The same dream would appear to haunt Yui for several days after that, although the scene with that mysterious man never did anymore. Every time she nodded off, she would dream of soft snow, brilliant mornings and Ayato before her. His smile, the colour of his hair and even the feeling of when his lips touch the skin of her neck – They almost seem to be etched into her memory. But when she wakes up abruptly, she knows. It was nothing but a dream.
Subaru grew concerned, but Yui would always brush it off. After all, it's just a random dream and she didn't want him to worry about something that isn't even real. So when it happens, she'll tell him it's nothing.
"What about school? Don't we need to get back soon?" Yui asked one afternoon, as she watched Subaru get ready. He usually heads to town twice or thrice a week, and spend about a couple of hours there, getting what they need. Money was never an issue, since being a Sakamaki, they all had large sums in their own banks, and when Subaru's mother died, everything she had went to her only son. It's probably more of an issue when they're in the human world, since Reiji was so strict, but not here.
"It doesn't matter. We'll defer the year. I…want us to stay here, together."
Yui nodded, because deep down, she didn't really want to leave either. She missed learning in school, as well as her friends, but being here with Subaru was peaceful, and this cottage was a haven to her. There wasn't any reason to not be satisfied.
She waved Subaru goodbye as she always did, and watched him till the carriage he was in disappear into the sky. It was a slightly chillier day today, so Yui put on her cardigan and sat by the fireplace to continue her knitting. She was making a scarf for Subaru. There wasn't a special occasion; it was just something that she wanted to do. Hopefully he'll like the surprise when the time comes.
An hour or two passed, and suddenly, there came a knock on the door. Yui almost thought she heard it wrong the first time, but then the knock came again. Maybe Subaru had finished his shopping early. Yui kept her things quickly, before getting the door.
"You're home early-," she opened it with a smile, but whom she saw made her jump. It was Ayato, standing right in front of her.
"Ayato! What are you doing here?"
"I want to talk to you."
Yui thought about it for a few seconds. It didn't seem right that Subaru not know, but he isn't around right now. And after all… when she weighed everything, Ayato didn't seem like a completely bad person.
"Okay," she agreed. "But just for a while."
She walked them to behind the cottage. The flowers were blooming as usual, and although there wasn't much wind in the air, it was still cold. The weather in the demon world is hard to grasp, as compared to the human world.
She walked a little, before stopping and turning around to face him. He had an unreadable expression on, and she was curious as to what he was going to say.
"What did you want to talk to me about?"
His eyes met hers, and she noticed he looked a lot more exhausted than before. Compared to how he was in the dreams that she's been having, he looked like a different person altogether.
"Are you absolutely sure you don't remember anything at all?" It was the same question she expected. She thought about telling him about her dreams, but it also felt like betrayal towards Subaru if she did.
"I don't," she replied softly, apologetically. "I've thought about it a lot myself, but in my head, you're just a blur, and it's already been many weeks, and months. I don't know why. I'm truly sorry."
She bit her lower lip, and waited for him to respond. She thought he might get angry, maybe even violent like the last time; but there was none of that.
"Maybe," she heard him say, "Maybe that's just the way it is, huh."
"What?"
Maybe everything was just wrong, and I don't get to be the best for you after all. Maybe this was just a mistake, and you are better off being with Subaru forever.
Ayato wanted to say all these things, but they wouldn't come out of his mouth. At this point, he was scared of pushing her further away, but at the same time, he hated how things have gone back to square one, and he couldn't do anything.
When Yui first came, she was supposed to just be another prey, something for him to kill time. But look at what she has reduced him to now. She got him to feel concerned, wrapped him around her finger, and then she disappears with another man, leaving him behind.
Maybe she wanted to erase him from her existence that badly. It wouldn't be a surprise. He was always just a tool for the women in his life.
He lets out a laugh, and doesn't miss it when he noticed Yui taking a small step back. He didn't know why, but it hurt.
"I gotta go."
He didn't want to be around anymore. He was sick of trying. He's tried, twice at that, but how long can he keep this up?
He's done. He's learnt his lesson and it's over.
"Ayato-" Yui wanted to stop him, but he's already turned his back on her to leave. She watched him leap into the air to fly away, where she could only watch him go. She wonders if perhaps, there could be a way to get her memories back.
Even for just a second, she wanted to know if the Ayato she sees in her dreams could be real.
"Now where on earth is that good-for-nothing imbecile?" Reiji asked, storming into the Sakamaki mansion dining room, only to find Laito swiping on his mobile phone and Kanato digging into a bowl of chocolate custard pudding.
"Shu is in the East wing~ I nearly tripped over him just now," Laito replied lazily. "Oh this girl is cute," he added below his breath, staring at the profile of an exotic beauty.
"Not that lazy oaf. I am referring to Ayato."
"Ahh," Laito looked up at his older half-brother, "Isn't he still in his room?"
"How many days does he intend to lock himself up inside? The help can't even get in to clean up his room. Seriously," Reiji sounded irritated.
"Isn't it fine?" Kanato glared at them from his end of the table, "Ayato is so noisy. He should just lock himself inside for good." The way one end of his lips turned upright would send fear through most people.
"He's been that way since he came back. It's been one week now," Reiji said, "Did he say a word to any of you?"
Silence hung in the air, which the bespectacled vampire takes as a no. He sighs loudly. "Subaru has gone missing with the girl, Ayato has gone mute… Father would not be happy to hear this at the ball."
"The ball? Again?" Kanato questioned irritably.
"Of course. The annual ball is a must every year, to celebrate the day our great father became the king of all vampires. You both mustn't forget, our father is a great man with power and influence. The ball is also necessary for us to catch up and network with the other leaders. It is crucial for us all to attend."
"It's such a bother though, isn't it?" Laito said.
"I recall all you did last year, and the year before that, was fraternise with the help in a broom cupboard," Reiji spat.
"She was all hot and wet for me even before we even began," Laito smiled. "On a second though, maybe the ball isn't such a bad idea after all."
"They do also have lots of sweets and cakes," Kanato added, "We love that, don't we, Teddy?" He smiled at his beloved toy.
"The two of you, get yourselves in order and don't forget we all need partners. I'll suggest Count Walter's daughters. I hear they're finally of age, and besides, father would be happy to have us be on closer relations with them."
"Ah, sweet young things. That sounds inviting already," Laito agreed.
"Laito, make sure you find Ayato and let him know. He is not allowed to miss it either. Meanwhile, I'll go inform that lazy dimwit." Laito watched as Reiji adjusted his glasses and stormed towards the East wing. Kanato goes back to his pudding instantly, leaving Laito to his task. Laito sighed and pushed himself up from his seat.
He came to Ayato's room, where it's quiet inside. Laito rapped on the door. "Yoohoo, Ayato~? Are you in there?"
There was no answer. Laito was already getting annoyed. He just wanted to do his own thing, not have to be Reiji's personal messenger. Noticing that the door wasn't even locked in the first place, he helped himself into Ayato's room.
When Ayato was nowhere to be seen, Laito's eyes darted to the iron maiden.
"Ayato?" Laito called, standing right in front of the device.
"Get lost," he heard Ayato say.
"How long do you intend to stay inside, hmm? You're going to die of hunger you know."
Ayato didn't answer.
"Anyway, Reiji wants me to let you know that the usual ball is coming. I think maybe you won't want to go, but you probably have to."
Ayato still didn't reply.
"Seriously," Laito's eyes turned dark, as he was beginning to lose whatever patience he had, "She's just another sacrificial prey. So she ran away with Subaru, big deal." Laito reached down to hurl the iron maiden's cover up, because he was sick of talking to a piece of rusted metal and Ayato wasn't reacting to anything he's saying. It was disappointing, to say the least, when he saw Ayato's form lying on his side, as if he was trying to ignore the world. He's looking even worse than Subaru on his bad days.
"Don't tell me, she's now something special to you?"
Laito almost wished he was misreading things, but he didn't miss the way Ayato flinched ever so slightly, and how his eyes shifted down when he said that sentence. Coupled with how abnormally quiet he had been the past entire week, there was just no mistake.
"You're joking," Laito lets out half a laugh. After all, this was his blood brother, the same man who had killed their mother without batting an eyelid. The man who tortured and tormented others out of his own mischievous desires. This vampire right in front of him now cannot possibly be the same person he knew.
"The ball is in two weeks," Laito said coldly. "Get your shit together by then."
He slams the iron maiden shut and resists the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't know why or how, but Yui had turned two out of six of them into wusses. The fact that Ayato was one of them was just beyond disappointing.
The annual ball was a glorious yearly event, thrown by the demon world's greatest vampire lord of all time, Karlheinz. The demon world had once been a mess, with demons, vampires and the mixed breeds fighting over who is to reign the land, but it ultimately fell into vampire, Karlheinz' hands. Since then, vampires stood above all other creatures, and were both feared and admired.
No one has ever really seen Karlheinz, for he does not simply appear in front of anyone, but what everyone does know is that Karlheinz ha s 6 handsome sons, all of whose personalities are very different. Since the whole community wants support from his sons, and in turn Karlheinz himself, all the greatest leaders and lords would make it a point to turn up at the annual affair. Some even harbour hopes for their daughters to marry into the Sakamaki household. As Karlheinz' sons were all handsome and they had a strong father, there is only much to be gained.
When Yui first heard of the event, and that Subaru intended to take her, she had her doubts.
"I don't know, in the first place, won't they smell me?" She recalls how when she first tried to get the potion for Subaru, she almost very nearly got caught by two vampires. It wasn't a pleasant experience.
"You won't, 'cause I got it covered," Subaru replies. "This."
He unwrapped a small box and brought out a thin bottle of liquid. It looked like some sort of potion, and it even had sparkles in it, like someone had put a ton of fairy dust inside.
"What is it?"
"It's an elixir, to mask your scent. I heard from the pharmacist that it could last for a couple of days. Except…" he seemed hesitant to finish his sentence. "Except, during the time it dilutes your scent, and the time it wears off, the smell of your blood is going to turn ten times stronger. I…I think when you're taking it I'll stay outside. I don't want to lose control, or anything like that."
Yui nods in agreement at the plan. Two weeks sped by quickly, and Yui had the potion. Before they even knew it, there came the evening of the ball. Subaru had been telling Yui about it over the past few days, and even she was getting excited. After all, it did seem fun, to just be able to get out, see the streets and not have to worry about her scent floating everywhere.
Subaru had also bought her the most amazing dress. He had been so perplexed over it, although Yui told him to just get something simple, that he'd spent more time outside lately, just to shop around for a nice dress for her. And when the day rolled over, and Subaru presented her what he'd bought, he was more than relived to see the smile on her face.
"It's lovely," Yui breathed, holding up the lacy white cocktail dress to take a better look. There was a sweet double neckline, which she couldn't help but adore, and the end of the dress was lightly embellished with sequins and beads. "Thank you," she said, tip-toeing to give him a small peck on the cheek, making him blush.
Subaru swallowed, and hurried to the bathroom to change, so that Yui could as well in the room. When the cottage is practically one room, sometimes they did this when they both needed to change at the same time. Although it should be fine to change in front of each other, they were both still clearly shy about it.
"Are you ready?" Subaru asked before coming out, in case Yui still isn't done.
"Yes."
He stepped out, and the moment his eyes landed on her form, he swears that if he had a heart, it would stop instantly. After all, she looked absolutely breathtaking. He couldn't help but stare.
Yui turned around and said something, but it almost didn't register in his head. The view of her unzipped deep-v back was just cue for him to help her zip up, he guessed. He took two steps forward, his fingers automatically finding the zipper, and he slowly tugged it up. All this he did, while admiring the pale skin of her back.
The moment he was done, Yui turned around to look back at him again, a small smile on her face. Her make-up was simple and her perfume light, but she was so beautiful. It seemed as though she was completely oblivious about the effect she had on him.
"You look handsome," she commented at the sight of him in his black tuxedo.
"Mm," he half-grunted embarrassingly, forcing himself to look away. He wanted to ravish her, right there and then in this very spot. But it would be a horribly bad time, seeing how they were both dressed up and they had a ball to attend. He had to force himself to stop thinking about it.
"Shall we go?" Yui asked, picking up her small purse and already headed for the door. Subaru noticed that indeed, ever since she took the medicine earlier in the day, her scent had really disappeared. It was incredible.
Subaru took Yui's hand and led her out of the house. This was the most dressed-up they've ever been in a while, and it was quite a nice change of mood. Although Subaru was nervous about having them mixed up in a big crowd, maybe it wasn't so bad to get out sometimes either. As he helped Yui into the carriage, they locked eyes and she smiled sweetly at him.
He mightn't be the best person for her, he thinks, but as long as he's alive, there's not a day he won't try to be.
