A/N: Good morrow, cheerful commoners of the world! Don't mind me, I'm in an excellent mood! And I don't mean commoners in a bad way. I'm a commoner, too! YAY COMMONER'S COFFEE! Yes, wrong anime, I know. Anywhoodles... I won't be able to update for a while, as I still haven't finished chapter 15, and I like to be two chapters ahead all the time.

Thank you.

Grey Flower
"I would give up everything for one moment with you; for one moment is better than a lifetime of not knowing you."

Chapter Twelve

After what seemed like agonizing eternity, Kaname sat next to me, tracing my face with his eyes. I was trying not to let myself shake too visibly. The look in Kaname's eyes was purely dangerous... or had they always been like that? I had never truly been close enough to him to realize it. I had never really wanted to know, anyway... Now I had no choice. I bowed my head, my heart pounding. I closed my eyes, chewing on my lip, almost shyly as I tried to hide from Kaname. I wanted to disappear into the carpets. My heart wrenched, skipped a beat, screamed for Takuma to return... No... why did he have to leave me...?

I didn't even get to say goodbye...

"Don't act so coy, cousin." Kaname's velvety lexus and choice words forced me to look up, washed out sapphire clashing with ruby. I wanted to cry. The tone in his voice was mocking, and I had never felt so small in my entire life. Pureblood lines or not, I was still — and always would be — below Kaname, and he was about to prove how much higher he was. I heaved in a shaking breath; my body was trying to refuse the sweet, cold oxygen, and I wouldn't let it. "Now, remove your shirt. You don't want to get it all messy before dinner."

"How can I?" I asked, bitterly. He really was only playing with me now. "My hands are bound."

"Right, how stupid of me. I forgot." He smirked darkly, crimson eyes flashing. In stead, he unbuttoned my shirt for me, pushing it off my shoulders to gather around my wrists behind my back. I hung my head again, frigid air rushing in to embrace my body, making goosebumps rise all over. I cringed — I hadn't realized how cold it was before... To make matters worse, Kaname was tracing my slim body with his eyes now, taking in all of my physical perfection. He reached out, then, and traced my abdomin softly in a precise line directly across.

"What are you doing?" I wasn't scared of this action... just a little concerned for the mental stability of my cousin... He knew that Takuma and I were together, right? Better yet, he knew we were cousins, right?

"Practicing."

I had nothing to say to this. Practicing for what, exactly...? Kaname had really lost his marbles this time, and I was just concerned about Takuma's reputation after my immanent death. Poor Takuma would be remembered as the guy who dated the kid with the crazy Pureblood cousin... Remembered shortly after he committed suicide out of lonliness, that is. Would he do that for me if Kaname were to kill me now? Maybe he was out fashioning his noose at this very moment... Or maybe he would run himself through with his katana. That seemed a little more Takuma-style; besides, I wasn't exactly certain that Takuma even knew how to tie a proper slip knot. Well, if he didn't do things like that with his father when he was younger, then that made two of us. See? Destiny.

"Here, now. Replenish yourself." Kaname surprized me then, by rolling up the sleeve of his cashmere sweater, offering me his wrist. I stared, blinking dumbly. Seriously? And make the same mistake as my mother? Yeah, right. "Take it, Shiki. The more pure blood you have in your system, the better."

I refused, turning my head away. I wouldn't do it. I couldn't. I very rarely even took Takuma's blood; why would I take his? But, Kaname would have none of it. Dragging his own fang along his pallid skin, he let a torrent of thick, red liquid build up on his wrist. "Take it, Shiki. Don't you dare let it spill over."

And he had me there. I was instantly drawn forward, craving the taste of Kaname's pure blood. It smelled so sinfully delicious, strongly metallic, but so sweet all at the same time. My eyes closed as I took the first sample, shuddering at the absolute pleasure of only the slight taste. I could finally understand my mother's unhealthy obsession with Kuran Rido. Finally, I buried lengthened fangs to the hilt in his skin, drawing out as much as I could, trying not to let any go to waste. I couldn't help it; in my druken haze, I was so envolved in sucking as much into my mouth as possible that I didn't notice how the excess escaped down my cousin's arm, down my own chin and body. I didn't even care. When I was hit with the realization that all I could fit in my mouth at any one time was just not enough, I began to whimper; whining quietly to allow the building frustration out. Kaname chuckled lightly, and I almost missed it; he began stroking mahogany tresses fondly, and I could feel him watching intently, waiting until he could allow me to take no more.

I never wanted that time to come. His blood was thick and smooth as cream, but unbearably sweet, almost like honey. Any other vampire's blood was more tangy and metallic than sweet; but the purer the blood, the sweeter, and therefore more desireable, it was. The mouth-watering tang, however, would always remain, varying from vampire to vampire, or human to human.

"That's enough, Shiki." Kaname commanded strongly. I ignored him. He could go to Hell for all I cared. "Enough." This time, he envolked his Pureblood Will, and I pulled back reluctantly, pouting. What a jerk. "Good boy."

I growled at him.

"How do you feel now?"

"You know how I feel, Kuran," I hissed as he removed a cloth from his pocket with which to clean me off. He smirked darkly at me, and I knew he enjoyed treating me like a baby. I decided to take my chance now, to see what he was going to do to me. I asked him, and he only chuckled.

"You'll see. I don't think you'll like it though."

And that was all I needed to know.

I jumped when the door opened again, and Takuma came in with a few boxes of what appeared to be leftovers from dinner. Kaname sat perfectly still, almost like he knew that Takuma was on his way... He probably had, and I didn't doubt it. He payed very close attention to everything around him; but when you're still trying to calm yourself down off a pure blood-instigated high, you don't really notice the things around you.

"I brought dinner." He sounded relieved to see me alive. He smiled for a moment, until he saw my shirtless torso. Then he dropped the containers on the desk roughly, rushing to stand in front of us. He turned all his venom on Kaname. "What did you do to him?"

"I assure you, Takuma; Shiki is untouched." He was calm, even though Takuma was radiating the deadliest aura I had ever felt on him.

Then, he turned to me. "What did he do to you?" I didn't even get a chance to answer. I assumed this fit of rage was because of the heavy scent of blood in the air — Takuma's eyes had turned a dark cerise from the usual emerald. "Kaname, don't you ever touch him! Got it?"

"I assure you—"

"I don't believe you, Kaname! No! What did you do to him? Answer me!" His voice was deeply pleading, and I thought he was going to cry. It was like he thought I was willingly cheating on him with Kaname or something. Not likely.

"Teku-kun," I whispered, promting him to calm down slightly. "Teku, hush. Nothing happened. I took his blood, that's all."

He sighed, picking up the boxes and setting them on my lap so that he could sit on the floor in front of me. "I-I apologize, Kaname-sama... I... I'm shaken, that's all."

"I understand. You have every right to feel protective of him. He can barely fend for himself." Kaname sounded so passive about this... Like, was I not sitting directly next him? Hello. Earth to Kaname. Bastard. "After all, he allowed his guard down long enough for Kisaragi-san to inject him with the sedative... I must say, though, it was a little strong for your fragile body, as I heard, Shiki. Is it true that you threw up on Takuma's pants?"

I blushed, and Takuma smiled wistfully. "By the way, Senri," he whispered, leaning over toward me. "You owe me a new pair of pants."

"Now we're even," I returned, and he laughed. We hadn't even noticed Kaname's raised eyebrow as we whispered among ourselves. Then he cleared his throat loudly, and we both jolted violently.

"Is there something I'm missing?" he inquired slowly, and we shook our heads in unison.

"Nothing Kaname-sama. Nothing that you need to concern yourself with," Takuma's brilliant smile lit up the room. I was so happy to see it again that I couldn't help but smile, myself.

Now, Kaname rose from his seat and returned to the desk, allowing Takuma to take his place. The phone wrang, and he hit the speaker button. Had he anticipated that phone call?

"Kaname."

"Kaname-sama, we're finished. We're going to start setting up the platform now, so I'm sending Seirin and Naoko up in an hour to get Shiki ready."

"Naoko? Are you certain that's the correct desicion?"

Mom...

"She's been sighing all day, wondering how Shiki's been doing at school... I think it's only right that she's sees him once more."

"I suppose. Fine, then. Hurry up." Once again, Kaname hung up on Aidou, then turned his attentions to us. "Hurry up and eat, Shiki. Takuma, when Seirin and Naoko arrive, you must leave them to their duties. Understand?"

"Yes, Kaname-sama." He nodded quickly as Kaname shrugged back into his jacket and opened the door. It was pitch black out now.

"Don't disobey me, Takuma. I beginning to get fed up with your behaviour. Alright?"

"Yes... Kaname-sama."

"Good boy." And he left Takuma to his duty of feeding me my dinner alone. I ate quickly so that Takuma and I would have some personal time together before Seirin and Mother arrived and he had to go. It was the first time I had a chance to really kiss him for a whole week now, and we made the most of that short time. For some reason, there was a strain in the air... Something overhanging and threatening... Death, it would seem. It was like... we wouldn't see eachother again for a long time.

When Seirin and Mother finally, arrived, Takuma kissed me one last time before he left, and this time, he paused at the door. "Senri... I love you. I love you so much." It almost sounded like he was going to cry, and I didn't blame him. The tears were already pouring down my face uncontrollably.

"I love you, Takuma... Don't leave me."

But he did, and I was resigned to facing my fate — whatever it may be — alone.