CH 10
"What's a blood-mate?" Mrs. Collins asked, hearing Akemi's claim that Daniel wanted to be hers.
Roger shrugged. "Vampire version of a husband, I imagine," he guessed.
"WHAT!" Mrs, Collins cried, her eyes all but bulging out of their sockets.
.
Akasha smirked at Akemi's statement. Tsukune stared at them, and Moka shook her head as she bore a small grin. "I take it you two are getting along?" she asked.
"Ahhh, Akemi, Daniel," Tsukune said get their attention. "Don't you think you are a little young to make that kind of decision?"
"But Papa, Daniel let me drink from him and he kissed my neck, right here at the base! He said it just felt like the right thing to do, right Daniel?" Akemi explained in a run of words.
Daniel nodded, not sure why this was such a big deal. "Yeah, I ..." about to admit he wanted to kiss Akemi in front of her Father and Mother, somehow his voice froze. "What she said," he offered.
"Daniel, dear, do you know what a blood mate is?" Akasha asked.
"Not really," Daniel admitted with a shrug.
Tsukune cleared his throat and explained. "Daniel, a blood mate is almost the same as being married. It means you two belong to each other, no matter what. The difference is that once a blood mate, always a blood mate. Unlike conventional marriages, there is no such thing as divorce."
"You will belong to each other for all time," Akasha explained.
Daniel gapped at them. "You mean like ... forever?" he asked. All the adults nodded.
Casting Akemi a frightened look, Daniel said, "Akemi, I don't know if I'm ready for that."
"Not right now," Akemi said quickly. "But some time in the future. We're already on blood sucking terms, how much more intimate can we get?"
Ageha laughed. "Wait a few years, and you'll see," she said with a wide grin.
"Well, it's true!" Akemi said, frowning at the adults. "Mama Moka, you told me all about how Papa let you suck his blood, about how he was and still is the only one for you! And Papa, you told me how feeding Mama Moka and making sure she stayed healthy was the most important thing for you."
"That is true," Tsukune said carefully, "But Akemi, there are other things you both need to think about."
"Akemi," Moka added, "How about if for right now, you just be good friends with Daniel."
Akemi frowned and glanced at a nervous looking Daniel. "But ... " she complained.
"I do believe your parents are correct, dear. You don't want to rush something so important," Akasha agreed.
"OK," Akemi said in a huff.
Even though Daniel was still nervous about the 'forever' aspect, he said, "Akemi, I do like you lots and lots, more than anyone else. How about if we be boyfriend and girlfriend for a while. Will that be OK?"
Akemi looked at Moka, who nodded. "That sounds fine to me," Moka told her.
Akemi cast a smile at Daniel. "OK .. boyfriend," she said with a wide grin.
"Cool ... girlfriend, Let's go tell Dad."
.
Overhearing the conversation, Roger listened to Daniel's announcement that Akemi was his girlfriend. When they ran over to tell him the good news, Roger congratulated them while Mrs. Collins looked ready to faint.
"Roger, I... am feeling rather ill," she said weakly.
"I'll help you go in and lie down," he offered.
"I'm sorry, but I'd like to go back to the hotel," Mrs. Collins said.
Roger nodded. "All right then. Miss Winters, would you stay with Daniel? We'll be heading out now."
Roger bade goodbye to Tsukune and his wives. Akasha got up and saw them through the house and to the door. On the way, Akasha was pleasant, but noted Mrs. Collins' reaction to the kids' announcement. Going out to the limo with them, Akasha halted them before they got in.
"Mrs. Collins," Akasha said gently. "I know all this has been a shock to you. I would ask that you not press Daniel either way about his being involved with Akemi. This is something they must work out for themselves."
Mrs. Collins cast Akasha a glare. "That is fine for you to say!" she snapped. "Daniel is a boy of good breeding. He should not be getting involved with ... monsters!"
"Excuse me?" Akasha asked, eyeing her. "Are you saying my granddaughter is not good enough for Daniel?" she asked in a warning tone.
"Dear, we should go, NOW!" Roger stated firmly. To Akasha, he said, "I am so sorry for her behavior, she's not feeling well."
"I'm feeling well enough to know our Daniel deserves a proper HUMAN girl, not some social-climbing freak of nature!" Mrs. Collins spat.
Roger went to help her in the car, but Akasha grabbed her by the front of her dress and spun her around to pin her against the side. Roger himself found he was held back by Akasha's other hand in an iron grip.
Glaring at a now terrified Mrs. Collins, Akasha radiated a portion of her yokai energy, showing her fangs as she growled out her words. "You pompous human ... scum! It is I who needs to wonder if Daniel is worthy of Akemi, who IS of true royal blood! You think wealth means anything substantial? Do you really believe you are better than any of us? If my son-in-law was not working so hard at human and yokai relations, I would SHOW you your place is very far below us. You can also be very thankful my daughter did not hear you talk down about Akemi, for she WOULD send you home as a quivering, broken bag of bones."
Akasha then shoved Mrs. Collins in the car and released Roger. In a calmer tone, she told Roger, "Take her home and never bring her back here. This incident will not be spoken of for the good of all. Is that understood."
"Yes, Ma'am," Roger said meekly. "And I apologize for my wife's behavior."
Akasha nodded to him. "Good day, Mr. Collins," Akasha said, containing her anger.
Roger was never so glad for the door to shut and the limo to take them out of the gates, still alive. Smelling urine, he checked himself, then looked at his wife, who was staring straight ahead at nothing and shaking badly.
.
Barnabas and Tsukune were in the foyer, and heard everything. Turning to Tsukune with a shocked look, Barnabas said, "I must apologize..."
Tsukune waved a hand. "No need, you did nothing. I believe Queen Akasha has the matter well in hand. When will you need your funds, and how do you want them? We can pass the gold directly to you, or exchange it for cash and have it wired to you that way."
"There is a broker I am acquainted with who can handle the gold directly. That will remove the need for expensive currency exchange," Barnabas told him.
"Good. Tell me when, and the gold will be delivered to your house."
"Mr. Aono," Barnabas said in a serious tone, "Please don't think any of the rest of us do not greatly appreciate all you and your family have done. Your family has given my life back to me, and even more precious to me, you have given my brother another chance at life. I am sure Mrs. Collins was just ... overwhelmed at the situation."
"My thoughts exactly," Akasha said as she approached. "That is still no excuse to spout hatred. I do hope Mrs. Collins has learned a lesson."
Barnabas bowed to her. "As do I, your Majesty."
"Enough about that then," Akasha said, dismissing the subject. "Tsukune, dear, I must leave soon, would you be kind enough to ensure Mr. And Mrs. Smith gets to their locations? There is a brewing matter in China I must attend to. The Yeti have asked for my assistance."
"I will see to it, Your Majesty." Tsukune said reverently as he bowed to her. "Thank you for coming."
Akasha gave him a hug. "Stay well, my dear," she said, and went out back to say goodbye to the others.
Tsukune watched her go, then asked Barnabas, "I hope you and Jeremiah are staying for a while."
Barnabas nodded. "Yes. This may seem awkward, but I feel more at home here than I do ... at home. And I do have to get another taste of that wonderful ice cream. Just how did your cooks manage to get blood mixed in it so well?"
"That is a secret Mizore refuses to reveal," Tsukune said with a wink.
.
Daniel made sure he had the ice cream cups right. Akemi's was the red ice cream, while his was the chocolate. He thanked the maid that got them for him, and went back over to Akemi who was sitting on the steps, waiting for him. He handed her her ice cream and settled down beside her.
"This is really great," Daniel said. "You have a really cool place to live, and it's a lot of fun. I wish I had someplace like this to live."
"It is fun sometimes, but it can be a pain too," Akemi said, and scooped up a spoonful of ice cream.
"How's that?"
Pointing her spoon at Kumiko, who was taking of for a fly, she said, "For one thing, Kumiko keeps stealing my homework. I figured it out when she have me one of her papers to copy. She'd stolen mine and copied it to begin with. The back assignments I did, I found out were some of hers that she tricked me into doing for her."
"She does that to you?"
"Yeah, and it gets really irritating," Akemi said in a huff. "She takes it out of my desk, and doesn't even return it for a day or two. I don't want to make a fuss about it, but it's getting on my nerves."
Daniel cracked a grin and said, "Do your homework wrong."
"What?" Akemi asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Miss Winters has me do work by myself. If I get it wrong, I have to do it again. So, do your homework wrong and leave those where Kumiko can find them, and do your real homework right and hide those," Daniel explained.
Akemi cast him a smile. "Yeah! And she'll have to stay after school to do it all over again."
Daniel nodded. They leaned together and giggled.
"You're really smart," Akemi said.
Daniel shrugged. "I just thought of it first," he said. Looking at her cup, he asked, "Can I see what it tastes like?"
"If you want. There is blood in it," Akemi cautioned.
Hesitantly, Daniel scooped a little on the very end of his spoon. He tasted it and winced. "It tastes like time I fell and split my lip."
"Well, yeah, it's blood," Akemi said with a giggle.
"I don't think I could be a vampire," Daniel said with a frown.
"I think you're perfect as you are," Akemi said with a touch of affection.
"So are you," Daniel replied as he gazed into her eyes.
"Daniel," Akemi said softly as she gazed at him.
"Akemi ... can I kiss you, for real this time, on the lips?"
Akemi blushed and leaned closer. She then stopped and said, "Oh wait, that's not a good idea."
"What?" Daniel asked. "Why not?"
"That's how Papa became a vampire, he kissed Mama Moka on the lips," Akemi said.
"From a kiss on the lips?" Daniel asked in disbelief.
Akemi nodded. Quickly she said, "I'd like to, really, but I think you and especially your mother and Miss Winter would be mad at me if you turned into a vampire."
Daniel paused, considering the consequences. "Well, if it was for you, I wouldn't care. You are right though, my parents would freak," he admitted.
"I'm sorry," Akemi offered.
Daniel nodded. "On the neck again?" he asked.
"Oh, please," Akemi said softly.
Daniel leaned close. Akemi tipped her head to the side for him and he gave her a slow, gentle kiss on her neck.
"Oh!" Akemi cried softly, and crushed her ice cream cup. The red mix shot into the air and came down on them.
After their gasps of surprise from being rained on by cold bits of red coming down on them, Daniel chuckled and said, "Wow, you really like that, huh?"
Akemi nodded. "Do you?" she asked with a blush.
"Heck yeah, I got to kiss you," Daniel said, grinning at her. "Necks are a real big thing with you, aren't they?"
Akemi nodded sheepishly. Quietly, she said,"It's a very ... personal thing to let someone touch your neck, especially with their lips."
"OK, yeah, I can see that," Daniel said, thinking about how vampires fed. "So, I'm the only one who's ever kissed your neck?"
Blushing, Akemi nodded. Meekly, she said, "And you're the only one I ever fed from, besides when I was real little."
"So, my neck is only for you, and your neck is only for me?" Daniel asked.
"Yes," Akemi said, her eyes quivering.
"Hey, what's up you two?" a female voice asked from behind them, ruining the moment.
They turned to see Kurumu standing behind them, looking amused.
"Daniel is my boyfriend, Mama Kurumu." Akemi announced happily.
Daniel nodded. "Akemi is my girlfriend," he agreed eagerly.
"Ya-hooo!" Kurumu cried, then got down and hugged them both. "Ohh, young love is soooo precious!" she said, fawning over them.
His eyes bulging out from the tight hug, Daniel flailed, trying to catch a breath.
"Mama, you're choking him!" Akemi cried.
"Oh! So sorry, Daniel-san," Kurumu said, then pulled him close in a breast smother. "It's just that you are so cute!"
"Mama Kurumu!" Akemi complained.
Kurumu released him. Smiling at the pair, she said, "Come on, dinner is almost ready. We're eating in the formal dinning room downstairs. I'll give you a minute." She then winked at them and went inside.
Gazing at Daniel with a worried look, Akemi asked, "Are you OK?"
Daniel nodded, both happy and a bit shocked that he'd had his face planted in breasts twice today. Before today, he hadn't even touched a boob, or seen a mostly naked girl. He really liked Akemi's house.
.
The long dinning table was filled for the birthday dinner. Akemi had a wonderful time sitting beside Daniel on one side and her Mama Moka on the other. On Daniel's other side was Miss Winters. After the light dinner, two birthday cakes came out sporting sparklers instead of candles. A large chorus of 'Happy birthday' was sung for Akemi and Kumiko.
"Make a wish girls!" Yukari cried.
Akemi closed her eyes and made her wish.
"What did you wish for?" Daniel asked quietly.
Akemi smiled at him and said, "If I told you, it won't come true." As she said it, she held his hand and gave it a slight squeeze. Daniel has a good idea what her wish was. He hoped it came true, he was going to wish for the same thing when his birthday came around.
Too soon, the party was over, and the rest of the Collins said their goodbyes. Akemi hung tight by Daniel's side until they were right at the door. Hands clasped, they gazed at each other.
"I really enjoined seeing you," Daniel offered.
"Me too. It really made my whole day to have you here," Akemi said as she gazed into his eyes.
"Akemi," Daniel said, amazed that he did mean so much to her.
"Daniel," Akemi said softly as she gazed at her boyfriend.
"Akemi," Daniel said, closing the small distance between them.
La la la la la ... la la la ... la la la la la...
"Daniel," Akemi whispered as her eyes quivered in joy.
"Akemi," Daniel said as he cupped the back of her head.
They came together in a hug. Akemi sank he fangs into his neck as Daniel petted her hair and kissed her neck.
"Oh my," Moka said, watching them. Leaning into Tsukune, Moka gazed at him and asked, "Look familiar?"
"Daniel, we should be going," Mis Winters said pointedly.
Akemi licked Daniel's neck clean, not wanting to let go. They parted slowly. Seeing a tear in Akemi's eye, Daniel wiped it away.
"Bye, Akemi," Daniel said, slowly backing up.
"Bye, Daniel," Akemi said with a sniffle.
Backing out the door, Daniel suddenly asked, "Akemi, will you come to my birthday party?"
Akemi looked at her parents. "Can I?" she asked eagerly.
Tsukune, Moka and Yukari nodded. Kurumu clapped her hands together and said, "Oh yes!"
"Um," Mizore said with a nod.
"Great, see you then!" Daniel said. Waving and smiling at Akemi, he backed out the door and missed the step down. Jeremiah caught him as he fell. "The boy has it bad," Jeremiah said with a chuckle.
Akemi stood in the doorway and watched until their limo was out the gate. Letting out a sigh, she leaded against the door jab, smiling to herself. "Best Birthday ever," she said.