• It started innocently enough. A simple question, a quick response, a bit of hassling from Shin, Koria, Twilight and the others, but nothing too bad.
    Who would've known that she would be the harbinger of my end... But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
    The name is Drake. I make myself at home in Eclipse Corps, which happens to be the biggest building leaft standing in our town after the great war started. It was once a college dormitory, now our home. I live here with a few other orphans. Shin Eclipse, our fearless leader. Koria Eclipse, his girlfriend, fiancee, whatever the hell she is. Twilight Eclipse, Shin's younger brother., Jin -Kitty's apprentice who's always being patronized- Kitty, our sort of maid slash resident cat girl.
    And then there's her. Kiera. She's cold. Feirce and always seems to be angry. But I did one thing to get her to be on my side. One small, seemingly insignificant thing to get her to never seem angry, never hostile, only affectionate and caring toward me.
    I saved her from death and carried her to my room at Eclipse Corps and nursed her back to health wih only the help of Kitty to get her back to normal.
    Sure, I didn't sleep for three days until she finally opened her eyes, and when everyone else was telling me I should've let her die because she was an enemy, I was doing everything I could to keep her breathing. It never mattered to me. I have my reason. only one reason was enough in my mind to do so, even if she woke up to slit my throat.
    She was the only woman I ever loved.
    "Ngh...." Kiera groaned softly as her eyes slightly opened.
    "Hold on, don't move. You shouldn't try to strain yourself...." Isaid softly to her. "Kitty! She's awake!"
    "You should've let her die!" I heard from Shin's room as Kitty walked in and closed the door.
    "Don't pay any attention to him, he's just an a*****e who doesn't appreciate the value of another person's life". I muttered. Keira and Kitty both laughed.
    "Dr... Drake..." Kiera said softly as she studied my face softly. "Where am I...?"
    "You're in Eclipse Corps dorm 201." Kitty said softly, slowly taking a bandage off of Kiera's leg to check the wound.
    "In other words my roo....." I yawned the last portion of the sentence.
    "You look tired..... When did you last get some sleep...?"
    "Four nights ago, before the last job we did. I woke up about two hours before you got me in that headlock, just before the explosion knocked you out..."
    "That was four days ag- ngh!!!!" She stifled back a scream as she jolted up, then crashed back down onto the bed.
    "Keep still, your wounds are still healing." Kitty said almost robotically as she finished bandaging the wound. She got up, then walked over to the other end of the bed. "I'm gonna give you a sedative, you'll be unconsious in only about three minutes. Five or ten if you fight it."
    "Any... thing... to make it.. go away..." Kiera let out in short, gasp like breaths.
    "Good.. You need sleep.." I said softly.
    Kitty thwacked me in the back of the head. "So do you, dumbass. Don't make me dope you up too."
    "I'll get to sleep when I do. Coud I sleep with you tonight, Kitty? I don't feel safe using my spare bed. Friggin' Twilight and his pizza..."
    "Sure. I was hoping you'd come sleep in my roomlike you used too.. I missed having your warm body next to mine through the night..." Kitty half sighed as she walked to the door, opening it after the last words slipped from between her lips.
    "Heh... I've missed it too.." Sub consiously I put my hand over my mouth, incase I was drooling any from the image of lying in bed next to Kitty's beautiful, near naked body. Tonight I was gonna sleep well.
    "Jin will be in here in a few. I'll tell her to come take care of Kiera for you." Kitty said as she stepped out of the room.
    "You damned pervert..." Kiera said softly. "I know what thought ran through your mind just then.."
    "What's so wrong with it, hmmm?" I said softly, throwing my jacket softly over her, then un- strapped my vest, revealing bare, pale flesh, blemished only by a circular scar over my heart and the tattoo of a guardian angel over the other side. "I may oogle over her perfect, beauitful cat girl form, but..." I said softly.
    Kiera looked at me puzzeled, yet expecting of what I said next.
    I kissed her cheek softly, then whispered in her ear, right before she lost consiousness. "She may have my body, but you are the one who has my heart.."