First Social and a Waterfall (Private)

Deniel listened to her talk about it, and he didn't feel too well about showing it to her. Not that it was a bad idea, but it was a similar feeling that a person got if they were naked. They didn't want anyone to see. “I see a scar. I see something that is a part of you and what you have gone through.” It wasn't a typical answer, but it didn't necessarily make him feel better. He hadn't "gone through" anything. He just suddenly noticed one day that he had the scar, but he never remembered receiving it. “I see nothing that you should be ashamed of.” Deniel sighed and took one step closer to Alyia. He held his hand out to her, and then placed it on her chests between her breasts. He felt a pulse there, just like he would feel it on himself. The only real difference is that she actually had a heart in there. He didn't. "I am ashamed of it, Alyia. It's one more thing that separates me from a human like you. You have this organ known as a heart...and I am missing mine." Using his free hand, he held Alyia's other hand by her wrist and then placed it back on his own chest again. There was a pulse, but it wasn't made by his heart. It was simply made by magic. "It feels real enough, but it's artificial. It's a spell."

He took his hand off of her chest, but let hers stay there for however long she wanted. "That's not the only thing I'm worried about. I'm worried about why I share so much with you, why I trust you so much, and why I feel the way I do with you. I've never felt this before. Alyia, do you know what it is I'm feeling? Am I ill? Is it normal? Is there something wrong with me?"

Alyia almost took a step back when Deniel took a step forward, but she knew that this was important and that she stood her ground. She felt Deniel put his hand on her chest and as she did she felt her heart speed up. Something that she had felt for the second time in her life and the second time that day. Both for the person standing in front of her. What was so special about him? She heard him talk about how she had a heart and that he didn’t. As he placed her hand on his chest she could feel the beating of his fake heart in his chest. She could feel his hand leave her chest, but that did little to slow the beating of her heart. "That's not the only thing I'm worried about. I'm worried about why I share so much with you, why I trust you so much, and why I feel the way I do with you. I've never felt this before. Alyia, do you know what it is I'm feeling? Am I ill? Is it normal? Is there something wrong with me?" Alyia listened to Deniel as he talked. She knew what he was feeling and she too had never felt like this before.

Looking up at Deniel Alyia opened her mouth. “I don’t think that there is anything wrong with you ‘cause if there is, there is something wrong with me. I’ve shared things with you that I have never shared with anyone else. I have gotten close to you even though I promised myself that I would never get close to anyone. So if there is anything that is wrong with you, it’s wrong with me as well.” The words tumbled out of Alyia mouth unstoppable and in the moment. Continuing her stare up at Deniel she remembered something small about her past. “But, I don’t think that we’re sick or ill. My mother once told me, a long time ago, that if you are unable to keep things away from another person and you feel something stirring here,” Alyia moved her hand on Deniel’s chest, “You like them, whatever that means. She then told me that ‘like’ can grow into love.”

Deniel listened to Alyia answer his curious question because of his ignorance, and he was relieved to know that he wasn't ill. What he was more concerned about was her last few words. "Love". He had heard that before, where did he hear that word? He couldn't help but place his hand on her chest once again to feel her pulse. He closed his eyes tight and listened to her pulse go through his mind. Where have I heard that word before? Deniel's memory turned all the way back to a dream he had one time. A dream where he was inside of a strange, dark place with a mysterious fluid. Where he heard the soft voice of a woman, a very soothing voice. He heard her voice once again, but unlike last time, he could hear 2 of their words. "Love..........Diabolos......." There were words between the two, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out. She was trying to say "I love you, Diabolos". That wasn't the only memory he had of the word.

He opened his eyes once again and looked down at Alyia. The next memory wasn't too far off in the past, he remembered when Virgil talked to him about it. His mentor. "This thing you call 'love', I remember Virgil once told me about it. Is that...is that what I'm feeling for you right now? Is that why my chest feels tight, and my stomach feels...queasy. Alyia, could I possibly.....could I possibly be in love with you?"

Alyia’s heart could not beat any faster or any louder than it did at that moment. Hearing Deniel speak those words all she wanted to do was run. She felt the feeling mutual, but she was scared. Not curious, scared. What would happen if he died of if he decided to leave her. She wouldn’t be able to stand it. Looking into his red eyes despite her wanting to run, Alyia could not move from her spot. Her need to run was dwindling as she looked into his red orbs. It would hurt her more if she left. She wouldn’t be able to see his rare smile and she wouldn’t get his sarcastic remarks every time she did something stupid. Besides it wouldn’t just hut her it would hurt him as well. If he did love her watching the one you love run away and never look back would be painful. She couldn’t do that to him. “I don’t know Deniel. That is for you to decide. I’m not you. But, the way that you are describing what you are feeling sounds like it could be.” Alyia continued to stare up at Deniel. She hadn’t moved an inch.

Taking her hand off of his chest she placed it on top of hers. “I don’t know if you love me, but I know that when I am near you now my heart beats fast. Faster than normal. It’s like I’ve been running, but I haven’t moved an inch. So, by the definition of what I told you of liking someone. I like you. But, I know that it can possibly be more than that.” Alyia removed her hand from on top of his and looked down into the water. “But, I don’t know. I’m scared to love you. What will happen if you leave? Am I to be heart broken? Am I to spend another couple years away from society to get over the hurt? I’m scared.” She lifted her head and looked back at her partner. “I want to love you, and I want you to love me as well.”

Deniel's red eyes gave off something that he had never felt before. It was worry. He was worried that what he said had freaked out Alyia, or made him look like a weirder person than before. He was worried that she might run away from him, never to see each other again. “I don’t know Deniel. That is for you to decide. I’m not you. But, the way that you are describing what you are feeling sounds like it could be.” Deniel thought about it in his head. Was this really love that he felt? It had to have been. No one else in his life ever made him feel like this before. Were anything to happen to her, Deniel would do anything to protect her. And he had a strange drive to protect her, to make sure everything was okay. Then, she shared the feeling she had while she was around him with him. It sounded pretty much like he was feeling right now. His pulse, although he had no heart, was increasing and rising. He was thinking of what to say to her, but she still wasn't done with him. He listened to her, and didn't know what to do. She was scared to be in love with him, and he didn't know what to say. Then, instead of words coming to his mind, a flashback did.



---------

"Love? What the Hell is love, Virgil?"
"It's quite a mysterious thing, Deniel. I'll explain it to you another time."
"Huh? What about a kiss, what is that?"
"Well, it's when two people who love each other press their lips against each other."
"Huh!? Why the Hell would they do that!? That's gross!"
"Hahahah! Maybe one day you'll change your mind. Stupid brat..."

---------

A kiss, that's it! Deniel took his hand off of Alyia's chest and then placed them both on her shoulders. "You don't need to want, Alyia. I already do. I...I love you." With that, he leaned his head down so he could connect the lips of him and his partner together for the first time, their first kiss in the middle of a lake. The kiss only lasted a few seconds until Deniel separated them. It was his first time, and, even though he didn't seem to enjoy the thought when he was sixteen, it was a sensation now. "That was...amazing." Deniel's eyes widened, and then he went in to kiss Alyia once again. This one was much longer than the last, and he tilted his head to the side while they kissed.

He didn't know why, but something about this made him feel happy for what seemed to be the first time in his life. He wanted to keep Alyia close to him, and he wanted to do this with her all day. Although, he knew he couldn't. Once again he was forced to separate their lips. He looked down at her with his red eyes, which looked like they were about to water.


"However! It can be a dangerous thing, Deniel! Beware, and whoever you choose, make sure she is safe."

Deniel remembered that from Virgil as well, so he spoke up right away. "Alyia, I love you, but I need to ask you to do something you won't like. Tell no one of our relationship! Even your closest friends! I don't plan on keeping a mystery forever, but even when I'm not, no one can know..." He looked down at their reflections in the lake with his hands on her shoulders still. "I just don't want you to get hurt. There are very evil forces out there, and I know they'll come into contact with me soon. The last thing I want is for them to use you to get to me. Please...please understand."

With Deniel not responding right away to what she had said had made Alyia want to run again. But with Deniel’s hand on her chest she couldn't leave. She looked at his face and watched the wheels turning in his head. As if a switch flipped in his head for him to start moving again his first motion was to put his hands on her shoulders. Worry filled her eyes. Was he pushing her away? ‘No! Please! I love him!’ But her mind process stopped as soon as she heard her partner’s next words. "You don't need to want, Alyia. I already do. I...I love you." What next froze her. Her partner’s face got closer and closer. What was he going to? With his face only a fer centimeters away an image flashed through her head of her parents touching lips. What had her mom called it? ‘A kiss. It’s what people do to show that they love each other.’ He mothers voiced echoed through her head. Was Deniel going to kiss her? When she finally felt something soft against her lips she knew that he had been planning to kiss her. Without a second though the short blonde closed her eyes and started to kiss him back wrapping her arms around his waist. But, the kiss ended not even a moment later. It was too short. Looking at her partner as he pulled his head away from her all she could think about was the electricity that coursed through her body as they kissed. Still getting over her high Alyia could here Deniel say something about the kiss being amazing, she couldn't agree more. Before she could say anything to agree she felt his lips against hers again. Tilting her head to accommodate his head tilt she kisses Deniel back. This one was much longer. But, when they separated Alyia still felt like it was too short. Looking up at Deniel, Alyia saw that his eyes were slightly wet. Her’s were too. She was happy. He loved her back and he didn't leave her.

"Alyia, I love you, but I need to ask you to do something you won't like. Tell no one of our relationship! Even your closest friends! I don't plan on keeping a mystery forever, but even when I'm not, no one can know..." She continued to look at him as he looked down into the water. She didn't know why he wanted to keep it a secret. Was there something wrong with their relationship. With worry in her eyes she listened to what he had to say."I just don't want you to get hurt. There are very evil forces out there, and I know they'll come into contact with me soon. The last thing I want is for them to use you to get to me. Please...please understand."

He was worried for her. There was nothing wrong with her or their relationship. With a sigh escaping her lips she lifted Deniel’s head so that she could look into his eyes. “Deniel, I understand completely,” Alyia told a small smile spreading across her face. “I won’t tell a soul. But, don’t expect that when you run into these forces that I won’t be there with you, as your partner, to give them hell, and have a little bit of fun at the same time.” Her smile turned into a smirk. She might not be able to tell anyone that they were together, but it didn't stop her from being next to him and supporting him. “Besides a secret relationship sounds like fun.” Alyia moved her arms to behind his next before bending his head down so that she could kiss him again.

Deniel's fake pulse couldn't have been faster after he finished telling her the drawback to all of this. He awaited her answer more than anything else, and it satisfied him beyond belief. A huge sigh escaped his lips after hearing her say that she understood. “I won’t tell a soul. But, don’t expect that when you run into these forces that I won’t be there with you, as your partner, to give them hell, and have a little bit of fun at the same time.” Deniel thought about what she said for a few moments. Was it safe for her to be with him? Should he really let her fight such powerful things alongside him? He didn't know. He knew that if their roles would switch he would want to, but he didn't think it was a wise idea. Still, he didn't think that even if he told her "No", she would do it anyway. He thought of what he could tell her. The last thing he wanted to do was risk her one bit, he wanted to protect her as best as he could. Before he could give her a straight answer, she pulled his head down to give him another kiss. He didn't see the harm in it, so he just shrugged and pressed his lips against hers. His arms on her neck made their way to behind her back so he was hugging her at the same time. Although, he had to admit, because of the huge difference in their height, he felt a little weird kissing someone so much shorter than him.

He knew she didn't like it, but he needed to break their kiss again. He moved his head back up straight and licked his lips before speaking again. "I'll tell you what, Alyia. If anything happens to me the way you are out, I want you to leave it to me no matter what. However, when you're A or S rank in the guild and I know you've grown much stronger, than I'll let you battle them with me." Then, Deniel took one of his hands from behind her back and flicked her nose with it. "And from now on, we kiss at my height. Just pull your hands around my neck or jump on me. Whatever works." Deniel looked to his side to see that they had been out for quite a while. The sun was starting to set beside them in the lake. "It's getting late. We'd better get back to Eclipse Soul soon. But thank you for taking me out here, Alyia. It was nice and...I finally found someone I truly care about. You."

Alyia wanted to pout at Deniel's request of her when he met the forces that he was talking about. But, she was going to rank up as fast as she could so that when he did run into the forces she would be able to help him out and assist him. But as she heard him talk about the large distance in height between them Alyia did remove her arms from around his neck and cross them. She already didn't like it when people made fun of her height, but having the one that you love talk about her height it just made her pout and get annoyed. Looking at the sun setting on the horizon she could only agree that they had been out very late and that they should be getting back to Eclipse Soul. Looking back at her black haired partner she smiled. "It was my pleasure, seeing how I too found someone that I cared about." Her smile turned into a smirk and she threw another hand full of water on Deniel before exiting the cool water and slipping her clothes back on. It had been an overall great day. She had pulled a trick, jumped off of the top of a waterfall and found someone that she could care about, despite her promise not to care about anyone.

Final Word Count: 5,085