Chapter 4:
Reiji's POV
I cannot control these feelings anymore.
I realize it when I saw her trying to get away from me this morning. I cannot accept the fact that she don't want me.
I didn't realize that all of the women who came to my life, she is the only one who could get me into a tight noose.
She is unique, special, intriguing, and beautiful. I want her for myself. I cannot bear to live in my mother's memories any longer.
It was years ago.
This is now.
She is my present and my future.
She is my key to freedom.
Freedom of the pain of not being loved.
Freedom from solitude and loneliness.
Freedom from hatred and sadism that I inflicted on many others before her.
Freedom from the darkness and inability to love my brother whom I thought all this year as a worthless scum who cannot stand by himself and irresponsible.
Freedom to be myself again, a kind hearted kid who want nothing else to be accepted and loved.
She can give it to me.
She WILL give it to me.
I'm selfish and cruel but that doesn't mean I don't have the heart to fell in love with this woman.
All I wanted was for her to stay and prevent her heartbreak. I will protect her from the darkness of her and my world. She is MINE.
"Reiji…" She called my name… without honorifics.
"Yes, Aoi?" I replied. I called her by her name.
I heard her heart thumping.
She smiled.
The first smile I saw from her.
She is beautiful.
Her smile is beautiful.
I want her to smile just for me.
"Can you listen to my little request?" She asked me and I nodded.
"What is it?"
"If you would keep me here and become your bride, I would never had the chance to come to the human world again, right?"
I nodded. It is true… All brides of the Vampires Royalties such as me, my brothers and my father, never saw the human world again.
They would stay here and become a vampire themselves. Yui is one of a few brides that lived. The others are my mother, Cordelia and Subaru's mother.
"Will you allow me to visit my friends one last time?" I was about to say no, but ruled against it as I saw her pleading eyes.
"Fine, as long as I am with you." I said.
"Will it be okay, if we go now? In my old school the class started an hour ago."
"Maybe tomorrow, dear Aoi. I almost drained you. You might want to sleep."
She yawned and nodded and drift off to sleep.
I really want to stay here and look at her as she slept but I have duties to attend to. One is removing the shredded blanket she used to escape earlier. I took the blanket and took it into my room and shoved it in the fire place.
I took one of my own bed covers and blanket and gone to her room. I saw her breathing evenly. She is also beautiful while sleeping. I pushed that thought away for a moment and put her into the couch as I changed her bed covers.
After I finished, I carried her to her bed that is now covered with my own bed covers patterned with blue and purple roses. After I set her down, I put the blanket over her body stopping below her chin and left the room.
As I walked to the corridor I saw Ayato, walking straight to me.
"What do you want, Ayato?" I snarled.
"Chill, Reiji. Just wanted to ask if you are really serious on taking Aoi as your bride."
I chuckled and smiled. A genuine smile.
"I've never been so serious in my whole life Ayato. That is until Aoi. I understand now, what you felt after meeting Yui. Humans are very interesting, aren't they?"
Ayato smiled and I realized this is the first time I talked to him on a civil manner.
"Yes, they are. Very strange. We, creatures of the night, whose love was taken away from us was given by mere humans… indeed you can never know what happens next." I said.
"Yeah, I also realized that, when I thought I lost Yui. Oh! I almost forgot. I never thanked you for saving Yui. Thanks, Reiji for saving her…" He then moved along to his own path while I continued with my chores.
A FEW HOURS LATER:
It is nightfall now. Aoi need to wake up.
After I put uniform on, I strolled to her room, and saw her still sleeping soundly.
"Aoi, you need to get up, we have school."
She moaned and turn her back. If I was the old Reiji I would have hurt her to open her eyes. But I need to change my ways, not just for me but also for her.
"Aoi, please, you need to wake up now." She stirred and open her eyes. She is still half awake.
"Good Evening, Reiji, what time is it?" She asked as she try to rub the sleepiness from her eyes.
"It's 7pm now. You need to move, we have class at 8." I replied and gave her, her uniform.
"I'll be waiting outside." She nodded and I walked outside the room.
A few minutes later she was out and took her hand in mine and got into the car and go to school.
I never let go of Aoi's hand so in return many students has their eyes on us. I took no attention to them, they just intrigued on the fact I'm holding my bride's hand.
I took her to her seat, after she is settled I go to my own and the class begun.
A FEW HOURS LATER:
It was the last bell. I rushed to her side and took her hand once again. I let my siblings go on ahead as Aoi wanted to walk home. I can't leave her alone so this is where we are now. In the city.
It is very normal for us to walk through the city to get home.
Aoi's stomach grumbled in hunger. I realized she hadn't eaten all day and took her to a near open diner.
"Order anything you like, Aoi, I will pay." I assured her as she was so shy.
"Then, I will have a steak, then an iced tea." She put the menu down and I called the waitress.
"What can I get you, sir…?" She gave me a bright smile,
"…ma'am?" She looked at Aoi in disgust.
I cleared my throat and glared at her.
"We will have a steak and an iced tea…" I replied.
"Is that all, sir?" She gave me a slutty look. Aoi is getting furious and I don't want anything to do with THIS HUMAN.
"Yes, that's all and one more thing, the next time I saw you giving me dirty looks and disgust on my girlfriend I swear you will never have a job again, be it here or in other places, are we clear?"
I shot her a look that said BACK OFF.
She humph her way but not before Aoi tripped her.
"Oops, Sorry, my bad. I thought I saw a slut aiming at my charming boyfriend. I didn't saw you there sorry."
The waitress became a laughing stock and cried to the locker but not before she gave the order to the chef.
Served her right.
Aoi now laughed to her hearts content. I was glad about this detour. I saw a new side of her. Her strong side. But that's not all I was happy about, it was also she called me her boyfriend.
Is she accepting me now?
If not, is she trying?
Her steak and iced tea then came a few minutes later by another waitress and Aoi gave a shocked look.
"Aya?" The waitress 'Aya' looked at Aoi in shock.
"Aoi? Oh my God, Aoi! Where the hell have you been?" Aoi hugged her friend Aya. Then a few seconds later Aya and Aoi noticed that I was still there.
"Aoi, you have a boyfriend now?" Aya asked in shock.
"What's so surprising about that?" I asked out loud.
"Sorry about that Reiji, this is Aya Himura, one of my friends I was telling you about. Aya, this is Reiji Sakamaki, my b-boyfriend…" That confirms it. She accepted me.
"Nice to meet you, Himura-san." I held out my hand.
"Likewise, Sakamaki-san." She took my held out hand and shook it.
"Speaking of which, where were you, Aoi? All of us haven't heard from you in 3 days. I heard you transferred. But as I can see your uniform, you did. But why are you still in uniform at this hour."
Aya asked after she asked permission to take a break.
"I am living in with Reiji and his family for now, I was being chased by a couple gangsters, and I'm afraid to go home just yet. I don't want to endanger mom, as for the uniform we were just at school. We are walking home when I remembered I haven't eaten anything yet." She said as she eat a piece of her food.
"It's a good thing you are okay, but are you sure you okay living with your boyfriend's family."
I face palmed, I remember that in human society, men and women lived separately before marriage…
"It's okay, his brothers are nice in a way, also his sister in law is very nice to me. She assist me in some ways." She ate the last pieces of her food and wiped her face clean.
Their conversation continued on but when its Aya's shift is over, Raito came in with Shu.
"What are you doing here Raito, Shu?" I asked.
"Nothing, it's just you two were so late. And dad's at home right now." I took noticed of the late part and focused on the fact that our father is at the house.
"When did he arrived?" I asked.
"Well, he arrived a few minutes after we arrived home. He wants to speak with you and your bride." Shu said monotonously.
"Aoi, are you done with your food?" I asked.
"Yes." She replied. Aya came to the scene just for saying farewell when he saw my brother.
"Aoi, who are they?" She asked her.
"Ah! They are Shu, Reiji's older brother and Raito, one of his younger half-brothers."
She was fascinated by Shu by the way.
"Aoi, we need to come home." I urged her to hurry up. We approached the door when…
"Wait!" Aya came rushing to Aoi's side. It was enough to get me irritated.
"Let me come along. I want to see if she is safe or not." Is she brave or just being plain stupid?
I looked at my brothers and they nodded in agreement "Fine, but don't say anything."
We arrived home after a few minutes and Aya's eyes bulged in shock on how my house is not a house but a mansion.
We entered the house when Yui and Ayato came to the hallway. "He's here." Ayato mumbled.
"I know" I replied and took Aoi's hand.
"Himura-san can you just stay here with my brothers? My father asked specifically for us."
Emphasizing me and Aoi.
She nodded her head and stand beside Shu.
We walked to the living room and saw my father, Karl Heinz, sitting on the couch with a glass of blood and red wine in hand.
"You summoned us, Father?" I asked in a formal tone.
"I heard you acquired a bride." He said as if it was new to the household.
"Yes, I did." I replied.
"Is that woman that you held on to, your bride?" He inquired more.
"Yes, she is my bride." He stood up and walked towards Aoi.
"A great choice, you did my son. When do you plan to wed?"
Aoi looked at me, she had this scared expression. I squeezed her hand as if saying it's all right.
"We never talked or thought about that for a moment, Father. She is still adjusting her life here." I replied a logically as possible.
"As you say, son. Ayato planned to wed Yui Komori after graduating from school. But since you were a year ahead I was expecting you would do the same."
Is he trying to dictate on how I handle my relationship? I don't think so.
"Father, I respect Aoi by not forcing her to marry me now. She would have her own choice on when or where we will wed. Please respect her as well."
He looked at me in amusement and took his seat back.
"Very well." He put the glass down. "I respect your decision Reiji. You are one of my wisest sons. I know you know what you are doing." He disappeared then as if her were mist.
We were now relaxed as he left but that is until I heard Aya's Scream.
"This better be not one of my brothers' prank." I mumbled and rushed to the others.