Aido closed the door to his room quietly, so as not to disturb the sleeping girl. Ichijo grinned pleasantly and the disinterested frown Aido shot him as he turned and lead the way to the foyer of The Moon Dorms, where the rest of the Vampires congregated to hear the explanation promised by their Pureblood Lord.
Aido couldn't help his glower as he stood at the bottom of the stairs, unwilling to get himself tangled up in the crowd of students, just in case Akane awoke and he needed to make a quick exit. He received many enquiring looks for his unusual expression, but he didn't try to conceal his aggravation.
Kaname stood in the seating area, framed by the twin, white marble staircases on either side. He raised a hand for quiet, once Aido and Ichijo were present before his soft voice rang out, aided by the acoustics of the large space.
"You're all anxious to know what occurred tonight." There was a murmur of affirmation from those gathered as Kaname began "All you need know is this," he paused, making sure he had the full attention of the room before continuing, as the murmuring had increased as the Vampires began eagerly scenting the air. "The scent that permeated the air earlier tonight, was from the blood of Akane Nakamura, the Unfortunate. She was attacked and severely injured. With the Headmaster's permission and Miss Nakamura's consent, I have given her the means to survive."
The Vampires were stunned into silence. Kaname had turned a Human! Curious eyes drifted up the stairs to the new presence they all sensed, but one look at Aido's usually passive or board face, contorted into a scowl, halted any thought they had of venturing up to see the new Vampire.
"Miss Nakamura, will understandably, be in a delicate state of mind as she learns how to live amongst us from Aido, who has volunteered to be her caretaker and guide." Aido kept his glare as jealous and inquisitive eyes turned to him.
Ruka was less than thrilled by this turn of events. In her mind, she had one rival already for Kaname's attention, in the form of Yuki Cross. She was an irritating obstacle, but a Human once. Ruka knew she was superior to the Disciplinary Comity member. Akane Nakamura, however, was not Human, not any longer. Ruka wasn't sure if the girl could still be considered an Unfortunate either, but the Vampiric scent she could taste in the air from the new-born meant she now had a new hindrance.
Despite the fact, she outranked the Level D in blood status, Kaname was her sire and they now shared an eternal bond that Ruka would never be able to break.
"Why did you waste such a gift on the Unfortunate, Lord Kaname?" she called from within the crowd. They parted for her to be seen by the Pureblood. She hadn't been able to help herself. She'd known Kaname since they were children, and he had never bitten a Human, never tasted their blood. Was the temptation of the Unfortunate, too much? They could have surely taken her to the infirmary or a hospital if her injuries were so severe.
Kaname stared unblinkingly at Ruka.
"Because I chose to." Ruka deflated slightly at the biting undertone of his words. She had questioned him, challenged him, where she had no right. She felt upset to be reprimanded by him so publicly but nodded her acknowledgement, and acceptance of the warning. Ruka said no more as Kaname continued.
"We are here, at the school of the ex-Hunter, Kaien Cross, to gain a better understanding and appreciation of Humans, to co-exist and bring our two worlds together. We are the beginning of any such experiment and have already made great strides in the development of the Blood Tablets. Miss Nakamura, once she has settled, could be an asset in accomplishing that goal. So, I expect her to be treated with the level of respect she…" Kaname's words were cut off by a deafening, panicked shriek from the second floor.
Aido spun and raced up the stairs to his room without a word, his heart, suddenly thundering against his ribs. I should have been there! He threw his door open to find an empty bed, his blankets lay awkwardly on the floor. His observations were fleeting, however, as Akane's cries were still sounding from the bathroom. He was across the room in an instant and rushing into the bathroom, to discover Akane crouched in a shaking, crying, petrified ball, pressed against the wall inside the shower, screaming hysterically, staring up at the mirror over the sink.
He was at her side at once, cupping her face in his hands and forcing her to turn to him. He almost stopped breathing as her twin rubies landed on him, blinking back diamond-like tears. They were so dark, so red. He knew this had been the cause of her fright, knowing how afraid Akane was of these eyes. But, despite her distress, and his desire to calm her, he couldn't help admiring the deadly hue they possessed. The colour, almost bleeding to black, even before it reached her pupils, just tiny pinpricks right now. They were beautiful.
"Nakamura, it's ok. I need you to breathe," he soothed. Akane's hands shakily rose to his wrists and latched on, squeezing painfully, but he ignored the discomfort and continued to coax her back to herself, rubbing his thumbs softly over her tear-stained cheeks. "Look at me Akane, it'll be ok." Her frantic breathing was slowing, but the pain in her body remained.
Suddenly, a glass filled with a pale pink liquid was presented to her, over Aido's shoulder. The compulsion to drink the liquid in that glass was irresistible, so her hands released the death grip they had on the boy's wrists and snatched the glass from the outstretched hand, drinking down the contents greedily, before holding it out for more.
After receiving a nod from Kaname, Ichijo had followed Aido calmly up the stairs. He had told Ichijo briefly, what had occurred earlier, and that his suspicions he'd brought to him a few days ago, about Aido and the Unfortunate, after their outing to cover the Day Class, appeared to be well-founded. He wasn't surprised to hear this, but he was surprised Kaname had indulged the blond and allowed him to keep Akane, under the pretence of guiding her into her new life. Perhaps he did just want to save her… possibly to find this other Pureblood who orchestrated the poor girl's unhappy life.
Aido turned and watched as Ichijo, silently took the glass, and filled it a second time, dropping two blood tablets into the water. The pills hadn't even dissolved before Akane swallowed down the liquid and again, silently requested another. Three more times Ichijo, wordlessly and without complaint, filled the glass until finally, Akane finished the tainted water and placed the glass slowly onto the tiled floor with a soft 'clink'.
Her head was bowed, her shoulders slumped, and her arms hung limply at her sides. She knew what was in that water and understood why drinking it had cured her of the scolding inferno that had plagued her body. Vampire.
Aido tried to reach out to console her. It unnerved him to see this fiery girl sat like some discarded doll on the ground. But she turned her face away from him, bringing her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around herself, as if to hold herself together. The silence was unsettling, but Akane's defeated demeanour was more disconcerting. Aido expected the screaming, the tears, but he also expected anger and fire, not this empty hopelessness her posture portrayed. It made that sick, sinking feeling he'd had when she lay in his arms, bleeding her life onto the ground, returning with a vengeance.
Ichijo watched the stiffness of Aido's shoulders at the obvious rejection. He saw the tiny tremors that wracked Akane's body, as the after-effects of the attack of the thirst, left her. Kaname had said, to tell Aido to bring Akane to his room when she had calmed. Kaname wished to give her more blood to ensure she healed completely, but also, to offer her the opportunity to ask him questions she might have about her new position as a Vampire.
Looking at the two on the floor, he imagined Kaname would be in for a wait, as he rightly sensed they had things to discuss amongst themselves.
"Lord Kaname would like to see you when you're ready, Miss Nakamura. Aido will show you the way," he delicately announced, not wanting to overwhelm Akane any more than she already was. With the same reasoning, he left quietly, allowing the new Vampire to collect herself, with Aido keeping a respectful distance.
Minutes of unbroken silence ticked by before Akane attempted to gingerly stand, unwilling to look in the mirror as she straightened. Aido stood and walked with her in case she fell, but she brushed his helping hands away whenever she faltered.
"Nakamura, I'm trying to help!" Aido snapped. He felt guilty already for what happened, an emotion he was not overly familiar with, and she was deliberately making him feel worse. He understood if she thought he deserved her attitude, and he would agree, but he also knew, if she had told him the true extent of the situation she was in from the beginning, things could have turned out differently. "I'm not the only one to blame here!"
Her reaction had been immediate, fierce, and furious. She swung around and struck at his face, her tougher nails scratching him like claws, while her other hand caught him around the neck as his head spun at the force she'd used. Her grip was merciless, her nails dug into his skin painfully as she bared her newly, pointed fangs in anger and hurt.
"Don't you think I know that?!" she screamed at him, the rubies back in her eyes, along with the tempest of her anger. She dragged his face closer before throwing him back, where he caught himself easily, regaining his footing.
He frowned and rubbed his throat as the bruises she'd left healed as quickly as they'd formed on his skin. He would normally never allow anyone to threaten him, but right now, he just didn't have the will to retaliate. Akane was entitled to her anger, and it's better than the silent treatment, he reasoned.
Akane turned away from him to sink onto his bed, burying her face in her hands and rocking, as she pulled her legs onto the mattress and against her chest. She brokenly sobbed as she mourned her father, her mother, and her humanity. She felt shattered, torn to pieces, then put back together all wrong, as if parts were missing and, in their place, were pieces that didn't quite fit.
"I know that," she echoed in a cracked whimper.
Aido sighed nearing the girl until he stood before her and reached out and rested a reassuring hand on her head gently. He smoothed and petted her hair slowly and ever so lightly, watching as her heart shattered on his unmade bed. Eventually, he moved to sit with her. Regret sickened him for being the cause of these solemn tears. He took a few minutes to compose himself before pulling the balled-up form of the girl he'd unwittingly wronged, into his lap and wrapped himself around her.
Akane didn't protest as he positioned her against his chest, continuing to cry softly. Aido exhaled, resting his chin on the top of her tangled head of hair, rubbing soothing circles on her back.
"I'm sorry." It was all he could offer, but it had been what Akane had needed to hear. She nodded in acceptance of his apology and pulled her hands from her face to wind them around Aido's torso, letting him squeeze her tighter.
They shifted until they sat in a more comfortable position, with Akane's legs draped over one of Aido's, while she sat on the bed, between his thighs. She rested her head against his shoulder, under his chin, with her arms wrapped loosely around his waist. Aido rested his head on Akane's, discreetly breathing in the scent he knew so well, with his arms still wrapped tightly around her body. The little cocoon they'd made, they knew wouldn't last, as they knew this moment would go unmentioned in the future, but for now, they remained.