THIS
IS RATED PG13 FOR ADULT CONTENT. DON'T
WORRY. TEENAGERS CAN READ THIS. I'VE
SEEN SEEDIER STUFF IN HARLIQUIN. :)
Elisa
read the last lines of Ritual of Proof By Dara Joy. A month had passed since that first wonderful, crazy and impulsive
kiss shortly after Hunter's Moon. The
week had been filled with wonderful evenings of Chess, late night walks in
Central Park, ice cream, literature and a hundred other amazing activities. She appreciated most the nights where they
simply cuddled together on her sofa and watched rented movies. It touched
her deeply that Goliath wept shamelessly at the end of Ghost and severely
chastised the male lead in Against All Odds.
Goliath
and Elisa watched a movie called Save The Last Dance. Goliath had held her hand throughout the movie. Sharing a bag of microwave popcorn, they remained
glued to their chairs throughout the movie. The tale seemed the epitome of their particular tale: different
individuals from different worlds and cultures coming together and learning
to love each other against impossible odds.
Elisa
turned the page of her book as she fondly remembered that night. Goliath barely remembered to be honorable.
He had opened his heart to her that night.
The words he told her rang like church bells, clear and pristine inside
her memory.
"Everything
about you, My Elisa, makes my heart come alive. The dark shadow of Demona's betrayal died when you came into my
life. When lesser individuals turned
and ran from adversity, you embrace it."
He
admitted that for such a long time he had longed to speak of his feelings
for her. Yet, he remained silent because
he thought Elisa wanted nothing of it. [Funny,
I didn't say anything about it because it seemed so hopeless.
Sometimes, I can't believe that he and I are finally doing something
about this fantastic thing between us.]
Goliath
made the walls of isolation melt around her.
Her cool demeanor warmed with his sincere smile. Her detached behavior vanished and was replaced
by a clever, subtle wit. She spoke
more to the people around her and became more involved in extra-curricular
activities. He made her radiant and
people noticed.
Her
parents thought little of her distinctive friendship with Goliath. Diane held little understanding for her daughter's
taste in "men." Goliath
longed to tell Elisa's mother how she knew his mind and inspired his heart.
Yet, some humans simply refused to believe that love between Gargoyle
and human wasn't blasphemous. Her
father, Peter, held no regard for their relationship.
He
refused to speak to Goliath when in his presence. He virtually denied the existence of his oldest daughter. Goliath had seen Elisa weep only twice. Once had been when she found her brother Darek
the victim of Sevarius' maniacal schemes. The second time was when Peter Maza disowned his daughter for "engaging
in bestiality with a demon."
Goliath
remembered how her tears scalded his shoulder worse than acid when she cried
later that night. He remembered how
Peter had told her, "Don't ever come back here until you've come to your
senses! And take that bat-winged freak
with you."
Goliath
nearly tore Peter Maza's limbs from his body in that moment. The Gargoyle instead chose to cloak his wings
around his beloved and chose to take leave of Peter and Diane Maza. It tore his heart to shreds that Elisa lost
her parents because of her love for him.
"I've
never regretted my choice, Goliath."
She whispered later that night. "You
had me from 'Hello'."
She
tried to forget his unforgiving harshness of her father's demeanor. Yet, she didn't understand his insensitivity
and lack of tact. Elisa thought her parents eventually had accepted Goliath.
It shattered her heart to find out she was wrong. She spent most of
her time by herself or with the clan. Occasionally, she and her mother did things
together but only at Diane's insistence.
Otherwise, Diane knew she would never see her daughter at all. They refused to speak of that fateful night
in question.
She
placed her book down by her bed stand when she heard a rapping at her against
her skylight window. Elisa's heart
jumped into her mouth when she heard the sound. She knew who it was and she ran to the window eagerly to unlatch
the lock.
"Big
Guy, is that you?" She asked
hopefully.
"Why,
Elisa?" Disappointment permeated
his otherwise jovial mood.
"Chavez
is making me work day shift for the next week. I have to train some new detective." She sighed.
"I'm sorry."
His
expression of melancholy played with the flutters of her heart. How she wanted to call in sick to work and
spend the evening with her handsome Gargoyle.
For so long, she had only dreamt of being cherished so tenderly by
a love as him. When he gazed at her,
she felt as thought the ugliness of the recent past melted away leaving only
a sparkling splendor. She felt complete
by virtue of he never saw her as plain or shy.
Goliath saw her as a discerning, clever woman of bravery and loyalty.
Goliath
brought his colossal hand to gently caress her cheek. The feather-light brush of his lavender talons against her sensitive
skin sent wavelets of sensation throughout her being. She unconsciously turned her cheek into his
tender caress. She felt herself blush
instantly as she indulge in the simple joy of his palm upon her skin.
Goliath
watched Elisa's eyes darken from coffee to midnight. She was like a wild butterfly; unfettered and free to fly about
and show her beauty. The Gargoyle knew he risked everything with this woman
if he moved too quickly. The pain
of her father's rejection remained fresh in her memory. The wounds inflicted by Peter Maza's condemnation left fresh wounds
upon Elisa's broken heart. Goliath had no desire to break her heart again.
An
inspiration came to Goliath. It was
a practical and clever idea to spend some time with his Butterfly. [Do I dare mention this? What if I offend her with my forwardness?]
The
words slipped from him before he knew what happened. "Then let me spend the evening here with you."
"Goliath,
I thought you and Hudson had patrol. It
wouldn't be right to leave him hanging. "
She smiled.
"It
would take only a moment to change my plans.
Please, let me. I promise to leave early so that you can get a good
night's sleep." He promised.
"Goliath,
shouldn't you at least call Hudson? And
how's it going to look if Clan leader ditches patrol?" Elisa sassily wrapped her arms around the thick
strong column of his neck. "You
need to call the castle."
"Elisa,
please.." She was just too close
at that moment for him to think straight.
Goliath felt his loincloth become two sizes too small.
"Maybe
it's not such a good idea, Big Guy."
Goliath watched as her walls built themselves around her making her
unreadable. He hated when Elisa withdrew
into herself like this.
"I'll
make you to a cappuccino." The
inspiration of humor might save the evening
"You
don't know how." Elisa couldn't help but smile at his keenness to be
with her.
"I
learn quickly." He growled as
he folded his wings about her. "Don't
block me out, Elisa."
She
shook her head in joyful disbelief at this Gargoyle's tenacity. He wanted to be with her. It warmed her heart to know that he appreciated
Elisa for herself. "You know
what, Big Guy? You're really something
special."
Goliath
felt fear creep into his soul as he watched Elisa's beaming smile for a second
time was overtaken by a frown. Her
eyes left his and her gaze became downcast.
She turned away from his winged embrace. He watched as the proverbial walls of isolation rebuilt themselves
around her within seconds. Her warmth
vanished into cool neutrality. He thought he FELT her demeanor change.
"Elisa,
please speak your thoughts to me. What's
wrong?" Hank implored the dark
beauty standing before him.
"Nothing,
Big Guy." A slight tremor in
her voice betrayed her nervousness as she pushed the rims of her silver-framed
glasses back onto the bridge of her nose.
"I simply have no desire to keep you away from your duties. I just don't want you to become ostracized
and alienated from the clan like I-"
"SSSShhhh. Do not worry, Elisa. That will not happen. The clan will always be there for you. I will always be there for you." He placed two large lavender talons against
her lips. "Speak to me of what
ails you, Elisa. Never fear honesty
between us, I beg you."
"Well...
you will think I am being fatalistic."
She muttered. "Maybe I
am. It's just that the odds seem stacked
against us."
"Elisa,
I have faith in you and in our love. I
only hope that you have the same trust in me.
I will not fault you for sharing your heart and your thoughts with
me." He said quietly. [Not as your father did.]
"I'm...just
worried that... well...you see... that you may...well...change your mind about....
how...you feel...about us being together." She exhaled as she said those last four words.
There, she said what had been on her mind.
She fearfully looked up to meet his dark onyx eyes.
"Let's be honest. We're not exactly the same species."
"Elisa," He whispered softly into her ear. "I find you captivating simply as you
are."
[Discretion
is the better part of Valor, Goliath. Tread
carefully.]
"My
affection for you, Elisa, deepens with each rising of the moon. I long us to be far more than good friends.
I want us to be whatever we can be to each other... and only with each
other. My sweet Elisa, a Gargoyle's love does not fade away with the coming
of dawn. Like the mountain stone it
endures. I love you, Elisa Maza.
That will not change." His eyes glowed with a brilliant white radiance.
Elisa knew better than to doubt his sincerity.
"Sometimes,
it just feels as if the entire world is against us, Goliath." The despair in her words wore like heavy chains
upon Goliath's heart.
"I
know, Elisa. I know." He no longer resisted the temptation to draw
his Beloved into his embrace and cloak her in a blanket of love and affection.
"I
love you too, but I have to be honest. I'm
scared that this won't work out." Her quiet response betrayed her anxiety. "But, Goliath, I'm just not quite ready
to-"
"An
everlasting covenant between us? I
will be your mate for always if you will but have me, Elisa. I want to know your heart and soul first. I want us to be the best of friends with our
hearts firmly on the same path before we truly contemplate total commitment."
He finished softly. She silently
nodded her agreement. "I can
wait until you are ready, Elisa."
"You
truly are wonderful." She said
quietly. She found the urge to kiss
him almost impossible to deny. She
rose up on her toes to slowly press her lips to his.
He remained still for a moment savoring the warmth of her against him.
He found his strong, muscular arms wrapping themselves around her and
pulling her to the hard wall of his chest.
"Oh,
Elisa. You truly are a treasure."
He smiled down at her. "What
shall we watch tonight?"
"How
about Sleepless In Seattle?" She suggested. She gave the impression of being short of breath.
He
felt a surge of pure masculine pride at the thought that she was as affected
as he by their seemingly innocent kiss. [JALAPENA!
YES!!!]
At
the end of the night, he found Elisa sleeping contentedly in his arms. He carefully removed himself and placed her
gently into a reclining position upon the sofa. He reached for the knitted comforter and covered her with it.
Goliath turned his attention to her CD collection.
He remembered her words that she had once spoken, "You had me
from 'Hello."
He
knew it to be a favorite song of hers. As
it played, Goliath returned to his sleeping Beauty and held her close to him. He would stay just a while longer. As the strains of music lilted across the room,
Elisa relaxed and dreamt good dreams.
You
Had Me From Hello
(Kenny
Chesney/Skip Ewing)
One
word, that's all was said,
Something
in your voice called me, turned my head.
Your
smile captured me; you were in my future as far as I could see.
And
I don't know how it happened, but it happens still.
You
ask me if I love you, if I always will.........
Well,
you had me from "Hello"
I
felt love start to grow the moment I looked into your eyes,
You
won me; it was over from the start.
You
completely stole my heart, and now you won't let go.
I
never even had a chance you know?
You
had me from "Hello."
Inside
I built a wall so high around my heart, I thought I'd never fall.
One
touch, you brought it down
Bricks
of my defenses scattered on the ground
And
I swore to me that I wasn't going to love again
The
last time was the last time I'd let someone in
Well,
you had me from "Hello"
I
felt love start to grow the moment I looked into your eyes,
You
won me, it was over from the start.
You
completely stole my heart, and now you wont let go.
I
never even had a chance you know?
You
had me from "Hello"
That's
all you said
Something
in your voice calls me, turns my head
You
had me from "Hello"
You
had me from "Hello"
Girl,
I've loved you from "Hello."
-Fin
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