It will happen
Some nights, when she closes her eyes to sleep, she remembers.
She remembers being surrounded by the orange hues of the sky as she rests on the damp grass, a shadow hanging over her. Their deep amethyst eyes glowing in the dark, staring into her hazy magenta ones worriedly.
- Claudine! Claudine!
She remembers her name being called over and over again, each time laced with more angst than the previous one in the shadow's voice, her body being shaken softly.
She remembers the way the shadow leant down, pressing their ear to her chest to hear her heartbeat slowing down at each second that went by, each beat weaker than the previous one.
- No! No, no, no! Don't die Claudine! Please don't die, don't leave me ma Claudine.
She remembers the shadow yelling in pain, in agony, pressing their hands against her chest to do a cardiac massage to prevent her heart from stopping. Useless…
And then, she remembers sensing something silky tickling briefly her skin before a painful sensation stings her neck, something sharp piercing and breaking through her skin painfully.
Tears started to roll down her hazy eyes, and the rest is all blurred. She can't remember much more.
Yet she remembers the calming feeling of something wet, probably a tongue, licking her neck, her blood while something else wetted her face.
She vaguely remembers those amethyst eyes flooded with tears and the cold touch of the shadow's fingertips caressing her face with delicacy, trying to erase the tears that fell on her face.
- Everything will be okay Claudine – she remembers the shadow saying gently to her, their caresses never ceasing – You'll live, you'll continue with your life, I promise you…
And then her memories start to fade into black.
She can't remember who the shadow was, or why they treated her with such gentleness and sweetness, with so much delicacy, making her feel loved. She can't remember what actually happened that led them to that.
She can't remember anything else, not even the name she breathed out before she fell unconscious…
- M-Maya… Ma Maya… je t'aime...
She doesn't remember the shadow saying she loved her back.
Claudine jolts up in her sleep, waking up confused, frustrated, as she always does lately after having arrived at the Seisho academy.
She sits running a hand through her hair, sighing tiredly before getting out of bed, ready to face the day, ready to try to beat Maya at her own game once again, to surpass the infuriating top star.
Just merely think about her rival puts her in a bad mood.
She really can't stand her, nor the way she looks at her with such arrogance, thinking she's better than her. The way she humiliates her after their revues where she sees her standing up in her pedestal, looking down at her with such an infuriating and satisfied smirk at having won her.
She arrives to the practice room, already finding the infuriating top star in there.
- Good morning, Saijo-san – Maya greets her politely, getting even more on her nerves unknowingly.
- Morning – she mumbles, passing by her to do her own stretching as further as possible from Maya, not noticing the sad look on Maya's face as she pass by her side ignoring her.
As she starts to stretch, she looks inadvertent towards Maya's direction, studying her, trying to decipher what makes her better than her, trying to not be seen before going back with her stretching exercises.
She doesn't know what it is, but there's something familiar about the brunette, about the way she talks and moves with such delicacy, something that draws her to her, aside from their competitiveness.
She shakes her head. To think on something like that it's even stupid, a waste of her precious time.
- Saijo-san, would you like to dance with me?
She hears Maya saying, approaching to her with a calm expression on her face and one of her hands held out for her, waiting for her to take it. Claudine looks at it warily then averts her eyes, slightly blushing yet accepting it.
- If I don't have any other choice – she mumbles – but I'm taking the lead.
- As you wish – Maya says with a calm smile on her face and Claudine can't help but get lost in it, mesmerized.
She shuts her eyes and opens them again with renewed determination, she'll show Maya she's better than her.
Maya gladly lets Claudine take the lead, slow dancing at first to then twisting her around when she least expects it to try and catch the top star off guard but she fails miserably. It seems like Maya is always prepared for her tricks and soon, the roles are reversed. Maya takes the lead, swaying them around the room before she ends it, placing her arm gently on Claudine's lower back to bend her, their faces mere centimeters apart.
Claudine blushes and pulls Maya away, quickly turning around so she can't see the red tint adorning her cheeks.
- W-What are you doing infuriating woman!? Y-You said you'll let me take the lead – she huffs out, crossing her arms across her chest.
- I did indeed, but I never said it'd be like that for the whole routine, Saijo-san – Maya says slyly.
- Méchante va! – Claudine squeaks annoyed at her, quickly gathering her things to go to the showers and get changed before leaving the building.
Maya watches her leave with a sad smile on her face.
- I apologize ma Claudine but it's better this way – she whispers softly to herself.
Maya feels conflicted, suffering from having to treat Claudine like that, but it's the only way she has to be close to her, to keep watching over her without Claudine remembering her, without remembering what happened that evening years ago or the fact that she got turned into a half-vampire.
It doesn't matter how much it hurts, it's the best for Claudine. That's what she tells herself every day…
The sun is slowly setting down, leaving behind itself a sky colored by orange, pink and purple hues, when Claudine exits the building.
- Already evening eh – she says to herself, admiring the breathtaking sight in front of her.
She starts to walk back to the dorms at slow pace, making time to let Maya catch up with her to go back together.
She turns her head to look at her rival briefly when she notices the way the sky hues reflect onto Maya's hair making it seem to come alive somehow, emphasizing the purple of her ribbon and especially, emphasizing the amethyst of her eyes, trapping her in them.
Maya turns to look at her, an eyebrow raised and Claudine feels a strange but familiar feeling roaring inside her.
Her neck suddenly starts to throb in pain, making her stumble and shut her eyes tightly because of the pain, bringing a hand to her neck where the bite is supposed to be to try to calm the pain down.
- Claudine!? Are you okay? – Maya asks her worriedly, forgetting all formalities between them as she rushes to her side.
Claudine nods at her, still clutching her throbbing neck. She feels one of Maya's hands holding her free hand gently while her other hand rests on her lower back, guiding her to a side to sit on a nearby bench.
She opens her eyes to see Maya crouched in front of her, her deep amethyst eyes staring at her intensely yet worriedly, taking her breath away.
- D-Don't look at me with that worry expression on your face Tendou Maya, I'm okay – she stutters, gritting her teeth and shutting her eyes tightly as another shot of pain stings her neck.
- Maybe I should call for an ambu-
- I told you I'm okay, Tendou Maya. Really, it's nothing – Claudine cuts Maya off stubbornly, a little out of breathe.
Maya simply stares at the stubborn girl in front of her worriedly but complies, rubbing circles on the back of Claudine's hand, caressing her skin gently with her thumb while the soft and cold touch of her fingertips seems to alleviate the pain.
Claudine remembers this soothing sensation enveloping her, but she isn't sure why or where from… maybe… maybe from those strange dreams she has been having lately but it can't be possible, can it?
- It can – she hears Maya saying softly as if she has read her mind, invading her personal space to let her lips brush over the bite on her neck in a bold movement, calming the pain completely but failing to calm or stop the overwhelming flow of emotions and memories flooding her mind.
- What…? How…? – Claudine looks at Maya confusedly, just to find her smiling at her softly, almost regretful, something very different from her usual cocky smirk.
- I couldn't let you die – she simply says, showing Claudine her fangs.
Claudine doesn't understand what Maya just told her, what she is trying to tell her but there's one thing she surely understood and it's that Tendou Maya isn't a normal person, she's… a vampire.
Claudine opens her eyes widely, shocked by the realization, while Maya just smiles at her softly, apologetically.
- It's okay, you won't remember again. You won't remember me again – she says the last part under her breath, getting closer to Claudine, ready to erase her memories again.
- What? No! You can't! I forbid you! – Claudine yells at her stubbornly, stopping her midway, slightly pushing her apart.
Maya looks at her outburst bewildered.
- Could I know why will you forbid me from erasing your memories, Saijo-san?
- B-Because I don't want to forget about you! – Claudine yells at her, slightly mad at her for wanting to erase her memories of her, of them again, and without her permission nevertheless.
- Claudine, I'm afraid you didn't fully comprehend the connotations of what I just said. I'm a vampire – Maya says calmly, as if she was trying to explain her that being a vampire it's wrong, unnatural and what she did years ago was wrong, even if Claudine didn't figure out yet that she's a half-vampire.
- I don't care! Y-You're still Maya, ma Maya – Claudine says with a furious blush adorning her cheeks, looking away to try to hide it.
Maya smiles softly at her, giggling while a light blush also tints her cheeks, but then her giggle slowly fades, leaving room to insecurities.
- Are you implying that you don't care? – she asks her insecurely.
- Of course I don't! I-I love you! – Claudine yells out, before she opens her eyes comically, bringing a hand to her mouth to cover it, realizing of what she just said – I-I-I mean-
Maya smiles bashfully, taking her hand to place a gentle kiss on its back before closing the distance between them, interrupting Claudine's nervous ramble with a tender kiss, making Claudine blush even harder than before.
- I love you too ma Claudine.
Claudine looks away again embarrassedly, mumbling something in French that Maya can't reach to understand. Maya simply smiles tenderly at her, watching her lovingly.
This time it will end differently…