An Untouchable's Love

Tomaru looked at the two girls with a puzzled expression on his face. He could sense there was something going on between the two girls but he couldn’t exactly put his finger on it directly. When Mari and Asara both asked him again about the statue he grinned and looked back at the beautiful workmanship.

“It was created about two hundred years ago. The woman was like us, Untouchable. The man was a Guardian. They loved each other more than anything else and when the war broke out were placed on two opposite sides. Even though their people hated each other they couldn’t be apart from one another. In the end there love caused their deaths. The Guardian protected his beloved, and when he was killed to save her, his murderers killed her as well, ignoring his sacrifice.”

He looked to Asara and smiled warmly. He looked to Mari as well, knowing that she would remember this story as well as he did.

“I brought you here Asara, because Untouchable’s erected this statue to commemorate and always remember the love these two shared. They are proof that our races are not meant to always hate one another. That it was not always this way, and need not always be this way.”

“This statue also stands as a reminder, that we are not any lower than the Guardians. As much as they would like us to believe they are superior.”A shadow seemed to pass over his face as he remembered his father and what he had told him. About his love for Tomaru’s mother, how they had stayed together through everything, and had tried to raise both their children with an understanding and love for both races. This understanding was imparted to Tomaru, but obviously not to his brother.

Tomaru had never told his story to anyone. He had kept his father’s secrets, and the secrets of his family close to him, and not even Mari knew of them. This statue meant more to him than what he had simply told Asara.

((Gah I hate finals!!! Sorry guys!! College life freaking sucks but Im back now.))

Tomaru let himself be pulled along behind the two girls and let them chatter. It was good for Asara to get to know another female, and Mari had always been a good friend to him. However, he was a bit confused why the animosity had suddenly left. It was like they had made some kind of silent truce that he didn’t know a thing about. Add in the fact that he had no clue what they had even been angry with each other about in the first place and you had one confused Tomaru.

But all that swept out of his head when he saw Mari’s grandmother.

“Baa-chan!” He said excitedly, hugging her fiercely. He had spent so much time at Mari’s house growing up that the old woman was like his own grandmother too. Especially considering his was long gone.

Seeing Hanato again had revived his spirits more than Tomaru would ever admit. It truly had been far too long since he had visited his hometown. The fact that he may have never seen it again at all crossed his mind as he thought about how close to death he had been just a few hours before. The fact it was Asara that saved his life had not been forgotten, and as he walked down the hall towards his own room his thoughts were haunted by what he could do to repay her.

If thinking about someone could make them appear then Tomaru proved such a theory correct. When Asara knocked into him the impact had barely phased him, so engrossed in his own thoughts. However, when he turned to apologize all rational thought was erased from his mind. Two things made themselves very apparent at that moment. One, Asara had nothing more than a towel on, and two she has turned the most delicious shade of red that even he in all his normal obliviousness could not ignore.

“I-I” He started, stuttering while he tried to figure out what to say. She was absolutely stunning to him at that moment, hair still shining with water.

None of this was helped by the fact that he was still shirtless, having been on his way to get a new one.

Tomaru hurried to his room after Asara had fled his face bright red. When he reached that safe haven he leaned against the door and slid down. He hadn’t run into a naked girl since he had accidently run into Mari.

‘Damn she must think I’m a pervert now…’ he thought to himself, slamming his head into his head for his stupidity. In all actuality he had simply not looked where he was going but that knowledge didn’t alleviate his feeling.

Wasting time in self degradation was not something that he ever willingly put himself through and so he picked himself up and began fishing through the drawers for one of the shirts he had left the last time he had been here.

Luckily he found a black button up and dress pants that would work perfectly. He wanted to make sure he looked respectable for Hanato. Unlucky however, was the fact that the clothes were just a bit too small, but not in a horrible noticeable way. He had bulked up since he had last seen Mari, and now his shirts and pants were just a little tight. While he fretted over them, the fact they now hugged his every muscle went over his head.

He walked to the kitchen, after giving himself a mental pep talk about Asara, and nearly fell over by the wonderful smells.

“Oh man I haven’t had a good meal in soooo long!”

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Izrael ran a hand through his hair, his smile still in place as he walked from the balcony into his quarters. That smile quickly vanished however when he noticed the beautiful woman on his lounge chair.

“Naya’il.” He said shortly, nodding in her direction. He didn’t have anything against the woman in particular. However, he hadn’t smiled in the presence of another Guardian since he was a child. Such displays of emotion were considered weak in his eyes.

He walked over to his counter bar and pulled out a bottle of an amber looking liquid. Pouring himself a drink he turned and leaned back against the counter, the liquid swishing slightly in his glass before he swallowed it. Human liquors were something that most Guardians either avoided or only drank for very special occasions. The arrival of Naya’il did not mean that he was going to not have his small token of celebration.

Still leaning against the counter with the empty glass barely held by his fingertips, Izrael fixed his cold gaze on her before finally saying, “And what do I owe this visit?”

Tomaru looked over to Asara at her outburst and concern graced his features at the sight of her cut. He was about to walk over and help her but she wiped it off and started cutting again before he could even utter a word. However, he wasn’t going to just let her risk getting the cut infected or stinging like crazy with onion juice.

“Hey, let me finish with that.” He said, easing the knife out of her hand before she could protest. He smiled wide, his face lighting up making it difficult for her to argue with him.

““Don’t want you to get cut again.”

Izrael shrugged slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. He was not a man of many words, especially around Naya’il. She made him uncomfortable in the way only a man can feel when around a woman he desires. However, such desires had been pushed away since he began his hunt for his cursed family. But they were dead now. As the thought crossed his mind a small smile adorned his features.

He no longer needed to sacrifice everything to maintain his focus. As he cast an apprising eye over Naya’il that small smile turned into very pronounced smirk. Without breaking eye contact he poured her some of the liquid into his own glass and made his way over to her. He held the glass before her.

“It was acceptable.” He said softly his eyes still holding hers. Izrael knew how females viewed him for he was not blind or naïve. He also knew that when he wanted to, he could easily render them tongue tied. After she took the glass he stepped back and leaned against the counter once more, giving her room to breathe and to contemplate what he knew would be surprising behavior.

“You have yet to answer my question Naya’il. You and I both know you do not simply, ‘stop by.’”.