LB: I'm so sorry! It's all my fault. Dawn had already sent the draft to my last weekend, but since I was starting school already, I didn't have time to type, what's with those extra classes and all. AND since Dawn said someone was mad, I'd have to stay up to finish typing it. Hah! I never even update my other story, and rushed this out! But, the last few paragraphs, they were Dawn's original ones. Cause I really have to go already! I'm so sorry! Blame it on me, not Dawn. She's innocent!
DFA: Yes, I'm innocent! Arrest her, don't touch me!! (grins at Author Bells, who scowls back) Hey, let me go! ARGH!!! (tries to duck as readers begin to pelt her with rotten tomatoes)
LB: … I'm not your savior this time. Anyways, everyone, Read and Review!! Oh, and the actors are all in Hawaii… Dawn got them tickets for the second time, seeing as the first time Aido wanted to buy Pocky, and they turned out to be late because of that. Or at least, that's what they say…
Chapter 7: Watashi Daisuki Maro
-No POV-
Was it a sense of relief that he felt when he saw her sitting there, by the fountain? She came… She stared at the sprays of water while her fingers were trailing the water absentmindedly. What is she thinking? Takuma thought he couldn't get enough of her. He wanted so badly to get through that interesting mind of hers.
The soft wind blew her long silver hair, making her look as though she was a model posing for a picture. He drew in an unneeded breath… His memory of her served no justice to that beauty of hers.
Sensing his approach, Ayumi raised her head, giving in a smile that didn't reach her eyes. At that second, Takuma decided that he would make her laugh every single moment, he would ensure that genuine smile would be plastered on her angelic face forever.
She got up, her nightgown fluttering silently in the wind, and glided silently towards him, her face half hidden by the wind blown silver hair. Somehow, the emotions played on her face didn't seem right.
He offered her a tentative smile, which she merely nodded at.
As much as she wanted to leap on him and kiss him senselessly, she kept her distance still. Her eyes were wary, guarded and brooding all at the same time.
"I thought you were dead," Takuma blurted out. Of course she wasn't dead you moron. You could've done better by greeting her, like… hi beautiful.
Ayumi looked taken back.
"I was there everyday… even after that night," she replied.
"But I never saw you."
"Of course you always seemed to not notice my presence," she retorted.
Takuma stepped forward, ignoring the warning she gave by raising her hand to stop him from advancing any further. He grabbed her small wrist and pulled her body close to his. Oh how our bodies fit perfectly… Silently, he marveled at her slenderness.
The wind was not helping though. It blew her mouthwatering scent up to him, making the slight burn in his throat almost unbearable. Damn, I should've taken the pills just now. How he wished he could give in. He would give up anything just to taste her.
A smug smile appeared on her face, as though she heard his thoughts. Well, obviously she did. She's a mind reader, after all. Telepathy, and all that.
"You're thirsty." It was not a question, just merely a statement.
"Nothing I can't handle." He shrugged, though he was lying.
She cocked her head slightly and smiled genuinely, "I'd offer myself to you, but I wouldn't want to see what would happen after you drink it."
He looked at her, confused. He thought his thirst would be quenched once he drinks her blood, but no. The way she spoke of it, was as though the consequence was a bad thing.
He gulped.
She just smiled and gently twisted her wrists out of his grab and stepped back. "You shouldn't come too close to me," she murmured. "You saw what happened that night… I wouldn't want the past to repeat itself."
He ignored her and took her hand, tugging her along as they moved closer to the fountain. He sat and patted next to him, motioning her to take a seat. Even if I had to die, I'd die happily granted having you by my side always. She flinched.
Cautiously, she sat, her eyes glowing even a darker shade of red, and glowing brighter than ever. He could see that she was fighting the monster in her – the thirst she repressed to be with him – and felt a stab of sympathy for her.
"If I offer myself to you, you wouldn't take my blood, would you?" he asked.
Her body tensed and her eyes flashed up to his face. "No! I will never, ever do that. It's… too… dangerous." She seemed to force out the last three words.
"Because of your bloodlust? You think you wouldn't be able to stop?"
"No… Well, yes, that's part of the reason. But also, you'll turn into one like me. And it's an extremely painful process." She sighed. "We usually drain our victims dry so we don't have a horde of uncontrolled half-breeds to take care off. And… you wouldn't like being one of my kind. Really."
He whispered, "Maybe I will." In his heart, he knew he would sacrifice himself for her, no matter what.
She shot him a glare that sent shivers down his spine, but he supposed that was natural. After all, she was supposed to be even more terrifying that him.
He cleared his throat, wanting to get onto the better side of her, and more importantly, clear off the tension between them, "So, can you tell me more about yourself?"
Ayumi smiled half heartedly. "I supposed that's okay. What do you want to know?"
"How much are you like a vampire?" he asked almost immediately.
"Hmm… I drink blood?" she pointed out like it was very obvious, chuckling, "Anything else?"
"Do you die?" This was proceeding into the twenty questions game, he knew.
"Yes indeed, we can."
"What do you mean you can?" he queried, suddenly becoming very interested in the half-breeds. "Right, you mentioned that you're centuries old. So you do grow old?"
She seemed startled. "Umm, no we don't grow old… From babies, we grow like any other normal vampires till the age of sixteen. Halfway along those years, we kill our own parents for the power in their blood…" she looked uncomfortable, as though that fact was bothering her for ages, then shot him a sidelong glance, "That's what we live for, if you want to run away now, by all means, go ahead." Her voice was flat as she said that.
"Oh… No… I wasn't repulsed. I er… understand." He struggled to compose his features.
She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Half-bred toddlers take the blood from their mother's mouths. We are usually born at night so we can drink the fluid that makes us… half-breeds. We are born as full vampires, but we do not breathe, so we have to drink our parents' blood for the sake of survival. However, we don't grow fangs until the age of eight. Half-breed vampire children sleep during the day, but wake up at night, as a vampire, like what you saw the other day, when I could only turn into a vampire when the sun has set…"
She trailed off, her ancient eyes staring faraway, probably reliving some horrible memories of her life.
Then he noticed the small figure of hers was trembling. Damn. I'm so stupid! I should've noticed how thin that piece of nightgown is. He quickly removed his Night Class jacket, afraid that she might catch a cold, and slipped it onto her bare shoulders, covering her against the icy cold night wind.
She turned and looked at him in surprise.
"You were cold," he said in answer to her questioning eyes. He noticed they didn't burn with thirst anymore and assumed that she had become accustomed to his scent.
"Thank you, but I don't freeze as I would if I were still human." A small laugh escaped from her lips, though short, he was instantly mesmerized by the wonderful sound, and captured by the haunted look in her eyes that followed the laugh.
She stood abruptly and he followed suit. She looked down at the ground as she whispered her next few words, "I don't burn, I don't hurt, I never feel cold… What sort of demon am I?" What was he going to say to that? She let out a quiet, pained laugh and answered her own question, "A demon with no feelings for her victims or whatsoever."
"That's not true," he objected, but regretted instantly when he saw her looking at him, her eyes probing him. "I mean… you do have feelings, that I know of." For me.
"How do you know that?" she whispered, whirling around and leaning forwards to him. Once again, her scent tempted him, unconsciously. He blinked and leaned forward, also unknowingly, until their face were but centimetres away from each other.
His green eyes fluttered shut, as his heart sped up, thumping so hard against his ribs that he was surprised he didn't combust to death. He wanted to drink her blood, to have a bond with her, to be with her forever – so badly and desperately that it hurt.
"How can you be so sure that I have feelings for you? I can be luring you here to your death –fattening you up with love and feelings that just want to make you scream or die with the intensity of wanting. Wanting to be with me, to love me, to forever stay by my side, and before you know it, you're dead." Her sweet breath fanned across him and her voice was way harsh, as though stabbing through his heart, but her breath kept him in place, his eyes shut and the wheels in his mind turning so fast. "I could kill in any moment…" she whispered each word using a predator voice, then she drew back slightly.
Suddenly, it was all too much to bear. He needed a release, to spill some of the love that was building up so high in him. It hurt, and he wanted a remedy for that pain. So he did the only thing that he could think of.
Takuma caught her by her shoulders and pressed his lips to hers, mustering all his emotions into that one kiss. He revelled in her intoxicating scent, one of his hand winding into her hair, the other holding her waist, pulling her closer towards him, as she stood there in surprise.
She let herself enjoy the kiss and deepened it unknowingly. Then she froze, her hands clenched into fists, and she shoved him away with unerring strength, and he fell backwards, startled slightly but in some insane part of his mind, he was pleased. Very pleased.
He touched his lips which were tingling in sensation. How soft her lips are, how sweet… Better than human blood – not that I tasted them before…
"Do not," she said clearly as if assuring herself, "and here, I repeat, do not think that even if I may have real feelings for you, that we may even have a chance of getting together. The risk for both of us… even me, just standing here, right in front of you, that is a risk that I'm not willing to take, but…" She trailed off, grimacing, averting her gaze.
As she stared at the trees, her voice softened, and became like a musical lullaby, "I love you."
He stared at her, his mouth-hanging-open-shocked expression almost comical.
She gazed at him, smiled gently, and repeated the three words, stronger, louder, with feeling. His heart leaped, and picked up again, double-time. (which is actually very fast, considering the fact that a vampire's hearts is twice the time of a normal human's)
Then, Nakano Ayumi did something that he never expected her to do – not after his 'assault' anyway.
She leaned forward, hesitantly, and caught his face in her cold hands – making him shiver, but not from the cold, but from the delight of her holding him – and pressed her lips to his, very gently.
--
-Nakano Ayumi-
The next day…
"Wake up!" my roommate, Sahori, cried, whacking me with her pillows. In truth, I wasn't asleep. (Half-breeds need no sleep after they killed their parents.) I was merely pretending to be, as Sahori had seen sneaking in after the curfew, no way a human could not be tired after such a late night.
I pretended to groan and eyed her with my right eye, "What time is it?" I mumbled groggily, my voice thick with 'sleep'.
"Good morning little miss sunshine! Had a long night?" she teased and laughed. "Well, you have half an hour for you to get changed."
"Thanks," I murmured, getting up carefully and dragging my feet to the girl's bathroom. On the way to the door, I grabbed a towel and a fresh set of clothes. Once I was safely locked inside the bathroom cubicle, I turned on the tap and let the fresh warm water to run over me. Really, I could pass being an excellent actress by now.
My eyes were closed shut as scenes of last night played before me. The feelings of his warm lips still fresh in my mind. Just thinking about it already make my legs tremble, I had to support myself with both hands on the wall to prevent from slipping. I recalled exactly the way his hand had twisted itself into my hair, the way his hand supported my back, exactly the way our body moulded into each other perfectly, the way his lips moved against mine, the way his chest felt-muscular, toned, hard…
You think too much, my brother accused me and I could imagine him narrowing his eyes at that moment.
With a sigh, I closed my mind to him without even bothering to reply. Serves him right for eavesdropping the best moments of my life.
I'm not eavesdropping. He snarled into my mind, breaking through my thin wall of defence easily. You just think too much, seriously.
Been spying, haven't you? I snarled into my thoughts. Last night, don't even think about denying.
That annoying brother of mine didn't reply, and I felt his mind close to me. Hah, I knew it, he's feeling guilty. I snorted quietly and closed my own mind before turning off the tap. Grabbing the soft fluffy towel, I dried myself and threw on the clothes before heading back to my room.
For the rest of the day, my thoughts were occupied by Takuma though I tried my best not to drift back to last night. On the other hand, my brother made snide comments each and every time. I no longer bothered to shut my mind anymore – the mere memory of Takuma's face made the anger and irritation melt away instantly, and all his comments became the background music of my mind.
Like the day before, I waited for him after school, slightly away from the bunch of crazy school girls. Really, you could go deaf easily. Never in my life have I seen such insane fans, screaming and shouting every single day.
Also like the day before, he met me there, whispered the time and place of our meeting, and walked off, giving me a chaste and not-so-subtle kiss on the cheek, earning him a disapproving glare from the other vampires, while me a gaggle of extremely jealous Day Class girls.
And, also like the day before, Kanaye met up with me and we argued quietly on both his and my safety.
Only one thing changed.
"Ayumi," he sighed. "The both of you weren't supposed to meet. You weren't supposed to fall in love. You are a half-breed. If you two... have children, what will they be? Can they be controlled? Will they be the creatures we are at night, but for longer? Twenty-four seven, maybe? Will they kill you and him when they are old enough?"
"I don't know, Kanaye. But I do know that you making snide comments on my every thought will not help me figure out my future, and his, and yours," I snarled quietly, and he stepped back, surprised.
"Ayumi, I didn't want to have to say this – not now, when you're still vulnerable in his grasp, and probably not ever –" he began.
"Then don't," I interrupted him.
"– but I have to. Watashi ni kansuru kagiri, you've chosen him... I'm leaving Cross Academy, and I'm never coming back. I will plan, and, one day, kill them when the time is right. I have gathered the information on the Purebloods, but our – my – task still remains undone, and I know I cannot do it if you continue to protect one of the targets. I also know that your vow to never reveal our plans and secrets to another is enough, so I will not take you away from here by force." His voice dropped lower. "I have told the Chairman that I am leaving, and tomorrow. Nothing anyone can say – nothing you can say," he corrected himself, "can change that. Sayonara, Itouto-san."
With that, he bowed stiffly and formally, and departed, leaving me rooted to the spot.
"Onii-san!" I whispered. He didn't slow, he didn't stop.
I rushed forward. "Onii-san!"
He whirled suddenly, and caught my wrist. "Ayumi," he whispered, his fingers trailing my face from my temple to my chin. He caught my chin and his lips brushed mine for a single moment before he pulled away, and whispered three words under his breath and left me.
I stayed there, until the sun had fallen and my change had been made, staring at the place where he had disappeared.
A tear trickled down my cheek. Then another. And another.
The three words he had whispered were, "Watashi daisuki maro."
I love you, too.
DFA: Sob sob! I feel so sad for her...
LB: I don't feel sad! Haha!
DFA: SOB! Well then, BE sad!!
Ichijo: Hey, why does she love her brother again? Doesn't she love me?
Everyone: Shut up, Ichijo.
LB: Actually, I don't know Ichijo. I pity you. Forget about her, I will treat you even better! *smirks*
Ichijo: That's right, blame a guy for being concerned for the girl he supposedly loves. (ignores a disgruntled Author Bells)
DFA: ... Anyways, please review!