Grey Flower
"Like music on the water is your sweet voice to me."

Chapter Two
 We just stayed there, two lovers caught in a tender tableau of sweet affection in the aftermath of our longest squabble ever. It had been more a trial of our dedication to eachother than anything else, really. My darkest secret spilled at his feet.... He obviously hadn't taken it well, and the fact that he hadn't and we were still sitting on the floor the way we were was promising. I now had my head in his lap as he stroked my unruly maroon tresses, staring into hazy, swollen, and half-lidded washed-out periwinkle eyes with vibrant, glittering emeralds.

I had lost track of time. How long had we been here like this? An hour? Two hours?

Takuma leaned down, heading for my lips, but I pushed up and away from him, returning to the shower. I could almost feel the pout from across the room. But someone had to turn the water off. And before I had a chance to go back to my sweet lover's arms, he was with me and the water was back on at a hot — but not painful — temperature. He pressed up against me, probably either completely or partially unaware that he was still fully clothed from the way he allowed his hands to travel down along the most sensitive regions of my sides and chest. He pressed me back until I hit the wall with a sharp hiss, and not in pleasure. Instantly, Takuma peeled away from me, his seeming possession extinguished. He hadn't even known about my back, though he should have had an inkling.

"Are you alright?"

I nodded once, wincing as I reached back to feel the places on my back where it hadn't completely healed. I turned, allowing Takuma to see the minor damage dealt, but the look he presented disturbed me. The eyes lost their shimmer and faded into a worried expression. "Don't lie to me, Shiki Senri! Come on, something's wrong with you!"

He attempted to push me out of our dorm room, but I planted my feet and shoved back against him. "Leave it alone, Takuma. It'll heal eventually. I'm fine."

Evidently he didn't believe me. His face had been contorted from its usually adorable grin to a devastated gape. What could really have been so bad about it anyway, right?

"It's been too long. You're ill, so we're going to see the nurse." Takuma took my hand this time and gave it a quick squeeze. "You have burns all over your back, Senri. They're bright red."

I raised one eyebrow at him. I knew I had burns on my back, but I hadn't been exactly sure how bad they had been until Takuma showed me in the mirror. Dry flesh peeled and flaked away, exposing new and tender skin. In some spots, the burns, from the intesity of the water, had left vast, gaping expanses of cherry red, and in the occassional area it had dug far enough down to bleed and ooze centerline yellow pus. It looked like the make-up artist for some horror film had taken up residence on my back and just gone nuts. I covered my mouth with one hand, trying to hold back my lunch — which happened to be a very healthy helping of Takuma's blood — as I stared in disgust. I'm not usually squemish, but when it's on my own body, that's a completely different story.

Needless to say, I let Takuma wisk me away as quickly as possible.

xXXx

"Slowed healing from mental agony," Takuma mused as we made our way back through the maze of corridors to our dormitory. "Even she'd never heard such a thing!"

I growled at my boyfriend, wishing so much that I could rip his limbs off and beat him senseless with them. But I forced in a sense of control that I had learned growing up with my mother. "Be quiet. Now that we know what to do about this, we can fix it," I hissed, shooting Takuma a death glare, and nothing else for the moment.

"But how are you going to lay on your back?" The look on his face was devoid of all innocence, and I really did smack him that time. I glared at him for a moment and he stopped dead, staring fondly ahead at a group that neither of us had noticed formerly. Lead by Rima, a few of the Night Class members waited for our return just outside the bedroom door.

Aidou watched us in shock, probably having heard Takuma's last comment. It earned him another glare.

"Shiki, how are you?" Rima asked, stepping out past the others. "I smelled your blood and got worried...."

"I'm fine," I lied, and Rima lunged to wrap her arms around me protectively. I winced as she squeezed the still-healing wounds on my back and she pulled away nearly instantly. An apologetic look settled on her petite featurettes and she shrank away, which was unusual for her. I could guess that something was up, a little more than just the fact that the sweet scent of my own blood was running high on the winds. The congregation of vampires on our doorstep was enough proof of that; because among them, was the Pureblood Prince, Kuran Kaname.

I wouldn't have noticed him leaning against the wall behind the rest of the group if he hadn't given a slight chuckle at the sight of Rima so hung up over my condition. At least, I assumed that was what he found so amusing.

"It's not funny, Onii-sama!" Yuuki protested, balling her tiny hands into fists. I watched her, now secretly amused myself. "Shiki could be in alot of pain right now, and he's your cousin! You should be nicer to him!"

"He's your cousin, too, Yuuki," Kaname shifted against the wall, pushing himself up. I noticed that he nearly towered over most of the other vampires, with Takuma in exception. As he took a step forward, the congregation separated like the Red Sea, and I had to wonder if Kaname ever became tired of everyone succumbing to his every whim as he commanded it. I guessed not — he had been raised to love it, after all. "Now, if you would all excuse me, I believe I have some buisness with Shiki and Takuma."

As the last flow of breath left Kaname's beautifully pale lips, the crowd dispersed, including Rima — albeit, rather reluctantly. I raised one eyebrow.... Wouldn't it be nice sometimes? My gaze switched to Takuma and he grinned knowingly, which would almost be irritating if it wasn't so damn cute. My attention was ripped from my lover when Kaname's velveteen lexis rose again. "Now is not the time to be in high spirits, Takuma. Show me into your dormitory."

Almost instantly, Takuma's smile evened out and his face became nearly devoid of all emotion. I hated seeing his face like that.... It was too empty to be Takuma.... Without a smile he just wasn't complete. Not that I'd ever tell anyone — including himself — that, but I'm allowed to have some secrets. "What is it, Kaname?"

"It would seem," he began as the thick cherrywood door was opened for him. Naturally, he was allowed in ahead of Takuma and I, and we followed close behind. I made sure the door was shut firmly behind us. "That you are needed in the north."

For a moment there was a sheer silience, which Takuma broke. "A delivery?" he inquired, quite dutifully, and rather hopefully from what I could see. I hoped it wasn't with every fiber of my being. My body was aching again already; the drugs that the nurse had given me must have been wearing off. Either way, I needed someone to take care of me while I healed, and I wanted that person to be Takuma. But, my sweet love wouldn't make a very effective nurse from all the way up in the north, now could he?

"No," Kaname rejected him outright. I saw his face fall, and I wanted to comfort him, but he'd get over it soon enough. Quite soon enough. "I need you two on a rescue mission. Originally I wasn't going to send you, Takuma, but it seems that you and your... partner are the only two capable." I watched him give me an icy look and decided that Kuran Kaname was definitely not my favourite relative. I really couldn't, for the life of me, understand why he treated me so cruelly. He hardly ever refered to me by my last name anymore, unless we were amongst a crowd that may comment on the way the prince treated his own cousin. But in private, with the only other witness being his dear friend, Kaname's most common title so generously placed upon me was 'Takuma's partner', and it was usually spit out with quite some measure of ice and venom. Sometimes I wondered if he wasn't jealous of my relationship with his best — and might I add only — friend.

Though, the look Kaname's fine features held today were more grave somehow than usual.... More serious. I was quite curious as to what this rescue mission of ours was all about, though I most certainly wouldn't be going anywhere until my flesh had sealed itself.

"There's a small town up in the mountains. Apparently it's under siege," Kaname continued, breaking me from my train of thought. I had come back in just at the right time. "There's been an outbreak."