"Ngh...good morning..." one sleepy eye, followed by the second, opening lazily to greet the fading golden sun on the other side of the curtains. For Kish, this would have all been quite normal, if he'd not smelled what he had.

It wasn't any foul oder, and it wasn't something too sickeningly sweet. No, it was a light sent, pleasant and totally at ease as it danced easily throughout his nose.

Then came the warmth, the comfortably snug embrace around his torso as he lay, sprawled messily across his silky crimson sheets. It was a familiar embrace, one he welcomed eagerly, having just woken up.

"Hmm?" the newer voice was light, groggy, due to having just woken up, sweet as a mockingbird's song on that lovely late afternoon. She herself was, out of habit, a morning person, as soon as she got passed blurry eyes, crusted with sleep, finding herself off balanced and weary, ready to fade back into bed. But yeah, other than an hour and a half of that, she was a mid-morning person.

Surprisingly though, she'd managed to rise with a pleasant, content smile on her tiny, sleepy face that afternoon, feeling as if all was right in the world that morning.

Technically, she was laying at the side of the one she loved, and who she knew would protect her. So, yeah, in all sense of the word, she was 'safe'.

"Good afternoon, Ichigo. Did you sleep well, last night?" finally deciding to fully wake from his semi-slumber, Kish took to silently turning onto his side, in order to gaze upon his bride to be, as she lay there at his side, meek and innocent.

"Mm...Yeah, I did! I stayed up a bit too late though, to work on the dress. Mariko-San, one of the ladies that works here, she was the one who came in and asked me if everything was alright. I'd said yeah, and she'd told me the time. I came in and you were sleeping, so I just climbed on in!" a tender smile seemed to naturally spread across her gentle features that morning, fitting well with her over all character.

"Just make sure you're getting enough sleep, OK?" watching patiently for her weary nod, he continued, in a playful tone, "If not, I'll have to be the one to fetch you, and dress you, and tuck you in..." leaning forward, he gently began to place light, lingering kisses down her neck, giving her enough sudden energy to, obviously, make it fully out of bed.

"Isn't this still a bit too early for you to be up though?! I mean, the sun's still pretty far out and all..." glancing over to the large arched window, concealed lightly by the crimson curtains that hung before them, she tried her best to ignore the pleasant tingling sensation his lips were giving her.

Though, as he came ever closer to where she sat, totally defenseless on the bed, she felt as though her limbs would simply not cooperate at the moment. She wasn't necessarily complaining, quite enjoying the feeling, though she worried, unsure weather or not this would lead up to something far more before they were even married.

Her silent prayer had apparently been answered, because he'd just started to kiss tenderly along her jawline when the door swung open, a loud voice calling out, into the otherwise silent room.

"TIME TO WAKE UP!"

Glaring over in an almost inhuman way, Kish locked his fierce golden eyes with Kei's own cool, cocky blue ones. Then, in his most polite, reserved tone, he muttered the words, "What. Do. You. Want?" through clenched teeth.

"Oh, don't get so upset that I interrupted something! I just came to escort Ichigo here to the dinning hall for breakfast! Everyone else went to town already, Kish." quickly making his way over to the bed, he wrapped his pale hands fully around Ichigo's unmoving wrists and tugged upwards, helping her to stand, leaving Kish too late in lunging forward to stop him.

"Um...I'm not even fully awake yet...Sorry."

"What's the real reason you're here?" a warm embrace enclosed Ichigo within its hold, steadily heating the girl's tiny forearms.

"Don't look like that, Kish! Jeez, I just wanted to be nice! That, and Serenity won't leave me be till you come down!" shrugging nonchalantly, Kei made his way out the large mahogany double doors and into the hall, allowing them to shut behind him softly.

'She's just a really cute toy...I mean, it's so boring around here lately, of course I would go after her! Besides that, I don't think Kish really deserves to have such a beautiful bride. He abandoned all of us...three whole years, and he was out on the streets, of his own free will, getting drunk on blood...I refuse to forgive him for that...for leaving without notice and disgracing us. I'll definitely steal her from him, no matter what I have to do.'

He'd made up his mind, and had set his sights on sure revenge. Though, was that ALL he was after?

Heaving a weary sigh, he leaned against the corridor wall, hand on head as the picture entered into his thoughts.

Crimson locks of silken hair tickled his chin as its owner laid her head softly onto his chest, perfectly content. Her thin fingers, long and nimble, elegant and sure, curled around his shirt, balling it into her fists lightly. His strong, dependable arms wrapped around her petite frame and pulled her ever closer to himself as he hummed a soft tune, soothing the girl. Peering up mildly, a rosy blush upon her cheeks, she couldn't help but to be drawn towards him, their lips almost touching. Almost.

As the sound of an opening door drew him from his tranquil thoughts, it only added to his, ever growing, sorrow, and the knowledge that, no matter how hard he tried, she would never be in his arms like that.

Just like in his dream, the fragrant scent of roses and strawberries filled the air. As she walked by him, her full attention still set on Kish, her lovely chocolate orbs dancing in hearty laughter, it seemed as if she had paid little to no real attention to him at all. With this thought, his heart began to ache, and he, once again, proceeded in telling himself that this was not love. It was simply revenge, that was it.

Or, was it?

Poor Kei...Well, more reviews means a shorter time between chapters! RxR!

God Bless!

Oh, and if I don't get to update before hand, have a very blessed Christmas and a lovely new year!