• CHAPTER 87 - DISTRACT ME

    Oh boy, do I need a distraction.

    I kissed Kai's neck and embraced him by his shoulders, "Kai, I don't want to leave you,"

    "I know," he whispered back to me. "It's gonna have to be done sometime."

    My head shook vigorously, "I'd rather spend my dying moment with you than move across the world,"

    I felt Kai's hand flinch under my shirt. He held me a little closer and we sighed simultaneously. The silence we sat in for the longest moment was ringing in my ears and taunting me severely. One part that relieved me, however, was that the two nomads can't kill me unless Kai forcibly or voluntarily brings me to them. The scary parts were that the contract will gradually take over Kai and he'd soon lose all authority over himself and at that time, he's going to send me away.

    "One more thing you should be glad about," Kai started, "is that the contract has no authority right now. I'm still myself, Arisa."

    That's a relief, but not enough to take the negatives out of mind, "Okay,"

    Kai kissed the angle of my right jaw and my ear, "You don't need to worry right now, Arisa. You're still safe."

    I nodded and embraced him tightly, "I love you, Kai,"

    "I love you too," he kissed my neck.

    I pulled back a little and played with some of his hair and looked down, "I'm going to help with dinner if you don't mind,"

    He nodded in agreement, "Yeah. You need to distract yourself anyways."

    I climbed off of Kai after a long kiss and I left the bedroom with Kai still sitting on the bed. We both needed some time to ourselves to think about the past and especially the future. What we both needed most was a distraction. For both of us, when it comes to upcoming bad situations, our minds can't get rid of the pessimistic sides of them.

    Entering the kitchen, Matsuda and Kira were already in their custom-made silly cooking aprons and preparing some tsukemono pickles. I voluntarily grabbed my apron from the hook and slid it on and stood next to Matsuda.

    "Is there anything I can help with?"

    "Oh, Arisa," Matsuda took notice of my presence. "Yes, there is something you can contribute to. Follow me."

    Matsuda led me to the back of the kitchen, willing enough to leave Kira alone in the kitchen with knives. The door to the greenhouse in the backyard opened but I frowned at what I saw. All of the plants were dead and withered.

    "Matsuda--,"

    "We will need some vegetables," he smiled at me.

    "Matsuda, these plants are dead," I continued to frown.

    Matsuda didn't answer; he only got onto his knees and started fixing and straightening up the soil but what happened next was what I least expected. I could have sworn I was seeing things but the plant Matsuda was fixing the soil around was turning greener. A few minutes passed and there were full-grown carrots that developed from the once-dead plant.

    "What...?"

    Matsuda stood up and smiled while patting the dirt off of his hands and pants, "It's the same technique I use to heal broken bones,"

    "You can heal plants?" I picked off one fresh carrot.

    "Yes, but I don't heal them often," he smiled. "I prefer to plant naturally."

    "That's amazing, Matsuda," I examined the vegetable I had in hand.

    "We didn't use this garden at all when you were absent in February,"

    My body froze, "You didn't? Why?"

    Matsuda sighed, "We didn't necessarily need to eat. And there was no point in using it if you were gone."

    I picked off a couple more carrots and looked down, "Thank you,"

    We headed back into the kitchen where Kira was humming to himself and swinging his knives around, as usual. Hearing Matsuda bring up the month I was gone only made me sadder. The next time I'll be gone, it will probably be forever. I'd still be with Matsuda and them, but Kai...

    "Watch yourself, Kira," Matsuda lectured with a laugh, "Arisa is helping."

    "Watch out for the human, of course," Kira rolled his eyes with a wide grin.

    Just as I was starting to help with the dinner and get over some of my worries, Kai walked into the hallway from the corner of my eye. I dropped my knife--nearly taking off Matsuda and mine's toes--and followed after Kai.

    "Kai!" I stood in the hallway just as he gripped the handle to the front door.

    He turned around and stared at me, "Oh,"

    I sprinted to him and ran right into his torso, knocking the wind out of me, "You're leaving?"

    He pat my head, "Yeah,"

    I gripped his shirt, "You're coming back, though, right?"

    Kai kissed my head, "Of course,"

    I gripped his hair and pulled him down to my level for a rough kiss, "Be safe," I whispered.

    He cupped his hand behind my head and pecked my lips, "I will,"

    I embraced him harder, not wanting to let him go. So many different paranoias were going through my head and I couldn't think straight. Kai rubbed my back and kissed my head again.

    "I'll be back, I promise,"

    I grabbed his hand and as he opened the door, our hands gradually unlinked when he left. I stood in the doorway for another two minutes, looking out the front door until Kai's car disappeared in the distance. Cooking was now the last thing on my mind and I slid out of the house and shut the front door behind me and I sat down on the top step that lead to the front door. I didn't pay attention to the fact that the Vampire could be around the house, but he can't kill me unless Kai brings me to him. What a wake-up call at school; seeing my killer right outside of my window.

    I crossed my arms on my knees and rested my chin on my arms. I wanted to sit here and wait until Kai came back. He promised he'd be back, so I shouldn't have to worry, right?

    "Arisa?" Matsuda's voice chimed in.

    I peeked over my shoulder and Matsuda shut the front door behind him and he placed himself on the step right next to me. He glanced over at me as I sighed and rested my chin on my arms again. I rubbed my two big toes together out of bad habit and I sighed again.

    "What's on your mind, Arisa?"

    I buried my face in my arms, "You should already know,"

    Matsuda paused, "Yeah. About the contract ordeal?"

    I nodded, "I don't want to leave Kai,"

    A sigh came from Matsuda, "It wasn't Kai who opted on that; it was Orihime and I who did,"

    I whipped my head around at him, "What?"

    "Let me explain, Arisa," Matsuda put one hand up. "Orihime and I are Angels; our decisions can only be based on the good will of others. We can't make any other decisions and right now, keeping you as far away from Kai in the future is the best option we can make."

    I shook my head, "I'm not going to be separated from him forever,"

    Matsuda didn't reply for a long time, "I'm sure that during the time you two are apart, he'd find a way out of the contract,"

    "But those Vampires are so desperate for my blood that they won't let the contract ease up!" I gripped my hair. "Can't they just let me go and wait another two hundred or three hundred years for the other girl to come around?!"

    Silence dragged on after Matsuda opted not to say anything. He probably wanted me to have some thinking time to myself. I wasn't mad at him that the only decision he can make is to separate me from Kai. That's one thing I hate about Angels; their actions are only based on good wills. They can't do anything that will put someone in danger unless it's best for them. They can't trick anybody or lie to them; they can't do anything sinister.

    "Some days...I wish I wasn't in love with Kai..." I mumbled.

    "Why is that?"

    I paused and bit my lip, "I don't want him to keep suffering," I sighed. "I don't want him to suffer at the fact that he's bringing me to my death."

    "Either way, Arisa, it'd agitate him," Matsuda pat my back. "Whether he was in love with you or not, you're still a girl; he wouldn't contemplate taking anybody's life that doesn't deserve it."

    "But if I wasn't in love with Kai, I wouldn't have as much of a problem with what he has to do," I mumbled again.

    "We're still trying to find a way, Arisa," Matsuda wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me to his side. "In the meantime, just cherish your moments, okay?"

    I nodded and pushed my hair back on my right side. I averted my eyes to the road once more in hopes that Kai was returning already. I didn't know what he was doing and I didn't even know if anybody else knew either. He's been keeping to himself a lot recently except for with me. He hasn't been completely different, though, just a little more concerned about everybody's well-being.

    "Don't worry, he's coming back," Matsuda reassured.

    I nodded, "Okay,"

    "Do you want to still help with dinner?"

    I sighed and shook my head, "No, I'll just rest in the living room for a little bit,"

    "It will still be a while. The soup needs to sit in the crock pot for a few hours."

    I nodded and Matsuda assisted me in standing up. We entered the house and went opposite ways as soon as we reached the doorways to the living room and the kitchen. I untied my apron and dropped it to the ground and dropped myself on the couch. Toshihiro's cries were muffled through Takeuchi's bedroom door and I pretty much figured that Takeuchi and Miku had it under control. I hadn't seen Miku much; she's probably still resting from the birth. It will probably be another few months before her pelvis is fully healed.

    I was wishing more than anything that I was ready to take Kai and mine's relationship to the next level. I cherished him so much; I wanted him to be all mine but I'm too afraid. I just wish I was ready enough so that we could go all the way before that time for the contract arrives. But if that did happen, wouldn't it make saying goodbye only more painful?

    "Come back soon, Kai," I murmured to myself, becoming paranoid.

    Counting the minutes of Kai's absence wasn't helping at all. I couldn't help but think that he was getting into some sort of trouble.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    "Arisa?" I heard Takeuchi's humorous voice.

    The poking and prodding from Takeuchi only annoyed me and I reluctantly cracked open my eyes and frowned at him. He was poking me with a chopstick that he stole from the kitchen and Toshihiro was giggling in amusement in Takeuchi's arm. I sat up and fixed my bedhead hair and leaned back on the couch.

    "How long did I fall asleep?" I groaned.

    "Just a couple of hours," Takeuchi shrugged. "Dinner is almost ready, by the way."

    I sighed, "Has Kai come back?"

    "No, but I think I hear him coming up the road,"

    I jumped onto my feet, ignoring the blood rushing to my head, and I ran into the kitchen first, "Matsuda, Kai is back,"

    Matsuda nodded, "Yep, he just pulled in,"

    I took time to fix my hair again and I tried to prepare myself to give him a welcome home worth receiving. I missed him so much already, even if he was just running some simple errands. I wanted to be sure he was safe.

    Of course, I wished he was safe. I didn't expect to see what I did when that front door opened. Kai stumbled in and was splattered with blood from either himself or somebody else and as soon as his eyes met mine, our bodies froze simultaneously. I froze from being petrified; he froze from either shock or fear that I might discover something he didn't want me to.