~Embellishing a heart to two.
A/N:I know the title isn't the best but I was determined to give a title from 'E' or 'P' for some personal reasons, and all I could come up with was this title. I'm not sure if it sounds good or boring, but I guess it's just fine. Wrote this fic in one day, I swear, on 4th August.
Dedicated to:Heartily, soulfully to- Two birthday twins- Nainika (Red eyes of fate), my ficcy cousin AND Prisha (Black-Eilla), her twin, my another sweet sister. These are my closest buddies, TyHil teasers, KaneSal lovers and are responsible for me, heartily shipping KaneSal as my OTP. Happy birthdays my sweet red and blue cherries, may God give you both many more birthdays and may there be showering of KaneSal fics on this site with lot of love XD
I know I write KaneSal very rarely, but when I do, I've to be very careful because I want them to keep in character, natural and not ooc. So pardon me if they aren't up to their canon characterization, hehe.
Rated: M (few non-conventional disturbing scenes)
Note: Ray's character here is supported on the facts that- (1) RayRiah is a canon couple, (2) The way Ray darkly left Tyson in G rev before tournament.
Pairings: KaneSal (major), TyHil (minor), RayRiah (minor), RaySal (minor)
Disclaimer: I do not own the OC Kurenai, it belongs to 'Red eyes of fate'
This story consists of alternate present scenes and Flashbacks, don't be confused. The first and last word of each Flashback is in bold.
~Embellishing a heart to two~
It's the breeziest day of the month. He is planning to visit his mom's place today. Clad in button-up gray shirt and midnight blue jeans.
It's just 3 p.m. He unbuttons the top button of his shirt with an easy sigh and pulls himself into his BMW car, ready to drive and spend the weekend with his parents, and younger brother, Tyson.
He's 32- Living in the downtown in his private apartment, single, unmarried. All thanks to his ex-girlfriend, the red head who left him 8 years back. He tersely smiles at her memory as he pulls the gear.
The cellar is slightly dark and he couldn't hear any voice except the air conditioner whirring in the background. He pauses when his phone loudly notifies him of a message. His brilliant blue ocean eyes widens as his gaze struck at it. It's her...After 8 years.
He couldn't believe it. He frowns in confusion, deciding whether to check it or ignore. But the curiosity is getting better of him. Why has she texted him after these many years?
His nose wriggles in slight annoyance and he sighs fretfully for a second. 'Alright, what is it?'
He decides to check it out. Just read it, delete it and then forget like she never texted him.
His mind flashes him with past memory as he picks his phone unceremoniously.
-XXX-
He was her immediate senior. He was in forth year, medicine. Florida. He has given her a new life... Still she had to leave him.
-XXX-
Was he angry at her? Now?
No.
He simply doesn't want to divulge into the old memories with her.
She's someone else's. Ray's wife. He had heard they have a daughter too.
He rolls his eyes as the harsh truth stabs him. He ignores easily. His double heart was made for this, to endure the harshest of pains no one could.
He unlocks his phone, the password being 'Sally'.
But now, he has a single heart, and it's still stronger without the other half. The surgery didn't affect much.
-XXX-
He used to wear white shirt most of the times with formal blue jeans. She used to wear all colored skirts, jeggings and formal collared tops. He can't really say now, why he can't recollect how she looked, how she felt to be touched, how her smile touched on his skin confidently in later year.
All these years he didn't even acknowledge her. Maybe he did have brief subconsciously laden glances of her, that's all. He didn't have the vaguest of idea why she despised him, despite having a persistent crush on him since her Freshers. And it was still green.
He was cool, little outgoing, having a younger brother, her classmate apparently, Tyson Granger to take care of, hear his tales of alternatively arguments and dates with his girlfriend Hilary; visiting their parents at weekends, buying them some gifts that they could afford. His life was going smooth, with ease. He topped every exam, every test, won all those running competitions, football matches in his year. Same was for Tyson. Both the brothers were coolest in sports in the entire college. Not studies though. Tyson lagged, Kane's greatest cause of worry those days. He was not the harsh elder brother. He taught Tyson gently and persistently, tearing his nights off, being his personal tutor.
Tyson was slowly improving, gradually but the speed didn't satisfy Kane.
More than the offer of different dates he would get in a week, he would be investing rather hours for tactics to get his younger brother sharper and make him dive into books of medicine which unfortunately got fatter every year.
Other than studies, Kane has to take care of Tyson in every other respect, because the latter blue head was a very sensitive person, according to Kane. Kane thought that his little brother was very prone to depression, anger, hurt and betrayal by others which he couldn't handle. And by no means, Kane could afford allowing ever anyone to break the heart of his brother. But this wasn't entirely true...
The reason why Kane felt this stronger brotherly attachment with Tyson was because... Kane had the strongest heart in the world.
Just at an age of five, Kane was diagnosed of having double heart. 2 behind another. One was a little smaller, but both were stronger. And Kane used them both. Both were functional, ditto same, worked in sync and never had any discrepancies. It was just as if he had a same single heart. It wasn't an anomaly. The doctors clearly said that. Kane was just a five year old chubby mid with long yet elegantly disheveled blue hair, chewing candies that Tyson was snatching and baby crying, when the surgeons shot the news to his parents. At that moment, Kane only grinned at his parents and smirked at Tyson before offering the hungry boy another candy which the latter took with an impish delighted smile.
Tyson apparently had a heart that was slightly smaller in size but it was nowhere near abnormal. It was almost entirely normal.
These details were revealed to Kane when he was 17. That led him to develop the greatest strength of brotherly attachment with his younger brother, to be even more protective and caring of him. Tyson equally cared back for Kane, never disrespected or shouted at him. Kane was his best friend, his consoler, secret-keeper and pacifier.
This was the reason. Kane barely experienced any hurt or dismayed till he was 24. He was a healthy and purely happy satisfied kid always. He never felt any kind of solemn sadness or even slightly down or dissatisfied feeling despite many such ups and downs. He just braced them easily. Because he had the strongest heart of all. It was just very natural for him. He couldn't understand sometimes why people around wailed or were sad for petty things.
In his shouldered responsibilities of taking care of Tyson and focusing on his own career, he never found time to know his true admirers. Female admirers that is. He has politely refused them in the start when they asked him out, taking the courtesy to talk to them for few minutes. But when this became a routine now, he blatantly ignored them. Couldn't help those infatuated girls.
Salima was one of those. But she never asked him out. Heck, she didn't even speak to him. She was moderately silent. She was bold in inter-debates, cheerful with her friends, evil with her enemies or otherwise was sweet, but she couldn't just muster up the courage to walk down to her senior, and confess him or just say a hi. That was the hardest task than topping a year.
And that's the reason she despised him. The outer semblance she'd put- she didn't like Kane, the entire class knew and though it was the most shocking news in the start raising so many eyebrows, her pals were used to it now. It wasn't a strong hatred, but just a dislike- A fake dislike, as a defense for her growing feelings that were unsaid, unknown and unrecognized.
But there was one more secret she was hiding, even from her best friend Hilary... She had a congenital defective heart. She had undergone surgery at five and therefore she was living her life almost fine. But Salima knew she would die young. She heard the doctors saying that when she was five. Those words still are imprinted in her mind. She's an orphan, just has an Uncle Gideon to take care of her.
So she just knew that she shouldn't be shocked if she suddenly sees death Angels around her asking her nastily to come off. She has braced herself for that harsh reality. Plus, she has been having constant dreams and gut feelings since past years now that her heart was slowly giving up day by day. Just little by little. She didn't feel it in normal hours of the day. She would be just cheery and cool. But she'd feel this weakening feeling at nights, in lonely secluded hours or when something would just go wrong to make her anxious or kind of slightly depressed.
-XXX-
He opens her text and reads, sturdy shoulders shrugging in non-chalance.
'I might die this moment, death is dragging me. I'm alone. In pain. Save your love if you can. Serra City 5, room 344.'
His brain seems to short circuit for a second, heartbeats unsteadily rising like never before in these eight years. He has almost forgotten the feeling called 'fear'. But now, he breathes through this teeth and leers at his phone screen, re reading it over.
"Salima...no..." he stutters, clenching his jaw and tossing the phone aside, and vrooming his car to the destination she's texted.
She just couldn't die. How could she? She's having his one of his hearts. And his heart is the strongest. When his heart is beating here, and alive, how could she be losing it there?
-XXX-
Her irked attitude made him curious.
She seemed jovial most of the times. They were posted to same department that month and she, along with few of her pals who were supposed to learn under his supervision.
He taught them, more to her, how to deal with patients without getting unnerved. She was kind and sweet with kids who came with problems. Most of the times, she snapped at the older patients. Muttered how bad they smell, how careless they are. He had to be cautious. He had to distract them before they filed a complaint against her.
He didn't know girls- how they reacted to their feelings or before their crushes, or why they flustered or blushed. He had many assumptions on these. But he didn't have confirmation of any of those. Tyson would know better. Maybe he should trick his brother asking about it.
He didn't understand Salima. Her attitude was slightly puzzling. She seemed such an extrovert, calm, cheerful and sweet girl when he noticed her from afar. She was intelligent too. But in his presence, especially when he was close to her; to demonstrate how a simple incision is painlessly done or how suturing infection could be avoided, the shades of her cheeks would temporarily evolve to florid pink. She would have a firm rigid expression, as if it was a barrier. He frowned at her when her fingers surreptitiously fidgeted. Plus that lack of conversation.
She would just give a nod when he asked her if they understood or not. Or else she would give him a confused look and he'd repeat the explanation.
Once, he took her hand to hold it and guide how to do a deep incision after she failed a couple of times and was sulking; the consequence being he spending the rest of the evening reading different books to find out how can someone's normal body temperature could shift considerably higher in a span of barely three seconds. And the stimulus being, another body's touch, wow.
Days passed by.
He became interested in her- To learn more about her behavior, to get a grip and idea of her. He easily judged and learnt about people's attitude in a week mostly, but Salima was a tad hard puzzle.
She was different. Unlike other juniors who had at least once tried either flirt with him or act flamboyantly cool or directly ask him out, Salima was just out of those categories.
A few things stirred his curiosity and inquisitiveness. When there would be no patients and they would be free for some time, she would be sitting on a lone bench, telling her friends she's tired. She'd stare in the air with lonely eyes. He had noticed it.
More to it, she would breathe slow and deep, carefully touching the side of her chest at heart, getting quailed and distraught over something she's probably worried. He was on the brink of going and asking her many times, but he refrained.
She would take her stethoscope, steth her own heart, listen to her own heartbeats and sigh. Sigh so genuinely sadly for a moment that he felt she was going through something big.
But she never talked to him, he felt awkward to be the one to initiate.
He sighed and ignored her, once more.
Tyson told him that she might have a decent crush on him but she might have enough dignity to not to tell him. Kane doubted it but he didn't push.
Then she took a leave. For a week. Their professor told him that she was having some personal health problem. He wanted an elaboration but he couldn't get.
He decided to wait. For the whole week. With each day passing, he was getting bit by bit impatient. His mind dreamt of her- Her scarlet hair fluttering in air, black eyes glistening, and her heart pumping faster and she was falling into a dark hole.
He was determined to talk to her once she came back. Be it awkward then.
Sweet and exuberant voice of hers ringed in his ears amid the chaos of daily work and other juniors. He could hear her distinct voice in his heart, so out of his habit.
He wished for the first time if she really had a crush on him, and what Tyson assumed could just come out true.
On the eighth day, he had come full prepared to talk to her, subconsciously decided when he would approach her and how, what will he say her and other details. But... she didn't come that day too.
His strong heart which would have normally ignored anything that happened against his assuming...now was little agitated. Disinclined to accept what was going on.
He found out her address and went to her house. It was empty at the gate. He carefully walked inside. Loud cheerful laughter echoed from the living room. It was her voice...
Full of hilarity and bliss.
He peeped into the room. She was standing at the bathroom door, wrapped in the bathrobe clumsily, scarlet hair dripping droplets from her loose bun and fringes splayed on her cheek sides, she was gawking at the television and giggling and squealing.
He could bet she didn't bother to get change, and rather stood there for quite time and was watching whatever was making her laugh on the television.
The blank expression on his face with which he was peering at her, transformed into a serene one. A light and soft smile tugged his lips.
She was beautiful.
His first and last true with unconditional genuine sense of affection and compassion, his heart softening for the first time to seek closure with her.
His heart experienced a feeling so foreign. Someone he yearned, someone he craved for, someone he wanted other than his own, to know and possibly relish.
-XXX-
He darted across the floor, eyes scraping for the 433 number of the room she has texted.
"Wait, you can't go in. Who are you?" The nurse stopped,
"Kane. Kane Yamashita," he huffed.
"Okay, go in." The nurse walked in along, "Sit here."
The nurse calmly first fetched him a glass of water. He gulped it.
Salima was asleep, deep in a peaceful slumber.
"How is she? Where is Ray Kon?"
"Hm, she said she was alone. Her husband left her. He's in another town."
"What?" Kane almost reprimanded, mentally punching Ray for leaving her in such dire circumstances.
"She had severe labor pain of 8 hours. Plus, life threatening complications. She's okay now."
Kane's lip straightened and he slowly frowned, musing 'Labor pain...'
"Would you like to see the baby?" The nurse went to the glass crib and picked the small infant bundle, cradling and walking to him.
"She came here for the-"
"Yes, she was pregnant. She told me you were her good friend and asked me fill you with details when you come here."
He nodded. He was relieved she was safe. He wiped his sweaty forehead and sighed, smiling at the raven haired baby, "He's so cute."
"I know. Unlucky his father is, he's not here." The nurse mumbled sadly, placing the baby back in crib.
'That mean moron! He left her like that?'
He felt so gutted and addled. He looked at her with eyes becoming slowly foamy. Her condition was so miserable.
'She can't just die with my heart like that...' he rubbed his eyes with the sleeve and smiled, 'I love you. Still. And I want you to live, always.'
"Kurenai is sleeping on the bench. She said she's hungry. Can you get some snacks for her?"
Kane nodded, spotting the bench having a blue haired girl carelessly sleeping with deep breathing. He got up and walked to the corner room. 'So pretty, just like her mother.' He stroked her hair lovingly and went out to get all the snacks and medicines the nurse has asked him for.
As he drove, he noticed that the hospital was actually in slightly desolated place, much away from the downtown. He had to drive quite much to reach the store in this breeziest day... 'Anything for you, Sal.'
-XXX-
They dated. For a year.
It wasn't the first thing that happened. It took them a month to properly talk what normal friends would talk in a day. Asking surnames one day, age someday, then parents, siblings, likes, dislikes, and bit by bit they became friends.
They met more often the second month- Spending time in libraries, buying groceries together, watching his favorite Science fiction movies in his room on cold nights, eating popcorn, cuddling against him at the gore scenes.
It was obvious for her, he liked her. She was pleasantly happy with it. He was still not sure if she felt the same. He loved her back though.
She has been caught between telling him or not yet, about her heart. She didn't want him to be broken after she died.
Many of the times, when he sat close to her or when he caressed her head or when she hugged him after returning from a cold outside or when he lied on her lap after long hours of studies, she felt she should say him... but she refrained.
They didn't have to say they were in love with each other. With him kissing her goodnight regularly before leaving, with her taking him to shopping and shyly smiling at his comments occasionally, it was obvious they were in love. She didn't want to make it awkward for him. And he wasn't surest of her completely. But he was satisfied with his assumption.
He didn't know her other secret though he thought to ask her why she heaved so much or stethed herself so often.
"Sal, let's go out today." He smiled walking into her room. His eyes widened upon witnessing her lying unconscious on floor, pulse fading.
That day, he discovered her secret. Plus a bonus, a horrendous news that she was having last few hours of her life. Uncountable machines and drips were connected to her. He gritted his teeth, thin tears shedding down in straight lines.
"She will die...really?" He whispered tremulously, "So suddenly?"
"Unfortunately yes, her heart is failing and it's in the last stage end disease. Only a transplant can save her."
He stood frozen. He felt the world around him moving in fast forward motion, blurring, time running, and he was standing here, so confused, so clueless of what he could do, the ground beneath his feet shuffling...
When he snapped to reality, he could hear loud beeps of her ecg. He gulped and turned to run inside. His eyes suddenly caught the glimpse of a doctor. The doctor who said he has two hearts when he was five...
-XXX-
When he returned back to hospital, it was late. 8 p.m in the evening. Kurenai was awake, reading a story book in a corner quietly, her hair tied into a high pony tail.
She raised a brow when Kane came in the room. Salima was barely awake, half sitting on the bed, looking strenuously tired and bleary eyes shutting half.
"Here, you hungry?" He handed the large packer of snacks to Kure who blinked in surprise.
"Take it," the nurse smiled.
"Thanks," she smiled and took a pack of chocolate cookies. Kane loaded the packet aside and handed the other cover to the nurse, who began preparing the milk powder and bottle to feed the infant.
He glanced at Salima who was deeply staring at him, an earnest hope and tenderly affectionately look limped on her face.
"Why isn't he being breastfed?" Kane frowned at the nurse who was bottle feeding the unnamed infant.
"The baby is allergic to his mom's milk. He'll be okay with this."
"Oh," Kane nodded.
Kane sat next to Kure. The girl instinctively shared choco chips with him, beginning to narrate the story she was reading in a serious tone like it was the important thing he ought to know.
The nurse handed the baby to Salima who tearfully smiled at him and softly kissed and lightly hugged before giving back to nurse.
An hour passed, no talks were exchanged between Kane and Salima. The former was kept busy by Kure who fed his brain with more tales he'd heard in his entire childhood, while the latter ate her light meals and was watching him with heavy eyes, never looking away, as if his presence was the only thing that mattered to her and quelled all her distress.
The nurse told him that the doctors wouldn't be available till next morning.
Kane nodded, waiting for Kure to end her tales he has been patiently listening. He has to talk to Salima, quickly before the nurse interrupts them.
"Kure, go and sleep. Now."Salima said sharply, despite being so tired. It had an immediate effect. Kure packed her snacks, brushed her teeth and went to the corner room to sleep right then after giving a smile to Kane.
He glanced around once and sauntered down to her bed. She adjusted herself to sit properly from the half lying reclined position.
His hand cupped her jaw tenderly, "How are you, sweetheart?" Even his voice was so overwhelmed with softness, just like before.
"Not missing you now that you're here." She tried to toss her hands out and hold him. He leaned to place a gentle kiss on her head before seating on the edge close to her; her hands trailing to grip his shirt front, creasing the fabric amid her fingers.
Her touch was the same. Firm, secure and yet little gentle.
"I came, because you asked me to, Salima." He shifted carefully, tugging her hair strands behind ears.
"I was in agonizing pain, and alone. I was scared I'd die." She didn't meet his eyes, as if guilty of something. By now he knew she was hiding some secret from him. He bit his lip, knowing well that she wouldn't say it.
"Where is Ray?" He asked, the obvious.
She smirked nostalgically and sighed tremulously, a momentarily derisive laughter escaping her throat.
He pushed, "Shouldn't he be with you? Here? Instead of me..."
"What about you?" She shot,
He paused to register her question. "I don't have a wife. I'm single." He shrugged,
"I see... I thought you were with Stella."
"I wasn't." he wasn't fazed by her guess.
"Alright," she whispered, leaning to rest her giddy head across his sturdy chest. He embraced her, carefully- her cheek meeting the old warmth, and the protectiveness of his cage of embrace. Old memories spun in her head as her mind took in his fragrance, his touch, his presence, embrace and they being together and only in this moment.
He lifted her chin,
"I asked you where is Ray?"
-XXX-
He was ready for the surgery, for donating one of his two hearts to Salima-Without consent of his parents or informing his brother. The doctor said he will need to sign few consent documents which he quickly and blindly signed, asking them to hurry up.
His Salima was dying there, and if he could give her his heart, he will not back off now, after all the compatibility tests going right, and the surgeon being ready.
The smaller heart which was behind was transplanted into her. Her old heart had become dysfunctional and was removed or say, excised.
After few hours, when they got their conscious and found one another in the same operation theater, in same blue gowns, Kane was relieved to see her alive, still breathing. He wished if he could extend his hand to just touch her once. He smiled, whispering, "I love you,"
She cracked a sobbing smile and replied shakily, "I love you too."
"I gave you my own heart to save you, don't you ever leave me, baka." His husky frail voice reached her ears,
"We are heart to heart now, I'll live till your own heart is beating." She simpered weakly, "Our hearts are not different. They are one."
He gave a nod. They couldn't speak more, their ragged voices said that. They fell into a slumber in no time.
When Kane recovered, Tyson was first to know. When Salima recovered, Gideon sent her the message he would come back soon.
Both were at bed rest for a week after they the surgeon and consultant checked them up and told them that they could resume their day to day activities and that the transplant was highly successful.
Kane and Salima were in internship which was almost over and only few weeks more were left before they would be officially doctors, or precisely 'general physicians'
Through those days after the transplant, Salima could feel a change in her heart, or say, Kane's given heart. Nothing much seemed to change, she remembered and has same feelings for everyone she knew except that her feelings and love for Kane has multiplied tenfold. There was more than an electric pull between them. He noticed the changes in her… how more comfortable, open, honest she was with him, plus more physically intimate day to day. Was it the effect of his own feelings and yearnings that he had repressed and she was just expressing them through his part of her heart now?
He mused on it.
One night, as they were watching a horror movie once again which she didn't want to, she subtly wore a scarf around her head and wore a stethoscope in her ears, stething him and listening to his heartbeats all though out the movie. He sighed at her antics. He couldn't expect beyond this.
She was waiting for him to propose her. Probably he would tell her on graduation day, maybe he had a ring already hidden in his locker whose keys he is always careful about. She chuckled at the thought.
Sometimes she would tease him saying that she knows all his secrets and inner most thoughts and ideas because she has his heart now. The way she became serious and prevented her laughter, he sometimes believed her, a sweatdrop trickling down. Then she would laugh out and hold his hands, saying how cute he looked with that nervous look.
It was her birthday before their graduation day. He took her to an orchestra, roller coasters, swum and raced with her across his private pool and hugged her when she lost inside the pool, offering her to lie on his back as he gave her a ride in the pool, swimming with the fastest speed he could. His heart wasn't affected at all after the surgery, according to him. It was the same like before.
It was a pleasant evening one day before their graduation ceremony and she happened to stay in his house till quite late hours. Both of them forgot that she should be returning by now and were busy laughing and joking on the movie they just watched, as suggested by Tyson. Tyson wasn't at home tonight.
When Kane realized that it was past midnight, the lights went shut and it started lightly raining out, the fragrance of the mud blended with water- seraphic- radiating.
"I'm staying tonight." She announced with a small grin, leaning across the balcony railing and staring at the droplets showering down the huge grey black sky with half-moon glimmering.
"You sure?" he asked almost immediately, little unsure if this was correct. He almost forgot that Tyson wouldn't be here tonight.
"Yeah," she smiled, turning to face him, shoulders dancing for a moment up and down in assurance. He gave a nod, giving her the goodnight kiss and asking her to help him prepare the beds. She didn't think of why there was one double sized and one single sized bed. She sprayed the light-scented- conditioner and fluffed her pillow to lie down.
He offered her the coziest blanket he had and took a rough one for himself.
"Thanks," she got herself comfortable in her single bed while Kane went to bathroom to change into night tee which was a shade of bottle green and deep black tracks. When he returned to lie down, she realized that the only sound in his room with only them two here, was the sputtering of raindrops, light thunder rumbling occasionally to flash golden light and crickets tickling far away whose rhythm was fading.
She wasn't sure if she was the only one who felt the tension building in the air as minutes passed by and she grew even more restless and less sleepy. She glanced at her left. Kane's bed was adjacent to her, on the side of the other wall.
"Kane…" she carefully voiced her words, "You awake?"
"Hmm," he pretended to mumble like he was falling asleep. Even he was stark awake.
"Shall I ask you something?" she crawled above her own pillow,
"Hmm,"
"Can I probably sleep beside you?"
He paused to reply for a moment, "Tyson sleeps beside me. He might come any hour,"
"But Tyson's out with Hilary for the night. They're on a night date with the crew along accompanying them," Salima doused his hope of keeping her quiet.
"Oh," he nervously whispered. She shrugged, "So, can I?"
She looked at his back deeply. Staring. He could feel it, as if she would stare for few more moments and he would be pierced with her stares. He nodded from his back.
She jumped off with her pillow and placed it by the edge's side on his bed, getting herself comfortable in her private space. He was on the verge of sweating bullets when her fingers brushed his arm in an attempt to pull his blanket somewhat to share.
"It's so rough. The one you gave me was much fluffier," she abruptly got up and took her blanket and discarded his and rather enveloped them in the softer one.
She wants to drive off the literal sexual tension between them now. She initially thought he would talk, they would laugh and bring back the normal aura. But suddenly the ambience seemed to have temperature increased to 200 degrees.
His back was facing her.
"What are you thinking?" She asked the simplest thing to him which he found toughest than the essays he'd written in exams.
"Nothing," he lied. His voice being a blunt whisper.
She turned to face his back. His muscles were taut, broad back she could potentially nuzzle and cuddle into. His nape was covered with his midnight blue hair, the sides of skin being in her bare vision.
"What if..." she coquettishly whispered, thinking twice before caressing his shoulder blade on the top, "What if you give into your desires today?"
He turned to face her, a full blown smirk radiating his face, "My desires, Sal?"
Her face softened and she met his stare with a kind smile, with a nod, "Yes, I mean it."
"Let me ask me you your question. What's on your mind?" He held her forearm, giving light presses and feathery strokes.
"You." She said boldly, freeing her wrist and using it cup his jaw and stare into his eyes, lust and love flowing.
"I don't lie like you." She smirked. He closed his eyes calmly and gave a nod, "I lied, yeah. I've you on mind. But not since the lights were off, but since months. I hold on better," he bragged smartly. She coyly blushed and laughed,
"Alright, prove it."
"I'm more than willing to do that, even if that means Tyson has to rap the door the whole night," he winked.
"Ah no, he won't come. Hilary told me, they're on a mega large date today, maybe your brother is also consummating right now? Hilary's voice was so exciting."
"Nope, he has been through it a month back." Kane winked, pulling her closer,
She gasped in shock, "Hils didn't say me!"
"But Tyson says everything to me." Kane smirked. Salima sighed, realizing that he has pulled her atop in him, her waist locked by both his hands on back.
For the rest of the night that went slower at a pace they never knew existed, the sky was starred after the rain, the breezes rushing in excitement into their private space.
As the glass door of his balcony clinked against the force of fluttering wind, he undressed her slowly, untying her hair, flipping her metal clip on floor that held her bun and peppering frenetic, blissful kisses on her skin, her cheeks feeling plush tender and lips a zillion miles deeper as he kisses on them. She's pinned underneath him- he's tasting her tongue in the middle every five minutes. They both are without their tops, his night tee and her crop top discarded on the night stand. He nuzzles on her throat, lips brushing occasionally as he inhales the fragrance of her skin. Soft moans, almost inaudible escape her throat, and her pleasures are soaring gradually. She digs her nails on his arched sturdy and solid tanned back, clutching his hair on nape in unstoppable aggression. He plants soft bites on her collar bone, breathing on her pulse point at neck, a gap of millimeters between his lips and her skin before he can resume back.
"More..." she says in a ragged demanding tone. He hushes, placing a finger on her lips, lifting his head from her neck to watch her face. His eyes are wide, as if she's high on cocaine, color of her red hair like burnt flames of hell splayed on his pillow, sweat dripping, smell of their make out exploiting the air of his room. His pupils are dilated as well, slightly larger than hers, as if a tornado is coming up from within his ocean blue eyes. He pants, she heaves out.
His fingers rest on her sides on the mattress lifts up to grope her slender arms, running up and down and pinching at her elbow. She moans loudly when he surprises by her by a sudden kiss in her elbow pit.
"You okay?" He asks, never wanting her to be a tad uncomfortable.
"Hell yeah, go on. Kane, go!" She stutters amid her inhales.
He bites the strap of her bra and yanks it down. She unclasps it and he flops on side, passionately fondling her bosom in his broad palms. She sighs in gratification, smashing her head deep into the pillow. He leans to shower slow burn kisses for an eternity like minute.
"Is it still raining?" She asks for the lack of conversation,
"Hmm," he mumbles with her stud nipple between his lips.
He lifts himself up and frees her, lying aside flat on his back for a break. They stare at the ceiling together; tired yet pure smiles blooming on their faces.
"You're the first girl I'm having sex with, you know." He says contemplating,
"Likewise," she glances at him.
There is silence for a minute; they listen to the drizzle crashing against the ground and street bikers relentlessly revving up.
"Shall we go ahead?" She turns her side to him, wrapping an arm on his chest,
"I want to Sal... but," he frowns, "Tyson actually took all the protection rubbers,"
"Thanks to him," she flirtatiously says with a quick kiss on his nose-side.
"Ohh, is that so?" He smirks, glances at her, "No problem. Take the morning pill. Okay?"
"Okay," she gets up along with him. She flashes a naughty smirk at him when he's about to get rid of his tracks, straddling on him instead with his tracks loosened.
"Huh?" He frowns,
"My turn," she waggishly smiles and leans to kiss his shoulder, her wet lips sizzling his skin. She leaves hickeys in her drive. He clenches his teeth, gasps in middle, grapples her tresses and breathes. He makes a note to wear full button up shirt for a week. Or else he won't hear the end of it from Tyson.
"Enough," he softly pulls her back, smiling wickedly for a second. She falls back on the bed, getting rid of her bottom. His palms strums on her thighs; knead them sensually and smooches on her forelimbs. She attempts to remove her lower garment which he himself does and gently separates her legs,
"It's gonna hurt Sal," he warns her.
"I know that, let's try though."
Their naked figures merge against each other, he carefully pulls her legs apart and thrusts slowly. A whimper escapes her mouth but then it's just mere soft moans.
"You're strong," he compliments, rewarding her before deepening his thrusts with sharper ones. Her walls clench and she groans.
A little later, and he's fully inside her, draining into her, and she's exported to a heavenly bliss, drowning in ecstasy that's infinite. Low giggles of pleasure rings in his ears, he connects their foreheads and nose tips, feeling the exhales of each other against the lips, her palms pinned by his, as if they've been made for each other with the symmetry of their physiques. Not just that, even their breaths and heart beats is in sync, seeking to share one heart and soul distributed in just two bodies.
-XXX-
"He's out of town." She glares in air.
"Why?" He notices how her facial expression is getting tougher to hide something,
"Because he's with Mariah, his God damn lover! So the lovers are just fucking up hard there. Get it?" She spats sourly, her lips shaking and twisting in anger. He horrifically frowns.
"W.H.A.T?"
"I'm... I'm just tired of him. Tired of dragging this relationship meaninglessly since past eight years."Salima sighed, her voice soft and croaked,
"What do you mean? Mariah...Ray...You need to elaborate, Sal." He shook his head indignantly.
Salima looked frustrated and so done, she tiredly smiled and looked at him, "You know that I was forced to marry Ray by Gideon and I didn't have much choice. I was so stupid to give in. I..." she grunted in regret, "I could have eloped with you. I could have been much bolder."
He stroked her head to ease her discomfort.
"Ray was forced too, to marry me. He and Mariah were lovers since ages. But Ray's parents wanted a qualified daughter in law, and unfortunately Mariah wasn't given education in her region."
"So is Ray still dating Mariah?" Kane's jaw dropped, his face shooting unbelievable looks of bewilderment.
She nodded, "He told me long back. He was never interested in me. It's all because of his emotionally torturous and blackmailing parents he's enduring me." She achingly held her forehead, "I didn't want to destroy his happiness. When he was already in love with another girl, there was no easy way to force him to forget her. I didn't feel like making efforts. I get to hear his dates' tales in bed each night." She sarcastically smiled,
"That..." Kane seethed, his voice snarling up, "That bastard, does he have the brains to understand that he has two young kids! And that you're pregnant here! He could have been here at least-"
"I know it Kane!" She yelled at him, "But he's not here. So just forget that bloody irresponsible man for this little time-"
He colored at her colorful vocabulary.
"Sal, calm down?" He placed a finger on her lips. She gritted her teeth and sighed loudly.
"Can I ask you something?" His face was close to hers, eyes meeting eyes. Sharp. Straight.
His finger slipped off her lips, "Do you love Ray?"
"Nice joke." She narrowed her eyes, answering warily,
"Answer me?"
"How is it even possible?" she tittered brusquely, "When we both are just fucking forced into it! And sweetheart, are you forgetting what lies here?" She grappled his hand and slammed it on her chest.
"Your heart. I have your heart. You. Inside me, it's you." She gently whispered, smiling nostalgically, remembering their old memories… which are so fresh like they were younger once again.
He doesn't know what he could do the best to console her, to make this sadness fade away into nothingness. When she was dying, he gave his heart to save her but now… he feels so helpless.
"You live in me, through our distances and separated times. There's no one else. No one." She declared, each word pouring out flawlessly in flow.
She looked distraught and crossed.
"What are you thinking?" he asked,
"I want to leave him, he want to leave me. And I hate his parents, Kane."
"Did they harm you?" he shot,
"They fumble me with so many traditional responsibilities of a daughter-in-law. He has a step-dad, so… he can't leave me. We have arguments so many times that I've lost the count or could barely remember when we are peacefully quiet and civil in each other's company." Her voice breaks and she sharply inhales,
He feels so gutted, wishing he would have never left her, "C'mere," he leans and places a light kiss on her lips. She sobs in her throat at his touch, his lips barely kissing and instead remaining lingering there for warmth.
Her trembling palms cups his face lovingly, a tear slipping down as she deepens the kiss, pouring all the affection. Her kiss is little rough and fast as if she wants to pull back quickly.
He senses slight hidden guilt in her demeanor.
"Move on, Sal. You gotta move on. For the sake of this little bundle," he smiles at the sleeping baby in the glass crib, "For the sake of Kure,"
She remains quiet and looks down with a blank face casting tints of scared air.
He blinks confusedly at her, "Okay?"
She doesn't reply.
"Say something," he nudges her,
"Ray will leave me after what I told him before texting you. I talked to him." She says each word after thinking so much,
"About what?" he shifts closer, raising brows.
"He can't hold back now, I guess. He's so into Mariah. Sometimes I feel bad for him. He knows about us, and honestly he never commented on that. He understands. He's a good guy but it's just that we've different persons we love, and still do."
You love me, still?
"What did you say him…" he raises his chin,
"This is gonna hurt you, you'll hate me." She laughs nervously,
"I won't. Say,"
"I've been so selfish and defensive, I'm sorry." She says in aggravation, clasping her chest in some pain.
He looks at his wrist-watch. It's past twelve.
"What's it?" he pulls down her hand and examines her chest, "You're having breast-pain?"
"Kurenai is your daughter."
Her afflicted expression momentarily eases for the lack of pain. He stares her sharply, studying her.
"I'm sorry. I was helpless. I said it to Ray before I texted you. We'd an argument again and I let it slip out." She says in a stuttering whisper.
"Guessed that, Sal. You owe my heart, fuck." He chuckles airily and wipes a dark tear before it slips his eye-rim.
"I'm sorry, Kane," she pleads, moaning in pain once gain and clutching her breasts.
He painfully ignores the truth which he was able to guess after seeing Kure and contemplating on it in his car-drive to was married to Ray just after two weeks of their first and last intercourse. That explains why she was able to hide it from Ray.
"Sal, what's happening?" he shouts when she's gasping in pain and kneading her breast in pain.
She heavily stutters, "I can't feed him. He's allergic. And it's time my breasts are filled with milk once again. Where are the medicines that nurse asked you to bring, Kane?" she yelps in pain,
He doesn't know how to handle this situation, because he's a pulmonary specialist, not gynecologist.
He looks over the pack of medicines he has brought but he couldn't find the one precise one which would relieve her pain, a specific drug for drying the milk.
He calls the nurse.
"What? You forgot?" the nurse almost smacks his head.
"What do we do know?" he looks panicked as Salima clutches her hair and wails in pain.
"There's only one option now," The nurse gives him a growl, "Suck it off yourself."
His eyes almost fall out of his sockets but he shakes his head wildly.
"What?" he shrieks in surprise; reddens. The nurse jumps back. He calms himself and says, "I mean, is it safe?"
"Nothing is gonna happen to you." She grunts and tells him the basic rules of the process he has to do till she tries to get the drug from anywhere, before closing the door.
He looks like a nervous wreck but he takes a deep breath, and walks to Salima who's moaning in pain endlessly.
"Alright, I'll suck it off. Okay?" he coughs.
She gives a bare nod. He looks around one time finally, before hastily getting seated on the bed and positioning her on his lap and pulling down her gown, revealing her milk-filled large peachy mounds with crack on the nipples.
He gulps. This looks so embarrassing and shameful to him, but he has got no choice. He leans in and slowly sucks her nipple nearest in his access. His mind grows frenzy and short circuited as the taste spread in his mouth. He does it at a moderate speed, gulping down. He realizes he actually has been hungry since so long. He sips the almond-mixed-like-taste of-milk in quick gulps, while softly kneading her mounds to ease her pain. It takes around ten minutes for him and he clears off her both breasts. She sighs and feels heck lot relived.
"Thanks," she says breathlessly,
He's slightly colored but he nods, helping her adjusts back her gown and lie down. His heart is drumming and he has to distract his mind from everything that's crazily getting flashed in his brain.
The nurse opens the door with a loud huff and rushes to offer Salima the medicine she had managed to bring after running through all floors.
"It's nice you've dried her, but I'll just give it to her for safety." The nurse then continues to feed the infant with bottle-milk.
After fifteen minutes, Salima is better, thanks to the strong painkillers which nurse has added in her dose.
"You can stay with her for the night. The Gynecologist will come tomorrow at morning and decide when she could be discharged," the nurse leaves.
Kane nods.
They don't talk for the next hour. They contemplate about so many possibilities, so many outcomes, decisions and thinking of what and how to say to each other. The silence is comfortable though.
He leaves for a walk for some time to clear his head and come on to some conclusion of what he has to speak to her. He clearly doesn't want Salima to be left in Ray's hand who is so careless and doesn't pay a tad attention to her. Salima told him that her in-laws where also out on a trip. They left just a day before Ray did. His parents don't know he's with Mariah,or that they've become grandparents once again.
He checks his phone. There are so many messages from his mom, Tyson asking him where he is. He was supposed to be there by ten p.m. It was his plan that he thought to surprise them by arriving there early but-
He texts them back, "I can't come this weekend. Emergency cases are up," he leaves the voice message, not wanting to jab his fingers on the screen which are feeling slippery weirdly.
When he arrives back, he sees Salima browsing her phone, having a serious look on her face, scrolling down.
He closes the door ajar and waits for her to explain him what's happening.
She keeps aside her phone and ponders carefully, having a startled and surprised look on her face.
"What?"
"He fought with his parents. They know about him and Mariah now. They're at farm house. There's a good heated argument going on there." She says simply.
"Now what?" He rubs his head,
"He married her. Few hours back." She says in a relieved yet sad voice, "I'm happy for him I guess."
"What the fuck," Kane mutters unbelievably.
"And gifted me with the news that he will send me the divorce papers by morning."Salima hands her phone to him opening Ray's chat- to answer all his upcoming questions and that utterly perplexed and quizzical look on his face.
There are so many messages. Kane reads quickly, picking the important ones: He wants his son. He says she's freed, she can leave him, block the numbers of his parents, she can keep Kure with her, he adds with lot of crying emojis that Mariah is infertile. He reads Salima's response, agreeing to hand his son to him tomorrow morning. He says he has returned the amount he took from her, and deposited in her account. He says he's leaving for another country in few days. He says he's sorry and there's a genuinely long apology letter in another text.
Kane hands her phone back.
He sighs.
He doesn't even have to say a word now. All what his mind has been wrecking the last hour of how and what to put his thoughts before her is just not needed now.
He's just waiting for her to say something.
"You might think I'm selfish again, but..." she timidly asks, fidgeting.
"Hmm..."
"Will you marry me, Kane? Still?" She waits for him to say something. She softly gets up and picks the infant in her arms and kisses him lightly and shedding few tears.
"It's hard for me to let go of him." She points the infant. Her voice cracks, "So hard. You can never understand. But I'm happy that I'll be able to give Mariah some happiness. She can be a mother. It's not her fault as though."
Kane nods, "I understand," he whispers.
"Kure doesn't know who you are to her. She wasn't anyway much attached to Ray." She tries to quell his doubts,
"Hmm..."
"It might take time but she'll understand it with time. Somethings are bound to be difficult in this, Kane." She tries, keeping back the infant in crib.
"I need time to think on this," he doesn't want it to be so easy on her. She tenses.
"Okay,"
...
The next morning, Kane leaves without informing her. Ray arrives, hands her the papers, bring Mariah along who takes the one day old infant. The pinkette cries, thanks Salima and the woman shares some emotional long talk. Ray apologizes and thanks her yet. Ray and Mariah name the infant boy Miraal. Salima smiles at the combination of their names it has. She wishes them good luck and they leave her. She's truly smiling and feeling proud. She can't believe her heart has become so strong for such a big sacrifice.
'But it's Kane's heart. Gotta be stronger.' She reclines back. She knows Kane wouldn't come back, maybe he don't want to marry her. Maybe he was just good as a friend-
"Meet your younger sister in law, Sal." The door opens, revealing Kane, Tyson and Hilary.
Hilary joyously smiles and runs to hug Salima, both the girls laughing, giggling and chattering everything they could possibly.
"You made me aunt of an eight year old in no time, so sudden. Not fair, Sal!" Hilary laughs gracefully, pointing at her husband, who is holding a three year old boy in his arms, "Look at him, he's your nephew." She smirks.
"Welcome to our family, sister in law," Tyson grins, "He's Makoto," the boy with dark blue hair and ruby eyes shining blinks at the red head.
"She's your aunt, Champ." Tyson kisses his son.
"My God, I'm so happy today. I feel as if the university days are back to see ya all." Salima smiles brightly. The stars couldn't even be compared. Kurenai stands in a corner, confused and gawking at the new guests.
Kane walks to his daughter, "I liked your tales you told me last night," he caresses her head, and kneels down to face her, "These are the new nicer fairies who transformed under grey sunshine and wants to stay with us."
"Fairy?" Tyson's jaw drops.
Salima and Hilary surreptitiously giggle.
"You like them? They created a whole new house and other two fairies as well who will transform into your nicer and better grandparents." Kane smiles,
"Really? A large beautiful house?" Kure's eyes dazzle and she smiles cutely.
Kane nods. Of course, his apparent house of parents is a large and exquisite beautiful mansion with lots of gardens.
"Mom, can I..." Kurenai looks pleadingly at the scarlet head,
"I'll come along, baby." Salima smiles sweetly.
Kure hugs Kane's arms and joyously smiles, "Thank you."
"But there's a condition." Hilary jumps off and crouches to Kure, "You've to call him dad."
The little blunette girl frowns but nods anyway.
"Okay, we can't transform her in one day. She'll be fine. Let her take her own time," Kane says to Hilary, Tyson nods.
"Alright, I'll take my wife and my new niece out for a drive. Meanwhile you carry out, ni-San," Tyson winks and Kane nods, ushering Kure to go out.
Once the room empties, Kane looks around before walking to her.
"Thanks," she smiles at him, the glow of happiness shining as if she was seventeen and got accepted by her crush.
He smiles back and leans to cup her face, "I'll propose you in a garden full of roses, not here. Is that okay?"
She colors and shyly smiles, giving a quick nod.
"Let's go home. Mom and dad are waiting." He notices she has already bathed and changed into fresh clothes.
She nods. He packs her bare possessions. She adorably looks at him, "Kane..."
"Yeah?" He zips her small suite,
"Your heart is saying something," she tenderly smirks, looking down at her chest, "It's saying you love me so much."
He nods with an amused smirk, "It didn't tell you all the things babe,"
"What?" She gets up and pulls him away from packing, bounding his neck in her embrace, and looking blissfully into his ocean blue eyes. He softly kisses her temple and whispers seductively slow,
"It's saying that I want to marry you quickly and have more kids with you than Tyson and Hilary would."
A/N: Okay I wanted to keep it purely KaneSal initially, without adding Ray ever in this but I'd to beautify this pairing and also stress on this headcanon that Ray would love Mariah more than Salima, anytime and ever and he couldn't accept Salima as a wife from his heart despite being in a relationship with her.
And apologies for getting Mariah infertile, which is highly against canon but I did this since it's an A.U. I hope the plotline and scenes didn't suck too much. Pardon me if you both are gawking at the screen at the mess I've written XD
Happy birthday once again, Nain and Prisha, I want chocolates!
