Author's Note: At first I wasn't sure if anyone was even going to like this, but so far the reception I've gotten for this story and pairing have been positive, which makes me really happy! I admit, writing a character and personality like Laito is uncharted territory for me. I'm using all the games and some analysis from others as a foundation for him, plus some headcanons others and I have. The best blog I found covering him perfectly was at everything-laito's tumblr, so I'm giving a shoutout to her because reading her stuff on Laito is just so good. While I don't take headcanons as truth, I also read various people's headcanons about him (wish I could name them all off the top of my head right now), from fluffy and sweet to dark and sadistic. He's a complex character, he's all those things, but he's also more than all of those things, so I'm using all aspects of his character that I've observed. Granted, him teasing and trolling people just to get a reaction out of them is very in character for him. By contrast, Twyla's far easier for me to write, but I have a lot more experience writing shy and introverted characters. Hopefully I'm doing his character justice, so hopefully you all will like my take on him. For my reasoning of putting him in the psychology class with Twyla, Twyla in Monster High's canon's favorite class is Psychology (it says so on her profile) and I headcanon Laito would like the class as well as he's very perceptive (and manipulative). Plus, I just love Psychology and that's my current major. Sorry for the ramble, here's it is! I hope you like it!

Chapter 2: Spellbound

For as long as I could remember, I wholeheartedly believed in the saying that one shouldn't judge a book by its cover; we should look beyond the external and see what lies inward, their heart. I wanted to live in a world like that, where we could discard all preconceived notions and make their judgements more on one's character. Perhaps I'm too idealistic, too naive, to want such a thing.

Lust had always been a foreign concept for me. Is it the presence of physical desire, but also the absence of emotional connection? Such a thing I condemned, the idea of no strings attached, treating each other as expendable, I found it reprehensible. Aren't love and lust mutually exclusive? And yet, what are these feelings stirring inside of me?

Perhaps I'm no different after all, for me to think I was above such feelings was a pretentious thing to believe. In the end, I'm no better than anyone else, I'm terrible...

As the bell rang for class to begin, a feminine voice spoke and a clapping noise could be heard to alert all the students, "Class, please settle down."

The chatter ceased; eyes focused on the teacher. She was a fairy named Cedrina, who had pale skin, jade green eyes, long brown hair, mint green attire, and iridescent wings. A gentle soul who was passionate about teaching Psychology, who was always warm and friendly to whoever approached her, so she tended to be well liked among her students. She was Twyla's favorite teacher and she saw her as a mentor.

Everyone's eyes were on her, as she addressed the class, "Hello, everyone, I hope your day is going well so far." She paused for a moment before continuing on, "We have a new student, one of six brothers who transferred here today. Will you introduce yourself?"

The boy sitting next to Twyla stood up, which caused the latter's attention to fall onto him once again. He put on a cheerful expression and smiled brightly, "My name is Laito Sakamaki, it's nice to meet you all." He casted a sideways glance at Twyla, who seemed entranced. "I hope my time here is fun, learning the inner workings of monsters and humans alike."

Upon hearing his name and his velvety voice, she felt her heart flutter and her cheeks warm. His name was Laito? Just like his appearance, his name caught her eye. She always gravitated towards the things that were considered esoteric or unusual, not usually one to care about what others called typical or standard. While he'd likely be considered attractive by many, there was also something unique about him.

There was also something familiar about his surname, but she couldn't place it. Where had she heard it? It seemed both familiar and foreign, quite the enigma.

Cedrina nodded and said, "Thank you, Laito, I'm happy to welcome you to Monster High." The aforementioned sat back down, Twyla still watching him. Cedrina then shifted her focus to the board, ready to start the class. "Now let us start, we shall go over Palov's theory of classical conditioning."

As class began, Twyla dipped her head down as she continued eyeing Laito in her peripheral vision, trying to hide the fact with her hair. While it was better than staring at him outright, she didn't want to seem rude, she still felt more than a little guilty for doing so.

She didn't know the rhyme or reason, but Twyla was drawn to him. Such a physical attraction, it was so unlike her. For her to be this charmed by someone, she was surprised at how superficial she was being. After all this time of emphasizing that it was the heart that was more important, it seemed rather hypocritical of her.

She thought back to a time when Howleen and Toralei, the resident mean kitty, were debating on their celebrity crushes. The memory, which at the time seemed so fleeting and trivial, resurfaced from her mind and replayed so clearly.

Howleen and Toralei were bantering about which vampire was more attractive, be it Edweird or Alucard. Toralei insisted dimples were more attractive, but Howleen stood her ground about a chiseled chin looking better. They wouldn't stop bickering for who knows how long, it seemed pretty constant. Why couldn't they let it go?

"Whatevs, fleabag, Edweird is way cuter!" Toralei protested to Howleen, who wasn't having this. The werecat was resolute in her belief about this. She lifted a picture of Edweird, proudly showcasing him.

Howleen scoffed. "As if, litter lover! You can't see the obvious awesomeness of Alucard!" She had a picture of her own of Alucard, which she held up before shoving the picture in front of Toralei's face, remaining just as steadfast in her stance. "It's right in front of your face!"

Twyla silently observed them, wondering why they were still debating this. Why did this matter so much to them? Why were they getting into heated debates over guys who didn't even know of their existence? Wasn't beauty in the eye of the beholder? She didn't like any of this, such a needless conflict that they were on the borderline of snapping at each other for. At the end of the day, infatuation and lust weren't love. Even if such things were considered normal, she didn't understand it. She didn't want to be a slave to her hormones...

"Duh! Yeah!" Frankie Stein chimed in enthusiastically, sparking to the idea, as if the answer was obvious. "Totally!"

Howleen seemed pleased with herself, believing she was proven right. "See? Everybody loves Alucard!"

"Sorry, I'm on team Edweird." Came the voice of Lagoona Blue who was approaching the scene along with her boyfriend Gillington "Gil" Webber. "There's just something special there that Alucard doesn't have."

Gil just seemed confused, shrugging. "I don't even know which one you're talking about."

"How about you, Twyla?" Howleen turned to her.

"Yeah, who do you like?" Toralei joined in.

Asking her such a question out of the blue, she hated being put on the spot like that. She didn't have any real opinion on either of those guys, while they were cute, she didn't see why this bothered them so much. The idea of celebrity crushes seemed asinine to her, she couldn't just like someone she knew nothing about. If she was honest, she didn't care this in the slightest and she certainly didn't want to be a part of this petty squabble, but she couldn't just tell them that. But what could she say? What would appease both of them? Or at the very least, make them get off her back about it?

Was it wrong for her to think this way?

"Come on..." Twyla began, backing away slightly, feeling more than a little uncomfortable. She shifted slightly and looked away from them, fingers gripping the sleeves of her top. "Looks don't make the monster...I can't just crush on a shadow I've only seen on the silver screen..." She glanced back up, an urge to speak from her heart overcame her. "I mean, it's what in his heart that counts. You can't judge a bat by its wings, right...?" She smiled weakly, hoping they'd finally see her reasoning.

Howleen remained silent, but Toralei just sneered at her, as if the idea was ludicrous, before continuing. "Ok, officially ignoring you now." She turned back to Howleen, expression changing to one of fawning. "Anyway, Edweird, perfect." She was absolutely sure of that.

Howleen shook her head in protest, fists balling in anger. "Nuh-uh! Alucard all the way!"

Several of them were bickering amongst themselves, talking over each other.

With that, Twyla didn't see any reason to be there any longer, they wouldn't listen to a word she'd say. She rolled her eyes and silently walked away, disappearing into the shadows. Hopefully one day they'll see that realization, for them to seek deeper connections and understand pure love. Yes, that was one of her secret wishes of her heart that she never spoke. She wished to understand it too.

"You've been staring at me so intensely," came Laito's voice, awakening her out of her daydream, "I wonder what about me has you so besotted." He let out a small chuckle, delighted by the shy ghoul's antics.

Upon realizing, she nervously looked away. She stuttered out, "I-I'm sorry." She chastised herself internally, she got caught.

He gave a soft laugh, "It's okay." He gave a subtle, yet smug smirk before commenting, just to further her embarrassment, "You're rather cute, little minty." He glanced at the name on her notebook, so her name was Twyla. "Or perhaps, I should say, Twyla?"

His words ended up getting the desired response from her, she obviously was not used to compliments. It caused her to bury her flushed face in her arms that were placed on her desk. All he had to do was tease her a little and she'd becomes a nervous fumbling mess around him.

It was rather fun.

Class continued on, but Twyla couldn't concentrate at all. She didn't know how much time had passed, but it felt like forever. She was a bit surprised Cedrina didn't notice her unusual inattention, or if she did, she didn't say a word. This was so unlike her, she'd always listen so intently during Cedrina's psychology lectures, this had been her joy.

She finally sat up, fiddling with her notebook to open it, finding the task far harder than usual due to her hands being clammy. She kept her eyes downcast and once more used her hair to obscure her face, not wanting him to notice her.

Don't look at him...

But being in such close proximity to him, her face still felt like it was on fire, her heart wouldn't stop pounding, and her whole body couldn't stop trembling. No matter what she did, she couldn't stop the fluttering feeling in her chest or prevent her brain from turning to mush. What was coming over her? Such foreign feelings, they were so intense.

Laito continued watching her. She was like a turtle in their shell, afraid to emerge. This was the first time he had ever seen a girl so painfully shy, be it human or monster. He could see the way her body slightly shook, hear the thudding of her heart, smell the scent of her sweat, and sensed the pulsing of her blood. The anxiety radiating off of her was palpable, but there was also something else he could feel. Just the faintest hint of lust, it was very subtle, yet he felt it.

He wanted to see more of her expressions, reactions, gestures, and everything that makes her tick; he wanted to see it all. What were her array of emotions?

With her trying to conceal herself, it was no fun if he couldn't see it. Maybe if he poked her just a little bit, he could see more of her cute facial expressions. He grinned devilishly; he knew just what to do.

He spoke again, feigning a chide, "You're not paying any attention in class, that's rather naughty, you know." His expression changed into one of curiosity before asking, "I wonder what you're thinking about?"

She tensed up a moment, which indicated it worked. Perfect, she really did bring a welcoming entertainment he hadn't felt in a long time.

What should she do? She couldn't just ignore him; it would be rude if she didn't answer him. Why did he even want to know? She muttered an excuse, "I'm just not feeling too well..." It wasn't exactly a lie.

He scooted towards her, leaning in dangerously close, his face just inches from hers. Their eyes met for a moment, lilac to emerald, before she looked away, sheepish. He questioned her, skeptical, "I wonder? Is that why your face is so flushed? And why your heart is racing like that?"

She started to panic, blush deepening to a dark cherry color and heart pounding so hard she thought it was going to burst. Her thoughts were a frenzy. He's so close! Way too close! Please don't look at me!

He whispered in her ear, a lustful croon, enjoying her attempt at hiding away, "Do I make you horny?"

She jerked back and clasped her hands over her mouth to try to silence herself, horrified at the blunt question. Such a dirty thing to ask! Was he some sort of pervert? She shook her head frantically, eyes darting across the room, really hoping no one else was looking. At this point, she felt like she was about to die of embarrassment.

But it seemed as if no one else was paying attention to them, as if they were in their own space. To her, it was better that way, if no one noticed her. Even with just him, she felt too obvious, too exposed, with his gaze upon her, his aura unreadable.

He covered his mouth to stifle his laughter, "Such a mousy girl, I wonder if you're being honest with yourself." Her reaction was priceless! She was trying so hard to keep her composure but failing miserably. Such a weak defense, surely, she could do better than that. She was lucky they were sitting at the back of the class; she stopped short of making a scene by suppressing her voice. With that said, he didn't expect her to admit such a thing. Her walls were up, but just made it all the more fun for him.

Those words gave her pause. Honest with herself? What did he mean? Did he know something about her that she didn't? Or could he really see right through her? No, it was impossible, they had only just met, after all. Her imagination was just running away with her, he was just teasing her.

For him to call her mousy, it didn't surprise her. It wasn't the first time someone called her that, or similar adjectives, nor would it be the last. In that regard, she was just so plain and ordinary. Just like her kind, she was unseen to most. Did he think of that as a bad thing?

She wondered what he was thinking, it was hard to get an accurate reading on him. He seemed so in control, unlike her. She finally put her hands down, asking softly, as if seeking reassurance, "Is that bad...?" She wondered why she even cared.

He gave a small chortle, "Not at all, I quite like it." He added for good measure, "You're adorable, how could I resist?"

Unable to take it anymore, she buried her face in her hands, just wanting to crawl under her bed for the rest of her life. Laito was one hell of a smooth operator.

The bell rang, her saving grace. She clutched her things close to her, dreading the high probability of turning into a butterfingers and making herself look even worse in from of him. She rushed out an excuse, looking anywhere but at him, "I-I need to go to my next class. S-See you later, Laito..."

She scurried away, leaving the classroom and rushing to her next class. It wasn't until she took her seat in her next class that she felt her heartbeat slow and her face cool. What just happened?

What were these feelings stirring inside of her? It certainly couldn't be love, as love at first sight was a fallacy. You can't sincerely love someone unless you get to know their true self, she had always adamantly believed that. Nothing mattered more to her than what was in someone's heart. While looks may initially attract someone, it's the personality that would cause someone to stay or go.

Right?

Was this lust? Or something else?

Such a thing, certainly it wasn't wrong. Wasn't it normal, even natural to feel physical attraction? Despite trying to reassure herself of that, she wondered why she felt so ashamed of it.

She recalled what her intuition picked up on, even though it was just for a moment. Why is it Laito's happy-go-lucky demeanor seem so forced? Why is it she felt those mixed feelings of darkness? Why did the last name Sakamaki ring a bell to her? Just who is Laito Sakamaki?

Could it be she wanted to get to know him, the real him? The fact that he sat next to her, out of all people, and bothered to even speak to her, did that mean he wanted to get to know her too?

No, she scolded herself. Don't think yourself as high and mighty, there's no way someone like him would like someone like you. He was probably just humoring you because he felt sorry for you.

Such a thing was merely wishful thinking, she shouldn't be entertaining such thoughts. A guy like him couldn't possibly like a girl like her, his sights would be set high on the other gems of ghouls, his sights set far out of her league. It wouldn't surprise her if he forgets about her after today, forever looking past her.

Perhaps it was better not to open pandora's box, or to taste the forbidden apple of Eden. She should just stay in the shadows like she always did, a faint whisper in the night. She wasn't good enough and she knew it, she was unworthy.

Reflecting back on all the times she secretly condemned others for things like superficial infatuation, she really was pretentious and hypocritical. For all the emphasis she'd make on not judging a bat by its wings, this particular one has her completely hypnotized.

Some people prefer to retreat into their shell and hide away from the world. Wouldn't it be nice to just be able to stay there and drown out the world? But as nice as that could be, it's impossible, we can't escape it.

Wouldn't it just be better to live freely and how you want, instead of ruminating about what other people think and trying to live so called "the straight and narrow" path? But what does it mean to live sincerely? I still don't know.

We all have to face reality, no matter how cruel it can be.

Author's Note: Poor Twyla, she's feeling things she's never felt before xD Plus Laito is just Laito. The flashback is from the Monster High Movie: Frights! Camera! Action! but expanded into story form. As to why I included that scene as a flashback, even though it was a minor subplot in that movie, I felt it was a defining moment for Twyla's character and I also found it funny. I know Laito's pet name for Yui in canon was "Bitch-Chan" or "Little Bitch", which I'm not dropping entirely, but I'm going to add more pet names for Laito to use merely because I want variety. I'm practically doing an entire canon rewrite for Diabolik Lovers in terms of the games events, but with my own twists. I'm not going to spoil anything, though. For the professor, Cedrina, she is an OC of mine and I have plans for expanding her role in the story in later chapters, hopefully you'll enjoy her. I'm working on the next chapters, but it might take some time before it's posted. Hope you liked it! Until next time!

-Luminous Luminita