How to Guard a Castle

6. A Change from Conceit

Gabi spent the period of time that elapsed between Kun going downstairs and returning trying to shut off all of her thoughts. She felt helpless, which was not something she'd ever really experienced before. She'd been in life threatening situations plenty of times, but it had never really struck her like it did this time. Scheming gangsters had held guns to her head, but they'd never had the chance to fire them, and that was still the same now. However, if the invader who lay dead on the floor in the hallway had succeeded in his mission, Gabi would never have woken up the following morning. Even if she'd been awake when he'd entered, she was still unable to run, and she had nowhere to hide.

After what felt like an hour later to Gabi, but in reality was not more than twenty minutes, there was the soft sound of footsteps in the hallway, and Kun reappeared in the door to her room, and Gabi heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing him all in one bit. The two of them stared at one another for a moment, with neither really knowing what to say. Gabi felt a little awkward about saying it, but she didn't want him to leave.

"Was everything okay downstairs?" She asked, at last.

"It was fine," Kun nodded. "Dead quiet."

He didn't elaborate further, and his jaw hardened, which was a sign that there was more to the story. However, Gabi didn't press him for details.

"Are you okay?" She wondered.

"I'm okay," he smiled at her a little. "I can defend myself."

"I can't," Gabi responded, shaking her head. "And I..." she broke off suddenly, biting back her words. She wanted to tell him how scared she was, but she was trying to not be as selfish as she knew she'd always been.

"What is it, Gabi?" He prompted, in soft tones.

Gabi's eyes returned to meet his brown ones, wondering what he'd say, if she asked.

"I don't want to be selfish anymore," she said, instead.

Kun smiled at her, but she could see the surprise in his eyes. She didn't blame him for being surprised - arrogance was the habit of a lifetime. Gabi herself felt strange admitting her faults to someone else.

"You can be selfish right now, if you need to," he responded, and the Brazilian girl felt her heart jolt in her chest.

"Then, will you stay with me?"

Kun, who'd somehow known this was coming, breathed out a little, and nodded his head.

"If that's what you want."

Gabi hesitated, wondering if she should read between the lines of his words, or take them at face value.  Kun waited patiently for her to respond, his soft gaze running over her features. He wouldn't set foot in her room unless she asked him to, or, she was literally dying, but Gabi could feel his eyes on her skin as though he were touching it with his fingers.

"It's what I want," she said at last.

They smiled at each other, and Gabi decided that yes, she ought to be reading between the lines here. It was something she'd grown used to, growing up in a palace surrounded by servants who were taught the utmost respect. However, she'd never expected to be in the kind of situation where she'd need the skill to understand the other's emotions regarding herself. So, as usual, she threw caution to the winds, and simply hoped that the undercurrent of their conversation was the same for the Argentinian as it was for her.

She watched as Kun laid his gun down on the table on the other side of her bed, before lying down beside her, all the while preserving the physical distance between the two of them. He turned to look at her, and now she could see how tired he was, and she wondered if he'd slept at all?