He says he's coming back for me.
"Luka," his hands stroke my head gently. "Someday I will return for you."
All I remember is my crying, my throat red and raw.
His voice is firm and soothing. "Because, Luka, you're my…"
My vision is clouded both in my eyes and in my heart.
His hands were at the sides of my tear stricken face. I see him mouth the rest of the sentence.
But…I do not remember…the words…or his face.
Raven black wings emerge from behind him, his smile is sad. He takes to the night sky careful not to leave a single trace that he had even been there moments before.
Not a single trace, except for—
Shining black feathers, smooth as silk, gracefully descend around me.
One feather glides into my hands, I stare at it glossy eyed. Not knowing what to do I collapse to the ground again, eyes welling up.
A single tear slides down my face and onto the lone feather in my tiny hand.
I was six years old.
They're all around me. Staring at me. Why can I see them? Why do they torture me every day?
"Luuukaaa? Earth to Luka, heeeelllllooo?!" It took me only a second to see Miku's hands flapping in my face. I immediately snapped to, shaking my head faintly.
"Sorry," I said forcing a normal looking smile. "I was just-"
"Staring off into another world? Yeah, I see that," she finished my sentence.
You have no idea, I thought blankly to myself. No one has any idea whatsoever. I tried desperately to pretend I couldn't see the strange and unearthly beings that were strung out all around the classroom. My focus locked on Miku's face and I smiled.
"Anyways, did you hear what I was talking about? Your birthday is tomorrow! What do you want?" Miku's bright blue eyes lit up in anticipation. Rin, who was flirting it up with a couple of guys, must have over heard us.
"Yeah, Luka-chan, what do you want?" her eyes grew big.
I'm not going to lie. I almost instantaneously answered-
"Boyfriend," I was beaming. "I want a boyfriend."
I must have said the wrong thing, because both Miku and Rin shared a look that said, 'really?' I immediately wish I hadn't opened my big mouth, my cheeks were already heating up. I looked them both square in the eye.
"It's just, you guys have already had boyfriends and I…" I let the sentence hang for a bit. "I haven't. I'm going to be sixteen and I haven't had a boyfriend, ever."
"Well, we already knew that," Miku waved her hand nonchalantly as if this wasn't news to her. "But we were talking about gifts we could buy you."
The trill of the school bell sounded throughout the classroom, school was over. I sprang up from my desk and darted out of the class door leaving Miku and Rin staring after me, dumbfounded.
I loved it when school ended. Not because of strict teachers or the endless mountains of paperwork, but because I can't avoid the strange spirits there. It's like they find pleasure in my misery, they know they get under my skin, and the fact that only I can see them just gives them even more reason to torture me.
I take my first step past the school gates and cease running. I make my way up the sidewalk, and exhale. I stretch my arms over my head and smile contently. A small tickling sensation forms between my breast, I look down and notice the small dark downy pendant that hang between my cleavage. The lone feather. I lift it from between my chest and examine it.
When I was young, there was a boy; he was a little older than me. He lived next door to me and could see the same things I see. When I found out he was going away I became very sad. I cried every day for two months afterward.
He was my first love.
But the truth is, I will never get used to the obvious fact that I can see these creatures. And even though he may not even remember me, I still wait for that hand. I will always know that hand, even though his face has left my memory. I don't even remember who he was or even his name…
"Megurine-san!"
I turn just in time to see, fourth year, Leon rushing up to me. His golden blonde hair and grass green eyes shining extensively as the sun shone down on him. I almost swooned. He knew my name! How in the world did he know my name?!
"Uhh…" I didn't know what to say at the moment. I realized I was still holding my necklace and slipped it back beneath my shirt.
"I was afraid I wouldn't get to you in time," his voice was as alluring and strong as his looks. My breath began to stagger. Why was one of the top seven hottest guys talking to me? ME! "Anyways, I have something important to ask of you."
My breath caught in my throat. Was he asking me what I think he's asking?
"Y-yeah? What's that?" I find my voice just as it decides to leave again. Leon looks over his shoulder and to his side before he leads me toward a grove of Magnolias. I love Magnolias. I see his face take on a shade of pink; was he blushing?
"Megurine Luka-san…will you…you," Leon clears his throat and looks down at his feet. I swallow a lump in my throat.
"Will you go with me?!" he blurts out. And that did it; I was swooning, and stumbling backward. "Hey- " he sees me stumble and braces me, his arms around me. I steady myself.
"T-thank you-" I manage to say, but not before I feel a strange weakening sensation surges through my body. I go stiff. "No!" I yell and thrust Leon away from me taking both me and him by surprise. Something didn't feel right. I had to get away.
"Um, I'm sorry Senpai, but I… I think I'm coming down with something. I'm going to head home," and with that, I was sprinting my way home, leaving Leon-Senpai in a heap of confusion.
As my street came into view my feet slowed. I was now huffing fiercely from sprinting away from Senpai. Why did I feel like running away all of a sudden? Senpai probably thinks I'm weird now, great!
Someday I will return for you.
I need to stop being so stupid. Why do I wait? He's probably forgotten about me by now.
Because, Luka, you're my…
I can't even remember the important part of what he said.
My fingers slip over the dark downy feather, stroking its tiny bristles. I reach with my other hand for the gate to my house and push it open just as my eye catches something; the gate to the house next door.
It was open.
I stared at it in puzzlement for a few moments. The gate had been closed ever since he left. It had been closed for ten years. Ten years, but now it was clearly open. I quickly put my school bag on the inside of my house gate and began slowly inching my way to the house next door. Then, as if a whole new purpose filled me, I closed the distance between myself and the old gate in mere strides. It was as if I felt the gate would only be open for a limited time, that if I took too long to reach it, it would close again and leave me locked out forever.
I stood in front of the gate peering in to see who had made an appearance. When I got a closer look, I saw that there was a vast amount of spider lilies lined on the sides of a path that led away from the gate to the neighbor's house. Red and vibrant, they over looked the edges of the path, and there among them appeared to be a woman with long glossy violet hair in a casual, traditional type of dress wear. She looked quite beautiful, while tending to the flowers. She turned her head and—wait—that's not a woman! It's a man!
"Luka..?" his voice is melodic and—wait,—again —did he just…
Say my name?!
"W-wait," I feel my face heating up. "How do you know my name?"
His chuckle is thick and deep…sexy. I step forward, only slightly.
"My name's Gakupo. It's been quite some time hasn't it," he goes on. "We used to play together. I used to live here ten years ago"
'Ten years ago.'
He walks over to me, I go still. "Here," he waved his hand at the spirit pests that lingered over me. I stood and watch, shocked. He can see them!
'He lived next door to me and could see the same things I see.'
"You can see them, too?" I ask him quizzically pointing a finger to one that was slithering on two legs. The man—Gakupo—smiles and nods.
"Yes. I can see them." His velvety violet hair is spilling past his shoulders. He's so beautiful.
Gakupo hands me the bouquet of fire red spider lilies. "These are for you. I'll be living here again so, if you need anything…just come over, okay?" his smile is sweet and sincere. I accept them and return his smile. He waves goodbye as I leave to go home.
I shut my bedroom door and lock it behind me. My heart is racing fast as if it wants free from my chest. My feather necklace lies over my heart; I drop my bags onto the wooden floor with a thud.
'We used to play together.'
Can it be?
'I used to live here ten years ago.'
Is it really possible?
'Yes. I can see them.'
It's…it's him? It is him. I shriek shortly as my hands fly up to grab the black feather that hung beneath my shirt. I cannot believe this is happening. A tear slivers down my face. I lean back against the door to my bedroom and slide down it slowly, weeping tears of sweet happiness. I guess I wasn't stupid to wait on him after all.
"Megurine-san, please take these papers to the front office," Kanase sensei holds out the stack of papers for me to take and I take them.
"Yes Sensei," I say and walk out the class room. I began walking to the front office, as I do so more spirit beings crowd into the hallways. I sigh and continue on with my task. I hand the papers to the lady at the front desk; she says 'thank you' and I leave.
As I make my way back to the class room more and more spirit beings pile all around me. What in the-? I turn the corner to head down the stairs to my classroom when suddenly a small and slender demon wraps around my leg and I trip, falling to the ground with a huge thud. The demons all start to cackle grossly making a chill slowly inch up my spine. I stand up, feeling my left foot slide against the marble flooring. Where did my shoe go?
"Hey, Megurine-san," I look down the stair case to see Leon-senpai holding my shoe in his hands. "Are you alright?" I stand up and walk carefully down toward him making sure to avoid any more of the demon spirits' tricks. He hands me my shoe. "Can I talk to you for a second?" He takes my arm and leads me outside behind the back of the school.
When we get there, to the back of the school, more spirits crowd around. I make a puzzled facial expression. What is going on with them today? There're never this many of them around? I snap back to attention when I see Leon-senpai fishing something out of his pocket.
He straitens and asks, "It's you're birthday today right?" he continues messing around in his pocket. I stay quiet and say nothing. How did he know it was my birthday? I only told Miku-san and Rin-chan. "Well, I have something for you." He continues and removes something from his pocket. I feel myself begin to blush.
"Oh, no, Leon-senpai, I really can't accept-" Then, out of nowhere, something swishes past my neck and I feel a slight pain. All of a sudden I feel something sticky and warm slide down the side of my neck and seep into my bra and uniform. In his hand, Leon is holding a silver blade.
Blood?
The sharpness of the pain instantly takes resonance and my hands immediately fly up to my neck. I gasp with pain. Leon lifts both of his arms and waves both hands in a beckoning motion and instantly there are demons at his sides. I stare in confusion while Leon walks up to me; slowly I retreat back to the shadows.
"Darnnit, that cut is way too shallow. It will never do," he licks the blade clean of my blood. "I almost lost you after yesterday's little incident, thought you caught on to who I was. Lucky for me you're slow." He threw back his head and laughed sickeningly.
"W-what's going on?!" I ask in half shock and half confusion. Leon comes to an instant halt and cocks his head to the side.
"You really don't know what is going on do you" his face takes on a new and colder countenance. I see a black aura seeping out of him and become even more freaked out. What exactly was going on? "It's quite simple actually. Every hundred years there is a human like you born into this world, one who is able to see these little weaklings," he pointed to the weird misshapen spirit demons. "You're the Senka Maiden, the only woman able to benefit demon or angel kind. Legend says that if a demon drinks your blood he will become invincible, if he eats your flesh he gains eternal youth, if he marries you he brings prosperity to his clan." Leon plays with the blade in his hand. "Of course, though," his eyes then turn red with blood lust and his hair turns a fiery orange. I cringe and look around frantically for a way to escape. "I came to do the first two, devour you, I mean."
And that's what took the cake. I burst into a hard sprint, making my way back to the back entrance of the school. A head racking pain races up my scalp and I am instantly jerked backward by immense force as Leon grips my hair. I howl in agony as Leon snickers silently in triumph. A short whimper escapes my throat; Senpai presses his hand onto my chest and embeds his tongue into the nape of my neck. I gasp in fear.
" Mm-mm…" he breaths into my hair. "I like it when they cower," I then feel tight pinches as his teeth dug into me. I cry out again. No. I don't want it to end like this. I didn't even know about any of this! A wave of desperation crashes onto me and I feel tears threaten my eyesight. I don't want to die like this—
"GAKUPO!" I screech with all of my might. I feel my throat grow raw. Leon chuckles and forces me onto my knees, hunching over my back. I shut my eyes and tears streak down my face. I feel darkness pour around me.
"Sorry for being late." A silky melodic voice rings in the air, but I don't dare open my eyes. I then feel a huge wait yanked off of my back and I slump to the ground completely, I hear a blood curdling scream that seems to belong to Senpai, my eyes still closed. Footsteps approach me, but I keep still.
"Luka." I hear urgency in the voice and my eyes flutter open. Before me stands Gakupo, but he is slightly different, a pair of raven feathered angel wings intruding from his back. He's so beautiful. He kneels down on his knees to be eye level with me; I try to sit up straight, but fail miserably, crashing into the dirt. Gakupo's arms encircle me and I use his body for support. "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, you must have been terrified." I nod feverishly and sob slightly into his chest; he takes my face into his hands. Our eyes meet.
His eyes were the color of his long hair, deep violet pansies in a rain storm, fathomless and breathtaking. His hair adorns the sides of his face which is soft and sad. I reach to touch it only to wince in pain; I jerk my arm back to the side.
"Your wounds, they need to be healed," Gakupo tugs at the collar of my shirt, I tense in pain and surprise as he unbuttons the front exposing my blood soaked bra, newly found wounds, and feathered necklace. I blush furiously and put my uninjured arm instinctively over my bra looking away from him. I cut my eyes back to him, seeing his face eyebrows raised like he was imaging what else lied beneath. I instantaneously regretted wearing my white bra with lavender lace and a dark purple lace embroidered butterfly. He clears his throat. "This may hurt a little…" he turns me to where my back faces him, his breath hot on my neck. I lean over not knowing what to expect. Violently my back arches upward against Gakupo's chest as I feel his tongue licking away the wounds, shoving its way through each crevasse. I feel a huge mixture of agonizing pain and a faint hint of pleasure—wait—did I just say that I liked what he was doing?
As he finishes I realize I'm heaving rapidly and I feel weak. He lifts himself off of me and turns so that he is cradling me like a baby. I look up at him to find him looking down at… my breasts!? Both of my arms then reach to cover my chest.
"What do you think you're doing?" I ask defensively. His eyes snap back to attention and meet mine. His hand rises to my bra and I nearly slap him until I see exactly what he's reaching for.
My feather pendant.
I only stare to see his reaction. "Is…is this mine?" his voice is quiet and sweet. I become shy.
"Yeah," I shift uncomfortably in his arms and look down. " I've kept it ever since that day ten years ago." I slip it out of his fingers and stroke the feather. "It…it was what helped me to hold onto…" I didn't finish the sentence. Gakupo lifts my chin up so that I see him directly. His other arm wraps around my waist as he leans down and drops his lips to mine, I melt on impact. He tastes off salt and something…sweet? Eggplants? I make an embarrassing whimper of satisfaction that intrudes from the back of my throat. I feel Gakupo's mouth curl upward against mine and he caresses my left shoulder, proceeding down to my left breast, another sound forces its way out of my mouth and I have to part my lips and I press my chest to his. It is flat and firm. His tongue instantly glides over and past mine, my arms drape over his neck and I entangle my fingers in his hair, accidentally undoing the 'X' shaped clip in his hair. His velvety violet hair waterfalls around us like a barrier. I pull away and gaze up at him. His hair is long cascading down over me, his face still, but shows so many emotions, his body is solid and feels nearly unbreakable.
"You're so beautiful." He says breathlessly. My face, which is already flush becomes even more so. His hand cups my cheek and I put mine over it. "Luka," he continues. "The whole reason I came back here was, well… you. Only you." He puts me down so that I am standing and faces me. "Do you remember our promise? I said that 'Someday I will return for you'" I swallow a lump that forms in my throat. "Well, Luka, that's because you're my wife, the woman I want to marry."
"Because, Luka, you're my…"
Wife.
It was a child's promise, but…
I believed in it. I believed in him.
"Why me?" I ask unbelieving. "Why would someone as beautiful as you are want me?" I refuse to believe something this good could actually happen to me, Gakupo smiles.
"Because," he says simply. "You're the only girl I love. I've spent my whole life training for you. I want to be someone you deserve," He sweeps my up and spins me. "Besides," he holds me like he did before and pokes at a spot above my cleavage. "The fact that you're bra size is a 36 DD is almost as much of a bonus as you being the Senka Maiden." I gasp in shock and amazement.
"How did you know?" I was not about to let this one slide. His lip curled up devilishly.
"I got a good feel for them and…" he held his hand up, big and strong. " I couldn't get my hand all the way around them." He said proudly. I blush furiously and slap his hand from my chest. I had to look away. "Awww, you're even cuter when you blush." That did it. I grab his traditional robes and pull to me, forcibly planting my lips to his.
A girl could get used to this.
