FMVampire Lover: I figured with Laito being in it, I might want to change the rating to a safer rating, just in case haha. BTW, I loved reading about your dream! XD It made laugh! XD Yay that you get to add Laito to your log. Haha.
hellokitty707005: Thank you! I try to comb over my work to look for phrasing issues, grammar, or plot holes. I try to make sure it flows smoothly, and I'm glad to hear that it's paying off! :D I hope that you enjoy this chapter! :D
Thank you for reading! :D I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.
She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she was having fun. She had a the creepy feeling that Laito eyeing her everytime she bent over to shoot, but she found she didn't care as much. Subaru was moody and rude, but she found that she liked him. He was fun to play with. She had lost the first game horribly, and her second game wasn't any better. Between the two games, she had only made three successful shots. Subaru finishes their second game with one last shot. She can't stop the grin that she casts in his direction. His glower doesn't bother her like it did before they started playing. "You're amazing at this, Subaru!"
Her voice was loud, even to herself. She could have sworn that she saw a light tinting to his cheeks, but he simply tosses his cue on the table. "Tch. You just suck."
She laugh, not at all offended by his remark. She blinks only to find him gone. She casts a glance around, but she only finds Laito sitting on the couch. She turns her gaze to him. He gives her a playful smirk. "He's right. You are horrible. You should have let me help you."
She slowly shakes her head. She jumps when she hears a man say, "It's good to see you up and moving around this time, young lady."
She reluctantly drags her eyes from Laito to see a man in his later twenties approaching her. He had black hair and was dressed in light blue scrubs. Her face flushes. She thought he would be older. She was suddenly conscious that he had seen her naked when he had helped Yui bath her, though she was sure that he had seen plenty of people. That still didn't ease her embarrassment. He gestures toward one of the various seats around the walls of the game room. Mai gently lays her cue on the pool table beside Subaru's and turns to quickly sit on the nearest seat, which happened to be a chair. She makes herself focus on the doctor. She could feel her cheeks burning though. He gives her a charming smile when he kneels down in front of her. His hands reach up to gently probe the back of her head. She flinches, but the pain helped to remind her about the real reason for his visit. He mutters a gentle sorry. He has her lean forward so he can visibly inspect the area. His fingers slowly starts to separate her hair.
"Ah, the swelling has gone down considerably. That's a good sign." Hope fills her chest. She flinches once his fingers brush the sore spot. After a moment of silence, he asks. "How old are you?"
"Um, seventeen." He lets out a low whistle.
"Practically an adult! Where do you go to school?" Mai could feel herself relaxing. She figured he had started talking to help ease her tension. He reaches down to lightly press up on her chin. She takes the cue to lift her head again. She runs her fingers through her hair to get it to lay down correctly again.
"Ryoutei Academy." He gives her a pleasant smile, and she has to repress a flinch. She didn't actually plan to go there anymore. In fact, she was going to talk to her parents about moving entirely. It clearly wasn't safe at her house either. She'd even go to a boarding school if she had to.
"That's a good school. Opens plenty of doors if you know the right people." He chuckles. He glances around then looks down at her. She frowns up at him. She figured he was implying the Sakamakis with that comment, but she slowly starts to shake her head.
"Oh. If you are implying the Sakamakis, I'm not close with them." He gives her a clearly disbelieving look. She forces a smile to try to hide her irritation. "I'm actually friends with someone they are taking care of."
He silently watches her for a minute. Her heart starts to race. Maybe he didn't know about Yui. Mai could use this to her advantage. Over the top of the doctor's shoulder, she glances in Laito's direction. She was sure that she should be surprised he stayed, but she wasn't. He was sitting sidewise on the couch almost exactly across the room from her. One arm was resting on the back, and the same leg was resting on the cushions. When her eyes meet his, he gives her a wink and a playful smirk. A shudder runs down her spine.
"Ah, the Komori girl." Mai's gaze turns back to the doctor. Disbelief fills her chest. A cold knot of dread was sitting in the pit of her stomach. He gives her another smile, but she didn't find it as charming this time. He knew that Yui was here, and he hadn't done anything to help her yet. Did he know of the brother's true nature? Her heart starts to race. He reaches into the chest pocket on his scrub top and pulls out a pen. He lifts it up until it's right in front of her nose. She does as instructed and follows it with her eyes without turning her head. "She's a very nice girl."
Mai forces a smile onto her face. Suspicion was coiling around her stomach. She wanted nothing more than to get away from the doctor. She just had to get away from the house. He puts the pen away and pulls out a small flashlight. She flinches and tries to focus on his face. The thought of him flashing a light in her eyes and blinding her didn't sit well with her. She has to tell herself that he was just checking to make sure that her eyes would dilate properly, but she couldn't get rid of the growing dread and suspicion. He gives her a reassuring smile. "So far, so good. Keep this up, and you'll be going home before you know it!"
She wanted to feel hopeful, but it was an impossible task for her. He flicks the light on then flashes it into one of her eyes. She flinches back, blinking rapidly. He drops it after a few seconds. He does the same to the other eye. Her heart starts to race. She couldn't see that well due to the after effects of the light. She blinks rapidly after he drops the flashlight. She's finally able to reach up to rub at her eyes with the bottom portion of her palm. The Laito's puncture marks on her hand stung for a moment. She flinches. This could be her chance to leave with Yui in tow. She finally had the perfect excuse. She mutters softly, "hey, Doctor. I was wondering, wouldn't it be safer to have someone walk me home tonight? My parents and I are pretty close, so they must be worried about me. They are just dying to meet my friend Yui, so I was thinking that maybe I'd pass it by you."
"Do you feel faint?"
The question didn't surprise her, but he had said with a very strange tone. She cautiously drops her hands to look up at him. He was still smiling, but it seemed more guarded now. It set her nerves on edge. Laito had stalked closer at some point, so she assumed the doctor's tone was because of that. Dread wells up in her chest. She slowly shakes her head. "Any passing out? Other than Mr. Laito brought you here."
Once again, she shakes her head. "How about throwing up? Have you thrown up recently?"
She gives a small shake of her head. She flinches when an arm drapes over her shoulders. She reaches up to shove Laito's arm away from her shoulders. The doctor glances between the two. His face becomes unreadable for a moment before he smiles at Mai again. The sight sets every warning bell off in her head. He had to know something was going on in the Sakamaki house.
Laito leans down till his face is close to hers. It's like he was purposely trying to frustrate her. She reaches up to put her hand over his mouth, but she hesitates. The last thing she wanted was to get bitten again. Her hand drops back into her lap, and she settles for leaning away from him with a frustrated glare.
"Are you going to lie to him, Sweetheart? You threw up about a half hour ago. It was when Subaru brought you here," Laito says with a playful tone. He turns a clearly feigned look of concern to the doctor, who gave his undivided attention to Laito "She's been lying to you, Doc. She has been very faint and has thrown up multiple times. I'm positive that she's getting dizzy spells, but she is just so stubborn and shy. I am so worried about her."
She can only stare at Laito. She had thrown up once, and she hadn't felt faint at all! Anger at his lies starts to build up. He glances at her with a playful look on his face. She balls her hands up in the loose fabric of her shorts without thinking about it. She couldn't believe that he was trying to sabotage her! She flinches and immediately takes that thought back. Of course he would. This was all just a game to him. He had told her he was going to bend her until she broke. There was no way she would let him do that. She abruptly stands up, causing the doctor to have to straighten up and step back. She tries to keep her voice even when she says. "I'm fine. He's just…..I've overstayed my welcome. It's about time I got home"
The doctor can only stare at her suspiciously. She quickly turns away and picks a random door. Nausea wells for only a moment, but she's able to ignore it. She hurries to her chosen door, ignoring the call of the doctor. She knew that it had to be getting later in the afternoon. Night falling would only make this harder on her. She pulls the door open and steps out before closing it behind her. Her escape from Laito and the doctor had seemed way too easy. She tries to fight overwhelming dread and panic. She had to think clearly if she wanted to stand a good chance of escaping.
She glances around to try to figure out where she was. She was yet another hallway. She releases a soft sigh, trying to feel hopeful. How many hallways were there in this place? She had no idea how big it was, but, judging from the rooms, it was huge. Just thinking about that brought up another important question. How had Subaru gotten her there? It was such a rush that she wasn't sure, but she knew that he hadn't lead her there. She glances back at the door and realizes how much time she was wasting. She didn't want to wait around for the doctor to catch up. She was sure by now that Laito could catch her if he wanted to. She flinches at the thought and sets off down the long hallway. She made sure to jog a little to make up for the time she had already lost. She would wander around until she found her way out.
She was panting and sweating. She desperately wished that she had asked Yui where her phone had disappeared too. It felt like hours had passed, but she had somehow managed to find her way back to the front door. It had scared her that it was open just enough for her to slip out. She considered not leaving, but the thought of staying with Laito any longer spurred her out, against her better judgement. She had found the fountain to be eerily interesting while she skirted around it. The gates were also open just enough for her to get out. She had hesitated about leaving. This was obviously a trap, but she had already came so far. She could see a road leading out into a forest just beyond. Just as she slips out of the gate, she thinks, for a heart stopping moment, that she had heard a chuckle.
She had taken a few steps down the lonely road when a banging from behind startles her. She looks over her shoulder to see that the gates had shut. She turns to inspect the road in front of her. It cut through the woods and looked to go on forever. She shifts her weight back and forth nervously. She couldn't see or hear any signs that they were even remotely near the city. It felt like she was trapped between a rock and a hard place. There were vampires and a friend of hers behind her. Ahead of her was a scary road. The woods surrounding that scary road could be hiding anything. She was determined to only think of wild animals. The last thing she needed was her imagination running wild with all sorts of creatures from fairy tales. She considers going back to the mansion behind her. She instantly, and slowly, shakes her head. There was no way that she would go back, but she found that she didn't want to go forward either. Her back touches the iron bars of the gate. She didn't know when she had backed up against it, but she slowly sinks to the ground. The sun was starting setting, so it just made everything that much worse. She would have to choose soon. She tenses when she thought she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She turns her head slowly to find nothing there. She pulls her knees up and hugs them tightly. She was starting to wonder if she was out there alone.
Everything seemed like it was going wrong. She felt like she was losing her grip on reality. She presses her mouth to the back of her knees, hoping to to fight tears. She lets out a squeaking sound that the sound of a tig breaking nearby. She looks in that direction, but she doesn't see anything at all. Every fine hair on her body stands on end. She knew that she had made a huge mistake earlier. She should have just listened to her common sense, like she always did. There were all sorts of animals out in the woods that could easily kill her. It wasn't just animals, but there were also crazy people, druggies, a variety of dangerous things. She jumps to her feet and turns to grab the iron bars that made up the gate. She pushes, but it doesn't move. She pulls, but it still doesn't move. She couldn't see a lock on it, nor had she heard it lock. Her adrenaline was coursing through her veins, but it didn't do her any good. She lets out a whimpering sound. She turns to look when she saw something move. Tears of fear well up in her eyes. She could have sworn that she had seen someone walking between the trees. She turns slowly, so her back is to the gate, when she thought that she had heard something growling. Just like she suspected, there wasn't anything behind her.
Her heart was racing wildly in her chest. It was like the woods had come alive around her. She knew it was her imagination, but she could have sworn that the trees were reaching for her. She hears a screech above her and hunkers down. She spares a glance upward to find bats. It felt like they were circling her like vultures. She lets out a loud scream when she feels something brush her foot. She had stupidly left without shoes. It was getting darker by the minute, so she couldn't see what the colors on it's scales were, but she could clearly see that it was a snake.
Her heart stops when she hears a hiss coming from it. It brushes against her foot again. She didn't dare move now; she was even holding her breath. It felt like it was starting to loosely coil around her foot. It's damp, cool body scraped lightly against her skin, and she wanted to cry. Nothing frightened her more than snakes. It's head brushes just above her ankle. She lets out a choked sob. It felt like everything was falling apart around her even worse. She hadn't even managed to leave, but she wanted to go back now.
She wraps her arms tightly around her body. She slowly lets her breath out, but she sucks it back in when she feels the snake moving again. She wanted it gone. Without a second thought, she kicks her leg straight out. It wiggles against her body, but it slips off of her foot. She ends up sliding back down onto her butt. The metal drags across her back painfully, lifting her shirt just a little. She could hear a very close thumping noise when the snake collides with the ground. The howl of some type of dog echoes through the woods, prompting her to scramble to her feet again. She wouldn't stand a chance against anything if she was sitting down. She felt dizzy for a minute, but she didn't think about it at all. She could only think about how she had a snake somewhere near her. In her panic filled mind, she had herself foolishly convinced that the snake was mad and was going to enact revenge on her. She spins to face the mansion once more. She lets out another scream when she finds Laito standing there. She could barely see him in the dying light, but she could see that he was wearing a cruel smirk. She reaches out grabbing tightly onto the bars of the gate. A howl tears through the woods again, but it sounded like it was further way. The screeching of the bats was slowly disappearing. It didn't change the fact that she couldn't see, nor hear, the snake anymore. Though, she didn't really want to see it, and she was sure that there was someone out in the woods. Laito was watching her. To her, it was like his green eyes were glowing slightly.
He doesn't make any move to approach the gate. She didn't expect him to. There was no hope that he would help her, but she thought she felt something touch the back of her foot. She quickly sidesteps, and her eyes lock with Laito's. She hated that she was going to do this, but she was already so frightened. "Please."
He gains a thoughtful look, though he clearly wasn't even thinking about it. "I don't know what you are asking for."
His voice was eerily cold. She hated him, but she felt like he was her last life line. She glances over her shoulder. She hears him chuckle and turns her attention back to him. She tried to add a bit more pleading into her voice. "Can I please come back inside?"
It looked like he was enjoying this much more than he should have been. He releases a sigh, as if his next words were going to trouble him. He gives her what looks like a mockingly regretful look. "Well, you were just so eager to leave. I even made it easy for you."
She grits her teeth. She flinches when something slides over her foot. She bites her lip hard to keep from screaming. Against her better judgement, she looks down. Her stomach drops to see another snake, or maybe the same one, sliding over her foot. She jumps when his hand grips the gate and looks up at him. He leans close to it. He uses his other hand to gesture toward the road. "You are free to leave."
She pulls away from the gate and backs up a few steps. She flinches when her foot brushes something, but she's relieve to find that it's just some undergrowth. She tries one more time. "Please."
He leans his head back to laugh. It cuts through the night, making everything grow eerily silent. It was like the animals of the night had taken a collective breath. He sounded playful, but his undertone had a cruel hint to it. "You look so pathetic and scared. Humans break so easy, don't they?"
"Laito," Mai mutters. That seems to get his attention. He stop laughing and tilts his head. It was almost like he was genuinely enjoying himself. That sent a shiver down her spine. His body shudders, and she instantly gets a horrible feeling. He was toying with her. He had set this all up, and she had walked head first into it. Still, she didn't want to stay out there any longer than she had to.
"Yes, Sweetheart?" he coos back at her. She hesitates. Did she really want to do this? She hears something moving through the undergrowth. It was much closer to her than she was comfortable with. She lunges back to the gate and grips it like it would save her. Her life was more important than her stupid would beg him to help her if she needed to. He looks down at her with what looks like a smirk, as if he knew what was going through her mind.
"Please let me in, Latio. Please." She flinches at the soft groaning noise he makes. She has to fight to keep herself from recoiling from him. He wasn't much better than the animals, but she hoped that she could retreat to Yui's room once she got inside. He leans his face closer to hers. He says in a husky voice.
"Begging isn't going to do it for me."
Her entire body stiffens. She realized that couldn't see much of his face at this point to truly gauge his reactions. She jumps closer to the bars when she hears a howl. She looks back at him frantically. "What do you want?"
He steps away from the bars. Her heart stops, and she reaches through the gate to grab his sleeve. She feels him stop, and she sags against the bars. She was sure that he could feel how bad she was shaking. "What…. Please…. I….."
He lets out a chuckle, and she instantly drops his sleeve. She jumps when his hand wraps around the hand of hers that is holding the gate. She lets out a hiss of pain when he starts to squeeze it tightly. She looks up trying to see his face clearly. He leans closer once more. "Did you have fun earlier?"
She didn't know if he could see her bewildered look. "What?"
She can feel his breath brush her face. She jerks back, but his hand holding hers prevents her from going that far. She can feel his opposite hand lightly trace up and down her forearm. His voice is low and full of amusement. "With Subaru."
"Does it matter?" Mai frantically asks. She was confused as to what this had to do with her current situation. "Please, Laito. I'm scared. Please help me. Please let me in."
She hated how weak her voice sounded. She turns when she saw something flash out of the corner of her eye. Something was very, very wrong, and it was only made worse by the fact that she was losing her ability to see. She snaps her head back to him, trying to ignore the wave of dizziness. He makes a humming noise in the back of his throat. She didn't want to promise him anything, but her choices were looking slimmer and slimmer. He sounded uninterested when he said. "It does matter."
She could feel the panic threatening to take over. If he lost interest, he wouldn't just leave her there, would he? She couldn't figure out why he was doing what he was doing. It was like he prolonging her fear to punish her. She snaps. "What are you jealous?"
"Who could possibly be jealous of you?" That made her pride sting. She settles a glare at him, and he starts to laugh. His hand tightens to the point that she starts to worry that he'll break her bones. She reaches out and grabs his wrist. She pulls on his wrist hard, but she lets out a gasp of pain when he just squeezes her tighter. His next words stop her heart completely. "Kiss me."
"W….what?" she stutters out. She couldn't comprehend what he had said. She hears a snapping sound behind her. She glances over her shoulder, but it she couldn't see anything. The area between the trees had seemed pitch black already. She lets out a whimper. She turns back to face Laito.
"I want a kiss." He says, sounding cheerful once more.
"Why?" Just like that, he's gone. It takes her a minute to realize it. She reaches through the gate to see if she could feel him. Slowly, she sinks to her knees and rubs her sore hand. She reaches down to feel for any rocks so she didn't sit on one, but her hand touches something slimy. She lets out an embarrassing squeal. She quickly scampers back up to her feet and uses the gate to sidestep as far away from it as she could. It had gotten so dark now that she could barely see in front of her face. There were no streetlights, like she was used to. The trees blocked out the natural light, and the mansion sat as a black mass without any visible lights on.
She had never been so scared to be alone in her life. She closes her eyes tightly. Her first kiss wasn't worth her life. She didn't think her heart could take the constant racing and stopping. She would just give in to him so she could go back to Yui's room. "Ok!"
Nothing happens. She sags against the bars. She felt like just completely breaking down into tears. She couldn't see anything anymore. She wasn't sure how time was slipping by so quickly, but it scared her to not be able to see at all. She had no idea where she was, and she was completely alone. She says softly. "Ok, Laito. I'll kiss you."
She hears him chuckling near by, which comes as a huge relief to her. She never would have thought she'd ever feel relieved to have him near her. She feels something cold brush her cheek, causing her to flinch back. She realizes it's his fingers when they wrap in her hair. She lets out a soft whimper of pain when his fingers press into the tender part of her skull, but the whimper doesn't last long. He had painfully pressed her face against the bars. His own cold lips press themselves against hers. She tries to jerk back after a moment, but his fingers press against the back of her head.
Tears well up. The bars made in incredibly uncomfortable, but he didn't seem to care. His fangs painfully rake across her bottom lip. The metallic taste of blood fills her mouth. He moans excitedly into the kiss. She tries to pull back once more. The last thing she wanted was his tongue entering her mouth to chase more of her blood. He finally relents and lets her pull back. He lets out a moan that sets her nerves on edge. She reaches up to wipe the blood on her split lip away. It stung to touch it. His hand falls from her hair. She quickly reaches through the gate to grab him. "Wait! I kissed you, so you have to let me in."
"I never made that deal." His tone is low, almost dangerous. She flinches at the sound and stares through the bars with a dumbfounded look. She feels him pull away from her. "Why don't you call out for Kanato to come save you? Or maybe Subaru?"
She stands there stunned. "But…."
He says playfully. "You asked me to kiss you."
She frantically thinks over their conversation. The more she thought about it, the more she felt sick to her stomach. He hadn't promised to let her in if she kissed him. Due to her panic, she heard what she wanted to hear, though she knew for a fact that she hadn't asked him for a kiss. She felt betrayed, but she wasn't sure why she was so stunned. She hears him laughing, but it was getting further and further away. Panic starts to take over her mind again. She grips the gate tightly. He says with a teasing edge. "Don't bother calling for Shuu. He doesn't care. Reiji won't bother with some lowly, human girl. You are beneath us, remember that. Both in social status and on the food chain. Oh, and Ayato has Little Bitch."
She just leans against the gate. She had kissed him for no reason. Now her lip was starting to swell up, and she had the nasty taste of blood in her mouth. She flinches when she hears something snapping behind her.
She turns, fully expecting to see nothing. Her body freezes upon seeing a woman in long white gown. She was looking intently at the ground. Mai's mind goes blank. It feels lik her breath has been knocked out of her lungs, and she just stands there staring. She was afraid to move at all, in case she got unwanted attention. The woman wasn't glowing or see through, but Mai couldn't help but feel like she was incredibly dangerous. There's a dry rasping noise, like a knife being pulled from its sheath, that suddenly comes from the woman's direction. Mai slowly draws in her breath. This causes the woman's head to snap up, but Mai spins around without looking at her face. "Laito! Laito! Help me! Please! Laito!"
She grabs a hold of the gate again. She glances over her shoulder just long enough to see that the woman wasn't approaching, but she was watching Mai. Her eyes were like black pits, but the rest of her face was starting to blur. Mai feels the gates shift under her touch. She stumbles forward. She lands face first into someone's chest. She doesn't care who it is. She just wraps her arms tightly around them, burying her face further into his chest. She was shaking so badly that she could barely stand. She hears his cruel laughter and jerks her body away once she really realizes what she was doing.
"See, Sweetheart. You're mine." He says in a husky voice. She flinches when his hands suddenly and painfully grips her shoulders. He pulls her closer to his body, but she manages to maintain some distance by lifting her hands to press against his chest. She hears the gates shut behind her and looks over her shoulder to find the woman gone. She turns her attention back to where she assumed Laito's face to be. He was the closest threat to her safety. Her heart was beating wildly with no sign of slowing down. It only gets worse when his cold cheek brushes against her warm one. She jerks away, fighting the dizziness. It didn't seem to matter though, since she couldn't really see. What concerned her now was the fact that she was alone with Laito, and she wouldn't be able to see him to be able to react to his movements. It felt like he could do anything he wanted. That simple thought scared her almost as much as the woods did. She squints her eyes as hard as she can to try to see him. Just as suddenly as he grabbed her, he lets go. Her heart is now racing so fast that it's starting to hurt. Without him touching her, she had no idea where he was.
She flinches back when cold finger tips brush her inner thigh just below her shorts. Her back collides with the gates, though she's still mindful of her head. She reaches down to swat his hand away, but, thankfully, his hand doesn't follow her. She swallows hard. It felt like her body was shaking even worse now. Laito wasn't touching her, but she had a feeling that he was still near by. In fact, she was sure that he was within arms reach. She reaches up slowly to try to feel him, but her hand keeps coming up empty. Her other hand is gripping the gate behind her. His voice is playful and right next to her ear. "Don't you want to have fun with me? I'm so hungry."
Mai doesn't repress the shiver. She couldn't see him, and he was being eerily quiet other than speaking. She doesn't bother looking in that direction. Instead, she focuses on herself. She was trying to calm her fears. She would make sure that he couldn't do anything to her without a fight. She makes sure that she has a grip on her voice so it doesn't shake. "I'm not yours."
She flinches when he chuckles near the same ear. There was so much more that she could have said, but that kept playing in her mind. She wanted him to know that she didn't think of herself as his. She steps away turning to look in that direction, but she couldn't see anything but darkness. His voice is low and teasing. "Who did you call to come save you? I didn't hear anyone else's name coming from your lips."
"That's because I was scared, and I knew that you were there. I didn't think the others would be able to hear me," she argues. She could hear her voice starting to waver towards the end. She wasn't as confident as she wanted to be. He makes a soft 'tsk'ing noise from somewhere in front of her. She turns her attention in that direction. Thankfully, he doesn't comment. She considers swiping at him, but she instantly thinks better of it. He'd probably be able to catch her hand, and then she'd really be at his mercy. She shivers at the thought of what he could possibly do to her. She suddenly realizes something very troubling. It had been about a minute, and he hadn't made a single sound. In fact, other than the creepy sounds on the opposite side of the gate, it's silent. She couldn't hear him at all. She tries to listen intently, but there's not a single indication of where he is. It felt like she was being watched, but she wasn't sure if it was Laito or something else. Goosebumps rise, and she starts back toward the large, dark mass that she assumes is the house. She would be stuck the night unless she could convince one of the others to help her.
She flinches at the thought. There's a growl from the direction of the gate, and she picks up her pace. She knew that being inside the gate didn't mean that she was safe from nocturnal animals. Her thoughts turn back to her current problem. She didn't think any of the vampires would readily help her. She jumps at every sound, but she didn't feel as scared as she did before. She knew that she should be, but she was nearing the house. It wouldn't be long before she was inside and hiding in Yui's room for the night. Her heart was just barely starting to slow down. She looks up toward the sky with a frown. She could see the stars, but she couldn't see the moon at all. It must be a new moon. That would explain why it was so dark. She hadn't really ever paid close attention to the waxing and waning of it. She made a mental note to start paying attention to it.
Her foot painfully collides with something. She stumbles, frantically trying to keep her balance. She lifts her other foot to try and step over whatever she had kicked, but it was higher than she expected. Her body pitches forward. Startled, she tries to brace herself. She opens her mouth to let out a cry, but it never happens. Cold water rushes into her mouth and up her nose. It's not overly deep, but it still enough to startle her. Her forearms had scrapped along the bottom, but the cold water helped to numb the pain some. She abruptly sits up on her hands and knees coughing violently. She had heard the water, but she had forgotten how large the fountain truly was. She hears laughter and tenses up. She cautiously looks around, but all she can see now is dark shapes. Her eyes had slowly adjusted, but it wouldn't be enough.
"This isn't funny, you dick!" She snaps at him. It didn't stop his laughter though. She could feel her anger mounting. She cautiously stands up and slowly moves her foot along the bottom till she finds the edge of the fountain, which wasn't far away. Mai makes sure to cautiously crawl out. Just as she makes it out, a hand appears between her breasts. She reaches up grabbing the sleeve of his sweater when he shoves her back. She was positive that he hadn't tried to stop her from pulling him backwards into the fountain.
He lands heavily on top of her, but, luckily, she was able to keep her head above the water this time. She had landed on her side, since she had tried to twist her body to keep from landing on her back. He starts to move until his body is only lightly touching her side. She believed that she was between his legs, since she could feel his pelvis resting on her hip. She was resting on her elbow, which had scraped painfully along the bottom. Her other hand was down in the water to help keep her steady. She felt like she was about to tip over. She turns her face up where she thinks that his head would be. He lets out a cheerful chuckle, letting her know that she was right. She can feel him moving again. It was almost like he was leaning toward her. She braces her feet on the bottom of the fountain and tries to push herself out from under him. She was completely regretting calling out to him now. Maybe dealing with the creepy woods would have been better.
"Ah, wet already? Tsk, tsk. Naughty girl. You just can't contain yourself, can you?" he coos at her. It sets every one of her nerves on edge. She almost snaps at him to keep his disgusting comments to himself, but she was sure that he was wanting her to do something like that. She decides to just stay quiet and focus on getting away from him. He seems to allow her to slide out from under him without any problems, which seemed just as worse than if he had touched her.
"Get away from me," she finally says. She flinches at the sound of fear in her voice. She keeps on her hands and knees until she finds the edge of the fountain once more. She's careful to crawl out. It was silent once again, which just set all of her warning bells off. She felt like the darkness was suffocating her. She didn't know when he would reach out and touch her again. She rushes toward where she remembered the door being. She could have sworn that she felt cold fingers brushing along her wet skin, but she told herself that it was just the wind cooling the water clinging to her. She stumbles over a step, but she somehow manages to stay upright. She makes it up to the door and reaches out to push as hard as she can. When it doesn't open, she pulls on it as hard as she can. She flinches and spins around when she feels his fingers trace down her upper arms. His touch disappears just as suddenly, and she tries to quiet her breathing.
She's not sure how long that she is standing there, waiting for him to touch her again, but she slowly sinks to her butt against the door. A jolt of pain races through her back when she scrapes the cuts on her back. He hadn't touched her in a while, but she didn't think she could relax. A strong gust of wind makes her realize that she is absolutely freezing. She wraps her arms around her body to try to retain some warmth. She didn't want to knock on the door and risk having one of the more temperamental vampires like Kanato or Subaru answering. She liked Subaru, but she wasn't going to convince herself that he would be kind to her. A creaking sound rings out behind her. She quickly scoots from the door. A dim light spills out from the crack, blinding her for only a moment before her eyes start to adjust. She looks up to find cold red eyes staring down at her. She feels her whole body tense. He was one of the worst ones to find her huddled on their doorstep.
"How pitiful." She flinches at Reiji's cold words. He doesn't say anything, but he disappears from the doorway. Mai hesitates, wondering if he was silently telling her to enter. She decides that it's better staying outside and freezing. She carefully slips through the crack in the door. She jumps when she finds an older man dressed as a butler standing near the door. He seems to easily shut the door, which sends a jolt of humiliation through her body. This man looked like he was in his sixties. He never once looks up at her. Instead, he disappears into the shadows, which causes Mai to shudder. She hears a sigh and turns her attention to find Reiji standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. Once again, she feels small before him. "You were not cleared to leave. You still have a concussion."
She clears her throat, but the look of irritation on his face halts any sort of excuse she could think of. It was like being yelled at by her parents, though he wasn't actually yelling at her. Finally, she says softly. "I just…. Wanted to go home."
He releases another sigh. She flinches, and she drops her gaze to the ground. She didn't know why Reiji scared her like he did. She assumed it was because he had a natural authority about him. "You are ruining the flooring by dripping all of it. Do you have no shame?"
She flinches and mutters an apology. She glances down at her clothes, and humiliation builds up. Her light tank top wasn't as see through as a pure white one, but it was still enough that it didn't leave anything to the imagination. Her bra was easily showing through the thin wet material. She wraps her arms around her breasts to try to hide them from Reiji's view. Her breath hitches, and she found herself unable to look up at Reiji. Her shorts were baggy, so she could feel them starting to slide down her body. She frantically tries to pull them up without showing her chest off to him again. She was cold, humiliated and scared. This was possibly the worst night of her life. Finally, she hears Reiji making a scoffing sound. "There is no point in trying to hide your body. You have nothing worth looking at. Go take a bath. You look disgusting. I will have a spare set of clothing brought to you later."
She looks up to see him turning to leave. "Ah, wait! When can I go home?"
"Tomorrow."
She flinches when she realizes that he had left her sight as abruptly as Subaru had. Slowly, she makes her way toward the living room. Her humiliation mounts when she finds that Shuu still hadn't moved. She considered going up the staircase in the foyer, but she didn't know her way back to Yui's room from there, and she didn't want to be outside her friend's room longer than she had to be. With a hard swallow, she tries to quickly make her way through the living room without alerting Shuu. Her humiliation grows to impossible levels when she hears Shuu chuckled. She pauses at the bottom of the stairs to make a rude gesture in his direction. To her surprise, he moves just enough that she can see one blue eye. "If you are so interested, then try not wearing a bra next time."
She feels her face flush. She turns and bolts up the stairs. She doesn't stop running until she finally makes it to Yui's door. She reaches out to lightly knock on it. She couldn't bring herself to burst into Yui's room like Ayato had done. To her surprise, Yui opens it after only a few seconds. Her crimson eyes widen when she sees Mai standing there. She gestures for Mai to quickly enter. Mai reluctantly makes her way in, but it looked like Yui's blanket had been returned, and Ayato was gone. She stands near the door shivering. She felt so cold now that she was in Yui's room. It was the only place that seemed warm. It was also brighter than the hallway. "What happened?"
Mai shakes her head. She manages to slowly tell Yui what had happened through chattering teeth. She looks down at herself to find out just how dirty she was. She had several scrapes along her knees and feet that she hadn't noticed before. One elbow was still bleeding, but the scrapes on her forearms hadn't bled at all, which was a relief. Yui seemed to only stare at Mai in shock. She reaches out to hug Mai, but Mai lifts a hand to stop her. "I'm…. I just….. Can I shower?"
Yui flinches and nods. She quickly leads Mai to a bathroom she used often. She told Mai it wouldn't be a good idea to use the one attached to her room, since Ayato never knocked. Mai can only stop to stare at it when she entered. It was huge. It had a claw foot tub towards the middle of the room. Lining one wall was a counter with a few sinks. A large cupboard where she assumed towels was off to the right. She could see a shower stall by it. Happiness fills her heart. She'd rather shower than bath. Yui seems to quickly move around the bathroom, while Mai moves over to the shower. She turns it on to let it warm up. She turns just as Yui approaches her. Yui hangs a towel off the towel rack on the outside of the shower stall and hands Mai some showering supplies. She smiles and leaves after Mai thanks her. Once Mai is alone, she adjusts the temperature and moves over to lock the bathroom door. The steam was warming the bathroom, chasing the some of the chill from her skin. She quickly strips and gets in. The warm water felt like heaven on her skin, but it burned all of the cuts on her body, especially the ones on her back. Still, it was awkward to shower with guys near by, so she didn't take time to relish the water. She finishes as quickly as she can. She opens the door just enough to grab the towel once she has shut the water off. She dries off and peeks out. Her eyes lock with something that stops her heart.
There was what appeared to be a robe sitting on the counter across the bathroom. She knew it hadn't been there before. She slowly closes the shower door until she can barely see out. She hadn't seen or heard anyone out there, but it didn't change the fact that someone had gotten inside the bathroom while she was showering. She couldn't think of anything creepier. She can see a hair brush sitting on top of the robe, so they were clearly thinking of her, which just made it creepier. She jumps when there is a knock on the door. She closes the shower completely and steps back, though she figured that the Sakamakis wouldn't be the type to knock.
"Mai, I got you some of my clothes. I was wondering if you could unlock the door," Yui says through the door. That just makes Mai feel sick to her stomach. She didn't want to leave the false safety that the shower stall provided, but she finally convinces herself to slowly open the shower door and peek out. She was truly alone in the room. She quickly rushes to the door to find that it was, in fact, locked. She opens the door just a little to find it was only Yui. She holds out the clothes to Mai, who takes them and excuses herself before shutting the door. She turns to look back at the bathroom once again. There was no way she was going to touch the bathrobe. Who knew what could possibly be hidden inside it. Mai quickly locks the door.
With her back to the door, she awkwardly tries to get dressed around the towel. To her surprise, she's able to get dressed without any interruption, though she has to forgo underwear and a bra. That fact embarrasses her, but she figured that it'd be weird to wear Yui's anyway. Yui's clothes were a little tight around the chest, since she was larger in that area than Yui. She was also a few inches taller and a little heavier, so she was grateful that Yui had picked a longer, pale, blue t-shirt. The shorts barely reached past the shirt, but she didn't give herself time to think much of it. She considers using the brush, but she decides against it. She would ask Yui for one.
She cautiously opens the door to find the hallway empty. She glances back to notice something she hadn't before. Her wet clothes were gone. A chill runs down her spine, and she turns to bolt out. Her body collides with something hard. She steps back to retain her balance and looks up to find Reiji glaring down at her. She tries desperately to not think about the fact that she felt underdressed. She opens her mouth to excuse herself but immediately slams it shut.
"You thought it wise to track filth through the living room?" He didn't look or sound angry, but Mai had a feeling he was.
"I….. I'm sorry?"
He scoffs. His hand suddenly grips her upper arm in a painful grip, and he gives her a tug. His hand was just as cold as Laito's. Fear runs through her body when he leads her down the hallway, past what she is sure is Yui's room, before stopping before a door. She could feel every warning bell in her mind going off. She tries to pull away from him, but he tightens his grip. He reaches out to open the door. It looked like some sort of office. Bookshelves lined two of the walls. There was a desk near a large window on the opposite side of the room. There were two large chairs sitting before it and one sitting behind it, but that was it. Reiji jerks her forward, and she stumbles to keep her balance. She spins in time to see the door shutting. Her heart feels like it has stopped completely. A numbness takes over her body when she hears the lock click. She can hear his cold voice through the door. "You have no manners for a guest. You are to remain in that room until it is time to go home. Should you leave, you will be required to clean up after whatever mess you make."
She just numbly nods at the door. She didn't think he was on the other side anymore, nor did she think he would listen to anything she said even if he was. She slowly makes her way to the window. There were no clocks in the room. The only light came from a small desk lamp. She leans against the wall beside the window, so she could easily look out. She couldn't see much, but she wasn't looking at the ground. Instead, she was looking up at the stars. She starts to try to comb through the worst of the knots with her fingers. Her mind was racing. There was no point in trying to figure a way out of the room. She didn't want to run into Reiji again. She hoped to never see him again.
It hit her suddenly that she felt so tired. She closes her eyes. Her head was still hurting, but her body had a dull ache to it too. She glances around the room before her eyes land on the desk. She flinches. There was no way that it'd be comfortable, but she was now having a hard time keeping her eyes open.
She slowly moves over and pulls out the desk chair. It was a lot more comfortable than it looked. She leans forward, resting her arms on the desk. She knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to willingly sleep in the house, but she didn't think she would be able to stay awake. It felt like so much had happened in the span of hours. She rests her chin on her arms. She wouldn't be able to sleep soundly in this position, but she didn't think dozing would be too dangerous.
Her last thoughts were that she hoped that no one snuck up on her and hoped that the night flew by. One last thought was to wonder if it was okay for her to sleep with a concussion. Her body relaxes more than she thought it would. She drifts off to sleep without much problem.
