Disclaimer: I do not own Trinity Blood and make no money off this fic. I write it for your enjoyment only (and mine too^^) I hope you like it! This fic is a sequel to 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' that my reviewers have encouraged me to write so I've decided to take a small break from my Code Geass and Final Fantasy fics ^^. It is also manga-based and takes place after Abel and Esther leaves the empire but before they return to Istvan and meet Sherazade. Anyway, thank you very much for your support. Enjoy and please review!

The Magic of You

"Look Abel, isn't it beautiful?"

The silver-haired priest smiled as he looked ahead to what his young red-headed pupil and lover found so intriguing, allowing her to take his hand and lead him further up the cliff overlooking the sea. Looking down and around, he found the sight to be indeed breathtaking with the setting sun coloring the sky hues of pink and gold, reflecting off the water below. But as lovely as the sight was, it was still nothing compared to the one before him: his Esther clad in a sleeveless pink sundress instead of her usual white habit while he was out of his cassock and dressed more casually in a white shirt and black pants. While their work uniforms were certainly attractive and elegant, it was still nice to be out of them every once in a while, especially for times like this. It had been about a week since they returned from their ordeal in the empire and both could use a break before leaving for Istvan where they had first met a year ago.

Yes, his Esther. His charge, star pupil, and new lover, something he never thought he would be allowed the luxury and privilege of having again. The tragic death of his first love weighed so heavily on his heart that he shut himself away from the world for nearly a millennium, awakening finally when a young Caterina Sforza ran to him one winter night, begging him to save her from the vampires that pursued her after killing her family. Since that day, to atone for his past sins and honor Lilith's memory, Abel had pledged to protect and serve humanity in her place but never to trust them and certainly never to love any one of them. At least not this way, the way he loved Esther now.

"Yes, it's very lovely, Esther…" he answered as he gently placed a hand on her face "But not as lovely as you…" She giggled as she closed her eyes and cradled his hand against her cheek.

"Thank you, Abel… for bringing me here…"

"You're welcome, sweetheart." How he loved hearing his name in her sweet voice when they were alone instead of the formal way she used to and still addressed him as when they were in the presence of the others.

So when did he fall in love with her? It had happened so quickly or maybe it had happened slowly, so slowly that he never saw it coming until it was too late. Love was the last thing on his mind when Abel came to Istvan on assignment to investigate a series of murders and suspected terrorist activities by a group of vampires led by Gyula Kadar. The morning of his arrival, he ran into a lovely red-headed, green-eyed girl on the street who would eventually bring light back into his dark existence and awaken feelings in him he thought long-dead.

Abel never intended to take on another charge after Caterina. But after the destruction of her home and loss of her guardian, Esther had nowhere to go and no home to return to and he couldn't just very well leave her for it was simply against his nature to leave someone in need. So out of charity, compassion and something else he couldn't quite name, the crusinik had taken it upon himself to protect and care for the orphaned child in place of the foster mother who was tragically taken from her; it wasn't long before he found himself enjoying her companionship a great deal and able to relax and let down his guard easily in her presence, something he had never been able to do even around Caterina. He had only intended to assume guardianship of Esther until she became of age to finally make her way into the world and find her place in it as well as a partner to share her life with.

Apparently, sometimes things don't always go as planned.

Abel never intended for his star pupil to end up becoming his secret lover. Well, hardly secret from what others around them have noticed. He had intended his visit to her guest quarters on the Iron Maiden II to be a brief meeting to thank her for being there for him when he nearly failed in his mission to stop the Ibelis from burying Cartago under a sea of sand. What started out as a kiss to apologize for striking her snowballed into something he was totally unprepared for and never expected. When Abel woke up the next morning, he thought it was a just a dream until he turned and found his young red-headed lover lying in his arms completely bare of clothing as well as himself. The feeling of her lithe form in his arms, the scent of her skin, and sound of her soft breathing was far too real to have been a dream. Not that he had any regrets, he didn't, quite the opposite. All he knew was that their relationship would never be the same after this and he thought it best that everyone around them think that nothing between them has changed.

Of course, it was impossible to convince the others of that. Apparently, some crew members who were aboard the Iron Maiden II had noticed that Abel never returned to his quarters that night. Even worse, Esther wouldn't let him leave right after he woke up, begging him to make love to her one more time and he found himself unable to refuse, to resist, and gave in just as he had the night before. When she finally let him go, he was in such a hurry that he failed to put all his cassock clasps in the right place and didn't even tie his hair properly with most of it sticking out of its normal ponytail. It wasn't hard for anyone who saw him to guess why he didn't returned to his quarters the evening prior. It was quite obvious with not only his mussed appearance but also the fact that his bed had not been slept in. Abel could almost hear their thoughts as they looked at him in disapproval and hoped that word of this would not get back to Lady Caterina and the rest of the Vatican.

No such luck.

When they returned, he had found that rumors about them were already spreading like wildfire even though they did their best to make it look like everything between them was as it had been before. No one said anything to their faces but Abel still knew because his crusinik hearing was very sharp and he could hear the whispers about him and Esther. Not like it was a bad thing but he still didn't like being gossiped about. His love, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind. When he brought it up, she simply laughed and said "Come on, Abel. You know they were already thinking it since you brought me here."

"Haha…you're probably right. But still, it's best to be discreet as much as possible."

"Yes, of course."

Being 'discreet', of course, was much easier said than done. It was near impossible to hide their secret smiles and the amorous looks they exchanged from the others. Even Cardinal Francesco di Medici, who gave little indication that he was interested in such things, noticed, and his eyebrows rose. While their close friends and colleagues were willing to look the other way, others frowned upon the pair's relationship. Esther could feel the contempt of other girls who also had eyes for her handsome guardian towards her because while Abel doted upon her, he never noticed any of them. As a result, it was really quite impossible for Esther to make friends with the other ladies of the Vatican. But she didn't care. If that was the price she had to pay to be with her love, so be it.

Abel himself on the other hand, never found himself smiling as much as he did in the presence of his young lover. He loved her playfulness and the way she teased him as if he was a boy her age instead of a vampire centuries older then her. Esther enjoyed hiding in unsuspected places while waiting for Abel to walk by before suddenly jumping out and playfully slipping the glasses from his face all the while laughing 'Catch me if you can!' with her tongue poking out. Of course, he did every time. With his superhuman speed and reflexes, it was no trouble to catch a young girl trying to steal his glasses thinking he couldn't see without them. Still, he humored his love and allowed her to run around for a bit before unexpectedly appearing seemingly out of nowhere and grabbing her. The first time he caught her, Abel pulled Esther into a dark corner and pushed her against the wall by the shoulders before gently taking the wrist of the hand that held his glasses.

"You know, I really don't need these to see…" he laughed softly into her ear before his lips were upon hers. Even though he technically wasn't a young man, he certainly had the hot blood of one as his lover would learn again and again. With a muffled gasp, the little red-head loosened her grip on the glasses before letting them drop. Neither showed any concern when they heard them hit the ground with a crack for their attention now focused on 'other things'.

In nearly a millennium of life, Abel still couldn't comprehend the ways of love and attraction, how Esther could entice and excite him the way she did when he could not be swayed by other women, even the temptuous, more 'experienced' beauty, Noelle. He remembered how swiftly and easily he had evaded the sultry older woman's numerous attempts to seduce him but found that even the slightest, most innocent touches from Esther was enough to drive his senses wild and singe any resistance he had to ashes. Perhaps it was her innocence that he found so desirable for it was a luxury he craved but was not allowed when he was her age. Abel was never meant to have a normal life as a product of genetic engineering; his destiny had already determined by a group of Mars colonists' scientists before he even came into existence. He and his crusinik siblings were created to be the perfect soldiers, living weapons and ruthless, merciless killers who obeyed orders without question. Esther had heard bits and pieces of his past from Lady Caterina and Professor Wordsworth but had such difficulty believing them, that her kind and gentle guardian along with his sweet baby sister, Seth, could be the way they were considering the lives they once led. Abel himself often questioned his existence and wondered if he would ever be anything more then what his creators intended.

Fortunately, it was his first love, Lilith who made it possible for him to rise above and beyond his grim background; if not for her, he might have succumbed to madness and despair long ago. She was the first person to truly love and accept him for who he was and made his life worth living. After her tragic death, Abel never thought he would find another person who could do so again until Esther came along. When they first met, he was captivated by her scarlet hair and green eyes as well as her fiery personality for they reminded him of Lilith. Still, he knew it was wrong to compare the two for each were different individuals with their own unique, shining qualities and over time, came to appreciate his new charge for who she was.

How strange to fall for her when Lilith was so different in every way… he often thought. Lilith was always so calm and rational while Esther is rash and impulsive and sometimes acts without thinking. Yet they both believed in humans as well as vampires so when I really think about it, they aren't so different after all…

And they weren't. However, unlike Lilith, Esther was much more vulnerable and needed his protection far more than his first love ever did for she did not have their crusinik powers and abilities. Abel also knew well that there were many men (and boys) who would love to steal his exquisite prize. He never doubted his love's faithfulness and even though he knew that Esther would honor her promise to him, to be only his, it didn't mean that others would. And while Abel never considered himself the jealous type, he found that keeping other men away from his young love was a feat that grated on his nerves and sorely tried his temper. He recalled the times he spied some of the younger men, boys really, flirt with Esther when they thought he wasn't looking, even going so far as to boldly refer to her as 'their angel'. He nearly lost it, so many times, wanting to kick them and the other yapping puppies away from her skirts and tell them to find their own angel. She was his. He may be a priest but there was one thing he would never share: Esther. Let the world's male population challenge him if they dared, he'd wipe the floor with every last one of them.

"Abel, what are you thinking?"

The crusinik was snapped out of his brief reminiscing when he finally noticed his young lover looking at him with wide-eyed curiosity, the autumn wind blowing her scarlet hair around her lovely face.

Abel smiled as he leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek. "I was just thinking how much I love you, Esther…"

"Haha, I see… Hey, let's watch the sun set together before heading back" she said with a wink.

"Of course."

As they sat down on the edge of the cliff to watch the sunset together, Esther leaned towards Abel and looped her arms around his, resting her head on his shoulder. When night falls, they must return and rest well for they leave for Istvan early tomorrow. But for now, she wanted to enjoy the view for a bit longer for who knows how long it will be before they can do so again. Though she missed her foster mother dearly, Esther knew her life would not have been as eventful had she not met Abel and through him, other wonderful friends and things she would not have experienced if she had remained in Istvan. Back home, she didn't really have any close friends and supposed that Dietrich was the closest thing she had to a lover until his back-stabbing killed whatever feelings she might have had for him. Yet despite her affection for her 'first love', Esther soon found herself drawn to the handsome silver-haired stranger she bumped into on the streets who later showed up at the church where she lived. Asides from his silver hair which she thought was most unusual in a young man (or what appeared to be one), Esther found his blue eyes, like a frozen lake in winter, even more captivating for even though they were the color of ice, they've always had a warmth to them, especially when they looked into hers.

After bringing her to the Vatican as his new pupil, it wasn't long before Esther also found herself intrigued by her new guardian and took every chance she could to get closer to him, doing everything she could to aid him in his missions, even putting herself at risk by disobeying one of his direct orders to stay behind while he went to search for a vampire that was supposedly a messenger from the empire Lady Caterina was trying to make contact with. It was a mistake that could have costed Esther her life had Abel not intervened when she got into a violent confrontation with Ion. It was also the first time her guardian had ever been displeased with her for anything but Esther knew she had it coming and uttered not a word of complaint when he gave her a slap that bruised her cheek for nearly a week, a mistake she later took advantage of when he offered her anything she wanted to make up for it. Esther could not help smiling when she remembered the look on her guardian's face when she spoke the words that would change everything between them:

Kiss me…

Abel's expression was priceless. And against his better judgment, he granted her request and more because he was a man of his word. Even though it wasn't like her to take advantage of people, Esther found that she had no regrets about what she asked for and what it led to; there was no reason for her to feel any shame because she knew she could never force Abel into doing anything he truly didn't want. Rather, she enticed him into doing what he had always secretly wanted to do anyway and even his crusinik powers could not prevent him from responding to her desire while attempting to deny his own; watching him give in was amazing, more wonderful then she could ever imagine. Before then, Esther never knew that lovemaking could be so wildly pleasurable, that she could feel such sweet fire, so much that she thought it was just a dream until she woke up next to Abel the next morning and found that she had indeed slept with her guardian who had taken her virginity.

"Abel… can I come see you again tonight?" she asked as she cuddled closer to him.

Her lover smiled as he leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers. "You would come no matter what I said so why bother asking?"

Esther giggled. "You're right, I would. But it's not like you don't like having me around" she said with a wink.

"Hmm…that is true. So it's not a matter of 'if' but 'when…'

"Hehe…right! So you'll be expecting me tonight?"

"Of course, love."

Since the first night they spent together, Esther often found herself slipping into Abel's chamber late at night when the others were asleep. Unlike lower-ranking members of the Vatican such as herself, top AX officials were allowed the luxury of their own private quarters as well as generous pay and Abel was their finest. So it was it much easier for her to come to him than vice versa for they both knew it would cause quite a ruckus if Abel were to show up in the nuns' dormitory where Esther shared rooms with the other sisters, not that it was any more acceptable for her to sneak into his chamber in the dead of night but he always found himself unable to turn her away, the fire in his blood wouldn't allow it even though he knew it would be quite scandalous if people found out about their late night trysts, especially Lady Caterina; Abel had no doubt the woman would give him the tongue-lashing of his life should it ever became known to her- and her tongue was sharper than a thousand swords.

But they didn't care. People were already talking about them enough as it is. Perhaps it was the very risk of getting caught that made their secret meetings more passionate and exciting. The only thing Abel loathed about their trysts was that Esther had to leave him as soon as she woke up, usually by the crack of dawn, to sneak back into the nuns' dormitory before any of the other sisters noticed she was missing, often leaving him to wake alone. Abel always found himself yearning for her warmth in the mornings and truly hoped that one day it would no longer be necessary for her to sneak in and out of his chamber like a thief and that he could wake up next to her every day for the rest of his life just like the first time he made love to her. And as much as she loathed it, Esther knew that when day came, they must once more be nothing more than partners, a master and his young apprentice, even though others around them already suspect them to be much more than that. Still, it would be best to avoid adding fuel to the fire if they can help it.

SSSSSS

"Abel, are you there?" a soft female voice called from the other side of the door.

The silver-haired priest looked up from his desk towards the direction of the voice. He had been working on his reports of their experiences in the empire after packing for their trip to Istvan the last few hours; there were still a few more details he wanted to include but decided that he could finish them in the morning and send to Lady Caterina before he and Esther left for their new mission. For now, he wished to enjoy the rest of the evening in the company of his young lover and quickly got up and unlocked his door for her to enter his chamber before anyone noticed her presence. Being small, quick, and quiet, it was easy for Esther to move about the building and slip into his chamber unnoticed.

As soon as he opened the door, Abel quickly ushered Esther in before closing it behind her. "You know, if you keep this up, you're going to get caught sooner or later" he teased.

Esther giggled. "I know but seeing you is worth it. Besides, what's the worst that can happen? More talk? More rumors? Not like it would make TOO much difference don't you think?"

Abel sighed and gave his love a gentle hug before placing a kiss on her cheek. "No, I don't think so either but still…"

Esther shook her head as she placed a finger on his lips. "Shhh…enough of that. Here, I bought you something" she said with a wink as she pulled a freshly-baked blueberry muffin from her bag. Abel groaned at the sight. Next to Esther, good food was his greatest weakness and bringing him such tempting sweets was a sure-fire way of keeping him from sending her away and they both knew it. Not like she really needed to bribe her love into letting her stay but she loved teasing him with such tasty treats in addition to her own feminine charms and wiles.

Esther winked and grinned playfully as she held out the sweet in front of Abel in a teasing manner. The scent of the muffin made his stomach growl as he remembered that he hadn't had a bite to eat in almost ten hours; they had spent so much time out on the beach that they both missed dinner, especially Abel because he also had to pack and write up a report from their last mission to submit to Lady Caterina. He knew he should break the habit of putting such things off until the last minute but right now, his only focus was on the little minx before him and the treat she held in her hand.

As he reached out for the muffin, Esther playfully and quickly moved her hand away, making him groan.

"Aww…come on…" he whimpered "I'm starving…"

"Now, now, be patient. You wouldn't want to spoil your appetite before you've had dinner now would you?"

"Hmm… dinner?

"Right! I figure you would be hungry after all that work so I brought you dinner. You can have the muffin for desert."

Abel could not help smiling. "Mmm…thank you, sweetheart; you are always so thoughtful… so what did you bring me this time?"

As if in answer, Esther reached into the bag she was carrying and pulled out several containers of food and placed them on his desk. The sight made Abel want to drool but he refrained from doing so out of propriety. As usual, she brought enough for two people even she wasn't nearly as hungry as he was, having eaten earlier. She wouldn't be surprised if Abel ended up eating her portion; it wouldn't be the first time. Still, she didn't mind; in fact, she found her love's voracious appetite amusing and thought it was a miracle he didn't get fat considering all the food he wolfed down. But then again, it could be due to his crusinik metabolism.

After Esther had finished setting the food on the table, Abel brought another chair and placed it on the other side of his desk for her to sit. Usually they had their meals in the mess hall but lately started having dinner together in his chambers more and more often, especially whenever Abel found himself pressed for time due to his deadlines for he knew Lady Caterina despised tardiness.

"You're welcome, Abel. You've done so much for me, it's the least I can do for you."

"Esther, you've done much more for me then you can ever imagine; you have no idea what my life was like before I met you."

Esther looked up from the mug she was drinking out of, her eyes wondering over to her lover's face and she blushed. "Really? How so?"

Abel smiled as he reached over and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "If I were to tell you my life's story, you'd be here forever. Just know that you light up my life in more ways then one."

"I see...would you like some wine then, Abel? I remember that you really like that brandy we had on the Iron Maiden II."

"I did but there isn't any here. Unless... don't tell me you snuck some off the ship, Esther..."

The little red-head giggled before pulling a bottle of the sweet nectar from her bag next to the desk. Abel recognized it as the same bottle they drank out of the night he came to her guest quarters. He frowned before shaking his head and taking it from her. "You know, stealing is a sin too, Esther." His love pouted her lips as she shook her head in disagreement.

"I didn't steal it, I earned it. I see it as my reward for helping you save Cartago next to my suite on the Iron Maiden II. Besides, there's not much of it left anyway since we already drank most of it on the ship, only enough now for each of us to have a glass so please don't tell Sister Kate."

Abel sighed. She did have a point and he knew he could never stay displeased at Esther for long even if he wanted. "All right, Esther, I promise. But just this once, okay? Next time, please make sure you ask before taking anything."

"I will, promise. So would you like a glass?"

"Yes, please..."

The rest of dinner went by with the two keeping the conversation light and pleasant. Although he had not approved of Esther taking a bottle of brandy from the Iron Maiden II without asking, Abel had to admit that he was glad she brought it for him to enjoy for it was rare that he got a chance to indulge in delights such as fine wine. When they had finished, he sat up to help his love clean the desk when he felt a pain in his chest as he tried to stand. Alarmed, Esther rushed to his side.

"Abel, what's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

The crusinik shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I've just been pushing myself with writing these reports but its my fault for putting them off until the last minute." Thought he tried to sound convincing, Esther wasn't fooled. The man had always been a terrible liar, lying being something he wasn't used to.

Esther quickly propped one of Abel's arms over her shoulder before proceeding to help him get up and walk over to his bed and help him settle in. It was fortunate that he was out of his cassock and clad in a night robe so it saved her the trouble of helping him change for bed. "Abel, I'm a little disappointed in you; I wish you had been more honest with me about your condition. I know crusiniks heal fast but even you can't heal that fast."

Abel wanted to argue but thought it better to hold his tongue. Esther did have a point; it had been about a week since they returned from the empire and he had not yet fully recovered from Diedrich's attack on him while possessing Radu's body before Seth came to his rescue. It was an attack that would have killed an ordinary human, or vampire for that matter, but he didn't want to worry his superior so he refrained from mentioning it to Lady Caterina.

"I'm sorry, love, you're right. Forgive me"

Esther's expression softened. She too could never stay displeased with her lover for long; if she ever expressed displeasure at him, it was only out of concern for his well-being as she was sure he could understand. "Abel, if you really don't feel well, we shouldn't go to Istvan tomorrow. I can ask Lady Caterina to give you a little more time to recover from your injuries."

"That would be ideal if she knew from the start but I really rather not bring it up now since she expects us to leave tomorrow."

Esther frowned. "You mean she doesn't know? You didn't tell her?"

"I didn't want her to worry. Besides, I'm fine, just feeling a bit drained but its nothing I can't handle. I will be good to go by tomorrow, I promise."

"Hmm... alright, if you say so. But promise me next time you won't push yourself so hard, okay?"

"Yes, I promise. But you know, there is one thing that might help me recover a bit faster..." he said with a mischievous grin. His love giggled. Oh, she wasn't going to give in to him that easily.

"Well, I don't know, Abel..."

He leaned over and kissed her. Just a taste from her sweet lips was enough to make him feel better already. "Stay here with me tonight? And please don't leave before I wake, not this time..."

"I would love to stay with you longer... but how will I explain if I am found in your chamber when day breaks?"

"I'll think of something. Just stay with me, please..."

Esther sighed. How could she say 'no' to that face and smile? Now she knew how Abel must have felt the first time she asked him to kiss her. This time, it was him asking her to do something against her better judgement and she couldn't refuse. Was this his way of getting even?

"Hmm...alright. But just this once, okay? I'd rather not keep explaining my absence in the dorms to the other sisters."

"Yes, yes, I promise..." Abel said in a sing-song voice as he smiled mischievously and began making quick work of removing her white headdress along with unbuttoning the rest of her habit. Esther felt goosebumps rise on her skin as his lips made their way down her neck.

"You haven't heard a word I've said, haven't you?" she asked in mock annoyance.

"Mmm...mmm...

Esther laughed.

Some promises were made to be broken.

End...maybe ;)

A/N: So? Like it? Hate it? Lemme know! :p Oh, and before anyone points out some 'errors', I just want it to be known that although I try to stay true to canon and the original storyline as much as possible, I still change some small minor details to make my fics work such as character descriptions and certain events. I also know that Noelle does not appear in the manga at all but I still thought it fun to mention her briefly in my fic. I based my stories off the manga and anime only; I still haven't had a chance to read the novels yet due to my hectic work schedule but I hope I'll be able to check them out someday. :)