AUTHOR NOTES:

Wow! It's been so long since I've posted! Between the second job and college classes, time just flew!

Sorry about that wait.

Many thanks to Agent Banana, Sarah Flamehaze (awesome last name), ramm26438, sarjess, Elizabeth Charlotte, Just a Girl, Nat, Firalsia, 324b21, undeathfate, Novert A-Rex, and anyone I might have missed for your reviews!

An especially big thanks to Just a Girl as I've noticed you've given substantial comments several times before. :D

Hope these people are still sticking with this fandom.

(I know I'm still am - waiting for another Crimson Kiss chapter!)

Anyhow, here's a chapter! Hoping I'll get some mass inspiration for future chapters!

Chapter 12

Reveal

Shizuru suspected this might happen.

Her Natsuki had quite the wary nature after all.

However, this new development wouldn't pose a problem for Shizuru's purposes. It would only move her methods along faster. Nothing she hadn't planned for.

The older woman peered into the darkness of the basement. It appeared that her lovely guest had fallen down the stairs and proceeded to drag herself over to the fridge that held the... special ingredient - that Shizuru prepared with their food.

"Natsuki."

The girl so named started at the soft spoken word. She looked up to Shizuru with large eyes - one red iris, surrounding white turned black, indicating a strong hunger and one green iris showing even more dread.

That won't do. Shizuru narrowed her eyes as she surveyed the rest of her patient.

Even in the dark, the tawny-haired woman had no problem discerning the bruised and tousled state the girl on the floor. Particularly displeasing was the bit of blood on her lip - she must have split it during her fall. Though small, any injury on that pretty face was unforgivable - and dangerous.

The smell of blood... Natsuki's blood...

It was a sweet and profound fragrance despite the strong odor of human flesh leaking from the open fridge. It certainly picked at her own hunger more than anything she had dined on of late.

Shizuru ignored the feeling and let her face give way to worry. "Are you quite alright?" She made to start down the stairs but halted at her guest's voice.

"Stop!" The poor girl sounded unstable. "What-what are..." Her words shook with an undercurrent of fear that cut off as she tore her eyes away to search the room. Most likely to either find an exit - or a weapon. Clearly the bluenette had come to some conclusion after discovering the basement's contents.

Shizuru could imagine what the other wanted to ask.

What are you?

What indeed? Thought Shizuru as she observed the frantic movements of the mismatched eyes for a few moments, before slowing descending the steps. Natsuki took notice of her when she reached the bottom and opened her mouth to try to say something - but sound escaped her.

Shizuru took the opportunity to reply. "I do believe," she made her way to stand in front of the smaller figure still on the ground, "Natsuki is asking the wrong question." She spoke quietly and reached forward to stroke the pale cheek underneath that red and black colored eye. Said eye widened at the touch.

That color...

It gave the older woman a silent thrill through her heart to come back and find this development. To see that there was progress - and to know that her efforts were coming to fruition.

Natsuki let out a small gasp as Shizuru inspected a bruise on her chin with her other hand. The tawny haired woman could feel the other's gaze as she checked her over.

The amount of attention directed at her excited her even more.

After so long of watching this girl, Shizuru admittedly was beginning to think that any acknowledgement Natsuki gave her was beyond delightful. Even distrust and fear, though not wanted, were welcome if it meant Shizuru was occupying the younger's mind. Shizuru had full confidence she could overcome the space between them eventually - but until then, she would treasure whatever moments she could take.

"In any case, Natsuki isn't doing any favors for herself on the floor." Shizuru moved slowly and spoke even more softly, as if trying hard not to scare off some skittish animal. She set the nearby toppled wheelchair up-right and picked up her reluctant companion, meeting only mild resistance, to gently place in the chair.

The strain and adrenaline the younger woman had experienced from her earlier fall and findings was now wearing off. Doubtless, the urge to eat and the amount of drugs in her system also played a part in her rapidly exhausting body. Shizuru smirked at her thoughts as she fixed the bluenette's disheveled hair and clothes. It wasn't like the girl could resist her anyway even without those factors. Not yet anyway.

Shizuru made the short trip to the fridge and retrieved a plastic container. To a normal human, it might seem to be some type of minced meat.

A ghoul knew it to be otherwise.

Likewise, Natsuki was drawn to it. That red eye watching as the proclaimed nurse opened a drawer to get a utensil and then approached the chair bound patient to kneel at her side.

"This should help." Shizuru held out a spoonful of the raw meat to the one-eyed ghoul before her.

Natsuki leaned forward, drawn in by the treat, but seemed to catch herself. The poor girl wrapped both arms around her frame and skewed her eyes shut. She was visibly struggling with herself. Teeth grinding and body shaking, it was like she was trying to both restrain and protect herself from any harm.

For her own part, Shizuru stayed as still as she possibly could. It was getting harder to control her desires.

She felt another wave of hunger - due to the close proximity to the source of that most delicious scent.

Her eyes moved back to the bluenette's split lip.

She could imagine herself taking this girl. Claiming the beautiful body before her. Tasting the fair blood on those soft lips.

The thought of marking Natsuki made the older woman's body thrum. She could almost hear the girl's screams - first of pain, then of pleasure - as she made the younger quiver for a reason other than fear.

The temptation was almost too much, but she held herself back. She knew there was every danger of going too far. Of taking a bite of sweet, sweet Natsuki and not being able to stop.

"What are...," Natsuki had stopped shaking and seemed to have regained some self control, but seemed stuck on the cliche question: What are you?

"What are you going to do with me?" Natsuki coldly but calmly asked.

It was a pleasant surprise - one that required Shizuru to take a moment and reassess the other.

The words both awed Shizuru and gave her a spark of hope. She expected anger, surely, but not such quiet control. Even with the hunger surely eating the bluenette from within, Natsuki was able to find some inner strength to fight back. The woman's indomitable spirit would help with what was to come next.

Shizuru set the food aside and laced her fingers together. "I will continue what I've been doing all along: taking care of Natsuki."

That bruised but beautiful face met her eyes. They were full of turmoil and a fire that indicated Natsuki had made up her mind. She wanted answers.

"Don't toy with me, Shizuru." A tremor wracked the bluenette's body but she got it under control before she continued.

"I can guess what you are." Eyes flicked to the meat in the tupperware before returning.

"And I know that you aren't simply nursing me back to health. So what do you want from me and what have you done to me." Her voice seemed a bit strained at the end of that sentence but she held herself together.

Shizuru closed her eyes and breathed out before lifting her stare back to her patient.

What I want...