She pulled her hair to one side and angled her head away from him, revealing her bare neck. He took a step toward her, closing the space between them, and gently cupped the back of her head. Her sweet scent started a fire in his heart. He could hear her blood pulsing through her veins. His once gentle green eyes turned red with bloodlust. One thing consumed his mind, body, and entire being, the hunger. His lips stretched into a sad smile. His eyebrows angled up and the red of his eyes faded back to his normal emerald as he pushed the hunger to the back of his mind. He gently brushed back her long dark hair, running his fingers through it as it fell along her face like a river of silk.
Takuma cleared his throat and turned back towards his desk. He pulled out his box of blood tablets and dropped them in a wine glass filled with water. He watched them dissolve into the water and turn it blood red as he swirled it in his hand. It wasn't nearly as tempting as the real thing, in truth the artificial blood tasted like ash to him. But it was the only alternative since he forbade himself from having real blood, her blood.
She stood there watching him drink, more confused than ever. She bit her lower lip as she studied him, not sure of what he expected from her. Takuma noticed her confusion, "is something wrong?" he asked in his normal cheerful tone as if nothing had happened.
"It's just that, I don't understand, my lord"
"What is it that you don't understand?"
"Have I done something wrong? Have I done something to anger you in anyway?"
"Of course not. Why would you ask that?" his tone changed quickly, as he became more serious.
"Then do you..." she stammered and looked at the floor as red flushed her cheeks. "Do you find me unattractive?" She finished as she continued to avoid his gaze.
Takuma chuckled, "the man who claims that is truly a liar" he mumbled into his glass before he gulped down the last of his blood-water.
"Then why do you refuse to drink from me?" she knew it wasn't her place to ask such things, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her.
Takuma was taken by surprise. His faced turned red and he scratched the back of his head in a nervous habit. "To be honest, I've been asking myself that a lot lately." He composed himself rather quickly. "How many vampires have bitten into you?" he asked carefully.
Her dark brown eyes widened immediately as they shot up to meet his. "I- I - ... I don't know," she was ashamed of her answer. She looked away from him again as she searched her mind for a number she could offer her master. But the truth was there had been so many she hadn't kept count.
Takuma looked at her as she fidgeted under his gaze. His heart was filled his sadness and compassion for the poor girl in front of him. "And..." he cleared his throat to prevent his voice from breaking as he asked his next question. "And of all those who have bitten into you, how many did you actually want to drink your blood?" She started to answer but he cut her off quickly. "I'm not talking about if you offered your blood out of duty because of who you are and who they were. I mean, how many did you care about and trust enough to offer your blood to them?"
She continued to search her mind, her memories. But she already knew what the answer was, "none." She whispered, emotionless. She stood there as if numb from the pain of her past. Her feelings betrayed only by a single tear as it slipped down her cheek.
Takuma put down the glass he forgot he was holding and once again walked up to her. He cupped her face and brushed away her tear with his thumb. But then he couldn't pull away. He continued to brush her cheek as he was once again entranced by her sweet smell and silky smooth skin. He could read clearly the pain in her eyes. "What's my name?" Takuma whispered.
Aiko furrowed her brow in confusion. She searched his face looking for a reason for such a question, "you are the lord Takuma, heir to the house of Ichijo," she answered, unable to pull herself away from his touch.
Takuma held her close, "and that's why I can't drink from you," he replied with a sigh, almost as if it pained him to say so. Aiko tried to reply, to express her never-ending confusion, but he spoke again before she could. "When you offer your blood to me, you do it as a dutiful servant would to her master. I don't want that. Not from you. Not ever."
Their eyes locked into each other's gaze. It was as if the rest of the world had faded away. The only beings in existence were each other. "Then how would you have me offer my blood to you?" she asked shyly.
"You still don't understand," he responded shaking his head. His eyes still fixed on hers. "Until you see us as equals, as I do, I will not drink from you," he stated firmly. Pulling her closer into him. He couldn't stay away. He wanted her more than anything in his entire life, but he couldn't accept her blood. "I won't drink from you, until you want me to drink your blood the way I want you to drink mine."
Aiko gasped. She tried to pull herself away from him, but he tightened his grip. "My lord, you cannot say such things. I am your humble servant, a level C vampire. It would be horribly inappropriate for me to drink your blood."
"Why? Because of tradition? None of that matters to me."
"Your family would-"
"My family doesn't matter," he cut her off firmly. "I've lived under my grandfather's thumb for long enough," he reached for her hands and raised them to his lips, kissing them gently. "I don't care about titles, or family name. I only see you. And I hope that, in time, you will see only me."
"This can't happen," it took all her resolve to pull herself away from him. "I will continue to serve and protect your family. And you will..." she trailed off, tears pooling in her eyes.
He grabbed her arms and pulled her back into him. "Please, don't cry. I can't bear to see you cry."
"Then why do you say these things?"
"Because I'm in love with you," he paused looking deeply into her eyes. "But if you don't feel the same way, tell me now and I will never mention it again."
Her heart raced. She knew the prudent thing to say, what was expected of her, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. She couldn't think as he lowered his face closer to hers. She could feel his breath on her skin and it exhilarated her. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck as she raised herself up to meet his lips.
When suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Takuma? You in there?" Aiko jumped away at the sound of the door. She stood straight, hands clasped behind her back.
Takuma looked toward the door in frustration. "I'm here," he responded. His features softened quickly as he looked towards Aiko, apologizing with his eyes.
Senri walked in casually. He looked to Aiko, not noticing anything out of the ordinary then shifted his gaze back to Takuma, "Lord Kaname has been asking for you."
"Tell him I'll be there in a minute," he responded.
"My lord," Aiko interrupted. "If you need nothing further, I will retire," she said as she bowed her head to the two aristocrats
"Of course," Takuma replied regretfully. "You may retire."
"Thank you," she said with low bow as she hurried out of Takuma's study.
Hi this is a one-shot that's been stuck in my head for a while now. I wrote it down and ended up liking it so i decided to post it. I have a story built around this character and Takuma but I'm not sure if I'll write the rest cuz I already have two unfinished stories and don't think i should start a third but it you guys like it I might go for it. So let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!