*sigh* *groan* It is so hard to write these days. *sigh* I had better post this before I change my mind. Will tweak later. As always, thanks for the reviews!
Yuuki, Ichiru and Seiren
by lightpathetic
ZERO SLAMMED the doors open and marched out of the house, exiting from the back into the well-tended maze of gardens in the yard. He'd seldom gone into this area before now since he and Kaname were ordinarily asleep during the day and had been consumed with the search - and other things - during the darker hours, during which Zero could see almost nothing of it save by the light of the moon and even then it was a dark stillness of white-strewn, glacial, haphazard architecture, hardly compelling unless one was enthusiastic about these things. But then, Zero had discovered the greenhouse. Not so long ago, in fact. Now that Kaname had gone to regions unknown Zero's day became more diurnal and his need for diversions more pressing, especially as – and he did pray fervently for forgiveness for thinking this way – he couldn't take very much of Sayori's crying and complaining. Yes, she wanted to go home. Yes, she was afraid, as were they all, but they had to wait for her to recover some more and... for Kaname to come back.
Zero reached the far end of the hedge rows and dormant trees and placed one hand to gently push at the glass door. Whatever his mood, coming to this place always engendered a type of reverence in him. You couldn't quite see from the outside but even the view through the crack in the door took your breath away, as Zero's had been when he'd first discovered the place. There were so many flowers. Many, many colours but predominantly red, some as large as his fist and the scents that wafted from the crack always made him close his eyes, the warmth and the sweetness cloying but soothing at the same time. He had guessed they were all "only" roses from the first, though all kinds and shapes and colours. But when he'd run across the caretaker you would have thought he'd insulted his mother by referring to them in those terms as he had started up in a rather patronizing fashion about one large dark red bloom – he'd given a name that was more than five syllables and hence irrevocably lost to Zero's memory - with many rows of petals and white tips that had had one other location in the entire world in the gardens of the former French Aristocracy. Zero merely listened, fascinated by the history of many of the plants and quite understanding of the gardener's passion. He had almost considered it a shooting offense for someone to call his pride and joy "only cows".
Zero sighed as he eventually sat on one of the benches in the greenhouse and removed his jacket. It was still day time and he surmised the caretaker – an odd mix of crotchety behaviour and youthful appearance, which he had in common with the cook to some extent and Zero guessed it was an indication of their age – was asleep in his quarters beneath this building. Zero knew that he was aware of his presence though as nothing much in the doings of the children escaped their notice. He knew, however, because he had once accidentally knocked over a potted purple miniature and by the time he had turned to replace it the caretaker had been already there examining the leaves.
But he didn't care. He leaned back against the bench and closed his eyes trying to collect his thoughts, analysing if he had been too unreasonable. He didn't think so. It was time they went home. It had been four weeks. Sayori was moving around enough to take meals with them, there was still no word of Kaname and... Christmas was approaching.
Zero rolled his head against the back of the bench in brief censure of himself. He couldn't believe he still thought his parents would try to make it home for Christmas but he did. Last Christmas he'd been almost sure. He'd felt it. He'd spent the week making sure everything was in order: the house spotless, decorations were up, enough wood was stocked in the indoor cupboard as was his responsibility around this time, as if the conditions had to be perfect for the miracle to occur. He stayed up the night before, waiting as if they were Santa Claus, thinking they would come in the night to surprise them and wanting to be there to greet them... then Ichiru had awoken him around eight. Squashing his disappointment they'd tended their stock as usual before they'd eaten a small breakfast. Zero had made quite a feast that day, still hopeful. He had even refused to start until they had arrived. It was only around four when he realised they hadn't arrived and Ichiru had taken up his gun as he went for the chicken and the side of beef, that Zero had admitted defeat. They weren't coming. This day would be like all the rest of the days since they left. He'd been too ashamed to stay with them for the meal, hating what he'd done to bully Yuuki into starving like that that day of all days. He took his horse and rode out to the south, only intending to go as far as the southernmost boundary but ending up riding along the road in the darkness more than halfway to town before it occurred to him that he still held out some hope and that they may have come from the other direction and he'd probably missed them...
He'd arrived home at three in the morning to find Ichiru waiting with the rifle and Yuuki peeping from her bedroom window… and no Mom or Dad. The house never seemed more quiet than then as he turned in without supper, especially as all his fears seemed to crowd in on him at once. They hadn't come! What did that mean? They'd never spent a Christmas apart. No matter where father got to he would come home in time for lunch at the latest, bearing gifts and smiling so widely you could almost flip back the top of his head. This was unusual. This stillness. This complete absence of laughter and their singing...
Zero pressed his fingers to his eyes as the emotions cut through him as fresh as yesterday: the disappointment – in them and himself – and the fear. The fear that came with the knowledge that they must be gone... That they were never coming back. But he was older now. He should know better. Should have learned from his mistakes and have accepted the truth. Given up these childish fantasies. He was hardly an innocent anymore, believing his parents capable of superhuman things simply because they meant everything to him. He was about to get married and he had known... love. Mature love. The kind that could destroy you, if you let it. The kind that made you think of that person all day long and wish to God that they would come back or you should drop into a hole so deep that you escape this pain and emptiness. The kind that made you ache for his scent and his touch and feel madness when it was denied. What unbearable irony to finally have what he'd always wanted... and it wasn't enough. Not anymore. Not by a long-shot.
Still, that notwithstanding, they had to go. They couldn't wait any longer. Kaname could be anywhere, like their parents. No amount of crying and wishing ever made people appear that you yearned for. You had to drag yourself back from the abyss and take each day as it comes. The dead had not the cares of the living and Zero had many cares, many responsibilities. His family, for one, his home... Surely, if they were alive there was one place they knew they would be: on their ranch, taking care of what was entirely their own.
"I can always tell when you are in here. The scent of flowers almost knocks us over in the house."
Zero opened his eyes and sat up ready to go on the defensive, ignoring the unsettled feeling he felt in the pit of his stomach knowing as he did what Ichiru meant by "us". None of the humans would notice something like that...
"We leave tomorrow and that's final! It'll take us three days to get there and I want to arrive..."
"Before Christmas Day. I know. You still think they might come..."
"No! I mean... it's not only about that! It's our time to be together and remember what we were like before everything went to hell. Who we are! Who and what we should care about. We are all we have! We forgot ourselves somewhere in this crazy world Kaname has dragged us into...!"
"I never forgot. We just added another member. You're a fool if you think we can just go back now and pretend nothing has changed. Look at me. Or have you forgotten?"
Of course Zero hadn't forgotten. How could he? Ichiru, who had been the one comforting presence in Zero's life simply because he had always been there, and had been so familiar for many obvious reasons, was now so different. Even his eyes had changed colour, taking on a pinkish hue that flared crimson with interest at odd times: certain scents, anger or frustration, the mention of blood... They hadn't counted on that in the slightest. They hadn't noticed this happening to Kaname but then his eyes were considerably darker and he had been a vampire all his life. He could probably control easily what Ichiru was now struggling with. But the upside was that, well, the brothers didn't have to worry about telling Yuuki any more...
IN YUUKI'S opinion, they had been returning too early from today's search, just one of the regular searches they had been making to find the vampire. Dr. Aidou held out little hope for success considering Kaname obviously didn't want to be found but acting on various tips his sources would give him they would go out, hoping they would get within earshot and at least let him know they needed him. Today they had set out early on a tip, but their hopes were understandably lowered from the bare minimum they'd had four weeks ago, and whereas they would have made a day of it searching the wooded area where the aura of a pureblood had been said to have been felt, they'd only stayed until early afternoon. Yuuki had been furious when Zero had turned to go. She was already annoyed at his lack of enthusiasm.
"You go back then! I'm going on ahead! You never wanted to come in the first place! You sent him away, didn't you! You're the reason he went away!"
"No! Yuuki! It's not like that!" Zero had tried, grabbing for the reins of her horse to talk to her and prevent her carrying out her threat. He flushed almost crimson as the reason did pop into his head. What would they think if they knew? What if they found out what Kaname and he had been... doing to each other? Zero became more and more convinced that a peculiar type of madness had taken him over while his family were away. Now he wanted to hide his sins. Now he wanted to go home and forget he'd ever... done that...
"Then why? Why did he go away?" Yuuki had shouted, trying to yank the leather straps away from her brother. Neither of her brothers would say anything about what had happened so all she had were her fears and her vivid imagination. She was sure Zero had said something horrible to him, even knowing how sensitive he was to their rejection. Maybe he'd told him they didn't need him anymore. But it wasn't true! And she had to tell him! Get him to come back. If only he'd "hear" her calling him, like he had before... "KANAME!"
Ichiru had stepped forward and yanked the reins from both their hands and pushed their horses away to either side of him. It had been a few weeks and it was becoming increasingly evident that he wasn't the same. He was feeling decidedly ropy: his body felt weak and his chest ached at odd times. The dark circles under his eyes had nothing to do with his lack of sleep. Yuuki kept checking him for a fever and Ichiru became obsessed with the throbbing vein on her neck. He could feel himself becoming a danger to them all and it drove him crazy. He needed Kaname too. He knew what had to be done in theory but the practice was a little off-putting. Ichiru was just as anxious to find him and Zero's attitude was bordering on obnoxious.
"Fine! You go home, Zero. We don't need you to stay. We'll continue to look on our own."
"Ichiru, you know as well as I do there's nothing out here...!"
"I know no such thing! But I do know you are a less than enthusiastic about us finding him. You're so hell bent on things returning to 'normal' you've forgotten that that's the last thing any of us are!"
"Ichiru! Ichiru, your eyes! What's wrong with your eyes?" Yuuki had shrieked.
Ichiru, who had been keeping his hat low, his scarf high and squinting at everything as if he had a bad migraine, had forgotten the need for caution in the midst of their quarrel. He looked toward Zero who merely seemed frozen on his horse as he too regarded Ichiru's fierce eyes but he soon forced himself to react, dismounting to go the distraught girl...
Yuuki too had been similarly affected. She gripped the reins of her horse with some desperation as her brother turned back towards her with infinite sadness in his eyes, hardly daring to move in case he scared her, somehow made it worse. They should have told her but Ichiru kept delaying the inevitable. He hadn't wanted to see her like this: afraid, uncertain. Devastated. He wanted to reassure her but he knew he would never sound convincing. He was never more scared himself.
"Yuuki. Yuuki... I'm sorry..."
Yuuki was curiously still, her mind miles away, weeks away, taking her to the time she'd seen eyes like those. Crimson hued with the same fierceness, the same... sadness. Kaname. His eyes...
SHE DIDN'T know what had awoken her. But she'd come wide awake and sat up in bed. It hadn't been long after they'd found out that Kaname was killing the bad people that came onto their land and though Yuuki had been disturbed by it, had had her fears, she'd tried to see it as protection, as what they would have done anyway in the circumstances; had tried to see it as necessary for Kaname. He needed to drink blood. He was a vampire. That was how... he did it.
Still Yuuki was curious and worried despite the assurances. Was he doing it right now? What was he really like? Was he sure they were all bad? Did anyone suffer?
Yuuki got out of bed and headed for the window, looking out into the night. It was very quiet. Nothing moved except the occasional twitch of a restless animal and the change of position of one of the dogs in their watchful repose. The same state of affairs as before she found out that Kaname was killing people. She sighed and turned away to go back to bed. Maybe she was letting her imagination get away a bit. What did she expect to see? To hear? A hundred screams in the night? Violent noisy battles? It was as he had said. Just bandits. Just the odd criminal. He wasn't condemning any families to be without their parents, he hadn't killed theirs. Still...
Before she'd known it this concern had drawn her as far as the front door and out into the open air, only delaying her progress enough to fetch and light a lamp. She ran towards the barn, thinking she'd check to see if he was there first. Yuuki was a headstrong little girl, quite sure that a stern lecture from her lips and a hard punch could persuade anyone to her way of thinking. She had her brothers to thank for that, anything to shut her up, really. So when she got it in her mind to go check on a murderous vampire and make sure he wasn't killing anyone he shouldn't, it didn't cross her mind that maybe she would be able to do very little to stop him. Or that she could be in some danger herself. It was only Kaname after all.
"Kaname?" Yuuki asked the stillness of the night as she neared the large structure. No response. Unusual but maybe he was a fair distance away. What she needed was a horse. Or maybe she needed to turn back and go to bed. She could always talk to him in the morning. Besides, where was she going to look? He could be anywhere and she didn't relish searching the entire ranch for him.
Still, what if... what if...?
Yuuki gasped as she was goosed by a cold, wet nose and spun around to be met by two pairs of eyes and vigorously wagging tails. Yuuki rubbed Betty's head adoringly and stooped to scratch Tag's stomach as he'd rolled over onto his back, giggling as Betty tried to stop this as she hated when attention was diverted from herself. Yuuki again wondered what she was worried about. After all, the dogs had sensed nothing. Maybe there was nothing. That's it. She was going back to bed...
It was then Tag suddenly rolled onto his stomach and growled before dashing off into the night, leaving a rabidly barking Betty in his wake. Yuuki rose and turned toward the direction the dog had disappeared into and eventually came to hear the sound of hooves. A horse was coming and here she was without her gun! Stupid!
Yuuki turned and ran for the barn, thinking that the most prudent course of action in the circumstances would be to hide. Then she could sneak back to the house and warn her brothers if possible. If Kaname hadn't shown up by now...
Yuuki was at the door and prepared to go in but something made her look back. Maybe it was the still barking dogs and the complete lack of gun shots. Maybe it was that it didn't slow down as it approached the homestead since one would think waking the entire house wouldn't be a smart thing to do if you were coming to steal in the dead of night. Maybe it was the horse itself. Yuuki's own experience informed her hunch that something wasn't quite right with the animal. It appeared to be bolting...
Yuuki's eyes became almost round as the horse passed close by her, her lungs filling abruptly with air. She had become quite sure the more she'd hesitated that something was amiss with the animal and had stayed with her lamp raised as the horse shot past to see the stirrup trapping the booted foot of a man, dragging the leg then the hips and another flailing leg... and nothing else. After it had passed Yuuki looked down disbelievingly to the dark tracks of the horse, the drops of similar colour on the ground and just knew that it was...
The screams came, bursting from her chest like a high pitched siren, not that she was aware of it. She only knew that she had to go to her brothers. That she wasn't safe. She ran as fast as she could, the adrenaline rush of terror giving her wings. That was half a man! Half a man! The blood was dripping down the horse...!
"Yuuki! Wait!"
Oh, no! That was Kaname! She had to get to the house! Warn them! They couldn't know! They couldn't know what he was like...! Yuuki came to a halt as a pale figure in a white shirt suddenly appeared in front of her. She raised the lantern as if to aim a throw. She would use it if it became necessary.
"Yuuki! Please...!"
"Stay away! Don't come any closer! Zero! Ichiru!" She yelled, slowly trying to circle Kaname to get to the house.
"They can't hear you, Yuuki. Just calm down..."
"What did you do to them?!" Yuuki screamed, terrified beyond measure. Did he kill them because she'd found out?
"Nothing! I merely deepened their sleep so we can talk about this..."
"I don't want to talk! I want my brothers!"
"Yuuki, I know you're afraid right now but please, let me explain. I'm sorry you had to see that. I was careless. That's all..."
"That's all! THAT'S ALL? How did you cut a man in two? How could you even do that! What's wrong with you?" Yuuki had become a tad hysterical, as you could imagine in the circumstances. But surprisingly Kaname did nothing. He could have put her to sleep, wiped her memory. Instead he stood there, an air of calm seemingly permeating the atmosphere around him despite the screaming child. It was well noted that she was screaming at him and not because of him. He welcomed the subtle change.
"Come. I'll show you."
"What?" Yuuki didn't expect this quiet offer or the vampire before her dropping to his knees and stretching out his hands palms up in front of him. She felt a little robbed of momentum as Kaname seemed prepared to give her a demonstration on bisecting a man as if it was a normal thing in his world...
"My claws are very sharp," Kaname continued, still in a low, matter of fact tone. "I use them when I attack. It's like carrying ten extremely effective knives."
"Your claws?"
"Yes. I have claws, Yuuki. Would you like to see them?"
Kaname was still kneeling perfectly still ahead of Yuuki, hands out, palms upward, his eyes... closed. Yuuki stayed in place for a while, eyeing her brothers' bedroom window longingly. She continued to edge around Kaname as if he wouldn't notice, hoping to make it to the stairs. He couldn't be serious! How could anyone be calm about what she'd just seen? It didn't matter what he said! Normal people didn't cut men in half! With claws!
"There was a group of men just now, Yuuki. They were coming to raid the ranch. They all had guns and they were coming here. I needed to act. I had to protect you. All of you. This is how I do it."
"A group of men?"
"Yes, Yuuki."
"Bandits?"
"Yes. I swear it."
Yuuki slowed down as she was about to pass him. As reason seemed to seep into her brain she began to observe a few things about the situation besides her own terrors. Like the fact that the vampire she was terrified of was kneeling almost in supplication before her. She could see his chest rise and fall rapidly and even that his hands shook just a little. She wondered about that. What did Kaname have to fear? Surely not her?
Yuuki almost tripped over the first step as she came to it but soon righted herself and ran up to the door. She turned the handle and entered, only just peeping behind her to see where he was...
"Kan...!"
Yuuki let go the handle of the door and ran back to where Kaname knelt, his face in his hands. She reached out to touch his shoulder and he stiffened.
"Kaname?"
It was then she had seen them. His eyes. They were crimson and fierce and would have frightened her to death... except for the tears.
"Kaname! Don't cry! I didn't mean to...!"
She remembered he'd stiffened again when she'd thrown her arms around him but then, he held her back, tentatively at first but then with his usual familiarity and confidence. He began to sob.
"I'm sorry, princess. I shouldn't have scared you like that. I should have been more careful. I could kick myself."
"I'm sorry too, Kaname," Yuuki replied, also beginning to cry. "For doubting you. I won't ever do that again. I promise. I know you. I know how good you are. I can't believe I hurt you like this."
They'd held each other for a good while in the cool night before Kaname pulled away and suggested that she go to bed. Yuuki was less than enthusiastic about being by herself in a dark room with such an image fresh in her mind. Kaname offered to tuck her in and to remain until she fell asleep. She accepted the offer gratefully. Taking his hand she led the way towards the steps and up the stairs.
"Kaname? May I still see them?" Yuuki asked later, once safely tucked in.
"What?"
"Your... claws?" Yuuki asked hesitantly. Her curiosity got the better of her and he had offered.
"Haven't you seen enough horrors for one night?"
Yuuki shook her head vigorously enough to send her hair flying about her head and Kaname sighed theatrically.
"Alright. Here. Look toward the lamp."
Which she did, to only see his normal, gracefully slender hands.
"Kanam..."
"Wait."
Then she saw it. Yuuki gasped, her eyes like saucers as she saw the thin pale talons begin to "grow" slowly from the tips of Kaname's fingers. They stopped at about two inches before continuing to as long as five. Then they retracted slowly... only to shoot out again all at once! Yuuki who had been staring in amazement, jaw dropped opened as she watched, transfixed, almost in the same manner Kaname watched her face, shrieked at this last and hid giggling under the blanket. It caused a tremulous smile to spread across a certain vampire's features as he dared to hope. She wasn't afraid of him. She knew about him and wasn't afraid.
"Do that again! Please?"
"Not now, princess. It's so late..."
"Can you do one at a time? Can you really cut with them?" Yuuki demanded, ignoring Kaname's feeble attempt to calm the excited girl.
"Yes, but you'll see that tomorrow if you go right to sleep..."
"Aw, Kaname..."
"Right now. Close your eyes. Sweet dreams, princess."
The next thing she knew it was daylight. She'd suspected Kaname had had something to do with it but wasn't mad. She trusted him. Would always trust him...
"KANAME. Your eyes are like Kaname's!"
Ichiru was well surprised when Yuuki dismounted and ran to him, enveloping his midriff and squeezing him tightly. Some of the sadness in his eyes spilled onto his cheek then more as Yuuki didn't let go. He held her back as the tears fell freely dipping to bury his nose in her hair. He had been so afraid. So afraid.
"You should have told me, Ichiru! You made me think everything was alright when..."
"I'm sorry, Button. I... didn't know how to tell you."
"Don't cry. It's going to be alright. We'll take care of you. Won't we, Zero? And we'll find Kaname and he'll help too. He knows about these things. Don't cry. Please..."
ZERO ROSE from the bench in the greenhouse to pace in frustration. What more proof did they need that Kaname was not to be found? Did they want to tear apart the entire town?
"Ichiru, you know this is useless as well as I do. Kaname can easily join us if he still wants to but you know that we'll never find him if he really wants to stay away. This is hopeless..."
"You don't understand! I need him, Zero! I can't... I can't just go home with the rest of you and pretend that I can manage this on my own! You have no idea what it's like. Every day... it gets harder for me to remember... which side I am on!"
"Ichiru," Zero ground out, going to his twin and taking him by the shoulders. "You don't have to torture yourself like this. I keep telling you; if you need to drink just go ahead. Take what you need!"
Ichiru's eyes flared with interest again, as they inevitably found Zero's pulse in his large neck. Ichiru trembled violently before wrenching himself away and going for the door. What was it? His protective streak? His pride? He just couldn't bring himself to see them in that way. Or for them to see him like... that. And what if... What if he forgot to remember what he should? No. He was resolved. This was something he would always protect them from.
"You all go on ahead. I'll wait here until he comes back..."
"Ichiru! Come back here! Don't be such a...!"
What happened next was unexpected to say the least: the door slamming open with scant regard for its fragility and for her to be standing there. Ichiru was the first to recover. He ran to her and reached out to hold her waist before deciding he should just scoop her up into his arms and take her back to bed.
"Seiren-ken! What are you doing out of bed?" Zero asked, going to help, but truly astounded. Did she walk all this way?
Seiren didn't answer, of course. Not only because the irritation at being called "Aunty Seiren" by these human children still hadn't completely faded but because she still couldn't speak. She was much better, though, than she had been four weeks ago. She had moved on from being patiently fed porridge to taking her meals herself, albeit in her own bedchamber. She usually never ventured far from her bed and then only to a nearby chair when the children moved her. She'd given quite a bit of "resistance" in the beginning, her frustrations making her wish for her own end and she saw little point in anything prolonging the inevitable. But the children and the good doctor were persistent and eventually little things began to happen. Like sitting up. One day she was able to do it herself. Then she was able to lift her left arm. It was soon followed by her right. It wasn't long before Seiren began to become most absorbed in regaining the use of her body, encouraged by the kind and enthusiastic cheers of the humans she had tried to despise in the beginning for not giving up on her. From Yuuki's face alone you'd think she won a marathon when she made her first step...
"Fuck!"
Ichiru released his bundle as he cringed, the shock of pureblood displeasure making him nuts. He gritted his teeth and swore audibly, his eyes peeping open at the "old bitch" he'd mentioned in his tirade.
"What the hell's the matter with you now?" he shouted, backing away from her.
"Look! She has something in her hand!"
Zero moved to take it but he found himself "shoved" away. The woman walked deliberately over to the worktable and placed the paper onto it. With some effort she spread it out.
"It's a map!" Zero exclaimed.
"Of what? Treasure?"
Seiren rolled her eyes at Ichiru's utterance and picked up a nearby tool: the pruning shears.
"Wait!"
"No!"
They needn't have worried. Her aim was accurate. She turned and opened her mouth.
"K... K..."
It was all she could manage and in the beginning it had frustrated the hell out of her. It was as if she had a really bad stutter with nothing else to follow. She was often brought to tears just by the thought alone. How could she have lost something so fundamental? Especially when she knew exactly what she wanted to say! It was all in her mind! She could feel it, almost taste it. In forty-eight different languages! But it just wouldn't form. For a long while she didn't even bother trying, only felt defeated. Then, over a stupid standoff over whether she should have dinner or not, they'd actually understood she wanted them to "go to hell" from her miserable utterances, and had nearly fell over laughing. Far from being insulted, it was as if a light went on in her mind. She still had a voice for those who were willing to listen. And these children listened.
"No shit..."
"She knows? What do you mean she knows where he is?" Ichiru bellowed, ready to stab her with the same damned shears. Did it escape her that they had been looking for her nephew for four weeks?
"It's probably a guess. At least she's helping."
Seiren turned and headed for the door. Zero rushed to help her back to her room but Seiren waved him away.
"K... Ka..."
"Alright! But we'll leave in the morning. It's almost dark and that's a day's ride."
Seiren nodded although her face showed her frustration. She continued toward the door then turned back to stare at Ichiru. She lifted her right arm in a silent but well known gesture and Zero moved forward to carry her back to bed with Ichiru folding his arms in refusal, still seething at her earlier action. She can crawl there for all he cared. But Seiren shook her head as Zero reached for her.
"She wants you."
"Well, tough. She had her chance."
"Come on. She was trying to show us something."
Ichiru frowned, his desire to be charitable still on hiatus. He was in pain and afraid of what he might do, of what he had become. The last thing he needed was to have some pureblood constantly point out that he was one of them and take advantage of the situation. He wasn't meant to be a vampire, damn it! He'd never wanted this!
"I need to check on Yuuki. If you'll excuse me."
Ichiru made to walk past them both, heading for the door. He'll show her. Despite their conventions they were not his masters. The hell with belonging to this messed up hierarchal structure.
"Ichiru!" Zero shouted, annoyed at what he saw as his brother's uncalled for petulance. He started forward to stop him but was "forestalled". Instead...
Ichiru looked up from the hand that had been raised to stop him at the door, its delicate weakness doing more to calm him that any show of force would have done. Grey eyes with more than a hint of reddish glow rose to the almost strident stare of large blue ones. This time there was no hint of coercion. Just the tiniest hint of a plea, as far as Seiren was prepared to go anyway. To a level "D" vampire. Ichiru sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Fine, you miserable, old biddy. But you pull a stunt like that again and I will drop you on your ass and leave you there. Understand?"
Seiren pursed her lips, counted to ten, and nodded once. It had been Ichiru who had first remembered her, had first brought a tray to her room, the other servants not daring to come unless summoned. She would remember that, despite everything... She lifted her right arm again and Ichiru scooped her up.
"Zero, go check on Yuuki and tell her about the lead. That should cheer her up. If she gets some rest now we can leave just after midnight. That way I don't have the sun in my eyes for most of the day and we can get there before sundown."
"...Okay," Zero agreed, turning back to get his jacket. It made sense and they had to face it: Ichiru was better suited for the night. "In fact, I think we should pack now and borrow the carriage. That way we can continue westward after we check it out. I don't want to stay on here any longer. It's time we went home."
Ichiru frowned, considering the suggestion then nodded, continuing out the door. Maybe Zero was right about going home. He could see them there and return with the carriage. But there was no way he would stay. He loved them too much to do that...
"THERE YOU GO. Don't worry; you'll warm up in no time."
Seiren wasn't worried about the cold, but Ichiru didn't know that. He'd washed her bare feet of the mud and dirt she had collected on her night-gown clad, barefooted trek to the green house, brushed her hair and put her to bed. She had been silent the entire time, as was her custom, only showing a type of detached boredom with his tender ministrations. But when he leaned over to pull the blanket around her she held out her arms and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him down until their noses almost touched.
"Seiren-ken! I had no idea you felt this way," Ichiru teased, grinning into her stern gaze. His mood had changed for the better almost as soon as he'd entered the main house and concentrated on taking care of her. Ichiru had never been the type to brood for long.
Seiren shook her head and then slowly turned it, her small pale neck drawn taut by the action, the blue vein popping up a little at her exertions. Ichiru didn't trust the conclusion he'd drawn from this occurrence.
"Come on, Auntie. Let me up. We'll continue this when you can raise your legs without assistance." Ichiru reached up to disentangle himself but Seiren's grip wouldn't loosen.
"V..."
"What?"
"V... B..."
Ichiru closed his eyes and brought his arms to the bed to brace himself on his elbows on either side of the tiny imperious female.
"I understand, Seiren-ken. But I'm fine. I can wait until Kaname..."
He was cut off by a low, angry, frustrated grunt however, and the pressure to his neck increased. Given Seiren's getting past the insult of having her blood refused by a "D" vampire, she would have been less than impressed with his mentioning the child she herself had taught to hunt back when he was practically just out of diapers. Ichiru wasn't doing too well at all.
"B...!"
"I don't know how! I could hurt you! I can't even figure out how to control my… fangs! Dammit! Just leave me alone...!"
Well this succeeded in loosening one arm but only so a finger could be pressed against his lips. Ichiru's breath stirred her hair as his agitation took hold of him but then he looked into her eyes and they were smiling. Probably laughing at him, Ichiru thought, as he tried to calm down. It was evident she wasn't about to let him go anywhere.
"Maybe... If you can show me how..."
Seiren again tightened her finger, signalling Ichiru to shut up. Then she relaxed her hold gradually, eventually only caressing him tenderly: his hair, his face, his lips. Ichiru again closed his eyes as a feeling of tranquillity swept through him. Maybe some of her abilities were returning, he thought as he pressed an affectionate kiss to the soft hand that caressed his face. He felt good. Relaxed...
Seiren had been trying desperately to "suggest" to him that he should bite but at least she was able to entrance him a bit. It was a small victory but too small for the normally independent pureblood. Still there were other ways to deal with this boy she thought, as she continued to soothe him just before parting his lips, just before firmly massaging her small pale fingers along the tender edges of his gums, scraping her finger on the sharp edge of one tooth releasing a single drop of blood before the wound closed, but it was enough...
Ichiru sucked his breath through his teeth as he felt the response inside his body. His entire bloodstream seemed destined for his mouth as his flesh tingled sweetly, his teeth aching with a familiar need. His eyes shot open as his fangs descended, pressing against his lips, making him part them as if to unleash them on the world. He was unaware that his eyes glowed hungrily as he looked upon her or he would have hidden, Ichiru still thoroughly ashamed of the new natural responses of his body. But Seiren's eyes widened in triumph and excitement. And acceptance. That's it! This is good!
She pulled his head down to her neck, again stretching it but now pressing soft kisses to his face and neck. She wanted this. She wanted him to bite her. That was the message he received and he began to listen to it. Damn, he was so "hungry"...
Seiren bit down on the gasp of discomfort at the initial clumsy attempt. His fangs raked painfully along the surface of her soft skin before one pierced her neck by sheer luck. She rolled her eyes at the ceiling and wished to heaven she had full control of her body so she could slap him silly and make him do it right. However...
Ichiru groaned and began to draw on her neck, the one accidental opening providing what he desperately needed. The blood flowed into his mouth with the welcome of a drop of water to a thirst-stricken man and Ichiru, quite unconsciously, soon found himself closing his tense limbs to envelope her, one hand cupping her head to hold her still as he drank, his weight pressing her into the bed, protecting and holding his prize against the world. It was then Seiren responded to his need, forgiving him for practically mutilating her neck and relaxing, drawn into the familiar sounds and sensations of feeding. She caressed his hair absently as she drifted to sleep, only one resolution in her mind.
Next time... will be better.
"HE'S HERE."
Ichiru's simple, austere pronouncement broke the silence of the mystified group of travellers. Sure, they hadn't known what to expect but certainly not a ruin of an old Tudor-style mansion smack-dab in the middle of nowhere.
"Are you sure?" Sayori asked, when much to her surprise everyone decided to disembark from the carriage leaving her with the creepily silent "Auntie".
"Stay here with Seiren-ken, Sayori," Zero ordered; pulling a rifle from his bag in the front of the carriage just in case there was anything to shoot besides vampires. He carried his special gun in a holster on his hip as well. "We'll be right back."
Sayori didn't like this one bit, fingering the handgun she'd insisted on having when she'd first heard of this foolish enterprise. She couldn't believe that they were leaving one nest of vampires to go in search of another. But Zero had given her no choice.
"You can go back by yourself on the train if you prefer. We will meet you there."
Fat chance. She refused to travel alone, what with all the vampires that lurked everywhere and she refused to leave Zero for the same reason. She still couldn't understand how they were so calm around these creatures. Didn't they understand that they drank blood? And ate people...?
"Hurry back! It'll be dark soon!"
True, Zero thought, looking up into the festering sky as they marched forward toward the pile of rubble and beaten, vertical walls that allegedly housed the brunette vampire. Kaname... What would he say to him? He still felt as he did weeks ago. This simply wouldn't work. But he missed him. They all did. They all wanted him... to come home.
"There must be a trap door under here somewhere..." Doctor Aidou surmised at length after they had thoroughly inspected the area.
"Does she expect us to dig our way through this?" Zero griped, pulling at a large brick and tossing it to one side. There were hundreds more like it.
"KANAME!" Yuuki yelled, hoping the brunette would hear them and come out. Nothing. Ichiru massaged his ringing ears.
"This will take us all night..." Doctor Aidou gave up and swore as a small avalanche of loosened stones fell onto his foot. "There has to be another entrance. Kaname can easily move this but we'll never be able to..."
"No. Not never," Ichiru replied stepping forward and dropping his own rifle. He put one hand to a large piece of rubble and it came away easily, only to be tossed a fair distance away. He began to dig in earnest, the rubble beginning to clear quickly and soon the stunned bystanders decided to lend a hand where they could, even Yuuki. Was it that hard to remember? That Ichiru was not the same? Maybe it was the fact that he seemed so much more like his old self today. No mood swings, no flares of temper and, no dark circles under his eyes. He'd looked much better ever since last night and they all knew what that meant, probably excluding Sayori. But they all said nothing, asked nothing; each person afraid of the answer for their own reasons.
"I see it!" Yuuki yelled, dropping to her knees to scrape at the floor.
"Leave it, Yuuki," Ichiru ordered, suddenly there to pull the girl up off the cold ground. "Get up. We've got to move this..."
"Geez, can't he hear the noise we're making?" Zero asked, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.
"Yes," Doc replied, not slowing down. This was extremely odd. He must know the children were up here killing themselves to get to him. Aidou felt the unease he felt earlier begin to intensify. What was he planning? What were they going to find? The answers to either of those questions could be very unpleasant considering who they were dealing with.
"Zero," Doctor Aidou called just as the final pebbles were cleared away. It had only taken them just under an hour but the sun was beginning to set. He didn't like this one bit. "Zero, send Yuuki back to the carriage."
"No! Zero, I want to go...!"
"No. Doc's right," Zero confirmed, tearing his eyes away from the meaningful look he saw in Aidou's eyes. One vivid picture of a suspended arm came to his mind. Hell, he definitely wasn't sure he wanted to go down there. "Go back to the carriage and stand guard. You know Sayori's near useless with a pistol."
"But Zero...!"
"Go on. We'll be back soon."
Yuuki looked from Zero to Aidou to Ichiru who also seemed to think it was a good idea and yelled in singular frustration. She picked up her holster from the ground that she'd removed to help dig and left, trudging along the hard, icy earth with some vengeance. The boys hoped they found Kaname or there would be no living with her.
"Okay, who's first?" Aidou asked pulling at the trap-door. It came open with a frosty snap and stood open almost expectantly, waiting for volunteers, the first in a series of marble steps seemed like a large disturbing smile, a dodgy invitation.
"I'll go first," Ichiru replied, taking up his rifle. "Doc, get the lamp and follow me. Zero can bring up the rear. Let's go."
to be continued
lightpathetic wrote this but these are not my characters. They belong to Vampire Knight.
02082015