Chapter 31
The blonde's swollen belly lifted and dropped in a soothing fashion as her lover laid his head to rest at the exact spot and slept soundly. Her lean fingers were tangled in his messy hair but despite the knots, she continued to comb through it effortlessly as she drifted in and out of a light sleep herself. Usually after such an episode of passionately violent love making, her body would ache but today, Yui felt nothing but bliss; even when uncomfortable strikes of fidgeting erupted now and then in her lower abdomen. She even started to giggle at the feel, all until a gentle groaning came from the vampire laying on top of her. He rolled his face to the side and rested his ear to her bare skin, feeling the cause of her laughter himself and listening to the delicate heartbeat of their spawn growing within her. He wanted to smile at the sound of it's little heart beat racing to keep up with Yui's but instead, he just nuzzled in closer and sighed. "It tickles, Azusa-kun," she laughed. Her continuous laughter was enough to make Azusa crack a half smile and he even joined along with her for a moment. The sound of his laughter was much more gentle and quiet, though hers was as well. When he turned ever so slightly to look up at her reddened face, he smirked at the sight of her covering her mouth modestly as she attempted to control her giggles. She spat out behind the closed hand, "It really does. Feel, feel!" Before Azusa could even abide by her pleas, he felt the gentle nudge beneath her skin against the side of his cheek. Then again. And again. And again.
"A-Azusa," Yui sputtered behind a closed palm, "I've never felt this before." She began squirming a bit in her seat until the dark haired vampire slowly rose from his lying position and sat beside her, firmly resting his hand onto her bare skin and feeling the nudging directly. His touch was chilling and sent her quivering. "Ah... She is so... anxious. So curious," Azusa said softly. A slight, crooked grin spread across his lips and be let out a silent chuckle through parted lips as he stroked his fingers down Yui's inflated stomach. She was growing at an alarmingly fast rate yet Yui somehow still looked as beautiful and youthful as ever. It was complex and he would never admit to her that he was worried about it. It was unnatural, something that she knew but refused to voice to him especially after her small speech to him at the clearing. "She?" Yui scoffed. Her legs flinched as there was yet another kick within her and she said, "You said she, Azusa-kun." Her warm eyes were large and longing. Azusa looked to her with the same warmth in his sleepy eyes and he said, "Just... a feeling. Nothing more..."
The strange movements within her abdomen were too abundant and strong to ignore, for whenever Yui attempted to drift back to sleep, it was immediately interrupted with what started with playful kicks to the belly and then progressed to searing pains. The pain was something she had never experienced before and she must have screamed because when she gained the consciousness to open her eyes fully, Azusa was hovering above her with a foreign expression of fear before scooping her up in his arms and darting out of the bedroom.
- The Change Begins
With each lazy fluttering of her eyelashes, Yui was approached by another Mukami boy with the same expressions of both fear and concern painted obviously across their pale faces. She attempted to speak to each one but was unable to find the energy to form a word properly; all that left her mouth was screams. She could sense herself screaming but hear nothing. The pain in her stomach had subsided but only because the rest of her was completely numbed as well. She wanted to tell the boys not to worry, that she was okay, but all she could do was continue to scream.
Azusa was utterly helpless and could only hold a damp wash cloth to his lover's head as she writhed in pain on the couch before him. He was angry at his brothers for not doing more to help but at the same time, he knew that there was nothing that could be done. They had all reached this state before and when each ones time had come, there was nothing they could do but wait. "Hm hm... how did you manage this, Azusa?" Kou slapped him hard on the back of the shoulder and attempted to hold back a smirk, only to fail, as he watched the blonde flailing on the couch. The pain she was experiencing was excruciating, he remembered it vaguely but nonetheless still hadn't forgotten. Only Yuma had caught a glimpse of his brother smiling and chose to ignore it rather than start an argument per usual. It wasn't worth it to him though it did bother him. He could have cared less about the mortal girl, he thought, so he must just be feeling sorry for his youngest brother. That must be it, he assured himself. Both he and the eldest Ruki had stayed silent on the sidelines. "I... don't know what's been done. How..." Azusa could barely execute a clear thought. The wet washcloth was already warm within moments of laying on her forehead and when he touched her skin directly, it was hot enough to burn him at the touch. "It's not possible..."