PART XXXVI: The Gift of Death

Elissa shifted in her sleep, blue-tinged dreams of warm hands and gentle whispers luring her perpetually into a deep slumber where she could peer into crimson-hued eyes to her heart's content. She turned on her side and reached for her pillow in her unconscious state, hugging it tightly to her chest as if to replace the absence of another.

She did not notice the faint hissing sounding behind her, and shivered when she felt a cool length creep along the length of her arm, slithering and slimy, but too soft a touch to rouse her. Even as the intruding touch snaked over her shoulder, curling up her neck, even as she felt a moist tip flick the shell of her ear, the hissing closer than ever before, she slept. The slick, moist coldness pressed against her eardrum and all at once, a piercing pain like the stab of a dagger tore through her senses, bolting her awake and she shot upright in bed, out of place and startled.

The pain dissipated as suddenly as it began and she was left with nothing but a dull, throbbing sensation in her temples. Feeling somewhat disoriented, and unable to recall why she had jolted awake in the first place, Elissa abandoned her bed in pursuit of a cold glass of water. Refreshed, she returned to the comfort of her bed and by the time she awakened the next morning, she could not recall the incident occurring at all.

Elissa spent the following day occupied with tidying up her apartment and trawling through even more tedious job applications. By the time the evening rolled around and she'd finished with dinner, she settled onto the sofa in front of the television, her phone pressed to her left ear as she anxiously waited for her mother to answer her call. After nervously deliberating to herself over the subject for the entire duration of the day, she'd decided that asking for an objective opinion on her circumstances might possibly help her to sort out all the conflicted, jumbled thoughts that were circulating continuously in her mind. Thoughts that were centred around one enigmatic God of Death.

She frowned when the ringing tone continued, before the call was automatically forwarded to voicemail. It was evening time. Surely her mother was back from work? Sighing in disappointment, she disconnected the call, and tossed her cell onto the cushion beside her.

Leaning her head back on the sofa's padded head-rest, Elissa stared up at the ceiling in frustration. She didn't know what to do. Which direction to take. How many hours of sleep had she lost, mulling over the dilemma of Itachi, considering her options? The fact that her delusional, idiotic brain seemed utterly convinced that she even had other potential avenues available to pursue besides that of innocent, platonic friendship was a clear sign that she was not of a sound mind. Elissa knew she was being nothing short of foolish. Everything about the very nature of their dynamic underlined how very wrong it was.

She knew a human shouldn't pine for an immortal. And yet, hadn't Slayte told her that it wasn't so uncommon for deities to involve themselves with humans? How come she had never heard of it happening before? Did the gods conceal their true natures from the objects of their affections? Or was the whole affair only allowed to be kept a strict secret between those who partook in the romantic affair? Elissa wrinkled her nose in distaste. That wasn't a way to live, surely?

Slayte's invaluable advice didn't change the fact that Itachi - Thanatos himself - was so completely out of her league in every conceivable way, in knowledge, in status, in existence. Elissa found herself agonising over what it was that he possibly even saw in her that warranted him favouring her with his time and attention. She wondered how in the world so handsome, so noble, so regal and wise a deity could possibly be unattached. It baffled the mind. Surely there had to be queues and queues of gorgeous goddesses, ethereally superior to herself in beauty and in intelligence, who admired Itachi and clamoured for his attention and affection? He could have anyone he wanted. He could probably have several at once if he wanted. Why would he concern himself with and choose to indulge a silly, clueless little mortal who wasn't on his level in any way?

Her mood took a glum turn as she sulked to herself over the notion of other, far lovelier immortal women who had to be available to him. She wasn't one usually insecure of herself, and yet when it came to Itachi, she found herself second-guessing everything. Did they throw themselves at his feet? Flirt with him? Did they follow him and surround him in the royal palace in which he dwelled? Did they shower him with compliments and spoil him with gifts?

The very thought caused a bitter taste to fill her mouth. Imagining his eyes lingering elsewhere - on someone else - was upsetting, and Elissa caught herself, incredulous at her own emotional reaction. They weren't anything. He could look wherever and at whomever else he pleased.

"Thanatos wouldn't take such actions lightly. He seems to be sincerely interested in you, Elissa."

Slayte's words reverberated in her head, causing her heart to flutter in her chest. No matter how hard she battled, Elissa couldn't shake the memory of that haunting, powerful gaze, the smothering weight of it, the way it captured and held hers with such unwavering, blistering intensity. His words, that always seemed to hold more than one possible interpretation, falling from full, alluring lips in delicious tones of sensuous black velvet, settling around her ears like a dark, seductive caress. His lingering touches, that birthed such confusion within her. The way he allowed her, now freely, to look upon his face, his beautiful, heavy-lashed eyes open and unveiled to her in their emotions.

She recalled his words to her the previous night. That she had time enough to decide what it was she desired. And that his wishes ought to be clear. An imperceptible shudder ran through her at the recollection of his warm fingers, tracing over the nape of her neck with slow deliberation.

What was he doing to her? Was he even aware? Did he know that the way he looked at her made her head spin so? That it caused the air to flee from her lungs and caused warmth to bloom into her cheeks? That every touch was sweet torment, eliciting butterflies within her belly? It was unsettling, to feel so breathless in his company all the time. To be so painfully aware of her own thundering heart-beat, and the way her entire body seemed to tingle, as if charged with static-like electricity in his proximity.

She was overcome with bewilderment. He had told her his desire was for her to receive everything she desired. What did that truly even mean? Did he suspect her feelings eclipsed friendship? Horror filled her at the notion. And yet he was Death incarnate, capable of regulating heart-rhythms. He had to at least sense how chaotically hers galloped in his company. Evidently he was far too polite to mention it, or perhaps it was that he simply pitied her. Was that why he had steadied its frenzied rhythm for her several times?

She released a low groan of despair.

The more things dragged on this way, the more unbearable it all became. Things had been so much easier, simpler between them, before she had known the truth.

"My wishes... should be clear."

His wishes. What did he wish for? What did he think they could be? How could they possibly be anything? Even if she dared to entertain a sliver of hope that they could be something more than they were - what did that mean for them in the long-term? How could it possibly work, logically, realistically? She was human. He was undying. She was mortal. He was Death, Crown Prince of a dark kingdom to which she did not belong. It was madness to proceed, surely. It had to be. How could one romance with Death? It was nothing like navigating the human dating scene. There were so many hurdles and complications to consider.

What was the alternative? To remain simply as friends? To die inside each time in his presence by ignoring her feelings, pretending they didn't exist at all? Hoping they'd vanish, eventually, somehow? It had been months since they'd met. Fast approaching a year. She was just as drawn to him now - even more so - than she had been in the past. It wasn't getting better. It was getting so much worse. The more she saw him, the more she wanted to be near him.

Elissa was furious at herself. What in the world was the matter with her? Why couldn't she fight this senseless attraction? What was it about him, that reeled her in and captivated her so? She had never been one to lose her head to fanciful notions or immature crushes. And yet, when it came to Itachi, she felt as a helpless moth, drawn to a glorious, dangerous, deadly flame.

She couldn't keep tormenting herself in such a way. She couldn't keep ignoring the matter, pretending her feelings didn't exist when every subsequent meeting was making it more difficult for her to pull back, to retain distance between them. She thought of the bold touches she'd already initiated. Touching his face. Holding his hand. Picking petals off his cloak.

It was nothing short of torture. The temptation to be close to him, to want to reach out and touch him, was terrifying. No matter how many times she made up her mind, as soon as those dark, enticing eyes locked onto her again, pinning her inescapably in place, she found herself abandoning all logic and reason. She wanted that attentive, magnetic gaze on her, as much as she wished to hide from it. And he didn't help matters. He had it within his power to shut her out, to draw clear boundaries, and yet, perplexingly, ever since revealing his true identity to her, he had done the precise opposite. Blurred them. Even crossed them. Laced a dark flower in her hair, intertwined his fingers through hers, cupped her face in his hands and pulled her into gentle embraces. Things that lent her hope. Actions that roped her in, beckoning and enticing her to step closer to him, instead of pushing her away.

Why? Why would he seek to confuse her so? What was she to him? What did he see, when he looked at her?

Flirting with Death? She snorted to herself. She wasn't the one doing it. Perhaps she thoughtlessly had, at the start, before she'd known she'd been dancing with darkness itself, but now, it was most certainly Death, Himself, who was surely flirting with her, and she didn't know how to handle it. How could she be so attracted to the very embodiment of everything she had grown up fearing and hating?

I'm in trouble, she thought to herself miserably. I'm in so much trouble, and I don't know what to do. I'm too scared to talk to him about it. It's too embarrassing. What if we don't even want the same thing after all? Do I even know what I want?

But neither could she continue to suffer in her thoughts and emotions in silence. It wasn't her fault. She had been drawn to him long before she ever knew what he was, and finding out what he was ought to have crushed those feelings. And yet, inexplicably, it had not. Now that she had seen his face, now that she knew all that he was, she found herself even more intrigued. Helplessly enthralled by the protection and affections of a being so noble, so lofty and omniscient reserved for her.

She needed to decide, once and for all, what she wanted. She needed advice, and she needed it from someone removed from the situation. Who better than her mother? If only she would pick up.

Vetty was curled snugly on her lap, a warm, comforting, familiar weight. Elissa stroked over her dark fur, absent-mindedly watching the images that played out on the screen in front of her eyes without paying attention to what was actually going on.

A pinging sound indicated an incoming message and Elissa lifted her phone to find a message from Cami. "When was this? I don't think I have a bracelet like that. Can you send me a picture?"

She had texted Cami that morning to ask after her friend's welfare and to make more sense of her odd behavior the day before. Cami's response, that she was still lost in memories of the family friend who had died so suddenly, surprised Elissa. It was very like her friend. She had offered Cami words of comfort and gently indicated that her recent behavior had given Elissa cause for concern and reminded her of the bracelet she had forgotten.

A bracelet Cami could not seem to remember. Elissa frowned at her phone screen. It was almost as if Cami could not recall having visited her the day before? She seemed to be back to her old self again.

Elissa rose to her feet to retrieve the bracelet, eager to send her friend a photo and get to the bottom of this. When she entered her room however, she was dismayed to find that the bracelet was nowhere to be found. She pulled the nightstand away from the wall thinking it might have fallen into the gap - but it was nowhere to be found. Confused, Elissa shook out her blankets and pillows. She had just turned her mattress over when the familiar piano tunes of her ringtone sounded from the living room.

Elissa leapt over her bed and made a mad dash to the living room to receive what she hoped was her mother's call. She snatched her phone up from the sofa, almost dropping it again in her haste to answer.

"Hey, Mum." She greeted, somewhat out of breath from her race to the living room.

"Hi, baby," Juliette Caelum greeted from the other end of the line. "Sorry, I'm just in my workshop, I didn't hear the phone go off. How have you been?"

"I've been alright. How're you guys doing?"

"We're all well. I've got Cas and your father doing all the wrapping, while I try to finish some last minute orders. I don't know why people won't order well in advance to save everyone the stress."

Elissa's mother ran a side business of designing and creating custom-made pieces of jewelry. Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches - she was skilled in her craft and found it a therapeutic process. Many of Elissa's own jewelry was lovingly hand-made by her mother. She had an eye for selecting just the right stone combinations and accessories, melding them into beautifully wrought metal-work for a stunning end product. Elissa had watched her often, back when she'd lived at home, and had even tried making her own bracelets before. However, her mother possessed much more elegant and less clumsy hands and would always have to end up polishing her daughter's attempts.

"I'm sure they'll come out beautifully," Elissa remarked. "They always do."

Simply hearing her mother's voice was like a salve upon her ears. She desperately wished she could confide to her mother about every crazy, supernatural thing that had happened to her over the duration of the previous six months - that she had a demonic cat as a pet, and that her best friend was a shadow nymph from the same Underworld that featured in Ancient Greek myth. That the God of Death himself was her guardian. And yet, somehow, she didn't think that would go down too well. It was probably for the best that she kept quiet. She didn't want to drag any member of her family into the tangled mess she was in or risk their well-being in any way.

"I've kept something special aside for you," her mother said.

"What is it?" Elissa asked curiously.

"A surprise you won't ruin," Mrs. Caelum teased.

"Fine, keep your secrets," Elissa rolled her eyes.

"You'll love it." Her mother assured her. "If you wanted any last minute gifts for any of your friends, let me know. I could squeeze in about three or four more requests, just for you."

Elissa smiled warmly. "Thanks, Mum. I'll keep that in mind." Even as she said the words, an idea began to stir in her mind. Saving the thought for later, she listened as her mother informed her of their plans over the holiday period. Aunts and uncles and some cousins would be visiting and sleeping over on different days, along with Elissa's paternal grandfather. Her other grandparents had already passed. Grandpa Ernest - or Ernie as they all affectionately called him - had always been Elissa's favourite and she was greatly looking forward to seeing him.

"Gabe is collecting you this weekend, isn't he?" Her mother asked.

"Yeah," Elissa nodded. "I've started packing. He's going to hate how much luggage he has to haul downstairs for me."

"Let him put all that weight lifting at the gym to good use," came the amused response.

Elissa grinned. Her brother would have a few words to say about that.

"And how's it going with your new job?"

"It's nice," Elissa thought warmly of Levi and Slayte, a fond smile curving on her lips. "Levi and Slayte are so good to me. But it's only temporary, just until I find something else."

"At least it'll help get you by until you do. That's very kind of your friends to offer that to you."

"They're the best," Elissa agreed.

They talked for a bit longer about general subjects, when Elissa finally plucked up the courage to breach the topic that plagued her thoughts with her mother. Heart pounding in her chest, she began awkwardly, "Um. Mum? Can I get your opinion on something?"

"Of course, baby. Go ahead."

Elissa felt her throat immediately turn dry. Clearing it and licking her lips, she bit the bullet, and ventured, "Say you met someone…"

"Oh," Juliette's voice perked up, and Elissa heard her set her tools down in the background. She could almost see the smile manifesting on her mother's face. "This is interesting. You've met someone? What happened to that doctor…?"

"Ugh, Mum, no! Don't mention him," Elissa cringed. Cain was a part of her past she wanted to forget about. "We were never a thing, and we're not talking anymore."

"Aha. I'm sorry to hear that, sweetie."

"No, you're not." Elissa raised an eyebrow.

"You're right, I'm relieved, and your brother will be, too." Her mother's voice responded in amusement. Then she went on, "So it's someone else, hmm? I'm listening, go ahead."

Elissa struggled to find the words. "Say it's someone who's gentle and polite and well-raised and amazing and just being around them makes time fly. But they're like… totally out of your league."

"Lissy," Juliette's tone was admonishing. "I didn't raise my girl to think herself second best to any man. Nobody is out of your league, baby."

"No," Elissa protested. "I mean, literally out of your league like-like they're…" she fumbled for the right words to explain without revealing the truth of the matter, before blurting, "royalty."

"Royalty?" Her mother repeated in surprise.

"Yeah. Like… a prince."

There was a stunned pause, followed by a short, surprised laugh. "Lissy. Are you really telling me you've met an actual prince? Where? When? From which country?"

"It doesn't matter," Elissa shook her head. "I'm asking you theoretical questions, because I need objective answers. Just imagine it's a prince, okay?"

"Well, alright…" Juliette answered hesitantly.

"He belongs to a completely different world, with entirely different rules and customs. One you'd never fit into, and you know that. You're so different, and there're so many, many reasons to stay away from him - but you just can't." Elissa sighed heavily as she turned her eyes miserably up to the ceiling. "Because you enjoy his company so much, and he treats you so kindly, even though you know, logically, there's no chance of a future between you."

"What kinds of reasons do you mean?"

"Just reasons. Getting involved would be too complicated." Elissa frowned. "It wouldn't be anything like dating anyone ordinary."

"I see. And… this 'prince'," her mother said carefully. "Does he seem interested in you, too?"

Elissa was silent. She thought of Itachi's fingers, lingering on the back of her neck. The way he had pulled her close to him.

"My wishes… should be clear."

She gulped, cheeks warming. "Maybe? He makes the time and effort to see me, at least. But... it's just so confusing."

"Why is it confusing?" Juliette asked gently.

"Because-" Elissa faltered. "Because we're just so different, Mum… too different."

"Do you enjoy his company?"

"I do."

"And does he enjoy yours? Do you get along?"

"Yes."

"Then I don't see what the problem is, honey?" Her mother concluded.

"The problem is we're from completely different worlds." Elissa sighed deeply. "And I just don't know how it could ever work."

"You're a queen, Lissy. He's a prince. If anything, he's the one out of your league."

"No," Elissa pressed a frustrated hand to her forehead. "Mum, you don't understand. There're lots of things that wouldn't let it work. For one thing, he's older-"

"Older?" Her mother interjected. "How much older?"

How much older? Elissa swallowed thickly. Centuries? Millennia? She still didn't know exactly how old Itachi was. In terms of physical appearances, he looked around twenty-seven or twenty-eight by human standards at most, though she supposed deities likely possessed the ability to change their physical appearances as they desired.

"Older than what I'd normally go for." She muttered, the irony of the situation not lost on her.

"Are we talking more than a couple of years?" Her mother pressed.

"Say ten." Elissa was desperate to give her a number, just for the sake of moving the conversation along. It didn't really matter whether she said ten or fifty. Itachi was older than even her grandparents, she was sure, and all her family members' ages combined. The number was not an issue, given he was an immortal, not even human.

The thought gave her pause. Hadn't she just refuted her own argument?

"Ten? Well, he's likely to be a bit more mature if he's in his thirties. Is he definitely single?"

"What?" Elissa blinked in confusion. "Yeah, he's single."

"You're sure? He's not just someone privileged looking for some holiday romance?"

"Mum!" Elissa was mortified by the very idea of Itachi acting in any way even remotely dishonorable. That was so against every shred of his chivalrous character that she had seen and come to know. "He's definitely single. He's not like that at all. He's respectful. A gentleman."

"So the only real issue is that you're from different backgrounds?"

"Not just backgrounds." Elissa lamented. "The customs we belong to and what we are and everything."

Her mother released a snort at that. "Honey, true equality is about recognising and treating each other as equals. Nevermind all the social hierarchies. People are only better than others in their actions and how much they hold onto good morals and values. You know that. Wealth and titles don't determine a person's value."

"I guess," Elissa agreed reluctantly. She didn't know how else she could possibly explain any further without outright revealing that the truth of the issue lay in them belonging to different species of beings entirely. It wasn't social rank, but differences in existence. He would not age. She would. Her life would come to an end and he would be the one to terminate it. It frustrated Elissa that she couldn't express those thoughts openly.

"So if you like him enough, and he's sincere about you, then what's to stop you taking this further?" Her mother was going on. "People from different backgrounds get together all the time."

Elissa shook her head. "It's not just that we're different. He has all these… difficult duties and responsibilities. They're part of his job. We probably wouldn't even be able to be together all the time, because he has to see to so many other things. I just don't know how it could work out, long-term."

"Let me put it to you this way." Mrs. Caelum said. "Can you imagine your life without this man in it?"

Elissa was silent. She already knew the answer to that, and yet she wondered what would happen once the threat to her safety was identified and dealt with. When Itachi would no longer have to watch over and protect her. Would he leave? Visit her less? Thinking about him exiting her life - for good - filled her with profound sadness.

"No…" she said quietly. "It wouldn't be the same without him."

"Then you already know you'd miss him. Do you think maybe he'd feel the same?"

"I don't know…" Elissa confided miserably. She doubted he would miss her as much as she would feel his absence.

"Why don't you talk to him about it?"

Elissa released another sigh. "Like I said… we're from different worlds, and I guess- I'm scared. I just worry about getting hurt. Not by him; I don't think he'd ever intentionally hurt me, but because I have these expectations for how a relationship should be, what a normal relationship should be like, and I had all these ideas about the kind of person I wanted to meet and get to know, and he's…" Itachi's dark eyes drifted into her mind's eye. "He's nothing like anything I would've expected…" she finished.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing, love," Juliette comforted her. "Often, what comes to us is exactly what we need the most at that point in our lives. Don't worry so much about the long-term. You're young. You have plenty of time to figure out what you want. You might find that you're not so different. How will you know, if you don't give it a chance? Would you rather pass up this connection and wonder 'what if'? Can you carry that, for the rest of your life? Move onto the next and not think about what might have been? That's really what it boils down to, at the end of the day."

Elissa was quiet. She knew that nobody could hold a candle to Itachi. No matter where else she travelled in the world, or who else she met, nobody had made her feel the way he did. There would be no other like him.

Before she could answer, her mother continued, "You can let your reservations stop you from exploring this further. Or you could be brave, take the plunge, tell this young man about your feelings. It seems like he's at least fond of you. What do you have to lose? If he feels the same, maybe you'll find something wonderful. Something you can take slow and appreciate, one day at a time. Live in the now, Lissy. You have your whole life ahead of you. Even if things don't work out with this one… at least it would have felt right at the time of going for it. What do you think?"

Her mother made it sound so simple. And it would have been, could have been, if not for what Itachi was.

"I'm scared…" Elissa confided in a whisper. "I'm scared of making a mistake. Of falling too hard and of things going out of my control. I'm scared of being unable to stop and losing myself. I'm scared of feeling too much..."

There was a pause, before Juliette answered slowly, "I don't know how long you've known this man, baby, or where you even met. But if you're asking me about him, then it seems you've got some strong feelings for him already. I won't push you, honey. You can tell me more about him when you're ready.

"But don't worry about making mistakes. We all do in love and relationships. It's what makes us grow, teaches us what we want. It's always scary starting out, because you don't know everything there is to know about the other person. You're taking a leap of faith. But isn't that what makes it so exciting and wonderful, finding out?

"Take the time to get to know him, slowly. There's no rush. You're a good, sensible girl. But sometimes, Lissy, you do worry too much. You try to control things too much. And love… really falling in love with someone… is about losing control, trusting that other person will be there and catch you. Do you trust him? Is he reliable? Can you see him being there, to catch you?"

Hadn't Itachi done so, so many times, already? But Elissa couldn't form words. Her heart was racing and her voice had clogged in her throat.

"It's alright, to take a chance." Juliette was going on. "To not worry so much about the future. Let it fall into place in its own time and pace, love."

Elissa felt tears well in her eyes, as her mother added wisely, "Whatever's meant for us will be, no matter how much we try to avoid it. So you do your part, follow your heart, and let the rest fall into place on its own."

The words resonated in Elissa's head, striking a chord within her. After she had ended the phone-call with her mother, Elissa crawled into bed that night, her thoughts once more in turmoil as she weighed out her options, until finally, out of sheer exhaustion, she fell asleep.

The following afternoon, Elissa nervously inched her white Ford Focus up the ramps that Levi had positioned on the pavement.

When she had complained to her friends about her vehicle's concerning performance earlier that morning, the raven-haired man had posed a few questions as to her upkeep of the car and quickly discovered that she had not had the oil changed in as long as it had been in her possession.

Her explanations that she had not had the time or the money to spare to get the oil changed - even less so, now that she had lost her job - were met with a disgruntled expression and a shake of his head. "It's a car, not a horse, stupid. What were you expecting without maintenance?"

She exited the vehicle, and hopped the short distance to the pavement, Wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans nervously, she crossed to the back of the car where she found Levi kicking two blocks of wood into place behind the rear tires.

"Should we be doing this in the winter?" she questioned, on the off chance there was still a way to get out of it.

"Doesn't make a difference. The oil should be warm enough from the drive here," Levi dismissed, returning to the front of the car. "No excuse for not knowing how to change your own oil in this day and age. Who still pays for an oil change?" He cast her yet another disappointed look before placing a hand on the side of the car and slipping beneath it.

Elissa hesitated, shifting from one foot to the other, before that familiar, no-nonsense voice called out, "Oi, what are you waiting for?"

She sat back on her haunches and wrapped her arms around her knees, "Do I have to? Car stuff really isn't my thing." She hadn't intended for her protest to come out as petulant as it did, but she felt undoubtedly out of her depth when it came to the mechanical, inner workings of her car.

Levi stared back blankly, "I thought you were a feminist."

"I am!" The defense flew from her lips immediately.

"Then get your ass down here."

Unable to argue with that particular logic, she grumbled to herself and joined her friend beneath the vehicle, resigning herself to the fact that her outfit was likely ruined - although she was somewhat relieved that she had chosen to dress down for the occasion with a black turtleneck and plain, blue jeans. At least the weather was mild.

"This is your oil pan," Levi instructed, pointing the metal container out to her. His long, elegant fingers shifted to draw her attention to a light blue cylinder attached near it. "And this is your oil filter."

Shifting the drain pan into place to catch the oil, he handed her a socket wrench.

"You want to get that drain plug out," Levi instructed, indicating the bolt he meant.

"Uh, okay…" Elissa relented nervously, fastening the head of the wrench to the appropriate location.

"Counterclockwise."

When she found that the fastener simply refused to budge, she turned despairing hazel eyes to Levi, who simply closed his hand over hers and with one firm jerk of his hand, loosened the stubborn bolt, allowing Elissa to take over from there.

"Watch your hand when you -"

The warning came too late, as Elissa withdrew the plug and immediately a dark stream of oil spilled out of the receptacle into the drain pan below, splashing her hand in the process.

"Ugh," the brunette complained.

"Good enough," Levi asserted, pulling himself out from under the car. Elissa followed suit, holding her hand away from herself as if it were a foreign object.

The raven-haired man handed her a wet towel, which she accepted gratefully. Elissa wiped the oil from her hands, and set the drain plug on a side table.

"Does Slayte know how to do an oil change?" Elissa questioned somewhat petulantly, irked by the dark grease on her fingers. "Or am I getting special treatment?"

Levi scoffed, "It's a wonder that scaredy-cat even got her license." Something of a faint smile ghosted his lips but disappeared again almost immediately, to be replaced with a matter-of-fact expression. "You won't always have me around to do it for you. These are basic skills."

The implication, that Slayte would always have Levi's help, was clear - and sweet. Elissa smiled despite herself, but before she could tease him on the subject, Levi jerked his chin towards the car as he continued with his instructions. "It needs to drain a few minutes before we move on to the next step."

"Right," Elissa nodded, focusing resolutely on wiping away every trace of oil on her fingers.

Levi leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest as he stared intently at the car as if counting every drop that spilled into the pan. An awkward silence settled over the two friends without Slayte to act as the talkative third party between them.

Just as Elissa was about to suggest they head inside until the oil had drained away, Levi spoke up. "How are things with the shitty Reaper?"

"Reaper?" Elissa blinked at her friend in surprise, "Do you mean … Itachi?"

"Whatever," Levi dismissed bluntly, before fixing the brunette with a contemplative stare. "Seen him lately?"

Elissa recalled her last meeting with the enigmatic deity and averted her gaze. "It's been a few days."

"You holding up?"

Elissa glanced at Levi, seeing concern in those cool, grey eyes. "I'm alright. Least I don't feel so clueless anymore."

A brief silence followed in which Levi's intent gaze seemed to burn holes in her car. "How valid are her concerns? Does it seem like he's going to drag her back down the hole he crawled out of?"

She did not need to be told who he meant. Elissa hesitated and bit her lip, sharing Levi's worry. Slayte had escaped from the Underworld and built a life for herself on the surface. Neither Slayte nor Itachi seemed to have any inclination to discuss what would happen to her in the future. Slayte likely didn't know what would follow once Elissa was out of danger, and Itachi… She didn't know what Itachi was thinking, or if Slayte's wellbeing, her wishes, or even her existence truly registered in his thoughts.

It was concerning, it made her anxious. He did not seem to want to discuss Slayte at any length, and Elissa was torn between fighting her friend's case and not wanting to make her situation worse by drawing his attention to her anew. Slayte had expressed to her multiple times that there was no need to mention the ravenette in any capacity, but Elissa feared that she was simply too ignorant to accurately assess whether that was simply Slayte's overly cautious nature or if the rules of their world truly made silence the wisest course of action.

"I don't know what his intentions are," she admitted finally. "He doesn't really talk about her. They don't seem to like each other much. I don't want to make her situation worse by bringing it up, but… I don't know if that's right, either."

Elissa considered warning Levi about Slayte's blatant disregard for any type of etiquette with the Uchiha but thought better of it. It wasn't as if Levi had a filter, either. How much support could she expect from someone who called a literal deity "shitty Reaper"?

"But you, he likes." Levi held her gaze calmly, his expression void of judgment.

"I - I don't really know." A blush grazed her cheeks as she lowered her head and rubbed at an invisible spot of oil.

Levi paused a beat. "Yes, you do."

Elissa glanced at him, torn, before dropping the rag on the nearby table with a sigh. "Maybe."

The simple admission caused the heat in her face to intensify. "It feels so wrong to say that but, so much has happened, that I don't know what else to think." She hesitated, "I don't know what to do. It's so surreal."

"What do you want to do?" Levi lowered his chin to meet her gaze, his grey eyes like an honest mirror, provoking self-reflection.

Elissa pressed her palms to her face, not knowing what to say. What did she want to do? She was fairly certain that ranked pretty low on the list of priorities. With all the danger in the air, with a literal deity calling the shots, how much did her wishes really weigh on the grand scale of things?

"Be honest," he added. "I'm not Slayte."

Elissa shrugged, wringing her hands. "I don't think what I want matters all that much at the moment. I mean, we have bigger fish to fry, right?"

Levi was silent, frowning in contemplation. "So, you're going to let others decide for you. Is that what you want?"

Elissa worried her lower lip, anxious and awkward. This was not a conversation she wanted to have with Levi, or with anyone, for that matter. But who else could she turn to? Slayte was barely keeping it together, and try as she might, she simply could not impress her mother with the gravity of the situation. It wasn't as if she could tell any of her friends that she entertained, possibly, the affections of a literal god of death. But Levi… he knew what was going on, in fact, he even knew what it meant to be involved with someone from the underworld. Not to mention he had a brilliant track-record for providing solid, if not sometimes unorthodox, advice.

She chanced a glance at her friend, who had gone back to scowling at her Ford. "It's not that. I mean… this isn't a normal situation to be in. He's not normal. It's not like he's just some boy next door and I have to decide if I'm going to take him up on his offer for a coffee date. He's the heir to the throne of the Underworld. He's the god of death. He's going to come for your soul… and mine. The souls of everyone I love. It's not that simple."

"And if he were the boy next door who wanted to take you out for coffee, what would you say?"

Elissa jumped at the suggestion. She averted her gaze as her blush intensified. If it were that simple? If Itachi was just her neighbor asking if she wanted a cup of coffee? She would be tripping over her own feet to take him up on the offer. The idea filled her heart with melancholy to think of how easy the entire situation would be under different circumstances.

"I guess you already know the answer. Just keep in mind, it doesn't matter if he's a god or a devil, no one should pressure you into something that makes you uncomfortable." Levi pushed away from the wall and approached the car again.

"He doesn't do that," Elissa rushed to Itachi's defense. "He's very kind and considerate."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Levi muttered, casting her a disbelieving look. "You're all quick to defend him."

Sliding back beneath the car, he added, "Just let me know if I need to break a few legs."

With a sigh, Elissa moved to follow him. They worked in silence, their discussion all but forgotten while Levi pointed out the oil filter to her and showed her how to use an oil filter wrench to remove it and then replace it. As they replaced the drain plug, Levi offered gentle instructions as to how much of what kind of oil she needed to use. They refilled the oil and backed the car off the ramps.

Levi insisted on showing her how to read her car's manual and instructed her to retrieve it from her glove compartment. As she sat on the passenger's seat, her legs hanging out the side of the vehicle, Levi leaned against the vehicle and pointed out how to find the information she needed to provide her car with the basic maintenance.

Elissa was elsewhere with her thoughts, following along numbly as questions ricocheted in her mind.

"Would you have been okay with Slayte? If you'd known who she was from the beginning? There are other things to think about, knowing that she's from the underworld, right?" The question was abrupt, unrelated to the upkeep of her car that Levi was lecturing on. He fell silent and withdrew his hand from the lines of text as he regarded her thoughtfully.

"This isn't about me," he answered finally. He was never fully comfortable talking about Slayte, not even with Elissa, and blamed it on his protective, possessive nature. Even if he had doubts of any kind, he had no inclination to discuss them with anyone but the ravenette in question.

Elissa sighed, fingering the pages of the manual. "But they're kind of similar, our circumstances. Is it worth the trouble? Would you have made the same choice if you had known everything beforehand?"

Levi looked up at the clouds closing in overhead as he crossed his arms over his chest. There was some truth to that statement. Slayte had her own baggage. Baggage she had always done the utmost to keep from him. The secrecy had irritated him more than the secret itself had.

"I always knew she wasn't normal. You'd have to be pretty empty in the head to not realize that. Especially given the way she was in the beginning." He frowned as he narrowed his eyes at a vague point in the distance. "Like it was her first day on earth."

"You want my advice?" He angled his head towards her, as he fixed her with a steely gaze.

"Yeah, I would appreciate it." Elissa turned hazel eyes towards the only friend she had who could somehow make sense of her situation.

"Slayte isn't a god or some bigshot in that world. She ran away, but your reaper doesn't have that option. So, it's not really the same thing."

Elissa swallowed thickly and nodded.

"If you can ignore whatever it is you feel for him," Levi's voice was even, weighty with his characteristic candor. "Do it."

"Every relationship has its ups and downs. Drawbacks and whatnot. But there's no way that getting closer to that gloomy guy will be in your favor. It'll be asking a lot of you. You'll have to turn your back on a lot of things that matter to you and give up things that you hoped to achieve. Dreams and goals, you'd have to make more sacrifices than either of us realize, I'm guessing."

Pushing away from the car, he began collecting the tools they had used for the oil change.

"And…" Elissa began nervously, ashamed to admit it herself. "If I can't ignore it?" She lifted conflicted hazel eyes towards the older man hopefully.

"If you can't ignore it," Levi answered solemnly, turning back towards her. "Then take charge. Don't let him lay down the rules. Call the shots. Make demands. Give him your terms and conditions."

He bent to retrieve the wrenches strewn on the pavement. "Just make the choice you'll regret the least."

"What would you choose?" She tried again. "If you were me?"

"I'm not you," was the immediate retort. "So, that's a ridiculous question."

"If Slayte couldn't run away. If she was a … a reaper of sorts. Would you have chosen her anyway?" Elissa absentmindedly folded the corners of the pages, only to smooth them out again.

"You just won't let it go, will you?" Levi admonished, his eyebrows furrowing in irritation.

"I want to know. I want a love like yours. You guys are... " She shrugged, embarrassed. "You're perfect."

"No, we're not." Levi scoffed, "We're a pair of idiots who never talk about the things that matter. Don't be like us."

Elissa glanced at her friend. His words seemed to imply that he was also an "idiot who didn't talk about things that mattered". She recalled the curious way he had spoken with a quiet confidence on death and murder - offering her solid, reliable advice. She remembered that not only Slayte but also Levi had a secretive past that he had not shared with the two of them. She recalled his surprising presence at the police station and Slayte's open concern for him after Levi had punched Cain.

"What?" Levi questioned, seeing her inquisitive gaze.

"You're human, but… you're not… normal, are you?" Elissa asked awkwardly.

"What the hell is normal, to you?"

"I sometimes get the feeling you know things that normal people wouldn't know. How to fight, how to navigate a criminal investigation… stuff like that." Elissa gestured vaguely as she listed the things she had noticed. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I was just curious."

Levi regarded the younger brunette trying and failing to rein in her curiosity. He'd always had a soft spot for her, based largely perhaps on Slayte's own overprotective nature rubbing off on him. She was quiet but firm in adversity, bold in protecting others, and struggled to earn and maintain her independence even when all the odds were stacked against her. Being faced with the supernatural mysteries that surrounded her, deprived of answers, was probably the single-worst thing that could have happened to a young woman of her character - one so desperate to control and contain all the eventualities. Although he had warned Slayte not to mother Elissa, he often found himself leaning in that direction as well.

"I was part of a gang," he answered dully, meeting her eyes indifferently. "For most of my life. I think that should answer your questions."

"Oh," Elissa voiced quietly. It should not have come as a surprise, she supposed. And yet, with his gentle nature and calm wisdom, she never would have guessed. The man didn't even have a single tattoo on his body, as far as she knew. The shock that would normally have followed refused to come. Perhaps she had been bombarded by too many revelations of late, she couldn't summon the indignation she might otherwise have felt prior to all of this.

"Did you … hurt people?" she asked in a small voice.

Levi only stared back blankly, "Are you sure you want to know?"

Did she? And did it really matter? It was in the past - the distant past, now. Was Levi required to confess who and what he was just because they were friends? Obviously not, but he had chosen to do so anyway. The trust that such a decision indicated was not lost on her. Although she had never moved in those circles herself, she felt keenly aware that turning over a new leaf - the way Levi had done - required considerable courage.

"No," Elissa shook her head. "I guess it comes with the territory. But you turned your life around, that can't have been easy. Good for you," she smiled up at him. "I'm proud of you."

Levi looked disgruntled, "How is that something to be proud of? Doesn't change what's been done."

"No," Elissa agreed, shutting the manual and replacing it in the glove compartment. "But it takes strength to make a change. To turn your back on all you've ever known." She got to her feet and closed the door behind her.

"You opened up this tea shop and became a source of support and comfort to so many. You're a good person, Levi. Even if people miss that at first glance."

"You're a particular brand of crazy," Levi shook his head as he continued gathering the rest of the tools. Elissa moved to help him and between the two of them, everything was being put in place.

"You guys!" a familiar voice called, causing the two of them to lift their heads to Slayte, who was leaning out of the kitchen window and waving at them. "I made us some lavender-flavored hot cocoa! It's good stuff, Elissa, don't make that face," she added, seeing Elissa's expression of distaste at the combination. "Want me to bring it out or are you almost done?"

"Use your eyes, Slayte." Levi drawled, indicating the ongoing cleanup. "We'll be right in."

"Got it!" Slayte chirped, raising a hand with her thumb and forefinger curled in a circle in the universal "okay" gesture.

She disappeared back through the window and Elissa replaced the last of the tools, still somewhat put-off at the thought of lavender-flavored hot cocoa when she saw that Levi had not moved from where he stood, his gaze lingering on the closed window.

She paused in the middle of shutting the toolbox, trying to decipher his expression. She did not miss the tension in his jaw or the almost wistful yearning she thought she spied in his eyes. It was a rare, unguarded moment and she nearly felt uncomfortable for witnessing it.

As if drawn by her gaze, Levi's eyes slid towards her, and immediately a veil of indifference walled off his expression.

"You really love her, huh?" Elissa attempted to clear the air, turning back to snap the toolbox shut.

She hadn't really been expecting an answer, so her head shot up, stunned, when he said, "Wouldn't have made a difference if she were the devil himself."

"Don't try and be like us, though." He warned, giving her a stern look. "We're not normal and we're not exactly healthy."

"Why not?" Elissa countered, "I think you guys are fine as you are."

Levi only shook his head, "A healthy relationship consists of two healthy individuals. Just what part of us is healthy? If we separate…" He frowned, worry written in his grey eyes as he cast a furtive glance back at the window. "She won't be okay."

"And you?" Elissa prompted, noting that Levi was deflecting and not considering his own feelings. A pattern of behaviour she had come to recognize well from her years of friendship with Slayte. "Would you be okay?"

Levi lifted his gaze from the pavement to fix her with a guarded look, but for Elissa, who had been friends with the two of them for nearly four years now, the blank look in his grey eyes was answer enough.

"I won't let it happen, Levi." She answered solemnly. "I have bargaining power now. No matter what, I won't let Slayte be taken away."

When he did not answer, she added, "I promise." Levi saw the determination burning in those hazel irises and relented. He reached out to ruffle her hair fondly.

"You have enough going on yourself. Let's sort your shit out first, brat." Lifting the crate of tools, he turned to reenter the house.

"My offer stands," he called over his shoulder without looking back. "Let me know whose legs I need to break." Elissa smiled wryly at his retreating back, only to gasp as he added, "I have enough experience with that sort of thing."

It should have caused her concern, it should have made her uneasy, but despite herself, Elissa could only find it reassuring.

The weekend soon arrived, and Elissa instructed Gabriel to collect her for the holidays from the Tea Shop. She had one final important task to complete, before she departed Canterbury for the following three weeks.

During the course of that week, she'd progressively transported her packed luggage to the shop, so that when she arrived early on the Saturday morning with Vetty prowling lazily at her heels, she carried only her satchel bag slung over her navy, double-breasted winter coat and a stack of beautifully gift wrapped boxes which she smilingly placed down upon the counter.

It was time for their annual ritual - the exchanging of gifts before the holiday season.

It was a crisp winter morning. Outside the tea-shop, the low sun glistened distantly in the cloudless, pale blue sky. Early risers were walking about outside on the streets, wrapped up warmly or out for a morning run. Elissa glanced at the clock on the wall. The Tea Shop would be opening in another hour. Gabe was scheduled to arrive in twenty minutes.

"Elissa!" Slayte greeted, throwing her arms around her best friend. Elissa hugged her back tightly, as Levi wheeled her flower-print travel suitcase case out from where he'd stashed it under the stairs, depositing her matching duffel bags beside it.

"You pack your whole apartment in here?" he scowled disapprovingly.

"I'm going away for three weeks," Elissa defended. "And a girl can never pack too many clothes, Levi."

Levi rolled his eyes at her response. She was going back to her parents' house, the home she'd grown up in. Surely she had some more clothes there she hadn't been able to take with her when she'd moved out, still stored away in her old room? Her decision to over-pack, in his estimation, was ridiculous. But he said nothing else, dropping the last compact travel-tidy cosmetics bag on top of the pile before going to the counter to pour a bowl of milk for a meowing Vetty, who was looking expectantly up at him.

"Oi, Furball," he nodded at the feline as he set the bowl down. "Not a drop on my floor."

Vetty swished her tail, purring in approval, and occupied herself with lapping up the milk.

"Leave the bags now, come on over," Elissa gestured excitedly. "You gave me your gifts first last year, it's my turn this time." She held out the first packaged gift to Slayte, who beamed.

"You've wrapped it so prettily," she exclaimed. It was almost a shame to ruin the glossy, gold and crimson paper.

"And this is for you," Elissa grinned at Levi, who raised an eyebrow at her, but quietly accepted the gift.

She watched, shifting restlessly on her feet, as they both unwrapped their presents, smothering a laugh as Levi unfolded the crisp, perfectly ironed white apron that bore the slogan: "Are you Stupid?" on it. He blinked at it, an unreadable expression passing briefly over his stormy grey eyes - before he released a snort.

"Oh, come on," Elissa giggled. "It's funny, and it's perfect for you! Now you won't have to say it anymore. The apron will say it for you." She slapped a hand over her mouth, snickering in amusement when he once again turned his eyes skyward.

Slayte grinned, highly entertained by the creativity and originality of the custom-made gift.

"It's perfect for him, Elissa. I love it!"

"Do you like it?" Elissa gave her stoic friend a cheeky smile.

"Tch." Levi replied. He had to admit, it was a clever choice by her. "Very funny, brat."

Elissa laughed harder, then turned her eyes to Slayte. "Go on," she urged.

Slayte peeled the paper apart, and gasped when she unravelled a beautiful, A5 sized, brown leather-bound journal. It had rustic-gold clasp locks and an antique look to it. She unfastened the clasps and opened it to the first page, to find a hand-written message scrawled on the high-quality paper that sentimentally read:

To my best friend in every world, I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you. Thank you for everything.

~Elissa~

Slayte felt her eyes immediately well with tears. Levi gave her a wary look, recognising the signs; she was choking up, overwhelmed with emotion. As she turned the pages, she was delighted to find printed copies of her own poems, published within the volumes.

"Elissa…" She began, rendered speechless for a moment. "How did you do this…?"

"I collected all the poems you've ever shared with me, and thought you'd like them in book format, rather than lying around on pieces of paper or online."

"This is…" Slayte struggled to find words. "Wonderful…"

"Look," Elissa smiled, motioning for her to turn the pages. "I added my own poem on the last page, too."

Shaking her head in awe at the thoughtful gift, Slayte turned to the back page. Sure enough, verses were penned at the back, once again hand-written.

Of all the friends I have, you are most true,

I'm glad that The Fates led me to you,

That our paths crossed and we got to share,

Adventures and laughter; you've shown me such care,

More than I deserve and more than I've returned,

But that will change now, my lessons are learned,

You've not left my side since the day we met,

And my actions of late I do deeply regret,

But I want you to know that I'm grateful for you,

Without you in my life, I wouldn't know what to do,

I wouldn't have survived this far,

Thank you for everything that you are.

~E. C~

Slayte lifted a hand to her mouth and released an emotional sob, before throwing her arms around Elissa once again. Her best friend returned her embrace, tears shining in her eyes, too.

"I know I don't say it enough," she admitted in a whisper. "But I appreciate you." Pulling back, she looked at Levi. "Both of you." She added firmly. "Thank you for everything."

Levi nodded. Slayte wiped at her eyes. "It's… beautiful," she choked out, staring down at the words once more in amazed disbelief. She would treasure the gift - and Elissa's poem - forever. "Thank you…"

"Wait. That's not all!" Elissa turned back to the pile of gifts and handed them another smaller package each.

Levi and Slayte unwrapped them, to find matching, metallic carved bookmarks bearing their initials, placed within a beautiful wooden presentation box.

"I know you're both bookworms," Elissa smiled. "I saw these matching sets and thought of you."

"They're beautiful!" Slayte gasped.

"Thanks," Levi looked down at the gift, appreciating its design.

"And one more thing!" Elissa added, handing them a small envelope. "This one you can open together."

She waited, fidgeting with excitement as Levi allowed Slayte to open the envelope, watching as the raven-haired nymph pulled out a pair of rectangular-shaped tickets.

"Tickets to…" Slayte's brown eyes grew as round and wide as saucers. She released another delighted gasp. "Levi, look!"

He peered curiously down over her shoulder.

"The World Tea Exhibition," he read, eyebrows lifting in interest.

"In the capital? How amazing!"

Elissa clapped her hands. "Isn't it great? These tickets were super hard to get hold of. I've been watching them all year and finally got the notification that two were available, and I just had to snap them up for you! Every type of tea you can think of, from every corner of the world, all under one roof!"

Levi looked appreciatively down at the gift. Elissa had certainly outdone herself.

"And best of all, it's an open ticket, so even if you can't make the initial dates, they're valid for the next two years."

"That's so thoughtful!" Slayte grinned. "I love it!"

"Not bad," Levi remarked.

"Levi!" Slayte directed a look at him. "These were perfect!"

"She could've gotten us an empty box and you would've said the same thing," he scoffed.

"That's-!" Slayte began helplessly. He was right, of course. Whatever Elissa gifted to her, felt like gold-dust, but this year's gifts were possibly her favourite yet.

"Ever hard to please," Elissa stuck out her tongue at him..

"We have something for you, too," Slayte placed her presents on the counter, and bent down to retrieve a large, gift-wrapped box behind it. Setting it down on one of the customer tables, she beckoned for her best friend to join her.

"What's this?" Elissa asked, intrigued.

"Something we hope will help with your writing," Slayte clasped her hands together anxiously as she watched her best friend begin to unwrap the gift.

Elissa's hazel irises widened in shock when she realised what it was.

"Oh my God!" she gaped at the package. "No way!" She turned stunned eyes to her friends, before looking down at the box again in disbelief. "You got me a... a laptop?!" she shrieked.

"Slayte said your one was on its last legs," Levi drawled.

"Well, yeah, but…" Elissa shook her head incredulously. "This is too much, you guys! I can't accept this!"

"Nothing is too much for you, Elissa," Slayte waved a hand. "You need a working laptop to keep writing, right?"

"Yes, but-!" Elissa once again began to protest.

"Oi. Not another word," Levi interrupted, swatting her on the head with a rolled up newspaper.

"It's rude to make a fuss," Slayte grinned affectionately.

Elissa bit her lower lip, feeling tears stinging at her eyes. "You guys… thank you so much. But I… I really don't deserve this. You've done so much for me already..." she said, her voice clogging with emotion.

"You deserve this and so much more." Slayte dismissed "Nothing makes me happier than knowing you can carry on with your story. Besides, it's only a small one. We wanted to make sure you'd have something working to use while you're away. I know how important your writing is to you."

"That's so thoughtful," Elissa shook her head again, lifting her hands to her cheeks, touched by their considerate gift. "Thank you so much, both of you."

"Tch. It's nothing," Levi quipped.

"I'm so pleased you love it." Slayte gushed.

Elissa's attention was drawn to her phone, which rang at that moment, filling the air with a familiar piano melody. She lifted it to her ear and answered the call.

"Gabe, hi," she greeted.

"Lissy, hey. I just parked up outside," her brother's voice responded. "Is it free on this road?"

"Don't worry, Levi has a permit. I'll be right out with it."

Levi wordlessly handed her the parking permit and as Elissa exited the shop briefly to greet her older brother outside, Slayte beamed down at their gifts.

"Aren't these amazing?" she enthused. "I can't wait to go to this Tea Exhibition. Just imagine all the new types of teas we've yet to try, Levi! Maybe we can even purchase some and add them to our menu. We've always talked about a day out of town together, right? This is the perfect excuse." She looked down at the tickets again. "The first one is just after the New Year."

Levi's eyes trailed over her features, noting her excitement. Slayte felt her heart flutter at the intensity of his winter-grey gaze.

"Maybe we can make the one after," he said. "There're other things we-" he was interrupted, when the door opened again.

Elissa walked in, followed by a tall, wavy-brown haired young man dressed casually in a thick dark grey sweater and light blue jeans. He wore grey and black trainers and a lighter grey woolen scarf was wrapped around his neck. His hands were concealed by dark grey gloves. Elissa locked the door behind them again, before approaching her friends.

"Gabe," she smiled, gesturing proudly toward Slayte and Levi. "Meet my best friend Slayte, and her boyfriend, Levi. Levi, Slayte, this is Gabriel, my big brother."

"Call me Gabe," he greeted.

"Hi!" Slayte chirped brightly in awe, excited to meet another member of the Caelum family. She had heard a great deal about Gabriel, who was two and a half years older than Elissa, but it was the first time she'd been introduced to him in person. She saw the resemblance between Elissa and her brother in the shape and colour of their eyes, and the waviness of their hair, though Elissa's locks were lighter in hue.

"Levi's like a big brother to me." Elissa added warmly, prompting a brief, surprised glance her way from her best friend's boyfriend. "He does your job in this town."

"Someone giving me a run for my money?" Gabe raised his eyebrows, but politely extended a hand to Levi, giving him a nod and a small smile. "Hey, Levi. Good to meet you. Thanks for looking out for my sister."

Levi nodded, and despite being averse to them in general, accepted the handshake - only because it was Elissa's sibling and he knew how much it meant to her.

"She's such a pain, I know." Gabriel rolled his eyes. "It's a wonder she hasn't driven you both mad yet. You must have the patience of a saint to take her under your wing."

"She's got her moments," said Levi dryly.

"Hey!" Elissa swatted her brother on the arm, as he shook Slayte's hand in turn.

"It's so lovely to finally meet you," Slayte gushed. "I've heard so much about you from Elissa!"

"She better have said good things," Gabriel flicked an amused glance at his sister.

"No. I told them you're annoying and bully me endlessly," Elissa wrinkled her nose at him petulantly.

"Comes with the job spec." He chuckled and reached out to ruffle her hair. She squealed and evaded at the last moment, lifting her hands to her tresses protectively.

"Don't mess up my hair!"

"I'm totally going to mess it up. You're gonna roll out the car looking like a hobo."

"Can you just get my bags and stop embarrassing me, now?"

"I'm not your porter. Let me get a damn coffee first - you already woke me up at illegal hours on a Saturday morning, Hobbit."

"You did not just call me that in front of them." Elissa groaned.

"I did." He retorted, without lowering his voice. "Because you're small. Hobbit."

"Ugh, you're the worst!"

Gabriel caught Levi's cool gaze and snickered in amusement. The darker-haired man looked on in approval, all too familiar with Elissa's theatrics. It was good to see her in the company of family who cared for her.

Slayte looked between the two, bemused. So this was what having a big brother was like? An endless barrage of teasing?

"What'll it be?" Levi asked, stepping behind the counter.

"Your strongest brew would be great," Gabriel replied. "Going to need it with a two and a half hour drive ahead of me with this chatterbox." He added, inclining his head toward his sister.

"Never shut their mouths up between the two of them," Levi muttered to him in agreement.

"Levi!" Slayte protested.

"We heard that," Elissa quipped back. "And like you ever shut up either, Gabe."

"Must run in the family," Gabriel mused, and both he and his sister laughed at that.

Slayte beamed. "Can we get you anything to eat? It's on the house. Please choose anything you like from our menu!" She handed him a menu card.

"Oh no, let me pay," Gabriel insisted. "You're helping my sister out, it's only right I help you guys out."

"Oi. We said on the house, no take backs," Levi called as he set about preparing the coffee.

"You sure?" Gabriel cast an uncertain look at Elissa.

"Try arguing with them," she shrugged. "They won't hear it."

"We're positive." Slayte assured him.

"Thanks. That's really kind of you guys." Gabriel said, as he took a seat at one of the tables and looked over the menu. "Maybe just a melted cheese panini, I'm starving."

"Coming right up!" Slayte gave him a thumbs up. "Elissa, the usual?"

"Yes, please." Elissa answered.

"I like your friends," Gabe declared. "They're really attentive. Then there's you, being bossy as usual, trying to drag me out of here as fast as you can."

"Only because I knew you'd embarrass me," Elissa mumbled, sliding onto the seat beside him as Slayte placed a plate between them containing two slices of coffee and walnut cake and two freshly prepared muffins. One was blueberry, the second was lemon and poppyseed flavoured.

Elissa eyed the blueberry one eagerly. Gabriel caught her looking, and deliberately picked it up, lifting it to his mouth - only to pause, seeing his sister's wide, mournful eyes. He chuckled, knowing it was her favourite - and pushed it against her mouth.

"Go ahead, stuff your little piggy face."

Elissa grabbed the muffin from him, grinning happily, and wasted no time in munching on it.

"So, Wings of Freedom, huh?" He looked around appreciatively, admiring the decor and faultless organisation of the shop. "Great name and place. It's so tidy."

"Levi is the King of Tidy," Elissa informed him. "He and Slayte keep this place spotless. Vetty!" she called her cat. "Come say hi to Gabe."

Vetty lifted her head and sauntered slowly over to them. Elissa reached down and scooped her up from the floor, setting her snugly onto her lap.

"Really?" Slayte beamed as she took another plate out for their breakfast paninis. "Do you like it?"

Gabriel scratched the top of Vetty's head, eliciting a satisfied purr. "Hey kitty." He greeted, then turned his attention back to Levi and Slayte. "It's awesome. Your menu has some really interesting drinks, too. I've not even heard of half of these."

"Slayte and Levi know everything there is to know about teas," Elissa said.

"That's cool. Maybe you can give me a list. My girlfriend likes tea, but I never know what to buy her."

"How about a dazzling engagement ring?" Elissa elbowed his side.

"Butt out, Hobbit." Gabriel ordered, prompting her to snicker.

"Everything on our menu is the good stuff," Slayte assured him.

Levi pulled out a slip of paper and scrawled something on it. Then he walked over to their table and handed Gabriel the note.

"Earl Grey Citrus Black, White Emperor Tea, Black Dragon Pearl. Get those."

"Awesome, thanks," Gabriel grinned. "That's another present for Serena sorted."

Elissa was reminded of their own gift exchange. "Oh! Levi and Slayte got me a laptop. Can you believe it?"

"Seriously?" Gabriel's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "That's too much money to spend on her."

"Not at all," Slayte said firmly, as she placed the hot drinks and toasted sandwiches onto a tray and set it onto the table before their guests. "Elissa is special to us."

Gabriel smirked at his sister. "I hope you got them a car or something in return to outdo them."

"Uh…" Elissa ducked her head, embarrassed as she stroked Vetty's fur. "I would if I could…"

"Your gifts were the best." Slayte reassured her.

"So she works here with you, right?" Gabriel questioned.

"Part time," Elissa replied. "Three days a week. They're so good to me."

"That's nice of you guys to help her out. I know she hates sitting around bored at home." Her brother commented.

"She's family," Levi stated.

"So we're happy to help," Slayte added.

"You guys…" Elissa was once again touched.

"See? These are the kinds of friends you need," Gabriel declared. "Not that prick of a doctor. What was his name? Dr. Lame Deadwood?"

Slayte released a delighted laugh, and decided she definitely liked Gabe.

Levi snorted. Elissa's brother wasn't half bad, he acknowledged. He certainly had his head screwed on the right way.

"You mean Dr. Shit-For-Brains?" he scoffed.

Gabriel chuckled. "That's a good one."

"The Quack!" Slayte chimed.

"Dr. Barbie." Gabriel flashed a savage smile. Levi briefly smirked at him in approval, before he turned away to prepare some tea for himself and Slayte.

"Seriously, you don't even like blond guys," Gabriel shook his head at his sister. "What were you even thinking, Lissy?"

"Oh, don't!" Elissa cried, covering her face with her hands. "Don't even go there, okay? That was just a huge mistake I want to forget about."

He took a bite out of his sandwich. "Yeah, Mum told me you kicked him curbside. Good call."

"We weren't formally dating, but yeah, he's gone." She glanced at Levi. "Levi knocked him out, after he chased me here."

"He did what?" Gabe's eyebrows shot up. "Not Levi - that's epic. I mean the sleaze. Why the hell was he chasing you?"

"He wouldn't listen when I told him to leave me alone." Elissa answered uncomfortably, recalling how forceful and obsessive Cain had been. It made her skin crawl just thinking about it. What had she ever seen in him, to warrant spending so much time in his unbearable company? She suppressed a shudder.

"That piece of trash. Has he bothered you since?" Her brother frowned, concerned.

"I took care of it," Levi reassured him.

Gabriel glanced at him. "Thanks. I really appreciate it. That's way out of line."

"Not surprising," Levi commented, "for a Shit-For-Brains."

"She can do so much better. She deserves only the best." Slayte gave Elissa a pointed look. The brunette felt heat creep into her cheeks. She desperately hoped that her mother hadn't told Gabriel about the other details of their most recent telephone conversation. But she thought that if her mother had, then Gabriel would have already asked her about it, being as overprotective as he was.

Thankfully the subject was dropped. It was opening time, and as Levi cleared the gifts and wrapping neatly away, Slayte moved to unlock the front door again. Two customers who had been waiting outside immediately entered.

Elissa turned her eyes to her brother as Levi and Slayte promptly set about taking the first orders of the day.

"How's everyone doing back home?" she questioned.

"They're alright. Dad gets off work for the holidays on Tuesday, mum's running around like a headless chicken, the usual." Gabriel replied, sipping on his hot drink. "This coffee's really good."

"Brewed by a pro," Elissa sipped on her own hazelnut latte.

"And you get to eat and drink here for free? Lucky you."

"I am," Elissa agreed, her gaze falling to her two dearest friends. "So lucky." Then she turned her attention back to her brother. "What about Cas? How's he?"

"His last day of college was yesterday. He has exams at the end of January. He says he's studying, but you know how he is."

"Ugh, is he stuck on video games all day again?" Elissa sighed deeply.

"Dad hid away his controller," Gabriel snickered. "He's so pissed off about it. They're soft on Cas though, they'll give it back for Christmas."

"Serves him right for now. He needs to study," Elissa frowned.

"Not everyone is a book-worm like you, Lissy." Her brother teased.

"You liked studying, too."

"Yeah, but Cas is more artistic. He's into his graphic designing."

"I get it, but he still needs to get the grades to make it to uni."

"You can join in on the lectures when we get back. Maybe he'll actually listen to you." Gabriel rolled his eyes.

Elissa doubted it. Castiel was a good kid with the sweetest heart, but he was definitely at that rebellious age.

"What about Grandpa? How's he doing?" she questioned next.

"He's alright. Asks after you a lot. He woke up early this morning excited that you're coming home."

Elissa smiled. She couldn't wait to see him. "He's the cutest."

Gabriel chuckled. "I gave him a scare. Think he didn't know I was awake because he jumped when he saw me, like he'd seen the grim reaper or something."

Elissa almost choked on the latte in her mouth at the entirely coincidental mention of the name. Coughing and spluttering, she was distinctly aware of Levi and Slayte's gazes, as they flicked briefly onto her.

"Whoa, easy," Gabriel gently patted his sister on the back. "You alright?"

"I'm- fine!" Elissa sputtered. "Went down the wrong way." She coughed again, clearing her throat.

"Don't kill yourself before we get there, klutz," Gabriel raised a wry eyebrow at her.

"Right." Elissa gave him a strained, forced smile.

"Can I get you anything else?" Slayte asked eagerly, noting Gabriel's empty plate. "You're welcome to stay as long as you like."

"No, thanks," Gabriel politely declined. "This was great and more than enough. We need to get going, or else my mother will freak out. She wants us back early afternoon to help out with some last minute errands." He rose from his seat. "C'mon Lissy. I'll get your bags."

Elissa finished the last mouthful of muffin and rose from her seat, scooping Vetty up in her arms before lowering her gently to the ground.

Levi stepped out around the serving counter. "I'll give you a hand." He nodded, lifting the laptop box and duffle bag.

"Thanks, appreciate it," Gabriel smiled as pulled his sister's wheeled suitcase along and picked up her other baggage. "Good to meet you both. Thanks again for the delicious breakfast and for helping Lissy out."

"It's our pleasure," Slayte enthused. "It was wonderful meeting you, Gabriel!"

"Gabe, I insist," he angled a lazy grin at her. "You have a good break."

"You too!" Slayte beamed.

Elissa gave her best friend a tight hug. "Thanks again for everything," she said sincerely.

"I'm going to miss you," Slayte said, her voice thickening with emotion. "Stay safe?"

The prospect of letting Elissa out of her sight for three whole weeks filled Slayte with trepidation. Would she be safe with her family? Surely nothing would happen and Thanatos would arrange for her to be guarded while in another city?

"I'll be back before you know it," Elissa assured her. "And don't worry about me. His crows will be there, and Vetty's with me too."

"If you need anything at all…" Slayte began.

Elissa pulled back. "Don't worry about how I'm getting on. Just enjoy this time together with Levi, okay? It's his birthday in a few days. Make it special!"

Slayte blushed fiercely. "I'll try."

"You always do," Elissa winked. "Take care. Just remember to pick up my post and water the plants whenever you can." She handed her best friend her apartment keys.

"Sure thing," Slayte smiled.

"Thanks. You're the best. I'll text you when I get there." She glanced down at her cat. "C'mon, you little terror."

Giving Slayte one last hug, she turned toward the door, Vetty slinking unhurriedly behind her.

Vetty… Slayte called to the feline, prompting her to pause as she heard her telepathic call. Watch out for her, please.

Vetty looked behind her, meeting Slayte's gaze only briefly, before lifting her nose into the air and swishing her fluffy dark tail as she followed Elissa out without response, prompting a heavy sigh to leave the nymph's lips.

Elissa reached the door just as Levi stepped back inside. Giving him a hug, she thanked him in turn, pulling a face when he reached out and ruffled her hair.

"Don't do anything stupid," he cautioned. "And if you need us…"

Elissa rearranged her hair, and laughed despite herself.

"Enjoy the peace and quiet without me!" she teased. "I'll see you when I get back," she smiled warmly, before wishing him an early happy birthday and exiting the shop with Vetty.

Just under three hours later, Gabriel finally pulled up in the front driveway. As Elissa stepped out of his silver Audi saloon car, she found her family were already waiting excitedly for her, huddled together at the front door.

"There she is!" Castiel pointed.

"Lissy!" Her mother waved, smiling widely. "Welcome home, baby!"

"I'll get your bags," Gabriel ushered her toward the door. "Go on in."

Elissa beamed, looking up at the familiar, double-front, detached house she'd grown up in, nestled in the leafy suburbs of her home-town. Composed of three floors and a total of six bedrooms as a result of various extension work steadily carried out over the course of many years, it was clean, homely, spacious and filled her with an immediate sense of comfort. She eagerly rushed forward, up the seven steps of the large, open porch that was tastefully decked with pretty holiday decorations and into the circle of her family's arms, embracing each of them joyfully, thrilled to be amongst them once again.

"Lissy, love!" Her grandfather kissed her cheek affectionately as he hugged her close. "It's so good to see you!"

"I missed you so much, Grandpa," Elissa smiled against his shoulder.

Castiel bent down and lifted Vetty into his arms. "Hey, sweet," he grinned as she nuzzled his shoulder, purring in approval. "You brought your cat."

"She's all yours," Elissa raised an eyebrow at Vetty. "If you can get her to behave."

"No sweat," Castiel bundled Vetty indoors. "Hey, you hungry kitty cat?"

"I didn't know Lissy had a pet," Grandpa Ernie commented, surprise evident in his tone.

"This is Vetty, Grandpa," Castiel introduced. "Lissy's had her for a few months. She was a stray she took in."

"Oh, yes. She's always liked taking care of others." Grandpa Ernie mused fondly.

"Come on in, love." Mr. Caelum said. "We're just about to have lunch."

"I made you your favourite," her mother winked.

"Thanks Mum," Elissa smiled, as Gabriel passed them carrying her luggage.

"Here son, let me help you with that," Mr. Caelum took one of the bags from him.

The sound of a cawing bird gave Elissa pause just before she followed inside after them. Her eyes lifted, to find a lone crow had landed on the pediment roof of the porch. It tilted its head, looking right at her.

Elissa smiled up at it knowingly, before stepping inside the house.

The days passed serenely, at a much slower and more pleasantly relaxed pace amongst her loved ones. In their company, Elissa found that she could almost forget about every troubling thing that had plagued her over the course of the previous six months as she settled back into a familiar and comforting routine of normality. It was a fragile illusion, she knew; anytime she glimpsed a crow outside the window, or let her eyes fall onto Vetty, she was reminded of just how abnormal her life circumstances truly were.

Still, she revelled in the warmth of their presence and enjoyed the welcome distraction. She helped her mother prepare pies and other treats in preparation for Christmas Day, when aunts, uncles and cousins would be joining them for dinner. She helped clean the house with her brothers, and placed final decorations up in the rooms. Decorations that Vetty seemed to delight in ruining, frustrating Elissa to no end. She would only relent when Cas happened to scoop her up and take her away, as if just to spite her human familiar by choosing to listen to her younger brother, rather than Elissa herself.

Elissa caught up with her Grandfather, wrote her Christmas cards, and placed the gifts she had wrapped for her family beneath the tree. She called old local friends she'd gone to college and university with, catching up with them after a long time.

Being in her old room again filled her with nostalgia. It was decently sized and just as she recalled leaving it when she'd moved out. She smiled at the box of cute stuffed bears she'd left behind that she'd never had the heart to throw out from childhood, and looked through other boxes of old packed belongings that her mother had placed tidily away for her on top of her oak wooden closet. The soft plum and gold bed-spread, cushions and matching curtains filled her with a sense of comfort.

As she stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked the spacious garden at the back of the house, her eyes fell over the neatly trimmed hedges and the bare winter trees. Her father and grandfather both enjoyed gardening, and their hard work certainly paid off, was lovingly evident in the well tended greenery below. Elissa admired the beautiful wooden pergola structure that was strung with twinkling fairy-lights, sheltering the large deck outside the glass conservatory.

Two pretty arbours were erected on two sides of the garden along with a small greenhouse she knew her father cultivated to grow home produce. The garden curved around the back of the house, its pebble pathway leading past a small stone pond, ending at a cluster of fruit trees and shrubs that concealed a high brick wall.

She'd called Slayte and Levi only twice, determined to give them their much-needed space and privacy, but had kept in regular contact through messaging and sent them photos of the decorations she'd put up and the food she'd helped to prepare. She knew Slayte would feel so much more at ease just hearing that she was fine on a daily basis.

Being as occupied as she was, Elissa found that she hadn't had much opportunity to think of Itachi throughout the day. He had not visited her since their trip to the temple in Greece, and it was only at night, as she lay in bed with her new laptop and tried to work on her story, that she allowed herself to contemplate him, to wonder where he was, whether he was well, when she would see him again. A week had passed since she'd left Canterbury, and there had still been no sign of him. Perhaps Slayte had informed him that she was out of town? It was probably for the best that he didn't show up at her parents' home. Merely thinking about it filled her with anxiety.

Levi and her mother's advice, along with Slayte's, still rebounded in her mind. Although she'd given it a lot of thought, she still wasn't sure what she would do or say when she did encounter him again.

Her gaze fell on the crow she could glimpse perched in the closest tree in the garden below. Seeing his familiars always made her feel like he was nearby - even when he wasn't in body. But she knew she had no way of knowing whether it was his summon - or just an ordinary local bird from her distance from it.

She stepped away from the balcony and exited her room, passing the one that had once belonged to her sister. Elissa felt a tightness in her chest as she paused before it. In just over two weeks, it would be the anniversary of Evangeline's death. Time hadn't made the loss any easier - merely dulled the grief into the background. Swallowing thickly, she pushed the door open, and immediately felt tears well in her eyes as her gaze fell upon the room. Her parents had eventually packed all Evangeline's things away in the attic, but the tidy room remained hauntingly vacant.

I miss you, thought Elissa sadly. Every single day.

She was at peace. Hadn't Itachi told her so? Regardless, Elissa was unable to stay inside too long and closed the door quietly, making her way downstairs. She entered the garage, a section of which had been converted into a home gym, another into a painting area and a third section into her mother's jewelry-making work-station. Elissa found her bent over a piece she was completing.

"Hi, sweetie," her mother looked up from her desk, smiling. An array of stones were scattered on the worktop, as well as other decorative items, specialised tools and cutting machinery.

"Who's that for?" Elissa questioned curiously, joining her on the bench.

"Your cousin Lillian. She's wanted an emerald bracelet for a while, so I thought I'd indulge her."

"It's beautiful," Elissa admired the delicately wrought gold-plated item.

"I hope she likes it," her mother said.

Elissa rummaged through her resource boxes, neatly stacked into different metals, stones, sequins, beads, feathers and other adornments. Her gaze caught on a pair of black feathers, and the idea that had begun forming in her mind during the course of their last telephone call returned to her.

"Mum?" she questioned. "Could you help me make something?"

"Sure, honey," her mother answered, picking up a pair of tweezers as she carefully placed another precious stone in place. "I only have one more piece to polish after this. I can fit in something else in the next two days before Christmas. What do you have in mind?"

Elissa stared thoughtfully at the resource box. "Something… special," she said. "For someone special."

Her mother lifted her head again, intrigued. "I'm all ears," she smiled.

Christmas Day arrived and the house was abuzz with endless, cheerful chatter, playful banter and merry laughter. Elissa was surrounded by beloved aunts, uncles and cousins. They shared good food, hilarious stories, watched movies, exchanged gifts and played various board games.

Elissa spent most of the evening assisting her mother in playing hostess and ensuring everyone was catered for, while desperately trying to stop Vetty from knocking items over, snatching tinsel and baubles off the tree and scratching up pillows. Her cat seemed to delight in making mischief all over again, the kind of untamed mess she'd frequently caused when Elissa had first adopted her. Perhaps it was simply too much excitement for her to be surrounded by so many people, but at one point, Elissa had to drag the unruly feline into the kitchen to hiss at her furiously.

As the lively sound of her family singing a carol together drifted in from the living room, Elissa admonished in a harsh whisper, "Vetty! Will you please just behave for one evening?! Everyone's asking me why I took you in. Only Cas likes you! Stop it, what's gotten into you?!"

When the cat stared up at her in stubborn, unrepentant silence, Elissa mumbled, "I ask myself why every day, too. You're being a nightmare. Stop stressing me out. The cushions are hand-decorated by my mother and you're upsetting her by ruining her hard work. She'll throw you out at this rate!"

She stressfully pushed a lock of softly curled hair away from her face. The silky, styled, bouncy tresses had come loose from their golden pins during the course of the evening and bothered her to no end. She'd run back upstairs looking for something to fix the half-updo with. Her eyes had fallen on the flower Itachi had given to her - a flower she'd decided to take with her once she'd discovered, to her delight, that it did not wilt or change as natural flowers did - and in a moment of spontaneity, had laced it into her hair, pinning its stem carefully in place before rejoining her family.

"If you don't stop shredding the cushions, I won't let Cas pet you anymore," Elissa threatened.

She had the distinct satisfaction of hearing Vetty emit a low growl as demonic cat and human familiar stared each other defiantly down.

"Who're you talking to, Lissy?" A familiar voice asked curiously.

Elissa tensed and turned to find her fair-haired, green-eyed cousin Lillian, who was a year younger than her, grinning widely at her. She was a pretty girl with shoulder-length, straight, dark blond hair and was dressed in a formal, spaghetti-strapped, sequined gold cocktail dress with a beige cardigan thrown on top. Its sparkling glitz was a stark contrast in colour to the full-sleeved, deep burgundy velvet dress Elissa had opted for that fit snugly against her figure and grazed above her knees in length, paired with opaque black tights.

"Vetty." Elissa sighed deeply. "She won't behave. I've had to chase her all evening."

Lillian laughed. "Don't stress it," she shook her head. "Loki's exactly the same. Scratches all the furniture up and tries to wreck our tree. I feel like naming him that possibly made him worse, though. Your cat's just being a cat." She glanced down at Vetty. "She does look unique though. What breed is she, again?"

An Underworld breed, Elissa thought to herself wryly.

"I don't know, Lil. She's probably a cross between a cat and something satanic," she remarked gratingly, shooting Vetty another warning glare.

Vetty meowed indignantly, and Elissa hoped she had taken offense. She deserved it for her terrible behaviour.

Lillian giggled in amusement as she moved toward the fridge. "Feeling the love. Come on. Your mum asked for more drinks. We're playing Charades next!"

It was nearly midnight when Elissa pushed open the glass, french doors leading out into the garden. The buzzing in her head was a vague reminder that she had perhaps overindulged on the punch that evening, and she was glad to leave the steady hum of conversation behind her - punctuated by the tinkling of glasses and spontaneous bursts of laughter - as she stepped out into the cool, night air.

She wrapped the soft, black wool shawl she had thankfully thought to take with her more closely around her shoulders as she stepped into a pair of slippers and descended the few steps down the porch until she reached the pebbled pathway leading through the flowers planted throughout the garden in artful arrangement. Although the rosebushes were bare, stark red winterberries contrasted the winter landscape and flowering, pink hellebores and pieris dotted the surrounding area. The multitude of little, white bells hanging from thin vines reminded Elissa of the fat, purple bellflowers she had seen in the grecian fields. A small smile played on the corners of her lips as she skipped down the path towards a bench placed near the garden pond.

The small body of water was frozen over, and piles of snow dotted the grass surrounding the little pond, lined by stones of varying sizes. Elissa knew that goldfish were sleeping somewhere beneath the surface. Koi of varying colors that would glitter beautifully in the sunshine when the weather turned in the springtime.

She sighed to herself, the cold air stung her cheeks but was not intolerable. If anything, it was helping to clear her head after the long evening spent eating, drinking, socializing and making merry. It felt so good to be among her family again, but she had forgotten how overwhelming it could feel to be surrounded by so many people. Living alone seemed to have gotten to her.

With a small, secretive smile she withdrew her hand from her shawl to take another look at the small object she had smuggled outdoors. A matching pair of golden earrings fashioned into a diamond shape, embedded with matching cut, dark, onyx stones tinged with veins of gold, beneath which hung single, golden metallic feathers resting loosely against a larger, soft black feather. She admired the pieces of jewelry her mother had helped her make - they were utterly beautiful, to her eyes. But were they worthy of Itachi? Her smile faded. No, she doubted anything was.

Her mother had informed her that according to some ancient traditions, black onyx was a gemstone that offered protection from evil and symbolised wisdom while healing one's griefs and sorrows. Elissa thought those qualities perfect, given her own protector was the sage God of Death - and had chosen to ignore her mother's teasing that the stone also held romantic connotations. There was no way Itachi would perceive the innocence of the gift as such. At least, that was not how she intended it; Elissa simply wished to give him something to express her gratitude. After all, he had saved her life multiple times and gifted her the stunning flower she wore in her hair.

Regardless of how he would interpret it, she wanted to give the custom-made gift to him anyway. Was that the punch making her bolder than usual? Or was it that she hadn't seen him in so long she was forgetting how intimidating he could be?

A crow fluttered down to rest by her feet, and three others followed. Elissa straightened and observed the beautiful, black creatures. Crows often idled in these gardens and she had taken to watching them with fascination as a child. Which of these was Itachi's crow, and which ones were simply wild crows of the area?

One of the crows angled its head to the side, meeting her gaze with its own beady, black eyes and she smiled, thinking she had found his messenger.

"Hey there," she whispered softly, leaning forward. "I have something for your master. Do you think you could deliver it for me?"

The crow hopped closer to her, and Elissa delighted in the positive response. She reached out to stroke its head gently, and the bird closed its eyes and leaned into her touch.

"Would it not be preferable to deliver your message yourself?"

The familiar, smooth voice had her whirling around in shock, causing the crows to caw in alarm and abandon the garden in a flurry of flapping wings - all but one. The crow she had just been speaking to took to the air and alighted smoothly on Itachi's shoulder as he stepped out of the shadows.

"Itachi," the name escaped her parted lips on a breathless exhale, an involuntary prayer. Awed and humbled worship. Then again, her reeling mind unhelpfully reminded her, hadn't she been worshipping him long before she knew he was a god?

How Slayte managed to defy and argue with him was a mystery, when she felt her tongue rest thick and useless in her mouth every time her eyes drank in his tall, elegant stature. The raven locks of hair, swaying in the light of the garden lamps like strands of a moonless night. The angular, regal planes of his face. The glittering jewels at his ear and on his fingers. The absolute refinement that lined every inch of him, a curious paradox to the humble way he carried himself, and above all else, the torturous way his intense, dark gaze seemed to burn right through her, setting her heart on fire. Was it because she was a mortal that he had this effect on her? Or was it because she was that far gone?

Deep down, a part of her knew - had perhaps always known - that her feelings towards Itachi were anything but platonic. The way her thoughts would wander to him, even before she had known anything about his true identity along with the way her logical reasoning seemed to abandon her in his presence was proof enough, even without the feverish way her body betrayed her when he drew close. She had liked him, wanted him, craved nearness to him since long before she had ever been willing to even entertain the idea of what those feelings meant. She was not master of her senses when he was near, and she didn't want to think about who was. Whose very arrival had wiped every thought clear from her mind - a familiar if not unsettling sensation.

She forced herself to her feet, stunned. She must be dreaming. Was Itachi truly standing there, in her parents' garden, while her family celebrated Christmas one pair of glass doors away? She hastened up the garden path, her feet flying over the stone walkway until she had closed the distance between them.

When she drew up towards him, close enough to reach out and touch him, she breathed a laugh of surprise. "You really are here."

He nodded in agreement, his eyes searching hers. She felt warmer than she ought to. She had left the shawl behind on the bench, but felt no need for it. The alcohol was buzzing mildly, pleasantly in her veins, giving her courage and her cheeks were tinged red with warmth.

"Are you well, Angelissa?" Itachi asked carefully.

"Mmm," she hummed contentedly, still not sure she wasn't dreaming.

Itachi reached out for her hand and Elissa, grinning bashfully, brought her palm to his, intertwining their fingers as had somehow become their custom.

"You are intoxicated," was the quiet verdict.

"I'm not drunk," Elissa rolled her eyes with a short laugh. "You would know, you've seen me drunk."

A flicker of emotion passed through his eyes, something resembling regret and his voice was restrained and steady as he spoke, "Indeed."

He turned her hand over, and his thumb brushed over the inside of her wrist, sending a shiver up her arm from the point of contact. He repeated the casual, subconscious motion in a steady rhythm and Elissa felt she could have melted into a puddle at his touch. A forlorn smile graced her lips as all the advice Levi and her mother had given her came back to her distantly, through the pleasant, muted haze of a little intoxication.

If only Itachi wasn't a god. If only he was just the boy next door, as Levi had suggested. How easy things would have been. She would have taken his hand and dragged him inside, introduced him to everyone. If only.

A small, bitter laugh danced on her lips as she lifted her chin to meet his eyes, wondering what he saw when he looked into her own. There was no way she could have known how spellbound he was by the way the moonlight reflected in what had to be thousands of shards of emerald, jade, and amber hidden in her irises. A kaleidoscope of dazzling light and life that stole the breath from his lungs. She couldn't possibly have known that that little, breathy laugh did things to him, much the same way his low murmurs did to her. She couldn't have guessed that if she were to turn his hand around, she would find his pulse racing in his wrist, as well.

"Would you take me for a coffee date, Itachi?" she asked with a laugh, knowing full well the idea was ridiculous. She meant the question only as a joke, she told herself. There was no secret longing hidden within it. Surely not.

The deity, who could not truly assign an apt definition to the word "coffee" nor the word "date", knew nonetheless what his answer would be. "If that is what you desire, Angelissa." He lifted a hand to tuck a stray ringlet of curled, chestnut hair behind her ear. She was certain he could feel the warmth radiating from her blushing face. She stared at him, awed beyond speech.

The pleasant haze faded, to be replaced with uncomfortable clarity. "You would?" she echoed, disbelief in her strained voice.

"You have but to wish it."

She knew what she wanted to say, but suddenly lacked the courage to bring the words to her lips. The buzz had faded; she was startlingly sober. Suddenly, she grew conscious of the hand curled loosely around her wrist. She realized then, with a sinking feeling, what he had done. Elissa looked down at his elegant, ringed fingers and frowned. What had she been thinking? The boy next door? Itachi commanded over her body and soul with the merest of touches - not just because she was so enamored with him, but because he was a god who could override her most basic instincts with little more than a look. With a brief brush of his skin over hers and the faintest of conscious intentions, he could force her body into a state of calmness, or a state of agony - or a state of sobriety.

"This is what I don't like about you," she murmured half to herself sadly, lifting her left hand to close around his. He looked on, taken aback by the blunt dismissal. She drew his hand away from her wrist, and refused to look at him. "You never ask."

It always seemed to be the way with him, that he made decisions for her, interfered in her life without so much as speaking a word to her. Perhaps it didn't even truly register in his mind, that such an interference robbed her of her autonomy. Perhaps he believed he was entitled to make such assessments for her by virtue of his great wisdom - but it terrified her. It reminded her of how coldly he had turned his back on her, believing that to be for the best, and how helpless she had been to change his mind. How he could do so again, at any moment, without any warning. It brought into sharp relief how little sway she held over him, how he was the one with all the power, where she had none.

Itachi played no games. He was straightforward and honest when there was no need to be otherwise. "I wished only to ensure that whatever words leave your lips this eve, are not regretted on the morrow." The indirect confirmation that she had judged his actions correctly, that he had used his powers to force the intoxication from her bloodstream, made her clench her teeth.

At this, Elissa did lift her defiant, hazel-eyed gaze. "I'm perfectly capable of making sure of that myself. I know how much I drank. I know what I'm doing and saying. Maybe I needed that!" She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head to the side, appalled at the fact that she had raised her voice and embarrassed by what she had just confessed. That she had been relying on the liquid courage of the alcohol to face him, to speak with him.

When she felt the cold sting of gold rings, accompanied by the warmth of his fingers, the smoothness of his palm sliding along her cheek, his fingers finding purchase in her hair, but not closing, not pulling, not even bringing her face up to meet his gaze until she did so of her own volition, her brows furrowed as a maelstrom of confusing and conflicting emotions warred within her chest.

"Forgive me," Itachi whispered. "My actions were selfish. I feared to hear words from your lips," he paused, and his thumb brushed over the swell of her full lower lip. "That you would take back in the morn. Words I would be loath to part from."

"I wouldn't do that," she breathed, her heartbeat a riotous cacophony in her chest, as close as he was. "I was only going to answer your question."

She turned away, pulling her face from his touch, as she wrung her hands together, seeking to compose herself. It was easier if she didn't look at him - and yet that did nothing to calm the way her heart was hammering so fitfully within her chest.

She had but to wish it, he had said. He desired for her to receive her heart's desire. His intentions had been clear. Every one of his words and actions pointed in the same direction, one she had been stubbornly refusing to look at in light of the staggering revelation of who and what he truly was. A revelation which cast into sharp relief everything that she was not. If she had felt unworthy before, by virtue of his wisdom, beauty, and wonderful character - then learning the true nature of his existence had only intensified that feeling exponentially. She hardly had felt she had a right to be speaking to him, looking at him, existing in his presence.

But he had been gentle towards her, and kind. He had sought to bridge the gap at every opportunity, through his soft-spoken words and lingering touches. He had allowed her to dare dream of what she had been certain was impossible. Or everything her mind insisted was surely forbidden, but who made the rules, if not the gods themselves? And here he was, the god of death, with a look in his eyes that offered her a place by his side…. No, it was a look that implied she already had a place beside him and needed only to take it.

Could she abandon all reason, all rational thought, to see where her feelings would lead her? Where had being reasonable and guarded led her besides to more misery and more subdued resignation to life's injustices? If her feelings would lead her, instead, into Itachi's arms - to be held by him, possibly, and if not loved, then, to receive some form of affection from him… who could fault her?

The Elissa from two years ago would have been appalled, would have taken her by the ear and talked sense into her. But the Elissa from two years ago did not know Itachi, did not know the serenity his simple words could bring to her tortured soul, nor the desire he could set alight in her veins with the merest of glances. The Elissa of two years ago did not know what it meant to want someone so badly, she feared physically breaking apart without him. The Elissa of two years ago did not know what it meant to stand on the edge of a precipice, looking down into the darkness, sweet whispers of "jump" echoing in her ears. But the Elissa of today knew all of those things. The Elissa of today wanted to know what would follow if she left solid ground behind and flung herself into the waiting shadows.

"You said... that you wish for me to receive everything I desire." She began. Taking a deep, unsteady breath, she forced herself to continue, "But what if the thing I ask for... is impossible?"

There was a long pause, in which she could feel his gaze burning into her back. Its intensity was such that she didn't need to face him, to know that he was looking at her attentively. The full, near-overbearing weight of his attention fixed onto her assured her of that fact.

"The word is but a mere constraint upon the mind." Itachi answered quietly, his gaze lingering on the familiar flower pinned to the soft waves of her long hair.

"No," she shook her head. "It's not that. It is impossible. I know it."

Another smothering, lengthy pause ensued.

"You need but speak it, Angelissa," he murmured. "And it shall be."

Her heart raced, and she could barely suppress the shudder that shot down her spine. His voice was closer now. Right behind her. She could feel the warmth radiating from his tall form. The electrifying proximity of his presence. Her entire body was trembling, the word she sought deployed on the tip of her tongue.

A word that would change everything. A word that she could never take back.

It dropped like a pin in the tense, suspended silence that hovered between them.

"You." She whispered.

A heavy silence met her ears. She then felt his chest brush against her back, felt his form tower over her, his warm fingers brushed over her hand, bringing it up as he leaned forward over her shoulder. She would not be surprised if she fainted, so close was he, so dizzying was his effect on her.

"I cannot grant," he began, his voice low and his warm breath brushing over the exposed skin of her neck like an angel's kiss. A sinking sensation of dread settled over her at his refusal, and she fiercely regretted every word she had spoken as he lifted her fingers to his mouth and pressed a chaste kiss to her fingertips. "What is already yours."

Her mind stuttered to a stunned stop and now she was certain she would faint. Itachi was doing nothing to calm the wild pounding of her heart and she realized too late why. She had asked him not to. She blinked, to clear her mind, and stepped backward, disoriented, surprised to then find herself leaning against him, staggered by the words he had uttered.

She lifted her gaze and saw him looking down on her through hooded, onyx eyes and for a brief moment it was as if time stood still. As if they had always been this way, him holding her hand to his lips, her leaning against his chest and lost in his dark gaze, black as night, deep as the mysteries of the universe. She could spend a lifetime drinking in those eyes and still come up thirsty.

"On my terms," she added, feeling adrift and through the panic of losing herself, suddenly braver than she felt. Levi's warning rang clear in her ears.

"Angelissa," Itachi answered, and there was something of a reproach in his voice. "That has always been the case."

"Lissy?" The gentle baritone calling her name had Elissa pulling herself forward, her heart galloping in her chest and panic constricting her throat as she frantically wondered how she would explain away Itachi's presence, straightening in the hope that Gabe would not have seen the rather scandalous way she had been leaning into him.

When Gabe stepped through the double doors, he squinted in the darkness to find his sister standing by a bush of winterberries. "What're you doing out here?"

It took Elissa a few moments to settle her nerves and realize that Itachi was invisible to Gabe's mortal eyes. She cleared her throat. "I was just out for a walk, clearing my head."

Gabe glanced at his watch before turning back to her. "Aunt May was asking for you. She's leaving in an hour."

"I'll be right in," Elissa nodded, feeling acutely aware of Itachi's warmth just behind her, of the way he dwarfed her where she stood, of his touch on her wrist - invisible to her brother's eyes.

Gabe turned back to the door and hesitated, "No rush. Take your time. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks, Gabe." She released a quiet breath of relief as she watched him disappear back around the hedges, joining the rest of her family inside the house again.

A moment's silence followed, interrupted only by the cool night breeze and the crows cawing in the distance before Itachi spoke. "Your brother is fond of you."

Elissa sighed and dropped her gaze to the blades of grass at her slippered feet.

"All he does is tease me," she mumbled.

"And pray for your wellbeing," Itachi thought to himself, but he did not speak the words aloud. Some siblings preferred to conceal their affection for one another through teasing and halfhearted quarrelling. That, he could understand.

"I have something for you," Elissa announced awkwardly, hoping to clear the thick tension in the air as she reached into her dress pocket. She lifted the pair of earrings in the palm of her hand, revealing them to his gaze. She was suddenly struck by how silly it must seem to him, for her to be offering him these earrings when he surely had talented craftsmen in his world, honing masterpieces out of the finest metals, set with precious stones one could likely not find anywhere else on earth.

"It's Christmas," she explained nervously. "Exchanging gifts is an old tradition on this holiday. I thought of you and asked my mother for help in making these." She swallowed. "For you," she added with a blush, in case that hadn't been clear.

What if he didn't like them? What if he accepted them out of politeness only to discard them the minute he was out of her sight? He wouldn't do that, would he?

She lifted her face with difficulty meeting his onyx eyes, surprised to see what she thought was affection and perhaps even gratitude dancing in their depths.

"I thank you," he answered quietly, a soft smile on his lips. Itachi leaned forward, hovering over her, his cheek merely a breath away. Elissa bit her lip, thinking for one cruel, fantastic moment that he was going to kiss her, when she suddenly realized what he was asking of her. She fumbled with the clasp of the earring before reaching with trembling fingers for his earlobe.

For all the fear and awe she knew she should feel, all the danger that danced somewhere in her subconscious, she felt so at ease with him. There had never been anyone in her life she had felt similarly comfortable with. She felt so right at his side. His voice in her ear, his gentle fingers brushing over her body, his eyes on hers. She had never felt such a sense of belonging. And to feel it with him, of all people, defied all reason. It was insanity. The sweetest insanity she had ever known. Would it be so bad to abandon logic and soundness of mind, if she received him in return?

'Be realistic, idiot' she admonished herself. 'He will never be yours.'

'But,' an unhelpful, hopeful voice reminded her, 'Didn't he say he already is?'

The intrusive thought sent a rush of blood to her face, disrupting her careful concentration, and she was dismayed to find her fingers had missed the piercing entirely and nearly stabbed through his earlobe.

She gasped in dismay. "I'm so sorry!"

Itachi's gentle fingers closed around hers before she could draw back in a panic. "It is of no consequence," he reassured her. "Continue."

Swallowing thickly, she nodded, and determined not to hurt him again. When she had finally, nervously inserted the earring into his ear, she should not have been surprised when he turned his face to have her do the other as well.

Biting her lip in concentration, she focused on the task at hand, smoothly drawing out the existing earring, glimmering topaz stones in a bed of engraved, runic, gold-inlaid silver, and replacing it with the one she had crafted over the past three days with her mother. Singlemindedly concentrated on his ear as she was, she didn't notice her own soft breaths brushing against his neck, or the way the little puffs of air made him go deathly still.

Her fingers still lingering at his ear, she took a brief second to admire the result, the beautiful onyx stone and the jet-black feather contrasting against his skin. Suddenly overcome by impulse, she leaned forward and pressed a fleeting kiss to his exposed cheek. His skin was smooth, soft, and warm. She was a fool. She wanted more.

He turned his head to look at her in undisguised surprise and for once, seemed to be entirely speechless. The affectionate gesture, the soft touch of her lips - were a novelty to him. Unbelievable. Unreal. Yet, the nervous way she rubbed her arm and laughed awkwardly, dismissively, was proof enough. She had consciously chosen to kiss him. He could not dismiss the action to the influence of the alcohol he had purged from her bloodstream. She had chosen to act on the affection she ordinarily kept under lock and key. He understood, then, why she had been displeased to be forced into sobriety. The alcohol had not been muddling her decision-making, but helping her carry out what she had set her mind to. He had once again not given her enough credit. Had underestimated her.

A low, dangerous hum swept through him and he carefully kept his hands from her, for fear of what they might do unchecked.

"Sorry," she blurted bashfully. "I don't know what came over me."

Blushing, she handed his old earrings back to him. Itachi looked at the precious stones, mined from the caves between the Underworld and Olympus. A parting gift from an old acquaintance by the name of Kakashi. "They are yours," he closed her fingers around the earrings. "An exchange gift. It is I, who must apologize for failing to mirror your thoughtfulness."

"A gift?" Elissa considered the earrings. They were the prettiest, and surely most expensive, earrings she had ever held in her hands. She had toyed and played with all manner of jewelry in her mother's workshop growing up, but these earrings left all of that behind by far.

"If you would give me a gift," she bargained, her nimble mind turning the idea over. "Then can I ask you for one I would like better?" It was a gamble, she knew. Testing how much influence she had. Straining the limitations of his claim that she only needed to ask and would receive.

The corner of Itachi's lips turned in a small smile, and she wondered if it pleased him to be receiving a request from her as he nodded.

Elissa's hazel eyes glimmered in determination. "Be kind to Slayte. Please." She took a deep breath and continued before he could answer, "She's my best friend. I love her with all my heart. If I mean anything to you, then please. Be good to her. That would be the greatest gift to me." The imploring tone of her voice and the nature of her request dispelled the smile that had made its brief appearance.

Silently, he uncurled her fingers and removed one topaz earring, still warm from his own ears. Sliding her stainless steel earrings out of her ears, he languidly set about wordlessly replacing them. Elissa felt tears sting in her eyes. So, this was how it would be. This is what it would mean to answer to his flirtations. Gifts, pleasantries, scandalous touches… but nothing of meaning, nothing of substance. The wishes closest to her heart would be wordlessly swept aside. Just as he was doing now.

"I don't want the earrings," she argued quietly, not lifting her face for fear he would see the tears pooling in her eyes.

Itachi seemed to ignore her statement, moving towards the other ear to continue returning the favor. When at length, he spoke, Elissa held her breath. "My kindness does not resemble yours. You would not recognize it, Angelissa."

She lifted her gaze to his, then, a sheen of tears shimmering in her hazel eyes. The earrings replaced, Itachi watched them glitter in the moonlight, feeling an unexpected, possessive sense of satisfaction at seeing his own earrings in her ears. He cupped her face, and stroked her cheekbone with the soft pad of his thumb. "I assure you, I mean her no harm. This, you must believe, even if it appears otherwise. I could never mean harm to one who is dear to you."

Elissa swallowed and nodded, relieved. He had heard her request. He had granted it - in his own way. She wasn't arrogant enough to assume she knew everything about their world. If Itachi had Slayte's best interests at heart and was asking her to trust that his actions came from a place of kindness, that was enough - it would have to be.

Leaning in closer, he murmured, "I did not intend to imply that you could wish only one thing of me. And yet, it appears I imparted such a misunderstanding." Her breath caught in her throat as her face burned with a fierce blush against the hand cupping her cheek. "Honor me with your wishes, Angelissa. Every one. Allow me to collect them from your lips." The way his burning, dark gaze lingered on her mouth as he spoke, set her stomach fluttering in an awful way.

Breathless and dizzy, Elissa suddenly wasn't sure she was as sober as she had thought. She found words falling from her lips unbidden, the syllables brushing against his own solemn lips, so close to her own. "One more," she exhaled in a whisper, her hesitant hazel eyes capturing his own onyx as surely as the compelling light of a lamp beckoned to a moth. "Give me one more gift."

Itachi felt her heart racing in her chest, the warmth rushing through her body. As attuned to her soul as he was, he felt every way that her body betrayed the effect he had on her and so, it took him a few seconds to realize that it was his own heart pounding so violently in his chest. This was no illusion. The haunting ghost of the memory of a phantom Angelissa gazing imploringly up at him in the Valley of Desire briefly crossed his mind. What he had always firmly believed to be impossible - to be categorically far beyond his reach, something that could never be his - now stood right before him, ready for the taking. He needed only to close the small, remaining distance between them to claim it. His own pulse scrambling with anticipation, he leaned in closer towards her, his dark, intense gaze fixed on her wide, adoring eyes until their lips were less than a breath apart.

"Stop me."

There was something commanding in his voice that surprised her. Something that seemed to imply he was overstepping or otherwise taking advantage of her. Something that indicated he was incapable of stopping himself even though he had done just that, his lips hovering over hers, waiting for her response.

She reached with trembling fingers for his mask - the ever-present, infuriating barrier between them that she was finding less tolerable each time she saw it. Eager to reveal his face to her seeking eyes, his true emotions to her despairing heart. She let it fall from her fingers, only for it to disintegrate before it hit the ground. The open affection and the simmering desire in the depths of those jet-black eyes set her heart galloping in her chest, pounding furiously against her ribcage as if eager to be freed from the chaos that that intense gaze set alight in her body.

"I don't want to," she confessed in a hushed whisper, and before she could begin to justify her refusal, his lips were on hers, soft, gentle, claiming. His mouth on hers felt possessive, right, as if it belonged there, but also restrained, as if an ocean of desire was being held at bay. Her knees felt weak, and the moment she was sure they would give out on her, his left hand wrapped around the small of her back, holding her upright.

The kiss began sweetly, chastely, tentatively, and was absolute torture. The touch of his lips was like an ignition, an initiation, bringing Elissa's body to life, waking her from the slumbering inertia that she had been simply existing in. It was a liberation. The sweetest intoxication. It sent her spiralling. Soaring. She stood on tiptoe, draping her arms around his neck for fear he would pull away, for fear he would continue treating her like the fragile flower he always seemed to regard her as, one he could break with a thoughtless touch of his fingers. How she wished, sometimes, he would abandon that restraint. It couldn't be so bad, could it? Breaking under his touch?

She pulled him in closer and parted her lips on instinct, seeking entrance and giving it in turn. Inexperienced, awkward, and ravenous - she deepened the kiss as best as she knew how and she thought she would lose her mind when the faintest sound - something she dared not consider akin to a muffled moan left Itachi's throat and echoed into hers. A dangerous sound that openly betrayed that he had wanted this, craved it, just as much as she did.

She trembled against him, closing her eyes. She banished every wayward, logical thought that had been screaming warnings at her and went on kissing him as if the world would end the minute their lips parted. She wasn't so sure it wouldn't. She kissed him as if she feared she would never be able to convince him to kiss her again.

Itachi's fingers splayed on her back, journeying upwards, pressing her possessively against him, the fingers of his other hand digging into her hair and tipping her head backwards. He took control of the kiss, teasing and prompting, and taking and giving in equal measure. It was so unlike anything she had ever experienced, that the idea that this was not the first time her lips had met another's never even crossed her mind. This, Elissa knew, was the spark her heart had yearned to find. Perilous and thrilling and all-consuming. An electrifying connection that she could willingly lose herself in.

It was only when her legs, reduced to jelly, well and truly gave out on her that Itachi drew back, the steely arm wound around her supporting her against him. His eyes were cloudy with a desire that made Elissa's stomach flip painfully, causing her heart to jump wildly into her throat. Most worrying, perhaps, was how that desire so perfectly reflected her own.

"Itachi," she whispered thickly, emotion constricting her throat. "I- is this real?" she shook her head in bewilderment and wonder, afraid that she was somehow dreaming, even as she clung onto him. That she would awaken and be bereft of him once more. "Are we really doing this?"

She wanted to ask him how it could ever work. Whether he thought it was madness to act on their feelings, too, when the fever between them was so blistering. But the words were lodged in her throat, refusing to fall from her tongue. He seemed to understand them regardless, reading the unspoken, tormented question and worries in her eyes.

He stroked her cheek with gentle, ringed fingers and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Be at ease, Angelissa." It sounded like a wish. It sounded like a prayer. It boggled her mind, to hear his words of reassurance. That everything would be well, if she only trusted in him, clung to him, cast aside her doubts. If she only took his hand and followed him into the safety and seductive darkness of the shadows.

"I…" she began, but did not know what to say. Her heart still pounding riotously against her ribcage and her thoughts flitted out of reach like evasive butterflies. Burying her face in his chest, she squeezed her eyes briefly shut and confessed, "You're important to me. Very important." Her tongue grasped for words but her mind was painfully absent, knocked out entirely by Itachi's kiss. She remained in place for a moment, listening in fascination to the rhythm of his heartbeat, racing no less than her own.

Drawing back to look at him again, she went on earnestly, pressing her fingers lightly to his left cheek, "I don't ever want to go back to a life where I didn't know you. Where I couldn't see you. Where I couldn't touch you. I want to be with you, however I can."

"How fortunate for me," Itachi murmured, his onyx eyes piercing through her as he gripped the nape of her neck with those long fingers she so admired, sending delicious tingles through her skin. "That your desire mirrors my own."

He bent his head once more, and when his lips met hers again it was soft, gentle, and slow - the way the coming dawn crept in on the night unawares and like the night, she allowed herself to be swept away in awe of the sunrise.

With each passing second spent in his arms, Elissa grew more certain of what she wanted, more reaffirmed that she had made the right choice, more awed by the fact that he felt anything at all for her that even remotely mirrored her own feelings. His lips against hers were warm, his kiss as featherlight and tantalising as the caress of falling snowflakes. A dangerous sensation that made her head spin and had her shuddering in his embrace, an unbearable, searing heat consuming her from inside.

When Gabe came looking for her again, minutes later, Itachi drew back slowly. Elissa clung to his hand, not wanting to let go, or turn back into the house, ignoring the way her brother called her name.

"Until we meet again," Itachi whispered into her ear and, giving her hand an affectionate squeeze, disappeared before her eyes in a multitude of shadows that quickly melted out of her sight.

Her heart constricted painfully at his sudden disappearance and reality closed in with rude clarity. She realized with alarm she had completely ignored the brother calling out to her in favor of the deity who so consumed her heart and mind.

She offered her brother hasty apologies and reassurances as she reentered the house behind him, all the while asking herself how much more she would find herself willing to ignore and even relinquish for the sake of Itachi's affections if she continued down this path with him. He was good to her, she knew. He would not ask anything of her she was not willing to give. She trusted him.

It was her own heart she feared would prove a traitor.

AN: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, MY FRIENDS. I thank you for your patience, you guys are the best! 3