Chapter 24 – Only for Air

Merlin's House – Shinyuu's Pov

"So let me get this straight." I said pacing up and down. "What we're dealing with is the darkness in everyone's heart forming into a creature called Heartless, beings with no hearts." I looked down at the blue eyed brat.

He nodded.

"They go around stealing hearts of living things, if they freaking have one, and spread darkness to all the worlds drowning them. All of this is caused by some freak who claims they have power over the darkness." I said.

His lips twitched towards a smile as if he found it amusing that I was tying to explain this my way. "Right."

"And this, object," Selena said, awake and refreshed, stroked her finger against Sayuri's sword. "Is called a Keyblade, a powerful weapon that can unlock any door, normal or not and has the power to purify the heartless. Depending on what powers it has." She said.

He nodded again.

The children looked at both Selena and I as if asking what are we supposed to do now.

Selena gave a smile. "Thank you for sharing this with us, Sora." She said. She only says "Sora" when she's calling the blue eyed brat and our Sora was "Sora-kun". "Although we could do without this information, I'm sure this is very important for Sayuri-chan to understand who she really is." Selena placed a hand on Sayuri's shoulder.

Sayuri smiled at the blue eyed brat. "Yes, I thank you." She said.

Sora stood up and turned to Donald and Goofy. "Ready to leave guys?" He asked.

We all stared at the three.

"You're leaving?" Selena asked.

The blue eyed brat nodded. "Yeah, I have friends to find. I come back here once in a while."

We all gave an "Oh, I see" response or something along that impression and he waved before leaving.

Selena clapped her hands. "Well then, shall we go search for the shard?" She smiled.

"It's about time." I muttered.

Selena looked at me. "I'm so happy that you're so eager to help me, Shin-kano." She said.

I glared. "I just want to get the shard and get out of this world." I said.

She hugged her knees on the book covered couch. "But Sora is so nice. Yuffie, Leon, Aerith, and everyone too." She said.

"So? We've met nice people before and that hasn't kept us staying." I said. "I met your mother before." I said.

She stared at me wide eyed. "Namida Hitzuka?" she asked.

I cursed myself for bringing it up. "Yeah. In the world when you came back to us." I said.

She stared at me. "How... How's she like?" She asked quietly.

I looked at the children and kissed her forehead. "She's beautiful and nice." I said.

The mage smiled tears falling from her eyes. "I'm... glad I didn't meet her." She said.

I stared at her. I was surprised she said that, but I understood. "Are we going?" I asked.

Selena nodded and stood up. "Let's go." She said and followed me out of the house.

Night

We settled down in a small house we rented from Leon.

Selena didn't want to bother the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee so with a lot of yelling, teases, and glares, we decided to get a small house.

I sat in the dining room with a mug of coffee in my hands. I was drumming my fingers on the table in annoyance. Hell, I didn't know why I was annoyed.

The children are asleep, the stupid Manjuu bun is off somewhere, and Selena… Selena was in the restroom taking a shower.

I touched my heart, or my chest over my heart and looked down at it. I remember my mother talking to me about the heart before this journey started.

If you find someone you love don't jump into a relationship so suddenly, try to wait and build it, but don't wait too long or else it might be too late. Don't let go of that person or else you may regret it in the future.

As I played the message in my head I heard Selena's voice calling me by my stupid nickname. I looked around. There was no sign of Selena calling me. In fact the shower is still running.

Suddenly the shower stopped.

I stood up and knocked on the bathroom door.

"Who is it?" Selena's voice called.

"Umm… Did you call me?" I asked feeling stupid.

"No, why?" She asked.

I dug my hands in my pockets. "I don't know. I heard you call me." I said.

The door opened and Selena stuck her head out, her body behind the door.

She gave me a smirk. "You've been thinking about me Shin-cutie?" she asked.

I felt my stomach flip and my cheek warm up by what I hoped to be anger. "Yeah so what?" I asked. I froze as my mind registered what I said.

She raised a brow and closed the door.

I heard shuffling then after five minutes she reopened the door, dressed in her sleeping clothes. She was drying her long blond hair with a white towel.

"So? I'm curious." She asked.

"It's not important." I said.

"I don't think it's not important. I think it concerns me a whole lot." She said leaning her body against mine. She placed her hands on my chest, her eyes half open, and her smile curved almost seductively.

I grabbed her shoulders and my mind immediately went to pulling her lips onto mine, but I pushed her a step away from me and went to the dining room.

She followed me and prepared a cup of coffee herself. "I'm sorry for doing that to you." She said quickly.

I grunted. "Whatever." I said.

She sat down facing me and rested her hands on rolled fists. "So what are you thinking about now?" She asked.

"Nothing." I said.

She nodded. "Alright then." She said sipping from her mug.

I looked at her eyes, distant as if she was staring off into space in a dream. "What do you feel about…" I started.

She snapped out of her trance and her eyes focused on me.

"…love?" I finished.

"Excuse me?" She tilted her head.

"Who do you feel about love?" I asked.

Her lips immediately curved into a soft smile. "There are a lot kinds of love, Shinyuu, which one are you talking about?" she asked.

"I don't know, which ever one you want to talk about." I shrugged.

"I think Love is a wonderful thing. Being with the one you love. For women, we look for someone who can protect us." She laughed. "We're pretty fragile things you know."

I couldn't help but to smirk in amusement.

"At first it might feel like nothing in the word can go wrong. For him to hold you safely in his arms, for him to whisper love in your ears, for him to make sure you're happy with every touch. But some women don't know the truth." Her smile faded.

I felt myself eager to hear what was coming next.

"If the relationship is true the man and the woman will be happy, but most of the times the relationship will fail and it will break you like crushing you into little fragments until your grounded into dust." She said her voice dark with sadness. "That's why, I want to be extremely careful about love. I don't want to be hurt. I'm more fond of the motherly love." Her smile came back.

I smiled at her knowing what she meant.

"I love Sora and Sayuri so much. I want them to be happy. I feel as if they're my children and if anything hurts them I will act with all my power. I will make sure those who hurt my children will pay." Her blue eyes shined with determination.

I took her hand.

She looked at our hands and then back up to me with a warm look. "Is that good enough for you?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yeah… I'm going to take a shower." I said.

Selena's Pov

I laid on my bed staring at the ceiling in the dark. I was thinking about how Shinyuu asked me about love. I heard the shower turn off and within five minutes I heard Shinyuu's footsteps stop at my door. I quickly closed my eyes as he opened the door and slip into the room. I made my breaths calm and soft giving the image that I was fast asleep.

Shinyuu approached me ignoring the fact that I was "asleep" and climbed over me. His knees rest on the bed on either side of my thighs and his hands and elbows beside my head. He ran his hand across my forehead lovingly and I opened my eyes. He was surprised that I wasn't asleep, but he pushed it away as he pressed his lips against mine.

I closed my eyes returning the kiss. I now knew that he was in love with me from the action of giving me my first kiss, the actions of trying to protect me, the question of love a few moments ago. I loved him back. I knocked his arms that were supporting from him crushing me.

His body fell on mine enveloping me with his warm body. He slipped one hand behind my neck making the kiss deeper and one around my waist pulling our bodies closer together.

I laid my head back into the pillow, breaking the kiss for air. Only for air.

"I…" He whispered. "I uh…

I ran my first finger across his lips. "If you're not ready to say it, it's okay. Just kiss me." I whispered.

He lifted my head back up to connect our lips. "I swear…" He whispered as he planted butterfly kisses on my lips making them tingle and fall numb from the pleasant sensation. "I will… protect… you… with… all… of… my… power." He said finished the sentence with a passionate kiss.

I wrapped my legs around his waist. I wanted our bodies to melt into one. I pressed my lips against his with the same pressure as he did, perhaps even harder, which made him bring more fire and passion.

We laid there for hours, making our lips swollen with kisses. Breaking apart to gasp for air.

Only for air.