iii.
chapter three - what are we protecting
Shiori woke up to a heavy feeling in her chest. Groaning, her reddish-brown eyes cracked open to reveal the bleary scene of her and Kaname's room. A chuckle made her turn her head, squinted eyes meeting her brother's.
The girl blinked a few times before she grasped what exactly was going on, "Kana-chan… Get off…" Shiori began to try and push her brother off, but he remained firm and stayed put on her torso.
"Are you going to go back to sleep once I do, Shi-chan?"
"...No—"
"You hesitated!" Kaname quickly interrupted with a laugh, "I just wanted to remind you about the party tonight. It's being held by the Ichijō family so we're to be on our best behavior."
Heaving a sigh at the reminder, Shiori nodded her head with a pout. She rubbed tiredly at her eyes before sitting up to lean against her brother. Kaname chuckled and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "Do we have to go…?" Shiori mumbled, dreading the loud music.
"Yes, Okaa-sama said that we were going to be introduced to the Ichijō head's grandson. I hope he's friendly."
"I'm sure he will be," Shiori replied as she hid her face in the crook of Kaname's neck, a knowing smile on her lips.
xxx
Arriving at the party, the Kurans were quickly greeted by the Ichijō family as soon as they walked through the doors of the residence. While Juri and Haruka kept the adults occupied, Shiori's eyes locked onto the kind face of a young boy with forest green eyes and ash blond hair. For some reason, she found herself smiling back at him, as if he was naturally pulling that reaction from her.
The blond haired boy stepped forward, bowing slightly before rising again. "You two must be Shiori and Kaname-sama. I'm Takuma Ichijō— It is nice to meet you both!"
"It's nice to meet you, too." Kaname smiled— an action that came easily when around such a polite and friendly person. The pureblood could tell that Takuma's kindness was completely genuine, and not fake like the many other vampires he had met before. His approval of the young aristocrat was instant, "I'm Kaname and this is Shiori."
Takuma's attention switched to Shiori, his smile still present, "I've been told quite a bit about you from Ojii-sama. He said you like to dance? I wasn't able to attend the last ball, so I wasn't able to see you… Could you save a dance for me, Shiori-sama?"
Kaname seemed to stiffen at that, his smile tightening. Spoiled children never like to share their possessions after all… "I will be her first dance of the night—"
Shiori places a hand on Kaname's chest, effectively shutting him up. Turning to a surprised Takuma, she answered the question that had been directed at her. "I will, Takuma-kun. I apologize for my brother's abruptness." Kaname huffed a bit at this, a small frown on his face as he looked toward his sister.
Shiori's words sounded awfully monotone, but they were still genuine nonetheless. Takuma seemed to realize this, as he nodded in understanding. "It's no trouble at all."
The brown-haired girl cocked her head to the side slightly, and studied the boy in front of her. He took her attention in stride, not backing away from her stare or blushing. He merely smiled and patiently waited for her to speak again. "Did your ojii-san put you up to this?"
That seemed to catch him off guard, as Takuma's eyes widened before he looked around for any sign of his mentioned relative. When it's obvious to him that the adults have since left to the ballroom —leaving them behind to chitchat— he nodded his head and sighed, "...He said that I should get close to you both but more so you, Shiori-sama."
Kaname took this information in with Shiori. Not one to make assumptions without proper evidence, the male pureblood ventured further into the topic. If he was to declare Takuma untrustworthy, Kaname first wanted to learn of the boy's own intentions and feelings, "Would you have attempted to befriend us regardless—"
"—Or do you only want to be our friends for your family's sake?" Shiori continued.
Kaname nodded, his heart fluttering when his sister finished his sentence— it was physical proof that their bond was there, and it was solid. "We do not like being used," He turned serious then, his eyebrows furrowing as he stared down at the young Ichijō.
Shaking his head, Takuma almost looked offended, "No, I would have liked to get to know you both anyway! O-Ojii-sama just happened to want me too as well…"
Kaname and Shiori's expressions softened minutely. "I see," They said in unison. Though Takuma seemed to be trustworthy enough, they'd be wary around his grandfather from now on.
"We should get going," Takuma said with a grin. "I look forward to our dance, Shiori-sama."
"As do I," Shiori replied with a small smile of her own. Kaname watched the two vampires interact from the corner of his eye, a frown beginning to form once again. Without a word he linked arms with Shiori, immediately feeling comforted by his twin's touch.
As the three made their way to the ballroom, Kaname blocked out the conversation going on between Takuma and Shiori (though mostly one-sided, with Shiori replying only when needed). His thoughts strayed to the conversation he and his father had had during their private lessons.
Haruka had warned Kaname that selfishly keeping Shiori to himself and trying to control his sister was not good, and that it would put the her happiness at risk as well as their relationship. Kaname was told the tale of how his Uncle Rido loved Juri very much. So much so that he became very obsessive of her, and dangerous.
Kaname did not, and would not, become like his disgrace of an uncle; like that beast. His expression softened into a smile as he looked upon Shiori again. He would never harm Shiori, or force himself on her. If Shiori were to be with him, he'd want it to be because that's what she wanted.
Sure, he'd try to influence her decision by spending as much time with her as possible, but in the end, it would all come down to how Shiori felt. If his sister were to love someone else instead of him…
No matter what, Kaname would have to accept that and move on; if he didn't… If he hurt her— Kaname could only hope that someone would put him down. He didn't want to live knowing that he had willingly harmed his beloved sister.
A childlike determination lit a fire inside of him; he would do anything to keep Shiori safe and happy.
Ruka, Akatsuki, and Hanabusa kept away from the festivities of the ball as they awaited the arrival of their other friends. The trio kept to a more secluded part of the room that just happened to be close to the refreshments table— which they had no trouble helping themselves to.
"Takuma is supposed to be greeting them, huh?" Akatsuki asked as he examined the finger food presented on the table. "Guess he'll finally get to meet them."
With an excited smile, Ruka nodded as she fisted her dress, resisting the urge to twirl in place. She had always enjoyed balls like this; lots of music, beautiful people, and dancing— hopefully she'd even get the chance to dance with Kaname-sama this time! The young girl's rich brown eyes kept watch for any sign of the Kuran twins or Takuma Ichijō, "I hope their meeting goes well!"
Hanabusa scoffed from where he leaned against the wall, a frown marred his face and his arms were crossed. "Those Kurans are probably shunning Takuma already…"
Ruka fumed while Akatsuki rolled his eyes and sighed, "Just the other day you were laughing like an idiot when we played tag with them."
The blond's face quickly reddened, "Sh-Shut up! I was just pretending to have fun; I was being polite!"
"Well keep pretending then, idiot!" Ruka fussed, glaring at him. "Kaname-sama and Shiori-chan have done nothing to deserve such disrespect!" The girl only seemed to calm when Akatsuki gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She sighed once more before looking at Hanabusa again, "Honestly… You say one thing and then do the complete opposite. Try and be true to yourself more, Aidō."
With that she turned away to continue looking for her beloved Kaname-sama, leaving Hanabusa to glare a hole into the floor. Akatsuki had an amused look on his face as he watched the blond think over what Ruka had said. Hopefully, the toffee-haired girl's words would get through his thick skull and Hanabusa would start being more honest about his feelings. At times, it could get a bit annoying how much he blatantly disrespected purebloods; one day, Hanabusa could get in a lot of trouble for it.
"Kaname-sama, over here!" Ruka suddenly shouted as she waved to someone across the room. Akatsuki looked in the direction the girl was waving to see Kaname making his way towards them. He seemed to make it to them without too much trouble, not bumping into a single person or stumbling at all. The young Kuran was truly a natural at being graceful and elegant.
"Good evening~!" Takuma was right behind Kaname, only having to quicken his steps slightly to catch up.
Hanabusa was looking around, ignoring the two new arrivals. "Where's Shiori-hime?" Those around him seemed to jolt a little in surprise (sans Kaname who merely stiffened), not expecting him to openly acknowledge Shiori like that on purpose. It was progress.
"Is this all the food?"
Hanabusa, Akatsuki, and Ruka jumped at the sudden voice. The three quickly pivoted to see Shiori looking at the contents of the refreshment table. A small frown was on her face, as if she was disappointed with the selection. Turning to them, her eyes met with Hanabusa's for a second (a breath caught in his throat) before she looked towards Takuma, "...Where are the sweets?"
Kaname smiled affectionately at the question, shaking his head. Takuma chuckled, "They're going to put those out later."
Before Shiori could reply, Ruka had wrapped her arms around the girl in a hug. The brunette merely stood there, allowing the affectionate action as she continued to stare at the fingerfood. "Shiori-chan, where did you come from?!" Ruka asked, being the first to acknowledge the brunette's sudden appearance.
Shiori finally seemed to find something that suited her tastes, as she picked up a small sandwich and began to munch on it. She had just wanted to stuff it in her mouth, but the many lessons on etiquette her mother drilled into her kept her from doing so, "I was here before Kaname and Takuma-kun."
"Shiori said she wanted to find the food, so she went on ahead." Kaname said with a nod, a proud look in his eyes as he watched his sister. It looked like their dance lessons were doing great to keep Shiori silent on her feet.
Ruka gaped and pulled away to stare Shiori in the face, "Why didn't you greet us!?"
Shiori looked away, feeling a bit ashamed at what she was going to say next, "...I was so focused on the food that I didn't notice you."
"Shiori-chan!" Ruka whined as she began to shake the pureblood by the shoulders. Shiori merely stood there and took it, her face void of expression. "That's so rude!"
Takuma laughed at the two girls interaction, while Akatsuki and Kaname watched on with adoration in their eyes. Hanabusa bit his lip, nose twitching as he bitterly wished that he could be that close and expressive with Shiori. With an annoyed huff, the blond spoke up, "Are we just going to stand here or are we going to start dancing?"
"Great idea!" Ruka said excitedly, releasing Shiori. She looked ready to approach Kaname, but the boy was already by his sister's side. With a small pout she turned to Akatsuki instead— she would definitely dance with Kaname-sama after this!
Takuma and Hanabusa stood on the sidelines as they watched their friends join in on the dancing. Takuma looked content at just watching the others enjoy themselves, while Hanabusa glared at Kaname without remorse. He felt more than a little prickly that he didn't get the chance to ask Shiori to dance first… not that he was actually going to.
Kaname and Shiori danced flawlessly across the ballroom, fitting in well among the many other vampires as they performed the waltz. Kaname held his sister's hand, leading her with his steps as he never removed his eyes from her own. A soft smile was on his face, his heart beating just a bit faster when —for once— Shiori showed him a genuine smile of her own.
"You've gotten better, Kana-chan." Shiori spoke quietly to her brother, "You used to step on my feet all the time."
Laughing, Kaname grinned cheekily back at her. "I had to practice a lot to catch up to you Shi-chan. I don't want to make you look bad by messing up in front of everyone." Shiori ducked her head and her shoulders began to shake a bit, letting Kaname know she was laughing. "You've gotten better, too, Shi-chan."
"At what?"
The song neared its end as Kaname lead them back to where they had started their dance, "Socializing. You're branching out more; I was surprised when you spoke to Takuma-san earlier."
Shiori's eyes widened a bit before she looked away, her cheeks a little red at the memory of her sudden boldness, "...Yeah."
"It's a good thing," Kaname said with a smile as he nodded in Takuma's direction. Said blond was caught in a conversation with the three cousins. "I believe you promised him a dance?"
"...Mhm…" Shiori grunted, giving Kaname one final smile before she walked off to retrieve Takuma.
xxx
Takuma was all too happy to escort Shiori back out onto the dance floor. He and Kaname shared a passing nod, the smile on the latter's face looking a bit forced.
The young blond sincerely hoped that Kaname wasn't still upset with the little revelation they had earlier… It was true that Takuma's grandfather wanted him to get close to the Kuran twins (for reasons unknown to Takuma himself), but he had been honest when he explained that he would have done so regardless. Takuma hoped they could become good friends.
There was no use worrying about it now… Just like his Kaa-chan had always told him: don't fret over things you can't control. If there was anything he could do, it would be to earn their trust by showing them his words were true.
A new song began to play, and Takuma was shaken from his thoughts. He made to start dancing, only for his eyes to widen when he noticed that Shiori was leading him. When the boy met her eyes, her lips twitched a little and he detected amusement in her eyes, "You weren't paying attention, so I took the lead."
"S-Sorry," The blond's cheeks warmed in slight shame and embarrassment. Hopefully his grandfather hadn't seen his slip up, otherwise he'd be getting stern scolding later, "I was lost in my thoughts…"
Shiori merely shrugged, spinning them around another couple, "It's okay. I do it, too. My teachers scold me a lot because of it."
Her words sounded insincere with her emotionless tone, but Takuma found comfort in them nevertheless, "I bet Kaname-sama bristles up when that happen; you both seem very close."
An actual laugh left Shiori's mouth, and though it was short-lived, it caught Takuma off guard. The
pureblood nodded her head, "He does actually." Her reddish-brown eyes closed then, and Takuma could visibly see her enjoying the music. It wasn't as loud as usual; Shiori's parents having requested the volume to be lowered beforehand when the ball was still being planned. Normally, such a request would have been ignored, but Takuma's grandfather was always quick to try and please purebloods.
Conversation became scarce at that point, but it didn't seem to be a problem to either Shiori or Takuma. They were both perfectly content with swaying to the music as they led each other. At some point, Shiori had even begun to unconsciously hum to the melody of the music, that rare genuine smile on her face. It made Takuma smile too, and it was then that he decided that Shiori's happiness was contagious.
Not that anything was wrong with that.
The night went on as everyone enjoyed themselves, and morning was soon to come— which meant the end of the party wouldn't be too far behind it. There was still time left, however, and Shiori was making the best of it as she helped herself to the newly brought out deserts and continued to dance with her friends.
Akatsuki had been her latest partner, though the both of them paid more attention to the pair dancing next them; adoring looks on their faces. Ruka finally got a chance to dance with her beloved Kaname-sama and looked to really be enjoying herself. She was giggling, and her face was slightly flushed— Kaname had even been smiling too, but it seemed more of a polite smile than a happy smile.
That little tidbit made Shiori a little sad, for both Kaname (would he ever find happiness in someone's company, besides her own?) and Ruka (the boy she liked —and would later love— would most likely never return her feelings). Feeling such emotions made her gut hurt, and since she had never had a pleasure for pain, Shiori was sure to drown her thoughts in other things: like delicious sweets, or asking Hanabusa to dance with her.
Shiori stared the boy down as she finished eating her candy, wiping her hands clean on a napkin (her first thought was to lick them clean and then wipe them on her dress, but she was in public and Juri had taught her better than that). She knew that Hanabusa knew she was staring at him, what with the way he kept fidgeting and glancing at her every five seconds (she counted).
During the span of the said five seconds Hanabusa was looking away, Shiori had taken that time to finally approach him. When the blond glanced over at her again, it was to find that she was much closer than before. His surprised yelp did wonders for Shiori's ego, and confirmed that scaring him was a great form of amusement— which she would definitely note down for later use.
"S-Shiori-hime!" Hanabusa began to fuss, his face red as he regained himself before the blond quickly looked around to see if his loud shrill had gained the attention of anyone else. So far, he seemed to be in the clear (not including quiet laughter from Ruka and Takuma, but they didn't matter). "Do you need something? Not that I'd help you; especially after what you just did."
Shiori merely blinked, all of Hanabusa's needless words going through one ear and out the other. In her mind, the only thing she had actually paid attention to was 'do you need something', and that was all the incentive she needed, "Yes— Would you care to dance, Hana-chan?"
"Don't call me that!" His face was thoroughly red now, but the way he bit his lip to prevent himself from smiling was enough to let Shiori know that he didn't hate the nickname she had for him as much as he let on (that and his obvious tsundere tendencies). Hanabusa seemed to catch on to the rest of her words though, and quickly switched topics. "Y-You're asking me to dance? Shouldn't it be the other way aro— Ow!"
Shiori cut him off with a sharp smack to his skull, an action typically out of character, but required nonetheless. Her face remained expressionless as she spoke, "Enough with your feeble-minded words."
Hanabusa frowned, annoyed and a little more than confused, "Whatever… I don't feel like dancing with you anyway. Why don't you go ask your precious Kaname-nii to dance?"
Jealousy and pettiness were both dangerous emotions, but when played together they were just downright annoying. Shiori resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the blond in front of her, though they did twitch a little. Her answer was quick, "I do not call him that, and the reason being that I wish to dance with you. I wouldn't have asked if I felt otherwise."
This was probably the most Hanabusa had witnessed Shiori speak before, but he didn't seem to notice that fact. Instead, he was caught on Shiori's words… She wanted— no, wished to dance with him? A goofy smile emerged on his quickly reddening face, making him turn away to try to smother it with a forced cough, "Fine," He spoke through his clenched fist, "If you want to dance with me so bad… I guess I have no choice but to accept your offer."
The noble regained himself, a smaller smile replacing his goofier one as he offered his arm to the pureblood beside him. Shiori grunted and looped her arm with his, "Good. If you said no again I would have asked someone else."
"Huh?! I thought you wanted to dance with me, though!" Hanabusa exclaimed with a pout, stopping in the middle of the dancefloor.
Shiori ignored him as they got in position; her hands on his shoulders, while he placed his on her waist. It was only when they began to gently sway to the music that she replied, "That's true, but my patience can only stretch so far, Hana-chan."
She was only teasing him, but Hanabusa still found it in himself to see past the truth and pout instead. "I—" He looked away, blushing once again, "Don't call me that!"
Shiori snorted, causing Hanabusa to snap his head in her direction. He had never heard her laugh before, let alone genuinely smile (or smile at all really), so to hear such a noise come from her… he was more than a little bit excited to see the expression she had on her face. Too bad she was just as expressionless as usual. Briefly, he wondered if she had been too fast. or if he had just imagined the sound after all.
Either way, he felt dejected and disappointed.
Those feelings didn't last too long, as he was never one to sulk for an extended period of time, especially over something so small. Instead, he found himself getting lost in Shiori's eyes as they danced to what was probably the last song of the night. All the emotions that the young Kuran normally kept free from her face, were most usually found in her eyes. Hanabusa couldn't get enough of it; taken aback by the pure joy he could see in them.
'She's having fun while dancing with me!'
This was most definitely the best day of Hanabusa's life.
Months passed, and soon Shiori was five, along with her twin. During that time, nothing too eventful took place besides the occasional party— thrown by an aristocrat looking to get into the Kurans' good graces. Besides having to attend the parties, Kaname and Shiori were often sent to the Ichijō residence so that they could spend time with Takuma. Other times they'd spend their day with Ruka, Akatsuki, and Hanabusa— as per usual.
Though recently, Juri and Haruka had taken to splitting Shiori and Kaname up… Forcing them to spend time with their friends without the presence of the other twin at their side. While Kaname would be at Takuma's, Shiori would be at one of the three cousins' house, or vice versa. They weren't always forced apart, but it was becoming a common thing to see one twin without the other.
Shiori never asked why this development had suddenly taken place, but she had her suspicions. Their parents were probably trying to prevent them from continuously relying on each other— attempting to make them more independent. It was also possible that they were trying to make Shiori become more social… Then again, this was only what Shiori thought, not what she knew.
This forced time apart began to make Shiori think about how odd it was when Kaname wasn't with her. She had gotten so used to him being there that she often didn't give it much thought. Now, however, it was making her nervous— for the future that is.
Shiori could admit that she's grown very attached to Kaname over the years, but despite everything, she still found it hard sometimes to see him as her actual blood-related sibling (even if that wasn't exactly the case). Maybe… Maybe— Shiori could see herself falling in love with Kaname, but definitely not now. They were much too young, and she didn't have any interest in romancing children.
Perhaps she'd grow to love him once they became older, but for now, her feelings for him would remain those of intense, platonic affection and adoration.
That much was settled, but what continued to set Shiori on edge was the possible birth of Yuki. If Yuki were to be born, a future between Shiori and Kaname would become very unlikely… or maybe shaky at best. Even if romance was not in their future, Shiori hoped that Yuki wouldn't come in between their relationship as siblings —twins— at least.
In the series, Kaname loved Yuki since they were children, and the two had even promised to marry each other. Just thinking about that possibility made Shiori fear that her place in Kaname's life would be erased— that Kaname would turn his attention to their little sister and forget about his twin completely. Her chest felt tight and she suddenly felt sick.
She definitely didn't want things to end up the same way they did between Haruka, Rido, and Juri— platonic or not. Her father and uncle had, at one point, fought over her mother— making the relationship between the three of them unstable. The end result of it all was her real brother's death, and there was no way in hell that Shiori would allow that to play out again.
If it came down to it, Shiori wouldn't fight Yuki for Kaname. She would withstand any pain if it meant her family would be safe and happy. Insecurities were hard to will away, though. So one night as Shiori was curled next to Kaname in his bed, she brought up her worries.
Nudging his chest with her forehead, Shiori caught Kaname's attention. He watched her silently, patiently waiting for her to speak up. Biting at her lip, the young girl finally spoke— her voice close to a whisper, "If we… ever get a new sibling… Would you love them more than me?"
Saying it out loud made it seem very childish; Shiori regretted speaking up instantly.
Kaname doesn't seem to think the same. Instead, his eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open as if he had been struck speechless by the question. Shiori gave him time to regain himself— much like he had done for her just a few seconds prior.
Slowly, Kaname smiled at her. His eyes crinkled, and he leaned over to peck a small kiss on the corner of her lips, "I could never love anymore more than you, Shi-chan."
"Me too…" Shiori exhaled a shaky sigh, her eyes closing as she rested her head on Kaname's chest. His hands began to gently comb her hair, soothing her even more than his words had. All too soon she was being pushed away, though, Kaname pulling her back so that he could look at her face properly.
His hands rested on her cheeks as he brought their forehead together, "You will always be the most important person to me."
Shiori was taken aback. Before she knew it, her lips were trembling and tears were silently rolling down her face. She nodded her head in understanding —relief— before curling back into Kaname's chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She fell asleep with his words still on her mind, and feeling as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.
It was one of those nice days, when the skies were clear and the weather was calm. Days like that were okay, but Shiori favored the more dreary ones when the weather was wet and damp. She found them nostalgic somehow, and preferred to nap to the sound of rain hitting the window instead of hiding in the shade of trees to get away from the sunlight.
Shiori sometimes wondered what her previous life was like, or if she had multiple lives before this one even. She would never wonder for long however, a small part of her fearing that one day if she thought too much— all of those forgotten memories would come flooding back into her mind. That meant more loss and pain that she'd have to deal with, and the girl was definitely not a masochist.
Some things were just better left forgotten.
So the young pureblood kept herself busy. Whether that 'busy' related to something productive was anyone's guess. Somedays Shiori would spend her time napping, while others she'd continuously train or study until someone drew her attention elsewhere ('Vampires can burn out, too, Shiori-chan. Don't overwork yourself!' Juri had scolded).
Of course, she wasn't too engrossed with working hard that she neglected her health and friendships.
Shiori stood before Takuma quietly, giving him her full attention. The blond was putting on a performance, sitting in the seiza position with two props in his hands, one a paper fan, and the other a small cloth. He was telling a story, a comical one at that. It wouldn't be obvious to anyone not close to her, but Shiori was feel very entertained by Takuma's efforts. He had explained before that this was called "rakugo", and that he loved to play it, or, well— perform it.
Meanwhile, Kaname idly read through a book he had brought with him to the Ichijō Estate, not really finding interested in the ones Takuma had to offer (stacks and stacks of manga volumes, with several types of dictionaries and mystery novels). Shiori herself enjoyed reading books that were in a series. In her opinion, there was no way that every single aspect of a story could be reached through one single book. Multiple books meant more room for character and plot development, whereas one book just left her feeling unsatisfied and incomplete.
Takuma ended his performance with a bow, prompting Shiori to clap her hands. A smile was on the blond's face when he sat back up, "I hope you enjoyed the performance, Shiori-chan."
"Yes, it was very funny." Shiori nodded, her blank expression never faltering.
Takuma laughed as he stood up, wanting to stretch his legs. His green eyes met Shiori's, "I'm happy to hear that. Would you like some tea now? I'd be honored to serve you some."
Shiori stared up at him, inwardly contemplating the offer before she finally came to a decision. Standing up, she shook her head, "No thank you. I'm tired."
Before Takuma could even offer a solution to that, the pureblood was flopping onto the large bed that was in the room. He blinked a few times before muffling a laugh into his hand; Shiori seemed to already be dead asleep.
xxx
Shiori stirred from her nap silently, her reddish-brown eyes blinking and immediately falling upon the body curled up next to her. However, gaining more consciousness, it'd be more accurate for her to say bodies.
Takuma and Kaname lay on either side of her, sleeping soundly. Kaname kept a hand snug around her waist, while Takuma's head rested against her shoulder. Shiori blinked a few times, taking in the odd, yet endearing scene.
The brunette smiled to herself, relaxing as she closed her eyes once again. 'In that case…'
Shiori went back to sleep.
While Kaname was sent off to hang out at the Aidō residence with Hanabusa and Akatsuki, Shiori was made to have a playdate with one Ruka Sōuen. At six-years-old, the two of them luckily still got along remarkably well— something Shiori was grateful hadn't changed.
The toffee-haired girl continued to hold affection and admiration towards Kaname, but at the same time she had yet to let jealousy and bitterness cloud her feelings towards Shiori. They were closer than ever, if anything.
"Be still, I've almost got it!"
"I'm not moving."
Ruka bit the inside of her cheek, huffing and grumbling under her breath as she continued to carefully style Shiori's hair. Her small fingers were adept at sewing, but when it came to braiding hair they became unbearably shakey. Due to this, Ruka would often stumble and lose her grip on the hair, leading her to start all over again. Shiori didn't mind, sitting quietly and with patience.
"Finished!" Ruka eventually exclaimed, tying the braid and pulling away to admire her (sloppy) handiwork. "Next, let's pick out a dress!"
Shiori shrugged with a grunt, "...No thanks."
"Tch, fine!" Ruka lightly pinched Shiori's cheek, making the pureblood frown. "I'll pick it out and you'll wear it! You're just so pretty, Shiori-chan! Take advantage of those good looks, and show off every once in awhile!"
"I'm six."
Ruka groaned and rolled her eyes, moving away to begin looking through her large wardrobe. As she sorted through the various dresses that were hung up, her brown eyes nervously peered over at Shiori, who was still sitting down obediently by Ruka's vanity. "So… Tell me about Kaname-sama."
Shiori blinked, eyeing Ruka's back when the girl quickly turned away again. "What about him?"
"I-I don't know," Her ears were tinted red from what Shiori could see. "What kind of stuff does he like...things like that."
"Hm… He likes dark chocolate candy the most."
"K-Kaname-sama likes sweets!?"
"Not really. Dark chocolate is more bitter than sweet."
"W-What about those sugar cookies I made for him last week?! Did he not like them? I had no idea he didn't like sweets…"
While Ruka seemed to be having a breakdown, Shiori was staring at her reflection in the vanity's mirror. "He ate some, but if he eats too much he'll feel ill so I took the rest. They were delicious; good job."
"I'm so embarrassed… Have I done anything that he doesn't like before…?"
"There was that one time when you pushed me down when we were playing tag."
"Th-That was an accident!"
"I know."
"But Kaname-sama doesn't and that's what's important here!"
Shiori rolled her eyes, turning around to face Ruka again. The toffee-haired girl had since given up finding a dress for her friend, and was now on the floor, slumped against her dresser. "You're stupid," Shiori decided to bluntly comment.
"Shiori-chan!" Ruka was quick to gasp, looking affronted. "How could you say something so rude?"
The pureblood merely stared, as if asking: did you expect anything different? Eventually Ruka sighed in exasperation, putting the whole thing behind her as she began to look through her clothes again. After a few more quiet minutes of searching, Ruka finally turned to face Shiori with a cute, fluffy dress in hand. The brunette eyed it dubiously as her friend approached.
Ruka put it against Shiori, eyeing the young girl to take in her appearance. "Just as I thought," She nodded to herself with a grin, "White looks really good on you. How lucky; like a blushing bride~!"
"I'm neither of those things."
"Stop ruining everything!" Ruka huffed, shoving the white dress into Shiori's hands. "Put it on!"
Shiori relented to Ruka's demand, idly wondering if her brother was faring any better with Hanabusa and Akatsuki. The redhead was easy enough to deal with, at least; much better than the two complex personalities that were Hanabusa and Ruka.
Dear Mr and Mrs Kuran-sama,
It has come to my knowledge that you are the current heads of the Kuran family, and therefore direct relatives to one, Rido Kuran. Forgive me for not contacting the both of you sooner, but my mistress has ordered me to keep her and her son's existence away from the public's knowledge.
However, as her healthy continues to get worse, I can no longer sit back and allow her to neglect her child as she pleases. Senri-kun is a beautiful young boy with his mother's coloring and his father's physical features, but due to his mother… he has not been able to express himself or venture the world outside the estate. I fear that Senri-kun will continue to withdraw within himself; he has already begun to stop showing his emotions and will not speak unless prompted to.
You may have already figured it out by now, but Senri-kun is the son of Michiru Shiki and Rido Kuran. I have never met Shiki-sama's previous lover, but I do know the extent of their history together. The information I possess may not be accurate, as I have obtained it through my own observations and through the mouths of the other maidens that I work with, but I beg that you take my words into consideration anyway.
Shiki-sama was Rido Kuran's mistress, and though she loved him deeply, he was only using her as a means to an end. I believe he only wanted an offspring, and yet he has never once showed himself to Senri-kun since the child's birth.
My mistress was once a famous and respected actress, so I am sure you know who she is. You may have noticed that she disappeared suddenly five years ago— it was due to her unexpected pregnancy. After her affair with Rido Kuran, Shiki-sama began to grow increasingly unwell, so we were forced to keep her confined within the estate. The order came directly from Shiki-sama's uncle, who helped to look after her when Rido Kuran disappeared.
As Shiki-sama's health continues to grow erratic, I find my options limited at this point. The reason I have sent you this letter, Kuran-sama, is because I would like to request your presence at the Shiki Estate. Not just the two of you, but kindly, also the presence of your beloved twins.
This is a decision I am making with Senri-kun in mind, not Shiki-sama. I wish for you to meet your nephew properly, and for your children to meet their cousin. While you are here, if you are able to console Shiki-sama, that would be excellent, but not something I require of you. I sincerely only wish for Senri-kun to return to being the young boy he used to be.
I hope to see you soon.
Sincerely,
Head Maid of the Shiki Estate; Taura Ohori
xxx
Nearly a week had passed by the time Haruka and Juri finally settled on a decision. They sent a letter back to Taura Ohori, letting the woman know that they'd arrive at the Shiki Estate in a few days, give or take. The couple were still very cautious about approaching the other family, not comfortable with the connection they had with Rido.
For all they knew, this was just an elaborate trap set-up by Rido himself, finally healed and ready to finish what he started. At the same time, however, if everything within the letter they had received was true… they did not want to sit back and allow an innocent child (one of their blood no less) to suffer at the hands of yet another victim of Rido's.
They would not go as far as to take in Senri themselves, but they would allow Kanama and Shiori to visit him, and vice versa. Haruka and Juri were aware of the influence their children had, and knew that if anyone were to make Senri's light just a bit brighter… it would be those two.
Shiori looked up at the large residence before her, impressed with the size despite being surrounded by large manors for most of her new life. From beside her, Kaname was speaking to their parents curiously, his hand in hers.
"Cousin…?" He asked as Shiori peered over to quietly monitor the conversation.
Haruka and Juri nodded at him. When Haruka went to knock on the large front doors, Juri patted Kaname's head and replied, "That's right. We're here to meet him; I'm sure you and Shiori will get along with him just fine."
"What's his name?" Shiori spoke up, feeling as if she knew exactly who this cousin was.
Juri smiled softly. "Senri Shiki," She looked to Kaname then, "His mother is Michiru Shiki; the actress that played in the old dramas your Tou-chan used to watch all the time~!"
Haruka looked over, a small frown on his face. "Juri-chan, I believe you're talking about yourself, not me."
"Am I? Whoops~!" The woman giggled impishly behind her hand, making Haruka smile fondly at her. He could never stay upset with her, that much was obvious.
Shiori smiled to herself, snorting under her breath as she looked away. Kaname turned to stare at her, his curiosity sated and leaving his attention to wander. She squeezed his hand absently, continuing to stare at the doors in front of her. Someone was approaching.
"Welcome, Kuran-sama," A maid greeted the family once she opened the door. She bowed her head, "Thank you for listening to my selfish request."
Juri and Haruka had a brief exchange with the young woman before they were all welcomed inside. Kaname pulled Shiori by the hand, taking the lead as he followed after their parents.
"Shiki-sama has locked herself in her room, but you are welcome to try and coax her out of it if you like. Senri-kun is in the library, studying like his mother requested."
Haruka glanced back at Kaname and Shiori, "I think it'd be best if Shiori and Kaname met their cousin while we chat with Shiki-san." Juri nodded along with her husband, reaching to place a hand on Shiori and Kaname's shoulders.
Shiori allowed herself to be ushered in the direction of the library, recalling how Senri's mother was initially unstable within the series. Knowing that, she had no problem with never meeting the probably dangerous woman.
"Here we are," The maid opened the large double doors that led to the library. "Senri-kun, the Kuran family is here."
Shiori stood rooted to the spot as she watched a young boy, no older than five, appear from behind one of the many shelves within the library. He had short, mahogany hair that matched his mother's. His eyes… They were a lightly-tinted blue that resembled Rido's right eye significantly.
Shiori stiffened when her gaze connected with Senri's, memories of the night her original twin was sacrificed suddenly clear in her mind. She looked away, breaking eye contact quickly.
Kaname's brows furrowed at his sister's obvious discomfort. The boy was quick to try and redirect Senri's attention to himself instead. "It's nice to meet you," He greeted with a polite smile, "I'm Kaname Kuran and this is my sister, Shiori."
"These are your cousins, Senri-kun," The maid added helpfully with a nod.
Juri and Haruka introduced themselves right after, stepping forward with kind and reassuring smiles on their faces. Shiori watched as Senri stared blankly throughout the whole scene, never once reacting to what was going on. She'd be creeped out if she was anyone else, but Shiori was also someone who rarely expressed emotions, so Senri's behavior was nothing new, in her opinion.
Of course, Juri and Haruka weren't unnerved by their nephew's blank stare either, far too used to seeing the same look on Shiori's face. Instead, they simply took it in stride, remarking how it was nice to finally meet him, and that he was always welcome to come over to their own residence whenever he wanted.
"We're going to go meet Shiki-san, now," Juri said as she patted Shiori and Kaname on the cheek. "You three have fun, okay? Behave." As if they really needed to be told that.
Juri, Haruka, and the maid that had brought them to the library disappeared soon after that, leaving the three children alone.
Kaname remained polite, turning to try and initiate some small talk with the younger boy. Shiori watched the attempt half-heartedly from the corner of her eye, a bit more focused on the various books that surrounded them.
'I wonder if they have anything good in here...' She thought to herself, tempted to wander off and leave Kaname to handle Senri. She was curious to get to know this new character, but at the same time she wasn't sure if she'd be able to handle someone so similar to herself. It was more like she didn't know how to handle someone whose personality shared such similarities to her own.
"Shi-chan," The girl looked up when she felt Kaname tug at her sweater, a tight smile on his face. "I hope you're not planning to run off."
Shiori shook her head, but it was obvious to her that Kaname had sensed her intentions right away. With a roll of her eyes, Shiori faced Senri. The mahogany-haired boy was watching them with indifference, his hands twitching at his sides as if he'd rather be off reading than interacting with them.
Shiori couldn't blame him.
Fishing for something inside the pocket of her sweater, Shiori pulled out several pieces of wrapped candy. "Here," she presented them to Senri, "White chocolate."
It was her way of trying to break the ice, and maybe make the young boy feel more comfortable. Her attempt seemed to work somewhat, because Senri tentatively took one of the candies from her outstretched hand, though he made no move to eat it. "Thank you," was his quiet response.
Kaname smiled, relieved to see that Senri wouldn't be impossible to interact with. Shiori seemed to be able to handle him just fine.
"Should we play a game?" Shiori asked, looking up at Kaname, and then to Senri. She didn't sound too excited at the idea, but looked ready to tolerate any activity if it led to a better relationship with their newfound cousin.
"...No thanks," Senri seemed to share the same thoughts as Shiori; their similarities made Kaname smile. Maybe if their cousin looked more like Shiori, people would mistake Senri for Shiori's twin instead of himself. Kaname resembled Shiori somewhat, but her hair was darker and messier, not to mention her eyes had a more brownish tint than his own.
"We don't have to do anything if you don't want to. Just sitting down and reading would be okay with us."
Shiori nodded in agreement to Kaname's words. Senri nodded too, but more so in understanding. The younger boy turned on his heel and disappeared amongst the many bookshelves. Shiori wasn't far behind him, thus Kaname was left to trail behind the two.
"You like to read?" Shiori asked once the three of them finally come to a stop.
Senri shrugged, plopping down on one of the cushioned chairs that was tucked in the corner. It was placed right beside a window, allowing the setting sun to shine through and provide some warmth to his skin. Shiori noted that he seemed more relaxed now; his shoulders slumped and eyes half-lidded. She hid a snort beneath her hand, and didn't even flinch when Senri's eyes snapped up to meet her's.
"You come here to sleep?"
Senri nodded, shifting slightly when Shiori sat down in the seat beside him. Kaname remained standing, aware that his presence had been somewhat forgotten at this point. He didn't mind too much, taking the time to observe his cousin and sister's interaction.
"It's quiet here," The youngest supplied. It helped to get away from everything.
Shiori nodded, acknowledging the unsaid words for what they were. "That's okay," She hummed, eyes closing as she got more comfortable in the chair. "I like quiet places, too."
I understand.
Senri watched Shiori closely, blinking slowly as he began to fully take her in. "Yeah," He said finally in a soft voice. The candy in his hands rustled as he opened it and stuck it between his lips.
xxx
The Kurans left the Shiki Estate with the promise to visit again, as well as extending an open invitation for Senri to come over whenever he liked. Unsurprisingly, Senri seemed to take to Shiori the most out of the twins. That didn't mean their comfort levels were high, but it did mean that their cousin was willing to open up around them and let them in (or just Shiori, at the least).
Kaname wasn't too irritated or concerned with that fact, not seeing a threat in the younger male. In Kaname's eyes, Senri was just a young boy who lived with an abusive and twisted mother, who had damaged him to the point of becoming doll-like. Oh, and he liked sweets.
On the way home, Shiori replayed the visit in her mind, and accessed what she could remember from it all. So far it appeared that Senri was the exact same as he was within the original series, which made things easier to predict and deal with in the future. She didn't particularly mind if she'd managed to get in her cousin's good graces or not, but obtaining a new friend was always fun.
They had thought the rest of the day was to go on as usual; Juri and Haruka taking care of the pureblood duties while Kaname and Shiori either studied or lazied around. However, instead of going straight back to their unofficial routine, Kaname and Shiori were whisked off to the living room as soon as they returned home to have some tea and cakes with their parents.
An event like this wasn't unusual, but it normally popped up casually instead of abruptly. This obviously meant that Juri and Haruka had some news for them…
Shiori kept quiet, playing along with her parents' attempt to ease them into whatever it was that they wanted to speak about. Kaname did the same, but he was obviously suspicious, if the furrow of his eyebrows were any indication.
"Did you have fun today?" Juri asked as she poured everyone a cup of tea. Peppermint; Shiori's least favorite. If Haruka and Juri were trying to bribe her, they were doing a poor job.
"Yes, we enjoyed getting to meet Senri-kun." Kaname answered for himself and Shiori; she nodded in agreement. "When will we get to see him again?" The brunet asked, more for his sister than himself.
"Perhaps next week…?" Haruka replied, glancing to his wife for confirmation.
She nodded with a grin, "Next week will be a perfect time! However, that's not what we really wanted to talk to you about."
"Okaa-sama is something wrong?" Shiori spoke up, her face scrunched up in concern. Kaname shared the same expression.
Juri chuckled, waving away her children's concern. "Everything is just fine; there's no need to worry! Your Otou-san and I just wanted to let you both know something…" The woman took her husband's hand.
"...What…?" Kaname trailed off cautiously.
"Shiori, Kaname— You're going to be a big brother and sister!"
author's note: quick note that since this universe of vampire knight is an alternate one, events that happened in canon may take place earlier or later than expected.. or maybe not at all~ not only that but an alternate reality will mean that there is a high chance for new and different events/threats to appear. so keep that in mind!
once again, a billion thanks to my awesome and patient beta: fortheloveofb !
story rec: "stars and shadows" written by guilty . ink
