Here's the new chapter. (: I hope you guys enjoy! Thank you for reading! :D
Atsuko and Mika end up staying with Yuu's group for their last few days of freedom. Mika had used his cloak to cover them up when the group had stopped to sleep. The first time she had fallen asleep she had woken to something strange. There was warmth then cold on her hand. It felt like something was slowly seeping through her fingers. She was so groggy that she didn't recognize what it was at first. Her sleeve felt damp around her wrist. It wasn't until something had bumped her that she actually realized what it was. Yoichi had moved closer to her and Mika while he slept. He was partially laying her hand since she had stretched out completely.
And he was drooling on her. She had ripped her hand away and proceeded to feverishly wipe the liquid away from her skin. She truly thought of the human as a friend, but that didn't stop the disgust from rising in her stomach. He had woken up groggily, though he abruptly became awake when he realized that Mika was glaring at him.
Shinoa and Mitsuba laughed so hard at the stuttering response Yoichi had tried to give Mika, though the vampire still wasn't impressed. He clearly wasn't accepting the apology, but he didn't do anything about it, much to Atsuko and Yoichi's relief. In the end, she found that even Kimizuki started to sleep closer to everyone else. Yuu usually slept on the other side of Mika while Yoichi slept beside Atsuko. Mitsuba slept above their heads, and Shinoa usually slept beside Yuu. Kimizuki migrated around depending on who was on watch duty. The end of the week that Crowley had given them arrived much too fast for Atsuko's liking, and they had yet to talk to Yuu's group about joining them in their escape. She found herself walking between Yoichi and Mitsuba more often then not. Kimizuki was quiet towards her, but he would occasionally join in their conversations. She found him a lot kinder than he played off as being. She thought his tough guy act was adorable, like a little kid trying not to cry over a skinned knee.
"I have a question for you, Atsuko," Kimizuki suddenly said drawing her attention from the discussion she was having with Yoichi about the different things they had read about. She tilts her head a little and makes a soft noise to let him know it was ok to continue his question. His voice lowers and for a moment she thinks he sounds unsure of himself. "Do you hate humans?"
She feels the weight of all the other humans stare on herself. She stops walking causing Mika to almost walk into her. Everyone else stops as she stares at Kimizuki thoughtfully. Her eyes slowly drift to Yuu. Her eye brows furrow a little giving her a troubled expression. She finally lets out a sigh and closes her eyes. "I don't...hate humans. Not all of them at least, but I have come to discover that some humans are worse than vampires."
She focuses on Kimizuki, who had turned to look at her. He gives her a troubled look and says, "How are humans worse than vampires? You were being held as livestock in a vampire city. Didn't they treat you horribly? They killed your family!"
She feels her breath hitch in her throat. She slowly looks away from the human trying to figure out a way of saying her feelings on the matter without seeming like she was defending one party or the other. "I'm not saying that vampires are the better of the two. They are horrible, but I have come to find out that not all of them are cruel."
Her gaze moves to Mika, who's frosty blue gaze softens just a little when her eyes meet his. She feels his hand brush her hip and smiles at him. Her thoughts turn to Crowley, Horn, and Chess. She finds herself continuing as she once again looks at Kimizuki. "I was kept as livestock, and the food they gave us wasn't the best. But they didn't allow any of the kids to starve. There was no monsters like there is here. If anything, it was like a human city. It had crime and cruel people, but I did work with the vampires. They weren't exactly gentle, but most didn't see a point in harming the humans. It wasn't just vampires that killed my family. It was a mixture."
She glances at Yuu, who flinches under her gaze. Her heart feels like it's breaking as she thinks about his transformation. It still scared her, but she'd come to learn more about Yuu over the last few days. He was a kind, stubborn human who would do anything for those he cared about. He'd do anything to protect people in general. He was reckless and dove headfirst into things without actually thinking them through. He was a lot different than the cold being that tried to kill his friend. Kimizuki scoffs slightly and says, "You didn't answer how humans are crueler than vampires."
She lets out a slow breath and closes her eyes. She lifts a hand to gesture in Yuu's direction before she opens her eyes to give Kimizuki a stern look. "What they have done and are continuing to do to Yuu is unforgivable. I can see from your expression that you agree. How many others have suffered the same fate? And for what? Simple curiosity and greed. I may not remember much of the human's society before the fall, but I know that there were wars. Humans killed other humans. They even went so far as to enslave their own kind. How does that make them any different from vampires? Did you ever stop to think that the vampires you kill may have loved ones too? They may have families waiting for them to go back home. Vampires are far from innocent. They are cold, cruel, and evil. They use humans for their blood, and it doesn't always matter if the human dies. But, I have seen plenty of humans that are more than willing to go to vampires for protection. Humans are using the vampires as well."
Kimizuki clenches his fists and turns away. She decides to ask him a question, "Have you lost anyone you love to vampires?"
He stiffens and turns to give her a look full of anger. "I don't see how that's your business."
She bares her fangs at him without thinking about it. His hands fall to his weapons, and suddenly a red sword appears before her as Mika pulls on her trying to get her behind him so he can protect her. She doesn't budge though. "Your sister is sick, right? From the virus? It wasn't vampires who caused that. At least, that is what I have learned. It was humans dipping into taboo subjects that released it."
"Shut up. You only know what the vampires want you to know," Kimizuki says harshly.
"Guys," Yoichi says softly trying to reach out and touch Kimizuki's arm. "Let's not fight."
"You're right. I don't know, but I do know that I don't like what humans have done to Yuu. I don't like what vampires have done to me and Mika. It's a fact I can't change though," Atsuko says. Guilt starts to gnaw at her for her cold words to Kimizuki as she stares at his back. She finally gives into Mika's tugging and steps back. His body blocks her view of Kimizuki. She leans forward into Mika's back. He's tense as he faces Kimizuki. Atsuko swallows hard and says, "Kimizuki, I have a question for you. Can you not love someone simply because they are a vampire? Does it truly matter what they are, or is it their actions that matter most? I know that I was falling for Mika while I was still human. I know of three vampires that I love like family. They have been so kind to me, but they aren't kind to humans. It's so frustrating. They can't love humans simply because they are food."
She grips the back of Mika's cloak trying not to tremble and bury her face. "Yuu cares for Mika. Mika cares for Yuu. I care about you all too. Does that make it a sin? Simply because we are not the same? I don't want to think so."
The dust beneath her feet starts to become wet with her tears. She feels a hand on her back and jumps making Mika look back at her. Yuu had a hand on her upper back. His eyes are gentle as he stares at her. She tries to smile at him, but it doesn't work. She feels Mika move under her hand, and she feels his arm circle around her waist. She looks up at him curiously, but he just leans forward putting his forehead on her shoulder. He mutters just loud enough for her to hear. "You are too kind for your own good."
Yuu removes his hand as Yoichi appears. He smiles widely at Atsuko, and she can't help but smile back. He lunges forward wrapping his arms around her ignoring the growl from Mika, who was now a part of the awkward hug. "I care about you too, Atsuko!"
She can't stop her laugh as she returns Yoichi's hug. He finally releases her. Mika's arm was out awkwardly trying not to stab the kind boy. Silence descends upon the group. Mika had released her, but his body was still lightly touching hers. She finally looks up at Yuu. She says softly, "They are using you."
He flinches and opens his mouth to say something, but Atsuko cuts him off. "I don't want to leave you with the humans and neither does Mika, but I know you can't leave your friends. I wouldn't ever be able to tear you away from them either. I thought of a solution though!"
She steps toward Yuu and grabs his arm. He tenses and slides a foot back, but he leaves his arm in her grip. Then she turns to look at all the others and forces a smile on her face. "Why don't we all leave together?"
Silence greets her making the smile fade from her face. She releases Yuu as Kimizuki approaches her. His fist collides lightly with the top of her head making her flinch. Mika is leaning into her side hard with a threatening look on his face, but Kimizuki ignores him saying, "Are you stupid?"
"That's mean!" Yoichi reprimands.
Atsuko rubs the spot that Kimizuki had hit and glares up at him. "No, it makes sense."
"The vampires will hunt you down as deserters. The humans will do the same to us," Shinoa says softly.
Atsuko turns her attention to the girl and says, "Yeah, I figured they would. We'd have to travel a lot. We wouldn't have a permanent place to stay, but it wouldn't matter if we were with family, would it?"
Silence greets her again. Not even Yoichi would look her in the eyes. She feels all her excitement at the prospect of having them agree disappear. Did they not accept her and Mika as a part of their family because they were vampires? Mitsuba finally scoffs and says, "Do you even have a plan on how to escape?"
Atsuko flushes as she realizes she hadn't actually thought that far ahead. "Ah, well no."
"So, you expect six of us to just disappear? That's a fairly large group. We'd be spotted immediately," Shinoa says with a serious look on her face. It made Atsuko's heart beat a little faster. Was Shinoa considering the idea?
She stares at the ground thinking it over. "Your right. We wouldn't be able to just disappear. Crowley would likely come after us immediately, and I don't see us out running him."
"Who's Crowley?" Yuu asks. Atsuko takes a moment to think before she describes Crowley physically. The whole group tenses and apprehension becomes thick in the air. She stiffens out of reflex and looks at all of their faces. They must have met Crowley on the battlefield.
"Is he one of the vampires that you were talking about? One you said you cared about?" Kimizuki asks. She slowly nods, and the atmosphere grows even more tense. She swallows glancing at Mika, who didn't seem to notice the heaviness. He was just watching all the other humans carefully.
"Does he care about you?" Yoichi asks softly. Atsuko feels her body tense even more. She shifts a little and nods. Yoichi's face flickers with fear for a moment. "So, he isn't likely to let you run away, is he?"
She hadn't honestly thought about how Crowley, Chess, or Horn would feel. She knew that she'd miss them. It makes her mind drift to Lacus and Rene. She silently wondered if they'd assist in bringing her and Mika back. Krul wouldn't be pleased, but she already knew that the queen wouldn't favor the idea. She flinches as she realizes that Ferid would likely hunt them too. He hadn't shown up to demand an answer from her, since she had managed to escape his grasp for the last week. Her heart sinks as she realizes that they hadn't actually thought up a plan. She had gotten excited once she had convinced Mika to include Yuu's friends. She swallows thickly and says, "Well, I didn't mean we had to go right now. I was just..."
She flushes feeling embarrassed. What was she trying to say? Mika takes over talking. "She didn't mean you had to come with us now. A half-assed plan would just fail and get some of us killed. It was a thought that she wanted to present to you all. Something to think about. I want to take Yuu away, and I would have already forced him away, but Atsuko wants the rest of you to go with us."
He places his hand on her back, and she instantly feels comfort forming in the pit of her stomach. He was trying to explain it to them, and he was doing a better job than she could. None of the humans say anything. Mika finally lets out a soft breath and presses on Atsuko's back drawing her eyes to his face. He says softly, "We need to go. They are likely going to meet up with some humans soon. We don't need Crowley coming to look for us. He'll just kill them all. We also have some things to finish before we attempt to leave."
He turns and leaves without saying good-bye. She turns and smiles at the others. She gives a short half-hearted wave as a good-bye and turns to follow after Mika. He had stopped and was looking back at her. She only gets a few steps away from the group before a hand stops her. She turns and looks into Yuu's green eyes feeling a little startled that he had reached out to her. He tenses and looks up at Mika then back at her.
"I want... to apologize for..." he stops. She wasn't sure what he was apologizing for. There was a few things that she could think of that he was probably meaning. She just smiles reassuringly at him.
"It's ok."
"No, I want to say this," he says stubbornly tightening his grip on her arm. His voice drops, "I didn't mean to hurt your family. I didn't want to scare you. I didn't mean to walk in on you and Mika..."
His voice trails as his face lights up with a deep blush. Her own face flushes as well. She swallows and reaches out putting a hand on his shoulder. He gives her a startled look. She says softly, "I forgive you, Yuu. It wasn't your intention to hurt Sora. Ferid had tricked you. I should have forced him from the battlefield sooner. I should have done so much different. If I did, they'd likely be alive. You didn't choice to scare me when you transformed. As for me and Mika..."
She looks away unable to finish her sentence. He pulls his hand away abruptly and clears his throat. Her hand falls from his shoulder as well. She feels a smile coming on as she tries to change her embarrassment around to a joke as she looks back at Yuu. She playfully sticks her tongue out and says, "Maybe Shinoa is right. You should try catching up with Mika. He's only older than you by maybe five months."
He takes a step back looking shocked before his face morphs into a look of comical anger. She can't help but laugh. She turns to leave glancing over her shoulder. "I'm sure the two girls with you would be willing. It seems they both have a crush on you. I just can't see you liking boys, but, if you do, that's ok. Mika and I won't look at you any different."
"Shut up!" He yells at her as she laughs making it to Mika's side quickly to avoid his wrath. Mika chuckles softly and turns to leave. She follows him listening to Yuu yell even more. Shinoa must have been teasing him once more.
The walk back is silent after they leave the group. They were a lot closer than she thought they would be. It made it easier to make it back in time. Crowley was leaning against the door frame to the barracks. He smiles as they approach, but the smile fades. Unease settles into her stomach. He was stiff and didn't actually step forward to meet them. She knew that something must be wrong. She stops walking when Ferid steps around from behind Crowley. A quick emotion passes through Crowley's eyes, but he otherwise doesn't move. White fills her vision blocking her view of Ferid. She presses her hands up into her chest now that he can't see her through Mika. She cowers slightly. Her whole body was trembling. She could hear footsteps coming closer. She wanted to run, but she couldn't move. She hears them stop just on the other side of Mika. She hears Ferid coo Mika's name.
She hears Mika draw his sword. It only draws laughter from Ferid. Ferid asks, "Do you think you can protect her from me?"
"If you touch her, I'll kill you," Mika says coldly. It sends shivers down Atsuko's spine. She wants nothing more than to step into Mika, but she was worried about knocking him off balance or distracting him.
Ferid laughs in response to Mika's threat. He apparently didn't even see Mika as a threat. He just says playfully, "I just want to talk to her. That is all."
She hears someone approaching. They walk right past Mika to stand beside her. A large hand falls on her head drawing her attention upward. Crowley smiles then winks at her. He looks up at Mika and says, "Step aside, kid. I'll be here to make sure he doesn't harm her."
Mika gives Crowley a cold glare. Anger was shining deep in his blue eyes. "I'm not leaving her."
"No one asked you to leave her," Crowley says. There is a smile on his face, but Atsuko didn't find it reassuring. She thought she caught a threatening edge in his voice, but she wasn't sure. He was always so careful about covering up things he didn't want others to know. Mika stares at him for a moment before he finally steps to the side. Only he does enough that Atsuko can barely see Ferid around his body. Ferid just chuckles at the sight.
"You are so protective over this little one aren't you, Mika?" Ferid asks with a playful tone in his voice. He clearly wasn't expecting an answer since he turned his attention back to Atsuko. He leans forward like he was trying to get down to her level. It made every fine hair on her body stand on end. "She is adorable. Is that what attracted you to her? What about you, Crowley?"
Mika tenses as Ferid lifts his hand. Ferid seems to think better of touching Atsuko though since Mika's sword was still out. Crowley laughs at the question and answers with a happy tone. "Your right. Atsuko is just adorable. She's so tiny!"
His large hand falls on the top of her head once more. It makes Ferid frown a little for a moment before he smiles and says, "She's a heartbreaker, isn't she? Too bad she's taken. Do you think that we would ever stand a chance?"
"Nope. Her heart is already spoken for," Crowley says playfully and ruffles her hair. "Hurts, doesn't it? Knowing that you'll never stand a chance."
Ferid just hums softly and chuckles. Mika glances between the two of them as Atsuko stares numbly at the ground between her feet. She didn't want to listen to what they were saying she just let the conversation flow over her. This was the moment that she was dreading. Ferid had came to demand an answer from her.
Crowley removes his hand, and they all fall silent for a moment. Ferid finally lets out a soft sigh and says gently, "Atsuko, I was curious about what you had decided. Concerning our talk the other day?"
"She's not interested," Mika says immediately. Atsuko glances up at him. She could see the creepy smile on Ferid's face out of the corner of her eye. He was watching Mika instead of her. She could hear Crowley chuckling beside her.
"I don't remember asking you, dear Mika. I remember her being able to talk. Please let her do her talking," Ferid reprimands playfully before he focuses back on Atsuko. She reaches out to touch Mika's arm. He's tense beneath her hand, but he does step closer to her. She takes a deep breath and looks up at Ferid trying to look confident.
"I'm not interested."
Ferid's smile widens. It comes off looking threatening. He leans forward once more though Mika's shoulder presses into her shielding her slightly from the noble. Ferid says softly, "You still owe me. I shared information with you. Don't you want to know their fate?"
"Now, now, that sounded like a threat, Lord Ferid," Crowley says softly. He lets out a quiet chuckle and says, "I'm sorry, but I was told to watch over her. I wasn't given the release to stop yet either."
Ferid looks at Crowley thoughtfully then lifts a hand waving it lazily in front of his own face. "It's so hard to talk to someone who is hiding behind her guard dogs. I just want a conversation. Want to take a walk, Atsuko? Within Crowley's domain of course."
She doesn't hesitate. She shakes her head quickly and grips the back of Mika's cloak loosely so he could pull away if he needed to. Ferid grits his teeth looking irritated for a moment before he smooths out his features. He lets out a laugh and says, "Crowley, you are coddling a weakling. You're allowing your soldier to smother her. Do you even train her?"
Crowley chuckles and tilts his head thoughtfully. "It's not your back that she'll ever be watching on the battlefield. So, how I train her isn't really anyone's business. She does just fine. As far as I understand, the queen is the vampire directly over her. No one else's opinion matters. Besides, she's a worker not a fighter like you, me or even Mika. Her original job was dealing with humans. It still is dealing with humans."
His hand ruffles her hair once more before it just rests on the top of her head. Ferid pouts slightly as he says, "You all are hogging her attention. Try sharing a little."
Mika releases a soft growl, while Crowley just laughs. Crowley is the one who starts talking. "Feel free to tell Chess she has to share her doll. I did promise to let her dress Atsuko up once Atsuko returned."
Atsuko flinches at the thought. She'd honestly forgotten that would happen. It made her feel like sneaking back off. Chess hadn't seen her yet. She'd be able to avoid the female for a while. She hated the dress up sessions. It was always awkward and painful. Crowley's hand falls from her head. He says softly, "First, she has a mission, which you are making her late for Lord Ferid. Have you finished all your business with her today?"
Crowley sounded so respectful and cheery that it made Atsuko nervous. Still, she was happy that she wouldn't have to face Chess right away. Ferid lets out a sigh saying, "I've gotten my answer for now."
He leans down and winks at Atsuko. She flinches back away from Ferid's cruel, red eyes. He smiles excitedly at the look on her face. He says softly, "Have fun on your mission, my dear. I hope nothing bad happens."
He turns abruptly and walks away. It sends chills down her spine. He was up to something. He was going to punish her for denying him. Mika apparently was thinking the same thing, since he turned to Crowley with a cold look. Crowley was staring after Ferid thoughtfully. Mika says in a low threatening voice. "I'm going with her."
Crowley finally looks toward Mika and smiles. He reaches out ruffling Mika's hair playfully and says, "No, you are not. She's going with Rene and Lacus. Nothing is going to go wrong. They are simply going out to scout out a small area where there are rumors to have humans."
Mika bares his fangs at Crowley and says, "I am going with her, Crowley. He is planning something."
"Of course he is," Crowley says dismissively. "And you are going to stay here and keep an eye on him. He can't sneak of to hurt her if you are stalking him, can he? Atsuko told me about the papers that she read. I'm interested in those papers. I want you to snoop around to find them. He'll have to chose between giving out information or torturing Atsuko. It'll be interesting to see what he chooses."
Mika stiffens and just glares at Crowley. Atsuko leans in to Mika and mutters, "I think this might be a good idea. It'll give us a chance to find out more information."
His cold blue eyes focus on Atsuko, but she doesn't shrink away from the look. She just smiles up at him. "Don't worry. As long as he doesn't know the exact location, it will be hard for him to find me. Besides, it's a small group. If we do find humans, there will be reinforcements. He won't be able to do anything with so many around."
Mika just watches her without changing his expression. She finally leans up and kisses him. To her disappointment, he doesn't return it. Instead, he just stares at her coldly. She sighs softly and looks up at Crowley, who looked ready to laugh at the expression on Mika's face. Crowley notices her pleading look and starts to laugh. Mika's cold look becomes hostile as he glares at Crowley. Crowley finally says, "Don't look at me like that. How about you do as I ask? If you do it in a timely manner, I will tell you where she is, and you can go follow her around some more. Deal?"
Mika doesn't answer. Atsuko has to hold her breath to keep from chuckling at the look on Mika's face. He looked so irritated that it was adorable. Crowley just smiles and laughs at Mika. He says, "That is the best I can do for you. If you go with her, you'll frighten off all the humans with your sour expressions."
Atsuko barely manages to not laugh at the offended look on Mika's face. Crowley chuckles and reaches out to ruffle Mika's hair once more. Mika swats at the noble with his free hand. Crowley says, "They are aware that she may be targeted. They will respond accordingly. I won't promise that she will be safe from harm, but she will not be out of immediate danger. I told you before that you aren't the only one who cares for her. She'll be as safe as I can get her without one of us being there. I am sending more of the guard directly after them."
He looks down at Atsuko and lightly flicks her forehead. He gives her a playful chuckle when she flinches and rubs at it. He turns and walks away from the two of them without another word. She had a feeling that Crowley may be planning something as well, though the thought didn't scare her nearly as bad as Ferid planning something. It's silent for a few seconds before Mika's arm wraps around her waist and pulls her in. He hugs her tightly. He kisses the side of her head before pulling away and kissing the slight red mark from Crowley's fingers. His lips then descend on hers. He kisses her for a few seconds before he pulls back just enough to talk. "Let Lacus and Rene do the fighting. Be careful."
She smiles up at him. "You too. Do as Crowley asks please. If we can find out everything that Ferid knows, it might be easier to stay one step ahead of him."
Mika just stares at her before he closes his eyes and lets out a soft breath. "Fine."
He didn't sound happy, and it honestly made her feel guilty. She reaches up and runs her finger through his hair. It was one of her favorite things to do. His hand catches hers as it falls from his hair, and he presses her palm to his cheek and leans into her hand. He says softly, "I love you, Atsuko."
She can't stop the smile from spreading over her face. "I love you too, Mika."
It takes her a few minutes and a lot of willpower, but she finally manages to pull away from him. He gives her one more kiss before they are joined by the two vampires. Lacus gives her a playful smile and a wink, but he doesn't approach her since Mika was still standing there. It was clear to the two of them that Mika was already irritated. Rene doesn't wait long. He just walks past without a word. Atsuko gives Mika one more smile before hurrying after Rene. Lacus pauses to talk to Mika. Atsuko glances back curiously and sees a look of irritation spreading over both of their faces before Lacus follows after them.
The walk is silent and seems to take forever, since she had no idea where they were going. It felt like they were honestly going in circles since everything looked the same. Rene hadn't actually spoken to them, but he wasn't ever truly talkative with her. Lacus had a troubled look on his face, and he was staring at the ground directly in front of him. Atsuko lets her mind wander after a while.
She hears the crunch of a boot at her side and looks up to see that it was Lacus. He wasn't looking at her, but he looked like he was about to say something. She feels on edge instantly. He glances at her with his red eyes. For a moment, she swears that she can see a bit of hurt in his eyes, but he turns to look at Rene's back. She looks up at Rene to see that he was looking over his shoulder at them as well. The second their eyes meet, he looks back forward.
"I'm sorry for forcing you to kiss me. I wanted to let you know," he says softly. It startled her that he was actually apologizing. She didn't know what to say so she just stared at him. He was still focused on Rene's back. "Lord Crowley wasn't very happy when he found out."
He chuckles softly, though Atsuko doesn't see any amusement in what happened. He sighs softly and says, "It irritates me that you just see that kid."
She scoffs and picks up her pace. His hand wraps around her upper arm jerking on her. She spins back to face him with a glare. Rene stops a few feet away and looks back. Lacus snarls down at her. "You don't have anything to say? I just apologized to you."
"It was your fault to begin with," she says coldly. Lacus grips her arm tighter and leans closer to her. She leans away from him, but she keeps her eyes locked on his. The last thing she wanted was for him to bite her.
"What does it take to get your attention?" He snaps before he releases his grip on her. She feels herself falling backward landing on her butt hard. She flinches as pain races up her spine before she looks up to glare at him.
"You're both stupid. Quit stalling. We need to get going," Rene says coldly before he turns and starts to walk away. Atsuko quickly stands up dusting herself off as she follows Rene. The rest of the trip is silent as they manage to find a group of ten adult humans hiding in an abandoned store. They were incredibly skinny and looked ready to bolt at any second. She finds Rene shoving her hard. "Go do your job."
She rolls her eyes before she steps toward them. There is an eerie howl behind her as a horseman appears. Sounds of fear come from the humans, but she doesn't look back. She just continues to approach the humans. She can hear a slight scuffle behind her, and the eerie howl is cut off. She smiles kindly at the humans. She opens her mouth to talk to the adult woman when she lunges forward hugging Atsuko tightly. It startled Atsuko that she was hugged like that. She'd never had a human approach her before. She'd usually have to coax them into trusting her.
It just didn't feel natural. A man approaches from the side as the human woman clings to her tighter. Atsuko shifts and tries to pry the woman off saying gently, "It's ok now. You'll be safe."
She sees a flash out of the corner of her eye. She shoves the woman to the floor and twists to face the man. The jagged piece of metal in the man's hand still catches her, though it's not where he had intended. It sinks into her stomach making her let out a whimper of pain. She reaches down grabbing the man's wrist tightly not wanting him to twist it or anything. She could tell that it was just a normal piece of metal, so it was painful, but it wouldn't be fatal to her. His face shows pure panic as she grabs his wrist. He manages to get out, "You won't protect us! You plan to kill us too!"
Blood flies up between them startling Atsuko. He recoils letting out a cry of terror and pain as he grips the edge of his forearm. Blood was pouring down onto the floor in small, nasty spurts that she was sure was in time with his heart beat. Bile rises in her throat as she realizes that his arm had been severed. She immediately lets go of the wrist and wrenches the still warm hand away from her body. She drops it and backs away. The piece of metal was still stuck in her body, but she didn't care at the moment. She could hear screaming echoing off the walls as the other humans panic at the sight of blood. Her eyes widen when she sees that it's Lacus that had cut off the man's arm and hand. He steps up wrapping a hand around the man's throat. Her heart feels like it's stopping. She can't see Lacus' face since he was now standing between Atsuko and the human. He leans forward.
"Lacus, wait!" She calls out not wanting him to drain the man. She figures he can't hear her through the screaming since it was made even louder due to the echoing. She wants to reach out, but she finds herself immobilized as the man convulses. His eyes roll back in his head, and he goes limp. Lacus releases the now paler man, who lands in a sickening heap at the vampire's feet. He turns to glance over the others that were now cowering away from him behind various pieces of debris. His eyes fall on Atsuko, and he approaches her. She can't stop the glare on her face as she snarls, "You didn't have to do that."
He pauses for only a second before he just reaches out and grabs her forearm. He jerks her out in front of him. He doesn't release her till they are outside. He violently shoves her down. She hisses in pain as it shoves the piece of metal deeper into her body when she collides with a hip height piece of debris that may have been a concrete barrier at some point. He crouches down beside her. The second she rolls over to sit against what feels like it, his hands reach out. One presses on her ribs; the other runs down her side till it feel the very tip of the metal sticking out.
She flinches as he pulls his hands away and lets out a sigh. He still had blood on his face, which makes her disgust rise even higher. She turns to look away from him. She could still hear the screaming, but it had died down to sound like maybe one or two. It was hard to tell with it still echoing. She briefly wondered if Rene was harming them. He had a short fuse when it came to humans not cooperating. She shifts and looks back at Lacus who was looking at her intently. It made her feel nervous. She says the first thing she can think of, "You didn't have to kill him."
He scoffs as he reaches out and presses on her stomach. She flinches and lets out a whimper of pain. He says harshly, "And let him live so he can target one of us again? Humans like that don't deserve to live. They are more trouble than they are worth."
"He was scared." She argues shifting away from his hand. He reaches out catching her cloak so she can't move far.
"They are just livestock. You kill the unruly ones so you can keep the rest. You have to make an example sometimes. That man will always bite the hand that feeds him."
She tenses though it sends a jolt of pain through her body. She could feel it trying to heal, but the jagged metal was keeping it open. "They have feelings too."
"It doesn't matter if they have feelings, kitten. They are our food. It's better you don't get attached to them." His hand presses on her shoulder pushing her back. "Now, let me see the wound. The longer it's in there the more damage it is causing. I'll pull it out for you."
She considers refusing him, but a throb of pain decides it for her. She leans back closing her eyes. She hears him shift closer, and his knee brushes her thigh. The screams had silenced now. His fingers lightly trace along the metal before he catches an edge. He looks up at her face, but she doesn't look at him. She was staring at the sky trying to steady her breathing. Pain explodes through her entire stomach making her feel sick as he jerks the metal from her body. She leans over coughing and finally ends up emptying her stomach. He makes a noise of disgust before he wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her away from the mess.
She doesn't fight it. Her head was spinning, and she felt light headed. It was getting better by the second as her body started to repair the damage. She could see the piece of metal covered in her blood. It was about three inches long with random sharp edges. It was about five inches wide. It made her sick to look at it. She feels her body shift and finds her back against a hard support. Lacus sits down right beside her. His shoulder pressed against hers as he stares at the building silently.
She licks her lips and closes her eyes. The sick feeling and the pain had subsided.
"Do you hate me?"
The question takes her by surprise. She slowly opens her eyes and lifts her head a little to look at Lacus. He was staring at building still. She thinks it over. She wasn't sure what to say. He had tormented her for so long that she wasn't sure that she liked him in any way, but hate sounded so final. He leans on her harder and closes his eyes. She shifts a little wanting to push him off of her.
"I didn't intend to make you hate me." He sounded tired. She stares at him silently for a moment then represses a chuckle. It was like he was a child. His stomach must be full, and he planned on taking a nap. The situation struck her as funny. His head rests on her shoulder. "I didn't think. I smelled your blood and reacted. He'd hurt you, so I hurt him back. Isn't that what Mika would have done? Is it different cause you hate me?"
His voice was getting quieter the longer he talked. She feels guilt gnaw at her. She releases a sigh and says, "I don't hate you. You're just pushy and annoying. I don't understand you or your motives."
He doesn't move for the longest time, and she wonders if he'd fallen asleep on her. The thought of him drooling like Yoichi did makes her flinch, and she tries to shrug him off. He groans and just leans on her more. "I just want your attention. I want you to see me."
"Don't be an asshole then," she says once again trying to push him off. He raises his head to give her a tired look. He gives her a cruel smirk and leans back on her resting his head on her shoulder once more. She lets out a noise of frustration. "I'm not your pillow."
"You smell nice."
"That's creepy," she scoffs. He chuckles.
"You want to know my motives?" he asks suddenly. She could hear other vampires approaching. She shifts but he just puts more weight on her almost knocking her over. He sounded very awake now. She elbows him in the ribs earning a grunt from him. He wraps his arms around her. She immediately begins to wiggle trying to escape his hold. He just laughs in amusement. "I love you, kitten. You smell so amazing. I was just trying to protect you."
She stops thrashing and stares at him suspiciously. He lifts his head from her shoulder and grins at her. She resumes thrashing. "Liar!"
"I'm not lying! I have fallen for you." He buries his face in her neck making the hair on her neck stand on end. He weighed so much. She felt like she was suffocating. Her wound was almost healed so the pain wasn't as distracting now.
"I am in love with Mika. Get off me, Lacus!" She says loudly. Rene had ushered out some humans, but she couldn't tell how many since Lacus had shifted into her view.
"I'm still going to try for your heart."
She could hear laughter and groans. She was so glad the other vampires found her humiliation hilarious. She shoves on Lacus and manages to get him off. She scrambles to her feet, but he's on his a second later. He relatches on before she can duck out of his reach. She attempts to knee him, but he just jerks her to the side knocking her off balance. His foot sweeps out her legs, and he lifts her up in a bridal style type carry. She lets out a squeak which causes more laughter. She doubles her fist and slams it into his jaw. His hands was full with her, so, even though he saw it coming, he couldn't do much other than try to lean out of her way. His arms disappeared out from underneath her. She collides hard with the ground and rolled away from him. She climbs to her feet to glare at him. He rubs his sore jaw, but he didn't look upset about the punch.
"You loving him doesn't change anything, kitten," he says playfully.
"You have an incredibly weird way of showing how much you care," she says feeling a shiver run down her spine at the thought of the poor man. Lacus just laughs.
"I wouldn't have it any other way, because I have your attention now."
She rolls her eyes and turns her back on him. Rene appears at her side looking amused. She gives him a cold look, but he just ignores it. She was tempted to give him as many rude gestures and words that she could think of, but he just started walking. She immediately follows not wanting to look back at Lacus. She feels something brush her butt and picks up the pace.
"Don't touch me, freak."
Laughter was her only response. She should have just told him that she hated him. She really should have. In fact, it sounded like a good idea when she feels the second brush. She spins on him and says harshly. "You know what? I lied, because I felt bad for you. I do hate you. I hate your face. I hate your actions. I hate everything about you. You are a creep, who needs to keep his hands to himself. You will never compare to Mika. He's a thousand times better than you. You don't stand a chance, so fuck off."
He didn't look fazed at all. He just laughs and leans down inches from her face and says softly. "It doesn't change the fact that I have your attention now. I'm not about to let that go. Next to be captured is your heart."
She steps away from him giving him a look of disgust and spins around hurrying after Rene. She'd much rather be pressed against the much colder, crueler Rene than Lacus right now.
"Just you wait, kitten. You'll come to your senses. I'll protect you much better than he can."
"I don't want or need your protection. It's twisted and warped just like your mind," she says quietly. Sadly, he still hears her and just laughs as a response. He touches her back causing her to leap into Rene, who snarls at them both. Rene spins around startling both Atsuko and Lacus. He grabs a fist full of Atsuko's hair and the back of Lacus's hair. He slams their heads together hard. Her vision blurs for a moment as she sinks to her knees holding the sore spot. She could feel Lacus doing the same, since his shoulder had brushed hers on the way down. Her vision slowly clears, but her headache doesn't go away right away. She just glares up at Rene, who returns it with a hostile look.
"Shut up, both of you. Atsuko, accept his childish and stupid feelings of love for you even if he doesn't stand a chance. They aren't just going to disappear. Put your big girl panties on and deal with it."
"Hey!" Lacus protests glaring at the taller vampire.
"Shut up, Lacus. You need to stop being so pushy, but I know that's impossible for you. Now, don't be a bitch and whine later today when she doesn't accept your overbearing and annoying advances. I could careless. Besides, you know that she's in love with another man. You both are going to walk back home without another word between the two of you, or I will knock your heads together again."
He glares coldly at the both of them before spinning on his heel and continuing to march off. Atsuko scrambles to her feet despite the dizziness and follows him. She could hear Lacus scrambling behind her. Both give Rene a decent amount of distance, and they don't say a single word the whole way back. Lacus still gives her obscene gestures on occasion or will wink at her. She just rolls her eyes or glares at him. Their pace was quick, but it still felt like an eternity before they got back home.
Why did fate hate her so much?