Disclaimer : Matsuri Hino owns this beautiful work, not me.
3. Blood lust
The next morning Mitsuki finally broke from her unconsciousness, roused by the sound of a soft scratching that filled the room.
Dazed by her long slumber she sat up from the bed, rubbing away the remaining traces of sleep from her eyes with the pads of her long fingers. She was dimly aware that whoever had been scribbling furtively away had now stopped, its attention caught by her wakening. She turned her head in the direction the sound had been coming from, then winced in pain and recoiled back into the sheets.
Being asleep for so long had made her eyes sensitive to the light and she blinked quickly at the stars that dashed across her vision, whimpering at the harsh glare that had struck her cruelly in the face. Mitsuki squinted against the light as she raised a hand to block the sun's intrusion, and then found the action unnecessary. There was a quiet chuckle, followed by the sound of a shutter being drawn along the racks, and Mitsuki lowered her hand as she realized the sun was disappearing from view. Save for the single and unable-to-be-helped shaft of light that managed to squeeze through a tiny crack between the curtains, the room was otherwise suddenly thrown into a curtain of appreciative darkness.
Mitsuki, welcoming the new setting, was able to suppress her sigh of relief as she crawled back to the edge of the bed. It took only a few seconds for her vision to adjust and when it finally cleared, she searched for the source of the presence, her gaze resting on an outline of a person just a moment later. Immediately her eyes widened, a flooded mixture of relief and delight fondling her features as she recognized the figure sitting across from her on the other side of the room.
His legs, which had been fashionably crossed over one another, untangled themselves gracefully in the chair as Ichijou Takuma made to stand, pushing away from the desk to rise. He flicked the pen he had been writing earlier with onto the desk, and as Mitsuki watched it roll lazily across the furnished table she realized he had been the cause for the soft noise earlier. Her curiosity assuaged Mitsuki allowed herself to turn her attention to something more pleasant as Ichijou began to stride toward her, being thrown in shadow and then light as he passed through the solitary beam of sunlight he had been unable to prevent from entering the room.
A silent shiver of delight ran through her spine as he settled beside her on the bed and stared at her with his green, green eyes that were kindled with soft affection, turning them into a pair of glowing emeralds. He leaned toward her, a pleasant smile appearing, and kissed her tenderly on the brow. Then he did something that traced back to the beginnings of their childhood, as he patted her lovingly on the head. Though the action looked similar to one petting a dog rewardingly on the skull, Mitsuki couldn't help smiling at the familiar gesture. "How have you been? How do you feel, Mitsuki?" he asked. Though his mood had been cheerful and welcoming at her awakening, she noticed his question was filled with slight concern.
She didn't reply, merely placing her hand on top of the one that crowned her head. "Remember?" she said quietly, and Ichijou smiled as he recalled the memory.
A gentle hand pressed her reassuringly from behind as her mother ushered her forward with a gentle voice. "Mitsuki, dear, this is your cousin."
Young 7-year-old eyes stared in awe at the beautiful creature before her, her mouth opened in admiration. She pointed a tiny finger towards the boy, as he stepped inside the mansion, shrugging off his overcoat and handing it to the doorman, who took it silently from him and went to set it on the peg standing beside the door. His expression had been held in a slight smile from the beginning of his entrance, but when he walked across the main hall and stood before the girl, his face lit up cheerfully.
Stunned by the refreshing smile that seemed to intensify the boy's gorgeous appearance, Mitsuki found herself lost for words, and the boy, charmed by the young girl and her innocent fascination, took the hand with which she was still pointing with.
"Mitsuki," he began, his voice carrying a pleasant and good-humored tone to it, "my name is Takuma Ichijou, your cousin." As he spoke the young vampire gave her fingers a squeeze before replacing them by her side.
For a moment Mitsuki didn't respond to his introduction, continuing to stare, jaw-dropped, wide-eyed, at him.
Slightly perturbed by her lack of responsiveness and yet still interested in his new relative, Ichijou made to move, afraid he had astounded her forever into perpetual silence. But just as he was about to open his mouth, Mitsuki's entire face brightened, and for a split second Ichijou was exposed to a taste of the beauty the young girl would mature into in the future.
"Nii-sama!" she exclaimed. Mitsuki reached out, grasping his hands into hers, and Ichijou was fully aware of the excitement flooding through her body as her fingers practically jumped inside of his palms.
And yet, despite finally receiving a response by Mitsuki, Ichijou found himself chuckling at his new found title.
"I'm your cousin, Mitsuki," the young Noble blood corrected, smiling. Instinctively, Ichijou raised a hand and placed it on her brunette colored head. She smiled silently, sweetly, beneath his touch and Ichijou found the mood infectious as he felt the side of his lip tug to the side. "Although I wouldn't mind it if you called me that."
Ichijou took her hand and pressed his lips against her fingers, hiding the sad look that entered his eyes. That had been before Mitsuki and her joys had been robbed from her. "Yes, I remember."
Mitsuki shared another smile with him, then noticed the tightness around his eyes. As she traced his features with her eyes she saw the full extent of how tired he was; barely discernible to the eye Mitsuki was able to make out the faint markings of shadows beneath his eyes, and concerned over her discovery she traced the skin with her nails. "You're tired," she softly said. "Why? Did you get enough rest? Are you alright?"
Startled by Mitsuki and the sincerity of her question Ichijou forced a smile to his face, carefully masking the true fatigue he felt with his familiar chuckle. "I'm fine," he lied gently, but her eyes narrowed into further worry for him. "Yes, alright. I'm tired," he admitted, slightly ashamed of being figured out so quickly, "but I'll get the rest I need later. Soon." The source of the Noble blood's drained energy had been because of Mitsuki, but because it had been her a night's rest seemed little in comparison. In all honesty after her unconsciousness Ichijou, like Aidou, had been unable to obtain any source of adequate rest, managing to close his eyes for a moment before jerking awake in sudden hope she had finally opened her eyes. This habitual manner had occurred for 72 straight hours, or three full days, which had thrown the Noble blood into a state of restless anxiety until she had finally regained consciousness on the third day. Today.
Ichijou caressed her face reassuringly, then reached inside the pocket of his school blazer to draw out a small container that jingled when he gave it a shake. "I'll be able to retire to my room soon. I just wanted to check up on you. Besides, rest is something easily gained - and I've been able to eat, too," he added quickly when he saw the questioning of his intake in nutrition begin in her eyes. He shook the item in his hand before her once more, allowing it to send out another chime. He grimaced at the sound; Ichijou didn't really consider the tablets as a true substances. The taste of them was always false on his palette, the coppery flavor of 'blood' leaving an unappealing after-taste in his mouth. Ichijou pocketed the case, disregarding his intentional answer and replacing it with, "Well, in a sense I've been able to eat."
Mitsuki opened her mouth, beginning to reply at his answer, when she felt something nick at the back of her mind, like a sudden inkling that she had forgotten long ago and had finally decided to resurface. But the surfacing was strangly warm as it tickled inside of her. Mitsuki's brows drew together in puzzlement and she bent over at the waist, clutching her head as if in pain. Aware that it had been recognized, the 'inkling', seeming to have a mind of its own, began to grow, intensifying. She let out a deep sigh; her body felt unusually warm.
Ichijou, who had noticed the odd expression sweep across her face, felt his eyes narrow. "Mitsuki," he began softly, watching her carefully, "are you alright? Do you need water?"
She shook her head as she stared at the carpeted floor, wiping away a trickle of sweat that slipped down her face. She noticed her vision phase unsteadily before her. "No...No, I'm alright."
Ichijou's jaw tightened as he realized what she was fighting, but remained calm. "Mitsuki?"
"H...Hmm?" The answer sounded forced, and Mitsuki collapsed from the bed and onto her knees to the floor.
"When was the last time you fed?"
Mitsuki didn't turn, somehow managing to quell her heavy breathing as she straightened from the floor, but Ichijou could see she held herself up with some stiffness, almost picturing the wide eyes she now held on her expression. The small inkling, fed by the question, suddenly flared in her body, sending a familiar sense of prickling sweeping through her body. She grimaced, clutching her head. "N - Nii-san...!" was the only word she was able to get out before unspeakable agony exploded inside of her. She was suddenly overwhelmed by the sense of being burned from the inside, a raging fire, she realized with growing horror, that could neither be doused by water or fed by regular wood. It was a darker fire, a lick of flame that Mitsuki labeled as sin.
The desire to fill her mouth with flesh, the need to have her lips run dark crimson, dripping with the sticky, bodily fluid that tasted richly of salt and copper, and fulfill the raw and animalistic, intention that now seemed to devour her from the inside out.
"A...Ah...!" Her hands were to her face once again as she gasped sharply at the excruciating experience. But she wouldn't do it. She couldn't because if she did, it would only remind her of - !
Another lance of agony seared through her, breaking her concentration, and Mitsuki opened her mouth to scream, but hands grasped her face and the touch somehow managed to stop her cry of pain, as she found herself staring into her cousin's bejeweled eyes. The emerald cast irises stared deeply into hers as she felt her face pulled close to his, and through the pandemonium of her senses Mitsuki was faintly aware that he was speaking to her, his voice calm and soothing to her ears.
"Mitsuki, you must listen carefully to me. You are changing, very quickly, very unexpectedly. I did not realize how dangerous your condition was until now, and I was not expecting it to surface so quickly." He seized her face firmer between his fingers when he felt her stiffen beneath him and try and struggle from his grasp. Ichijou bent closer toward his cousin and kissed her gently on the crown of her head. "Mitsuki," he continued, pulling his face from hers but still keeping a solid grasp. "Mitsuki! Listen to me. You need to feed – no! Listen!" And he shook her in his grasp till she finally looked at him, her eyes barely suppressing tears that threatened to spill. The situation was painful for her, he was clearly aware of that, and he cursed himself for ever leaving her alone for so long.
Desperate to maintain her sanity Mitsuki focused her full concentration on her cousin and the movement of his lips, but quickly she saw her hold slipping as a new sound, more clear, more alive, echoed in her ears.
Perhaps a quarter mile of a way came the the delicious sound that sent her instincts roaring through her: the sweet and lovely pulse of a human.
Mitsuki felt her mouth slacken, going dry partially with fear, mostly in desire. The scent she had abhorred and refused just seconds ago, now seemed the most enticing thing she had ever smelt before, as she allowed it to fill her nostrils, drowning her mind in the intoxicating aroma.
The lust for blood consumed her.
"Mitsuki. Mitsuki!" Ichijou bit his bottom lip, hard, as he saw the original violet of her eyes wash away, giving away to a rich and vibrant crimson that burned in color. With years of practice Ichijou swallowed the wave of panic that threatened to overwhelm him, sending the tension running along his arms as he unconsciously slipped his hands from her face and down to her arms where they squeezed her tight enough that his knuckles turned white. As a partial amount of apprehension was allowed to slip from him, so too did the color in Mitsuki's eyes as the pain he had unintentionally given her jerked her from her phase.
Regaining a bit of her senses Mitsuki realized the horror she had almost succumb to, and, the beating of hearts still alive in her ears, she threw her fingers to her ears with frightening alarm, trying to grate out the sound. "Onii-sama - Ichijou-onii-sama!" Mitsuki gasped in horror as she felt the dreadful hands clasp her once more, trying to drag her back into the dark abyss of lost sanity, but, struggling, she fought it back and stared up at her cousin with a desperate, pleading expression.
There was a split second where Ichijou allowed himself to feel a great wave of relief at Mitsuki's return. Then his jaw set as he snagged her face for a second time in his fingers. "You are in danger of dropping to Level E, Mitsuki. Now listen," and his voice was very soft, very patient, over her struggled breathing, "there is blood prepared for you on the counter beside us," he watched as her eyes suddenly flew to the side he nodded in, and they grew with alarm as she spotted the chalice sitting quietly atop the dresser. "You need to take it." He saw the new wash of pain appear in her eyes and it took everything for Ichijou to keep himself from looking away.
Mitsuki, now chocking back tears, found the strength to grasp his wrists, and weakly she tugged at them, unable – not wanting to come to terms. "Ichijou - !" she gasped loudly, her voice cracking with emotions. "Please –Please, no!" She struggled against him with renewed strength when she saw him reach for the cup she fought against him, and it was only through controlled strength and practiced grace and balance was he able to effectively prop her up in his arms, cradling her writhing figure against his chest.
"Mitsuki," he began softly. Then a hand appeared out of nowhere, two long and elegantly crafted fingers, the index and middle, resting lightly at Mitsuki's brow. A soft glow emitted beneath the touch, the color reminding Ichijou vividly of Mitsuki's eye color, before ebbing away in pulsing waves. Like a mannequin's strings suddenly dropped Mitsuki slumped unfashionably in his arms, once more thrown into a state of unconsciousness.
"The effects won't last long. At best she'll regain conscious tonight, ready to attend class later tonight at the Dorms."
Ichijou, relieved that she had finally settled, absent-mindedly stroked away strands of misplaced hair on his cousin's forehead, as he smiled sadly. "You've enrolled her already?" He stared silently at his sleeping cousin, noticing the gentle peace that blanketed her features, and then glanced upward toward the figure towering over him. "Kaname-sama."
The darkly handsome face of the Pureblood was unreadable as he took the silver enlaced chalice from the desk and handed it to his companion. He nodded as Ichijou received the cup, the liquid barely reaching the halfway mark. Sucking in a deep breath Ichijou tilted the lip of the dish against Mitsuki's parted mouth, spilling his own blood down her throat. The silence stringed out before them, as the two male vampires watched until the last trace disappeared into her mouth.
Then Kaname kneeled beside the two, a dagger in hand. "I spoke to the Headmaster about her, yes," he told Ichijou quietly, placing the edge of the blade against the tender part of his wrist. Unflinching he slid the knife sharply along his skin, and this time Ichijou turned away at the sight of blood that welled against his Dorm Leader's pale flesh and ran down the length of his arm.
"Let me see her, Takuma, " Kaname said when he noticed his companion's distress at the sight, and took Mitsuki from him, wrapping her gently in his arms. Holding his bloodied right hand above her mouth, Kaname sighed, narrowing his eyes, and he flexed his fingers, coaxing the blood from his body. Slowly, the ruby droplets collected and dropped into her open mouth; Ichijou winced at the sound of it splashing inside of Mitsuki's mouth, trying his best to ignore. When a measure of ten drops had been spilled Kaname picked her up before settling her back onto the bed.
As Ichijou got to his feet he saw Kaname rummage within the folds of his pocket before pulling out a delicate vial, which he handed to Ichijou. There was a slight tracing of a rose decorated upon the glass.
"This is what you need, correct?" Kaname took Ichijou's hand and placed it in his palm, where the Pureblood's blood wavered gently inside the bottle. "This should be enough for her tablets."
Ichijou nodded in agreement, slipping it into his pants pocket as he watched Kaname retreat to the doors that led to the main deck of the Moon Dorm. "Make sure she's ready before class begins," he instructed quietly, then exited the room, leaving Ichijou with his cousin in her cataleptic state.
Once more the Pureblood's chambers was thrown into silence.