-- Chapter 9 - Yuuki's nightmare part 2 --
When Yuuki opened her eyes the next morning, she found her head pillowed on a warm surface that rose and fell with a steady rhythm in time with the heartbeat against her right ear. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw a lean stomach with abdominal muscles lightly but clearly defined only inches away from her nose. Fully aware of the heartbeat and toned body belonging to one Zero Kiriyu, she absently started to trace the outline of his muscles with her finger, unaware for the moment that this would wake him up, if nothing else.
“Found anything interesting?” came Zero’s voice in sleep slurred tones after a moment or two.
“Um hmm” murmured Yuuki absently, finger still drawing delicate lines on Zero’s tummy and making him wonder helplessly if she had any idea what her feather light touch was actually doing to him.
A few moments later, he had his answer – Yuuki’s eyes were suddenly caught by a slight but consistent movement in his pyjama pants and she gasped softly, snatching back her finger as if receiving an electric shock and jerking upright to slam back against the wall, darting a shocked look at Zero as she blushed furiously.
“Sorry” she said breathlessly. “I didn’t mean to…”
Zero lifted himself up on his elbows, averting his rather warm face. “’s OK…” he mumbled. It wasn’t the only hunger that had arose - holding Yuuki in his arms all night, enveloped in her enticingly sweet scent had aroused his bloodlust as well and Yuuki’s eyes widened as she leaned forward and caught sight of the color of his irises.
“Zero? I think you need…”
Zero grimaced and shook his head. “No…” He swung his legs off the bed but a gentle hand on his shoulder stopped him. “It’s about time anyway, isn’t it?” she asked softly.
He turned and slanted a glance at her. “Well…” he hesitated, then started to turn towards her, eyes sliding to her neck. Yuuki held up a hand. “Wait - let me brush my teeth first…” She started to scramble off the bed, ignoring Zero’s puzzled “Why? I’m not taking from your mouth…”
Yuuki ignored him and headed towards the sink in the corner of her room. She brushed her teeth vigorously before splashing cold water on her face. Zero reached for her as she came back towards the bed but she held up a hand to stop him and nodded towards the sink. “Your turn…” she said.
“What?” demanded Zero. Then, as Yuuki folded her arms across her chest and looked at him determinedly, he argued “This is your room, remember? My toothbrush isn’t even here…”
Yuuki tossed her head, looking adamant. “Use mine, then…”
Zero was rather taken aback. They’d shared a lot of things - secrets even – his in particular - but toothbrushes were a definite first…
Giving in, he gave an exaggerated sigh, got off the bed and walked over to the sink. Finally catching sight of her toothbrush in the plastic cup on top of the glass shelf, he snorted in disbelief.
“This isn’t a toothbrush, it’s a – a toy!” No way was he going to use a minute version of a toothbrush that had a large pink plastic strawberry attached to the end of the pink plastic handle printed with strawberries on it, and pink – yes, pink – bristles at the other end. He almost gagged at the extreme pinkness of it all.
“No toothbrush, no blood” said Yuuki, still looking grimly at him.
Zero rolled his eyes in exasperation, caught sight of his crimson irises in the mirror in front of him and snatched up the hateful thing. He’d probably snap the flimsy thing in half… Finishing in record time, he splashed water on this face as well before drying off with Yuuki’s hand towel, slightly placated by her scent clinging onto the cloth.
“OK, done!” he growled, walking back towards her, pushing his fingers through his water dampened hair.
“Good!” Yuuki smiled sunnily at him, all cheerfulness now, earlier stubbornness seemingly vanished into thin air. She was actually secretly amused at the sight of Zero using her pink child-sized toothbrush which Yori had picked out for her during a previous outing, more of a joke than anything else…
Zero’s eyes narrowed – laughing at him again, was she? Stopping right in front of her, he placed his hands on her shoulders and slid them forward until his forearms rested on her shoulders before leaning his forehead against hers, gratified to see a small frown appear between the delicate strokes of her eyebrows. A frown that he wanted to smooth away with his lips…
“Er, Zero? What….?” she asked uncertainly as a small part of her mind realised something else – why did Zero always seemed to end up shirtless in her room?
“How about a little good morning kiss before… getting down to business?” he asked softly and the crimson hue couldn’t completely hide the wicked twinkle in his eyes.
“Good morning… kiss?” Yuuki breathed.
“You know… between friends” he clarified in a whisper, suddenly wanting it more than anything. Their toothpaste scented breath mingled between them as he waited for her reply.
Yuuki struggled briefly between wanting that sweet, gentle kiss she’d experienced before, and saying no as she knew she ought to. “Well…” she finally whispered. “If it’s just between - ”
Zero didn’t need any further encouragement. He dipped his head and placed his lips over hers, breathing in her scent and drowning in it. Lightly, he ran the tip of his tongue over her lower lip, coaxing her lips to open. After a moment, they did, and Zero’s arms closed convulsively around her slight frame, drawing her close to him, as his lips slanted across hers and he tentatively entered her mouth. God, she tasted so sweet…!
Senses reeling still further, feeling her arms tightening around his back, he found her tongue and teased it lightly with his. Her lips parted further as she gasped softly against his mouth. Yuuki’s shy response only fueled Zero’s desire and he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue against hers and hearing her breath hitch in unison with his increasingly ragged breath.
Until suddenly, he pressed closer and heard her sharp intake of breath. The taste and smell of her blood blossomed upon his senses a second later and he pulled away, staring unbelievingly at the drop of blood welling up at the side of her lower lip, slightly swollen from his ardent kisses. Yuuki looked rather surprised for a moment and Zero realised he must have nicked her lower lip with one of his needle sharp fangs.
At Zero’s shocked look, Yuuki shook her head to forestall the apology she knew was coming, her tongue darting out to instinctively probe at the wound but he stopped her.
“No, let me…” he whispered. He dipped his head and licked off the drops of blood, pressing his tongue there until the slight bleeding stopped, shuddering as he resisted the sudden maddening urge to bite down hard on her lip and draw more blood from it, knowing his fangs had fully extended by now. Quickly, he pulled away.
“God, Yuuki, I’m sorry – ”
Yuuki smiled at him, pressing gentle fingers against his parted lips, feeling the length of his fangs behind them. “Don’t be…” she whispered.
Zero sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before turning his head to look out of the window.
“Hey… it’s OK, Zero. Just an accident…”
He looked back at Yuuki, drinking in the concern in her eyes at his guilt. Then, as he kept silent, she tugged on his hand. “Come on, you need blood, right?” she pulled him towards the bed and they both sat down.
Fingering her pyjama collar, she finally realised she would have to strip yet again if she didn’t want additional laundry to do… Glancing up at Zero, she realised he’d thought of the same thing as he raised an eyebrow at her. Yuuki started to get up. “Let me change into something else…”
“You could just… take it off” he suggested.
Yuuki gaped at him. “Are you crazy? I’m not wearing anything underneath!” she said indignantly before clapping a hand to her mouth. Of all things to say…
Zero waited, his lips twitching slightly as he fought a smile.
Yuuki hunched a shoulder. “Well, I guess it can’t be helped” she said reluctantly, adding rather defensively “but you have to promise not to peek.” as she reached for the first button on her shirt.
“Let me…” said Zero again, brushing her hands aside and unbuttoning her shirt with alarming swiftness almost before Yuuki realised what he’d done. She squeaked a protest, instinctively turning her back towards him, cheeks flaming even more as Zero snaked an arm around her waist and chuckled softly against her ear.
He nudged aside the left side of her shirt collar with his chin, hooking a long finger to slowly pull the shirt off her shoulder as he’d done previously. Yuuki tensed up, feeling the soft cotton sliding off her left shoulder and upper arm to pool at her bent elbow. She shivered helplessly as Zero dropped little kisses along her neck, from her earlobe to her collarbone, and across her bare shoulder. He was more than a little thankful to note that the bruises he’d created a couple of weeks ago had faded completely.
“Just start already…” she gasped softly, fully aware of her partial nudity against his bare chest – he’d also been shirtless the last time he’d unbuttoned her pyjama shirt, right? Since when had this become a rather alarmingly frequent occurrence - the partial nudity bit, not the actual blood drinking bit?
Zero leant further forward to reach the pulse at the base of her neck, pulling her head back against his shoulder at the same time.
“Zero…?”
“Hmm?” His increasingly ragged breath feathered across her neck as he ran his tongue over the pulse beating madly at the base of her throat.
“You’re looking at me, aren’t you…”
A short pause followed.
“You don’t mind, do you?”
Yuuki gasped. “Of course I mind!” she said indignantly, glancing at him in panic and seeing his gaze fixed upon her exposed left breast.
“You do?” he asked, rather distractedly.
“Yes!” she hissed, her right hand reaching across to shield herself from his admiring gaze. Only when she’d covered herself did Zero glance at her. She gasped when he grinned at her, fangs glinting, instead of apologising as she’d half expected. Well, really…
“Just do it, OK?” she said tightly.
Zero returned his attention to the curve of Yuuki’s exposed neck and she shivered again when she felt his warm tongue licking the pulse beating erratically at the base of her neck. He bit down a moment later, taking care not to insert his fangs too deep. For a moment, Yuuki’s neck muscles tensed, then she relaxed, eyes fluttering closed and left hand reaching up instinctively to slide through his hair. Zero’s left arm tightened around her slender waist, his right hand already tangled in her auburn hair as he tilted her head a little more to the right, exposing her throat further. He drank her deliciously sweet blood, his warm lips caressing her neck at the same time and making her shiver again.
He sucked at her neck, reveling in the warm sweet liquid spilling into his mouth and washing down his throat. He had changed… in the beginning, he had been disgusted – more than disgusted – at the thought of having to need blood to keep the hunger at bay. But although he still hated the thought of being made a vampire against his will, by the pureblood who had murdered his family and taken his twin brother, and having to continually inconvenience Yuuki, draining her of her blood and creating bite marks on her neck and wrists time and again… somehow, the actual act of drinking blood didn’t seem so… disgusting anymore.
Was it because he was now addicted to Yuuki’s sweet and intoxicating blood?
Or was it because the mere act of burying his face in the sweet curve of her slender neck while wrapping his arms around her waist had its own erotic appeal?
Or was it because it afforded him a valid reason to cradle her softly pliant figure against his own while he slaked his burning thirst from her veins, and to hold her close to his heart after that while they shared a moment of peaceful silence?
Or was it because of Yuuki’s sweet and generously giving nature that made these sessions so pleasurable to Zero, that she could still look at him, talk to him and smile at him in the same affectionate way she always had, even after repeatedly feeling his fangs in her flesh and seeing the puncture wounds on her neck?
Or perhaps it was because, quite simply, he was in love with her?
No. It wasn’t any of the above.
It was all of the above. All and more.
Zero had stopped drinking without even realising it, caught up in his swirling thoughts. He always felt more vulnerable and emotional each time after drinking Yuuki’s blood and the urge to say something, to confess what he’d been wanting to say for some time grew stronger each time. But he couldn’t. Not anytime soon. And definitely not now.
Sighing soundlessly, Zero gave himself a mental shake before pulling away slightly to survey the damage he’d done. He licked at the puncture wounds he’d created and pressed his tongue gently there to stem the slight bleeding, before swiping at her creamy skin to remove the faint traces of blood. Feeling the small shiver that passed through Yuuki again, Zero almost smiled.
“Thank you, Yuuki” he said softly.
Yuuki sighed, sliding her fingers through his hair before lowering her hand. “You’re welcome, Zero… always” she said, leaning back against him as he wrapped both arms around her, rocking her slightly and making her sigh again, contentedly this time.
“You OK?” he asked a few minutes later.
“You didn’t take that much, Zero”
“I mean about your… nightmare…”
“Oh.” A small pause. “Yeah, I guess so…now…” she said softly. She placed her arms over his, her voice dropping even lower when she added “I like it when you hold me close like this…” Yuuki found it was a lot easier to say these things when she was not looking directly at Zero.
“I’ll hold you anytime, Yuuki…” he murmured into her hair, resisting the urge to take her delicate earlobe into his mouth.
“Erm… you might want to let me do up my shirt first though…”
“I can do that, as well…”
“Like hell you will – Zero, stop it!” Yuuki tried to slap his hands away from her shirt and he pulled back, inadvertently pushing the right side of her shirt past her shoulder and causing that side to slip down her right arm.
They both froze in place before Zero leaned forward to rest his chin on her left shoulder. Blushing furiously, Yuuki glanced at Zero, seeing him gazing down at her exposed chest – again. Fuming, she accused “You did that on purpose… you… you…”
“I didn’t!” denied Zero hotly, still staring. “You tried to slap my hands…”
“That’s because I didn’t want you to touch me…!”
Zero kept silent, but his lips started to twitch. Yuuki glared at him, trying hard to hold onto her indignation but it was no use – her own lips started to twitch moments later and she was giggling helplessly a few more seconds after that. Feeling rather vexed at her traitorous giggle, Yuuki simply turned and buried her hot face against Zero’s shoulder, not wanting him to see her blush.
Seconds passed. Surprisingly, Zero hadn’t moved a muscle. Then Yuuki heard him clear his throat.
“Yuuki?”
“Umm?”
“You do realise that your shirt’s still hanging - off - ” his voice sounded slightly strangled on the last word.
Two whole seconds passed before Yuuki gasped against his warm shoulder and jerked away, offering Zero a final glimpse of heaven before she swung away from him again.
“Of all the – “ he heard her mutter as she shrugged her shirt back over her shoulders and started working on the buttons with slightly trembling fingers.
“Yuuki - it’s not like I haven’t seen them before” offered Zero, in an exasperatingly logical voice that held more than a hint of laughter.
A loud indignant snort was his only answer.
Zero tried again. “You’re perfect, I told you that last time, remember?”
Yuuki shifted a little on the bed but remained resolutely silent. Of course she remembered. It wasn’t as if he said such things everyday…
Zero sighed loudly. “Well, I’ll just go back to my room then…” He got off the bed and started walking towards the door without looking back at her, grabbing his now dried and somewhat crumpled pyjama shirt from her desk on the way. That action caused a déjà vu feeling to ripple through him…
Yuuki’s voice stopped him. “I am…?”
Zero glanced back at her. She still had an enchanting blush on her cheeks but her eyes were serious as she looked at him.
“You know you are…” he replied. She smiled then, suddenly, and he smiled his rare smile at her before unlocking her door and opening it.
“Get dressed, it’s time for breakfast…” he called over his shoulder before walking off to his room.
-- End --
BiJooMin