AN: Hello everyone. ^_^ The author finally speaks, eh? I hope you all like the story, and thank you so much to all the nice and wonderful people who give me such nice reviews! It really does inspire me to update sooner. So don't be afraid to review, minna! There's some fan service in this chapter ^.~
The following night Carroll had not returned home. Vincent was feeling worse about yelling at her last night. She really was only trying to help, and now she was probably drinking it off somewhere. He would have stayed home and waited for her, but he could not simply ignore the message in the red envelope. He stepped out into the cool evening air, locking the door behind him and prayed Carroll would be all right.
The night had always been a mother to Vincent. Darkness creeping through the veins of the world, bleeding into pools of shadow. This time belonged to him, and that is where his thoughts were turned as he walked soundlessly down the immaculately paved sidewalks of Merlose's sector.
Eventually he reached her house, and ascended the few steps to her porch. He knocked, even though the door was slightly open, the metal of the lock resting on the frame, and letting through a sliver of flickering orange light. He waited, but there was no answer.
~You are expected. Walk away.~
He stood torn between the urge to just walk in, through the white ajar door, and the voice that whispered that he was getting himself into something he could not turn back from. Carroll's words echoed in his head, and he closed his eyes for a moment to clear his thoughts, and just let fate decide his action. He reached for the door and pulled it open.
~Naive~
The inside of the house was as correct and trim as the outside. But the tasteful interior decorating was thrown into shadow by the light of white candles, burning low and balanced atop almost every flat surface. Merlose was no where to be seen, so Vincent waited by the doorway.
She walked into the living room, a vision in burning red satin and lace. It contrasted with her normal black attire, though the black lace calmed down the color slightly. The dress was low cut and her hair was pinned up loosely. Vincent saw her as she crossed the room, and whatever he had planned to say escaped his grasp.
"You are perfectly on time, Vincent." She smiled, and glanced at a clock, which read precisely 9:30. "..Yes, I usually am." She had broken the spell, and he found to his surprise that he could speak again, though she remained just as lovely. He noticed for the first time the peculiar way that Merlose wore clothing. She seemed to make the most formal evening gown appear casual, like something comfortable, just chosen at random.
She smiled. "I think you have some dark secret, Vincent." Vincent just looked at her, frowning slightly. Was she mocking him? She could be hinting at something..or perhaps it was just his mind, a casual comment made by a spectator that was taken as more then it was. "Don't we all." He gave her a dark look, and the smirk she had slowly died.
"Yes, I suppose you're right." She paused for a moment. "Are you going to stand by the door all night? Come in, make yourself comfortable." When he hesitated, she took his hand and pulled him over to a light lavender loveseat, sitting down and letting go of his hand. He took a seat next to her, but not too close. She looked at him. Vincent didn't return the glance, he wanted to keep his thoughts clear, and looking at her wasn't going to help that.
"You're different from all the other men I've known. Quiet, but that's not all. I suppose it's because you're old fashioned." Vincent glanced up at her when she spoke. "Am I?" She smiled gently and nodded. The smile cut him, illuminated with candlelight, a wound reopened in a place long forgotten. It had to be her..
He reached out and touched her cheek with his fingertips. Her skin was pale and beautiful, and just this slight brush of contact was making his heart speed up in a way that nothing else seemed able to do. He was always so cool and collected..except when it came to this. She leaned forward, into his touch, and he kissed her softly.
~Into darkness, once again~
The candles surrendered to darkness, as if timed, the flame dying in pools of wax. Merlose wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, kissing him more deeply. Vincent put his hands on her waist, and lifted her onto his lap, holding her gently, as if she were fragile.
She finally broke the kiss and looked into his eyes, something in their light brown depths spoke of hurt, but also of passion. She placed a hand on Vincent's heart, and felt it pounding. She let a smile touch her lips, and then kissed him again, running her fingers through his long black hair. Then she let her hands trail down and unbuckle the three clasps that held Vincent's red cape on. The crimson fabric rustled as it slid off his shoulders. Then came the silver buttons on the black shirt beneath.
She ran her hands over his smooth pale skin, and he broke the kiss to touch his lips to her neck, causing her shiver slightly. He kissed her shoulder, brushing the strap of her dress off of it. The way she touched him was like poetry, and he could feel the coldness start melt away from inside. It was finally a second chance. He could be happy...
~Only an illusion. It always is.~
An hour later, the two were lying on Merlose's queen sized canopy bed, moonlight pouring from a window and lighting everything in silver. She was looking at him, smiling, her hair loose and splayed out over the light sheets, and herself wrapped up in another sheet. Vincent had an arm around her securely, and his clawed hand resting close to him, just looking deeply into her eyes.
Merlose reached over and placed her hand atop the cool metal. It caused a small automatic reaction from Vincent, and he looked down, something like shame passing over his features. "What happened?" She asked the question gently, sensing it was something painful for him. "It happened a long time ago. I was shot, and it had to be amputated." This was not the whole truth, but Vincent did not want to tell Merlose the truth about himself.
"Who?" Vincent looked at her. "A scientist named Hojo." There was no flicker of memory in her eyes at the words. Vincent sighed, and sat up. "I can't stay here for the night." Merlose turned over onto her back and looked up at him. "No? Well all right." He stood, and walked over to where he had left his clothes, picking them up and disappearing into a bathroom attached to Merlose's bedroom.
She waited for him, running the events of the night over in her head. She trusted him...He wasn't like the one before. The one who had made her hate the color red.
A few minutes passed, and Vincent walked out of the bathroom, fully clothed and his bandanna retied. Merlose sat up, holding the sheet to her. Vincent leaned over the bed and kissed her lips, a farewell. Then he walked out, leaving her and her thoughts alone with the moonlight and the coming dawn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following night Carroll had not returned home. Vincent was feeling worse about yelling at her last night. She really was only trying to help, and now she was probably drinking it off somewhere. He would have stayed home and waited for her, but he could not simply ignore the message in the red envelope. He stepped out into the cool evening air, locking the door behind him and prayed Carroll would be all right.
The night had always been a mother to Vincent. Darkness creeping through the veins of the world, bleeding into pools of shadow. This time belonged to him, and that is where his thoughts were turned as he walked soundlessly down the immaculately paved sidewalks of Merlose's sector.
Eventually he reached her house, and ascended the few steps to her porch. He knocked, even though the door was slightly open, the metal of the lock resting on the frame, and letting through a sliver of flickering orange light. He waited, but there was no answer.
~You are expected. Walk away.~
He stood torn between the urge to just walk in, through the white ajar door, and the voice that whispered that he was getting himself into something he could not turn back from. Carroll's words echoed in his head, and he closed his eyes for a moment to clear his thoughts, and just let fate decide his action. He reached for the door and pulled it open.
~Naive~
The inside of the house was as correct and trim as the outside. But the tasteful interior decorating was thrown into shadow by the light of white candles, burning low and balanced atop almost every flat surface. Merlose was no where to be seen, so Vincent waited by the doorway.
She walked into the living room, a vision in burning red satin and lace. It contrasted with her normal black attire, though the black lace calmed down the color slightly. The dress was low cut and her hair was pinned up loosely. Vincent saw her as she crossed the room, and whatever he had planned to say escaped his grasp.
"You are perfectly on time, Vincent." She smiled, and glanced at a clock, which read precisely 9:30. "..Yes, I usually am." She had broken the spell, and he found to his surprise that he could speak again, though she remained just as lovely. He noticed for the first time the peculiar way that Merlose wore clothing. She seemed to make the most formal evening gown appear casual, like something comfortable, just chosen at random.
She smiled. "I think you have some dark secret, Vincent." Vincent just looked at her, frowning slightly. Was she mocking him? She could be hinting at something..or perhaps it was just his mind, a casual comment made by a spectator that was taken as more then it was. "Don't we all." He gave her a dark look, and the smirk she had slowly died.
"Yes, I suppose you're right." She paused for a moment. "Are you going to stand by the door all night? Come in, make yourself comfortable." When he hesitated, she took his hand and pulled him over to a light lavender loveseat, sitting down and letting go of his hand. He took a seat next to her, but not too close. She looked at him. Vincent didn't return the glance, he wanted to keep his thoughts clear, and looking at her wasn't going to help that.
"You're different from all the other men I've known. Quiet, but that's not all. I suppose it's because you're old fashioned." Vincent glanced up at her when she spoke. "Am I?" She smiled gently and nodded. The smile cut him, illuminated with candlelight, a wound reopened in a place long forgotten. It had to be her..
He reached out and touched her cheek with his fingertips. Her skin was pale and beautiful, and just this slight brush of contact was making his heart speed up in a way that nothing else seemed able to do. He was always so cool and collected..except when it came to this. She leaned forward, into his touch, and he kissed her softly.
~Into darkness, once again~
The candles surrendered to darkness, as if timed, the flame dying in pools of wax. Merlose wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, kissing him more deeply. Vincent put his hands on her waist, and lifted her onto his lap, holding her gently, as if she were fragile.
She finally broke the kiss and looked into his eyes, something in their light brown depths spoke of hurt, but also of passion. She placed a hand on Vincent's heart, and felt it pounding. She let a smile touch her lips, and then kissed him again, running her fingers through his long black hair. Then she let her hands trail down and unbuckle the three clasps that held Vincent's red cape on. The crimson fabric rustled as it slid off his shoulders. Then came the silver buttons on the black shirt beneath.
She ran her hands over his smooth pale skin, and he broke the kiss to touch his lips to her neck, causing her shiver slightly. He kissed her shoulder, brushing the strap of her dress off of it. The way she touched him was like poetry, and he could feel the coldness start melt away from inside. It was finally a second chance. He could be happy...
~Only an illusion. It always is.~
An hour later, the two were lying on Merlose's queen sized canopy bed, moonlight pouring from a window and lighting everything in silver. She was looking at him, smiling, her hair loose and splayed out over the light sheets, and herself wrapped up in another sheet. Vincent had an arm around her securely, and his clawed hand resting close to him, just looking deeply into her eyes.
Merlose reached over and placed her hand atop the cool metal. It caused a small automatic reaction from Vincent, and he looked down, something like shame passing over his features. "What happened?" She asked the question gently, sensing it was something painful for him. "It happened a long time ago. I was shot, and it had to be amputated." This was not the whole truth, but Vincent did not want to tell Merlose the truth about himself.
"Who?" Vincent looked at her. "A scientist named Hojo." There was no flicker of memory in her eyes at the words. Vincent sighed, and sat up. "I can't stay here for the night." Merlose turned over onto her back and looked up at him. "No? Well all right." He stood, and walked over to where he had left his clothes, picking them up and disappearing into a bathroom attached to Merlose's bedroom.
She waited for him, running the events of the night over in her head. She trusted him...He wasn't like the one before. The one who had made her hate the color red.
A few minutes passed, and Vincent walked out of the bathroom, fully clothed and his bandanna retied. Merlose sat up, holding the sheet to her. Vincent leaned over the bed and kissed her lips, a farewell. Then he walked out, leaving her and her thoughts alone with the moonlight and the coming dawn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~