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!
Warning: mild lemon content.
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V^^ Responsibility ^^V
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Alexander Valentine would be the first to admit that he wasn't the best fighter there was, or even the best fighter he knew of in his limited existence. He would be the first to announce he had much to learn about the world around him, and definitely the first to say that—as much as he may kick and scream otherwise—he respected the accomplishments of his brother. To be perfectly blunt in fact, he envied them. Vincent was charming, calm, and frightfully capable, even in the midst of battle. To his younger brother, those traits were only acknowledged beyond refute by his mate, a vampiress lauded for her strength, beauty and sheer presence. Evangeline had been nigh unapproachable, and those that did were often received with a haughty smirk and raised fist. None had ever walked away under their own power after she was done with them, and it was clear she had been playing more than anything else.
He had seen his brother's infatuation with her, and at the time, pitied him. He had only been a child back then, but even he understood what happened to people that messed with her. Only, that wasn't the way things worked out. Vincent had waited. He trained, he fought, he did everything he could that he might have ever thought had the slightest probability of improving his chances. To this day, Alexander wasn't sure he knew everything his brother had done before finally risking himself before her, and she…she had simply offered him her hand and inclined her head. Her smirk had still been in place naturally, but her eyes smoldered with mirth and, more importantly, desire. It was a look Alexander had only come to recognize later on in life. He didn't know how long after that—where, or even if for that matter—they had fought, but for a vampiress like her to recognize Vincent…he knew his brother was more powerful than he had ever thought.
He had chosen a different path. After all, he had rationalized, along with most his age, I've got all the time in the world to find someone. Now's the time for some fun.
As he lay in the plush bed that had been commandeered for his recovery, his chest and shoulder swathed in bandages and another damnable intravenous in his immobile arm, Alexander Valentine had never regretted that decision so much. He had taken pride in his appearance, as he had every right to do, and had never rejected the advances of an attractive female beguiled, either knowingly or not, during any of his many escapades. Sometimes things had gone smoothly, as they were using him as much as he was using them, but sometimes…sometimes there came the cases when they said those blasted three words and begged him to stay. It was always harder if they had been together more than once, if he had thought them worth the time to impress more than he already had. Harder in the sense that they fought harder to keep him from leaving, not that it was any harder for him to do the leaving. He had never felt anything but lust for them, so even lovers seemed too intimate a title.
Now, now Alexander regretted every face he ever left behind, every face that had tearfully asked why, and every face filled with untold pain as they said those terrible words that should never have been uttered towards someone like him. Back then, he had thought he deserved the words simply for his being with them, as if he had every right to be despite not showing anything of the sort to them. Confronted with pain beyond his wildest imagination, he now knew what each of those faces had been going through, and just what exactly he had done.
His good hand placed itself over the unseen wound as he stared at the ceiling. While his body hurt terribly, nowhere so much as his heart. He knew he loved his family, that was a given, but what he had felt, even vicariously, was so strong, so pure, so desperate that he knew the repercussions of rejection would be enormous. To actually feel that rejection was a completely different matter.
He had fallen out of consciousness soon after the servants had administered the second dose of much-needed blood, and even then he dreamt of the pain.
"'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all," he quoted mockingly. What a load of crap.
He had felt love, and lost that love, only through a forced experience, but even that taste had left such an impression he knew he would never forget it. He would never, could never, look at Tsukune Aono the same way again. To have endured through that, bore that pain, and continued on until he did reach the love he so desired…Alexander could do no less than offer his complete respect. Pain like that couldn't be faked, pain like that had to be experienced, just like he had said afterwards.
And what had he, in all his brilliance, done? He had threatened that, and with his threatening had opened the seal on Pandora's Box. It was only a matter of time before what had happened reached the right ears, and when it did, not only would his failure be brought to light, but also Moka's renewed 'eligibility.'
He was a monster. An S-class, super monster of the worst proportions, and he didn't mean vampire either. A broken heart could be healed, eventually, but until then it hurt with a force unlike anything he had ever known. He knew, thanks to all those faces that looked just like he felt, that he had caused this same pain more than once, and he had tried again, the latest through an attempt to destroy a love that had been forged through that pain and more.
Alexander Valentine had never been more disgusted with himself.
Willing himself up, he fought the phantom spasms and snatched the blood-bag from its hook before downing it himself. His shoulder still hurt something fierce, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. It was healing rapidly; if Tsukune could work through pain harsher than that, so could he. After fashioning a makeshift sling to support his limp arm, Alex hobbled his way out the door and through the halls of their huge manor.
At one time, most of the vampires of the country had been in one mansion, but the sense against that idea won out in the end. Now they got together regularly, but didn't stay under the same roof. Things could end very badly for them if they were ever discovered, or if something happened. It was better for them to stay scattered. They all had significant wealth, so it wasn't like they were abandoning any luxury. The Valentine manor easily showed that.
Entire wings had been devoted to certain members, so as to give the illusion of independence in a shared environment. Vincent and Evangeline had their own, as did he, and finally their parents. Even the servants each held their own quarters amongst the many rooms, and wanted for nothing when they weren't working. The main foyer and surrounding halls were a shared area that held the illustrious dining room used for family meals, as well as a ballroom as extravagant as any royalty's that could be used for gatherings. There were still other Valentines alive, but those outside their mother's immediate family held their own homes.
Where he was heading was the last wing, the one that had been solely equipped to deal with the continuation of their skills. Every conceivable piece of equipment from all kinds of cultures and countries could be found somewhere within the huge expanse of rooms and floors, from a fencing field in one room to a fully-equipped firing range in another. No piece of physical development was left unchecked; they were vampires, they were to be the best. It was a rare case when noise wasn't heard coming from some part of the training wing, for far from refuse, they encouraged those hired as servants to better themselves constantly; as a matter of fact, they rewarded it. Being a vampire's servant could be seen as a mark of honor in some circles.
If someone was using a room, Alexander didn't notice it. For the first time in his life he was focused, wholly and completely. Stretching his sore muscles, and ignoring the pain most of them transmitted, he worked into the routine he knew as well as his own name. Vincent overshadowed him greatly in skill, but most of that had to do with his advanced age; Alexander too had been training to use the Cerberus weapons that were the Valentine trademark. He had never given too much thought to his coming-of-age test that would cement his position among their bearers, but now that was all that was on his mind. It was as much mental as it was physical; if his mother deemed him ready he could try early, just as if she thought him lacking he would have to wait. The former seemed farfetched when even Vincent had gotten his pride handed to him on a platter when he underwent the final test of skill Isabella administered herself, but there was no time for thoughts like that.
His arrogance had decided he would simply return to Youkai Academy after a month in traction and easily defeat the little boy who had only gotten lucky before. With no Moka to save him he was as good as dead, especially when Vincent had all but unknowingly offered his services. What a fool he'd been. Tsukune Aono clearly hadn't spent the month bedridden like he had; no, he had done exactly what Vincent had for Evangeline. He didn't know what he did to train, but he had come back more powerful than ever, with a resolve so iron-clad even a Cerberus' flame fell short of scratching it. That train of thought was only kept as a reminder; his mind still ached whenever he tried to delve deeper into what the student might have kept hidden, and became debilitating if he focused on it too long. It served its purpose though.
No longer would that arrogance blind him to the ability of an opponent. There was no 'superiority' before battle, only after would that be decided. He had gone to the academy with the thought that no one could best him simply because he was a vampire, and not only had a boy nearly defeated him the first time, those he had thought 'zeroes' had wiped the floor with him the second time! Even Vincent had admitted to the expertise of the black and white duet, and that was not something to take lightly. Making a mistake like that against opponents that weren't inclined to have mercy was a mistake he wouldn't live to make twice.
So Alexander trained, he trained harder than he ever had before, with the silent resolution in the heart that had come to know pain to continue until he stood worthy of the pride he had once held…and maybe, just maybe…worthy of the pride of another.
Never again would he be responsible for a face filled with agony, unless it was an enemy.
Never again would he rush into things blindly; strength without strategy was useless.
It felt…good…to be able to make those confessions to himself. As he sat in a heap on the ground, sweating profusely and gulping in his every breath, he was able to smile. Just a small, victorious smile, yet it felt like the first one he had truly earned in years.
"Alexander?"
His back went rigid in an instant. He only knew of one person with a voice such as the one that addressed him. The low, aristocratic clap of foreign nobility in a timbre borne from power, privilege, and pride at having earned them, could only come from the one woman he would always fear. His mother.
He flinched then, without her even saying anything more. He had disgraced their family, and he would have to own up to it. It was all he could do, and more importantly, all he would now allow himself to do. Against his body's protests, he pushed himself to his feet so he could at least stand before her. He expected it to be the last time he would be able to so in the foreseeable future after all.
Isabella Valentine was an imposing figure of a woman, let alone a vampiress. Centuries old, and yet her face had lost none of the youth of her earlier years, more akin to one in their late twenties than one whom had watched over a hundred pass the world by. Hair white as snow fell down her face in a cropped cut that rarely left both eyes visible, which under the seal of a small silver rosary nestled between her generous cleavage had been turned the most fierce of blue. With her frequent forays into the human world to monitor their businesses, she felt most comfortable with her oppressive power sealed, not like that did anything to hinder the potency of her glares. An obviously customized fencing leotard showed all of her impressive curves, and just as impressive height, and once again Alexander felt three years old in front of her.
"I'm here, Mother," he responded respectfully.
There was no way to miss the way her eyes lingered on his wounded arm before finally turning back to his, and he swallowed as lightly as he could.
"Seldom do I inquire as to your whereabouts; you are a grown man and I respect that. However, I would know where you've been for the past month, or I will be most…displeased." The one eye uncovered narrowed as she said that, and Alexander hung his head.
So he told her. Everything. What he had done, what had happened, what he had decided, and everything in-between. By the time he was finished he was on his knees and didn't dare look at her for fear of what he would see in her eyes. It wouldn't have been the first time she had looked at him with disappointment, and of all the times he knew he deserved it now.
His head jerked up in shock when he felt a hand grip his shoulder fondly. His mother, Isabella Valentine, was on one knee down with him, and smiling.
"You may have lost us Lord Shuzen's favor, but it was you who gained the chance by offering to go when Vincent refused, even though you knew of the power his daughter held. You may have been overconfident because of her seal, but you still went back knowing she could be released. You may have lost not once, but twice, and yet I consider all of that worth little compared to the lessons you have learned. Know this, my son: if you gained nothing but those and lost our entire fortune, it would be money well spent in my mind. Wealth can be regained, honor can be restored, but no amount of either can buy what I see in you now. I'm proud of you."
Those four words rooted Alexander to the spot. It's been…so long since she's said that to me… He said the only thing he could in response. "Why?"
She just smiled wider. "What you have felt is the weight of responsibility. You've seen with your own eyes and felt with your own heart the consequences of your actions, and that is something every immortal can only learn on their own. Consider yourself fortunate of the avenue it took; myself and your brother learned it the hard way."
Just the thought made him pale. "There's a harder way?"
Isabella nodded. "You have never been to war."
The words hung in the air long after they were spoken. Such a simple statement, yet with such profound implications. "You know, back when Vincent's namesake still walked the earth, a vampire didn't have to go far to find the bloodshed they sought. When the warring years began, a vampire was in their element. We have the power to crush cities should we so desire, but all that Vincent wrote of during his days as the protector of that village so long ago, was that he had never felt more fulfilled than when he finished a battle, and turned around to see those tiny buildings still standing behind him. He was no saint, he had bathed in the blood of his enemies for many years, and yet the simple act of guarding those lesser beings brought him a sense of purpose he had been lacking in the bloodlust.
"When you have troops under your command, immortality suddenly becomes something it never was before: fragile. To rush into the lines of the enemy with swords held high and the rush of ecstasy burning your blood…such glamour is for storybooks. I won't lie to you, Alexander, I have killed, so has your brother, and I would be foolish to think you haven't…other monsters at the very least. You realize quickly why we vampires are set above the rest. There is no feeling comparable to the surge of lifeblood flowing into you from a downed foe, ripping their life from them as it still beats in their chest, but I can tell you this: there is also no feeling like seeing a man or woman you have talked with, lived with, and fought with, being felled beside you.
"Some vampires wouldn't care if it wasn't another vampire—other beings are below them after all—but it is often those that fail to realize we are not invulnerable." He winced as she said that, and he knew she saw it. She had probably been expecting it. Seemingly unruffled, the vampiress went on to say, "We can live forever, theoretically, but there are still things that can bring our existence to an end. It can be such a lonely existence too if we refuse to see the good others can bring, and what disappears when they do. Would a world ruled by vampires have seen the surface of the moon? Would we have taken the fleeting seconds of this immortal journey to arrange the tautness of simple string into an instrument capable of music? If we went on, and on, and on, we might eventually wipe out every other race on the planet to sate our destructive tendencies, but then what would be left for us? By that time, would we settle down? Make towns? Prosper? No, I have a feeling that if we dominated this Earth we would soon turn on each other, just as the humans do so repetitively. If we never questioned the call of our instincts, we could rule the world, but it would be a world of ash.
"You have been given a gift I had to see death for: experience, but without experience. You've seen the heart of another and now know that the only thing making them different from you is something neither of you had any control over. It could very well have been you born with a lesser lifespan and modest abilities; you could have even been human, and they would still feel the same way you're capable of feeling. Our natural disposition is a difficult thing to overcome, but it's not impossible. It's what has made the Valentines different for generations, and that started with the first Vincent. The Cerberus weapons have been wielded by us for hundreds of years, but without the understanding of how they were made they are just another tool of destruction. The only reason they were forged was because one vampire protected a small town with everything he had, and because of that, a human blacksmith peerless among his class, worked years of his short life to make what we now take for granted. Make no mistake, even if they were made of something other than demon, they would still be weapons without equal, and some have never been recreated since. The blacksmith did all of that just to show how thankful they were for his protection. Could Vincent have done that on his own? The simple answer is no, not unless he took the time to learn, and how could he have done that if he had destroyed the town when he first came upon it?"
Alexander honestly didn't know. It was an easy truth to swallow after what he had been through. It made him all the more thankful for having gone through it in the first place. He understood now, he could truly say he understood.
"Your father and I have been together for many decades now, and I love him more than my life," she continued, "but there was a time, long, long ago," she chuckled, "when I was your age as well. Promiscuity was looked down on then compared to the freedom the world now boasts of, but you're only young and stupid once, now aren't you?" He couldn't help but laugh at her wry remark. "Women weren't normally welcome in the human army, but wherever there is war, you'll find at least one vampire. To humans back then, a woman was laughable in war, which made me even more dangerous, and my commander—my vampire commander—was all too happy to use their stupidity to our advantage. There would be no recognition; officially none of us existed at all in any war effort. We were Black Ops before the word even existed. So there I was: young, foolish, and on my own with a squad of other youkai with the same taste for blood."
She sighed heavily, and while he did know it, her son was still a bit startled by how much age suddenly showed in her youthful sapphire eyes. "I won't say I fell in love, but until you're there, you can't know the loneliness of the battlefield. I started caring for them a great deal more than I should have, one in particular, and even though he wasn't a vampire and I had no intention of staying with him…nature took its course." Alexander cringed appropriately. Even if he could admit his mother was an attractive woman—which went to reason then that others would find her even more attractive—there were some things no child wanted to hear, no matter how old they were. Isabella just chuckled again. "Quiet, you. As is the way of war, we fought, and eventually…he died. They all did, because of a stupid mistake I made. Simply because of what I am, I'm the only one that survived. Did that mean I was greater than them? No, all it meant was I was different. I killed every one of our ambushers in a haze of fury I'll never forget, but it brought me no satisfaction. If you had succeeded in killing Moka Shuzen's blood-mate…do you know what would have happened?"
Alex nodded somberly. "She told me herself. I can't see any other possibility now, but even hypothetically, what was supposed to be would never have been. Even though I'm like her, I would have killed a part of her. Losing that…the pain…"
"It's something that stays with you always," his mother agreed. "It doesn't matter what you are, wounds of the heart hurt the same. Everything has consequences, and we're long-lived enough that sometimes we even get to see how those consequences play out. If one vampire hadn't thought to give up his days of needless bloodshed and protect a small town that unknowingly held a master blacksmith, we wouldn't have the weapons that set our family apart. If I hadn't lost my team, I wouldn't have seen just how terrible war is. If you hadn't gone back to the school with only your brother, who knows how much longer it would have taken you to recognize love? Who even knows if you would still be alive? So many different variables, and just one small choice could change how everything works out."
It was a heavy weight to bear. He had figured out much of it on his own as he worked ceaselessly through his conditioning that day, but to hear it put so plainly, and realistically, in front of him made for a healthy dose of appreciation for his circumstances. Just one choice made by the one who had them at his mercy, and both he and Vincent wouldn't be alive. He had known it, but it was still humbling.
Isabella took that break to stand. "So I suppose the choice you face now is, what are you going to do?"
She watched with pride as her son's shoulders squared, as his lips tightened and he brought himself back to his feet. For the first time she saw his posture not full of self-importance in his heritage or his family, instead firmed with resolution all his own. Determination, not arrogance. It filled her with joy. He had left a month earlier a conceited little boy, and come back a young man. She would have to remember to thank this 'Aono' child should they ever meet. The name sounded familiar for some reason too, like she had heard it mentioned before…but that couldn't be. She shrugged it off.
The red gaze that met hers was unwavering as he put his good hand over his heart, probably unconsciously. "You know the answer to that."
Isabella Valentine smirked triumphantly. "Then rest for now. Drink, heal, and prepare yourself."
"For what?" he asked in sudden confusion.
Her smirk widened dangerously. "For me. Your desire for strength is genuine, and I intend to help you as much as I'm able." She nearly burst out laughing at the look that overtook his face.
"B-B-But not even Vincent—"
"Your brother took longer to come to the same realization, and he came to terms with it in his own way," she interrupted. "Plus, he had not slacked as you have, chasing skirts. His focus was clear. Now so is yours, and you don't know how much time you might have until that strength is needed."
"B-But…"
This time she simply turned away and began walking to the door, but just before she exited, she turned back one last time. There was no playfulness in the hooded expression, but perhaps the slightest bit of maternal concern hidden under the cold ruthlessness of things to come.
"And Alexander…there is one other reason. From the second you fell to your knees, you were ready in my eyes."
Silence resumed, and the vampiress shifted gracefully out of the room.
It took a long while for the man left there to regain movement, and strangely, he felt no elation, only a sense of indifferent foreboding that bordered on fear.
He was ready, but no one could ever truly be ready to face the tender mercies of Isabella 'Ivy' Valentine.
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V^^^V
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So far, Tsukune's day could have gone better.
He had woken up surrounded by his still-slumbering family, and in one case quite literally surrounded, as Rei had chosen to curl up around their circle in her true form, which would probably never fail to awe him. That part hadn't been so bad, admittedly. He may have succumbed to a cliché moment and simply sat there, watching his family's faces as they slept, but clichés existed for a reason. He wasn't exactly surprised that he had fallen asleep outdoors, but that they had all joined him was a very pleasant one to wake up to.
His heart may have turned to goo when that clichéd part of him decided he should kiss Moka's nose, and her peaceful expression had momentarily scrunched up into one of the most adorable things there had to be. He made sure to give a tender good-morning greeting to the silver artifact resting under her chin on her pillow too, and he was positive the eye-like jewel set in its center had stared at him like a piece of meat the entire time afterwards, as he repeated the action with every one of the sleeping young women, careful not to wake them of course. Kokoa had been absent, but then again, that didn't really surprise him. Actually, that part of the day hadn't been so bad either.
A warm bath wasn't something he had been deprived of in Paradise, what with the pool and Rei's fire, but the shampoo and conditioner, on the other hand, was something else entirely. Another whole month that had gone by without a haircut, and no decent way to keep that hair clean other than water, made him very thankful for the modern conveniences. He would still need to go back there at least once to pick up the bedding, books, and homework that had been left behind in the mad rush, but on all other visits he could now bring whatever he wanted. He was looking forward to that, as he knew exactly what he wanted to do the next time before his friends saw it.
As for his hair, it didn't look that bad now that it was properly clean, and he had eagerly changed into one of the outfits Mizore and Kurumu had picked out for him on their shopping trip. He had thought it would feel good to be back in appropriate clothing, and yet he found himself yearning for the barefoot, shirtless style the second he was back out in the heat of the growing day. He was pretty close considering his shoes had been destroyed in Paradise, leaving him with only flip-flop sandals for his feet.
That was when things had started going downhill, and did they ever take a plunge.
From there, he knew he had to go see the headmaster to check in his return, which was a bad thing in and of itself. Not that the headmaster was a bad person, quite the opposite in fact, if a tad—a lot—creepy. Every time they met up however, he knew his life was going to become more complicated. True to form, it had, oh had it ever. That one thing was enough to thoroughly ruin the good day that had been building, even. It was going to get worse too, because they would be having another meeting sometime in the future to iron out the details, and another meeting meant more complications. Not like his year had been anything but already; just par for the course after the first two.
Thinking back to the scene he had awoken to, he couldn't really say those complications hadn't been worth it.
So there he was, trying to hide the plastic-covered suit as he dashed back to his room. There would be enough problems when he had to show it off when school resumed, he didn't need it wrecking what remained of his summer vacation. Mercifully, that prayer was answered and his day was spared of getting any worse because of it. He had even gotten replacements for his ruined shoes with the new apparel, and for free, since it was a school-appointed position! It was almost enough to balance out everything else that had happened during the meeting.
Naturally, the thirst chose that moment to voice its disapproval of him not seeking out the first source of warm blood the second he awoke, like he had been doing all summer so far. That thought of hunger was what reminded him that the others might have woken up by then, and the thought of breakfast inevitably brought to mind what they would want. He blanched.
He had been away. From Moka. For a whole. Month.
Moka. Had gone without his blood. For a whole. MONTH.
This isn't going to end well, he thought with a grimace. It was hard to keep the grin off his face though.
It was just too good to be home.
V^^^V
Those that had never left had talked long into the night with the one still conscious that had, and so they all awoke later than usual. Well, most of them. Combining that with what they had gone through the day before, the majority was in no hurry to get up as it was. Sadly, sunlight demanded their release from the sandman's embrace, and there were no curtains to block the dastardly device from its mission. As eyes blearily opened to the new day, one thing quickly gained their attention.
Tsukune was awake. Not only that, but Tsukune was washed, clothed, and currently pinned under a very amorous snow woman as a clearly amused dark-skinned teen looked on. 'Pinned' might not have been the best term, for that would imply he was trying to escape, and his hands were doing anything but, much to the violet-haired youkai's most vocal approval.
Jealousy was actually the last thing on Moka Akashiya's mind when she woke up to that. As she was, she really didn't care, just so long as she wasn't ignored after! A pink eyebrow was raised inquisitively at the only familiar of the current group, and Rei grinned impishly.
"Yes, they woke me up as well. Truthfully, I do not know if they were even aware of my return to this body. To be clear, 'twas my intention to inform them should any garments appear to be loosening."
Moka blushed then, as did the two so immersed in each other's lips they hadn't noticed the large shadow that had once covered them was gone. They parted reluctantly, and even from afar the look on Mizore's face wasn't hard to decipher. It was the same lust they all had bottled up, after all. That didn't hinder the smugness amply shown at her start to the summer morning. Tsukune shifted uncomfortably at the looks sent his way. The 'piece of meat' feeling from earlier had returned with a vengeance.
"Um…good morning?" he started hesitantly.
If he was being totally honest with himself, he had expected to be tackled. It wouldn't have been the first time. That wasn't what happened. Moka shimmied out of her sleeping bag, stood up clad in only a very comfortable pair of sweatpants and an old shirt, and then calmly walked over until she was right in front of him. Maybe it wouldn't have looked so intimidating had he not been sitting down—and still suffering from the physical repercussions of Mizore's none-too-innocent ministrations—but he doubted that would have made any difference. She took noticeable delight in his discomfort, and ever so slowly knelt down to his level, where she stuck her nose into the juncture of his neck and shoulder with barely restrained need. He shivered as her breath caressed his skin and she inhaled his natural scent longingly, totally immersed in what she had desperately missed. Her fangs traced the soft flesh in her favorite spot and earned a low moan from the man under her, while the others present tried with varying levels of success to hide the effects that sound had on them.
Hardly audible, she whimpered, "Please, Tsukune?"
At that moment, she could have asked him to strip naked in front of the whole school and he would have done it.
Since his voice was currently inoperable, his consent was given with a nod of his head, whereupon she eagerly dug her lengthened canines into her lover's neck. The sharp sting he had been without the whole month earlier garnered another noise from his throat, the one he had previously been forced to stop himself from making after their first night together, for obvious reasons. The time apart had made those reasons unclear, and once again the rest of the group shifted in place.
Fingers clawed in fertile ground, muscles tightened, fangs grew impatient. The thirst didn't want to give blood, it was demanding it back. Inflamed senses breathed in the pheromone-heavy perspiration beading on his blood-mate's skin as she drank him in, and his whole body ached for her. With her practically straddling him now, Moka felt that acutely. There was no embarrassment as she pulled away, and wouldn't be, because she wanted him like that for her. Or rather, she just wanted him. Seeing his full fangs exposed when she looked at him sent a thrill through her, but then she remembered what she had just done, and likely what he hadn't.
Luckily, Mizore was just as quick on the uptake. Steadying him by his side, one of the loose shoulders of her sweater rolled away as if it knew what she was thinking. "I'm here, Tsukune. Take what you need."
The ice maiden didn't know if the length of time since she had last been bitten had made her more sensitive than normal, or if he had just not bothered to control the potency; whatever the case, she shuddered violently against him when he took her offer. If she ever tried to describe what it felt like, it would actually be pretty self-explanatory. It was like a month's worth of pent-up desire released itself all at once and she was helpless to do anything but enjoy it. She was just glad she hadn't showered that day yet. Walking there might be a problem though.
When he was done she smiled lazily and rolled her gaze to Moka. "Okay, I'm tide over for now."
There was no misinterpreting what that was meant to convey.
"Hey!" Kurumu pouted as she pasted herself to Tsukune's unoccupied side. "I'm not! Are you still thirsty, Tsukune?"
He didn't dignify that with a verbal response.
She did though. Quite loudly.
Out of mind but not out of sight, still watching with rapt attention, a small witch was muttering curses as once again the succubus failed to control herself and transformed in her very apparent bliss. While she understood the fact that she was way too young to be safely bitten like Tsukune needed, and way too young to revel in the act most people would associate with the products of his bites, that didn't change the other fact that she was very much a pubescent teenager whose hormones occupied a large percentage of her growing body. For now, she could only look on in envy. Her comfort was in the knowledge that that would change in due course. Another comfort revealed itself when the only other person in their group who looked her age sat down beside her.
"It looks rather…enjoyable, does it not?" Rei murmured quietly, and Yukari froze. Upon closer examination, the telltale signs were all there in the other girl's eyes, right down to the repressed curiosity she knew was in her own. She could have cried she was so happy.
"Oh finally ~desu! Someone that knows my pain!" she rejoiced as she hugged the disguised dragon with glee. Strangely enough, no one turned to them at the exclamations, though to be fair they were pretty preoccupied. The young witch stopped when something occurred to her. "Wait, I don't get it. Tsukune drinks your blood all the time, why don't you just let him bite you?"
Dark cheeks became that much darker. "'Tis true that Tsukki frequently partakes of what I proffer…however…this body…'tis…'tis not yet ready for the acts it so desires. I should not even be thinking about such things yet but…it burns within me." She sighed, and in a demonstration of remarkable self-control, with it went the frustration mounting in her body. "Until the time comes when I can safely act upon those impulses, 'tis better for me to make the initial wound."
"Dang, that sucks ~desu!"
Rei smirked at the line. "Indeed it does."
"So I guess that means we're both in the same boat then, huh?" Yukari wondered aloud as she sat back and watched the succubus not-so-subtly enjoy her Destined One's bite.
"'Twould appear so. I believe the phrase is, 'misery loves company?'"
The witch's laughter finally succeeded in drawing the attention of the others, mostly because Kurumu had been released and was now recovering on the ground.
"I think we missed something," Ruby stated in bewilderment.
From where she had fallen, the blue-haired vision of sexuality mumbled, "Whatever it was, it was so worth it."
Both younger members shared a look between them and smiled innocently, which was enough to warrant Tsukune's concern.
"Oh no, don't you start that with me. I know that look! That look is nothing good!" He had come to know one of its cousins very well over his time in Paradise, and it was and always would be associated with pain. More specifically: his pain. The pure smiles only broadened, and the former human slumped in defeat. "I just know this is gonna come back to bite me; I don't know how, and I don't know when, but I just know it."
Moka seemed to take offense to that, and slithered back against him sensually. "I'll have you know that's my job," she whispered huskily, and Tsukune shivered.
"You're really not helping me right now."
Her replying grin was completely unapologetic, as was the grope to the growing bulge under her. Only his superior reflexes allowed him to muffle the resulting groan into her shoulder. Really, he should have remembered he was dealing with sexually frustrated Moka, not his usual mild-mannered mate. For some—easily identifiable—reason that didn't bother him one bit. That may have been helped by the heady scents of Mizore and Kurumu that were strong to the point of suffocating, not to mention Moka's own. Her smile told him she knew that.
"Would you like me to move then, Tsukune?" she asked as her hot breath hit his ear. She knew what would happen if she did, and she knew he knew what would happen if she did.
The inhuman rumble that spawned from his chest made her, and the others within earshot, tremble with longing, and the air in her lungs lumped in her throat when he pushed her down firmly into his lap. Those honey-brown eyes she had come to love burned with the same yearning that had been in hers for weeks, and had the setting been different there was no doubt in her mind that they would both be in significantly less amounts of clothing in very little time.
Only when they managed to pull their eyes away from each other were they able to notice the others had already left, likely to get cleaned up for breakfast, and more likely to give the vampiress some much needed time with her blood-mate. Both felt blood rushing to their faces when they saw that even the sleeping bags had been picked up and they were none the wiser to anything.
"Your room or mine?" Tsukune asked at last.
Grabbing his hand, Moka all but dragged her lover the short distance to the women's dorm.
V^^^V
The door had barely been shut and locked before the Blood Sage found himself pushed against the nearest wall as lithe hands crawled under his shirt and warm lips pressed forcefully to his. Her nails bit into his chest as he grabbed the back of her neck to pull her closer, not that she needed the encouragement, and she moaned approvingly into his mouth. With practiced ease he turned his head to the side to grant deeper passage and she eagerly copied the action, which began the heated tangle of tongues and teeth as they clashed together with increasing force.
Only the slightest pause for breath allowed her to grip his shirt properly, and before he knew what had happened she had pulled the article over his head and away from them, where she quickly took advantage of the extra skin newly visible. One of her legs curled around his as she leaned up into him to further deepen the kiss, not to mention the very welcome friction her slight motions gave to their nether-regions.
Her smile was decidedly lustful as she stared into the burning amber irises of her lover. "Is that a stake in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"
A playful growl was her only warning before she was pushed to the opposite wall and attacked much like she had him, but her mind was on a mission, and she was not about to be swayed from it.
Tsukune blinked when he felt his pants pool around his feet. He spared only a second to flicker his eyes downwards, and grinned roguishly at the proud smirk on Moka's face. "You have five seconds," he warned dangerously.
She pouted innocently before dragging her tongue up his throat in what could hardly be interpreted as anything if not sexual. "Five seconds to what, lover?"
Not one second later was she trapped between his body and the wall, with the proof of his arousal pressing into the wet spot growing on her sweats. "Five seconds to do whatever you need to while I draw a silencing ward. Just you, me, and nothing to stop us from being as loud as we want."
The vampiress shuddered just at the imagery. "I'll hold you to that."
His laugh was low and husky, breathed past vocal chords choked with testosterone and need. "Rei had me memorize everything Ruby gave me in that book. I'll admit, at first I didn't understand the uses for the ward circles in the back, but now…"
Perspiration beaded down her skin as she panted deep breaths, every one only bringing in more of the airborne intoxicants coming from their bodies. "Ruby taught them to us too," she wheezed brokenly as she desperately tried to stop herself from damning the consequences and taking him right there, soundproofing or not. "Chalk's on the desk. You have five seconds."
They broke apart in a mad dash, one for the desk, the other for the fridge. Moka was eternally grateful for Ruby's foresight in the contraceptive department, because even though it was unlikely, it was still a possibility she'd rather not risk right then. The vial was downed in short order and she was kicking away her sweatpants when strong arms wrapped around her from behind and sharp teeth began teasing her nape. Those by themselves had her impatiently grinding back into him, more so when she quickly discovered his boxers had gone missing. The knowledge that there was a very naked Tsukune Aono behind her, and thus out of her view, was more than enough incentive for her to break the hold, as much as she was enjoying it. It was simply a bonus that the change was also more comfortable for her, because while she was extremely proud of her long hair, it severely restricted her head's mobility when it was trapped between two bodies. Right then, moving her head was very important to the young vampiress, as shown when she proceeded to devour her lover's mouth with all the control she was known for in her desire for his blood.
In a word: none.
Hands groped wildly, bodies rubbed with abandon; the smell of Moka's musk was all Tsukune's nose could focus on, the sheer urgency of her wanting snapped at every one of his vampiric instincts. It had happened once before and ended with little fuss, mostly due to the circumstances at the time, and true, this time it was self-inflicted restrictions that had gotten in the way of any form of relief, but Tsukune had never denied the frustration spawned from being away from his blood-mate for any extended juncture, nor would he deny his awareness of the same thing the rest of his family would experience, said blood-mate included. He could practically feel the tension in her muscles, but for the first time he also felt mild trepidation as those muscles defined themselves on her body with every undulation of her stomach. Now the tone of her beautiful curves was every bit her own, and not just the result of what her personality sealed.
He could tell from the moment he arrived back that she had been involved in the fighting—not like it wouldn't have been instantly noticeable from her injuries—but with that was Alexander's condition, and from that he had been able to surmise Moka and Kokoa had put up one hell of a fight. It was difficult to associate Outer Moka with physical violence, but then again, she seemed to have no trouble in her current act of assaulting him. Not like he was complaining, or ever would.
Her thin, seemingly delicate fingers dug into his sides with force enough to shatter stone if he was making any guesses, reckless in her quest to gain purchase for further contact. One strong leg had wrapped around his waist while the other balanced skillfully on the floor, where she used the combination to great effect in spurring their arousals. He could feel her moist heat against him but as they were anything further was impossible, and it was driving them insane.
Moka cooed lustfully as her lover's hands encompassed the toned flesh of her backside, and gasped when he lifted her careful stance easily from the ground, supporting her fully with his arms and pressing her harder into his erection. His strength was nothing to scoff at even sealed. The normally kind woman developed many colorful words to describe the thin barrier of cotton still covering her right then.
"Bed?" he asked hungrily as his eyes darted to the object in question.
The pink-haired goddess wasn't willing to wait that long. "Here."
She gave a disappointed whine when he set her back down on the floor, an excited whimper when her undergarments were tossed down roughly, and finally a long, drawn-out moan when they were against the nearest wall and united physically once again.
"I missed you! I missed you so much!" It was clear in her tone she wasn't just talking about their intimacy, but that didn't stop her from grinding as hard as she could into him, swaying her hips in a manner that showed just how much control over her body she had, and doing very interesting things to where they were joined. Tsukune took over soon after that, cementing his grip on her hips and conceding to her incoherent mumbles of "more."
The young man was entranced by the way her body moved under him. How her head lolled from side to side in reverent bliss only to stiffen and hiss when he hit a particularly sensitive spot; how her shirt clung to the swell of her breasts as it dampened with sweat; how her thighs trembled as she locked her ankles at the small of his back, entreating him deeper within her. When her eyes weren't closed to savor the satisfaction, orbs of the darkest forest green gazed with heated approbation into his very soul from behind candy colored bangs. Her fangs were on full display as her teeth clenched and stomach fluttered, and all too soon the anticipation that had been building her up to a hair-trigger snapped.
As the glorious heat reached its crescendo a shudder ran through her entire body, from the bottom of her toes to the very tips of her extraordinarily long hair, of that she was sure. She was almost embarrassed at how quickly it had happened, but with their bouts of lovemaking being the definition of few and far between, which was to be expected in a relationship as new as theirs, she simply hadn't been able to hold herself back. It had been over a month since she had last felt her one and only blood-mate. From the way the muscles in his shoulders were tensing, she knew it wouldn't be that far of a stretch to think he had just barely managed to hold off his own. The look in his eyes though made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, and her raging libido gained an unneeded, but most welcome boost.
"Now the bed," she teased, and giggled when he complied, with her still supported by him and still very connected. A contented hum rumbled in her throat as they fell to the bed, embedding him even deeper than he had been before, but she was far from sated. Twirling her hips unexpectedly, her grip on his waist forced him to his back as she sat on top of him proudly, reveling in what the motions had done to her sensitive womanhood. A negligent toss rid her of her sweat-soaked shirt and just as easily her bra, and she licked her lips as she felt him throb inside her. To know how badly he wanted her was like a drug to her system, and there was no need to deny that part of her more carnal nature.
"And now, lover, it's my turn to take care of you."
Needless to say, what a vampiress wants, a vampiress gets.
V^^^V
The conversation elsewhere was on that very same topic.
"So none of you are upset that Moka got him first?" Yukari asked in honest curiosity.
They were all seated outside in the school's courtyard, enjoying the labors of the cafeteria's cooks and the blossoming summer day. Now that they were all showered and changed—with the exception of Rei—everyone seemed to be in good spirits, despite the two missing from their ranks. The young witch's question earned shrugs from those it was directed at.
"Why would we be? It's not like we let him go without at least getting something to remember him by," Kurumu stated smugly, and a smile played on Mizore's lips.
"And it's not like it's because he cares any less about any of us," the snow woman added. "You may have seen the good parts, but I had actually been up a lot longer than all of you. Tsukune…he kissed me good morning when he noticed I was awake, and just hugged me when I crawled into his lap. We talked…just sat and talked and watched the rest of you sleep. Did you know how hard it was for him to stay in Paradise, especially after Ruby left?" They glowed at the thought, while the headmaster's aide blushed prettily. "Did you know he had nightmares about not being here when it mattered?" Their glow paled dramatically, and when they looked to Rei she only nodded somberly. She remembered those nights well. "I'm sure I could have snuck him away for some time alone, but I couldn't bring myself to stop snuggling. One thing led to another…" she trailed off as red dusted itself on her pale skin, but recovered soon enough. "…a-and soon you're all awake, but what happened before was just between us. He loves us, plain and simple."
"Plus, Moka's had to go a month without his blood, which had been her primary source of food beforehand. With the new steps in our relationships, both her bloodlust and her regular lust have all been directed at the same person. Not a good thing to go without cold turkey," Ruby said with a wince, one shared by everyone else present.
"Yeah, so getting his blood after so long would be the last straw when it came to her restraint," the succubus acknowledged factually. The others stared at her. "Aw com'on guys, I'm a succubus! Vampires aren't the only ones that crave something! I just don't need mine to live…though I wasn't about to give him up without getting a bite first."
Now they were all beet red, much to Kurumu's amusement.
Yukari recovered first, and true to form, had the other chief concern on her mind since her curiosity had been sated in regards to her vampires. "Anyways, now that the immediate threat has passed, what should we do for the rest of our vacation?"
The coral-eyed masochist thought about that for a moment. "Well, we'll need to keep up with our lessons, right?" she asked with a look over to their self-appointed trainers, who nodded. "Now that time's not so pressing, we can work on some of the less important ideas we had earlier, and now we have foci to work with too!" The two witches shivered in unrestrained glee.
"And, now that Tsukune's back we can actually enjoy some of it! Maybe see what he was up to in Paradise!" the sapphire-haired beauty exclaimed happily, and Rei seemed inordinately pleased with the idea.
"I would love to show my treasures my cave," she offered graciously.
"On that note, we haven't discussed where you're going to be staying while you're here, Rei," Ruby noted. "Are you planning on sleeping there and coming here in the morning? Or maybe after classes end for the day?"
The dragon snorted contemptuously. "Surely you jest! My place is with Tsukki. I will have to return to eat properly, of that I have no illusions about, but with the ability to take this form my place is here."
"Hmm, I guess I could handle a roommate. I've been housing five others in my room for the past month, having one full-time couldn't be that bad."
She cocked her head to the side inquisitively. "Of what do you speak? As I just said, my place is with Tsukki. We are no strangers to sleeping together."
That set off a whole lot of choking.
"Rei," the oldest witch coughed as she wiped away the spit juice from her chin, "what exactly do you mean by that?"
"What else would I mean? We are quite comfortable falling to sleep together. He is a most…exquisite source of heat," she finished with a fond smile. The collective breath of relief confused her mightily. "Did I misspeak?"
"No, no you didn't, Rei," the ice maiden consoled quickly as she patted the girl on the back. "Let's just say…our minds weren't in any position to take that the way they should have."
The dark skin of the teenager's features scrunched up in bewilderment. "Which begs the question of what other way there is to take it."
Only profound willpower kept them from laughing until their sides hurt, though the effort did gain them faces the most intriguing shade of vermilion.
It was Kurumu who broke first, expelling all her held-back air in huge guffaws while she pounded her fist on the table. "Oh God I…I just…just can't take it! That was priceless! Let me put it to you this way: our minds are in the collective gutter, and when you said 'sleeping together,' we heard, 'doing things on a bed that generally involve a healthy lack of all things clothing.'"
Watching the dragon's ensuing atomic blush and stuttering denials missing much of what makes a sentence coherent was highly entertaining for everyone involved, except for Rei herself, naturally.
"You do realize how easily I could shed these two articles in his presence, do you not?" Or how often I have done so? As if Tsukki would be anything but honorable; pshh.
Their laughter turned into horrified stares, but not for the reason she thought.
"Do you mean to tell me…you've been wearing that ratty get-up…for the past…entire…month?" the illusionist asked darkly.
"Admittedly, they looked much better when I was first given them. They have suited their purpose admirably however, as did Tsukki's."
When the state of Tsukune's clothes upon his return came to mind, they could only be thankful Rei's had survived as relatively unscathed as they had. Nonetheless, such a travesty could not be allowed to continue, not as long as there was a fashion-conscious succubus around!
"That's it, first stop today: Mononoke Arcade! We get to go on a shopping trip!"
Despite the enthusiasm around her, silver eyes just stared back blankly. "You do realize that for the better part of this year my body will be in a constant state of growth?" she deadpanned. "'Twas to my understanding clothing of the kind you suggest requires definite dimensions; you would merely be wasting resources."
The look of shattered hope would have been comical had her desire to help not been honest. It was still pretty funny.
Rei patted her shoulder in what she hoped was a comforting manner. "Now might be inappropriate, however you have my word that when my body stabilizes we shall have that trip."
She had to hold back the chill that went down her spine at the sudden gleam in her friends' eyes.
That promise in place, Kurumu rubbed her hands together maniacally. "You do know what that means though, right?"
And while all of her instincts were screaming at her—back away slowly, make no sudden movements! They can smell fear!—she found herself saying, "…No?"
"Well…you're about Yukari's size now, and it shouldn't take you long to reach our height," she explained as she pointed at herself and Mizore. "If you get any taller than that before you even out you'll have Moka and Ruby to choose from, so between all of us I'm sure we'll always find something that works! Looks like we do get to play with clothes today after all!"
A small sliver of fear wormed its way into the dragon's being, and she cursed herself for not listening to her gut when she should have. Still, it did sound very logical, and any time around her treasures was time well spent in her mind. "I see no problem with that."
"We might want to go to the Arcade anyway," Ruby pointed out. "Her hair does have that natural untamed look to it, but with a little feathering and styling…"
"Oh, oh! Edge it up a bit more, show off her eyes! I like it! A haircut is definitely in order!"
"My…hair…?"
The blunette gave a dramatic gasp as she reached over to drape an arm over the younger girl's shoulders. "Rei! We've failed you! I love Tsukune with all my heart, and he knows how to take care of himself…for the most part…but he's still a guy! We're women! Practical is all well and good but sometimes you've just gotta dress up and watch the jaws fall! Just look at you, you can make this look cute! A little finessing and no one could deny how pretty you are!"
All of her previous doubts vanished in the warmth that blossomed in her chest. Nothing puffed up quicker than a draconic ego. "Pretty?"
"Oh Rei, when we're done with you you're going to look stunning, I guarantee it."
The rest of the day passed rather quickly after that, and they didn't even bother trying to find Moka or Tsukune.
It would be early evening before they saw them again.
V^^^V
Tsukune Aono awoke from his nap to the tantalizing smell of something cooking. That was the only thing that kept him from being disappointed at finding out Moka was no longer in his arms, as had been the case when they had finally settled down for aforementioned nap. Blinking blurrily, he tried to focus in on the world around him, and smiled when he spied the human-shaped form standing in front of the small oven of her kitchenette. A frown crossed his features when he realized something wasn't right about what he was seeing, and more blinks proved that thought right when he saw the woman at the stove had silver hair. When his nerves suddenly alerted him to a weight in his hand he grinned lazily, for what should he find there but a glittering rosary?
He knew she heard the blankets move, knew she felt his feet touch the ground, but still she didn't turn around, nor even try to when he molded her back to his chest. Instead, a warm smile came to her lips as she felt him through the overlarge shirt she had thrown on to cook, and nuzzled his head with her own when he placed it in the crook of her neck.
"Hey beautiful, long time no see."
Her only response for a time was a breathy sigh as she tried to melt backwards into him, and in compliance with the unspoken command he simply held her tighter. The silence was comfortable as they stood there, swaying to an unheard beat as her creation simmered on the stove, and Tsukune was loathe to break such a moment. Then came the hushed words of, "I missed you." He laid a gentle kiss on the side of her neck in wordless apology, and she shivered despite herself.
"You know I missed you too."
A pat at his hands told him to loosen his grip, and she turned and pulled him down for a kiss so deep he almost forgot to breathe. Black spots danced in his vision when she let him go and he couldn't stop the stupid grin from breaking out. "Holy…"
She smirked triumphantly as she moved back to the pot. "Come, I made us dinner."
With blood from her backup stores in cups and the meal divided, the two sat down to eat in only the barest of coverings. It was only when they were finally facing each other that Tsukune was at last able to see her face. The longing smoldering in her burning ruby irises was exactly like what he remembered from the rosary that morning, and he gulped noisily.
"I-Itadakimasu…"
Her eyes never left his as she murmured the same.
The food was amazing for its simplicity, though he expected nothing less from the incredible vampiress, and all too soon the delicious sustenance was gone. Of course, during it he also had to try to ignore the unseen sensation uncomfortably akin to someone trying to burn a hole through him with nothing but their eyes. Then, to his utmost surprise, Moka calmly stood and began walking off. Giving a mental shrug, he bent down to clean up the table, only for a pale hand to wrap around his wrist.
"Hmm…?"
"Leave them," she said brusquely, with both her tone and her movements oddly strained.
Free from the overpowering aroma of the food, Tsukune's enhanced senses chose that time to take notice of the other scent heavily pervading her, and had to commend her self-control. Thus, it was Moka's turn to be struck breathless when he tugged her to him and kissed her senseless. It was a slightly dazed Moka Akashiya that stood before him when he pulled away, and his hands trailed to the hem of her shirt, gliding under until he could grope the firm flesh underneath, and pulled her pelvis to his. Her heated gasp was ample motivation for his arousal, which had been growing steadily already.
"What do you want, Moka? Tell me, and I'll do it," he whispered.
Those eyes honed in on him with unadulterated lust.
"Bath first, then bed. I swear I'm going to get back every drop of the sweat I'm feeling right now with interest, and we're going to make what you did with Ruby and Omote look like foreplay, even if we have to redo every last thing you did with them. You're going to need every ounce of energy that seal has left you, because I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon, lover."
She groaned imploringly when he kissed her again, hard, and when he leaned over to her ear the shudder went straight to her core as he hissed,
"As you wish."
When their friends saw them again the seal would have yet to be replaced, and the smile she was wearing couldn't have been pried off with a crowbar.
That didn't stop them from teasing her about the limp in her step.
.
V^^^V
.
Evangeline Valentine stared at her mate, and prospective blood-mate, in astonishment.
Her cat-nap the day before hadn't been very long, but Vincent had slept without stirring until late the following morning. There were moments when she was scared for him, as he grimaced and flinched like trapped in a nightmare, but all she could do was wipe his head soothingly and try to keep him comfortable. When he finally awoke whatever dream he had been having was scattered to the winds, but that didn't keep him from remembering what had happened to put him in his situation. Just seeing the worried gaze directed at him was enough to make him lower his head and clench his fists.
He had been a fool, and he told her as much. After another dose of blood to make sure he kept his strength, he started his story. His wife's face went through many different stages throughout it, all of which he recognized, and not all of them good. The one it settled on at the end was shock, and that was something he had seen on her only a handful of times. She had been alive a lot longer than him, and had seen things that made what he did in war look like a schoolyard tussle. To shock her was almost as hard as trying to shock his mother, and that was saying something. She was naturally unruffled, and only sights like her husband falling through the door bloody and bruised could cause her significant alarm. This was a close second.
"So…you're saying a teenage boy fought you to the point of a tactical retreat?" Her skepticism was clear as day, and with good reason.
"It was incredible. It was bright and sunny one minute and then it just changed. A thunderstorm came out of nowhere! Ice! In the middle of summer ice covered the ground and froze whole trees solid. One look in his eyes and I knew he was going to fight to the death for her. I almost wish you could have seen it, because looking back, I'm amazed at what he accomplished."
"And he had a girl with him?"
"Oh yes; never, ever forget the girl. You'll never believe this, but he claimed her to be his familiar."
Eva's pale skin turned chalk white.
Vincent didn't notice, instead his retelling just continued to become more animated. "Their movements were sloppy in places, downright amateurish in others, but the thing is that didn't matter! It was like they knew what the other was going to do, and one would always be there when the opening became too obvious. They even had coordinated attacks they could start without a word to each other!"
She tried to hide her shaking hands. "And you say he used magic in one of them, right?"
"True magic. Witch's magic! He called lightning to cage us and wind to a directed mark!"
"Was he holding anything when he did this?"
He nodded. "A small book of some kind, but he never opened it. Why?"
A sigh of relief escaped her. "So he displayed an honest-to-God snow transformation, the magic of a boundary being, and the full abilities of an incubus, with a familiar that never transformed once."
"I knocked her out before she could," he expounded.
"A familiar that breathes fire."
That stopped him short. "Yeah, but that's just like us vampires. Even sealed or transformed we always keep some of our real traits, like our strength and senses. She could probably breathe fire because it's an integral part of her when she's normal. She was damn strong too, I'll tell you that."
"A youko would never subject themselves to being the familiar of another, so she couldn't be that. You don't have any idea?"
"None that explain her power, but the real threat was always the boy. He released Moka's seal, and she, she bared her neck to him."
Evangeline smiled fondly. "So it's true then, she found her blood-mate. Can't say I'm surprised really; with the restrictions of her family I wouldn't tell either."
They lapsed into silence as he took one of her hands into his two, and eyes of the darkest red gazed into their soft feminine counterparts. His thumbs rubbed over the back of her palm tenderly in what would have been a loving gesture had she not known how nervous he suddenly was. Her own heart experienced a rather startling input of adrenaline when she recalled what he had last said the day before, and when she thought of the last time he had acted like this in front of her. It had been right before she had offered her hand so, so long ago, before he had known she had been keeping an eye on him as well.
"Evangeline…I made a mistake."
Well, she certainly hadn't expected those to be the first words he said.
"I didn't believe them. I fought because Alexander needed the help, but things just kept escalating, and the fight, oh the fight! It's been years since someone outside the family challenged me like that! I just had to keep fighting, and he just kept fighting harder. By the time I realized I should never have played around in the first place I was too weak to go all out, and he…he still had more. That last illusion, it was horrible, and he just stood there and told us it was what he went through to get where he was. An eighteen year old kid went through things that could be used in a goddamned torture technique!" He took a hoarse breath to calm himself when he felt Eva put her other hand over his to try and stem their convulsions. "But more than that, I felt how much he loved her. I felt—FIRST HAND—how far he was willing to go to protect his family, and I came to a sickening realization."
"What was it?" she asked sympathetically. She could see it was eating him up inside, and it was almost as unnerving as herself being shocked. Vincent was always calm; even in battle and when his bloodlust acted up, he never gave into anger. His movements always had purpose. For him to recognize he was wrong to such an extent was always hard for him to take, because that meant that purpose had been wrong too.
"…I had been fighting a younger version of myself."
Her heart thought that would be a wonderful moment to lodge itself firmly in her throat.
"W-What?"
"I was fighting me. Would I play around if I thought I was fighting to protect you? Of course not! I would fight until I couldn't move! Against any odds! I would rather die than do anything else!"
Tears were streaking down her face, yet while most thought them to illustrate weakness, she made no attempt to wipe these ones away. These were happy tears.
"I was fighting someone I should be fighting with, not against! He was able to make a decision most vampires struggle with and…I didn't want to be one of them any longer. I found you earlier than a lot of us find our better halves, and I knew from the moment I saw you I needed to be with you. Everything I did from then on was for you; when you agreed I'd never been happier. I needed you, I still need you. If I ever lost you I don't know what I'd do, and I for one never want to leave. I hate asking this of you…but, would you? Because if you still feel like I do, I want to be beside you forever, until either we go up in flames or the world does. Will you give me that honor?"
She grabbed his neck and slapped him so hard his jaw cracked.
"That was for doubting me," she jeered murderously. He had only winced at the well-deserved hit, but when she thought it was healed enough she surged into him, welding their lips together so hard they couldn't even get air through their noses. She couldn't care less about that, she was too focused on showering her mate with intense, lip-crushing kisses to worry about something as inconsequential as air. Her hands were only removed from his head to unbutton her blouse as she pushed him back to the bed, but soon enough he had flipped them over and was trying to recover while her large chest heaved from between a parted shirt under him.
"God, woman, I swear you'll be the death of me," he panted. He struck a rather strange sight, what with one of his arms wrapped in bandages, but it wasn't hard to support himself over her. She however was something out of a fantasy; pale skin flushed with excitement, half-dressed in formal office wear, but her most prominent features were the gleaming fangs exposed ominously and the scarlet serpentine eyes with pupils thinned in desire.
"Take it as a yes and shut the hell up," she breathed huskily.
Instead he threaded his fingers with hers and held them to the bed. It was a pointless act, since as he was she could overpower him even more easily than she could otherwise, but his goal was accomplished in the increased pulse of the woman staring fearlessly up at him. "I want to hear you say it."
She smirked. "Say what?"
"Say it," he repeated hotly. "Say yes."
The staring contest resumed, both vampires silent in their struggle, until eventually Evangeline's look softened as her grip tightened on the hand of his uninjured arm, where she rolled the sole piece of jewelry he wore amid her trapped digits. "You didn't use it, did you?"
He turned his head to the side, away from her gaze. "I told you: by the time I knew I would need it I was too weak to use it. If I had tried I could have damaged myself permanently, and when I realized I should use it I…didn't want to."
"Why?"
A smirk identical to her own was now sported by him. "Other than the fact that it felt like I would be using it against someone exactly like me, I wasn't going to come back to you possibly disfigured just because I had to prove a point. You deserve so much better than that."
Eva laughed warmly. "I'm glad I took you off the market when I did. Too many unsuspecting women would have fallen to that silver tongue of yours."
"You would know, wouldn't you?" he joked as he waggled the appendage at her, and she readily took the invitation and caught it in her teeth before devouring the lips so close to it. He broke it with a gasp and reinforced his hold on her hands, lest she try that again and his testosterone damned him to stupidity. "You minx, quit dodging!"
She rolled her eyes, but from her that was as good as a victory. "Yes, oh great and powerful vampire," the silver-blonde intoned mock-seriously, which was of course ruined by the overly stern face she made as she said so. When she had gotten all the giggles she could from the look he gave her, her expression morphed into something much more pleasant, and at the same time lovingly solemn. "Yes, Vincent. Yes."
Compared to his usual apathy or amused disregard, his smile couldn't be more genuine. When he swung his long hair to one side so he could expose the alabaster skin of his neck to her scrutiny, her breath hitched.
"V-Vincent…"
He just kept on smiling. "That was all I wanted, Evangeline. Nothing more, nothing less."
Her smirk suddenly turned predatory, and Vincent found himself on his back again. "You really know how to push my buttons, don't you? You want me, you got me. Now, you're mine."
They proved that to each other many, many times, until they collapsed in exhaustion.
V^^^V
The night before, a binge of blood and the resulting recovery coma he had fallen into had given him nothing but pain-filled hallucinations of his own design, which, while terrible, were easily ignored after the fact.
That night, Vincent relived in slow motion what Tsukune had forced on him.
Their true state as memories had never been clearer as he saw in first person what caused each injury making his nerves scream. Worse yet, he felt the other man's emotions as they occurred, and once again he was brought short in wonder at what he experienced. It was like the Aono child had absolutely no concept of selfishness.
This was all eliminated in one fell swoop by the recurrence of another memory, in even more detail than before. He would have screamed his vocal chords bloody had he the ability.
The pain was unimaginable, and he had seen masters of the item at work.
BREAKING!
Don't care.
Why didn't he care? He cared very much! It felt like his cells were being torn apart!
DYING!
Don't care.
Of course he did! It was the best description yet!
One more…just one more…
One more what? Why would anyone wish for more of this?
PAIN!
Stop! No more!
…Wait…there was no more pain. No more pain…
DEATH.
Kill.
What?
Kill.
But that's…
KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL!
The rage, oh the rage was unstoppable, unbeatable, it was his entire existence.
Just like that both it, and the memory, were gone, soon to be replaced by another. This one was even more lucid, and just like the last one, he fervently wished it wasn't.
It started out innocently enough. Standing alone in the midst of a storm's fury at the edge of a cliff, allowing himself to bathe in the God-given wrath of nature itself. His heart was aching for some reason or another, but his intention was finally set. He knew what he had to do.
Confess to himself what he was.
Stop lying about what he had become.
Oh he remembered the pain, he knew all too well the rage, but that was only one part of it.
He was what he needed to be hers already, he just needed to take that last step.
…Wait, what?
His hand was reaching over to his other arm now, and a part of Vincent was horrified. Something would happen if it reached its destination, something he couldn't explain. It wouldn't be good, it couldn't be good!
Something snapped, and abruptly his mind was as calm as a lake of glass.
Then wind was rushing past him, and the cliff face was moving farther and farther away.
Bone hit rock, senses became muted in the crashing melody surrounding him, and this time the pain was chillingly familiar.
It could numb anything ever felt before in its intensity; it sapped his strength like a merciless leech; it felt like he was being burned alive.
He knew this pain.
The thought made him cold, and it was that that allowed him to regain his sense of self in an experience not his own.
He knew this pain. He KNEW this PAIN!
But then he was thirsty.
He was so…
He was so…
…thirsty…
V^^^V
Vincent Valentine shot upright in his bed with a scream that could have echoed to the very bowels of hell.
He sat there panting, sweat positively dripping from his body as Evangeline worriedly smoothed back his wet hair. She didn't say anything, but her question was so loud it could have been written in the air. He couldn't even be bothered to notice her; his mind was running a mile a minute.
It wasn't possible. He had seen him! He had fought him himself! It just wasn't possible!
But his own thoughts betrayed him to the truth. He had seen him react to Alexander's challenge, he had fought him with an intensity he should have known, and he had healed like few others could ever imagine.
Every sign had been there, he just hadn't wanted to see.
The last and only thing he said before he passed out was:
"Dear God what have I done?"
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