Chapter 3
The family was eating dinner together on this fine evening; so far no one had really said anything though, so it was rather awkward. Hatsune was mostly pushing her food around her fork. She was thinking about what Mari had told her at school yesterday.
The two girls were sitting across from each other at Hatsune's desk, eating lunch when the blonde asked, "So, you really live with the Sakamaki brothers?"
"Yeah," she said despondently, "It's really annoying."
"Why are you? If you don't mind me asking."
"My dad," Hatsune said, poking at her rice, "he got called out of the country. And apparently he thinks putting me in a huge house filled with teenage boys is safer than me staying at home by myself." And considering what's happened so far, she thought to herself, I really should have put my foot down a bit more.
Mari laughed, but then her face got serious, "So what's it like?"
Hatsune just shrugged, "Beats me. They leave me alone for the most part, though they have a distinct lack of respect for personal boundaries."
The blonde looked scandalized, "What does that mean?!"
The brunette looked up in surprise, she'd spoken without thinking, "Oh, I just mean they take my stuff, you know," she scrambled for an excuse, "and hide it. Nothing like what you're thinking. Just things like my phone or books, the thing that makes it so aggravating is that the house is so freaking big, it takes forever to find things."
Mari seemed content with that answer. Hatsune suddenly saw her chance for some info gathering, "What do you know about them? Any school rumors at all?"
"Well," the blue eyed girl thought for a moment, "They're all loners. Don't really talk to anyone. Shu, the eldest, he got held back last year for skipping class; not that it's helped as he kinda just takes up a permanent residence in the music room. A lot of girls tried to confess to him but all got shut down. Same for Reiji, he's smart and good-looking, but so cold to everyone that the females gave up. Ayato's like Shu, skips class and gets in trouble for falling asleep all the time. Kanato is a weirdo, always carrying that bear around. Some guys pick on him now and then."
Hatsune looked up at that, her eyes narrowing, the blonde continued, unabashed, "Laito's a player. He goes out with a girl for a few weeks then dumps them. The first years haven't learned yet, but the second and third years steer clear, unless they don't mind that sort of thing. Subaru is just rude, he snaps at anyone who talks to him so everyone leaves him be. All in all, they're all really just unsociable."
The brown eyed teen chewed on the end of one of her chopsticks, considering what Mari had told her. Then the girl asked, "Are you gonna join any clubs?"
"Don't know, maybe, if something's interesting."
"I'm on the volleyball team, maybe you should join. We could maybe even play together."
"I'll think about it."
That had set the tune for the rest of the lunch hour. But now Hatsune was comparing what the school though to her own experiences with the boys. She was pulled from her thoughts by Laito's voice, "You haven't eaten very much, little bitch." He was suddenly behind her chair, leaning in, "You need to eat properly or you could become anemic." His eyes, the same as Ayato's, were fixed on her, "Would you like me to feed you?"
"One," She said, trying to keep her temper in check, "don't call me that. Two, I won't have to worry about it, if you keep your fangs to yourself."
"Laito," Reiji said, "It's bad manners to get to your feet during a meal."
"Yeah, Laito," Hatsune taunted, "Bad manners."
"Yes, sir." The seventeen year old said, he turned back to Hatsune, "We'll continue this later, little bitch."
She took another bite while flipping him off. Shu stood up from the table then, Hatsune looked up at him from her plate. "This is such a pain." He said, and then walked away.
"That deadbeat." Reiji muttered, "Nothing good can come of anyone who grows up spoiled rotten."
Hatsune cast the violet haired vampire a glance and muttered, "Hello there, Mr. Pot."
"Teddy," Kanato asked his bear, "what would you like to eat next?" the quiet teen reached for a sweet, "Let's have a banana snowball." He went to stab one with the fork, but it broke. This brought on the massacre of the banana snowballs.
Hatsune reached over and grabbed his wrist, vermilion eyes snapped over to her. She gently took the fork away and set it down. Then put his hand down on the table, "Easy there, killer, those snowballs did nothing to hurt you." She soothed.
"He won't even make the effort to attend our monthly dinner party." Reiji was beginning to sound like he was wining.
Hatsune looked over at him, "There are so many things wrong with that statement I don't know where to begin."
"That will be all for today." At this, all the remaining brothers dispersed, fleeing to where ever it was they hid during the day, leaving a very confused Hatsune sitting at the table.
She blinked and then shook her head, "Weirdo vampires." She muttered to herself as she reached over for another piece of bread before getting up herself.
"One moment," Reiji stopped her. She looked at him, bread in her mouth, "Your table manners are deplorable. One of these days I will take you aside and discipline you thoroughly. Understood?"
The brunette just waved and said, "Whatever, mom."
She took great personal satisfaction in the tch mark that appeared on the vampire's forehead.
Hatsune had been simply hanging out in her room, books and such scattered over her bed as she did her homework; music playing from her phone that was charging in the wall. She put her notebook and pencil down and pulled out the diary from the drawer in the bedside table. She flipped through it again, but the pages were still very blank. She gazed at the picture of her father holding her as the tiny infant clutched the red and silver cross necklace in pudgy hands. Her own hand reached for the cross around her neck, working the metal through her fingers.
She was just putting it back when Ayato's voice sounded behind her, "What are you doing?"
An eraser flew through the air at him; of course he caught it easily. "Homework, you should give it try sometime, in your own room."
"I can go wherever I want to." He defended.
"Consider the privilege revoked." She said flatly.
He just rested his head on his arms on the back of the chair, "Let me suck your blood."
"No." She got up to open the door so she could kick him out. But he grabbed her passing wrist and swung her into his arms. "Hey!" she barked when he undid the first few buttons on her shirt and proceeded to lick the tops of her breasts. She pushed at him, "Get off. I am not your personal blood bank!"
Ayato's fangs slid partly into her skin anyway, she gasped as the rush of pain and unwelcome pleasure. "Hey," he chided her, "stop making it sound like it feels good."
"As soon as I figure out how to do that I will." She panted.
He pulled away and admired the red mark blossoming on her collar bone, "That pain you feel is my stamp mark." When he dipped down again she resumed struggling, "Don't move." He commanded her. "I'll stamp you down here too." He bit her again, sucking on the skin to leave another bruise. "Feel more pain."
"Your turn." She managed, and she stomped on his foot as hard as she could manage.
He cringed and let her go, "Can't you ever just sit quietly like a good girl?" he complained.
"Never." She pointed to the door, "Get out."
He just gave her a sly grin and walked out calling over his shoulder, "I'll save the rest for later; I'd hate to have to deal with you fainting." He closed the door behind him.
She examined her marks in the bathroom mirror, "Damn him, I need to get some pepper spray or something." There was the sound of water moving in the bathroom, she look over to the tub and jumped about half a foot, "Ahh!" she yelled, flatting herself to the wall, "Shu! Why the hell are you in my bathroom?!"
"Keep it down…" he said tiredly, "you're so noisy."
"I tend to be when someone's decided to situate themselves in my bathtub." She said walking over, "Not that I'm complaining, but why are you dressed?"
"If it bothers you then just undress me." He said, casual as ever, "Didn't you come in here hoping to see me naked?"
Darn, she thought, and he was the one I liked a little too. "May I remind you once more that this is my bathroom? So I think it's the other way around bud." She sighed, "And I was hoping to take a bath, too. Ugh," she turned around, "lemme know when you decide to vacate."
"Want to join me?" He asked, his sapphire eyes opening to stare at her.
"No." She spun around, "What is with this family? Is perverseness like a genetic trait or something?"
"You're blushing you know." He said.
Hatsune resisted the urge to check. Shu closed eyes again, "I'm tired."
"Why are all of you so weird?" She asked.
"We have different mothers." He answered, "Reiji and I are from the same mother. Ayato, Kanato, and Laito are triplets."
"Ah," She shook her head, "while interesting, not really relevant. And Subaru, is he adopted?"
"He's from a different mother too." Shu said, and then he sank into the water.
"Woah, hold it, fish boy." Hatsune grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him back up.
He stared at the hand holding his, memories came to him unbidden, ones of a different hand. Long ago, a friend, but then the fire came and washed it away.
"Shu. Shu! That hurt's." Hatsune's voice broke into his trance; his hand was gripping her too tightly, placing strain on the fragile bones.
He pulled her into the water with him. She spluttered, sitting in-between his legs, quite unhappy. "Seriously, you guys have to stop yanking me into pools of water." She complained.
"Let me drink your blood." Shu said bluntly.
"Eh? Come again?"
"What, are you frightened?" He asked.
"Not particularly, I just did this dance with scruffy boy, though." She said, "Not eager for a round two."
He entwined his hand into her hair and pulled her closer to him, her hands dropped to brace herself on his lap. She tried to pull back, thinking, oh god, he's like, nineteen, and this is practically statutory rape. He tilted her head back a bit, exposing her throat, "It's so pale; I bet if I bit it through, it would spurt bright red blood like a geyser."
"That sounds rather life-threatening, and a very bad idea." She said.
Shu's intense blue eyes fell on the kiss marks, Ayato had left behind, "Did Ayato do that?" he asked. "He's such a possessive freak."
"Really," She said her sarcasm thick, "I had no idea." She tugged against his hold on her again to no avail, "And here I was hoping you were different."
"Make no mistake." He said, almost coldly, "I am a vampire; I will show you a whole new world."
He bent towards her throat, fangs larger than Ayato's sank into her flesh. She seemed to spasm, the rush of feeling too much. Whatever made her weak under Ayato, stole her strength with Shu. She was limp in his grip, her bones feeling like a tingling mass of jelly. "Your blood is so hot." He whispered to her. She didn't even have the faculties to make a comeback. Her head just fell on his shoulder, her eyes slipping closed. "I could get burnt." he murmured.
He sniffed at her throat, "I can smell your excitement, what a dirty girl you are. Your temperature is rising now that fangs are at your throat."
She couldn't answer, even though his fangs where no longer inside her she couldn't gather any kind of strength, she remained a small child in his arms. A theory was blooming in her head but she couldn't think well, even her mind was sluggish, trapped by the sensations still flooding her system.
"I know why you came to live with us now." Shu said, his own chin resting on her shoulder, "Your blood is of the finest quality." He said.
"Thanks." She managed to get out, still feeling very woozy.
"Think twice before you reach out to me again." He warned, "Never forget."
"Dually noted."
She walked back into her room, clean and shaking off the last remnants of haze. She leaned against the door for a moment and thought, I wonder if vampire's inject some kind of venom into whoever they bite to make them willing and weak and the stronger or older the vampire, the stronger the venoms effects. She tossed her dirty and still wet clothes into the hamper. "Pancake," Ayato said, "You're late."
"Oh god," She groaned, "Not you again."
"I'm thirsty."
"This isn't the kitchen."
"Let me suck your blood."
"No."
"You have no right to refuse me."
"I have every damn right. Get out."
He grabbed her wrist, walking behind her, "Just submit to my feeding."
"Go to hell."
He paid her protests no mind and dipped down to bite her but stopped cold. Fang marks still showed against her pale skin. "What is this?" he said poking at them, "Reiji? No, it must be Shu. That little…" he hissed.
"Whatever is happening, I am not getting in the middle of it. Let me go and get out." She snapped. "Hey!" she yelled as he dragged her along with him through the house.
He brought her to a billiard room where Shu was laying down on one of the benches. "Shu!" Ayato yelled, "Are you trying to pick a fight with me?!" When Ayato got no response he yelled louder, "Hey, can you hear me?!"
"Keep it down…" Shu chided.
"Shit." Ayato growled, "I challenge you to a game of darts."
"Too much trouble."
"Why, you…"
A new voice broke into the argument, "Sounds good," Laito was leaning on another game table, "and the prize for the winner of the game is little bitch!" he smiled, "Awesome."
"Okay, I'm done." Hatsune twisted her wrist from Ayato's hold, "You idiots enjoy your pissing contest. I am going to finish my homework."
"Enough with this noise." Reiji had appeared by the dart board, "What is the meaning of this commotion?"
Hatsune pointed at Ayato, "He started it."
"I couldn't care less about her," Shu declared, "so be quiet and let me sleep."
A pang of rejection flared in Hatsune's chest, she quickly squashed it, No, no Hatsune, you don't care, remember.
"I thought you might say something of the sort." Reiji said, "He shrinks back from any challenge. If you look up the word 'spineless' in the dictionary you will find a photo of Shu beside it. He can't do anything without help. Good-for-nothing-deadbeat."
SLAP!
Everyone was surprised when Hatsune moved, so surprised that no one moved to stop her. She had slapped Reiji clean across his face, he eyes ablaze with fire. "You shut up, dickhead. Shu!" She yelled, "Get up and bury Ayato so this fucktard can learn to hush his face."
The vampire's cerulean eyes met fiery hazel, and he sighed and said, "I'll play your game Ayato."
"Damn straight." Hatsune hissed.
Shu had two darts in place; Hatsune was still seething over by Laito, but didn't say anything. "If Shu nails this next shot," Laito cooed, "that means that you'll belong to him, little bitch."
"Like hell I will, I just wanna see Ayato loose." She growled.
Shu tuned the rest of them out, he didn't particularly care about owning the girl, but she was right in that Reiji and Ayato needed to be shut up. He carefully aimed and let the blue dart fly. It struck right next to its mates.
"Whoo," Laito cheered, "not bad. Ton eighty."
Shu just turned and walked away, Laito grinned, "Here is your prize of one little bitch!" he sang and shoved Hatsune so she fell against Shu's back.
Hatsune held still as Shu turned around, trying to seem brave, but the memory of what had happened in their last encounter had her shaking. She really didn't want to become boneless and helpless with three other vampires here, two of them previous sexual offenders. "To me," Shu said, his blue eyes pining her in place, "mortals are just prey to feed on." He took her chin and tilted her head to bare her neck to him. She flinched back but couldn't make her feet move. A chant of, please don't bite me here, echoed in her head. "As you've already found out." He breathed against her skin, "Don't even dream of helping me again."
