their lips joined it was a feeling like he never knew existed, one of the most surreal moments in his life. Soft, warm, enthralling and it made him want to stay like this forever, safe beside her. Does she feel this? I feel as if I have been drugged. How does anyone handle a situation like this sanely? No amount of training or words of advice could have prepared him for such an consuming and overwhelming assault on his senses.

Kaname snuggled into him as new tears formed in her eyes, this time because the kiss was so pure, so emotional it made her body ache to be closer to him. Yes, this is what I want, this is how I need you Sousuke. If I can feel this safe in your arms, there isn’t a thing in this world that can defeat us. And as his arms held her tightly he savored the feel of the way their bodies molded so perfectly together. It scared him more than dying, that he would never feel this way again and he ate it up like a starving man.

It didn’t even shock him when he felt the tip of her tongue trace his lower lip; nothing could break this hypnotic spell between them. She wasn't even sure why she felt so compelled to do it but she just needed to taste him, even blushed slightly at her own boldness. It was just like she had seen so many times in the movies, as they held each other so close.

Something was guiding him as he opened his mouth deepening the kiss, tasting her completely. No manual, no instructions, just sheer instinct driving him on, the need to be as close to her as possible. Mingling, blending, becoming one they soared into each others depths, nothing else existing around them. It was so unsettling for Sousuke but for once he couldn’t fight the overwhelming sensations reeling through his body. Kaname just as helpless, clung to him, feeling if she let go of him she would fall from the earth.

When their lips finally parted all they could do was stare at each other breathless, their minds clouded and confused. Sousuke was stunned. What had just happened? Why did I do that? Why did she let me? His mind continued to dance questioning his moves, his lack of control in her arms. And just as he chastised himself for allowing such a thing to happen, another part of himself reveled in the feeling of the wild uncontrolled emotion they had just experienced. He liked it. He wanted to feel it again. This had to be wrong.

Kaname grabbed him and buried her face in the crook of his neck finally letting the breath fully leave her lungs. How long had they been kissing like that? How did he know how to kiss her like that? It was like something switched on in his brain, a deep ingrained need that he never knew he had. This was a side of Sousuke she had never expected to see and she inhaled deeply memorizing the way he smelled, imprinting it in her mind. It was just like she had always wanted her first real passionate kiss to be like. She loved it. This felt so right.

.o.o.o.o.

Ana watched them through a hole in the wall a fury building inside of her like never before. She wouldn’t have seen this if it wasn't for her lack of sleep over his return and the fact that the walls were paper thin. All these years and he comes back, not to save her but to rub in her face the fact he had moved on. She wasn't going to let him just cast her aside for some cheap foreign girl! She would make sure they had no choice but to stay there, giving her ample opportunity to remind him who she was, what they had together, of the childhood promise he had once made her...

I will return for you.

To Be Continued...