"Were leaving Shigure!" Yuki called through the house. He walked out the door with Kyo. The morning was calm and cool. The late-spring air filled Yuki's heart with a long forgotten happiness. Even Kyo smiled at him.
"What's up with you?" Yuki asked him.
"I dunno," Kyo muttered, "It's just one of those days that you can't get angry."
'Hmm,' Yuki thought. 'I wonder if she feels the same way,"
Velvet walked down the sidewalk. Her headphones were screaming rock music into her ears but she never seemed to mind. She looked down at her watch and quickened her pace.
"Rats! I'm gonna be late!" she said to herself. As she ran, the sweet winds in her breath put a little skip to her step. 'Nice day,' she thought, 'to bad I can't spend it with him."
Yuki and Kyo walked into the classroom. Everyone was there, exept for Velvet. Kyo walked over to a couple fo his friends. They immidately started talking and laughing. Yuki took his usual seat next to the window; roling his eyes as all of the girls stared at him, whispering and giggling. Yuki looked at the empty desk in front of him. It was hers, Velvet's. She had recently moved here from America with her adopted parents. Aparently, her real parents died and the rest of her family was lost to her. She had been here for half a year but she didn't have any friends, she didn't even bother to make any. She didn't speak to anyone unless it was to read something or answer a question in class. She had spoken to Yuki once to introduce herself. She had actually smiled too. Yuki got to know her better, in fact, he was the only one Velvet spoke to. Yuki was Velvet's only friend. But Velvet didn't get too close to him, he noticed and wondered why. She got pulled into alot fights too but she always won, without a scar, bruise or word. Yuki could sense a deep feeling of lonliness around her. At that very moment, the door smacked open, revealing Velvet and her usual grim expression. Her veil of negetivity caused the whole class to fall silent. They all stared at her.
Then, unexpectedly, she smiled sweetly, "Good mornin' everyone!" she exclaimed happily. Everybody was stunned. All eyes fallowed her as she made her way to her desk. Velvet turned to Yuki and smiled even more.
"Good morning, Yuki," she said softly.
"Good morning, Miss Moonflo," Yuki reponded in the same manner. Everyone had went back to talking.
"Oh, please," Velvet said blushing slightly, "just call me Velvet, it's what my family calls me."
Yuki smiled to himself "Do you think me family, Velvet?" Velvet colored more, "Well, I, uh," she stammered "You're a good friend, you're my only friend, you deserve it," Just then the bell rang.
Velvet put her hand on Yuki's desk, "Good luck with your exams," she said. Yuki brusheed his fingers of hers and laid his palm on her hand. Velvet blushed fiercely.
"You too," he said as he gave her hand a small squeeze. Velvet quickly withdrew it and sat down. Yuki thought to himself, 'I don't even know why I did that'. He looked at his palm, 'I wonder what she thinks about me,'.
Later
Grey clouds began to streak the horizon as the last bell rang. Yuki met up with Velvet again after class. "So, Velvet, how do you think you did?" he asked her.
"I dunno," she said shrugging her shoulders. "Do you wan't to come over?" she asked, "We could study for tomorrow's test together." Velvet smiled meekly.
Yuki grinned "I'd love to," his smile faded, "but I cant." Velvet looked upset.
"Don't be discouraged," Yuki said putting a hand on her shoulder, "I have to help clean the house today, but I can walk you home."
"No," Velvet sighed, "I'll be okay, thanks though". She turned and began to walk away. Yuki withdrew his hand as he watched her walk. Kyo came up behind him.
"What are you doing?" he questioned him. "Nothing, lets go home," and with that they left.
Velvet opened the door to her house. "Welcome home honey!" her mother called.
"Hey, Reiko," Velvet said in response. "Oh, come now dear, how many times have I told you to called me Mama?"
"The same amount that I told you I'd rather not," Velvet said beneath her breath. "Suit yourself dear," Reiko said.
"Hey kiddo!" her dad said as her grabbed her bright pink hair and gently tugged on it. "Hey Daisuke," Velvet replied. She headed upstairs to put her bag away.
"Something's troubling her Daisuke," Reiko said to him. "Yeah, wonder what."
Upstairs, Velvet was busily studying for her test. "Why didn't I tell him yes?" she groaned. Velvet headed down.
"Hey Reiko, whats for di..," Velvet tripped on the stairs. She began to fall. "I gotcha Vel!" Daisuke called. He rushed over to her and caught her.
"No!" Velvet said but it was to late. POOF! A cloud of deep red smoke surrounded them "What the?" Reiko exclaimed. They both looked at Velvet. She had blood red locks and pointed fangs peeking past her lips. Her eyes were black with while slits for pupils and her hands were protruding with claws. Black, damaged looking, demonic wings ardorned her back.
"Oh my god," Daisuke whispered. "It's not what you think!" Velvet began to protest. "GET OUT DEMON!" Daisuke yelled.
"But where will I go?" Velvet cried. "GET OUT!" Daisuke pulled out a gun from the cabinet. "Daisuke," Velvet whimpered. BANG! He shot her square in the stomach. Velvet flinched and began to run.
The sky was pouring down rain, thunder was crashing and lightning dangerously struck the sky. Velvet ran forever, crying as she did. Thorns and the thick brush shredding her clothes, cutting her in the process. Her somach bleeding. Velvet kept on running until she happened upon a house. She colapsed on the porch and changed back to her normal self with a boom.
'Huh?' Shigure thought to himself. He looked out at the porch. A girl was leaning against it, dripping with water and blood. "Oh my god," Shigure murmurred, "Yuki! Kyo! Get down here!" he yelled. The two boys ran downstairs.
"What is it?" the said in unison. They saw him trying to lift and unconcious girl to the house. "Velvet!" Yuki exclaimed. He and Kyo helped pull her up to the house. Her breaths were slow and short.
"Yuki," she breathed, "Is that you?" "Yes Velvet, it's me, I'm here," he assured her. "It hurts... Yuki, my stomach," Velvet whimpered.
"Like you're going to throw up?" Kyo asked her.
"No,...bullets," Velvet strained to say. "Bullets?" Shigure wondered. Velvet pulled up her bloody, ripped shirt slightly. A small, red hole resided several inches below her breast. Yuki picked her up.
"Shigure, get me some hot water, cotton and anticeptic would you?" Yuki asked him. Shigure nodded and rushed off. Yuki carried Velvet upstairs to his room while Kyo helped Shigure. Yuki laid velvet down on his bed.
"Forgive me for this," he said to her. Yuki bent over and put his mouth to the bullet hole and sucked for a few seconds. Then when he sat up again, he spit out a lead pellet with an amount of blood. Kyo and Shigure arrived with the requested supplies. Yuki dunked the cotton in the water and cleane up all of her blood. He spread the anticeptic over her wounds and bandaged them up.
"Velvet what happened?" Yuki asked wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. "I wish I could tell you Yuki," she said, "But I can't." "Why not?" "Because, I won't make my only friend hate me," Velvet responded.
"Why would I hate you?" Yuki asked as if it were an impossible thing. Velvet looked at him sadly.
"Velvet, if you told me that you turned into a rat every time a boy hugged you, I'd still be your friend," he told her. Velvet laughed a little. The she cried. "Yuki, I can't posibly keep it from you any longer," she cried.
"You are the only one I feel though I can trust but I still don't know what your reaction would be." Yuki looked serious about something. He grabbed Velvet's hand and pulled her into a tight embrace. The others gasped, including Velvet. "Velvet, I have a secret too, my whole family does," Yuki said to her softly. "And now, I'm sure your family has the same one. So why don't you just tell me what you transform into?"
Velvet looked up at him. "A vampire," Velvet said smally. At this, Shigure winced. "What about you?" "I turn into a rat, Kyo turns into a cat and Shigure turns into a dog, my whole family transforms into the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac." "My family each have their own mythical being, There's an angel, an elve, a demon, a half demon, a warewolf a fallen angel and me, the vampire."
The group was silent for a time, then Shigure spoke up, "Where's you home Velvet?" he asked her. "I don't have a home anymore," Velvet said softly, "My adopted parents found out my secret and forced me out of their house. That's when my suposive father shot me. Then I ran until I couldn't run anymore." "Do you want to stay here?" Shigure questioned, "There's an extra room upstairs and tommorow, the boys and I will go get your belongings for you, is that okay?" Velvet smiled weakly, "I'd love that, thanks you guys." Shigure went downstairs.
"I suppose, I could tolerate you on one condition," Kyo said smugly. "What's that?" Velvet asked. "you fight me anytime I want to," Kyo stated. Yuki rolled his eyes, "Okay," Velvet said as she smiled. Kyo left the room aswell. 'Cool girl,' he thought to himself as he closed the door.
Velvet looked back up at Yuki, blushing as she remembered she was still in his arms. Yuki laid down with her. Velvet snuggled herself closer to him, nuzzling her nose into his neck. He responded by holding her closer.
"Yuki," Velvet whispered. "Yes, Velvet?" "I love you," she said, her body growing warmer. Yuki lifted her chin to the point where their eyes met, violet reflecting lilac. Yuki playfully twisted Velvet's purple hair streak around his finger. "I love you too," he whispered.
Velvet's eyes brimmed with tears. The sent around her grew stronger, it was fiery sweet to Yuki's senses and it made his heart burn with passion. Velvet wrapped her arms around him and Yuki eased his hands up to her shoulders. "It feels so nice to hold someone you love," Yuki said. "Yes," Velvet responded, "And I never thought I would."
And Yuki held her like that, until she fell asleep. Then, he carried her to her new room and covered her up with the down comforter. He kissed her forehead gently. Yuki observed the intricate purple, flame-like tatoos on her eyes, they made her look like a mythical being. 'Yes,' Yuki thought, 'my little vampire girl'. He left the room and closed the door softly.