[center][h2][B]Forbidden Revelations[/B][/h2]
[h3][i]Loom - The Academy - Aeris' room
Midday[/i][/h3]
[i]Collab: [@yoshua171] and [@Celaira][/i][/center][hr]

For a few moments after the Lord of Chaos exited the room, Aeris simply sat there, staring at the doorway. She didn't know if she could continue with her lecture for the day, not with the knowledge that he was around. Though, she knew she'd have to get over it at some point, and thus, she shook her head and began to lift both herself and her brother from the ground. Before she could even ask for any help, the bell dismissing the classes for that hour tolled, and a part of her sighed in relief. She had remained calm throughout his visit, but inside she was starting to crack slightly. Because of her being there her brother had gotten hurt, and the lives of her students were put in danger. [i]What a great first day, Aeris.[/i] She thought to herself, sarcastically. 
 
The vampiress watched as the students filed out of the room, having told them to do so herself. Her eyes searched each of their faces as they walked away, and then lowered to look at Mairyell, who still lay unconscious in her lap. 

"What am I gonna do...?" Little Kasio questioned no one in particular, the sadness in her own voice grating on her ears.

Staying in his seat longer than the rest, Timore stared at his wrist for a long moment, somewhat spaced out, before he heard the footsteps stop. Shaking his head he pushed up from his desk, his chair sliding back across the floor a bit. He put the chair back in its place after moving out from his spot then walked towards the door. He stopped halfway there, his brow screwing up a moment before he glanced back at Aeris. [B]"It could've been worse,"[/B] he said a bit quietly, [B]"but for the record, I like the bit where you got to lecture...and I'm sorry Metentis added to the trouble,"[/B] he waved, giving her a smile that looked slightly forced. [B]"I'll be sure to come back...even if no one else does,"[/B] he then turned and left the room, his fragment's eyes shining green a moment before dimming to black.

However, as Timore left Aeris' view he entered the sights of another instructor, one with eyes as green and luminous as his own fragment's. [color=#67D1A0][B]"Aye laddie, tha little mistress lingerin'?"[/B][/color] Reates said with a wide smile and a questioning tone, his cheery voice would be readily apparent to Aeris despite her being in the room and he in the hall. Timore just stared up at the man for a long moment. [color=#67D1A0][B]"Ye doin' fine? Ya look a flutter. Like a cliff's gone and broken up with ya on it,"[/B][/color] said the irishman in his characteristic accent. Timore, after another moment of consternation, just nodded in the affirmative, then pushed around Reates and left.

It occurred to him that he'd not introduced himself to the man. He hoped it wouldn't be held against him later because he was a bit too tired for all that. He was lucky that he had an hour or so of freetime before the next class was due.

He could finally take a nap and stop thinking for a bit.

Aeris heard a familiar Irish accent, and her eyes rose from her unconscious brother to the door leading into the hallway. Why was Reates looking for her? She wondered, moving so that she could get her brother's arm over her shoulder and hoist him up. When they were both up right, Mairyell's full weight leaned into Aeris and she blinked. "What have you been eating for the last 200 years, you weigh a fucking ton." The vampiress muttered bitterly. She looked at the room, and then saw that she needed to get both her bag, [i]and[/i] the present Sam had brought in with her.

She groaned.

Glancing back over his shoulder at the student, Timore was his name if he recalled, Reates made a brief note as to whom in class should get tailored comments. He had two on that list so far, Ian and Timore. He really needed to do a better job at this, he'd been slacking. What would the second years think?

Turning away he walked to Aeris' door, realizing he could've just looked through the wall to check. Still, the real question had been [I]is she alone in there and is everyone okay,[I] but that's just not how he functioned so it hadn't occurred to him to just ask in that manner. Entering, Reates immediately noticed the unconscious essence of someone else and sighed. Looks like something [I]had[/I] happened. Still, he'd done his job and Abstractis was keeping a close eye on both the intruder and his charge, Olivia. He had also left the little kitty to guard her. [color=#67D1A0][B]"Ello Aeris, I [I]felt[/I] you 'ad a visitor. Mmm,"[/B][/color] he looked her over, noting the dedicedly downtrodden air about her, [color=#67D1A0][B]"...don't look like it went all that well neither. A shame."[/B][/color]

He began crossing the distance, "Need some help with the goat-snake-lion?" His tone was an odd mixture of cheerful and serious as he offerred some help.

Aeris' head tilted to the side when Reates asked her if she needed help, and then it registered what he meant. "Ah, yeah, that would be great." She said with a small, sad smile. "Thanks Reates." She spoke softly as she handed her brother off to him for a moment to retrieve her bag, and then shouldered the present, reaching out with her other arm to wrap it around Mairyell's torso. "Today was not the best day." She said in response to something he had said earlier. "The reason I can even teach this class showed up out of nowhere, so that was fun." The sarcasm in her voice was palpable.

"And, my brother, being my brother, sorta lost his cool for a bit there." Her voice dropped a few octaves as she adjusted Mai's arm around her neck. Her eyes dropping from Reates' face to her shoes. 

As she moved to take one of her brother's arms, Reates shook his head and his eyes burned a fierce green for a moment after which Mairyell began to comfortably levitate. It was as if he was floating on a bed of air, He smiled at her, tipping her chin up to see his smile, [color=#67D1A0][B]"Aye, there're good days and bad 'uns. Tomorra will be bett'r,"[/B][/color] he beamed and glanced up at the unconscious chimera, [color=#67D1A0][B]"Now, let's get this silly man to yer room so he can at least wake up comfortably, aye?"[/B][/color] He patted her shoulder lightly, glancing towards the door.

The doll watched from the corner of her eye as her brother began to float, and then met eyes with Reates as he tilted her chin up. A small, grateful blush colored her otherwise pale cheeks as she slid the large package from her shoulder to hold it with both hands. "Ah, yeah... Not that I'm positive any of the students who came today will even come back. Save for one, but I'm not sure if he was just trying to make me feel better." Aeris stated, nodding when Reates suggested getting Mai to her room. She walked toward the door, expecting the Irishman to follow, and cautiously guided him to her room. Her cautiousness was due in part, to Szayeis being somewhere in the school, and another part of her not being completely acclimated to the entirety of the school yet. 

"Is Olivia all right?" Aeris wondered aloud as she walked, her irredescent eyes watching Reates curiously. 

His eyes stayed on her as she spoke, as was polite, though his attention was divided between holding the vampire, watching his step, and listening he still managed not to miss a beat. [color=#67D1A0][B]"Heh, ya'd be surprised. Excitement is interestin' for most people, even if it involves bein' a bit afraid,"[/B][/color] he shrugged a bit, thinking towards the future. His class was in an hour, [color=#67D1A0][B]"...most of my students leave class without a clue, but most of 'em still return."[/B][/color] He smirked, winking at her conspiratorially, as if he had some kind of method to his madness.

He might've, but who knew.

Turning the corner as they gradually approached the dorm rooms, Reates nodded his head at her question before responding in his usual tone, [color=#67D1A0][B]"Aye, she's under the dutiful watch of my companions at the moment, and I've also got Abstractis keepin' an eye on the little shadow who thinks the place his own playground,"[/B][/color] at his mention of Szayeis an odd undercurrent entered his voice, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly behind his glasses. The green darkened for a moment and Aeris would feel a distinct shift in the mage's essence for the briefest of moments before his eyes returned to normal, any tenseness vanished, and his essence relaxed once more.

If she picked up on the cues it would be quite apparent to her as to how Reates felt about demons that displayed such antics in his sphere of influence.

He didn't like it, not one bit. After a long moment he spoke again, [color=#67D1A0][B]"She's in good 'ands I assure you,"[/B][/color] he smiled at her again. [color=#67D1A0][B]"I can promise she'll come to no harm as long as she's under my care."[/B][/color] They were nearly to her room.

Aeris came to a stop at her door, listening as Reates spoke. His strange shift in mood left her mind itching to understand what the fuck just happened. When he answered her question about Olivia, her worry for her goddaughter was somewhat put to rest. "I really appreciate your help." Her voice was soft as she reached out and opened her door. 

Just as the door slid open Lisara's massive form strutted halfway out of the frame. [i]Are you okay, Aeris?[/i] The dry female voice filled her mind, and the obvious worry saturated the air around the beast.

"I'm fine Lisara, back up please." Little Kasio said, gently placing her hand on the Fire Dancer's muzzle as she stepped into the room, and waited for Reates to follow suit. "You can set Mai on the bed, and also," Aeris motioned to the seven foot tall flaming dog who was seated in the center of the room. "This is my Fire Dancer, Lisara. A gift from that [i]little shadow[/i] while I was with him." She emphasized what Reates had called Szayeis for affect, though she wasn't really sure how he was going to react to it.

He nodded, [color=#67D1A0][B]"My pleasure,"[/B][/color] he said with the same smile. As she opened the door his head tilted slightly and his glasses shifted--though not in appearance. He politely waited for her to invite him in and explain. He set the vampire down on the bed comfortably, but immediately afterwards his attention turned to the massive hellhound and an intense interest could be seen pooling in his emerald green eyes. [color=#67D1A0][B]"and a magnificent specimen she is too!"[/B][/color] His voice was filled with jubilation as his eyes scanned through the demon, assessing her somewhat, though the hound wouldn't feel it at all.

He reached out with his essence, making polite contact and sending a message through it as a medium, [color=#67D1A0][I]'Ello there Lisara, I hope you don't mind.'[/I][/color] If Lisara didn't want him using telepathy, she could merely refuse to receive the message. As to Aeris' little [I]inflection[/I] when mentioning Szayeis, the professor had merely cast her a sidelong glance with a more subtle smile, rather than say anything in response. He left it for her to decode.

[i]I don't mind... Much.[/i] Lisara responded curiously, her head craning down to sniff at the strange man before her. [i]There're only two people I can communicate with like this, not including you, and only one of them actually[/i] likes [i]talking to me.[/i] She said, nuzzling Aeris a bit with a soft whine. Aeris reached up and patted the beast gently, being able to hear the conversation easily. She smiled at Reates when he acknowledged her statement, and then turned her attention to her brother. 

[i]What did Szayeis do to him?[/i] Lisara questioned, sniffing at the vampire's unconscious form curiously. 

"Punched him, and sent a massive wave of essence through his body." Aeris responded sitting on the edge of the bed, and stroking Mairyell's cheek, the glow of Brisn beginning to carress her body as she got closer to her brother. "He also elbowed him in the back of the head." She finished, more calm than she thought she'd be when she said it out loud.

Reates chuckled and nodded slightly, reducing the essence medium to a thin, but quite durable, thread. It was invisible of course, though detectable by anyone who could do such things. [color=#67D1A0][I]'How unfortunate, you feel like you'd be quite fun to interact with, plus look at you, you're gorgeous. Especially your tail. Do you groom that?[/I][/color] Every word was filled with curiosity, honesty, and joy at being able to interact with such a creature. Most of the Fire Dancers he'd seen had been trying to kill him after all--through no fault of his own of course. The question was said as he looked at the fiery portions of her tail, he had always been curious if they had to maintain that somehow or if it was just automatic.

As Aeris stated what had been done to the hunter that now laid upon the bed, she might notice Reates' right eye twitch slightly. The mage glanced over at Mairyell a moment, his smile dimming for a moment as he looked him over.

[color=#67D1A0][B]"He heals quickly,"[/B][/color] the professor stated simply, his gaze steady.

[i]Yeah, I do.[/i] Lisara responded, simply, watching Aeris. Little Kasio's attention rested on her brother for a few moments before she looked at Reates when he spoke. "Ah, yeah, he's good about that." The vampiress responded. She wasn't sure what else to say, or do, so her attention returned to Mairyell. [i]Please just... Wake up already, brother...[/i] She thought somberly.

Reates nodded slightly, and noticing a very subtle change in the male's breathing he bowed his head to the two ladies, [color=#67D1A0][B]"I will leave you two to your devices, ah, and give him my regards when he wakes. It may pain you to see him like this, but the little shi-"[/B][/color] he cleared his throat, [color=#67D1A0][B]"...-shadow, deserved it."[/B][/color] He smiled and then departed, closing the door softly behind him.

Someone had made a new enemy today.

Though Aeris didn't react to the way Reates spoke, Lisara growled slightly in agreement. Once he was gone, Aeris moved and laid down beside her brother, curling up. Tears welled up in her eyes and began to stream down her face as she laid there reliving the events that had transpired in her head. "God dammit..." She cursed, her voice cracking slightly. 

What the fuck was she supposed to do? Once again, she'd gotten her brother hurt because she couldn't do anything to stop Szayeis. Even though she was stronger than she had been 200 years ago, was there really nothing she could do to help him? She knew that when he woke up he'd have questions, but she wasn't sure how she was going to answer them. Or, if she even could.
[hr] 

Curses spewed as blood was spilled and a canvas of flesh was painted crimson. His teeth gritted and his eyes wild, the same crimson as the blood he wielded, though the liquid was tinted blue--unlike his eyes.

Demons poured and attacked from, and as, the shadows, beating him and Layna, his mother, back towards the Veil of the West, the Chaos Barrier. He growled,  a deep menacing sound in his throat, as he split a demon's body in twain, spinning to catch another and pulse Brisn through them before tearing them apart.

[I]He was in control.[/I]

He lunged forwards, trying to make headway, his mother at his side, wreathed in brilliant blue light--magic that reminded him so much of his dear sister. The line of demons began to split before them, unable to hold them back.

It didn't last. The ground began to shudder, spikes slamming upwards towards them, one catching Mairyell in the shoulder. He merely grunted, his wings spreading and sweeping downwards, driving him into the air.

The wind buffetted him then, slamming him backwards and back to the ground, where he flipped and slid, catching himself. Layna beat a demon away from him, incinerating it with blue flame.

[I]They had to win![/I]

His blood tinted blue, and his eyes purple as he began to raze everything in his path, his rage and determination mixing to form a powerful flurry of blood and magic. They again cut a swath of death through their enemies.

He looked to his side, making sure his mother was handling things, but instead he saw a man in a trench coat, a demonic visage, with flaming eyes.

A demon tackled him to the ground only to be turned to a pathetic screaming beast by acid that spewed as if from nowhere. Twas magic of course. Mairyell rose and moved to Solus' side, their surroundings blurring to him, making everything foggy and indistinct. He began to notice light dancing at the edge of his vision as he and Solus fought back to back, now being pushed back the same as before. Finally they had to give in and Solus called the retreat.

Mairyell listened and, with anger swelling in his chest, swallowed his pride.

He fled.

Failed again and many paid the price.
[hr]

Mairyell snapped awake, slashing at thin air as he sat up, before realizing where he was. That he wasn't in Judas' city, that he wasn't on a rampage. He wasn't in Hell. His claws melted back into blood and were absorbed again. He relaxed somewhat and his eyes faded back to normal from the red that had been at the edges of his vision. He could feel Aeris in the room, next to him, he could hear her crying. He rubbed his head slightly, his headache quickly fading. [color=#9B0000][B]"Ugh..."[/B][/color] he said, twisting his neck to get rid of a knot before he laid back down, turned on his side and hugged Aeris, sighing a moment before he did.

There were certainly some questions he wanted to ask, but first he wanted her to stop crying, because he had a feeling that the ensuing conversation was not going to be pleasant for anyone--least of all her. He'd probably get angry again, as much as he disliked feeling that way. Anger made him feel...powerless and without control, more often than not. These were both things he still hated.

Still, he had to stop hiding from whatever Szayeis had done to her, even if doing so hurt them both.

The truth was important...that was something he'd learned in the last 200 years. Sometimes it was more important than anything else.

His acceptance of that fact even baffled him somewhat, but he wasn't about to go back on it.

It was a good thing to know, he felt, so he'd keep doing so till he was proven wrong, that was simply his way.

Aeris' sobs were almost inaudible to those with human hearing. Mai didn't have human hearing though, and so, when he shot up with claws extended, Aeris blinked, not really surprised by it. What she was surprised by was the fact that he laid back down and hugged her. She didn't expect it, nonetheless, she clung to him on instinct. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." It was hard for her to speak because of the crying closing her throat somewhat, so her words came out as broken whispers, even more muffled by his chest as her face was buried in it.

"I didn't mean for this to happen... I didn't know..." She babbled uncontrollably as she tried to calm herself down, it ony served to make her worse. She just didn't want him to hate her.

She couldn't live with herself if that happened.

Squeezing her gently, he kept his breathing even, he could only imagine what that bastard had done to her to issue this kind of response, but he knew that if they both survived, he would spend as long as it took to make Szayeis pay. The only indication of his anger was a slight tenseness of his muscles, but it was quite subtle.

He took a deep breath and let Brisn flow through his blood, cooling his temper somewhat in the process. [color=#9B0000][B]"I don't blame you Aeris and I doubt I ever will,"[/B][/color] he squeezed her again gently, letting her sob into his chest as he kept his breathing even and natural. It wasn't her fault, he knew that, but they didn't know each other like they had so long ago, hell even then he'd known her better than she did him. He'd been hiding so much after all. He was glad he had a second chance now, glad she was alive, even if she was different it didn't matter.

So was he.

[color=#9B0000][B]"There's nothing he can do that would make me hate you,"[/B][/color] he said with a certain confidence, though in the back of his head he hoped that only Aeris heard him.  He pulled away slightly so he could look down at her. Even crying he found himself marveling at her somewhat. It took him a moment to speak, but when he did his tone was even and his eyes shone a gentle blue, [color=#9B0000][B]"We're family, Aeris. I don't abandon family.... If anything you should be mad at me. I gave up, I thought you were dead...."[/B][/color] He trailed off, looking away a moment, before he swallowed hard, took a deep breath and continued, [color=#9B0000][B]"...But I'm glad you're not...and unless it happens in front of me, which I won't ever let happen, I will never think so again. I can't...you're to..."[/B][/color] the words caught in his throat and he stared at her blankly, unable to finish. He pulled her close again instead, hoping she knew what he was trying to say.

He didn't want to lose her again...she was too precious.

He wasn't sure he could take that.

Not again.

She listened as he spoke, her sobs quelling slowly as he tried to calm her. When he spoke about thinking that she died, she nuzzled his chest. She didn't really have the words to respond to him, but she understood what he was trying to say to an extent. 

After a few minutes of silence, she gently pulled away from him, meeting his eyes as she sat up. "So, I'm sure you have questions about what happened. I don't know where to start, so you might want to just start asking..." She spoke as she moved to sit with her legs curled beneath her. Lisara was looking at the two of them from across the room. The beast huffed slightly and turned away, to sleep. Aeris smiled gratefully to her. 

Rather than sit up, at least not immediately, Mairyell rolled onto his back as she situated herself. He nodded a bit, staring up and to the side at nothing in particular. [color=#9B0000][B]"Give me your hand,"[/B][/color] he said, not meeting her eyes as he did so.

Curiously she looked at him, sliding her hand over his, and gently squeezed it. 

He squeezed back, then relaxed further into the bed, taking a deep breath and then letting it out slowly, closing his eyes, then opening them again a moment later. [color=#9B0000][B]"He tortured you...didn't he,"[/B][/color] his eyes met hers. It was clear from the slight furrow of his brows that he knew the answer...but still had to ask.

Aeris nodded somberly. The words [i]among other things[/i] entered her mind, but never left her lips. "Yes." She answered him aloud, squeezing his hand again. "Though that wasn't until after he had turned me. When he tortured me as a Human it was more psychological than physical. He taught me how to use my Brisn, and how to control my levitation." 

His eye twitched slightly, he closed them and took another deep breath, squeezing her hand a bit as he did so, before continuing. [color=#9B0000][b]"I...I know this is personal, but,"[/b][/color] he bit his lip, then let it go, grinding his teeth. He didn't want to think about it, he really didn't, but he knew Szayeis was capable of anything...and he had to know. [color=#9B0000][b]"...did he rape you,"[/b][/color] he even twitched as he said it. He held his breath, hoping he was wrong.

Aeris' eyes widened at Mai's question, but she didn't verbally respond. After a few seconds, she simply looked at her legs, and slid off the bed. "Turn away for a minute?" She asked him, knowing that he was probably still reacting to her reaction. 

He let go of her hand as she slid away, sitting up. She likely heard his breath catch when her eyes widened. He could feel his body shaking slightly, but nothing else. There was no anger, just...pain.

Regret.

He turned away, [color=#9B0000][B]"Okay."[/B][/color] He waited silently.

The sounds of buttons popping and the distinct rub of fabric against skin were so loud in the silence. There was another, softer [i]click[/i] and then her weight returned to the bed. "...kay." Her voice was small, as if she had barely spoken. If he turned around he would see several jagged scars that wound their way over her back. Some were small, like nail marks, but there were two that made a sort of 'X' shape down from either of her shoulderblades to the lower part of her ribs. Though there were a few scars that spread down below the line of clothing, and her arms were crossed, covering her chest.

Hearing the sound of clothes slipping off he had to check himself again for even though it hurt him deeply to think of what had happened to her, that was the past.

He began turning. He knew that nothing he did could heal he-.... His thoughts cut off and, without intending to, his hand reached out and touched her back. He remembered seeing it a long time ago. When she was younger, naive. Still a child. He even remembered stumbling in on her changing a few times, not something he was particularly proud of, but it had nonetheless happened. Her back had been...pretty. Smooth.

Now it was horribly scarred and, after running his hand across a scar, his eyes trailing down, back and forth, he finally pulled his hand away. Suddenly he was very conscious of how his touching her might make her feel, how she might feel about showing him these...memories, the trauma clearly etched in her skin. He remembered the nightmares then. He remembered the painful nights, unable to eat because he was too stubborn to accept what he was, too stubborn to ask for help, to tell her. He remembered all the injuries he'd ever sustained, even if the pain and reasons for them were all blurred together in a heap of unpleasantness that he'd rather push to the side in his mind.

Whatever he'd done to her, he knew it was worse. So much worse.

It took a lot to scar a vampire.

His exhale was accompanied by a terrible shudder, he felt hot tears in his eyes, and the anger finally came. His claws formed, smaller than normal, and he dug them into the flesh of his own hand, biting back the pain. Ignoring it. It was nothing compared to this, [color=#9B0000][B]"I'm so sorry..."[/B][/color] he barely managed. He moved closer behind her, and despite her nakedness, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her again. He didn't know what else to do.

When his hand met her skin, she shivered. His hand was considerably warmer than she was at the moment, and with showing him these scars, it was like someone had locked her in a freezer. Her eyes closed, and she fought the urge to curl in on herself as she felt him staring at her back. Part of her thought he was going to grab her by the throat, or something. The part that knew that's what Szayeis would do. 

His eyes were closed as he held her, but partway through he forgot and they opened, briefly looking down as was the natural reaction. He swallowed and drew away slightly, kissing her head, though he found himself drawn to her neck...not that that was he only place he noticed. Disengaging completely after a few more moments he sighed, wiping the tears from his eyes and smoothing his hair back somewhat, he wasn't sure what to do.

When she opened her eyes and saw Mai with tears streaming down his cheeks, she moved slightly and kissed his eyelids [i]very[/i] softly.

Parts of him knew what they wanted, but he wasn't so sure. Then again, he was used to doing risky things, but perhaps being a bit more cautious now that he had someone else to live for was better.

But truth was paramount, wasn't it?

He ruffled his own hair in frustration, fully realizing and beginning the process of accepting what was--at least possibly--there. She had likely began to put her clothes back on, but before she finished he moved closer again, putting a hand around her waist, pulling her back to him before he spoke, his voice more tender even than before, [color=#9B0000][B]"...Aeris,"[/B][/color] there was still a sort of hesitation in his voice. She would likely feel his breath against her shoulder.

 When he pulled away and kissed her head she moved to start pulling at least a shirt back on. Yeah, she decided to forego the undergarment she had removed and simply slid a shirt back on. 

Just as the shirt was slipping into place over her back, and abdomen, Mai's arm wrapped around her waist, and her breath caught in her throat. She didn't know what he was doing, but she froze when she heard, and [i]felt[/i] her name leave his lips. "...M-mm?" She answered, swallowing hard as she craned her body slightly to look at him, her sapphire eyes brightening a little due to their Brisn resonance flairing up.

She had turned, just as he'd thought she would, closing most of the distance between them. He licked his lips nervously, [color=#9B0000][B]"I..."[/B][/color] he didn't have the words, so he gave up on speaking completely, leaned down quickly, and kissed her, his other arm pressing to her cheek gently.

As their lips touched Mairyell felt a sudden flare of warmth as their Brisn both acted up in sync, channeling through them both. He hoped she didn't push him away, because after this long he didn't want to regret being true to what had been there all along...even if no one else would ever understand.

He hoped that she would.

When Mairyell kissed her, her breath once again caught in her throat. She felt his hand on her cheek and her hands rested against his shoulders, gently gripping his shirt as she softly kissed him back. The feeling of Brisn as it resonated between was causing a soft, sort of icy fire in her stomach. She reconized it as a shiver cascaded up and down her spine. It was the same feeling as the one she had felt 200 years ago when he had fed on her. 

This time, though, she knew exactly what it meant.

When the kiss ended, there was a strange nervousness, and a slight pang of fear in her as she kept her eyes on his. She didn't know what to say, much like the majority of their interaction thus far. 

He was leading her like he always had, and she was okay with that.

He was somewhat breathless when they finally separated, though she remained in his arms, gazing up at him with the same look he knew he was feeling. He could feel the nervousness, but it was a happy feeling. It was a sort of nervousness he could live with, though he hadn't felt it much before.

He remembered a saying he'd heard a long time ago...[I]Love is blind, deaf, stupid, but at least it knows no boundaries.[/I] He had thought it was bullshit back then. He had hardly believed in things like [I]love[/I] or [I]peace[/I]. Accepting the good in the world had been hard for him then, but now he knew that it was there, and for him in this moment everything good about it was in front of him in the form of Aeris.

He laid his forehead against hers, a contented sigh leaving him, the smile still on his face. He could hardly believe that this was real.

Was he still dreaming? No...his dreams were not usually pleasant ones. It seemed that no amount of time could get rid of early trauma. It was unfortunate, but he didn't regret going through it, not anymore. Not right now.

For this it was all perhaps worth it.

[color=#9B0000][B]"I...I'm glad that you didn't push me away,"[/B][/color] there was relief in his voice, an overwhelming amount. [color=#9B0000][B]"...but I hope you know that...now, I'm not going to let you go again,"[/B][/color] he grinned at her, opening his eyes to reveal their prestine blue color.

So this is what love was.

For a few moments there was nothing but silence between the two. His forehead rested against hers, and she nuzzled him gently. She knew the feeling that was working its way up through her body. Love. Though, it was a different type of love than she was used to with Mairyell. It scared her a little...

What scared her most, though, was that the happier she was, the easier it would be for Szayeis to tear it away from her.

When he started to speak, she smiled at him softly, "I don't think I could've pushed you away even if I had wanted to." When he opened his eyes, Aeris gasped softly. "So, that's your natural eye color." She murmured leaning into his chest. 

She was silent for a moment, and then she looked up at him again, "I love you, Mai."

[color=#9B0000][B]"I love you too, Aeris,"[/B][/color] he responded, there was no hesitation when he spoke this time. He leaned down a bit and kissed her again, lightly, then drew away, nuzzling slightly before he fully straightened. He swallowed a bit, noting how his body was reacting to finally releasing what had been pent up for over 200 years.

No wonder he'd never felt properly [i]satisfied[/I], he mused to himself before glancing at the clock. He had some time.

Laying down he pulled her down with him and cuddled up, pressing to her lightly. He was rather curious as to her reaction.

He was guessing that it was mutual, given the amount of Brisn flowing through him.

When he kissed her again, she smiled against his lips, kissing back only to have him draw away. The feeling of hearing him say that he loved her, had her heart picking up its pace. When he pulled her back down onto her bed with him and pressed close to her, she blushed, looking away for a moment. 

Her body was practically humming, and it knew what it wanted, but was she ready for that? She wasn't really sure... Though, she did find herself kissing him again. When their lips met a wave of electricity swept through her, causing her to shiver against him. Unsure of what he expected from her, Aeris simply waited, her hands pressed against his chest, lightly gripping his shirt.

He shivered, pleasantly surprised when her lips met his a third time, leaving him the one smiling during their kiss. He pressed closer, a hand slipping to her waist and pulling it just as close before exploring further back. He didn't care if she had been beaten and broken. Anything could be repaired, and if he couldn't heal her body, at least he could try with her heart.

With that thought in mind, he flicked a hardened droplet of blue blood, with a tendril, across the room where it hit the light switch.

Apart it may have been easier for [I]him[/I] to hurt them, but let him try when they were one.

He might be in for a [I]nasty[/I] surprise~