Just as I predicted, things between Dad and I were more than tense. A few weeks went by and I attempted to keep things business as usual. Dad and I were just barely communicating and to be honest, I think that was for the best for the time being. I was afraid if I tried to speak to him, I would likely say something snappy. Although, he would try to keep things somewhat normal with idle chit chat. Occasionally asking me about school, if I was feeling well and so on and so on. I didn't ignore him, but I would answer him with one worded responses. He tried to keep things normal to a degree, but I knew I wasn't making that easy for him. I did feel bad but I wasn't ready to really face him. Especially after finding that letter from Mom. I managed to return it to his room when I came home one night. I don't know if he was intentionally avoiding me or not but he was working longer hours at the moment. So I was starting to see him less and less. It hurt but what else could I do? Until we both came to terms with how we were both feeling and what else we could discuss with one another, it was gonna have to be this way.

School went on just fine. It was a pretty great distraction and Yui made it all the more better. I knew she began to notice my change in mood, and would ask me almost every night if I was alright. She thought Laito had something to do with my down and out mood, but I insisted that it wasn't him. At least not this time. Each and everytime she asked about my well being, I so badly wanted to spill everything that has been going on recently but I thought it would be better to keep things on a hush for now. I will tell her, just not now.

Even Laito had taken notice of my behavior. Not that that was a good thing but in his own way, attempted to change my mood a bit. Not a happy one but at least back to how I was with him before.

Other than that, he's been pretty much the same ever since we had that talk in the music room. He hasn't not once said anything about what I got off my chest to him. Deep down I wanted to hear what he truly thought about it. Of course I wasn't gonna get anything from him soon but I could only be so curious for so long. Him aside, I've been treating Yusuke somewhat differently ever since Laito and I spoke about Yusuke's possible intentions with me. I felt so awful but I told myself that I wasn't treating Yusuke in a way that Laito claimed. I was simply being his friend. Sure I've admitted to liking him but in what way is up for debate for the time being. Until then, I'm going to continue to treat him as such. We're going to talk and hang out together because that's what I wanted to do with him. If Yusuke ever came to me and confessed that he had feelings for me, I would just have to prepare myself for an answer. I don't know what I would say, but all I know is that I would just have to trust my gut and say whatever my heart felt.

It was lunchtime at school and I was spending it alone. Yui was with Ayato and Yusuke had to see a teacher during his lunch. I was looking forward to spending my lunch with him, especially since I made extra to share. He told me one of his teachers wanted to talk to him about taking advanced classes. I knew he was smart but to be offered to take more challenging classes, he must be really smart.

Since I was alone, I figured it be best to enjoy my food outside. I decided to go to the courtyard and relax there.

There was quite a lot of students outside, so it wasn't gonna be as quiet but a little liveliness wouldn't be so bad. I found a spot on a nearby bench and sat down with my food placed right next to me. I pulled out my phone and began texting Yusuke.

"Are you still with your teacher?"

I closed my phone with a snap and waited for a reply. I really didn't want to spend lunch alone, so I texted him to see if he may still be able to join me. My phone chimed and I flipped it open.

"Yeah. I'm being asked a lot of questions. Maybe I'll just say yes to everything so I can leave early."

I let out a small giggle as I read his reply.

"Oh okay. I was hoping maybe we'd still have time to have lunch together."

"Are you in the cafeteria?"

"The courtyard."

"If I can, I'll let you know."

"Okay."

I shut my phone and sighed. Instead of waiting for him, I opened my bento and began eating. As I ate, I couldn't help but just barely get the food down. My mind was a cluster of a mess and I wish I could just somehow make it all go away. My head and heart had a certain ache that only meant that I was under heavy conflict with the events in my life now. I needed to get it together, I can't keep at it like this. Especially at school. It'll start to get troublesome.

I let out a troubled sigh as I slowly chewed on a piece of sausage. As I sat eating, a pair a feet suddenly appeared in front of me. Bringing my eyes up, I was met with a not so nice glare.

"All alone for lunch?"

Mid chew, I looked at the girl and saw that it was Aiko Takahashi. I hadn't seen her since that night when she offered her number to Yusuke. I even had a class with her and the other girl that was after Laito. If I remember correctly, they both surely hated me simply because of how close I was to their love interests. They both gave me angry stares at the back of my head during a class, and continued to do so until class was over. Aiko was glaring at me right now but worse than that night in class. If looks could burn, I would be a pile of ash right about now. I wanted to ignore her but I had a feeling that if I attempted to disregard her presence, she would do everything in her power to make me pay attention to her.

So I instead chose to be polite and greet her. I smiled as friendly as I could and tilted my head.

"Hi. Your name's Aiko Takahashi right?"

Aiko placed her hands on her hips and a proud smug smile stretched on her face.

"That's right. Its good that you know who I am, that way I don't have to waste anytime explaining."

Either this girl forgot or she's missing some screws. Doesn't she remember that I was there when she offered her name and number to Yusuke? And considering that she screamed her name at Yusuke, there's no way I would be able to forget her name. I wanted to call her out for her forgetfulness but held my tongue.

"So, what can I help you with?"

Aiko cleared up her face and smiled as falsely sweet as she could.

"You seem like a nice girl and I'm sure a smart one as well, so I'm gonna ask you bluntly. What's your relationship with Yusuke Nanaba?"

Her question didn't surprise me. I knew she was gonna bring up Yusuke in some kind of way, but that didn't mean I was gonna thrilled about it. I couldn't hold in my sigh as I answered her honestly.

"Yusuke and I are simply friends."

She clearly wasn't buying it and let out a sound of disbelief.

"You say 'simply friends' yet you address him so casually by his first name?"

"Yusuke is a kind and friendly person that doesn't mind that kind of thing. You should know that seeing as that you've known him longer than me."

She looked as if she wanted to agree but also wanted to rub it in my face that she's known him longer.

"It is true that my Yusuke has such a kind heart, but that doesn't mean people like you should take advantage of his kind nature."

I looked at her like she was crazy.

"Take advantage?"

"That's right. Just because he doesn't mind such things, doesn't mean you should do it. People will think you're his girlfriend or something if you keep addressing him as such."

I was trying very hard not to lose my temper with her but she was making it difficult.

"I'm sure the only person that thinks that is you. Yusuke has been my friend since the day I met him, and just because you're not fond of the fact that he lets me talk to him with familiarity, doesn't mean that its wrong."

She rolled her eyes and pursed her lips in a smirk.

"Oh please, I've seen the way you've looked at him. And I hate to say it, but even I've noticed how he's looked at you. I can tell that you like him. Poor Yusuke, to stoop so low."

Her rudeness had no boundaries. I couldn't almost believe what I was hearing.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Yusuke deserves someone more his type and more fitting by his side. You don't fit such a place in his life."

Before I knew what I was doing, I stood up and stepped near her.

"I assure you that I don't see him that way but I will say this. Even though I haven't known him long, I know he wouldn't bother himself with some rude, easy, uppity harlot that can't take a hint when a nice guy like Yusuke isn't interested in her."

I can't believe what just came out of my mouth but she really had ticked me off. Who did she think she was to approach me like this in the first place and corner me about Yusuke. This girl was surely bat crazy.

I definitely struck a nerve because her face twisted in indescribable anger.

"H-how dare you say that to me, you little...?!"

She then raised her hand as if she was getting ready to hit me but then a familiar voice cut through the heated tension and she quickly put down her hand.

I looked behind her and saw that Yusuke was walking towards the both of us. I wasn't sure if he could hear or see our display but I was happy to see him regardless. He made his way over to us with a smile and greeted me first.

"Hiyori, sorry for keeping you waiting. I was going to text you letting you know that I could make it, but wanted to surprise you."

Yusuke looked between me and Aiko and frowned. Keeping his eyes on Aiko, he looked at her curiously.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Her mood changed quickly the moment Yusuke spoke to her.

"Oh hi Yusuke, I was just talking to your friend here."

He looked between the two of us with a look of concern.

"Talking?"

Aiko nodded with a painted smile.

"I saw her eating by herself and just had to come over and say hi. She looked quite lonely."

She gave me a not so friendly wink that caused me to boil a bit on the inside. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid but its not gonna be that simple when I've been nothing but a magnet for trouble as of late. It was tempting to tell Yusuke all of what she had said to me about him but I didn't think that would help the situation. For now, I'll keep it to myself.

I looked at Yusuke and gave him a half smile.

"Its true. She came to say hello."

Looking pleased to see me go along with her lie, Aiko ran her fingers through her hair and gave Yusuke an innocent smile.

"See? Oh, I have an idea. How about I join the two of you for lunch?"

The look on my face was a dead giveaway that I didn't want her to join us but I didn't want to make up my mind without asking if it was alright with Yusuke. Before I could say anything, Yusuke spoke up.

"I don't know about that uh...what's your name again?"

I could've sworn I saw Aiko's eyebrow twitch in irritation at the fact that Yusuke didn't remember her name yet again but she covered it up with a small giggle.

"Your forgetfulness is so adorable. Its Aiko remember~."

Yusuke held up his hand in an apologetic gesture.

"Right. Aiko, as nice as I'm sure your company may be, I promised lunch with Hiyori and I'm not a huge promise breaker."

Looking at me, Aiko narrowed her eyes then turned her head away from me in a dismissive manner.

"Fine then. I understand."

She then walked closer to Yusuke and managed to stuff something in Yusuke's jacket pocket.

"Hopefully you won't forget my name this time."

I folded my arms as I watched the two of them. She almost made me wanna tug her away from him. I hated seeing Yusuke be backed into a corner like this with this girl. She was a legitimate pest for him and he just wanted to be rid of her but not be rude at the same time.

Stepping away from her, Yusuke gave her a nod and a forced smile.

"Right..."

Aiko's eyes met mine and it felt like two daggers had collided between us. This girl really hated me and might I add, I wasn't too fond of this witch either. I had a feeling that she was now going to make things a bit bothersome here at school for me but I can just hope it doesn't get worse. I don't think I can handle high school drama right now.

She then walked away with a swish in her hip and a stomp in her step. Once she was out of sight, Yusuke turned towards me with a worried look.

"Hiyori did she say anything to you?"

I blew a piece of hair out of my face and sat back down.

"No. Well nothing that did a lot of damage."

Yusuke quickly sat next to me and folded his hands.

"I wanna ask what exactly did she say to you but I think I already know it wasn't anything nice."

I nodded while tapping my feet.

"Well let me just say that she likes you. A lot. And she was just letting me know that very aggressively."

Yusuke looked at me in a sympathetic way and shook his head. Great, now he was worried. I playfully nudged Yusuke with my shoulder and smiled as bright as I could.

"Don't look so bothered, I handled myself well enough and that should be enough for you not to worry too much about it."

Yusuke shook his head.

"I'm gonna worry about it. Hiyori, you shouldn't have to suffer just for being my friend. Its not fair for you and I don't like the way you've been treated by her. When I walked up, I could tell that things were very heated between you two."

So he did notice.

"Yusuke I just don't want to make a big deal about this. This'll all blow over before you know it."

Yusuke didn't look like he believed it.

"But Hiyori..."

"Yusuke I'm fine. I swear. Now, let's eat this delicious food before it gets colder."

He definitely didn't want to leave the conversation there but let it go for the time being. He was worried about me and rightfully so but I didn't want him to play super hero. I know that it isn't gonna be the last time I see Aiko but for now, I have to be grateful that she's gone. For now at least.

Yusuke reached in my bento and grabbed a piece of Takoyaki with his fingers. He ate the whole thing in one chomp.

"Mm! Hiyori this is really good."

I felt proud of his compliment and smiled.

"Thanks. I didn't know what food you liked exactly, so I just made what I knew would be good enough."

"Anything you make is good enough."

There he goes again. Saying stuff like that. Such small compliments shouldn't send me in a small frenzy but they do. I played it off as cool as I could by stuffing my face with a piece of omelette. That didn't stop my face from heating up though, so I turned away from him while changing the subject.

"So did you accept your teachers offer of taking advanced classes?"

"I told him that I'll think about it. All that responsibility will leave no room for my personal life."

I nodded.

"That makes sense. Besides, I knew you were smart but not that smart."

He chuckled.

"Yeah. I just do what I can and it just so happened to get me perfect grades."

"Perfect enough to get your teacher's attention."

Yusuke folded his arms.

"He even brought up me going over seas for college."

One curious look from me and Yusuke shook his head.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on leaving. Something like that has never even crossed my mind."

A look of relief was on my face and he started laughing.

"What's wrong? Gonna miss me?"

I gave him a small push with my fist and pouted.

"Oh please. I've got Yui."

He was right though, I would most definitely miss him. Yusuke and I became so close in a short time and I feel as if we were just getting even more close. The same with Yui. If the day comes where'd I have to be apart from Yui and Yusuke, it would be a depressing day. Its all thanks to them that I've been able to have a more open life. To think not too long ago I use to be that quiet girl that was practically invisible and never had a chance to 'be a girl' or have friends to do girl stuff with. I almost still can't believe how much I've changed. I'm still surprising myself and I can only wonder how much my personal life will continue to blossom.

We sat there for about another twenty minutes eating and chatting until the bell rang. Before we got up to leave, I pointed towards Yusuke's pocket.

"What are you gonna do with that little note?"

Knowing what I was talking about, he reached in his pocket and crumpled up the paper. He then gave me a sneaky smile.

"What note?"

With the both of us laughing contagiously, Yusuke and I walked back into the school and then went to our respective classes. The remainder of the night was pretty smooth but by the end of it all, I had quite a bit of homework to do. That was fine with me, it'll be a good thing to keep my head clouded with all of that instead of what's been going on recently. Never thought of Homework being a good way of clearing ones mind, but in my case, its a darn good idea.

Leaving my final class, I started walking towards my locker but as I was about to turn a corner, a body suddenly rammed into me and I fell to the floor with a thud. I winced at the pain that shot up my backside and went to rub the achy spot.

"Ouch..."

I then saw that I wasn't the only one on the floor. There was a boy sitting in the same position as I was and he looked more worried than in pain. He suddenly stood and dusted himself off, then reached out to give me a hand.

"I'm so sorry! Please allow me to help you up."

I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up. He then started to bow repeatedly to elaborate on how sorry he was.

"Please forgive me, I shouldn't have been running in the first place."

I shook my head.

"Its fine, really. I'm not hurt or anything. Are you okay?"

He nodded with a clumsy looking smile.

"Yeah, but..."

He started to look around frantically until his eyes landed on a bag. It looked to be a gift. Picking it up, the boy quickly opened it up to check on the contents of whatever was inside. Letting out a relieved sigh, he held the bag to his chest. The boy then brought his eyes to me and rubbed the back of his head very much embarrassed.

"Good, its not broken. Again, I'm very sorry. I was in a rush."

I shook my head dissolving the situation.

"Its fine, I'm not hurt and your stuff isn't broken. I saw how relieved you looked, it must be important to you."

The boy reached in the bag and pulled out a small box. It looked to be carved from the most rarest of wood and even had beautiful engravings on the top. He then proudly opened it and it played the most lovely tune of a familiar piece. A nocturne piece by FrédéricChopin I believe.

"Its a music box. Its my girlfriend's birthday and I told her to wait for me in front of the school. When we were out on a date, we walked past this store and this was in the window."

I was in awe at such a lovely gift.

"Its beautiful."

"Yeah, expensive too but she's worth the money."

I smiled at him.

"I'm sure she'll love it. You must be a good boyfriend."

He shyly looked away with a bright red face.

"R-really think so...? Ha...I'm not that great."

He looked at the watch on his wrist and then got ready to run off again but he made sure to turn around and stop.

"Sorry again for running into you! If I see you again, I'll make it up to you!"

With a final wave he was off.

I couldn't help but smile at how thrilled he was to give his girlfriend a birthday present. He must really love her. She should be lucky to have him. Many girls wish to have a doting sweet boyfriend and he's a good example to follow. I thought about what kind of boyfriend Yusuke would be and a wide smile surfaced on my face. Yusuke would most likely be the ideal boyfriend for a girl. Just thinking about it made me feel all bubbly and hope whoever he settles with is grateful to have such a guy in their life. He would probably bring her flowers everyday and never cheat, unlike Laito. Just the thought of Laito settling down with one person, made me shiver. It was so unlike him to be tied down. He was an unfaithful type 100 percent and would never do anything a girl would consider sweet. Yusuke was considerate, kind, smart and was capable of caring. Laito on the other hand was the complete opposite. Brash, perverted, unhinged and far from thinking of the consequences of his actions. Yusuke has more likeable qualities than Laito and it should be easy for me to decide who'd I rather have in my life, but it strangely wasn't. I didn't know much about either of them which is probably why this was almost unanswerable. If I knew more about them personally, then my mind would probably be set.

I shook my head of such things and went on to my locker to switch shoes and get my things. Never would've thought I'd be thinking this much about boys. I got more important things to worry about, like my homework. This distraction was needed asap, because my mind kept rolling back to the things I didn't wanna think about right now.

As I was reaching for my books, I felt someone tap me on my shoulder. Feeling a bit spooked, I jumped a tiny bit. I turned around and saw that it was Yusuke. I placed my hand on my chest and exhaled.

"Yusuke...you scared me..."

With a smile he apologized.

"Sorry, I just wanted to know if you wanted to walk home together."

Slipping my shoes on, I nodded.

"Yeah sure, just let me get my things."

Yusuke saw me grabbing almost all of my textbooks.

"You must have a lot of homework."

I then slipped my last book in my bag and snapped it closed.

"I do actually but I don't mind it. I'm not gonna have anything to do tomorrow, might as well spend the day doing work."

I closed my locker and Yusuke and I began walking outside. I was looking around to see if I could find Yui but I suppose she wasn't out yet. Their limo was parked in front of the school but none of the usual occupants were in sight. When we got to the entrance, I stopped and turned to Yusuke.

"Can we wait here a minute. I wanted to ask Yui something."

"Sure. We'll leave whenever you're ready."

I gave him a smile as thanks and waited near the car for Yui. I then figured that maybe Yui was gathering some of them up yet again. Last time, she was looking for Shu and Laito, so maybe she's doing that again? As soon as I thought that, I saw Reiji and Kanato walking out of the school. Reiji had his usual cold stern face and Kanato looked like a tired child that was just ready to go home. The closer they got, the more nervous I became. I don't think I'll ever get use to the whole family, especially someone like Reiji. He was surely one of the most difficult out of the six.

Yusuke noticed how uneasy I became and called out to me.

"Hm?"

"I said are you okay?"

I gave him a light nod.

"Just...thinking about something is all."

Before he could ask what, Reiji was in front of us with a not so friendly look on his face.

"Any reason why you're standing here?"

I couldn't help but stammer a bit before I got anything out but cleared it up as quickly as possible. I didn't want to annoy him further.

"Um yes, just waiting for Yui is all. Do you know what's keeping her?"

Reiji begrudgingly answered my question.

"She mentioned that she had something to do. Yet again keeping us here for a while longer."

I wondered what Yui was doing. As I was stuck in thought, I heard Yusuke speak and saw that he was talking to Reiji. He did a small nod of his head and smiled.

"Nice to meet you."

Reiji stared at him for a minute, then back at me. I held his gaze until he finally brought his attention back to Yusuke. With a small adjustment of his glasses, he greeted Yusuke with a curt nod and climbed into the Limo. Kanato was about to head inside but stopped and looked me up and down. He didn't say a word but I could tell he wanted to say something to me. I just wondered what?

My phone suddenly chimed from my pocket and I reached to pull it out. I flipped it open and saw that it was Yui.

"Don't bother waiting for me, I'm stuck in the classroom with Ayato. I'll tell you later."

I let out an understanding hum and texted her back.

"Hope everything is okay."

Yusuke looked at me curiously.

"Was that Yui?"

I snapped my phone shut and nodded.

"Yeah. She said I didn't need to wait for her. Just like Reiji said, something is keeping her."

I purposely left out her being with Ayato because I didn't know if Yusuke would've asked extra questions. I mean I'm curious too but she said she'd tell me, so I'll wait until then.

"Wanna head on home then?"

"Yeah let's go."

Yusuke and I then went on our way. As we were leaving school ground, I turned back around to see if anyone else was making their way to the limo, but instead saw the boy that ran into me earlier. He was standing outside the entrance with someone next to him. Their back was to me but I could tell it was a girl. I think that was his girlfriend he mentioned to me. I noticed a brief exchange between the two and saw the girl lean in and kiss him on the cheek. I couldn't help but verbally express how sweet it was.

"Aww..."

Yusuke noticed that I wasn't walking alongside him anymore and turned around to see me looking at the adorable couple. He walked back to where I stopped and looked on with me.

"You know them?"

I shook my head at his misunderstanding.

"Well I know the guy."

He frowned.

"Another friend you made?"

I tilted my head and shrugged.

"Sort of. He ran into me as I was heading to my locker. We both ended up on the floor and he apologized like a bunch of times. He said he was in a hurry to meet his girlfriend and give her a birthday gift. Yusuke you should've seen it. It was an adorable wooden music box that played a lovely tune."

I placed my hand on my cheek and sighed.

"Its actually sweet seeing stuff like that, even though I have no experience in it."

"Seems like a decent guy. I'm trying to see if I've had a class with him."

"You probably do and just haven't noticed him."

Yusuke and I looked on a few seconds longer and finally turned and walked away. As we were walking, Yusuke carried on talking about what he and his teacher was discussing. I was just barely listening and only managed to catch the last part of his sentence.

"My teacher even thinks I may be too good for Ryoutei. Even though its an elite school."

"Sounds like they really would like to see your brain put to amazing use. I see why your teacher suggested you go over seas."

He shook his head.

"Even if I was offered the means to go I wouldn't. My mom and I like it here."

I smiled at Yusuke's honesty. Truth be told, whatever he decided to do with his life, I would be supportive of it. I'm sure he deserves whatever is thrown his way. The more opportunities the better. It gives him more options and a bigger chance to make something of himself. I then got curious.

"Yusuke, what do you think you'll be doing in the future?"

My question threw him a little bit but he managed to have some kind of answer ready.

"That's a sudden question. I can't really say though. I mean I've considered possibly being a professor at a college or maybe something where I can really use my hands."

"Something where you can really use your hands? Any ideas?"

He looked up at the sky trying to think of something.

"Massage therapist?"

"Wow really? I thought you were gonna say like a chef or something."

He shrugged.

"That wouldn't be bad either but I suppose its natural to want a career that appeals to what you're good at."

"But Yusuke you're good at lots of things. Even singing."

Yusuke shyly looked away from me while shaking his head.

"I'm not that good at singing. Plus, I feel like a lot of stuff I've been doing is nothing but flukes."

"I wouldn't say that. You're probably just that kind of person that has an overwhelming amount of talents. So many, that you couldn't possibly pick just one that really sticks out to you. Cooking, planting, singing, academics and whatever else may be secretly up your sleeve."

I didn't even notice that may compliments began to make Yusuke blush.

"Oh I don't know about that..."

My face also felt a bit warm at the realization of how I must've sounded just now. I was talking as if I idolized him or something. I didn't say anything wrong. Yusuke needed to know that he had so much potential to be and do anything. I'm sure he knows that but would rather settle for something average and not something that would give him such a heavy burden of responsibility and less of having his own down time in his personal life.

I reached out and placed my hand on his arm.

"Yusuke I hope I wasn't sounding like I was pushing you. I was just wondering is all."

He shook his head.

"Not at all. Its just I haven't fully thought about what I want to do in the future."

He then began spacing out. I felt a bit bad for having something this sudden thrown at him. Yusuke probably truly haven't thought about it as much.

I smiled widely and gave him a playful pat on the back.

"Lets not worry about it for now. You're still young and have plenty of time to think about it. It'll come to you eventually."

Yusuke gave a small nod and smiled.

"Yeah."

Without even realizing it, we were already on our street walking towards our homes. Yusuke walked me in front of my house first and then we said our goodbyes. I gave him one last wave before going inside and he then went on home himself. It was quiet when I walked in. As I kicked off my shoes at the door, I called out for Dad just in case he was home. Not to my surprise, I didn't get a reply in return.

"I really hope you aren't avoiding me Dad."

With a sigh, I headed straight to my room and got comfortable. I tossed my bag on the floor and began to remove my uniform. I opened my drawer and got out some soft pajamas. Once I put these on, I'm gonna go straight to sleep. School felt different tonight. I didn't see Yui majority of the night and let's not forget the sudden love triangle I've been thrown into. I really hope that I'm right about that dying down, because if it doesn't, school's gonna get stressful. With that on my mind, I managed to lay down and shut my eyes while drifting off to sleep. I hope I don't dream about anything and just sleep the rest of the night away.

The Limousine had just pulled up in front of the manor and everyone got out one by one.

"Reiji I wonder if you'll ever loosen up. Are you even aware of how many girls that are interested in you?"

Laito teased Reiji. Reiji let out a sigh and glared at Laito.

"Unnecessary companionship doesn't interest me."

Laito threw up his hands in false defeat.

"Fine fine. I just can't imagine not enjoying the joys of a woman's warm center."

Yui couldn't help but blush and frown at Laito's colorful statement. Even after all this time, she still couldn't get use to his kind of language. The whole ride was oddly silent though. Even Ayato wasn't saying a word and that worried her. Now that she thought about it, the whole time they were at school, Ayato barely said anything. She noticed that he would stare off into space and only answer her with small grunts or a huff. Sure she was use to this kind of thing from him but tonight he felt more distant. Even as they all walked towards the door, Ayato did not once look at her.

They all made their way inside and everyone went off in their own directions.

Yui and Ayato headed upstairs but Yui went in the direction of her own room. She didn't get far because Ayato reached out and grabbed her wrist stopping her where she stood.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I was going to my room."

Ayato tugged her close to him and stared down at her.

"You idiot. You know you always come to my room once we get back."

He was right. Ayato and her were always together at the manor, especially when they got back from school. But as of late, he's been oddly clingy. Yui noticed a while ago but didn't pay it any mind, especially when Hiyori insisted that he probably just wanted to be close to her. But now its becoming more serious.

Yui's concern eyes looked up at Ayato's.

"Ayato, is something bothering you?"

Her question caused him to scoff as if she shouldn't be too worried.

"Why are you asking me a question like that?"

Ayato then stepped back from her putting a decent amount of distance between the two.

"Because lately you've been...I don't know...acting strange."

"Hah? Strange? You don't know what the hell you're talking about."

Before she could say anything else, he walked off leaving her standing alone at the top of the stairs. She watched him all the way up until he went to his room and she heard the door close. She was definitely troubled now. He rarely ever gave up like that. She was mostly expecting him to just drag her to his room but he didn't do that this time. He left her standing by herself at the stairs.

With one last upsetting glance in Ayato's direction, she turned on her heel and walked to her room. When she entered her room, she placed her things off to the side on the chair and sat down on her bed.

"I wonder what's been bothering him. I'll go see him later and try asking again."

Yui stood and went towards her dresser. She pulled out a night gown and headed towards the bathroom to change. As she slipped off her clothes and tossed on her gown, she started to think about what could be wrong with Ayato. Why was he so on edge? Why wouldn't he let her out of his sight? What could be going through his head? He was even overly protective of her tonight. There was a boy that had approached her saying that he had feelings for her. Little did the poor guy know, that the red headed boy standing next to her was her boyfriend. Ayato obviously didn't take too kindly to the boy and it got physical real fast. She had to stay after school with him while the teacher tried to give Ayato more chances. He's been protective before but this time it was over the top. Yui thought that the boy would probably be in the hospital for a while.

Yui sighed as she exited the bathroom and looked towards her door. She knew he was likely moody but that was fine. She was use to his behavior and occasional attitudes. Before she got use to him and his brother, they petrified her. There were even times where she was afraid she may not wake up one morning, yet here she was. Living with them, a vampire and in a relationship with Ayato. Sounds like a batty story but she honestly couldn't be happier. She gave up a part of her humanity to be with him and it was worth it.

Yui walked up to her door and reached out to grab the knob but stopped.

"Maybe...I should at least give him some space. What if he really is upset and I'd only make him more irritated."

Shaking her head, Yui decided to throw caution to the wind and go to him. She swung open her door and walked to his room. When she arrived in front of his door, she tried to listen behind the door to see if he was asleep or anything but she heard nothing. Raising her nervous fist, she knocked a couple of times on the door and waited.

Nothing.

She knocked again but this time, she called out to him.

"Ayato?"

Still nothing from the other side. With one last knock, she grabbed his door knob twisting it, she pushed it open.

"I'm coming in."

Opening it, she was hoping to be greeted with an annoyed tone and an bothered looking expression, but she wasn't. The only thing that was in front of her was his coffin. It was open but he wasn't inside of it. She made her way in further and looked around.

"Ayato? Ayato are you here?"

She went in his bathroom but that was just as empty as his room. Giving up, she left his room altogether and stepped out into the hallway. Right when she was about to head back to her room, she then thought about where he could be.

Not waiting a second longer, she hurried to the spot where she knew he was. She ran upstairs towards the attic and saw that the door was slightly open. Yui slowly pushed open the door and peered inside hoping to spot red hair. The door creaked loudly as she pushed it more and she couldn't help but wince at the horrible sound. She made her way inside and looked around. Just when she thought he probably wasn't there, she caught a glimpse of a shadow and then followed that towards a window.

There stood Ayato.

He was leaning on the window ledge while looking up at the night sky. He was clearly thinking about something and Yui could feel her heart tug with worry. As she carefully walked towards him, Ayato turned his head towards her and a small scowl appeared on his face.

"Tch...the hell you want?"

She got closer to him and stood next to him.

"I was worried about you."

"You don't need to worry about me. You'll be wasting your time."

"Ayato I can tell that something is bothering you. You've been oddly distant yet close as of late. What's going on?"

For a moment, his agitated face cleared up a bit and he folded his arms.

"Are you that much of an idiot? You haven't noticed a single thing have you?"

Yui's obvious confusion caused Ayato to huff in annoyance, which caused her to frown.

"Notice what?"

"The old man."

So this was about their Dad?

"Your Father? What about him."

"Since the last time he was here, I've been pissed off. I know he's up to something and its getting on my nerves that I don't know what it is."

So is this really all that's been bothering him? His Father's intentions?

"Any idea what it could be?"

"Not a damn clue. Whatever that bastard is planning on doing...its just gonna make things difficult again."

Difficult again? She wondered what he meant but then quite a few things began running through her mind. They've all been through a lot before and after she got to the manor, so he probably is referring to all the times their Father has been a sore in their lives. Even Yui being there was a part of his doing and it caused a ruckus amongst them. She even died once. Something she couldn't barely get over completely. Then she thought about how Ayato must've felt. Watching her die by her own hand and thinking she was gone had to had scared him a little. Yui doesn't regret her actions, because it did pay off in the end, but Ayato probably felt true fear for the first time in his life. Now that they were together, he wouldn't want her to go through anything so dangerous again.

Yui reached out and placed her hand on his arm reassuringly.

"Ayato things will be fine. This won't be like last time. You're fine, your brothers are fine and I'm fine. Besides isn't everything somewhat back to normal for all of you?"

His scowl deepen on his face.

"That's what I thought until he mentioned taking in some strays."

She had to admit, it was odd of their Father to mention taking in some orphans. He most definitely wasn't the kind type.

"What if whatever he's planning has nothing to do with us and you've been on edge for nothing?"

"If that were the case then why tell us a damn thing? He told us for a reason."

"What reason could it be though?"

He moved out of Yui's grasp and angrily hit the nearest wall.

"I don't know and that's what's bugging me to death."

Yui put her hands up.

"Ayato calm down, I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think it is."

He looked at her as if she was insane.

"How can you say that? You haven't been here long and you don't know him like we do. That piece of shit has put us through a lot. Everything he does, and I mean everything, always has some kind of scheme behind it."

Ayato clenched his fist until you could hear his knuckles cracked.

"We've only just now been able to have some peace and quiet. So for him to come out of nowhere with this, is gonna bring serious trouble. I feel it."

He turned away from her and kept his eyes fixated on the outside. She can't recall seeing Ayato so upset like this nor opening up as much as he did just now. He's not one to show his emotions or talk about how he's feeling. Yui would mostly have to try and figure it out but right now, he chose to tell her what was on his mind. She felt happy. So happy that she couldn't help but walk up to him and wrap her arms around him. She laid her head on his chest and held him as tight as she could. She could tell that he was beginning to calm down and kept still.

He didn't say anything for minute. He just stood still and let her embrace him. Yui's eyes widen in surprise when she felt his hand suddenly rest on the top of her head. Ayato really was showing his vulnerable side to her tonight. She smiled and looked up at him when she realized another thing.

"You're worried about him hurting me."

"Hmpf..."

"Its okay. I understand."

With his hand still on her head, he gripped her hair lightly and pulled her head back so that she was looking up at him.

"You don't understand anything you idiot."

Right as she was about to say something, she noticed that he began leaning in close to her. She couldn't help but blush as he got closer. Finally feeling his mouth on hers, she felt herself drift away as they kissed.

It started out softly but then it got more passionate. She felt herself getting excited and pulled away.

"Ayato wait..."

Looking annoyed at my abrupt interruption, Ayato let out a disgruntled grunt.

"What? Why?"

She shyly looked away from him and bit her lip.

"Well...I mean...are we gonna...?"

"What're still so shy for? We've done it plenty times."

Yui's eyes roamed over the dusty area and looked unsure.

"But here...?"

"What's the big deal?"

"This is the attic though..."

"So what? We've done it in the coffin, what would make this any different."

He had a point but that was different. At least they were in a bedroom. The coffin wasn't comfortable but it would be better than the floor.

"Well..."

"Quit whining."

Keeping his mouth on hers to stop her pointless concerns, Ayato brought Yui down to the dusty floor and laid on top of her. His mouth then left hers and traveled along her neck. His fangs would drag along her skin and she couldn't help but moan a bit. He still drank her blood but it was more for both of their satisfaction rather than his need for it. Yui then thought back to the first time she drank from him and how awkward she felt. Of course she got use to it over time, but she honestly preferred it when she was bitten by him rather than her biting him. She couldn't believe that she enjoyed being submissive to him. It felt right.

She could feel herself anticipating the bite and shut her eyes. Ayato saw how eager she looked and couldn't help but smirk.

"Can't remember the last time I saw you wanting it so much."

Ayato then brought his lips down until he reached her chest. He saw that she was wearing a gown that didn't reveal too much and let out a displeasing sound.

"Whatca doing wearing this for? You know I hate this one."

"B-but I didn't know that you were gonna do anything tonight."

With one swift movement, he quickly ripped open the top part of her gown so that her chest could be all for his viewing pleasure. On instinct, Yui brought her hands up to cover herself, but Ayato hurried and held her hands above her head.

"When are you gonna learn to stop hiding from me?"

"Sorry, I can't help it."

A smug smile tugged at his lips and he snickered a bit.

"Don't worry, they'll get bigger one day."

He will never stop teasing her about her chest. She was still insecure about it but she believed that deep down, Ayato liked them the way that they were. He of course will never admit such a thing though.

"A-ayato!"

"I just gotta keep treating them nicely that's all."

Bringing his head down to her chest, Yui let out a mewling like whine as she felt his mouth cover one of her nipples. She started to shuffle underneath him as he pulled at her hard buds with his mouth. One soft moan after another, Yui felt as if she was about to keel over. He was only touching her lightly, yet she felt as if she couldn't wait for more. Feeling her arousal grow steadily, Yui looked at Ayato with a feverous gaze and called out to him.

"Ayato...please..."

Halting the attention he was giving to her breasts, Ayato lifted his head and looked down at her with a victorious glint in his eye.

"Begging so soon? I've just barely gotten started and you already look like you're at your limit."

Yui's eyes were glistening with a thin coat of tears as she tried her best not to give in to him so soon. She usually would last longer than this but this time was different. Even though she and Ayato have become lovers, they weren't exactly as close as she thought. Physically of course, but when it comes to emotionally and mentally, they were just half way. Not this time though. This was the first time that she's actually felt close to him. The way he opened up to her and expressed his thoughts to her, made her feel something more than just love. She felt a strong sense of warmth, trust and adoration with him and that's a feeling she would never want to lose. Feeling closer to him now, naturally made her body feel as if she could give her all to him again and again without hesitation. She knew she could be free with him mind, body and soul.

Seeing as that she gotten quiet, Ayato let go of her hands and stared down at her with a lost expression.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Disregarding his slightly curt tone, Yui brought her hand up and placed it on his cheek.

"Ayato...I love you."

Her sudden declaration of love made him look away from her, clearly not use to Yui being so open like this to him. Ayato shifted his eyes back to her and smiled. She didn't need him to say anything back in return. He wasn't the type to vocally express his feelings but that was fine. The way he would hold her and touch her was enough for her to know that he loved her too. It would be nice to hear him say it one day but for now, she'll accept what he's able to give.

Not wanting to prolong it any longer, Ayato stripped away her gown completely and made sure he took his time with her this time. Those three little words caused him to feel a heavy attraction for her and for the first time since he was born, he felt true happiness.

Yui and Ayato eventually made it back to her room and finished where they left off. Ayato ended up with Yui snugged tightly in his arms fast asleep. As she breathed softly into his chest, he found himself unable to sleep as his thoughts kept him awake. He looked down at Yui and felt some of his anger dissipate but only some. He knew that things weren't gonna remain calm but it was a nice thought for a short time.

Ayato then thought back to when Yui first became a vampire and couldn't help but smile. It was mostly entertaining for him but in general, it caused more than enough commotion. She couldn't control herself, she was thirsty all the time and there were even moments that were disastrous. Of course, that's when their Father stepped in once he heard of Yui's situation. As much as Ayato hated to admit it, he was a bit grateful that their Father did step in because things were getting out of hand. Even for Reiji. To be honest, Reiji made the whole thing worse but at least he made an effort unlike himself. Ayato merely catered to what she needed and left it at that. As long as she was with him and he with her, things were relatively calm.

Eventually things began to calm down and she learned restraint. It took a while but she learned to accept herself for what she was and recognized the fact that this was her life now.

He placed his hand on her head and let out a small grunt.

"You're a piece of work."

At the sound of his voice, Yui started to shuffle a bit in her sleep. She opened her eyes a tiny bit and peeped up at him.

"Hm?"

Ayato's mouth upturned into a tiny smile and he shook his head.

"Nothing."

Accepting his dismissive response, she shut her eyes and dozed off for good. Ayato felt his own eyes start to get heavy and dozed off as well. However, his mind started to wander into a curious direction. And that direction pointed towards Yui's new friend. Ever since she showed up, things have been oddly more unnerving. There was something about her that was a mystery. He knew for a fact that something was strange about her, because their Father seemed to have taken an interest in her as well. He thought back to the dinner and couldn't believe that the old man allowed her to stay and sit through that. That old bastard wouldn't let just anyone sit in on his personal affairs. He was expecting him to make her leave but he insisted she stayed. That alone was enough to spark some questions. That girl even smelled funny. Before he didn't notice. Maybe because she didn't smell the same when he first met her but as of late, he's picked up on a certain scent from her this time. A familiar one.

Not wanting to occupy his mind any further, he finally let sleep take him over and allowed himself to relax into Yui. All he knew was that he had to be on guard for whatever was coming their way.