Shit. I used to have an interesting note up here, I think. Unfortunately, I am stupid enough to forget about the authors note, since I haven't been on Fanfiction in months, and I knew I needed to fix and replace this gosh-awful story. I kept the plot, but the use of present tense... *shudders* It was bad.
But I fixed it. So read the writing that ensues from here... once you finish crying over the old authors note that will never again be.
"Sunako!" The voice of that radiant creature called from down the stairs. I grit my teeth. Dammit, even his voice shines. I'll melt just from hearing it.
Maybe this time I'll just ignore him, I thought resolutely, polishing Josephine's head. Hopefully he won't bother to come and get me from my dark corner of the world, or if anyone does it'll be Yuki, and he shines a little bit less. Stupid vibrant beings, destroying my covet of darkness with their endless rays of blinding light.
"Sunako!" He shouted again. I scrambled into the farthest corner of my room, abandoning Josephine's head at the base of her feet. I don't want to leave! I felt like whining. But then they would know that I was alive and didn't die from the hands of my dark friends. I see the way they eye Hiroshi when they come in, like he's going to jump out and kill them. How ridiculous. Hiroshi would only do that if I asked him to, obviously.
"Sunako!" The creature of light shouted a third time, but it was much closer.
Damn! I shouted in my head, covering my face with my hands. He was coming to get me this time. I can't stand it: all the light, shining all the time—even when they're sleeping or sick or dead!
Dead. Maybe that's the answer to all my troubles. I haven't tried to murder him in a while, and I am getting sick of his brilliance.
Crawling—for what else do creatures of the darkness do?—I made my way over to the little night stand next to my bed and swiped a bone handled knife from the top drawer, that I use especially for small murders. I heard his soft footsteps out in the hallway as I stood next to the door, knife poised and ready to slit his throat. The unfortunate part about cutting throats is that the cleanup is tedious and long, the blood pouring from the arteries too swiftly to make a small mess, but what must be done, must be done.
"Sunako," he said loudly outside my door, "I know you're there, and I know you're not dead, or this hallway would reek. I'm giving you five seconds to come out or I'm coming in and dragging you out."
I grinned wickedly, gripping the knife in my hand. Five, four, three, two, one…
True to his word, the door flew open, slamming against the wall with enough force to crack it. He got one foot in the room, and all I needed was a glimpse of his brightness before I pounced, slashing forward with the knife, aiming for the pulse of life in his throat.
I could almost see the brilliant red blood rushing forth in my mind as the knife arced toward him, but all I got was a brief fantasy before he deftly caught my wrist, using his other hand to grab the knife from my grasp and fling it into the opposite wall where it stuck with a dull vibration.
His light shone impossibly brighter in his anger, and I twisted desperately from his grasp, shielding my face with my free hand to get away from his brilliance. He didn't relinquish his grip, though, and instead dragged me into the center of the room before carelessly throwing me down on it. I hit with an unexciting thud on the carpet. It didn't hurt, but the miniature sun in his eyes did. I protected my eyes with one arm, the other fisting in my black dress.
My plan failed! Oh, woe is me!
"What," he asked exasperatedly, "was that for?"
"Stupid, bright, creature of the day!" I moaned. "I'm melting! You'll kill me!"
"So, as usual, you thought you should kill me first, before I had the chance to kill you?" He asked wryly. "Apparently that plan worked splendidly."
I almost suppressed a shriek. Almost. I might have let one slip, judging by the pained look on that being's face. "Why won't you die!" I shouted in anger, attempting to crawl away from his light. He grabbed for my wrist again, wrenching me to my feet.
"Oh no you don't," he all but snarled. "You haven't come out of your room for days, the others are gone, and I'm starving."
I stared, mouth agape, eyes hidden beneath midnight bangs. "THEY'RE GONE?" I shouted, scandalized. "I'M ALONE WITH YOU, YOU ANNOYINGLY DAZZLING CREATURE?"
He raised an undisturbed eyebrow. "They had dates. So you're stuck with me."
Horrified, I had no choice but to let him drag me from my sanctuary, down the hall, and into the dining room. At least night had fallen, and I could deal with the intensity of the radiance from the boy out of the corner of my eye.
I felt a pulse in each fingertip, pounding from the grip he had, and then his grasp was gone, and the blood slowly seeped back through each vessel. I found myself in front of the stove, which clearly had been misused in the past few days of my morbid absence, apparent by the streaks of food and dried cooking all over the place. The counter didn't fare much better.
With a dejected sigh, and a dishrag, I cleaned the area thoroughly in less than a minute. Hey, I may not be a lady, but at least I have some ladylike qualities.
That stunning organism at the table behind me had not taken his eyes away from me, so eager is he to taste the first meal he's had in probably days. The male population of this planet disturbed, interested, and disgusted me all at once. Once the meal was placed in front of him, he devoured it so gratefully that tears make tracks down his face.
I internally gagged.
Looking content and leaning back in his chair with ease, he eyed me from under the stray hairs that fell in his face. I looked far to his left so I didn't have to stare directly into the light.
"Hey, Sunako, you want to go somewhere tonight?" He asked out of the blue.
I stared horrified, with comically wide eyes and an open-mouthed expression, hoping I'd heard the words wrong. He drags me from my dark corner and then expects me to gallivant off into the light of the planet as if it were an easy concept? No way!
"No," I rasped my response. "No."
He rolled his chocolate brown eyes. "Then do you want to watch a movie?"
It was a widely easier notion. "Sure," I mumbled grouchily. There were worse things.
"Have any ideas?"
I grinned like a mentally unstable convict. "I have Amityville Horror, Quarantine, Saw, Paranormal Activity, Night of the Living Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Friday the 13th—
"Jeez, do you have any cheerfulness in your life?"
"It's all cheerful!" I cried indignantly. Now pick one!"
"Nightmare on Elm Street works for me," he sighed.
I exhaled noisily. "I had better be getting some chocolate out of this," I growled at him. Forcing me to share my sanctuary and all my wondrous treasures—bleh! He owed me for this!
Suddenly, he looked strangely deep in thought. "Chocolate, hmm?" Then a shout, "Get out from under there!"
I would deny petulantly hiding under the dining room table from his thoughtful stare, but my arms had enough finger-shaped bruises from his hand pulling me out to prove that I couldn't.
Sitting huffily in my chair only egged his impatience on. "Go get the movie and set it up in the living room; I'll be right in."
I crossed my arms. "If we watch it, then we're watching it in my room. The less time I spend outside in the world, the safer I am."
"You need civilization," he argued.
"NO," I cried. "No, I do not! I am perfectly fine the way I am."
He sighed. "Sunako," he said, looking at me through his bangs in an attempt to look trustworthy, "come on. You need to get out of there. You're rotting."
"Then let me rot!" I shouted.
"Sunako—" he started.
"Stop saying my name!" I shrieked, covering my ears in a childlike manner. "You make it sound like something good, and I can't stand it!" After a moment, since he didn't say anything in response, I took my hands away from my head. "You don't get it, do you?" I asked, not really expecting a reply.
"I guess not," he said. "But it doesn't matter. You will get out of that damn room."
I smiled cruelly. "Only when you make me."
He shook his head. "Don't have to." He stood and stalked out of the room, leaving me puzzled. He returned only seconds later, clutching something behind his back. I scooted back father in my chair, because his expression freaked me out.
As he came to stand beside me, leaning down, I was curled in a ball, not liking his nearness. "Sun—" he started, and then stopped, remembering my words. "Listen. We're watching the movie in the living room, right?" I shook my head no, feeling confused since we just went over this. He pulled the thing out from behind his back, and my eyes grew wide.
It was a box of chocolates.
I gasped and reached for it, fingers wiggling wildly in the air in a desperate attempt to grab it. He held it easily out of reach.
"Now," he started, sounding diplomatic. "If you want a piece of this delicious, dark chocolate, then you should get the movie from your bedroom and come set it up down here. Okay?"
"Okay," I managed around the drool threatening to pour out of my mouth.
In a flash, I sprinted upstairs, grabbed the movie, apologized to Hiroshi and company for leaving them, and ran back downstairs, to find that dazzling creature sitting comfortably on the couch. He tossed me a piece of chocolate, which I caught, stunned. I half expected him not to do it.
I shoved it in my mouth like it was a lifeline. The flavor exploded inside of me, coating my tongue with its delicious taste. It has to be the best chocolate I've had to this day.
I popped the movie into the player and turned the TV on. When I turned around I look expectantly at him, hoping for another piece, but he shook his head, wearing a smirk. He gestured to the seat next to him. I stared distrustfully at him before plopping down in the chair next to me. He patted the cushion as an invitation, giving me a meaningful look. I stubbornly crossed my arms and set my jaw, glaring.
It was then I saw another piece of chocolate in his hand. With eyes wide, I all but jumped out of my chair, raced over, and set myself down on the cushion next to him. He rewarded me by placing the piece in my hands. I gobbled it down, and saw him smirk out of the corner of my eye.
For the first half an hour, I alternated between actually watching the movie and staring at the box of chocolates in his hand, before I gave up hoping that he would just give me some. Clearly they were a reward for when I did something that he liked.
The radiant creature next to me shifted slightly, and I took no notice until I felt his arm snake around my shoulders. Not removing my eyes from the bloody scene enfolding before me, I scowled, and circled my fingers around his wrist, about to pull him off—not without a few bruises and scratches for his audacity—when he dangled another piece of chocolate in front of me.
I immediately released my hold on his wrist to grab the little temptation, slipping it past my lips eagerly. He offered me another piece, of which I stared at for a moment, puzzled.
"For not getting a nosebleed," he whispered in my ear, his breath warm against my cheek.
Now I really have to fight a nosebleed.
I took the piece from his fingers and nibbled on it for a moment before popping the entire thing in my mouth. He looked very self-satisfied at my cooperation.
Only minutes later, another piece was offered to me. I took it without hesitation, thinking that I was being rewarded for my lack of hemorrhaging with him touching my shoulders. But when I felt his fingers on the side of my head, coaxing it onto his shoulder, I had to fight really hard to not gush blood all over the couch. When I didn't try to kill him, but merely stiffened like a statue, I got another piece of chocolate for my cooperation.
Despite the fact that pressure was building up behind my nose, and I wanted nothing more than to stab something…or burn something…or poison something…or shoot/hit/kick/castrate/kill something, I managed to sit there quietly, hoping my good behavior would be noticed and rewarded. I had no idea in hell what he was doing, but I didn't really care; I wasn't being hurt or really violated, and I had some chocolate! I wasn't going to question it!
After that, we watched the movie in relative peace for a while. No more touching or goodies, but a gory horror film that helped me relax somewhat. Freddy spilt more blood in this movie than any other I'd watched in the last…six hours or so, perhaps. It was a good way for me to calm down and ignore the light shining out of the corner of my eye, or the way the creature's breath ruffled my hair when he exhaled, or how warm his arm was…
The chocolates were poisoned, weren't they? The thought terrified me.
I calmed down significantly as I saw Freddy slit someone open on the TV. Oh, that means the movie must be coming to an end. Pity. I could use some more soothing terror right now.
I was afraid that if I moved, my good fortune might end, so I stayed stock-still until I felt him shift. I didn't dare look up at him, or my nose would drain the life from me in the form of scarlet liquid, but his fingers found their way under my chin, tilting my head back to look at him, despite the warning signs going off in my head. My eyes peeked out from under my bangs, wide—very wide. He smirked softly at me, before sliding another piece into my mouth, his fingers just brushing my lips.
That nosebleed was very, very, very close now, and my eyes were about the size of saucers.
"Hey," he murmured, "you okay?"
How considerate of you, I thought dryly. I waited a moment for the pressure in my nose to disappear some before responding. "I'm fine," I muttered.
"You don't look fine," he teased softly.
"Obviously! I'm on the verge of bleeding all over the place, if you hadn't noticed. I'm not in the safety of my room, I'm not surrounded by my closest friends, I'm not—"
"You don't consider me a friend?" He asked, though not joking, just curious.
I stared. "I don't know," I responded eventually. "You can be awfully infuriating, cocky, arrogant, self-assured, conceited, hardheaded, cruel, sometimes even sadistic, but—" I stopped myself, unsure of what I wanted to say next.
"I can be really sweet?" He said, batting his long lashes.
Nosebleed, nosebleed, nosebleed.
"Something like that," I responded with a small, dry, slightly forced smile.
He smiled back, and after I got over the blindness and could see again, he was sliding another treat past my lips. "See? I am sweet. Sweet as this chocolate, too."
I rolled my eyes. Bastard. "Nothing is as sweet as chocolate. Sorry, dear, but you'll settle for second place, right?"
"You'd give me second, then?" He grinned, looking smug. Then, abruptly, it disappeared, and it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. His stare bored into my eyes, and my gulp was about the only sound heard, echoing off the walls. "I'll bet you I taste even better than chocolate," he said.
I was just about hyperventilating, and it took all my concentration not to pass out. "Not possible," I said roughly, my throat drier than the desert. My head pounded, though the urge to sneeze blood was somehow manageable.
He reached over and grabbed something from the box of chocolates sitting next to him on the couch. Slowly, his eyes drilling into mine, his arm anchoring me in place so that I didn't run away, he pushed another piece of chocolate into my mouth.
I chewed, savoring the taste. "No competition," I said when I'd swallowed it.
"You haven't even tried the other one yet," he stated. I felt puzzled, thinking he meant another piece, but that train of thought is suddenly, rapidly cut off when he pressed his lips to mine.
It's a miracle the bloodworks didn't immediately go off. I fought to push him away, but for once he was stronger than I was—probably due to the fact that I was too busy trying not to die at this moment to give more effort. I was slowly melting inside of myself, and it was far too hot in this room, and I was suffocating, and—wow—he's very warm, and my brain is spinning—
He broke off quickly, only to murmur, "Sunako," in an almost-growl, "kiss me back," before pressing his mouth back to mine.
I still refused, too many emotions rolling inside of me, the heat all around positively overpowering me. Though his mouth wasn't doing anything but pressing against mine, then I realized he wasn't forcing me, but waiting for me to respond.
When I still did nothing but sit in shock, he impatiently pulled his head back. He reached over, snatched another chocolate in his hand and popped it in his mouth, before leaning back over and attaching our lips again.
His mouth was parted, just enough for me to seize the delicacy—if I dared to venture inside. It's tempting—oh, so tempting—but my stubborn self is conflicted. Do I lose my sanity by kissing him back, or do I lose it by not going for that treat?
I've never really been a "nothing ventured, nothing gained" kind of person, but I could practically taste the sweetness, perhaps an inch from where I wanted it, and I found I had no other option, no choice that could preserve my good sense, but to flick my tongue out and wrap it around my goal, pulling it out of its cage.
He made a noise of surprise (he obviously didn't expect me to do it), but let it go. I savored the taste, but it's not the same as the others, not as, well, chocolaty. It has something else in it, something undeniably better…
My eyes widened in realization, and I pulled my head back slightly. He stared down at me. "You—" I started, then cut myself off, breathing deeply once to calm my heart rate. "You…do…" I tried again, but my throat closed.
He closed his eyes and smiled slightly before opening them again. "Told you so," he murmured, before pressing his mouth on mine yet again.
By some miracle, some work of some insanity in the universe's sense of humor, some glitch in my mind that's been overpowered by the sweetness, I slowly found myself kissing him back.
I had most definitely been poisoned.
As usual, he was neither shy nor tentative. It was a kiss filled with emotion: the rage I always brought out in him, the fear that was instilled in my heart from everything around me, the ire in which we battled, the passion in which we fought, the joy only this kiss could bring us.
And there was one irrevocable truth: he tasted better than chocolate ever could. The thought left me struck dumb, until the feeling of his tongue entering my mouth stunned me back to what was happening there, now. I was being kissed by the radiant creature, and, of my own volition, I was kissing him back.
It's like nothing I've ever felt before. Is it possible to feel this…warm? And somehow, past everything that's happened between us, happy? I couldn't be sure, for all I could feel was confusion, confliction, and underneath that, the unfamiliar sensation of ecstasy—of floating on a cloud that's soft against my fingers, but dark with the promise of a thunderstorm.
The hand that previously hung on my shoulders moved until his hand was cupping the back of my neck, and his other searched for my waist, easing me back on the couch so that he laid comfortably on top of me, not crushing me but gently pressing me into the cushions with his body.
The kiss rose in intensity, and he was burning me, his skin was burning me, even through the layers of our clothes. His hands were on the skin of my back, pulling me into his chest, and my hands were between us, running over the flesh there, feeling the hard muscle beneath.
And I realized we were going fast, much too fast, faster than I could keep up with.
I broke our contact, panting, my breath coming and going rapidly, and I couldn't help but feel pleased when I saw he didn't fare much better than I, his chest rising and falling like a heartbeat, brushing my torso with each inhalation. I could hardly think, hardly believe what just occurred between us. And even now, though we're not as close as moments ago, his stare still warmed me to the core, penetrating my sight with his glow.
We were going too fast, I thought hastily, the thought edged with a tinge of panic that I refused to let control me. I stared up at him, and the only thing I could think to say through the haze in my brain, was: "I am not having sex on a couch."
He laughed softly and dipped his head to nuzzle the base of my throat. "I wouldn't do anything you didn't want me to," he said with conviction.
"What about that time that Aunty wanted us to get together…intimately…to show that you could turn me into a lady through…through…you know?" I couldn't help but recall.
He chuckled against my skin, raising small goosebumps along my collar. "That was for the sake of the rent."
I couldn't help but freeze, the mention of that particular detail putting an unwanted notion in my mind. "The…rent?" I asked quietly.
He immediately stopped caressing my neck and raised himself on his elbows to look down on me, his expression alarmed. "No, Sunako," he said, horrified. "This isn't like that. I'm not doing it for anyone's sake but yours and mine. I—" he cleared his throat uncomfortably, pausing for a moment. "I…have…feelings…for you," he ground out uneasily.
I could only stare. This brilliant creature of the day, who shines brighter than any ten thousand stars combined with the sun, can have feelings for the darkness-dweller?
I knew I had to say something, but the words wouldn't come. "I…" I started, but I didn't know how to go on, being me, so I did the only thing I knew would portray what I felt without using words, and pulled his face back to mine for another kiss.
There's a new emotion in this kiss that's different than the others: relief. Neither of us knows what we're doing, clearly, but I suppose one could say that I was willing to try, and by the way he kissed me back, I could guess that he felt the same.
We hardly even got into the kiss before I heard the front door being unlocked. My eyes snapped open at the exact time his did, and I only had time to hiss "hallway," and push him off of me, when Takenaga and Yuki entered the house. I frantically tried to straighten my shirt before they spotted me. Luckily, the brilliant creature had heeded my warning and was hiding around the corner.
"Sunako," Yuki greeted me with a smile. "You're out of your room. Is everything all right?"
"Yes, of course," I half-said, half-squeaked, then cursed internally, remembering how bad my acting skills really were. "Everything is fine," I said with a much more even tone.
Takenaga raised an eyebrow at my nervous expression. "Where's Kyouhei?"
Ah, right, Kyouhei. I really needed to stop referring to him as "the radiant creature."
"Taking a bath." Oh, good one. So I could lie on the spot now, eh?
Takenaga scrutinized me for a moment. I blushed nervously. "So where's Ranmaru?" I asked as casually as I could.
"Still out," Yuki said, untying the scarf around his neck with a yawn, oblivious to the tension that was filling the room. "Well," he said, "I'm wiped out. I think I'll go to bed." He hung his jacket on the coat rack and retreated to his room. Takenaga stayed a moment longer, eying me. I felt a few sweat beads break out on my brow.
He stared a moment longer before smirking. "Use protection, love," he said. "We don't need rambunctious little Kyouhei babies tearing up the place." He then left me standing in the entryway, mouth open so wide it touched the floor.
How did he…?
I heard the radiant—Kyouhei—walk up to me from behind and place an arm around my shoulders casually. "He always was extremely intelligent," he said thoughtfully.
"How…how…how…" I stuttered, and then gave up as he laughed quietly.
"Come on," he murmured, pulling firmly on my arm so that I had no choice but to follow him. "Time to retreat back to the gloom."
The roiling in my stomach calmed somewhat at that notion, and I trailed behind him until we reached my room. Once outside my door, I leaned awkwardly against the frame, looking at him, wondering what happened now. He smiled faintly, with a roll of his eyes, before giving me a soft kiss.
Somewhere between the softness and the fire, his hand sought the handle to my door and we stumbled gracelessly inside, me shutting the door as softly as possible behind us. This time it's me pushing him against the doorframe, hands fumbling at the buttons on his shirt.
Once the offensive material was out of the way, I had to guide him through the darkness toward where I knew the bed to be before smoothly pushing him onto it. His back hit something hard though, and it's then I remembered what I actually sleep in.
I could just make out his eyes glinting softly in the dark room. "I am not having sex in a coffin," he said with a hint of humor in his voice.
I sighed. "Me either."
I could almost hear him smirk. "Next time the others go out, then?"
"Are we really going to schedule it?" I asked critically.
He laughed softly. "I'm just kidding, Sunako."
I paused. "I know…Kyouhei."
He said nothing, and I knew I surely must have surprised him. I blushed against my will. His hands slid to my cheeks and he kissed me again, softly.
"I expect to hear that from you more often," he growled, many moments later.
"Old habits die hard, you know?" I said teasingly, and then sobered. "I will," I whispered.
He stood and gathered his shirt, buttoning it halfway, carelessly. "Goodnight, Sunako," he said, and touched his finger to my cheek.
"Goodnight, Kyouhei."
He opened the door and I heard him make a noise of surprise in the back of his throat. I looked over my shoulder only to see Ranmaru in the hallway, looking at Kyouhei's half-buttoned shirt and my red cheeks from the dark beyond. He looked momentarily shocked, before grinning like a madman.
"I knew it," was all he said, before disappearing down the hall.
Kyouhei turned around to look at me with blank eyes. "I feel this house is no longer safe," were his lasts words before he too retreated down the hall. I stifled a laugh behind my hand, and then choked on it, my body suddenly feeling cold with his warmth no longer beside me. With that cold, my senses returned full force.
I let Kyouhei kiss me, I thought in fear. I let him do something I'd feared for the longest time, and I didn't fight. I'd encouraged it.
Oh God, what have I done?
I spent the majority of the next day hiding in my room, more afraid than I could possibly have been last night about how our actions would affect us for the future. I would be royally screwed if this somehow messed with our living arrangements.
I watched the bloodiest movie I owned, hoping it would calm my nerves, and it did for a short while, before I heard Kyouhei shout "Sunako!" in the distance.
I squinted my eyes, refusing to budge, instead opening and gluing my eyes to the screen, same as yesterday. The only difference today is that he came in before he bothered to call me name a second time.
"I get it," is the first thing he said. "You're afraid that last night meant nothing, and that everything will be different now, and I only have one thing to say to that," he sat down on the floor next to me. "It will be."
I snuck a glance at him, but he's burning, really burning today. I chanced the possible blindness. Tentatively, he put a hand on my shoulder. "The only difference is, it will be better. Come on, Sunako, you know me better than anyone, and I'm fairly certain that I know you quite well too. We can make this work."
There's a long silence, penetrated only by the screams of terror on the television.
Eventually, I sighed. "You're right," I mumbled. "You're right."
He smiled in the light of the black-and-white film. "Good that you say that. Because," he pulled a few things from behind his back, "I have Dead Silence and two boxes of Godiva chocolates just waiting for you."
My mouth shaped into a very round "o" shape, and I reached for them. He stopped me by grabbing my wrist.
"No, no, no," he mock scolded. "Everyone else has dates again tonight, so you're coming downstairs to watch this. Besides," he smirked, fingers trailing slowly down my cheek, "you have to earn these chocolates, remember?"
*Insert funny note/dialogue that I used to have here.*
I love this manga. When will it update again? I need it to breathe.