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 Frustrate A Vampire ^^V
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There were many different ways of falling asleep, but Kurumu Kurono decided her all-time favorite was passing out from pleasure. She hadn't thought it possible to get any better than that, but she found out she greatly enjoyed the waking process as well. When her eyes fluttered open to the most delicious aromas she had ever smelled teasing her senses, she would have been hard-pressed to think life could beat this experience any time soon. A soft, pleasantly cold body was pressed against her side, her room radiated the lingering fragrance of their intimacy, and now trying admirably to overpower it was the mouth-watering smell of a hot breakfast. Imagine her wonderment when it did in fact, get better.
Tsukune Aono, love of her life and destined mate, was walking towards where she and their blue-eyed lover lay in growing lucidity with a tray of steaming food. Her stomach gurgled noisily at the smell alone, but seeing her vampire lover in just his pants and an apron was an equally enticing second. A lazy smile traced over her lips as she pushed herself up to sit against the headboard of her bed, and that smile grew when her magnificently abused nether-regions made known their less-than-appreciative feelings on the matter.
How did Moka sit through class the next day? she thought offhandedly. If I had to sit on those hard wood desks I'd die! Not that she was complaining however, nothing could make her do that. She was so beautifully sore all over moving was the last thing she wanted to do, and to see Tsukune up and about already just made her shake her head. Vampires were truly fearsome creatures. With strength almost without equal and a regenerative capability so powerful immortality was well within their ability, put those traits in the bedroom and there was a combination capable of making a succubus faint.
Her own supernatural healing was nothing to scoff at, but compared to vampires most monsters were like humans in that regard. Just looking at the scars riddling his body was enough to make her wince, and to think he had endured all that while in a fragile human shell never failed to make her love for him grow. Now the weakest among them had taken his rightful place as one of the strongest, and it was her mission to help him be the best he could possibly be.
His mission on the other hand seemed to be making her want to strip him bare and have her way with him…again…because she had never been served breakfast in bed in her entire life. After last night—or possibly that morning already—she didn't know if her body was capable of it right then. Desire and means to do so were two very different things. As her covers held their precarious balance concealing her bust, Tsukune placed the tray on her lap, and Mizore hummed happily as she inhaled the aroma from over her partner's shoulder.
"That smells absolutely heavenly," the snow woman breathed contently as she draped herself over her best friend's side, and Tsukune smiled proudly before greeting them both with a soft kiss.
"I hope so; I had to fight off a fuzzy green thing in the corner of the fridge to get to that rice! I managed to salvage some leftover fish and some unused bacon; just fry it up with a bit of spice and some juice and you've got yourself a decent breakfast if I do say so myself."
Kurumu popped a morsel of the fried rice into her mouth and moaned openly when the flavor hit her tongue. It was still very hot, but that just made it even better. "Oh god, this is exactly what I need right now! This is how you start a day!"
"Glad to be of service," Tsukune replied, delight clear in his eyes. "Those lessons with Moka are really starting to pay off."
"In more ways than one," Mizore murmured hotly as a piece of bacon disappeared between her lips, and her lover's skin predictably darkened. The blunette beside her laughed as their young vampire went red, and grabbed one of the cups closest to her for a drink. Her parched throat rejoiced at the hydration being offered it at long last, and she didn't even notice the odd taste until it was almost completely gone. Seeing the look being directed his way, the former human smiled apologetically.
"Sorry if it tastes a little weird, I used a bit of an herbal capsule in the pitcher so I could have some too. I don't even notice it anymore, but I guess other people might."
"No biggie," she responded nonchalantly as she threw another clump of rice into her mouth and shivered in delight. "But what are you going to eat?" With a devilish smirk she lifted her chopsticks to her mouth, tauntingly displaying the new tuft of food balanced between her teeth. Tsukune only returned the smirk before he darted forward and kissed her just like the succubus wanted, and when he pulled away the smirk returned, only this time the rice was in his mouth. Their eyes were locked on him as he chewed and swallowed, and with a quick swipe of her drink he had washed it all down.
"I think I'll manage just fine."
Mizore nearly whimpered as she took in the scene, but settled on feeding him a piece of bacon and proceeding to fight his tongue for it in a rather exciting bout of dexterity. He gulped heavily even though she was the one that had gained the food, and her eyes remained on his for the entire time she took a sip of her juice, daring him to challenge her again. He was all too happy to take her up on that.
It went on like that until the entire meal Tsukune had brought them had been shared between the three lovers, and it was only then that Kurumu started noticing a very familiar heat building in her body. It had been growing steadily over the course of their dining, but this was something else entirely. This wasn't a low-burning fire steadily growing in strength, this was a flash-fire that was rapidly incinerating her every inhibition. Any remaining discomfort of her body was vanishing faster than she had thought possible, and she knew it was because of the all-consuming inferno making her body scream for its mate again.
With a look over at her violet-haired companion, she knew she was feeling something similar. Her eyes were nearly dazed, pupils blown wide, and the lust was practically palpable in the air around her. Her pale skin was visibly reddening, and her breathing was becoming increasingly heavier as she looked at her two lovers. Tsukune seemed to be feeling something as well, because he was shifting uncomfortably on his seat, looking very much like he was restraining himself from jumping back into bed.
"T-Tsukune…" Kurumu began hesitantly while eyeing their empty glasses with caution, "where did you find this juice?"
The male among them was tugging at the material of the apron like it was suddenly too constricting. He looked back at the kitchenette just to make sure, and knew something had to be wrong. "I-It was right up with all your other ingredients. Y-You had it labeled as a juice mix!"
There was a sinking feeling in his gut that things had taken an interesting turn, but whether that was for the better or worse remained to be seen. All he knew was his body was quickly tightening in a furious flame of desire, and his mind was fighting a losing battle. The sultry smile that formed on his lover's face when she gazed to where he had just looked made him gulp again, and her beautiful amethyst irises sparkled with mischief.
"That it is, Tsukune; that it is. I would recommend losing those pants though."
His heart was hammering against his ribs as the heat of his body grew. "Why?" he hissed huskily, and barely registered the fact that he was almost on top of her until her nimble fingers trailed up his chest, now inexplicably devoid of the apron previously on his person.
"Because you have about two minutes until Mizore and I rip them from you, and that's only if you don't do it first." He gasped when she gripped his engorged manhood through his jeans, and she giggled lustfully as she panted hot breaths against his ear. "And if you ask 'why' for that, well, you were the one that just fed us one of my most powerful aphrodisiacs."
Realization dawned just in time for him to remove the tray, and soon another thing was over her body, halting any escape—not like she was thinking of doing so however. Only this time it was him.
Now Mizore did whimper. "Meh, I didn't want to walk today anyways."
Kurumu merely laughed as she relinquished herself to the concoction's effects and her vampire's hot kisses down her neck. Cracking an eye open to look over at her friend and lover, she grinned sedately as she forced back the sounds of approval already pining for vocalization. Maybe she had made this particular mix a little too potent. Then again, that was why it had been her last resort had the previous day not worked out as marvelously as it had.
"Today? You're…mmmhm…underestimating me," she moaned distractedly. "W-When you get to feel what I'm—oh sweet mother of g~gah!—f-feeling…my bet's on tomorrow."
For some reason, the thought made her smile.
"That'll be the best reason I've ever had to skip school."
It was a good thing they had the day off, and even better that the charm was still in place. They wouldn't be leaving that room for a good long time.
V^^^V
In another room, one known to others as the residence of the most beautiful woman on campus, Moka Akashiya shot awake, sweaty and breathless. Gulping in glorious air and willing her pulse to slow, she almost screamed in frustration when she realized everything she had just experienced had been a dream. Choice words one would never expect to be uttered from her mouth were mumbled bitterly when the ensuing state of her bedding from such a nocturnal delusion was noticed, but the reason behind them was only because it hadn't been because of a reality.
Sure, she had had dreams before, but never had they been so vivid, so ripe with detail and sensation. Normally there was a sense of detachment that came with what the body knew wasn't really happening, but that dream, that dream had felt as if she was right there. Burning lips that left trails of ice on skin wet with desire, the fullness inside her as her body was plundered tirelessly, but most importantly, the overwhelming love she felt radiating in the atmosphere of the event itself. Electric awareness assaulted her from all sides, like there was more than one person there, warmly attending to every inch of her supersensitive flesh, and she could only cry for more as her body fell into a state of permanent bliss.
Names eluded her, faces blurred until even she couldn't tell who was making love to her, or if she was even the one being made love to in the first place. As the peaks of pleasure coursed higher, she didn't know if she could keep breathing, if she could keep up with the onslaught of her senses. Time had no bearing where she was; it could have been five minutes, it could have been five hours, but that made no difference. In that last moment of clarity, before the ever-climbing zenith was exceeded one final time and the dam of restraint was obliterated in an explosion of unprecedented relief, warm honey-brown eyes defined themselves from the background of obscurity. A soft smile she knew all too well accompanied it, unmistakable masculine pride shining from an expression she could barely make out, and then the world faded away as she was overcome.
Waking to the disappointment of a bed deprived of the one she wanted, the sheer frustration of knowing everything she had just gone through to be nothing more than the product of an extremely pent-up libido, was almost more than she could take. She had seen him, felt him around her, inside her, with her: her mate, her eternal partner…but in the end it had only been a dream. She was so stressed she could have cried!
Three weeks had been redefined from twenty-one days to infinity squared in her mind. Normally she was a very patient person, the picture of kindness and selflessness, but that only went so far apparently. After that, it would seem she would begin taking from her beloved inner self's personality, and would henceforth proceed to destroy any obstacle to what she craved without mercy. Just like the first time she had tasted his blood, after getting a sample of uninhibited passion between lovers united she began longing for every aspect of him. There was no compare to the fantasies of yesteryear, having experience to directly draw from made those fantasies so potent she could feel him move in her, taste the sweat of his skin, smell the raw lust pour from their bodies as they joined in perfect, wonderful carnality.
She wanted him! She wanted him and she had been forced to endure three weeks of celibacy! That wasn't the worst part of it either, and that was saying something. If she had it bad, little was left to the imagination of what would transpire should a certain sealed being be released. If she was irritated, there was no word that could aptly describe just how annoyed the vampire within was, and that was only compounded with the fact that though it was her body, she could do nothing to relieve the stress imprisoned as she was. What this meant, naturally, was a radical change in requests from her. Sealed she might be, but she could still experience things vicariously through her outer self's senses.
Right then the vampiress would have given anything for a few moments of privacy with her own body! Of course, her pink-haired counterpart was informed of this, frequently. Every few seconds actually, if she could. The pinkette began to pray for her to go to sleep, just so she could have some quiet. Since their thoughts were so much alike however, that was a feat in itself. They were so synchronized it was downright unsettling.
When I said we had all of eternity, I didn't mean for him to make us wait that long! the silver-haired beauty growled, and her outer self almost felt bad for her.
The words were no empty lies, there was real frustration mounting in her, as well as a few insecurities, as unlikely as that seemed. She just couldn't understand why he hadn't come to her again. She had seen the fire in his eyes more than once, had felt that humid tension in their lessons even more than that. She knew he wanted her, and she knew he had the backbone to initiate it. She even knew of the tension building between him and their other would-be lovers, and why he hadn't come to her because of that alone made her wonder. There should have been no need for him to look as strained as he had over the past few days, not when he had someone ready, and more than willing, to help him relieve it.
You're thinking into it too much again, her outer self scolded softly, and the pale-skinned goddess glared at her.
Like you haven't.
She had the good grace to look sheepish. I won't deny it. But it's Tsukune, and before that we had never done anything like that before either. Maybe he just doesn't know how to approach it again.
There's always pushing us to the nearest wall and—
Ura-chan!
There was a small moment of silence, during which the outer form of Moka Akashiya had the time to gulp quietly, before: When you can look me in the eye and say you haven't thought of it every time you're doing those 'cooking lessons,' maybe I'll let that one go.
Come on, Ura-chan, don't be like that, the emerald-eyed version of herself whined.
Like what? she countered instantly. Frustrated? Annoyed? Do you have any idea what it's like to be hot and bothered and not be able to do anything about it! No, you don't, so don't bother. With a deep inhalation to calm herself—which was strange when the fact she technically didn't have a physical presence was taken into account—she continued. That's beside the point right now though, and I think it's time we do something about it.
Like…what?
Inner Moka licked her lips hungrily. I think it's time we show Tsukune his place. Clearly we didn't get the message across well enough last time. I will not have my mate afraid to touch me, and it seems he's forgotten that.
There were no arguments there.
With a sigh of resignation, Moka went about readying a bath. She had to get cleaned up, and she had to clean her sheets now too.
She wouldn't accept the next time she had to do so being from anything other than a whole night of lovemaking with her mate. That was, if they even made it to the bed.
V^^^V
In the topmost level of the women's dormitory, bright pink eyes opened wide. Skin wet with perspiration and arousal stuck to her equally moist nightwear, and her chest heaved in the search for air as she recovered from what had to be the most intense dream she had ever had. Ruby might have been annoyed at the prospect of finding out her greatest wish had turned out to be a subconscious conjuration, but that would only be if she didn't know magic when she felt it. Her mind was already buzzing a mile a minute, her body jumped high on adrenaline and endorphins as she recovered from what had transpired in her and the possible implications of it.
That kind of dream manipulation was only capable by a few rare species of youkai, and only the most powerful among them could influence a dream to that extent. Complete and utter domination of the nervous system to the level of realism in unconsciousness was of the highest order in illusions and charms, for it involved a combination of both. It was also extremely dangerous, an enemy no monster would want to face, with the possible exception of vampires. The reason it was feared so terribly was because if the body believed it had died in the dream, it really would. Rules meant nothing in that realm, imagination was the only limitation. It could be used to bring untold pleasure, or unmitigated pain.
What was even more frightening in this scenario was it wasn't done intentionally. She would have known if she had been the target of a direct spell or magical influence. It felt more like a wave of power unknowingly synching minds into its hold, and a sleeping mind was more vulnerable than many people realized. If she was but a corollary victim in the unsuspecting use, that meant she likely wasn't the only effected. The staggering thing was just how real it felt.
To not only affect a mind with that kind of engineering, but many minds, was…difficult for even her to classify. While vampires were labeled as S-class, there was no true designation that could be drawn to the more powerful among them. Trying to appropriate the level of what was just done to the world of the arcane was like trying to compare a regular snow woman to Mizore's level of mastery. She wracked her brain, trying to figure out what kind of monster would be able to do something like that, but stilled when she remembered those eyes. She knew those eyes. She knew those eyes! She knew that smile!
The answer that came to mind instantly thereafter then was little surprise.
Kurumu! A succubus, of course! I…I can't believe she's made it to Nightwalker already! But…with the kind of bond Tsukune has with us, it probably wasn't too hard for her to instinctively seek out his essence. If she siphoned some of his energy, awakening like that would be anything but impossible.
She clutched a hand over her undulating heart, still reeling from the effects of the dream and the revelations afterward. It was moments like these that she hated being so magically sensitive, because anyone else would have thought they had just had a really, really nice dream.
Looking down on her bed, she groaned silently.
One that required a change in bedding.
V^^^V
Elsewhere in the dorm, a younger witch's eyes popped open, and she laughed blissfully.
"I think that'll last me a few years ~desu! I need to talk to Kurumu-san as soon as I can!"
Yukari Sendou had found the perfect way to wait until she was of age.
V^^^V
A terrified yelp was what heralded the awakening of another student, and unlike the others, who varied from disappointment, shock, and glee, this one held nothing but pure fear. Maybe it was because she had been making a conscious effort over the past two weeks to avoid a certain vampire; maybe it was because she had unsuccessfully tried to recreate that brain-numbing euphoria every day of those mentioned two weeks; it might have even been because she had been trying to forget that that brain-numbing euphoria had been brought on by him. Maybe it was a combination of the three, but whatever it was it had a more than adverse effect on her.
After a dream that had spawned the second most powerful orgasm of her life, a dream that she had been thoroughly enjoying right up until those beautiful topaz irises had appeared, she was in the worst conceivable mood. The one reason above all for that irritation, was she did not love him! She could respect his tenacity even in the face of insurmountable odds, admire his kindness even to the ones that deserved none, gape in disbelief at his continued accomplishments, and even admit that he had turned into quite a handsome man. If there was one thing she could not do, was say she was in love with him.
She was in deep, unadulterated lust with him. She took comfort in that fact, because she knew lust could fade over time, and love could indeed defeat it. She had no desire to compete with her older sister this time, but she could confess that she had an itch and he had proven surprisingly adept at scratching it, even in her own bloody dreams.
Maybe I can talk Onee-sama into sharing him with me? It was a crazy thought, but he had been driving her crazy ever since he had pushed her hormones into overdrive and now aroused her at the mere sight of his fangs. It was no mystery why she tried to avoid him then. At the very least she would need to convince him to keep drinking her blood, because she had no idea how else to keep the desire in check.
It didn't help that he was one of the only males she knew of that was more powerful than her. She had heard stories about the former student police leader, but he had already graduated before she had even started her enrollment at the school. After seeing his transfiguration though, and what he did after, including what had taken place between him and her beloved older sister, something had begun growing in the young woman. His bite had only proved to cement that.
Naturally, her primal instincts had therefore deduced that Tsukune Aono would make a wonderful bedmate. Her rational mind had recoiled in horror, and thus started a terrible war inside the redhead, one conflicted between continuing to sneer at him, or strip him of all his clothes.
She had been attracted to people before, of course, but it was always discarded easily when her pride deemed them insignificant. She had never dealt with anyone that even that would bow to, no matter how much she might deny it. It became completely impossible when her goal in life, her magnificent, unbeatable sister had surrendered her heart to him. That only made more problems for her though. She recognized his strength because of what he had done, but he was also considered untouchable because of her sister's claim on him.
Vampires may be considered morally loose in some senses, but only those willing to risk blood-feuds encroached on another vampire's mate without consent. While the term did have its weaknesses, seeing as some thought it more of a mutual attraction that lasted however many years it might over their infinite lifespan and could be ended whenever, and as such not binding, it still had its power when in place. Most didn't even bother, and children could and had been born without the title held. If vampires chose to be together they did, and when they didn't they didn't, it was really that simple. Exclusivity was something not many of them had a concept of, it was their way around the seriousness the elder eternals held for the marriage equivalent, regardless of what they thought on the matter. Nowadays only some chose to look for that one that they could stay with forever. Her sister was one of those few.
It almost made her sad she didn't actually love him, because she had seen how much he loved the others. She just didn't feel that way. That didn't stop her from wanting him to ravish her until she couldn't see straight, but that was purely physical desire and held none of the emotional attachment she knew was needed to found a relationship.
God, she really needed to get laid…or bitten. She was going so crazy she was actually starting to make sense!
Stripping her bed of its sheets and herself of her pajamas, Kokoa Shuzen replaced what she could before crawling back under the warm covers. All the thinking was giving her a headache, and she thought the best thing she could do was go back to sleep. It was a day off for a reason.
Little did she know about what had restarted in another dorm room.
V^^^V
Later on in the day, when even the most dilatory of the semi-conscious could drag themselves out of bed, the resident assistant to Youkai Academy's headmaster finally found an unused washing machine. It was partly her fault, since she had gone back to bed even after waking up, but she couldn't really be blamed. When she felt the magic start to tickle her awareness again she couldn't help but smile, and decided to use her well-earned downtime to catch-up on some sleep. The added bonus doing so would provide was simply the icing on the cake. Though, waking up a few hours later to another set of ruined sheets did kind of suck. That would have only bothered her had it not been so, so very worth it.
Waking up to feel the magic still wanting to affect her however, that threw her through a loop. Staying awake to have fantasies of every kind start hitting her was something she hadn't expected, but she probably shouldn't have been surprised. The pull on her mind was unexpectedly strong, and anyone else would have simply thought they were a bit preoccupied that particular day. It got to the point where she had to put a ward around herself just to hear her own thoughts, and to keep them from being found out any more than she already had, she buffed the weak charm she had taught Kurumu with a more encompassing one hidden discreetly on her door. It wouldn't do for the entire women's dorm to begin thinking they had become nymphomaniacs overnight.
The same could be said of her. If the visions of Tsukune doing unrepeatable things to her had been out of her skill to obstruct, she might have just broken in to join them before she put on the barrier.
Thankfully, just she and a select few others would be the only ones to fill in the blank face of their topaz-eyed mystery lover. She hoped.
A student came by then and checked one of the machines, and sure enough, what she pulled out were clean sheets. Clearly doing her best to keep a nonchalant appearance, she moved them into a dryer and walked away, giving the next person who would undoubtedly need one a washer. Ruby tried not to grin when she saw another student approach, but this one would be recognized anywhere. The pink hair gave her away. She stopped short upon seeing the elder witch, but apparently decided necessity outweighed possible discovery.
The aide had to admit, she was a very convincing actress, and did everything with a fluidity that made one unsure if they had indeed seen what they might have caught out of the corner of their eye. The washer was full before anyone was the wiser, and the vampire sighed in relief.
"I guess everyone decided to do their laundry today, huh?" she asked, with what was quite likely oblivious curiosity.
Ruby set her with a knowing look and decided to humor her. "What a coincidence, isn't it?"
The tone instantly set the younger woman on edge, and her eyes darted back to her hamper just in case she had accidentally left something out that might have given her elder some kind of clue. "Y-Yeah…you too?"
The thought was there to let the vampiress off easy, but that wouldn't be any fun. She knew better than anyone how the emerald-eyed eternal would react to having fantasies very much like what she had already experienced herself forced upon her, and from the amount of laundry she was doing, she couldn't have been far off. The poor girl must be going mad. If she knew what Kurumu did…
The vision of an unstoppable, angry, red-eyed bringer of death mercilessly beating the memory from undeserving students came to mind, and she winced mentally. No matter how much her beauty might be adored, Ruby had little doubt the unsealed vampiress would beat down the headmaster himself if she thought he had been privy to something only a few should know of.
What made her do it then she didn't know, but it happened anyway. "Me too, what? Do you mean did my dreams make me go cross-eyed too? I'll say I suspected when you told me you were behind the whole dorm thing, but I never could have guessed he could be so…wild. Hoped for, maybe, but that's it."
Not even Inner Moka in all her pale glory could hold a candle to how white her outer personality had just turned, but behind the blatant fear in her brilliant green eyes stood a very real fury. The witch's hand went to the staff slung behind her back for just a moment, but that was all the time it took for comprehension to light up those viridian orbs, more than likely helped along by the more knowledgeable source inside.
"Kurumu…"
Two words came to the mind of one Ruby Toujou. Ooooh…shit. "Listen, Moka, it's not as bad as it se—"
To her great surprise, the pink-haired vampire started laughing. She laughed until tears sprouted, and she wiped at them half-heartedly before breaking out again. "I can't believe—she finally built up—the nerve to—oh god! Oh—just—oh god!"
Backing away slowly seemed like a prudent course of action, but instead the ebony-tressed masochist chose to start laughing with her. She had found it funny from the beginning, so it wasn't like she was forcing herself to laugh in the first place. At least the school newspaper wouldn't need to be adding an obituary section.
When the laughter turned to giggles and eventually subsided completely, Ruby felt much safer than she had before. "One of these days you'll have to tell me how you know so much."
Moka smiled as she stretched with a happy sigh, but when she regarded the other woman again the look on her face was nothing like how she sounded. Instead of dodging the question, she took the opportunity to trust. The answer that followed was like a bucket of ice water, instantly sobering any merriment that might have been left. "Before she…I…was sealed and allowed to look for my mother in the human world, I was still a pure-blood vampire in my father's house. Strength was only one part of the expectations we had to deal with. Vampires are naturally more gifted than other monsters, but we still have to train those abilities. Even the most powerful vampire will only get so far relying on base talent alone. We had to be the best, there was no other choice for us…her. I may have come later, when she was sealed, but the memories of our childhood are still clear to me, just without the fade of the rosary. It's weird sometimes because we're so different, but it's even weirder because we're so alike."
"You did what you had to," her friend responded sagely as she rubbed her shoulder to reassure the troubled teen. "And look where you are because of it. Everything happens for a reason, even if we don't understand it at the time."
"Like a human coming to an all-monster school?" the pinkette asked with a wry smirk.
Ruby laughed again. "Especially that."
That sobered look came back to the sealed being, and her green eyes darkened in memory as she chewed her lower lip between her teeth. Emotions of every kind played their way over her vibrant irises, but the one hinted behind them all was fear, and a far deeper one than simply a fear for physical wellbeing. This was the fear that reeked uncertainty, that told the story of a, quite literal, eternal loneliness. "I can't imagine what would have happened if I hadn't met him that day, in fact, I don't even want to think about it! I might have given up, maybe even…gone back to my father. I wouldn't know this…this feeling of being in love, of being truly loved. Without Tsukune, I'd go back to being a bitter vampire, and I know now all the conditions of my rosary were meant to either seal my power away forever, or return me to my original state. I wasn't supposed to find someone like Tsukune, who could release my true self without harming the rosary. It was supposed to be one or the other: sealed and powerless or powerful and bitter, and if I had never met Tsukune, I'd go back to being another of my father's pawns."
"You can't know that."
"But I can," she replied sadly. "If I had never met Tsukune, I'd never have met any of you, and even if I did, we probably wouldn't have become friends. It was a last gamble on my part; coming to the human world I mean, you know? I needed something that would show me the world wasn't hopeless, that it wasn't better off manipulated by us. We wanted a reason not to hate humans, the people our mother hid among.
"We were so close to losing hope too; that was the reason we enrolled in Youkai Academy in the first place, since human schools were a nightmare. It's the one time I've ever appreciated irony. On the first day of our new life at a monster-only school, I found a human kinder than anything I had ever met. In the place I was going to to run away from the fear and hatred of humans, I met the one that would give me the reason I needed to see the good in them."
The one who would give me the reason to open my heart to another…and teach me what it's like to experience unconditional love… her inner self murmured softly, and her hands sought out that precious place over her ghostly chest.
Moka repeated the line just as tenderly as her unsealed self had whispered it, and the smile on her face changed from one haunted by the past to one pleased by the present. Joy found its way into her voice, and sadness was nowhere to be found. In hope the darkness of times gone was brightened, and the expression she wore displayed that for all to see. "Now we're not alone. Tsukune has taught us more about love than I've ever received from my parents, and now we have a new family. If I had never met Tsukune, none of that would have happened."
Being the recipient of the vulnerability shown her made Ruby's eyes sparkle with happy tears. "Kinda amazing how thinking about the future makes you think about the past, huh?"
"You got that right," the vampiress admitted with a wide grin. "Plus, it was one of the only ways I could keep myself from running to Tsukune's room and locking the door, Rei-chan or not!"
The witch burst out laughing at the confession, more than happy the suffocating atmosphere of moments earlier had disappeared. "Well, one of those problems is gone now. Rei-chan will be living in Paradise until further notice, but on the other hand you wouldn't have found Tsukune in his room."
She waved a hand dismissively. "Minor detail."
The frank tone caught Ruby off-guard. "You're…not kidding, are you?"
The emerald-eyed vampire smiled in an altogether voracious way, extended fangs and everything, and surprisingly enough the look actually suited the normally kind personality. If that same look had been done by her inner equivalent, the results would have been far more dramatic, regardless of whom it had been set upon. "Who knows?"
The façade was broken when she winked playfully, and the two started laughing again.
It was at that moment something occurred to them.
"Hey…where's Mizore?"
There are some questions better left unanswered.
V^^^V
The unknowing subject of another's query was in fact nestled against her lover's broad chest as they gasped for breath like there was no tomorrow.
"Wow."
A sweaty mop of blue hair appeared over his other side to look at her, and the succubus smiled widely. "I know, right?"
Tsukune—conflicted between absolute hysteria, limitless pride, and sheer terror—almost groaned. "There goes your damage deposit."
Kurumu giggled as she traced her sharp nails over his impressive abdomen. "Nah, I'm pretty sure it was close to breaking before, right Mizore?" she asked suggestively, and the snow woman smirked as she held a hand to her chin in mock-contemplation.
"That sounds about right. Perfectly natural it give out. Maybe it was made from the same wood as the dorm?"
Her duet partner laughed outright, and even Tsukune chuckled at the reference.
"At least it can't get any more broken than it already is."
A violet eyebrow rose. "Can I test that theory?"
The former human grinned wickedly as he flipped himself over her, and the now broken bed-frame creaked in protest.
.
V^^^V
.
Darkness had fallen and given way to light, and so it was that Tsukune awoke in his own bed to the sound of his blaring alarm. His entire body felt like lead as he swung out wildly to silence the annoyance, and that was even with his advanced regeneration. He had made it back to his room late in the evening the day before, because as much as he would have liked to simply fall asleep next to them when Kurumu's concoction wore off—many hours later—he didn't want to risk another early morning escape. At the time he had felt fine, but he should have known there would be repercussions for pushing his body far past what it was meant to go, especially sealed as he was.
Oh man, Kurumu should really put warning labels on those things, he thought as he literally pushed himself upright to sit over the side of the bed. He scratched at his long mess of hair idly while his cognitive processes rebooted, and noted soon after that he was in desperate need of a bath. Even a human nose would be able to pick up on his activities quite clearly, and that definitely wasn't something he wanted.
Afterwards he felt infinitely better than what he had, but school beckoned. It felt strange to not greet Rei before he left down the path, but he was reminded of where she was when he looked up and noticed the roof was vacant of its usual occupant. The separation wasn't something he was used to, but it was only temporary. It was comforting in a way, and terrifying in another, mostly because he knew why it was only temporary. It wouldn't ruin his day, nothing could do that after the day he had yesterday—and the night before that yet— but then it got better.
Moka was already at the fork in the road waiting for him when he arrived, and she offered him a small smile before claiming her first kiss of the day. "Good morning, Tsukune."
"With a hello like that, it certainly is," he replied light-heartedly with a lazy grin, still slightly sluggish from everything that had happened. Relishing her carefree laughter as she wound her free arm into his was something he could always do however. Make no mistake, his body was still horribly sore, but he knew it would get easier after he had fed. That in mind, he hoped he would be able to find Ruby before the bell rang, because if he was feeling this sore, only God could know how Kurumu and Mizore were faring. Of course, he had been wrong before, but on this he was pretty certain.
Jerking his head to the side, his neck finally cracked with a satisfying pop, and he sighed in relief. That had been the one stiff joint that hadn't been calmed by the hot bath he had taken. The other vampire looked at him strangely as he rubbed his neck with his typical smile in place, and barely resisted the wince hearing the sound had almost brought about.
"Rough night?"
He chuckled. "The opposite, actually; I slept like a rock. It was the getting up in the morning that was rough."
The barest trace of a knowing smile pulled at her lips. "Rough day, then?"
Ever her Tsukune, he nearly sputtered, but that was only nearly. She was impressed with how much control over himself he had gained over the years. "Y-You could say that."
It was a nice effort, but the stutter gave him away. Well, that and what had been dubbed 'the dream' over the course of the whole night the day before. "Don't tell me Kurumu tired you out?"
He almost walked right into a tree. "H-Huh?"
"During training," she clarified innocently. "She must have really worked you over if you were that tired."
That she did, he thought impishly, then I got her back, then Mizore got her back, then they got me back… Momentarily lost in his memories, he completely missed the way Moka's knowing smirk widened when she twirled away from him. Ruby was going to be upset she had teased him without her, but she wasn't about to let such a beautiful opening slide. Besides, she had lots of pent-up frustration to deal with; if she wanted to hold out any longer she needed some kind of outlet.
"I'd bet you gave as good as you got though, ne?"
His mind reeled for a response to the seemingly naïve question, but only managed a hardly articulate choking sound.
"You've always been like that. If the pressure builds, when push comes to shove you'll always be on top of the matter!"
Tsukune forgot how to breathe.
"Yeah you might hesitate at first, but when things get hard you'll get right into the center of it!"
"Stop," he rasped hoarsely. "I get it, I get it: you know. Geez, you could give the headmaster a run for his money with those lines…"
Thank you, Ruby! the green-eyed youth mentally cheered. He didn't have to know it was the headmaster's aide that had helped her think up some of them. It felt nice to be able to casually address every one of her friends, and that too Tsukune could take credit for. She knew he wouldn't, but it was because of him that it had started.
"Before you kill me, I'd like to remind you that you were the one who told me about the whole vampire morality thing in the first place." He wasn't going to deny it, that made no sense. The least he could do was resign himself to whatever unfortunate fate was about to befall him.
Surprise of surprises, his goddess giggled brightly. "Of course I know that, and I'm definitely not going to kill you. You're so much better to me alive, thank you." Sauntering back up to him slowly and dragging a manicured fingernail up his jaw, her green eyes sparkled when she saw his Adam's apple bob. Generally such an action would be something more suited to the elegant vampiress within, but she had held back for far too long. It was time to set up a reprieve. Her normally cheerful voice dropped two whole octaves as she whispered, "I'm not going to tell you what I will do, but if you're going to forget your place, I am going to show it to you again."
He gulped raggedly. Now that he thought about it, he had been dealing with tension of all kinds for the past three weeks, but the recurring thought that was just voicing itself again noted that so had she. He hadn't really been the best mate in that regard. He hadn't ever seen Moka pushed so far though either, and this new seductive side of her outer personality was very enticing.
"Yes, ma'am," he croaked, and just like that she was back to normal.
"There! Now that that's done with, let's keep going. Don't want to be late for school after all!"
They did as she suggested, but there was something nagging at him that he eventually had to vocalize. "Should I even bother asking how you found out?"
The knowing grin of earlier turned into a full-fledged beaming smile. "You know in the human legends of succubae they seduce men in their dreams?" He nodded mutely, scarlet painted on his cheeks. "That started because of their charm and illusion abilities. If they're used together, the illusion will make the mind think something has happened to it, and the charm will force the body to react likewise. Let's just say they weren't known to use pain when given the choice. When you're sleeping the effect is even greater 'cause the mind is more vulnerable."
"Sounds incredible," her brown-haired mate marvelled quietly, "but what does that have to do with anything?"
"Basically, Kurumu hijacked our dreams and made us feel everything she was feeling."
He had never frozen so quickly, not even with Mizore's help. "O-Our?"
Being on the other end of the teasing was too much fun, and Moka would admit that to anyone who asked. "I never would have known if Ruby hadn't recognized it."
Tsukune fainted immediately.
An amused apparition looked on as she shook her head. Well, he's getting better at least. Before he would have fainted straightaway when you started suggesting we knew something, Inner Moka stated smugly.
True enough. He does need to wake up though; we need to get to school. Something came to mind, and she smirked. "I'm thirsty anyways."
The bite to his neck did certainly wake him up.
V^^^V
Thanks to finding Ruby just before class started, Tsukune did feel much better, and for some reason the thought was there that the short time they had been able to spend together was a blessing. She had a look in her eye that wasn't entirely pleasant, one that spoke of some kind of discomfort in the future, usually at his expense. Thank goodness the bell had rung before anything could come of it.
Walking into class, the girls were gossiping together like they usually did, but this time more than a few were sporting colourful cheeks. Some were even talking to men in the class, much to their obvious delight, and embarrassment in some cases. Moreover, one couple was rather heatedly making out in one of the corners of the room, and when the teacher walked in and they pulled apart, it was the male that was visibly dazed. Tsukune nearly chuckled at that. He knew very well what a woman in love was capable of, and a frustrated woman more so.
Roll call proceeded as normal, but there were two noticeable absences from the senior class, ones that had Tsukune fighting to hold off the dumb grin just itching to crawl over his face. At the head of the class, Shizuka was scratching the side of her head with her pencil as she looked over the list again.
"That's weird. Shirayuki-san hasn't missed a class in a long time, and Kurono-san too?" she muttered more to her herself than the rest of the class, and once more the urge to grin hit Tsukune. He had been right after all. "Oh well, everyone gets sick! If a day in bed is what they need, that's okay!" she finished with her usual cheerful flair, and one former human was now holding a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing too hard.
If only you knew, Sensei, he thought maniacally, and to his horror a short burst of air broke from his pursed lips.
Obviously, the teacher's attention was soon on the red-faced teen. "Are you okay, Aono-kun?"
It took everything he had to strangle off his laughter and straighten his lips under his hand to face her regularly. "Of…of course, Sensei. W-Why do you ask?"
"You look a bit flushed. Could you have what Shirayuki-san and Kurono-san have?" she asked innocently, and Tsukune very nearly started vibrating in place he was trying so hard not to laugh.
Swallowing as deeply as he could, he put on his best poker face, which did little to hide the mirth brightening his eyes. "M-Maybe. I am a bit…achy, b-but I heal faster than them, s-so it's always…p-possible."
That seemed to appease to cat demon, and she smiled merrily. "Who knows how sick vampires can even get, if they can at all! I'm disappointed they're missing the first day of reviews, but you're friends with them, right? Will you go check up on them and bring them what they missed?"
He allowed the smallest bit of the restrained smile to break through. "I think I can do that."
She clapped happily. "Excellent! Maybe you'll be class manager again this year too!"
All color suddenly drained from his face.
As class picked up, one student's gaze was still fixed on the sealed vampire. Was she not invisible to all but one, many would have seen her prideful smirk. So, teamed up on you, did they? That would explain why the dream felt like there was more than one person there. I'll give you the day to recover, lover, but I'm going to make sure you tire me out more than both of them combined. After all, only a vampiress can keep up with a vampire.
Tsukune tried to ignore the foreboding, surprisingly pleasant shiver that ran up his spine.
Elsewhere, two sleeping bodies sneezed.
V^^^V
With the end of the school day came another problem, one that was currently on her way to find a certain weakling. She had a predicament of her own, and she had made it her goal that today would be the day he would help her rectify it, one way or another. She would gladly give up a pinch of blood to feel that again, so she could only hope he was thirsty. Unlike herself and her sister, he didn't have a reserve supply of blood-packs should the need be too overwhelming, so he had to rely on the health of his friends for his sustenance. Surely he wouldn't be too hesitant to accept another willing donor, would he?
With summer vacation fast approaching, she knew they would soon be gathering in the evenings for the studying sessions they had taken to practicing together. This left a few choices for her: before school, which wasn't possible because of her sister's habits and his usual sources at that time; lunch time, which was ruled out because of the populace often around then; and after school, which was perfect because then he would be feeling better for the rest of the day and she would have the opportunity to properly bask in the euphoric delirium his bites would leave her with. She just had to make sure she didn't faint again.
Like typical, she found him in the Newspaper Club's headquarters, but unlike typical he was alone. While no reason immediately came to mind, she couldn't help but thank her lucky stars she had managed to come at such an opportune moment. The kid was hardly ever by himself. He was working away on one of the computers, probably on an article for the paper, and he jumped when the door clicked close.
"Jeez, Kokoa-san, you almost gave me a heart attack!" he exclaimed. An audible sigh of relief came as he loosed the hand clutching said heart, and her chest tightened when he smiled innocently at her. "Come to do some last-minute adjustments to your column?"
"No, idiot," she replied mockingly, but there was none of her usual malice in it. "My column's perfect, as always, and by the way, vampires don't have heart attacks. Kinda defeat the purpose, wouldn't ya say?"
He laughed tentatively at the amusement in her tone, and scratched his jaw in embarrassment. "Sorry. I guess I still have a lot to learn, don't I?"
She eyed him critically before giving a derisive snort, hoping desperately her charade wasn't being seen through. "Y-You've got the important parts down, I'll give you that. A little more confidence couldn't hurt though."
The elder vampire's face reddened. "I'll try."
"So where's your scaled clip-on? You're usually never out of her sight."
"Rei-chan's been moved to Paradise for now. The headmaster thought it would be a good idea for her to get back in touch with her instincts, and she'll have more food there."
Kokoa nodded approvingly. "Sounds like something you could use."
His eyes darkened while a dry smile formed on his lips. "You're not the first one to say that."
Though confused at the reaction, the vindicated smile back was deserved. "Great minds think alike! Who said it before?"
The question seemingly shook him out of something, and when he grinned next it was probably meant as disarming, but she could tell it was defensive. He had always been a terrible liar. "No one; forget I said that."
She sighed. The guy couldn't lie to save his life, but I guess that does have a certain charm to it too. Inspiration must have hit him, because his eyes lit up in a way that told her he had figured out something.
"If you're not here for your column then, why are you here?"
Smooth recovery; he's actually getting better, she thought appreciatively, but outwardly said, "Nothing really, I just thought I'd walk around for a while. Force of habit. I heard the duo wasn't in school today, how you holding up?"
His face scrunched up as he tried to figure out what she meant, and she almost thought he looked cute before she strangled the notion. "Oh! You mean for blood! I was able to find Ruby before school started, but I should probably have supper soon if you get what I mean."
She chuckled calmly, but inside she was practically jumping up and down. She didn't even need to think of an excuse! "W-Well, since I'm here anyways…I c-could always give you some of mine." Her faux-haughty demeanour nearly shattered when he looked at her sceptically, and now she did scramble for an excuse. "I-I told you before d-didn't I? Disgrace my race or Onee-sama and I'll kill you! Staying healthy is part of that!"
He flinched back instinctively. "S-Sorry, it was just a shock, that's all. This is the longest you've talked to me since I bit you the first time. To be honest, I thought you'd rather kill me than let me do it again!"
It was her turn to look sheepish, and the faintest of blushes momentarily covered her cheeks. If you only knew… True to Kokoa logic however, her hair-trigger temper flared to hide her discomfort. "D-Do you want me to bite you first or something so you'll feel better?!"
An eyebrow quirked curiously, but he made no move to disprove the query. "If you want; it feels weird to be given so much without expecting anything in return. At least the headmaster's honest about it! I don't suck Moka's blood too often unless I can restock quickly, because she usually needs some then too. If you want some every now and then, I can't really say no, now can I? If you're nice enough to give me blood, I should do the same, shouldn't I?"
His selfless thought-process was tremendously confusing…and slightly pointless if she was being blunt, but she knew the importance the act held. Just to know the offer was there was honouring in itself. Suddenly hesitant, she walked forward shakily until she was right in front of him, and his smell made both her fangs and her thighs throb.
"Are you sure?"
He smiled another of his carefree grins, and her chest constricted again. "Sure. What's a little blood between friends?"
She pushed the words out of her mind as she sunk her teeth into his neck, and almost instantly her every nerve sparked to life. His blood…there was no way to describe the taste. She had never taken directly from the source before, but she knew no other could compare to this. It was hot, bubbling with life and unknowable power. This was more than she could have ever expected. It was positively addicting. Is this what the blood of a Tested tastes like?
She had to have more.
"Kokoa-chan…" Tsukune groaned weakly when he felt her dig into his flesh harder than before. He could feel himself weakening, almost alarmingly so. His fingers were losing feeling, and even his sight was darkening, but she showed no signs of stopping. "Kokoa…chan…!" Summoning the last of his strength, he shoved his fangs into the nearest available piece of her skin, and the shock made her let him go right away. As she shook in the sudden influx of pleasure, Tsukune greedily took back what he needed to live. Maybe it was because he had more experience taking from people personally, but he was able to stop when he knew he had taken enough and she wouldn't be harmed by it.
They were both gasping when he pushed her away, for different reasons admittedly, and Kokoa looked rightfully terrified when she realized what had almost happened. "Tsukune, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"Stop," he interrupted as he wiped his now sweaty forehead. "It's okay. You're not used to it, I get that. No harm no foul. Maybe next time we'll have to have a witness just in case, hey?"
How the idiot could still sound so kind and understanding when she had almost taken his very life before his eyes was beyond her, and though the pleasure had been just as wonderful as she had remembered it, how she had gotten it left a bitter taste in her mouth. She had meant to give him a reason to bite her back, not make it a life-or-death scenario! She didn't even want to think of what her sister would have done to her had she accidentally done so.
"Let's do that," she agreed sullenly, more disgusted with herself than anything as she walked to the door. She had never felt bad about drinking blood before, but she couldn't believe what she had almost done to her sister.
"Kokoa-chan?" His voice stopped her just as her hand was on the doorknob, and unwillingly she looked back at him. To her surprise, he was smiling. "Remember what I said: don't worry about it. You'll just hurt yourself if you do, believe me. The same thing's happened to me."
As much as she wanted to snarl insults back at him, she knew he wasn't lying about that. His concern was actually touching, and she found herself smiling back at him. "Don't worry about me, idiot… One of these days that kindness of yours is gonna come back to haunt you."
As she left the room, she honestly believed that.
V^^^V
The day passed uneventfully after that for the most part, and though Moka had been planning to only let him recover for a day, complications involving a certain catty teacher and an impossible deadline had worn out any ideas she might have had. Mizore and Kurumu had come back with little fanfare, or as little fanfare as was possible for them. The succubus had been practically radiating sexuality; more so than usual, which was no small feat.
Her fan-club had literally fallen over themselves trying to get pictures, and the vampiress knew her friend had come into one of the other known powers of succubae. Many had forgotten it, but it had once been well-known that with a strong enough mate they could siphon excess energy through a physical connection, and being sealed Tsukune was nothing but an abundance of surplus youki with no way to access it. She more than likely didn't even have any idea of what she had done, but what was certain was the violet-eyed illusionist had taken a place amongst nearly the highest ranking of her race.
Of course, succubae could also siphon energy regardless of how strong their lover was, but they were creatures of pleasure, not pain—unless provoked, naturally. Only the more twisted of their race took from those not able to give. It was a sad fact that during the warring eras they took what they could get, even if it meant taking from unsuspecting humans, which gave them their legends among them.
Regardless, she knew the black and white duet would only be better because of it, and that was a good omen. It wasn't like she was about to let them have all the fun. She had made sure that tonight Tsukune would be coming for a cooking lesson, and it seemed her promise of showing him his place again had slipped his mind. Needless to say, she had everything but cooking in mind. She was already dressed in her comfy flannel pyjamas to greet him, and when he was lulled into a false sense of security she would show him the even more comfortable silk nightgown she had on underneath.
She couldn't wait to see the look on his face.
A knock on the door forced her out of her thoughts, and she looked over at her clock in confusion. There was still plenty of time until their predetermined rendezvous; she wasn't ready yet! Cursing that the dorm rooms didn't have peepholes to see who was at the door, she called out, "Just a second, I'll be right there!"
The horrible sound of wood giving way tore the air, and Moka Akashiya's blood ran cold when she looked to where her door had been so savagely ripped. Red eyes looked back at her, and she could see the dull gray hair on top of the man's head. He wasn't dressed like a student of the academy, instead like a runway model, and he wore no seal that she could see. What scared her most was it was most assuredly not Tsukune.
"I'm happy to make your acquaintance at long last, Moka Shuzen. Your father sends his regards."
She was sure her heart stopped beating. "Tsukune!"
V^^^V
That call passed through the room, out the entrance, and into the forest, and though it had long since died by the time it would have reached the men's dormitory, the plant life thought dead wasn't about to let this cry go unheard. They knew it belonged to someone special to one of the few left that could hear their voice, the one vampire that happened to be attuned to nature itself. It amplified the weak resonance in his blood until he heard that terrified cry like he had been standing right outside her door, and his eyes jerked to the direction of the scream.
"Moka!"
He didn't know what had happened, all he knew was she needed him.
He wasn't about to let her down.
V^^^V
.
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