The Absence of Happiness

Yuma felt a sudden tugging at his shirt. He turned around, coming face to face with Azusa.

"Yuma-kun…do you…love Eve?"

"What?"

"You were…both smiling…Eve seemed so…happy…"

"Tch. Don't say weird things." He said, quickly getting the hell out of there. Azusa watched him leave, cocking his head in confusion.

"It made me hurt…but…" he said to himself, clenching his hand over his chest, "I don't like…this pain…"

He wandered aimlessly about, trying to understand how to stop this aching in his chest. No matter how hard he squeezed it wouldn't go away. He even went back to his room to deepen his scars, to create a happier pain, but it was fleeting. As soon as the pain from his beautiful knife subsided, the strangeness in his chest would start again.

He didn't know why but…

He wanted to see Eve again.

He found her easily enough, her scent rather easy to follow. She was humming to herself in the kitchen, digging through the shelves. He thought she looked really pretty that way.

"Eve…what are you…doing?"

"Oh!" she jumped a bit, nearly dropping the pot she was holding, "I was just going to make some pasta," she smiled, "Would you like some?"

"That's…nice…yes, thank you…"

Yui gave an affirmative nod as she began to fill the pot with water.

"Eve do you…like cooking?"

"I do," she said happily, "It gives me something to do. And I like being able to taste my hard work." She giggled to herself, moving the pot over to the stove. She opened the cabinet and pulled out the salt shaker, sprinkling the water before adding heat.

Measuring out the pasta, she hummed to herself while grabbing the proper amount and then setting it aside. She dug around for another pot, by which to make the sauce.

"Eve seems…happy." Azusa observed curtly.

She cocked her head over to him, showing off a surprised sort of smile. Then more demurely, turned her attention back to the tomatoes which she began to cut. Part of her was worried to be in a room with so many knives while Azusa was this close, but for the time being, he seemed harmless. She'd do her best to keep it that way.

"Yes," she began, "I guess I'm happy. I'm about to eat with a friend after all."

"I am…Eve's friend?"

She looked at him curiously, "I-I would hope so?" she said, treading carefully.

"Is Yuma…Eve's friend too?"

She smiled, "You all are. Or at least, I see you all as friends." She stuttered, suddenly feeling awkward. Would she really classify Ruki and Kou as friends? Or any of them really?

Thinking about it, she realized it was a stupid way to be addressing the situation. Maybe it had just been the generic label her brain had labeled the brothers with. Only now, she had stupidly blurted it to Azusa.

They weren't friends. She was prey. And they were predators.

When would that fact decide to stick with her?

She decided to just push any and all thoughts away. For now, she had her cooking to focus on. She didn't want to accidentally burn anything.

"If I…asked you something…would you…answer honestly?"

She looked up from the cutting board, turning to face him. "Azusa?" she questioned.

"Does Yuma…make Eve…happy?"

She blinked, not knowing how to respond to such a question. "I-I…he's been very kind…recently…"

"Do I make…Eve happy?"

"Um…" she hesitated, not wanting to accidentally trigger anything, "You've also been…really nice lately…" she added lamely, biting her lip.

Azusa walked up to her, capturing her arm with his hand. Her wrist fit perfectly in his hand. "We're both…bandaged…this is…my cut…"

She nodded weakly, "Um, yes. It started bleeding again."

He smiled happily, "Oh good…that means I…am still with you…nee, Eve…your mark is…with me…too…"

He lifted his own arm, so as to show her, and Yui noticed the impression of her nails on his forearm. She stared in shock. It was impossible for her to have made a wound like that. Had he carved them out?

"Azusa," she said quickly, "You need to let that heal, by making it worse-"

His smile faded, and Yui felt her stomach lurch.

"I want to…keep Eve with me…like this…"

Not knowing what else to do, Yui embraced him, holding him close against her chest. "You don't need pain as proof of anything Azusa."

"E-Eve?" He stood frozen, not hugging her back, blinking slowly, feeling the pain that had been so prominent in his chest slowly start to melt.

Yui's heart was pounding. She didn't want to anger him but a hug was really the only thing she could think of. "I-It's fine right?"

"It's…different…Yui-san is…warm…" his voice trailed off, as he slowly hugged her back, inhaling her scent.

"Oy, Sow!"

Immediately she pulled away, and Azusa felt his chest clench up once more.

"The hell are you doing with my tomatoes?"

Yui smiled kindly, motioning to the cutting board and boiling pot of water. "I'm making some pasta! Would you like some? I just need to add more noodles to the pot and-"

"Ha! You making a sauce? You can't even do that right."

Azusa noticed her features scrunch up, her cheeks puffing in anger. "Yuma-kun," he began, "…that's…rude…"

"Hah? Oy Azusa, it's over, remember? We don't have to pretend to be nice anymore."

"Pretend?" Yui asked.

"Shut up Sow. Don't ask stupid questions. Now watch closely. You've been defiling these tomatoes up until now."

Feeling worse than before, Azusa slowly and silently slipped out of the kitchen, feeling the intense need to carve out his scars even more.

He made his way over to his room, desperately seeking the comfort of his beloved knives.

He was surprised, though, to find Ruki there, sitting in the armchair.

"Ruki-kun…what are you…doing here?"

"What good would it do, for a human like her?"

Azusa looked down, feeling somewhat ashamed. "I don't…want her to leave…so if I-"

"She hasn't left." He informed in his platonic way.

"But…Yuma-kun…she…smiles with…Yuma-kun."

Ruki closed his book, and looked over at his brother. "Would you prefer to see her crying?

Azusa's eyes widened, and he quickly blurted a denial.

"Then?"

He looked down again, tracing the light bumps on his arms.

Ruki sighed, "You love her."

"Eve does…not feel the same…"

"Does it matter? So long as she is smiling, that is."

"But this pain…" he covered his chest with his hand once again, "This pain is-"

"'With love one can live even without happiness.'" Ruki stood up, pushing past his younger brother and pulling on the door handle, "Consider yourself lucky to know such a feeling in the first place."

Azusa was left alone, feeling as though he'd just been hit by a hurricane. If Eve was happy, then…

Was that enough?

He stayed in his room for a long time, but he did not cut. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he left his solitude, making his way back down to the kitchen. Even if when he saw her again, he'd feel that new special pain, then it would be ok. It was Eve's pain, and so, he would endure it.

"Azusa!" her cheerful voice greeted him upon his entrance, "I thought you disappeared! We've just about finished so we can all eat together." she said happily, smiling widely at him.

Smiling…at him.

Azusa managed a weak smile of his own. Maybe, like this, that would be enough.

"What do you mean we Sow? I did all the work." Yuma sneered.

Yui let out a constrained breath, wiping her hands on her apron and trying to ignore the larger vampire.

They hadn't quite finished setting the table before Kou burst through, commenting on how delicious everything smelled. "Ahh Yuma's cooking is the best!"

"I was the one who-"

"Ah! M-Neko-chan! You're here too!" Kou beamed, "Hey, hey. Someone should go get Ruki-kun~ We can't eat without him."

The three boys turned their sights to Yui, who only sighed and weakly offered to go herself.

She grumbled quietly, once she was far enough away, thinking that all the food would be gone by the time she got back. It really wasn't fair. They didn't even need to eat. She figured she better hurry, if she wanted to eat tonight. But as she got to the end of the hall, turning the corner, Yui realized she'd have bigger things to worry about.

Her breath was stolen as a cold hand covered her mouth, her torso held possessively. She tried to scream but it was hopelessly muffled. Without even turning her head, she knew exactly who her captor was.

"Long time no see, Chichinashi."

A/N: Haha oh my gosh you guys! Thank you SO much for all of the comments but I absolutely could not reply to them because I didn't want to crush your dreams XD I'm sorry, she's not pregnant (yet o.o lol jk jk...maybe...maybe not...) But in all seriousness as of right now Yui is not pregnant. Sorry if I made it seem that way. She was nauseated but that happens when you get dizzy and don't have blood in you. I will respond to the next reviews though I promise! It's just the grand majority all said the exact same thing and I didn't want to repeat myself and repeatedly crush hopes lol. In any case, the saga continues! Thanks to those who have followed me on Tumblr! :D