Wife number Four

Chapter 30

White flowers there were so pretty, Eleanor thought. Subaru would always tell her about what every colored flower meant, like pink flowers which stand for love and orange which stands for excitement. But white flowers were always her favorite. They stand for innocence and sympathy. A bouquet of them would stand for bold and brilliant. She remembered when Karlheinz gifted her a bouquet of white flowers for their anniversary. Although she didn't show it, she thought they were the most beautiful flowers ever.

She was about to head to the kitchen to make lunch when she saw Kou run towards her. 
"Miss Eleanor can you button my shirt please?" Kou asked 
Miss Eleanor? That was new. 
"Sure, but why did you ask me?" Eleanor said buttoning the first button
"You were the closest to me." Kou said  
"Kou, your room is only a few doors down from Yuma's." Eleanor inferred 
Kou blushed in embarrassment and stuttered out incoherent words. Eleanor couldn't help but smile a little at his excuses. They were very imaginative, to think a cat magically threw Kou down the stairs.
"Wow that must have hurt, I should check you for bruises to make sure you're okay." Eleanor teased about to turn Kou around when he suddenly smacked her hand away harshly and screamed, "No!" 

Eleanor was shocked and confused. She didn't expect such a harsh response. Maybe she crossed a line. Oh god she messed up already and it's only been a week.
"I-I'm so sorry Kou, I did not know that you did not like to be touched." Eleanor stuttered 
Instead of answering, Kou looked at Eleanors hand, the one he smacked away from him. It looked red and a bit purple. Eleanor followed his gaze and said, "Don't worry about it, it's just a little red. I can heal it with my powers. I just want to know if you're okay?" 
"I'm fine, I'm sorry for hitting you I did not mean to." Kou apologized 
"Hey it's fine it doesn't even hurt." Eleanor convinced, "But if I may ask, why did you prevent my hand from turning you around?" 

Kou gulped and suddenly found the floor very interesting. He couldn't answer her, he knew that she wasn't the type of person who will take something in return for an answer but the Mark's on his back were to ugly. He didn't want to seem weak in front of a lady who he met just a week ago. 
"On second thought you do not need to tell me, you're probably not comfortable with that." Eleanor said, "How about I finish buttoning up your shirt and get dressed to help me make lunch?" 
Kou nodded his head but his eyes stood staring at the floor.  Eleanor took that as a sign to continue and finished buttoning up his shirt before he ran to his room to change. 

Why was he so hostile when I tried to turn around? I remember when Laito's wound sometimes flinched and moved away from me, could It be that the same thing that is happening to Laito happened to Kou. 
"Miss Eleanor I am done changing." Kou said waiting patiently 
"Oh I didn't think that you would finish so fast, What do you think we should have for dinner?" Eleanor asked 
"Can we have tempura again?" 
"Only tempura?" 
"Oh and sesame soba noodles. I remember eating that before becoming a vampire." 
"Perfect, How about you boil the noodles while I make the sauce." 
"Okay."

Kou headed over to the sink to fill the pot up with water but had some difficulty.
"Uh Miss Eleanor I-I can't reach," Kou blushed in embarrassment 
Eleanor chuckled and grabbed a stool. 
"You know stools were made for a reason." Eleanor chuckled 
"Oh right..." Kou slumped and smacked his forehead 
"Don't worry everyone forgets about something once in a while, I forgot my own name for crying out loud." 

Kou silently chuckled and tried not to smile as he boiled the water. Forgetting. It's a world he wishes was true. His smile vanishes at that thought. He absentmindedly started to speak.
"You know before I was a vampire I was a poor human. My mother and father abandoned me. I was put into a orphanage where I was fed sesame soba noodles for the first time, clothed, and bathed, it was heaven until I found out why."

Kou gripped the boiling pot tightly, remembering all the horrid memories. 
"Because of my pretty face I was sold to aristocrats. I would be whipped, cut, beaten, and tortured." He paused and then smiled, "But it wasn't all so bad because in return I got nice things." 
Eleanor trailed her eyes in Kou's now covered back with sadness in her eyes. 
"So that's why you didn't want me turning you around." Eleanor muttered 
Kou's eyes widened at what he just said. He just spilled his secrets to some lady with powers. 

Eleanor started to cut green onions and said, "You know you do not need to be embarrassed. I'm glad that you could talk to me without feeling forced. You didn't deserve what happened to you, I promise that I will never hurt or judge you the way others have. You can trust me, I promise." 
Kou stared at Eleanor's back, shocked at her words. Her kindness warmed his heart a little. Maybe he could trust her. 
"I tried to make myself look less desirable by gouging out my right eye but it only made me more desirable. Karlheinz made me a new eye though, it's red and allows me to see into someone's heart in order to see If they were lying or not." 
"So that's why you could sense that I wasn't telling the truth. Honestly I didn't mean to lie, It seems that I found out that I do not truly know myself." 
Eleanor chuckled at her words
"Did Karlheinz say anything about it?" Kou asked 
"I sent him a letter, but I did not get a reply yet." Eleanor answered
"That's weird, he usually answers pretty early, I would think he would answer right away since you are his wife." Kou said 
"Karl is pretty busy with his human and vampire business, the deaths caused by vampires are increasing and the public are starting to get suspicious." 
"For being the vampire king he's pretty irresponsible, but I can't help but be grateful to him." Kou expressed, "Eleanor do you have children?" 
"Yes I have 6 of them."
"That's a lot, how come you are still walking?" 
"You see I did not birth them, But that doesn't matter to me. Blood or not they are still my sons." 
"I wish my parents were as determined as you." Kou said sadly 
"Some parents aren't just made to be parents, but there is always someone else made to be a parent." Eleanor answered, cleaning out the shrimp in the sink. 
"The noodles are done boiling, what can I do now?" Kou asked 
"How about you make the batter for the shrimp. There is a notebook on the table with the recipe." Eleanor answered 
"Okay." Kou replied 

After a couple minutes of awkward silence Eleanor spoke up, "Kou what are your hobbies?" 
"Hobbies? What is that?" Kou asked 
"They are things you enjoy doing in your free time." 
"That's a thing?" 
"Yes, you see I like singing and dancing as a hobby." 
"Can you teach me a hobby?" 
"Sure what do you want to learn?" 
"Um... the same hobby as you." 
"Hmmm... Okay well usually I would start with a beat." Eleanor explained and then started to make a beat with her palm on the sink, "You just need to follow and build on my beat, try making a beat like mine with your fist on the notebook." 
"Like this?" 
"Yes!" 
"Now I'll start humming, you can follow along." 
Eleanor started to hum a simple beat. It was sweet and thick. Kou loved the noise she was making. It was nothing he has ever heard, the only music he has ever heard were humming birds whistling. So he based his humming after the hummingbirds. 

It sounded a little off beat and unrthymcial but yet it was music to Eleanor's ears. It wasn't the best but Kou made it perfect. She started to pick up her beat and started to bang her fist on the counter while making random words.
"Ah I Ah I dem da de dum Ah I Ah I,"
Eleanor grabbed Kou's hand and started to spin him around and said, "This is called dancing. It isn't always Spinning but it's a start." 

Kou stared dumbfounded at the women spinning him around and singing words he never heard. His heart warmed, he never felt this amount of happiness. For the first time since he was sold he smiled happily and started to move his feet and arms. He had no idea what he was doing but he just went with it. They almost forgot about the food when Yuma came into the kitchen.

"What are you idiots doing?! The house smells like smoke." 
"Huh?" Eleanor stopped dancing and started to panic, "Oh no!"
"RUKI WE NEED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER!"