HoneyBlossom99: Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

kamisdaniti: :D Thanks for your thoughts! They were interesting to read! (: I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I'm doing great! :D How are you doing!

Guest: Yes, he is. (: I promise that I'll explain his behavior better in the next few chapters! :D

Guest: Haha, I'm trying to keep it as close to canon as I can! I hope you enjoy it! :D

Thank you for reading! Just as a small warning, there is a bit of a lime at the very first of this chapter. (: Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! :D


She knew it was nothing more than a dream, but it certainly didn't feel like it. Despite her eyes being closed, she knew who was there with her. Cold hands slowly work their way down the sides of her feverish body, sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. The cold felt good against her skin, but the frustratingly slow pace was starting to drive her crazy. A familiar chuckle seems to echo in her ear, but, instead of sending a jolt of irritation through her, it sends a pleasant thrill through her core. Unable to stop herself from shuddering, she lets herself enjoy the feeling. Cold fingers suddenly ghost teasingly over her opening, causing her to let out a strangled noise. Her fingers dig into his shoulders, though she wasn't quite sure when she had grabbed him. In fact, she didn't really know when his hands had left her sides. Once again, his cold fingers ghost over her, effectively distracting her. She lets out a frustrated growl when they leave her unfulfilled, and she lifts her hips a little in an attempt to get him to show more attention in that area.

Once again, he chuckles against her skin, causing a shudder of excitement to race down her spine. His cold body presses against hers. Sadly, he's still wearing pants, so she doesn't get the full benefit of his body cooling hers. She reaches out with shaking fingers and hooks them along the waistline of his pants in an effort to take them off, but a cold hand catches them. Before she knows it, her hands are pinned above her head. Goosebumps form over her skin when he makes a 'tsk'ing noise against the skin of her neck. His nose brushes along the skin slowly, and she has to grit her teeth to keep from making an embarrassing whimpering noise. His voice is a coo when he says, "Now, now. Don't rush things. We need to take our time and enjoy."

"Don't tease," she practically gasps out. She shifts her body once again, but he just moves further away from her. She tilts her head back and lets out a groan of pure frustration. That groan turn into a moan of pleasure when his lips slowly kiss their way up from her collarbone to her chin. She tries to tilt her head toward him in order to get a kiss in, but he chooses that moment to press the bulge between his legs against her. She shudders and releases yet another moan. It made her longing for more even worse. Her back arches more each time he teasingly presses his hips to hers. Her head leans back, and she squeezes her eyes tightly shut. Finally, she feels like she is about to snap. She forces her body to relax, and she decides to beg him to just get on with the show. Her eyes open to meet amused green eyes that have a hint of lust glazing them. Her breath catches in her throat, and she finds herself completely speechless. A flash of his sharp fangs has her opening her mouth to call his name.

Her eyes snap open again. To her absolute horror, her gaze is met with an amused green gaze. Her face flushes, since she could still vividly remember what she had been dreaming about. In fact, she could still feel his cold hand on her body. She wanted to reach up and cover her likely beet red face, but she couldn't tear her gaze away. After a few seconds passes, and she's becomes more aware of her surroundings. Now, she could see that it was Ayato, not Laito, who was sitting on the bed beside her. She quickly scrambles away from him and pulls her legs close. Her eyes glance around for Yui, but she finds that she's oddly alone. Her gaze snaps back to Ayato when she hears him snickering. Dread and embarrassment fill her chest, but she tries to cover it up by scowling at him. Unfortunately, it has the opposite effect. His laughter just seems to grow even more mocking. His elbow rests on his knee, with his chin in his hand. He makes a soft 'tsk'ing noise that makes her feel like slapping him. Finally, she snaps by asking, "What?!"

"How shameful. Dreaming something so dirty in a friend's bed," he playfully says. She was sure it wasn't the first time, but she could clearly see the similarities between Laito and Ayato. They didn't just look similar; they acted alike, too. She scoffs and waves a hand in front of her face, as if that would clear away his accusation.

"As if, I was having a nightmare," she calmly states. His eyes narrow, but it's clear that he's enjoying this more than she thought he had a right to. She opens her mouth to change the subject, but Ayato interrupts her.

"You weren't having a nightmare. I'd say it was a perfectly great dream."

Mortification completely fills her entire body, and she immediately starts to shake her head. "That's a lie! I didn't like the person in my dream!"

He starts to laugh again. Now she's positive that her face is a dark shade of red. In fact, she's sure that she's blushing so hard that it isn't only her face that is red anymore. It only gets worse when he wraps his arms around his stomach and tips over onto his side. She reaches back, grabs a pillow, and swings it at his face. Unfortunately, he somehow notices and manages to knock the pillow out of her hand. Her voice reaches a level that she never thought possible. "Shut…..Shut up!"

This just makes him laugh even harder. She can only gape at him in silence. Finally, he manages to get himself reigned in. Once his laughing fit starts to quiet, she finally drags her eyes away from his face. Just the sight of his green eyes and red hair is enough to give her unpleasant memories. She closes her eyes and releases a sigh. The bed shifts, and her eyes open to gaze back at Ayato. Unfortunately, he is closer than before. In fact, his face is only inches from her own. She lets out a surprised sound and scoots back a little more. She flinches when pain laces up her ankle, but she tries to not let it be the focus of her attention. Upon seeing the flinch of pain, Ayato's playful grin turns into a sadistic one. Anger starts to heat her stomach, and she tries to use it as strength. "Don't any of you know the meaning of boundaries? Or personal space?"

He lets out a scoff before sadistic playful look takes over his face again. He leans back and says, "You don't seem to have any issues with Laito getting in your 'boundaries'. From the looks of the wound on your wrist, you let Shuu bite you, too. I don't think you understand the meaning of boundaries."

He snickers at the horrified look on her face. She quickly says, "I don't know what you are talking about! I didn't let Shuu bite me! He just did it on his own, and my dream wasn't about Laito!"

The smile on his face widens to show his sharp teeth. She flinches when she remembers the feel of fangs scraping along her skin and immediately looks at her lap. He makes a 'tsk'ing sound once more, which just causes her to become even angrier.

"I didn't say you had a dream about Laito," Ayato sneers. Her eyes widen, and she desperately fights the mounting horror. She had to do or say something to change the subject. She scoots her way toward the edge of the bed.

"Where is Yui?" She asks softly. A change of subject would be the easiest course of action. A cold hand wraps around her upper arm in a tight grip that borders on pain. Ayato's voice is low in her ear. Thankfully, he doesn't get as close as Laito usually does, so she doesn't feel his breath against any part of them.

"I'll only tell you this once, for her sake. Be careful with that pervert. He's…..not right in head. You're transparent when it comes to lies, and he's good at picking up and exploiting them."

She tenses every muscle in her body. She didn't dare look over her shoulder at him, but she has a sinking feeling that he's telling the truth. She was careful to try and commit his words to memory. Still, she couldn't help but feel a tendril of suspicion at his actions. It wasn't like him to try to be helpful. The serious note in his words disappears only seconds later. "Also, you were moaning his name in your sleep, and vampires can smell arousal not only between your legs, but in your blood."

Her eyes widen once more, and she aims an elbow back at him. Unfortunately, he releases her upper arm and uses that hand to plant a firm shove between her shoulder blades, effectively preventing her hitting him. Due to being on the edge of the bed, her body easily slides from the bed. She tries to catch herself with her feet, but the pain from her ankle causes her to stumble and end up in a heap on the floor. Thankfully, her skirt doesn't hike up, though she's not sure how she had gotten so lucky. Still, it allowed her to quickly stand without further embarrassment. She turns to give the laughing Ayato a stern look, but she decides that saying anything else would just further the terrible predicament she found herself in. She turns and quickly makes her way to the door, trying to ignore the pain in every step. Thankfully, she makes it out of the room without another word from Ayato. She's silently grateful that she doesn't bump into Yui either. Once the door closes, she takes a couple side steps to get away from the door, then she covers her mouth with a shaking hand and stares at the opposite wall in horror. Had that really just happened to her? Why was it Laito of all people? She didn't know what was worse: being caught by Ayato or having a dirty dream about Laito.

Her back presses harder against the wall, and she slowly slides down. She's careful to tuck her legs, so she is kneeling rather than flashing her underwear. She lifts her other hand and proceeds to cover her face. She inhales a deep, shuddering breath. There's plenty of cute guys in her class. Why couldn't it have been one of them? Was it due to the fact that she spent so much time with the red head? She scoffs at that thought. If that's the case, it could have been any of the brothers. She closes her eyes, but they snap open only seconds later when she hears footsteps approaching. A soft voice calls her name, causing her to look up into concerned, red eyes. Yui's dressed in her pajamas with wet hair. She tilts her head a little.

"Reiji is looking for you. I told him that you were probably at home, since you didn't go to school. But, he keeps insisting that you are here. What are you doing here? Are you alright? You look….strange," she softly asks. Her eyes move up to her door before she frowns and looks back down at Mai. "Did Ayato do something to you?"

The more she looks at Yui's face; the more she realizes just how tired her friend truly seemed. She forces a smile onto her face and reaches out to pat the blonde on the shoulder. "I'm fine, just a little tired. I wasn't able to make it to school, because Reiji asked for me to do something here. I accidentally fell asleep on your bed. Sorry about that. I'm going to see what Reiji wants, then I will probably head home."

"You were helping Reiji?" Yui asks her curiously.

Mai simply nods and says softly, "I'll have to tell you about it later. I need to find Reiji before he gets even more upset at me."

The thought makes Mai flinch. Yui gives her a smile and swoops down to hug Mai. A lump forms in her throat, and she returns the hug. She hated to lie to her friend, but she didn't want to have to explain exactly why Ayato had been teasing her. She quickly clears the lump away by swallowing hard and says, "Hey, tomorrow is the weekend, right? Why don't we do something? Catch up without the obnoxious idiots interrupting us? We'll sneak out during the day and be back before they notice."

Yui pulls away. A look of excitement lights her face. Without any sort of hesitation, she nods, but she suddenly seems to think better of it. She clears her throat and says, "If you don't mind, there is something I'd really, really like to do."

Mai gives her friend the best reassuring smile she can muster. "Sure thing."

The look of excitement returns to Yui's face. Relief floods over Mai, and she closes one eye and lifts a finger to her lips. She playfully says. "But it'll be a girl's day out. No boys allowed!"

Both girls laugh before Yui tells Mai goodnight and disappears into her room without another word. Mai silently wonders what Yui's wants to do tomorrow, since she didn't actually mention anything. With a shrug, her mind shifts to preparing herself to face Reiji. She honestly just wants to go home, but she doesn't think it's possible aside from walking,l and she didn't really relish the thought of once again trekking all the way back to town. She wouldn't have a ride for at least a few more hours while her parents are working. With a sigh, she lets her head hang low for a moment and forces herself to relax. Thankfully, she is able to clear her mind by focusing on her breathing. With renewed resolve, she decides to face Reiji and whatever punishment he had in mind. She slowly climbs to her feet and uses the wall to slowly make her way toward what she assumes is his bedroom, though it was more like wandering around, since she had no idea where his room is actually located.

"Are you okay?" She lets out a startled cry and turns to face an annoyed looking purple haired vampire. "Could you please not scream so loudly?"

Her heart sinks to the bottom of her feet. She doesn't like having to deal with Laito, but she would if the need arose. Kanato's a completely different matter. She knew for a fact that she doesn't want to deal with him. The annoyed look slides off his face when his eyes drop to her foot. She swallows hard and says softly. "I'm fine."

His gaze snaps up to meet hers, causing her heart to skip a beat. He grips his teddy bear even tighter and says coldly. "It is rude to blatantly lie to someone who is trying to help you. Do you think I'm stupid?"

The last few words are spoken in a watery voice. In fact, tears are starting to well in his beautiful, purple eyes. Panic sets in, and Mai finds herself unconsciously moving closer to the purple haired vampire. She's careful to make her voice soft without actually cooing at him like she would a child. "Oh, no! Please don't misunderstand! I didn't intend to lie. I was… I was just…. Oh, Kanato. I just didn't want you to worry. It's nothing more than a sprained ankle. It'll be better before long. So, please don't worry about it!"

She forces a pleasant smile onto her face. Thankfully, he returns it with a small smile of his own. It only lasts a moment, before he gives her a look of concern. He vaguely gestures to her foot. "Does it hurt?"

She opens her mouth to say no, but she stops herself once she remembers the teary eyed look from before. She slowly closes her mouth and settles for simply nodding. A thoughtful frown passes over his face, and he tilts his head to the side slightly. The silence starts to stretch, but she was unwilling to actually be the one to break it. Suddenly, he reaches out to intertwine his fingers with hers. She barely suppresses the urge to shake his hand off. Unfortunately, he seems to catch onto her inner struggle. His eyes fill up with tears once more. Contrary to the teary look, his hand starts to squeeze hers to the point of pain, so she isn't able to actually feel any sort of guilt. His voice is barely audible. "Do you not to want me to touch you? Have I done something to offend you?"

She opens and closes her mouth a couple of times before quickly shaking her head. He still doesn't loosen his grip, though. She forces a smile on her face and gives his hand a gentle squeeze back. Thankfully, that seems to be the right thing to do. A smile returns to his face, and his hand relaxes enough that she can start to feel her fingers again. He steps closer to her than she is comfortable with, and a look of concern spreads over his face. He mutters softly. "Will you come with me?"

A sense of danger washes over Mai the second he asks that question. She has a feeling that it won't end well for her if she follows Kanato anywhere. She frantically searches for some sort of excuse that he might actually believe. Finally, she finds one that might work. She gives him her best apologetic smile and says, "I'd love to, but I'm sorry. I can't. Reiji is expecting me, then I have to get home to my parents. I can't be gone a second….day….."

Her voice trails off when she sees a look of anger pass over his face. Her breath halts in her throat, and she frantically tries to think of something to keep him from having a tantrum and harming her. She knew it's risky, but she decides to go with it. "Hey, Kanato? I do need some help though, if you don't mind! I don't remember where Reiji's room is, and, well, it hurts to walk. I could really, really use your help. Then we can catch up on all the stuff we've missed in each other's lives! If you help me, I'll bring you something sweet to eat the next time I'm here, or, you can come home with me today. My parents will likely be home by the time I get home, and my mom's been on this baking kick lately, so we have a lot of spare sweets."

Mai playfully rolls her eyes before giving Kanato and encouraging smile. His eyes narrow at her, causing her heart to skip a beat. Was he not going to take her bait? She tries to keep herself from shaking, but she's starting to think that she's failing. Just when she's about to give up hope, he says, "I am not a child that you can bribe with sweets."

Her heart feels like it literally stops. She can only stare at him in absolute horror. Her mind frantically rushes over everything that she said, but she couldn't figure out where she had gone wrong. He suddenly leans closer to her. Teddy presses against her arm. The material felt good against her skin, since it was as soft as she imagined it to be. Despite being the only source of contact aside from their hands, her breath still stops completely. With a frown, Kanato says. "Laito and Ayato always take things away from me. I want a turn with the toy. I don't want just sweets and a pat on the back."

She takes the cue from him and asks softly, "What do you want?"

A charming smile spreads over his face. He leans those last few inches. His head hovers dangerously close to her neck, but she didn't dare flinch away. In fact, she's holding her breath in order to keep as still as possible. The last thing she wants to do is needlessly provoke him. He chuckles softly before pulling back. "You smell interesting now. I want you to offer me some of your blood, like you have done the others."

She finds herself speechless. She never offered anyone her blood! She considers telling him no. Unfortunately, the small, sadistic smile on his face keeps her from flat out denying him. She licks her bottom lip, hoping to find a way out. To her dismay, his eyes watches her tongue move, and a sense of unease wells up inside her. She has to do something soon in order to get away. An idea occurs to her, and she decides to run with it. She forces herself to smile and tilts her head to the side just a little. "How about we see how you feel after you try my mom's baking? If you still want more, than we can talk about it. Sound like a deal?"

He tilts his head with an innocent look on his face. For a brief moment, Mai believes that he's going to demand that she give him blood immediately. Her unease only gets stronger when he simply agrees to her terms. She couldn't help but feel that he has something up his sleeve. He lifts their joined hands together and presses the back of her hand against his cold cheek. His eyes lock with hers and a chill runs down her spine. He offers her a kind smile, but it does nothing to ease her wariness of him. He lets their hands drop and says almost happily. "Reiji's room is this way."

He doesn't wait for her to respond. Instead, he spins on his heel and jerk on her hand hard. She finds her body being pitched forward and quickly takes a few pain filled steps forward. Despite herself, tears well up in her eyes. Another tug has her stumbling even more. Only this time, she actually trips, and her knees scrape the floor. She lets out a soft hiss of pain, and she jerks on Kanato's hand, though he had already turned around. She glares up at him only to find that he's watching her with an amused expression. He tilts his head. Despite the innocent look, he asks sadistically, "Do I need to carry you? I didn't realize that you were so klumzy."

Anger ignites in the pit of her stomach, but she doesn't get a chance to voice her frustration. Just as she opens her mouth to snap at him, another voice cuts through the hallway from behind her. "Ah, there you are, Sweetheart. I've been looking for you."

She doesn't get a chance to look in his direction. His arms simply appear around her stomach, and he lifts her onto her feet. She wanted him to simply release her, but he keeps a loose grip around her waist. She stares at the floor in complete horror. Why did he have to appear when the memories of her dream were still fresh? She flinches. She should be more worried about the situation than her dream, but who was she kidding? She couldn't keep her thoughts focused on the danger in front of her. She could only think about the fact that she didn't think she would ever be able to face him again. She snaps back to reality when Kanato's face appearing inches from hers with a frown. "I don't think she wants to go with you, Laito. She looks like she is about to cry."

Mai's entire body tenses, and she feels her face flush. She considered glancing over her shoulder to look at Laito, but she found that she didn't have the courage to do so. Kanato's purple eyes shift from Mai's face to Laito's when the redhead playfully says. "Kanato, this is my toy. Go play with your dolls."

Anger clouds Kanato's face, causing dread to fill Mai's stomach. She has a feeling if this continued, she would be the one caught in the middle. She didn't really want to be the one they played tug of war with. She opens her mouth to say something, but she stops when Kanato angrily says. "I don't care! She promised to give me sweets if I helped her!"

Even though it shouldn't come as a surprise, it still shocks her to see his eyes fill with tears so easily. Furthering her surprise, she feels Laito stiffen against her back. The air seems to become thick with tension. She swallows hard and wiggles in Laito's arms. Unfortunately, the movement seems to snap their attention back to her. She clears her throat and says, "We can invite Yui and Ayato, too! Won't that be fun? We can stay up late and watch movies or do our homework."

A puff of air beside her ear makes her flinch away. She glances back to find an amused look on Laito's face. He turns his gaze toward Kanato. "What do you think, Kanato?"

She turns her gaze back to Kanato, who has Teddy lifted up to his face. She isn't sure, but she believes he looks thoughtful. Finally, he slowly nods, and his eyes lock with Mai's. His voice is muffled by Teddy. "Fine."

He disappears, allowing the tense muscles in Mai's body to relax. She releases a breath she didn't even know she was holding. Unfortunately, her relief is short lived. She is suddenly spun around to face Laito. Her foot sends a jolt of pain up her leg, causing her to close her eyes and flinch. Once the pain is gone, she finds that she didn't want to open her eyes to face him, but she kept seeing her dream replay over and over behind her eyelids. She reluctantly opens her eyes. His amused face appears only inches in front of her face. In fact, his nose was almost touching hers. Without a second thought, she says, "You look a lot like Ayato."

She instantly regrets saying that, since the amusement literally disappears from his face. A cold look takes it's place, causing her heart to skip a beat. She frantically looks for something to say, but the silence continues to stretch. She jumps when she hears a throat being cleared behind her. She gratefully glances over her shoulder, only to have her hopes die all over again. Reiji is standing a short distance away with his arms crossed over his chest. There's a stern look on his face. Her body lurches forward, and she glances back to find that Laito's gone. She mutters softly, "Coward."

"He's not the problem. It was reported to me that you not only didn't get Shuu up in time for school, but neither of you even attend school."

She releases a slow sigh and takes a moment to calm herself before she turns to face Reiji. She doesn't give him time to say anything more. She just leaps into what had happened before school started. To her surprise, she watches a small smile spread over Reiji's face when she tells him about the ice water. It helps to cement the idea that Reiji did not like his older brother at all. She suddenly feels bad for Shuu. Once she finishes explaining how she decided to just give up, Reiji releases a sigh. He lifts his hand to push up his glasses. His eyes drift closed, and he sternly says. "Next time, do not baby him by getting him clothes. Do whatever you must to wake him up."

The first part of the sentence is the only part that she truly hears. She finds herself staring at him in disbelief. Finally, she stutters out. "N...next t….time? What are you talking about?"

He releases a sigh, as if she was truly bothering him. He opens his eyes to give her a cold look. "As punishment for skipping school without authorization, you are to take my place in getting Shuu to school; however, I will find a more….severe punishment should you baby him again."

She wants to argue that she doesn't want to spend another day getting Shuu up for school, but she realizes a different issue. She swallows hard, not quite sure if she wanted to know the answer. She tells herself that it's better to know than to guess. If she messed up again, it would lead to an even worse punishment than dealing with the lazy blonde. She asks softly, "So am I going to have to arrive here before I go to school?"

Reiji gives her a disgusted look. She flinches, almost feeling stupid for asking such an obvious question. The disgusted look melts away into his emotionless mask, making her believe he had let her see it. "I can offer you a choice. You can wake up earlier and come here to do your punishment, or you can simply stay here during the week."

She briefly wonders how long she would be forced to do this, but she didn't want to waste time on worrying about something that she couldn't control. Her thoughts quickly turn to her choice. Waking up early is looking better and better. Instead of answering, she glances at her feet. It's probably better to pretend to think it over. She must have taken too long, since Reiji releases an annoyed sigh. He coldly says, "It seems that you need instruction on asking more in depth questions, before you agree to something."

She clenches her fists and lifts her eyes to send a frustrated glare at him. She should have just told him that she wanted right off the bat. Unfortunately, he doesn't let her inform him of her choice. He simply says, "You stay at home, you will continue with your normal routine. The only difference is that you will leave your house an hour before school is to start. You will arrive here, attempt to wake up that good for nothing, then you will go to school with us. Should you choose to remain here, you will need to ask permission from your parents. However, you will no longer meet with your tutor. I will be here to instruct you where and when you need it. You will get more sleep. As stated before, you will go to school with us."

Her head feels like it's being torn apart. There's no way she plans to willingly stay at their manor. In fact, she's positive her parents would never agree to it, but the thought of not having to deal with the annoying tutor and extra sleep is tempting. She shakes her head slowly. She'd be closer to Laito and Kanato, so she wouldn't be able to actually relax. If she stayed home, she'd be able to relax to some extent, and she'd only have to go to school with them. She reaches up to press her fingers against her forehead. Here she thought she had it all figured out, but it turns out she didn't. "Ummm…. Can I think about my answer and get back to you on Monday?"

"That is acceptable. Now, I will tell you how your punishment will work. If you get Shuu to school every day this month, you will be released from your duty. If you fail one day, I will add another month onto your punishment. For now, you are free to leave at anytime. The car is out front."

He disappears before she even has a chance to say anything more. She finds herself standing in the middle of the hallway completely alone. With a sigh, she lets her head hang for a few minutes. She jumps when something brushes her shoulder, and her gaze snaps up to find nothing in the hallway with her. She releases a sigh, turns, and limps her way back to Yui's door. She lifts her hand to knock softly on Yui's door. She hears shuffling before, thankfully, the blonde opens the door. Guilt fills Mai's chest when she sees how tired her friend looked, and she considers not asking her friend for a favor. The thought of spending alone time with Kanato and Laito sends a wave of determination over her. She didn't know if Yui would be any help, but at least she wouldn't be alone. She softly asks. "Hey, why don't you and Ayato come over to my house today?"

She gives Yui her best pleading look. Her friend's eyes widen, and she opens and closes her mouth a couple times. Mai quickly and quietly gives Yui the rundown about what had happened. The more she tells Yui; the paler she becomes. Finally, Yui nods and disappears back into her room without another sound. With a sigh of relief, Mai decides that it's time to leave. That's when a cold feeling washes over her. She slowly looks down at her feet with a growing sense of dread. She isn't wearing her shoes, and she didn't remember grabbing them out of Shuu's room. She closes her eyes and releases a groan. She lets herself lean against the wall for a few minutes, while she works up her courage to make her way back to the blond vampire's room. She isn't sure what she's really worried about. She could likely just slip in and back out without getting a single word from him. With that in mind, she finally limps her way toward his room. Her dread continues to grow with each step.

Luckily, she's able to slip into his room and get her shoes without a single sound from him, just like she thought she would. The second she is about to leave, she hears him mutter something under his breath. She glances back to see a look of pain flash over his face. He rolls onto his side facing away from her, and she's positive that he's saying something else, but she was too far away. Her gaze remains locked with his back, and she silently wonders if she should try to wake him. It was clear that his body was tense, so she could only assume he was having a nightmare. She flinches when that thought crosses her mind, and she proceeds to slip out. She wasn't able to wake up the eternally tired vampire for school, so she didn't think it would be productive to try to wake him up now. Unfortunately, guilt starts to gnaw at her the second she shuts his door. She attempts to ignore it by sitting beside it and putting the shoe on her good foot. She slowly peels the sock off her wounded ankle to find that it was lightly bruised and still swollen. With a sigh, she carefully puts her sock back on. She didn't bother with her other shoe though. She figured that it would be too painful. With a deep breath, she slowly moves to stand and starts down the hall once more, carrying her shoe. The sooner she got this nightmare over, the better.

Thankfully, she runs into Yui on the way to the car. With Yui's help, and ignoring Ayato's jabs, they make it to the front door with the least amount of pain possible. Somehow, Mai is able to simply brush off Yui's questions about how she got injured. Her heart sinks at the sight of the limo. She flinches when the thought crosses her mind that she should probably be excited to actually ride in one, but she found that hard to do. Those type of vehicles caught everyone's eye, so discretion was going to be even harder to achieve. Despite all the space in the limo, Laito insisted on sitting beside her. To make it even worse, he was lightly pressing his body against hers. His arm rests on the back of the seat behind her. Directly across from her, Yui tries her hardest to make small talk, but it's hard to focus on what she's saying with Ayato sending her teasing smirks. He even went so far as to make a few vague gestures that caused Mai to flush so many times that Yui asks if she is ok, which only furthered her humiliation. This just served to amuse Ayato more. Mai had a feeling that Ayato is going to use this to his advantage. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Kanato moving. He was keeping to himself, despite Yui's efforts to get him talking.

Finally, they make it to Mai's house. She is the first out of the limo. She tries her best to ignore the pain, while she rushes up toward her door. There's no way that she was going to let any of the brothers get to her house first. She has a feeling they will just let themselves in. She also doesn't want Yui to be there first either, since her parents still disapprove of her friendship with the girl. Her footsteps slow when she notices that their cars aren't parked in the driveway. Her gaze moves back to the door. Maybe her parents were working over time. If her parents weren't here yet, she could get her "visitors" in and out quickly. She pauses at the door and glances over her shoulder.

That turns out to be a mistake when something cold brushes past her. Her gaze snaps back around just in time to see Kanato disappearing through her now open front door. Her heart skips a beat, and she rushes after him. Why didn't her parents lock the door?

"Wait, Kanato!"

She reaches out to grab him, but he stops so suddenly that she runs into his back. His elbow lands in her ribs, effectively winding her, and she quickly steps away from him. She was about to cast a glare toward him, but movement out of the corner of her eye sends her heart racing and causes her to turn to look. Her heart sinks upon seeing two men sitting at her kitchen table. One she clearly recognizes as Tougo Sakamaki, but the other one she's positive she has never seen in her life. His long hair is a strange greenish black color that got lighter towards the ends. She can't see his outfit clearly, but he is dressed in black. His red eyes drift over both her and Kanato without much interest. In fact, he gives the same look to all of the brothers. It's not until Yui appears from behind Ayato that he actually gives a reaction. Mai isn't quite sure how to describe the look, since it looks like he is gazing at Yui with love and devotion, but it disappears so suddenly that she seconds guesses if she ever saw it in the first place.

She doesn't get much of a chance to think about it, since cold arms wrap around her body. Her face presses into a chest, and she feels every muscle in her body tense. Lips affectionately brush the top of her head, but the body disappears from hers before she has a chance to even struggle. Her gaze snaps up to meet Tougo's smiling face. She unintentionally cringes away from him, but he stops her by putting his hands on her shoulders. His voice is almost like velvet to her ears when he says. "Hello, my dear. I trust that you are doing well?"

Mai finds herself nodding, before she even has a chance to think. He gives her another smile, but it's quickly replaced by concern. "I came to speak to you before your parents arrived home. I was contacted by a wonderful woman regarding your home life. Have your parents been cruel to you?"

His cold fingers brush along her forehead. She flinches at the feeling. She isn't even sure when his hand left her shoulder, and she didn't appreciate the "affection" he was displaying. She attempts to step away, but the hand still on her shoulder gives a small squeeze. She tenses once more, and her gaze locks with his. He's still smiling, but she had a feeling that he is warning her against stepping away. His face leans closer to hers, but she finds herself unable to move anymore. She isn't sure if it is something he is doing or if it's simply the fear coursing through her body. His voice is barely audible. "Have they hurt you?"

Her mouth felt insanely dry. She wants to tell him no, but she can't even make a sound. His smile just seems to grow. Her eyes widen, and she feels like shoving him away. Unfortunately, all she manages to do is give a small shake of her head. An arm appears over her free shoulder. It crosses over her chest and tucks beneath the arm his hand is resting on. With a savage jerk, she is pulled out of Tougo's grip into a solid body. She didn't know why, but it feels like a large weight is lifted off her body. Still, her gaze locks with his. A look of interest passes over his face, but it's gone only moments later. She feels the arm squeeze her, and she wants nothing more than to look back to see who is saving her, but she finds herself unable to do anything more than just shake in their grip. Tougo's smile changes, when his gaze moves over the crowd gathered together. He literally disappears from his spot. Mai jumps, but she's not sure why. She's sure she has gotten use to seeing that happen. Her heart sinks when she sees him standing beside Yui. His fingers are playing with the tips of her hair. "I trust that you are enjoying your stay with my sons?"

A look of fear is plastered on Yui's face, and Mai can clearly see that the blonde is shaking. Before she gets a chance to respond, Ayato pushes himself between Yui and Tougo. A look of pure irritation colors his face. His voice is full of contempt when he snarls. "Paws off, old man."

"That is no way to speak to your father, boy," a new voice states coldly. Mai's gaze turns to the man still sitting calmly at the kitchen table. A look of irritation adorns his face now, but she has a sinking feeling that Ayato isn't the only one who is causing it. She glances over to Yui, who is pressing her body against Ayato's back.

"He's not much of a father, Richter," Ayato snaps. Mai's gaze turns back to find a look of pure hatred on Ayato's face. Before anyone gets a chance to respond, Tougo lets out a 'tsk'ing sound. She feels a body press against the side opposite of Tougo. She spares a glance to find that it's Kanato. With a flinch, she realizes that she knew it was Laito behind her all along, even if she didn't want to admit it. Kanato's face is a calm mask that sent chills down her spine. She could see that he is staring right at the man named Richter, so she follows his gaze. Richter seemed to just be staring uninterested at the kitchen table now..

"Now, now. We are all family here, are we not?" Tougo playfully asks. Mai turns his attention back to him. He isn't giving her or anyone else much attention. His gaze is firmly locked with Ayato's. Tension is threatening to overwhelm the room, so Mai decides it's time to try to draw the attention away from Yui and Ayato before something happens. She softly clears her throat, but it doesn't gain her any attention. She found that she's relieved to not gain that terrifying gaze. With a small shake of her head, she tries again.

"Mr. Sakamaki, would you like something to drink?" She flinches at the sound of her own voice. It's clear that she's nervous and terrified. She hears Laito chuckle behind her, but she chooses to ignore it. Before she can stop herself from doing it, she leans back into the comfort Laito provides when Tougo turns his gaze toward her. She has never felt so threatened by a smile before.

"I'm fine. Thank you, my dear," he coos at her. She felt like she is suffocating all over again. She silently finds herself wishing that Laito had a heartbeat. With a shake of her head, she reaches up to pull on his arm. The uncomfortable silence is starting to stretch to uncomfortable lengths, making it feel like she had to say something. She doesn't even give it a second thought. She just starts babbling.

"That lady must have been the case worker. See, this is what happened. I fell out of bed and hit my head. I had a couple of other bruises that I didn't remember getting. Well, the nurse at school saw the bruises, and you know they have to report those things. So, my parents were investigated. I guess my dropping out for that short time seemed suspicious to them. I couldn't ask for better parents, though. I'm spoiled really, probably because I'm an only child. I don't know why they didn't have more kids. Maybe they just thought I was perfect? I do-"

The chuckle that spills from Tougo's mouth halts her rambling. She could feel her face flushing a deep red. Her mouth snaps shut with an audible sound. Tougo is working his way back over to her, but he passes her and stops before Kanato. She isn't sure why, but she can feel the purple haired vampire tensing beside her. Finally, Tougo turns away and walks back to the table to return sitting across from Richter. With a gesture at the green haired man, he says in a strange voice, "this is my brother Richter. I asked him to come along today to meet you and your parents, my dear. I have asked him to make his own investigations into whether your family is mistreating your or not."

"But, I sa-"

Tougo lifts a hand, effectively halting her. He gives Mai an almost apologetic smile. He continues on as if she didn't just interrupted him. "He's been idle for too long. I fear that he's been growing bored. Please allow him the courtesy of having something to do."

She glances at Richter, who eyes are closed. He's frowning as well, making it appear that he didn't want to do this. Mai feels Laito tense behind her once again, but she doesn't dare take her eyes away from the two men. Once her eyes shift back to Tougo, she can see an amused smile on his face. He sits a hand on the table and proceeds to lightly tap it with his index finger. He says softly, "I suppose you can think of Richter as your own personal guardian angel."

Air suddenly becomes brittle. She did not want to think of some stranger as a savior, nor did she ever plan to. She slowly shakes her head, but Tougo doesn't seem to notice. The more likely scenario is that he just doesn't care. His voice seems to add more tension to the air. "Also, sons, a formal dance is coming up. A large company is hosting it as a way of bringing more business partners in. It'll also allow them to silently take over a few small businesses that have been a thorn in their side. I'm invited, and I would appreciate it if you all showed up and behaved yourselves."

Silence follows his words. His gaze drifts to Ayato, but it's like he isn't even looking at his son. Richter's eyes snap up and turn to look in Ayato's direction. In fact, a quick glance around reveals that every vampire is looking at her friend. That's when she noticed a look of pain twisting Yui's face. She's clenching her clothes over her heart. With a jerk, Mai quickly frees herself of Laito. She hisses in pain when she steps on her wounded foot, but she manages to hurry to Yui's side. She reaches out grabbing her friend's upper arms. She crouches slightly in order to effectively look up into Yui's face. Worry fills her body, and she asks softly. "Are you OK?"

Yui sucks in a gasping breath, but she, thankfully, manages a nod. She finally mutters out something about sitting. Mai assumes that Yui is asking to sit down, so she carefully spins her friend toward the living room. It only takes a little bit of prodding before she gets the blonde into the living room, where she hands over the tv remote and coaxes Yui to lay down. Once she is done, she slowly makes her way into the kitchen to get Yui something to drink. Just as she passes Tougo and Richter, she hears Tougo ask, "My dear, how was your ankle injured?"

Mai pauses, but she tries to stop herself from tensing up. She glances over her shoulder at Tougo before she reminds herself to get Yui something to drink. She returns to her task. "Reiji asked me to help him get Shuu up for school. I had only been in his room a couple times, so I had forgotten that he was a weird one that had stairs. I ended up falling down them."

She grabs a glass and begins to fill it up, but a pleasant chuckle draws her attention back to him. An amused look appears on his face, so she stops pouring the juice she had decided on. His voice is low, but it seems almost reprimanding. "No one has offered to heal you?"

Mai opens and closes her mouth a couple of times. Finally, she shakes her head and forces a smile to her face. "I didn't know anyone could heal me, besides I ask for any help. It's nothing more than a sprain, so it'll be practically healed before school starts up again on Monday."

Tougo lets out a soft sigh. Mai flinches when he appears before her. He reaches out to pat her on the top of her head like she's a small child. "It won't do to have my employee's child injured due to my sons' carelessness. I do have a reputation to uphold, after all."

His hand lands on her head, and a warm feeling fills her entire body. She isn't sure exactly what happens, but she finds herself leaning against the counter. His hand slowly makes it's way down the side of her head before it disappears around her jaw area. She opens her eyes feeling completely unnerved by the fact that she felt no pain in her body, whatsoever. Tougo's shoulder is inches from her face, causing her to tense up. His voice is low in her ear. "Keep the bride entertained, and things will continue to go well for your family. She is transitioning much better with a distraction."

It feels like everything stops working in her body. She finally manages to jerk away from the politician. Just when she thinks she is free, he reaches out to ruffle her hair. She flinches, but he just smiles and turns to face Richter once more. His voice is back to it's normal level. "Richter, I trust this young girl's wellbeing to your care. After all, she'll help you keep close to your beloved, will she not?"

Confusing fills Mai's body. Upon hearing a clattering sound, she turns her attention to find Richter standing with a look of fury on his face. The look he casts Mai's direction causes her blood to feel like ice. He disappears from view only moments later. She has a feeling that her life just got even more complicated. She vaguely hears Tougo saying goodbye to his sons. She's finally snapped out of her thoughts when purple fills her vision. Kanato's annoyed face is only inches from hers. She flinches and takes a step back. A look of anger floods the vampire's face, so she quickly makes sure that Yui's juice is still up right then hurries to the fridge. It felt so strange to not feel the sting when she walks, but she pushes the eerie feeling to the back of her mind. She would have plenty of time to worry about it later. She just manages to open the and retrieve a cheesecake when she feels Kanato pressing against her back. With a sigh, she side steps him and sets the cheesecake on the counter. She manages to somehow retrieve several different sweets from the fridge by scooting around the purple haired vampire. She gets some ice cream from the freezer and finds that her mother had made several different types of cake. Her heart skips a beat when she realizes that her mother had made shortcake for a strawberry shortcake. She returns to the fridge to retrieve strawberries and whipped cream.

On her way back to the counter, she tells Kanato to pick out whatever he wants to eat, and she will dish it up for him after she got Yui's juice to her. She kicks off her other shoe and scoops up the juice without waiting for a reply. She manages to make it to Yui without incident, since every Ayato was crowding near the treats. She sits the juice down on the coffee table in front of the couch and crouches down to look at Yui. Concern fills her body once more. "Are you feeling any better?"

Yui offers a weak smile and sits up. She picks up the juice with a soft 'thank you'. She only sips at it, though. Finally, she says. "It's not the first time this has happened. Actually, it's been happening a lot recently. I just can't figure out what is going on. I didn't have this problem before I started staying with Ayato."

A sense of coldness washes over Mai. She softly says, "Do you think it has to do with that house? I heard some terrifying things the o-"

She is cut off by Kanato appearing beside her. He clenches Teddy even tighter. His voice is low, almost angry sounding, when he asks, "Are you ready to get my sweets for me?"

Mai and Yui stare at him in dumbfounded silence. Finally, Yui stifles a giggle, and Mai rolls her eyes before standing and returning to the kitchen. It takes some work, since Ayato and Laito make things difficult by sticking their fingers into everything. They claim they have to try it before eating it. Unfortunately, this angers Kanato, who starts yelling about how they always ruin everything of his. She barely manages to keep Kanato from breaking anything by offering him some chocolate pudding and promising to bring him sweets for a week. It somehow changes into bringing him the sweets for a month. She ends up smacking the back of Ayato and Laito's hands a couple times, but she finally manages to get everyone's food dished up, including her own and one for Yui. Once she is alone, she carefully covers up and returns the items to their appropriate places..

That's how they found themselves sitting in the living room. Thankfully, Mai is able to secure the seat next to the armrest on the couch. Kanato sat in a chair near her, while Yui sat beside her. Ayato sits on the other side of Yui. Laito was occupying a chair on the opposite side of Ayato.

"Let's watch a horror movie!" Ayato yells.

"No! Please!" Yui begs. Ayato scoffs and wraps Yui in a headlock, causing Mai to have to save Yui's desserts from falling. Yui argues that she wants to watch something like a romantic comedy, but Ayato proceeds to call her names. Mai attempts to help her friend, but a scream on tv causes her to jump. She turns in time to see someone being brutally murdered on tv before the name of the show appears over the screen. The sound Yui makes let's her know that time is going to feel like it's crawling along. Still, she can't help feeling thrilled that they are watching horror movie. It had been so long, since she had last watched one.


She slowly opens her eyes. The tv is loudly rolling the credits of some movie that she didn't remember seeing. She shifts in an attempt to get into a more comfortable position. Unfortunately, that's when she notices something in her lap. She looks down to find Laito's head resting on her thigh. Her brain instantly wakes up, and she tenses. She glances around to find that she sitting on the floor, and she is leaned back against the couch. The coffee table is gone, allowing her legs to stretch out. Something bumps into the back of her head, drawing her attention that way. To her surprise, Yui is stretched out just behind her on the couch. An arm slung over her friend's waist lets her know that Ayato is likely laying behind her. Mai carefully shifts, so she can look around the room. Her other leg bumps into something, and she turns to find Teddy laying beside her. Her heart skips a beat when she notices that Kanato's arm is loosely wrapped around his teddy bear. He's curled up on the opposite side. Mai's breath catches in her throat the longer she observes his sleeping face, and she turns her gaze back to Laito.

How can they look so innocent when they clearly aren't? She glances over her shoulder, but all she can see is a tuft of red hair. Yui looked completely relaxed though. She shifts a little more when the reason she woke up surfaces. She glances back to find that Laito is still sleeping soundly in her lap. Making sure to be careful, she slips her hand under his head and gently lifts it just enough to start to slowly wiggle her leg out. She slides a little bit more toward Kanato, but she accidentally bumps into the Teddy. She freezes when she hears Kanato mutter something, and Teddy disappears. She glances over to find that he had simply rolled onto his other side. A flood of relief fills her body. She now had the room she needed to get out from under Laito. She carefully returns to slipping out. She breaths a soft sigh of relief once she is able to finally put his head down. Thankfully, he is sleeping on his back, so it doesn't put his neck at a strange angle that might wake him up. Mai quickly and quietly gets to her feet. She makes her way down the hallway to use the bathroom. Once she is done, she makes her way to her room to gather up three blankets. Despite know that the house is warm it still felt cold to her. Mai feels a shudder run down her spine. She makes her way back to the living room, where she covers Ayato and Yui with one. She is careful while covering both Kanato and Laito with their own blankets. She makes her way to the kitchen and retrieves herself a piece of cake. A grin spreads over her face when she takes the first bite. If her mother saw this, she wouldn't be happy.

Cold realization spreads over her. Her parents would never allow boys to sleep over. Her eyes turn to the stove, and her heart sinks even further. It's six p.m. Had her parents even come home? She sets the half eaten cake on the counter and hurries to check her parents room. She kept telling herself that her parents had came home, but they had been too tired to see the group of teens sleeping in the living room.

"Mai?" a sleep filled voice calls from the bottom of the stairs. Mai freezes with her foot on the last stair and glances back down. Yui was rubbing her eye with the back of her hand. "May I use your restroom?"

Mai stares at her friend for a moment. Once she realizes what Yui was asking, she quickly gives her friend directions on where to go. Yui mutters something that sounds like a thank you. Mai watches the blonde until she is out of view, then she turns to continue on her way to check on her parents. Unfortunately, a tired face appears in her view, causing her to jump. She has to crane her head back to look up into the purple eyes of Kanato. He looks like he just woke up, which serves to highlight his child-like features. It's further enhanced by the death grip that he has on Teddy. His voice is barely audible when he says, "I'm thirsty."

Mai's heart skips a beat, and a tendril of fear races down her spine, but she quickly shoves it to the back of her mind. Trying to keep her voice soft, she says, "OK. Well, it's technically morning for us, so we have some milk. I'm sure there is a couple different types of juice, too."

He doesn't respond with words, but his expectant look gives her all the information she needs. She tries to glance around him. She just wants to check on her parents. The words are out before she can stop herself. "Help yourself to any of them."

Her eyes shift back to his face to find he had buried his face in Teddy, which Mai took as a warning sign. Everything becomes deathly silent. In fact, Mai's positive that she's not even breathing at that point. Finally, Kanato asks, "Is this how you were raised to treat guests?"

Despite her frustration and fear, Mai forces a smile to her face. She slowly shakes her head, but she's careful to not take her eyes off of the vampire before her. The last thing she wants is to be pushed down the stairs. She carefully retreats back a step. "You're right. I'm sorry. How about you tell me what you want to dr-"

"You're running away," he coldly states, causing Mai to tense. She had retreated a few more stairs for a total of four stairs between them. She starts to shake her head, but Kanato cuts her off. "I want something sweet to drink."

Mai nods and takes another step down. Hot chocolate would likely be the best, and it'd be quick to make. Her luck quickly runs out. Yui returns from the bathroom and calls out Mai's name. Despite herself, Mai turns her head to look at her friend. Yui's mouth opens to ask, "Did you sti-"

A look of horror spreads over her face. Mai's sure that she had said something, but it's drowned out by the sound of Mai's heart pounding. Her gaze snaps back to find Kanato's face inches from hers. His voice is the only other sound she can hear. "I don't want to be kept waiting. I'm thirsty."

Mai instinctively reaches out to grab the handrail, believing that Kanato is about to shove her down the stairs. Amusement flashes over his face, and he leans back to laugh. Mai's entire body shakes, and she tries to process the fact that he hasn't done anything cruel to her yet. She jumps when two arms snake around her from behind, and she immediately starts to try to pull away. Cold realization sets in that she had nowhere to go, since Kanato is leaning in from in front of her with Laito holding her from behind. Desperate, she says, "Wait, wait, wait!"

Unfortunately, it doesn't do what she hoped it'd do. Her next thought is to do something drastic. Maybe if she dropped her weight, she could lift her legs enough to kick off Kanato and shove Laito backwards down the stairs. The thought makes her cringe. She'd end up hurting a lot longer than she would if she just let them bite her. Still, she didn't know if they were going to stop at biting her. Thankfully, she's saved by an unlikely hero.

"What the fuck are you two doing?" Ayato snarls from the bottom of the stairs. Kanato leans around to look at Ayato with a frown on his face. Mai closes her eyes and silently thanks Ayato. Everything is silent for a few minutes. Unfortunately, with her eyes closed, Mai's thoughts turn to her dream. She can practically feel her face flushing, so she opens her eyes to find Kanto pouting. She barely manages to bite back the laugh. Thankfully, she's distracted by Ayato stating loudly. "Hey, dumbass, I'm hungry! Make me some food!"

"Ayato!" Yui scolds. Mai can't help but roll her eyes. She hears Ayato saying something to Yui, but it's drowned out by Laito's chuckling. Mai can feel it through her upper back, making her flush all over again. She shifts awkwardly and reaches down to tap Laito's arms. Thankfully, he seems to be in a good mood today, since he lets her go. It takes a few moments, but she finds herself in the kitchen with Yui, who is making the food. Mai simply retrieves the stuff Yui said she needs. To both the girls' relief, the boys remain in the living room. The scent of cooking food fills the kitchen, making Mai's stomach growl. She still wants to check on her parents, but she doesn't think she'll safely get past the vampires, and she doesn't relish the thought of having another fiasco on the stairs. She jumps when Yui asks, "Did you still want to have a day out, just you and me?"

Mai glances at the clock to see it was getting close to seven p.m. She shifts her gaze from the clock back to hopeful red eyes. Mai can't help but smile and nod. "We'll have to get rid of the assholes, but I think it'd be great."

Yui lets out a squeal and turns to put the finishing touches on the food. The smile melts away from Mai's face as she watches her friend. There is so much that she has to talk to Yui about, but she didn't think she should do so in front of the triplets. She makes herself useful by setting the table. The breakfast seems to slip by without Mai noticing. Mai's mind kept drifting from how to approach the subject she wanted to talk about to her parents. Why haven't they woken up yet? Were they even home? She's pulled from her thoughts when Yui declares that the boys would have to clean up since Mai and Yui cooked. Mai can't help but laugh, when Ayato immediately sets about arguing.

That's how they found themselves cleaning the mess up by themselves. Yui had managed to drive all three of them away with the threat of doing chores or leaving so Mai and Yui could do them. Silence settles between them, but it's a comfortable one. Once they are done, Mai finds her phone, only to discover that her parents had called to tell her that they would be working over, and they would be home later that night, if they came home at all. At Yui's request, Mai leaves the house. Yui seems to know exactly where she is going, since she is able to easily lead Mai through the still lively streets. They finally arrive at a church.

"This is my father's church. I grew up here. I haven't had a chance to come back to check on it," Yui says. A look of longing spreads over her face, causing Mai's heart to start aching. She decides to turn her attention to the church. Unfortunately, it looks like it isn't being used. She doesn't get a chance to say anything to Yui, since the blonde is already on her way toward the front door. A creepy feeling slides down her spine, and she casts a glance backwards before following. She has never viewed churches as being ominus, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad is headed their way. Yui's voice snaps Mai out of her thoughts. "I thought someone was supposed to take the church over, but it doesn't look like anyone has."

A wave of sympathy rushes over Mai, and she doesn't hesitate to say. "Well, you know where everything is, right? Why don't we spend a few hours here and clean it? We'll have it looking good again in no time!"

Yui casts a thankful glance at Mai. She locates the key on a keyring that Mai had never seen before and quickly opens the door before stepping in. Mai follows suit and feels as if she had been kicked in the gut. It's darker than she thought it would be. What little light from the sun is being filtered through the pretty stained glass above the door and behind the altar, since the curtains were drawn along the windows that lined the sides. Mai glances at Yui only to find the girl gone. Goosebumps form over her arms, and she glances around for her friend. She barely manages to loudly whisper. "Yui?"

She jumps when the lights she hadn't seen flicker to life above her. It allows her to see 's a thick layer of dust setting along the pews. In fact, there is a thick layer of dust coating everything in sight, even the curtains. It looked like the place hadn't been used in years, but Mai had a feeling that wasn't the case. Mai cringes at the thought of how long it will take to clean it all. Her eyes search for her friend just in time to see her disappear into a door behind the altar. Unsure if she should follow or not, Mai finds herself standing near the entrance awkwardly. After a few minutes of waiting, Mai shuts the door and slowly walks up the aisle toward the barely open door Yui had disappeared through. She freezes when she hears banging, then she quickens her step. Just as she is about to reach her destination, Yui appears carrying a wide variety of things to clean with.


They are well into cleaning, and Mai hasn't had a chance to discuss anything with Yui yet. She didn't know where to start. She also wasn't able to get a word in edgewise due to Yui telling her all sorts of stories about when she was growing up. Finally, there is a lull in their conversation, and Mai jumps at the chance by picking the first question to appear in her head. "Hey, Yui?"

"Hm?" Is the only answer she receives. Yui is dusting off several bibles near the altar while Mai wiped down the benches.

"Do you think Ayato loves you?" Mai's voice seems to echo much louder than Yui's ever did. She straightens up and reaches up to wipe her forehead. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see that Yui has frozen with a look of pain on her face. Mai instantly regrets asking the question, but she doesn't know how to take it back.

"I don't…. I don't really know," Yui finally mutters. "I'd like to think he does, especially with all we have done."

Mai's heart gives a painful lurch when Yui puts the bible she was cleaning down. She turns to start wiping down the altar. Mai clears her throat and pushes herself on. "Have you been… feeling weird lately?"

Yui turns a curious gaze on Mai and halts completely. "What do you mean?"

Mai shrugs and stares at the wood before her. She plops down and leans back to look up at the ceiling. She is stumped on how to explain something she has never experienced before. Was Yui suppose to even feel anything during the transformation? Mai would assume so, but once again, she wasn't sure. With a hard swallow, Mai weakly says. "Has Ayato been drinking from you a lot lately?"

Yui slowly walks down the aisle toward Mai. "Not more than usual."

Mai closes her eyes and focuses on inhaling and exhaling. This isn't how it's suppose to go. She is suppose to be able to tell Yui about everything she has learned, and they can choose a course of action together. She hears Yui bump into the pew in front of her, but she doesn't bother opening her eyes. She's busy trying to figure out how to word her next question when Yui asks softly. "Is there something wrong?"

With a sigh, Mai opens her eyes and sits up straight. She stares at the pew in front of her intently and explains what she knew about the transformation. After she is done, she glances over to see a look of pain on Yui's face. Mai's heart skips a beat when she sees that Yui is clenching the area over her chest. She reaches out to touch Yui's shoulder, but she jerks her hand back when Yui flinches away. While Mai watches, Yui's body starts to shake, and she starts to pant. Unsure of what to do, Mai reaches for her phone. She lets out a scream when something touches her shoulder, and she snaps her gaze back to Yui's tired crimson one. Yui offers a small smile and shakes her head. She leans back and releases a slow breath, allowing Mai to ask her if she was OK. Instead of nodding yes or shaking her head no, Yui just starts to talk. "I haven't felt well, since we stepped foot in the church. I use to come here for comfort, and I thought that it would help. Maybe I have become too tainted."

Tears were welling up in her eyes. Mai opens her mouth to say something, but Yui cuts her off by starting to tell Mai about this woman in a pretty purple dress. The more she tells Mai about the woman; the more chilling the atmosphere becomes. The woman sounded strangely like Kanato. A lump forms in Mai's throat which is begins to making breathing hard to do. Before long, she finds herself staring at her feet. Things just felt a lot larger than she ever dreamed possible. Yui lets out a whimper, drawing Mai's attention. Without any more hesitation, Mai quickly tells Yui about the brides and their fate, and her suspicions on what was happening to Yui. Once it comes out of her mouth, Mai realizes just how many of the pieces she is missing. Silence settles over them for a few minutes, and they each absorb what the other has said. Yui jumps up so suddenly that Mai flinches away and snaps her gaze toward the blonde. Yui takes a deep breath, and a look of resolve spreads over her face. She enthusiastically says, "Let's finish this tonight!"

Mai doesn't even get a chance to respond, since Yui is already on her way back to the altar to continue cleaning. With a sense of defeat, Mai drags herself up and resumes her cleaning. Only minutes later, Yui asks, "Do you like Laito?"

Mai flinches and turns her startled gaze on Yui. Unfortunately, Yui isn't looking her way. She turns back to the cleaning and tries to think of something to say, but her face flushes, and she lets out a soft whimpering noise. She clears her throat and says. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

A giggle from her friend causes her scrub even harder. She has never hated Yui more than she did right now. Yui's teasing voice only makes things worse. "Well, I just thought so, because you seem to get along with him so well."

"I don't!" Mai says loudly. She focuses on cleaning instead of looking at the blonde. She moves onto the next spot to clean.

"Ah, I see. He seems to like you," Yui playfully says.

"It's because he is a freak of nature. In case you didn't know!" Mai states emotionlessly. She sends a cold look toward Yui when the girl giggles.

Yui playfully sticks her tongue out before asking. "Are you saying you are unlovable?"

Mai scoffs and playfully flips her hair back. "Of course I am unlovable!"

Both girls share a laugh.

"OK, OK. Then do you like one of the others?" Yui playfully asks. Mai lifts her gaze to look at her friend.

"How old are you? Are you still in grade school?" Mai playfully asks, but all she earns is a playful look of irritation.

"No, I'm just curious," Yui says. Her voice catches Mai's attention. She thought she had heard pain in her friend's voice. This is confirmed by finding a look of pain on Yui's face. With a frown, Mai realizes that Yui is trying to distract herself. While she watches, Yui presses a hand over her chest and lets out a small breath. Mai turns back to continue cleaning. It wouldn't hurt to indulge her friend some.

"If you are asking if I like any of them, that's a no. Reiji is rude and bossy. He's scary, too. I honestly don't know if I should even breathe around him, but I guess he's not all bad. He does cook really well. He seems to have a hold on the household, so I guess he keeps everyone in line. He's smart, too. Ugh, but he's so strict. He's cruel and inhumane. I don't like being around him."

Yui's relieved chuckle spurs Mai to continue. She moves on to the next thing to be cleaned. "I guess I should start at the top, with the oldest. I always forget that Shuu is older than Reiji, though. Reiji just seems so much more…..responsible."

"He does," Yui quietly agrees. Both girls laugh.

"Seriously, though! How does one sleep as much as that lazy vampire? Is there anything good about him?" Mai playfully asks.

Laughter fills Yui's voice. "You know you don't mind him!"

Mai rolls her eyes and shakes her head. She reluctantly admits, "I suppose he's not as bad as some of the others. When he's not using me as a teddy bear."

Yui erupts into hard, loud laughter. She grips her stomach tightly and ends up sinking to her knees. Mai casts her a playfully cold look before she closes her eyes and fights her own laughter. She finally manages to win when a dark thought sweeps over her. She says softly, "He's a pervert, though. I can't help but think that there is something dark hiding behind that laziness. He just doesn't seem as up front about it."

Silence meets her words. Several minutes go by before Yui breaks it once more. "I think you are wrong. I think he's hurting somewhere deep down."

Mai pauses right before she starts to shake the curtains to try to free the dust. She turns her gaze to look at her friend to find the pained look still on Yui's face. Mai watches silently for a few minutes before deciding that Yui was naive, but she might have a point. With a sigh, Mai shakes the thoughts away. She turns her attention to the curtain and gives it a violent shake. She realizes her mistake much too late when a cloud of dust falls onto her head. She flinches back coughing hard. Her butt bumps into one of the pews hard, making her release a yelping sound. She twists around and blinks rapidly to try to prevent dirt from getting in her eyes. She finally flops onto the bench and continues to cough until she manages to clear her lungs. Yui had started laughing at some point and shows no sign of stopping. Mai replies by flipping her friend off. She leans back and releases a sigh. She is so worn out that she doesn't even want to finish, but she couldn't bring herself to leave it half done. Yui's voice echoes eerily around the church when she says, "There is a ladder we can use to pull the curtains down, and there should be some masks back there, too."

Mai flinches and looks toward her friend to find she was pointing toward the door she had entered previously. Mai reluctantly drags herself up and makes her way over to the large closet. It smelled of cleaning supplies and was decently sized. It's clearly organized as well, so it's easy to find the ladder and the masks. After grabbing two, Mai makes her way back out and over to the furthest curtain. She sets up the ladder just as Yui says, "You didn't finish telling me what you think of the brothers."

Mai casts a dark look Yui's way before she starts to climb the ladder. "Well, I suppose I'll continue on to Ayato?"

She glances at Yui to find her friend was now tense. Guilt swells in Mai's chest at the various bad things that she could say, but she decides try to be gentle. "I suppose he's pushy and rude, but I don't think he's a bad guy. I think he cares about you."

She reaches up to carefully pull the curtain rod up. She's surprised at how heavy it is, but she manages to wiggle the curtain off before she returns the rod. She allows the curtain to fall, creating a dust cloud. She quickly continues on to the next brother. "I guess Kanato is next? He's…..interesting."

A snort from her friend causes her to chuckle. She makes her way down the ladder and continues to move to the other side, only she grabs something to wipe the rod down with. Yui says softly, "You aren't kidding when you say he's interesting."

Mai chuckles and climbs up the ladder. A chill races down her spine, and her gaze snaps around to look at the empty church. She feels like someone else is there, and they are watching everything the girls do. Her gaze carefully inspects each and every nook. She carefully says, "I honestly don't know what to think about him. He's almost as scary as Reiji, but I can't help but feel bad when he cries."

Silence meets her speech, and she glances at her friend to see that she was focused on carefully wiping down the floor around the altar. Mai gives one more glance around the church, but she still comes up empty. She slowly turns her attention to the curtains and continues up the ladder. "Laito is a conceited, rude, pervert who doesn't understand the meaning of no. I don't understand his way of thinking, and I have a feeling that he's been playing at being nice to make me drop my guard."

She releases the curtain and wipes the rod down as far as she can reach, and starts down the ladder. She simply continues on to the second one. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees movement. Her head snaps in that direction, and every muscle tenses. Thankfully, it's just Yui making her way over to the fallen curtains. With a sigh of relief, she relaxes and continues her job. "Subaru is probably my favorite, though he's a little violent. I think we could get along, but I don't get to talk to him much, so I don't really know him that well."

Ater that, they fall into idle conversation while they try to clean as much dust as they can from the curtains. The time seems to tick by, and Yui is becoming paler by the second. Concern starts to eat away at Mai's concentration. Finally, everything seems to happen at once. They return everything to the closet and start to leave when Yui stiffens. A look of pain flashes over her face before her gaze turns toward the window. Mai's entire body stiffens, and she reaches out to touch her friend. A shock of cold races up Mai's arm, making her flinch away. Yui's gaze turns to look at Mai, causing Mai's heart to stop completely. A look of pure terror fills her friend's face, and Mai's own face goes completely white. Her breath catches in her throat, and she finds herself only able to stare at her friend. A shaking hand slowly lifts to point over Mai's shoulder. Yui's screech echoes off the walls. "She's behind you!"

Mai twists around ready to defend herself, but she finds nothing there. Confusion fills her chest, and she looks around the church. She spins back when she hears a blood chilling scream. Yui's body goes limp and hits the floor with a loud thumping sound before Mai can even attempt to catch her. Mai finds herself kneeling beside her friend in full panic. Tears escape Yui's eyes, and she mutters something about her father saving her. Mai reaches into her pockets with shaking hands to find her phone and lifts it to call an ambulance.

Everything passes in a blurr. The paramedics arrive and check on Yui. They were clearly baffled, but Yui has enough consciousness at that point to deny going with them. The adults were clearly uneasy, but they finally leave. Mai keeps begging Yui to get checked out at an actual hospital, but the blonde insists that she just needs to go home to the Sakamaki manor. The small girl is still shaking, and she couldn't stand on her own. This just furthered Mai's insistence that she to go to the hospital, but Mai gives up when Yui starts to try to walk toward the door. Mai finds herself helping her friend walk down the street. She doesn't relish the thought of walking all the way to the Sakamaki's, but Yui refuses to go anywhere else. The silence hangs heavy between them before Yui points out a shortcut. Mai reluctantly helps her down the path. Thankfully, it isn't as wooded as she thought it would be, and the full moon helped to light the area between the trees.

"Mai?" Yui suddenly asks. Despite herself, Mai jumps and glances at her friend. "The moon is pretty, isn't it?"

Mai's gaze turns to look up at it. A few branches blocked her view, but she could still clearly see it. "I suppose."

A shudder from the girl draws her attention back. "Maybe it's best if you don't come all the way to the mansion tonight."

Mai freezes instantly. She could remember the moon being mentioned before. Yui stops and heavily leans on her for a moment before breathlessly saying, "Ayato told me that the moon makes him thirstier. It gives him extra powers, like flying. It drives him crazy."

Mai stiffens upon hearing that. She finds herself wanting nothing more than to run. Yui's voice becomes softer. "Did you see the woman in purple?"

Mai slowly shakes her head and forces herself to keep walking. She has to at least get her friend to the gates. She could stand outside and make sure that the blonde made it to the door. She glances at Yui, thankful that the color is returning to her face and that she is warm once again. Yui starts to babble about something that Mai couldn't quite follow. They stumble onto the gates of the Sakamaki manor before Mai realizes it. She reaches out and touches the gate. A chill runs down her spine when it opens, and dread fills her stomach upon hearing the loud creak that she never noticed before. Yui's eyes snap open. "You shouldn't stay here."

Mai simply nods, but her body tenses when she hears a chuckle behind her. She glances over her shoulder only to find purple eyes only inches from her own. She feels Yui being ripped away from her, and she turns to find the girl seemingly asleep in Ayato's arms. Ayato casts an arrogant smile Mai's way before disappearing. A cold hand presses over her eyes from behind, and she finds herself being pulled back into a cold body. A chuckle beside her ear causes her entire body to stiffen. Unfortunately, she doesn't get a chance to say anything. She hears Kanato say something, but it's lost when the world seems to spin around her. Dread fills her body. Thankfully, the spinning seems to end quicker than normal.

With a sickening feeling, she realizes that she's probably just getting use to being teleported. She isn't sure why, but she fully expects Laito to let her go like he has been doing. She expects to find herself in his room or somewhere strange again. The seconds turn into minutes without any movement from him at all. Worry starts to bubble up, and fear accompanies it. She reaches up to grab the hand over her eyes with a shaking hand. Was she wrong? Is she with Kanato? She hadn't seen Laito there, but she hadn't exactly been looking for him either. The second her hand touches his, a sharp pain races through every part of her body. She opens her mouth to let out a scream, but the pain is gone just as quickly as it appeared. She drops her hand in order to try to use the elbow of that arm to drive into his ribs. It doesn't matter to her if she is able to connect or not. She just wants to fight back.

Her body twists awkwardly with her momentum, and she stumbles. Thankfully, she is able to maintain her balance enough to keep from faceplanting. Her eyes flicker around to find a bedroom that she has never seen before. It isn't as large as Yui's or any of the other bedrooms she has been in. The bed is a simple full sized bed with light blue pillows and a light blue bedspread. Unfortunately, she doesn't get much of a chance to look around, since something on the bed had catches her eye.

Laito is stretched out in the center of the bed. One arm is propping up his head while he laid on his side. He gives her a playful smirk, but he doesn't say anything. An eerie feeling spreads over her body. He's looking at her like she's some type of food, and he's a starving animal. Mai slowly reaches up to where the pain had started. A small tendril of pain races through her body upon touching it. A small amount of blood greets her vision when she pulls her fingers away. She casts a frustrated glance at Laito, only to have a shiver run down her spine. His eyes were glowing a bright green. She finds her throat suddenly dry, and she unconsciously takes a step back. When he smiles at her, she catches sight of his fangs for just a few seconds, but it's enough to make her tense her entire body. She's happy to say that she sounds stronger than she felt when she sternly says, "That one counts as a bite."

He scoff and simply flicks his hand nonchalantly. He slowly sits up and stretches his body. She wants to feel thankful that his eyes were off her, but she couldn't muster the courage to do so. She uses this time to glance around. There's one window, but it's over the bed. The headboard of the bed is situated against the far wall in the exact center. The only other thing on that wall is a four drawer dresser a couple feet away from the bed. She glances over her shoulder to find that the door is directly behind her. A chair sits in one corner, and a small desk is in the other. The only other decoration is a lamp on the desk. She turns her gaze back to find that Laito is now standing, but he looks as if he is smoothing out the bedding. She begins to back toward the door. She has no intentions on saying anything until his still glowing eyes lift to meet hers. Her breath catches in her throat, but she doesn't stop moving. "Where am I?"

He lets out a soft scoff and says in a cold, unfamiliar voice. "I know about your responsibility concerning Shuu. This'll be your room if you stay with us."

Mai stiffens and silently wonders if Reiji told Laito. It seems unlikely, but it appears to be the case. She clears her throat, but she's unsure of what to say. A playful smile adorns his face. Every fine hair on her body instantly stands on end, and she freezes in place. He isn't pursuing her like he normally did. In fact, he hasn't moved at all. She clenches her fists and takes another step back. Her voice quakes a little when she says, "I'm not staying here."

He clicks his tongue and gives her a sad look. "Is that so? I was hoping to see you more!"

She opens her mouth to say something, but she doesn't get a chance. Cold hands ball up in the cloth around her shoulders, and her back collides against the door hard enough to drive the breath from her lungs. Her head hits next, and she finds herself feeling sick to her stomach. She tries to focus on Laito, but she ends up seeing double of him, which strengthens her need to vomit. Somehow, she manages to suppress the urge. The second she starts to feel better, his voice wrecks everything. "Are you planning to invite me along to play with Shuu?"

She narrows her eyes a little and reaches up to shove him with all her strength. "You're disgusting! I'm not doing anything like that with him! It's just something Reiji asked me to do!"

To her surprise, he allows her to successfully shove him by taking a few steps back. She ends up wasting time by standing there completely stunned. Finally, she manages to work through the haze in her mind and reach out to grab the door, but it doesn't come as a surprise to find the knob not moving. She hears Laito closes in on her again, and fear races through her body. She knew he allowed her to hear him just to torment her. Her eyes move over to the desk, and she lunges. She barely reaches it before cold arms wrap around her waist. Her fingers quickly secure the lamp, and she twists while swinging it.

She fully expects him to stop it from hitting him, but to her surprise, he doesn't. It smashes into his face, and his grip loosens. He lets out a mixed sound of pain and anger. She quickly twists her way out of his arms and rushes back to the door. She doesn't bother looking behind her, since she's worried it will slow her down. Her hands quickly unlock the door, and she jerks it open.

Seconds later, it slams shut. She attempts to twist away from the door, but cold hands wrap around her forearms, securing them in front of her body. Seconds later, pain races up her wrists. To her horror she watches him finish wrapping the lamp cord around her wrists and lower forearms. She starts to struggle, but he only lets her go once he secures the painfully tight cord. She stumbles back until something hits the back of her legs, and she finds herself sitting in the chair. Her body stiffens, and she glances at the cord. She attempts to slide her hands out, but all it does is painfully pull at her skin. She isn't sure if she whether or not she should be relieved that the base was still attached. She decides to be relieved, since she could swing it in self defense. Her gaze lifts up to meet amused, yet angry, glowing green eyes. There is blood on his face, and his hat is missing, but he seems otherwise unfazed. His tongue slowly traces his lips, and his haunting words echo in her head.

"It's time to play, Sweetheart."