My Beloved

Chapter 7

   "Where are you taking me Haku?" Chihiro asks softly as she allows me to guide her out of her house and down the street. Her hand is securely gripped within mine and I pull her along behind me. "Are you going to talk to me or what?"
   "It's a surprise." I grin secretly as I start heading down the hill. Her feet shuffle hurriedly against the gritty concrete. "Come on, I know that you'll love this." I hear her mutter something under her breath and her feet stumbling across the uneven ground. I glance back at her and see that her eyes are trained firmly on the ground with such focus that I can't help but smile at her adorable expression. Never again will I see that beautiful face stained with tears, not as long as there is still breath in my body.
   "Haku." She gasps as her arm suddenly goes slack and she falls into my back. I come to a screeching halt and wrap my arms quickly around her form without a second thought. Her body is flush against mine and her face is a deep red that is emanating so much heat that I can almost feel it through my clothing. I smile down at her and gently rub my fingers through her hair sweetly, patiently waiting for her to meet my gaze. "I'm sorry." She murmurs softly as her fingers curl into the fabric of my shirt.
   "There is nothing to be sorry about."I whisper in return. She fidgets slightly in my arms as the seriousness of our situation once again takes hold of us both. I wrap my arms around her tightly, holding her close for a moment, reveling in her presence. I fight the urge to plant a gentle kiss a top of her head as I slowly release her. She looks up at me curiously for a moment, her dark eyes seeming to pierce my soul with their beauty.
   "Let us continue." I mutter softly. She merely nods slowly in response before allowing me to retake her hand and lead her away from this road. Seconds blur into minutes and minutes into mere heartbeats as the hot pitch of concrete turns into the soft and cool presence of grass.
   "What is this?" Chihiro whispers in surprise. "I know this place, there should be a road here and right over there should be a bunch of apartments." I remain silent and smile slightly at the wonder that I hear in her voice. It would seem that my surprise is having a great response with her. "Haku what is this place?"
   "It's good that you can see it too." I answer warmly as I stop and turn around to look at her. Brown eyes are looking up at me in confusion and brilliant sunlight are reflecting  in those beautiful depths. I can't help but bring my hand up to her cheek and run my fingers over the soft skin that resides there. She closes her eyes and her lips part slightly as she revels in my touch. "This place is a gift for you, but I was uncertain that you would be able to see it if you were still angry with me."
   "What do you mean?" She whispers, her eyes remaining closed. I run my thumb slowly over her bottom lip and I hear the soft and gentle catch of her breath in her throat.
   "This place is a portal to my world, and the only one who will have access to it is you and myself." She peeks up at me from beneath her lashes and I have to fight the strong desire to kiss her. Her beautiful expression tempting me beyond all limits of reason but I have to control myself. "The only way for you to enter it is to think of me, and the love you hold for me will allow for the gateway to open."
   Her eyes open and she brings a hand up to rest on top of my own, gently pulling it away from her face. She looks into my eyes intently, her lower lip pushed out slightly into a serious expression that only makes me love her more.
   "Was this gift a test? To see if I still loved you?" She asks with a seriousness that seems to weigh her down like an anchor.
   "No." She looks at me warily for a moment. "I am trying to show you that even though I was wrong in the past and wasn't always forthcoming with you that I can be open with you and share everything with you. There will be no more secrets and no more lies."
   "How do I know that you truly mean that?"
   "Because if you didn't believe in me you wouldn't have been able to come here." I open my palm and a small white flower with sea foam green accents begins to form and blossom in my hand. Chihiro stares down at my palm in wonder and I can't help but smile at her expression. I gently weave the flower into her hair, cradling her cheek in my hand and pressing my forehead gently against her own. "My words are as true as my love for you Chihiro. It will never die nor fade."
   "Haku." She whispers softly.
    "I love you Chihiro and now you can always reach me no matter what world we are in." I nuzzle her cheek softly. "There are no distances that we cannot cross and no more secrets that will seperate us. I can only hope that you can forgive me for what I have done to you for such a long time."
   "I..."
    "You don't need to answer now, but I can only hope that I can earn your forgiveness someday." I press my lips softly against her own and she doesn't pull away. Her lips slowly dance along with mine to a rhythm that only the two of us can feel.