Of Kith and Kin: Chapter 3
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Hi people! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to all who e-mailed me!! You guys rule!
Anyways, sorry this is a bit late, but that couldn't be helped. But here it is,
for those who were waiting to read it! As always, all disclaimers apply, etc. I
do not own anything but my own stories. E-mail me with any comments or feedback
at smart_sweetlady@yahoo.com, I hope to hear from you! Okay, without any further
ado, here's Chapter 3...happy reading and remember to e-mail me!! :)
-Luv,
Thalia
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the coming months, Ami and Zoisite found that they could not wholly
avoid communication. And they found out that, in spite of differences, both were
able to respect and admire each other. Under Zoisite's crusty, temperamental
facade, Ami found a talented, intelligent and truly warm-hearted man. And under
her crisp, capable air and icy beauty, Zoisite found Ami to be a woman both soft
hearted and strong-willed, with an intellect rivalling his own. Many an evening
the two would sit with Sard Greenleaf in a parlor or outside, talking, laughing,
playing chess or just enjoying each other's company in silence.
On summer evening, nearly four months after Ami's arrival at Aquamyste,
Zoisite proclaimed that he wanted to play his latest song for them, to "test it
out" before he took it to agents and showed it to his fellow singer Jay Summers.
Accordingly, the sleek black Steinway was opened, and Zoisite sat down to play..
a slow, sweet love song.
"When I first saw you, you had tears in your eyes.
You had no clue of what you'd just done to me.
With just one touch, I felt my soul could fly,
And my heart was no longer free.
What is this searing hunger?
What is this aching thirst?
This feeling of eternity and foreverness?
For better or for worse?
This is wonder, this is bliss,
This is the deepest of loves.
Two hearts thunder, two souls kiss,
A gift from the Heavens above.
You are my inspiration.
You are my joy, my soulmate.
My savior, my ruin, my fear.
My delight, my love, my hate.
A hand so small holds so much strength.
A tranquil face masks a burning heart.
Girl, you don't know the power of your smile,
Or the memory of your eyes when we're apart.
This is wonder, this is bliss,
This is the deepest of loves.
Two hearts thunder, two souls kiss,
A gift from the Heavens above.
I'd give my life to make you smile,
Walk through fire to see your face,
For you, I'd wait a thousand years,
For you, go to any place.
You live your life like always,
You don't know how I feel,
Yet, it is enough just to see you,
And hold you in my dreams.
This is wonder, this is bliss,
This is the deepest of loves.
Two hearts thunder, two souls kiss,
A gift from the Heavens above."
The song ended on a low, rolling cadence. Zoisite stopped and looked at
Ami steadily. She smiled, a soft, beautiful smile, with tears in her eyes. "It
is wonderful, Zoisite."
"I'm glad you liked it, Ami." He replied, looking deeply into her eyes
with an inscrutable but gentle look. Ami blushed slightly and looked down at her
hands in confusion. Zoisite's eyes roved over her once more. Her little face was
a most delightful, adorable shade of blush pink, and she looked beautiful. She
was like a magnificent work of art or a splendid piece of nature, he could just
look at her forever......
Then, he suddenly remembered his father was still in the room, and of
what Sard Greenleaf had told him about Ami and her doctor boyfriend last time.
Hastily, he tried to repair any damage he might have done, it certainly would be
unseemly to ogle and flirt with Ami if she was already taken! "I'm very glad you
liked it, if you did, others probably will too."
Ami somehow felt an insane sense of disappointment. Soon after, she
made an excuse and went upstairs with a headache for the rest of the evening. As
he watched her walk away, her form swathed in a white, flowing dress, a chiffon
scarf of aquamarine fluttering behind her, Zoisite gritted his teeth and stared
at the piano moodily. For the next week, both of them were somewhat silent and
uncommunicative around each other.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the end of that silent week, Ami was given a day off and, as she had
nothing else to do, she went to the hospital clinic to take care of paperwork
and visit with patients. Before she knew it, it was 9:30 at night and dark. Ami
had been dropped off by Waters in the morning, but it was an hour's drive at the
least between Aquamyste and the infirmary, and it was a bit late to call. At
that moment, her savior, in the form of Darien, came out of the emergency room.
"Ugh! I'm bushed. What a day! I am going home. Do you want a ride, Ami?"
"If it is no trouble." Ami replied.
"Of course! Anything for Serena's best friend." Serena was a friend of
Ami's since junior high, they had come to England together, and now Serena was
the front desk receptionist at the same infirmary that Ami and Darien worked at.
In fact, it was Ami who had introduced her to Darien. The two had hit it off
from the start and were now engaged to be married.
So Darien drove off with Ami by his side in his black Porsche. It was
late, and started to rain. By the time Aquamyste came into view, it was already
midnight. The gate was locked, but there was a side door for walking in. Ami got
the key for it out of her purse, and Darien parked his car. He grabbed a large
umbrella, and walked Ami to the door of the estate. To her amazement, Ami saw
that one window was still alit, Zoisite's. She could make out his form standing
right next to the window, looking at them, then, it disappeared.
Ami reached the door and inserted her key into the keyhole. Gratefully,
she gave Darien a brief hug. He hugged her back, then walked off back to his car
with his umbrella. She turned back to the door, unlocked it and walked inside
tiredly. She had just hung up her jacket when she felt an ironlike hand close
over her wrist. Zoisite seemed to have materialized out of nowhere.
"Who was that man who just left?" was the first thing he said.
"He is Dr. Darien Chiba, a good friend of mine. Why?"
"Is he worth coming home so late?"
"If it were not for Darien's kindness, I would have gotten home much
later." Ami was starting to feel a bit nettled at his persistent and suspicious
questioning. Just what was he trying to do?
Zoisite seemed unphazed by her tones. In fact, his tone was also rather
irritable. "I don't like you coming home this late, especially with that man."
Ami glared at him. What was the matter with him? Why did he act like...
like a jealous boyfriend or something? "Firstly, I ask you to remember that this
is NOT my home! Second and more importantly, what right do you have to butt into
my life? It is none of your business!"
Zoisite gave a short, cynical laugh. "Hear ye, hear ye, you're right, I
have no right whatsoever to intrude into your life. But I have a reason."
"What is it then?" Ami growled.
"THIS!" He thundered before seizing Ami by her shoulders and kissing her
fiercely.
Ami felt dizzy as he kissed her. She had been kissed once or twice in
the past, but never like this! The sensation was indescribable. As much as she
hated to admit it, she was breathless and her knees felt like water, and she had
to cling to him for support.
Then, as the delirious moment passed, her firm self-control asserted
itself once more. Giving herself a mental shaking, she pushed him away and ran
up to her room like a frightened deer. Zoisite stared after her like one who had
been hypnotized. Then smacked himself on the head.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the rest of the night, Ami lay awake in bed. Her lips still tingled
and burned with his kiss. What did he mean by it? He was not drunk, she had not
either smelled nor tasted alcohol on his lips. What did he want from her? And
more importantly, what did she feel for him?
Was this confusion love? She did not know. Was it just that her mind was
muddled by the sheer surprise of the circumstances that night? She pondered the
situation for hours to no avail, finally falling into a fitful slumber.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, when Ami went down to breakfast, Zoisite was nowhere
to be found. Sard Greenleaf was already up, sitting outside on the verandah, and
gazing at the magnificent gold and purple clouds of the sunrise in the indigo
sky. Ami administered the injection of his medication and saw that at long last,
his right hand's function was starting to return to normal. Sard Greenleaf's
face had been serene since his son's return, and now turned to Ami, benevolent.
"I heard that you got home rather late yesterday, lass."
Ami nodded, her face flaming at the remembrance of what transpired after
she got home. Sard Greenleaf looked at her, then asked half-jokingly, "Has my
rude boy offended you? Don't take him seriously, he will snap out of it. Right
now, he has gone with his song to his friend Jadeite's place. Jadeite and his
fiancee Miss Rei Hino are coming over tonight. Do not be afraid, from what my
boy has told me, they are two of the warmest lads and lasses you will ever meet.
As for Zoi, do not take him seriously."
"So, last night was just a 'passion of the moment' sort of thing, or,
worse, a joke?" Ami thought miserably. Sard Greenleaf, seeing her pensiveness,
chuckled and said, "Say, lass, you are a good hand a chess. Care to play a game
with me? I need to practice my right hand's fine motor skills. It is high time I
start writing my will."
"All right." Ami agreed, and Beth was told to fetch the chessboard.
Soon, the two were entrenched in a battle of wits. Sard Greenleaf's old
hands quivered slightly, but his wits had never left him. In the end, although
Ami had won, she had only won by a very narrow margin. But Sard Greenleaf looked
at her with respect. "You are very good indeed. But before I forget, tonight, we
are having a little get-together. Besides Jade and Rei, there shall be my niece
Lita Kino and her fiance Nephrite Ralston, and my solicitor Kunzite Leigh and
his wife Mina. All good friends. Anyways, I want you looking your best. So, get
Emily and Waters, and buy the most expensive, becoming, posh evening gown you
can find. Do not come back until you do."
So, once again, Waters and Emily took Ami into the ritzy parts of town
and the large, fancy stores along with the tiny, classy boutiques. Ami had never
been much of a shopper or fashion-monger, her work did not require it and it had
never been one of her hobbies, but now she looked at the ocean of satins and
laces with pleasure. All were unique and beautiful: some ornate and decorated,
others sleek and understated. The colors ranged from bright tropical green to
jet black to pale, wistful lavender.
Finally, Ami found what she was looking for. It was a delicate, soft
shade of ice blue, with a heart-shaped neckline studded with teardrop crystals
that glittered like falling stars on a sheeny border of satin. The dress itself
was silk, backless and sleek, with a drooping voile bow in the back that floated
on the long skirts, forming a slight train, tis ends fringed with the same drops
of crystal that glittered all around the top. A matching voile scarf could be
wrapped around her upper body, like a shawl. With it, she bought a pair of white
fingerless lace opera gloves and pale blue satin slippers with delicate beadwork
and high heels. Ami, with Emily's help, put it all on, and stepped out of the
dressing room amid "Ooh"s and "Ahh"s, and paid for everything before delicately
stepping into the black limousine where Waters was waiting, holding the door for
her. The black limo's door closed after Ami and Emily got in, and Waters headed
for home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Surprise, surprise! I knew that I didn't plan on having it out this week, as I
was rather busy, but I couldn't stand the thought of leaving y'all hanging!! :)
Yes, I know, I'm great (j/k!)....Anyways, e-mail me with your comments!! More to
come!! Chapter 4 in the works! A week or two!! E-mail me! E-mail me! E-mail me!!
The addy is, as always, smart_sweetlady@yahoo.com. I hope to hear from you! Have
a great day!!
-Thalia ~_^
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi people! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to all who e-mailed me!! You guys rule!
Anyways, sorry this is a bit late, but that couldn't be helped. But here it is,
for those who were waiting to read it! As always, all disclaimers apply, etc. I
do not own anything but my own stories. E-mail me with any comments or feedback
at smart_sweetlady@yahoo.com, I hope to hear from you! Okay, without any further
ado, here's Chapter 3...happy reading and remember to e-mail me!! :)
-Luv,
Thalia
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the coming months, Ami and Zoisite found that they could not wholly
avoid communication. And they found out that, in spite of differences, both were
able to respect and admire each other. Under Zoisite's crusty, temperamental
facade, Ami found a talented, intelligent and truly warm-hearted man. And under
her crisp, capable air and icy beauty, Zoisite found Ami to be a woman both soft
hearted and strong-willed, with an intellect rivalling his own. Many an evening
the two would sit with Sard Greenleaf in a parlor or outside, talking, laughing,
playing chess or just enjoying each other's company in silence.
On summer evening, nearly four months after Ami's arrival at Aquamyste,
Zoisite proclaimed that he wanted to play his latest song for them, to "test it
out" before he took it to agents and showed it to his fellow singer Jay Summers.
Accordingly, the sleek black Steinway was opened, and Zoisite sat down to play..
a slow, sweet love song.
"When I first saw you, you had tears in your eyes.
You had no clue of what you'd just done to me.
With just one touch, I felt my soul could fly,
And my heart was no longer free.
What is this searing hunger?
What is this aching thirst?
This feeling of eternity and foreverness?
For better or for worse?
This is wonder, this is bliss,
This is the deepest of loves.
Two hearts thunder, two souls kiss,
A gift from the Heavens above.
You are my inspiration.
You are my joy, my soulmate.
My savior, my ruin, my fear.
My delight, my love, my hate.
A hand so small holds so much strength.
A tranquil face masks a burning heart.
Girl, you don't know the power of your smile,
Or the memory of your eyes when we're apart.
This is wonder, this is bliss,
This is the deepest of loves.
Two hearts thunder, two souls kiss,
A gift from the Heavens above.
I'd give my life to make you smile,
Walk through fire to see your face,
For you, I'd wait a thousand years,
For you, go to any place.
You live your life like always,
You don't know how I feel,
Yet, it is enough just to see you,
And hold you in my dreams.
This is wonder, this is bliss,
This is the deepest of loves.
Two hearts thunder, two souls kiss,
A gift from the Heavens above."
The song ended on a low, rolling cadence. Zoisite stopped and looked at
Ami steadily. She smiled, a soft, beautiful smile, with tears in her eyes. "It
is wonderful, Zoisite."
"I'm glad you liked it, Ami." He replied, looking deeply into her eyes
with an inscrutable but gentle look. Ami blushed slightly and looked down at her
hands in confusion. Zoisite's eyes roved over her once more. Her little face was
a most delightful, adorable shade of blush pink, and she looked beautiful. She
was like a magnificent work of art or a splendid piece of nature, he could just
look at her forever......
Then, he suddenly remembered his father was still in the room, and of
what Sard Greenleaf had told him about Ami and her doctor boyfriend last time.
Hastily, he tried to repair any damage he might have done, it certainly would be
unseemly to ogle and flirt with Ami if she was already taken! "I'm very glad you
liked it, if you did, others probably will too."
Ami somehow felt an insane sense of disappointment. Soon after, she
made an excuse and went upstairs with a headache for the rest of the evening. As
he watched her walk away, her form swathed in a white, flowing dress, a chiffon
scarf of aquamarine fluttering behind her, Zoisite gritted his teeth and stared
at the piano moodily. For the next week, both of them were somewhat silent and
uncommunicative around each other.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the end of that silent week, Ami was given a day off and, as she had
nothing else to do, she went to the hospital clinic to take care of paperwork
and visit with patients. Before she knew it, it was 9:30 at night and dark. Ami
had been dropped off by Waters in the morning, but it was an hour's drive at the
least between Aquamyste and the infirmary, and it was a bit late to call. At
that moment, her savior, in the form of Darien, came out of the emergency room.
"Ugh! I'm bushed. What a day! I am going home. Do you want a ride, Ami?"
"If it is no trouble." Ami replied.
"Of course! Anything for Serena's best friend." Serena was a friend of
Ami's since junior high, they had come to England together, and now Serena was
the front desk receptionist at the same infirmary that Ami and Darien worked at.
In fact, it was Ami who had introduced her to Darien. The two had hit it off
from the start and were now engaged to be married.
So Darien drove off with Ami by his side in his black Porsche. It was
late, and started to rain. By the time Aquamyste came into view, it was already
midnight. The gate was locked, but there was a side door for walking in. Ami got
the key for it out of her purse, and Darien parked his car. He grabbed a large
umbrella, and walked Ami to the door of the estate. To her amazement, Ami saw
that one window was still alit, Zoisite's. She could make out his form standing
right next to the window, looking at them, then, it disappeared.
Ami reached the door and inserted her key into the keyhole. Gratefully,
she gave Darien a brief hug. He hugged her back, then walked off back to his car
with his umbrella. She turned back to the door, unlocked it and walked inside
tiredly. She had just hung up her jacket when she felt an ironlike hand close
over her wrist. Zoisite seemed to have materialized out of nowhere.
"Who was that man who just left?" was the first thing he said.
"He is Dr. Darien Chiba, a good friend of mine. Why?"
"Is he worth coming home so late?"
"If it were not for Darien's kindness, I would have gotten home much
later." Ami was starting to feel a bit nettled at his persistent and suspicious
questioning. Just what was he trying to do?
Zoisite seemed unphazed by her tones. In fact, his tone was also rather
irritable. "I don't like you coming home this late, especially with that man."
Ami glared at him. What was the matter with him? Why did he act like...
like a jealous boyfriend or something? "Firstly, I ask you to remember that this
is NOT my home! Second and more importantly, what right do you have to butt into
my life? It is none of your business!"
Zoisite gave a short, cynical laugh. "Hear ye, hear ye, you're right, I
have no right whatsoever to intrude into your life. But I have a reason."
"What is it then?" Ami growled.
"THIS!" He thundered before seizing Ami by her shoulders and kissing her
fiercely.
Ami felt dizzy as he kissed her. She had been kissed once or twice in
the past, but never like this! The sensation was indescribable. As much as she
hated to admit it, she was breathless and her knees felt like water, and she had
to cling to him for support.
Then, as the delirious moment passed, her firm self-control asserted
itself once more. Giving herself a mental shaking, she pushed him away and ran
up to her room like a frightened deer. Zoisite stared after her like one who had
been hypnotized. Then smacked himself on the head.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the rest of the night, Ami lay awake in bed. Her lips still tingled
and burned with his kiss. What did he mean by it? He was not drunk, she had not
either smelled nor tasted alcohol on his lips. What did he want from her? And
more importantly, what did she feel for him?
Was this confusion love? She did not know. Was it just that her mind was
muddled by the sheer surprise of the circumstances that night? She pondered the
situation for hours to no avail, finally falling into a fitful slumber.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, when Ami went down to breakfast, Zoisite was nowhere
to be found. Sard Greenleaf was already up, sitting outside on the verandah, and
gazing at the magnificent gold and purple clouds of the sunrise in the indigo
sky. Ami administered the injection of his medication and saw that at long last,
his right hand's function was starting to return to normal. Sard Greenleaf's
face had been serene since his son's return, and now turned to Ami, benevolent.
"I heard that you got home rather late yesterday, lass."
Ami nodded, her face flaming at the remembrance of what transpired after
she got home. Sard Greenleaf looked at her, then asked half-jokingly, "Has my
rude boy offended you? Don't take him seriously, he will snap out of it. Right
now, he has gone with his song to his friend Jadeite's place. Jadeite and his
fiancee Miss Rei Hino are coming over tonight. Do not be afraid, from what my
boy has told me, they are two of the warmest lads and lasses you will ever meet.
As for Zoi, do not take him seriously."
"So, last night was just a 'passion of the moment' sort of thing, or,
worse, a joke?" Ami thought miserably. Sard Greenleaf, seeing her pensiveness,
chuckled and said, "Say, lass, you are a good hand a chess. Care to play a game
with me? I need to practice my right hand's fine motor skills. It is high time I
start writing my will."
"All right." Ami agreed, and Beth was told to fetch the chessboard.
Soon, the two were entrenched in a battle of wits. Sard Greenleaf's old
hands quivered slightly, but his wits had never left him. In the end, although
Ami had won, she had only won by a very narrow margin. But Sard Greenleaf looked
at her with respect. "You are very good indeed. But before I forget, tonight, we
are having a little get-together. Besides Jade and Rei, there shall be my niece
Lita Kino and her fiance Nephrite Ralston, and my solicitor Kunzite Leigh and
his wife Mina. All good friends. Anyways, I want you looking your best. So, get
Emily and Waters, and buy the most expensive, becoming, posh evening gown you
can find. Do not come back until you do."
So, once again, Waters and Emily took Ami into the ritzy parts of town
and the large, fancy stores along with the tiny, classy boutiques. Ami had never
been much of a shopper or fashion-monger, her work did not require it and it had
never been one of her hobbies, but now she looked at the ocean of satins and
laces with pleasure. All were unique and beautiful: some ornate and decorated,
others sleek and understated. The colors ranged from bright tropical green to
jet black to pale, wistful lavender.
Finally, Ami found what she was looking for. It was a delicate, soft
shade of ice blue, with a heart-shaped neckline studded with teardrop crystals
that glittered like falling stars on a sheeny border of satin. The dress itself
was silk, backless and sleek, with a drooping voile bow in the back that floated
on the long skirts, forming a slight train, tis ends fringed with the same drops
of crystal that glittered all around the top. A matching voile scarf could be
wrapped around her upper body, like a shawl. With it, she bought a pair of white
fingerless lace opera gloves and pale blue satin slippers with delicate beadwork
and high heels. Ami, with Emily's help, put it all on, and stepped out of the
dressing room amid "Ooh"s and "Ahh"s, and paid for everything before delicately
stepping into the black limousine where Waters was waiting, holding the door for
her. The black limo's door closed after Ami and Emily got in, and Waters headed
for home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Surprise, surprise! I knew that I didn't plan on having it out this week, as I
was rather busy, but I couldn't stand the thought of leaving y'all hanging!! :)
Yes, I know, I'm great (j/k!)....Anyways, e-mail me with your comments!! More to
come!! Chapter 4 in the works! A week or two!! E-mail me! E-mail me! E-mail me!!
The addy is, as always, smart_sweetlady@yahoo.com. I hope to hear from you! Have
a great day!!
-Thalia ~_^