Frisson (Diabolik lovers)

XXV. What doesn't kill you

"Shit!" It wasn't like Reiji to curse, but he just couldn't help it. Shizuka was barely alive. This enormous pool of blood on the cold hard floor of this cell meant that her life was almost, if not completely, gone. 

"You stupid human, why did you do this?! Didn't I tell you to stay away?! So why?!" He licked her wrist a few times to heal her wound. But her skin was still pale... She was still cold as ice. She was still barely breathing. Or maybe... Maybe it was just his imagination? Maybe he was having a dream where she was still somewhat alive? Maybe his own drug was still playing tricks on his mind? Reiji shook his head to get rid of these annoying thoughts. No. She was still alive. She had to be! This creature in his hands couldn't have died.

"I refuse to have my life saved with a sacrifice of one pathetic human's life! You are not dying on me, you hear me! Why couldn't you obey to my orders for just once? I said I didn't need your blood! Blood..? That's right!" Despite his panic, Reiji was still able to remember one less known ability that vampires possessed - not only their saliva could heal wounds, vampire's blood was the best cure for natural diseases, including blood loss. Reiji pried off his previously white, but now drenched in blood glove from his hand and bit down into his palm. 

Reiji could no longer feel the effect of his drug, so he knew it would be safe for Shizuka to drink his blood. That poison was neutralized anyway. 
"Come on... Drink it..." But his blood just stayed in her mouth, refusing to go down her throat. Reiji wouldn't be Reiji if he didn't know how to make her swallow. Reiji pressed down certain spots on her neck and unconscious  girl was gently forced to drink his blood. 
"Shizuka, wake up." He gently shook her, hoping to see her eyes, full of autumn colours, once again. But with each passing moment, with each loud sound of a far away droplet of water, with each shallow breath, his hopes were slowly getting destroyed. 

Shizuka wasn't waking up. She wasn't moving. She wasn't getting any better.
"Come on, I thought you were stronger than this!" Reiji shook her once more, just a bit hared. He knew that Shizuka's body was weakened by her disease. He knew that his blood wasn't a miraculous cure, but he also knew that he didn't want her to die. He didn't want to lose her like this and not because of his father's orders. Reiji wasn't even thinking about that. All he wanted was to see her smile once more, to see her bright, full of life eyes, to see her flying around on ice... He wanted to see her alive. 

Reiji was ready to cut open his wrist and basically drown Shizuka in his blood, but then something happened that brought back light to that dark dungeon. Shizuka gasped. She took the biggest breath in her life as if she had been revived from the dead. Colour rapidly came back to her pale as porcelain cheeks as her body suddenly warmed up. At this moment Reiji knew - he didn't fuck up. 

"Finally you listened to your master," Reiji smiled, his eyes sparkling with relief and delight. His usual stoic facial expression was unrecognizable because of the affection and warmth towards the girl in his embrace. Now, when his vision cleared up, he could see her calm face, her puffy eyes and the tear trails, shining on her cheeks. Shizuka cried? For him? Reiji almost let this thought overcome him, but he noticed one thing - Shizuka was wearing only her pajamas. 

"Why in the world did you leave your room wearing only this? It's cold, you know..." Reiji knew that his words wouldn't be heard, but he had to scold someone, right? Even if that someone was an unconscious girl. Reiji found Shizuka's bath robe close by and wrapped it around the girl, but he knew it wasn't enough. His jacked was also there, just slightly out of reach. Reiji stood up with Shizuka's in his arms and walked towards the corner where his jacked had been tossed to. Reiji was careful not to wake her up while he tried to sit up with her cradled in his arms. 

"Seriously, you're just like a little child." Vampire boy used his jacked like a blanked to shield Shizuka's weakened body from cold air. Reiji was stroking her back in a soothing manner to make her even warmer. His own body heat had risen up since he had her blood. This situation no longer seemed so grave. Reiji knew he could teleport once again, but he didn't want to. He wanted to regain his strength in case his stupid brothers tried something right away. Reiji was left alone with his thoughts.