Morg: Heyo! So yeah, lots of love for the first chapter.

Ikuto: Don't know why.

Amu: It wasn't that bad.

Morg: So let's keep it up for the second one!

Ikuto: I know something that should be up.

Amu: Please stop.

Morg: I know I don't own anything.

Ikuto: Yeah, too bad.

Amu: Thank God.

Morg: But I enjoy writing these, so here you go!

~Vampire Heart~

Unsure about the newest guest to their little tea party, Amu tried to focus on her cup of tea and the rambles that wouldn't stop spilling from Tadase's mouth. The man didn't know how to be quiet, but his words were too uninteresting to block the feeling of being stared at.

Glancing up, Amu's eyes met the blue ones of Tsukiyomi Ikuto. The man had basically intruded, but no one but Amu found it a bit odd. The thing that bothered Amu the most wasn't that Tadase was droning on, or that Ami seemed to be hanging onto every word that Amu's fiancé let out. No, it was the look in Ikuto's eyes. It was as if the man was hungry. That he wanted to eat her. To bite her and steal her life away. The stare was certainly unnerving.

Clearing his throat, Tadase grinned again when Ikuto's eyes returned to him. "Can you believe that? That my grandfather was certain that your family was into witchcraft? As if that could be real."

Ami laughed lightly with the blond male. They were the only two to do so.

Ikuto let out a smirk before returning his gaze to golden eyes. This girl was beyond perfect. She'd be wasted on a fool such as a Hotori. "Actually, we're satanistic. Sort of."

The grin on Ikuto's lips made Amu let out a laugh. She covered it with a cough before clearing her throat and taking a sip of her tea. Tadase thought of her as a perfect lady and Amu didn't want to shatter his misconceptions of her before their marriage. She needed this union to secure her families future, even if Amu didn't particularly want it.

The air fell silent between the four adults. Tadase didn't know what else to say due to Ikuto's comment. Ami didn't want to breach the silence with something stupid to say. Amu was shifting slightly due to Ikuto's eyes still being on her, and Ikuto was too busy staring at Amu to worry about what anyone else was doing.

Placing her cup onto the small table before her, Amu let out a quiet sigh before pushing herself to her feet. "Well, I do think that I've been sitting quite enough for today. Tadase kun, would you join me for a stroll?"

Smiling sweetly at his soon to be wife, Tadase gave a bow before offering his hand. "Ikuto san, Ami chan, please follow us. I do think it is time for the future woman of this household to see her lands."

Ami was quick to get to her feet as Amu took Tadase's arm to leave the room. "Would you do me the honor of walking with me, Ikuto san?"

Holding back the urge to respond to Tadase's pompous comment with how his estate was much bigger and grander, Ikuto gave a short bow to the other girl. Ami was Amu's sister after all. Ikuto figured he should be nice to her, being that they were future in-laws and all. "Of course. It would be my honor."

Giggling, Ami fell into step beside the rather tall male. The young girl couldn't deny that her companion for the walk was quite handsome. "Tadase san said that you live up on the hill? I saw the house when we were coming along the drive. It looks rather grand, but old. Is it hard to maintain?"

Hiding his disdain at having to have such a conversation with a human that barely interested him, Ikuto kept his fake pleasant demeanor. "Actually, the household is rather easy to maintain. There are three rather diligent ladies that see to the manor. They take a lot of pride in their work."

"You've only got three servants?"

Ikuto didn't care to know why the younger Hinamori sounded disappointed by this news. He was going to break her heart though. Of course he didn't have servants. The temptation to drink them dry would be too great. Humans were safer being further away, which was part of the reason that Ikuto had been so furious when the Hotori's had built their estate where they did. "Ah, my ladies are not servants. They would be quite offended to hear you call them that way."

Raising one of her eye brows, Ami looked up at the dashing man. Something just didn't seem right about him. While he talked to her, his eyes stayed on Amu's figure. As if he couldn't possibly take his eyes off of her. "My mistake. Though isn't that a bit uncouth? Single ladies should not be living with an unwed male. You are unwed, correct?"

Taking his eyes off Amu for only a moment, Ikuto smirked down at the girl with her hand lightly tucked into the crook of his arm. He hated that she was touching him so casually. The girl had no idea what kind of danger she was in. How easy it would be for Ikuto to push them off the path without Tadase and Amu noticing. How little of a fight it would be for him to suck her blood until she had nothing left to give.

Being that he was attempting to gain Amu's favor for ulterior reasons, Ikuto played nice with the girl on his arm. "I am very much a bachelor. We do live a bit differently from the rest of society, but the situation works out rather well in favor for all of us. There hasn't been a need to change it."

Moving her eyes forward, Ami gave a firm nod of her head. "I should think that they'll have a rather difficult time finding husbands. No doubt their reputations are ruined."

Smirking at that, Ikuto made a mental note to inform his brides of the matter once he returned to them. They were surely going to find this just as amusing as he did. "Quite."

XXX

As hard as she tried, Amu couldn't seem to focus on a word that Tadase spoke as he pointed out various places in and outside of the manor. It wasn't that Amu didn't care to know what the man was saying, but she could still feel the eyes of the man behind them. She'd been hoping that leaving the parlor would free her from the hungry stare. Their departure seemed to have only made it worse.

"This area of the garden is lovely for parties and such. Kukai is readying it for our own for after the wedding. I shall introduce you to him so that if there is anything that you desire, he can make it become reality."

About to refuse, Amu caught sight of a rather good looking male as he cleared out part of a flower bed. The plants that he was removing were a bit on the withered side. The ones that he had ready to plant were much greener and fuller. "Is that him?"

Tadase grinned before leading his fiancé over to the gardener so that they could be introduced. "Kukai san, please meet Amu chan. This is my lovely bride."

Dusting his hands on his pants, the male stood before bowing to the woman that would become his employer. Though he wished that he was in a better state for this sort of introduction, Kukai didn't bother to hold back his smile as he greeted the woman. "Pleasure to meet you, Amu chan. Please work closely with me in the future so we can keep these grounds looking beautiful together."

Quite liking the man, Amu nodded her back in the form of a bow. There was no doubt in her mind that she and Kukai would become friends. After all, she was going to be staying at the manor while Tadase did his traveling. Who else would there be for her to speak to? "The pleasure is mine. The grounds already look so splendid. There is little that I can do to improve them."

Rubbing at the back of his head, Kukai continued to grin. He wasn't quite certain what he should say to such a compliment. He did work his hardest to make certain that everything was perfect for the Hotori family. "Thank you, miss."

Ikuto and Ami stopped just beside Tadase and Ami to meet the gardener as well. Ikuto even went as far as to shake the man's hand even though he didn't particularly care to.

Clearing his throat, Tadase turned to the other couple that stood beside him and Amu. They had seen most of the estate and the evening was wearing on. The man was feeling rather hungry. "Shall we go in to dine? I'm certain that everyone is feeling a bit famished."

Amu and Ami nodded in response as Kukai moved to continue working on his flowers. The offer for dinner was not extended to him and he knew that.

Sighing, Ikuto made certain to look as though he was truly troubled that he had to turn down human food. Of course, none of the humans that he was currently with had any idea that he detested the vile nutrients that they called food. "Alas, I cannot. I must return to my own estate. Please enjoy your meal."

Holding out his hand, Tadase smiled at the male that had surprised him by showing up for a visit. He was pleased that he could be the one to mend the rift between their two families. The young master found feuds to be rather dull. "It was a pleasure to have you here today, Tsukiyomi san. Please do visit in the future."

Eyeing the hand extended to him, Ikuto clasped his hands behind his back as he bowed. "I shall then." Tipping his head once again, though keeping his eyes on Amu, Ikuto began to back away. "Ladies, please do enjoy your evening."

Amu only had a moment to think about how Ikuto must have walked to the manor since there wasn't any sign of a car like Tadase had. Maybe the man wasn't as bad as she thought.

XXX

Reaching his manor in a matter of minutes, Ikuto let out a sigh as he closed the door behind him. Of course, Utau was waiting for him to come back. "How was your afternoon?"

Scowling, Utau crossed her arms as she leaned her weight onto one foot. "Don't play coy with me. I know where it is that you've been. Rima and Yaya told me all about it. Why would you just go off to that estate? We all know how much you hate it. There has to be a reason."

Releasing a sigh that sounded more like a hiss, Ikuto brushed past the other vampire. Utau could say what she wanted, but Ikuto was still the master. "I also told them to keep it to themselves. I will say the same to you. Do not ask me about my business, for it is my own."

Hissing in reply, Utau moved to get closer to the other but stopped. "What is that smell?"

Shrugging, Ikuto made his way into the kitchen. The nice thing about the human civilization improving things was that he could now keep bags of blood in his home. It was much more convenient than bodies. "You can probably smell humans. I was around a bunch of them. Disgusting creatures. Most of them, anyways."

Ignoring most of Ikuto's words, Utau moved closer. Her mind was focused on the smell that was coming off Ikuto. For some reason, he smelled better than he usually did. Shaking the thought out of her head. Utau switched her tactic. "When are you going to take one of us as your wife? You know that we are all willing."

Turning now, Ikuto sent a quiet glare to the female vampire. It was true. He'd turned each of the three girls with the intention of one day making one or all of them his wife. They were his brides, but they'd never completed the process to be wed. Ikuto hadn't found the need. "Why do you question me so?"

Angry now, Utau threw a finger up to point at the male before her. "It's a human, isn't it!? You've found a new one! You plan to make her another bride. I won't hear of it. I won't allow it! You have me! You don't need a new one!"

Actually angry now, Ikuto hissed as he moved towards the girl faster than a human would have been able to see. He had her pinned to the wall by her throat before she could react to his movements. "Let me make one thing absolutely clear, to all of you!"

Rima and Yaya cowered in the doorway but didn't enter the kitchen area.

Shaking Utau's prone form, Ikuto hissed his words out with authority. It wasn't often that the girls needed to be reminded as to who the real master of the house was. "I am the original. I am the master! The decisions that I make do not concern you. You live now only because I allow it! Do not forget this again! Do not test me again!"

Utau fell to the floor after being released. She held a hand to her sore throat, but didn't move as Ikuto left the manor. They all felt him leave, though they didn't know as to where he went. The sun was not quite out of the sky. They could not follow him.

"Utau?"

Looking up at Rima and Yaya, Utau scowled at the two. "No, he might be the master, but I am his bride. I will not let another take my place. I will not let a human come between us and him. We'll kill this girl. We'll kill her tonight before she can cause any more harm."

.

Morg: Boom.

Ikuto: Exciting.

Amu: Not too bad.

Morg: Nothing I write is bad.

Ikuto: Well…

Amu: Huh, yeah. About that.

Morg: Shut it!