Diabolik Lovers: Recovery

Chapter 11: De-stress (All)

"Ayato, you first," I instructed. He seemed to have gotten over his skulking and his eyes even brightened at the opportunity to go first into the ride. "I know you're a good swimmer, so I can count on you."

"Don't want you drowning on us Cupcake," he chuckled, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me in close.

Before I realized what he was up to, he had planted a swift kiss upon my lips and ducked into the opening of the slide. He disappeared in a swishing of water and flecks of foam. Farther down we heard a holler as the ride picked up in speed to fling him around the funnel of the ride. My heart beat loudly within my chest and I saw Reiji's eyes on me, but the adrenaline was pressing a cheek-pinching smile upon my face instead of causing a twinge in my chest. Still, I wasn't sure if it was from the fact that I was about to go on the ride or the fact that I had just received my first kiss.

"You look dumbstruck," Subaru observed sourly, his arms crossed.

"Just a little," I chuckled, putting my hands on my hips and trying to even out my facial expression.

The albino vampire rolled his eyes.

"You're up next," the lifeguard, a short girl with blonde hair swept up into a red scrunchie, said bluntly. She had the sort of judgmental eyes that darted from me to my companions quickly. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Do you want a good luck kiss, Little Beauty?" Laito asked, winking.

I didn't answer since the lifeguard was giving me a stern deathglare, but Laito took my silence as an opportunity. His lips met mine and my heart stuttered for a second time.

"Honestly," Reiji scoffed.

"You can have one later, Reiji," I smiled and I saw his crimson eyes widen as I entered the slide.

Immediately I was swept in on a violent current into darkness. My back was slick with cool water and my hair became plastered down to my head as I shot forward. In violent twists and turns, I felt as if I were shooting through the inside of a snake's body. Suddenly the slide dropped and I let out a shriek of glee as I was sent barreling out into the funnel. At top speed I whirled around until losing momentum and slowly slipping toward the hole at the bottom.

Another yell escaped my lips as I smacked down into the pool beneath, my limbs helter-skelter as I attempted to right myself into a feet first position. It was no use. The side of my stomach impacted upon the water with a splat. I kicked out with my arms and legs; paddling in a semi-doggy style until my head broke the water. Ayato made my swimming entirely unnecessary as he firmly pulled me to safety by my wrist

"How was that?" he asked, as I sloshed my way up the stairs beside him.

"Awesome! I can't wait to go on another!"

Another holler alerted us to the coming of another in our group. A flash of blonde hair told me that Shuu had gone down next. He burst from the water and waded over to us shaking his shaggy hair to rid it of water.

"Did you like it Shuu?" I asked brightly, looking up at him curiously.

"It was alright."

"Just alright?"

He raised an eyebrow at me and putting a hand on my shoulder. He too leaned in, but placed his lips on my forehead instead.

"I thought it would make you happy."

"It makes me happy when you're happy," I enthused, blinking in wonder at his gesture. "But yes, I am glad that you joined us."

"Yeah, that lazy lump never does anything!" Ayato said in a sharp, teasing voice with a large smile on his face. "Not even clean!"

I could've sworn that Shuu smiled faintly, "No one does, not even you if I remember correctly."

"Reiji does," I argued good-naturedly, listening to the slide for the next of our party . "He's the only reason your house is clean! It's nice of him to do that."

"It is," Shuu said mildly as Ayato shrugged his agreement.

A series of yells alerted us to another vampire incoming.

"Kanato!" I laughed as he dropped ungracefully into the pool.

"That was horrible!" he cried when he surfaced. "My suit nearly got tugged off!"

"Really?" I asked sympathetically. "Maybe you'll prefer the raft rides instead."

"I don't want to!" he yelled.

"Kanato stop your whining," Ayato chastised in a less-than-consoling voice, rolling his eyes. "It's only the one ride that was bad for you. They won't all be like that."

"Ayato's right," I soothed, rolling him up into a hug. "You'll like the other rides."

A vicious stabbing sensation in my neck caused me to yell in surprise. My cry mingled with another as someone else fell into the pool.

"Kanato!" I yelled, trying to push him away but his fangs were embedded into my skin deeply. "Stop!"

He pulled away, wiping his mouth as I put a palm over the wound.

"What were you thinking?" Ayato snarled, his hair nearly bristling.

"We're not supposed to drink from her right now," Shuu seconded calmly but with an air of irritation.

"I smell blood," Subaru announced, rushing from the pool. "Is Miyako alright?"

"Kanato decided to have a snack."

"She doesn't taste very good," Kanato muttered, pondering the watery crimson on the back of his hand. "Not as good as she did before."

"Eh?"

"Miyako, may I?" Shuu asked calmly and I uncovered the wound.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to try your blood," he answered.

"Wait, no-"

"Just to see if there's anything wrong."

After I had taken a deep breath, he slipped his fangs into the marks left by Kanato and took a gulp.

"She tastes just fine, Kanato," Shuu argued. "Almost irresistible at the moment. I would say better than usual."

Another yell and a subsequent splash marked the arrival of Reiji who emerged from the pool with sparkling eyes until he scented blood on the air. He was by my side in an instant.

"What did we agree?" he growled, rounding on the group slowly after surveying my wound. 

"It was Kanato," Ayato announced and the lilac haired vampire made a cry of outrage.

"I smell blood on Shuu's breath as well."

"We were just checking to see if her blood is alright," Subaru answered for Shuu. "Kanato mentioned that it tasted tainted."

"Well?"

"It's not," Shuu reported.

Another splash. The last of our group had arrived. Laito emerged from the water, shaking out his shaggy hair.

"Smells good," he noted, his glimmering eyes appraising my neck.

"Enough," I muttered, clasping my palm to my neck once more. "I'm going to find a bandaid."

"Suit yourself," Laito shrugged.