the one responsible for this whole situation.
Takeo knelt beside his mate, looking out of the window at a cherry blossom tree. The small petals blew from the tree, creating pink confetti as it blew in the breeze. “I love you.” He heard a small hitch from Kamiko, but Takeo kept his gaze front and center. “I grew up in Baku. It is a city in the demon realm that houses the worst. My mother left me to fend for myself.” When Kamiko said nothing, Takeo continued, praying his mate was listening to him. “Panahasi took me from there and taught me how to be a true demon warrior.” Takeo swallowed as his fingers curled in on his thighs. “But no one ever taught me how to love.”
“Love cannot be taught, Takeo. It comes from the heart.” Kamiko finally spoke, but it was soft, almost a whisper, and it was filled with anguish. “It lives inside of you, only waiting to be released.” Takeo nodded as he stared out at the tree. He wasn’t going to be forgiven. He could hear it in Kamiko’s voice.
“I had just watched someone die a senseless death. He was just a boy. I was lost, feeling as though nothing made sense in the world. As I walked through a shadow, I begged fate to give me someone that could comfort me, show me that life wasn’t cruel and uncaring.”
“And that’s when you walked out of my closet?” Takeo nodded. “I was terrified, trying my best to comfort you when I really didn’t have a clue what I was doing. You are so small that I feared life would break you. It was you who looked like you needed the comfort.”
“I did,” Kamiko admitted, never once looking at Takeo, his head forward, his eyes staring at the window. “I felt like I died every day that you were away from me.”
Takeo closed his eyes, feeling his heart shatter. “I want to protect you every second of every day. It drives me crazy for you to be out of my sight for even a second.”
Kamiko finally turned and looked at him, his eyes haunted. “But then I will wither and die. I need to spread my wings, Takeo. I stayed safe for too many years. I want to experience life, but I want to experience it with you.”
Takeo didn’t see a solution. He was basically damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. He couldn’t stop needing to protect Kamiko.
It was hardwired into his DNA somehow. But if he continued down the road he was on, he would lose Kamiko anyway. There just wasn’t a way out of the hell he was living in.
This was worse than Baku, worse than hell.
“What do you want me to do, Kamiko?” Takeo whispered. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.” He held his breath as he waited for Kamiko to speak, but no sounds came from the man. Kamiko just went back to looking out the window.
The silence between them lengthened. Takeo began to think that maybe Kamiko didn’t have an answer for him. Maybe there wasn’t one. Maybe Kamiko was right, and they were not meant to be together.
Takeo inhaled a shaky breath and slowly climbed to his feet.
There really seemed only one thing left for him to do. Takeo had to give Kamiko the freedom he seemed to crave so much. Even if it meant he slowly died a painful, agonizing death as his heart was ripped from his chest.
“I am sorry, little flower.” Takeo swallowed hard past the lump of sorrow building up in his throat. He backed up to the edge of the shadows and started to step through them. “I give you your freedom.”
* * * *
Kamiko was going out of his mind. After his cryptic words, Takeo had simply disappeared. No one seemed to know where he was or they weren’t talking. Going back home to Japan seemed like a good idea when Zeus mentioned it, but now, so far away from everyone he knew and loved, it seemed like the edge of hell.
It didn’t help that every time he brought up Takeo’s name, everyone either became really quiet or they changed the subject as quickly as they could. No one would talk about him. And the demons weren’t talking to Kamiko.
He had
Takeo knelt beside his mate, looking out of the window at a cherry blossom tree. The small petals blew from the tree, creating pink confetti as it blew in the breeze. “I love you.” He heard a small hitch from Kamiko, but Takeo kept his gaze front and center. “I grew up in Baku. It is a city in the demon realm that houses the worst. My mother left me to fend for myself.” When Kamiko said nothing, Takeo continued, praying his mate was listening to him. “Panahasi took me from there and taught me how to be a true demon warrior.” Takeo swallowed as his fingers curled in on his thighs. “But no one ever taught me how to love.”
“Love cannot be taught, Takeo. It comes from the heart.” Kamiko finally spoke, but it was soft, almost a whisper, and it was filled with anguish. “It lives inside of you, only waiting to be released.” Takeo nodded as he stared out at the tree. He wasn’t going to be forgiven. He could hear it in Kamiko’s voice.
“I had just watched someone die a senseless death. He was just a boy. I was lost, feeling as though nothing made sense in the world. As I walked through a shadow, I begged fate to give me someone that could comfort me, show me that life wasn’t cruel and uncaring.”
“And that’s when you walked out of my closet?” Takeo nodded. “I was terrified, trying my best to comfort you when I really didn’t have a clue what I was doing. You are so small that I feared life would break you. It was you who looked like you needed the comfort.”
“I did,” Kamiko admitted, never once looking at Takeo, his head forward, his eyes staring at the window. “I felt like I died every day that you were away from me.”
Takeo closed his eyes, feeling his heart shatter. “I want to protect you every second of every day. It drives me crazy for you to be out of my sight for even a second.”
Kamiko finally turned and looked at him, his eyes haunted. “But then I will wither and die. I need to spread my wings, Takeo. I stayed safe for too many years. I want to experience life, but I want to experience it with you.”
Takeo didn’t see a solution. He was basically damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. He couldn’t stop needing to protect Kamiko.
It was hardwired into his DNA somehow. But if he continued down the road he was on, he would lose Kamiko anyway. There just wasn’t a way out of the hell he was living in.
This was worse than Baku, worse than hell.
“What do you want me to do, Kamiko?” Takeo whispered. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.” He held his breath as he waited for Kamiko to speak, but no sounds came from the man. Kamiko just went back to looking out the window.
The silence between them lengthened. Takeo began to think that maybe Kamiko didn’t have an answer for him. Maybe there wasn’t one. Maybe Kamiko was right, and they were not meant to be together.
Takeo inhaled a shaky breath and slowly climbed to his feet.
There really seemed only one thing left for him to do. Takeo had to give Kamiko the freedom he seemed to crave so much. Even if it meant he slowly died a painful, agonizing death as his heart was ripped from his chest.
“I am sorry, little flower.” Takeo swallowed hard past the lump of sorrow building up in his throat. He backed up to the edge of the shadows and started to step through them. “I give you your freedom.”
* * * *
Kamiko was going out of his mind. After his cryptic words, Takeo had simply disappeared. No one seemed to know where he was or they weren’t talking. Going back home to Japan seemed like a good idea when Zeus mentioned it, but now, so far away from everyone he knew and loved, it seemed like the edge of hell.
It didn’t help that every time he brought up Takeo’s name, everyone either became really quiet or they changed the subject as quickly as they could. No one would talk about him. And the demons weren’t talking to Kamiko.
He had
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