Title: Better Than a Gift Given
Author: Frostmourne (It's still me Haze ^^,)
Disclaimer: I don't own Vision of Escaflowne so please don't sue me. I'm merely borrowing the characters for entertainment.
Chapter Dedication: Good Kitty, Izzy, esca chick, MysticalDreamer, YingFa, ShiAne, Rina
Summary: He was a creature of the dark, living forever through the lives he ended. His gift and curse was what would doom him for an eternity of solitary existence. But when he passed through time accepting his fate, it was always her, the girl with the most brilliant emerald eyes that haunted him.
Chapter 2: Emptiness Inside
I was inside a bar in the city, passing time and looking for something interesting. I noted many of my kind, drinking away the night with the living around them. It was not new to me, seeing other creatures of the night mingling with mortals.
"Hey there gorgeous."
A girl, perhaps nineteen, came to me. I gave her one of my smiles. She smiled back, licking her upper lip in a seductive way. She does not realize that she is beckoning Death to her.
"Can I join you?"
"Do what you wish."
She smiled again and sat beside me as closely as she could. Soon enough, she was flirting more with me. She was foolish, flirting with a stranger such as I. Even if I was not a creature of the dark, she will surely bring trouble upon herself with this attitude she is displaying. She is even inviting me to share her bed. Such thirst these youths have for lustful deeds.
"What do you think?"
I looked at her. She was pretty although not so much. But she was too young for Death to claim her. I do not wish to rob her of her future. She winked at me and nuzzled my neck.
"You have a nice skin. It's so smooth, so white, and so beautiful like milk."
"Do you not have a class tomorrow?"
She laughed. "Yeah. But it's not like I'd be missed if I don't go to class for a day."
"You are wasting your life."
"And I suppose you're not? You're just a teenager like me."
Of course she'd think that. I had looked like I was barely twenty when I started not to age.
"See?" She said as if I had just realized my own stupidity. "So, how about the tumble in bed?"
I can barely stop myself from smiling cruelly. She was too young but even if I left her here, someone like me would claim her and give her death just the same. Besides, she was offering me herself. It would not do to let it go to waste. Slipping an arm on her waist, I led her outside the bar and into the nearest, convenient alley.
"Oh so you like it rough?" She asked with laughter in her voice.
I merely smiled as I led her to the dark. Immediately, her hands roamed my body, trying to divest it of clothes and stimulate it for the lustful deeds that it was to do with her body. However, she does not spark anything in me and I suddenly find myself bringing this dance of desires to its conclusion.
Lips sliding from her lips, it traveled to her jaw, tongue tasting the salt of her skin as it crept towards her neck. She moaned and pushed herself near me, grinding her hips against mine. Then, everything started to fade until all I can feel was her body's heat against my cool skin, until all I can smell was her racing blood against her veins and arteries, until all I can hear was her heartbeat.
As with usual, it was so hard to resist my nature. And thus I bit harshly, brutally. Her moans of pleasure changed to that of both pleasure and pain and soon she realized that she was getting weaker. It was only then that she realized what I am and she pushed against me in an attempt to be free. She could not scream out of fear.
It was maddening. The smell of fear in her blood, the taste of it was sweet, made even more so by the large quantity of it rushing to me with each frantic beat of her heart. And at last she wilted against me as the last of her life faded through her. I drew away, just in time to hear the last faint beat of her heart before it came to a halt.
I relaxed my hold on her thus letting her dead body slide from mine. For a few seconds I stared at her form. Such a loss but she had yearned for her own demise unconsciously. It was not mine to feel remorse for.
Straightening my attire, I moved out of the alley and began to walk back to the bar where I had met her. But as I moved towards my destination, something in me kept on coaxing me to turn back. At the end of a few seconds I did and allowed my feet to take me somewhere else.
I ended up in an alley a little further from where I fed on the girl. I looked upon the darkness there and through my altered eyesight I saw two of my kind holding on to a girl struggling slightly. She had just recovered from unconsciousness as proved by her slight struggling.
I watched in silence, not moving to keep them from noticing me. It was not in my nature to interfere and I knew better than to meddle with affairs that are not mine to deal with. However, as they crashed the girl on the wall, I had gone against my character. I had picked up two pieces of wood scattered near me. Without giving any chance for hesitation to come and for them to finally know of my presence, I plunged the wood on their backs. In an instant, they had turned to dust.
Mere specks, they were. Such weaklings. They had not even known what had befallen them.
I turned my attention on the girl. She was out of consciousness. I would've left her there as I had already interfered enough but I felt hesitation in doing so. I could not comprehend what was the matter with me at the moment and so I followed my instincts. I picked her up and carried her to my residence in the other side of the city.
I had to my advantage a great strength and an inhuman speed and so neither her weight nor the distance provided much of a trouble in accomplishing what my instincts told me to do. When I had reached my residence, I proceeded immediately to my room, placing her gently on my bed.
By this time, I really was puzzled by what I am doing. First off I interfere, then I bring her to my abode, and now I am letting her sleep on my bed. What had gotten into me, I could not identify. But perhaps I'd find out soon enough why she has an effect on my instincts. I would have to observe her till she wakes and question her when she does.
For a while, I stood there, looking upon her as she slept. Somehow, this brings me back to memories I'd rather not touch as of the moment. The pain is still stinging so much. But then again, it will never abate. The way it is now reminded me so much of how I had watched my wife when she had slept.
I could not help but look away for a moment and clench my jaw tight. This was not the time to indulge in painful memories.
A moment later, I look back at the girl sleeping almost peacefully on my bed. She had hair in the color of honey, cut short much like that of a boy's. Her figure was slight that I wondered if she broke any bone from the abuse she had just had. She looked fragile… beautiful. And I knew then why looking at her reminded me of memories from a bittersweet past. She had similarities to my lady and it was terrifying to know the least.
I cannot keep her here. She must leave soon or she would die much like the others. And I can not bear this anymore.
I would rouse her but the look she had stopped me from even going beyond the thought. I will regret it if I would detain her more with my presence. I am nothing but the symbol of death. And as much as I want to end being alone, I would rather suffer an eternity of solitary existence than once more bring death to my long dead heart.
Just one touch and I would leave. Yes, just one touch.
So I reached out and ran my fingers on her short hair. She shivered when I had accidentally touched her forehead. It made me draw back instantly. And with one last look, I left.
~*Hitomi*~
I woke up feeling my head throb with so much pain. I gripped my head as I sat up. It was hurting like hell and I wouldn't be surprised if I'd get brain-damaged. Those jerks are really---
Wait a second. Where the hell am I? I remember being dragged from the bar to some alley and I even remember trying to struggle. And most especially, I remember being banged on the wall by those losers. But where are they? Oh no! They must have brought me to their place and did something to me. Oh sh**! If they raped me I'm gonna kill them so slow!
I looked down. My clothes were still intact. But I still have the scrapes I got from struggling. Now what is going on?
Looking around, I discovered that I was in a room of some rich guy. Obviously, I'm in the other side of the city, the part where rich people are living. But whatever. I need to get out of here before they come back and really do something to me. Sh**! My head hurts!
I stumbled out of bed and wobbly walked towards the door. I found myself in a hallway and I couldn't decide which way to go. After many minutes, I went to the left. I passed a couple of doors but I was sure that not even one of them was the exit to this place so I continued walking. By the end of the hallway, there was a huge door. I opened it slowly and peaked a little. There wasn't anyone there, thankfully. But it wasn't the exit either. It was just some library.
I walked in and immediately I could feel my heart begin to beat faster. I could feel the hairs behind my neck stand up. I looked around and almost dropped dead from fear when I saw that just a few feet from where I entered was an armchair where a man was sitting and staring at me.
I heard her footfalls before she came in. It was not noisy but I heard it just the same because of my enhanced hearing. A few seconds later, the door opened slightly before she walked inside the room. I watched her as she stiffened as if she can sense me. Then, she spun around and stared directly at me. She looked so frightened that I thought she would faint. But she just stood there, rigid and fearful.
I could smell the fear in her and I could hear her heartbeat. It was so fast and frantic that I fear it would burst any moment from now.
I stood up and walked towards her. However with every step I took, she took a step back away from me. She was frightened of me. Perhaps she had thought that I was one with those guys who attacked her mere hours ago. It would not do to scare her more so I stopped my advance. That, however, did not stop her from taking backward steps until her back was against one of the book shelves on the wall.
"Wh-where am I?"
Her voice had wavered, but I can see she was struggling to control her fear.
"You're in my residence, on the opposite side of town from where you were early morning."
Her eyes widened and in the dim light and the distance, I had to wonder what color her eyes were. "Why d-did y-you bring m-me here?"
"You needed help."
I could provide her no other reasons to that question. I would look like a fool if I tell her I brought her here because my instinct was pushing me to do so.
"Wh-who are y-you?"
"It's not important. We would not cross paths in the future anyhow."
"A-are you…" She trailed off and looked even more apprehensive.
"No. I assure you I am not with those who attacked you."
She stared at me, clearly measuring the truthfulness of what I had said. At length she relaxed slightly.
"Th-thank you."
I nodded slightly as an acknowledgement of what she said. I know it would be rude to tell her to go, but the longer she stays with me, the more in danger she would be.
"The sun is up. I am sure you would be safer if you go now."
She looked surprised. "You mean you'd let me go without asking for a payment for your help?"
Before I knew it, I had let out a little chuckle. I could not help it, I suppose. It was amusing how her surprise forced her to speak without stuttering.
~*Hitomi*~
I think he just lost his mind. I was just asking about some payment and he laughed. Alright, so I have no money to pay him but he doesn't have to mock me. Talk about a major egoistic jerk!
I didn't know but I just got so mad that I stalked up to him to glare. But when I was near him, I couldn't stop myself from gawking. I don't know why I didn't notice it the first time I saw him but he was well… hot. He was so pale that I thought he had no blood circulation under that perfect skin.
Damn! If only I could have that skin. I've always wondered how I would look if I had a skin like that. But of course I can't have that. I get burned in the morning walking to school and during the first hours of the afternoon to go home and get some sleep before work at night. Besides, I can't get a nice skin because I don't eat much. I lack nutrition, well, because money is kind of short on me all the time.
His hair is also so nice. It was shining faintly in the dim light of the room. I wanted so much to reach up and just feel his silver hair. I just want to know how it was to have that hair. And his lips. They were blood red. I'd give anything just to feel them or more like have them.
I wish I was beautiful. Just like him. But I can't be beautiful because I don't have money to be one, because I don't have money to maintain being one… because I don't have the reason to be one. Nobody loves me anyway other than my friend, Yukari. And when she'll go marry someone, I'll be so alone. Like when I was back with my blood relatives, like when I had run away. I wish I wasn't so alone.
She had stalked up to me and glared but soon enough she was staring at me, as if both scrutinizing and envying what she saw. She had looked wistfully at me, so many emotions passing her face as she did so. And then she looked at my hair, reaching out only to stop in mid air and look at my lips instead.
Her heartbeat had calmed gradually and there was almost a heavy beat to it. She was sad. I could tell perfectly from the way she looks, the way her heart and breath had slowed almost to a heavy pace.
When her eyes met mine for a brief instant, I noted for the first time that she had green eyes. I had wished that it was not so. It only made her resemblance to my wife even more pronounced.
If I had needed to breathe, my breath would've been caught in my throat. The emeralds were not brilliant… they were dull and gloomy. They looked so much like that of my lady when she was sad. And before I could stop, I tilted her chin slightly and kissed her.
The kiss was merely a slight pressure of my lips against hers but it felt like heaven, like I was with someone I knew with my heart and soul… when I had one at least. A second or two later, I pulled back and looked at her eyes. I felt crushed then for her eyes had turned glassy, teary.
"I'm sorry," I said.
She blinked away her tears and looked at me. She shook her head and took a step back, a big step back. But she was still within arm's length from me.
"I'm sorry," I repeated.
"I… can I go?"
It was strange that when she asked that, I could feel a part of me breaking off.
"You're free to leave as you wish."
She hesitated before she walked passed me and left. My former feeling had been strange indeed. But the next one was even more so. For when she left, there was suddenly this void inside me. I had always thought that I was long empty. But her departure had just proved otherwise. Because how can a void form when the void is there to begin with?
Yes, she had just proved that. When she had left, the emptiness came much like it did when my wife had died, much like it did when I died. When she had left, everything just disappeared… I felt empty once again.
~tbc~
Author's Note: I know that I still have yet to name the one with a cultured tone of speaking but I think I had given some clues here for you to figure out. Besides, you know the pairing right? ^^, Anyhow, I know that the events are a bit slow moving not like that of Intruder Alert's scenes but this moves on to a different beat of its own. And before I forget, I'd try to make up for the short chapter by updating faster while the ideas are still here ^^,
I'm taking this chance to thank those who reviewed 'Standing at the Edge of the Earth' since I wouldn't be posting another chapter there thus I wouldn't have the chance to acknowledge them. So I'm thanking aradow, Izzy, Tinka, bighug, bigkiss, naria, Mia, aoao, Phoenix, YingFa, Snooptopian. Thanks for reviewing my one-shot.
Anyhow, thank you for those who gave this one a chance and thanks for the support. I do appreciate them. And as I said in my other fic, each chapter is possible because of the reviewers. So you know who's responsible for this one. ^_~ Thank you once again. ^^,
