Vampire Hunter D: Stolen Sunlight

Chapter 22

Leigh awoke feeling more content than she had in months, ever since her arrival in the strange era. When her brain finally shook off the last of the sleep clouding her mind she noticed she was lying on a warm shoulder with an arm wrapped firmly around her waist. One if her legs was thrown across D's thigh and there was very little room between them. She wasn't sure if he was actually sleeping but didn't plan on moving until he stirred.

She lay there for a few moments with her eyes closed, thinking about how she got there in the first place. Her face blushed lightly as she remembered them making love for most of the day before she finally succumbed to sleep. She also remembered the fact that her shields had failed her completely at several points through the day. She now knew that D cared for her. It was not just a matter of attraction or convenience. She also knew it didn't matter in the slightest. The outcome would remain the same. She had a life to get back to if she could, and he had a quest to finish. The thought almost made her want to cry but she held it back and focused instead on what she had in her arms at the moment. The future was an unknown and there was no point in grieving before she had to.

With a slight sigh she finally opened her eyes. The expanse of D's chest took up most of her field of vision. She stayed as still as she could, not wanting to break the spell over them just yet. She contented herself with exploring him with her eyes while she could. Her resolve to not move was broken when she looked to the left side of his chest. She expected a nasty scar there, but the skin was whole and smooth. Without thinking about it she traced her fingers over the spot where he would have been staked. She had no real way of knowing if it just hadn't happened yet or if his amazing healing kept his skin from scarring. It was then that she noticed fine silver lines that traced across his chest and abdomen. There were scars but not the ones she expected to find. She knew it wasn't conclusive, but she had a better idea of what part of his timeline she had arrived in.

Much to her dismay her movement worked as a catalyst. D didn't let go of her waist but rolled over to face her. His hand came up and brushed her hair back, to better see her face. His expression didn't give away anything that he was thinking but his embrace was gentle. When he finally spoke, it wasn't what Leigh was expecting. "Were you looking for something in particular?"

It took her a moment before she realized he caught onto the fact she was tracing his scars. She didn't want to tell him what she had been looking for if it hadn't happened yet, so she was at a loss for how to explain. She didn't want to lie to him either, so she finally settled on part of the truth. "Yes, but it was nothing of importance."

He raised an eyebrow at her response. "Not important?"

"No, not really." She knew she couldn't tell him he was probably going to be staked at some point in his future.

Her thoughts on the matter were interrupted by his voice again. "You felt me yesterday, didn't you?"

His apparent change of subject had her floundering for a moment before she realized he was talking about his feelings. He must have thought that was why she was tracing over the area above his heart. She wished she could ignore him but looked him in the eye before she answered. "Yes. I tried to block it all out but when... when I was... um... totally otherwise occupied, my shields went down." She knew she was blushing but quit trying to hide it.

He didn't say anything, he only looked into her eyes for such a long time that Leigh had to break the silence. "D, it doesn't change anything, and I know it. I care about you too. I can't lie to you about it, but it doesn't change the fact that our lives cannot stay on the same path."

She thought his eyes narrowed for a split second, showing a slight sorrow, before his face cleared again. She didn't have to lower her shields to know that he didn't like the idea any more than she did, but it couldn't be changed. Instead of responding he placed a sweet kiss on her forehead before untangling himself to get up and dressed.