I turn my rigid body around to see Bruce and Damian exchanging hellos. I never wanted to see his drooping eyed face again let alone have to stand here and talk just to act like nothing happened.
"Hello Kuryen." He purred my name just as he had only a few mornings ago. My lower lip trembled and he must have seen because his mouth rose into a crooked smile. He disgusted me.
"You didn't learn the last time you said my name like that!" I said in an aggressive whisper not wanting to attract attention. What was wrong with him I thought to myself; he still had the marks I had made on his face with my fingernails.
"Perhaps you have changed your mind on my little...offer." He said stepping closer to me. I had had enough I wasn't doing this anymore.
"That was not an offer." I said staring into his eyes with a cold unforgiving glare. I stood in front of him staring him down waiting for him to back down. He never did.
"Kuryen he did it didn't he? He tried to rape you!" Damian roared "You were stationed here to protect the people not degrade them!" he spat getting in Bruce's face now. "You touch her again and you will deal with me!" he yelled in his face pushing him making him fall backwards. "Come on Kuryen Lets go home." He whispered grabbing me and holding me; which I didn't realize I wanted until he did it. We walked the rest of the way home in silence; I was going over the past few days in my head trying to figure things out. Damian helps open the door for me
"You go check on my mom please I have to go to the washroom." He said pointing towards his mom's bed room and undoing his belt. I laughed to myself knowing how comfortable we were around each other.
"Ya sure." I say heading towards Alice's room. She used to be such a strong beautiful woman I thought to myself. "Hey Alice it's Kuryen I just wanted to check on you." I whispered touching her shoulder. Nothing. She must not have heard me. "Alice it's Kuryen I just wanted to check on you." I said fairly loud right by her ear. No, No this can't be happening not now, not without Damian. I put my head on her chest and listened to her very faint and very irregular heartbeat. NO! She was doing so well. "DAMIAN! DAMIAN GET IN HERE!" I screamed at him. He was there in less than two seconds.
"What's wrong?" he asked looking very calm which surprised me due to the fact I was a mess.
"It's time Damian, her heart is so weak. It won't be long now." I gasped between sobs. My face was drenched in tears. "I'm so sorry." I said after I stopped crying.
"Its fine Kuryen I knew it was coming...I knew she would have to leave me soon that's why I brought you here to do it with me so I didn't decide to go in the process..." He said trailing off at the end. But I knew what he would have done.
"We will stay till she goes." I said going to grab chairs. I would do everything in my power to make Alice and Damian as comfortable as possible. "Here's a chair." I said to Damian positioning myself right beside him. I sat and held him around the waist well he held his mother's hands in his. I never cried again I just sat there and comforted both of them.
"Damian?" Alice asked.
"Yes mom me and Kuryen are here." He said in a strained voice.
"Oh yeah Kuryen she's the one you told me about the pretty one what a sweet girl. She's a keeper Damian. Now I know it's my time I can see him...I can see god he is waiting for me. I need to go now Damian sweetie you know I always lo...lov...loved you." She said as her final breath left her body and her heart stopped. The sweet old woman I had known with so much vibrancy was gone and behind she left a little boy who was heartbroken. I looked over at Damian he seemed to be in shock. I picked him up and led him to the couch we sit there for a long time in silence until he breaks it.
"She's really gone." He said breaking down into tears. I grabbed him into a hug and held him so tight my arms hurt. We sit there for a very long time him crying and me trying not to. I had never seen Damian cry, not when his brother and father died, not when he fell and broke his leg in 4th grade but now the boy I had thought impenetrable to emotion was breaking apart in front of me.
"Damian stops crying, shh its ok Damian it was just her time she isn't suffering anymore." I say grabbing both sides of his face on the verge of crying myself. His tears stop flowing as I pushed the hair out of his beautiful eyes. He reaches up to his face just as I am about to pull my hands away and traps them there.
"Kuryen thank you so much for being here I can't ever repay you, you want to know something?" he asks looking into my eyes
"Sure." I whisper staring at his pink lips.
"My mom was right you are a keeper and now can I ask you something?" he asked only centimeters away from my face now. My hands were now resting on each side of his neck.
"You kind of just did but I guess I'll allow another question." I say smiling still looking at his lips. I bring my eyes up to meet his and my eyes are locked with his.
"Can I kiss you?" he whispers looking what felt like right into my soul. Before I have time to answer he puts his lips against mine and all in one big rush my body is tingling and I'm twisting myself in odd directions trying to get closer to him. He licks my lower lip asking for entry which I give and he starts to explore my mouth with his tongue. He lays a few soft kisses on my lips then works his way down to my neck kissing the crook of my neck and my collar bones and right above my chest. I feel his fingers slide up my shirt and rub my sides. He sits up after sliding his fingers out from underneath my shirt; I realize he is sitting on top of me in a straddling position. My cheeks turn bright red and my face heats up. He leans down one more time and lays another series of soft kisses behind my ear, on my lips, on the tip of my nose and on my fore head. I push myself up and grab his hands and kissing one of them.
"Wow you really know what you're doing." I say feeling flushed and see the smile spread across his face. He climbs off of me and plops down right beside me holding my hand.
"I am going to go call the doctor to come get your mom ok?" I say getting up. He puts his arm out to stop me.
"No I know where she wanted to go we already had it planned." He said looking at me.
"Ok you get her and lead the way." I say pulling him up. He walks into his mom's room and I hear a heavy sigh. He grabs Alice and heads out the back door towards the fence. I follow him until he stops short of the fence.
"Right here, she wanted to know she had a bit of freedom left." He said with a hard look on his face. I stare down at the pre dug hole in front of me. "Can you take her while I jump down." He says handing his mother over to me. Damian jumps down into the whole and gestures for me to pass him her down. I do so being careful not to fall in myself. He gently sets her down and climbs out. "She was a good woman who never deserved anything less then to live a full life, she was cheated of her husband and last born all she had left was me and lately Kuryen." He said pausing to look at me. "I loved her more than I ever loved anyone else in my family I thought I couldn't live without her but I think I found a way." he said looking at me with sparkling eyes. I smiled back and looked down blushing. When Damian finished his speech we filled in the hole and I covered it with flowers and grass so no one knew she was buried there if they passed by one day.
"Ready to go home?" I asked taking his hands in mine.
"Yes I am." He purred grabbing me so he could tickle me. I laughed.
"Get off me you perv!" I gasped out between laughs. We walked home hand in hand in silence. We went in the back door and Damian headed off into his room and me to the couch as usual.
"Excuse me miss but what you think you're doing?" he asked leaning against the living room doorway.
"I thought it was pretty obvious that I'm going to bed." I said realizing what he was implying I do.
"Fine don't come sleep in a nice warm comfortable bed." He said looking hurt.
"I didn't know I had an invitation to sleep in a bed." I said grabbing my blanket and walking past him to plop down on his bed. I had to go out to the living room to put on my pajama's I decided on a pair of black jogger capris and a white tank top. When I walked back into his room he had made room on his bed for me which I climbed into right away. I nuzzled my head into the crook of his neck and laid my hands on his muscular chest.
"So does this mean were together?" he asked playing with a piece of my hair.
"I'm not sure what it means, how about we just let it run its course and see what happens but if it doesn't work our friendship won't change over it deal?" I asked tracing circles with my finger on his chest.
"Deal." He said. I had to ask him I thought to myself I can't just disappear now not after everything that has happened between us.
"Damian can I ask you something?" I asked biting my lips feeling nervous.
"I believe you just did but I'll allow one more question." He said quoting me from earlier. I could hear the smile in his voice.
"Runaway with me? Beyond the forest, let's go see what is out there. I promised myself I would only stay until after your mother passed and I had made sure you were ok but after everything that happened I can't just leave you behind, but I will if you don't come with me." I say and I can feel myself trembling which I know he can also feel because I feel him chuckle.
"How could I say no Kury." He said kissing the top of my head. I feel an odd jolt of electricity run through me; I am trying to cuddling down closer to him and I wrap my leg around him. All of a sudden I am wiped and feel like sleeping. The last thing I hear before I pass out is an I love you from Damian; I don't know if I respond or not because I am already asleep.