Heart wrenching Regrets <33

[Acerina "Ace" Lamielle]

Ace looked up as Dante came out and followed his gaze as he crouched down and moved closer to her. As he looked at her he seemed thankful and... and Ace couldn't guess what else. She moved her hands to brush through his hair and over his cheek. Even though she was worried about him leaving, for a moment she forgot her worries by just being close to him.

Then he mouthed that he wouldn't go, and the whole weight of her worry lifted. Tears really sprang to her eyes, but they didn't fall. They merely glazed her eyes over. She suddenly leaned forward and pecked him of the lips very quickly, in a friendly, thankful manner. She was surprised to see how happy she felt to know he wasn't leaving and how scared she had felt thinking he might.

Her hands found his and she held them for a moment before laughing and glancing away. "I'm sorry. I just... after being angry with you for so long and then finally resolving it... the thought of you leaving so soon after... it made me upset." ... Why did she admit that? She coughed nonchalantly and then pushed Dante away a little so she could get up. "Maybe I shouldn't have enslaved you... it just seems to be confusing me to no end."

"I'm sorry..." Why did she keep saying that? Why was she apologizing for enslaving him and blaming his enslavement for her current confusion? She just... didn't understand. Nothing made any sense right now. "I don't not want you around. Don't take it like that. I'm just mixed up." She sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hand.

[Dante "Pet" Leo]

His eyes suddenly snapped open again. He had begun to fall into some sort of reverie, until he was violently pulled out of it by the feeling of something soft on his lips....her own lips perhaps? He saw her pull away and concluded that she had actually kissed him. Lightly, surely, but the simple thought of it made his heart skip a beat, since it couldn't go any faster due to their closeness.

Don't read anything into it... he ordered himself. Sure, the kiss the day before could be interpreted differently, but he forced himself to think of it merely as a 'friendly' kiss. Perhaps it was because he had told her he wouldn't leave? It was obvious now...she didn't want him to leave, even though she said she would let him. He felt as though she depended on him in some strange sort of way, but then again, he was growing dependent on her too...but for what?

He watched her get up and remained close to the floor, pouting slightly as she left him. He listened to what she had to say, but the sudden idea that she might feel regretful about having enslaved him struck him. She was confused, but then again, so was he.

He stood up finally and walked over to her. "Well how about this" he smiled....or more like, half smirked. "I'll be you're pet" he lodged his head in the space between her jaw and shoulder, rubbing his lips gently against her soft skin "But I'll be you're friend too... and when you don't want me around, I'll go home."

Being her pet had offered some unexpected advantages, notably being able to remain so close to her physically...hopefully without reprecution.

But this can't last forever you know.... he couldn't stay here forever. Even if she didn't get bored with him after a month, he would become older after some time, and eventually, whether it was from age or the unhealthiness of remaining indoors, he would die. But he was looking too far ahead. For now, he gently took her hand in his, as she had done a few moments ago, and inhaled deeply.

[Acerina "Ace" Lamielle]

Dante walked over to her and Ace noted the smirk like expression on his face. She couldn't help but smirk in return. It was amusing to see him like that. He was just so darn handsome. Ace raised an eyebrow at her own thought process. Handsome. Well, there was no denying that he wasn't ugly. Still... when had Ace started thinking like that about males?

She had little time to dwell on it as Dante moved against her, his lips brushing over her skin lightly between her shoulder and jaw. She shivered at the connection and at his words. He'd willing stay her pet if he could also be her friend? So long as he was allowed to go home when she didn't want him around...? Ace tilted her head to the side a moment and then caught herself and turned around as Dante took her hand.

She regretted it though, because as she turned around all these thoughts came rushing to her. She squeezed his hand a little tighter, suddenly very afraid for no reason. It made her physically ill, this fear. She couldn't guess what was bothering her so much though. Instead Ace pushed the feeling aside the best she could and hugged her pet. She rested her cheek against Dante's cheek and sighed. "Whatever you want pet. I'm happy with that."

'For now...' Something in the back of her mind chimed in. That ominous tidbit made her skin crawl in a ... good way... It instilled a sense of want and need in Ace. She stroked Dante's cheek as she drew her head back and then looked out the window. "You know... speaking of going home... If you want to visit the mortal village... you can. I have some things to attend to today unfortunately, so you'll have some free time."

[Dante "Pet" Leo]

She turned around to face him and he didn't really know what to do. He simply stayed without moving, feeling her body against his and her gentle touch upon his face. There was something going through her mind, he could tell, and for once, he wished he could read minds. He wanted to know what she was feeling, he wanted to feel it with her. He wanted her to feel the way he was feeling right at that moment. I'm crazy he thought to himself desperately.

He was suprised at what she was offering him. The freedom to go home, at least for a visit. He thought about it. It would give him an opportunity to tell his friend he was alright, if the guy even cared. No....he probably did, after all, even if he had that 'tough guy' act, he did care about Dante somewhat, as an old friend.

Dante's hands smoothly slipped around her waist, his arms tightening around her as he lifted her against him slightly. It was almost as if to say thank you, but he decided to show it rather than say it. But suprisingly, he didn't really want to go back home right now. He hadn't really had the time to think about it too much, and he did like to think about things.

"I want to know" his voice was muffled by her clothes as he set her down gently but kept her close "What are you thinking right at this moment, apart from not wanting to tell me what you're thinking" he smirked into her neck, having a feeling that she wouldn't really want to tell him.

[Acerina "Ace" Lamielle]

Ace felt a pleasing chill run through her nerves as Dante pulled her closer. She really liked when he held her close. She loved the feeling of being so close to him, skin against skin, limb against limb. She had an urge to kiss him again, but she resisted. She had promised him that wouldn't happen again. No matter how much she wanted it.

When he asked what she was thinking the first thing to pop into her head was about kissing him. She certainly didn't want to tell him about that. She remained close, her lips out of sight as she noticed they still pursed a little at the thought of kissing him. "Nothing. I'm just enjoying quality time with my pet and that's all that's occupying my thoughts."

Well, generally speaking, that wasn't a lie. Kissing fell under the quality time title. Ace chuckled a bit to herself and wrapped her arms around him, her hands subtley moving over his back and sides. She didn't want to leave and go do what she had to. The kingdom could wait. All Ace had done for the past several years was worry about the kingdom's well being. Especially with Nollie's occasional... lapses. She was fair, and smart... but that didn't mean Ace didn't worry and wait for the day she snapped entirely.

It may never happen, but if it did Ace had to be ready to take action. She'd die before seeing the kingdom fall apart... mainly for her sister's sake. It was all that was left of the last king. Ace wasn't sure that that meant much to her sister as she had never asked... but she guessed that it meant a lot. Everything perhaps. Still... one day wouldn't hurt. It wasn't even that important. She just had to go see an advisor about some business the merchants of the kingdom wanted to do outside of it.

"What are you thinking?"

[Dante "Pet" Leo]

He breathed in deeply, trying desperately not to react as her hands passed over his sides. It felt so good and his heart raced yet again. He closed his eyes as his head rested on her shoulder, but he had just given it away that he was ticklish....Oh well. It couldn't hurt for her to know that. Could it? Nah...she wouldn't torture him about it like some people did.

He was pleased with her answer, but for some reason not really satisfied. He felt that however much of a hint she gave him...he just wanted more and more of her. He wanted to be closer, he wanted to know her mind. He was stupid to want that, and he knew it, which is why he never actually pushed it, except for subtles clues such as the question he had asked. He smiled and gently pressed his lips against the bottom of her neck again, this time not hesitating to kiss her even onto her shoulders.

But then the question was turned against him. Of course that was the most predictable thing she could have said, but for some reason he hadn't prepared for that. He couldn't very well tell her the truth. She would probably hit him. Or worse.

"That I love the way you smell." he realized how stupid that sounded. I'm such an idiot he thought immediately after he had said it. He felt compelled to continue "And -- that -- I -- like -- kissing -- your -- neck." each word was separated by yet another soft kiss.

"And that you're absolutely beautiful" that hadn't been in the line of things to say. He then stopped his kisses and simply held her tighter, resting his head, with the desperate hope that she would react well to what he had just said.

occ: uh... *cough* sry... some of that sounded wrong...

[Acerina "Ace" Lamielle]

Ace was surprised to feel Dante's lips at her neck. She shivered ever so slightly and tilted her head a fraction of an inch. In the front of her mind she hoped he would stop. This wasn't proper behavior for a demon princess. However, the back of her mind made her hold tighter to his waist and move a bit closer.

It was worse when Dante said what he was thinking. Maybe she shouldn't have asked. "That I love the way you smell and -- that -- I -- like -- kissing -- your -- neck." Ace felt her breaths shorten and her heart race. Those words... she'd never heard them before and while they were nothing overly romantic... they really screwed with her emotions. She pulled him closer still and tilted her head more without thinking about it.

Then she heard the words that set her whole body afire. "And that you're absolutely beautiful." Sure, she'd heard that before from many men, but it had never made her react like this before. She moaned sortly and moved to kiss his neck, but before her lips reached it her brain kicked in. 'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! You can NOT act this way, Acerina. He's a human. This is stupid. You're stupid! Push him away NOW!' And that was what she did, she pushed him away, her claws digging into his flesh as he started to lean against her.

"No! This can't keep happening." She slapped Dante and shoved him again. "Friends. Isn't that what we said? Isn't that what we agreed to? You said you were happy with that so don't do that stuff. Don't kiss me. Don't say I'm beautiful. I don't want to put up with that just..." Ace trailed off. 'Just to have my heart broken.' She thought dismally. God, now she was even thinking about her heart breaking. She'd never thought that possible before.

She'd always been too strong for that. No one could touch her, she was unbreakable. Impenetrable. Her heart was untouchable. Then Dante sauntered into her life and everything was falling to pieces. She couldn't take it. She had to go take care of that business for the kingdom, something to take her mind off of him. She started for the door quickly. "Just friends, we said, pet. Don't make me abolish even that..." She tried to stay firm, but her voice was strained at the thought.

[Dante "Pet" Leo]

Friends

What a hateful word.

He felt her pull him closer, and it was as though his mind was floating freely in the air. There was no other thought but this moment, this smell, this blonde hair, this body, this person, this demoness, this princess, this creature who was causing turmoil in his mind yet he couldn't even think about the idea of leaving her. Not that he could really think about anything right now. They probably had been standing there in an embrace for countless minutes, but it really didn't matter to him. He had lost track of that a long time ago.

Her hands left his sides.

He was torn away from that fantastic dream with the sudden push of her hands which penetrated his skin. He was so shocked, neither his mind nor body were able to react in time. He had hoped this wouldn't happen, but he had forgotten about that possibility after she had pulled him closer. He had actually allowed himself to think that she was...happy with what he was doing. He had allowed himself to think that he had the right because she wanted him to tell her what he thought. Idiot.

She slapped and shoved him again, and he fell to the ground, back against the bed. It wasn't because he was hurting or stumbled really...although he was clutching his chest as a spurt of blood seeped into his shirt. No, he had just been in such a wonderful dream...and pulled out of it so suddenly, that he felt crushed in a sense, so much that he felt he couldn't hold himself up anymore.

Just friends, we said, pet. Don't make me abolish even that...

Those words hurt way more than they should have. He knew what he had said. He knew what that curel word 'friends' meant. It was just one of those things where he had been satisfied at the moment...and now he was almost regretting what he had said. Did he want to be more than friends? Was that it? Dante stared at the floor, seemingly in horror at what he had done. He had promised...or at least somewhat.

He said nothing. What could be said after all? He wasn't going to apologize. He couldn't since he didn't actually feel sorry for what he had done. He couldn't tell her the truth. She would probably kill him. He sat there for a moment, and then found the strength to stand. He glanced toward her, clearly dissapointed...but in himself.

He began walking toward the bathroom, all while taking off his shirt which had been spoted with read. He didn't bother to close the door, simply remained silent and gloomy as he turned on the cold water and wiped the blood off his chest.

I won't do that again. he swore to himself I will be her friend only....friend means friend. Even if it kills me. But the fact was, it would hurt more to be apart from her than anything else. He knew that, and tried to comfort himself in the fact that he hadn't been kicked out.