Take my hand,
and lead me to salvation.
Take my love,
for love is everlasting.
And remember,
the truth that once was spoken...
"To love another person
is to see the face of God."
For Eternity...Days and Days
Part 3
12/24/96
by: Jennifer L. Mondazzi
"Ara-chan, what's wrong?" Sorata's tone was gentle, attempting to
coax the girl into relaxing. She seemed as skittish as a fawn in the
early morning dawn. He only hoped she wouldn't flee as fast.
Arashi's mind groped for a response, but none came. Sorata's
intentional shortening of her name, and use of the word "-chan", did
not go unnoticed, and she was stumped to find the words to tell him to
not refer to her in so casual a manner.
"I'm not going to hurt you." He stepped closer to her, his fingers
gently entwining in the long, soft hair, running through it's
smoothness. "It's like silk," he said reverently, half to himself, as
he allowed the long, ebony strands to slip through his hands.
His whispered breath caressed her exposed neck, and Arashi felt a
shiver run along her spine. The world seemed to cease, and everything
outside of what Sorata was doing to her was lost on her consciousness.
She neither moved closer, nor further away, but remained just as she
was, unsure of what to do and what not to do.
"Arashi..." he whispered the name passionately in her ear, stepping so
close that she could feel the warmth radiate from his body. Still, he
did not touch her, silently seeking her permission first. His
restraint, born of both respect and adoration, caused a sweet and
painful constriction within Arashi's thawing heart.
Unconsciously, as if not by her own will, she leaned into him,
pressing her back up against his hard, muscular chest, feeling his arms
entwine around her waist, protecting her. Closing her eyes, she gave
into Sorata and relaxed within his strong, gentle embrace, allowing her
mind to quiet, allowing the comfort he offered. Peace, if only for a
moment.
For a long while, neither of them spoke. Sorata's soft, passionate
voice in her ear, woke her from her momentary escape.
"Ara-chan, I love you."
He placed a soft kiss upon her neck -- once...twice, and then
hesitated, waiting. Again, a silent permission sought.
Arashi's mind lost all thought, and she reacted on instinct to the
need she had heard in his trembling confession. Turning her neck, she
gave him access to her slender, white throat. The unspoken allowance
made Sorata groan, his arms tightened around her, pulling her up
against his hard, wanting body.
His mouth began to explore her skin in a hot, sensual way. His tongue
flicked over her earlobe, his teeth nipping at it. Arashi felt his
hands slide up, slowly, from around her waist, to caress her breasts,
his fingers expertly, gently causing her nipples to harden under his
touch. All thought was abandoned for the moment, and she rode out the
waves of ecstasy mounting between them.
Arashi's soft gasp excited him all the more, and Sorata knew that both
of them were quickly losing control. He was trying to be gentle and
slow, but the passion was overwhelming. He had never felt this way,
and he wanted it to continue forever. He wanted to taste every inch of
her long, lithe body, starting with her mouth...
Arashi felt Sorata turn her in his arms, and suddenly his lips were
against hers, ravishing, his tongue demanding entrance, tentatively
touching hers, then boldly plunging into her. He wrapped his strong
arms about her again, pressing her smaller body intimately up against
his taller frame. The sensations were powerful, the loss of restraint
imminent.
Suddenly, XI's words echoed in Arashi's mind, louder and louder...
<would you care if he died?...would you care...?>
Like a bucket of ice cold water splashed onto her face, her mood
suddenly shifted. Sorata's proximity to her made her head spin, and
made her think things she didn't want to. One thought invaded her
being, overwhelming her: because Sorata loved her, he was doomed to
die.
A painful, piercing grief quickly grew within her, erecting the
barriers back into place, walling in her feelings once more. The truth
hurt her more than she had wanted to admit, and finally, she had no
choice but to confess it -- she loved Sorata completely. He was the
dream she had wanted for all of her life, and had been forced to give
up.
For his own safety, she would have to give him up again.
<Otherwise...>
Stiffening within his embrace, she pushed away from him, stepping away
from his outstretched hand, her eyes filled with a terrible grimness
and a heart rending anguish. She stood transfixed, staring at Sorata
for long minutes, unable to utter a word of explanation. He looked
back at her in confusion, not comprehending the awful weight upon her
soul, nor the inner torment she was going through.
Unable to explain, she turned and fled, out of the garden, ignoring
the screaming pain in her ankle. She ran back into the house, without
turning around...without saying a word.
Sorata stared after her for a few moments, the memory of his fiery
lover in his arms, of her rising passion, of her wanting body against
him. His passion slowly began to cool, as did his initial anger at her
rejection, and he attempted to understand what he had seen within those
dark, exquisite eyes of hers.
Perhaps it had been her inner nature that had caused the sudden shift
in mood. Having to be independent, stubborn, and tough left little
time for feeling anything. Her mind was always focused on protecting
others, being hard on herself to maintain her sharp edge. She
understood very little of softness, being always detached from her true
emotions.
Then, suddenly, all those repressed emotions came flaring up between
them, and maybe she had become frightened of them. The loss of control
must have caused major turmoil.
The more he thought on it, the more he felt that the right course
would be to allow her some time to adjust to what had happened here
tonight. Still, the rebel within compelled him to chase after her and
continue where they left off.
He sighed loudly in the quiet garden, tucking his hands into his
pockets and warring with the correct course of action. So intent was
he upon his thoughts that he didn't hear the footsteps approach behind
him.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Notes:
------------------
I tried to find a cute nickname for Arashi, and someone suggested
"Ara-chan", so it stuck. Get over it if you don't like it. :)
The song, "Come With Me..." was written for "Les Miserables", copyright
1985.
Sorata Arisugawa, Arashi Kishuu, Karen Kasumi, Kamui Shirou and Fuuma
Monou are all characters created for "X" by CLAMP, copyright 1993-1996.
Dear Readers,
Tell me what you think so far. I really like feedback. It helps me to
know what's good and not. :)
Thanks!
- Rena/Presea