Yuu stared at the ceiling. She thought of Mika, thought of Crowley, thought of Mika. By now, she realized that Mika's memory had become faint in her mind. And she was afraid. She was afraid that she was starting to forget about her only family, as she started to get comfortable with her life with Crowley.

It was not easy to forget about painful things. Thinking about Mika had always been painful. But rather than dwell in the pain that Mika's memory elicited, she clung to the illusion of freedom it gave her. Thinking fondly of another made the heart more calm, stronger. Mika was her light. He had always been her light. She missed him. Even just a memory made all the feelings that she had for him resurface. Her throat ached. Her mouth trembled and her eyes stung as she held back tears from falling down her cheek.

Nights when she remembered Mika made her feel lonely. It made her ache. Then it begins: the thinking; the pondering, over and over again about the past. It couldn't be helped because Mika taught her what a family meant, how a family cared. He taught her the warm of another's hand. He taught her how to love and be loved. And for that she would always be grateful.

The dark ceiling was a night sky without any star above her head. It reminded her of Akane's raven locks. The shadows that enveloped her made her feel cold, unable to breathe. It was like Crowley's suffocating embrace and the turmoil she feels when she is with him. It made her want Mika close. She wanted him with her. Did he already forgot her? Did he thought she was dead? Yuu swallowed a lump in her throat and closed her eyes. In the canvas of her mind's eye, she pictured Mika returning home after his appointments with Ferid.

Yuu wiped the tears that formed at the corner of her eyes. If forgetting preceded feeling deep emotions such as what she was currently feeling, then would she be able to handle what would come after?

Trying to make the troubling thoughts inside her mind disappear, Yuu went out of bed and went to that room. She decided to wait for the sun to rise just to distract herself. She hoped no one would be there. If there ever was one, she wanted it to be Mika. She knew though, that such a wish was like lighting candles in the wind.

She walked towards the room with downcast eyes and hunched shoulders. The door opened with a creak. She closed it and sat on the windowsill: knees folded draped by her lovely arms. It's been a year now since she got separated from Mika. She did not realize that it was the day she came to the orphanage. The day that guy in a tailored suit with a funny glint in his eyes brought her to Mika and the others. The day she finally had what she could call "family". Yet, This all escaped her.

Yuu had never been the sad type. She had always faced the world with a positive attitude despite what she went through when she was still a child. Despite being branded as a demon, she didn't think less of herself. Sure, sometimes she wondered about why she existed if she was not needed, but whenever she looked at Mika and the others she was being reminded that she was needed. That maybe, just maybe, she was born to meet them. To meet Mika most especially.

Her heart throbbed. Pangs of longing made her heat up from the inside. Had she held herself back? Had she tried to stop missing him in the past as she got comfortable with the idea that Crowley was her family now? It was absurd. A vampire replacing Mika? That was not possible. How could she allow herself to easily forget?

She balled her hands into fists and buried her face in her arms. She curled her toes and bit her lip. She tried searching for books in the library that could help her go to Mika. Unlike Mika, she didn't have a marvellous brain. She read a number of books of what life was like outside Sanguinem. Some of it were written just to record the happenings after the Vampire apocalypse. Since the Vampires lived centuries before them, she had difficulties understanding it, so she struggled a lot. Ferid was generous though, he taught her about some of it.

Yuu was playing hard to get. Ferid knew how much she was eager to learn about those things, so the Vampire just giggled when she would act petulant and irritable with him when he started lecturing her about those stuff.

"Oh, you don't need to be so grateful… Yuu-chan~" He would tease with a dramatic flick of his wrist and his sweet innocent smile. Humming a weird tune he would prance towards his bookshelves and sometimes, if he couldn't reach a book even on tip toes, he would frown over-dramatically.

"I wish Crowley-kun was here."

Turning to her and pointing at something, he asked,

"Saa.. why don't you get that book for me over there dear?"

Ferid's chinky smile was unnerving to the point of eerie. In Yuu's eyes, he looked like a pervert. He looked stupidly simple, but she knew better than to trust what he pretends to be.

Ferid huh? Is this one of his plans? Why am I here for anyway?

Yuu raised her head and leaned on the glass. He flared her nose and caught a whiff of a sweet smell in the air. Was Crowley perhaps awake? She went outside.

--000--

"Crowley?"

Yuu peaked at the door, checking whether or not the sweet smell came from Crowley's room. He went inside the room. She saw Crowley reading a book. Crowley raised his eyes and put down what he was reading.

"Can't sleep?"

Yuu smiled wryly.

"You got me."

Yuu fiddled with her hands, embarassed.

"Since.. since you vampires don't sleep… I.." Yuu ran towards Crowley and sat beside him. She peaked at what Crowley was reading.

"What are you reading?

"Oh, it's a book about swordsmanship. You are still interested in things like this?"

"Well I have nothing better to do."

"Crowley, teach me how to fight."

"Why? You don't have someone to fight here."

I have. you.

Yuu was as naive as ever, Crowley thought.

"You thought of him again didn't You?"

"No. I didn't."

"Liar. You always think of him. I know just by looking at you."

Crowley was partly correct. He thought of Mika, but he thought of him too.

"I thought of you."

Crowley raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"Get some sleep idiot."

"But it's true."

Yuu raised her eyes and stared at Crowley. Her eyes green against the tallow light from the chandelier was magnetic as it held Crowley's gaze. Crowley blinked and reached out to caress her face. He couldn't help it. He was soft when it came to her. As his thumb ran back and forth, gently against Yuu's flesh, Crowley sighed.

"Really, I don't know what to think about anymore. When I'm with you I am exasperated all the time."

Yuu smiled a bright smile, and leaned against Crowley.

"I don't know why I feel comfortable when I'm with you. I couldn't sleep earlier, but now, I think I'm drowsy."

Crowley looked tired. He sighed and stared at the ceiling. Things were getting dangerous.

"You are not bad Crowley, not bad."

"For a bloodsucking monster?"

Yuu chuckled.

"Yeah. I wish you weren't one though."

Yuu didn't understand why she felt calm when she was with Crowley. She didn't understand why even though he was a monster he didn't think of him as one. It wouldn't be so bad if Crowley needed her blood forever. Even though she often felt guilty, she couldn't deny that when he sucked her blood, it was pleasurable. In fact, she wanted to ask him why it was so, but she was embarrassed.

As time went by, Yuu could not barely lift her eyelids up. Ultimately she fell asleep leaning against Crowley's muscular arms. Crowley moved his arms away resulting in Yuu being pressed against his meaty chest. He stared at her sleeping form nuzzled against his body. Yuu looked soft and fragile beside him. She looked precious with her cheeks slightly flushed and beads of sweat settling on her face and neck like precious gems.

Sighing, Crowley lifted her up and carried her to her room. The vampire wondered what on earth was Yuu thinking acting comfortable around him. She was his prisoner. She was in his keep. Like a treasure of some sort, she was hidden inside this mansion.

As he walked, Crowley stole glances at Yuu.

Free her?

Crowley remembered what Ferid said, the last time he visited him,

"You are going to free her~! Won't that be exciting? Oh dear, I look forward to seeing you pine for a human Crowley-kun."

Ferid-kun really is such a pain in the ass. Did he know I'll become like this?

Yuu nuzzled his head against his chest.

How could she sleep so defenseless like this. Stupid Yuu. Maybe it's really better to free her.

"Won't you be lonely?" He heard Ferid's voice like a taunt. If he knew he was thinking this way, he would laugh at him and tease him non-stop.

--000--

"Ahahha! You don't say~"

"Stop laughing Ferid-kun it's very rude."

"But I'm just amazed at you! Oh, would you like me to give you rose seedlings?It's very lovely and your little princess will surely like that. Ah~ What else would a maiden wish for but a valiant Knight's attention and affection right Crowley-kun?"

Ferid slapped Crowley on the chest mirthfully.

"Cute. Very adorable. Hmmm~ you were popular back then, you know. It wouldn't be a surprise if she fell for you and forgotten about cute little Mika. Ah. I wonder how he is right now. I miss him terribly! He must have grown attractive by now."

"Be serious for once. You asked me to report to you about her. Don't treat this as some sort of entertainment."

"Boo, well it is my personal brand of entertainment."

Crowley rolled his eyes.

"What are you planning?"

"What are you talking about? I just want him to reunite with Mika again. Wouldn't it be great for both of them to be together again? It would so dramatic, and so passionate, the reunion I could imagine for them."

"I'm leaving."

"Won't you spend a little time with little 'ole me for a little bit? I missed you terribly as well. Your face most especially."

Crowley thought for awhile.

"Well, what do you say, let's go for a ride."

"Lovely! I'm gonna drive."

Crowley sighed. He could never win against Ferid.