Memory 27

“That’s the dumbest comedy I’ve ever seen in my entire life!” Mina punched the remote control button to change to another channel. “This is worse than the first ones!” Mina exclaimed when the screen showed two men kissing. “That’s disgusting!”

“You thought it is disgusting but they don’t,” a laughing voice said from behind. Mina turned around in surprised and saw Kunzite was smiling irritatingly. Punching the button off, she stood up and marched toward him. She lifted her chin proudly to meet his silver-gray eyes.

“Do you?” she asked curiously.

“Do I what?” Kunzite still wore that annoying smile as he sank himself into her huge sapphire eyes. Everything about Mina was perfect and he couldn’t find any flaw in her appearance nor her characteristic.

“Do you think that is disgusting too?” Mina said more clearly.

Kunzite chuckled amusedly at her question. What did she think about him anyway? Gay? “I’d rather be kissing a woman instead of some sick men,” he answered reasonably.

“But it still means you are willing to kiss a guy, aren’t you,” Mina pointed out. Mina wore one of her confuse-disgusting face that Kunzite almost burst out laughing at her innocent remark.

“If there is no woman available, yes,” he said nonchalantly and shoved his hand in his pocket. His black turtleneck shirt, matching with dark blue jacket was contrasted with his shining silvery hair, which was neatly tied up. Mina always admired the way he wore his expensive clothes.

“You are sick,” Mina wrinkled her nose, trying to show him that she was disgusting but when she heard his deep chuckle, Mina smiled softly. Her heart was melting each time she heard his deep and manly voice. Her heart was pounding uncontrollably every time he touched her. Kunzite made her felt like a woman – a needing woman. She always wondered why he often be where she was. She knew it was crazy but she couldn’t resist herself from thinking that he, too, might interest in her just like she did to him.

Kunzite looked at the goddess in front of him, looking thoughtful but her eyes were strangely soft. He wondered what she was thinking and hoped she was thinking about him. He didn’t why each time he looked at her, a strange feeling swept over his heart, making him craving for something that he couldn’t quite understand. No women could make him felt like the way Mina did and that was why he tried to find excuses to be neared with her as often as he could. Only the sight of her could make this feeling of aching need go away. “What were you thinking?” he asked softly. The topic of gay and kissing were forgotten.

Mina raised her eyes mysteriously. You’ll never know what had crossed her mind. Kunzite thought admirably. It amazed him that she could make him to admire her more than two times a day. Something told him that Mina was a whole lot more interesting than any of those women he knew. “I was thinking why you always around the corner. It’s like you’re following me.” Mina answered honestly. She wasn’t very good at lying, so she was intended to do so.

“I like that,” he said instead, which made Mina confused. “Huh?” She frowned.

“You are honest. Saying what you’re thinking not what I would think,” Kunzite smiled. Most women he met were eager to impress him. They usually said to make him flattered, which he hated most. So, he likes me for being honest. Mina thought.

“What else you like about me?” Mina tested him, pointing up her chin, pretending to be modest.

There’s a question. He thought amusedly. “Your eyes.” He decided after thinking for a while. He liked every little thing about her and it took a while for him to decide. “When they shine, I felt I am watching two enormous sapphire, which are priceless and rare.”

His words startled her. Suddenly she felt she was the only woman, who was beautiful and attractive. Never had she met a male who could manipulate the word because she usually dated with a male with same age with her. He was as eager as she was. What do you expect from eighteen years old boy? Mina thought dryly. “And?” She lifted her eyebrows modestly.

“You want more?” Kunzite joked. “Well…” he rubbed the back of his neck as he studied her closely. So close that their noses almost touched. Mina could smell his cologne and the scent made her a little dizzy.

Slowly he touched his lips to her cheek, tracing the curve of her high cheekbone. “I like your smooth cheek. It feels like a satin – soft and rich.” Mina closed her eyes, drown into his wonderful words and action. His lips ran to side to the bridge of her nose, cherishing each arch and bend until he softly touched her lips. “And I love this part of your flawless face. They are so sweet and satiny that I could kiss you forever.” He cupped her face and pushed it to face him, so that he could kiss her with more accesses.

He kissed her softly and tenderly. Keeping all his love inside, trying to tell her that he needed her, he wanted her and he loved her more than everything he had ever possessed, he deepened his lips. For the first time in his life, he was afraid of hurting her by his usual rough kiss. And for the time in his life, he kissed a woman with love not with lust. He wanted her and if it took all his wealth to make her his, he would give everything he had.

He lost himself in the kiss, surrounded by her sweet-scented perfume. He never wanted this moment to be over and had to find another excuse to see her and to touch her. His heart desperately wanted Mina but feared for her rejection. Why would she fall in love with ex-general that once had tried to kill her? He was breathless and so did she. Reluctantly he lifted his head and looked enigmatically with his silver-gray eyes into hers.

Mina couldn’t look away from his eyes, even though she wanted to. The spell that he had put around her seemed to be working because she now was an inch away from the surface of her heart. As much as she hated him, she couldn’t deny herself and her heart from admitting that she loved him. Who wouldn’t fall for a silver-gray eye man with gorgeous silver hair that match perfectly with his unbearably handsome face? But if she said that she loved him, would he return her love or he would throw his head back and laugh or worst, he pitied at her, saying that her childish love didn’t suit him? She could still deal with his rejection but never, ever if he looked with those pitiful eyes that were meant for her.

Even though he annoyed her in every way, she knew deep down inside; her life would be empty without his irritating remarks and answers. She couldn’t bear to think he was flirting with another women. She had to say those words now before her feeling was too strong to be rejected. But was she strong enough to say those words and accept any of his heart-breaking reaction or words? Could she convince him that he mean everything to her that her love wasn’t the usual teen-age crush? How would she react if he turned back from her and left?

“What were you thinking, Mina?” Kunzite broke the silence. About you. I am always thinking about you. Why can’t I take you out of my mind? Mina thought.

“I was thinking why I can’t take you out…” Mina stopped abruptly. What was she thinking? That he felt the same way like she did? That he loved her too? Get a life, Mina! Her mind retorted. Zap out from your childish dreams. He’ll never love you because he has dozens of sophisticated and pretty women to entertain him. Taking a deep breath and release it, she muttered out a sentence. “It’s nothing.”

Kunzite wouldn’t let her get of the hook easily. “No, I want to know what you are trying to say?” he insisted.

“It’s nothing,” she said louder. When she saw the skeptical look, she waved her hands desperately. “Really,” she pressed.

“Mina,” he said quietly.

“What?”

“What are you afraid of?” his question made her stiffened. What? Mina thought. What am I afraid of? Then an answer popped out from her head. You are afraid of his rejection. You love him so much that you feared by saying those three words; you might lose him as well as a friend.

“What are you afraid of!?” he repeated with much louder and rougher voice. Mina’s concentration snapped off. “I’m afraid of you!” she said loudly. “I’m afraid of losing you!” She took a step backward, her chest heaved for every word. “I’m afraid of your rejection!”

“I’M AFRAID OF EVERYTHING!!” She said loudly. Tears started form beneath the thick lashes of her eyes.

Kunzite was bewildered at her words. He never thought that she would feel the same way too about him. At the look of her face, he knew that smiling wouldn’t be very appropriate and it might hurt her beyond belief. Slowly he reduced the space between them and used his index finger to push her chin up. Mina hid her tearful eyes beneath her lashes, obviously shameful by the action.

“Look at me, Mina,” Kunzite softly ordered. But when she refused, Kunzite said more firmly. “Look at me.” Mina slowly raised her eyes to meet his. Her eyes never ceased to amaze him, shining beautifully, whether she was happy, mischievous or sad.

“Say those words right in front of me before you make any stupid assumption,” he said half-joked and half-serious. Mina wasn’t sure he was rejecting her or accepting her but her heart was soaring crazily. Kunzite saw the confusion was written all over her face and curved ups a small smile. “Say it, Mina.”

Her mouth trembled as she tried to get those words out. Hesitation zipped her mouth closed back but the tender in his face rebuilt her confidence and she reopened her mouth. “I…I love you,” she said softly as she looked at his chest.

“Say it again, Mina,” Kunzite ordered. He wanted her to find the pride in their love not shameful. “Look at me and say it again.”

Slowly, she raised her head and met her gaze boldly to his. “I love you, Kunzite,” she said with happiness in her eyes. “I love you now and forever.”

He lowered his head once again with wonder and blissful in his heart at her unbelievable confession. “And I love you, queen of my heart,” he answered. Mina wrapped her arms around him tightly, as if she was holding him for the last time, and her tears fell on her cheeks, knowing that she had found the love in her forever life.

* * * * * *

Lita awoke and tried to lie on her right shoulder, facing away the door with an awful headache, sore muscles and painful stab of her healing shoulder and thigh as she moved. Sunlight burned her eyes when she opened them, so she quickly closed her eyes back. She could feel that whoever bandaged her wounds, had done a remarkably good job, which she or he had wrapped it neatly. For a while she laid unmoved, waiting for the pain to subside.

She couldn’t believe that her nightmare had over. The last three days seemed like three years and she never ever wanted to go back if her master was still alive. The brutal punishment, the heart-breaking words of curses, the uncomfortable place and the uneatable food even for a slave. Until now, Lita was wondering how could she survive almost twenty years, living with her heartless master.

Now her friends had discovered the truth about her being a slave and Lita was waiting in anticipation for their reaction and how they would treat her. For a moment she considered telling them about her real identity – not the lady of Jupiter or a filthy slave but the last heir of Jupiter Kingdom. But when she remembered her mother’s words, she dreaded the idea for she hated being center of skeptically attention. Whatever happened, she didn’t care.

As her thinking about her life, sad and happy memories, she suddenly thought about Nephrite. Her heart broke; her mind numbed and tears fall from her cheek to the white pillow under her head. The pains from all over her body that she felt now was nothing to compare with the pains from her heart of the thought of losing him. He was part of her soul now and forever.

Losing him mean losing all reason that she had to live in this lonely life. Losing him mean losing all the excitements in her life. Losing him mean losing a huge part of her that could never be replaced. Only him could make her felt complete in every way and could bring back the joy in her life. But now he was dead…

As tears dampened her pale cheeks, she recalled every sweet memory she had made with him. She remembered when he kissed her for the first time, so confident with no hesitation. The powerful grip of his hands whenever he hold her and the way he expertly used his mouth and tongue that make her lost her ability to think. There was a time when he kissed her on the center of her palm softly and tenderly. Her throat tightened when his tenderness slipped into her heart and stole it secretly.

She realized that she loved him so much that she knew as long as she live, she would never forget his boyish grins that were so irresistible or his kisses that made her forgot the world existed or his wonderful words that healed her broken heart. Her heart was his forever. Lita silently sobbed at the loss of her love. Why is he dead and I’m alive? Her shoulders shook softly as the tears were uncontrollably spilled over from her cheeks to the pillows. What did I do that makes me deserve this? Why didn’t I just die? Years ahead her was a huge gaping black hole of emptiness. Lita didn’t know if she could survive that long.

Nephrite silently opened the door. He had disobeyed Ami’s order not to leave the bed and he now wished that he hadn’t disobeyed the order because each step he took, the pain that stabbing his chest worsened. After all had happened, he couldn’t just lie there and staring at the ceiling, so he held back the pain. The need to see Lita was so intense that he couldn’t resist having even a quick look at the beautiful angel that had haunted his mind ever since he had opened his mind. He had expected her to be asleep with different kind of bandages on her slender body but what he saw was beyond his expectation.

Lita was facing away from the door, with bandages on her body – like he had thought before - and her shoulders shook softly. He swore he heard a sobbing sound from her, so low as if she struggled to hide it. Even in an empty room, Lita forbid herself to cry. Stubborn woman. He thought as the surge of tenderness pierced his heart. Slowly he headed toward her intended to ask and share her pains. This was the last time she would cry and hide the pain alone.

“Lita?” he asked softly. But she didn’t turn around or even bothered to answer his question. “Are you in pain?” he tried again.

Lita was too distraught to even look up. Instead she closed her eyes tightly, forbidding more tears to fall and nodded her head softly. Nephrite was panic when Lita nodded her head. His gaze scanned her wounds to find any bleeding; relief not to find any opening wounds and reverted to her hidden face. “Where do you feel the pain?” He asked again.

“In my heart,” Lita answered softly. She thought she heard Nephrite’s voice, tenderly asking about her pain but decided that was only her imagination. After all, she missed him like crazy already, which probably made her imagined things that had to do him. “Always in my heart,” she added softly.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Lita sounded so far away as if she didn’t know to whom she was talking to and didn’t care what she was saying. He was wondered whether Lita knew that there was a human in her room, talking to her or not. Nephrite looked around and found an armless wooden chair beside her bed and he quietly pulled it closed to her bed.

“Lita,” he said softly. He touched softly her arm, forcing her turned around to face him. The pain in his chest was nothing to compare the pain he felt when he saw his love like this. As he pulled her around with one hand, his other hand unconsciously pressed into his chest. He didn’t know why he hadn’t felt the pain until he left his bed.

Lita turned around uncaringly, wishing this person would leave her alone. She had a broken thing that had to be mended by her. But what she saw shocked her beyond belief, a thread of relief and happy began sewing up her broken heart and a spark of fear crossed her mind. Who wouldn’t be frightened? The person, who had died in her arms, was alive. Lita was afraid to move. Afraid to lose him, even as an imagination that was created by her losing mind, if she moved.

He was more perfect in this illusion than others before. His wavy chestnut hair was messily tied back with strands of hair fall down. The dark blue robe that partially covered his body couldn’t hide the bandage around his chest – the part of him that she hadn’t thought before. The crystal clear blue eyes of his were staring concernedly at her. Her previous dreams about him weren’t this clear and perfect. His strong hand was desperately clutched his heavily wrapped chest. Wait! Something was wrong! After searching the flaw, she finally realized that he was in pain and an illusion couldn’t feel any pain.

Lita quickly sat up and clutched his arm possessively. This couldn’t be an imagination. She could feel the familiar warmth of his body every time she was this close to him. “Nephrite!” Nephrite smiled forcefully at her, as if trying to brace himself from the pain. “What’s wrong with you?” Lita cried when she saw his face was pale and sweating like crazy.

“Hurt…” he whispered at her.

“Where? Where do you feel hurting?”

“Chest,” he answered inaudibly. “Where else,” he teased. Lita pulled herself away from the bed and laid him onto the bed. How could he be joking in this kind of situation? Lita thought, fuming by his attitude and herself. Lita didn’t why lately, every time they got the chance to be together, one of them was hurting – physically or emotionally. Sometimes, she’d got this kind of feeling that they were not meant to be together.

Lita slowly pushed his robe open so; she could take a good look at his chest. As she thought before, his wound was bleeding again. A big stain of blood on the bandage made Lita slightly scared. She was about to call Ami for help but Nephrite grasped her hand. It was strong and protective as usual.

“What?” She asked.

“Where are you going?” he demanded. He ignored the bearable pain as he tightened his grasp, unwilling to see her left. The pain was not the biggest problem right now.

“What else do you think I’m going? To circus?” Lita said sarcastically. She thought she was being sarcastic but he knew that she was angry. Nephrite wanted her to feel exactly like he felt when she said that she told them to leave by saying that she would survive alone in that planet with that vicious woman – painfully anger. He wanted to know whether her confession when he was dying was her deepest secret or merely encourage words. And he would know it by seeing her anger.

“The pain was nothing…” he started to sit up. But his statement didn’t relieve her but it pissed her off. Lita could see that he was struggling with pain. Lita was straining herself with different kind of emotion and mostly was anger. He was acting nonchalantly but he was a terrible faker when he was in pain. Did he think she was blind?

“The hell was not!” she burst out, which made Nephrite slightly stunned. “Your blood is DRIPPING from your bandage. Do you think I’m stupid enough to believe that you’re not in pain?!” God! Didn’t he know how much she cared for him and how much she loved him? Was her confession made him felt awkward around her? Then why the hell did he come here at the first place?!

“Lie back!” she ordered angrily. “And don’t you dare get out from that bed until Ami is here! Got that!” Lita knew she was acting possessive but the hell with that! He was about to reject her when he came in earlier and fate punished him for that by giving him the pain.

“No, I’ll be all right,” Nephrite insisted, still holding her hand. He knew that the wound was opening and bleeding but that didn’t concern him much. He could hold on two or three minutes but he couldn’t wait any longer to tell her how exactly he felt. The truth was suffocating him and he couldn’t and wouldn’t rest until the secret that he had been hiding was revealed.

“No, you’re not!” Lita protested with worried. Now when she knew the reason he came here, she couldn’t stay any longer here, receiving his condolence to her childish love. How she hated him for that! “You…you are hurting and I…”

“Do you hate me?” Nephrite cut her words quietly. He knew that Lita was eager to leave him and he wondered why. After all she was the one who confessed first. Didn’t she want to know his answer?

“Why did you say that?” Lita asked.

“You hate me,” Nephrite realized. She hadn’t even bothered to deny it and he was certain know. His heart was twisting and slashed, just like when he first saw her on Planet Jupiter. Slowly, he released her hand, thinking that he would never understand her. She had hurt him twice and he wanted to know why. “Why?”

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Lita looked away. Her heart was mixing with full of confusing emotions and she didn’t know whether what she felt right now was hatred. She wanted to be very far from him and never want to see him ever again but she knew she would cry out for his lost. She knew she would crave for him. God! She was so confused!

“Why do you hate me?” his voice hardened with straining anger. But Lita remained silent. How she answered that question when herself didn’t know her own feeling?

The anger that he felt was unbearable. All he wanted to do was to yank her down to bed and took her right now, punishing her and making her felt the hurting that he felt in his heart. He reached out for her and forced her to sit beside him. He didn’t feel the pain in his chest anymore. “Why?!” Nephrite asked with a louder voice but Lita seemed to be deaf. His control snapped.

“WHY, DAMN IT!!” he pushed her down to bed with him laying atop her, pining her arms, an inch apart from her lips. His breath was heavy and Lita could smell the familiar faint scent of cologne. It made her wanted to kiss him, pouring all her love over his heart, whether he was on verge of rejecting her or not. But the feeling didn’t lessen her fear at his dangerous anger.

“Because you…you obviously didn’t want me…” Lita stammered, swallowing back the lump in her throat and fresh tears swimming in her eyes. Confession was hurt, especially she knew how he would react. “And…I don’t want you to…to say that in front of me because it…it hurts me very much an I…I hate you for that…that feeling you’d gave me and…”

Nephrite’s groan cut off her sentences. Lita didn’t know whether it was a relief or a laughing groan. He released her arms and wrapped his own muscular arms around her slender body, burying his head in her neck, savoring the natural scent of her. Usually, he would laugh at this kind of confession. But when he met Lita, everything about his life had turned upside down and nothing made any sense. Her zits and wits dazzled him endlessly and he had this kind of feeling that spending his whole life with her would be interesting and blissful. Now that he knew that she loved him as much as he did, he would never, ever let her go again.

He reluctantly lifted his head, looking down at the beautiful angel that lay beneath him with her huge eyes looking back him with confusion in her eyes, admiring her. “I kind of heard that you said you love me, is that true?” He asked softly. He wanted to see whether she was going to say yes or no.

Lita looked away in humiliation. She wished she hadn’t confessed anything. “Is that true?” he asked again. Lita still refused to answer him but Nephrite could see her cheeks were slightly red.

“Don’t lie to me, Lita,” he said, forcing her face to meet him. “I maybe dying at that time but I am not deaf.” Lita knew if he was the one who persuading her, there was no way she could resist him. He was pure temptation and perfect in every way. Slowly she nodded her head and her cheeks were redder. His heart was soaring happily for her confirmation but he carefully kept his expression neutral.

“What do you mean by you know what I’m going to say?” he asked again.

“Oh, stop asking me so many questions!” she said feeling frustrated. “I admit that I did say I love you and now you’ve got your answer, so please, please let me go!” Lita couldn’t bear it anymore. They were in an embarrassing position, as if they were making out secretly and he wanted to ask more embarrassing questions. What if any of their friends accidentally walked in without knocking?

Her frustration melted away, when Nephrite suddenly touched his lips to hers but she refused to response. He trailed his kisses down to her throat when he realized that he wasn’t going to win if he kissed her on the same spot. She looked so adorable when she was frustrated that he couldn’t resist to kiss her. His lips followed the valley on her throat, up to her upper neck just beneath her ear and gently bit it, intended to leave a mark.

Lita closed her eyes, looking away, giving him a greater access to her neck. Whenever he touched her, lips or neck, ears or cheeks, she couldn’t find the strength to push him away. Each of his move was gentle and loving that she almost believe that he did love her and it almost brought tears to her eyes. Her lonely and broken heart mended by his light touches and words, creating a magical surrounding around them. The only place where she felt needed and wanted was in his arms.

His lips glided up to her reddened cheek and settled back to her lips. Her resistant broke and she opened her lips to receive his tongue and lips. She tried to remember his wonderful kisses – the gentle way he used hid teeth and the passionate way he glided his soft mouth, in case she never had the chance anymore. Deep in her heart, he was the only man who she had loved with all her heart and all her life.

He broke the contact and went back to her ear. As he played with her ear, tracing each hollow with his tongue, he whispered very softly and seductive, which made every muscle in her body went rigid. “I love you too, Lita. Just like you said to me, from Earth to Heaven, I’ll be always with you.” His breath hit sensually to the sensitive area of her ear but Lita was too shocked to notice.

Every muscle of hers went rigid, her breathing had stopped, and her heart beating was faster than usual, telling her that she believed him completely but her mind was shouting with denial. She closed her eyes, trying to be rational. As much as her mind gave her reasons of not believing him, her heart always won against everything. Perhaps fate had chosen to give her a chance to be with someone who would care and loved her forever and Lita knew if she let this chance to slip from her hand, she had only herself to blame on.

Even if he was just toying with her heart just like he had toyed with other women, she wanted at least to know how it felt to be in his arms every time she was hurting and how it felt to say she loved him everyday without worrying of his rejection. She hated to cry alone and mended the broken pieces of her heart by herself. Now she had the chance to love and to be loved by someone, she would be fool if she let him go.

Lita opened her eyes and saw a pair of sapphire eyes, staring back her. The concern and caring in his eyes made Lita almost believed that he really loved her. Slowly, she brought both of her hands to his jaw and pulled his face down to kiss him. She tried to express how deep her love was by her kisses. Nephrite understood. She knew he was because he gave her the softest and the gentlest kiss that made her almost cried.

Maybe it wasn’t so bad to open her heart one more time. Maybe it was time to trust someone. As she kissed him, Lita knew that it didn’t matter whether he loved her or not. As long as she knew that she truly loved him, that’s all that matters. If he had gone one day, she had at least memories of him to hang on to. If she met another man, she knew she couldn’t possibly love him more than she had loved Nephrite. He was her life, her reason and her memories. But now, she had memories to make. Memories of him…

* * * * * *

Finish! Phew… I thought I would never finish this story and chapter done. I’ve written You Are Only Love and its sequel Memory for two years! Thanks to all of you! Watch out for the next brand new stories! >Bye<