A/N. So sorry for the very slow update. I hope the lemon is worth the long wait.

Chapter 58

Hagi sat on the sofa in his living room completely still and as usual, completely stiff and formal. Old habits die hard- especially ones that had been beaten into you at an early age. Amshel was a hard master and Joel I's laissez faire attitude about it only seemed to fuel his younger cousin's rage toward the boy.

His steel blue eyes moved left to right amid the ebony waves that fell around his face having escaped the blue ribbon that held the rest back. Now they moved back to the left, watching the hallway where his daughter had gone to. It was the beginning of a break in her schooling. She would have 2 weeks off before returning to her last year of school.

She and her cousins planned to fly to California where she would show them the sights and spend some time with her friends and boyfriend in LA. He had only agreed to this because Jack had agreed there would be no fooling around...that and Kanade promised to keep an eye on her cousin.

Hojo and Riku agreed that they should stay behind this trip to help Kai with Omoro. So everything was set.

So why did he feel like something was up? Yesterday, he felt like there was something about this that his daughter wasn't sharing with him. This morning, he chalked it up to too many decades fighting and never knowing what would happen next. He was just being antsy. Now…

She had gone grocery shopping. Why would she do that if she wasn't going to be here for 2 weeks? He certainly didn't eat anything and any food would go bad by then unless he froze it. What on earth was this girl up to?

Speaking of the girl, she was now headed down the hall with another suitcase of her "necessities" as she called them. With a huff, she placed the second suitcase by the door rather roughly before running a hand through her messy, overgrown locks of hair. They had begun to form waves like her father's, but they only came to her shoulders.

Suddenly, she gave a rather sheepish smile to him and asked in a shaky voice, "Do y-you think there's enough… food?"

Resisting the urge to crack up laughing at such a ridiculous question, his expression remained placid as he responded, "I do not eat. Therefore it is pointless to buy food."

Her mouth formed an "O" as she seemed to ponder what to do next. For a minute, an unusually tense silence stretched between them. She was starting to form a slight sweat on her brow as she wondered what was taking Hibiki so long to drive her happy ass here. She had to time this right or he would surely catch her and escape this well thought out plan. She couldn't let the cat out of the bag any sooner than the moment she got out the door.

Her lips formed a flat line as she felt the familiar red haze that signified family to her. Holding back a sigh of relief and frustration, she continued to hold her poker face against someone that was definitely an expert at it. She was suddenly startled out of her concentration by his voice. It was slightly deeper than usual, meaning she was about to be in big trouble. "What are you hiding, Frances?"

Her shifting eyes told him she was lying when she replied, "Who? Me? N-n-nothing. Why would I b-be hiding…?" She trailed off. Hearing footsteps on the other side of the door, she was relieved when she turned her head to the door. Almost there!

~earlier in Saya's room~

"Nothing about this is normal," a female voice moaned as dropped her dark head into her lap. For the, possibly, millionth time, her aunt had complained that something was not normal. Hagi normally dressed me, what should I wear? Hagi normally knows what to do in these situations.

"Kanade, really, I don't want to do a blind date. I think… I think…" Saya looked down at her light brown suede ruffle skirt. Her bare feet were peeking at her from beneath the ruffles and she began to wriggle her toes nervously. She was ready to face Hagi, she knew she was. Why did they insist on making her go on a blind date now?

Squeezing her eyes shut tightly to gather the courage, she licked her suddenly dry lips and holding back a cringe at the waxy taste of pink lipstick.

Kanade looked up at her aunt. Was she actually going to find the courage to face Hagi? The enthusiasm couldn't be hidden as she waited impatiently for the reply.

"I-think-I'm-ready-to-face-your-uncle," she got out in less than a breath with her eyes still tightly shut, she couldn't see the overjoyed expression on her niece's face.

"Wonderful, Aunt Saya, I'm so glad you are ready to work this out and all because that is who you're meeting tonight!" Kanade got out equally as fast.

"Huh?" came Saya's intelligent response, but her niece was still gushing about how it was fate and it would be such a perfect ending to a romantic tale.

Saya stood with jaw hanging open while her niece planned out the romantic evening. Butterflies filled Saya's belly and a looming sense of dread made her feel like those butterflies just might be poisonous. With her eyes wide open, she waved her hands frantically in front of her as she said, "N-nevermind. I was wrong. I can't do this."

Kanade stopped and stared wide-eyed at her aunt in confusion. "Why not? You said you were…" she began in a confused voice as the chiropteran queen began to grab a pair of sneakers.

Thankfully, Hibiki had had enough of the sudden indecision of her aunt… and the silly romantic gushing of her blabbermouth twin. Without a word, she barged into her aunt's room and grabbed the sneakers from Saya's hands. She then thrust a pair of red 3 inch heels into the shocked- motionless same hands that once held sneakers.

Yanking her sibling off the bed by the arm, Hibiki threw over her shoulder, "You look fine. Put those on. You ARE doing this." Nearly dragging Kanade out of the room, she grumbled, "Geez. Fighting killer chiropterans and her own sister's chevaliers for more than a century- and this scares her!"

Saya was left in the room at the sound of the door closing. After a few moments of staring wide-eyed at absolutely nothing more than a wall, she blinked. "D-did she really just say I was scared… of Hagi?"

Her mind swirled as she looked at the shoes in her hand. That night- that night came back into her mind.

"I have always loved you, Saya."

Dropping the shoes into her lap, her hand came up to cup the very same cheek he had cupped. The warmth of that hand, the touch of his cheek to hers… and the sweet but hesitant kiss.

Would he forgive her?

She couldn't be sure. She certainly couldn't forgive herself and had been beating herself up over it for the past year. He had done nothing wrong and she had… she had been a monster.

Tears stung the backs of her eyes as she faced down those shoes again. Tears spilled as she placed one on her foot and then the other.

Facing down horrid monsters and greedy chevaliers… even her own sister… but Hibiki was wrong. It wasn't Hagi she feared- it was the empty, gaping hole that would be left in her heart if he rejected her the way she had him.

Even as she made the decision to face down her fear, his voice rang out tenderly in her mind: Always.

~Hagi's apartment ~

Feeling the familiar haze as well, Hagi rose to help his daughter bring her suitcases down to the awaiting car. Knowing that he and Saya were having their difficulties at the moment, he found it a bit odd that he could sense her.

Perhaps Hibiki was giving her a driving lesson. He'd heard Kai mention about how terrible she was at it and inwardly winced hoping the hedges on the parking border would survive.

Frances looked like a deer in the headlights as he strode toward her. "What are you doing?" she barked out.

Simply lifting one of the suitcases, he replied, "Helping you…"

He never finished as a blue streaked head of short cropped hair just barged through the front door. She grabbed the handle from Hagi and then another suitcase. She then said in a very rushed manner, "I hope you got all your stuff and you're ready to go. Plane leaves in an hour. Thanks Uncle Hagi but I've got the suitcases."

Hagi was left standing there holding air in his hand instead of a suitcase handle. His jaw was slightly agape as the two girls rushed out the door, Frances calling back, "Have fun on your blind date, Dad. I'll call you when we get to LA!"

Then, a rather shy, down turned face appeared. Her bangs held back by two pink barrettes, her modest suede and eyelet lace dress ruffled against her lower thighs. The strappy red heels were a strange sight on her, but that didn't matter.

He only saw a bit of Kanade's head as she pushed her aunt into the doorway and announced, "Uncle Hagi, your blind date is here. You and Aunt Saya have a good time!" Then she was gone too.

Saya finally looked up, her deep brownish red eyes sparkling with determination. Her lips glistened with the barest amount of gloss. She looked beautiful and he had to swallow the lump in his throat that had suddenly formed.

When she looked at him, he was the same as ever. It was one thing she always could count on- Hagi would always be Hagi… and remain by her… side.

Blinking back tears that suddenly stung her eyes, she looked down. He had stepped aside to allow her in. Once she was through the threshold, there was no turning back. Her ears picked up the sound of the door being bolted shut as she tamped down those nervous, possibly poisonous, butterflies again.

For a moment, neither seemed to know what to do or say. Both seemed to look at everything but one another. It was Hagi that finally broke through the uncomfortable silence that had settled. "Are you hungry?"

Shaking her head with a nervous smile, Saya looked into the living area. It was a western style living area with a rice theme to it. The muted and earthy colors matched the calmness of Hagi well. Her eyes then wandered the small hallway before she realized he had been leading her through the apartment on a sort of tour.

His room was very well organized but quite plain. The bathroom was done in bold blocks of red and black, which she heard him note was Frances's idea. Saya hid a light chuckle behind a hand as she noted the American toiletries that were obviously belonging to Frances. It seemed a bit off to see Hagi's bathroom arrayed with such colorful items.

She noted he avoided her room, which was the respectful thing to do since she was not here to show it off.

Speaking of respectful, Saya donned a deep blush. How could she slight her host by not removing her shoes before traipsing through his home? Balanced precariously on one high heel while one hand held onto the wall and the other fiddled with the oddly placed buckle, Saya managed to get the strap from the buckle, but could not seem to free it completely.

Without a single word, her ever faithful chevalier lowered his towering form to one knee and gently took the foot into his hands. Her eyes followed his movements as he removed the shoe.

How often had he done this over the centuries? Always there, wordlessly caring for her? Anticipating her needs?

Oh how she'd taken him for granted!

The guilt washed over her as he turned those caring slate blue eyes upward, confusion written deep in their silent depths.

She felt the hot, salty tears race a path down her cheeks before dripping onto his the slack clad knee.

There was little regard to the usual decorum between them as Saya dropped down in front of him on the floor, one shoe still firmly strapped on, the other in his hand. Her tear filled eyes glistened as she broken choked the words, "I'm so s-s-s-s-sorry."

Those blue-gray eyes locked with her swimming brown eyes as he dropped the shoe to the floor next to him and pulled her into an embrace. "You have apologized already, Saya."

She sighed and hiccupped a sob at the same time. That velvety voice- the way he said her name! To think she had almost lost him? Twice! The thought brought on a new wave of tears and she let out shaky cry.

He held her to his shoulder, allowing her release of tears to soak his shoulder. It didn't matter that he was hurt by her before. He loved her. No matter what was said or done, that feeling would never go away.

As her sobs turned into light sniffles, she registered a hand combing through her short hair. It soothed her as it always had- ever since the days of the Zoo. Pulling air into her nose, she snuggled closer to the unique scent that was Hagi. Her voice hoarsely whispered, "I almost lost you. I-I don't know what I'd h-have done… if you…"

"It's over now, Saya," he soothed as his hand continued to smooth her locks down. Feeling her shift closer to hem, he looked down as she looked up. The tears were no longer falling as her fingers grasped his lapels. Those brownish red eyes shifted as if in question. It was as if she was trying to convey some grand message through them that he could not decode. Before he could ask what was wrong, her soft lips crashed into his.

He was quite taken by surprise and his eyes were wide open. At the realization he was being kissed by Saya- his beloved Saya, his eyes slid closed and he relished in the feeling of her soft lips pressed to his.

As she pulled back and broke the kiss with a light smack, his eyes remained closed. He didn't say it, but she knew, he did not want the moment to end.

However, she had to say this. He had waited so long and patiently for her reply. Waiting for 30 years through her last hibernation and then through the mix up with Frances. When those eyes did finally open, she gave a watery smile and said, "I love you, Hagi. I always have."

This time it was his turn to take her by surprise. Pulling her into his arms, he pressed his lips against hers. Holding the kiss until they were both running low on oxygen, they pulled back slightly before they crashed together again.

Neither of them were thinking about anything but the need to feel this kiss continued. It wasn't long before one opened their mouth and then tongues began a battle for dominance. It didn't matter who won- in this case, they both did.

Hagi had enough presence of mind left to lift her from the floor and carry her into his room, using his hip to shut the door behind them. The whole time, the kiss continued.

~the lemon we've been waiting for~

Once inside, Hagi placed Saya on her feet near the foot of the bed. Her clouded mind briefly registered her uneven footing, but soon his lips were on hers again. With both their minds clouded with love and lust, clothing was being removed as inexperienced hands began exploring each other.

Lips tongues and teeth moved in a frenzy over their bodies in the darkness of Hagi's room. Finally, Hagi pulled her with him onto the bed. They lay on their sides, facing each other as he gave her a rare, sweet smile. The moonlight gave her an ethereal view of a dark haired angel with pale blue skin and deep blue eyes.

To him, she was everything and a dream he thought would never be reality. It did not register with his mind that he should be nervous at all- even though this would be both their first times.

Rolling a nipple between his calloused fingers, he pulled her against him. As they began to kiss, she let out a moan into his mouth.

Saya was overwhelmed as her brain shut down. Her sensitive nipple was sending jolts of electricity deep into her lower abdomen. It was starting to ache with an unknown need. This happened before after she'd wake from a rather erotic dream, or when she had to study mating habits at the Zoo. Her thighs squeezed together, trying to alleviate the ache… the burning need.

Pressing closer to him, she felt something hard press against her. It stretched from her clitoris to her belly button. Instead of being nervous, it seemed to excite her even more. She had to feel it where the ache was.

Hagi felt her leg go around his hips as he continued to tweak her nipples and suck on her tongue. She ripped a moan from his throat and he nearly finished on her belly as he felt her hot, slick entry against the base of his aching cock. Trying not to think of how many years he'd silently yearned for this, he hissed between his teeth as she rocked against him.

They were both new to this. They should take their time, but both had waited so long.

She cried out and broke the kiss as her hips rocked against him and the angle was just right for his cock to slide into her.

It was just the head, but it was just enough to break his steady control. With a breathless, "Oh!" his eyes rolled as he brought his hands to her hips and sheathed himself fully in one stroke.

The pinch of losing her virginity was nothing compared to the oddly full feeling she now had. Rocking her hips against him, she tried to find a bit of comfort, but it was such a foreign feeling to have something inside her, pulsing. "Mmmm," she moaned as he began to rock with her slowly. Every time he surged deeper, the pulsing cock sent shivers through her small frame.

Even though they had just begun, they both could feel their ends coming quickly. Their lips found each other again as Hagi rolled on top of her and began a fast rhythm. The headboard rhythmically hit the wall as the couple proclaimed their shared love in the most basic way.

~quick break~

Neither of them heard the door open nor the sound of footsteps. Frances had forgotten some article of clothing and gave a small smile as she heard her father and Saya having a very good time together.

As she grabbed the forgotten favorite t-shirt, she heard her dad cry out. Covering a snort/chuckle with her free hand, she made her way to the door. Not paying attention, she nearly tripped on something in the hallway.

Looking down, she found a lone, red, strappy heel. Shaking her head in wonder, she decided it wasn't worth interrupting the two love birds. As she closed and locked the door, she heard this time, Saya proclaim, very loudly, that she loved Hagi. Shortly his mutual profession followed.

Hurrying to the car that waited, she was nearly bursting to tell her cousins that the plan had worked.

~back to lemon~

Never had she felt so alive. Her body tingled with heat, the sweat slicked her skin as well as his. She wasn't sure if it was his sweat or hers or a combination of both. Pulling her thighs higher, she felt him deeper than before. His movements began to rub something deep within her that caused her to writhe. She had to feel that again.

He felt her walls closing in- a delicious feeling that caused his body to stiffen. He felt her quivering and grasping around him and his need was so powerful. Never before had he not been able to keep his control, but this time. His hips surged forward as he heard Saya call out, "I love you Hagi!"

Another thrust

"I love you, Saya!" he called as he bucked into her willing body and felt a long awaited release.

She writhed against him, incomplete, as his softening cock throbbed with each spurt of seed it released. So close! She could feel the writhing, aching need so keenly.

Even as he was high on his release, he could sense her need. Still buried inside her, he lifted her knees over his shoulders. Rocking gently to keep from dislodging his softening cock, he slid two fingers between his own flesh and inside of her.

Feeling added pressure she bucked into him, grinding their bodies together, hoping to get to the spot she wanted. Without prompting, she slid a hand between them and down to where their bodies were still connected. A wave of desire and curiosity mixed and stained her cheeks pink. Her fingers had done this before. She found it the only way to slake the need.

Hagi lifted his upper torso to see what was happening. As he looked to the space below her hand, his eyes saw where he was buried inside her. A fresh wave of desire coursed through him and down to where they were joined. With a moan, he watched as her fingers began to twirl over an engorged bud amid the curly public hair.

As both looked up to lock eyes, he pulled his hands away and pressed into her again. They continued to look at each other as she cried out with each thrust. He could feel her walls closing around him and he marveled again at this tight fit.

The combination of her hands movements and him grinding himself deep inside her was so good. She felt herself writhing around his heavy, thick rod as it pounded into her. With a cry, she felt herself close around him and violently shake. He slowed a bit and thrust as deep as possible while she rode out her orgasm. Their eyes still locked.

Soon, he felt a fresh need and began to thrust into her. The wet sounds only fueled his need as she managed to cross her ankles around the back of his neck.

His hands kneaded her back side as he sped up. Lifting her hips up, he ground into her, causing his pelvis to press her hand between them against her clitoris.

Feeling her body draw him in even deeper, she cried out as her second orgasm shook through her.

By now she was watching as Hagi was panting and thrusting. He was truly the most amazing creature. Even in his moment of pure bliss, he had realized her need and fulfilled it.

In that same moment, her vision gazed red. His eyes too, had become a vivid blue. They both thought and spoke only one word- Mate! before the simultaneously bit into the other's shoulder. A jolt of electricity went through their bodies as they both found complete and utter bliss.

Rolling them on their sides, facing each other, Hagi noted they were both panting. Her legs were now, somehow wrapped around his hips while he could still feel her around his limp flesh. She moved her left leg out from under him and muttered that she loved him as her eyes drifted closed.

He pressed against her further, not wanting to lose the connection of their bodies.

~end lemon~

"I love you, Saya." he whispered as he held her close and watched the wall behind them. He would not sleep, but he found solace in her presence. It was as close to sleep as he would get.