Luminescent scarlet eyes captured hers. Treacherous. Rapacious. Animal. ...Breathtaking. The words echoed through her mind, "Let me erase your memories, or let me drink your blood..."
The tip of her pencil snapped off. Yori sighed, forcing herself back to the present tense and ironically her history class. Extracting her sharpener from her pencil case, she realized her notes were sorely lacking today. Normally, she kept track of the lessons with detailed but succinct precision. Today, however, it was obvious her mind was elsewhere. She couldn't shake the memories of the previous night, and she was grateful Yuki was snoring away beside her, because the girl would undoubtedly have noticed her lack of attention.
"Hey, wake up," Yori hissed, poking her friend with the eraser of her now-sharpened pencil.
"Huh? Two burgers and a fry?" Yuki mumbled groggily before suddenly jolting upright. "Oops... I drifted off again."
"I'll say," Yori giggled, taking down some careful notes so she didn't lose the entire lecture. It wasn't her fault. Every time she let her mind wander, she ended up back in the shadowed threshold of that shed, confronted by those gleaming ruby eyes... Shaking herself, she inquired in a low voice so as not to interrupt class, "What happened to your neck, by the way?"
This time, Yori didn't miss the flush that colored Yuki's cheeks as the girl raised her hand to touch the bandage at her neck. It hadn't been the first time the petite brunette had "injured" her neck, and Yori had a feeling it wouldn't be the last. Judging from Yuki's reaction...could it be she actually enjoyed having the blood sucked out by a...a... A second pencil tip snapped off, rolling off the desk and to the floor. By a vampire...
"It was nothing," Yuki excused the bite marks lamely. "An accident."
"Well, I'm glad you're alright," the caramel-haired girl replied easily, letting the subject drop because she knew that neither she nor Yuki could talk about it. Yuki couldn't even know that Yori was already aware of the situation.
"I´m such a klutz," Yuki told her abashedly.
Me too, Yori thought. Except, her brand of clumsiness had ended with her stumbling directly into a complicated, nightmarish situation. Into red eyes and tapered fangs. Into danger. Into Hanabusa Aidou, the shining star of the Night Class. No. Into Hanabusa Aidou, sadistic, self-serving vampire.
Her pencil was hovering over the paper again, immobile. Sighing, she realized she wasn´t going to retain anything from class today.
Hanabusa smoothed back his hair as the gates of the Night Dorm swung open and the Night Class began their daily stroll to class. As soon as the gates had clicked back in place, his ears were assaulted with the excited cheers of the Day Class girls. He flashed them a charming smile, gave one a wink, and proceeded on carelessly. He didn't have to put much effort into making them swoon. If he so much as glanced in their direction, he swore they dissolved immediately into heart palpitations. He could hear the beats fluctuating irregularly as he passed. Today, despite their efforts to catch his attention, he was unapologetically distracted; first and foremost, by the possibility of drinking fresh blood again after a particularly long drought, and secondly by the looming fear that Kaname Kuran would find out what he was up to... He wasn't sure he could live through another of Kaname's punishments again.
The second thought, however, was deeply buried beneath his anticipation for tonight. He had never been close enough to Sayori to know how that subtle yet delectable aroma could seduce his senses so entirely. In comparison, none of the screeching girls here had a particularly enticing scent to their blood. They were bland, flat, and altogether boring. Yori was an entirely different story. Moreover, her fearless, hazel eyes and impassive demeanor were an open invitation for him to abuse her. In the past, he usually pursued confident but cheap beauties. Now, however, he thought Sayori Wakaba was exactly his type: smart, reserved, and skeptical. A perfect challenge matched with a beautiful face and an attractive figure. He wasn´t sure what to expect from her tonight.
A voice broke through his thoughts, then. "Hanabusa, that girl looks like she's waiting to murder you," his cousin Akatsuki observed, glancing away from the crowd.
The blond followed his gaze... to see Yori glaring daggers at the passing procession. Interesting. He was almost entirely certain she never stuck around to watch the Night Class parade by. Was she trying to intimidate him? Or secretly plotting his demise?
As if an echo to his thoughts, the redhead commented, "I haven't seen her here before... What did you do?"
"Why do you always assume I've done something?" Hanabusa demanded petulantly. He stole another look at Yori's across the grounds and almost flinched. She looked pissed.
"Because 9 times out of 10...you have. Did you upset her?" his cousin persisted.
"Something like that, yes," the blond allowed, evading the truth. Yeah, he'd only let her keep one of the most well-guarded secrets of all time and risked Kaname's eternal wrath...in hopes for a few mouthfuls of her blood. If he thought about it like that, he sounded downright pathetic. But she was the one who had wandered about after dark, like a mouse in a trap. She was the one who smelled so appealing. Not him. If anyone was to blame, it was her.
And damn, her blood smelled good. Almost as good as Yuki´s, which was inherently delicious since she was Kaname´s sister. He had already sampled Yuki´s blood, and already been strictly punished for that grievance. Kaname didn´t take anyone touching his sister very lightly. Anyway, Hanabusa didn´t want to touch her anymore, since more often than not her scent was mingled with Kiryuu´s revolting one. It was extremely off-putting.
Beside him, Akatsuki shook his head in response, but chose not to respond, and the blond vampire felt a rush of gratitude. He didn't want to explain to his cousin the risky deal he'd proposed to Yori. He had no idea what she was thinking, although obviously she wasn't too thrilled with her options. Before he could analyze her further, however, she turned on her heel and strode off, disappearing almost immediately behind a copse of trees.
Only a few hours more, and then he would know her answer.
At 9:50 PM Yori didn't want to push her luck and rather boldly exited the building. No one stopped her. No one charged after her to rescue her from her from this cruel twist of fate. It was up to her and her alone. The weight of the decision was crushing down on her, but there was no one to talk to and nowhere to turn. If she wanted to keep her newfound knowledge, she would have to share her blood, and if she wanted to keep her blood, she would have to bid farewell to that knowledge. She wondered what would happen if she forgot it all. Would she attempt to follow Yuki again, and wind up in the same predicament once more? Would it damage any other memories? Equally so, if Aidou drank her blood, would she suffer in some other way? She didn't know and she continued to vacillate between the two options. Sacrifice her memories, or her blood? After thinking about it for 24 hours, she still had no idea what to do, and unfortunately she had run out of time.
Once safely outside the dorm, Yori nibbled at her lip, unsure where she should head to meet the blond vampire. She didn´t want to be found by Yuki, but she also didn't want to be in such an obscure place that Aidou wouldn´t be able to find her. At last, she decided on the only option that made sense. She returned to the threshold of the tool shed and waited with trepidation.
Casting veiled eyes around the Night Dorm grounds, Yori wondered why the dorm and the surrounding gardens were so well tended to. The Night Class was only awake at night, it seemed, so they certainly couldn't appreciate the flowers the same way a human would. But then again, she wondered why vampires were here at the school at all. She didn't understand any of it. Part of her continued to hope that she was dreaming. Maybe she had suffered some terrible accident and was lying comatose in a hospital bed. If that were true, it probably didn't matter which choice she made tonight.
"You´re predictable," thrummed the now-familiar voice, and she turned to see Aidou regarding her with one eyebrow raised archly.
"I´m logical," she contradicted. "This was the only place that made sense."
"I would have chosen somewhere more secluded, myself." He didn't appear bothered by the location, though.
The clock was ticking. She could feel the second hand embedded over her heart, squeezing tighter with each rotation. She was going to have to make her decision, and regrettably, both paths were shrouded in fog and twisted before her. Had Yuki been in a similar situation? Or had she given her blood to Zero from the beginning because they were friends?
In an attempt to distract herself from the lean of her thoughts, she asked abruptly, "Why isn't Zero-kun in the Night Class?"
"It's complicated," the upperclassman replied with a noticeable trace of disdain. "He's not the same..."
Mysterious. "Are there other vampires in the Day Class?"
A shake of his head. "No. Just Kiryuu."
That was a relief. At least the majority of the students weren't bloodsucking demons.
"Have you thought about my offer?" Aidou asked then, smirking. A chill slid down into the pit of her stomach. It seemed he was not going to waste time on idle chatter.
"Yes...," she hedged, paying an extraordinary amount of attention to a loose thread on her jacket pocket.
"And?" he prompted.
Her heart was already pounding, fingers shaking nervously where they picked at the thread. She moved her lips, but no sound emerged. She couldn´t say it. She knew what her mouth would say, and it would be an utter betrayal to herself. So she felt her throat close off in self-defense. She couldn't.
The blond took her hand gently. Somehow, despite the situation, his grip was reassuring as he told her, "Whichever you decided, I promise you nothing bad will happen." Then, as though a switch had flipped, he leaned closer, winking, and added, "Though I´d prefer you didn´t keep me waiting. The scent of your blood is rather tempting."
Yori sighed, withdrawing her hand. Like pulling a tooth, it was probably best to just get it over with... She took a deep breath, calming herself. Then, carefully, "I´d prefer not to lose my memories, so... I suppose I can part with some blood. Not too much. I'm not a blood bank."
She didn´t miss the flash of hungry crimson that spilled momentarily through those eyes. A victorious smile had nudged up the corner of his mouth as he said lowly, "I was hoping you´d say that..."
Reaching around her, he opened the door to the shed, explaining, "As luck has it, the prefects are on the other side of campus right now, and the Night Class is in a meeting. Which means...we´re alone, and here seems like a good enough place."
"Shouldn´t you be at the meeting?" she inquired drolly as she followed him into the shed. She ignored the ripple of dread that spread over her heart and closed the door behind her.
"Of course," he replied easily. "But I snuck out for you."
She rolled her eyes. "You mean you snuck out for you."
He shrugged, grinning. "Well..."
"Anyway, what is it exactly I have to do here?" She folded her arms, observing the cramped space and shifting nervously.
"It would be best if you were comfortable, though the accommodations aren´t really the best...," he trailed off, eyes scanning the room, and finally gestured to a small table. "Sit there, I suppose. It's your fault you met me in front of a glorified wooden box."
Her limbs were trembling, but she complied, only desiring to get this experience over with as fast as possible and forget about it. If she could... "And now?" she pressed.
"Relax." He chuckled. "You look like I´m about to murder you."
"Are you?"
"Definitely not. Weren´t you paying attention to Yuki? This could even be pleasant for you, if you let it be. So just relax. And you should probably take off your jacket, just in case."
"In case of what?" The caramel-haired girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"I doubt you'd thank me for staining your clothes," he answered frankly.
"No...," she agreed, and with resignation pulled off the jacket.
He regarded her high-collared blouse with some misgivings, but didn´t voice them out loud. Yori, on the other hand, decided she didn´t want to lose any clothes to this little encounter, and thought the best course of action would be to loosen the shirt enough that the collar could be easily moved away from her neck. The decision was easier thought than done, though, as her hands were shaking. With trembling fingers, she managed to undo the first button of her blouse. It was a small victory against the fear which was spreading through her.
"Let me," the blond offered, seemingly helpfully, but Yori didn't want him anywhere near her shirt buttons.
"I can do it," she countered, and instantly her fingers felt a little surer as she threaded the second button through the hole, and then the third. Tugging aside her shirt collar, she was satisfied with the distance from her neck. The pure white material should remain unblemished. "Is that good enough?" she asked sarcastically.
"Not really," he answered suggestively, and she glowered.
"Let´s get this over with," she muttered.
"So cold, Yori-chan," he chastised, moving closer and drawing her towards him. "Maybe I should just erase your memories after all."
"No blood, then." She shrugged, faking indifference. Truthfully, it probably would be simpler to forget. But... At the same time, it was scary to think that she would wake up and not remember parts of the past two days. And, she couldn't deny that she was almost perversely, mortifyingly intrigued by the idea of having her blood drunk. She was strangely curious about what it was that Yuki had experienced.
"Better not, in that case." His fingers were tracing down the veins of her neck again.
Belatedly, she realized that his eyes had remained their midnight shade of grey, and commented, "I'm surprised... I thought your eyes would be red..."
"Please, Yori-chan, I'm not a savage like Kiryuu. I can control myself. I thought it might make you uncomfortable, although, if you prefer..." His gaze held the question.
"No, this is fine," she replied quickly.
A smirk. "Okay, then."
Her pulse sped into double-time as his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close while the other threaded through her hair, tugging her head to the side to expose the bare skin of her throat. She trembled, fearful because it was entirely foreign, entirely unknown, and because despite assurances to the contrary, she was frightened that it would hurt, or worse... She knew Aidou was trying to calm her as he lightly kissed the corner of her jaw where it met her neck, as he kissed the side of her neck, and then as his lips pressed against the place where she knew he was going to bite. She knew that, but it only built the terrified anticipation of the moment. Her fingers tightly clenched in the material of his jacket against his shoulders as his tongue traced a hot path over that same spot, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she felt his breath caress her skin.
Just do it, she thought, because she couldn't take the waiting.
As if in response to her mental plea, she felt a sharp prick against her flesh. And then, a quick burst of lancing pain as his fangs punctured her delicate skin. She sucked in a breath, whimpering as his mouth claimed those first drops of blood. A shudder passed through her, but already her neck was numbing, and gradually her muscles began to unclench as she relaxed against him. A curious anesthetic was rushing through her system, warming her veins and leaving her limbs tingling. The vampire sating himself on her blood did not seem so terrifying any longer, not when the sensation that shot through her was rapidly approaching pleasurable. She noticed, too, that he was drinking slowly, pacing himself with more consideration for her than she'd expected.
Fingers loosening from their death-grip on his shoulders, Yori felt adrift, strange, and warm. Her heartbeat had ceased its rapid rhythm, and she could faintly feel the steady, even beat of Aidou's heart in his chest as it rebounded off her own. His left hand was supporting her head comfortably, and from time to time his thumb brushed over her cheek, reassuring her. His right hand slid down her back, curling around her hip, and suddenly she flushed, all-too aware of the compromising position she was in, held tightly against his body with her legs around his waist. Her nerves were rebelling, sparking electrically under her skin against him. She didn't know the upperclassman very well, and this was far too intimate... She hadn't been this close even with the few boys she'd attempted dating. But... The words coiled through her thoughts. Aidou had told her, after all, that this could be enjoyable...if she let it. Her face was growing hot. She was letting it, involuntarily and automatically.
Before the panic of her body's traitorous reaction could overtake her, however, his fangs slid out and his tongue captured the blood that escaped before the wounds closed. She released a sigh of relief and confusion as he straightened, licking his lips and cleaning the slight red that stained them. Her blood. She felt abruptly dizzy. She had actually...permitted a vampire a drink her blood... His gaze, which had tinted dusty scarlet while he was feeding, she presumed, lightened once again.
"How do you feel?" was his first question. He eyed her, likely checking on her condition.
Still a little dazed, she merely replied, "Okay..."
A finger traced the contour of her ear, and she realized belatedly that he still hadn't moved apart from her. On the contrary, he leaned in once again to whisper in her ear, "Yori-chan, if you keep looking at me like that, I might want more than just your blood..."
If it was possible, she managed to blush and feel completely scandalized at the same time. His flirtatious words, however, were more than enough to snap her back to her senses, and she shoved him away hurriedly and pulled back on her jacket. She was done with Hanabusa Aidou. She'd fulfilled the end of their little bargain and given him blood in exchange for her memories. That should be enough. If at all possible, she preferred to never see him again.
"If we're done here, I'll be going," she said briskly, hopping off the table and straightening her clothes.
The blond looked almost disappointed. He removed something from his pocket, waving it at her. "What about this?"
Honing in on the object, Yori saw that it was a wide bandage. Regrettably, she probably did need it…especially if Yuki caught her while she was walking back to the dorms. Exhaling in an impatient huff, she nodded. "Alright."
"You should let Zero bite you," he muttered with a hint of a sulk. "Then you´d appreciate how carefully I treated you just now."
"I´d rather not do anything of that nature with the guy my best friend likes," she informed him as he opened the wrapper.
Those golden eyebrows flicked upwards. "But it´s okay with me?"
She pulled down the collar of her jacket as he gingerly stuck the bandaid in place. "Senpai, any girl will do for you. It´s not the same."
He frowned now, brow scrunching together as he queried, "Is that really what you think?"
"You don´t have a reputation as a playboy for nothing. I´m not an idiot. Anyway, goodnight. Thanks for the bandage."
With a brief wave, she intended to leave then, but he caught her arm, denying her statement. "For your information, I got that reputation when I was a first-year. I´ve been obediently obeying the Night Class rules since then."
"There are rules?" she asked, eyes pointedly staring at the offending hand on her arm until he released his grip.
"Well…technically…it´s forbidden to drink human blood on campus…" He averted his gaze guiltily for a moment.
Yori´s eyes narrowed. Of course. How stupid of her. She had probably never been in any danger in the first place. It was all an act, a game so that she would willingly sacrifice her precious blood. "I hope you´re appropriately punished, then," she stated bluntly.
Aidou blanched. "I should have just erased your memories right there and then… You can´t realize how attractive the scent of your blood is…"
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" she demanded. "Never mind. I´m going to bed now. Good night." This time, he let her go. On the way across campus, she didn´t look back or stop for a single moment to think about what had just transpired.
It was only when she was safely back in the confines of her dorm room that she sunk onto the edge of her bed, head in her hands. She had just wanted to forget the entire encounter. Forget it, move on, and never remember it again. She should have left when she said good night the first time, to avoid hearing those words that hinted that she was special, that he hadn´t been able to resist because it had been her and not some other girl. Yori did not want to be special. She wanted those moments with his tongue at her throat and her body pressed tightly against his to disappear. A meaningless bite would have been fine.
It was too late, though, because she could envision that wounded expression contorting his perfect face as she rushed out the door.
AN: Hohohoho. How's that? Now that some blood has beed shed, how do you feel about the fic? Hehe and thanks to Cintia for requesting it- it's been really fun to write! It's nice not having to plot out everyone's suffering and demise for a change LOL.
To be continued? More chapters? What do you think?