• CHAPTER 73 - PITY

    No matter how powerful the grudge, enemies always feel some sort of pity. Some sort of sorrow that may or may not overwhelm each other. When you try to set things straight, how do you feel?

    .:{{Kai's Perspective}}:.

    I was face-to-face with the Necromantic Hunter friend of Arisa's once more. I was aware that Arisa would be infuriated that I came companionless, but she's too sick and feeble now to leave home. The thought of her sleeping, unaware of my location, burned into the back of my head. I would tell her later, once she's healthy again. Stressing her out furthermore is not a contingency I'm willing to take. She's much too sensitive, everybody knows that.

    "So," Akatsuki mumbled, "what do you want this time?"

    "I want you to not release the blame on Arisa," I confronted him. "She did nothing wrong."

    "I'm not blaming her," Akatsuki snarled. "But she did do something wrong; she came back to you."

    I couldn't initiate how much I would hear that, had I known more people, "She is frivolous for coming back, but it was her elective,"

    "Bullshit, you told your friends to come and get her,"

    I shook my head, declining his assumption, "No, I didn't,"

    "So what exactly do you want to set straight?" Akatsuki's grip subtly tightened on his gun.

    "Just quit blaming Arisa," I sighed. "It's not any fair that you're taking everything out on her."

    "I'm not," was all Akatsuki could say.

    There was a prolonged intermission between us and he was still posed with his gun pointed right at me. I could tell his aim had improved just by how he was handling the gun and how overly confident he appeared. If my life were to be taken here, it would be my own ignorant fault. Knowing Arisa, she'd take it all out on herself. But if that's how Akatsuki truly feels, then I won't stop him.

    "I'm aware you're probably not intentionally zeroing everything out on Arisa," I broke the silence, "but it's weighing too much stress on her. She's gone through enough loss already; don't let her lose you too."

    "How does she think I feel?" Akatsuki hissed.

    "She knows you're suffering too, but your immune system is strong," I pointed out. "Arisa's been in poor health since birth. Stress is no helping factor; she's lying in bed sick already." I opted to leave out the fact that I had to run home with Arisa on my back.

    Akatsuki's face softened up a little and shifted to concern, "She is?"

    "You remember how sick she was when I came by to give her the pills?" I asked him. "That's her normal degree of sickness. It's usually worse."

    "I-I hadn't notice," Akatsuki sighed in shame, "yet I've said so many nasty things to her."

    "It's not your fault, you weren't entirely aware,"

    Akatsuki looked away and to the ground. He lowered his weapon and leaned himself against the refrigerator. His mind was settling down, only because the negative and violent thoughts were obscured by guilt.

    "I am aware that what I do to Arisa--concerning my Vampire appetites--is wrong. But the conflict is all of the control she has over me, despite that I'm naturally stronger than her...physically." I spoke up. "I can't help but cave into what she says. She tells me to consume her blood, I do it, but I beat myself up for it later."

    Akatsuki glanced over at me with a coy smirk on his face, "I pity you," he chuckled. "I can't believe I pity a Vampire."

    "Love me, hate me, pity me, kill me, I don't care," I sighed. "Just understand that Arisa has done nothing wrong."

    "I'm just...frustrated," Akatsuki looked away and clenched his jaw. "I thought I finally had her safe."

    "Don't think that you've failed, that will only trouble Arisa furthermore,"

    "Yeah, she told me that when I blame myself it reminded her so much of you," he mumbled. "I...freaked on her. And the next day, she was gone."

    "I don't mind in the smallest matter if you and Arisa share a close bond," I attempted to reassure, "but I need to know I have your trust that you won't let your guard down around her, ever."

    "Never," Akatsuki confirmed. "I'm her guardian anyways."

    "And keep it that way," I demanded. "I'll be taking my leave now, not caring if you hate me or not."

    "I'll let you go this time," Akatsuki tossed his gun onto the counter top. "Arisa can't go through the pain of losing a lover too."

    "I tried not to fall in love with her," I chuckled to myself in mockery. "I tried to force myself to banish her from my love life, but I fell for her much too quickly."

    I reached for the doorknob and when it was ajar, I turned back to face Akatsuki once more, "I've taken notice that...Arisa's eyes have had more of a glow to them since she's been with you. You're one of the only persons that make her feel as human as she should. You've accomplished more happiness for her in one month than I could in eight, despite her trauma."

    Akatsuki nodded shortly, slightly confused, "Yeah,"

    "I respect you for that," I granted. "And I thank you."

    Without another word I exited the apartment, uneasy with the foul air. Akatsuki's mind was undecided; he was torn between forgiving me and protecting Arisa, or shunning me and taking Arisa away. He may do as he wishes, but I would only have to know that Arisa is safe. I love Arisa dearly and would never opt to give her up on my own, but it's not safe for her to return. She's naive for returning, putting her life on the line once more. She seems to assume that if she keeps the contract I'm bound under out of her mind that it will dissipate and all will be well. If only that's how the world worked.

    It was when I snapped out of my thoughts that I noted myself standing in the middle of the apartment parking lot. I dug for the keys in my pocket and climbed into Matsuda's car, wetting the seats with my dripping clothes. I turned on the car and headed out, flooring the petal as soon as I reached the empty country road.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    "What did you two talk about?" Matsuda interrogated me as soon as I returned and hung up my coat.

    "We were just setting things straight," I told him again. "It was nothing serious."

    "Did he try to shoot you?" Matsuda asked a little too aggressively.

    "No," I sighed. "We just...kind of made a treaty."

    "What was it?"

    I glided past Matsuda and to the stairs, ignoring him. I'd inform him about it later, but it was time for me to check up on Arisa. It was about midnight and I was more than positive that she was still dormant in the bedroom. While hiking up the stairs, I heard a subtle scratching coming from the hallway. After I approached the top of the stairs, I sighed as I noted Momo clawing at the door Arisa was sleeping behind. He let out a feeble cry and continued to claw the door, wanting in.

    "You want to see Arisa?" I asked him, ignoring how frivolous I probably sounded while talking to an animal.

    I reached for the doorknob and opened the door in the quietest way, not disturbing one element in the room. The moonlight was absent due to the heavy rainfall outside. Small flashes of lightning lit the room every few seconds and thunder was hardly audible. Momo rushed past me and attempted to hop onto the bed, but to no avail. I lifted him by the nape of his neck--after shutting the door--and reposed him on the bed Arisa was sleeping in. It was difficult to spot Arisa in the bed, seeing as she was bombarded by sheets and an incredibly thick comforter. At the next flash of lighting, a bottle of nighttime cold medicine was spotted on the end table. Matsuda probably dosed her, so she wouldn't wake up if a nuclear bomb infiltrated the country.

    Momo slowly made his way to Arisa, sniffing around on the way. He hovered his nose in front of Arisa's face and sniffed, confirming she was his master. He let out another feeble cry and curled up against her chest and stomach while Arisa was dormant on her right side. Momo took his precious time to groom himself before he finally relaxed against Arisa. He was a few months old, but still somewhat diminutive still. The way his behavior changed with Arisa's absence was the same as everybody else in his house; he even seemed depressed and infallibly lonely. It's queer how alike man and animal can be at times.

    Momo curled up against Arisa a little more after a large flash of lighting--followed by a crack of thunder--ripped through the night sky. He finally shut his infinitesimal eyes and managed to fall asleep. I stood at the side of the bed, facing Arisa's back. I was assiduous as to not drop any water on her from my drenched hair. I peeked at her in awe after carefully leaning over to check up on her. She appeared peaceful in her sleep, yet her face was flushed with fever. I rose my hand and fondled with strands of her thin hair. It didn't seem to phase her in the slightest bit.

    "You asleep?" I whispered, attempting to confirm her temporary dormancy.

    She answered with silence, unconscious of what was going on. I slowly leaned over and landed a soft kiss on her cheek and her ear. A sense overcame me and caused me to growl subtly, silent enough to not disturb Arisa; I possessed the urge to bite her. It was that air in Akatsuki's apartment, it weakened me. My instincts were attempting to dictate my mind and I involuntarily leaned over and pressed my lips against Arisa's neck. Her frail, delicate, fragile neck was warm against my lips and I could feel the blood rushing by in her jugular veins. I took it a step further and barely glided my tongue against her neck. I immediately pulled away once I regained my sanity.

    "s**t," I hissed to myself, masking my nose and mouth with my arm.

    I had to exit the room, I couldn't be near her if I was weakened. I bid her my silent good-byes and exited the room and made my way downstairs. Matsuda and Orihime had already headed upstairs and into their bedroom. I lit a fire and sat in a chair with the lights out, the growing flame being the only light.

    I knew Akatsuki would keep his promise about protecting Arisa. She's another Aya to him and he'd never let Aya die again. In a way, it's wrong to think of Aya's twin as Aya. Nobody can replace her, but yet Akatsuki is ignorant and naive enough to believe Arisa is a replacement.

    I knew things would work out, I knew Arisa and Akatsuki would keep their bond. I would never allow my precious Arsia to walk into the mischievous arms of a perpetrator. Arisa is much too precious to let go of again, not that I possessed much success the first time. And if anything goes awry with her in the future, taking her life, I would not be far behind her.