• CHAPTER 151 - PROGRESSION AND DEGENERATION

    As one gets better, the other becomes worse...

    Hearing the news about Kira starting to recover didn't excite me nearly as much as when kai and me stood outside of his bedroom. Hand-in-hand, we started to prepare ourselves. Neither of us knew how Kira looked or exactly how sensitive he was to the scent of blood, especially my blood. It was infallibly dangerous for me to approach him but everybody knew how much I wanted to see him. Kai was probably more anxious than I was; he hadn't seen his brother since the day he was shot.

    "Remember..." Kai lectured me, looking down at me as we stood anxiously outside of Kira's room, "we don't know how he will react to your blood. Stay beside me at all times."

    I nodded, "Hopefully his reaction won't be as bad as last time, since he has a little more sanity now,"

    Kai leaned over and kissed me on the head, "I trust you,"

    I took the honor of turning the doorknob and slowly opening the door. Once we stpped inside, the first thing we saw was Kira lying on his bed and he was propped up a little with numerous pillows. The thin tube was still in his mouth, transferring blood from the blood bag down his throat and into his stomach. He, surprisingly, wasn't as pale as before, but still pale as a Vampire. The purple veins that were once isolated through his chest were gone except for a few veins around the gun wound, which was bandaged over. The curtains were still drawn shut to, assumably, decrease his sensitivity to the sunlight.

    Orihime smiled in our direction and leaned down to Kira's ear, "Kai and Arisa are here," she whispered with her angelic voice.

    After a short moment of waiting in silence, Kira inhaled deeply and groaned a little. I stiffened a little in fear, only to realize Kira was merely trying to wake himself. Kai urged me forward, tugging me gently by my elbow. We inched towards the edge of the bed on the side Kira was sleeping on. Orihime blindly moved out of the way as I slowly seated myself next to Kira with Kai's permission.

    "Kira?" I asked nervously with a rising voice. "Kira, it's Arisa..."

    Kira groaned quietly again, moving his head side to side. After another moment, my heart leaped into my throat after seeing the slivers of deep blue eyes from Kira. I smiled widely while wanting to cry at the same time. Kira finally opened his eyes after almost two weeks. I could feel the same significant relief as I felt when Takeuchi finally opened his eyes. As my smile grew, Kira's own lips--with the tube still in place--stretched into a wide smile as well. Orihime closed off the opening of the blood bag and the blood stopped flowing through the tube.

    "Hey, kiddo," Kira responded hoarsely. He opened his hand weakly and I took it in my own.

    I wanted to embrace Kira around his neck, but I didn't want him to go berserk again. Instead, I kissed Kira's hand and closed my eyes, "I'm happy you're recovering,"

    "I--" Kira started but he started coughing, feeling for the tube taped to his cheek.

    "Arisa, you might want to avert your attention," Orihime warned as she removed the tape.

    I caught on immediately and looked away in Kai's direction. I couldn't hear much until Kira coughed--almost hacking. Once I looked over at Kira again, he was wiping a drop of blood off of his mouth and sitting himself up a little more. The bandage on his stomach was a little more noticeable, much larger than the bullet wound itself. Did the miasma possibly eat through his skin?

    "Hey, baby brother," Kira greeted Kai with a smile. "Gotten lucky yet?"

    Kai frowned, "Good to see you haven't dropped dead yet,"

    I backhanded Kai's chest, "Show a little more respect, if you will,"

    "How are you holding up, Kira?" Matsuda's voice flowed as he entered the room.

    "A bit uneasy, but sane," Kira looked at me and smiled weakly.

    My heart instantly plunged, "I can leave if you're uncomfortable,"

    "I haven't seen you since..." Kira frowned, stuck. "How long have I been unconscious?"

    "Almost two weeks," I replied. "I thought you would be unconscious as long as Takeuchi was."

    "That weakling mutt? Ha!" Kira mocked humorously.

    "Kai missed you," I smiled. "More than I did."

    My overwhelming hormones started taking over and tears were brimming my eyes. Kira stared at me sympathetically and I looked down in embarrassment. I was so relieved that Kira was alive and that he was going to pull through. It would take time for a full recovery, but he had all the help he needed.

    I leaned over and gave Kira a warm embrace. I shivered after a moment from the cold radiating off of Kira's bare chest and his broad arms weakly wrapped around me. Everybody sat in silence, even Kai--although it should have been Kai giving Kira a hug. As I was about to pull away, Kira moved some of my hair aside and pressed his chilled lips against my neck. In a moment, Kai pulled me off of the bed and Matsuda held Kira down on the bed--though he wasn't even hesitating.

    "Let's go downstairs," Kai suggested, leading the way before I could protest.

    "Bye, Kira," I beckoned as we left the bedroom.

    "We assumed Kira would endure your embrace, but we assumed wrongly," Kai sighed as we seated ourselves on a couch by the fireplace.

    "I'm sorry," I looked down in shame.

    "You did nothing wrong," Kai smiled sympathetically with purple eyes.

    I furrowed my eyebrows together and stared at his eyes, "Why are your eyes turning red?"

    Kai cocked an eyebrow, "They are?"

    "Are you thirsty?" I interrogated, scooting closer to him.

    Kai wrapped one arm around my waist and leaned in towards my neck, "Perhaps I might be..."

    Kai immediately bit into my neck and I winced a little at the lack of warning. His arm tightened around my waist a little and he continued to drink. I bit my lip, nervous; what would Kira do if he caught the scent of my blood being spilled? As those thoughts were rushing through my head, Kai's arm tightened more around my waist, holding me very close to him, and almost making me run out of breath. He really was thirsty after all.

    After a few more large swigs, Kai forced himself to pull back as I started leaning against the backrest of the couch from excessive blood being taken. Kai cupped my face, not yet wiping my blood from his mouth and chin. Weakly, I smiled at him to show him I was still alive and conscious. Kai sighed, not convinced as he left to enter the downstairs bathroom. He came back into the living room with a box of band-aids and wet and dry washcloths.

    "Could you take me to work?" I asked Kai as he was wiping the blood off of the wound after wiping my own blood off of his chin.

    "I just consumed half of your blood," Kai frowned, over-exaggerating. "You're not well enough."

    "Just give me a bottle of water and I'll be fine," I pleaded. "I don't want to be here so long as I'm bleeding."

    Kai sighed, "You do have a point,"

    "I'll be okay; I'm used to losing blood." I giggled.

    Kai didn't look too amused, seeing as he frowned even more, "Fine, I'll take you," he granted as he stuck the band-aids on my neck. "But you have to promise me you'll wait inside for me, rather than wait outside of the restaurant."

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    After bidding our farewells to the family--promising we'd return after I was done with work--Kai and me headed to the restaurant. I hadn't been to work very often; I was always too hurt to attend. I was surprised Manager Uratada hadn't fired me yet. Of course, if I were to tell her my excuse for being hurt all the time she'd fire me in a heartbeat for thinking I was insane.

    Kai parked his car at the parkade and we left, heading towards the restaurant hand-in-hand. I fondled with his cold fingers as we walked in silence; our walks were usually silent so Kai could listen for any incoming Vampire. I felt safe with him; I felt as though nothing could get me. Kai's grip gradually firmed on my hand until we reached the restaurant.

    As soon as Kai opened the front door to step in, I pulled him back by his hand and stared at him in concern, "Are you sure you're not thirsty?"

    "Why?" Kai asked me.

    "Your eyes are still a shade of red," I sighed, slumping my shoulders.

    "I didn't want you to pass out," Kai chuckled.

    "You took plenty of blood from me. You haven't been feeding, have you?"

    Kai shrugged, "Not exactly,"

    I frowned and ended up sighing, "Maybe you should go out and feed rather than sit at work,"

    "I'll be fine," Kai reassured.

    I shook my head, "No, go," I released his hand. "Take your time, please."

    After another moment of hesitation, Kai gave in. He cupped my face with his rough hands and he kissed me, sending chills up my spine rather than butterflies in my stomach. He kissed my forehead as well, "I'll be back before you're off,"

    "I love you," I looked up at him. "Please try to spare them..." I mumbled, referring to the victims.

    "I will," he kissed me again. "I love you too." And he left.

    As I entered the restaurant, a cloud of gloom overcame me. I was always worried sick whenever Kai would go out to feed; one of the last times he went out to feed was when we were separated in February, and he killed plenty of people. I couldn't even imagine how the families of the victims must have felt...of course, it was no difference with me.

    "Arisa, you're alive!" Manager Uratada greeted cheerfully, cradling her baby Nozomi in her arms behind the counter.

    Yes, I was alive, but I was becoming concerned for Kai's well-being...