Chapter Seven

Dante flew up stairs. Nacari was still screaming. Patty was outside the bathroom door trying to get in. She turned to Dante.

"Dante, you have to help her, I don't know what's wrong!" Patty said franticly. Dante tried to open the door but it was locked. He started hitting the door with his shoulder. After two tries he managed to break through the door. Steam came pouring out of the bathroom and the shower was still running.

Dante threw the shower curtain open. Nacari had her eyes closed tight and pressed up into the corner of the shower. She hugged herself and whimpered. She was shivering despite the warm water splashing against her body. Her hair enveloped her body like a security blanket. Dante's heart hurt seeing Nacari like this. She looked like a scared child.

"Nacari. . ." Dante called her name soothingly. She opened her eyes, they were wild with fear. She looked over at Dante and sobbed. She threw herself at him. Dante cringed as her wet body pressed up against his.

"Dante! Dante!" she cried. She put her arms around his neck and curled up against him. He sat down and she crawled onto his lap. She buried her face in his neck and held tighter. Dante cringed, but then started stroking her wet hair. She was breathing heavily and started crying again. Dante maneuvered himself so he could take off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. She still held onto him for life but she stopped crying.

"Oh Dante, I had a terrible dream, oh Dante. . ." she shivered and pressed up tighter against him. He didn't know how to comfort her, so he just continued stroking her head. Her breathing returned to normal and she stopped shivering. He continued stroking her hair and still held her in his lap. She looked up at him. Her eyes were bloodshot and dilated. Her face was pale and her lips radiated red against her white complexion. She pressed her cheek against his chest and sighed.

"I'm sorry. . ." she whispered hoarsely. She let go of Dante's neck and wrapped his coat tighter around her. She looked like a little girl huddled in Dante's coat. She tried to get up but fell. Dante caught her. She looked at him with fear and innocence. Seeing Nacari look at him like that made his heart beat two times faster. She hugged him and sighed.

"I'm sorry Dante," she whispered again. Dante didn't know what to do in the situation.

"It's ok," was all he could think to say. Whatever Nacari dreamt about must have really scared her to make her react like that. She tried to get up again but her knees were trembling so bad she could hardly stand. She put her hand out and used the wall to support her. Nacari looked at Dante sadly, and he stood up. He looked like a giant compared to her hunched form. She smiled wearily.

"Do you mind leaving? I want to change," she whispered. Dante nodded and left the room. Patty looked at Nacari with concern.

"Are you ok Nacari?" she asked. Nacari looked over at Patty as if seeing her for the first time. Her lips moved but nothing came out. Finally she gave up and just nodded. Patty watched as Nacari drop down onto the floor again. Patty made a move towards her, but decided against it. Nacari just looked at the wall blankly. Patty closed what was left of the door and went downstairs. Dante was sitting at his desk. Patty walked up to him and played with her sleeves.

"What do you think happened," she asked solemnly. Dante looked at her and shook his head.

"I don't know," he looked away.

"She told me that she had nightmares, but I thought that was when she was sleeping. Although she did say that sometimes it happens when she is awake. . ." Dante turned back towards Patty.

"I'm worried about her, I only have known her for a week or so, but she is like family by now. . ." Patty looked at Dante desperately.

"It didn't even looked like she recognized me, but she recognized you," she said. Dante leaned back and crossed his arms.

"I don't know what to do for her, if I would have known how much trouble she would be, I would have never said she could be my partner," he said. Patty shook her head.

"You know that's a lie. Dante, I've never seen you look at anyone else the way you looked at Nacari earlier. . ." she said. She twirled a strand of hair and looked at Dante. He looked angry, but didn't deny what Patty just said. Patty walked over to TV and turned it on. An hour past before Nacari came downstairs. She was wearing nothing but an oversized T-shirt that came down to her thigh and Dante's coat. The coat dragged on the floor and the sleeves were too big. She looked cute in a little girl kind of way. Dante's heart beat faster at the sight of her.

"I'm sorry about earlier, I must have fallen asleep. Heheh. . ." she said weakly. Patty looked over at her.

"Are you ok Nacari? We were worried about you." Patty said. Nacari gave her a weary smile. She had bags under her eyes, but other than that she seemed normal.

"I'm fine, just a nightmare is all, didn't mean to get you guys upset," she looked over at Dante and blushed. She toke off his jacket and handed it to him. Her whole face was red and she wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Here, thanks for your coat. I'm sorry about earlier, that must have been awkward for you," she said. Dante blushed and toke the coat and set it down on his desk. It smelled strongly of vanilla and roses. The scent was stuck in his head. Nacari ran her fingers through her hair nervously and sighed.

"It's ok, don't worry about it. I'm glad you're ok," Dante said. Nacari looked at him and smiled. Dante looked away. Nacari hugged herself and looked around. She sat down at the edge of Dante's desk. Dante couldn't help himself as his eyes strayed down to her legs and thighs. They were long and very slender and very pale. He started going up and looked at her arms which were also long and slender. Dante never realized how pale and slender she was. Her hair spread out on his desk and was a beautiful contrast to the gray in his office. He wanted to touch that soft hair one more time. He wanted to touch her four inch long blue tips. Feel her breath against his neck again, and feel her arms around his neck.

"Dante, are you ok?" Nacari asked innocently. Dante shook his head and looked at her.

"What? Oh yeah, I was just thinking about something," he said. Nacari looked at him. He was relieved to see that the fear that was in her eyes was replaced with gentleness. He stared at her face and saw that her hair framed her face beautifully. She gave him a sad smile. Her lips looked like rose petals and her eyes were green and sharp like a thorn. Dante looked away as he heard his heart beat in his ears. Nacari looked away as well. Nobody said anything for a while and the only thing that broke the silence was Patty's soap opera on the television. Nacari got up and looked over at Dante.

"I think I might go out for a little while, ok?" she said wearily. Her hand went up to the cross that hung limply on her neck. Dante got up all of a sudden and walked over to her. Nacari looked at him questionably.

"I don't know if it is a good idea for you to go, I'll go with," he said. Nacari shook her head and looked at him innocently. Dante's heart seemed to break at how sorrowful her gaze was.

"I need to be alone," she began. Dante grabbed her shoulders and held her at arm's length. Not roughly, but just enough to get her attention.

"I don't want to leave you alone after what happened," he said sternly. Nacari looked at him innocently and still shook her head. Dante's arms fell to his sides.

"I need to be alone, just walk around, ok?" she asked. Dante looked away.

"Fine," he said emotionless. Nacari looked at him guiltily and walked up the stairs. Dante sat at his desk and began reading. A few minutes later she walked back downstairs. She had her sword over her back and had her hair in a high pony tail. She had her combat boots and a pair of skinny jeans on. She changed her shirt. Dante casually looked over at her and noticed she was wearing the same outfit she wore the night when they first met. He continued reading trying to act like he didn't care if she left. Without looking at him or Patty, Nacari opened the door and left silently.

Patty looked at Dante over the couch.

"Aren't you going to go after her, Dante?" Patty asked. Dante didn't look up.

"Nope," he said nonchalantly. Patty jumped over the couch and walked over to him.

"Dante, she wants you to go after her!" Patty exclaimed. Dante looked at her over his magazine.

"If she wanted me to go, she would have said come with me," he continued reading his magazine. Patty crossed her arms and pouted.

"You're not much of a romantic Dante," she said angrily.

"Wasn't trying to be," he said. Patty turned so her back was to him.

"I just can't believe you can act so cold after what happened earlier," she said. Dante set down his magazine and looked at Patty.

"I was just trying to help her," he said defensively. Patty turned back around and held her fists by her sides.

"Then why didn't you just leave when you saw she was fine? Why did you let her hug you and cry on you, and why did you hold her if you were just trying to help you? You could have left Dante, but you didn't," Patty stated. She flipped her hair and walked away.

"I just don't understand you Dante. One minute you are holding her, the next you are pushing her away," she looked at him, "Make up your mind Dante. Do you just want her as a partner, or something more?" Patty asked and climbed up the stairs. Dante heard her slam the door. Dante looked at his reflection in his mother's picture.

"I don't know what to do," he said to himself solemnly.