Chapter 25

When Subaru appeared in Mary's bedroom, grumbling that it was too hot for being the first nights of May, his eyes widened at the sight of a dead body on the bed, laying on its abdomen, and released the T-shirt's edge that he was shaking until then to air out. He approached hesitantly, wondering if he had killed her with all the blood that he had taken the night before, and poked her back with his forefinger, calling her.

She didn't reply.

- O-Oi, ugly witch, didn't you have a regenerating power?! - he shouted, shaking her by the shoulders.

She didn't move.

Subaru's eye was twitching, his hands were shaking and he felt the strong urge to tear his hair off one by one from distress.

If I killed her that bastard will slaughter me alive!, he thought, referring to his father, as if he had come for this purpose to verify her health and not because prompted by guiltiness (of course he would deny it was motivated by remorse). He tried to call her again; he let out a sigh of relief hearing her mumble something unintelligible and sat on the edge of the bed, uttering with slightly rosy cheeks:

- N-Not that I was worried, eh!

- Go to hell - was the muffled retort coming from inside the blankets; the vampire fell silent, before jolting astonished: he had never heard such words coming from the witch's mouth; if he had told Reiji or Laito, they would have certainly laughed at him after staring at him in silence for half an hour.

The girl moved her hands to her shoulders' sides and raised her bust a little; she turned slowly towards him, apparently exhausted. Subaru's eyes widened, he swallowed almost choking on his saliva and suddenly felt more flushed.

Mary was sweaty, some locks stuck on her face reddened from the heat, her lips parted in a sullen grimace and eyes teary because of that weather's effect on her; her shirt came unbuttoned during her nap and...

Subaru immediately shifted his eyes to the door, trying to make it look more interesting to him, his skin scarlet as his eyes; the witch was still quite dazed to realize the situation, so she didn't care that much. Rubbing an eye, she sat down and asked with a drowsy voice:

- Subaru-kun? You all right?

The albino shrugged: that was the question he had to ask her; did she perhaps forget how he had treated her, the night before? He clenched his fists, trembling with anger, and growled that there was no problem. The girl tilted her head, looking at him puzzled and pursed her lips; in the meanwhile, she was recovering and realized her chest was exposed a little and quickly buttoned her shirt up, feeling her cheeks reddening with embarrassment and hoping that the vampire didn't seen anything (as if!).

- It's too hot here, where you live - she muttered, pulling out a handkerchief from her jeans' pocket and wiping the sweat from her forehead. The vampire, who still had his back to her, asked her how was the climate where she used to live, adding that in truth he had asked so by chance and not really because he cared. Mary ignored the last words and said with a nostalgic smile that it snowed for four or five months in a row, alternating with brief sunny or rainy days, while the rest of the year was balanced between weeks of nice weather or rain, always accompanied by a nice cool breeze.

Subaru murmured that it didn't seem too bad, while leaning his head back and looking at the ceiling: he noticed that there was a painting he had never seen before and shifted his gaze on the girl who got up and sat at her desk, picking up a pencil and a blank sheet.

- I agree, that weather is perfect for me. I hate heat, I can't concentrate and it makes me exhausted - she muttered, beginning to scribble something on the paper.

- Etto... did you... paint those up there? - he asked, curious, resting his hands behind him and spreading out his legs. Mary nodded, explaining that she had to bear a two-hour conversation with Reiji to get his sacred consent.

Subaru frowned, puzzled.

- I think it's strange indeed he accepted.

- I showed him some of my drawings, and after thinking it through he gave me his approval.

- It was the right thing to do - the albino whispered without being heard: a magnificent and harmonious blend of flowers was on a part of the ceiling, matching the room's colours; the figures of a black swan and a white one were in the middle, with a green butterfly resting among their beaks which were touching tenderly.

A butterfly?, he said to himself, recalling how Mr Ari had repeatedly called her when they were in his shop.

- Oi... why is it "Cho-hime"? - he waited for an answer as he continued to linger on the painting's minute details; he felt a nerve throbbing on his forehead after five minutes of waiting and, irritated, he bent his head toward the witch, exclaiming.

- Oi, answer! - he noticed that the girl was still with her hand raised in mid-air, her pencil between her fingers; suddenly she turned to him, but without looking at him: she seemed to be lost in other thoughts and kept her lips tight together. Finally she pointed her eyes in his and cracked a smile; she stood up and approached him.

- Huh? HUH?! What are you…! - the albino began to scream, blushing at her fingers' touch on his forehead, but stopped when Mary laid her index on his lips (causing an exciting shiver down his spine), asking him politely to be quiet and not to speak; she smiled, nervous and at the same time serene, if it was possible to express these opposite feelings simultaneously.

- Shh, Subaru-kun... close your eyes, please - she whispered, bowing her head and bringing together the silver of her irises with the ruby of the vampire's ones; the teenager saw her hair becoming snow-white and bright, before closing his eyelids, feeling suddenly lighter and relaxed. He felt a strange emotion: he felt like being in a quiet, silent, cool place, and sensed feather-like caresses on his skin. When the witch's fingers left him, he opened his eyes, remaining speechless.

On her hair, on her clothes, on her arms, on her hands, on the bed, on the floor, on the walls, on the room's furniture and around Mary, everything was illuminated by dozens, hundreds, possibly thousands of tiny light-coloured butterflies, most of them white and a very delicate, greenish-water green.

- What... – he murmured; the wonder was so intense that it had cast the words out of his mouth and the light was beaming in his eyes, almost moved by that image; Mary was smiling radiantly, as she lifted her arms on which rested those little affectionate insects, who also adorned her hair.

- "Cho-hime": Princess Butterfly – she simply said; the albino swallowed: he knew no words that could do justice to the scene which he was personally witnessing and the witch's white beauty was so pure that only a light pink appeared on his cheeks.

He grabbed the witch's arm, pulling it gently to him, and stared intently into her eyes, as if to ask her permission. Mary ironically arched an eyebrow, before blushing when Subaru kissed her hand like a knight, then sank his canines into her mid-forearm; a completely different treatment from what she had received the previous evening. She smiled softly: she knew that after all that boy had a good heart.

The butterflies, as if they were jealous, pulled away the vampire's face from the witch's limb and he was quite surprised and confused by that their actions, in particular by their abnormal force (as if they were normal themselves): something flashed through his mind and he looked at the girl once again.

- These butterflies... it is not telekinesis, they are responsible! – he exclaimed; Mary nodded and Subaru remained silent, keeping on staring at her dumbfounded; at last he asked:

- What are you, actually?

Mary smiled; sadly.

- I... - she felt silent; the vampire didn't insist and returned to pay his attention on those little creatures that were gradually taking a liking to him, kissing his face with their own wings.

I should not exist.

Subaru, after the butterflies became invisible and impalpable again, winced with embarrassment when the witch sat down beside him, and frowned when she asked him if he wanted to talk about their family, to illuminate her. Mary explained that she didn't feel like asking the triplets, considering their resentment against their mother; Reiji wouldn't have appreciated her curiosity and Shuu...

She certainly wouldn't have confessed to the albino about her fear of fainting in the presence of the fair-haired and ocean-eyed handsome vampire...

After a few seconds of hesitation, he muttered that Reiji was jealous of Shuu because, when they were young, it looked like their mother Beatrix had eyes only for the oldest and was rather negligent towards the second-born, which is why he had grown jealous of his brother and he had his mother killed by a vampire hunter (Mary's eyes widened, making a link between the Miriandola Bluetta and the spectacled vampire); he didn't want to talk about Cordelia that much, just saying she was their father's first wife and, wanting at all costs his attentions, she would continuously pressure the other two wives and force Ayato to study in order to be the best and beat Beatrix's children, who she was envious of; as regards to his own mother...

- If you don't feel like talking you don't have to tell me - Mary said, serious, noticing his frustrated expression; Subaru shook his head.

- My mother is locked up in a tower and suffers from mental instability... let's say that that asshole married her without her consent.

- Um... that is not called marriage, it would be...

The albino shot her a dirty look and she fell silent, shivering; he sighed, and the silence was dominant for about ten minutes.

Subaru muttered:

- What about you? We know little or nothing about you...

Mary was silent, thoughtful.

- I have a blind twin brother, a mother obsessed with good manners, but not to Reiji's level, and a father who's always sulking.

- A twin? Does he regenerate, too? - the girl nodded; the albino, realizing she was a little uncomfortable, asked if she had ever faced traumatic episodes because of her family (to move to happier topics, congratulations, you genius...); she gave him a sad look.

- If you mean problems such as those you have faced, no. Or at least not because of my family ... - she paused - perhaps it was more my fault, to be honest. I wanted to defend those close to me, but remorse showed up anyway.

The vampire stared at her a bit confused, a little understanding.

- What did you do, ugly witch? – he questioned, using a sarcastic tone to try and revive the atmosphere which had become too depressing for his taste.

- I killed my best friend's parents.

And…

Subaru was silent, eyes wide-open; before he could ask anything else or move, Mary added:

- I had to, otherwise they would have killed my friend Claire – she looked like she was talking that more to herself than to him; her eyes were absorbed in that event's reminiscence, and the albino thought that at least his family wasn't the only difficult one.

Slightly upset by the turn that conversation had taken, he got up, muttering a greeting, and walked to the door to leave (what about teleporting, huh, when you can?). He stopped and changed his mind: he got back and bent to grab the witch, who looked at him puzzled, making her stand in front of him, and squeezed her wrists; he grinned mischievously, while Mary turned pale and swallowed, smiling nervously.

- Don't think we're done... I won't let you go to sleep in peace - he whispered with a hoarse and provocative voice to her ear, then biting it.

Hi there~ I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please let me know what you think about it~
(Advice about Grammar or whatever is very welcomed, since English isn't my first language)