I want to thank everybody with their support, I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story.
This chapter was so bittersweet as I love writing about these parings but unfortunately I have to put them through some more heartbreak. I feel kind of guilty…
"Mmmm…" Takuma moaned, thoroughly enjoying the dream he was having.
The slender arms he had longed for earlier were now wrapped tightly around his waist, holding him close to the body that belonged to the object of his desire. He snuggled against their hold, never wanting to wake up. He could feel a pair of parted lips on his neck, which continued to suck and taste the sensitive flesh as he tilted his head back to give them more access.
Cool fingers traveled underneath the hem of his nightshirt, dragging the material up to expose his chest to the evening air. Takuma shivered in delight as the fingers then swirled around his nipples, pinching them just enough for them to become hard with arousal.
"Oh, Senri…" The blond could feel the evidence of the other's excitement pressed against his backside. A hand under his chin tilted his head back so the lips on his neck could travel up the pale column and capture his mouth in a searing kiss.
Everything just felt so real. He couldn't believe a dream could feel so good as a tongue entered his mouth and he threaded his fingers in the brunette's styled hair.
"Be quiet or else you'll wake, Takuma." The brunette growled as he rolled his hips forward.
At the sound of the model's voice, Takuma felt himself jolt awake. The Shiki of his dreams would not have said anything so purposely cruel. Even when the haze of sleep finally disappeared the body wrapped around his back did not. Takuma craned his head back to see the sleeping form of his roommate rubbing against him.
It had been real. Shiki was here, in the same bed as him and smiling in his sleep as they embraced. Despite the heat he felt from the other's touch, a tear began to fall down Takuma's cheeks "Oh, I think it's a bit too late for that…"
There was a low grumble in the model's chest as he continued to nuzzle against him "Why? He was not even in his bed when I came in."
"That's because he's in yours."
"What?" Pale blue eyes slowly opened, taking in the very male body that lay next to him, "Takuma? Takuma…what the hell?"
"I didn't know you'd be back yet."
"The shoot ended early and I wanted to get a few hours of sleep before class. When I felt someone next to me in bed I thought it was Rima. Had I known it was you…"
By now Takuma's cheeks were burning a bright cherry, "I'm sorry my touch disgusts you so. If my presence bothers you so much, perhaps you should speak to Kaname about changing of roommates."
"Wait a moment." The smaller noble pinned the blonde down before he could get off of the bed, "
"Senri, let go of me." His voice grew dangerously low, shocking the brunette who hovered above him.
"Not until you start making sense."
A bit of red began to bleed into the blonde's eyes, "Senri, I am tired of having to suppress how I feel about you. For years I have tried to drop you hints of how much I've wanted you but your refusal to see them just proves that you do not feel the same way. Well, you win, I'm done trying."
"Don't." Shiki whispered as he saw the genuine hurt that swam in those normally shining emerald eyes. He hesitantly lowered his lips down to meet Takuma's, the caution in his actions a far cry from the kiss they had shared not too long ago. He swore he heard a sob from the blonde as they parted. "I just need some time to make sure I can give you what you want."
"What I want?" The blonde flipped them over so he now loomed over the shorter vamp, his voice husky, "Do not tempt me, Senri Shiki."
"I'm not, Kuma, I promise."
They remained in that same position, Takuma hovering over Shiki until there was a knock on their dorm's door.
"Shiki, class starts in less than ten minutes so hurry up."
Rima. Takuma never blamed his redheaded friend before for attracting Shiki's attention but as the brunette stiffened beneath him, a surge of darkness welled within his heart.
"Go, if that's what you wish." He whispered as he got off the bed, grabbing a towel on the way to the bathroom. He did not look back, already knowing what he would see. He turned on the shower, hoping that the rushing water would drown out the tell-tale click of the door closing behind Shiki as he left to go with Rima.
It didn't.
Not wanting to stay in the once again empty dorm, Takuma slipped down the hall to check on Kaname. It had been almost twenty four hours since he had seen his friend burst into their classroom and drag Zero off. While he had wanted to do so earlier, he knew the couple had needed private time to discuss the whole arranged marriage situation so he had planned on waiting to see how things had gone. Though he was a bit ashamed that it had taken him this long to do so.
"Kaname?" He called as he knocked on the dorm's door.
"Coming…" came a whine from the other side of the door before Kaname opened it up, "Sorry Takuma, I hope you weren't waiting too long. Come on it."
Kaname looked horrible. The pureblood's eyes were glazed over as he stood on limbs that wobbled so much it was a miracle he remained standing. His shirt hung open, its number of missing buttons far outnumbering the ones that had survived his earlier careless assault on them.
Takuma's eyes widened as he realized that his friend had somehow gotten himself thoroughly drunk, despite the extremely high tolerance that came with his pureblood heritage. "Oh Kaname, you didn't."
"Didn't what? Honestly, I'm fine Ta-" Kaname's cheeks reddened as he let out a belch, "Oops."
"Mmmhmm, sure you are." Takuma's concern for the pureblood was the only thing that stopped the laughter he would have had as he helped him over to the couch, the pureblood tripping them so they ended up sprawled across its cushions, "How did you even do this to yourself?"
"Hunter poison; it nullified my abilities including apparently my alcohol tolerance."
"Zero shot you?! I knew he was not going to take the news well but to shoot you. Where did he do it? He did shot you down there did he? And instead of taking care of yourself, you get drunk." Takuma sniffed the air but there was not a trace of the rich scent of blood.
A smile tugged at the edge of Kaname's lips at his friend's distress, the blonde flustered way of acting like a mother hen reminding him over when they were children and he fused over the older boy he called his best friend. It really was sweet and something Kaname needed. Before he had found his relationship with Zero, Takuma was the only one he ever allowed to see him as flawed. The Night Class had needed a leader, Yuki had needed a protector, but Takuma only wanted a friend.
"He didn't shoot me, Takuma, although perhaps he should have. It would probably alleviate a lot of the anger and frustration Zero is feeling now."
"What happened?"
"He ran away from me and I let him." Kaname's eyes traveled around the room, his gaze pausing on each of the hunter's personal items that still decorated their nightstand and dressers, "Then I came back to our- well I guess my room and wanted something to numb the pain. One of Zero's hunting knives was in work bag he keeps in the closet so I cut myself and indulged in a few bottles of blood wine."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Takuma admitted that he didn't blame the pureblood for his reckless behavior. While he still wanted to smack Kaname for making him worry so much, he knew what he needed most of all was a friend who would listen rather than judge. He helped Kaname into another shirt, doing the buttons himself before the drunken brunette got to them, before they sat back down on the couch.
"You have any of that wine left?"
"Kaname, are you in there?"
The knock on the door startled both of the vampires, the effects of their drinking had mostly worn off of the hours as they lost track of time. Leaning on one another's side, they managed to drag their tired bodies up to answer Yuki.
The petite pureblood was in tears as she came in, throwing herself into her brother's arms "Kaname, he won't talk to me."
"Calm down Yuki and tell me what's going on." Kaname helped his sister over to the couch, sitting her in between him and Takuma, "Who won't talk to you?"
"Zero. He is over in his old room at the Head Master's and is refusing to see anyone. I tried to talk to him but he never opened his door."
"Oh Yuki, you know Zero is not truly mad at you, it's more the situation you've all found yourself in. He just needs some time, honey." Takuma tried to reassure her, his eyes flitting between her and the gloomy expression that had fallen over Kaname's face, "Shouldn't you be in class with Yori anyway?"
"Yes, but I found that I couldn't concentrate so I left early. Yori is still in class and Hanabusa has been hauled up in his laboratory. Now after he returns class, he spends hours working on his newest experiment. I know he's only doing it to distract himself from the fact that we still haven't told Yori about the marriage but I'm worried in his effort to avoid telling her, he is running himself ragged."
"How do you think Yori is going to react, being so unfamiliar with our culture? While we and Hanabusa are still deeply affected by vampiric traditions, I think that an outsider's perspective is even more challenging. That is probably one of the reasons Zero has felt so hurt by what we have to do, not fully understanding the consequences of not following tradition."
"I have been a hard time coming to terms with it too. There are still some parts of vampire laws that I am still learning about, thanks to your help." Yuki sighed as she leaned against her brother's side, nuzzling against the arm that wrapped around her shoulder.
As the siblings drew comfort from one another, Takuma went to the dorm's kitchen to heat up a pot of tea. Then the three of them sat together on the sofa, sipping their drinks, each thinking of how talk to their estranged lovers. They knew that this was only the beginning of what they might have to face but for a moment they relax in the familiar presence that they felt for one another having grown up together.
"Yuki why don't you go back to your dorm? You wouldn't want Yori to come home to an empty room, would you?" Kaname gave his sister a small smile when he heard her let out a yawn, "Make sure Hanabusa comes out of hiding too. If he refuses you tell him that I will personally come over and drag him out of his laboratory with my bare hands."
"Knowing Aido, I don't think that's quite the threat you think it is." Takuma laughed as he helped the tired girl to her feet.
"Stop teasing Hanabusa, that's my job." Yuki yawned as she bid the two older vamps goodbye, "Try not to get drunk again while I'm gone, ok boys?"
A pair of wide wine colored eyes met equally large emerald ones as the childhood friends found themselves flush with embarrassment at being caught.
"How did she know?"
"I have no idea…"
Is it wrong that I giggled to myself writing part of the drunk Kaname scene? And I wondered why I felt guilty.
Oh well, see you guys next week with the prequel chapter!
