~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~9~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I opened my eyes, squinting at the light coming through my window. Turning to my bedroom door, I made out Ayato's shape. "No, not you," I whimpered, still half asleep. My head pounded. I pushed it further into my pillow.
"Mornin'! Wake up!" Ayato yelled gleefully.
I mumbled against it, "No more blood. It's all gone." I tried thinking back to how I had gotten to my bed. I remembered Reiji letting me leave the study. I remembered hardly making it to my room and the world spinning frantically due to blood loss. Somehow I was able to change out of my stained dress and into a nightgown.
Ayato laughed. "I'm not here for that, stupid."
"It's all been drained Ayato, go away." I turned to the opposite side of the bed, facing away from him. "Let me sleep. I need… sleep." I felt like I could sleep for years. My body felt so cold.
"Oi, wake up, I said!" He tugged at my covers, but I held them tightly.
I shook my head and lifted them higher. I would never leave this room again. I was willing to die in this room. After that night, I made that promise to myself. I would starve myself if I had to. Whatever it took to leave that place. I couldn't handle the torture. My heart and body constantly being torn apart. It was too much for one person.
"What's up with ya'?" Ayato invited himself onto my bed.
"I told you, no more. Please." My eyes were red from crying. My neck was sore and I couldn't quite wrap my head around why I was stuck here with yet another dangerous ego-maniac.
"Pancake, do you want me to hurt you?" Ayato drew his face close to mine. "I was really nice last time. I let you get away without saying what I wanted you to say. Didn't I?"
I had almost forgotten what Ayato had put me through before my "lesson" with Reiji and my… mistake with Shu. "You choked me until I passed out…" I whimpered. "It hurt and I didn't like it."
"You did like it!" Ayato claimed confidently. "Pancake, you should've seen your face. All flustered and hot. And your eyes glazed over. And the noises you make!" He came closer and licked my cheek, giving it a small kiss after. "It just does somethin' great to me. And your blood. It makes me crazy." He brushed his hands through my hair. "Makes me wanna own you. I wanna keep you in a little cage. And I wanna lock that cage in a dungeon." He grinned, kissing me gently on the marks that he had made on my neck the other day. "And that dungeon should be like, a hundred feet tall. Surrounded by dragons. Oi, are you still awake?"
"Hrm," I mumbled, drifting back to sleep.
"And uhh, spiky thorned plants," he continued. "But the dragons fear me. Because Yours Truly is stronger and could destroy them in seconds. Isn't that right, pancake?"
"Hm, yeah," I mumbled back. Ayato seemed to be in a really great mood, thankfully. I let him ramble, hoping I could gain a few more hours or days of sleep.
"If you don't wake up in ten seconds, I'm gonna shred your body into little pieces," Ayato suddenly whispered into my ear.
"Eh?" I sat up. "Ayato, don't say things like that."
"But it worked, huh?" He grinned. "Hurry up. Get dressed. I've got a surprise for ya'." I looked at him accusingly. "You'll love it! Don't worry. Get dressed. C'mon c'mon. Want me to dress ya'? I've seen it all anyway."
"No!"
"Then hurry up! I'll be outside." He walked out of my room. I stared at the door as it closed. Whatever his surprise was, I most likely wouldn't want anything to do with it. But if I didn't go along with him, he would just drag me anyway. Ayato, at times, rarely, did seem to listen to me. And sometimes it even seemed like he cared about my opinions.
I touched my hand to my neck. My skin still felt torn and rough from Ayato bites and Reiji's on the other side.
I opened my bedroom door after changing. "Finally," Ayato groaned. "Follow me, pancake. We're gonna go to the dining room."
"Dining room? Is it time for dinner?" Judging from the windows, it was still too bright out for dinner.
"No questions!" Ayato declared.
The dining room was one of the few places I could navigate to. So following Ayato was fairly easy. He didn't grab me or drag me, which was promising. But I reminded myself to be on guard. Always be on guard.
Ayato opened the doors and let me walk in first. Nobody else was in the room. But on the table, there was a huge platter of food. And next to it there were multiple pitchers filled with various drinks. I was speechless. "A… Ayato, did you do this?"
He prodded me towards the table. The platter was filled with different types of takoyaki. "Well, you made me some last time," he explained. "So it's only fair, pancake." I turned to him, amazed. "Besides, I went a little overboard," he mumbled. "Or something. And you've been actin' weird and withdrawn. And tired." He scratched his head. "So I thought maybe you needed to eat more."
Tears welled in my eyes as I looked at him sheepishly explain. "Agh, pancake? Why're you crying?"
"B- because," my chest heaved. I wiped the tears from my eyes. "Thanks, Aya- Ayato."
"It's fine! You're overreacting! I just wanna prove that mine are better. So hurry up and eat!" Ayato slid a chair back, pointing at it. "Sit down and eat all of this. That's an order," he huffed. "If you don't eat every single one, I'll kill you."
"Okay. I'll try," I laughed, sitting down.
Ayato placed a plate in front of me and filled it completely with each kind. He poured one of every drink and surrounded me with glasses. Cranberry juice, orange juice, water, tea. He took a few dough balls from my plate here and there, popping them in his mouth and making a comment about how exactly his were better than mine. Every now and then he'd pick one up and hold it to my mouth, demanding that I eat that one next. He watched me intently the entire time I ate. Which would normally worry me, but I was so overcome with relief and gratitude that I paid it no mind.
It took a while, but we did clear the platter. And I felt full and almost giddy. Finally, the room wasn't spinning. Finally I had a second where I didn't have to fear for my life. Ayato leaned into my chair and kissed my neck softly. "Well? What do ya' have to say to Yours Truly?" he asked.
My heart thumped. "Ah, um, thank you very much, Ayato."
He leaned back and grinned. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just don't forget what a great and benevolent master I am. Next time I tell ya' to do something, you better do it happily."
"Ayato…" I started, but my words caught in my throat. He leaned back to look at my face. "Um, the next time," I continued, "wh- when you're hungry, I'll comply." He grinned. "As a thank you. Just, just once! And and not right now. Because my neck is still really sore…"
"Hmmm, okay, deal." He leaned back into my neck and covered my wounds with a gentle lick.
Ayato had walked me back to my room and then left me. I sat back in my bed. My head spun in confusion. Why did I say something like that to him? I was just caught up in a good moment. What sort of person willingly offers their blood to a demon? What was wrong with me? I flopped down into my bed and buried my head into my pillow.
I felt the bed sink under me. "Kitten, why are you playing all alone?" Laito purred. He sat at my side. "Hmm, did you get hurt again?" He gently touched the scarring on my neck from Reiji. I flinched at his touch, turning my head away from him. "Now now, you shouldn't hide wounds from your lover." His fingers ran through my hair. "I'm only trying to help my sad little kitten," he cooed, giving a small pout.
I turned my head back to him. He was staring at my neck intently. "If you leave, I can bandage it," I offered. If he truly cared, he could at least grant me that.
Laito brushed his fingers up my arm. "But I did come here with some other thoughts in mind as well." He shifted his weight, still sitting on the side of the bed, but now hovering over me, one arm on the other side of my shoulders. "I've been having so many dirty thoughts about you, kitten. I just can't forget about our intimate song." He lowered himself closer to me.
I squeezed my eyes shut and grasped the covers of my bed. "Aww, don't be shy. I'm embarrassed, too. I know you feel the same way." He kissed my neck, hardly touching it with his lips. "I know you lie in this bed at night," he kissed lower towards my collarbone, "thinking of just me." His tongue flicked against my skin.
"Stop," I mumbled.
"Kitten, don't you want to show me how you purr at night? I'll sing for you again if you do." Laito lifted his whole body above mine now. His one leg settled between mine. "Show me what you do when I'm not around. Please. What do naughty kittens do when they have impure thoughts?"
I opened my eyes and raised my arms, pushing my hands against his chest. "Off, get off of me," I grunted.
He laughed, grabbing both of my wrists with one hand while balancing himself with his other. He pulled my hands harder against his chest. "Ah, so you do want to touch me." He brought his knee up closer, pushing between my legs. "Is that an invitation to touch you, too?" He let go of my wrists and moved his hand to my waist.
"It- no," I looked at him, his face was flushed red as if he was playing shy. "Hah, Laito," his hand was sliding up my waist, dragging my dress up with it.
Laito brought his face up to mine, resting his cheek against my own. "Kitten, your face is just sooo shameful," he whispered into my ear. "If only you could see. You can't pretend to be innocent when you make such a naughty face like that every time." His tongue traced around my ear. "It just gets me too riled up." My dress was lifted up to my hips.
"Please, leave me alone. Why can't you leave me alone?" I whimpered.
"Mm, that's good, kitten," Laito moaned, "I like when you act pitiful, too." He leaned back and grasped my thighs, positioning himself between them. "If you cry some more, I'll give you a sweet reward," he murmured as he placed a kiss on the inside of my knee.
"St- stop," I couldn't find the words to stop him. The words didn't exist. I covered my face with my hands, knowing how red my cheeks were becoming.
"If my kitten doesn't cry," Laito licked above my knee, moving closer to my thighs, "then I'll have to hurt her, instead." His hands forced my legs further apart.
"No, no!" I lifted my body up and pulled backwards, trying to shake Laito off. But he held on tight and pushed me back against the headboard of the bed, still positioned between my spread legs.
"Ohhh, that's mean, kitty. That's no good. We're just about to have some real fun." He chuckled. "Don't you want to feel nice? Why won't you cry for me?" he whispered. He kissed and licked my thigh. "Whimper for me. I want to make you yearn for my touch." His hand trailed up my waist again, stopping at the bottom of my bra. "I can make you feel soooo good." I felt his fangs puncture my skin.
Just like in the music room, I could feel shocks of pain travel through my leg. I grit my teeth. Laito's hand pushed under my bra, grabbing my breast and squeezing just as hard as he bit. His other hand held my thigh up to his mouth. His fang retracted from my skin and he watched the blood pour out. "What an erotic sight," he sighed and then looked to me. "Ohh but don't be jealous. Your face is much more erotic, kitten." My head was foggy once again and my body was warm. Blood ran down my thigh, tickling my skin.
His nails dug into my breast as he licked my thigh clean. It was gentle and teasing licks, just like his kisses. My eyes watered, confused by the combination of pain and gentleness that Laito always seemed to express.
"Laito, no more." He returned his mouth to his bite, ignoring my pleas. He gave a broad lick to the marks, then drank in my blood directly. His hand trailed down my body, grasping and settling at my hip. "Laito!" I yelled, feeling faint from the amount of blood he was taking.
"Scream louder," he told me. He gripped my hip tightly and let go of my thigh, bringing that hand to my neck. "Beg me," he continued.
"What?"
"Beg me to please you, kitten. I know you want me." Laito licked his lips, "Scream that you want me."
"I- I won't! I don't want-" I began. Laito pressed his lips against mine. It tasted of my blood. His mouth was hot like fire and it was slick and my senses filled with the taste of iron once again. "Hrmm," I protested against his lips. His tongue slid across my own. He bit my bottom lip, drawing more blood. "Hah!" He licked it and spread the bitter liquid across my mouth.
"Mmm," Laito hummed, "More, open your mouth wider. Gooood kitten." His hand slid behind my head, pulling me harder against his mouth. His other hand grabbed mine and brought it to his stomach. He maneuvered my hand under his shirt, spreading my fingers across his skin. His hand left mine and I held on to the hem of his shirt. All I could taste was blood and his saliva. The bed felt like it was lifting into the air and spinning.
Laito pulled my head back slightly, still leaving soft kisses all around my face. His face was a bright red and his eyes looked hazed. I wondered if I looked the same to him. He held my head still and because his face was still so close to mine, I couldn't see what he was doing with his other hand. But I heard the rustling of clothes.
He must have seen my face change. He moved closer again, licking at my lips. "No, no, no. Be a good kitten. It'll be fine. It won't hurt," he whispered. "Open your mouth again, kitten. Let me see that erotic tongue again." I opened my mouth slightly, wanting to believe that he wouldn't hurt me, but knowing that if I didn't listen, he might. "Ohhh, I love you, kitten. You're so so naughty." He pressed his mouth against me, rubbing his tongue against mine just once. "Such a good girl. I knew you would beg me for it."
"I didn't," I protested.
"It's okay, you don't have to beg me with your words. Just your body." He grasped my hand again, lowering it down to his stomach. His skin was hot. I wondered if his whole body was as red as his cheeks. "I understand your body, kitten. I can hear your heartbeat. Your body won't lie to me." His breathing grew heavy.
"Be good, be good," he whispered, giving me another deep kiss. I quickly realized it was his pants and underwear that had been removed. His grip on my hand tightened as I tried to pull away. He again pulled my head back, grabbing a fist full of my hair, forcing his tongue into my mouth to muffle out my complaints.
He wrapped my hand around him. He was so hot, it almost burned. "Hmmm," Laito moaned into my mouth. He leaned back, his face still just an inch away from mine. "You're doing so well. Just play along with me, kitten. I want to be gentle, I really do. But don't make me impatient," he licked my lips again and then bit down.
My body flinched at the pain, including my hand, resulting in a satisfied moan from Laito. He wrapped his whole hand over mine and forced it down and up his length. "You're so soft, kitten."
I didn't want to make Laito angry. I thought back to our interaction in the piano room and how quickly he had gone from pleasant to dangerous. Underneath his coo's and blushes, he was still a vampire who lusted for pain and blood. Everything was happening so fast in my mind. The past few days had been a nightmare I would never wake up from. A mix of fear, embarrassment and suffering spun in my head like a whirlwind.
Laito slowly let go of my hand that was now stuck in the rhythm that he had forced it into. My body was being set on fire. Everywhere he kissed and licked left sparks. I had lost all control of my senses. "Your tongue," Laito whispered, more breath than voice.
"Hmm?" I realized my eyes had been closed for a while, though I didn't know for how long. I opened them. Laito's eyes were closed too. His brows were furrowed. He leaned in every few seconds to leave a few kisses against my lips.
"Stick out your tongue," he repeated. I wanted him to make me feel more. My heart hurt, admitting it. I felt him throb against my fingers. His hand that had been holding mine was now brought up to my face. He cupped my cheek, rubbing his thumb against my skin. "Please stick out that cute tongue again," he said a third time. "Continue giving in to my pleasure, kitten. I want to see your shy face more and more…"
I obeyed, sticking out my tongue. His hand left my face and I felt his fingers against my tongue. "En?" My hand stopped moving and I moved my head back, but he gripped my hair and pulled me forward, sticking his fingers further into my mouth.
"Shhhh, don't be scared," Laito licked my cheek. I realized that I was crying. How long had I been crying? "I just want to test…" he trailed off as he slowly rubbed his finger against my tongue, pushing further back. "No, no, kitten, open your mouth wider," he said sternly, agitation bubbling up in his tone. "Wider. Stick your tongue out more. Hmmmm," he pulled my hair, bending my head back.
Laito shifted around, now straddling my waist with his legs. He pushed himself against me. I could feel his member against my bare stomach. It pulsed against my skin. I opened my mouth wider, sticking my tongue out more. Laito gently licked another tear that had escaped and pushed his fingers down to the back of my throat. "Such a naughty mouth," he cooed. "So wet and hot," he continued. I could feel every word getting him more and more excited.
"Kitten, don't you want to taste something a little bigger?" I flinched. "You've been so good," he licked my cheek again, giving a few kisses leading to my mouth. "Keep being good, just a little longer." He forced his tongue into my mouth, sliding his fingers a little further back. He pushed his fingers further and further until I made a gagging sound. Then he completely removed them and leaned back.
But he was still grasping my head, tilting it backwards. "Close your eyes again." I did. And I felt Laito move. "Good, so good. Open wide." I hesitated. "Don't be mean, kitten. I can be meaner," he promised. I opened my mouth. "Not wide enough," he chuckled. I opened wider and stuck out my tongue. "Ohhh, hmmmm, so perverted. Did I say to do that?" I could tell he was blushing. And I felt something very hot against my tongue. "Mmmm," Laito sighed. His member slid across my tongue.
"Hrm, ah," I tried pulling my head back. I was scared. I didn't want to gag again.
Laito eased his grip on my hair and started stroking it instead. "Hold onto my legs," he whispered. My hands lifted to his legs and I grasped them. He moved further into my mouth. All I could taste was him and the lingering taste of my blood. "Mmmm, kitten," Laito moaned as he rubbed the head of his member against the back of my tongue. He ran his fingers through my hair, sending a chill down my spine. "Don't be scared," he murmured. "Don't be scared." He pushed himself further. My hands gripped his legs. My head reflexively drew back, but he firmly held me in place.
"Agh, gah," I let out muffled groans and protests.
"I know ahh, but, mmm," Laito could hardly get words to form. "Hahh, just take a little more," he begged. He pushed further, now fully down my throat. My eyes snapped open. I was at level with his stomach. I couldn't breathe. I hit my hands against his legs. "Unn, no, hah, scratch. Kittens scratch," he grinned. I'd do anything to breathe again. I dug my nails into his legs. "Yes, hahh, what a mean kitten!"
He leaned back. I could feel him slide out of my throat. "Hahhhh, agh ack," I coughed and wheezed. Laito gripped my hair and tilted my head again. This time, he rammed himself back into my mouth and down my throat all at once. I gripped his legs again. He moaned in pleasure, panting heavily as he moved his hips back and forth in and out of my throat. I could only take quick breaths, trying to keep in time with his movements. I kicked my legs and hit and scratched him. I felt like any second I would pass out from lack of oxygen.
His panting got heavier and his moans got louder. "Good, good, hah, you're s-so naughty. So soft," he rambled to himself. "Hah, okay, mmm," he pushed back down my throat roughly, pulling my head tightly with his hand. My nose brushed his skin. "Don't choke, ki- kitten, ah, don't, hmm," Laito flinched and pushed his whole body onto me. I flailed under him, trying not to pass out or get crushed. And then I felt it. Something just as hot. If not boiling. It ran down the back of my throat, not even giving me a chance to spit it out. Laito grasped my hair so tightly, I thought it would tear out of my scalp. The liquid overflowed into my mouth, spreading against my tongue and the inside of my cheeks. It was salty. It did not taste sweet, but it did not taste like iron.
Laito froze for a second, gripping me tightly. "Hah… hah," he breathed. His arm rested against the wall above my head. I pulled my head back. This time he let me. He began stroking my hair softly again. "No, kitten, that's no good," he sighed, looking down at me. He brushed his thumb against the corner of my mouth where his liquid had overflowed. "You have to take it all," he whispered. "You have to clean that dirty mouth of yours." I swallowed, letting it coat my throat. "Show me. Open." He was still breathing heavily in between the words. I opened my mouth again. "Such a good girl," he chuckled.
Laito pulled his pants back up and secured his buckle. He flopped down on the bed next to where I sat. "Ahhh, yes. Such a good girl," he repeated. "We're going to do so many fun things. Come here, kitten," he patted the bed, wanting me to lay next to him.
I was still trying to catch my breath and my mouth still felt salty and bloody. My skin felt clammy. My body wouldn't calm down. I looked down at Laito.
"Hmm, what is it, kitten?" He reached up and grabbed my arm, tugging me down to him. His one arm wrapped around me, holding me at his chest. "Is that what you imagine at night?" he teased. His hand stroked my side. "Don't worry, next time I'll make you feel really good, too." He kissed my forehead. "I let kitten spoil me this time."
I either fell asleep or passed out. Laito was with me for a while. I remembered half waking and lifting my head to see him. He was looking back down at me, his hand continuously stroking my skin. For some reason, my body never cooled down.
When I fully awoke, Laito was gone and it was day time. I felt that I had slept a very long time. And I achieved in getting an uninterrupted hot bath. There were marks from Laito on my thigh that were still tender to the touch. And I still had bite marks from Ayato and Reiji on my neck. They were taking so long to fade. Was that because they had been so rough? I worried about my throat becoming permanently scarred. And then I felt a little silly. Worrying about something like that. Shu's bite on the other side of my neck had almost completely healed.
I let myself sink into the water. Down, down. How could I survive living here? My mouth sunk underneath the water. I didn't know how much more I'd be able to take. And then my nose. The tips of my ears. If I could just disappear into this scorching heat. My eyes disappeared. My eyebrows.
"Father, what is a demon?" A younger me looked up at her father who was sitting at his desk, reading the book of God.
"They are evil, Yui. But," my father looked down at me, "One day, one way or another, we will all face them. Even you."
I jolted up, coughing out water. I took a minute to catch my breath. What an odd thing to remember.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~10~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The school we all attended was odd to say the least. Although I hadn't had a lot of experience in the matter, I had heard stories and seen regular schools from the outside. Ours seemed to be some sort of elite private college. All the students wore the same uniforms and I never noticed any clubs or after school activities. Although every day after my last class, I did have to quickly return to the front to leave with everyone. There weren't many students, either. I saw the same handful of people in my classes each night and a few others going to and from other rooms. But I never even seemed to run into many of the brothers. Ayato was in my same grade, so I of course saw him each night. But Reiji, Laito and Shu were seldom around.
It had taken quite a while, but I did eventually start understanding the layout. At least the layout of the hallways I needed to use to transfer in between classrooms. This helped when I needed to avoid Ayato. I slowly figured out a system so that I could attend all my classes without letting him interfere. The trickiest part of the day was my last class, though. Usually I could dash off before he had a chance to grab me and I could hide until our next class, being sure that I arrived after the teacher. But after our last class ended, I had to make it in time to the front of the school or else I was sure they'd leave me behind.
This particular night, Ayato and I made it back to the entrance before anyone else. "Hey, pancake," Ayato began, noticing we were the only ones around.
I jumped. I hadn't seen him much since the day he surprised me with takoyaki. And the last thing I said to him was that I would willingly offer him my blood the next time he wanted to feed. But I immediately regretted it and had hoped he would've forgotten.
Ayato walked over to me. He slid his arm around my waist and brought me close to him. "I think it's about time ya' thank me properly," he claimed.
"Ah, um, but we're at school," I objected.
"What's that got to do with it?" He brought one hand up to my neck and lifted my chin. He lowered his head to my throat. But he paused.
"A- Ayato?" I had clenched my eyes, waiting to feel his fangs. I wasn't going to fight back. I did promise.
Ayato quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me into a small yard to the side of the school. He pushed me gently back against a tree. "I'm not hungry," he said.
"Okay, so, shouldn't we wait for the others, then? I don't think they can see us here," I reasoned.
"Pancake," Ayato began, his tone had a hint of agitation. He placed both of his hands onto my shoulders and pushed them back against the tree. "Ya' don't have to offer me blood to thank me," he continued.
I was shocked. I didn't think Ayato would be able to show that much self control. And I didn't think he would be able to be so kind. "I'm really relieved, Ay-"
"But," he interrupted. "I want ya' to kiss me."
"What? I- I couldn't!" I pulled away from the tree, but he pushed my shoulders back again, keeping me in place.
"Why the hell not?" Ayato asked, scowling. "It's easy! Lot easier than havin' your blood taken, ain't it?"
"Well, yeah, I guess," I mumbled. But I didn't understand why he would even ask it of me. He had kissed me before plenty of times. He could have easily forced a kiss onto me just then.
"So? Go 'head," he ordered. He closed his eyes and released the pressure on my shoulders.
"Er, okay. Um, just keep your eyes closed, okay?" He nodded. My face burned. I hoped someone would walk over and save me from such an embarrassing task. But nobody came. And Ayato was standing in front of me expecting payment. And he was right, a kiss was nothing compared to letting him drink my blood.
I lifted my hands and cupped his face in them. He flinched a little. "Ayato, are you s-?"
"Ughh, shut it. Just do it, pancake," Ayato sneered. But I saw his cheeks change color. He moved closer to me, eyes still shut, and wrapped his arms together behind my head, holding me in a light embrace.
His face was soft against my hands. How could a vampire feel so soft? I kissed his cheek.
"Pancake, are you fucking-"
"I know!" I quickly replied, "I will…" I knew he meant a proper kiss. I just wanted to test his reaction. I expected he would lose patience and grab me or something, but he didn't. I leaned my face closely to his. Our eyelashes almost touched. My lips brushed his gently and then he opened his lips just barely. He lifted his hand and raked his fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes and our mouths met. His arms wrapped around me slightly tighter. I opened my mouth and felt his tongue with my own. I could feel him breathing into me. I lifted one of my hands as well, touching his hair with the tips of my fingers. His hair was as soft as his cheeks.
My tongue brushed against one of his fangs. I flinched, startled by the sharpness of it. Ayato pulled me against his chest, keeping his grip on the back of my head tight so that I wouldn't pull away. He licked my bottom lip and bit it softly, not drawing any blood.
"Hn," I whimpered against his mouth. I let my fingers comb through his hair. My other hand still cupped his cheek. I hadn't realized at the time, but I could have easily pushed his face away.
Ayato pulled back for just a second. His face was a light red. He had opened his eyes. He looked as if he was about to say something, but instead, he pushed me back against the tree, pinning me between him and the bark and met my lips again. He became more frantic and less patient with his movements. His tongue slid across the sides of my cheeks and felt the roof of my mouth.
He lowered one of his hands and lifted it under my shirt. I pulled his hair involuntarily, reacting to the feeling of his hand touching my stomach. He tilted his head back again, keeping his lips just slightly against my own.
His hand slipped under my bra and he gently squeezed my breast. "Uhn, hah," my voice escaped. I wanted to pull him closer again. I wanted to feel his tongue again. My body felt hot and I wanted him to touch me more.
"Yui," Ayato whispered. He kissed me again, then flicked his tongue across my lips. I got goosebumps hearing the sound of my name coming from him, rather than the crude nickname he liked to call me. His palm completely covered my breast as he lifted and groped it in his hand. "Tell me you're mine, Yui. Say it."
"I- I'm y-," I started to respond.
"Shameful." My eyes shot open. Shu stood just a few feet away.
Ayato pulled his head back to look at Shu as I quickly moved my hands away. But Ayato didn't move his hand from under my shirt. He grabbed one of my hands, brought it to his mouth and licked my fingers as he noticeably groped my chest again. "Don't interrupt, slug," Ayato sneered.
"Do whatever. But Reiji might leave you both behind," Shu answered. He turned without a second glance and walked back towards the driveway.
"Ayato, let go!" I squirmed, still stuck in his grasp. "That was way more than a kiss," I added. "So, that, uh, I don't have to thank you anymore!"
"Yeah, yeah." Ayato grinned and moved his hand out from under my shirt. His grip tightened around my wrist and he moved close to my ear. "But, pancake, what were ya' bout to say before Shu turned up?"
I couldn't answer. What was I about to say? Ayato let me go and walked back, following behind Shu.
After school, I decided to stroll around the courtyard. I needed to clear my head. Ayato's question repeated over and over. I knew exactly what I was about to tell him. Though I'd never admit that out loud. Never. And he could never know. Never.
I was unable to take the time, up until that night, to appreciate how beautiful the courtyard was. And I wondered how the rose bushes were maintained so well, seeing as I never saw any gardeners or any other sort of help around the castle. But everything was in such pristine condition. There wasn't a single dead rose to be found. Not even a bruised one.
I turned a corner and before I knew it, "Oof!" my knees were hitting against the ground. I had tripped on something. I looked behind me and saw legs.
"You're falling head over heels for me?" Shu was laying flat on the grass, his head close to another rose bush. He yawned widely.
"Shu? What're doing- why are you sleeping here?" Ignoring his joke, I scrambled off of the ground, attempting to lift myself back up.
Shu sat up and grabbed my hand, pulling me back down towards him. "Sit. Stay," he ordered. My face flushed red, remembering the last time he had said that.
"I… I told you I'm not a dog," I said, but still I sat next to him, kicking my legs out straight in front of me. "It's dangerous to sleep here. There's thorns and it's dirty." I scolded him. I brushed the dirt out of his hair. "See?"
He didn't respond, but he lifted his hand and touched where the dirt had been. Then he sighed and immediately layed back down, but turned his body so that his head fell into my lap. "What, uh, Shu?"
He was on his back, his face looking straight up at mine. But he had closed his eyes. Without looking, he found my hand and held it, bringing it next to his head. "You were worried," he explained flatly. "So isn't this better?"
I looked down at him, hoping he wouldn't open his eyes. "I guess," I answered.
He turned his head slightly and placed a kiss on my hand. "Shut up. Let me sleep."
I fidgeted nervously. The night was too quiet. All I heard were leaves rustling from the slight wind. And it was too dark. The moon was just a sliver and all the stars were hiding behind black clouds.
Why was I going to tell Ayato that… I was… I shook my head. No. Don't ever admit it. I looked down at Shu again. His face was so relaxed. Was he actually asleep already? Shu had seen me with Ayato. It was obvious I wasn't fighting back. It was obvious I was enjoying it. No. I did it because I promised Ayato. Right?
I sighed. The last time I was alone with Shu was something I didn't want to think about either. There were so many thoughts tumbling around in my head that I never ever wanted to touch.
A gnat landed on Shu's hair. I quietly brushed it away with my free hand. I wondered if Shu's hair was as soft as Ayato's. If I touched his hair, would he wake up? I shouldn't even be in this situation. I should have ignored Shu and gotten up and left.
His hair was bright even in the darkness of night. I let my hand just barely graze over it. "Hrm mrr," Shu murmured. His brow furrowed for a second, but then his face relaxed again.
"Shu?" I whispered as quietly as I could. No response. I felt his hair again, this time a little more bravely, but still not letting my hand touch his scalp.
"Pervert," Shu muttered. I snapped my hand away. "Taking advantage of me while I sleep."
"I- um, there was a gnat!" I lied. I looked to the side and swatted at nothing in the air. His eyes were open again. I tried not to make eye contact with him.
"Lean your head down," Shu told me.
"Hm? Uh, okay, is there a bug?" I tilted my head down.
"Yup," he said. He reached up and pulled my head down further until our lips met. Before releasing my head, he licked the corner of my mouth.
"Sh- Shu." My face grew hot.
"Did you get turned on when you made out with Ayato?" he asked me. He didn't show any emotion in his words, but his hand squeezed mine tighter.
"I- I didn't," I began. But I didn't know what to say. "I owed him. For something. So…"
"But you liked it," Shu continued. He lifted his head from my lap and sat up. He let go of my hand. "Your heartbeat was deafening."
"I didn't like it," I told him, lying to him for the second time that night. Shu grabbed my arm and started pulling me into his lap. "W- wait, stop," I pried his hand off of my arm and shuffled away. "Um, don't." I had too much to think about. I couldn't focus on one issue without having ten more thrown my way. I lifted my knees and brought my face into my lap. "At least I don't think… I liked it," I muffled against my skin. How much was just my body reacting on its own and how much was me actually wanting certain things to continue?
I heard Shu move. I didn't look, thinking he was just getting up to leave. I had ruined his nap, after all. "Annoying," he said.
He grabbed my arms and pulled them behind my back. "Huh?" I looked behind me. He had something in his hands. Fabric? He wrapped it around my wrists. A tie? I looked at Shu. His tie was missing. "Shu, wait," I tried to move my hands away, but my wrists were bound together. "Hey, hold on, stop!"
He pulled the knot tighter, then turned me to face him. My arm brushed against the leaves of the rose bush next to us. "You move too much," he said.
"This isn't funny, let me go." I pulled against the restraint.
"You're acting out," Shu started, "Am I not giving you enough attention?" He pushed me onto my back. My arms were trapped between me and the grass. "Or did Ayato get it right? That you like the pain."
"I don't like-" I began, but Shu covered my mouth with his hand.
"So maybe I've been too gentle," he said, then I felt him lick my neck. I kicked my legs. Shu bit down into me. It was different than before. It wasn't slow and it wasn't a lingering shock. The pain immediately brought tears to my eyes. My hands clenched the grass behind me and my nails dug into the dirt. Shu pressed his fangs deeper into my skin. It felt like he was drilling into my bones. His hand that was covering my mouth slid down, resting at my throat right under my chin. He squeezed his fingers tightly.
I gasped for air, but I couldn't breathe. Shu rubbed his tongue against my skin and sucked, pulling blood to the wound. He squeezed my throat tighter. My vision blurred. The sliver of the moon in the sky danced around in waves. I tried making a noise, any noise, but couldn't. My eyelids fell.
And then Shu pulled back and removed his hand. "Haaaaa agh ack hah, hah," I panted and coughed, choking on the air that suddenly pulled into my lungs. Blood spilled down my shoulder. He had bitten me, but didn't drink any of it.
"Does being bitten like that make you wet, stupid girl?" Shu asked me. I could only look up at him. My vision was still blurred either from tears or from almost passing out. I felt my blood trickle down to the ground, forming a small puddle at my shoulder.
For the first time, Shu looked angry. He leaned over me. He was panting almost as much as I was. "Thank me for biting you," he told me. He brought his face close to mine. "Just like you thanked Ayato."
I didn't want him to snap again. And although he was acting like that, I did want to kiss him. I wanted him to be gentle again. I didn't want to see his face like that.
I lifted my head and touched my lips to his. He met my reach and cupped my face in his hands just as I had cupped my hands to Ayato's face earlier. I slid my tongue against his. He tasted just faintly of blood. Shu didn't kiss back, but he brushed his fingers across my cheeks and left his lips open for me. I trailed my tongue along his lip and bit softly. Shu's hand moved down and he wrapped his fingers lightly around the back of my neck.
He leaned back. "I'm the only one," he whispered, "that you're allowed to kiss like that." He gave one soft kiss before continuing. "When you make that face… it's like you're begging me."
Shu inched downwards and pushed my skirt up above my thigh. His hand brushed across the healing marks from Laito's bite. "Kitten," he mocked, "Want me to mark here, too?"
I couldn't find my voice. I could still feel the imprints of Shu's fingers pressed around my throat. I shook my head no. My neck stung from the movement, but Shu had already pressed his mouth against my thigh. He bit softly at my skin, then licked over it. He reached up, tugged my underwear down my legs and tossed them aside. I tried protesting, but could only let out a weak cough.
Shu pinched the skin on my thigh with his teeth and then dug his fangs into it almost exactly where Laito's bite had been. Again, he made it hurt. "Urghhh n- hah," I groaned. Spits of fire travelled up and down my leg. Tears escaped from my eyes, rolling down my cheeks. Shu pressed a finger between my legs. My body flinched. He unclenched his jaw as he rubbed circles with his finger. I bit my tongue, not wanting to make a pleasant noise.
He again didn't drink any of the blood. He let it drip out of the cuts, streaming across my skin, escaping onto the ground and then getting soaked into the dirt below us. "You'll bleed out," Shu told me. "That's your punishment." He pushed his finger into me. And he brought his head back up to mine. "Because you're wet, Yui." I shut my eyes. I could feel my heartbeat. I could feel the heat rising up on my cheeks. "Because you're dirty, Yui." He pushed a second finger inside of me. My hips raised to meet his touch. I felt static buzzing beneath my skin. He licked a tear from my cheek. "Because your blood is boiling," Shu continued, pushing and pulling his fingers, rubbing deep within me. His other hand returned to my neck and lightly squeezed. "And I can't let you forget that you're mine."
Somehow, his hand at my neck felt comfortable. Somehow, everytime I felt his fingers pull out of me, it was like a missing puzzle piece. And every time they returned, it satisfied an itch that I didn't know I had. "Hmmn nn," I forgot to bite my tongue and I couldn't ignore the sensation of his fingers, of his words, of my blood running down my neck and thigh. Rather than horrifying me, it tingled and gave me goosebumps.
"Tell me what you want," Shu whispered into my ear. His grip on my neck tightened and his fingers bent within me.
"H- ha ah," I couldn't form words even if I had known what words I wanted to form. I spread my legs slightly and pushed against him, wanting more. I hated it. I despised it. But I wanted more of his voice. I wanted more of his hands. I wanted more.
Shu removed his fingers and let go of my neck. "Tell me what you want," he repeated.
"I- I don't," I started, but I couldn't finish the sentence. My body was as overwhelmed as my head. Everything hurt, but I was left with chills. My skin felt torn and bruised, but it felt warm and there were jolts of electricity every time I was touched. I couldn't stop sobbing, but I couldn't stop hoping he would continue.
Shu turned me onto my side and released my wrists. I sat up and wiped the tears from my face. I was too tired to stand. I was too tired to run away.
"I told you," Shu said. He stood up. "I'm just like Ayato." He walked away, letting his hand brush along the rose bushes.