ｂｏｕｑｕｅｔｓ

『 your p.o.v 』

Crouching down some, I cradled a single blue rose against the palm of my hand, being sure to not let the thorns on the bush scratch me as I did so. "They're so beautiful." I murmured without thinking.

The brunette beside me scoffed. "They're just flowers Sow," he said, passing me the watering can we've been given to complete our task.

Since my memory is anything but adequate for school, Reiji told me that most of my classes would be one's I can simply sit through without having to pay attention in. But that gets boring even if I can't really remember what it is I lazily sat through the night before. So, with his and the blonde vampires permission, I follow the brunette Mukami to this agricultural type class where I pretty much have an excuse to stay out in the gardens behind the school and care for the plants the majority of the school night. He stays out here too, helping me care for the hundreds of flowers and bushes and other types of plants. There are so many! I could live in this large garden with him and be happy for all of eternity, I'm sure of it.

"You seem to know an awful lot about these flowers ___." Yui said as I happily grabbed the watering can from the brunette and watered the rose bush some.

"Maybe taking care of flowers was something I learned when I was younger?" I offered as an explanation once the brunette had wandered off to tend to the vegetables a few rows over. "Who knows, I could have been a gardener."

"Your father was the late First Blood King's royal adviser..."

"Let me pretend like I was a gardener Yui..." I mumbled dejectedly.

My best friend turned my personal guardian angel laughed some. "Sorry sorry, it's fun teasing you."

She's so mean...

Glancing over across the large garden towards where the tall brunette is currently crouching down to tend to the tomato plants, I can't help but get lost in thought. He's so cold to me and treats me like I'm an idiot sometimes too, but he can be so gentle and nice when we're out here, just the two of us, alone together. It's nice being here with him.

Flicking my attention back to the roses I'm currently watering, I smiled to myself some. "Vampire boy!" I call out to the brunette as I stand back up, holding the watering can behind my back some so that I don't accidentally drop it. "Do you think I could cut some of these roses and make them into a couple of bouquets?"

The brunette looked over his shoulder to me with a deadpanned expression. "Who the hell are you thinking of giving lame bouquets to?"

I smiled. "You, your brothers, and Reiji's family!" I responded happily. "Don't you think everyone would like them?"

With a scoff, the brunette returned to his tomato plants. "Do whatever the hell you want Sow, just don't go hurting yourself."

My smile widened some as I hurried back inside, the brunette calling after me from behind as I scurry off in search of the art rooms. I'm not really supposed to wander the halls alone- I've been told more than once specifically to not do just this, but I can't be bothered to wait for the brunette. I know the art rooms are near here somewhere, now it's just a matter of finding them...

Unsurprisingly, the halls are empty at this time of night, everyone obviously in class. My fast pace slows down some as I peer down different hallways in search of the long lost art rooms. I vaguely remember Reiji showing me where the art rooms were once, but, I can't remember what for. Though they have to be somewhere around here since things are beginning to look just the slightest bit familiar.

"You look lost." An amused voice says from somewhere in front of me, though there's not another person in sight. Yui is quiet as usual. And, if I focus on my surroundings, I can almost feel the presence of another person here. How strange.

Slowing my pace just ever so slightly, I glance around some. "I am a little lost actually." I say to the practically invisible person. "Any idea where the art rooms are?"

From the shadows, a tall boy with black hair that fades to white at the tips and bright red eyes stepped forward, a wicked smirk gracing his lips. The air went cold and I felt as though I should be scared. But, there's something about this boy. He's not familiar... So why is it I feel something strange coming from him?

"Art rooms? Those are a few hallways down." He said, closing the distance between us easily and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Here, I'll show you." He then said, his voice lowering just ever so slightly.

"Don't go with him ___." Yui spoke up, her voice wavering ever so slightly. "You can't let him take you."

I shook my head some. It's alright. He can't harm me. The Sakamaki's and Mukami's are here and if I call for any one of them, they'll come and save me, I'm sure of it. Even if I'm supposed to be protecting them, they'll still protect me as well. I'll be okay.

Glancing up to the bright red eyed vampire, I cocked my head to the side some. "Have we met before?" I asked.

"Not officially no," he murmured as we rounded another corner and began walking down a different hallway, further from where I left the brunette Mukami in the garden, "I'm Kino."

"Kino..." I repeated. "I'm ___, it's nice to meet you." I then said, offering the taller vampire a smile.

His name is one that sounds too familiar for my liking. I can vaguely recall both the Sakamaki's and Mukami's speaking of this vampire in hushed tones, never once wanting me to listen in on a conversation that concerned this Kino boy. Something about him isn't right. I can feel that much and having him next to me and so close at that is making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I don't like it.

I don't think I like him...

"What are you going to the art rooms for?" The red eyed vampire asked, the moon risen high up in the night sky just outside the many windows lining the hallways of this school.

I thought for a moment before responding. "I'm going to be making small bouquets for my friends."

"You have friends here?"

"I'd like to think that I do."

It feels weird thinking of the Mukami's and Sakamaki's as my friends, but I don't know what else to call them? It's hard to define them as just one thing. They're the ones that keep me safe, they watch over me, they keep me fed and make me happy and look out for me and try to be there when they realize I might have gotten lost again while also giving me space when they don't need my blood. But we never do anything fun together, we never go out or really talk to one another so I can't exactly say we're friends either. I don't know what I am to them and I don't know what they are to me. I guess my relationship with those two families is much more complicated than I had originally thought.

Kino's arm slipped from my shoulders as he opened the door to one of the larger art rooms, the room having not another soul inside. Stepping through the door frame, I went ahead and began my search for scissors and colored ribbon. The red eyed vampire watched as I did this, leaning against the wall and not making any effort to try and help me in my search.

"You don't know who I am do you?" He suddenly asked, not moving an inch but still following me with his eyes. "Have they not told you about me?"

I glanced over to the vampire before shaking my head some. "From what I can remember, they haven't said a thing about you."

The vampire in the room scoffed some. "They're confident in themselves then. How cute. They really thought I wouldn't be able to get to you with them all so near, and yet, here I am and here you are." He mused. "It would have been smart for them to tell you about me considering what I did to the last girl."

My hands stilled in the drawer I had been rifling through as my blood ran cold at his words, the faint howls of wolves far off in the distance just barely ringing out into the silence that the night usually brings along with it. I slowly looked to Kino and studied his face, his bright red eyes looking directly into my own. "What you did to the last girl." I repeated softly. "You're the one who killed Yui..?" I then asked at nothing above a whisper.

"Oh, so you do know me!" He said with a joyful yet sinister grin. "But you said that none of your friends have told you a thing about me so how would you know I was the one who ended that pathetic girls life?"

"She wasn't a pathetic girl you, you monster." I said as I tried to keep my voice from wavering.

Kino laughed at that. "Look at you getting all defensive. Tell me ___, what are you going to do now that you're in a room with someone wanting nothing more than to kill you? Hm? Are you going to scream for me?"

I stared at the vampire for a moment before turning fully to face him from where I'm standing near the very back of the art room, large windows lining the wall behind me. "Why is it you want to kill me? What have I done to you? What did Yui do to you?"

"Nothing," he said simply, "other than getting in the way of my plans."

"Your plans? What type of plans are you trying to execute that requires killing off two girls?!" I asked, my voice beginning to rise some but because of what I do not know. Possibly the absurdity of this situation, or maybe just because of the fact this vampire could kill me right now if he really wanted to.

Kino smirked some. "You'll find out soon enough. Unlike Yui, I won't give you an option to escape. You being alive is a nuisance and so I'll be killing you when the timing is right. If it wasn't for that little bat following you around all the time, I would have already killed you." He then said, his face falling into an annoyed scowl.

I looked over my shoulder only to notice that a small black bat with beady red eyes fluttered about just outside. Though the second it noticed I had spotted it, it took off and disappeared from our sights. I watched it go before returning my attention to Kino. How long have I been being watched..? And just who does that bat belong to?

"Look at that, you scared it away." The red eyed vampire mused, suddenly beginning to take short steps towards me, cornering me to the back of the room. "Maybe it's telling me that I can kill you right now after all. What a nice bat that was, don't you agree, ___?"

My back pressed harshly against the large dresser placed up against the back wall of the classroom, the large windows placed in a rounded shape just behind me. "Get away from me." I hissed.

"___, you have to run." Yui said with her voice filled with nothing but concern and horror. "I can't do anything in the physical realm to save you so please, run."

"I can't run." I murmured just loud enough for her to hear, my shoulders slumping some at the sudden realization. "I can't outrun a vampire." So I'm going to die here tonight.

Kino's smile turned more wicked the closer he got. "You're not going to try and escape? Yui would have ran and made this much more entertaining. Why don't I let you get a head-start hm? Will you run then?"

I stayed quiet, watching this vampires every last move. There might be a way out of this if I could run and hide. But these vampires can teleport, I can't outrun that. I'm sure he can smell me just like the Mukami's and Sakamaki's can meaning even if I did manage to hide, I'd still be found by him. The next best thing would be running back to the brunette I left outside in the garden, but I can't remember how I got here. I don't know how to get back to him.

There isn't a way out of this. I'm really going to die.

With no more than a couple feet separating us now, Kino stopped walking forward and studied me for a moment. "I can hear your heart beat you know. It's thumping so harshly against your chest, why don't I fix that for you and just tear it right out of your body? Will that make it easier for you to let go of this world once and for all?"

I felt fear beginning to bubble up from my chest into my throat, making it harder to breath as the vampire took another step closer. He's going to kill me. I can't escape. I want to live, for them. I can't die here- but I can't run. This is it. This is my end.

Just as Kino was mere centimeters away from wrapping his hand around my throat, a scream ripped it's way into the silence of this room and it took me a moment to realize the loud scream was coming from me. I screamed and screamed to the point my throat was raw and the room felt as though it was shaking. The large windows covering the back wall of the art room shattered and the light bulbs exploded, the room going dark as I fell to my knees, my hands landing on the ground as to keep my body from completely collapsing.

When I finally managed to look back up, breathless and feeling weaker than ever, I immediately noticed that Kino was now nowhere in sight, the room once again silent and empty with the exception of myself. The glass glistened some in the moonlight that cascaded in through the now shattered windows behind me. I could feel some shards of glass embedding themselves into the soft skin of the palms of my hands. Tears began welling up in my eyes, my body beginning to shake.

What just happened? Where did Kino go? Did I really just break the windows and the lights? How did I manage that? I screamed, but it felt like so much more just happened than a simple scream- I felt the room shaking for heavens sakes. Just what am I..?

"C'mon ___, you have to get up." Yui spoke softly. "You'll only get cut worse if you don't move away from the glass."

I shook my head some, my tears falling to the shattered glass covered floor. "I can't move." The words were barely audible even to me. "I can barely hold myself up. What did I do Yui?"

"I'm not sure." She responded honestly.

My breath hitched as I tried to hold back any more tears that came, a sharp pain stabbing through my head, worse than any migraine I've experienced thus far. "How did I do that? What kind of a monster am I Yui? I can't remember my father, I'm a burden to these vampires, and I'm scared of myself now. I don't know what to do." I said dejectedly.

The beautiful blonde angle materialized in front of me, sitting down to kneel on her knees as she tried to get my attention, her form radiating light into this dark room like a beacon of hope. "Whatever you just did is nothing to be scared of. You're not only human ___, theres the blood of First Bloods coursing through your veins and they're powerful vampires who possess magic in its rawest forms. You might be discovering who you are so don't be scared of what happened here. Be scared of Kino, not yourself." She said softly. "I can feel Ayato's presence growing nearer. You'll be fine ___, so don't beat yourself up anymore, please... I hate seeing you in so much pain..."

The light she offered faded as she disappeared once again. I couldn't lift my gaze from the floor as the door to the art room flung open with enough force to have it slamming into the wall, the doorknob getting stuck in the wall as the door itself nearly came unhinged. "___!" Ayato said shocked as he rushed forward, not caring one bit about the glass as he hurried to my side, kneeling down and placing a hand on my shoulder to try and get me to sit up and look at him. "What happened? How did the windows break?"

"I- I screamed."

"You what?"

I shook my head some as I sat back on my heels, the glass shards in the palms of my hands stinging and making them bleed. "I screamed. Kino was going to kill me, I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't die. Not when you all need me; not when I need to protect you all. I couldn't die, so I screamed."

Ayato didn't say a word as he grabbed my wrists and carefully pulled me up to standing. My legs nearly gave out and I could barely support my own weight, the red headed vampire watching as I struggled to not fall back down to the floor.

He cursed under his breath and before I knew it, Ayato was carrying me bridal style right out of the room. I looked back through the broken door of the art room, shocked at the damage I caused. Will I do something like that again without meaning too? Am I a danger to these vampires..?

"Where are you taking me?" I asked softly. "I need to go outside and make those bouquets with the brunette, he's probably waiting for me-"

"I'm taking you to Reiji and Ruki."

"But my bouquets."

"You're hurt and I need to tell them you met Kino." Ayato said through gritted teeth. "I'm seconds away from sucking you dry so shut up and let me do this for you dammit. I couldn't do anything back then so let me do this much now."

Any words I wanted to say died on the tip of my tongue as I looked up at the red headed vampire. My head is already pounding enough so I didn't even try to understand what he was hinting at, no memory important enough for me to lose my sanity. I'll have to ask him about this another time if I happen to remember it...

The howls of the wolves off in the distance welcomed me as Ayato kicked open the door to an empty classroom. His jaw was clenched as he carefully sat me down on a bench placed beside the windows that overlooked the school's center courtyard. "Wait here, I won't be gone more than a minute." He said and then promptly vanished as if he was never here to begin with.

I stared for a second longer at the spot the red headed vampire was once standing before turning my attention outside the window. I ignored the pitter patter of my blood dripping down my fingertips and onto the tiled floor, the glass shards still heavily embedded under the sensitive skin of my palms.

Outside, it's still the dead of night. There are a couple students here and there talking and hanging out with one another in the center courtyard, most definitely the ones that are skipping class. That's probably what Ayato was doing as well and that's how he got to me so quickly. There's no way he could be in class and know that I was in danger unless he wasn't in class to begin with.

Slowly, my gaze traveled upward to the rooftop of the school on the other side of the courtyard. I felt my headache worsen as my eyes narrowed in on the black haired vampire watching me from a good ways away. Kino didn't make any move to come after me once more. He didn't do a thing other than wave at me before disappearing just as Ayato had.

"What happened to you?" The black haired Mukami asked, already walking towards me from the other side of the classroom. Probably the spot he just teleported to.

I shrugged my shoulders. "A lot." I mumbled. "Where's Reiji?"

"Here." The black haired Sakamaki said as he suddenly appeared right beside me, taking a seat on the bench and grabbing one of my hands. "Let me see the damage you've caused to yourself. Honestly, how high maintenance of a servant are you?" He asked, turning my hand ever so slightly to look at the extent of my injuries.

"I didn't do this on purpose." I murmured. "I didn't mean to shatter the windows, I'm sorry."

"___." Ruki said my name. "What did you do?"

Ayato suddenly appeared in the room behind these two vampires. "She said Kino was going to kill her so she screamed."

Reiji flicked his crimson red eyes to the red headed vampire. "Screamed?"

"You mean that scream that shook this entire building came from her?" Ruki then asked.

I shrunk in on myself some. "I'm sorry." I murmured.

"No matter, we need to take care of your injuries first." Reiji said as he lifted the palm of my hand to his lips, the feeling of his teeth scraping against the tender skin of my palm making me flinch. He pulled back and narrowed his eyes, his lips covered with my blood. "Hold still or I won't be able to get the glass shards." He said sternly before once again nipping at my hand

Ruki sighed. "If Kino came after her then she's not safe.

"How did you even know it was Kino?" Ayato then asked.

"He told me his name." I responded through gritted teeth, Reiji's fangs just barely grazing my palm as he takes out the glass shards as delicately as he can.

"And Where was Yuma when this happened?" The black haired Mukami then asked. "Wasn't he meant to be watching you?"

I nodded my head. "He was, but I took off to find the art room."

Ayato scoffed. "That's why you were so concerned about your bouquets?"

Again, I nodded but this time didn't say a thing. If I hadn't had ran off to find the art rooms, none of this might have happened...

"We'll discuss more of this tomorrow night." Reiji said as he pulled my hand back from his lips to get a better look at my hand he's been working on. "For now, let me finish up here and we'll all go home. ___'s had a long enough night and needs her rest."

Smiling, I looked to the crimson eyed vampire. "Thank you."

"Be quiet and rest, you're safe now." Was all he said in return, Ayato and Ruki glancing to one another before disappearing, probably to gather the rest of their respected families so we can all go home.

A few minutes passed in silence as Reiji continued working on my hand. I glanced around the classroom some and then settled my gaze on the handsome black haired vampire once more. His eyes were closed, his eyelashes resting against his high cheekbones as he takes out each shard from the palm of my hand, somehow not cutting himself on the glass while in the process of doing this.

"I'm sorry." I said without meaning to speak at all.

Reiji opened his eyes as he peered up at me. "Don't apologize. You apologize enough for all of humanity. Rest." He said lamely.

Smiling some, I nodded. "Alright, thank you Reiji."

"I said rest."

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Wahhh haven't posted an update in forever and here I am with a long chapter and adding another vampire to this hell! Look at me go~

Question of the Chapter: Were any of you lovely readers expecting for Kino to make his entrance?

College is hectic guys ;-; but it's fun too! Let's hope the next update won't take me months to publish lmao lol thank you so much for reading this chapter and guys, our two favorite First Bloods will be making their appearance into this story soon.~ that will surely be fun to write and hopefully fun to read as well!

As always my lovelies, thanks for reading and I hope everyone has a nice day/night/evening/life :')

~ Love, Kat ♡