From Ashes to Dust
Chapter 2: A Thorn in the Flesh
"Kaname-sama?" A voice called and a knock sounded on the door. "Kaname-sama!" The knob turned. "The urgent books you requested from the Council library arrived and –" The next noise that erupted from Takuma's mouth could only be described as the shriek of a petrified preteen girl.
Kaname's eyes flitted open and his head hit the bed's headboard in shock. He cradled his head in his hands and heard another piercing scream from his right. He gathered his bearings and turned his attention to the right side of his bed. If possible, Kaname looked even more bewildered than Takuma, who was still standing open-mouthed in his doorway. The books in Takuma's hands fell to the floor with a loud thud.
Willowy legs protruded from the bottom of the bed sheets that Ruka clutched to cover her torso. Her hair was disheveled from the previous night's activities. Strands fell in front of her face, partially obscuring her vision. Takuma stared in disbelief at the bite marks on her neck and the patches of dried blood on her chest. His gaze then took in the shattered window and personal belongings scattered all over the room.
Mental images of last night's romp dashed through Kaname's mind. Oh, god, he had done those things. With Ruka. How could he forget? He supposed not sharing a bed with someone for a few decades could do that to a vampire. He wasn't accustomed to having a warm presence tangled in the sheets next to him.
"Moron!" Ruka yelled. "What are you doing? Get out before I turn you into dust!"
"Takuma," Kaname said coolly. Takuma's body rose in the air as if invisible hands hauled him upward by his neck. "If you ever barge into my room again without permission, I will personally drag you by your precious golden locks to the lake and drown you with my own hands." His body swayed in the air. "And if you breathe a word of this to anyone –"
"I – I get it!" Takuma wailed. "You'll rupture my innards with your powers! Or worse, you'll let the day students have their way with me! I'm so sorry Kaname! It'll never happen again! Besides, I don't think my eyesight can bear it!"
"Good. I'm glad you understand," Kaname said. "Now go." And with that Takuma's body flew backward out of the room, a dozen books trailing him. A loud crash resonated at the end of the hall followed by several quieter ones. The door slammed shut.
Ruka's mouth opened slightly in amusement. "Maybe you were a little harsh on him," she suggested.
"Who knows what he would do if I didn't keep his toes in line. I take my job very seriously," Kaname winked.
Ruka smiled. The pair fell into an awkward silence.
"Thank you for last night," she started timidly. She stood up, using the bed sheet to cover herself. "It meant more to me than you could ever know. But I understand that you don't have feelings for me, so I won't push you anymore. I'll be waiting in case you change your mind. You've already gotten my hopes up considering I seem to have awakened a monster."
Ruka would be a much more suitable companion than Yuuki, Kaname ruminated. But that would be taking the easy way out. It's not that he didn't like Ruka. He enjoyed her company very much. And it wasn't like she was lacking in the looks department, he noted, his eyes tracing the outline of her pallid neck and lingering on the sheet that concealed her. Kaname just didn't want to string her along. Too late for that, he thought. He realized he had disrupted the natural order of the Moon Dormitory; it was only a matter of time before the others found out. He was torn between ordering Ruka to leave and jumping her again right then and there.
Kaname's eyes gleamed wickedly. "This monster isn't finished with you yet. I promised to punish you last night, and I haven't forgotten. In fact, I believe it is my duty to do so."
Ruka shrieked as the bed sheet was whisked into the air. She tried to cover herself with her arms, but Kaname had already grabbed her wrists and forced them to her sides. Goosebumps blemished her smooth skin. She seemed so vulnerable in this moment, but Kaname could smell the sweet scent of her arousal. His eager eyes devoured the sight of her pink, protruding nipples.
"I rather liked those boxers. What punishment do you suppose fits your crime?" he asked, licking his lips.
Takuma groaned. He had been out cold. For how long, he had no idea.
"Takuma? Are you okay? Earth to Takuma. I thought I heard a little girl in the dormitory. Just what kind of trouble did you get yourself into?" A hand extended toward him and helped him onto his feet. Takuma's eyes came into focus on the orange-haired vampire in front of him. His gaze met Akatsuki's burnt orange eyes.
"I value my life far too much to tell you," Takuma said, frowning at the signed edges of his night school uniform. "And I don't want to get wet!"
"Umm…okay then," Akatsuki replied as he knelt down to gather the books strewn about the hall.
"Did you order more manga again? You really have a problem," Akatsuki laughed, examining one of the books. Takuma promptly snatched it from his hand.
"Mind your own business, Kain," Takuma huffed. He collected the rest of the books and left for his room.
"I'll bet my blood tablets you're hiding dirty manga under your bed!" Akatsuki called after him.
Of course Akatsuki noticed that Takuma had not ordered a new manga collection. The book he briefly inspected contained a history of the sovereigns that previously ruled over the vampire race. What would Takuma want with those books? They definitely were not light reading material.
Akatsuki didn't have too much time to ponder what Takuma was hiding. His eyes widened when he saw Ruka emerge from Kaname's room. She was wearing a lacy black nightgown and a mens dress shirt draped over her shoulders. Ruka noticed him and stood there for an instant, paralyzed. After regaining her composure a moment later, she continued walking his way.
"Good evening Ruka," Akatsuki greeted.
"Evening," Ruka responded, barely acknowledging him. She bowed her head and strode past him.
Akatsuki knew Ruka loved Kaname more than life itself, and she wanted nothing more than to be with him. But he was annoyed for some reason. And worse, he was annoyed at himself for being annoyed. What the hell was wrong with him? He clenched his teeth and watched her rush down the hallway.
Later that evening Yuuki entered her dorm room to find Yori braiding Ayako's hair into a fishtail design. She rubbed her eyes to make sure her imagination wasn't playing tricks on her.
"Yuuki-chan!" Yori gushed. "What do you think? Isn't Aya's hair just gorgeous? It makes me want to grow out mine." She twisted the hair tie into place and admired her work.
Aya? That was a new nickname. Those two had gotten friendly awfully fast.
Yuuki saw Ayako's glum reflection in the mirror and quickly realized the friendship was one sided. Yori was too kind and patient. Yuuki knew she wouldn't give up on their new roommate.
"It's lovely," Yuuki anwered. "Well, I'm glad you decided to come, Ayako. I didn't think you would."
"Trust me. I didn't have a choice," Aya countered. "Your dear father threatened me with weeks of detention."
Yuuki almost laughed. That didn't sound like something her father would be serious about, but she didn't want to say so. She supposed he wanted Ayako to get to know the day class.
"I think you'll find that the rest of the students aren't so bad," Yuuki remarked. "But you might want to avoid our class president, Kageyama Kaseumi, unless you want to be lectured about your contribution to our class average."
"He never lectures me!" Yori teased.
Aya looked at the ground, not caring to participate in the conversation.
"Now, I have the perfect dress for you to borrow!" Yori exclaimed and disappeared into her closet. She emerged holding a strapless, floor-length silver gown. Aya's eyes brightened. She stood up and touched the dress, admiring the fabric. Chiffon was draped over a layer of miniscule silver sequins.
"It's stunning," Aya breathed and smiled in spite of herself.
Yori's faced displayed a triumphant grin. "Every boy is going to want to meet you tonight!" she winked and handed Aya the gown.
"Thank you, Yori," Aya said gratefully. "I don't deserve your kindness."
"You certainly don't! But if you stop being so indifferent you might start to earn it," Yuuki huffed.
Yori glared. "You'll come to learn that Yuuki always means well, even though she can be a little rude," she told Aya.
"Sorry Aya," Yuuki managed. "I hope we can become good friends. Anyway…there's something I need to do. I'll see you ladies at the ball!" Yuuki sped out of the room before Yori could interrogate her.
"I knew I'd find you here," Yuuki said, eyeing the long limbs sprawled over a pile of hay. White Lily neighed from the other end of the stables. Zero's arms extended back, supporting his head. "Aren't you coming to the ball?" she asked him.
"If I don't, I'll have to spend the entire weekend in the kitchen as the Chairman's guinea pig," Zero shuddered, remembering last week's ginger pork stir fry. It was normally Yuuki's favorite dish, but even she had barely eaten more than a few bites.
Yuuki chortled. The Chairman certainly knew how to get his job done these days.
"I think I prefer human Zero. But guinea pig Zero could be kinda cute. I'd keep him in my room and feed him carrots," she grinned.
Zero didn't laugh. His eyes darkened at her mistake.
Yuuki suddenly threw herself on top of him, her arms enveloping his body. "I'm sorry, Zero," she whispered. "It just slipped out." He wasn't a human anymore. She didn't need to remind him of that.
"It's okay, Yuuki," he let out a long sigh. She rested her head on him for a moment, feeling his chest rise and fall. He patted her head awkwardly.
"Hey Zero?" she asked him.
"What?"
"You really should learn to give better hugs. You never know, a girl might want to hug you one day," she trailed off. "I mean, I'm a girl, but…you know what I mean…"
A thin smile appeared on his lips. "Is that why you came here, Yuuki? To teach me how to give the perfect hug?"
"Well….not exactly," she confessed. "I think you should drink my blood before the ball. Just in case –"
He shoved Yuuki off of him. She crashed into the wooden door to the stables, landing on her behind.
"Hey! Ow!" she wheezed. "That's not how you should treat someone who's just trying to look out for you!"
"I should be the one protecting you, Yuuki. I don't want you to waste your time worrying about me." He was towering over her now.
Yuuki bit her bottom lip. "So…you don't want my blood, then?" She shielded herself with her arms, ready for his next move. Zero grabbed Yuuki's arms and hoisted her to her feet.
"No. Shouldn't you be getting ready for the ball anyway?" He glanced at his watch. "It starts in twenty five minutes, you know."
"Kyaaaa!" Yuuki squealed. "At this rate I'll barely have time to put on my dress! And I have to do my hair and makeup, and accessorize, and…." she sprinted out of the stables, still rambling to herself.
Yuuki happened upon the Chairman at the entrance to the ball. He was wearing the biggest grin she had ever seen, his pearly teeth shining in the night.
"My pride and joy!" he blubbered, happy tears creating a pool at his feet. "You've grown into such a fine young woman, Yuuki! You look absolutely stunning."
She was wearing a vermillion-colored ball gown. The crepe material gathered just above her knees and flowed behind her legs in an elegant train. Her hair was pulled into a high bun, a few tendrils coiling down.
"Why thank you Chairman," she said, pulling the ends of her dress up into an endearing curtsy.
His happy tears turned into sad ones. "Chairman again?" he sobbed. "You couldn't have addressed me as your father in this precious moment, the pinnacle of my fatherhood?!"
"I'll see what I can do about that if you promise not to embarrass me tonight," Yuuki proposed.
The Chairman took her request to heart, bowing as she entered the ballroom.
Yuuki forgot to breathe. "Wow," she mouthed. The decorating committee really outdid themselves this time. The dim room was lit by hanging lights that were strung between gigantic marble pillars. Vines adorned with red roses decorated the walls. She followed the red carpet that stretched down the wide marble staircase and into the main room. Yuuki drooled over dessert tables piled high with sweet pink mochi and dango truffles drenched in milk chocolate.
"Yuuki-chan!" a familiar voice called her back to earth. "Don't you look lovely tonight," Takuma commented and gave her hand a chaste kiss. "How are you my dear?"
"Oh, I'm alright. Have you – wahhh!" Yuuki cried as another vampire hoisted her into the air in a big bear hug.
"My favorite human," Aido practically shouted. "How kind of you to finally join us, Yuuki! I've missed your presence. Where have you been lately?"
"Put me down Aido!" Yuuki pouted and yanked his golden tresses. He laughed gleefully at the day students that were glaring daggers at her.
"Let her go, Hanabusa," Takuma ordered. "If Kaname finds out, he'll flay those groping hands of yours."
"You're no fun," Aido frowned at Takuma as he placed Yuuki on her feet. "But I guess you're right. Our fearless leader is more like a frothing hyena when it comes to this one." He jabbed his thumb in Yuuki's direction.
She chose to ignore his comment. "So where is your master?"
"I resent that," Aido retorted, refusing to give her any information.
"He's alone on the balcony," a third male vampire replied. Kain was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. Ruka scowled beside him.
"Thank you Akatsuki!" she bowed and rushed off in the other direction, but not before sticking out her tongue at Aido.
Flustered from her encounter with the night class, Yuuki smoothed out her dress and checked to make sure her bun was still in place. She noticed Zero glowering in the corner and tried to catch his attention with an energetic wave. She gasped when she noticed his gaze was trained solely on Aya. The dress Aya borrowed from Yori must have been working wonders. Yuuki had never seen Zero look at a girl like that before. It was…weird.
Yuuki crept onto the balcony and felt the cool night wind against her face.
Kaname was leaning over the balustrade on his forearms, unmoving. She took the time to appreciate his every feature. She wouldn't be surprised if she were actually staring at the statue of a Grecian god. Yuuki was dumbfounded that he would even give her the time of day.
Kaname sensed her presence and turned his head toward her. "Yuuki," he spoke softly, "you are quite the tease."
"Me?" she blurted.
"Yes, you," Kaname replied. He sauntered over to her and held her hands in his own. "You're wearing red tonight, the most seductive color. The color of heat and passion; romance and lust."
Yuuki tried to talk, but the only sound that came out of her mouth was an embarrassing squeak.
"Are you scared of me, Yuuki?" he inquired.
She shook her head. "Of course I'm not afraid of you," she said softly. "You're the only vampire I've ever trusted."
"What about Zero?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Yuuki bit her bottom lip. "I'm worried about him," she answered truthfully. "It's like he can't control himself lately."
"He's not the only one," Kaname murmured. He sat against the ledge and swiftly pulled Yuuki onto his lap. She blushed deeply and stared at his palm, tracing its lines with her finger.
"I wish you wouldn't be so nervous around me, Yuuki," he said.
"I – I'm not nervous!" she insisted.
Kaname chucked. "Your face will be the color of your dress if you keep blushing like that," he teased.
"You're not helping!" she muttered and rested her head in her hands.
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Yuuki" he said as he slid a hand down to caress her bare thigh.
"K – Kaname-senpai!" she exclaimed, pulling away from him rapidly. She stumbled to the floor and scraped her hand in the process. A drop of blood trickled down her right index finger.
Kaname's senses were heightened immediately. He could hear the tempting sound of her blood pumping through her veins.
Before she knew it he was kneeling above her. His knees pressed roughly against her hips. He drew her hand to his lips and kissed her wound, healing it instantly. His eyes bore into her soul and his tongue trailed down the length of her finger, lapping up the droplets of blood. She gasped. His lips parted slightly and he inserted her finger into his mouth, sucking it gently. He released it and his mouth took in her middle finger, giving it the same treatment. Yuuki moaned with want and her heart beat faster and faster.
Her moan jolted him back to reality and he stopped, removing her finger from his mouth. "I'm ashamed Yuuki," he said solemnly as he cleaned her moist fingers with the jacket of his uniform. "I didn't mean to disgrace you. I don't deserve your interest." He carefully stepped around her dress and pulled her onto her feet. "My actions are inexcusable. Please forget about this incident and try to enjoy the rest of the ball." He gave her a sad smile and squeezed her hand before leaving for the main ballroom.
Damnit. She always clammed up in front of him. What had she done to make him leave? She definitely didn't want to forget what just happened. Yuuki closed her eyes tightly, trying to ignore the warm feeling emanating between her thighs.
Aya and Yori rested at a table in the corner of the room. Yori had dutifully stayed by Aya's side the entire night, knowing she would have been completely miserable if left alone. Well, she looked pretty miserable even with Yori right beside her at the moment.
"That wasn't too terrible, huh?" Yori asked, shoving a chocolate covered strawberry in her mouth.
"I guess not," Aya replied. She swizzled the straw in her drink boredly. She had danced with a handful of day students throughout the night upon Yori's insistence.
"I think you're of the rare breed that has no interest in the night students," Yori acknowledged.
Aya studied her. Yori was dressed in an emerald satin dress that stretched across her body to the middle of her calves. An elegant pearl necklace encircled her neck, resting between the sweetheart neckline of her gown. Her eyelids lowered; she seemed weary. Aya suddenly felt guilty that Yori exhausted so much effort ensuring she was comfortable, so she attempted to make light conversation. "Are you interested in the night students?" Aya asked Yori.
Yori looked away. "Not really…" she said strangely.
A tall blond clad in a white night school uniform knelt down in front of Aya, offering her his hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked. She looked up into a pair of electric blue eyes.
"Well?" he demanded impatiently.
Aya examined him. "I'm tired of dancing," she feigned a yawn.
"I'm not going to go away. I can stay here all night," the boy said, his arm twitching. "Your classmates would kill to be in your shoes right now."
Yori rolled her eyes. "He has an attitude problem, but he's pretty harmless, Aya," she offered.
"Why don't you dance with one of your fan girls over there then?" Aya suggested to him.
"I'm bored," he admitted. "And you're the only one besides Yuuki and her sassy little friend over here that hasn't looked my way all night."
Yori scowled. "Maybe you shouldn't dance with him after all," she decided.
But Aya accepted his hand and allowed him to guide her to the dance floor. She ultimately decided dancing with him for three minutes was the lesser of two evils. He placed his hand on her hips and took her right hand in his left. He whisked her across the dance floor with ease and spun her to the cadence of the music.
Step, slide, step.
"What is a lovely girl like yourself sulking in the corner for?" he wondered aloud.
"I'm not dancing with you to talk about my feelings," Aya declared, her displeasure quite evident. Her lips were drawn into a thin line.
"Pray tell why you're dancing with me then?" he asked.
"I'd rather grace you with one dance than listen to you whine by my side all night. Though this isn't really helping the matter. My ears are going to start bleeding any second. I hope you swallow your own tongue," she scoffed.
"Ouch. Nobody silences the beloved Idol. Though I do dare you to try," he challenged her.
She stomped on his foot, causing them to lurch unsteadily. He seemed undeterred. A short moment later and their bodies were whirling again to the resonant sound of vibrating strings joined by a rich woodwind melody. He dipped her into a low bow before pulling her even closer.
Step, slide, step.
"Aren't you a charming little thing? Yuuki sure has a peculiar taste in friends," Aido noted. "My deepest apologies, but I never asked you your name. You may call me Hanabusa, though your classmates seem to prefer Idol."
Step, slide –
She halted mid-twirl and violently grabbed his hand, pushing his nails into the soft skin of her palm. Time seemed to stop for the vampires in the room as the ruby liquid seeped out of several small cuts on Aya's palm. Aido gasped and staggered away from her. The rest of the night class stood immobile, their eyes shifting from their natural color to crimson. The oblivious day students around them continued chattering and dancing.
A powerful force shoved her away from Aido, halfway across the room and into the wall. She cried out, clutching her side as she heard a sharp popping noise that she knew was the result of a cracked rib.
The day students collectively screamed in sheer terror, unaware of what exactly they were witnessing.
Kaname stood before Aya, his face contorting into a menacing scowl.
Zero and the Chairman were suddenly by her side. Zero was about to raise his Bloody Rose gun, but the Chairman stopped him.
"Get her out of here and wait with her in my office," the Chairman whispered to Zero. He quickly loosened his tie and secured it around Aya's palm before helping her up and gently steering her toward Zero.
"I'm sorry this misunderstanding gave you all given such a fright. It is getting late, so the night students must unfortunately retire. We enjoyed socializing with the day class and look forward to the next event," Aya could hear Kaname announce to the room as Zero dragged her outside.
"Just who the hell are you? And what exactly were you trying to pull in there? Do you have a death wish or something?" Zero demanded. He walked briskly, clutching her wrist.
"You can let me go, I don't have anywhere to run," Aya protested. His grip only tightened. "You're hurting me!" she cried. She struggled to keep up with him in her four inch heels.
"You didn't answer my questions," Zero snarled.
"I don't have to answer to you!" she yelled. "I hate this terrible school. I hate being here, knowing that they are just on the other side of campus! Humans and vampires can't coexist peacefully! Anyone that can't recognize that is a fool. I hoped by doing something rash, I might get kicked out this place."
"Who are you, damnit? Day school students aren't supposed to know anything about vampires," he snapped.
Her violet eyes narrowed into thin slits. "You're a day school student, and you are a vampire!" she replied angrily. "This school is so hypocritical! What the hell was the Chairman thinking, putting me in your care?"
Zero stopped abruptly and his mouth opened wide in shock. He was truly flabbergasted. Yuuki, Kaname, the Chairman and his former sensei Yagari Toga were the only ones that knew his secret.
"Let go of me, you bastard!" Aya hissed, writhing in his sturdy grip. She pulled her arm up and before they both knew it his nails dug into her forearm, leaving behind several thin cuts. His breathing sped up as he watched the blood ooze down her arm. He froze. Aya used that chance to jerk her arm out of his hold.
Zero's entire body tensed and his red eyes glared at her threateningly. His self-control was withering away by the second. He stood motionless, listening to her quickened pulse. The rhythm of her pulsating blood was driving him insane. She took a few steps back as if the distance would save her. Zero revealed his sharp fangs. They gleamed in the darkness of the night. Aya stumbled back in fear. She knew she couldn't run from him.
A/N: I didn't plan to update again already, but my brain exploded and all of these words came out.
Sorry if the lack of citrusy sweetness was disappointing. I kind of decided I wanted to have…wait, what's that thing called again? Oh yeah, a PLOT! Which will hopefully make future lemons that much sweeter.
I had a lot of fun writing Chapter 2 though, so I hope it's an enjoyable read! Also hope it wasn't too silly hehe.
Let me know what you think :)
