FACADE ( the GazettE Tale )

Chapter Fifteen : Closing the Distance

"The first one who visit you, who was it?"

"Oh... Shou."

The name sounded familiar it made my brows furrowed. "Shou?"

"Our class president."

The fucker has a name.

"I see."

Hamasaki Aya looked down once again, contemplating about something.

"What is it?"

"I... I don't know if I should offer you.. some tea or coffee or something." She murmured.

It surprised me. How she was being hospitable towards me who didn't want any of that. This made me glad though. "No need for that. We should head on and start the project."

"Oh. Okay. Come with me." Hamasaki Aya turned and walked towards the staircase. I followed her.

Coming to her house was one of the hardest decisions I made. At that time when she asked me about this at the clinic, my instinct said no. It was a bad idea, wrong, dangerous, shitty. But my wanting in seeing her pushed me to say yes.

We walked to the carpeted hallway field with abstract paintings, and entered one of the rooms.

The room was carpeted all over, from the floor to the ceiling. It was big as our classroom, as big as my room. It had a lot of amplifiers, speakers and different musical instruments - from drums, guitars, to trumpets, yet dominating the center was the grand piano.

"We have to make a song to perform... Do you have an original piece?" Hamasaki Aya asked.

"No." Yes I did. But I thought that making a song with her would be nice and... risky.

My feet brought me to the piano, and my hands moved flawlessly on it. I started to play. "You play well. Who taught you?"

She watched me from a distance. "My father. but when he died, mom hired someone to teach me."

I nodded in understanding and kept on playing one of my songs.

I felt her eyes still fixed at me, I played the song until the last keys.

"How do we do this?" I distracted her from staring at me.

She blinked, flustered. "I.. uh... I'll play the piano, you sing."

What?!

I was too surprised, I whipped my head to look at her. "Sing?"

Hamasaki Aya bit her lower lip. "I don't know how to sing. So... You do it."

Huffing, I walked back away from the piano and tucked both of my hands in my jean's pocket. "What makes you think that I know how to sing?"

"Well... You're a Matsumoto, you can do anything. So, you do it." I heard a slight tone of authority from the way she said it.

"Are you telling me what to do now?"

Taken aback, her eyes widened. "I... I didn't mean -"

"Are you sure?" I raised a brow. "Just now, I think you are really forcing me to sing."

Blood colored her cheeks, Hamasaki Aya looked away. "I'm not forcing you."

"But you are..." I murmured. The way she looked right now, I couldn't stop myself but to flash in front of her.

She gasped but didn't move. I traced my finger on her blood tainted cheek. "You're wrapping me around your finger again. Making me do something I don't want to."

"I...I'm not..." She stuttered, still staring down the floor. I heard her heart's beat started to go fast.

I remembered we were alone in a room. Her blood's scent started to close in on me.

"Look at me, Hamasaki Aya."

Her eyes instantly traveled to mine. It stayed there and I swam on her browns. It was fascinating how just her gaze could make me fight off the desire my beast had.

She was my tower of strength yet she was also my Achilles heel.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked her. Moving my hand down to her neck, I felt her pulse.

She looked at me with such dedication on her face. "Tell me... why you desire my blood. Why mine?"

The question made me smile. She was too brave and curious.

"This is dangerous you know." I took a step forward, closing the distance between us.

Hamasaki Aya stood unmoving while I leaned my face down her neck and whispered.

"This is more dangerous."

I felt her shuddered but she said nothing.

"Your blood smells uniquely sweet and tasty... a one of a kind." I said on her neck and moved up to her ear. "It's now my favorite scent."

She grasped both of my arms and held tightly.

"Do you really think I won't hurt you?" I moved my head so I could look at her eyes once again.

"Yes." She answered sincerely.

"Do you trust me that much?"

"Yes."

I shook my head down but my lips formed a smile. "You're stubborn you know."

"I'll take that as a compliment." She said, making me chuckle.

When I looked back at her, I found her smiling back at me.

"I want to stay with you and I also don't want to. My beast is always there behind me. If I lose the fight and it took over, I might end you. And I don't know if I can take it - you... not existing."

Her expression changed to wariness. "Are you always fighting it when you're with me?"

I nodded stiffly and it made her looked away.

Gently, I caught her chin with my pointing finger and thumb to make her look back at me.

"You bewitched me since the first day we met. Until now I don't know what to do. Should I stay away or should I stay with you. So I'll let you decide. What do you want me to do, Hamasaki Aya?"

She stared into my eyes and I let myself be consumed once again.

"I want you to fight your beast and stay with me."