Kiki knew that something wasn't right when she began to awaken from her slumber. She didn't know what it was exactly, but it was a strange, ominous feeling. As her bicolor eyes flew open, she looked around in a panic. Everything seemed normal. She was still in Kaname's dorm, but… Her eyes traveled over to the entry way to the other part of the dorm, where she thought the feeling was coming from. She shakily stood up and then fixed her wrinkled-up uniform. It was then that she realized the burning sensation in her throat was gone, and she could breathe again once more. As she moved her hand along her neck, she felt two, rather fresh puncture wounds in her neck, and they weren't Kaname's.
She walked up to the entry way and then gazed at what sat upon the couch. To her complete and utter surprise, it was Zero. What was he doing in the moon dormitory, especially when it was so close to class time? She leaned up against the frame of the entryway and looked at him with shock-filled eyes.
"Wh-what are you doing in here?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
The young man quickly stood up and didn't meet gaze with her. "Tell Kuran I'm sorry for intruding," he said rather apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck. "I-I…" He gulped and glared at her with his intimidating-beautiful purple eyes. "I had to help you."
The little vampire held her hand to her neck where the two fresh puncture wounds were. "You mean… You drank from me?" she asked.
Zero looked at the ground shamefully. "I was originally going to talk with Aido about his behavior towards the day class girls and all the trouble it's causing… Then I passed by Kuran through the hall and smelt his blood. I knew it was you who had drank from him, but then as I walked by his dorm I… I smelt your blood… It overpowered my control… I couldn't stop myself from going in and then… Then I saw you lying on your side, gasping for air." He blinked and finally met gaze with her. "I know what you are, you know. I've heard about your breed."
Kiki strode closer to him, still keeping her distance. "W-why would you drink my blood?" she asked, her voice panicked. "Y-you don't even know me…"
"I know your breed well enough to know that you would have died if I didn't!" he spat suddenly. "You should be grateful!" His hands balled into fists. "And I know what you've been doing with that damn Pureblood! I know that it's forbidden for your breed!"
The little vampire shrank down submissively and kept her gaze away from him. "Y-you can't tell anyone…" she murmured.
He scowled at her. "It goes against my better nature to hide things." He then held his hand against his throat as his hunger began to rise up once more. "B-but I might let that slide… If you can grant me one favor…"
By the look in his eyes, Kiki gulped and took a cautious step back. "Wh-what would that favor be?" She then backed up as he began approaching her more, and she bumped into the wall behind her. He placed his hand on the wall and made it so she couldn't escape from him.
"Let me drink your blood. Your clean blood," he muttered, lowering his head towards her. Kiki stared up at him with wide eyes, holding her hand out to stop him. A tantalizing scent then wafted into her nostrils, and her eyes quickly turned blood red. Zero blinked and stared at her with a puzzled expression. "Everything alright?"
Kiki moved close to his neck and took a sniff, unwillingly biting down on her lower lip. For some strange reason, she felt incredibly hungry in a matter of seconds. "You smell really good…" she whispered, licking her lips. "I-I'll grant you your favor, b-but I-I want some of your blood, too."
Zero looked at her, slight surprise written on his face. "Is my scent that good to you?" Kiki nodded to him and then stood onto her tippy-toes, running her tongue along his neck and shuddering as he moved a hand to the back of her head. She bared her fangs, ready to sink them into his flesh, but stopped and blinked.
"You won't tell anybody about this, right?" she asked, lips lingering mere centimeters away from him.
"No. I won't," he answered, giving a slight tremble from the sensation of her lips on his skin.
This was the go-ahead for Kiki, and she quickly sank her fangs into his neck, letting out a muffled moan as she began to zealously drink his blood. She wasn't entirely sure why she felt so hungry, having just quenched her thirst on Kaname prior to her poison attack. She drew away just to lick up some blood that had trickled down his neck and near his collarbone then went right back up, sinking in her fangs once more.
"You're a little thirsty, aren't you?" Zero managed to growl out with a smile, but Kiki ignored him, sucking vehemently with the highest care. She couldn't will herself to stop, even when she wanted to. She could feel Zero's muscles tensing from underneath her grasp as he slowly pushed her away. She looked up at him sadly, licking her lips. "I wasn't finished," she whimpered.
Zero chuckled at her appearance, having his blood all around her mouth and dripping down each side of her chin. He then leaned down to her neck, practically having to bend halfway from how short she was. "My turn…" he grunted before licking her flesh.
Kiki trembled nervously and stood on her tippy toes slightly, giving him easier access to her pale neck. Zero bared his fangs, placing the tips against her skin teasingly. Kiki shivered and let out a low growl. "Don't dally. K-Kaname could walk in at any moment..." The silver-haired vampire paid no heed to her growls as he pierced her flesh in the same exact spot where he had bitten her before. She winced a little bit, not entirely sure how she felt about the silver-haired vampire sucking her blood. It was nothing like Kaname, and it didn't bring the same sort of feelings. True, his blood was tasty, but having her blood sucked by him? It didn't feel right to her.
Several minutes went by before Zero finally pulled away, Kiki's blood dripping off of his chin. He licked the remnants of her blood from around her wound and then licked around his mouth, staring down at her with his usual purple eyes. "Your blood… It's nothing like I've ever tasted…"
She couldn't bring herself to look at Zero, keeping her gaze focused on the window that glistened in the moonlight. "I suppose it's because of my breed..." She spoke softly, nervously playing with a strand of her hair.
Zero crossed his arms and then looked towards the door. "I should be leaving now. I'm pretty sure both of our scents have riled up some of the other vampires." He didn't even glance back at her as he walked to the door and opened it a crack, examining the hallways in search for any trespassers. "I'm gonna go while no one is around. See you," he said before he left, shutting the door behind him. Kiki watched after him, holding her hand up to her neck. Tiny droplets of blood were sitting where Zero's fangs had punctured her. She didn't like the ominous feeling that he brought to her. It made her stand on edge. From now on she would have to keep her senses heightened when around the mysterious day-class vampire.
"Ready… GO!"
Both Kiki and Senri were hanging out in the main room of the moon dormitory, playing the Pocky game, where each person bites the end of the Pocky, and slowly make their way towards each other. Whoever pulled back first was the loser. So far Senri had won every single time. Kiki didn't find it fair.
As Kiki drew closer to him, he raised an eyebrow, and a smile appeared on his lips. Kiki's cheeks instantly turned bright red and she bit down, giving up immediately. She chewed up her portion before crossing her arms.
"That's not fair!" she cried. "You shouldn't make faces like that!"
Senri finished chewing his piece and then chuckled. "It's not my fault you get flustered easily," he said and then stuck his tongue out at her. Kiki had pulled out another Pocky and was glaring at him with hard eyes. "What? You wanna go again?"
She nodded. "I'm not quitting until I beat you!" she exclaimed triumphantly, putting one end in her mouth. Senri just shrugged his shoulders and then placed his mouth over the other end, staring at Kiki with intrigued eyes.
"Be prepared to lose again," he boasted, showing her his fangs. Kiki rolled her eyes before beginning to inch her way forward, as Senri did the same. Before she knew it, their lips were mere centimeters away from each other, but she wouldn't back down. She stared at him, a determined look on her face, as they were at a standstill. Senri blinked and then moved closer until their lips were pressed together. Kiki's entire face turned pure red and she gulped, refusing to pull away. Senri just stared at her with his open eyes, the emptiness in his eyes being replaced with something else; something dark and alluring.
Finally admitting defeat, she retreated back without even claiming her prize, a crimson blush still on her cheeks. "A-ah… U-um…" She fiddled around with her fingers and glanced to the side, trying to focus on anything but the vampire in front of her.
Senri ate the Pocky and savored the end where Kiki's mouth had been, licking his lips as the treat disappeared. "Why so disturbed?" he asked, tilting his head. "Did I do something wrong?"
Kiki moved her hands over her mouth and looked over at him. "Y-y-you just kissed me…" she whispered, looking away from him quickly.
"Well, that's what happens when two people play the Pocky game. They eventually make it to the middle." He pulled out another Pocky and then took a bite, not bothering to offer to play the game again. "I'm sorry if that bothered you."
The little vampire pouted and rested her hands in her lap. "The least you can do is act like it happened, and that it wasn't something to be brushed aside!" She wasn't entirely happy with herself. She should have seen it coming.
Senri eyed her curiously and raised an eyebrow. "What? You thought I wanted to kiss you? Like in a romantic sense?" As Kiki nodded, he let out a chuckle. "Well… If I were to do that, it wouldn't have been during the Pocky game." He rubbed the top of her head and smiled at her. "If it ends up happening, and I'm not saying it will, don't freak out, okay? It's kinda creepy."
Kiki punched his shoulder playfully and smirked at him. "I didn't freak out you moron!" she joked, beginning to laugh. Senri laughed as well, grabbed a hold of her wrist as she punched him. She attempted to pull back, but he held her firmly.
"Bad mistake," he growled playfully, pouncing on top of her and pinning her down against the couch. Kiki let out a surprised squeak and stared up at Senri with wide eyes.
"Wh-what do you think you're doing, S-Senri?" she stuttered, her face red. The vampire smirked down at her and playfully began tickling her sides. Kiki began laughing, attempting to struggle away from him. "S-Senri! S-stop! Th-that tickles!" She shut her eyes tightly and twisted her body around, trying to escape from his clutches. He continued to tickle her while moving his head down towards her face, lips lingering over hers. Their eyes met, and Kiki's face instantly turned bright red once more.
Her mind was whirling around on different thoughts; different scenarios. This didn't feel… right. She gulped and closed her eyes halfway, turning her head so her gaze was averted from his. Senri licked his fangs and then eyed her pale neck, holding back from penetrating her skin. He held himself back as he spotted the two puncture wounds already on her neck. He blinked.
"Who bit you, Kiki?" he asked, growing concerned.
Kiki just stared up at him, her cheeks still red from how close he had been to her. "I… um…"
Senri moved his face back close to hers, sniffing her carefully. "I smell both Lord Kaname and that day class vampire, Kiryu." He tilted his head curiously and rested a hand on the side of her face. "What happened?"
As his hand touched her, she felt a sense of closeness wash over her. It was at that moment that she realized how close they both had become, and not in a romantic sense, either. Senri felt like a brother to her; a better brother than Tori. Although she still felt he was acting flirtatious towards her, she decided she would spill her guts to him.
"Well… I've been drinking Kaname's blood… He's the only one who's been gracious enough to offer it to me. Then… then I had one of my poison spells, a-and I passed out… Before I knew it, I had woken up, and Zero had drank my blood already…" She looked away from him shamefully.
Senri didn't move from atop her, and he moved his hands to grip her wrists. "Why didn't you tell me this any sooner?" he asked, staring down at her with worried eyes. "I could have helped you, you know."
"I-I didn't think about it…" she mumbled, keeping her gaze away from him. "I-I'm sorry…" She flinched as she felt Senri's head rest upon her shoulder. He had released her wrists and now had wrapped his arms around her slender body, pulling her into him close.
"You can always come to me for that kind of stuff," he murmured, running his fingers through her smooth, black hair. "I'm always here for you."
Kiki felt surprised at how he was acting; from what she knew about him, he normally wouldn't act like this. She managed to sit up slightly, and she held him caringly. "Okay… I'll come to you next time…" she whispered, holding a single hand to the back of his head. "Don't forget that I'm always here for you, too." She smiled at him tenderly, trying to indicate that she meant what she said. "Okay?"
Senri lifted his head and smiled at her. "Thanks, Kiki," he said, finally removing himself off of her. Kiki sat up next to him and stared at him quizzically. She still sensed something deep inside of him that was bizarre. She couldn't put her finger on it, though.
The little vampire rested her head on his shoulder and looked up at him with bright eyes. "So… We have a little bit of time left before class starts. Is there anything you want to do?"
The male vampire chuckled at her and rubbed the top of her head wildly. "You know there is plenty that I would want to do, but I'm thinking that Lord Kaname wants you back with him before class." He looked up towards the stairs, as if making sure the Pureblood wasn't approaching. "I'm sure he doesn't like all this attention I'm giving you…"
"I think he doesn't mind," Kiki brought up, poking his nose. "He might seem upset about it sometimes, but he really only wants what's best for me. If that means that I want to hang out with you, then it's fine with him." She shrugged her shoulders. "Then again, there are some days where he seems… depressed almost…"
Senri raised an eyebrow and poked her cheek with the tip of his finger. "Hmm… Maybe he's jealous that I'm hogging you?" he asked, a slight chuckle in his voice. Kiki giggled at him and then opened her eyes wide as she heard footsteps echoing from down the stairs. She turned her head and spotted the Pureblood striding towards them. Senri quickly stood up, causing Kiki to almost topple sideways. "Good evening, Lord Kaname," he greeted, bowing slightly.
The Pureblood's eyes looked oddly empty, and his gaze pierced right through Kiki. She couldn't help but shrink back slightly as he strode up to her, towering above her.
"Senri, I think it's best that you leave us until class starts," he ordered, not even bothering to look at the vampire beside him.
Senri lowered his head. "Yes, My Lord…" he responded quietly, taking one last glance at Kiki before walking back up the stairs.
Kiki looked at Kaname with disappointed eyes. "Wh-what was that about?" she asked him, sadness in her tone.
Kaname narrowed his eyes and sat beside her. "I wanted to talk to you about something that suddenly came to my attention," he told her while glancing to the side briefly. Kiki tilted her head to the side and placed a tiny hand on his face.
"What is it?" she asked. "D-does it involve me?" A sudden fear came into her mind that he had found out about her and Zero's escapade together, and he would punish her for it, just like he did with Hanabusa.
He nodded his head. "It's not entirely bad." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a few photographs, handing them to her with the utmost care. "I found these on the ground in my room. I know they're probably not yours, but I just wanted you to take a look at them."
Kiki took the photos from his grasp and gulped as she eyed them with curiosity. It was her in the pictures as a young child, before ever becoming a vampire. Both of her eyes were a beautiful shade of purple, and her hair was slightly short. She then looked at the other person that was in the photograph. It was Takuma. Of course it was back when he was younger, too, but… She didn't understand where these photos had come from.
"Do you know who put these in the room?" she asked suddenly.
The Pureblood nodded his head. "It was Takuma. He had something very important to tell me to go along with these photos."
His statement caused Kiki to shiver. "O-oh? Wh-what did he say?"
Kaname averted his gaze away from her and then spoke. "You two were engaged to be married."
