Smiling up at him, Ami chuckled softly sending a ripple of desire through him so strong that it was all he could do to stop himself from acting upon it.
"I missed this room when I was away," she said softly, "I was just shaking off the cobwebs and trying it out again. I apologise if you don't want me here," she said, a small frown marring her face.
"No need for any apology. You know that you are free to roam. What's mine is yours," he stated, staring down at the large black panther which had taken up residence lying as close as possible to her.
As she stroked its head, Kunzite could hear the animal's deep purrs of contentment, watching somewhat enviously as it leaned upwards to bestow a long lick along her cheek.
Giggling, Ami patted her feline friend while looking at Kunzite "Why don't you have a seat? There's so much I need to say to you."
"As you wish", he sat down next to her with the panther between them, staring into the waterfall.
Frowning at the fact that Kunzite was not as near to her as she would have wanted, she leaned down to kiss the panther's head softly, turning to rub her cheek against the furry softness.
"What is it that you wished to say?" he asked, a little gruffly, hating the fact that he was envying the large cat more and more.
"I wanted to thank you…for coming for me the… oth…other night," she stumbled over the words, her mind casting back to the moments before he entered the motel room.
"No need," he said sharply still not looking in her direction, "I'm only sorry that I wasn't there sooner." His arms flexed as one of his fists tightened as he too felt the anger at not having prevented anyone from touching her, his beast snarling within him.
Stretching over she ran her hand down his arm comfortingly "Don't blame yourself. I am fine. Right as rain actually," she laughed happily.
He tensed as soon as she touched him, and as soon as he felt her touch he softened, so deep was the effect that she had on him.
"Ami, if I had my way there was no way that you would have had to bear any of them touching or hurting you," he looked at her deeply and the sincerity she felt in his ice blue eyes was only marred by the deep anger she sense in him.
"I knew you'd come," she stated sincerely, her sapphire eyes showing the profound level of trust she had in him.
"I will always be there when you need me. Always" he stressed, reaching out his hand to cup her face gently running his thumb over her cheek before drawing away.
He sensed more than saw her withdraw slightly.
"I always thought that but then when I came to say goodbye when I had to leave I couldn't find you," she said softly reminiscing on times past. "Why wouldn't you see me? There were so many things I wanted to tell you".
Kunzite sighed, staring blankly ahead "I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye Ami. In the end of it I couldn't watch you walk away from me. It would've hurt too much."
"You weren't even here were you?" she voiced her suspicions long assumed in the years she had left.
"No. I left to visit my family in Europe the day before you were due to leave," he admitted, standing not wanting to have to confess his weakness where she was concerned.
Casting way the panther until it vanished in a wisp of smoke she stood quickly, facing him fully, "So tell me just one thing. Did running away stop the hurt?"
Looking down at her, a long minute passed before he answered "No. My soul left me that day and not being able to see it go didn't make it hurt less."
She stepped forward closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist "I wanted you there. I didn't want to go. But my father wouldn't listen. He said I had to go. I often thought that if you were there you wouldn't have let him send me away."
Ami looked up at Kunzite, her eyes troubled. "Why did you let him? Didn't you know that I wanted to stay?"
He sighed, a deep sound she felt in his chest as he stared down at her lovely face. "You had to go Ami. It was for the best".
"The best! For whom?" she pulled back from him. "No one asked me what I wanted. I woke up one day and my father told me I had to go. I ran away from him, running to you and you weren't here".
Tears came to her eyes as she recalled that day of frustration and fear. "You had always been there when I needed you and when I needed you most you just weren't here."
She said the last words in a whisper, hurt echoing throughout her words.
Taking a step towards her, he paused as she took three steps away. "I told myself that my father was trying to keep me away from you and that this was some cruel trick he was playing to get his way. But then I got your note," as she said this she wrapped her arms around herself. "Then I knew," she looked up at him with such pain in her eyes that he winced.
"I knew that this time you weren't coming to help me," Ami said softly.
Kunzite walked up to her slowly, "I had to let you go. There was no other way"
"There's always another way," Ami stated, "but then I understood the reason why you did it."
He looked up at her with a sense of surprise in his eyes for could she have guessed the true reason he had allowed his heart to be ripped away from him. If she did and yet had returned to him it would save him from explanations he would find hard to give. "What reason?"
She refused to look directly at him. Instead allowing her eyes to take on a glaze where the only things she could see were internal. "Why would you want to burden yourself with a kid? I am sure sometimes you were sick of having me over here even though you were probably too nice to admit it. When I came to think of it it's no wonder that you got rid of me like you did. Besides it's not like I was family or anything. Just someone you used to humour every once in awhile," she gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Who am I kidding? You used to humour me a lot back then."
As he listened to her, Kunzite felt anger grow within in him. Anger that she would think that she meant nothing significant to him and anger moreso at himself for any actions he had taken which made her think that way.
Reaching out, he pulled her to him his arms gripping her shoulders tightly but not enough to cause pain. "Ami stop it! You know better than to think that way. You know you meant so much more than what you are trying to portray."
"Do I? Maybe if you had shown it or told me so. But all I got from you was one lousy note:
The time has come for us to part ways little one. Grow wiser, keep strong and destiny will make its path for you. Always K."
She had memorised the note. It had kept her company for many a long night.
"It was something that had to be done," Kunzite said.
"Why?" she whispered.
"Didn't your father explain anything to you?" he asked perplexed, but suspecting that her father had taken the easy way out and had explained nothing.
"W..What was he supposed to say?" Ami stammered.
Running his hands through his hair agitatedly, "Now is not the right time to have this discussion. But believe me when I say that I never have and never will consider you to be my burden. You are too precious to me to be considered anything else but a blessing ".
As he uttered the words, he walked up to her and cupped her face, tracing his finger gently over her satiny cheek downwards to the corner of her mouth, leaning forward to kiss that spot every so softly.
As she gazed up into his ice-blue eyes, Ami realised saw a flash of red blaze into his eyes before he growled "You are my salvation" and took her lips in a deep kiss that left her reeling.
It stopped as soon as it started, with him pulling away clenching his fists and walking away, looking to her as if he was battling with himself.
Stepping through the doorway, Kunzite paused and without looking back stated "I'm sorry" and walked away.
Running her finger wonderingly over her lips, Ami watched him go, instinct telling her not to stop him. She knew she would get her answers soon enough. She would make sure of it.