KINTSUkuroi

'A new strategy'... Ciel considered Siule's words with the utmost caution. 'Perhaps I'm being too aggressive in trying to convey my feelings to Nic? No... That can't be right... Whether it be the Giant world or the Human one, one must claim what they desire with their own hands. If I'm indecisive, who's to say Nic won't be snatched away from me? I left him once, and how did that turn out? He got claimed by some bitch ass whore who cheated on him. I should've been his first kiss, his first girlfriend, his first everything. I let him leave my grasp once. I can't make the same mistake again... But still... What if I end up scaring him away from me? I would never forgive myself if that happened... What should I do...? What can I do to make him mine...?' her thoughts reflected the inner conflict she was undergoing. She desired nothing more than to claim him in body, mind, heart and soul. She wished to run through that door, pull the short Human into her and kiss him passionately, never letting go of him. But she knew she had to do this the right way: she would only have one shot at claiming him. There was no room for mistakes.

"You know —Siule spoke, making the Giantess snap out of her thoughts—... back in highschool I used to fancy Nicolas... Even though that feeling did fade away to some extent as time went by, I very much doubt such a strong emotion can be fully dispelled. Do you know why I have given up on him? It was because of you. The way his eyes lit up every time he spoke about you... I knew I couldn't compete with that... That's why I want to help you two get together... Because I want him to be as happy as possible, and for that to happen he needs to be with you..."

Ciel remained silent, taking some time to process Siule's confession. She found it hard to believe that the Human female would disregard her feelings, even if it meant making Nicolas happy, and still her words sounded so sincere that the Giant woman didn't have the guts to doubt her.

"But Nicolas —the tawny-haired woman spoke again—... I'm sure he must be terrified after what he has gone through... If you confess to him now, it is likely that you'll scare him away, or at the very least he'll feel so overwhelmed that he won't know how to answer to your feelings..."

Ciel looked down and sideways from Siule. The Human lady was right; this wasn't only about her. Nicolas' feelings mattered just as much. But perhaps, if she could play her cards right... Perhaps she could make sure he would never feel lonely or betrayed again. She could make sure he got Setsuna out of his system permanently.

The Giantess looked through the window, her eyes falling on Nicolas exclusively. His eyes looked so devoid of light, like he had lost any will to live. She dared guess the only reason he had not tried to end it all just yet was because he was scared of how Siule and her would feel if he did. But that meant she still had a chance. Her heart and her mind were governed by one single, absolute truth:

I don't want to see that expression on his face for a second longer.

The Giant female looked at Siule, a small sigh escaping her lips. "Thanks for your thoughtfulness, Siule, but I will take my chances with him. I don't care if I scare him away, or even if he never wants to see me again. So as long as I can take all of his suffering away from him, that's all I could ever ask for." She said before walking into the bedroom, closing the wooden door behind her.

"Well, good luck then..." Siule said before walking away.

Ciel sat beside Nicolas on the bed. Now that she was fully dressed, the timid male felt slightly more at ease. Still, he didn't look at her too much: he didn't want her to think he was some sort of perv, after all.

Ciel took a deep breath before turning to face the curly-haired Human. She gently grabbed his chin and spoke to him.

"Nic, dear, I need to tell you something very important, so please, no matter what happens, can you promise me that you won't avert your gaze from my eyes? It is very important that you promise me this." the buxom ravenette told him.

Nicolas was visibly confused by her request, but he could tell she needed him to promise to comply with her demand, for whatever reason. Nodding his head, he uttered a weak 'I promise' as his eyes met hers.

Ciel cleared her thought and took another deep breath. She held Nicolas' hands with her own, if only to reassure herself that she needed to do this, if nothing else, for his sake.

"I had a very lucid dream last night —she began—. It was a dream about you... about us... There was this absolutely huge monster that made you very scared. It didn't have a specific form, and it was more akin to a big, shadowy mass, and yet I could somehow sense that it was born from your fears, your uncertainties, your sadness and your pain... This monster was so massive that even I at my regular height as a Giant was so microscopically diminutive in comparison to it. And then it happened: I clutched you protectively against my chest, willing to protect you even if it meant that I should die... And I started to grow. I grew larger, and larger, and larger still... But I wasn't thinking about growing. It was more like, all that my heart desired was to protect you and so my body reacted to that and began to grow on its own. It grew bigger so rapidly that soon the monster was but a speck of dust beneath my feet. And then, with my body still moving on its own, I crushed the monster, making it disappear forever. When you noticed it was gone, you gave me a smile so warm that it melted my heart. And that's when the dream ended... Well, sort of. You see, that dream reflected how I feel about you, Nic. I don't want to be just your friend. I want to be your protectress. I want to be your shield to defend you from everything that makes you suffer. I want to be your woman, now and forever, and I want you to be my little man. I want you to be mine, fully mine and only mine. I want to grab your little body and kiss it, carry you in my chest, nuzzle you against it, keeping you safe in my huge, loving arms. I want to be the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you see at night. But more than anything, I want you to be happy, and if possible, I want to be your happiness, just like you are MY happiness. I love you, Nic... I love you with all that I am, and no matter what happens, that will never change." the ravenette female leaned forward to kiss her beloved Nic, closing her eyes and getting lost in the feeling of her lips pressing against his. Her tongue forced its entrance into his mouth, thoroughly exploring it. The male didn't put up any resistance; he was petrified from the shock, but that didn't stop Ciel. Soon she found herself wanting more, and so she helped herself to feeling his body. Once she was satisfied, she wrapped her arms around his back and pressed him gently against her larger frame, enjoying the feeling of his chest firmly pressed against hers, the warmth of their bodies combining as the bodacious female was forced to pull away in order to regain her breath.

"You took my breath away... That kiss was everything I dreamt it to be..." she smiled, gently wiping the tears that now started to fall from his eyes.

"Shhhh... It's okay, Nic —she reassured him, carefully bringing his head to her chest—... You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know how I feel. It's okay if you need time, or even if you don't feel the same way about me, but I needed to do this. I needed you to know that you're everything to me, and that no matter what happens, you'll always be my number one priority. You're my whole world, Nic, and I promise you I will always protect you, both physically and emotionally. No one will hurt you ever again, so please, let me stay by your side like this..." the Giant woman pleaded.

For a few seconds there was no response, and Ciel feared the worst: even though she had said she was ready to accept the fact that he might not love her, the very thought of him rejecting her terrified her.

But then it happened: Nicolas, ever so timidly, wrapped his arms around her own, closing his eyes in a vain attempt to keep the tears from falling, and when he finally spoke —or whispered, to be more accurate—, Ciel knew without the slightest hint of douby how he felt about her. "Please... never let go of me..." he implored.