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chapter five - keep me for eternity
Kaien was nothing like the man in Shiori's memories. She remembered a fun and bubbly man, not this cold one who seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face. His head wound had been cleaned up, but he still managed to look worse for wear. Maybe they should have offered him a shower as well?
Now, in the parlor, Kaien was seated across from the Kurans with a grumpy expression. His arms were crossed and his eyes wouldn't meet any of theirs. All in all, Shiori thought his attitude was a lot like Zero's.
"Are you really Okaa-sama's friend?" Kaname asked, curious, but also suspicious of this stranger. "She has never mentioned you."
The blond man snorted, looking to Juri with a dry expression. "Something like that…"
Juri rolled her eyes at the man. "Of course he's my friend!" She smirked. "A friend that I just happen to keep beating up."
Kaien frowned at the woman's smug look, and opened his mouth to say something when Shiori decided to interrupt. This question had been on her mind since Kaien had walked through the door.
"Why are you here?"
Juri laughed into her hand, giving a sweet smile as she spoke. "Well, we happened to bump into each other while I was on my nightly stroll—" Haruka scowled at her. "—And after I beat his ass— I mean, after he got hurt— I decided to invite him over as an apology."
Begrudgingly, Kaien nodded. He didn't have the energy —it seemed— to defend himself, so he simply went along with Juri's confession.
With that, Kaname and Shiori's attention was now on the mysterious stranger. Though Shiori had an image of him already in her head, she had never been exposed to the man that existed before Yuki and Zero entered the picture.
While the adults continued to talk (mainly with Juri teasing Kaien, and Haruka watching with an amused expression), Kaname and Shiori listened quietly, still trying to get a read on this stranger. Kaname would sometimes pop in with a question, but Shiori remained silent the whole time.
xxx
It was the next day when Shiori saw Kaien again.
The man had been offered a guest room for the night, but had stubbornly taken a couch in the parlor instead. That wasn't where Shiori came across him, however. Instead, it was in the gardens that she found the man.
It was January, so the weather didn't leave much to see. There were only a scarce few winter flowers planted amongst the estate, and yet, Kaien was out here anyway. As Shiori got closer, she could finally take a look at what the other was admiring so intensely.
"Those are helleborus," she said, peering around him and at the dark purple flowers.
"I see." Kaien didn't even flinch, continuing to stare at the flowers known as christmas roses.
Shiori cocked her head to the side curiously, watching the man as he gazed at the flowers with an expression full of longing. Without another word, she bent down and carefully snapped one off the ground.
"What—?" Kaien suddenly said, watching her with wide, surprised eyes. His confusion only doubled when the flower was held out to him.
"Since you seem to like it so much…" Shiori nodded to the flower in her hands.
Gingerly, Kaien took the flower, still a little taken aback by Shiori's actions. He twirled it around by the stem, admiring it before slipping it into his pocket. "Thank you…"
Shiori shrugged, continuing to stare at the tall man before bluntly saying, "What are you?"
"Excuse me?" Once again, Kaien found himself at a loss for words. This was definitely Juri's daughter; they were both anomalies.
At his question, the young brunette scrunched her nose as she smells him again. "Your scent. It's human, but I smell a vampire, too."
"Oh," Kaien was visibly relieved that that's all it was. He was afraid the girl was going to pop off with something strange again. "Well— I am a vampire hunter."
"Ah," Shiori nodded in understanding, not in the least bit frightened by the news, and looked back at the flowers. She could remember the history of the vampire hunters very vaguely. There were two versions: what people were told, and the truth. For now, she could only play dumb and go along with the false information fed to her from books. "It's said your ancestors ate vampires, and their powers were passed down from there."
Kaien smiled knowingly, his gruff demeanor fading even more. "Afraid I will eat you, little one?"
The girl frowned. "No."
"And why is that?"
With a huff, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, Shiori said, "Because that would be rude."
The hunter laughed.
Despite having a short-lived "moment" with Kaien, Shiori didn't get to see that soft side much. He had become a more frequent face in her life since that fateful night in January, but, even still, his attitude remained aloof and stoic. She idly wondered if his hatred for vampires still burned through him, and that maybe Juri still needed to beat it out of him.
However, he would sometimes put his guard down at random moments, always managing to surprise Kaname and Shiori when a genuine laugh left his lips. The hunter got along well with their parents, his respect for them clear.
Kaien was always awkward around Kaname and Shiori, however, much to Juri's amusement. She liked to tell him that this was practise for when he had children of his own, and Shiori felt a sadness within her when she thought of what the future might hold.
Shiori decided to help assist in getting Kaien a little more relaxed around her. The moment in the garden obviously wasn't enough, so she would just have to force him to get used to her presence and personality in general.
"Can you teach me how to fight?"
"Fight?"
While Kaien was in the gardens, relaxing on a bench with a book in his hands, Shiori had ambushed him with this request. She knew that now was the perfect time for it, because the man was always the most relaxed when he visited this place.
She made a silent promise to create a garden for him one day.
"I'm sure your parents are already teaching you plenty—"
"They've taught me self-defense, but not how to fight with an anti-vampire weapon."
His eyebrows furrowed. "An anti-vampire weapon? You can't—" Shiroi gave him a pointed look, and Kaien shook his head with a small smile. "I see that your unruly hair isn't the only thing you've inherited from your mother."
Shiori clicked her tongue at the jab at her hair, but nevertheless was pleased with the proud air Kaien seemed to have around him. Proud at what, Shiori wasn't really sure.
"Will you teach me?" Shiori asked once again, returning Kaien's attention to her and away from his thoughts.
"No, I won't." Before Shiori could even bother to ask, Kaien nodded to the door leading back inside the estate. Inside, Shiori could see her mother talking to Kaname about something.
'Oh.' She thought in realization.
Kaien nodded, as if reading her thoughts. "I imagine that teaching you how to fight with anti-vampire weapons is something your mother will want to do."
"Hn," Shiori grunts. "You're right."
The blond seemed to watch Shiori for a moment, as if considering something. He seemed to come to a decision, because he finally broke the silence. "I can get you a weapon of your own, however."
xxx
After Kaien offered to help Shiori acquire her own anti-vampire weapon, the girl expected him to arrive the next day with said weapon in tow. Instead, Kaien didn't show up at all— or the day after; or the week after.
Shiori was ready to give up hope after a whole month had passed. Kaname was constantly hovering over her shoulder, sensing her foul mood. Shiori would normally take his attention in stride —return it, even—but currently she was too lost in her thoughts to even glance at the boy.
'Did he run away?' Shiori thought to herself, staring blankly at the open book in her lap. 'Why?'
As her eyebrows furrowed, a finger poked her forehead as if to will away the expression. Shiori was startled out of her thoughts, slowly blinking up at Kaname. He smiled warmly down at her, though she could clearly see the concern in his eyes.
"Shi-chan, what's been bothering you?"
The question triggered a loud sigh. Kaname raised an eyebrow in question, watching Shiori close her book and toss it to the side. He expected her to vent to him, but also wasn't too surprised when she changed the topic instead.
"Kana-chan, my throat burns."
"I'm not surprised. You've been keeping to yourself lately— You can't feed if you're by yourself."
For awhile in this new life, Shiori wondered why she hadn't gone crazy from the lack of blood. Not once had she or Kaname had to drink blood; which confused her, because in the series… vampires drank blood to survive.
Shiori had asked her mother: Why don't me and Kana-chan drink blood?
Juri seemed surprised by the question, but realized that this was a topic she had never brought up with her children before. After a simple explanation, Shiori was told that since her fangs had yet to come in, her and Kaname could not drink blood. Instead, they got the sustenance they needed through touch.
With that in mind, Shiori knew she would never go hungry with her brother around.
"Sorry…" Shiori said softly, holding her arms open.
Kaname smiled, sitting down beside Shiori before taking her in his arms. They sat in there for awhile, simply snuggling into each other's warmth. Shiori was already beginning to grow drowsy, and the fact Kaname had begun to gently run his fingers through her hair didn't help.
"Was your throat hurting, too?" Shiori asked quietly after awhile.
"Yes," Kaname answered easily, as if the fact didn't bother him at all. It bothered Shiroi, however, because she knew it was her fault. Just as she usually relied on him to give her energy, he also relied on her.
"I'm sorry."
Kaname's grip on her tightened, and he buried his face in her hair. "It's okay, Shi-chan— I'll always forgive you."
For some reason, the innocent words made Shiori's heart ache.
Kaien returned a week before his disappearance hit the "two month" mark.
Juri gave the man hell for suddenly falling off the face of the earth like that, but was otherwise happy that her friend was in good health. Haruka gave the man a much more calm welcome, hugging him briefly before leaving him to reunite with Shiori and Kaname.
"You're back," Shiori said bluntly, honestly a little surprised to see the man again.
Kaname's greeting was much more polite. "It's nice to see you again, Cross-san."
Kaien nodded, gruff expression ever present on his face as he returned the peasantries. Soon after, Kaname excused himself, catching the hint that the man wanted to speak to his twin. Before, the thought of leaving a vampire hunter alone with his sister was a nightmare in itself, but the man had earned his family's trust and Kaname didn't see why he shouldn't extend his own as well.
Before Shiori could say anything, Kaien was pulling out a rectangular case from a bag she hadn't even noticed he was carrying.
"Just so you know, obtaining a weapon for an unregistered hunter is not easy or quick." He pushed the box into Shiori's hands. "This is what took me so long, so you better appreciate it, little one."
The weapons Kaien had personally gotten for Shiori were two beautiful daggers. They were light and thin, the blade a beautiful golden color and were in the shape of a classic wooden stake. Intricate carvings were in the metal of the blade, making them even more unique. The hilts of the daggers were black and bejeweled.
"They're—"
"Perfect? I know; they were created just for you." Kaien placed a hand on her head. "I had to get them specially made, since there were no unclaimed weapons left."
Shiori was still at a loss for words, her mouth agape as she continued to stare in awe at the daggers. Finally, looking up to meet Kaien's hazel eyes, she said, "Thank you…"
Kaien smirked, gently knocking her on the side of her head. "You can thank me by using those blades to do good."
"Protect the ones you love" went unsaid, but was clearly heard.
xxx
Now that she had a weapon of her own, Juri decided it was time to teach Shiori how to fight with them. Otherwise, the poor daggers would simply gather dust in the twins' shared room.
It was a little tricky at first. Shiori had experience fighting without a weapon, but now she had to focus on the weights in her hands. She had to learn how to hold them correctly, how to block with them and etc.
Juri wasn't the best of teachers, seeing as her and Shiori's weapons were entirely different, and thus required different techniques. Juri wanted this to be something she and Shiori did together, however, and refused to find a proper expert.
Despite the difficulties, Shiori wasn't doing too bad. What Juri couldn't teach, Shiori figured out on her own through trial and error. Plus, this helped her fight against someone who used a different weapon than her; it was giving her some experience.
Eventually, Juri had to stop teaching her. Her stomach was extremely big, and the woman seemed more tired than usual. Also, according to the warnings Haruka whispered to Shiori and Kaname one morning, Juri was cranky as well.
"I think the baby is coming soon," Kaname said happily one evening. He was obviously more excited for another sibling than Shiori was.
'Ignorance is bliss,' She couldn't but think, watching Kaname smile as he sewed the finishing touches of his latest project. The said project had begun as soon as he found out their mother was pregnant, and the end result would be an… interesting looking stuffed bat. It was cute, so Shiori would give him an "A" for effort.
Kaname obviously didn't share her aptitude for sewing.
"Me too," Shiori agreed quietly, hoping for the best as she gazed at her brother's smiling face.
It finally happened on a rainy day in March.
Juri, Haruka, and a trusted wet nurse weren't there to appreciate the rain, however. They're in the basement, preparing for the birth to take place. The room had been prepared months in advance for this day, designed to be comfortable for both Juri and the baby. Not only would it be the place where Yuki was born, but it would also remain the young girl's residence for five years— then Rido would show up, and their quiet life would be torn apart.
Shiori had noticed that during the months leading up to Yuki's birth, their family had become more withdrawn from the vampire society. She suspected that Rido was involved in her parents' growing paranoia— possibly getting into the heads of the Vampire Council. Asato Ichijō would eventually be loyal to that twisted man, so it wouldn't surprise her if Rido managed to gain more lackeys.
Speaking of her family becoming reclusive, and also the mention of her uncle… Shiori's mind put something together as she remembered small things that had happened in the past months that she didn't think were significant in anyway until now.
Though the Kurans were becoming more private than usual, limiting their contact to the outside world (namely the political side of things)— Shiori noticed that she was being restricted a whole lot more compared to the other members of her family.
Whenever she wanted to go out, she was either denied the request completely— or she would have the company of her father or Kaien (whenever he dropped by for a visit). She hadn't been allowed to visit any of her friends recently, nor were they allowed to come to the estate instead. Senri, especially, wasn't allowed to come into contact with her.
After questioning Kaname, however, she learned that he still saw their group of friends at least once a month. He even got to leave the house when he wanted to (albeit with a guardian as well) without having to deal with much fuss.
It was obvious to her now, that Shiori was being put under house arrest. Whether this be for her own safety, or her parents' peace of mind, she didn't know. She did, however, know that it had everything to do with Rido and the Vampire Council by extension.
With an inward sigh, Shiori focused back on the current reality— While the adults were not present to appreciate the rain, Shiori and Kaname were.
They sat together at the window seat in their room; Kaname reading quietly, while Shiori was curled into his side. She stared absently out the window, focusing on nothing but her twin's breathing and the sound of rainfall.
Though Kaname was quiet, Shiori could tell he was excited and anticipating the birth of his new sibling. He would often glance up at their room's door, as if willing someone to come through and tell them it was time to come see the baby.
Shiori felt anxious. Not of the birth inprogress, but of the future.
"Shiori, Kaname." The door opened and Haruka stood in the doorway with a soft smile on his face. He looked tired, but happy nonetheless. "Would you like to see your new sibling?"
Kaname and Shiori stood up, the former more eager than the latter, and let their father lead them down into the basement. Juri was there, holding the baby in her arms. Like Haruka, she looked exhausted, but still so very beautiful. The wet nurse stood away from them, giving the family some time to coo over the new arrival.
"Shiori-chan, Kaname-kun~" Juri greeted them, shifting the bundle in her arms to reveal the baby's slumbering face to them. Kaname practically melted, a huge grin on his face as he gently took a hold of the baby's hand. Shiori stood by his side, smiling softly as she caressed the infant's face.
'Yuki is very cute,' she decided.
"This is Yuki," Haruka introduced as he sat down beside Juri. "Your new baby brother."
The whole world seemed to freeze as Haruka said those words. Shiori visibly stiffened, her hand frozen from where it rested against Yuki's —her brother's?— cheek.
'Yuki is a boy. Yuki is a boy,' Shiori's thoughts continued to race, 'A boy.'
This was not right. This was not how the story went— Her panicking subsided slightly when she remembers that she shouldn't even be here. So, Yuki being a different gender should hardly surprise her.
It was apparent that her worry of being in an alternate universe instead of the original was well founded. The tiny form of a male Yuki Kuran was proof of that fact.
Shiori regained herself before anyone took notice, and with trembling hands, continued to gently pet Yuki's cheek. The infant's face scrunched up a little, but other than that, he remained asleep.
Though the brunette didn't expect Haruka and Juri to notice her stumble, she knew that Kaname probably did and glanced at him to gauge his reaction.
Kaname's expression was blank.
With concern evident on her face, she quietly whispered to him, "Kaname…?"
The boy seemed to startle out of a trance at her words, blinking his eyes rapidly and standing taller. He looked at her, and his eyes were so odd. They no longer held the innocence that they used to, and were instead replaced with something much more aged and wise.
"Sorry, Shi-chan, I was lost in my thoughts." Kaname apologized, shooting her a small smile that was so obviously forced she wanted to throttle the boy for even trying to lie. Before she could say anything else, he returned his attention to Yuki, trying to play the part of the excited big brother.
Just a second ago, this wouldn't have been a feeling that Kaname would have to act. It would have been a sincere and genuine thing, but now it all felt so… fake and disgusting.
Shiori was openingly frowning now.
"Something wrong, Shi-chan?" Kaname asked.
Shiori doesn't reply.
Kaname has reawakened his memories, that much is obvious.
Shiori could tell just by watching his stilted movements. Before, everything he did was genuine. Now, it was all staged and thought out. It was like Kaname was trying to mimic the way he acted before, not wanting to give anything away.
She didn't know why, seeing as the fact he was not the true Kaname was already known to everyone— Shiori suddenly remembered. She wasn't supposed to know these things; her parents may know, but they never told her. They wanted her to live in blissful ignorance of the fate of her twin, but she was never that lucky it seemed.
Shiori wanted to pull Kaname aside and tell him everything so he would stop forcing up a mask whenever he interacted with her. All of his love was still there; his affectionate gestures were all real but he seemed more careful than before. Kaname was much more mindful now.
Overall, the seven-year-old was feeling a bit overwhelmed.
First, the threat of her family's future hung over her head with the kickstarter of Yuki's birth. To add to that little smudge, Yuki was not the gender he identified as in the series, and was instead born as a male.
Was this the universe trying to balance out Shiori's birth? Or did it mean nothing at all? Would Rido still come after Yuki for the same reasons as he did in canon, or would he have a different goal in mind for Yuki this time around? Was Yuki even a blimp on Rido's radar at all?
The last thing Shiori was worrying about, was her twin —ergo, ancestor— and the fact he felt like an entirely different person at times. It was like a slap in the face, waking Shiori up from her fantasy world. Kaname's regaining his memories was a reminder that he was never her actual brother from the beginning. He had always been this person; his suppressed memories had just been hiding it.
All this resulted in the girl silently pulling herself away from her family, namely Kaname and Yuki. This was an obvious change in Juri and Haruka's eyes, as the time Shiori would often spend with Kaname, was now being spent with them instead.
They didn't mind their daughter's presence; they were just concerned for the reason behind it.
When not consuming herself with Juri and Haruka's attention, Shiori spent her time reading books in the library (eventually resulting in her taking a nap), training with her daggers, and exploring the Kuran's garden.
Kaname, with his mastered perception, quickly picked up on the fact she was avoiding him.
Obviously, he didn't know the actual reason why, but the assumption everyone had decided on was that Shiori wasn't taking Yuki's arrival as well as they thought, and was distancing herself from her siblings as a way to cope.
It was a little off the mark, but Shiori decided to roll with it as Kaname confronted her while she was in the library.
"Where have you been?"
Shiori didn't even look up from her book. "Here."
She could practically feel Kaname's small smile. "Do you think that's funny?" Shiori only shrugged, prompting a sigh from the older pureblood. "Why have you been avoiding me— us. You haven't visited Yuki, either."
Again, Shiori gave a wordless shrug, not knowing how to respond to such a loaded question.
"Come here," Kaname said, holding out a hand to her. "I'm sure he misses his big sister."
"Fine." She glanced up at him and sighed, marking her place in her book. As she placed it down, Kaname smiled smugly, knowing he'd gotten his way.
With a frown on her face, Shiori took Kaname's hand, allowing him to lead her to the basement— which was now known as Yuki's bedroom.
"You don't have to look so smug," She muttered, much to Kaname's amusement.
Yuki was even more adorable when he was awake. Awake and not crying, that is. Shiori had to step out of the room more than once when the infant started bawling, her ears not able to withstand the harsh noise.
Kaname was, unsurprisingly, a natural when it came to comforting Yuki. He easily fell into the role of "awesome big brother" and Shiori was thankful for it; if it was just her— Yuki would be stuck crying until someone else came around.
"See?" Kaname said with a grin. "I told you he missed you."
"I guess…" Shiori rolled her eyes, but smiled nevertheless. Yuki was in her arms now, making unintelligible noises as he gripped a strand of her hair in one hand, and her finger in the other. She sighed when the infant pulled her brown hair a little too hard, withholding a flinch. "You're lucky you're cute," she said teasingly to her baby brother.
"He really is." Kaname stood beside her and Shiori could feel his eyes on her.
After awhile of just appreciating Yuki, Shiori and Kaname eventually returned to their room when a servant came in to take care of the child.
"Thank you," Shiori said to Kaname, feeling relaxed and comforted around him for the first time since that rainy day in March.
"For what?" Kaname asked, though it was obvious to her that he knew exactly what.
Shiori hummed to herself, thinking of what words to say. "For caring."
"You don't have to thank me for something I'll always do."
"Maybe." She wrapped her arms around him, to which he returned the gesture instinctively. "I just want you know that I can see you do it— That I know you care, and that I care, too."
"You make me happy," Kaname unexpectedly said.
Though, caught off guard, Shiori remained a firm weight in Kaname's arms. The brunette buried her face into Kaname's neck to hide her happiness. "Me too."
Kaname could read her like an open book, however, and only held onto her tighter.
author's note: i can't believe this is only chapter five. it feels like chapter five hundred with how long it's taking me to crank out these chapters.
also hold the phone, this story has over one thousand follows/favorites. i am literally gonna cry, this is an achievement! i remember when i first started posting up here in 2012. my writing was shit and it was literal copy-n-paste stories with my OP original characters. now i'm here, and it feels.. so surreal. this is inspiring. everyone thank you so much for being here and sticking with me, even though i go mia so much. no one in my irl bubble of people read my stories, but to see that over 1,000 other people are. i- just wow! HUGE THANK YOU, ONCE AGAIN! i love you guys, and i probably don't deserve you, but i'm still thankful for ya regardless.
this chapter was beta'd by fortheloveofb so plenty of thanks!
story rec: "eternal knight" by missscarlettj
