Chapter Twenty

With eyes closed, Shilo's fingers danced across the piano keys as she hummed along, softly. She had perfected the melody she was playing, and knew it by heart. It was something she had played over and over again for months now, to an empty house.

'Play it for me sometime. . .' Graverobbers' voice echoed in her mind. She couldn't help but to shake her head, dismissing the request. She was no musician; she was nothing like her godmother.

"I can't play it for you, Graves." She whispered below the music that swirled around the room. "I'm terrible at this."

'And the lyrics that go along with it,' she thought as she let out an embarrassed giggle. '. . .aren't the best lyrics in the world.'

'But they're how you feel. He won't mind something from the heart.'

"He will when he hears the lyrics – they're. . .silly." She laughed.

"What if I won't find it silly?"

The young woman jumped, her hands coming back down onto the keys which resulted in a muddled sound, She quickly turned around, glaring at the man who stood in the doorway. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to hear you talk to yourself." He smirked. "Glad to know I'm not the only one who does it."

She blushed slightly and looked down. "It's late."

"Past your bedtime, Kid?" He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you weren't going to wait up for me."

She shrugged. "I lied."

"Will you play it . . . from the beginning?" He asked as he walked into the bedroom, and headed towards the bed.

"Um. . ." She played with the hem of her midnight blue nightgown. "You really want me too?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked." He sat on the bed, and unlaced his boots. "Play it, Shilo."

She looked at him and gave half a smile as she turned back toward the piano. Her fingers started to work the keys as she focused on her fingers gliding across the keys. She bit her lip to refrain from singing the words she had written. 'I can't . . . I won't.'

GraveRobber closed his eyes as he laid down on the bed, listening to the melody carefully. 'It sounds like the tune I whistle.' He thought as he chuckled under his breath.

Shilo suddenly turned her head to look at him, still playing the melody. "What's so funny?"

He sat up and looked at her, using a hand to rub the back of his neck. "Nothing it . . . it just sounds a little . . . familiar."

She stopped playing. "How could it? I wrote it."

"Did you? It's nice."

She nodded. "Thanks."

"Play more."

She turned back to face the piano and obeyed his command, as she closed eyes once again.

The man got off of the bed and walked over to her, stopping behind her, and placed his hands on her shoulders. He leaned down close to her left ear, and sang softly… "If I could . . . If I may, find a way... just to say—"

"—Say it."

"The words are there—"

"Tell me, Graves. . ."

"And this, I swear . . . I care. You make me feel, like I am real—"

She smiled, inhaled deeply, and responded with her song... "Heart flutters, skipping beats . . . together our souls meet… during passion, or with just a glance . . . my heart, it wants to take this chance to say—"

"—Say what, Shilo?"

She blushed. "No, you continue first. Please."

"I'm not used to this—"

"Go on, please . . . I'm enjoying this…"

He sighed. "You're brown eyes, so captivating . . . And in them I can see—"

"—it wants to take this chance to say I love you—"

"—I can see that you love me—"

She opened her eyes, and asked him while continuing to play the song, "—Do you love me?—"

"Kid. . ." He started to say; still entranced by the music and the words they were sharing.

". . .Graves."

"It's been a long time."

"How long?"

"Too long."

"Do you remember—"

"—Do I remember—"

"—How to love?" their voices said in perfect harmony.

He shrugged. "Possibly. Maybe. I'm no stranger to emotions, Kid. I just. . .tend to hide them."

". . .So are you just a heartless Zydrate dealing thief then?" She let out a little giggle.

"Hey, people need Z. I need money. Besides, it's not like those corpses need that Z, anyway." His grin grew fully as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece of jewelry. "And I don't think that I'm too heartless." He said as he sat down on the piano bench beside her, then handed the object over to her.

Silence filled the air as she took her fingers off of the piano and grabbed the object from his hands. "Graves, it's beautiful." She gasped, holding the bracelet in the palm of her hand, examining the charms that were attached. "Oh my god," She gasped at the sight of a bluish-grey bug-shaped charm. "Is that a Stator pruininus?" She asked as her eyes found another charm, and she tilted her head slightly. "Is that a—"

"—A heart? Yes." He looked at his lap, thankful that he was wearing his grave-robbing get up.

'I can't believe you're blushing, you fool! You're supposed to make her blush!'

"Where did you get this?"

He shrugged, and smirked.

"You . . . you stole it?"

He looked at her, the smirk still on his face. "At least it's not heartless."

"You're a grave-robbing . . . rebel!" She snorted.

"And you were a highly sheltered young girl who turned to me. . .the grave-robbing rebel."

"You found me—"

"—You found me—" He corrected.

"I was chasing a bug!"

"And I was working."

"Then you had to go and yell GRAVES because you had to piss off authority."

"I also yelled it because…" He paused and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Because?"

'Just tell her.' He sighed. "I did it to impress you."

"It worked."

He smiled, his eyes twinkling as he inched his face close to hers. "I know."

Shilo clutched the bracelet as she opened her arms and threw hem around the man's neck, and crushed her lips against his.

He parted his lips slightly and felt her tongue slide into his mouth, automatically winding her way to his tongue to caress it gently. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her onto his lap.

Her heart rate picked up as she broke the kiss long enough to straddle him. She leaned forward and kissed his lips again, nipping at his bottom lip gently with her teeth.

He groaned softly and brought his hands to her thighs, running his fingernails up and down her soft, velvet skin. "Damn, Shilo."

She grinned and pulled away from his lips, her face inches from his. "You like that?" She asked as she started to grind her hips into him.

He nodded, bringing his face to her neck. "Fuck yes." He breathed into her ear as he started to grind himself against her, in time with her movement.

"Good." She smirked as she placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing away from him, and then walked away from the bench.

His eyes widened as he watched her slip away. "That's . . . not . . . nice." He growled as he maneuvered his body to watch her move closer to the bed. He grinned.

"No, but it might be easier to do things over here." She returned his grin as she sprawled out on the bed.

He stood up, taking two long strides over to where she was laying. He crawled onto the bed, his body looming over her. "Much easier. . ." He whispered as he brought his lips to hers once again, kissing her fiercely; passionately.