"I said. . .why am I priority number one?" Kurumu asked the guard she had charmed.
"If you died, the world would be in grave danger." he said.
"What do you mean?" Kurumu asked.
"The power that runs through Tsukune's veins is not his. The only things keeping it in check is the love he has for you and sheer will power. If you were to die, he would willingly give it control. Which is a likely circumstance if you were to fight the vampires." the guard finished saying.
"You, the Headmaster, you are all afraid. None of you think I can handle that darkness inside of him." Kurumu said menacingly.
"Not in you current state." the guard said motioning towards her stomach.
"Don't worry about me. I already have plans for that." Kurumu told him and the guard nodded slowly.
"Now listen and listen close. You will not separate Tsukune and I under any circumstances. You will do as I tell you and nothing more." she told him clearly and he nodded.
"You will go about your business as usual, but before you go I want to have a talk with your. . .friends." Kurumu told him.
[~][~][~]
Tsukune woke up bright and early in an old but familiar room. His parents had not changed a thing since he had left. They must have expected him to come back after high school. Luckily his bed was big enough for Kurumu and himself. His mother's reaction to their big news was not what he thought it was going to be. It was more of a state of shock than panic or anger that he thought would happen. He still has to face his father and he has no idea how that is going to turn out. At least Kyoko was supportive and perhaps a little to eager to be an aunt.
He sat up and looked down at Kurumu, she was laying in the opposite direction that Tsukune was, and she was on top of the covers. He could only wonder as to why she was in that position, because she definitely was not like that when he went to bed. Even sprawled out on the bed, she is still a very cute sleeper. Tsukune leaned forward and brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her on the forehead. He then moved down and placed a kiss on her exposed belly.
Tsukune carefully climbed over her to get out of the bed. He went to the open window and closed it quietly. He gently picked her up and turned her around and put a pillow under her head and the covers on top of her. He kneeled down beside the bed and took Kurumu's hand into his. He placed a gentle kiss on her hand and held it firmly.
"Thank you Kurumu. I am happy, I am finally happy. I want to wake up every morning with you by my side. I want to travel the world with you and show you that you are the most beautiful thing in it. I want to hold you tighter and tighter and I don't ever want to let go. You are so perfect in every way and so beautiful that it would be impossible to put it into words. I want to be there for you the way you were always there for me. I am going to be a father and you are going to be a wonderful and caring mother. We will grow old and we may have our differences but we will still be together just like we are now." Tsukune told her sincerely, still holding her hand.
He smiled gently and leaned forward. He brushed the hair out of her face again.
"You know, you don't have to pretend to be asleep. I knew you were awake the whole time." he said softly.
Kurumu opened her eyes and blushed, slightly embarrassed. Tsukune leaned forward and kissed her and she wrapped her arms around the back of his head. She did not let go of him until she was satisfied. They had broken apart but she still held onto him.
"Tsukune. . .just tell me. Please tell me that. . .that you love me." Kurumu asked with watery eyes.
Tsukune smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. He locked eyes with her and she held onto him tighter.
"Kurumu. . .I . . .am so close. My heart has healed greatly and when I am with you it feels complete. I want it to be whole, I want it to be perfect before I give it to you." Tsukune said lovingly.
"Tsukune, I don't need it to be perfect. I just need it to be yours." Kurumu said slightly crying.
"I promise Kurumu. I promise that all of you dreams will come true, every. . .single. . .one." Tsukune said as he pulled out a small book from under his bed.
"What is that?" Kurumu asked looking at the book that Tsikune held between them.
"I have been working as much as I could on this, day and night." he said as he handed her the small book.
Kurumu sat up and opened the small book and began reading.
"What is this a diary?" Kurumu asked as she started to read.
Tsukune only nodded as she kept on reading. Sudden realization hit her and she placed her hand over her moth to cover her gasp.
"This. . .this is my diary?" she asked in an emotionally choked voice.
"Ever since our home was destroyed I. . .this was the only thing that I could think of to make it up to you. If I hadn't been so selfish and careless, they would have never come looking for me and they wouldn't have burned down out home. I'm sorry Kurumu. . .I am sorry that I had to put you through all of that." Tsukune said.
"What's this?" Kurumu asked looking closer at the diary.
"Since I know everything about what you had in your diary, I thought I would write my own right along side of yours. I wrote everything I could remember since being a kid and I treated it like my own diary. . .so I guess we are even for me reading your diary." Tsukune said scratchy the back of his neck.
"This is perfect Tsukune. It is exactly the way I remembered it." Kurumu said flipping through the pages, stopping every now and then to read some of Tsukune's entries.
Kurumu was so happy that she started to well with tears. She grasped Tsukune tightly and cried on his shoulder.
"I love you so much Tsukune, you are the best!" she cried into his chest.
"Soon we will have our own home where we can raise our daughter and we can put everything else behind us." Tsukune told her.
"Tsukune, just don't ever leave me." she cried on his chest.
"I will do anything to keep you two safe." he replied still holding Kurumu.
They held each other for a long moment and neither one of them wanted to let go. Kurumu could feel and hear the beating of his heart. It was the music of his soul that hear life depended on. She could also feel the light in her growing brighter and had a very warm feel to it. They did not let go of each other until a soft knock came to the door.
"Tsuki! Get up! I have been waiting long enough." Kyoko said through the door.
"Coming Kyoko." Tsukune answered back, wondering what she could want.
[~][~][~]
Tsukune and Kurumu took a quick shower together and Kurumu used the privacy to stretch out her wings and her tail. She was still fatigued from last night but a refreshing shower was all that she needed. She especially enjoyed it when Tsukune suddenly became very fascinated with her tail. He would tease her and she would blush and giggle.
She could almost feel the overpowering love that Tsukune had, but she sadly still could not obtain it. It was like looking through a glass wall into an endless sea brightly, illuminated liquid gold. It was love, the one thing she was destined to have. She could break through the glass wall and take it, but it would mean so much more if he were to give it to her. She would wait, she had to, he promised.
Downstairs Tsukune's parents and Kyoko were waiting for them. Kurumu was not as scared as she was yesterday, but she was still very nervous. She had no idea what to expect from Tsukune's father or if Kasumi told him about the baby. Her worries were soon laid to rest when he greeted her with a friendly smile. He asked all of the same questions Kasumi had about her and the baby. He was almost as overjoyed about the baby as Kyoko had been.
They all shared breakfast with some polite conversation. After a while Kurumu began to relax and became more social. It truly made her happy that she could become part of the family so easily. Kasumi had Kyoko and Kurumu helping her clean in the kitchen while Tsukune and Koji sat in the living room.
"So when are you moving back? I can probably get you a job. It would not be much, but you could move up." Koji told Tsukune.
"What?" Tsukune asked thrown off by the sudden change in the conversation.
"We can help support you two, but when the baby is old enough you are going to have to find your own place." he told him.
"Dad, don't worry about it. We will be fine." Tsukune said realizing his intentions.
"I never thought that you would have been so careless and you could have at least let your mother know about her!" his father said angrily.
"She was crying to me all night about how much you changed and how scared Kurumu looked." Koji told him.
Tsukune sat there in shame and regrets and suppressed feelings began to arise. He really had been a fool, his parents must have been worried. He is getting married and he is going to be a father and those two things he didn't regret.
"You are going to want to start as soon as you can and save up some money before the baby comes. So don't expect to sleep more than four hours a night working overtime and when the baby does comes, don't expect to sleep at all." he explained with a chuckle.
"Dad, I already have a job." Tsukune said, causing Koji to look at him surprised.
"That's excellent! What is it? When do you start?" he said smiling.
"It is. . .a security firm, based out of Hong-Kong. I am sort of already working for them." Tsukune told him.
"A security firm? How did you get that job?" Koji asked.
"My friend from school. His family owns the business." Tsukune told him.
"It sounds suspicious, can you rely on him?" Koji asked.
"Yes, and it will pay more than just the bills so you and mother don't have to worry." he told his father.
"Okay son, if you have already got it all figured out, then I trust you." Koji told him.
"He really has changed. . .he has become a man." Koji thought looking over his son.
"Oh, one last thing. Would you get her a ring." his dad told him and Tsukune nodded smiling.
[~][~][~]
Inside the kitchen an uncomfortable silence stubbornly lingered. Kurumu knew that Kasumi had something troubling on her mind and that it was about her. She could feel the pressure building every time Kasumi glanced at her.
"Relax auntie, you are scaring her." Kyoko aided.
"Oh I'm sorry. . .it is just that. . .Tsukune has changed and I know that you know what happened to him." Kasumi said softly causing Kurumu to freeze in fear.
"What are you talking about auntie? Tsukune is the same as ever." Kyoko said trying to avert the situation.
"I know you know Kyoko. The look on your face when you got back from seeing Tsukune said it all." Kasumi told her.
"Those letters. . .they were from you, weren't they?" Kasumi asked.
Kurumu's breath caught in her throat and she could fell tears swelling in her eyes. She had thought everything was going so well, but Kasumi knew that she had been lying to her and hiding her son away from her. Kurumu just wanted was to be apart of Tsukune's family.
"It must have started when I stopped getting phone calls and started getting your letters. What happened three years ago? What happened to my son?" Kasumi asked.
Tears began to fall down her cheeks and Kurumu could not stop the memories from recurring. The memories of losing their friends began to get clearer while Kurumu's and Tsukune's recent ones began to blur. It was almost like reliving the nightmares that had plagued her for so long. Kasumi observed her distressed state and Kyoko tried to comfort Kurumu.
"It has something to do with the Akashiya girl doesn't it?" Kasumi asked causing Kurumu to release her sobs.
"Auntie enough! What happened is in the past. You don't have to pressure Kurumu for invalid answers." Kyoko defended, holding Kurumu.
Kasumi looked down shamefully and then embraced Kurumu in a hug. She also had tears in her eyes as she patted Kurumu's head.
"I'm sorry, I just had to know. Everything will be alright. I can tell by the way he looks at you that he is deeply in love you." Kasumi said soothingly, taking Kurumu by surprise.
"You really think so?" Kurumu sobbed.
"Of course I do and I know that you love him too. That is more than good enough for me." she told her comforting Kurumu.
Hearing someone say it made her feel better. Even though she never needed it, she had always wanted some confermation of their love. It was like a badge of honor that she could wear proudly next to her heart.
"You have more than just Tsukune who loves you. You are part of our family now." Kyoko said also hugging Kurumu.
[~][~][~]
Later that day Tsukune, Kurumu and Kyoko were walking through town going nowhere in particular. They were just taking in the scenery and enjoying their time together. They ended up taking a stroll through one of the larger parks that was nearby. Kyoko had just really wanted to spend time with Tsukune before he left. She also wanted to bug Kurumu about the baby.
A troubling thought persisted in the back of Tsukune's mind. They were being followed and it was the same familiar presence he had felt the day before. Whoever it was had been keeping their distance though, for what reason he did not know why. It wasn't until they reached a secluded wooded area that the presence began moving towards them at an alarming rate. Tsukune had already positioned himself in front of Kurumu before she had noticed. When she did, Kurumu did the same for Kyoko, protecting her. Out through the trees a figure came rushing at them at alarming speeds.
"No Tsukune look out!" Kurumu screamed and his fist past harmlessly through the figure.
"An illusion?" he thought as he began to fall off balance.
It was to late by the time he saw the real threat out of the corner of his eye. He was tackled from above and the two of them went rolling through the grass. Tsukune ended up on the bottom and by the time his vision cleared he realized it was a girl laying on top of him. It was the same succubus with long blonde hair that they encountered not to long ago. Kurumu and Kyoko rushed to his aid but he raised a hand to stop them. The girl on top of him was holding him tightly and she was crying.
"I finally found you! I was waiting for you to be alone but this was the best I could get." she cried on top of him.
"After that day, I flew far away and I cried and I cried, you were just so scary. But. . .then I couldn't stop thinking of you and I felt something, I know I did!" she said.
"What are you talking about?" Kurumu said angrily moving forward, but Tsukune frantically stopped her again.
"It all makes sense now, and everyday I find evidence of the truth! You are my destined one! That's why my illusions and my charms didn't work on you. That has to explain what I felt on that cold dark day." she told him.
"I am his only destined one, his mate of fate!" Kurumu said angrily taking more steps forward.
"Kurumu stop!" Tsukune yelled at her.
Kurumu was shocked, she had no idea why he yelled at her or why he wouldn't look her in the eyes and it pained her. Kurumu almost started to think that he believed in that girl.
"I could do it you know. I could kill us both right now and we would be together forever." the girl said.
Tsukune could already digging slowly deeper into his back, inching closer and closer o his heart.
"Just tell me that you love me and we can run away together and nobody has to die." she cried on top of him holding him even tighter.
Kurumu stood there in shocked silence and it was then that Tsukune looked at her. She could tell by the look on his face what he meant to do.
"Kyoko. . .run." Kurumu said quietly.
"JUST TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME!" the girl screamed.
"I do not. . .love you." Tsukune said quietly.
Everything went quite, the girl stopped crying. Kurumu and Kyoko stood completely still and even the wind and the birds were silent.
"Then we shall be together in the next life." the girl said in tears.
"KYOKO RUN!" Kurumu screamed and rushed for Tsukune. . .but it was already to late.
Another good chapter! So many unsolved mysteries and a giant cliffhanger to go. Did anyone see that coming? Because I sure didn't. It just sort of came to me while I was writing. I didn't plan on writing that at all, but it fits in perfectly. You can probably guess what happens next and I will do my best to make it a great chapter. I really think Kurumu deserves it.
I really didn't plan on the cliffhanger. I just keep on writing till I hit about three-thousand words and then post for you to enjoy. I stayed up all night again writing this when I really shouldn't, between my new job and school. But I do it because I enjoy it and because the suspense is killing you, or at least it is killing me. I really wish I could be a full time writer. . .but I got to pay the bills.
Thank you for reading and reviewing! Please let me know what you think.