FMVampire Lover: haha, right? I'd probably be the first one on the plane! ;p I hope you enjoy the chapter! :D I think you might like it! :D

mspyrrha: Haha, I like your comment about him being Mr. Sadistic!

hellokitty70705: XD Choice two would probably be Laito's favorite! Unlimited kissing wherever he wanted! XD As for your question, there will likely be some in the future. It is Laito, after all. (: Haha, don't be afraid to share your opinion or ask me anything. (: I don't mind! Thank you! (: I try to update fairly quickly, though I slack from time to time. I like to write, so a lot of them are usually decently long. I agree about wanting longer chapters. It feels like a lot happens when there is more. (: I hope that you enjoy this chapter! :D

Nonami: Thank you so much! :D I'm glad that you like both the story and Mai! I try not to bash on any character. (: I'm glad that you believe I've kept them mostly in character! I like the characters for who they are, so I try my hardest to keep them that way. (: Haha, you aren't the only sadist! Haha that was probably my favorite part. (: For some reason, I can see Laito being more mentally/emotionally abusive than any of the other brothers, so I kinda went for that approach. No worries! I don't plan to make her super powerful or out rank Yui. (: She's just like you said. An outsider who was caught up in the current and dragged along for the ride. (:

Thank you for reading! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! :D


She rips the pepper spray out of her pocket, but his hand closes around hers. She barely represses the hiss of pain when he squeezes so tightly that she's afraid that he'll break her fingers. She stubbornly glares up at him. There was no way she would willingly let him see how scared she was. He leans down until his face is inches from hers. He was wearing a playful smile that only served to ignite fury in the pit of her stomach. She tries to focus on that rather than the mind numbing fear. His voice is low, almost seductive. "I'll make it easy for you. Whoever makes it to ten points win, regardless of which choice you make. Now, what's your choice?"

She still hadn't chosen, but it looked like she was being quickly backed into a corner. She takes a deep breath and tries to keep the pain from her voice. "I chose the last one."

His face lights up, which makes her instantly regret her choice. He seemed way too happy for comfort. "Good! Let's start! What instrument do I play?"

She stares at him completely dumbfounded. He releases her hand and turns his back to her. Hope helps to calm the fear and cool the fire of her anger. He was underestimating her. She considers hitting him over the back of the head with something, but she misses her chance when he steps out of her reach. She mentally berates herself for not taking advantage of his arrogance. She casts her eyes around the room, trying to find something that would suit him. Most rich people played the violin, right? She turns her gaze back on him. "The violin?"

He clicks his tongue. He slowly makes his way toward the piano. The closer he gets to it, the more her heart sinks. He finally sits at it. She flinches when he starts to play. She wouldn't admit, but his music sounded beautiful. She listens to the haunting melody that he's playing in silence. It was almost unbelievable that someone as cruel as him could produce such a beautiful sound. It hits her that she recognized the song. It was the haunting melody that was playing when she had her stuff stolen, and she had run into Kanato on the staircase. She flinches at the thought that she could have been in this very situation months earlier, only naive to Laito's true nature. She closes her eyes. Asking her what instrument he played was cheating. It wasn't like they were close. In fact, this whole game was cheating. She didn't know much about Laito.

If he wanted to be unfair, she could too. She would ask some less than personal questions, but it'd still be stuff that no one in school, aside from maybe Yui, knew. She confidently opens her eyes and asks, "What is my favorite movie?"

He doesn't pause his song. His back was to her, so she couldn't see the reaction on his face, but she had no desire to approach him. Still, she found herself curious if he was stumped. "It's a toss up between Stay Alive and Dawn of the Dead."

A mind numbing shock runs through her body. How did he know that? A creepy feeling fills her chest. He doesn't seem to notice, though she didn't really expect him to, since he hadn't even looked back at her. "What are the names of all of my brothers?"

She feels confident for a moment. She tries to show her confidence in her voice. "Ayato, Kanato, and….."

Her mind blanks. She frantically searches her mind. "Ummm….. Shuu?"

She feels a sense of relief. She had only met him a short while ago. Her panic was clouding her mind. She just needed to relax. He had gotten one answer right. She had missed the first one. That didn't mean that he was going to win. She just needed to try harder to keep him from scoring anymore points. To her relief, she sees him nod his head. That relief disappears when he asks, "and the other two?"

She feels her panic set in. She was trying to think if Yui had mentioned the last two by name. She couldn't remember Yui mentioning either brother. In fact, the two typically tried to avoid talking about the Sakamakis. Mai decides that taking a guess was better than admitting that she didn't know. "Kyo and… Umm….."

He chuckles, and she feels dread swell in her stomach. His hands stop, drawing a note out. Once it dies down, he says. "Reiji and Subaru. I have three points now, sweetheart."

She flinches. She wasn't losing horribly, but she couldn't help but think this was still unfair. Her mind scrambles for a question that he shouldn't know an answer to. She was sure that she hadn't talked about this with anyone for quite a while. "What is my favorite mythical creature?"

He doesn't miss a beat. He just picks up playing a different, slightly sadder song. "Dragons."

She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that he knew that answer. He casts a flirtatious look back at her. He turns his attention back to the piano before him. "You are losing horribly. My question. What is my favorite snack food?"

She glances at the door. This would be the perfect time make her way toward it. She could hear him humming something under his breath, but she just assumed it was some lyrics that went along with what he was playing. She starts to inch her way toward the door. The game didn't seem as important. She was already down by four points, and he seemed to know stuff about her that he shouldn't. It sent a chill down her spine. She says the first thing she can think of. "Pudding."

Laito lets out a chuckle. His head slowly starts to shake. She was desperately fighting the panic that was building up. He was already halfway to finishing, and she hadn't scored a single point against him. "Macaroons."

She was closing in on the door. She just needed to distract him a little longer. She was thankful that he was playing the piano. It helped to hide her footsteps. She asks the first thing that comes to mind. "What's my favorite food?"

He actually takes a moment to respond. It made her heart race with hope instead of fear. Maybe he didn't know the answer to this one. His voice is low so low that she almost misses his next word. "Seafood."

A cold sweat breaks out over her body. This was just too creepy. She can't hold back her questions anymore. She had to know how he knew this information. "How do you know this stuff? Are you stalking me?"

He pulls his hands from the piano. Silence settles in the room. He didn't turn to look at her. Instead, his gaze moves toward the partially covered window. "It's easy to know stuff about people if you just pay attention to them. That's six points."

"Fuck your game, you freak!" Mai snaps. The only thing she could think of was getting out the door. She was already so close to it. She reaches out to grab it. The handle doesn't turn. In her panic, she hadn't see that he had locked it. She quickly reaches out and unlocks the door before ripping it open. Warning bells were going off in her head. He hadn't tried to stop her once. In fact, he had started playing once more. His voice has a chilling edge. "If you leave without finishing the game, there will be consequences."

"Go to hell!" She practically yells at him before she bolts out the door. It felt like his beautiful song was haunting her. She didn't want to go to school anymore. She would tell her parents that she was sorry, but she would just drop out. She'd figure something else in order to go on to college. In her rush to get away from Laito, she stumbles on the stairs and slips down a few of them on her butt. It jars her wounds, making tears well up in her eyes. This was just a horrible nightmare. She would wake up, and everything would be fine.

She scrambles to her feet and continues on down the stairs. She rounds the corner, almost colliding with a female student that she didn't know. She mutters an apology before she steps around to continue running. Her heart stops when the girl's hand wraps painfully around her wrist, aggravating the bruise that Laito had already left on her wrist days earlier. She turns to snap at the girl, but she finds that the girl's eyes are glossy, like they weren't even real. She is too stunned to prevent the girl from swinging her body around as if she didn't weigh anything. Mai's back painfully collides with a set of lockers. Tears spring to her eyes when she feels all of her bruises hurting. The girl's hand reaches for Mai's throat. They successfully wrap around her throat and cut off Mai's air supply. Mai wants to reach up and grab the girl's hands, but she knows it won't do any good. Instead, she slams both of her fists into the girl's elbows from below as hard as she can to try hyperextend them. She flinches with it doesn't even seem to bother the girl.

It was like the girl didn't feel anything that Mai did to her. Mai had tried to stomp on her foot, even pushes so hard on her knee that she's sure she is about to break it. Black was creeping into her vision. She aims a weak punch at the girl's side. Her body suddenly slumps to the floor, gasping for breath. The girl was sitting hunched over Mai's body awkwardly. It set a jolt of fear through her body. She knew her punch hadn't hit hard enough to do that. In fact, she was sure she had missed, and her knuckles had grazed the girl. She pushes the girl. The girl felt oddly stiff, which just served to make Mai panic even more. She twists, crawls out from under the girl and scrambles to her feet. She rushes toward the door. She doesn't dare look back to see if she was being chased. She throws her body against the door. It opens without a problem. The chilly air rushes in. It freezes any skin that is exposed, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get away. She leaps down the stairs instead of running down them. She stumbles when she hits the ground, but she is able to maintain her balance. She thought she heard his amused laugh behind her. It spurs her to run faster. Just as she makes it out the gate, the woman dressed in white appears in her way. She skids to a stop it felt like her heart was racing so fast that it was going to beat out of her chest. Her movements are jerky, and she snaps her head in Mai's direction. Like before, she reaches out toward Mai. Mai spins on her heel and bolts the opposite direction of her house. There was no way that she was going to try going around the woman to try to get to her house. She would just take a different route to her house. She fumbles around in her pockets for her phone.

It didn't seem to matter where she ran, a woman would appear after a time. It seemed like different women, but Mai wasn't paying close attention. They all had the something in common. They were always wearing white. It was too late when Mai realized that it was like they were leading her in a desired direction. She slows to a walk when she realizes that she had entered a dark park in her panic. She grits her teeth. How could she be so stupid? This was how people got killed! She shakingly pulls out her phone. She immediately pulls up her dad's contact. She hadn't been able to call him while she was running, and she knew that she had made the biggest mistake of her life by coming to this place. Why hadn't she thought this through better?

She lifts the phone to her ear. She hears it ring once, but the phone is snatched away. She tenses, but she doesn't dare turn around. She expected to be grabbed or be bitten. The seconds seem to creep by without anything happening. She slowly turns her head to find that she is alone in the park, only she doesn't have her phone. She can hear the faint sounds of people not far away. Her heart speeds up with hope. If she could get to them, she would stand a chance against Laito. She doesn't give herself a chance to doubt her choice. There was no way she could go back the way she had came from, since she was sure that it was Laito who had taken her phone, and he had done so from behind her. She runs straight for the sounds of people. She had never been to this park before. It seemed like it was made to give people a sense of being in the country. It had several walking paths that twists off into the trees. She didn't dare leave the one that she was on though. It was the only one that seemed to lead straight. In fact, she could see only one bend in it. Besides, she was sure that around the next bend would lead her back to where people are.

Unfortunately, she doesn't make it to the bend. An arm wraps around her waist, and she feels herself lifted a few inches off the ground. She lets out a scream. She claws desperately at the arm, but his school uniform was protecting his skin. His voice sounded amused. "I told you if you left you'd be punished."

She lets out another scream, hoping that someone would hear her. He didn't even bother trying to silence her. He just presses his face into her neck. She was positive that she was about to feel that horrible pain again. She tries everything she can to get away from him. She slams her heels into his shins; she pinches his arms through his clothes. She tries to slam her head into him, but nothing seems to work. He doesn't move at all other than starting to slowly squeeze her.

After a few minutes, he starts to move his face a little bit, and she's not sure what he's doing. She didn't want to think about it. She just wanted to focus all of her thoughts into getting away. She tries to pull his sleeve up to get to his skin. His cold lips press against where he had bitten a couple days ago. She jerks when it sends a jolt of pure shock through her body. She could feel his chuckle against her skin. He gently kisses her neck a few more times. Stunned, she finds her movements slowly stopping. To her absolute horror, he was treating her like some sort of lover. It made her stomach twist uncomfortably. She starts to struggle even harder than before, but she completely freezes when she feels his teeth lightly scrape against her skin. That message was loud and clear to her.

It was like he was saying, 'if you keep struggling, I'll make this even more painful for you'.

"My turn," he mutters in a husky voice that sends chills down her spin. His turn for what? She couldn't wrap her head around those two simple words. One of his hands moves low on her abdomen, halting any other thoughts on that subject. Her breath hitches in her throat. She couldn't even scream now, even if she wanted to. He wouldn't touch her, would he? Is this what he meant by his turn? His cold fingers stop just above the hem of her skirt. Just when she thinks he's done, he slips a couple of cold fingers underneath her shirt. She jerks and starts to immediately start thrashing again. He chuckles against the skin of her neck. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Was he going to brutally take her first time and then kill her? She hadn't exactly put much thought in how she wanted her first time to go, but it certainly wasn't like this! "What is a hobby of mine?"

She is stumped for a moment. What could he possibly be talking about? Finally, it dawns on her, and she couldn't believe that he was still playing that stupid game of his! She considers not answering, but the finger in her shirt had dipped a little lower, brushing the very top of the hem of her skirt. Her whole body jerks. She reaches down and grabs his wrist as tightly as she can between her two hands. She tried to pry his hand off of her body. His teeth brush her skin once more, but she doesn't give up pulling on his hand. She lets out a choked noise, since she was trying to hold back the sob that was threatening to spill forth. "I… I don't… tormenting me?"

He chuckle and plants another cold kiss on her neck. "You certainly are conceited. Aren't you, sweetheart? I enjoy doing crossword puzzles. Seven points."

She wanted to beg him to stop, but she thought he'd enjoy that more than her struggling. She stubbornly holds back any sound that wanted to spill from her mouth, but her tears are slowly running down her face. To her utter relief, he finally pulls his hand from her shirt. He keeps the one wrapped around her waist to keep her a few inches off the ground. Her relief is short lived. His hand had reached up to fiddle with the bow around her neck. She still hadn't let go of his wrist, so she pulls on his hand all over again to try to stop his hand from undoing the bow. She had to distract him somehow. The only thing she can think of is to try to use his own game. "M...my….my tu….turn, right?"

She flinches at the sound of her own voice. It was weak and watery, not at all how she wanted to sound. He doesn't answer her. Her body is released, but she doesn't get a chance to run. She's spun so fast that she feels dizzy. Once more, his arm wraps around her waist and draws her close. She tries to keep distance between them by putting her arms up. Unfortunately, he just pulls her lower half flush against his. His chuckle still has a husky undertone. "Of course it is."

She drops her face, but his hand wraps around her chin and lifts it. She settles a glare on her face, though she's sure that the effect is ruined by the tears still running down her face. He leans forward. She tries turn her face away, but his hand prevents her from doing so. She still had her pepper spray that she could use. All thoughts leave her mind when she feels his cold, wet tongue slowly lick up either side of her face. Disgust mixes in with all the other emotions she is currently feeling. Her voice comes out weak and miserable. "Please, just let me go."

He presses his face into her neck once again. She can feel both his hair and fedora brushing her skin. His lips lightly press up and down her neck. She tries to shove him hard, and, for a hope filled minute, she manages to get a little space between them. His arm keeps her from getting any further away though. She tries to twist away, but his hand lets go of her chin and falls to fully trap her. "Your turn."

She grits her teeth as hard as she can. She didn't want to play his game, but he wasn't giving up. It was like he knew her every move. She manages to whisper. "What do I want to be when I grow up?"

She flinches when she feels his whispered answer against her skin. "A doctor. Who is the youngest of my brothers and I?"

She feels like her heart was stopping. She had no idea what Reiji and Subaru looked like. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees movement. Hope fills her chest, and she turns to call out to them. The words die in her throat. The movement was gone, but she could have sworn it was a woman dressed in white. She feels him turn his head. His lips brush the underneath side of her jaw. She leans her head as far away as possible. She shoves on his chest, and he does move a little more. She feels his body shift. She shoves roughly again, hoping to get him off balance. She drops her weight planning to get under his arms. His thigh comes up between her legs, hitting her hard. She lets out a loud cry of surprise and pain. She abruptly straightens back up, though she could still feel the fabric of his uniform brushing against her exposed inner thighs. She found that she desperately hated skirts at that point. She had no idea when his leg had gotten between hers. He releases a pleasure filled moan that scares her. Her entire body tenses. Her panic spurred her to fight against him again, but she didn't want to turn him on even more and create an even worse situation for herself. She nervously licks her bottom lip. She noticed his eyes watching her tongue's every move. His face was clearly filled with lust, but his eyes are clear of any emotion.

That simple thought scared her even more. She refrains from licking her lips again. He lets out a chuckle and leans back in to run his tongue along the puncture wounds in her neck again. She flinches from the feeling. She just needed to finish his game as fast as possible. The youngest looking one she could think of was Kanato. She says as strong as she can. "Kanato?"

He chuckles, and her stomach instantly feels cold. She had clearly gotten it wrong. He was one point from winning. She didn't want to ask any more questions. She didn't have the confidence she had earlier. "Subaru."

She could barely hear him. His teeth rake along her skin again, earning a jerk from her. It feels like a fog had finally lifted. This was her chance; his guard was completely down as far as she could tell. She could spray him in the face and run. She just needed to get him to look at her once more. She slowly moves one of her hands from his chest toward her pocket. It seems to gain his attention. She puts on the bravest face she can. She would have to come up with a trick question that would stump him long enough that she could get to her pocket. "What's my favorite color?"

She flinches. She hadn't thought that through very well. A cold smile spreads over his face. He lifts a hand to tuck some hair behind her ear. She notices that it's on the same side as the hickey he gave her. He leans in till his lips are lightly pressing against the shell of her ear. "Purple."

A thought occurs to her that leaves her cold. She could have lied to him and told him that he was wrong. She had let her shock and fear get the better of her and look at the mess she was in now. What if he was lying to her about his answers? She considers telling him that he is wrong, but she could already feel her body had tensed. He wouldn't believe her. His voice suddenly becomes low and threatening. "Ready for your punishment?"

She isn't even given time to answer. She wouldn't have even if she was. For some reason, he pulls back, and she jumps at the chance. She pulls out the pepper spray, but one of his hands catches her hand right as she starts to spray. He harmlessly aims the stream toward the ground beside them. She tries to shake his hand off, since he kept her hand pressed down. The can was slowly emptying, much to her horror. His other arm just wraps tighter around her. She flinches when he pulls her lower half closer to his. His leg was still between her legs, and it only rides dangerously higher. She press hard against him. Thankfully, he doesn't finish pulling her flush against him. "Tell me, do you like Kanato?"

She feels bewildered and confused. It just makes her thought process harder to sift through. She couldn't figure out what Kanato had to do with anything. She blurts out. "What?"

He chuckles softly. Thankfully, he pulls his body way, though he doesn't release her hand. She jerks on her arm, but it doesn't come free. Her eyes drop to where he was holding her hand. It was like watching her hopes wither and die. The can starts to sputter until it eventually doesn't produce anything more. Finally, he completely pulls away from her. She takes a step back. Her hands reach up to fix her bow only to find it gone. She can feel her eyes widen when she finds it hanging from between Laito's fingers. He gives her a cruel, arrogant smirk. "Well, I've won!"

She feels irritation building though it doesn't hold any weight against the dread she was feeling. She didn't want to think about the consequences of the game or the punishment he had referred to. She knew that she couldn't distract him, but she wasn't ready to hear what would happen. She takes a few steps back. "What did you mean about Kanato?"

He tilts his head, pretending to look thoughtful for a moment. A heart stopping smile spreads over his face. He takes a few steps toward her. She simply continues to back away from him. His voice is cheerful. "Oh, I just thought if you wanted to play with him, I don't mind sharing you. It's so much fun to watch! I'm such a good brother to him."

"I'm not yours," Mai states as sternly as she could. She was feeling braver now that she was free from him. He makes a 'tsk'ing sound.

"Poor, naive, little girl. Just accept your fate."

She clenches her fists and gives him her best defiant look, which he returns with a loving look. She feels a shiver run down her spine. She notices movement out of the corner of her eye and turns her head to look without thinking. Her heart was starting to beat so loud that it seemed like it was drowning everything else out.

His laughter cuts through the pounding in her mind. She snaps her gaze to watch him. "I was right! Your face becomes so much more adorable when you are afraid!"

He wraps his arms around himself and gives a small shudder. Disgust fills her chest at his face morphing into pleasure. He releases a soft moaning sound. She feels something brush her back, but when she looks over her shoulder, there is nothing there. She quickly turns her back to find that Laito is gone as well.

"Come with me to my house tomorrow, sweetheart. That's what I get for winning. I promise to make it lots of fun!"

His voice was coming from behind her, and she quickly spins to face him, only to find herself standing alone on the path with a racing heart. She slowly takes a step down the pathway when she hears a chuckle behind her. She spins back around to find Laito standing where he was before. He was holding her phone where she could see it. He gives her a playful wink. "Don't tell your parents about your visit tomorrow, sweetheart!"

"Don't call me that!" Mai snaps. She quickly adds. "I'm not going home with you. That's just creepy."

He tilts his head with a thoughtful look. "Ok."

Her heart skips a beat. He was agreeing too easily. Every warning bell in her head told her that this wasn't normal. His hand starts to slowly tighten around her phone. "Tell me something, sweetheart. Do you expect me to beg?"

She flinches at the cold undertone, though he was still wearing a smile. She decides not to answer him. He releases a sigh and turns his attention to the phone. An incredibly uncomfortable silence settles between the two of them. She narrows her eyes. It was like he was trying to draw her attention to her phone. She represses a scoff. There was no way she would agree to his demands to save her phone. Finally, he looks back at her and cheerfully says. "Fine, you don't have to come over to my house. You can tell your parents. They won't be that hard to kill off."

A cold, shock washes over her. She can only stare at him. Her jaw had dropped, but she didn't care if she looked stupid. A cheerful smile spreads over his face, though it just makes her feel colder. How can he talk about killing people like he was talking about the weather, especially her parents right in front of her? Her foot scrapes loudly across the ground when she drags it back a step, causing a chuckle to bubble up his throat. She flinches at the sound. Her voice is incredibly shaky when she says. "That's the oldest play in the book. Threatening loved ones."

His eyes gain a slight glow to them, driving her back another step. "There is a reason that it's used so much. It works. Trust me, sweetheart, I have no problem killing humans, though it will break you a lot faster than I want to."

She can only stare at him in utter disbelief. He gives her a playful wave and turns to start walking down the path away from her. "See you tomorrow!"

She flinches. This couldn't be real could it? She watches his retreating back until he disappears from view. She's not sure how long she stands there, but she finally manages to get her body to move. Maybe she should look into the vampire's lore and see if there was a way she could truly fight back against him.


Her body felt so heavy when she drags herself to class the next day. She had stayed up late looking on the internet. Information on vampires was all such a mess that she found it hard to tell what would work and what wouldn't. She didn't think that getting close to Laito to try a bunch of stuff that wouldn't work would be a good idea. In fact, it might make her situation worse. She flops into her chair, letting her head fall onto her arms. Laito still had her phone, but she had no intentions of asking him for it. She had informed her parents this morning that her phone was stolen. They were going to report it on their way to work. She hears someone approaching her. She turns her head enough to peer up at the person. To her relief, it's Yui. She gives Mai a friendly smile and says. "You look like Ayato."

"Shut up." That's the only thing Mai could think about saying. She turns her face so that it's buried in her arms again. She hadn't been able to sleep, so she had came to school really early. She had been the only one in the room for a while, but it seemed like the Sakamakis and Yui came to school early too. She tried not to think about the fact that she was starting to regret meeting Yui. She reminded herself that Yui had been very nice to her, and it wasn't really her fault that Laito had targeted her. It didn't matter what Laito said. Yui sits next to her and quickly starts to inform her of what she had missed in class. Gratitude fills Mai at Yui's attempt, but she just can't seem to give it that much of her attention. She hears the chair behind her scrape. She moves to peek behind her. She couldn't see Kanato through his teddy bear. She turns her head back into her arms. She had stupidly not told her parents about what Laito had said. The reason for that was she didn't want to test Laito's threat. When they had asked what happened to her phone, she had lied and said that she left it in the bathroom. When she went back to get it, it gone. She was now berating herself for not telling them. It wasn't like Laito could spy on her. How would he know if she told her parents?

There was no way that she was going to his house either. She was determined to tell him no. Finally, Mai asks softly. "How do you do it?"

Yui pauses mid-word. Mai finally lifts her head to look at Yui, who was giving her a questioning look. Her eyes flick to Ayato, hoping Yui would silently catch on. She flinches when she realizes she really is mirroring his position. Yui glances at Ayato and back to Mai with a curious face. Mai turns her attention back to Yui. She straightens up. She opens her mouth to ask when her chair is lightly kicked. An arm wraps around her shoulders. She reaches up to grab the arm and pull on it. She feels cold lips press against her cheek. She jerks back toward Kanato's desk, jarring it. Her elbow bumps something soft.

Everything goes quiet. Ayato's eyes were open; Mai couldn't see Laito to gauge his reaction. Yui's eyes widen in slight horror, which caused a jolt of fear to run through Mai's body. She shoves Laito's arm away from herself. It strikes her as odd that he let her do it so easily. Mai realizes that she had bumped into Kanato's teddy bear, and she had accidentally knocked it to the floor. Kanato's head had dipped down. His hair was blocking his face, but his shoulders were shaking. Mai feels an overwhelming sense of guilt at the thought of him crying. Her eyes drop down to the teddy bear. It was obviously special to him, since she had never seen him without it. Mai reaches down to grab it. She wasn't sure why, but she was worried it'd get dirty on the ground. Yui makes a strange whimpering noise, but Mai didn't pay it much mind. Her hand closes around the teddy bear's arm and she lifts it up. She quickly brushes it off and turns to offer it back to Kanato.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

He mutters something, but it was so low that she didn't hear it. She hears Laito chuckling behind her. Something was wrong. She starts to gently set the teddy bear on Kanato's desk when his hand connects painfully with the wrist holding the bear. She winces and involuntarily lets go. The bear bounces off the desk and once again falls to the floor. Yui reaches out to grab Mai, but they both flinch when Kanato slams his hands onto the desk in front him. A resounding crack rings through the classroom. He hadn't broken the desk, but he had done a small amount of damage to the top of it. "Don't touch her!"

Mai can only stare at the purple haired boy in bewilderment. He always threw her for a loop. She had no idea how to react to him, nor did she have any sort of idea of how he would react. His head snaps up. It was obvious that he had been crying. "How dare you! How dare you hit Teddy! How dare you touch him! You soiled him, you disgusting, horrible, stupid human!"

"I… I…." Mai tries to say, but Kanato's hand lashes out. She leans back to dodge his hand, which only seemed to infuriate the boy further.

"Hold still, you insolent woman!" This time, he manages to get a hold of her hair when he lashes out. He gives it a violent jerk, causing involuntary tears to well up in her eyes.

"Hey, quit! It was an accident!" Mai frantically says. She reaches up to grab his wrist. Yui reaches forward to try to help her friend.

"Please, Kanato. Please calm down!" Yui begs. He turns his furious gaze on her, and she immediately steps away from him with a look of pure terror on her face. While he was distracted, Mai tried to quickly work his fingers out of her hair. Unfortunately, she doesn't work fast enough. He jerks her forward. She ends up standing and leaning awkwardly over both her chair and his desk. Her hands rest on the cool desktop to keep herself as steady as she can. Laito lets out a playful whistle.

"A little more, Kanato, and I'm sure that we'll see her underwear," Laito seems to casually comment. "Hey, Ayato, wanna guess whether she has granny panties or sexy underwear?"

She can hear Ayato's chuckle. "She's a prude. I bet she has the worst looking underwear money can buy."

Humiliation mixes with Mai's pain and fear. Kanato's face appears inches from hers, apparently ignoring his brothers' comments. Instead of the loud screaming, his voice is deathly low. Mai's not sure which is worse.

"How dare you hurt Teddy. What are you going to do to make it up to me?"

She literally draws a blank. She didn't have enough money to even spark the interest of someone who's dad was a politician. She didn't know him well enough to know how to make it up to him. To be honestly, she didn't want to. He roughly pulls on her hair after only waiting a few seconds. He does it again after only a second the next time. His face was becoming angrier and angrier with each tug. Mai reaches up to grab her hair to try to keep him from pulling it any more. It felt like he was about to rip a fistful out. Suddenly, he stops tugging on her hair. His voice is suddenly calm, causing her to feel even more on guard. "Give me some blood, then. Ayato has been hogging that stupid blonde woman."

Mai doesn't even get a chance to say anything. Her head is awkwardly jerked backward. Her eyes water continue to water. She can now see Laito smirking excitedly down at her. She sees Kanato moving toward her out of the corner of her eye. She does the first thing she can think of in such a desperate situation. She slams a hand over Kanato's mouth. He looks slightly startled at her gesture. Anger fills his face once more. He reaches up with his free hand to grab hers and jerk it down to the desk. She flinches as pain races up her arm, but she doesn't miss a beat. She uses her other hand to put against his forehead and push him backward as hard as she can.

He releases an inhuman sounding growl, which causes her to shiver in fear, but she doesn't release her hold on his forehead. The second he lets go of her wrist, she lifts it to cover his mouth again and push harder. She's faintly aware of the fact that Laito is laughing. Kanato's eyes seem to fix on something, and his eyes narrow a little. His hand relaxes in her hair, which comes as a great relief. His infuriated gaze lands on something behind her. He completely releases her hair. She doesn't hesitate to quickly move away from the crazy, purple haired vampire. There was no way that she was staying in the classroom.

A hand slams the door shut when she tries to open it. She feels a cold hand grab her shoulder and forcibly turn her around. Laito playfully pushes her back toward the room. "Now, now. Don't give me that look, Kanato. She's not a bride, so she's free game. You've been in class with her how long? If you are so upset about it, why do you give her a taste? I don't mind!"

Mai casts a glare back at Laito. "I'm not yours."

He just casts her a flirtatious wink. Kanato's voice draws her attention back to him. He had moved closer. He looked completely calm and had a hold of Teddy once more. "It's so unfair that you and Ayato bully me. I never get to take the first bite."

She feels Laito give her another nudge toward Kanato. "Try her."

"Who wants your sloppy seconds?"

Mai feels instant relief, despite the fact that Kanato had technically insulted her. Laito pushes on her once again. He lets out a chuckle and says. "Are you afraid that she's going to cover your mouth again?"

She feels her heart starting to race. It felt almost like Laito was egging the purple haired vampire to bite her. The thought sent a chill down her spine. Why would he do something like that? She jumps when the classroom door opens, hitting Laito. Mai takes this chance to step around Kanato and bolt to her seat. A male student pokes his head in and apologizes to Laito, who just laughs it off. Laito glances back at Mai, giving her another flirtatious wink and leaves. Mai sinks back into her chair. The classroom was filling up slowly, so she was starting to feel safe once again. She leans forward on her desk and closes her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Yui whispers. Mai flinches at the sound of Kanato returning to his seat. He was muttering something to his teddy bear, but the noise of the class had drowned him out. Mai makes a mental note to avoid any further interactions with him in the future. She turns her head to offer Yui a smile.

"Don't worry about it. It isn't like you were the one who started it." Yui gives her a sad smile, but she nods her understanding. Mai turns to bury her face in her arms again. Today was going to be a long day.


Time seems to both fly and drag by at the same time. She was dreading having to dodge Laito to run home, but she knew it wouldn't be easy. He had been hanging around her all day long. He had appeared between her classes to walk near her. He had appeared to sit by her and Yui at lunch, making it incredibly uncomfortable. It was only made worse since he had started to pick food off Mai's tray until she got frustrated and shoved it at him. She was still livid about that.

She had managed slipped out of her last class ten minutes early. She had used the excuse that she had a 'female issue', and the male teacher hadn't wanted to know any more. He had simply shooed her out. She figured her best chance to get away was to leave school before everyone else was let out. This way, he would still be in class.

She flinches since it seemed like her footsteps were echoing loudly in the hallway. She finally makes it to the front door and pushes it open. She casts a cautious glance around, just to make sure that Laito wasn't lurking somewhere. She starts down the stairs. Her hand covers her mouth to stifle a yawn. It looked like she was going to be free from Laito for the rest of the night. Her hand drops to her side. She freezes when she sees movement out of the corner of her eye. She quickly turns to look, and her heart stops. Laito was leaning against the wall. His hand was fiddling with the rim of his fedora. He had a playful gleam in his eyes that set every warning bell in her head off. Cold dread fills her stomach.

"Nope." She's not sure why she said that, but she spins on her heel and starts back up the stairs toward the school. She would go hide in the nurse's office until she was kicked out. She picks up her pace to try to make it to the door before he makes it to her. Unfortunately, his arm wraps around her shoulders. The side of his body was lightly pressing against the side of hers. Without giving herself time to panic, she slams her elbow into him. Luckily, she manages to hit his diaphragm, which is what she was aiming for. She hears a rush of air from him. She quickly shoves his arm off of her shoulder and bolts up the stairs. Just when she thinks she's free, her body is jerked backwards by the strap on her book bag. Her heart feels like it's stopping completely as adrenaline rushes through her veins. She reaches out to try to grab something to stop her fall, but there doesn't seem to be anything within reach.

Her back collides with something, halting her fall. She already knew what that something was, but she didn't want to look back at him. His hands seize her shoulders, and she feels him lean down. His breath causes her hair to tickle the skin of her ear, neck, and cheek when he says playfully. "Saved you."

She immediately pulls herself away and turns to glare at him. She was positive that she had felt his hand grabbing the strap of her book bag just before she fell. She tries to put as much force into saying. "How old are you? Three? Teenagers don't say stuff like that, besides it was you who pulled me off balance!"

He just chuckles at her. She takes a step back. She shouldn't have turned her back on him in the first place. She reaches out hoping to grab the door handle. He gives her a flirtatious smirk. Without truly thinking about it, she jerks her body backward until her back hits the door to the school. He tilts his head a little. His voice is low, but clearly playful, when he asks, "are you so excited to go to my house that you are skipping out on school early?"

"I'm not going to your house," Mai stubbornly states. "Leave me alone."

He starts to chuckle, which turns into almost cold sounding laughter. "Sweetheart, you lost the game. You have to come over."

"You'll do something creepy. Or worse yet, you'll do something gross." Mai says. She grabs the handle for the door, but she doesn't open it yet. She wasn't sure if he would reach out and stop her. A smile spreads over his face. Once again, she feels that something is really wrong. The faint sound of the bell ringing makes her heart race. She glances over her shoulder at the door. She didn't have long before the first students had made their way out of the school in a rush. Reluctantly, she makes her way down a couple of steps. She steps to the far side of the stairs to avoid being trampled. Her eyes lock with vivid green ones. A thought occurs to her that seemed like an incredible stroke of luck. In moments, there would be a flood of students who could help her disappear.

She tries not to tense when he slowly moves over to her side. She could feel her heart racing and drops her gaze to the concrete at her feet. She confidently tells herself that it wouldn't matter if he was standing right next to her. She was determined not to go home with him. It felt like everything around her had finally calmed. He leans against the railing and begins to silently run his fingers along the rim of his fedora. The doors burst open, and some students jog down the stairs. She tries to keep her body relaxed. It wouldn't be a good idea to jump the gun. She'd wait for the second wave when there were more students. She makes the mistake of glancing at Laito. He wasn't watching her or the students. He was looking up at the night sky. He was wearing a playful smile. It sent a jolt through her that he probably suspected that she was about to bolt.

Her chance appears, and she takes it. She plunges into the wave of students, trying to get as far away from Laito as possible. She ignores the disgruntled comments directed at her by those around her while she moves quickly through the crowd.

She was passing a limo that she had seen parked outside the school from time to time. A hand catches her upper arm, pulling her off balance for the second time that night. It was almost too late when she saw the door to the car was open. She lifts a foot and slams it on the bottom of car. She throws her weight backwards and straightens her leg to brace herself. She says loudly. "I told you no!"

Her hope is that if she makes a scene, Laito won't be able to force her into the car. She knew it had to be him. Her hope works when the students start to slow and turn their attention to her. It doesn't seem to bother the red head though as she feels another rough shove from behind, but she stubbornly presses back.

"No!"

Whispers were spreading amongst the students. Mai attempts to twist her body, but two arms wrap around her from behind. She opens her mouth to cry out for help when a cold, calm voice cuts through all the noise. "Laito, enough of this. You are making a scene."

Mai tries to twist her head to see who her savior is, but all she gets is a face full of the fur lining Laito's uniform. She sputters and wiggles again, and, to her complete relief, Laito seems to let her slip away from his grip. She doesn't hesitate, or try to look and see who had saved her. She just quickly bolts for the gates. She was going to get as far from Laito as she could. There was no way that she was going to go to his house.

She never once looks back. She had managed to finally get away from him, and she was determined to keep it that way.