In the long run...(Taky!)

[Anonymous]

Her smile disappeared when he began talking about his job making love a difficult (if not impossible) emotion to have. It made sense to her; if you became attached to your target, it would make it very hard to be able to complete your job. That explained things more, his initial reaction, and why he was so against having anything to do with her. Any hostility she still felt towards him vanished, replaced by almost sadness. She could only pretend to understand what he must have felt. She had been around lust and love her whole life; they practically made her who she is. She couldn't imagine who she would be if she wasn't looking for love almost every moment of her life. She just, couldn't comprehend it.

When he looked away, she did as well. She understood now, and she didn't know if the man would ever be able to love, or even like her. She wondered if he'd be able to break his habit of canceling people out of his life. He wasn't hunting her, wasn't targeting her to kill her, as far as she knew at least. He had no reason to not want her in his life, and she just had to show him that. She looked back at him, seeing that he was also looking back at her. She smiled again, keeping her eyes on his. "I never said you had to love me. I mean, I am sure at some point I wished that, but I was simply saying I didn't understand why you were so against talking at all. I understand now, sort of. But even now you seem...hesitant. And you know, at any point, you can kick me out. I will understand. Just tell me to go and I will." Her smile vanished again, her heart sinking slightly. She hoped he would allow her to stay, but it was his choice, and she couldn't stop him if he wanted her gone.

[Anonymous]

Zephyr looked surprised. It was one of the few emotions that Cosette had seen from him so far. He sighed long, letting all the air out of him. He looked into her eyes and said, "You....wanted me to love you?" He didn't think she wanted such a thing; he just thought all she wanted was to have him and her in bed. He didn't think she cared if he loved her or not. He wondered if she really did mean that. His gaze softened for the first time since meeting her. "You don't have to leave." He went to Cosette's side of the bed to get up, and brushed a hand across her cheek. Then, he (Was that a hint of a blush on his face?) walked off to another room in the house.

[Anonymous]

Her heart skipped a beat, her stomach flipping. Had she said that out loud? Her eyes widened slightly, she held her breath. She didn't realize she had actually spoken. The words were true, but she didn't understand the feelings she was having. She had never really loved anyone...at least not in the nice sense of the word. Any time she had told someone she loved them or wanted them to love her, it had been an act, and she knew that. But this time she said it, and she couldn't deny it, couldn't find the hints that told her it wasn't real.

Her cheeks flushed a slight shade of pink, the closest thing to embarrassment anyone had ever seen from her. She looked into his eyes, smiling sheepishly before looking away. She really did want him to love her, but she didn't know why. Perhaps because he had been so against her? Perhaps because he treated her different than everyone else? Perhaps because she secretly loved him too? She didn't know, and she didn't think she would ever understand. But she couldn't deny her feelings. They were absolutely real. "I-I guess I did..." She looked back at him, biting her lip "...I think I still....do." Her face was completely serious now. She didn't want him to think she was joking. She didn't want him thinking she was making any of this up. She had never been so sure of something in her whole life...or so scared.

She didn't even comprehend when he said she could stay. Her mind was busy thinking about what she was feeling. But then he started moving, moving towards her. His hand brushed her cheek, sending involuntary shivers down her spine. He got up, walking away, and she could have sworn she saw a blush on his cheeks as well. But instead of following him, she stayed where she was, looking at the bed she was sitting on. Had he finally started opening up, truly? She couldn't help but smile as she thought to herself. But she was still scared. What she had thought would be a one nighter with him...could it possibly turn into more? She couldn't be sure. She would never be sure.

[Anonymous]

Zephyr sat down in a chair next to a desk in the room he had entered. He felt dizzy. He couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. He didn't know why he had brushed his hand across her cheek; he didn't know why he wanted her to stay. Why? Why was this happening?

He was not accustomed to any such feelings; it confused him. He never had expected this to happen. He could handle groups of enemies with sharp knives, but not a woman that wanted his love. He looked at the stack of paper infront of him that he used to write his books. Suddenly, he had an idea. Zephyr picked up a pen and paper and began writing and writing. He was going to write her something.

He came out of the room quite a while later, holding a stack of paper with script written all over it. It was very nice handwriting. He entered the living room, with his usual neutral expression. He nodded to Cosette, handing her the stack of paper. "I'd like you to read this." For once, something he wanted her to do wasn't worded as a command. He went into the kitchen to make food for the both of them.

Zephyr had written a little book. It wasn't perfectly edited, but it definatly wasn't bad. The story was about a man, living alone, killing people for a living. It described him as a man who got angry if he couldn't do things the way he wanted it to be done; someone who expected a lot of himself. It said he had lost an eye one day in a fight with an opponent he thought he could take on alone. He had lost a comrade also in this effort.

Then, it said he met a woman one day. It described her as beautiful, more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen. It said he didn't want to meet with her because of his previous solitary life. It said that he was irritated at first, confused as to why she was so determined to bother him. Then, it said he got to know her a little better and realized she wasn't a bad person, even if she didn't know it. At the last page, it broke off from a narrorator into a first person point of veiw. It said,


"I was confused. What was this feeling I had? It was different than anything I had felt before. I realized what it was...

Cosette...I..."

It broke off at the last page, unfinished. Zephyr felt afraid of what might happen. He didn't know anything about love, but he hoped the writing had done something or another to calm his nerves. It didn't do a whole lot, but he was glad that he had communicated something. He was blushing slightly, facing away from Cosette and preparing food for a meal. It was almost done.

Zehpyr just hoped that Cosette would like it.

[Anonymous]

She was now looking at her hands, just...thinking. She didn't know what was going on anymore, and she no longer felt in control of the situation. She no longer felt confident of her actions, and she was no longer sure if she was doing the right thing. But she didn't care anymore. She couldn't turn back now, not without someone getting hurt. And she knew that she was definitely not going to react well to heartbreak. And from what she knew about him, he wouldn't either.

Her head snapped up when he spoke again. She first looked at his face, studying the neutral expression. But her eyes quickly found their way to the stack of papers in his hands. She took the stack from him, holding it in her lap. He walked away, but she paid little attention to that. For now, she just read.

Minutes passed as she read on, feeling her eyes watering up at the description of the man and the struggles he had to go through. It didn't take her long to make the connection between this story and Zephyr's life. A few tears managed to escape her eyes before she could stop them with her hand. But she continued to read.

The tears of sadness turned to tears of what she could only comprehend as joy. He was describing her. She was the woman he was talking about. The tears came more quickly, and as she finished the story part of his writing, she couldn't help but smile. But then she continued reading further, almost confused as the story switched from third-person to first. She realized this was Zephyr speaking to her. She read the last line, filling in the last few words in her mind. Or at least she hoped that's what he wanted to say to her, because otherwise she would feel very foolish in a few seconds.

She set the book off to the side, inching her way to the edge of the bed. She stood up, walking cautiously and nervously over to him. She stood behind him for a few seconds before deciding what she was going to do. "That was...I..." She couldn't think of what to say or at least how to say it. She didn't want to say it was 'amazing' or 'beautiful' because in all honesty, it wasn't. His life wasn't beautiful, and it wasn't amazing. It was sad, it was dark, it was depressing. She understood now why he was the way he was, and she couldn't blame him. But she also saw how she had affected him. She saw how confused he was, how little he understood his feelings. But she didn't know what to say. So she just stood there behind him, looking at her hands.

What could she say?

[Anonymous]

Zephyr stared at the food that he was making. He wiped his hands off. He heard Cosette come up behind him. He stood still when she tried to describe what she felt about the writing. His hands were shaking slightly. Then, they stopped. He turned around in a swift motion that was completed in the blink of an eye. That moment, he had decided. He wouldn't hide his feelings anymore. He wanted to show her his feelings. He let himself break free of the bonds that had kept him confined for many years. He lay a finger on her lips. "Shhhh...." He was on eye level with her. His visible eye was not making a hardened gaze, but now it was like a black pool. You could get lost in his gaze, in the depths of it.

Zephyr leaned closer to her, whispering into her ear, "There is nothing to be said...I know what you're thinking." He kissed her cheek, then, found himself about to kiss her lips. He wasn't completely sure what he was doing, but somehow, it felt right. He kissed her softly on the lips, closing his eye.

[Anonymous]

She just stood there, tears still falling from her eyes. She would never get used to the feelings she had now, but she could only pray it would get easier to understand eventually. She had never felt so confused about anything in her whole life, not even when she was younger. She had always had some sort of idea about what she was going to do next, but right now she was just making up each move, guessing with what would be a good 'next step'. She didn't like the feeling, but she didn't want it to stop.

Zephyr spun around quickly and Cosette's eyes just looked up into his, sadness and confusion clear in them. She felt weak and vulnerable, but she stood where she was anyways. Her breathing was shaky as she stared into his one good eye. It seemed to go on forever, and she was entranced by it. She froze, refraining from any breathing or movement as he whispered in her ear. He kissed her cheek, surprising her immensely. She had never expected him to show her any sort of emotion, especially not that kind. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. She was about to say something to him when he did something that surprised her even more.

He kissed her lips. She inhaled sharply just before he did. She stood, still as can be, all muscles in her body tensed. Completely unexpected and very surprising, especially coming from him. But she soon melted into the kiss, touching her hand to his face, the side without the bandages. She pulled away, but only for a second. She looked in his eye again, seeing exactly what she was feeling in them; confusion, attraction, even a little fear. But she no longer cared. She pressed her lips to his again, more passion put into it, but still soft and sweet like before. The tears fell more, and she found herself crying while she kissed him. She wasn't going to question why the tears were falling, knowing she wouldn't find an answer. Nothing was making sense anymore, but at least they were on the same page with their feelings.

Finally.

[Anonymous]

Zephyr slowly wrapped his arms around her, not questioning his actions any longer. He began to kiss her with a passion he himself was not aware he had. It was like a barrier had broken and he just let the emotion flow. It felt like he was being re-arranged from the inside. He pulled away and released her. He wasn't used to this; it was pleasant somehow, however. He turned around, and said quietly, "Well, I guess you've done your side of the deal..." He walked into the living room, sitting on the bed/couch. "I'm sorry if I hurt you by ignoring you so bitterly earlier." He looked away, a more than faint blush on his cheeks. He said, "So, it's my turn to do my side of the deal...huh?"

[Anonymous]

She couldn't control herself anymore. She began to kiss him less gently, more passion being added. She didn't feel like being soft, safe and withheld any more. She had worked hard to get this far with him, and even though she wasn't expecting to feel this way about him, she still wanted him just as bad as when she first saw him. She entwined her hands in his hair, pulling him towards her as much as possible. But when he pulled away, she followed suit, not wanting to truly freak him out when she was sure he wasn't used to this. She just had a way of...rushing into things. Call it instinct...or practice.

She dropped her hands to her sides, watching as he walked back over to the couch. She stood where she was, just smiling at him, no longer crying. She wiped her eyes. She looked at the food in the kitchen. "You don't want to eat?" She smirked walking over to him, a bit more bounce in her step than before. She smirked at him. "I guess I did win didn't I? And if you are willing to stick with the deal, than sure." She took a seat on his lap, straddling his waist. "It's your turn." She smiled slyly at him. Her fingers traced one of the scars on his face, her mouth very close to his. Her eyes danced across his face, filled to the brim with lust. Her hands trailed down his chest, brushing lightly against his skin.

 She was just about to kiss him when she put both hands on his chest and pushed him back so he was lying on the bed. She stood up and sat next to him. "I'll get my part of the deal some other time." She giggled at him, lying back so she could look him in the eye. "For now I think you should eat, and I need to think some things over." She smiled genuinely at him, eyes still holding onto his. He didn't seem to want her to go anywhere, and she didn't want to just sleep with him once and call it a day. She could wait until a...more appropriate time to get her pay. For now it would just stay the way it was; a mutually friendly, love/hate relationship.

Something different.

[Anonymous]

He was still looking away when Cosette came over and took a seat on his lap. His eyes widened. He wasn't expecting that. He was expecting something, but being inexperienced, he didn't know exactly what to expect. His lips parted in surprise.

Suddenly, he was pushed on his back. He grunted. He looked rather annoyed now. He sighed. "Really." He then looked at her smile and couldn't help smiling a little in return. He got up and went to get the food he prepared. He put another plate out for her and began to eat. He was giving her something of a sideways look, as if she were going to do something he didn't expect any second.

He started walking away when he decided to get a little 'revenge'. Out of nowhere, he pinned her against a wall in a way that seemed half like a fighting move and half romantic. He took both her hands in his, staring into her eyes deeply. He leaned closer, his lips almost meeting hers...

Then, he whispered, "Two can play at this game, Cosette." He sounded rather amused.

[Anonymous]

She felt sort of bad for teasing him like that, but it was amusing. She continued smiling at him, but when he got up to grab his food, she sat up as well. She got up and followed him to the kitchen, smiling the whole time. It was entertaining, his reaction to her acting that way. Acting? Was she really acting? No she was being herself...maybe? Either way, she did rather enjoy how he seemed almost frightened by her movements. It would keep him on edge around her...and that she liked.

He offered her food and she would have taken it, but she didn't want to bother him. But he already had a plate set for her, so why not. She smiled at him, walking to go grab her plate for breakfast. Her stomach growled slightly at the food, and it would be good to have something in her stomach. She wasn't even paying attention to what Zephyr was doing.

So it made her gasp when he took her and pinned her against the wall. It happened so quickly, she wasn't even sure she knew what had happened. But in a split second, she was against the wall, her hands held above her head by his. She struggled slightly out of instinct before settling down. She opened her eyes and saw Zephyr very close to her face. Well he had changed pace quite a bit, not that she would say she didn't like it. In fact, she liked when they played these games with her. She would give him a little satisfaction of holding her hostage to his grip. She looked to the side, a worried look on her face, biting her lip ever so slightly. He spoke in her ear and she shivered.

An involuntary smirk came across her face, and she turned to look back at him. Two could play at that game, but he was a mere student facing the master. She had invented this game. She looked up at him, her eyes once again meeting with his, staring deeply into it. "Do your worst." She smirked more, her eyes at the peak of lustfulness. He could try surprising her again, but nothing much surprised her anymore. Granted he had shocked her with his move to get her against the wall; perhaps he would have more tricks up his sleeve.

What a little trickster.

[Anonymous]

Zephyr released her, walking away and facing away from her. He said, "You want me to do my worst, huh..." Then, he whipped out a number of knives and flung them at her, all of them landing perfectly, pinning her against the wall. But, not hurting her. He walked over to the now immoble Cosette and kissed her breifly on the lips. "This is it." As he walked off, the room spun, turning into nothing...

Magic. That's what it was. There was nothing left. After what seemed second of going black, she would find that the house was gone, not a trace left. Or, of him, Besides a little letter written and stuck into place on the ground with a knife, saying, "I won". Zephyr, in reality, was quite a distance away. He was smirking to himself, covering his tracks, and being the sneaky little bastard he felt like being. He didn't have much a chance to do 'fun' stuff like this, and he found it amusing. He didn't think she would find him. By the time she even found a trace, he would be in another town. He sighed, contented with this. None of this meant he didn't like her; he was just playing games; doing his worst.

[Anonymous]

She was once again surprised, almost upset, as he released her. She was hoping for more of a battle, more of a fight. But he just, gave up. She frowned at him, losing some hope in his ability to match her in the game she wanted to play. Maybe he wasn't up to her standards.

But then he whipped out some knives, flinging them at her. She could only let out a small shriek as the knives formed around her, pinning her to the wall she was standing by. She didn't have time to move, and honestly she didn't really want to. She feared getting stabbed by one of the fast moving knives, but they merely pierced her clothes and held her fast against the wall. She didn't understand why he had done that...not initially at first. But he walked over and kissed her on the lips, and she found herself unable to move with him as he walked off.

All at once it clicked. The realization came first, followed by shock, followed by rage. He was leaving?! What the hell?! She struggled against the knives, but none of them were budging. She grew more irritated when she realized what his intentions were. She didn't have time to say anything before the walls started spinning. Soon everything vanished, leaving Cosette in a very high state of confusion. She would have thought she had imagined it all if it hadn't been for the note on the ground. Those two words held Cosette to her memories. They fueled her want, her need to find this man again. And so the hunt begins.

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Never in all her life did she think she'd ever find herself in the city of Ketra. But she wasn't about to doubt her senses. After several months of following his trail, her senses brought her here. His trail was a hard one to find and follow, but she did it. He was here. Somewhere. She glanced around the streets from the rooftop she was perched on, finding the direction that the signal was the strongest, the direction she'd be able to go in and find him. She would find him, and she would get her revenge.