Disclaimer: I don't own Rosario+Vampire, nor do I make any money from the writing of this story. Simple enough, ne? Just don't copy from this story and we're all good!
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V^^ To Desire A Vampire ^^V
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Something was wrong.
That was the only explanation he could come up with, the only vague idea he had to clarify just why everything was going as it was. As for a more detailed concept within that original idea however, he was at a loss. All Tsukune Aono knew was that training with Kurumu and Mizore was going to suck, and for almost the same reason training had sucked with Moka's inner self. So, as he grit his teeth and tried to find the magic inside him, he decided the training sucked. Why? Because he sucked.
"It's okay, Tsukune. Just try again," Kurumu Kurono crooned softly, trying to alleviate the frustration she could see was growing in her destined one.
Aforementioned male glared at her as strongly as he could, and she could feel the illusion take hold. Roots shot up from the ground and wrapped around her wrists, with the intent of pinning her in place, but she simply sighed. With a flex of her arms she was free, and Tsukune fell back to the ground, panting heavily.
"Okay? We've been at this for over two hours! Why can't I get it to work?!" He had thought it would be easy; the illusions had come naturally when he was unsealed, and he knew for a fact he had caused Moka pain with his very first one. With the rosary in place he could barely make Kurumu feel the abrasive texture of the roots he conjured, and she was always able to break free of them with hardly any effort on her part.
"You are getting it to work, Tsukune, you are," she encouraged hastily as she knelt down beside him and wiped his forehead. "Illusions aren't an easy thing to create if you aren't a certain kind of monster in the first place, and you're doing it with a holy item draining your power! Maybe it's simply harder for you to cause pain and all that 'cause you're just not wired that way. You still managed to make one strong enough for me and Mizore to feel the feathers! Besides, you're right, it's been hours, maybe you're just running low on my blood."
He shook his head. "I don't know about that. Ever since I got the rosary I haven't felt as in touch with that ability as I did before. I feel something, but I don't know what it is anymore. It feels like I'm trying to catch falling water with my bare hands; it's there, but whenever I grasp it…it just slips through my fingers! It just…felt so…natural before. Now I don't know what it feels like." He sighed dejectedly. He hadn't felt so useless since his first year.
The succubus pouted at the depression she could see on the normally cheerful vampire. "Let's call it a day. You're tired, and definitely not thinking straight. You'll do better with a full night's sleep in you, I'm sure of it!"
Tsukune had to smile at Kurumu's never-failing optimism, and sat up with a small groan at the pull on his weary muscles. "Maybe you're right."
"I know I'm right!" she responded resolutely, and he smiled wider.
With a heavy exhalation he laid back down on the ground, staring up at the slightly cloudy sky as he pillowed his head in his hands. Kurumu followed suit, but she preferred to shuffle into his side, and his cheeks burned as she rested her head on his chest to look up with him. It didn't even feel wrong like he had thought it would, and that bothered him more than anything.
"You are right," he admitted softly. "Maybe I'm just expecting to be able to do everything now. I mean, I never would have thought in a thousand years that I'd be able to use magic; heck, I never even thought magic was real before I came here! Now I'm a vampire, and not even a regular one either. I shouldn't really be complaining, since I shouldn't even be able to do it at all!"
Kurumu laughed; this was the Tsukune she knew and loved. "That's one way of looking at it."
A long silence settled in, but there was a tension there that didn't allow it to be fully enjoyed. It wasn't awkward, nor was it exactly primal, it was just something unspoken that had yet to be fully explained between them. Finally, Tsukune got up the nerve to talk about it. "Kurumu…you know…did…" He yelped when the blunette poked him in the ribs unexpectedly, cutting off whatever he might have wanted to say.
"I do know. Turns out vampires aren't that different from succubae when it comes to some things."
He turned his head over to look at her, where soft topaz met bright amethyst. Her smirk was entirely too enticing, and so close to her he could smell her even better than usual. He shook those thoughts off quickly; it was neither the time nor the place for them. "So…it wouldn't feel…wrong to you, in any way? I'm still trying to get over the whole shock of it, but I'd be lying if I said this didn't feel nice."
She giggled. "How could it ever feel wrong? It just means I'm getting some extra lovers in one big 'destined one' package!"
The urge to sputter just about overcame him, but eventually he just sighed and allowed himself to laugh. "Sometimes I forget what our 'normal' is! I guess that would explain your mother at least."
Kurumu flushed scarlet at being reminded of that. "H-Hey, it could have been worse, right? At least she didn't try to kill you with frozen tea!"
"True," he laughed, "Tsurara-san is a very interesting person. When it all comes down to it though, she was just worried about Mizore. She scares the daylights out of me sometimes, but she's a good parent. You don't have to be monster or human to understand that."
The succubus at his side smiled softly and nestled into him more. Tsukune was simply the nicest person she knew, and even attempts on his life could be laughed off. If he knew the reasoning behind anything he could go from an enemy to an ally in no time flat, even with Tsurara Shirayuki's…eccentric personality. "You're going to make a good father one day, you know that?"
Tsukune's ears glowed brightly, even though he really appreciated the compliment. "T-Thank you."
While there was plenty she could elaborate on since the topic was so loaded, she let him go mercifully. "Hey, tomorrow's the weekend, do you wanna do something? I haven't been to Mononoke Arcade in a long time! We could even try to find some books on illusions, heck if I know if I'm teachin' 'em properly!"
He smiled, thankful she was being so understanding…for once. "Sure, I've been meaning to get some new clothes for a while too." That, and he needed to replace the shirt that had been an unforeseen casualty in the release of over two years worth of pent-up lust. With his already meager supply of clothing, that one shirt was a lot of his wardrobe.
For him, it was perfect. He really did love her, but there was still some nagging doubt at the back of his mind wondering if everything was really alright. Slowly, if he could go slowly, maybe the worries would quiet themselves. He had to admit it was already a lot more companionable than he thought it would be, considering what they found out this morning. If things kept on going on this track, everything might just work out.
"Are you thirsty? Even if we're done training, you have been using my powers for a pretty long time. I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did come to think of it, I didn't think you took that much this morning," Kurumu stated as her face scrunched up in confusion. That's really odd actually, she continued mentally. From what I've seen he gets less time the longer it has to digest, and he's had all day already. Did he really take that much this morning? They had completely forgotten to have him restock beforehand, but that was probably because of his show of prowess after school. For him to be able to make any illusion, even one at all, after two solid hours of use seemed strange.
After a second of thought to evaluate his body, Tsukune couldn't deny he was feeling rather weak. Though it was only around supper time, his body was telling him it was time to rest for the night. Considering he had only had a nap that lasted barely as long as homeroom in the past forty-eight hours, he was pretty tired. Blood would only make that rest all the better.
Nodding his affirmation, Kurumu smiled as she flipped her hair out of the way. Her cheeks flared with color when Tsukune rolled over on top over her, supporting himself with both arms strained as he leaned down to inhale her sweet scent. For her part, Kurumu just shivered under him at the intimate position as her imagination ran a million miles a minute, breathless in excitement. It would seem he had gained some control over his threshold, as the pleasure didn't completely overtake her as it had that morning. This was more of a slow burning fire that eased through every vein like magma, keeping all thought from the pain yet not wracking her body with insane bliss either. It was still almost as bad, and caused her to shudder no less. At least it hadn't triggered her transformation like the others had.
She sighed heavily when he licked the wounds closed, and went limp against the hard ground she was laying on. That never gets old, she thought lazily, and granted him a content grin at the inquisitive look he sent at her. He was always worried he would take too much.
"Do you want me to walk you back to the dorms?" he asked, and she noticed his voice was already showing the strength her blood had returned to him. She tried moving, and was horrified when she realized her legs didn't want to comply with her wishes. In fact, her whole body was still rather tingly. Her muscles protested the movement, and the thought came to mind that she had already offered her blood to him that morning. Maybe twice a day was pushing it if he wasn't really careful with the amount he took. Even monsters had limits.
"U-Um…Tsukune…"
"Yeah?"
Her face was positively glowing as she whispered, "…I can't move."
He looked at her in confusion for a little while at that, but then his brain finally connected to his ears and comprehension dawned. He smiled widely at her predicament, though he had the good grace to look apologetic, and she would have hit him had she had the strength. "Okee doke; upsie daisy!"
She squeaked in surprise as vertigo set in when she was unceremoniously picked up like she weighed less than nothing. Her heart swelled with warmth when she realized she was being held like a bride in the strong arms of her love, and suddenly she was thanking every deity she could think of for her previously humiliating situation. She had never noticed how broad his chest was before, but being held against it like she was made her realize how small she was in comparison. The constant, rhythmic motions of his steps set a counterpoint to the beat of his heart, and the heady fragrance of sweat mingled with the strawberries of Moka's shampoo and his own light cologne to lull her into an almost dreamlike state. She all but turned into lovesick goo while she rested her head against him.
Yes, there was no doubt in her mind this was where she belonged. Since she was also one of the other races that accommodated more than one lover even when married—or whatever passed for marriage among them—she was finding the prospect of having to share him less and less disagreeable. If he had any reservations, she could always grab Mizore and show him a few of the 'Black and White Duets' they had made with him in mind specifically. The snow woman was a damn good kisser, she wasn't about to deny that.
When they reached her door she almost whined, but she felt good enough to be on her feet again. That by no means made her like it. He seemed equally reluctant to put her down, but he did anyway, and she didn't stop him—no matter how much she may have wanted to. Something didn't allow her to let their time end like that, and she hugged him as they stood outside her door. It wasn't like her usual overly-amorous suffocations; this one was a simple embrace, melding her small body to his as she laid her head against his hard chest again. Her warmth soaked into him slowly, and he could do nothing but hold her back. Being an adolescent male it was hard to see much else in her characteristic squeezes, but this time he practically felt her emotions seep into him. In that one action he understood more than he had in years.
How have I never noticed it until now? he thought dazedly, but was instantly reprimanded by his own conscience. No, that's not it…I did know, I just didn't want to admit that I loved her just as much. The tightness around his heart loosed when he finally confessed that to himself, and he held her closer, burying his nose in her brilliant blue hair, oblivious to her sharp gasp. I damned my humanity a long time ago, it's time I actually accepted what I am now. If I'm allowed to love them like I want to, I can't keep thinking in the same old state of mind.
Kurumu could feel tears gathering in her eyes, not because of how tightly he was holding her, but because he was finally holding her like she wanted him to. She could feel it, something had changed, and she felt like she had been wrapped in the most welcoming of sanctuary. It was like he was trying to envelop her completely, and in the vastness of his heart she felt nothing but safe.
"I love you, Tsukune. You know that, right?" she whispered softly, and he carefully released her. Standing in front of her, looking down into her moist violet eyes, the last decision was made.
"Aw damn it all to hell!"
That said, he pinned her to her door and fit his hands behind her legs, hoisting her up to his eye level, where he proceeded to smash his lips against hers. The succubus had been waiting so long for this she froze, wide-eyed and stiff. This lasted all of approximately two seconds. When those two seconds had passed however, she moaned gratefully and wound her arms around his neck, desperately pulling him closer, eagerly allowing his tongue entry into her mouth and shamelessly battling it with her own.
Finally, finally, she was kissing her loved one, her destined one. No charms had brought him to her, no illusions held him in place; he was kissing her fully of his own desire. In his passion all else vanished to the wind, and her limbs tingled for an entirely different reason this time. It wasn't a one-sided surprise like she had done after his bout with Moka, this was a mutual endeavor that tore the air from her lungs and flared desire in her core. It wasn't her first—well, with a man it was—but it was definitely first on her very small list. A kiss hard and electric gradually slowed, turning soft and tepid as different emotions made their way therein. Lust simmered into the love underneath, and Kurumu Kurono felt tears slide down her face. He finally understood; her feelings had reached him.
When at last they parted, she wiped her eyes happily, gazing into the gentle ginger orbs of the man who had stolen her heart. He smiled softly, and soothingly caressed away the remnants from her cheeks. "I do know that, Kurumu. I love you too. If you'll have me as I am, both me and Moka, I'm yours."
Her radiant smile dimmed the sun. "I've never wanted anything more."
He chuckled lowly as they leaned forward for another soft kiss, and this time she did whine when she was set on her feet again. If her room wasn't such a mess she might have invited him in, but they were both rather weary—for different reasons—though that was unnoticed at the moment. "I'll see you tomorrow. Let's meet up around lunch so we can eat there too, I don't think I'll be getting up any earlier than that."
She laughed. "Sounds good. I'll see you then." With one last kiss to his cheek, she opened her door and disappeared into her room, already debating what she was going to wear. She was fine with whenever they met up, because she wanted him to have as much sleep as he needed to be at full energy.
If things went her way, he was going to need it.
V^^^V
That night yielded an experience that had only happened once before since his transformation. He slept like the dead—or undead, technically—but his dreams were anything but normal. Even in the confines of his mind he felt…restless. Something was happening to him, something was going on in him, but for the life of him he didn't know what. Far from painful, it was like he had an excess of energy he needed to burn, even in the machinations of his subconscious.
The first time it had happened his awareness had felt heightened, like he could hear the very whispers of the wind and the animals under its care. Had he been at all aware of what his body had gone through before, he would have realized it wasn't the first time, but that one he didn't remember at all. It was there nonetheless. This time wherever his mind took him was distorted, malleable; interchangeable with anything and everything. His fingers twitched relentlessly; his arms, his legs, his every muscle flexed of its own will like under the effects of an electric current. The energy was thrumming inside him, begging to get out, but he couldn't move. What he found he could do however, was alter. No matter how often he shifted the surroundings, changed features, created images, the energy remained.
When he did at last feel himself return to some sense of normalcy, the world darkened around him, gradually closing in on the sole inhabitant. For once the darkness didn't scare him, he belonged in it, but he couldn't help but feel like another drop had been added to whatever it was that was growing inside him.
He awoke with a start, staring at a digital readout that told him he had been asleep for a full sixteen hours. His body had forced him to bed early the day before, and even then he had slept until eleven o'clock in the morning the next day. Stretching in place with a wide yawn, Tsukune couldn't believe how good he felt. The odd dream was forgotten rather quickly, as is the way with the wanderings of the subconscious, and he pushed himself out of bed and to the washroom.
Admittedly, he didn't mind not having to go to the shared washrooms of the dorm anymore, and he almost stopped in shock when he noticed the original coloration of his body. He had gotten so used to seeing himself in vampire form, his human one was a surprise to him now. The rosary stayed ever-present around his neck, and he touched the divine metal of the elaborately designed cross hesitantly. Imagine his astonishment when the silver felt warm to the touch, almost hot from overuse, and he shook off the sting from his fingers as he looked at the object curiously.
Weird…doesn't feel like it's that hot against my chest. Hmm.
Dismissing the thought as something he didn't need to deal with at the moment, he readied himself for the day with Kurumu. Pulling on his preferred tan cargo pants and one of the many simple white t-shirts he had, he took the risk and tugged the rosary out from underneath. Instead of the heat from earlier, it was back to the normal temperature of cool silver set against flesh. Now he was really confused, but stranger things had happened in the past, so he just rolled his eyes and grabbed one of the few extra dress shirts he owned. He almost laughed when he saw the one he had taken was the only black one he had, and it matched the gem set in the middle of his rosary nicely. With a shrug the garment was donned, and he set out to the bus stop.
For the second time in the hour he had been awake, he froze in wonder. The baggy socks were a must on her shapely legs, and lead up to the plaid skirt she usually wore while the white, short-sleeved button-up was done up as only she could do it, accentuating her perfectly formed bust in a manner that had his blood debating whether to go to his face, or far lower. The formal black vest she had on undone over it pronounced everything else wonderfully, and her purse was the small backpack that hung low on her back. For one of the many times over their friendship, Tsukune's image of the succubus being just that was reinforced yet again. She really was sexuality given form when she wanted to be, even as innocent as the attire was originally meant.
When she saw him coming she jumped excitedly, waving her hands over her head in a manner that did nothing to stop the bounce of her chest. He could already feel the blood trickling up to his nose. Fate didn't hate him per se, it just loved to taunt him relentlessly, or so it seemed. He could already see the headlines: 'Vampire Dies of Severe Nosebleed,' 'Bloodsucker Output Exceeds Input.' The list went on and on, and the irony with it. Still, he managed to keep said nosebleed from happening, if only so he could look at the expression of pure joy on her face. Whenever she was happy everyone knew it, because it shone from her face like a beacon. There was no choice but for him to smile back.
"Yahoo~! Good morning, Tsukune!" Instead of pulling his head down to her like was her usual way, this time she jumped into him, and he caught her instinctively as he laughed at her excitement. She was just as light as he remembered, and her body in his hold was a pleasantly satisfying feeling. His brain momentarily blew a fuse when she leaned up to peck his lips warmly, and he was only just able to shake himself conscious when she grinned and jumped down from his arms.
"G-Good morning to you too."
She looked him over up and down appraisingly, and smiled even wider when she was done. "We match! How cool is that?"
With a quick glance down, he noticed she was right, at least when it came to the colors of their tops. Grinning one of his familiar grins, he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I hope you weren't expecting a track suit."
It took a little while, but when she got the illustration she laughed and clung to his arm happily. "I wouldn't care if you were in your underwear!"
Tsukune coughed hoarsely at the comment. Why does that not surprise me? "W-Well, let's get going. You must be hungry."
V^^^V
Mononoke Arcade was the same as he remembered it. He really hadn't had too much occasion to visit it other than the one time with Moka, because he wasn't exactly the richest student there was. He was fine with what he had, though naturally his eyes were drawn to items he wouldn't mind having. The rosary around his neck looked to be—and more likely was—the most expensive thing he owned, but he was more proud of what it sealed than how it looked. Of course, he was even prouder of the beautiful young woman with her arms entwined around one of his.
It had to be noted that it was as much of a curse as it was a blessing, because the glares he was getting from the male occupants of the mall were less than friendly, to say the least. Since the area was so successful because of the large school so close by, it made sense that a large number of the patrons would be from there as well. It went with logic then that a lot of them knew who he was—who the members of the Newspaper Club were in general after their exploits—and he suspected some of the glares would escalate into something more were any of the other girls with him as well. Moka in particular. Kurumu wasn't without her own large, large fan base though, and given that many were less inclined to keep up their full human disguise while in the confines of the monster-only area, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.
A strange thing happened though, because when he thumbed his rosary for assurance most of them turned away instantly. Weird. A gurgling noise caught his attention, and he looked down to see Kurumu looking off to the side in embarrassment, though he was sure some of the sound had been from his own stomach. "I guess our first stop is the food court, eh? I must have forgotten there was a reason we came at lunch time once we got here." Just at the mention his fangs throbbed while he looked down on her, her graceful neck taunting him unremittingly. Not today, he told himself firmly. She hasn't had enough time to recover from yesterday. I'll have to get by with food for now.
She nodded. "I can't wait to go shopping, but I need some food in me first!"
"Amen to that!"
It was only right in his mind that he pay for their meals, being that this was, for all intents and purposes, a date. Parting with the money was easy under that pretense, and watching her cheerily wolf down her food made it worth it. It had felt strange to have to look around for a merchant that catered to his special requirements, but it hadn't been impossible. The eatery they had eventually found took pride in their ability to do so, but they had been a bit curious since his disguise was so perfect, as they put it. When Tsukune had tapped the silver cross they had looked closer inquisitively, and when the manager had caught sight of what they were doing, she too had leaned over to see what was so intriguing.
Tsukune had never seen anyone's eyes go so wide, and they had all but run to fill the order.
"Kurumu, I have to ask, is my rosary…strange?" he queried as he put down his can of tomato juice.
She paused and chewed, pouting thoughtfully before she swallowed. "Hmm, I don't think so. I'm not really big into artifacts or stuff like that so I wouldn't be the person to talk to. Something wrong?"
"Well…I don't know. Have you noticed me getting any weird looks? I'm sure not all of them are because of you, I can recognize those now."
A beaming smile was her response to that, but she did try to think a bit more seriously outside her total absorption of being alone with her destined one. "Maybe they saw your fight with Moka too and're finally making the connection? Who knows if we were the only ones that saw it, or if anyone's told anyone about it either! Or maybe they're just plain jealous!"
He grinned. "Always a possibility with who I've got around me." Her skin reddened as she busied herself with what remained of her meal, and he smiled wider. His body wasn't fully satisfied with just the food, but he calmed himself with the knowledge that he could always seek Ruby out later. She had told him that much. "So where do you want to go first?"
She smiled back. "Does it matter?"
V^^^V
It was much like the experience he had had with Moka if he was being completely honest with himself. They would walk around, and whatever caught her eye they would head to. Being a pack mule wasn't his favorite job, but he was happy as long as she was happy. Why she was so excited when they passed a personalized clothing shop he had no idea, but since he had been told to wait outside, he did just that. Having long since discovered that every piece of clothing was 'personal' to women, he didn't even bother trying to wrap his head around it. Out she came with yet another box, but it weighed less than nothing compared to any of the others so he really couldn't complain.
His heart felt lighter with every minute he spent with her, and soon they found themselves in a clothing store that appealed to both men and women. This made things significantly easier for him.
"Hey Tsukune, how does this look?"
Turning to the source of the sound, he nearly fell over backwards when he saw his date standing in the doorway of one of the changing rooms, wearing only a bikini that put the one she had wore in Second Year to shame. Flailing wildly to catch all the items he had thrown in shock, he turned away quickly, grateful to have things to cover his groin with.
Even a year of refinement had done worlds for the already attractive succubus, and she was looking more like a woman with every passing day. By itself that was no small claim, seeing as how she could have most of the male population under her spell even without her magic. However it came about, her curves were growing even more prominent, balancing her large breasts effortlessly, and allowing all the more attention to be given to her glowing face. It was hard enough for him to look at her when she was fully clothed, but practically naked was far, far worse.
"L-L-Looks good," he stuttered out weakly, trying, and failing, to keep his eyes from trailing back to her.
Almost the entire store had turned to see what was going on, and the male occupants were in a Kurumu-induced daze, not at all from any of her charms or illusions. At least, not the magical kind.
"Just good?" she whined playfully. "Looks like I'll have to try again." She skipped back into the changing room, and he was given a full view of her well-defined backside clad only in material that made underwear look like a parka.
Hoping the action wouldn't get him killed, he walked over to the men's side to see if any of the articles were what he was looking for. While possibly hazardous to his health should he not be there when she came out again, in his mind the situation would be worse if he stayed. To the topic of clothes, he was sorely lacking in everything but the standard t-shirts he could get for cheap, especially with the growth he had been going through since his second year at Youkai Academy. Being sure he could still see all their purchases so far, he rummaged through the circular hanger in front of him. "Hmm, I wonder if any of these would look all right? Graduation'll be coming up at the end of the year…"
"This one would look good on you," the hanger said as a shirt pushed its way off the rack, and he found out that particular clothes-rack sported a pair of very familiar blue eyes.
He nearly jumped at the unexpected shock. Actually, he did.
"GYAH!"
Now the entire store was looking at him, and he blushed brightly before pushing the shirt back and hiding the spy he found there. "M-Mizore, what are you doing here?!" he whispered as his eyes darted back to the room Kurumu was trying on clothes in.
"Tagging along?" she answered innocently.
He slapped a hand to his face. "I can see that! But wh—you know what…never mind, I know why." Reconciled to his fate, he pulled her out of the stack of merchandise. "Since you're here, would you mind helping me pick out some clothes?" She nodded happily, and inwardly Tsukune sighed. Kurumu wasn't going to be happy about this, but he'd rather do this than risk a similar end to his and Moka's first 'date' here. He'd rather not be attacked by them again if he could help it.
A commotion back where he came from drew their attention away, and he looked back to see a few of the customers—most of the male persuasion—had since swarmed his succubus once she came back out of her stall. Had they just been talking it would have been alright, but many were getting a bit too close for comfort, and he could see the irritation on Kurumu's face. Cold rage rose to life inside him when he saw one of them grab her wrist, and before her fist could make contact with the idiot's face there came a noise that could only be associated with a high-speed projectile. The furious whistle of movement only ended when the idiot's hand was wrenched away from her and pinned by the cuff of his sleeve to the dressing room door, where the culprit was swiftly revealed to be a razor-sharp icicle. The mistress of illusions looked over in mounting confusion and easily noticed Mizore, but that would have only answered her question had the look on her friend's face not told all too well that she wasn't the one to have done it. She was staring wide-eyed at the man by her side, where Tsukune had taken to resembling Death incarnate as remnants of frost still hung in the air around his outstretched fingers.
"Touch her again and I won't aim for clothing."
Under normal circumstances the members of the black and white duet would have found the expressions currently sported on the assailants' faces pretty funny, but they were too focused on what Tsukune had just done to laugh. The only one that didn't instantly run away was the one with his sleeve pinned to the wall, and he tore his shirt from it before stomping up to the irate vampire.
"This was a brand new shirt, you moron! What are you going to do to compensate me, huh?!"
For once, Tsukune stared the taller monster dead in the eyes, just barely risking a glance over to where Kurumu was rubbing her wrist. "That was a lady's arm, you moron. What are you going to do to compensate her? Huh?" he replied icily, and his two friends had to pick their jaws up from the floor. Tsukune rarely, if ever, talked back to people like that, and never convincingly.
"Why I'll—!" Fist raised, the other youkai seemed to have every intention of punching Tsukune's consciousness into a forced hibernation; however, he stopped short suddenly when he looked back into his eyes, and just as suddenly fell over unconscious.
The sealed vampire merely glared down at the man. "That's what I thought you'd do, thank you."
It was obvious situations like the one they had just been through were rather commonplace, as the clerks simply dragged the comatose monster out their doors and into the hands of security. No one even spared him a second glance, which was relieving in its own way.
Quickly walking over to where Kurumu stood, he took her arm in his hands as softly as he could while he examined the spot she had been rubbing before. "Are you alright?"
She stared at him, dumbfounded, for a while longer until she finally computed the question. "Y-Yeah! I…I mean, yes, I'm fine. It was a bigger surprise than anything really! He would've gotten the full course on butt-kicking by yours truly if you hadn't stepped in!" she explained cheerfully, and he smiled, thankful even though she hadn't really needed him to help.
"I actually would have liked to see that."
The succubus laughed and turned to the new arrival, whom was still stoic as ever, though didn't once meet her eyes. "Do I even need to ask why you're here?"
Mizore shrugged, but the guilt was plain on her face. "You could. You already know, but you could."
Though irritation was quickly rising at the bump in her plans, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Out of their whole group she had more of a friendship with Mizore than any other, even Moka. Moka was a friend, almost a sister, but in some small corner of her mind she was also a goal to strive for, something to defeat. In Mizore she had found a partner, an equal, the other half of her duet. If it was her, she didn't mind her date being interrupted. They had all the time in the world to go on another.
"Fine, fine; whatever. I'm too happy to bother arguing right now!" To prove her point she latched onto Tsukune's arm again. The snow woman simply shrugged again before grabbing hold of his unoccupied arm, and the man those arms were attached to could feel the back of his head heat up under the intensified glares of the men present. All things considered, he was more than happy to bear that heat. The smiles on Mizore and Kurumu's faces made that an easy burden to carry.
"Not that I'm not enjoying this, but we did come here for a reason, and I do need to pick up our stuff if we want to go," he pointed out shyly.
"Oh-ho, no you don't," the violet-eyed woman proclaimed playfully. "We still haven't picked out anything for you!"
He felt sweat trickle down his neck at the glints that suddenly appeared in his two friends' eyes.
.
V^^^V
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Behind the sparkle of mischief, one person wondered how long she had waited for something like this.
Mizore Shirayuki was a paradox if ever there was one. She had a tendency of being anywhere, at anytime, but though she was with people—or stalking people to be more specific—she was most always alone. Always alone, yet not far beneath the porcelain skin of her stoic beauty laid a desire for companionship so profound it was impossible to understand. She was a loner by nature, but she didn't want to be. Worse yet, in a race characterized by its elegant women she just had to be different. Though she was no less elegant in any sense of the word, her tastes differed greatly from the norm, as was shown acutely in her clothing, and more so in her personality.
It was funny really. So caught up was she in her own misery she had failed to realize just how many people went through exactly the same thing. When she first saw the school's newspaper she knew she had found a kindred spirit, though at the time she had no way of knowing his loneliness had been quite literal. A human among an entire school different from him in every way, it was only natural she relate, though not in the same sense admittedly.
Imagine her surprise when she met the teen she had become instantly infatuated with, only to see he was much more cheerful than she could have ever suspected. Somehow, though he was able to portray so many of the feelings she herself struggled with, he still had friends. Though he struggled, he wasn't alone. Like she had thought he'd be, like she had hoped he'd be. Perhaps it was in her nature as a snow woman that she wanted him for herself, but then he had come to her as if she was a criminal.
Looking back, she had to chuckle at her naivety. She had expected him to know everything about her just because she could see so much of herself in him, yet she couldn't believe him when he tried telling her it was an honest mistake. She didn't know why she had been drawn to the gym teacher, but she had, and in that she had made a mistake as well.
But he came. He had understood her, had known what she wanted so desperately even though she herself had not. Her first encounter with her first real friend involved being saved from death, and when she thought about it she was more amazed every time. He was nothing more than human, and yet he risked injury that could have killed some of the strongest of monsters just for her. If not for Moka, he really would have met his maker that day. She could still feel the warmth of his hand as he reached out and saved her from two deaths, one in the physical sense at the hands of their teacher, and another from the loneliness that had threatened to swallow her whole.
Through him she had come to trust some others as well, and their devotion was shown time and again. In one she found a partner, in another a teacher; in one a rival, and another three as friends. In him she found what she had always wanted: someone to truly love, and someone who loved her unconditionally. He didn't need to say it; she always knew his care for all of them extended beyond simple friendship. Though it was in his character to risk his life for his friends, only he could run full-tilt into enemy territory, cross-dressing at that, and look good doing it. All for her sake, all without ever asking for anything in return.
Deep in his heart she knew he would never be able to choose; he would rather kill himself than hurt any of them. He loved Moka, that was clear to see, but then something would happen that would tip the perilous balance and he would show them something too, something that only made the decision harder. The truth of the matter was, she didn't care. She knew he loved her, and she knew she loved him. As long as she had that, it was enough for her. One night was all she had ever wanted, ever dared hoped for, but as a human, as who he was, he couldn't understand that. As a vampire on the other hand…
Her heart had never felt as warm as when Moka had come to her and explained the situation. She was too kind for her own good, just like Tsukune. Neither of them could stand seeing their friends in pain, and with one small—giant, life-altering—change, their circumstances had taken a turn in the best possible direction. By sacrificing everything he had left of his humanity, the man she loved had opened a door that they could all go through together.
She knew it wasn't going to be that simple; he was Tsukune after all. So instead of pressing the issue she had simply made herself known, became more of a constant in his life than she had been even before, and let him know beyond any of his many, many doubts that she still loved him regardless. It helped that the women he loved were people she held dear to her heart as well. The succubus was a damn good kisser, she wasn't about to deny that.
It was an amazing feeling, the sheer domesticity of watching him come out in the outfits they picked for him and agreeing or disagreeing with the outcome. The latter was uncommon, but then again they had been around him for years, and there were a whole lot of things they had imagined him in. That it looked just as nice as their fantasies was always nice to see. Of course she'd be lying if she said she didn't get a thrill out of trying on something herself and watching his face redden endearingly. He wasn't a very good judge, since no matter what they came out in he would always say it looked good, but it was nice to hear nonetheless. In a way he was a good judge; they would just use the intensity of his blush as a marker of how 'good' that particular outfit was.
What made everything so perfect was that Tsukune seemed to have thrown off what remained of his hesitancy. That he was out, alone, with Kurumu made that all too clear, and it went against who she was to not follow him when she had nothing better to do. Still, she was kind of upset at Kurumu, because since Tsukune had so much to carry she couldn't lean into his side like she wanted to. The upside was neither could the succubus, so she supposed it wasn't too bad.
So, as they walked down the mall corridors, Mizore found herself walking beside her duet partner, leading the heavily-loaded vampire. They had picked out a couple of outfits for Tsukune already—and themselves naturally—and deeming their work done, they had left for other endeavors.
"Seems like your training paid off in only a day," the snow woman said in her typical offhanded tone, "though I've never seen anyone faint just from a look."
Kurumu's face turned serious all of a sudden, and she quirked an eyebrow inquisitively. "That's the thing, what he did back there was a very, and I mean very high level illusion. It was more of a charm really, but it forced the body to react just like the mind! Yesterday he could barely get me to feel the roots he made after that first tickle attack, and he hasn't even fed from me today!" At that Mizore was suddenly that much paler, and her friend caught on to that right away. "Something wrong?"
"…He hasn't fed from me either."
The blunette's wide eyes betrayed everything of what was going through her. Grabbing her friend's arm, she turned to Tsukune quickly. "Sorry Tsukune, we have to go to the little girls' room. We'll be back!" And just like that, she had taken off with the violet-haired woman in tow.
Tsukune blinked. "Did I miss something?"
V^^^V
Away from prying ears, Kurumu let go of her accomplice, still visibly unnerved. "Let me get this straight: he hasn't fed from you? Like, at all, since the last time?"
She nodded. "He didn't even have time before those guys started harassing you. One second he's fine, the next he just points his hand and…" She formed an icicle in her own to finish the statement. "Not as complex as a throwing knife, but it gets the job done. He's still lacking a lot of experience."
"Don't you see?!" the charm mistress exclaimed. "He's starting to remember our powers! Yesterday he could barely make me feel a thing, but he fed before he left! Maybe we shouldn't train him with our abilities, at least not now. What if this whole thing is happening because he isn't using the supernatural powers in our blood, and it's mimicking Moka's! The more he has leftover, the stronger he'll get permanently!"
Mizore flipped the icicle through her fingers expertly as she thought about that. "I never thought I'd agree with a hypothesis you came up with, but that does seem like it could happen. He's been feeding a lot more from you though since he changed, with how screwed up our schedule got, so why can he even remember mine?"
A blank stare was all that earned. "Don't you remember he just about sucked you dry that first time? Your power was the one he used first, and there was so much of it I can't even begin to think he used it all up! He had two days of sleep to get used to it, maybe since his body had just changed as it was it just started adding to it with whatever was there!" Seeing the other woman looking up into the air after what was supposed to be a big revelation, she cocked her head to the side. "What are you doing?"
"Just checking if the sky was falling. I thought the day you made sense outside of your 'intuition' was a sign of the apocalypse."
She laughed before she could stop herself, and then quickly went back to how she had been in an attempt to cover the momentary lapse. "Hey! I'm trying to be serious here!"
Her friend smiled apologetically, but couldn't completely erase the mirth from her eyes. "Sorry, couldn't resist. You're right; it would make sense, especially with him just turning. That doesn't explain how far his illusions jumped in just a day. If his body is still getting used to being constantly exposed to our blood then you'd think it would take a bit longer."
With a flaw in logic so plainly exposed, Kurumu's face scrunched up in confusion. "Okay, yeah, that's right. I didn't think about that. Well, I'm no expert on vampires, maybe we should ask Mo—" The words died a quick and painful death as the epiphany hit her, and even Mizore was feeling rather nervous at the look on the succubus' face. "Moka! That's it! Who's the one person he hasn't fed from yet?"
"Well, we already know he's bit us; Ruby-san has been showing all the signs, so he's probably bit her already; he can't with Yukari-chan, because she isn't old enough for him to do it safely without a lot more control; Kokoa-chan would sooner take off his head, so that rules out her from the start, so that just leaves Moka." Her blue eyes widened. "You don't think…?"
"Come on, with his bites, it's pretty obvious he'd take advantage of that over a whole night." The ice maiden's cheeks flared with warmth as her eyes trailed back to where they had come. This was noticed of course, and Kurumu almost smacked her. "Focus! There's time for that later!" She nearly slapped her hands over her mouth at that. "I-I mean…um…"
The violet-haired beauty smirked. "Fine with me if it's fine with you. Now what were you saying?"
She gulped heavily, having essentially been given permission in that regard. It would be nothing short of hypocrisy if she denied the very real fact that the thought sent fresh heat to her womanhood. She had always wondered what it would be like to have the snow woman in her bed with her destined one. "A-Anyways, if he did feed from Moka, what if he started turning her demonic energy into his own, even though he's a vampire already?"
Mizore shuddered. "It'd definitely explain the jump in his illusions even with him sealed. There's always the fact that he's usually angry whenever he makes the really powerful ones so far, so it could just be that he needs the right circumstances for him to use his full potential," she noted seriously.
The succubus couldn't refute that, but the previous thoughts still made her shiver. "You do know what this means though, right? If he is actually gaining our powers?"
"What?" the other woman deadpanned.
"He's going to keep getting stronger as long as he's drinking our monster blood! Yours was the one he came into contact with first, so what if, I mean just what if, he develops a water affinity?" She was practically bouncing up and down by now, absolutely ecstatic at the track her train of thought was running on.
"A vampire with a water affinity? Get real, that'd be…" she stopped short as what her friend was implying struck her all at once. "That'd be…pure…genius. If this is a trait common in vampire Blood Sages, no one would have found out because who sucks the same blood of the same person all the time? Well, other than Moka. And if what she says is true, most of them rely on blood packs now anyway! If he sucked my blood enough to get my powers, what would that do for his weakness?"
Kurumu smiled victoriously. "Exactly! Exactly! What would it do to his weakness to water? Doesn't make sense that someone with a water attribute could be weak to it, now does it? Even with just a sense of it, he'd be way better off!"
"I never thought I'd say this, but you're a genius."
Again, that could only be responded to with a, "Hey!"
Mizore chuckled. "So what's the plan then? Do we tell him about this?"
She shook her head. "We don't even know if it's really happening, so we shouldn't get our hopes up, or his. But just in case it is, I say we do this: on days he sucks my blood, he trains with you; and on days he sucks your blood, he trains with me. If he has no reason to use our powers on the days the blood's still fresh, he won't. Give him enough time to digest and sleep on it, and if all goes to plan he should still have it, even stronger, next time he trains with it! Add Moka and Ruby to the list and who knows where he'll end up! We haven't even tested if he's magically talented yet!"
The ice maiden shook her head in amusement. "He's going to be unreal."
"Yup," the succubus said with a large smile. "He's going to be legendary."
V^^^V
Though Tsukune had no idea what had really sparked the immediate need to be away from him, he was more than grateful for the chance to sit down. Enhanced strength and just about everything else he may have, but he wasn't running on full power anymore either. The thirst was decidedly easier to ignore than it had been before, for which he could only account to the rosary, but his body was beginning to override even that.
Maybe Moka's habit wasn't just because my blood tastes good, he thought succinctly. He wasn't about to endanger his friends' welfare just because his body was feeling a bit weak however. He had been through worse.
When Mizore and Kurumu came back, their smiles were even wider than they had been before, and he just barely held back a look of confusion. He could tell even without much trying that the looks were directed at him, and because of him, if it made any sense. Shrugging off those unsettling thoughts, he rose back to his feet. After all the time they had spent there, his muscles were sore for more than one reason, and it was getting dark outside.
As tired as he was after the day of following her around—which really wasn't that bad, but it still got to his body after a while—the thought of going to Moka's room for another cooking lesson was discarded. Suggesting they find another place to have another meal, the women agreed after their stomachs decided to voice their opinions for them.
It really had been a great day, and there hadn't been any major altercations between his friends either. Usually one brawl per day was to be expected, but today nothing happened at all. He thanked God for small blessings. Even conversation around the table was pleasant, downright fun admittedly, and just like he had hoped, his worries just kept getting smaller.
By the time they made their way back to the bus stop both Kurumu and Mizore were yawning, which didn't make him feel too bad about adding his own. He didn't know which one took more out of him: training, or an entire day of shopping—without feeding to boot. Of course, he wasn't about to let them carry all their items back to their dorms by themselves, so he sucked it up and forced his body to keep moving.
The first one to be dropped off was Kurumu, and with her went a lot of the weight he was carrying. He nearly sighed in relief, and her smile made him forget all about how tired he was.
As hard as it was for her to resist inviting him in, all of them were drained from the day, and the mood just didn't seem right. Though she wanted to invite both of them in, he still had some things to work out with the other half of her duet, and she decided she could wait one more day. If Tsukune made half the progress he had with her with the snow woman, it wouldn't be too much longer. There would be hell to pay if she got him before her though.
"Thanks Tsukune, that was really fun. Next time we'll have to make it just the two of us, but this wasn't bad either," she joked lightly, and he chuckled only in time for her to tiptoe up and pull his head down to hers. Mizore didn't seem visibly upset by the action, and Tsukune forgot about everything as he kissed the succubus back. It felt right, as hard as it was to understand, and his lips tingled when they pulled away from each other. "Goodnight, Tsukune."
"Goodnight, Kurumu," he replied softly, and with a warm smile she closed her door.
Turning back to Mizore and picking up her meager purchases along with his, she guided him to her room. Unlike the experience at Kurumu's door, when they arrived at hers, she seemed noticeably saddened. The thoughts that instantly went through his head were all bad, and then he realized they had gone through the entire day without once clearing up the tension between them. She had come to him even more understandingly than Kurumu, and he had held off because of uncertainty. It was only coincidence that things had worked out how they had, but she had waited patiently, even after so frankly stating her intentions before Moka had clarified things for him. He couldn't even think of how much that had to hurt, especially witnessing his kiss with her best friend moments earlier.
"M-Mizore, I'm so sorry, I never meant to—"
"Do you love me?" she interrupted without ceremony, but it was one of the most honest things he had ever heard. The tears gathering in her eyes made his heart clench, and with their items set down, he pulled her to him. Her cold body temperature felt just right set against him, not too cold and not too hot. Every time he touched her he was less bothered by her naturally cold skin, and he set his chin on top of her head, cradling her into him as completely as he could. Had she been able to see his eyes, she would have seen the confliction inside him, but she didn't need to. It was vibrating in his body itself, like he didn't want to let her go, but knew deep down that he should. His next words confirmed it.
"Is it wrong for me to? I need to know, Mizore, I really do. I don't want to lessen the value of your feelings, and I keep thinking that's exactly what I'm doing by trying this. Except…except it just feels right; even with Kurumu, it doesn't feel…wrong. If it felt wrong at least then I'd have something to stand on, but I can honestly say I love you, and it feels natural. I can look at you and want to kiss you; I can hold you, just like this, and know this is what I want, but there's still this tiny little voice that…that tells me I shouldn't. I love you, I want you, but is that enough for you, knowing you won't be alone?"
She sighed contently, nuzzling comfortably into his warmth. Normally she couldn't stand being heated above a certain state, though her candy was there to compensate for that, but he never bothered her. In fact, he had been bothering her even less ever since he turned, and she had come to crave his paradoxically cold heat even more. He was still very much the young man she had fallen in love with. She knew he was still struggling with the whole concept that had been opened up to him, and while he had been at ease during the day, there hadn't been a whole lot of open displays of affection either. He was clearly still trying to figure out how to approach the situation, but his human thoughts came back no matter how hard he tried to separate himself from them.
Yet he was still honest enough to say it out loud. His kindness really was second to none, and the thought that one of them might be hurt kept his worries from entirely dying. She had told him many times she didn't care, but he would never know that the way he had worded it had made her entire body blossom in tranquility. No, she didn't want to be alone. She would never be alone again, not with him, not with them. It was fine for him to love them, because she loved them too.
"That's more than enough. That's everything," she whispered gratefully, "and that could never be wrong."
He hugged her tighter, and she smiled. Her emotions were playing games with her body, so happy that even the tears that had been gathering, ones that had no reason to mar her face, still wanted to fall. Conflicted between sobbing in joy to laughing in the same, she could only smile. He loved her, and that was all she needed. Cocooned as she was in his arms, she had never wanted to be anywhere more.
Backing away from her, no matter how much he didn't want to, other desires made him. Crystal blue orbs shining with the water they resembled were greeted by burnished copper, and this time she knew the pull wouldn't be fought.
Softly, hesitantly, the request came forth. "Can I kiss you?"
She only smiled more. "You never have to ask me that."
The tears fell when his lips descended on hers, just as softly as his words had been spoken seconds earlier. There was no crushing force, no untamed frenzy, only the desire. The desire to tell each other they knew, the desire to tell each other it was right; the all-encompassing, all-consuming desire that made everything else not matter. The desire to show the other they loved them. Though unfamiliar, it was no less perfect.
This time when they pulled away it was welcome, for their faces stayed no more than an inch apart. Her alabaster beauty was complemented by untold exponents with the smile on her face, and her tears made trails of diamond on a canvas of porcelain. She looked so beautiful the tears he had been holding back fell, and as she watched the line of water fall from one of his eyes her smile only became warmer.
"That's why this could never be wrong," she murmured happily, "because nothing this beautiful could be wrong."
Then he was kissing her again. They knew it was goodbye, and they made it worth it until they could see each other again tomorrow. His thirst had never been more forgotten, and when they backed apart they were still smiling.
"Goodnight, Mizore."
She still got a tingle from him calling her by her name, and only her name. "Goodnight, Tsukune. I love you." He caressed his fingers down the side of her cheek, and her eyes fluttered. She made no attempt to stop them; he never failed to make her feel like that regardless.
"I love you too. I'll see you tomorrow."
With a nod, she disappeared into her room. Setting down her bags, she collapsed against the closed door, holding her fingers to her lips lovingly. For the first time, even though she was alone, she didn't feel like it.
"I know you do, Tsukune. I know you do."
V^^^V
When Moka and Tsukune arrived at school the next day, Kurumu instantly bounded up and hauled Moka away, much to his obvious confusion.
"Com'on Moka, I've got something for you!" she cheered wickedly. "Girls only, Tsukune!"
The pinkette found herself pulled to the girl's washroom, along with Mizore, whom was just as confused as her.
"What's up, Kurumu-chan?"
The succubus grinned devilishly. "I found a great shop yesterday, so I thought I'd buy us all a little something." Handing a package to Moka and Mizore respectively from her backpack, she positively beamed.
Mizore was the first to open hers. Looking in, she smiled just as widely. "I never thought I'd say this two days in a row, but you're a genius. I like the way you think."
When Moka opened hers she turned bright red, before laughing aloud. She couldn't keep her own smile down at what she saw, because she certainly couldn't refute it. Even her inner self laughed. "Going in for the kill are you?"
Kurumu sent a smirk to her violet-haired duet partner, who returned the smirk just as ruefully. "He won't know what hit him."
V^^^V
The first thing Tsukune noticed when they returned was the wide grin on the charm mistress' face, the other was how flushed the vampiress was beside her, while the snow woman to her right was sporting a rather attractive smirk. They beckoning him over as they turned around to start walking to school, and fate would have it that one of the school's trademark winds just happened to blow by at that very moment.
The young vampire froze to the spot. Had he…seen something? No, it couldn't be, he thought with a relieved shrug, though his eyes strayed more than once to the curved backsides in front of him.
As was what usually happened, Fate wasn't about to let him off that easy.
Another breeze came through, and this time though the girls of the academy screamed as they held down their skirts, one young man happened to see three sets of undergarments, each identical to the ones they usually wore, but with one, large, difference.
The words 'Property of Tsukune Aono' were written on all three of them.
It just about became the first recorded case of Death By Nosebleed.
V^^^V
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Author's Notes: Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or just want to talk, send me a line. I wouldn't object to you filling in that review box either.
'Til next time!
Sabr