ACT 12 - Cleaning Up

AFTER THE BATTLE

Kazimir brought me to my room and took my clothes off, and after that, he took his. The guy was shameless.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I hid behind the bed, obviously embarrassed.

"What are you afraid of, Vera?" The guy smirked and walked towards me, like looking at each other naked was a normal thing. "I've seen you naked many times. Now deal with it." He pulled my arm and we went to the bathroom, throwing me into the rectangular bathtub filled with lukewarm water. He came into the tub too, and started to wash himself up. I didn't look at him; I was facing back with my eyes shut and my arms were covering my bare chest. "What are you doing, Vera? Come on, there's no need to be embarrassed." I could hear him smirk. He's liking this, isn't he? He held my shoulders and made me look at him. Before I could say anything though, he kissed me, sending chills through my whole body. And now it felt like the water was colder than before, since I was really hot. My blushing was raised to the max. "Now wash your face," he said, rubbing my face with soap.

 "You don't look good in black." Ah- yeah, I almost forgot, my whole body was white, except for my face, which was actually black from the smoke and dirt. Felt like I was from a mud facial and aroma therapy.

"Shut up!" I rinsed my face and washed it with soap and water three more times. "Black was never my style anyways." When I looked at Kazimir, his facial expression was like he was amazed at how clean my face turned out to be, and when I looked down at the water, it already had some dark color in it. It was super embarrassing.

Kazimir laughed when he also looked at the water. I ignored him with my pouting face, when he suddenly held both my hands and raised them in level with my head. "I'll say one thing for you, Vera - you sure do make a man want." He came in and just started kissing my neck. I felt as if he wanted to devour me, like he was a wolf.

"Wa-wa-what are you saying?" I pushed his head away; I couldn't help but flush at his effects that were totally sexy. I wanted to growl!

"I like what I'm looking at," he said. "I like it a lot." He stared at me and then scanned me from my head downwards. I wasn't really sure what I had to do since I was too scared to ruin his moment.

 However, I still needed to do something. I slowly let go of his grip, then, instantaneously, I sunk myself into the water, to avoid any more of his sexiness.

I musn't look! I musn't look! I kept on screaming in my mind. I was holding my breath and pinching my nose. This was my only chance to escape from him, and his wild effects! Unfortunately, losing my precious luck, he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up from the water.

"What are you doing?" He was laughing!

"N-nothing!!!" I wanted to escape from you, you bonehead!

"Stop acting like a kid, Vera." He was still laughing!

"Ah-I'm not!!!" I pouted at him. Geez, I had to cover my face out of the shame!

After wiping his tears of joy away, he strengthened his grip on my shoulders and pulled me closer.

 He seems to have become serious. Kazimir kissed me possessively, intoxicating me. He was strong. I couldn't pull away from his grip.

"Kazimir..." I wanted to stop him. I crossed my arms to cover my chest, and I looked away from him.

"Not this time, Vera. I'm going to do what I should have done the moment we met again here and show you just how much you mean to me."

My blood raced, and this made me so weak with longing that I became powerless to do anything to stop him. "Look at me," he commanded. "I don't have much that means anything to me anymore.

 Just you and you mean everything to me. I know it's so sudden, but the fact is, you became mine when we first met and you're still mine, and I'm gonna show it to you." He smirked. His tone was insidious. Brother dear, this is sexual harassment! I leaned back and braced myself. My inner soul crumbled. Whatever's gonna happen, just let him do his thing. Oh my gothic, my mind is shouting all the bad words I know. 

I want to call the army! Help me!

"I've dreamed of touching you." He fondled my breasts. "Tasting you." He put his mouth to my neck. "And making love to you." He muttered against my skin.  

I bent my head to one side to give him way. I thought he was going to continue what he was doing, but it seemed that he wasn't doing anything. He stopped. "Kazimir?" I opened my eyes, wondering the reason why he stopped. He looked at me and smiled. "What is it?" I questioned him. Why the hell did he stop? Instead of answering me with words, he kissed my forehead. "Kazimir." I held his head and made him look at me. "Come on, answer me. What's wrong?"

He lowered his head to my cleavage and whispered, "My body is unbelievably parched." He left a sigh and just laid his head on my bosom.

"What?" And after that, he no longer answered me. I called him again, but he didn't answer. Maybe he fell asleep. I held his shoulders and pushed him back, then I got out of the tub and covered myself with a towel as fast as I could. I called his name again, and I went to him and touched his forehead. "Hey, wake up! I'm gonna go get coffee for you okay? So you better get out of here and change." He nodded, thank goodness, but with his eyes closed. Hmm, I guess he really was tired.

I went out of the bathroom and dressed myself with shorts and a T-shirt, then I went downstairs to the dining room.

+---000---+

Coffee, coffee... What kind of coffee does Kazimir like to drink? Hmm... He usually takes black coffee, no sugar, or sometimes there is, but only a little bit. He also drinks cappuccino, but not that often. So what kind of coffee is it? 

Argh, this is tricky. Fine, got no choice. I'll take the one I've always heard him order around here.

"Excuse me, but can you please make me a cup of espresso?" I asked the maids. They bowed and went to the kitchen. I waited at the dining table.

A few minutes later, they came back, bringing two different cups on a tray. This made me wonder.

"Why are there two?" I asked them. "I only wanted coffee, ya know."

"The black cup is coffee for the master. The white one is tea for milady." Wow, this surprised me. 

"Ah- Oh, I see... Thank you." I got the tray and went back upstairs to my room.

As I opened the door, I couldn't believe my eyes at how handsome Kazimir looked with only a towel covering his lower half, his hair still wet from the bath, and his scent.

"WHY AREN'T YOU WEARING ANY CLOTHES?!" He should at least be a little bit humble! Boasting his perfect body like that... Gwaah!!! (>___<)

"They're in my room," he said, not having any emotions on him. Oh gob he was a dumbass.

"THEN GO GET THEM!" I placed the tray on the desk and kicked Kazimir out of my room. "If you don't change in two minutes, say goodbye to your coffee!" I said then banged the door closed.

Hahh... Men... They never have shame for anything.

I sat on a chair and started drinking my favorite tea, Earl Grey. Every sip I took I just couldn't help but express my feelings on how it relieves me and makes me feel so relaxed!

Two minutes was like two seconds later when Kazimir suddenly opened my door, wearing jeans and a body-fit red shirt. "So, my coffee?" He sat beside me and started drinking his coffee.

Hahh... He looks so handsome - with the jeans and the shirt... Yehee, I'm so lucky to have a brother like him!

"What?" He looked at me looking at him. I was startled so I swiftly looked away. I shrugged my shoulders and didn't bother to answer him. "I gotta ask you something," he said. I nodded and continued to drink my tea. "Back when you slapped my mom, you said something in Japanese." Oh really? I think he meant the 'b*****d' thing. Ahaha, that one's a pretty funny joke, now ain't it? He stared at me with suspicion. "I thought you didn't know how to speak Japanese," he said and raised a brow.

I titled my head and answered, "Well, yeah, frankly, I really don't know how to speak Japanese." I smirked at him. He couldn't believe me. I just had to tell him. "I learned it from Mieko." 

He was stunned. "Mieko?!" Is it really THAT unbelievable?

"One time, while we were practicing, I asked her to give me a bad word in her language, then she just answered me with that. I was waiting for a chance to say that word. I was even hoping to say that word to her, or to my dad. But I guess none of the chances came. That's until you told me that your mom set me up; that was the time I got really pissed off. I don't like being joked at, especially with serious matters. So, I used that word on her!" I made a peace sign and widened my beautiful smile.

Kazimir sighed, and patted my head. "You got guts, woman," he said. Hmph! What would you expect from a strong woman like me? Now I feel like a man... He put an arm over my shoulder, pulled me closer to him and kissed my cheek. "Just having you by my side will make everything brilliant, Vera," he said. I flushed. Damn it, every time... I pushed a frown out of me 'cuz I'm pissed of always blushing around him. I'm pissed at myself, damn it!

"Now smile, Vera." He looked at me, and I looked at him. "You don't have to act so strong all the time." He poked my forehead. "Your smile is the allure of feminine beauty!" He laughed. 

Ugh! The allure of-  "Don't poke me!" I scowled at him. Does he even know what he's saying to me?

 "What reason do I have to smile for, anyway?"

"Smile for me." He smirked. At that time I thought he was a playboy, since his sex appeal was just so strong. He'd be able to get any women at his will. Of course, women would fall for him in an instant. I even think I'm one of those women. Damn it.

GAHH!!!

He's plenty vile. "You little..." I forced an ugly smile out of me. Seriously, I looked like a horse!

+---000---+

"You owe me FIVE DAMN RIFLES!" I yelled at the woman sitting, knitting in front of me.

Kazimir and I were in the living room with my dad and his mom. 

She still had the guts to deny me. She looked at me like she didn't do anything to hurt me at all.

 Well, she had bandages on her nose and cheeks though. 

"I'm putting you responsible," I said, pointing at her. Just looking at her face was pissing me off. She looked out the window and snarled, then she continued her sewing. "I want you to tell me something..." I grabbed her cloth and threw it away. "My father and your son are here. It's like I'm the only person not part of this family. Now I want you to admit it, Agatha. For the past 25 years of your life, you haven't been able to get over your wrong marriage with my dad, right? I don't think you even got married. Tell me, is it true? And even though he got married with another person and had a daughter already you still didn't give up?"

She closed her eyes for a minute, then she looked at me and smiled. "Ahahaha," she laughed like an a*****e.  "You're a good girl, you know, Vera. Always trying to search for the truths behind every single truth there is in the world. But you know, just because you're here, it doesn't mean that I'm not going to take what's mine back." She stood up and held my hand. I looked straight into her blue eyes. She's very desperate, I could tell. That's exactly the same look I give to Kazimir whenever he starts something at me.

"I want to clean this all up, OTHER woman. I'm holding you responsible for the crime of attempting to kill, do you understand?" I said, scowling at her. She suddenly laughed like crazy, I couldn't understand her. Then she cried her heart out like s**t. What the hell is- "Wait... Don't tell me, you-?" I knew it, my hunch was right. Dad told me before about that so-called disease she had been diagnosed of in the past years, and that was the bipolar disorder she has had, which he noticed when they got separated; that was also one of the reasons why my dad felt no regrets leaving her.

"The main traitor here is YOU, Jules Wolff!" The other woman shouted at pointed at my dad. "You're a deadbeat! I was so happy when we were together, until that old woman came and took you away from me! I waited for you to come back to Germany, but you never did!"

"I met Kamelia at that time, Agatha. And she's the woman I can compare to you." Dad talked back, facing the other woman.

"I left for Japan with my son, who you didn't even know we had until I told you. I raised him with everything I had, until he fulfilled his dreams and made me happy! And yet..." She knelt down before me, still holding my hand. She's crying. "After getting a job, my son never came home that often anymore. I felt abandoned once again. I felt like every loved one I ever had betrayed me. And I didn't know what to do. It was like being in an isolation tank!"

"Was that... The total effect of your mental illness?" I asked. She nodded. Hmm, even though she's got this crazy illness, it seems she's still  a normal person. She only has two very different sides: the good and the ugly. The good was the one who got my hair done and called me "dear", while the ugly was the one that planned to kill me for money.

"Edgar... Will you... forgive your mother for what she had done to you?" She looked at Kazimir who was standing behind me. I looked at my brother. He appeared to be thinking about it. It took him a while before he answered.

"Kazimir," I called for him. He looked at me, and I smiled. "You can do it." I whispered. He blinked three times then returned my smile and nodded. He cleared his throat and approached his mother, helping her stand.

"Edgar?" The other woman wondered. 

"Your sin is unforgivable..." He came to me and put his arm on my shoulder. "But since she asked me to, I forgive you, mother. So forget it," he said.

"Edgar..." Tears came out from the woman's eyes, she felt happy. And this made us feel a little bit happy too. "Thank you, Vera, dear... I'm sorry, too." Well, it seems she has reverted back to her good self.

"A soldier must have courage to face the truth, and he shall seek all truth behind the truth. I shall protect the weak, whether he's an enemy or not." I smiled at her. "Hearts rebuilt by hope resurrect dreams killed by fate. Don't you dare forget that, OTHER woman." Agatha cried and embraced me, saying thank you a lot.

"And that's why I'm proud of you!" Dad punched my head, messing my hair up.

"DAD, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" I yelled, and pointed my rifle at him. Well, I thought I had a rifle with me. 

He laughed at me. "I'll buy you your rifles, Vera!" It was so depressing.

"No thank you, the other woman will." (-___-)

"Now that this is all cleaned up, how about we go to dinner?" A woman appeared at the door. It was grandma. Could she maybe have heard our conversation a while ago? Geez, this woman is so good at eavesdropping!