ALEXIS' POV

"I'm in love with you Alexis," Kenshin told me as he stared down at me.

Those strained words might have been ripped from his throat. I looked into those mismatched eyes of his and then I asked him.

"Do you mean it?"

"If only I didn't mean it, but I do."

He spoke like his love had cursed me like he'd hurt me or feared he had.

"...I love you so much that I lose all reason around you. I locked you in here so you could be mine and mine alone. That's how much I want you."

Kenshin confessed his love for me but, for some reason, the tone in his voice sounded hurt.

"If you love me, then why do you look heartbroken right now?" I asked Kenshin as I sat up from the futon.

Kenshin's face was not that of a man who was confessing his love. Kenshin gritted his teeth before speaking up.

"Because I can't love you...loving you would be killing you. I bring misfortune and death to everyone around me."

'He still believes that?'

I asked myself as I remembered Kenshin telling me how he brought misfortune and death to some people around him.

'Is that why he pushed me away? is that why he locked up? so I'd be "safe"...from him?'

I thought to myself as I stared at Kenshin's painful expression. Kenshin looked back at me and he said to me.

"I'm sorry about this, forget any of this happened, Ale-"

"No! Kenshin, it's not true! not about your luck nor about me!" I interrupted him with a frown on my face.

Days of confusion, frustration and loneliness...they were all ready to boil out of me.

"You just told me what I've been waiting for so long to hear! you can't tell me to forget this now!"

"Alexis..."

"Misfortune? what a load of bull crap! hearing you love me is something I only dreamed I'd be lucky enough to hear!" I held Kenshin's face in my hands and I told him, "I love you too Kenshin."

My only other wish would be that my words didn't bring him so much pain.

'But I said it, come what may,' I thought to myself as I stared at those mismatched eyes.

I didn't feel the release; my outburst only made the rush of feelings overflow.

"...I'm in love with you," I told him again. However...

"Don't say that, don't say that again, please." Kenshin moved my hands off his face before he continued, "If you do...how am I supposed to be able to control myself..."

His voice was tattered. I reached up to put my hand on his cheek, drawing his eyes back to mine.

"Don't you, see? that's all right because I love you."

Our eyes met and I let mine speak. I let them tell him that his inexplicable, uncontrollable, painful love was returned.

"I trust you," I whispered to him.

'Whatever you're feeling, I know you'll protect me.'

Kenshin frowned a little and he held his breath for a moment.

"You don't understand," Kenshin said before pulled me close.

Kenshin held me tightly in his arms that I couldn't draw breath for a moment. It was though letting me go would be pulling out the blade that was embedded deep in his heart. I heard and felt his ragged breath against my ear, licking me like fire.

"...I've wanted you so badly." Kenshin held me tighter in his arms before continuing, "It hurt me, physically, to be separated from, but..."

I rested my cheek against his shoulder as I listened to him, "Your love was beautiful and my feelings for you felt all wrong."

"Your feelings couldn't be wrong," I said as I hugged him back.

"But you don't know the things I felt or thought when I saw you," Kenshin bit down on his lip hard, cursing himself.

'Please don't suffer alone...I want you to know that I share everything you feel.'

I thought to myself as I gripped onto his black cape.

"Then tell me Kenshin, all of it," I begged him. "What do you think when you see me?"

I coaxed his gaze up, where two beautiful and tormented eyes met mine. He struggled to speak, the words catching in his throat.

"I love you so much I can't even breathe when you're not near," Kenshin admitted.

'That's what you were afraid of telling me? something so beautiful?'

There was fire and ice in Kenshin's eyes. They were separated from him, in divide but, both were true. As were his words, his frightened, cursed declaration of love.

'I wish I could convince him that it will be all right, maybe I can?'

I asked myself as I stared at those beautiful eyes of his.

"Kenshin, you won't bring me misfortune."

I put my arms around him and I held him with all the strength inside of me.

"You don't need to fear that anything will happen to me, I'm with you."

'And I won't let you go.'

I thought to myself to finish off my sentence.

"You're a fool to think that and I'm a fool because I want to believe you."

Kenshin helped me up, smoothing my disarrayed kimono back into place.

"I'm taking you out of here, for good. We're going to my room, just relax."

"I am rela- whoa!"

His arms slipped under my legs and back, and he lifted me up. I felt a shiver that ran through him at the surprised sound I made.

"...And don't talk too much, or I don't think I'll make it there. Just the sound of your voice is enough to make me lose my reason."

'I'm starting to know the feeling.'

I thought to myself as Kenshin carried me out of the cell. Once we got outside of the cell, I looked at Kenshin and I asked him.

"And everyone's at the party?"

"Yes," That single word was spoken through fiery lips that brushed mine.

In that way, with tension and need inside of us, we arrived at his room. Sora, who was outside of the dungeons the whole time, tried to follow us but, Kenshin kicked him out of the room so, he was spending the night outside tonight. Kenshin lowered me down onto his futon when we got there.

"Don't let me go now..."

"I don't intend to."

I reached up for him, and he moved over me, the solid weight of his lean body pressing on mine. Our lips met in another urgent kiss and my arms found their way around his shoulders. We panted into each other, the heat of our bodies rising and mingling. Kenshin grabbed onto my hair ribbon and then he unties it, letting my hair fall onto my back and shoulders.

'If it's possible to melt this way, I don't think I'd mind...'

I was limp by the time the kiss broke but he wasn't. His hands already untying my obi cords.

"Kenshin-" I whispered his name.

He looked at me and frowned, as if even pausing to speak was torment.

"I know, I'm sorry. It must seem like I'm hurrying but-"

'That look on his face is heartbreaking.'

I drew the last cord away myself.

"Alexis, are you-"

"Don't apologise, I want this too and I'm going to be fine," I spoke with a small smile on my face. "Remember that I love you. I want everything you have to give me."

I let him take as long as he needed to read my readiness in my eyes.

"Everything you say makes me love you more. You had my heart, weren't you already satisfied?"

'That's an interesting question.'

"...I'm sure I will be," I mumbled.

'You also had my heart. You never needed to lock me in a cage.'

"There you go again," Kenshin said as he placed his hands on the collar of my kimono. "Now don't say anymore."

Kenshin opened my kimono and then he traced his warm, silk-smooth fingers down my exposed skin. I moaned in the intensity of the feeling, tightening all over. That only encouraged him. No sooner than I'd be writhing from the sweet pleasure of his touch. Then Kenshin would kiss me as if to heighten the stimulus I felt.

'He's amazing. Kenshin, oh Kenshin, I wanted this...'

I gave my body over to his commanding touch, letting him rule over me as my thoughts dissolved.

"Are you crying?"

"Not...what you're thinking...it's all right...I promise..." I panted as I said this.

He kissed the warm drops that ecstasy and release had brought.

"As long as you never cry for anyone else. I forbid it," Kenshin said as he placed his hand on my cheek. "I want you to be mine. Every teardrop of yours is mine."

"All yours, I promise."

Then Kenshin took me all at once, leaving me trembling to my core.

"I have your word?"

"Yes you do, I'm yours..."

'If it comforts you, then I'm yours..'

As Kenshin continued to assault my neck, I helped him out of his clothes before running my hands over his back and chest. I moaned and shivered under his touch until he held my hand and entering inside of me making me squeak in pain.

"Alexis..!"

"I'm okay..." I whispered to Kenshin before I kissed his cheek. "Just go easy on me..."

Kenshin nodded his head before I felt his heat entering inside of me again and this time, it was less painful and it became more pleasurable. Kenshin held onto my hand as we made love and he left kisses on my neck, cheek and my lips. 

"Kenshin..." I moaned out as I held onto him for dear life.

"Alexis..."

We called out each other's names as we reached our limit. We panted in exhaustion and then Kenshin placed his hand on my cheek before he spoke up.

"...Never leave me, Alexis..."

It was an order, it was a plea. It was a distant cry from a mournful wilderness. I held him closer in answer. We held each other throughout the night after the night of pleasure we spent.