Hi Guys! I hope you liked the last chapter and I hope you are going to like this one as well! This will have some flashbacks about Endymion and Serenity as well as some with Kunzite. Please let me know if you liked this newest chapter!
Chapter 9
Dream/Flashback
"Drop the sword."
Serenity narrowed her eyes at him. She was panting heavily, her hair disheveled. Her clothes were soaked in sweat and her breathing was loud and ragged in the silence of the room but she was still on her feet. She was not giving up.
"I can continue." She hissed through her teeth blinking several times to clear her blurred vision.
"No you can't, not today." Endymion said firmly and came over to her, holding out his hand for her sword.
"I want to keep practicing! You said yourself that I needed to get better and fast, if I wanted to survive being with you." She said stubbornly lifting her chin. She refused to relax her stance.
"Yes but I didn't mean that you needed to learn everything in 3 days. Give me your sword you are about to collapse from exhaustion." He repeated, his body relaxed but his eyes were firm and demanding.
Serenity started stubbornly into his eyes for one more moment. It was annoying really how he wasn't even breathing hard after their exercise… As if they had been talking in the last hour instead of fighting. Finally she let out a sigh and her shoulders dropped. "I just want to be able to properly protect myself so you would not have to think about who should do the babysitting duties every single time."
Endymion raised an eyebrow in surprise as he took her sword. "Babysitting duties?"
"Yeah." Serenity nodded and dropped her head to release the tension in her neck and shoulders. "I am not blind you know. I can see your Guards following me around. I don't like to be a burden and they definitely don't like me or the fact they need to keep a constant eye on me."
"It matters little if they like the task they get or not." Endymion said easily.
"For you maybe." Serenity rolled her eyes. "Anyway once I can prove to you I can protect myself you can call them back and everyone will be happy."
"It is not going to happen." Endymion stated matter of factly, as he placed their fighting swords back to their places. "My world is too dangerous." He added.
"So is mine. You know the drill… Bestias, Angel's songs manipulating you into your death, this sort of things…" Serenity said half-jokingly as she finally stood up and walked to where he stood with his back to her.
"Angels are more dangerous than any Bestias could ever be… I told you what the consequences were if we were to start this relationship. You had a choice and you decided to step into my world. It was your decision." He said turning around, his unearthly blue eyes staring right into hers with an intensity that made her gulp. She had no chance to win this fight so she needed to change tactic if she ever hoped to have a somewhat private life ever again.
"If I prove to you that I can protect myself against you for more than 30 seconds, would you allow me the freedom to walk alone at least within the walls of Selena without someone looking after me? Here in this city, there is no chance of a Bestia's attack or for another Angel to show up without your or your Guard's knowledge." That was it. If he did not accept her offer she had to get used to the idea of never again being alone. Because if there was one thing she could not do, it was leaving him.
Endymion narrowed his eyes, tilting his head to the side as he watched her carefully for a long moment.
"You can't hope to hold up against me for more than 1 second if I was to really want to hurt you." His words were harsh and she winced but she knew he was probably right. He was one of the best Warrior Angels. It was stupid to think a mere human could really stand up against him.
"But if you can hold up against one of my Guards for more than 3 minute you can, in certain occasions, be without protection in the city." He offered.
Serenity smirked in delight; they were finally getting somewhere. "Can I choice my opponent?"
Endymion grinned back at her his wings slowly wrapping around them, cocooning her in its warmth. "You can."
Serenity could feel her heart beating like a trapped bird in her chest. It only got worse as his strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and his wings covered them so completely it felt like they were alone in the world. She felt so safe and protected like nowhere else. Her pulse went crazy and she shivered as his lips placed soft kisses against her neck. It was almost impossible to think when all she saw was those beautiful, dark wings and all she felt was his lips on her skin.
"Then I want to fight with Jedite."She managed to say as her eyes closed in pleasure.
Endymion stopped and grinned against her neck. "Ah of course you would choose your Papillon. He won't be happy to know that you think he is the weakest from the four." He murmured, his warm breath making her shudder with want.
"That is not it. But he is the less likely one to kill me accidently." Serenity sighed and moaned as he lightly bit down on her neck.
"They wouldn't dare to harm you." Endymion murmured capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.
Slowly her eyelids fluttered open, the memories of their first fight fading with her dream. With a moan, she tried to lift her head, but it was still too groggy. She would have panicked if she had not recognized the huge bed she was resting on. The pillows were soft, the blanket dark blue. Once the pain in her head had dimmed slightly, she slowly pushed herself to a sitting position. As she looked around her eyes landed on the tall figure with beautiful dark wings standing in front of the open window. A soft smile graced her lips as she tried to move forward only to wince in sudden pain. Her head was hurting so badly she thought it would explode, her left arm burned with throbbing pain. Suddenly memories from earlier came rushing back. The fight on the street… the Bestia… or was it a man? Zoisite killing the attacker, silver light burning it into ashes…
"The poison is gone but your arm will be sensitive for a few more hours." His voice was soft but there was a strange edge to it.
Serenity blinked a few times rubbing her temple to ease her sudden dizziness. "How did I end up here?" she asked. Her last memory was about being at the station with Zoisite.
"I carried you here right after I had to neutralize the venom in your body. You forgot to mention to Zoisite that you were poisoned." He sounded off and his eyes were piercing.
"I didn't know… that man was strange, I couldn't decide if he was a Bestia or not. When he wounded me first it was burning but then it got better. I honestly thought it was a normal wound." Serenity frowned trying to remember what exactly happened during the fight and after Zoisite came to help her.
"How did it happen Serenity? How did he manage to scratch you?" Endymion asked. He was still standing in front of the window, unmoving like a beautiful angel statue. Only his eyes were bright with anger as he kept watching her unblinking.
What he asked, was a valid question. He taught her himself; she knew all the tricks and delicate movements necessary to avoid the poisonous claws at all costs. She was pretty good with dodging attacks like that. He had made sure of that.
"I had to get my knife and lost focus for a second." she admitted preparing herself for his reaction.
"To get your knife?" Endymion raised his eyebrow as he finally moved and walked to the bed, watching her with such intensity it made her shudder.
"I threw it at the… thing… to prevent him from killing a woman. It landed next to a trash bin and I had to get it back."
Silence. There was a heavy silence between them as Endymion watched her carefully and she nibbled her lower lips worriedly. "You threw your knife away." It was a simple statement and it was impossible to judge his mood.
Serenity took a deep breath. "Yes."
"It was your only weapon the only way you could protect yourself and you threw it away."
"It was the only way to protect the woman." Serenity said in defense. "She would have died."
Endymion did not seem to care much about her explanation as he completely ignored her reasoning.
"What did I tell you about throwing your weapons away?" He asked instead standing right next to the bed, only inches from her but he did not move to touch her. "Have you already forgotten what happened the last time you did that?"
"No I haven't, and I am pretty sure Kunzite hasn't forgotten it either." She said with a smug grin.
Flashback
The mat they were fighting on was black with tiny blue points on it. Anyone would have missed the tiny blue dots, anyone but Serenity. She came so oft in contact with this specific mat in the past half an hour that by now she probably knew it better than she knew her own palm. She was staring at it again with her hands on her knees she was bending, trying to catch her breathe. Her opponent was watching her with cold, cold eyes. If she had not been covered with hot sweat from all the fighting she would have been shivering from cold from the icy glare he was giving her. She gritted her teeth in anger and frustration. His kicks and hits had already left blue and purple marks all over her soft skin even though she knew very well that he was holding himself back and he was fighting only hard enough to keep her busy. And as it seemed it wasn't taking so much energy out of him.
"That was it all that you had?" A deep, masculine voice asked. "Too bad, I was just warming up. Maybe next time we can actually start to fight." The bastard was insulting her so openly it made her blood boil in fury. As she glanced up her eyes narrowed farther. He wasn't even sweating whereas she was about to drop from sheer exhaustion.
She clenched her teeth so hard a muscle ticked in her jaw and her eyes blazed as she jumped at him again, aiming for his left arm with her knife. He moved swiftly to the side and lifted his right hand for a hit. A movement she knew he would do. He had pulled that trick before and she had fallen for it and had earned yet another bruise. Well she wasn't going to make the same mistake for the second time. She rolled away just as he turned her way and tried to kick his leg from under him. He jumped away in the very last second and with a swift maneuver he sent her to the floor again. She landed hard on the mat for the thousandth time that day. She didn't even bother to stand up again. She just laid there on her back staring up at the ceiling.
"I am impressed you can learn from your mistakes. Maybe next time I will set half my mind into this fight."
Serenity saw red in anger as she watched the silver haired man turning around. She was pretty sure if Endymion would not be standing at the entrance, leaning against the doorframe so lazily – almost bored - watching them, the Guard would have happily beat her to half dead. Why did she have to fight with Kunzite again? She threw an angry glare at Endymion. He knew very well that her relationship with his Guards was neutral at best but with Kunzite it had always been colder than the North Pole itself.
"She wouldn't survive even a second against a Bestia on her own." Kunzite said interrupting her musing as he slowly made his way towards Endymion.
Icy anger and rage filler her veins, adrenaline filling her tired and worn body with renewed energy. She jumped on her feet and with one swift movement threw her knife right at his back. She wasn't really thinking, she didn't have to as she was certain there was no way in hell or heaven she could cause any serious damage to an Angel with one single knife.
Kunzite jumped aside in surprise but he was not fast enough. The knife bit into his left wing. It was a minor wound, so small it wasn't even bleeding but it didn't take anything away from the fact she actually managed to hit him.
There was a complete silence in the room for a whole second, none was moving before Kunzite charged at her with full speed…. and full force at once.
Serenity prepared herself for the impact she had no hope to avoid. She closed her eyes and waited… and waited some more but when nothing happened, she slowly opened her eyes. Kunzite was staring down at her from not more than one inch from her face. In his hand he held a small dagger its sharp edge kissing her throat. If she moved, the blade would break her skin.
"You are dead." He whispered so low it was a wonder she heard him at all. His eyes were cold and deadly.
Serenity gulped nervously all the way uncomfortable aware of the dagger against her skin. From the corner of her eyes she could see Endymion staring at them intently. His body lost his lazy and relaxed stance, his muscles tensed, ready to jump in, in case Kunzite did lose his self-control.
"I managed to surprise you and hit you. You must admit that." Serenity answered finally, her eyes focusing again on the silver haired Angel in front of her.
"Because you cheated." Kunzite hissed back but other than that he was unmoving.
"I am just a human. I must use everything I have, even cheating, if I ever want to have the tiniest chance of surviving an Angel, don't you think?"
Kunzite eyed her with such intensity it started to make her really nervous.
"Kunzite." Endymion's voice drifted their way the warning was clear in his voice. He had nothing against the hard lessons his Guard gave Serenity, knowing very well other Angels would not hold themselves back if they ever got the chance to hurt her. The better she could fight against Kunzite the bigger the chances were she would survive long enough in case she was attacked. But still the rules were not negotiable, not even during training, no harm was allowed to come her way and his second was dangerously close to break that rule. He could feel it.
Kunzite pulled the dagger slowly away. "You are improving."
The compliment was so unexpected, and so totally unlike anything she thought she'd ever hear from this Angel, she nearly forgot to answer.
"Thanks." She muttered finally.
"It doesn't mean I think you could survive an attack long enough for us to get there and save you." He leaned even closer to her this time whispering right into her ear. "If your death would mean Endymion's downfall I will do everything to protect you. But listen well little Princess, either you get better in fighting, with or without cheating I don't care, or you make sure this…. thing… between you two stops growing into importance. If I start to think you are too big of a weakness for him…" He trailed off letting her fill in the blanks and marched out of the room.
End of Flashback
"You could have been killed today. Because you threw away your only weapon." Endymion said suddenly, waking her from the memories. He was now standing right next to her. He reached out and pulled her body hard against his.
"Don't do that again Serenity. Don't dare to put your life into danger ever again." He murmured into her ears as his lips brushed her hair holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. Then he kissed her with passionate urgency taking her breath away and literally making her light-headed. Her body ached for him. She let out a soft moan as he kissed her sensitive spot just below her ear.
"I was just protecting an innocent human." Serenity sighed, her fuzzy mind barely able to make a single thought as he slowly lead her back down on the bed, his masculine body covering her. His lips and hands were all over her body making her tremble and whimper with desire.
"I am protecting the humans but not at all cost. Nothing is worth your life." He whispered against her skin. When did they get naked? Serenity wondered her arms and legs wrapped around him while he nipped on her shoulder. She gasped in pain and desire. That was going to leave a mark.
"If any harm comes to you, both the human and angel world will get to know my wrath."
It was a promise, a dangerous one she knew he would keep. But she had no more time to think. He took her mouth the same way he took her body, kissing her deeply, until she came in a breathy, teary cry of bone-melting satisfaction.
Well, that was it for today. What do you think? In the next chapter Endymion will have the meeting with his Guards. What will Kunzite say? What is going to happen with Mina? How will Endymion react to all that he will find out about the attack? So many questions (:
sabina21: A lot of your questions will be answered in the next chapter!
SerenityMorrison: Thanks a lot for leaving reviews! That is interesting with the Mina-Endy-Kunzite triangle. If there is one of course. But Mina has her own motives, we will find out about it later.
raye85: Yeah Mina is definitely on the wrong side. The question is way? We will see more of her in the next chapters.