Akari pulled her car keys from her coat pocket, pulling her coat closer to her body as the chill of the night wrapped around her. She smiled as she stepped up to her sleek black E-type Jaguar. She gasped as she felt someone grab her by the shoulders and turn her around, pinning her between them and her car. She looked up at her attacker, breathing quickened by her fear. Her eyes met the reddish-brown eyes of Kaname. He slowly released her from his tight grip, apologising for his harsh treatment. He himself hadn't expected to be as rough as he was.
"I didn't mean to scare you." He told her; his own breathing was slightly quickened. He had ran to catch her. He wanted his moment alone with her. "I'm sorry for the way I spoke before, I just hate Rido's treatment of women." Kaname tried to explain. She rolled his eyes at him; she didn't look very impressed with him.
"Rido has always been a gentleman to me." She pretty much growled at him. "And as for those poor women..." Sarcasm dripping from her voice. "They all knew what Rido is like and still followed him to bed. I'm not an idiot." She continued with her arms folded over her chest, annoyed by Kaname's assumptions.
"I never intended to make you feel that way." Kaname said running his hands through his hair. She made him feel nervous, almost causing him to trip over himself. "Akari, I think you are beautiful and different. Unique from the others." Before she could say a word to stop him, his lips crashed into hers. His right hand pulled her closer by her neck while his left found her hip and rested there. Akari was shocked, frozen in place, trying to understand what was happening. Kaname's passion and lust flowed through the kiss, urging her kiss back. She gave in, kissing him back. She dropped her keys as her hands went up to his chest, gripping onto his suit jacket. Kaname's lips quickly moved down to her neck, ghosting against her skin.
Without warning, his fangs tore into her skin. As quickly as his fangs were tiring into her, they were rip from her. Pain filled her neck; it took her mind a moment to catch up as it searched for the cause of such sharp pain. Her hand flew up to her neck, applying pressure and feeling two puncher marks becoming raised and bruising.
Kaname looked up from his place on the ground. He had been ripped from her and thrown some distance away. He saw Rido panting, anger filling his miss-matched eyes.
"You went too far." Rido hissed at him, anger clear in his tone. "Just because you're a Prince doesn't mean you can just drink from anyone you wish!" He then roared, his anger becoming harder to control. Kaname's eyes soften from his defiant glare. He looked at Akari as she clutched her neck, trying not to show the pain his roughness had caused her.
Rido picked up Akari's keys before gently plying her hand away from her neck to look at her wound. "It'll hurt for a day or so." He murmured as he looked at the dark bruising which was now coming up. "I'll drive you home." He then told her, ignoring her protests. He stepped around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her. Akari sighed, showing him a small smile before taking her seat. Rido watched Kaname closely, he had never expected this from Kaname but then again, he had only known him for a few years compared to the thousands that Kaname had lived already. Rido quickly got in the car and speed away.
Kaname watched them, almost in ore. He watched the two of them interact, he didn't fail to notice the sweet smile she gave Rido and the softness in Rido's gaze. The two would seem like a couple to anyone else watching, one that had been together for many years. It made Kaname question the friendship he was told about wasn't something more.
"Rido!" Akari shouted at him, getting his attention. He was clearly still angry at what had just happened and was allowing it to control his actions. "Careful! This is a vintage car!" She then screamed at him as he continued to speed and practically drift around corners. Rido smirked and slowed down.
"You can always buy another." He pointed out, only to be huffed at.
"That's not the point. Anyway, do you have any idea how hard it is to get vintage European cars over here?!" She stressed to him. "The parts are just as hard to find." She then grumbled with her arms crossed over her chest.
"I'm sorry about Kaname. If I knew he was going to try anything, I would have left with you." Rido told her, a sympathetic look on his face. Akari waved her hand, dismissing his apology.
"Don't worry about it. He's a little creep." Rido laughed as she called him a creep.
They arrived at her home, a look alike Victorian mansion she built. She seemed to prefer European designs, vehicles and pretty much everything else. She did however wear the traditional Japanese clothing when the occasion airside. He walked her to the front door and kissed her hand. "Take my car back if you like." She told him as she stepped inside her home before he could hand her back her keys. "As long as I get it back in one piece." She added giving Rido a small glare, being playful. Rido smiled and nodded.
"You won't even know I've been anywhere near it." He told her; she still gave him a look that told him that she didn't quite believe him. The pair said their goodbyes.
Loud banging awoke Akari just as the sun was making its way up into the red and orange sky. As she looked out of her bedroom window, trying to get her bearings, an old saying came to mind: 'Red sky at night, shepherds delight. Red sky at morning, shepherds warning.'. She huffed annoyed and quickly pulled a white silk knee length dressing gown over her matching night dress with lace straps. She hurried to the top of the stairs, she wanted whoever was making that noise to die. She hated being woken up. Her servants were already rushing to the front door.
She watched them open the door and a man fall to the ground, covered in blood. She herself ran down; it was Rido. She screamed his name and pulled him onto his back. She rested his head on her lap and brushed his hair from his eyes. She could see he was still breathing, shallow and slow breaths. She didn't care that his blood was staining her pearl white clothing. She called his name until he opened his eyes. He could see tears being held back; his hand slowly reached up to touch her cheek. She smiled softly and held his hand to her cheek.
"What happened?" She whispered softly.
"I tried to kill them all. To take everything back." He told her, his voice weak and rough. "Kaname showed me that he has no respect for what's mine." She was shocked but let him continue. "Haruka and Juri are dead. I'm not sure where Yuki went. Kaname and I fought." He went onto explain. "They tried so hard to destroy me and my reputation. I will destroy Kaname and Yuki when I recover." He told her before she shhed him. He smiled up at her.
She called for her servants to carry Rido to the bedroom next to her own. They placed him down on an aged wooden four poster bed with forest green bedding with matching silk curtains tied back on each post. The walls had been covered in dark green wallpaper with intricate designs in a lighter green and gold. An ivory marble fireplace was located near the bed, ensuring the heat of the fire would reach him. The floor was made from dark mahogany wood, thick rugs of gold and greens were placed at the end of the bed and under the emerald and golden oak armchairs located in front of the large floor length windows at the other end of the room. The thick golden curtains blocked the sun's rays from reaching in. A small chandelier hung from the tall ceiling but it wasn't quite enough to illuminate the whole room. Matching jade lamps sat either side of the bed, on top of matching oak bedside tables.
Rido recongised the room, it was directly next her own. He had stayed often in this room, and it was most likely there would be a suit or two for him in the walk in-closet located opposite the fireplace.
She sat down on the bed next to him, making sure she didn't nudge him too much. Rido smiled and reached out for her hand. She shuffled closer, leaning down to be closer to him. "Akari, we both know I love you..." He told her and she frowned.
"Don't make it sound like you're dying." She told him harshly, she didn't want to lose him. Rido tried to laugh but ended up coughing.
"I'm not going anywhere." He reassured her, a small smile playing on his lips. "I know you don't want to be hurt but I love you and I know you love me." Akari looked away. She did love him but she couldn't not bring herself to open up to him. She was scared of being hurt; she had been hurt so many times before. She didn't want it to happen again, she wasn't sure if she could survive if she lost Rido. "I want you to keep an eye on Kaname for me. Do what you need to do to get close to him." He then told her, his voice turning hard and strict. "Even close enough to share a bed with him, only if you want." He added with a small smirk as her face twisted in disgust. He wouldn't deny her the pleasures of the flesh, they both indulged in pleasure with others dispute their love for each other.
But lately Rido had taken to staying away from those pleasures. He wanted to prove his worth to her. He knew that for Akari she had to have some kind of relationship with the people she shared a bed with, she never got the idea of a one-night stand. Rido couldn't blame her. "Just promise me one thing." He finally spoke up after all the thoughts of her and Kaname had invaded his mind were silenced by his knowledge that Akari would never truly love anyone else but him. He needed someone he could trust to get lose to Kaname. To find out where Yuki was, to help him take down the monster he unintentionally awoke.
"Anything." She said with a smile.
"Don't marry anyone, no matter what. When I recover, I will win you over and marry you." He told her quite sure of himself. Akari giggled and nodded, he had already won her, but she wasn't about to admit. She wasn't ready yet.
"You can try." She joked and kissed his cheek. "Now rest." She ordered him and watched him close his eyes. She stayed with him until she was sure he was in a slumber.