Disclaimer: I do not own Hana to Akuma or the characters therein. Nor do I own the song Walking In The Air.
NOTE: Thank you Nanaga for your review! Here is another chappie!
LIME WARNING... (towards the end of this chapter. I have marked it off, so don't read if you don't want to or are too young! It won't affect the story that much if you decide not to read it.)
Chapter 10: Beyond the Morning
The day after visiting Tsubaki Hana returned to work. At first she was a little worried about being away from Vivi-sama and the manor but after a few uneventful days, she calmed down. Besides, she knew that Mr. Bird was always close to her, only a command away. At first she would smuggle him into the clinic in her handbag since animals were not allowed. Now she was satisfied having him just hang around outside the building. Either way it did not seem that he minded just lazing around all day.
Vivi had assigned a personal driver, named William, to take her any place she wanted to go, since Toni had other duties that needed to be fulfilled on mornings. He was about Toni's height, but had light brown hair and green eyes. Because of Hana's amiable nature, she quickly became steadfast friends with William. During their time together they chatted freely and Hana learned quite a few things about the Demon World. Vivi-sama did not seem too keen on talking about it, and she did not want to pressure him into doing so.
Weeks went by. Today marked four weeks since first met Vivi-sama. Momo, who regularly visited the clinic with his father, the town's main pastor, still waited for her to show up every morning to make sure that she was alright. "Momo, you don't have to worry! Vivi-sama is very good to me."
"That may be true, Hana, but I still worry about you." he replied matter-of-factly. He then changed the subject. "Hana, your birthday is coming up. What would you like to do on that day?"
Hana had forgotten about that. "Well... we usually have a small party at my place, but because I live at the manor now, I don't know." She thought for a moment and ventured, "I wonder what Vivi-sama would let me have a party there?"
"You mean allow you to invite humans to his manor?" Momo was sceptical. "Maybe it would be best of we kept up the festivities somewhere else."
"Yes, you're probably right. But the garden is so beautiful with all the flowers! Oh, that's right, Momo, you didn't get a chance to see it, did you?"
Hana had a few new patients, but nothing that she could not handle. There was something new, though. She found herself missing Vivi-sama's company and as soon as she got to work, as long as she was not occupied with a patient or working on blood samples and cultures, she found herself looking up at one of the many clocks in the clinic wondering when it would turn five o'clock so that she could call Mr. Bird to her and return home. Then she would be free to seek Vivi-sama out for a conversation. Actually, usually she would not find him so she started helping Toni with the flower gardening. It was then that her suspicion of a demon making flowers wither by their touch was confirmed. It made her remember Eleanor and she smiled. She wanted to know how things were going with Velten. It had been a while since their last girl to girl conversation.
The few times she found Vivi, he was reading in his study, but he quickly put his book away to talk to her. He asked a lot of questions about her and she realized that he knew much more about her than she knew about him. She was going to fix that though. Then they would have dinner together and usually she would retire not too long after because she had to wake up early the next day for work. Each night she went to bed thinking about when he would kiss her next. In fact, he did not even touch her since the day they visited Tsubaki. It had been three weeks and she concluded that maybe he thought that the kiss was a mistake. This made her depressed and she resolved to find out if that was the case. But how was she going to do that was beyond her.
Home... she felt the warmest sensation go through her whenever she thought about Vivi-sama and his manor filled with demons. For the first time in her life she felt like she had a family. True she had developed a few close friendships and a general feeling of camaraderie with the other children who grew up with her in the orphanage; but being in an orphanage setting robbed her of the feeling of completely belonging somewhere. She felt like she could find a place in this life with Vivi-sama. She blushed, I am thinking about making a life with him? Wouldn't it be nice to become even closer to him? Oh, no what am I thinking!? He is a supernatural being who is going to live for hundreds of years after I die. That made her feel even more depressed, but she cheered up by thinking, One lifetime with him would be enough. I shouldn't be greedy.
Today was Friday and that meant that she was expected at the Youth Centre this afternoon. Hana was anxious to see her students again and, to her, it seemed like the clocks decided to shut down today. She felt like 5pm would never get there. But sure enough it did. Hastily she grabbed her bag and folder containing the sheet music and practically ran out of the clinic. She picked up Tsubaki and Momo on her way there and she happily made her way into one of the side rooms where her eager students awaited her.
Inside were her choir of forty four children and adolescents ranging in age from 8 to 17, together with and a small string and brass orchestra composed mainly of music teachers, students and others who volunteered. After greeting them she said, "Please take your places so that we can continue working on Mendelssohn's 'Elijah'. Let us warm up with the first three sections that we have completed and then we will move on the fourth, 'Ye People, Rend Your Hearts'." Turning to the orchestra that Momo and Tsubki joined, she said "Would you please?" Honouring her request, they began playing the 'Intro'.
They went at it for three hours, taking short breaks ever so often. When the practice session was nearing its close, she noticed that Momo stopped playing his violin momentarily. Not wanting to be distracted she waited until the end of the session to turn around to see what had caught Momo's attention. Sitting in a corner, silently listening were Toni and Vivi-sama. She was about to greet them when Tsubaki spoke up, "Hey Duke, would you like to see what kind of skill Hana-chan uses here?"
"Kind of skill?" he asked, his head tilting slightly in interest. "Of course."
"Hana-chan, let's do one of your simpler favourites.... How about... 'Walking in the Air'?" Tsubaki then told Momo, "Start us off, will ya?"
Taking the seat near the piano, Momo began a soft, mysterious melody to which Tsubaki added her violin.
Hana blushed. This is a song should be sung to a lover.
We're walking in the air
We're floating in the moonlit sky
The people far below are sleeping as we fly
We're holding very tight
I'm riding in the midnight blue
I'm finding I can fly so high above with you
All across the world
The villages go by like dreams
The rivers and the hills
The forest and the streams
Children gaze open mouthed
Taken by surprise
Nobody down below believes their eyes
We're surfing in the air
We're swimming in the frozen sky
We're drifting over icy
mountains floating by
Suddenly swooping low on an ocean deep
Arousing of a mighty monster from its sleep
We're walking in the air
We're dancing in the midnight sky
And everyone who sees us greets us as we fly
Although the song's beautiful tone did not showcase the complete strength and versatility of her soprano skill, it was enough to astonish Vivi. The trio seemed to become far removed from all earthy things. As Momo's fingers danced along the piano keys and Tsubaki swayed gently to the sweet music of her violin, a smiling and singing Hana seemed to have stepped out of a dream. This little spectacle together with the song's words and harmony shook him to the core. Vivi's eyebrows furrowed deeply as he regarded her. This is where she belongs. Maybe it would be wrong for her to continue staying with me. Would I corrupt her? I shouldn't... His thoughts were broken when Toni piped in, "Hana-sama, that was absolutely beautiful!"
Seeing Vivi's expression Hana asked, "Didn't you like it, Vivi-sama?"
"Hana, you have the voice of an angel." Despite his thoughts he did not want to upset her and smiling at her he approached her and asked, "Would you sing another for me?" Hana eagerly complied.
By the time they quitted the Youth Centre, Hana was exhausted. In fact she had fallen asleep on Vivi's shoulder on the way back home. Carefully he picked her up from inside the car to carry her upstairs to her room. Turning slightly in his arms to snuggle closer to the warmth his body offered against the cold night air, smiling lips whispered his name contently. Is she dreaming of me? he wondered to himself.
Placing her on her bed, Vivi had an intense yearning to kiss her. He had not kissed her since that day when she ran away from him. He was afraid that he were to again, he would go too far and risk pushing her away. But there she was completely defenseless and unaware. If he just leaned into her a little more... He decided against it. He told himself that his behaviour towards Hana was stupid. I have not been a hormone raged adolescent for a century now. How could I be thinking of stealing kisses from a sleeping woman!? Straightening his back he was about to leave when Hana stirred. She woke up to see his back to her. "Vivi?" she called, forgetting the suffix. He noticed but did not mind. His name was breathed out in an almost tantalizing way, making him want to kiss her again all over again. "I am sorry that I fell asleep." She added rubbing her eyes. "Did you carry me to my room? You should have woken me up."
Turning back to her he replied, "I did not wish to." Because if you were awake, I would want to kiss you and maybe even... he continued in his head. The song she sang for him... No sang to him did funny things to his insides. He found that not only had the buzzing sensation start again, but his heart felt lighter than it had in almost three decades. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and do bad things to her. "You should get some rest, Hana." He sounded withdrawn. He wanted to quickly leave this room and her alone.
Hana noticed that something was wrong. "Vivi-sama? Are you mad at me?"
"Mad at you?" Temporarily forgetting that he should make his escape, he approached her bed. "Why would I be mad at you?"
Sitting upright she said sheepishly, "Well, we haven't spent much time with each other since I went back to work." What she really wanted to say was that he had not touched her since the day they kissed. But she could not bring herself to voice that. "I thought that maybe I did something wrong."
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Vivi took one of her hands and enveloped it in one of his larger ones. The warmth of the contact seemed to radiate throughout her body. "No, do not ever think that I am mad at you. I just thought you wanted some space to acclimatise to this new arrangement."
Feeling emboldened by his words Hana took her other hand and gently ran it up his arm to his shoulder. Vivi visibly shivered at the intimate contact. Tilting her head up to his she whispered, "Vivi... I..." How am I going to say: I want you to kiss me? she wondered desperately. Using her hand on his shoulder as leverage, she pulled herself up and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. Blushing furiously she backed away, her heart beating rapidly at her daring action.
Vivi's control broke then. Wrapping her tightly against him he titled his head and kissed her passionately. By Lucifer! It had been too long! Vivi thought. Recalling the kiss they shared before, Hana readily opened her lips to for him. Smiling at her eagerness, he plunged his tongue deep into her warm, welcoming mouth to caress hers. How sweet she tasted! Like nectar. Vivi kissed her hungrily, trying to quench a thirst for her that originated from deep within him. When she kissed him back with a fervour that matched his own his heartbeat quickened. As he continued to plunder her lips, tasting and stroking ever inch of the sweetness she offered, he knew that he wanted... no needed more. Whatever part of his soul that was previously untapped now roared to life.
LIME CONTENT:
Lowering Hana to the bed, Vivi covered her with his body. As pleasure coursed down her spine, her heart knocked against her ribcage, threatening to burst out of her chest. While he kept her distracted with his searching, bewitching kisses, his knowledgeable hands sought out the buttons that kept her blouse together. It was not until she felt her breasts freed from her brassiere that Hana realized that her upper body was naked. Not for a second did Vivi's kisses cease or falter for her to realize that he was undressing her. But Hana's rational mind was gone at this point and she lacked the strength or the will to ask him to stop. Then suddenly a hand was gently caressing her left breast. Hana moaned into her kiss as pleasure spread from her breast into her heart and then down, pooling hotly in her lower abdomen.
Vivi's lips left hers and she gulped for air as his mouth traveled down her throat leaving a trail of kissed behind. Hana cried out when his hand was replaced by his lips. Tenderly he kissed her breast and then swirled his tongue around her taunt nipple before taking it into his mouth. Hana forgot how to breathe then. The pleasure was too much. Her lower body seemed like it was suddenly lit aflame and she rubbed her legs together in an effort to stop the aching that began to form, but her actions only intensified her throbbing. Becoming confused and frightened because she had never experienced these things before, she cried out "Vivi!"
The fear in her voice brought the raven-haired demon back to his senses. He quickly realized what was happening and what he was doing to her. The smell of her arousal threatened to make him lose himself again so he quickly rolled off her. Swearing loudly, he turned his back on her. What the hell was I thinking? He demanded of himself. You weren't thinking his conscious answered nastily, laughing evilly. Hana grabbed a pillow and pressing it against her chest, hiding her nakedness.
END OF LIME CONTENT
"I... I'm sorry, Hana." She heard him say. "This won't happen again! I just... I..." He trailed off. Without looking back at her he moved towards the door. When he opened the door he heard her say,
"Vivi, I'm sorry too." in saddened voice. If only I knew what to do... She was almost in tears silently cursing her own innocence. She did not know if she wanted him to make this experience NOT happen again. All she knew that she would not be getting much sleep tonight.
Vivi could not leave fast enough. Retreating into his room and slamming his door shut, he placed his head in his hands and asked aloud, "What the f**k was I doing to her? F**K! What the hell is wrong with me? How could I take advantage of a woman like that? Is this what the Great Duke Vivi has become? Will I corrupt an innocent flower?" He sat down heavily in one of the chairs near his bed and pondered what had just happened. Even though he hated and chastised himself for losing his senses, it angered him further that it did not change the fact that he wanted Hana. He wanted her badly. He knew that now he would have to also protect her from himself. But would he be able to do that? He would have to stay away from her until he found some way of controlling his desire for her. His lust for her. But staying away from her was not working. He tried that and all it achieved was increasing his craving for her until he could not take it anymore. "What am I going to do?" he asked helplessly.
It was suddenly early morning and he was still in the same position. His raging thoughts made it impossible to sleep, but easy to speed the night along. He thought of Cassandra and how she died. She had died because of him. It was at this time that he realized that what he felt for Hana was not lust. It went beyond that. It went beyond his instinct to protect her because she was weak and by morning he recognized that his emotions for Hana went beyond his wish to prevent another woman from losing her life because of him. With the morning light that peeked through his heavy draperies, he realized that he had fallen in love with her. What he felt for Cassandra was strong, but it was different from what he felt for Hana. Did love take different forms? As a demon, by nature, the finer emotions were a mystery to him. This situation puzzled him, but he knew for his sake and Hana's he would have to solve this problem soon. He would have to go beyond where his mind reached before.