Yui tiptoed through the silent corridors of the Mukami mansion, her heart pounding through her chest. She prayed that all of the vampires would be asleep at this hour, as dawn's first light filtered through the stained glass windows, casting tiny rainbows on the gilded walls.
While the Mukami mansion was much more warm and inviting than the Sakamaki home, she couldn't say the same about its inhabitants. In the three days she had been held captive, she had already been bitten by all four of them. The violence was starting to take its toll on her body; her bones rattled, her muscles ached, and her vision blurred.
She needed to eat. While Ruki made her dinner every night, and even allowed her to eat at the table with them, she wasn't a vampire. She couldn't survive off one meal a day…especially with them taking so much of her blood. Without the proper nutrients, she would waste away.
Yui was careful not to draw any unwanted attention to herself as she crept past their respective bedrooms. She feared she would not survive another attack–she was already too weak and she didn't have any blood to spare.
In the cupboards, Yui found an assortment of homemade jams from Yuma's garden: blackberry, strawberry, apple, apricot. There was even a jar labeled nightberry, though Yui wasn't brave enough to try it. With her luck, it would be poisonous or something.
She decided on the strawberry jam, and gathered everything else she would need to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Quietly opening a drawer full of utensils, Yui was disappointed to find that there were no butter knives…only sharp, angled knives, meant for cutting meat and vegetables.
As her fingers closed over the handle of a sharp knife, a shadow loomed over the kitchen.
"Eve…" a low, familiar voice rang in her ears.
With a jump and a squeak, Yui turned around to face the vampire who had startled her. Azusa was standing so uncomfortably close, she could feel his breath on her skin.
"A-Azusa-kun," she whimpered, remembering the last time she had been alone with him. He forced her to slice him with a knife…much like the knife she held in her hands…the knife his eyes were fixated on. She dropped the sharp object with a squeal and it clattered on the floor.
"What are you doing awake?" Yui asked, fidgeting with the hem of her nightgown.
Azusa was sweet in his own way, but he was still dangerous, and his obsession with pain made her uncomfortable.
"I couldn't…sleep…maybe Eve can help me…" he stepped closer and Yui backed away from him, the sharp countertop digging into her lower back.
"W-wait," she shrieked as he closed in on her, "Azusa-kun, I'm not feeling well. I need to eat something."
"Ah…Eve is…afraid of me," Azusa said with a small frown, his amethyst eyes falling to the floor. "If I feed you, will you…help me…"
Yui glanced at the peanut butter and jam on the counter. The simplicity of the ingredients mocked her growing hunger. A sandwich would not be enough to quell the ache in her stomach. She needed a proper meal, but she knew Azusa would ask something of her in return.
His requests had always been deeply unsettling, often leaving her feeling trapped and scared. What would he ask of her this time? Would he ask her to hurt him again? Or worse, would he ask for more of her blood?
She supposed it couldn't be helped either way. He would want those things from her no matter what, but at least this way she could eat a proper meal and get to know him a little better.
"Y-yes," she stammered, hoping to appease him. "I need to eat to stay healthy, right? And if I'm healthy, I can help you more. So...if you make me something to eat, I'll help you."
Azusa's lips curled into an unsettling smile. "I will make…omurice. You like omurice, right?"
Yui smiled, that sounded wonderful. "Yes, I do."
Azusa's eyes brightened with genuine happiness. "Okay. Sit… I'll cook."
She took a seat at the island table, her nerves still on edge. Azusa moved with surprising grace, gathering ingredients from the refrigerator and pantry. Despite his usual carefree demeanor, he seemed focused and almost gentle as he cracked eggs, chopped vegetables, and prepared the rice.
As the meal began to take shape, the savory aroma filled the kitchen, making Yui's stomach growl in anticipation.
Azusa glanced at her, a small smile playing on his lips. "Almost ready," he said softly.
Yui watched in silence, her anxiety slowly fading away as the familiar dish came together. When Azusa finally plated the omurice and set it before her, he added a delicate swirl of ketchup on top, completing the meal.
"Here," he said, sliding the plate towards her. "Eat."
Yui picked up a fork and took a tentative bite. The flavors were comforting as the warmth of the food spread through her body.
"Thank you, Azusa-kun," she smiled sincerely. "This is delicious."
Azusa sat next to her, watching her eat with an intensity that made her heart flutter. "Wait…you forgot…the best part."
He cracked open a bottle of hot sauce and poured the entire contents onto the omelet. Yui winced–she didn't like spicy things, they made her stomach hurt, but she was so hungry…
More importantly, she didn't want to upset Azusa-kun. His sanity was already hanging by a thread and so she was afraid to set him off. She took another apprehensive bite while he watched her in childlike wonder.
"It's so spicy," she panted, her lips going numb from the hot sauce.
"Isn't it wonderful?" he smiled, his mouth watering at the sight of so much red.
"Y-yeah…" Yui agreed, finishing the omelet with a forced smile. Azusa seemed pleased, and that was all that mattered.
"Yui-san…" he said breathlessly, "your lips are…all red and swollen…here, let me…"
Before she had the chance to protest, he leaned down and traced his cool tongue over her lips. It helped soothe the throbbing, but had the opposite effect on her heart.
"Azusa-kun, what are you…!?" Yui shrieked, squirming at the strange sensation. She had only been kissed once, and she had been drowning. While she couldn't remember exactly how it felt to be kissed underwater, she was certain there was no tongue involved.
"I just want…another taste…" he explained, before chomping down on her lower lip. Small droplets of blood spurted from the wound, and he quickly retracted his fangs, gently lapping up the blood from her lips. The remnants of hot sauce stung her wound, and made tears well up in her eyes.
"Mnh, you're so…sweet, Yui-san," he crooned, pressing his tongue against her bloody lips.
"Azusa-kun, I feel…lightheaded…" Yui cried out, her vision blurring until there were two of him. "I think I'm going to…"
He caught her right before she hit the floor and frowned, "Eve…are you okay…?"
"Y-yeah," she stammered, struggling to regain her footing, "just a little lightheaded."
"Ah…I'm sorry…I got carried away…" he said with a small frown. "Let me carry you…to bed…"
He scooped her up gently, and carried her through the silent mansion.
"Azusa-kun, wait," Yui protested as he passed her bedroom, approaching his own. The last time she was in his room, he said he wanted to hurt her. And when she cowered in fear, he changed his mind, forcing her to cut him with a knife instead. Was that what he meant when he asked her to "help him"?
"I'm very weak right now," she explained, hoping that would be enough to convince him not to hurt her, but he gave her a confused look.
"Yes, you need to…rest," he told her with a small frown, dropping her carefully on his bed.
The fluffy blankets swallowed her whole as she sunk into the memory foam mattress. She hadn't paid much attention to his bed the last time she had been in his room–for obvious reasons–but it was actually very warm and cozy. As she sank further into the down blankets, the ache in her muscles began to fade away.
"I'm sorry, Eve…will you still…help me?" He asked, sitting next to her on the bed. Those haunted eyes bore into her own, pleading with her like a sad puppy. Yui knew that she had to be careful with him, but something about the look in his eyes was hard to resist. "Will you…hold me?"
Yui's eyes widened. "Azusa-kun, is that what you had in mind when you asked me to help you?" she asked, feeling both guilty and relieved.
He nodded sheepishly, his viridian hair falling forward and into his face. She felt bad for assuming he wanted to hurt her when all he wanted was to cuddle.
"I don't sleep well," he admitted. "I have…nightmares…but I thought Eve could…scare the nightmares away…"
Yui's features softened as she observed the innocent expression on his face. Ayato and Laito would sometimes sneak into her bedroom at night to hold her, but it was usually accompanied by them groping and biting her. Something told her Azusa didn't intend to do either of those things. He genuinely wanted her to hold him, to make him feel safe and loved.
"I will hold you," she decided with a soft smile.
He looked genuinely relieved as he slid under the blankets and pressed his back against her chest.
Laito would have said something perverted by now, and Ayato would have made an offhanded comment about her chest being flat, but Azusa did no such thing. He hummed quietly as she wrapped an arm around his waist and held him close.
"Eve is so…soft…" Azusa sighed happily, nesting further in her embrace. "Will you…hold me like this…forever?"
Yui wasn't sure how to respond. Cuddling with Azusa was surprisingly pleasant, but she was sure that eventually he would want more from her. He was a vampire, after all.
"That would be nice," she appeased him with a gentle smile, her breath tickling his neck. "But we'll have to get out of bed eventually. We have school tonight," she reminded him.
He seemed a little disappointed as he held her hand against his chest. "Will you…hold me until then?" he asked, lacing his fingers with hers.
"I will," she nodded, blushing at this affectionate side of him.
"Hm," he purred like a house cat, seemingly pleased with her answer.
She nuzzled her face into his shoulder and closed her eyes. His hair was soft and smelled like sugar cookies, something she never would have expected from a vampire.
That's when she decided that Azusa really was the sweetest vampire she had ever met. Possibly the sweetest in the world.
