First Love

And I'm back!

Kaname: That's just great.

Did you say something, Kaname? (Stares hard at Kaname)

Kaname: 'Course not.

(Author eyes Kaname suspiciously) Since I need Kaname for the story, I won't hurt him... so stop staring at me worriedly, Yuuki. I don't have a knife anywhere near me... (hides a Bloody AK-47 behind back)

(Author plays harmonica and sings I'm misses lonely I have no body to comment and read my story Author starts to cry)
Ichijou: *Conforts Author* it's ok Yumi I read your story and I think its great because it has meeee in it!

Ichijou: People read her story! or i'll throw my whole library of mangas at you! *Ichijou shakes fist in air while holding a manga in his other hand*

Shiki: Yea and i'll throw poisonous pocky at you and when you eat it you will DIE!

Author & Ichijou: SHIKI!!!! thats going a little to far!

Shiki: What? they deserve it after insulting Yumi!

Kaname: *B**** Slaps Shiki*

Author: *Steals Shiki's pocky while he is dazed from being slapped* *Runs off to room to hide in closet from Shiki*

Please enjoy the next chapter… while Shiki tries to find me

Chapter VIII: Nightmare Part II

Someone was stroking my face. It was irrational, the way I felt as the cool skin brushed my cheek over and over again. But I liked it. I opened my eyes, and smiled.

Takuma. His lovely face broke into a stunning smile that flipped my heart over… twice.

I must really love him for him to appear in my dreams.

As delicate as a thistledown on the wind, his lips brushed mine for the tiniest moment…

And then his eyes and hair darkened, and his features changed. I watched in horror as Kaname came into view… no, it wasn't him. Not completely.

Instead of calm and peace, in his eyes were a terrifying look that made me cry out. A silver dagger glinted in his hands, and he struck my heart. Desperately, I tried to wriggle out his grasp, but the pain was too much… It hurt… everything hurt… I couldn't move. I was trapped… I couldn't breathe…

"Yumi. Yumi please! Wake up!" someone said urgently.

My eyes flew open, and I stared into the worried faces of Seiren, Takuma, and Mio. Takuma – it was easy to say this name of his now – stroked my face, seemingly relieved. But my throat burned dully, paining me. One hand flew up to cup it, and another slid to my heart, where I was relieved to find that the skin was smooth and unbroken. But my chest was overly warm. Too warm, maybe.

"What's wrong?" I whispered; my throat flared up, and I had to fight to keep back the grimace. But he noticed anyways.

His green eyes were filled with worry.

"How can you go on without drinking blood, or using your blood tablets?" he hissed at me. He seemed oblivious to the fact that we weren't alone. I stared up at him, letting him rant on until I felt that it was all out of his system – I knew that he was truly worried about me. "Why do you have to inflict such suffering on yourself? You…"

Seiren smiled briefly at me, and disappeared out the door with Mio, giving us some space.

When he finally ran out of steam, I reached up to kiss him. I locked my arms firmly around his neck, making sure that he couldn't pull back to do anything other than this. Namely, force me to drink his blood or let out some more steam.

When I pulled away, my thirst and the nightmare were history. My eyes sparkled.

"Shut up, Takuma. You talk too much."

He gaped wordlessly at me.

I smiled at him, and stroked his face. I tried my best not to notice the steady, mouthwatering pumping of his heart. As it was, I let my fingers trail over it. He caught my hand, and sighed.

"You should really dr–" he started to say, but the rest of the words were lost when I locked my mouth to his, effectively ending his sentence.

He pushed me away gently. "Yumi–"

"Stop," I whispered to him, putting one finger on his lips. "I am perfectly fine. You don't need to worry about me. And don't say that you're not, because I know you are. Everything will be all right. I'm fine," I repeated when his eyes narrowed.

"You need to–"

"You can't tell a pureblood what she needs to do," I reminded him.

"You have to–"

"Nope."

His temper snapped, then.

"Yumi, you're going to drink my blood, or I swear I'll tear the whole place apart. If you value my sanity, please just drink some. At least, that would help to stop me from worrying for you. For a while. Please, Yumi, just drink." The last part came out as a plea.

I sucked in a blazing breath through my teeth, and shook my head. It wasn't so much that I was stubborn, but that I was afraid to. I'd never drank from anyone's neck since… well, never. And for Takuma to be my first victim… what if I couldn't stop myself? What if I bit the wrong place, and he died? What if that once I started drinking blood, I'd never want to stop? I didn't want to inflict damage on anyone.

Least of all him.

"Please, Takuma, don't make me do this," I pleaded to him now. "I don't want… I can't… I really can't."

He stroked my face. "It will be all right." He reached up to reveal his neck to me. I gripped my bed sheets tightly; I wasn't aware until the sheets tore in my hands.

"Takuma, please… I don't want to hurt you."

"Are you afraid?" he whispered.

The shock I felt was indescribable. How did he know?

My head dropped to my hands. "Yes," I whispered, as if declaring a great weakness. Maybe it was a weakness. Takuma wrapped his arms around me, and held me close to his body. "Don't be," he murmured. "It's all right. Instinctual, you know." He sounded like he was smiling.

"I'm not afraid that I wouldn't know how to do it. I'm afraid that… I won't stop when I start. That I'll kill you. I won't be able to live with that, Takuma. I'll just die if anything happens to you." I was close to tears now. "Don't make me do this. I really, really, can't!"

He smiled again. "It'll be fine."

I growled. He wasn't taking me seriously.

"Yumi, it's really… easy. And stopping… you'll know exactly when to stop. Wouldn't it be better if you drink out of an aristocrat vampire than a human, or a Level D or Level E? At least you won't change the humans, or tempt the Level D and Level E vampires. It's safer for you to do it now than later. Just try. I'll make you a deal," he promised. "If you really find this repulsive after trying, then I won't ask you ever again."

I swallowed, and then slowly pushed him until he was flat on his back. He smiled, and angled his head to a side to make it easier for me to drink. "Anesthetize the place first, so it won't hurt too much," he breathed. I paused. What did he mean?

"With your tongue," he whispered, as though he'd heard it.

I nodded, and bent my head lower, and my tongue passed over the jugular vein that I saw easily. It tempted me so badly…

He shivered under my touch.

"Sorry," I whispered, already drawing away. His hands caught me and held me there.

"It felt nice," he assured me in a murmur. A sigh escaped his lips as my own brushed across his vein lightly, and, as though something else controlled me, I bared my fangs, and he rubbed my back gently when I paused, encouraging me.

Panic shuddered and broke into my chest; I tried to back away from him, but he held me there. "Ari, it's fine. It's fine."

My hands clenched themselves into fists as I shook my head wildly. Thirst warred against love and the hate of hurting others. I felt myself weakening… it would only be a matter of time before…

As thirst won over, I bit into his neck and his body jerked unconsciously in pain. I hesitated, but his hands stroked my back again, assuring me. Fresh blood welled from the wound, and the beautiful scent of his blood stayed in my nostrils, tempting me further. Slowly, I placed my lips over the wounds and drank.

The drops of his blood that I didn't catch ran down to the back of his neck, and stained my white sheets. At that moment, however, I didn't care. His ivory colored shirt, too, got stained by my inexperience. His hands twisted themselves into my hair, and held me there.

Or was he trying to pull me away?

I pulled back, and, seeing his bloodied shirt and neck, and the red stains on my sheets, my throat clogged up with the horror of what I've done. Something warm dripped down my chin, and I reached up to catch the drop.

A crimson tear sparkled back at me, and reminded me that I was a monster.

Horrified, I wiped my cheek with the back of my hand, and, when I pulled it away from my face, I saw the red stain on my arm. I couldn't stop my gasp of shock.

Takuma sat up, covering his neck wounds with one hand. I could see the red leaking through his loosely connected fingers. He didn't say anything; he just looked right at me. I couldn't fathom his eyes. Was he angry? Sad? Happy?

With one quivering finger, I touched my lips. Warm.

My tongue passed over my bottom lip, and I tasted blood. Tears filled my eyes, and I hopped off the bed, and backed away to the door.

Takuma stared at me, confused.

"Yumi, what's wrong?"

My mouth worked, but no sound escaped my bloodstained lips.

"Yumi?"

"I'm… I'm so sorry!" I blurted, then I whipped around and flew out the door, and the main door as well. I could barely see through the tears in my eyes, and almost crashed into several things. Weak hands tried to pull me back, but I broke through their defenses and managed to escape. As I ran, I thought, This is a worse nightmare than anything else I've dreamed, or yet to dream. I'm a monster. Who likes a monster?

No one.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yuuki and Zero: Where are we? We haven't even appeared once.

Neither did Shiki or Rima or Ichiru or… well, the bottom line is, they're not complaining.

(silence)

Hah! I got you!

What's big and cuddly with words that are greenish, and right below this smiley? =)

Ichijo: Me!

You have words?

Please comment!