AN: As always, written by myself and Diana Moore.
Warning: Smut
Arika Epilogue
At an apartment, located just above a diner, a window rolled open. A very faint breeze teased the inside of the room, rustling the curtains. Without a word or noise, a bunch of snapdragons tied together was left on the window ledge. The pale hand then withdrew and disappeared.
Sitting in her chair and reading, Arika barely noticed until the scent reached her nose. She frowned, closing her book and setting it down, before padding over to the window. Her heart stopped briefly upon seeing the bundle of flowers.
"Subaru?" She whispered, leaning out the window as her breathing quickened ever so slightly. Only the breeze greeted her, the shadows in the alleyway below her unchanging. Everything remained silent. She sighed and went to close the window, disappointment thrumming through her, before she paused. It wasn't hurting anything to leave it open. Taking the flowers, she brought them up to inhale deeply. She knew it was him. Who else would it be?
Outside, Subaru looked up at the window, hidden in shadow and huddled down by the side of the building. Why the fuck wasn't she closing her window? It was cold, and she wasn't exactly in a good neighbourhood. Thieves or worse could crawl in. He sneered in annoyance.
Arika just wrapped herself in a blanket to deal with the cold, but didn't return to the book. She admired the flowers in her hands, mouth in a hard line. I just can't forget him. Subaru saved me, and he hates himself so much. I can't forget him, no matter how much time passes.
Subaru watched the window and, figuring the idiot had gone to bed, flew up. He landed on the roof silently and crouched. He then leaned down and settled on his stomach, reaching down and slowly pushing the window down. Her head snapped back to the window and she sprinted, holding it open.
"No!" Arika yelled, looking up and trying to find him in the darkness. "Subaru, I know you're there!"
Subaru started violently, grip slackening. Her strength pushing the window back up suddenly trapped his fingers. "FUCK!" He snarled, quickly sitting back up and folding his legs beneath him, blowing on red, stinging fingers and wincing.
Below, she paused. "Shit, I'm sorry," she cringed. "If... you come in here... I can give you a warm cloth." It was worth a try.
He tsked and closes his eyes, breathing out. He wanted to see her more than anything. Reluctantly, he shifted, moving down from the roof and stepping onto her window ledge. He then leaned inside, standing before her and avoiding her gaze. "Just for a bit," he muttered.
Arika's lips twisted a bit. He hadn't changed even slightly, though she supposed she shouldn't be surprised. She forced herself not to embrace him as she turned away and padded into the kitchen, getting a cloth, which she soaked with hot water from the sink. She handed it to him a moment later. "Are you... keeping well?"
Subaru accepted it from her, swallowing when their fingers brushed. He put the cloth on his red fingers. "Yeah, I'm fine. You? Seems like you're doin' alright here," he said, looking around at her decorated room.
"It's a hell of a lot better than at the palace," she said quietly. There was a lot she wanted to say, but none of it seemed appropriate. "Why did you... come?"
Subaru very slowly shifted his gaze to hers, looking at her properly for the first time since he'd gotten there. He then concentrated on his fingers, grunting when he pressed the cloth too hard. "Just checking in. I do that sometimes."
Arika glanced up at him, blushing slightly. "O-oh. I wish you would have told me," she murmured quietly, swallowing a hard lump in her throat. "Or... said hi."
He blinked and looked at her again. "...Wasn't supposed to see you today either. You should shut your damn window, idiot. And lock it! This isn't the safest neighbourhood you know. You'll get broken into."
"Stay with me," she said bluntly. "It would be...plenty safe like that," she murmured, hands curling into fists, gritting her teeth. "Subaru, please, just stay!"
He swallowed thickly and walked by her to the kitchen. "Damn it. I knew I shouldn't have grown those stupid things," he muttered to himself, washing the cloth and very deliberately not looking at her. He'd just been selfish. Indulgent. Arika's lip wobbled as she realized he was going to leave again. I can't stand it anymore.
She chased him into the kitchen and embraced him tightly from behind. "Subaru, I love you. Please," she begged. "I can't...stand any more."
Subaru stiffened under her body and suddenly turned, holding her against the wall and staring down at her. "You were supposed to forget, you damn idiot. Why...why are you so fucking dumb?" His voice was strained.
She stared up at him, pale. "How could I possibly forget you?" she whispered. "Why... are you so against this? Have I done something to make you hate me?"
The vampire wilted, leaning into her shoulder heavily. "No. You stupid...I fucking love you. This is...all I can do for you. I can't touch you how I want to." He gritted out. "Don't you get it? I want to keep you safe, but at the same time I...wanna break you so much," he breathed, fanning hot breath over her skin. He felt twisted and disgusting, holding her. Her, which he considered pure, despite everything that had happened to her. She was pure to him.
"Break me. Please," Arika pleaded, clinging tightly to the front of his shirt. "Touch me. I just want you, Subaru, I want you so much, more than anything. I can't... move on. I don't think I'll ever be able to." Time in the castle had changed her too much to feel normal again.
Desire flooded him like a swift punch to the gut, making lightning crash through his veins. He breathed out raggedly, drawing back slightly to look at her. He then grabbed her around the waist and materialised them into her room, throwing her roughly onto the bed and leaning over her. "You're...going to regret this," he panted, lust in his gaze even as he pressed a hand to his mouth, trying to control himself from the dark thoughts he had. If he hurt her badly, he'd never forgive himself.
Arika pulled him down, pushing his hand away and crashing her lips against his in answer. She wouldn't regret a thing. She wrapped her legs around his waist as if trying to cling to him. Subaru inhaled her scent, squeezing his eyes shut and sweeping his tongue inside her mouth, brushing it against hers and pinning her hips down with his own. He slid his arms underneath her, wrapping around her and pulling her closer so that their chests met. Arika kissed him back equally hard, tongue seeking his. She wanted more, couldn't hold back any more than he was able to. Subaru grunted against her mouth and rutted his hips forward. He slid his arms away, instead grabbing the front of her top, tearing it open in a quick frenzy. He kept kissing her hungrily, hands shaking with want of her.
She squeaked against his lips and blushed slightly. The room wasn't exactly warm, and being in her pyjamas, was without a bra. Her nipples immediately hardened from the cold, and she made another small noise. Large hands cupped her breasts, massaging and squeezing them. Subaru leaned his head down and licked her chest, clamping his mouth down and sinking his fangs into her breast. He drank, gulping her blood down in a rush, as if not quite in control of himself. He pinched her nipple with one hand, pressing a thumb over it and rubbing. Arika moaned loudly, wincing at how sensitive it felt. She couldn't stop squirming.
"S-Subaru..." she groaned, squeezing hazy eyes shut. Subaru sucked hungrily, removing his fangs and licking the marks, chuckling darkly as the blood lust made his expression take a turn. Instead of scared, his red eyes gleamed in the dark, looking at her. "Fuck...I really can't hold back if you say my name like that," grabbing her pyjama pants and tugging them down her legs, the material strained in his hands. "Don't hold back," she breathed, staring up at him. He looked amazing. There was something so incredibly erotic about his expression, and she wanted him, badly. "Subaru~"
His mouth practically salivated as he drank in the image she made. Her pyjama shirt was torn, still hanging on her arms and bare sex glistening. His erection strained against his pants as he reached for his shirt, tugging it up over his head and discarding it. He then shoved his head down between her legs, kissing her sex hungrily and sucking on her clit. Arika gasped, back automatically arching. "Subaru!" She groaned, reaching down to tug him closer by the hair. She bucked against his face, needing more. Subaru grabbed her thighs and spread her legs apart, pinning them down into the bedding and leaving her completely open to him as he shoved his tongue inside her. He paid attention to everything, her squirming, the reactions if he sucked or nipped her a certain way. It only got him more aroused. Arika mewled happily, breathing picking up, even with the aching of the harshness of which he pushed her thighs. "Gn! S-Subaru..." she moaned, unable to stop saying his name.
Subaru leaned up suddenly, pressing hard lips to hers and seeming not to be able to take it anymore. He undid his pants and shoved them down along with his underwear, bucking his hips to shove himself inside her. He let out a long groan, feeling her grip him- and then stiffened slightly. Worry came flooding back. He looked at her, panting slightly. Arika's mouth had frozen mid-gasp, staring down at him. He was large, very large, and it felt incredibly tight. "S-Subaru..." she whimpered, before clinging tightly around his neck. "I-just move...!"
Subaru grunted, kissing her neck. "I love you- idiot," he muttered, before starting to move. With every buck of his hips, the bed squeaked slightly. He rammed himself inside her fully right at the start, and drew himself almost completely out, before repeating the movements. His hips snapped forward and drew back in rough thrusts, wet noises filling the room as he muffled his moans into her neck.
"I love you too," her voice was small and faint compared to his low growls, and she couldn't stop whimpering and mewling. His thrusts were violent, somewhat painful, and deliciously satisfying, and her lips parted as her back arched. Subaru turned her slightly, lifting her leg up and holding the spot on the underside of her knee, effectively stretching Arika wider for him as he groaned, ramming inside her again.
"Fuck-" he gritted out, abdomen flexing as his hips rolled continuously. Arika screamed, the new position aching, but she was too busy to really care. She reached out, touching his abdomen and the hard muscles there. Subaru shuddered and his hips stuttered at her touch, hearing her pant needily. He rutted his hips hard to the point that the bed jolted and squeaked forward- headboard hitting the wall continuously as Subaru growled, dropping her leg once more and leaning over her so that their hot, sweating bodies were pressed so close there was hardly any space between them. Holding her hips, he kept moving, getting closer and panting hotly into her neck.
Arika kissed his cheek sloppily, legs useless. "S-Subaru, I'm going to... cum..." she managed out, moaning loudly. I can't believe I haven't already, he's going so hard.
Subaru drew his head back slightly from her neck- expression having been mostly hidden. His face revealed how strained he felt for release, shuddering and panting, but a dark, consuming look swam in his eyes. He wanted to keep her more than anything. He slammed his hips faster, bucking erratically and hiding his face in her neck again, shuddering and moaning. His abdomen tightened as he fought not to release before her. Luckily, she couldn't take anymore. Arika screamed as her sex squeezed around him and she released violently, holding onto his shoulders for dear life, whimpering out his name.
Subaru gasped into her neck and let go partway through a thrust, body shuddering into hers as he came hard, letting out a breathy snarl into her neck. He panted heavily, sweat clinging to his body.
Taking a few long moments to catch her breath, Arika opened dazed eyes that slowly refocused. She moaned softly and reached up to shakily stroke his hair, fingers trembling. Subaru doesn't flinch like before and instead leaned into her touch slightly, before he kissed her wrist and shifted, holding her close. "...I missed you," he said quietly, voice still faint from exhaustion.
"You didn't have to," she reminded him quietly, kissing his cheek. "You're... going to stay, right? Please, Subaru."
Subaru swallowed, pulling out of her and peeling pale fingers off her hips. Angry looking bruises greeted him in the shape of fingerprints. He looked at her and sighed, slumping into her. "Shouldn't. But...if you want me, still, then I'll stay until you kick me out," he rested his forehead against hers.
"Then you'll stay forever, because I'll never kick you out," she said quietly, stroking his hair. "I love you. I want you forever."
Subaru blinked at her tiredly, expression still surprised. He didn't understand her. But he felt almost formless in her hands. It didn't matter what he was or who he'd been, so long as she kept looking at him like that. He slowly smiled, lips bent painfully. He moved to lay down beside her, pulling her in and grabbing her hand, returning it to his hair. She stroked it, amused.
"I don't think I'm going to be walking too much tomorrow," she said dryly. Between her thighs was an absolute mess of combined juices.
"That's fine, don't wanna move. Stay here with me," he muttered, brushing some blonde hair from her face. "Snapdragon...heh...you know, when I was a kid, I didn't think I'd get company in my later years. Played alone, all the time. I aint good with people," he mutters, not realising what the album had been about.
"I know. I saw the memories. You were fucking adorable," she kissed his cheek. Subaru blinked and froze, before pale skin flushed scarlet.
"What?!" He barked. "N-no...she didn't...give you THAT album right? Tell me you didn't see the pirate one? Gah, shit!" He buried his face in her hair.
Arika giggled. "Cute," she teased. "And the bunny. It makes me ridiculously happy you like bunnies. I don't know why, but it fits SO well."
"No it doesn't!" Came a muffled voice from her hair. He drew back, face still red. "I was so lame back then..." he muttered, soon stilling and looking at her sharply. "Oi...you didn't see anything recent right? Nothin'...to do with Snapdragons?" He asked faintly.
Arika cupped his cheeks, grin teasing and a little wicked. "Oh, quite a lot, and lemme tell you, I melted. I would not have laughed at you, ya ass, I would have been very happy."
Subaru blinked owlishly and glanced away, still blushing. His lips thinned and he leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers and breathing out. "I ain't good at this shit, if that wasn't obvious already."
"I can tell. I also don't care," smirking slightly, she continued to play with his hair. "It's... enough that you're here. I... really, really missed you," her words don't really convey just how much, as her mind flashed to the many nights she had felt cold and empty that past month. Freedom hadn't tasted like how she'd expected. Subaru's blush slowly faded as he drew back slightly to look at her properly.
"Were you okay?" He asked quietly, making her swallow a lump in her throat. "Yeah," she said, not really lying. It was of course still better than the palace. He looked away, hugging her tighter. "...My Mother...she died not too long ago," there was no emotion in his voice.
Arika's expression faltered. "I'm so sorry," she said softly, stroking white hair behind his ears, frowning. "Are you... doing okay?"
Subaru nodded, eyes slightly dim with recollection. "I guess she...couldn't take it anymore. Told me to grow those for you. She wanted me to see you again," he nodded to the snapdragons. She swallowed and dropped her hand to his shoulder to embrace him more tightly.
"I'm sorry," she said again, not sure what there was to say. She let out a breath, kissing his cheek. He hugged her to him in response, inhaling her scent. He'd done his grieving, yet it still felt painful, like an absence was within him that nothing would ever fill. But her presence brought him comfort and he kissed her neck.
"Oi...let's not talk about it now. What you been up to here in this place?" He asked, drawing back slightly and blinking the mist from his eyes.
"Well, downstairs is a little diner. I work there during the day, and the manager lets me live up here for half wages," she explained. "They're really, really good people. It's... weird. I keep expecting them to want something more in return. I guess I'm not used to much charity."
Subaru nodded. "You seemed to be doin' alright when I saw you last. Glad they're decent," he stroked her hip. "I have some money you know. Guess it won't last forever though. I'll probably have to get a job too," he winced. He'd be fantastic around other people.
"I have some saved up, but it's barely anything," she hummed, wincing. She'd eaten poorly in an attempt to be as frugal as possible, to the point where she'd lost quite a bit of weight. But, she did have a few hundred dollars to show for it. "We could... save for a while, and go find something together."
He nodded, scratching his cheek. "I could find my own place if they won't let me live here."Don't think I haven't noticed this, by the way," he grumbled, pinching her hip and looking at her slight figure. Arika sighed.
"I did what I had to. Don't nag," she said quietly. "I don't think they would mind you staying here, though. Maybe they would let you work downstairs, too. Heh, you as a waiter would be hilarious."
"You ain't losin' any more weight." He nagged anyway. "Tch...and I might be too clumsy for that. I could wash dishes maybe...or beat up people who don't pay their bill," he mused, smirking slightly.
Arika giggled. "Yeah, fair. We can talk to them in the morning. They're very sweet, I promise," she grinned toothily, snuggling into him again. "And fuck right off. I could go and be a model. Nothing sexier than ribs."
Subaru moved her so that he could rest his chin on her head. "Tch. No way, other guys would look at you then," he grumbled, holding her to him possessively.
"Don't come down to the diner then," she muttered. "Something tells me you wouldn't like the gropers very much."
He stiffened, limbs locking. He then grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back to look her in the eye. "Who touched you?" A quiet snarl rolled into his voice. "I'll kill them. Fucking bastards."
"Relax," she sighed, patting his cheek. "I beat the shit out of them, and Mizuki downstairs, the owner, had them banned."
He relaxed slightly. "Good. Tch...you tell me if that happens again. I'll make them impotent too."
Arika laughed and kissed his cheek again. "I wouldn't worry too much. Mizuki has zero tolerance for it. She's pretty fantastic," she admitted. "But... yeah. It is a little annoying," she paused for a moment, before resuming the snuggling. "I love you, Subaru. I love you a lot. I'm... really glad you're back." Subaru blinked and sighed, eyes dark while thin lips slowly tilted up.
"That's gonna take some gettin' used to. And...I'll probably mess this up a lot. But I love you too, little idiot." He pressed his lips to the side of her head.
She smiled under his kiss, closing her eyes. She couldn't help but feel a little sleepy, after the sex. "I don't think you'll ruin anything."
Subaru stroked her hair, "get some sleep, Snapdragon. I'll be here when you wake up..." he promised, voice quiet.
"I'm glad," she said for what feels like the hundredth time, but her voice was fainter, filled with sleep. She curled into him, and within moments, she found a far more peaceful sleep than she had in over a year. Subaru stayed awake for a while, listening to her breathing and the gentle thrum of her heart. He combed pale fingers through her hair in an absent-minded gesture. Briefly, he thought to leave again- that he didn't deserve her, but in the end, shifted closer.
He didn't want to leave. And if she wanted him, he'd never let her go. Tired red eyes drifted shut and his body relaxed against hers, lulled to sleep by the scent of snapdragons.