The True Mate

Chapter 3

While they slept, the world went on around them. Tristan was vaguely aware of the passage of time and the small muted sounds of daylight living while holding his lover and passing in and out of consciousness. He’d never been a very deep sleeper, and he blamed that on his weak body, but this day, he had been particularly jumpy. He knew it was because of the new born. It gave him joy simply to wake and watch and listen and breathe him in, it would soothe him enough to return him to sleep.

While sleeping he was comforted and smitten by the images he sensed racing through Minori’s dreaming mind. ’We’re so a part of each other, and we’ve only just met.’ He would decide upon randomly waking. Then, he would snuggle even closer, pressing forward so that they almost looked like they were once again making love except in still life. ’I can’t wait to meet the turn of the century with you. We’ll be like one.’

Finally he smelled the chill of evening and lifted his head. It wasn’t quite sunset, but it was close enough now that he felt he should rouse the flower.

Pressing his lips to Minori’s mouth he thought of something and smiled. Once, while in college, which seemed like a hundred years ago, even though it had only been one, he’d heard of flowers in India that only bloomed at night. Minori was one such flower, and he would remain that way for the rest of existence. Existence used to scare Tristan, but he thought he could bear it, if he had the companionship of a night blooming flower, a safe and beautiful harbor. “Wake up lovely one.” He whispered, “It’s time for us to leave this place.”

Hearing a sweet, soothing voice beckoning him, Minori followed it, feeling refreshed, warm, and so very contented. Slowly he blinked the sleep from his eyes and covered his mouth as he yawned, becoming aware that someone was holding him. Strong arms…

Minori bolted upright, startled to find a strange man in his room, a man who’d stayed the whole day! Okaa san was going to be furious. Customers were supposed to leave no more and no less than an hour after… after… Recognition touched his mind as his eyes remember this body, this handsome face. Tristan. He was still… here.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Minori scolded himself for being so ridiculous as he remembered the events, the words spoken from the night before. Tristan had promised to stay with him and it hadn’t been a lie. A first from someone who he’d bedded with.

Then he frowned, shaking his head. “Leave?” he asked, finally registering words spoken to him just seconds before.

Nodding his head he kissed Minori again, deeply and romantically, but not too long, for already he was beginning to succumb to the desire to feel himself inside the flower again. At length he composed himself.

“Minori... did you feel anything, when we made love? Did you feel my needs, my feelings? Did you feel... my love for you?” He asked, moving forward a bit so that he had pinned the boy against the floor and leaned over him imploringly. “Nothing is going to be the same for you, I’m afraid. But I won’t ever leave you, I won’t ever hurt you, and you’ll want for nothing. But you have to trust me. In your pleasure you said you’d keep me. I want to hear that again, when you’re sober and not drunk of the combination of our emotions. Because... Minori, I love you. So very much. And I’m not leaving here without you.”

It didn’t feel odd to confess so much so quickly. In fact, there was so much more he wanted to say, but knew his lover needed time still to digest, especially since, Tristan realized, Minori wasn’t completely aware yet of the biggest change of them all.

Minori, blinking in confusion lay there as Tristan, a man who he’d only met a few hours ago, rained pretty words of devotion and love upon him. His breaths came quick and shallow and felt the fear and panic begin to bubble in his stomach.

The bubble rose quickly as he continued to stare almost in disbelief at the man. He couldn’t be serious… could he? Leave, Minori couldn’t leave, that was utterly absurd! How would he feed and clothe himself? He’d seen Tristan come in, looking as if he’d just stepped off a ship, he’d even smelled of the sea and travel.

And what would happen to him when Tristan grew tired of him and this profound declaration of love faded to ash? He’d be cast away and abandoned just as before, like so many times before.

The bubble exploded inside his throat another that’d been behind it, in his heart and Midori’s careful, painstaking work to bottle his emotions and hide them away came crashing down upon him. All he could see in his head were the faces of all those who’d betrayed him, hurt him, left him to die. No the only person to ever truly loved him had been his mother, but she’d left him as well.

Wiggling and scrambling from under Tristan, Midori found his way back to the corner he’d cowered in, shivering a few hours ago. Only this time, he didn’t shake with cold, he shook from the memories he’d tried to ignore that were coming back in full force as if they were cutting his heart for the first time then pouring salt just to make it scar and last. He couldn’t stop them, couldn’t help but think this was just another game, another trick, but somewhere inside of him he begged and pleaded with Tristan to hold him and tell him he’d be safe, he’d be alright.

Standing up slowly, he regarded his lover in the way a lioness regards her future kill. “You’ve been hurt in the past. I can feel it boiling inside you. People have tried to kill you. But I succeeded, Minori. I actually did kill you.”

With small, elusive steps he neared the cowering man. “I didn’t mean to at first. The ancient voice inside me knew long before I did. I just knew I wanted you... how a dog wants a steak. But then it happened.” He was close now. “It happened because you’re existence called to mine. I realize that now. If I had just wanted food, I would have taken someone else, but when I saw you...” he was on his knees, leaning toward him, slowly unwrapping the gauze around his own neck.

“When I saw you, I read years of loneliness in your dark eyes, and isn’t it so beautiful and natural that two lonely people should find each other and erase each other’s pain?” He gently lifted the boy’s pale chin so that he could feed his mouth with those thin delicate lips. As he kissed him, his teeth grew, he wanted them to. He wanted to show Minori something.

Withdrawing from the kiss, he opened his eyes widely, sure that they were on fire with blood lust, then he lifted Minori’s wrist and carefully pressed his fang into the skin. Skilled enough to keep it from hurting, he spilled his lover’s blood, drinking it up greedily. Already it had absorbed Minori’s individual taste, having cycled through him over and over. Lifting his lips from the small wound, he looked at the utter horror crossing Minori’s face.

“You fed from me in this same manner not long ago.” He said gently almost sadly. Still holding the wrist so that Minori could see it, he directed, “See how your body... has changed.” Before their eyes the puncture sealed and was as if it had never been.

Dropping the slender wrist he cupped Minori’s face in his hands, forcing him to look at him. “I did this to you... I cannot undo it. But I’ll help you bear it. I love you. Please believe me. In your heart, you really want to.”

Minori searched his eyes. This wasn’t the comfort he sought. This was quite the opposite! Once again he couldn’t breathe, all he could do was watch in a fascinated horror as his wrist healed, and he could feel it doing so even as it played out before his eyes. This wasn’t real! It wasn’t, it wasn’t!

How had he died? He didn’t remember feeling dead; he didn’t feel dead now unless the Kami had forsaken him.

What was Tristan?! What was he? Why had his eyes changed from a lighter red to a much more vivid and saturated crimson? Why did he… why were there holes in his neck?!

Minori slapped his hand at his neck, feeling for any wounds. The slap stung so he couldn’t really be dead… right? There weren’t any. Still he was frightened and didn’t know what to do or to think. This wasn’t real!

It was a trick, but he’d bled, he’d healed, he’d seen it with his own eyes.

And yet battling all of his terrified confusion there was something still inside of him that wanted to believe this blonde creature before him that held his face. There was something that desperately wished to cling to him, but he was afraid and once again lost.

“Is it real?” He uttered.

Maintaining his grip on Minori’s face, he leaned inward and kissed his lover’s cheek. “It’s real.” He said gently then he grew a bit desperate. ‘Perhaps there is something wrong with me after all... perhaps I did not make him correctly... why do I feel so alone right now... he’s closing off the connection out of fear... I already miss his feelings inside me.’

“Please, Minori,” he said and kissed the tender neck, sensing it tense under his lips. “Please... I won’t hurt you... I just want to know, if you feel me at all.” He worried that their connection, where it had seemed so strong, had somehow failed. “Focus on me,” moving lower, his lips kissed along the collarbone. “Because whether or not you stay mine, you’ll be like this forever.”

At those words he shuddered, for he didn’t want to lose Minori - he couldn’t lose Minori, he would die. “It’s true you are dead... for you have to die to be reborn.” Tristan let his tongue slide down Minori’s sternum, treasuring every taste, fearing horribly that each might be that last.

“You are new. You are immortal, you will never get sick. You will never grow old.” His lips came upon Minori’s nipple. Smiling at the pale pink flesh, he took it into his mouth, while his hands ran up and down the flower’s sides. Lifting finally he continued in a breathy manner, “You will be strong, Minori. But there are still things that can hurt you. You must never go into sunlight. And you must protect your heart. It beats for you because you have borrowed blood running through your veins. If you become so negligent that you let it stop, you will fall asleep and never wake up.”

He kissed down, lower and lower, stopping at the dainty navel. “You will have to kill.” He took in a deep breath, smelling the musk of his lover, “We pay a price to be what we are, Minori. That price is blood. Victoria told me that the devil slowly steals it from us when we sleep. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know, very soon you’ll feel am amazing hunger... and the only thing that will satisfy it, will end up killing a human being. I’ll be brave for you, and feed you as best I can, but...” he paused and nuzzled his face in the faint and soft hair above Minori’s penis. ‘But I can’t help you if you leave me... I’ll ache and die and you’ll be all alone.’

A sob caught suddenly in his throat, “Don’t leave me, Minori.” He felt tears down his face. “Please... do you feel anything for me? Do you feel how I am suffering this very moment with the thought of losing you?” Sobbing now he pressed his face against the tender flesh of Minori’s belly. Trembling, he held onto the young man. ‘Something so wonderful. If I lose you, the devil will laugh, because I will truly be broken.’

Minori listened and listened well, attentively. It was that he did. None of it really made much sense to him and honestly it frightened him. He’d never heard of such a creature and he tried to remember if he might have read about one, but nothing came to mind.

What did come to him were images of the early morning. He remembered feeling so lit up with sensual feelings, remembered touches, kisses, something strange, then a deep, biting cold. It was terrible, how he could recall it so vividly now. He never wanted to feel so frozen again, or that frightened.

But then he remembered Tristan returning to him… feeding him and making him warm. He remembered everything after that as well, the way his body felt as Tristan held him, touched him, kissed him, and felt buried deep within him. It was then he remember there was more than just the physical that he’d felt, it was deeper almost like he was connected to him in an unexplainable way and it had been breathtaking and gentle.

And he felt him now, felt that connection tapping at his heart and mind, knocking to be let in. It beckoned him sweetly and he wanted to follow, embrace it.

Okaa san’s words echoed in his head, warning him of his heart and how it would be his downfall if he didn’t keep it guarded. She’d always said he was too compassionate for his own good and that nature would get him killed. She’d been right…

The moment Tristan’s words of desperation reached his ears he nearly cried. No one had ever needed or wanted him so terribly. It was so heartbreaking he was almost sick with guilt. It was then he knew, no matter how frightened he might be, no matter how unsure and new things were, he couldn’t ever let Tristan feel so scared and desperate. He didn’t want Tristan to suffer because of him and in truth… he wanted… he needed Tristan as much as Tristan needed him.

The blonde weeping in his lap, clinging to him had made him, shown him something he’d almost forgotten, himself, and he’d not laughed, mocked, hurt him, or taken advantage of him because of it. Minori loved him for it.

Resting his hands upon Tristan’s mussed blonde hair, hair the color of gold, he wet his lips. “I don’t want to leave you, please don’t cry. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

Lifting his face, he stared at the dark eyes, so beautiful and deep. ‘We will be as one.’ He thought, sensing invisible wires regaining their position and potency, delivering to him the volumes of emotion and memory running through his adorable Minori.

More tears fell, as he willed his body to open itself in return, there could be no secrets between them now. Slowly, the corners of his mouth turned upward and he smiled softly, sadly at the young man who’d spoken the words he most needed to hear. “I love you, Minori.” He whispered then laid his head back in the boy’s lap. “I love you, Minori.” He whispered then laid his head back in the boy’s lap. “I feel you so clearly.” He smiled and kissed the soft skin of Minori’s hips. “And when we made love, I wasn’t even nervous....it was so natural to be with you.”

For a few seconds he let his fingers comb through the soft black hair, while he nibbled at Minori’s thigh. “You are beautiful.” He murmured, lightly teasing the base of his genitals with his fingertips. “I saw into your mind when you were asleep. I saw glimpses of men taking you, harshly, seeking to satisfy themselves, never pausing to comfort you, never pausing to understand...”

Raising himself up suddenly he pressed his face to Minori’s mouth and eagerly darted his tongue in and out between the Japanese lips. “Minori,” he breathed heavily, feeling warmth cover his face, and settle behind his eyes, which now spoke of his desire. “No one will ever mistreat you like that again. I won’t allow it.” As he spoke, his breath seemed to be absorbed directly into his lover’s mouth. “You are mine and mine alone and with me, you will know great pleasure.”

Their tongues danced between their mouths, twisting every which way, fighting for entry but too eager to cooperate. Finally he pressed his lips fully forward and his tongue lapped at Minori’s inner cheeks and teeth, blindly charting the mouth that belonged to him.

While still kissing his love, Tristan moved his hand down and gripped Minori’s young member. Slowly playing his fingers up and down the shaft, he felt the penis stiffen to life. Beginning to softly pump it, he caught several small moans in his mouth as they tried to leave Minori.

Pulling his head away he spoke softly, “You have selflessly pleasured so many men in your young life, Minori. It is time someone gave of themselves to pleasure you. Please, allow it to be me... now and forever.” Lowering his head, he took a moment to really examine the slender and perfectly proportioned penis. He admired it’s elegant curve and subtle veins. Trying to sense Minori’s experience at oral pleasure, he put his lips to the cherry tip. Still stroking Minori, he tongued the head, taking it into his mouth and sucking ever so slightly.

Minori’s right hand hit the floor; fingers clawing at the tatami mat and his hips lifted themselves a little at the feel of a hot mouth closing over his most persuadable part. His head was swimming with words and sensations, making him dizzy. He felt more than himself as impressions of Tristan touched him in ways he didn’t comprehend to be possible.

He wasn’t sure if he truly believed Tristan had seen into him while he’d slept or if he’d just made an educated guess but he wanted to believe. Tristan promised him more than he’d ever hoped for himself, whispered things he didn’t dare try to imagine. Already resolved to be at this man’s side and make him happy, Minori let go of all of his fear and reservations save one as that one would take more time to banish, and began the ground work to trust him completely.

It would either shatter his heart or heal the scars and wounds left behind by others and make it vibrate with a love to rival that of Tristan’s. He desperately wanted the latter, wanted to be happy, wanted to share it with Tristan, let him see and feel how happy he dared imagine he could be.

The fingers of his left hand tangled in locks of gold as his breath quickened. There was something green about the way Tristan’s mouth lavished him but it was beautiful and more real than anything he’d ever experienced. He could teach him ways to be an expert in these sexual acts but he would rather let him experiment and take on his own signatures, have his own ways of doing things, let him be unique.

“Tristan… haaa…” he moaned.

He enjoyed the way Minori’s body reacted to him. He enjoyed the sounds Minori was making. And he enjoyed the firmness in his mouth. The only drawback of pleasuring his mate in this way, he quickly found, was that he could no longer communicate his words of love. But it was probably for the best, as he tended to talk too much anyway. Victoria had always told him that there was a time for conversation and for Vampires it was neither in the bedroom nor at the dinner table. He’d had trouble dispensing with the chatter at the dinner table, supping some random person’s blood, so it made sense that he couldn’t contain himself in the bedroom.

Moaning loudly to show his gratitude he took the penis deeply, coming to the hilt of his lover. With fluid motions he dragged his tight lips back and forth over the taut skin, pushing and pulling at the adorable cock. He wondered for a moment if he should slip his fingers inside the quivering body.

Almost choking he sucked even harder, tonguing the under seam as he did so. Those slender fingers, gripping his hair, tightly, so tightly, drove him crazy with urgency. More than ever he wanted to please this man before him, and he began a circular motion with his head, letting the tip of Minori’s erection press all over the inside of his mouth, slipping across his upper palate, gently scraping his teeth, forcing its way down his throat.

Releasing another groan he obeyed his instinct and moved his hand, which had previously been stroking that perfect shaft, setting it between them, he gently pushed his middle finger past the clenching flesh and inside his lover, seeking and finding the amazing warmth of Minori’s inner folds.

Minori choked a sob of pleasure and affirmed his hand over his mouth to stifle his cries. He didn’t want anyone to come barging in to interrupt assuming he was having nightmares again or anything for that matter.

The change in Tristan’s sucking, the under the seam tonguing, sent a jolt through him, especially when he felt his lover’s teeth and he squirmed, breathing hard around his hand, losing himself to it.

His eyes widened then rolled into the back of his head as he felt Tristan’s finger enter him. There was no lubrication, no superb slickness for him to ride. But it was raw, rough, and incredibly hot and he moaned for more.

‘Just have to keep breathing… just breathe and feel.’ He thought and he was amazed he could even still think through the bliss of this. “Mmnnff!”

‘Your voice holds me in thrall,’ he thought and felt his fangs grow. He wondered if it was just because he was in love with Minori - or if the newborn really was exercising his growing Vampire talents.

Heated with the appearance of his fangs, he carefully molested the tip again, letting the long teeth rub against the sensitive sides of the cherry in his mouth, being amazingly conscious to keep from piercing his lover. He sensed the man begging for more.

‘I can’t wait to know your body so well, that I can bring you climax with just my thoughts.’ Inwardly smiling, he slid another finger inside, twisting them, moving them in and out in a series of rough thrusts. ‘I’m not a very efficient Vampire, so I’ll focus on being your perfect lover. Tell me more with your moans; tell me more with your body.’

He willed these thought toward Minori, wondering if he could yet sense them. Someday, he knew, Minori would sense his thoughts before he even had them. As if his lover had indeed heard his silent plea, he quivered and tightened his muscles, lovingly squeezing the fingers as if to invite one more.

‘Anything for you, my eternal mate.’ Quickly, and a bit more abrasively, as he sought Minori’s pinched expression of pleasure, he pressed a third inside the hungry orifice, and scraped his fangs downward along the tender shaft.

Ohhh, that sound, that slight slurping Tristan’s mouth made was killing him and he thought he felt words but couldn’t really be sure, his mind was reeling. His heart thudded inside his chest wildly, his blood raced, he couldn’t breathe but it wasn’t from panic, it was something else.

When he felt Tristan’s teeth scraping down and his third finger press inside of him, the pleasure had built so much he couldn’t stand it any longer and he shattered exquisitely, reaffirming his hand over his mouth to muffle his cry. He couldn’t do much but ride each wave of pure rapture… he burst again, the feeling of having two orgasms pulled from his body shocking his mind blank so that he could only feel, not think.

Minori fell weak, limp, the only things able to stay moving where his lungs and fingers, gently kneading Tristan’s head.

He was pleased, and then he was overwhelmed. The sudden ejaculation filled his mouth, allowing him to finally taste his lover’s humanity. Swallowing as quickly and deeply as possible his vampiric mind already began crossing that flavor with Minori’s blood, memorizing him fully, and mentally mapping out every pulse and signal and sense that identified the Japanese Flower as his own.

Pulling his lips from the dripping erection, he sensed another, even more violent, spasm shoot through Minori, and immediately a warm steady spray erupted from the trembling and over-taxed body. Some of it entered his mouth, but most of it covered his face, it was so warm, almost overwhelming him. Though the old human self within him would have wiped it away and spared himself the musky, though exciting, suffocation, he did no such thing, instead he reveled in the pleasurable knowledge that he had been able to bring his beautiful Minori such unexpected release.

Licking his lips, trying to draw as much of his lovers cum into his mouth as possible, he purred. He actually purred. ’Is that a Vampire trait? Something I’ve never done, because I never had an intimate companion?’ He wondered at himself, but didn’t seek answers. All he was concerned with now was the timid and innocent feeling of fingers twisting through his hair, the slight twitching of Minori’s penis as it eased itself into a relaxed state, and the feverous beating of the Vampire heart before him.

Gently he moved, careful not to touch the retracting penis, as he knew it would be torturously sensitive, so that he could look down into Minori’s face. Staring at those dark eyes, now half open half closed, he listened to Minori’s breathing. Drunk on the very sound of his post orgasmic breath, Tristan nuzzled against the face, his cheeks and chin still slick with semen. ‘I love you.’ His thought was intense, even though his actions were gentle and slow. ‘I love you, Minori, beautiful harbor. I love you.’ It was his only thought.

Gradually his lips lowered to Minori’s face, tasting sweat and exhaustion. ‘It’s alright if you don’t believe me, or understand it yet. It’s alright if I have to woo you a little. We have forever.’

Minori responded to the touch of something upon his face and turned his head to return the nuzzling and lick himself from Tristan’s cheeks. He left out a soft whimper as he was peppered with sweet kisses and thought, slowly, how nice it would be to spend all his day at Tristan’s side, in his warm, caring company. But Tristan wanted to leave… Leave, leave this place and stay in the safety of Tristan’s side and care and love. He still didn’t know how someone could fall in love with another so quickly but he’d not ever question it, now from what he’d felt emanating from the blonde.

Taking a deep breath, Minori gently pushed Tristan away and found a discarded kimono he wore when sleeping and donned it. Then he hurriedly walked to his closet, taking down a small wool blanket, spreading it out upon the floor. Opening, a small drawer, he carefully lifted a box with an earned and paid for kimono, another of his favorites, and placed it upon the blanket, pulling his only yutaka from the cubby as well. He also lifted the one he’d been wearing this morning and lay it down to go.

Leaving his make up box, he only took out his ivory comb and two ribbons. Then he slid open a small door along the floor of his closet and dug for a small box, a box he’d hidden his secret stash of saved money.

They would need the yen, yen for Tristan to have more clothes, yen for travel where ever they may go, yen for lodging and food.

Once he’d placed it all upon the middle of the blanket, he pulled the corners together and tied them hurriedly and returned his closet as if it had never been touched, picking up his sandals along the way.

Minori glanced in his mirror long enough to straighten and tie his obi and gather Tristan’s clothes. All he brought to Tristan’s side, all he placed before him, getting upon his knees with a very sleepy yawn. He smiled though as he lifted his lover’s shirt, such an interesting article of clothing. He might try it on one day if he was allowed.

He was about to hold it out for Tristan to slip his arms into when he felt the hands of sleep tugging upon his arms so much so he couldn’t help but follow. So instead he hugged the shirt to his chest, crawling closer to Tristan not wishing to be anywhere else but in his arms. “I’m so tired. Hold me for a little while?”

Still naked and musky and reddened and spent from their activities, Tristan melted to Minori’s request. “I know you must feel so tired, Minori. Soon you’re body will settle, and you’ll awaken fully to this new life... a life beside me.” He wrapped his arms around the sleep ridden baby vampire, pulling him close. ‘Listen to my heart beat... it has something to tell you... and only you.’ Stroking Minori’s back, delighting in the feel of his robe, he relaxed completely, willing himself to conserve his energy for the time being, knowing he would have use of it later.

In the back of his mind, all of the odd tidbits and training that Victoria had bestowed upon him were surfacing. He suddenly didn’t fear for their future. If they needed something, they would take it. If they wanted a home, they would mysteriously ‘inherit’ it. If they were hungry - he was sure now that he would kill even an innocent youth to keep his Minori alive and with him. If they were cold, they would make love until they felt only warmth.

Finally, he felt Minori succumb fully to the lullaby of transformation. ’Sleep deeply my love. When you wake, we’ll be far away from here.’ As gently as possible he laid the sleeping body comfortably on the woven floor. Dressing himself, he felt a little strange. When he’d first been made into a Vampire, he knew only the soft connection that bound him to Victoria, but she had never treated him in the way that he treated and delighted in treating Minori. A passing regret swept over him. Not that he wished they had been lovers, for their bond wasn’t like that, but he wondered if perhaps, even with him by her side, if she had still been lonely.

‘I’m so sorry Victoria.’ He thought, but then looked down at the sleeping man, so mysterious and yet to positively open. ‘I’m a fool. And I often make mistakes. But I will love you, Minori, in the way that Victoria never could love me.’ He set his glasses smartly on his face, and wrapped a new stream of gauze around his neck. ’Will it ever heal?’ He wondered and shrugged. It didn’t matter.

Grabbing the small blanket, made now into a little satchel, he thought of one last thing. With a coy smile he picked up the little bottle of oil from earlier and pressed its stopper deeply inside of it. Slipping it into his pocket, he set the blanket, with all of precious Minori’s worldly treasures down onto the sleeping man’s stomach, then knelt down and slid his arms beneath the pale legs and around the slender shoulders. Cradling Minori to his chest in a manner halfway between infant and bridal, he lifted his lover easily and walked to the door.

‘We will never see this place again...’ he almost wished Minori could wake, to have his final goodbye. Exiting the room, he found himself in a crowded hallway, as the night was literally still young.

‘Why hadn’t I foreseen this, or sensed this?’ He wondered, suddenly breathing fast and seeking a way out, that wouldn’t arouse suspicion or cause bloodshed.

Gripping Minori tightly to him, he walked down the main staircase, hoping his presence was innocuous. Veering away from the main entrance, he slunk to the shadows and walked toward what he hoped would be a rear exit.

A few steps into the dimly lit hallway, he felt a feminine hand grip his shoulder. He gasped, and the palpitation in his heart must have transferred over to Minori, for in that instant, his dark lashes fluttered and opened, revealing dark eyes, that seemed even more boundless than before, as they adopted an ancient wisdom.

A/N:
You might have to copy and paste the links
Tatami Mats (informational even though it's a market site)

http://www.japanshoji.com/tatami.htm