• CHAPTER 162 - A LITTLE MOTIVATION

    Nothing like a little cheering up and motivation to get you through the day…unless it’s for the wrong thing.

    “Kai, look!” I exclaimed from outside, staring at my iris.

    After another moment, Kai came outside and dropped onto his knees next to me, “What is it?”

    I pointed at my iris I had stolen almost two weeks ago and I smiled widely. The flower was completely restored; the stem was a brilliant green and the petals were a vibrant light purple. It was opened, leaning towards the sun to gain more energy. It was so beautiful; it was hard to believe it was almost dead when I had taken it.

    “It looks nice,” Kai smiled and pat my shoulder. “You’ve taken good care of it.”

    I smiled, proud of myself, “I never did have a green thumb before,”

    After a moment, Kai spoke up, “What say we venture to Matsuda and Orihime’s?” Kai suggested.

    I shrugged, “Sure. It’s probably the last day Chi will be there.” She was only supposed to stay for a couple of days, but ended up staying for a week; pretty much since the day before Kai and I took our relationship up a notch.

    We went inside to grab Kai’s car keys and he turned to me and stared at me, concerned, “How are you holding up?”

    I sighed and slumped my shoulders, “It’s still hard to think about,” I admitted, referring to Akatsuki and his note from the other day. “But I’m trying to distract myself.”

    Kai smiled faintly and kissed my forehead, “You’re a strong girl,” he pulled back and frowned. “No, you’re a woman.”

    I blushed, “Whatever works for you,”

    Kai chuckled and we exited the house and climbed into his car. As soon as we were a few miles down the stretch of gravel road, I stared at the ditch I flipped into the other day. My car was gone but the skid marks were still obvious. There were still a few shards of glass from my windows that were glimmering in the sunlight as we drove by. I sighed heavily, missing my car and worrying about Akatsuki.

    “Perhaps you should have Chi visit our house sometime,” Kai suggested, changing the subject. He was probably reading my mind.

    I shrugged, “Yeah, maybe she should,” I frowned. “If the orphanage will let her. I wouldn’t be surprised if the orphanage was incredibly skeptical about me.”

    “You’re still alive; I haven’t harmed you.” Kai chuckled. “What’s there to be afraid of?”

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    “Arisa!” Kira cheered and embraced me tightly.

    I was taken off guard; Kira was out of his bed? As soon as Kai and I had stepped into the front door, Kira hugged me instantly. I thought he had completely healed until he pulled back and he had a large cup of blood in his hand. I couldn’t see the blood, but I knew what it was and it made me nauseous.

    “How had Kai been treating you?” Kira grinned. “Gotten lucky yet?”

    That time, there was absolute silence in between all of us. My face reddened and I fondled with my fingers. Kai only paused; he never sighed irritably or frowned at Kira. The silence was almost making me go crazy before Kira’s eyes widened. His mouth twitched and soon spread into an exuberant grin and he induced a rude pelvic thrust.

    “Yes!!” he cheered. “It’s about goddamn time!”

    “Shh!” I held one finger up to my mouth. “Shut up!”

    “Oh my God!” Kira laughed. “How was it?! Humor me!”

    My face turned even redder and Kai stepped in, gripping my shoulders gently with his hands and sighing, “Kira, not now,”

    “No, no, it’s okay,” Kira chuckled. “I wanted to speak with Arisa anyways.”

    I sighed, slumping my shoulders once more, “Fine,” I groaned.

    When we almost entered the living room, I heard Chi call out to me from the kitchen. I turned around and laughed; Chi was helping Matsuda cook. She was coated in ingredients and mixtures gone awry. Chi smiled and laughed as well.

    “I’m helping Matsuda bake,” she smiled wider. “I’ve never cooked or baked before; it’s pretty fun.”

    “I’m going with Kira for a little bit,” I informed. “Feel free to talk to Kai if you want to.”

    Chi nodded and Kai kissed my head before Kira and I left, heading upstairs towards his bedroom. He continued to chuckle every now and then, still humored at the fact that I was no longer a virgin. I’d have been laughing too; I was the biggest virgin on the planet. We finally entered Kira’s bedroom and Kira sat on his bed, setting his cup of blood aside on his night stand.

    “Come sit,” he pat the area next to him with an inviting smile.

    I took my time sitting next to him and my face turned red again, “What did you want to talk about?”

    “How was Kai?” he chuckled. “Has he lost any of his thunder?”

    I looked down with my red face and fondled with my fingers, “I-I don’t know how it’s supposed to be…but he was amazing to me.” I looked away with my face on the verge of combusting.

    “I’m sure you did good too, am I right?” he grinned and pat my back.

    I shook my head, covering my face with a veil of hair, “I-I just laid there,” I mumbled. “I didn’t know what to do.”

    “Just by looking at you, I can tell you’ve matured yet further,” he complimented.

    “Thanks,” I smiled lightly.

    Kira chuckled and messed up my hair, “You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed,”

    “I don’t feel comfortable talking about such a touchy subject,” I complained.

    “But it’s not as scary as you expected, am I right?”

    I shrugged, “I was pretty scared at first because I didn’t know what to expect. And I had my usual fear in mind too.”

    “Kai would never leave you,” Kira smiled halfheartedly. “Never in such a manner.”

    “I don’t know why I thought that,” I giggled. “I watch too many movies.”

    “If anything, Kai would kiss the ground you step upon.” Kira started falling a little more serious. “You’ve changed him phenomenally.”

    “In a good way, I hope,” I laughed nervously.

    “In the greatest way he’s ever changed,” Kira nodded.

    I paused for a second, “So…how much have I changed him?”

    Kira sighed and thought for a moment, “Since he was born, he was unable to live a normal life. Since he was a hemophiliac, he spent his life indoors. As though that was abnormal enough, one of the first times he ventures outdoors, he’s attacked, and infected.” He sighed again. “And once he’s almost used to his Vampire life, he comes across Ayame.”

    I pursed my lips; I hated hearing her name. I wasn’t jealous of her because she had Kai first; I despised her for the suffering she put Kai through.

    “Their relationship was normal until she became pregnant,” Kira pursed his lips together. “Kai believed it was his and—though he was unprepared—he accepted that fact and gradually readied himself. I believe he even became somewhat enticed at a new family member.”

    “But it wasn’t his,” I halfway hissed and looked down, sighing.

    “Exactly,” Kira nodded. “His life spiraled downwards again; he was depressed, he was angered, he was infiltrated mentally and emotionally, he was…not my brother.”

    I cursed Ayame in my head, honestly hoping she was burning in Hell. She was such a rotten woman; who on earth could betray somebody like Kai? Especially with all of the Hell he had lived through already?

    “But he found relief in Ayame’s death,” Kira took a drink out of his cup. “He had never despised anybody so excessively at that time. And he also had to cope with the death of Mitsukai, Matsuda and Orihime’s daughter. He seemed to love her like the daughter he couldn’t have. Takeuchi was admitted into the house years after that and he brought humor and lightheartedness into the home.

    “Then you came along,” Kira smiled. “And you’ve made everybody the happiest they’ve been in years.”

    I blushed a little, touched, “Well, thanks, but I haven’t really done anything…”

    “But you have,” he smiled. “We hadn’t associated with humans often, so you were a bit of a treat.” He chuckled and pinched my cheek. “And your attitude is just adorable.”

    “But how have I changed everybody?” I frowned, rubbing my sore cheek. “I was just some orphan girl without a life.”

    “You’ve expressed that you’re an individual,” he smiled. “You showed us strength we hadn’t seen from a human before. You brought light into the home. You made my baby brother break out of his shell.”

    I sighed, “I don’t believe you. Everybody was just on their way to getting out of their depression.”

    “Ever since the day Ayame confirmed her affairs, and the child that was never Kai’s,” Kira mumbled, “he had sworn to himself to never fall for another again. And he stuck to his vow, but you managed to break him down. He assumed all women were the same and never wanted to fool around with love again. He was callous.”

    I looked down and held my hands together, feeling tears starting to brim my eyes, “B-but how did I do that?”

    “You showed him truthfulness,” he wrapped one arm around my shoulders. “You showed him that you were honest—and a bad liar, if I might add.” He chuckled. “But you showed him there was more to being in love than sex and three petty words. You showed him you weren’t another Ayame in his life.”

    I sniffed, “I-I suppose…”

    “You’ve transformed all of us, Arisa,” he looked me in the eyes and smiled, brushing away some of my hair from my face. “You might feel insignificant, but you’re extravagant to this household.” He chuckled. “I suppose one reason why I wasn’t so nice when you arrived was because Kai had been so empty for so long.”

    “I—” I started crying lightly and laughing at the same time. “I feel so proud…”

    “Don’t assume Kai is a person who’s only interested in sex,” Kira pleaded. “I’ve grown up with him for the past one hundred seventy-seven years. He would never be so merciless.”

    I nodded, “I know that by now…because I still have him here.”

    “I have my baby brother back,” he pressed one of his cheeks against my head. “I never assumed I would. And it’s all because of you, you klutz.” He chuckled.

    I closed my eyes, “Kai was the best thing to ever happen to me too,” I looked up at Kira. “I’ve never been so happy, not for the past two-and-a-half years.”

    “You two both did a favor for each other,” Kira smiled and brushed his fingertips against my cheek. “I hope you two are together forever.”

    I laughed halfheartedly, “That won’t happen; either the contract is going to kill me or Kai will refuse to make me a…Vampire.” I hesitated at saying the word; I was almost as opposed to becoming a Vampire as anybody else in the house.

    “I love you, Arisa,” Kira smiled. “We all love you; we wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

    My heart was overwhelmed with so many emotions; I had been told the story about Ayame multiple times, but I still couldn’t comprehend Kai’s suffering. He suffered in many ways that no living creature ever should. It was still hard for me to believe that it was me who broke him out of his shell but if Kai would confirm it, then it really was true. I apparently changed everybody in the household as much as they changed me.

    “How have you been treating Chi?” I asked, changing the subject and clearing up my tears.

    “Good,” Kira smiled. “She talks excessively.”

    I laughed, “Yeah, she always has,”

    There was a knock on Kira’s bedroom door and Kai entered, making my heart skip in excitement. I was so in love with him; my heart would throb erratically every time he would look at me. After the talk Kira and I had, it felt like I was falling in love with Kai all over again.

    “Kira, would you like to go with Matsuda and Orihime to take Chi to the orphanage?” Kai offered, stepping towards the bed.

    Kira shrugged, sipping out of his cup again, “Sure, why not?”

    “Arisa?” Kai asked and I looked up at him. “Would you like to go?”

    “Um…” I hesitated. I would feel bad for not being with Chi while she returned to the orphanage, but I really wanted to talk to Kai. “I’ll just…stay here.”

    “Have fun, you two,” Kira nudged me and winked, getting off of his bed.

    Chi entered the bedroom as Kira was about to leave it. Chi ran up to me and embraced me tightly, “I’ll see you later, Arisa!” she smiled. “I had so much fun; your new family is amazing.”

    “I’ll come by to visit you,” I smiled and embraced her again. “I promise.”

    After another heartfelt episode of goodbyes, Matsuda, Orihime, Chi, and Kira all left, leaving Kai and I to ourselves in the commodious mansion. I turned to Kai with tears in my eyes again as everybody else left in Matsuda’s car.

    “What’s wrong?” Kai furrowed his eyebrows together. “Did something happen?”

    My heart was sinking at an incredible rate; I felt so sorry for him. He had gone through so many obstacles in life and it never got better. His mother and sister died when he was merely a toddler and his father ended up being so unsupportive. He grew up as a hemophiliac and it was because of that, that he changed into a Vampire faster than any normal human. His life was finally becoming “normal” until Ayame came into the picture. The relationship that never lasted, the child he could never have…the normality of being human he could never feel again…

    I shook my head and smiled lightly, “No…I just…” I pursed my lips together. “Nobody deserves to suffer as much as you have…”