A Walk on the Side
By Cassandra
A/N: This is my side story to Senashenta's "Walk A Mile" which features my two fan Starlights, Kira and Aoi Kou a.k.a. Sailor Stars Striker and Keeper. In the latest chapter of "Walk A Mile", there was a hint of Kira and Aoi having unresolved romantic tension between them and this fic would be focusing on Kira and Aoi and what they're up to when the attention wasn't on them through "Walk A Mile" and will try (and I mean try) to resolve that teasing, romantic tension *doesn't care that that was just a run-on sentence*. Hehe, let's just say I got so intrigued with the possibilities, despite the fact that I've written a fic about Kira and Aoi actually getting together. The other Starlights and the Inner Senshi from Earth would make a few appearances and I mean few, since this would be focusing on my two darlings. ^_~ So, I hope you enjoy. This would probably reach up to six to seven chapters with varying length. Review!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own "Sailor Moon", but I do own Kira and Aoi, my two lovebirds. Teeheehee! Also, I've gotten permisioon from Senashenta if I could write a side story to her wonderful Starlights fic "Walk A Mile" (she said yes) and this is the result of that idea.
Prologue
Can You Feel the Tension?
Her whole body ached. It took a lot of effort to get up.
Her left arm was limp by her side and if she tried to move her fingers she wouldn't be able to hold back the scream that would have begged to be wrenched from her chapped lips. She remembered being thrown back by a great force just some moments ago and she had fallen on her side, her left arm catching her weight and resulting to its now-broken state, no doubt.
The world before her was a bit hazy; not even a shake of a head could clear it. It was difficult to open her left eye since her cheek was swelling. It also didn't help but a strand of her red hair, the shiny red hair that had been her pride, fell sloppily over her other eye.
Tasting the metallic taste of blood in her mouth, she turned her head just a bit to spit it out.
Gashes and scratches from many different wounds lined every visible skin that was revealed by her skimpy fuku and even her fuku itself was tattered in a lot of places. Blood, fresh and dried, were everywhere.
At that moment, as her head began to swim and her gaze was to the dark skies above her, she asked herself what happened and why was she here.
It was odd that she couldn't remember. Why couldn't she? Had she hit her head so hard that she had forgotten what her mission was?
Her gaze fell to the tattered and torn fuku she was wearing.
A yes, she was a Sailor Senshi. She was Sailor Star Striker, the shield. Sailor Star Striker of the red hair and intense silver eyes. Sailor Star Striker who was said to be the most skilled warrior in the land. Sailor Star Striker, the guarded and untouchable, the one who was always there but never too close. Sailor Star Striker, jaded and yet unknowingly ardent for the only One she has yet to find. Sailor Star Striker, the Senshi of Singing Silver.
So she was a senshi, which meant she was supposed to be protecting her planet. Her planet was Kinmoku. There were five Sailor Senshi all in all.
Sailor Star Fighter, the leader. Sailor Star Fighter of the ebony hair and sparkling indigo eyes. Sailor Star Fighter, the lover, the fighter, and sometimes the fool. Sailor Star Fighter who was the strength and passion that all the senshi depended on. Sailor Star Fighter, wandering heart that would come to rest when the time is right. Sailor Star Fighter, the Senshi of Blazing Fires.
Sailor Star Maker, the brain and the "mother". Sailor Star Maker of the auburn hair and wise purple eyes. Sailor Star Maker, the poet and the silent watcher, the one who watched over and balanced the rest. Sailor Star Maker, the wise one with the attentive ear and the prudent words. Sailor Star Maker, seemingly alone forever but never really so. Sailor Star Maker, the Senshi of the Grounded Earth.
Sailor Star Healer, the empath. Sailor Star Healer of the silver-white hair and cool lime green eyes. Sailor Star Healer, the solitary one and the one with the heaviest burden, the one who heard the cries of the distant stars. Sailor Star Healer, seemingly detached yet aware and feeling. Sailor Star Healer, whose locked heart yearns for a key. Sailor Star Healer, the Senshi of the Unpredictable Waters.
Sailor Star Keeper, the heart. Sailor Star Keeper of the golden hair and gentle blue-green eyes. Sailor Star Keeper, the consoler who needs to be consoled, the one with warmth of both smile and touch. Sailor Star Keeper, the one who sees but does not speak. Sailor Star Keeper, the one who loves, but does not know. Sailor Star Keeper, the Senshi of the Airy Winds.
The scenery before her was hazy again and she tried to grasp why she was thinking of all of this. What did this all mean?
Why was she here and wounded and staring up at the sky?
What--?
"Oof!" She almost tripped. She winced as she felt her left arm. It hurt. She focused her eyes on the ground before her to see what it was that almost made her fall.
Blond hair, in a pony tail like hers and disheveled and dirty, against pale broken skin was the first thing her eyes fell upon.
A flash of memory overcame her as she recalled that same blond hair flying against the wind and touching unmarred soft, silky skin.
Then there was a limp body encased in a torn and tattered fuku, which was much like hers. The blue-green adornments, which gave away her identity, were almost non-existent now.
But what really bothered her was that she felt no life from the Sailor Senshi before her.
Her fellow Sailor Senshi with the blond hair and blue-green adornments that would have certainly matched her eyes was dead.
Oh and why did she suddenly feel so hollow, so empty, then angry and so furious?
Why did she feel like she was going to explode with such rage? Why was her head that had felt so numb then began to ache? Why did the pain in her left arm suddenly mean nothing? Why was it that she suddenly found herself standing so firmly with her eyes wide open? Why were her fists that were by her side suddenly shaking with such wrath? And what was this flowing down her cheeks?
Tears?
Screaming. She could hear screaming, but from where?
It was so loud and almost inarticulate.
Repetition of a word, over and over again.
Or at least that was what she heard.
Blue, blue, blue, blue…
Aoi was the Japanese that meant 'blue', correct?
Goodness, why did her throat hurt?
It felt so dry, and since when had her mouth parted so wide?
Keeper, blue, Keeper, blue…
Over and over again, screaming.
Loud, familiar screaming.
But wait.
"KEEPER!"
It was only then that she realized it was she who was screaming.
"Kira! Kira! Wake up!"
She was almost startled when she opened her eyes and found worried blue-green eyes staring back at her, or more correctly, him.
Kira Kou, also known as Sailor Star Striker, was panting as he lifted himself up a bit from his bed with his elbows, the result of him waking up so abruptly. He was trying to catch his breath as he swallowed to get rid of the awful, sour taste that was on his tongue. He felt like throwing up and the adrenaline still hadn't left him. It soothed him a bit when he felt gentle fingers run down the sides of his face, his eyes closing in reflex at the action.
He fell back finally onto the bed, one hand clutching one of those hands, which had touched him so gently against his left cheek. At the moment, he just wanted to feel something warm, something familiar.
"Oh Kira…" The other feminine hand with a handkerchief returned to carefully dab away the perspiration that had beaded at the sides of his temples as he tuned in on the sweet, feminine voice that just spoke. "What were you dreaming about that had you screaming like that?"
He stilled the hand that tried to comfort him with a handkerchief and just pressed the two hands against his cheeks. He needed no other comfort than this familiar touch.
"You're here, aren't you, Aoi? You're here. You aren't leaving me again, aren't you? I haven't lost you have I?"
His voice was small, trembling, lost, and pleading.
Sailor Star Striker, jaded and yet unknowingly ardent, ardent about only one.
The one he was now holding against him and has yet to realize was so close that they seemed joined, not knowing where one ended and the other began.
His only one, his Aoi, his Keeper.
Aoi Kou woke up at the sound of screams, familiar screams.
She found it strange at first when she found herself staring up at the see-through material of her floating canopy. Normally, she was a heavy sleeper and it only took something really earth-shattering for her to wake up in the middle of her deep sleep. It took her only half a moment to find out exactly what it was that had woken her and she quickly acted. It was only when she was in his room that she realized that it was her name that had been ringing in the night.
He was having a nightmare. Red hair astray against the white sheets while pale limbs twisted and trapped themselves on the blankets further. Screams of her name seemed doubly loud within his usually peaceful and quiet abode and her heart wrenched at the sound.
She immediately moved to the bed, mounting its almost monstrous size and shaking him to consciousness.
"Kira! Kira! Wake up!"
Silver eyes were stricken when he opened them abruptly and it dawned on her harshly that he had been having nightmares of her. A flash of pain and regret surged through her as she saw his shock, his seeming distress as their gazes met, but she refused to let it hinder her. She was a friend to Kira first, doesn't matter what she felt as long as he was all right.
She did her best to comfort him, speaking in a soft voice and gently assuring him with touches of her hands that he was back here in his bed with her. He caught her hands however and just held them against the sides of his face with his eyes closed, as if he couldn't bear to look at her at all and it hurt.
Was the dream so bad that he didn't want to see her?
Why does she always cause such pain in the people she cared about?
Why must she care so much for him like this?
And then he spoke in a desperate voice that killed all her other thoughts.
"You're here, aren't you, Aoi? You're here. You aren't leaving me again, aren't you? I haven't lost you have I?"
He sounded so distressed.
Were those tears coming from his eyes?
She bent down to kiss them away, tasting such grief in those salty tears. It was almost sweet torture as those tears slid down his cheek and ended up by the side of his lips. She caught them as well, pushing away all those other thoughts that made her want to kiss him deeper.
She really had to forget about herself right now.
"Kira, please. Don't cry. It was just a nightmare. You're here with me. I'm never leaving you, never."
He had loosened his hold on her hands and she used them to wipe away the wet tear trails. She was practically bent over him on the bed, straddling his hips but both of them barely noticed. Such intimacy between the two of them wasn't anything new. They had been friends for the longest time and there just weren't any barriers anymore even if they were in different bodies at the moment.
She looked into his gray eyes when she felt his own hands cup the sides of her face, his thumbs caressing the smooth skin there as if wanting to memorize the feel of them.
"Stay with me. Please."
She smiled slightly into those gray eyes.
Kira barely said please.
"All right."
She was so warm and so soft against him.
She lay over him like a blanket, her unbound golden hair loose against his white sheets. Her head was tucked under his chin securely as his arms were wrapped loosely around her petite form. He could feel her fingers that were curled softly against his chest through the material of his half buttoned nightshirt. Her cheek was against his heart and if she listened, he knew she could hear it beat.
His eyes were set on his ceiling. He was wide-awake and so was she; he could tell by the way she breathed.
"Was your nightmare really that terrible?" Her soft, melodious voice broke the silence.
His gaze shifted to her blond tresses that were laid out before him. He lifted a hand to entangle his fingers into them. He had always loved her hair. They slid so smoothly through his fingers and gleamed in the dim light.
"I lost you again." He whispered in answer, not saying anything more since he thought it enough.
She shifted against him, finding himself assaulted by focused blue-green eyes.
"Would it be so bad if you did lose me, Kira?" Her voice was soft, but he heard it loud and clear.
Her question made him sit up on the bed, bringing her along with him that she sat face to face with him, her on his lap. He couldn't read the expression in her eyes. They looked back at him, wide and waiting for his answer.
He was holding her at arm's length, his hands supporting her elbows lightly as her own hands settled on his arm. Now his grip somewhat tightened as he spoke, his silver gray eyes burning slightly.
"Why are you asking me this?"
He was confused and a bit offended. Did she question their friendship? Did she question everything they had been for each other for the longest time?
She watched as his distress came back. She felt like hitting herself. Now was not the time to ask him questions like this, not when he had just risen from his worst nightmare, but for some reason she wanted to know. She had felt so much for him that it went beyond friendship. She wanted to yell at him that she loved him. She loved him more than a friend ever could and she couldn't because she knew it might scare him away.
Sailor Star Striker, the jaded one.
Sailor Star Striker, the one who scorns love.
Those silver gray eyes bore into her and expressed his pain and anguish. He never showed such pain on his face unless he was with her. He had always kept such intense feelings hidden from others. He always had that playful, complacent smirk on his face when he was around other people, acting as if he had no problems or insecurities. It was only with her that he shared his pain.
She was his best friend.
The words left a bitter taste in her mouth whenever she spoke them.
He was still looking at her in his silent anguish. Sighing mentally at her weakness for his beautiful and intense eyes, she leaned into him again, breathing in his sweet, natural scent, to give him the comfort that he wished of her. Immediately, his arms wrapped around her, enveloping her in warmth.
"I cause you such pain. I'm sorry."
She smelled of violets and everything about her was smooth and soft. Sometimes he wondered why she let him hold her like this when he was hard and toned in this body. It just didn't feel right to him, but he favored this body so he allowed himself to just forget about it.
She had always held him whenever he had nightmares, never failing to be there even when they were children. She apologized for causing him such pain.
Was she sorry about the nightmares that constantly plagued him, nightmares of her death and their ill-fated battle with the golden senshi, Galaxia?
She shouldn't be.
If he hadn't been so neglectful, so weak nothing would have happened to her then. She wouldn't have died.
And didn't he promise her that he would protect her no matter what?
"No need for apologies, Aoi." He told her softly.
"And you better not be blaming yourself for my death again, Kira Kou." Her voice was a bit stern, since she never really had it in her to be actually stern. "It doesn't matter."
A wordless yet satisfying silence fell between them as they held each other. Without words or gestures, they came to an agreement to stop talking of such things. As Aoi had said, they just didn't matter now. They were together and alive and that was all that should matter.
Or so they thought, pushing away all other thoughts of other and more complicating possibilities.
***
When he slept, he looked as if he was waiting for something catastrophic to happen. His face was always with a strained expression, his brows knitted, his thin lips set in a defined, hard line. He never looked at peace when he slept, unless she was beside him.
Tonight, as she lay tucked beside him with his arms around her, his face looked relaxed. He looked like a child who was safely unassuming of anything.
A lock of hair fell over one of his eyes and she reached up to push it away, not able to resist when the tips of her fingers slid down the side of his face afterwards. Her eyes followed her fingers' progress, watching as they slid down the side of his temple, his perfectly bowed eyebrows, his high cheekbones and the area where his left dimple was located when he smirked or smiled, depending on the occasion.
It took only a moment to realize that she was staring at his lips. They were thin, but not unpleasantly so and so soft. She allowed herself to wonder how it would be like to kiss him. She was about to tentatively run her thumb against them when he made a small noise in his throat and pulled her in closer into his embrace.
The motion almost shocked her, making her blush a bit when she realized she was pressed so close to him that there was practically no space to speak off between them. Her hands were against his bare chest. His nightshirt just had to open a bit more didn't it? Was Fate playing with her?
She stiffened when he made those incoherent noises again in his sleep.
Was he waking up?
No he isn't. She thought with relief as she relaxed against him.
She didn't want to know what would happen if he were awake. Sighing and adjusting a bit so she could at least have some breathing room, she closed her eyes and resigned herself to sleeping in such close proximity with him.
Another day was coming and there were a lot of things to do.
Wasn't it the day when those senshi from Earth were coming to visit?
As she was drifting off, a pair of silver gray eyes opened over her head as a small, contented smile lifted the sides of thin lips.
He had been awake after all.