A/N: Wow... I didn't expect to get much feedback since I thought the fan section for DB is like, a ghost town or something O_O. And then I meet fellow SHUYUI Shippers like myself, and I'm like, 'XD woot woot!' ...Next time, I'll write disgustingly about vampires if I ever touch upon another series with 'em again. XD
To tell you the truth, I just really made my DiaLovers fanfictions purely as jokes due to me being a complete tease. I think vampire romance is funny. I don't know when I decided to get a little more serious, but… hope you guys enjoy! EEK! Shu is so popular, guys! I sooo want to marry him once Bloody Bouquet comes out!
In a strict, domineering country ruled by conspirators and whatnot, the ordinary youngsters try to lighten their overbearing responsibilities by building pointless rivalry with other provinces. So they make up silly rumors about the provinces.
Yui grew up in the north province, and there's the saying that nice things happen in the north.
Then there's the other sayings:
"Everyday things happen in the east."
"Stupid things happen down south."
And finally, "Weird things happen in the west."
Yui was a rather conventional girl, having lived in a church her entire life and taught by an overwhelmingly overprotective father that "The highest order is absolute." (of course, like a normal teenage girl, she was growing skeptical of this blind devotion to 'higher ups').
So forgive her if she came off as rather skeptical that all it took was overbearing father, miscommunication issues, and her blood, to discover the true existence of vampires.
In other words…
"I'm not sure what to believe anymore." Yui collapsed on her vanity chair with a tumultuous sigh, bemoaning her troubles as she hunched over the desk. "My future looks bleak so far."
It's only been three days since she started living with those six vampire brothers. Those… Sakamakis. She closed her eyes, picturing their obscene fangs and slender appearances.
Funny, she'd imagined they would appear more… monstrous, like wild beasts living in isolation in close knit clans. Or wait, was she thinking about werewolves…?
Granted, they gave off an intimidating air about them. While she'd been told they were all brothers, why did it appear that none of them could get along? Oh sweet Mary, was she living with a dysfunctional family? Was this sibling rivalry at its finest? After all, they always ended up arguing with each other one way or another. They couldn't pass each other in the hallways without glaring or purposely bumping into each other's shoulders.
To Yui, it seemed… there was a cold war going between these Sakamaki brothers.
God forbid that she was complaining.
After all, their endless sorority drama kept Yui from becoming vampire food. Half of the time, their quarrels were so ridiculously intense that they seemed to forget she was even there. In fact, just the other day, someone had eaten Kanato's pudding, so people started accusing each other until a fight broke out between Ayato and Subaru.
Honestly, were all men so childish?
Yui was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't take notice of a certain redheaded vampire walking in with a sneer. Not until it was too late.
Just like that, the door slammed loudly, causing poor Yui to nearly have a heart attack when as she sat up straight, alarmed to find the unwanted intrusion currently sauntering towards her. "Oi, Chichinashi. Let me suck you." A feral growl resonated throughout her bedroom. "I'm not taking no for an answer."
Again. They hardly noticed her half of the time.
When they weren't hungry for blood.
The other half of the time, they pursued her for her blood. Why pass up a free meal just around the corner? She couldn't stomach the things they'd been putting through the past few days.
OH DEAR GOD!
And she was already at her breaking point.
"S…Sakamaki-san!" Yui instantly protested and stood up, pushing back her chair roughly. "No, wait- you shouldn't be in here!"
Ayato's face darkened with a scowl, "Hah? This is my house? I'll go wherever I please." He immediately grabbed her arm and roughly yanked her forward, causing her to yelp in pain and shock. With her face colliding against his chest, her flustered protests went muffled.
"I…I didn't choose you, s-so you have no right to touch me!" Yui sputtered, pushing him back with her free arm. "Let me go! Y…Your older brother… the dark-haired one… he'll be furious!"
Ayato scoffed, "Like I care how Reiji feels. What's he gonna do, lecture me to death?" His piercing eyes ran up and down her form as he licked his lips, snickering. "Instead of worrying about him, you should be more terrified about what's gonna happen to you from now on." He took her chin between two fingers, forcing her to meet his smoldering gaze. "You've been mine since the very beginning. Every inch of your body is mine…," his eyes flared, "Especially your blood."
Yui struggled, trying to yank her arm away, but he was ridiculously strong!
"I… I don't belong to anyone! My blood isn't-!"
Ayato cocked his head arrogantly, staring her down. "Goddamn, if I'd've known you could talk this much, I would've ripped off your jaw from the start." Yui immediately froze at the sight of his bared fangs as he shot her a sharp grin. "Then again… I wouldn't be able to enjoy your screams if I did, right? Fine then. Scream and thrash as much as you'd like." With that, he yanked her hair back and lowered his fangs to her neck, tracing her veins, "That's the attitude of prey, huh?"
Yui froze, her heart pumping wildly in terror.
She screamed, hitting him with all she had. Doing something… anything to make him-
"STOP!"
Right before his fangs plunged into her neck, she felt the redhaired youth suddenly lurch away. She was pushed back several steps before recovering, her hands immediately shielding her throat. Blinking, she was surprised to find her captor wrestling off another vampire half his size.
"Hey! Let go of me, you brat!" Ayato snarled, prying her fingers off his school blazer and grabbing hold of her wrists, "Can't Ore-sama get a decent meal in my house without you showing up?" Chigusa squeezed her eyes shut in effort, trying to pull him towards door using her weight. She was practically digging her heels into the carpet.
"Ommmpff…!" Grunting in effort, Chigusa started pushing him from behind, trying to make him budge but to no avail.
Yui blinked, "Chi-chan…"
Ayato snorted, hardly moving, "Stupid." He effortlessly shoved her away as though she were a leech, causing her to crash land on her butt.
Yui gasped, "C-Chi-!" She attempted to help but was abruptly stopped by Ayato, who merely pushed her back.
"You can't be friends with food. You'll end up eating her whole one day. Stupid." Ayato sneered, grabbing hold of the girl's collar and meeting her eyes squarely. "Don't overstay your welcome here. You're centuries too early to be challenging the great Ore-sama. You're as threatening as a mosquito buzzing around in my ears." He imitated a buzzing noise before jabbing her forehead.
"Ufff!"
Yui frowned, stepping forward once again to intervene, "Please put her down, Sakamaki-san!"
Ayato scoffed, "Or what? Don't order me around."
"I-I wasn't…!" Yui protested as she was beginning to get exasperated with this ill treatment.
Much to Yui's horror, a dark bruise began blooming on the child's forehead. Apparently, Ayato had hit her harder than she originally thought. Chigusa, gripping the redhead's wrists in attempt to shake herself free. Ice-blue eyes stared back into haughty jade eyes. At first she appeared irate but then her expression gradually softened into one of pity.
Ayato frowned, not liking her shift in expressions, "What?" She pulled her lollipop out of her mouth with a loud 'pop' before answering softly.
"Chi… thinks you're ugly." Shocked, the two teenagers gaped, but that wasn't all, apparently. She blinked up at Ayato, pity in her eyes, "The monster's so lonely and hideous… that nobody likes him. So he kidnaps a pretty lady to make her love him… it's like the stories Mama read to me."
Ayato's eyebrow twitched.
"U-Uh, Chi-chan, that's not true. Sakamaki-san isn't hideous. Don't say such things." Yui stammered, trying to hush the younger girl. Ironically, she would've been thrilled at finally hearing the tiny vampire speak something, anything.
But now?
Not so much.
"Sorry… but you can't touch a lady without her… her permission. Especially if you're ugly." Chigusa softly said, swaying and looking at Ayato as though he were a shaved cat abandoned in the rain. Yui was downright horrified while Ayato was positively livid.
Though it was kind of ridiculous, the way he was getting angry over something so small…
Yui frantically waved her hands, crouching at her mini captor's level, "Now, now. Chigusa-chan, that's not very nice. Say sorry-"
"What did you say…" He slowly began, his grip tightening on her collar, "Say that again." Chigusa innocently stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry. "WHY YOU LITTLE-!" Ayato moved to wring her neck, but then she caught him by surprise by jabbing his Adam's apple, causing him to choke and drop her. Taking advantage of his shock, she ran out the door. "OI! GET BACK HERE SO I CAN TEAR YOU TO SHREDS!"
"Hideous! Gross! Ugly!" She chanted behind her shoulder as she raced out the door, dropping her bag in the process. She ran down the stairs with Ayato hot on her heels.
Yui grimaced at the volume of Ayato's yelling, about ready to sprint after them until she noticed the bag lying on the floor. Curious, she knelt down and picked it up.
"This belongs to Chi-chan, but… it looks like it's just a music bag." Yui commented, examining the zipper. "I wonder what's inside." Without thinking, she began to open it until suddenly stopping. Wait. Was it just alright for her to open it without asking?
Yui hesitated, "I just want to make sure if there's spare clothes in here, that's all." She told herself, nodding. The little vampire didn't exactly arrive with luggage. With that in mind, she zipped it open. What she saw in there was completely unexpected.
The bag was full of brightly wrapped lollipops, all red in color. There wasn't any clothes or even music pieces. Just all this candy…
Oh my.
Her eyebrow twitched in disbelief, and she sweat-dropped.
"W…why is there only candy?"
Just then an ear-shattering scream snapped her out of her thoughts, causing her to drop the bag. Frightened for Chigusa, she immediately rushed downstairs to investigate. She ran and find Kanato sulking over a fallen tray of sweets with Ayato and Chi-chan standing above him. The carpet was caked with pastry stains.
"While both of you were playing stupid games it took me hours to prepare all this for me and Teddy!" The tray was sent flying into the wall, barely missing her head by a few inches. She nearly died on the inside.
Ayato rolled his eyes, "Che. Getting hysterical again, you brat? There's no use crying over spilled milk. Just get a servant to remake it or something." Chigusa guiltily shifted her eyes, pulling at her own sleeve.
"YOU ALWAYS RUIN EVERYTHING AYATO!" Kanato got up in his face with a feral snarl, his purple eyes alit with rage. "THIS IS WHY MOTHER NEVER LIKED YOU BECAUSE ALL YOU DO IS MAKE A MESS OF THINGS!"
Ayato's bored expression evaporated. "Like I ever gave a damn about that bitching slut." He hissed, pushing his forehead against Kanato's in an arrogant manner, sneering, "You and Laito ain't exactly a sight for sore eyes. You always sucked up to her, attending to her beck and calling. Hah, so I'd shut up if I were you, my singing 'canary."
Kanato scowled, "Only mother can call me that!"
Ayato scoffed, "Yeah? Well she's dead, remember? We killed her."
Yui went pale with fright at his blatant revelation. T-These brothers… they… killed their own mother? She was being housed with… with murderers?
She needed to get out of here, and fast!
Suddenly their heads turned to her, making her blood freeze.
"Eh… Yui-san? How long have you been standing there?" Kanato asked slowly, his eyes narrowing as he moved away from Ayato.
Yui gulped, "U-Um, not very…"
"It's rude to eavesdrop, Yui-san." Kanato suddenly looked very, very scary with that fork in his hand as he staggered towards her. A creepy smile stretched his face. "Now I can't have my tea party with Teddy, no thanks to these idiots. But you… it's your fault, too, you know?"
Yui gulped, furrowing her eyebrows, "Ah… um… I'm sorry?" She hesitantly offered despite screaming in her head that it wasn't her fault Ayato and Chigusa decided to roughhouse inside the house. Besides, what did he want her to do about it?
"It's only fair you recompense for my sweets." Kanato stated, grabbing her arm. He traced the blunt of the fork up her arm, making her skin grow cold. "You know what I mean?"
Confused and anxious, she quickly shook her head, "Er, ah… I must get going somewhere with Chi-chan. Please let go."
"Go? You're not going anywhere." Kanato's eyes suddenly darkened into murky pools of purple, "Such a nice face… such revulsion and fear. It makes the taste even more delectable." He breathed against her wrist before licking it softly, making her wince. She fought to retract her arm, but he was surprisingly strong despite his frail appearance. "Allow me to sample you."
An alarm went off in her head at the sight of his fangs poking out, and she immediately realized what he was asking from her.
"NO!" Without a second thought, she shoved him off with all her might, making him stumble back a few steps.
Kanato looked shocked, "N-No…?" He repeated, eyes wide. "Did you just refuse me? You refused me. She refused me, didn't she, Teddy…" Panting, Yui backed away and clutched her arm against her chest protectively, rubbing the spot where he'd grabbed her so violently.
Ayato merely snorted, "You've done it now."
"Say that again." In one swift move, Kanato pinned her to the wall, causing the paintings to crash and shatter to the floor. His eyes were wild, and his face broke into a frenzy grin. He began panting. "Why don't you refuse me again? Go on, what's stopping you? OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU!" His hand tightened around her throat as he lifted her higher, making her choke.
"Kkkh….!" Immediately, her hands enclosed around his. "L...let… go!" She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut.
"Why should I? I said before if you didn't choose me I'd rip you to pieces!" Kanato seethed, shaking her, "If I can't have you, no one can! Better to snap every one of your neck bones and watch you writhe than to lose to some minuscule piece of trash!" He shouted, referring to wide-eyed Chigusa, who looked in horror and shock as she watched Yui have her life squeezed out of her. "Die… die… you should just die!"
Ayato suddenly realized his brother was serious, "Hey, Kanato-"
Kanato screamed, raising his fork high to stab her.
Just then, time froze in a split-second. Yui thought for a second that she saw Chigusa move, but when she blinked, she heard Kanato screaming again and Ayato yelling at him to stop, grabbing his wrist. Then they stopped abruptly. The fork that Kanato had been holding was no longer in his hand.
"Huh?" Kanato stared at his hand, baffled that his weapon was missing. He looked around frantically, wondering if he'd dropped it until his eyes landed on Chigusa, who was now standing on the windowsill with the fork in her hands. "What? W-When did you-" He stared at Chigusa in astonishment. He was so surprised that he released Yui, allowing her to breathe.
"Ugh…! Agh!" Relief flooded her senses as she gasped, massaging her sore windpipe. Looking up with watery eyes, she strained to see what was going on. "C-Chi-chan…" No good. She could see the two older vampires were ganging up on her, and she had no chance of taking them both. Not at her size.
Two large shadows cast over Chigusa's tiny form. The vampire child stared down at them undauntedly, standing where she was. She then shook her head, pointing the fork at them. A crossfire had broken out.
A ticking clock attached to a gold chain swung like a pendulum from her neck. Its face shone brightly, almost naturally… but was it because of the lighting?
"Strange." Ayato suddenly said, eyes narrowing, "I don't remember seeing you move." Yui's eyes immediately fell on the clock locket. It kept ticking erratically, and the time wasn't even correct.
Maybe… just maybe…?
Was she imagining things?
"Bad!" she scolded them in a way only a five-year-old could, pointing the fork at them as though they were misbehaving dogs, "Bad!"
Ayato and Kanato glared down at her, practically snarling as though their bone had been stolen away. Their growing displeasure emanated throughout the room.
"Why this girl…" Ayato bared his fangs, obviously annoyed.
"Who does she think she is?" Kanato finished with a hiss, his heated glare fizzling holes into her body. He was even angrier than Ayato.
"Bad! Bad!" Chigusa insistently said, stomping her foot and fuming. "No more!" She viciously hissed and bared her fangs. "No more bullying Yui, or else!" She banged and scraped the fork against the window's glass, creating an ear-grating scraping noise as akin to scratching nails against a chalkboard.
SCREEEEAAAK!
Yui winced and immediately covered her bleeding ears. The two brothers, however, hardly flinched and instead glared at Chigusa.
Kanato's fangs prodded through his sneer, "Don't threaten us, little girl." He squeezed Teddy to his chest and scoffed, "With your dirty clothes, stringy hair and breakable body, you're nothing but a ragdoll. You're so ugly I almost feel sorry for you." He then giggled, "Wherever you come from, I bet other vampires think the same."
"Oho. But you got nerve, I'll give you that much." Ayato added with a dark grin, popping his knuckles, shrugging his jacket off, and rolling up his sleeves. "Why don't you come down from your high perch, Bloodsucker? Try something! You won't get past me this time!"
Oh no. This is bad. Very bad!
Yui broke into a cold sweat.
It was getting serious.
"Hah! I don't think your voices are loud enough, so try yelling a little more!" All heads turned to see none other than the violent albino, Subaru. He cocked his head at the brawl about to take place, arching a brow. "Tch. You're both seriously gonna fight a kid in the house? Reiji's gonna kill you. Idiots. Can't handle two little girls on your own. Pathetic."
Yui stiffened, "Sakamaki-san…" Who was he calling a little girl, exactly? As far as she knew, she was no child.
Ayato glared, "Subaru, you-"
"Oya, oya~ it's lively in here." Laito suddenly appeared from the stairs, sensually dragging his hand over the railing. "I heard Kanato screaming. What could be the matter, I wonder?"
Kanato sniffed, hugging his bear. Tears sprang to his eyes as he pointed to the girls. "They're both being mean! All I wanted was a sample, but Yui-san yelled at me, and that horrid brat won't share!"
Laito pouted, "How mean! Here I thought these two were nice girls. Guess we deceived." Yui twitched as he smoothly approached, seriously wondering if this guy was really a fearsome vampire. He certainly acted like he was on the prowl, with the way he was looking at her so hungrily.
Ulp.
Yui gulped.
Laito sighed, shaking his head dispiritedly, "To think I was gonna hand this back, too!" He lifted up a white sequined bag, making Chigusa gasp. Her eyes went wide. Yui's eyes widened as well.
"That's-"
"Mine!" Chigusa shrieked with uncharacteristic rage, leaping to retrieve her bag. Laito, however, was too tall, and all he had to do was raise the bag higher so she couldn't reach it. Chigusa kept jumping, trying desperately to grab her bag.
"Here, pass~!" Laito called, tossing the bag to Ayato, who deftly caught it as though it were a basketball. His surprised expression morphed into a smug smirk as Chigusa leaped for the bag again like a bear cub trying to catch a fish.
Chigusa stopped jumping, having grown tired from exerting herself. Her chest heaved with gasps as she glared up at him, her sweaty bangs clinging to her forehead. She hesitated but then started clenching her tiny fists, looking immensely frustrated. "Ummmf…!" She sprang forward once again with her arms outstretched.
"Stupid, little girl. Are you even a vampire? You can't even jump to save your life." Ayato sneered, waving the bag in front of her teasingly before snatching it away before she could make a grab for it.
"Give me...! That's mine! Give it back!" Her doll-like face contorted into one of desperation as she reached out with both hands, trying to get her bag. "Unngh!" Alas, she was too short and not fast enough to follow Ayato's movements. Soon, her face resembled a cherub, whether from anger or spent energy, Yui couldn't tell. But when Ayato shoved his hand against her face to prevent her from pummeling him with her tiny, flailing fists, an unfamiliar anger sparked in the older girl's veins.
"Sakamaki-san, stop that!"
"Butt out, Chichinashi." Ayato snapped before tossing the bag, "Oi, Laito! Catch!" Chigusa gasped and ran back to Laito, not seeing Kanato's foot jutting out until she fell flat on her face. Gasping, Yui immediately ran to help her.
"Oops, I'm so sorry." Kanato drawled in what sounded like an apologetic tone, but seeing his lips quirk slightly indicated he'd tripped her on purpose. He then shrugged while stifling his smirk, "My foot just slipped."
"Chi-chan! Are you okay?" Yui asked worriedly, checking her for injuries. "Say something!"
"Ngh…" Nodding shakily, Chigusa steadily lifted her face. Biting her lip against the pain throbbing in her head, she managed to wobble to her feet. The bruise she'd gotten from Ayato had gotten bigger and redder.
The triplets were smirking down at them victoriously, looking as though they'd won a battle. Their demeaning eyes kept them in place as though reminding them just who they were messing with.
"Teddy says I should kill you now, but I've thought of something better." Kanato said coldly, snatching the brag from Laito and opening it. In one swift motion, he thrust the open bag towards the wall. Yui and Chigusa could only watch in horror as red lollipops violently splattered against the walls, crimson shards splaying everywhere like blood. A crazed grin stretched his lips as he cackled. "Next time, it'll be your blood splattering these walls! Along with your battered body!"
"What's this? Is this all you have? No clothes? No valuables? Just all this candy!" Ayato laughed, slapping his knee, "What a riot! You're even stupider than Chichinashi here!"
Chigusa's fists shook at her sides as she panted wildly, trying to recuperate. Their faces broke into slashed grins. Laughing, Kanato made his way to the open balcony and dangled her bag over the edge, smirking when at the horrified look on her face.
Subaru looked on with disgust but said nothing.
"Enough! Sakamaki-san, all of you! You've done enough." Yui said, standing to her feet and stomping over. "Please stop it right now! Give the bag back to Chi-chan!"
Surprised, Kanato looked at her before his expression morphed into disdain as he shrugged, "If she wants it, then why doesn't she come and get it?" He brought it further over the edge, shaking it for emphasis. "It's right here."
Yui gaped and sputtered, "Now, that's just beyond reasonable!" Just how immature were these jerks? Vampires or not, what gives the right to act like this? Stomping over, she reached out to take the bag back but was suddenly lurched back by the redheaded boys, who held her in place, restraining her. "Wha-! L-Let go of me!" Yui snapped around to face them, trying to shake loose of their vice-like grips. "Quit-! I said let go!"
Kanato giggled, turning to face Chigusa with a smug smirk, "Pathetic! You're a vampire, and you need a human to do everything for you?" He shook the bag violently, causing Chigusa to step forward with a pained gasp, reaching out for it but hesitating at the last moment. It was as though she'd knew Kanato would trick her.
"Mmm. What'll you do, I wonder?" Laito hummed to the smaller girl, feigning a look of dismay. "If you don't hurry, Kanato might actually drop it."
"...!" Chigusa's eyes widened with horror. "No!"
Ayato snorted in Yui's ear, "Looks like that trashy bag's pretty important to her."
"Chi-chan, don't go near him!" Yui cried, struggling against her captors. Meanwhile, Subaru crossed his arms and scoffed.
"Just how far are you going to go with your pointless bullying? Just give her the frickin' bag."
Kanato's eyes narrowed dangerously, "No. Not until she learns her place. It's a lesson we need to teach her… that whelps like her need to respect their elders." He looked down at Chigusa, challengingly baring his fangs, "Come, little girl. If you get over here fast enough and take the bag before I drop it… it's yours." He then smiled innocently, "On the count of three. One…"
Yui was stricken with grief. The bag was still hanging over the ledge, so that would mean Chigusa would have to jump and take it from him, but that would mean jumping over the ledge!
True, Chigusa was a vampire… and she'd seen the jaw-dropping stunts these brothers could achieve.
"But she's still a baby." Yui whispered mostly to herself, frantically shaking her head, "Don't listen to him, Chi-chan!"
"Two…" Kanato drawled, eyes narrowing expectantly.
Chigusa slumped forward. Her expression crumpled into one of defeat and utter dismay, and the kindergartner ducked her head shamefully and melted into the shadows, disappearing from sight.
"Haah?" Ayato rose a brow, scoffing and releasing Yui. He shoved his hands into his pockets and snorted, "So, that's it? What a wimpy kid."
"That means we can have Bitch-chan!" Laito giggled, running his hand up Yui's thigh and making her flinch. "Since she gave up so easily. Ufufufu~!" Grabbing her jaw, he forcefully brought their faces closer and shot her a flirtatious, penetrating grin. "Say, Bitch-chan, you get so worked up easily. Allow me to soothe your tension… I can make you feel real good." He trailed seductively, a dark promise in his words.
"N…stop.." Yui felt like choking. Her mind went rampant as she fought to retract her arm but to no avail. The vampire's ridiculous strength kept her trapped, and she had nowhere to run.
Laito giggled, twisting her arm until she yelped. He brought her wrist to his mouth, breathing against the veins. "Don't fight it, Bitch-chan. Relax… just-"
"AGAHHH!"
"Eiii!"
All heads swiveled to find a shocking sight. Out of nowhere, Chigusa had tackled Kanato head on. Somehow, she'd gotten to the balcony without detection from the other vampires. Her footsteps were light as she dashed towards her bag, grabbing Kanato's arm as she lurched herself forward. The clock locket dangling around her neck shimmered in the moonlight, moving like a gold noose.
The clock's face reflected in Yui's shocked corneas.
W...Wait.
Tick. Tick.
Tick.
That clock… why weren't the hands moving?
"Agh! Tch…! You little-!" Kanato quickly tossed the bag over the ledge using his other hand. With a sharp, horrified gasp, Chigusa watched as the bag began falling down. Struggling against his protests, she used Kanato's head as leverage as she flung herself off the railing and grab her bag in one swift motion, hugging it to her chest before she started falling.
Yui shrieked, startling Laito into letting her go. She dashed towards the railing and screamed, watching the girl vanish into the fog. "CHI-CHAAAN! NOOO!"
Ayato snorted, "Aw, quit yelling. She's a vampire, so it'll be-" Suddenly, his face paled. "Wait a sec… how old is she again?"
"Five. Why?" Subaru asked, surprising the others that he actually bothered to remember.
"SHIT!" Eyes wide with realization, Ayato scowled and pushed his way to the balcony, punching the railing, "Goddamn! Fuck! Her body isn't fully developed yet! There ain't no way she can survive a fall like that!
Subaru's eyes widened, "O-Oi, you're not saying she's-" Laito whistled, tipping his fedora to hide his grimace. By now, even Kanato was beginning to sweat. All four brothers turned to look at Yui, who trembled and shook her head in denial, unable to accept what was going on.
"N-No, this can't be happening. No. No!" Pushing past the triplets, she ran downstairs and threw open the main doors, rushing towards the garden. Blood pounded in her veins, and her mind began to pound. "Say it isn't so. Chi-chan can't be…! Please don't let it be true!" Clutching her cross hidden in her pocket, she hugged it to her chest, praying with all her might. "God, please! Don't let Chigusa be harmed!"
Arriving at the courtyard, she was met with a startling sight.
"Ugh… gungh…" It was the master of the mansion himself, Sakamaki Shu, sputtering and coughing as he emerged from the fountain. He sat up with a sneezing Chigusa in his arms.
"Sakamaki-san!"
Hair dripped from the older boy's eyes as he regarded her with narrowed eyes. "What… oh, it's you." Sighing, he removed his soaking earbuds and made an irritated noise, ripping the cord from his MP3 and tossing it into the grass. "Tch. What a pain. It's not gonna work anymore."
Chigusa clambered up his back like a baby koala. She made a trilling noise as she clung onto his neck, her curls bouncing as her curious hands poked and prodded at his face, irritating the man further. Exclaiming, she sat on his shoulders and began pulling his hair, making Yui's eyes widen at the sight.
"...Ow." he dully commented, wincing when the smaller blond kept pulling on his locks.
Yui gasped, "Oh... I'm so sorry! Chigusa, don't do that to Sakamaki-san's hair!" She chided as she hoisted the girl off his shoulders. Chigusa immediately ducked behind Yui, shyly peeking at him from behind the older girl's legs. Once Shu stared at her, she immediately hid from sight again.
Then she creepily peeked out at him again, this time from Yui's other side.
Ignoring her, Shu glanced back at the worried Yui, who stepped forward with a handkerchief. "You're soaked to the bone! I'm sorry, Sakamaki-san. I don't have a towel or anything… but..." She looked incredibly guilty, holding out her hankie for him to take, but to her surprise, he stared at it before bluntly answering.
"I don't want it."
"Eh." Yui's eyes widened, "B-but what if you catch a cold?"
Shu huffed, "Vampires can't catch colds. Idiot."
"O-Oh…" Well, she didn't know anything about supernatural creatures, let alone vampires, but what he said should've been obvious from the very start. Feeling stupid, she quickly withdrew her hankie and coughed, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. Then she suddenly gasped. "Thank you so much for saving Chi-chan! If it weren't for you, she'd be…!" Immediately, she bowed, making the older man blink. Chigusa stared at her curiously, tilting her head. "Chi-chan, say 'thank you' to Sakamaki-san!"
Surprised, the girl turned to the said man, who was staring down at her with a seemingly expressionless face, but Chi-chan saw the way his eyes gleamed snidely, and she immediately stiffened. She turned away from him with her nose in the air, crossing her arms and appearing very much like a haughty poodle ungrateful to the lazy rottweiler who'd saved her from death.
"...Hmph." She merely huffed.
Shu snorted, "Ingrate. I broke my earphones for you."
"That's right! Don't be rude, Chi-chan!" Yui chided with a frown, but the little girl continued ignoring them. Sighing, she turned to Shu with an small but apologetic smile, "She's just being shy… Your little brothers, the triplets, were bullying her earlier, so she's a little riled."
"...Hm. I'm guessing they're the ones who threw her out the balcony." Shu calmly observed as he stared up at the upper levels, eyes narrowing.
"Eh! H-How did you-"
"It's obvious." Shu shrugged, moving to leave until Yui called out to him.
"But really, thank you! Thank you for saving Chigusa!" She moved forward, making him stare at her. She was smiling, her hands clasped. "I want to repay you somehow! Tell me, what do you want?" Then her expression suddenly faltered slightly, "Oh, but… I don't have much and…" Suddenly realizing who she was talking to, she immediately paled, "A-a-and I'm afraid I can't let you drink any of my blood! I chose Chi-chan, after all!"
Shu almost snorted. Well, she just barely avoided that one by the skin of her teeth. He merely shrugged. "She just happened to fall on me is all. I didn't do anything." He answered stoically before reaching up to touch his MP3 choker, his face suddenly darkening. "...Those idiots." He seethed, pushing past her.
"Eh?" Turning around, she saw Shu kicking the triplets out of the bushes and striking them in an uncharacteristic fit of rage. Cries of agony and the sound of bones breaking resonated throughout the garden. Shrieking at the carnage, Yui immediately shielded the little girl's eyes.
"My player is broken." He hissed out the last part, his eyes as cold as ice as he ground his foot against Laito's head for painful emphasis. "Do you know how long it took me to collect all these songs? Now I have nothing to listen to because of you three. Idiots."
With that, he all but tossed them into the fountain, his mood positively dampened by the fact that he could no longer listen to his beloved music player, now lying abandoned in the grass. Yui almost felt sorry for it. Just as she was about to usher Chi-chan away, she caught notice of a jacket flapping on the iron fencepost.
Curious, she went to retrieve the jacket, but it wasn't just any old jacket, no. It was a senior blazer, one that had Shu's name imprinted on the tag. Shu was always wearing this blazer, so why wasn't he wearing it? And what was it doing all the way over here?
Then she saw a perfectly toddler-sized hole through the shrubbery below the balcony where Chigusa had fallen.
...Wait. Come to think of it, Shu was usually lounging around places with benches and whatnot. Besides, why would he be resting near a fountain if he was constantly carrying his player around? Plus, he was usually resting indoors, wasn't he…?
Yui realized that the blazer was suspiciously close to the front doors… and it was a good distance away from the fountain itself. Then realization hit her like a ton of bricks.
Could it be that Shu was lounging near the entrance until he saw Chigusa falling through the shrubbery? Well, he would've had to sprint and leap over the rose bushes to've made the distance. Knowing how lethargic the man was, did he even have the energy to move that fast?
Her eyes fell on the rose petals stuck to his hair, including the scratches on his clothing that only could've been caused by thorns.
Then it clicked.
Yui remembered his previous words.
"She just happened to fall on me is all. I didn't do anything."
A slow smile curled her lips as she looked down at Chigusa, who'd been staring at her the entire time.
"Chi-chan." She whispered, ignoring the fight breaking out in the background. Perking to attention, the kindergartner toddled over so Yui could whisper in her ear, "Did you just happen to fall on top of Sakamaki-san when he saved you?"
Chigusa blinked then grimaced. Slowly and begrudgingly, she shook her head. "...No. He caught me. I saw him flying over the bushes when I was falling." She kicked the ground, clenching the apron of her dress as she puffed her cheeks, obviously displeased at needing to be rescued. "Then we fell into the fountain by accident."
Yui's face lit up.
He really had gone out of his way to rescue her! But why did he lie to her though…?
Chigusa suddenly tugged at her sweater, frowning, "Yui, Yui… you don't like that man, do you? Just 'cause he saved me doesn't mean you gotta be nice to him. He's scary. Just like the other mean men here." She then flung her arms around the startled girl's waist, furrowing her brows in worry, "Don't worry, Yui… I won't let them bully you. Yui is Chi's friend, after all… after all…" She then perched herself on her toes, hopping up and down. "Up! Up!"
"Thank you, Chi-chan. I only feel safe when you're around." Yui laughed as she swept the girl into a hug, twirling them. Frowning at how soaked their clothes were getting, she bounced her on her hip with a sigh, "Let's get you dry. While we're at it, we can bring Sakamaki-san a towel, okay?"
Glaring at the four men in the garden, Chigusa merely huffed but didn't say anything further.
Yui looked down at Shu's blazer in her arms, deciding to return it to him after she'd finish ironing it. Later, she'd offer to replace his broken player after mulling over the decision in guilt. His response was proved to be most surprising, completely shattering her expectations.
"The music store isn't that far! Um… well, if you don't want me to, I completely understand. I mean, I can't really replace all the songs you lost, and-"
"Fine. Let's go." He said later that night, surprisingly eager to get going. Yui blinked owlishly before glancing at the clock.
"Right now? But it's really late, Sakamaki-san. Wouldn't you rather be sleeping…?"
He tossed her a sideways glance, arching a brow, "Woman, I can sleep whenever I want. Are you coming or not?"
"O-Oh! Yes!" She clambered after him with her purse and Chi-chan in a tow.
Chi-chan stomped after them, her arms crossed and her expression fixed into one of jealousy and displeasure when she saw them walking side by side. She huffed, not noticing the cello case watching her from behind a corner as she passed, casting a long shadow of a man instead.
"You know, you really look like an idiot with that kid hanging around you all the time. Are you letting her boss you around?"
"It's not like that! Chi-chan's a really smart girl. She even saved me from the Triplets!"
"Hah, sure. Well, if you say so."
Yui flushed as she moved to protest, "I'm not just saying so! It's true!"
Deciding she didn't like their sudden proximity, Chigusa huffed as she promptly shoved the adults apart, clinging to Yui like a koala while shooting a glare up at Shu, one that clearly read distrust. The man inwardly rolled his eyes. Just to spite the sprite, however, he hid a smirk as he deftly brushed his hand against Yui's accidentally, causing the poor, blushing girl to short-circuit and stammer out an apology. He merely shrugged in reply, telling her to watch where she was going before strolling a few paces ahead of them, gloating as the tiny vampire began positively fuming, steam practically coming out of her ears.
Oooh! Chigusa wanted so badly to bite his leg in retaliation. She really hated men!
Especially men who thought they could charm her lovely Yui without having qualms about kicking Chigusa out of the picture!
Oh, she'd certainly show him!
A/N: Aaah. Chi-chan doesn't like men. Vampire men. DX Yup. She's pretty bratty, isn't she? Hopefully, that doesn't annoy you guys too much... I think I kind of made her more hostile than I originally intended. Aaah, well.