• CHAPTER 58 - FORGATHERED

    You're facing your biggest fear, your biggest love, your biggest covenant, your biggest opportunity, and your biggest danger. Only one thing to do in a situation like this; savor it.

    I was choking on my breath and upcoming tears and my knees were shaking violently again as Takeuchi managed to hold me still on my feet by my shoulders. Miku grasped her skillet tightly and Matsuda and Orihime stood near us as the door had opened dramatically. The most prominent and enamoring creature stood at the door and after half a second of his entrance, his eyes locked onto mine and neither of us moved an inch or breathed at all. I unclenched my fists and could feel the nervous sweat drying already as I finally took my first breath. I peeked behind him and another figure entered through the door...his brother.

    "Kai," Matsuda broke the silence, "Arisa is back."

    Kai...his name sounded so beautiful. And hearing it come from an Angel only made me want to die over it. I shifted my weight and fondled with my fingers and bit my lip. My heart skipped a beat as Kai took a step towards me with shock still frozen onto his face. I glanced behind him...at Kira. Kira was in shock too, but there was a hint of hesitation in his complexion. I took a hesitant step towards Kai and allowed Takeuchi to unhand me as soon as I was sure I could hold myself up for a few more seconds. After I took my first step, Kai froze in his path. I swallowed hard and took another step and each moment made me want to run into his arms.

    "Kai," I managed to choke out his name, relieved to finally see the face of the one I always referred to.

    Kai let out a long breath that he had been holding and his expression softened a little but there was a hint of hesitation just like Kira, "Arisa," he breathed.

    Oh, God, his voice. My knees shook violently again and I hadn't realized I was falling backwards until Takeuchi caught me. Hearing Kai's voice made me melt from he inside. His voice was so melodic and lusterous; I wanted him more. I took another couple of steps towards him until we were about seven feet from each other and we stared at each other in the dead of silence. I could feel all eyes glued onto me and Kai and I couldn't care less. They brought me back, so I'm getting what I've always wanted.

    "Kai," I choked again and slowly raised my hand up to chest level, trying to touch his face.

    He stood still, halfway in shock and halfway in hesitation. I didn't care anymore, I couldn't bear the separation anymore. I launched myself at him and crashed right into his steel frame. I had completely forgotten how hard and strong his figure truly was. I could have sworn I ran head-on into a bus or a building. I coiled my arms around his torso and cried in an outburst, cracking and splitting the silence. Kai stiffened under my embrace and he didn't embrace me back.

    "Kai!" I cried, relief overwhelming me. "Kai, I'm back! I'm here!"

    I didn't know if he was too excited or not for me to be back, but I really couldn't care less about anything but him and I now. I held him violently tight, but it probably felt like no more than a gentle muscle squeeze to him. I gripped his shirt and buried my face in his torso and continued to sob uncontrollably. Kai slowly moved his hand to the bottom of my back and gripped my shirt. He gripped my left shoulder with his other hand and leaned his head down towards me, but not towards my lips. He breathed heavily in hesitation and leaned in closer to my neck, ready to bite. He started breathing even heavier as he leaned even closer. I was too dazed and didn't stop him so Takeuchi had to pull me away and Matsuda stood between Kai and I.

    "Hey, hey, Kai. Take it easy." Matsuda warned.

    Kai looked down at his hands and after a second, dropped his hands to his side. He looked at me with sorrowful eyes, "Arisa,"

    His voice was melodic and apologetic again, but I had a totally different reaction this time. I escaped Takeuchi's grasp and slapped Kai right across the face and he willingly took the full brunt of my slap, "Don't you dare pull that Hollywood s**t on me again!!" I shouted at him with more tears in my eyes.

    I froze as I heard Takeuchi burst into laughter from my slap to Kai's face. I didn't even leave a mark on Kai's face, though, and he reacted as though a human would to a slap, that is, he moved his head along with the blow. My hand was stinging and I had to keep reminding myself that I'm now stuck in a house with bodies made of steel and porcelain. Matsuda looked back at me and smiled reassuringly, still trying to hold Kai back a little...not that he was struggling.

    "You might want to be careful with how much you border Kai," Matsuda warned. "It's been a long time since he's seen you. Neither him nor Kira are accustomed to your scent."

    "I don't care," I cried. "I'm just...He's here..."

    I looked around; everybody was here. Everybody was fine and always have been. It had been a little over a month since I had been back at the house, and here I was. Hopefully I was here to stay, I shouldn't get my hopes up too high. They still might have the initiative to ship me back from where I came from. I couldn't tear my eyes off of Kai, his beautiful eyes which now shone as a deep violet, more blue than anything. It was most likely signifying that he was calming from his thirst.

    "Matsuda," Kai whispered, gently pushing Matsuda aside.

    Kai swiftly glided up to me but slower than usual, trying to keep from too much of my scent blowing all over him. He reached one delicate hand out towards me and barely grazed my cheek with his slender fingertips. He exhaled slowly, his sweet breath slipping over my face. I immediately reached up and touched both of his cheeks with my fingertips and we continued to lock gazes. I stepped a couple more inches closer to him so my torso was almost pressed against his. I wanted closer, I wanted to get as close as physically possible. He cupped his hand over my hand that was rested on his left cheek and kissed my fingertips dantily. He rose his other hand and cupped my jawline with it and stared at me with a stare of infinite apologies. He ruffled his slender fingers into my hair and immediately pulled me close to him.

    "Careful, Arisa," Matsuda warned me again, but in a gentle tone.

    I nodded in confirmation and held myself close to Kai. Kai wrapped his free arm around the bottom of my waist and pulled me yet closer. I generously granted more tears to pour out and sobs to break the silence and Kai and I held each other for all to see. I was really here, I was really in his arms again, he was holding me tightly, not wanting to let go. I could feel my blood circulating to a normal level for once in over a month and my body was returning to normal right away. My heartbeat was loud and hard and I knew everybody but Miku could clearly hear it. The louder my heartbeat became, the calmer Kai seemed to become.

    "Miku, I don't think you need the skillet anymore," I heard Takeuchi chuckle.

    I breathed out a small laugh at that and gripped Kai's shirt tighter. He ruffled my hair in the lightest way with his fingers that were entangled in my hair. He was breathing deeply, trying to pacify his thirst so he would restrain himself from attacking me. He rubbed his thumb against my lower back and I buried my face in his neck. I inhaled his scent, his sweet scent. It didn't smell like cologne, it was sweeter; it was a natural scent that radiated off of him, just like the cold of his touch. I sobbed into his neck and tried breathing deeply to calm myself.

    "Arisa," Kai whispered to me, pressing his lips against my temple. "Arisa, you're back."

    I choked on tears again and nodded, "Yes,"

    "I'm so in love with you," he breathed in a whisper again. "I'm feeling whole again."

    I was too overwhelmed by tears to respond verbally to that, so I only pressed myself against him tighter and cried louder. Everything was going back to how it should be; I can't bear changes like what I had gone through the past month. I was unconsciously and slowly creeping to the edge when I was apart from Kai. I was inching myself to the edge day by day and the day nearly came where I almost catapulted from the cliff myself; I almost ended it all.

    At that, Kai immediately pulled me back and gripped my shoulders and his eyes were consumed by guilt and pain, "Arisa?"

    Matsuda pulled me out of Kai's grasp and stared at me, "Arisa, don't think that," he breathed in disbelief.

    I had forgotten they could read minds. I had forgotten everything the moment I came back into the house. Everybody glued their eyes onto me from disbelief. I shook my head and looked down while continuing to weep. I opened my eyes once again as soon as something frozen grappled itself around my right hand. I looked down to see Kai slowly wrapping his large, frozen hand over my tiny, warm hand. Matsuda carefully embraced me and held me for a minute.

    "Arisa, you have no logic to think like that," he soothed. "It's all fine now."

    I gripped Kai's hand tighter and from the corner of my eye, I saw Takeuchi gently remove the skillet from Miku's grip. Matsuda released me and Orihime's hand immediately met my cheek and she swept her hand up and down the left side of my face.

    "Arisa, don't be so frivolous," she smiled half-heartedly.

    "I-I wasn't really going to do it," I halfway lied. "I'd never have the guts."

    I looked to my side and Kai still had a firm grip on my hand and stared down at me with eyes of a poor beggar, a lost puppy. But at the same time, he looked like a man who had found the eighth wonder of the world but I couldn't see how I was that eighth wonder.

    "You're the first wonder of the world," Kai whispered under his breath as he looked down.

    I couldn't help but think that was cheesy, but it wasn't really the atmosphere to laugh about it at. Orihime released me and Kai slowly pulled me over to him so my backside was almost pressed against his front side. Kai rested his free hand on my left shoulder, his other hand still grasping my hand. Kai and Matsuda stared at each other for a long time, probably discussing something in their minds to each other, and the next thing I knew, Kai was leading me out the door. I opted to remain silent and do as he says. To my surprise, as we were headed out the door, Kira was missing. Kai helped me into the passenger side of his car and my heart was racing; the last time I had been in his car was right before he left me at the orphanage. Kai climbed into the driver's side and took off in silence.

    "Kai?" my voice was a little too shaky. "Where are we going?"

    "It's nothing for you to worry about," he smiled at me weakly. His eyes were still a deep purple but more of a red since I was now in an enclosed area with him and my enthralling scent.

    I trusted his word and averted my eyes to the road ahead and nausea overwhelmed me by the environment rushing past us at high a velocity once more.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    When I was able to adjust my eyes again, we were at the parking lot of Akatsuki's apartment. My heart raced and I gripped onto my seat, refusing to leave. Kai shifted the car into "park" and leaned back and sighed. I peeked over at him and stared in awe as the rays of the sun reflected off of his skin. So that's why Vampires are so cold; because they're dead and because they can't absorb sunlight.

    "Come on," Kai whispered and climbed out of the car.

    I scrambled out of the car after struggling with my seatbelt and immediately rushed to Kai's side. Kai led the way up the stairs as if he knew where he was going and what he was doing. He opened the door with ease, reminding me that Akatsuki solemnly kept the door locked and was also a reminder of when Takeuchi and Miku kidnapped me just an hour before. Kai stood in the living room for a moment with his hands stowed away in his pockets before gliding into the guest bedroom where I stayed. I followed him reluctantly with my loud human footsteps and when I had gotten into the bedroom, my suitcase was open on the bed and Kai was taking his inhuman time to pack my things. I froze for a second and tried to pull the pieces together.

    "What are you doing?" I interrogated with a squeak.

    "Packing your things," said Kai a little more normal now.

    It took me another minute to comprehend and I rushed to help him pack. I only packed two shirts until I noticed my clothes were all already gone. I had enough clothes for about two weeks and Kai had packed them all in less than three minutes. Kai zipped the suitcase shut and carried it out into the living room. I had a second to myself and I secretly grabbed my engagement ring from the drawer in the nightstand. I had to jog to keep up with him. He was probably too used to moving at a Vampire pace and not having to slow down for me. Kai turned to face me and he donned a weak smile on his face. There was still a tint of struggle and resistance as he cupped both of his hands along my jawline. He leaned in and in the lightest way, kissed my forehead. He pulled back to stare at me once again after I lost my breath and he teleported out of my sight.

    "Kai?" I asked under my breath, suddenly becoming panicked.

    His kiss to my forehead left me dazed and I couldn't regain my breath. I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them as soon as I was sure I could stand on my own. Panicked overflowed me as I realized Kai had disappeared and left me again. My hyperventilation problem started catching up with me and I pressed my hand against my chest. When I started assuming everything was done for again, Kai appeared in my sight as quick as he had disappeared. He had his parka that he gave me draped over his arm.

    "Wh-where were you?" I asked with shaking knees.

    "I only went to get the coat," he ran his fingertips against my cheek in the lightest way again.

    Tears managed to escape, "Don't do that again," I shook my head and cried.

    Kai embraced me once more and pressed his lips against my head again, "I won't. I'm sorry."

    Kai released me and I looked up at him after wiping away my old tears, "Am-am I staying with you now?"

    As soon as Kai nodded, I rushed to find a notepad and a pen. I sat on the breakfast bar and scribbled a quick note to Akatsuki:

    Akatsuki,

    I'm sorry, but Miku and Takeuchi found me. They took me back to Orihime's and now they want me back. I feel horrible doing this to you, I really do, but I still really care about you. You'll always by my older brother and best friend.

    I'm sorry.

    Love,

    Arisa

    I kept the notepad where it was in hopes that Akatsuki would find it right away when he came back from his Necromantic Hunter training. Kai helped me into the parka coat and we made our way out of the apartment and into his car. The whole time, since I met up with Kai again, I wanted deeply to kiss him. It was an urge I couldn't hold back but was willing to just to spare him of his suffering from thirst. I would wait patiently before I would lock my lips with him again...if he wanted to. I coiled my arm around his and intertwined my fingers between his and leaned against him roughly. Kai shrugged lightly and gently to generously shake me off. I looked up at him and he looked down at me sympathetically.

    "I'm sorry. I'm still not accustomed to your scent." pain lingered in his eyes.

    "I'm sorry," I whispered and sat back, keeping my hand locked with his.

    I was coming back, coming back to live with everybody else. To live with the family I had missed so dearly. I was coming back to stay and I had no intentions whatsoever to leave them again. I was hoping Kai wouldn't adapt thoughts like that ever again and that we could forget about the whole ordeal at the orphanage. One lonely and heartwrenching month later, we're forgathered, reunited, whole. The thought about ending it all had never crossed my mind much, but it was especially strong after the last argument Akatsuki and I had. I felt incredibly guilty at leaving Akatsuki so abruptly and so soon. What would he think when he came back to an empty apartment and he read the note about me running off with my old family again? I didn't want to do this to him, but what else am I to do when I'm face-to-face with Kai? When I'm abruptly reunited with my extended family, how would I cope with leaving them again? But the question that lingered and stung the most was whether or not Akatsuki would ever forgive me.