Okay so another chapter done. It is taking a little longer to get these edited chapters up but they are making their way. If you are a reader currently following this story you have more than likely already read what is in this chapter. Feel free to go back and read the edited chapters as a kind of refresher but nothing new will be posted until after chapter six. Sorry if I disappointed you. If you do go back and read the edited chapters please review and let me know if you like it. Thanks! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.
Chapter Four
Kiyomi had only inspected about half of what was supposed to be checked, it was getting closer to dinner and the storm clouds were threatening to release their fury at any moment. The scent of the rain that filled the dark clouds was stronger as the wind picked up and carried a damp feeling with it.
Most of the ride in its entirety had been in silence, not that she had expected him to speak to her much anyways. At one point she had even forgotten that she had company until she felt his hold around her waist tighten after encouraging Jack to speed it up. She smiled over her shoulder at him, even if he returned it with a scowl.
At the entrance of the barn she signaled for Zero to get off and she did the same once his feet hit the soft ground. Kiyomi let out a long tired sigh as she ran a hand over her face, trying to get the feeling back in her legs then running her hands up and down them. She loved to ride but hated the feeling of her legs becoming wobbly after a while. As she walked Jack inside, she was surprised to see Zero following. It had been half expected of him to go back to the house once they had returned.
Kiyomi began working the straps to remove the saddle, pulling it up and off of Jack's back. After removing it she walked with it in hand to place it in the tack room along with the halter, the rich smell of leather hitting her nose as she stepped into the room. The padding slipped off easily and was set off to the side of his stall with the bottom facing up to air out.
When she turned around she smiled at the sight of Zero brushing Jack, and how Jack seemed to love every minute of it. Another brush lay on one of the shelves of the tack room; she grabbed it and took her place on the opposite side brushing Jack carefully in silence. His dark coat smoothing out with each stroke and the shine returning as Jack's coat dried. She smiled reaching up and scratched Jack's ears, him leaning into her touch.
"You are so spoiled." Kiyomi smiled as she lay the brush down on the shelf attached to the stall door. With another once over of Jack and cleaning his hooves of any debris, she draped a rope loosely around his neck and led him to his stall.
Once she had Jack inside his stall and made sure he had plenty of water and hay for the time being, she put a little sweet feed in his bucket before closing the door. She stepped away from the stall door and faced the entrance to the barn where Zero stood silently, his arms once again crossed over his chest. Honestly she didn't feel like talking to the boy standing at the large opening of the barn, not really in the mood for any negative comments he might spat. The ride had been relatively silent and she wanted it to stay that way for the time being. The understanding of how his assumption of vampires could have come about was just but not all were like that and it infuriated her when a stereotype was made due to another's actions.
She reached up to her hair taking the band that had been holding it up out and ruffle her hair letting it fall freely down her back. With one last glance at Zero, she made an effort to place a smile on her face before walking passed him. He just looked at her with slight disinterest before sliding his hands into the pockets of his pants and following her out of the barn. They walked in silence back towards the house, not once did either of them make an attempt to speak to the other which Kiyomi was kind of thankful for.
She stopped suddenly when the feeling of something wet hit her cheek. The cool sensation trailed down her face as she placed her thin fingers to her face and wiped away the wetness. She looked up to the sky overhead, ignoring the questioning look from Zero; the sky had grown considerably darker. The fact that the sun would soon be setting having some to do with it, but the clouds continued to grow darker and the air grew more dense. The lightning was now right overhead and increasing in intensity with every passing minute.
As she stood in place, the rain slowly began making its decent. The soft patter of it hitting the ground relaxing every muscle in her body and she closed her eyes in satisfaction of the sound and feel of the rain. Breathing in deep so the sweet aroma of the rain hit her senses, she sighed, so relaxing. The sound started off soft and calm, but continued to grow louder as it fell heavier hitting the ground with more and more force.
Hearing Zero clearing his throat brought her out of her daze, now sensing his curious eyes as she stood in the same place.
"Are you done?" his tone holding no interest as he spoke.
Kiyomi raised an eyebrow at him; his little attitude was starting to get on her nerves, "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was bothering you by not bothering you." He glared at her causing her to return his glare with one of her own. It was rude and she was starting to lose patience with this guy, what is his deal? I hadn't done anything to him, yet he acts like I am the cause of his problems.
He turned his head as he spoke again, "I just figured you would have enough sense to notice it was pouring…..guess I was wrong." He turned and started walking towards the house again.
A low growl escaped her lips and she couldn't help but ball her fists up at his comment, he was starting to get under her skin. Most would keep their retorts to themselves but she was not like most people who kept their mouths shut. She had the tendency to blurt out whatever she was thinking before thinking about it sometimes.
"You don't seem like you possess much yourself since you could have just as easily left me here and continued on." Before she could stop it she had done it again, speaking what should have been kept a thought. "I guess my realization to that would suggest that I possess more than you, am I right?"
This of course caught his attention immediately, and Kiyomi couldn't hide the smirk that was now on her face. Hmmm…seems like I may have struck a nerve, this could be fun.
He turned fully facing her, balling his fists at his side as his glare hardened. If looks could kill then his probably would have done it several times by now. Before he could speak the front door to the house swung open revealing a very happy chairman Cross, oh what a surprise. A low growl came from Zero as his attention was averted from her towards the man now standing on the covered porch.
"Zero! Be a good son and help put Kiyomi's bags into the car!" his smile never fading once as he spoke. Kiyomi's on the other hand immediately disappeared, what?! Am I leaving tonight?! She suddenly bolted for the house, running right passed Zero ignoring his calls to help with the bags. Not really caring that her clothes were almost completely soaked through as she burst into the house and began a frantic search for her mother.
Most of the group was still in the living room area and the absence of her mother did not go unnoticed. Not caring that she was probably trudging mud all over the floor, Kiyomi ran up the stairs and down the hall towards her bedroom. She found her standing in the middle of the room holding a picture frame, a small smile on her beautiful face as she studied every detail of the picture inside. It was of her and Kiyomi; the room grew cold as Kiyomi's heart dropped.
"Mom?" She turned her head slowly towards Kiyomi, her smile never falling from her flawless face. Her dark hair that framed her soft face moved fluidly as she turned her head back towards the photo she held in her hand.
She gently placed the picture back onto the dresser and turned her attention back to Kiyomi, "Cross believes that it would be wise to leave tonight since classes will begin on Monday. It would give you a little time to adjust and settle in." Her soft spoken words would normally calm Kiyomi's racing heart, but this time it was futile.
Numb, that's how Kiyomi felt and she could just feel her feet moving without her control as she quickly moved across the room wrapping her arms around her mother's slim figure. Her mother responded almost instantly, wrapping one arm around her and placing another on her head much like she did when Kiyomi was a small child. She ran her slender fingers through Kiyomi's soft hair and Kiyomi buried her face into the fabric of her clothing. The sweet fragrance of her mother filled Kiyomi's nose and helped to sooth her as she felt herself calming in her mother's embrace.
"Do I have to leave tonight?" Kiyomi asked, suppressing the emotion that sat on the tip of her tongue. Her mother pulled back slightly, taking Kiyomi's face into her hands gently and looking into her now watery eyes. She smiled her sweetest smile and nodded before placing a soft kiss on her daughter's forehead. At this point Kiyomi didn't care if she looked like a small child being comforted by her mother.
Even with the knowledge that most would think her reaction to all this was childish she didn't care; it has been just the two of them for so long. It was hard to think of anytime away from her, even knowing that it was temporary, it was still hard.
Kiyomi let out a sigh as she looked down, concentrating on controlling her breathing from becoming erratic again. She looked back to her mother again, a small smile slowly forming, "I'm going to miss you."
Her mother's arms wrapped around her again pulling her into a firm hug, "I will see you in a few weeks. I will be visiting some family friends in a town close by for a little while so you can spend the weekends with me during that time." It was nice to know that she would be seeing her mother so soon after leaving and she knew the friends her mother spoke of and would enjoy getting to see them as well.
She gave her mother a confident smile this time, no need to force it since she understood that this wasn't forever. And she wanted to be strong for her mother and prove that she was capable of doing this, even if she did just breakdown like a small child. With one final hug she pulled away from her completely, the smile not faltering as she spoke, "Well, I guess I better get ready then." The smile on her face brightened for a moment and she leaned in placing another soft kiss on Kiyomi's forehead.
"I know you will do great." She spoke softly as she gave Kiyomi one last hug before gracefully walked out of the room.
A final decision that it would probably be a good idea to shower and change out of the clothes that she had been working in that day had her moving. From top to bottom, she was covered in dirt from the fields and smelled like she had been rolling around in hay all day and now they were nearly soaked through from the rain. Jeez I stink. Well, that explains the distance everyone was keeping from me and probably why Zero said I didn't smell like them. This scent could mask any vampire's true scent, yikes! She thought with a laugh and started towards the bathroom.
Figuring also that since she would be cramped in a car in close proximity to others for several hours she should also dress comfortably. She decided on a dress her mother had given her a few months prior, it was pale blue like her eyes at the top with thin intricate designs created with a black thread. A black silk like fabric tied under the bust and the rest of the blue fabric fell loosely just below her knees covered with a see through black lacelike fabric. This was definitely an improvement from the attire I had on previously, wonder if they will even recognize me, she thought as she let out a soft laugh.
Her hair was dried once she was fully dressed and left to fall freely in soft natural waves down her back. A pair of black flats were then used to complete the outfit and she made her way across the room towards the door, but not before grabbing the photo of her and her mother that she was holding before from its frame.
As she slowly made her way down the carpeted stairs to the first floor of the large house she could hear faint voices coming from the living room area. She figured that everyone must still be sitting around conversing as they were before. Nothing seemed to phase them in any way.
She turned the corner to the opening to the large room and heard a male's voice, it was very smooth and sophisticated, and his speech was so elegant. She couldn't help but feel captivated by it as she drew closer and his words became clearer. When she entered the room silently, well as silently as she could while the others were in deep conversation about the upcoming school year prep, she took note that everyone sat basically unmoving from their previous spots.
She glanced around the room looking for a free spot to sit, face falling slightly when she noticed the only free space was next to Zero. His scowl seemed to have returned with vengeance as Kiyomi approached the open space on the sofa next to him. He narrowed his eyes at her when their eyes met, she being the person that she is returned his glare with one of her own. With all the grace her mother had taught her, she sat down silently next to him trying her best to keep her temper in check.
"You have no manners." He muttered from beside her, his face turned away as he rested his head in the palm of one hand that was resting on his knee.
"Excuse me?" trying her absolute best to respond in a low tone and not explode on his ridiculous attitude was becoming a challenge all on its own.
She could see him look out of the corner of his eye as he spoke again, the scowl never leaving his face, "Usually people ask if the seat is taken before plopping carelessly down into it."
Her temper began rising as she balled her fists in her lap trying to prevent the outburst that so desperately wanted to come out. Slowly she closed her eyes and collected her thoughts before she dared to speak to him again.
"Well if my presence is such an inconvenience to you then…I will remove myself. I didn't intend on offending someone I have yet to get to know." She managed to say between slow deep breaths. Standing slowly and straightening out her dress before returning her attention back to him helped to keep her hands busy and from punching him square in the jaw.
"Sorry to have bothered you." She said with a small bow before turning and walking out of the living room, ignoring the now slightly shocked look on his face. Kiyomi noticed as she walked out that her actions had caught the attention of the others but could careless, she just needed to get away before she lashed out in front of them.
She then decided to sit down on one of the chairs that lined the front porch, considering the fact that maybe the fresh air would calm her nerves. Not paying attention to the door as it creaked open, or the person that sat down in the chair next to her, she continued to look on into nothing. Her emotionless expression masking every emotion that threatened to burst from her.
"Hey are you ok?" She didn't recognize this voice and so turned her head towards the owner. It was the blond boy that was in the car with the chairman and Yuki, being this close she could see just how handsome he was. No surprise there of course, he was a vampire and she had yet to meet an ugly one. Upon further inspection she noticed how the smile he held was so….real, it seemed so natural on him. His beautiful green eyes even held the purity of it as the wind blew his blond bangs across his flawless face. To sense such innocence within a being like him was almost unheard of, his aura was unlike any she had ever come across.
"I'll be ok." She finally spoke after a few moments. The faint feeling of heat making its way onto her cheeks while he looked at her with those beautiful green eyes made her turn her head away. Letting her guard down twice in one day and now blushing, again? Honestly, she didn't know what had come over her in the last few hours and it was confusing as well as frustrating.
The lack there of, of emotion in her voice when she answered didn't seem to bother him as he continued to smile that sweet smile. Kiyomi could feel the corners of her frown starting to turn up; his smile was so contagious that she couldn't help the one that was now forming on her face.
"That's better!" he chirped as his eyes closed on his ever smiling face. "No reason for such saddness to play on a face so beautiful."
Her eyes widened a bit, she knew her face must have been burning red now, how embarrassing. He didn't seem to notice what he had said as he just continued to smile. "Um….thanks…uh?" Kiyomi tilted her head to the side; she did not know his name and therefore could not thank him properly. Just a tad bit awkward.
"Hmmm?…oh! My apologies, my name is Ichijo Takuma, but please call me Takuma." He seemed a little embarrassed at his actions as a playful grin was now plastered to his face and his hand rubbed the back of his head nervously. Kiyomi could also make out a faint pink hue on his cheeks; he was just too cute right now.
"Ichijo? But that means you must be kin to…." Before she could answer he had already acknowledge that her suspicions were correct.
His smile fell slightly as he spoke, "Ichijo Asato, he is my grandfather."
Kiyomi could just stare in utter shock, she knew of this man and he was so cold and dark, nothing like the boy that sat next to her. "Excuse me for asking, but are you sure you are kin to him?" The question spilled from her mouth before she could stop herself and she slapped her hands over her mouth looking at Takuma with wide eyes.
Takuma chuckled softly, the sound lightening the dull mood set by the weather and prior events that involved a certain silver haired jerk. "I'm afraid so."
"Oh…um, sorry?" she moved her hands from her mouth and shrugged her shoulders. She kind of felt bad for him; he was kin to a man that was just so incapable of showing any kindness unless it would somehow benefit himself. But miracles must be possible if Takuma was kin to such a horrid excuse for a man.
"So..." he took a deep breath before releasing it slowly, "Care to share what happened in there?" he gestured to the house.
Kiyomi shifted her gaze to her hands that sat on her lap, "That guy, Zero, he seems like a real jerk." At the mention of the name, Takuma started to shake his head a bit, a now slightly saddened smile on his face.
"I'm afraid that is something that will never change. He has been that way since…" He trailed off a bit, his eyes trailing to the ground before coming back to her, "Well as long as I have known him. An unfortunate turn of events took place in his life…honestly I cannot blame him for his ways."
"Oh." Her soft voice was barely audible.
She watched Takuma run his hand through is blond hair, "Let's just say that, Kiryu has a good reason to be so cold so no need to take it personal. He is a hard guy to learn and even harder to get through to."
"Hmmm." Kiyomi looked back at the house, wondering what exactly could have turned someone so cold. She had experienced many tragedies in her life and unfortunately bore witness to many individuals that broke.
"Don't let it bother you too much; he treats pretty much everyone like that. Even Yuki and she is always defending his actions to Lord Kaname."
She looked back to him with a questioning expression, "Lord Kaname?"
"Huh?..Oh that's right you haven't met everyone properly yet have you?" Before she knew what was going on he had grabbed her hand and was pulling her up from the chair. He turned around with a sweet smile on his face, "How about we change that real quick?"
"Um..sure." Kiyomi followed Takuma back into the house and into the living room where everyone was still sitting.
More updating to come! Please review :)
