"My sweet gentle boy..." Christa continued to speak sweetly. Her eyes squinted shut and her lip pulled up into a cheerful smile. "You seem utterly surprised to see me..." When he didn't respond back, her eyes fluttered open and that smile of hers converted into a sad one. "You must think I'm the worse mother ever...leaving you alone like that..." The older woman head lowered shamefully. "I could understand if you hate me. You have every right to. But you have to understand son, I was really ill –"
"Silent! ...Mother," he demanded aggressively. Suddenly, a colony of bats scattered from the trees, from the sound of his high pitch voice and flew off into the night sky.
Subaru fists were trembling with everything burning inside him. He tried his hardest not to take his rage out on his mother. After all he loved her more than anything and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her.
"Why did you come back..." he gritted through his teeth shakily. He turned away from her and banged both his fist against the stone statue on the eastside of the mansion. The furious young vampire relentlessly rested his forehead against the statue after he was done and dropped his wounded hands to his sides before he turned to face her "Why... Why did you come back?"
"Because..." She started to tell him softly. "I miss you, tremendously... There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about you." Sorrowful tears ran down her cheeks and she lifted her head to look at him. "You have grown up into a fine young man, Subaru. Let me be a part of your life again and I'll promise that you'll never have to go through it alone again."
Subaru cheeks turned pink as he thought about it, then he looked away from his mother when he realized how flushed his face was. "Mother I –"
Out of nowhere, Mayu pounced on him, thrusting her fist into his cheek.
Subaru rubbed his sore red cheek shock as he turned to glare at his enraged girlfriend with wide eyes. He noticed the vein on Mayu's temple started to throb and the light that was ones in her eyes darken.
"How dare you meet with another woman, Subaru," Mayu scolded at him furiously. "At first, I thought it was an urgent matter, so I let the rudeness slide when you left me in the room alone! ...But then, I caught a whiff of this other woman's perfume and suddenly I felt unease by your disappearance. Now I find you with her in front of your family's home! What –I wasn't good enough for you? You couldn't handle my condition, so you're running away from me, is that it?!"
"Young lady, I think you have the wrong idea," Christa proclaimed calmly.
Mayu scowled at her heatedly. "Shut it, tramp!" She shouted; her cruel tone startled Christa a bit. "I will deal with you next!"
"Mayu," Subaru called in a rather harsh tone.
She whipped her back around to look at him. "What is it, you insensitive bastard!"
"Quiet! I will not have you talk to my mother like that!"
Mayu's jaw dropped before she took a few seconds to jab her forefinger at the woman standing a few feet away from them. "You're joking! That beautiful mistress is your mother?!"
Subaru groaned. "Are you really that dumb or just plain stupid? Of course she's my mother! Why else would I urgently run out here?"
Mayu's face lit up with an embarrassing red hue. She turned around to face Christa and got to her knees, bowing her head down respectfully. "My deepest apologies, I'm so sorry! I-I wasn't aware that you were coming to visit. I hope you can look pass what I said and forgive me."
Christa smiled down and gestured her head out. "That's quite all right eh –Mayu is it?"
"Yes, that's my name. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Although, Subaru has failed to mention anything about you, but I'm glad that I finally got meet you... even if it was such an unpleasant introduction."
"Tch, I told you already..." Subaru paused as glared at his girlfriend with those piercing eyes of his. "When that disorder of yours is fully stabilized, I'd tell you everything you want to know about my mother! I swear that head of yours is as thick as a rock!"
"Seriously, this disorder that I have isn't going anywhere, Subaru. So I suggest you get used to it and stop trying to find ways around it!"
The white-haired vampire huffed with his arms crossed. "I am used to it. I dealt with your BS this long, didn't I?"
Mayu gasped "What's that's supposed to mean!"
"Excuse me?" Christa pardoned, gathering both their attention. "What's the name of the disorder you two speak of?"
Mayu sighed before answering her "When I was turned into a vampire by Subaru, I developed a Multiple Personality Disorder. So basically, I can lash out at any time and you wouldn't even see it coming. I attacked my own sister twice and I feel horrible about it."
Christa nodded. "Oh I see... and how are you taking care of your Multiple Personality Disorder? Are you seeking help?"
"Reiji is doing what he can at the moment," Subaru responded. "He's working on a potion that will help her."
"Interesting... But what will happen if she forgets to take the potion, Subaru? Have you both thought about that?" Christa questioned them. "She needs to see a professional and learn about self-control. That's the correct way to handle this kind of problem."
"But who in their right mind would deal with someone like me," Mayu asked in despair.
The older woman darted her eyes at Mayu. "Simple... Someone of our own kind that has dealt with vampire behavior for many generations... His name is Cedric and he's my brother."
Mayu narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend now. "Subaru, you have another uncle?"
He nodded. "Mhm, I have two uncles. One from my mother side and the other is from my father side. However, I never actually met Cedric before. He and my mother were very close growing up from what I heard."
"Then you shall meet him soon, son" Christa started. "I'm sure he'll be glad to meet his nephew for the first time, and your lovely girlfriend here." She looked away from Subaru at Mayu with a polite smile on her innocent face.
Subaru and Mayu blushed at the same time. It was like her eyes could see straight through them. There was no doubt about it, she'll be questioning them about their relationship and future plans together soon enough.
Mayu chuckled "You are too kind, Mrs. Sakamaki. Thank you for helping me even after all the trouble I caused you."
Subaru whispered "Tch, what about all the trouble you caused me?"
Mayu stick out her tongue at him.
Christa giggled. "Mayu, please... call me Christa."
"If you have any decency and respect for me as a man and your fiancé, then I suggest you come out with the news and tell him already," Kanato demanded. "I haven't got all year, Izumi."
It's been over 2 weeks since the last time he ran into his love-rival, and for some reason Izumi had been making up every excuse why she hadn't told Azusa about the engagement yet. This frustrated Kanato to little avail. What was her reason for this and why was she stalling time over something so petty? Either way, the purple-haired vampire would get his way sooner or later. There was only so much he could tolerate, and waiting on his fiancée to make the first move wasn't one of them.
"Look here Kanato. I said I'd tell Azusa when I'm ready and that's what I'll do," she argued. The blue-haired vampire was going through her closet in search for an outfit to wear for the day.
"When? ...I surely hope when I'm not dead and buried 6 feet under the dirt? ...Although, I would like to be cremated alive, if that's not too much to ask, thank you very much." He mentioned the middle of his statement, but then got straight to the point. "Izumi, you trust me, right?"
Izumi pulled her blouse down over her head and glanced over her shoulder at him in shock. "What! Why wouldn't I trust you?"
"The same reason why you shouldn't give me a reason not to," He responded sharply; his purple eyes never left her gray ones. "Should I have a reason not to trust you anymore?"
Izumi knitted her eyebrows together and shook her head. "Kanato, where are you going with this? Are you implying that you don't trust me?"
He shrugged. "I won't if you keep giving me a reason not to."
After Izumi heard his responds, she stomped over to the dresser, picked up her cellphone and pressed Azusa's contact with his phone number and then she lifted the cellphone to her ear and waited for him to answer it. "Hello Azusa... can you come to my house please? I need to talk to you about something ...So I'll see you in an hour then? ...Okay bye-bye."
She clicked the end button and threw the phone down on the bed before scowling at Kanato. "There! Are you happy now?"
The purple eyed vampire sighed. "Not quite...there is so much work to be done in such little time."
"Kanato..." She called out while trying to calm her voice down. "Azusa is my friend. How many times do I have convinced you?"
"A lot, apparently. It still doesn't justify if those feelings he had for you are still there... You don't see how he looks at you when you're not looking."
Izumi stared at her fiancé in awe. "You think you have the answer to anything, huh? Of course you do, you're Kanato 'Fucking' Sakamaki! It's always your way and no way else! I'm so sick of it!"
Kanato tilted her chin upwards between his thumb and forefinger, and he kissed her on the mouth deeply just to shut her up. He pulled her gently against him and his free hand wrapped around her waist comfortably. After a brief moment of lip and tongue action, he broke away to kiss along her cheek to her jawline. Izumi couldn't quite tell how long the kiss lasted, but she felt like she was about to crave at any moment. The male vampire deeply inhaled and ran his tongue over his bottom lip while looking down at her with a smirk.
"Are you still sick of me," he asked her.
Izumi opened her eyes and stared directly at him. "You will always get me sick, Kanato. That doesn't mean that I still don't adore you."
"Say no more, that's all I wanted to hear," he told her.
A loud ringing sound blazed through the front door and inside the house an hour later. Izumi quickly swayed down the stairs and ran through the entrance to open the front door. The moment she opened it, Azusa pulled her in a tight embrace that shocked her.
"Hello to you too, Azusa," She greeted uncomfortably and patted his back.
Azusa slightly pulled away and smiled down at her happily. "Hello, Izumi. It's been awhile since you last invited me to your home. What's the occasion?"
She immediately pulled away from his grasped and cleared her throat as she turned to walk further inside the house. "First, you should probably come in and sit down. I'll have the maid fetch us some tea."
"Yummy tea... That sounds like a wonderful idea," Azusa commented as he followed her inside the family room.
The moment they walked inside the family room, Kanato was already there sitting on the loveseat.
"Make that one cup of tea for me too, Izumi." Kanato announced with a smug smile on his face.
When Azusa spotted him there, his whole mood changed. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I would be asking you the same thing if I didn't already know that you were going to be here today," Kanato retorted bluntly.
Azusa fixed his eyes on his ex-girlfriend. "What is he talking about –and what is the reason why you invited me here today?"
"Well... we have something to tell you in person." She responded in a low tone.
"Izumi, I don't think he heard you," Kanato pointed out sternly.
The gray-haired vampire cocked his eyebrow at them. "You both are acting weird... I don't like where this is going at all."
Kanato sighed without a care in the world. "Are you going to tell him the news or should I tell him?"
"No, thank you. I think I can handle this one my own." She replied before glancing at Azusa. "I know I should've told you this when we last so each other, but at that time I wasn't ready to tell –"
"What are you getting at?" Azusa questioned her before she had the chance to get the words out
She tentatively grinned at him and slowly opened her mouth to speak again "I'm getting married," she breathed out.
The room suddenly grew deathly quiet. Kanato looked between the two and felt the atmosphere around them starting to change.
Azusa was angry, there was nothing to it. It was like everything had crashed down on. He even tried to avoid eye contact with the both of them. Nobody could image how much how much hatred he had felt that day.
"Azusa," Izumi softly called out to him. His body immediately tensed up when he heard her voice again. "Please say something... anything?" When she reached out to touch his forearm, he ripped it away from her.
"Don't touch me! Don't you dare come near me, Izumi," he warned.
Kanato stood up from the loveseat and walked around the table to stand beside his fiancée protectively. "Try nothing to take it too harshly, Azusa. We're inviting you to the wedding. You should stay put and be grateful," Kanato said to him in a smugly manner.
Azusa ran over to him and pushed him against the wall. "How does it feel to know that I despise you?"
"I don't entirely know, yet." He tapped his finger under his chin. "Am I supposed to feel something?"
"Azusa, put him down," Izumi commanded.
"Why should I," he snapped.
"Because this isn't worth it," she retorted. "I was scared to tell you at first, because I knew that you wouldn't take this lightly."
"So why did you?"
"Because you're my friend and I had to be honest with you."
"You heard her. If she had it her way you would've never found out, thanks to me," Kanato told him.
Azusa carefully moved his hands away from Kanato's shirt and backed away from him.
Kanato shook his head while fixing himself up "I see you finally came to your senses."
Azusa smirked evilly in kanato's direction before he launched over to Izumi, wrapped his arms around her and forced a mind-blowing kiss upon her lips in front of him, out of spite. Kanato froze on the spot and his eyes popped out of his head in shock. He couldn't believe what had taking place. What was he supposed to do now, even though he didn't have the strength to move a muscle?
Ring...
Ring...
Ring...
Laito had no idea what to do with himself anymore. Ever since the breakup occurred the other night, he felt as if he lost everything in a matter of seconds. The auburn-haired vampire felt like a boulder was weighing down his chest and cutting off his air supply. Why did love have to hurt so much?
Her smile...
Her eyes...
That laugh of hers and that look she gave him kept replying in his head like it was all a dream from the beginning. He sobbed as the tears began to fall off on his shoe and floor. That long hair of his covered his face as he cried for the second time his entire life. No matter how many times he wiped his to stop the tears from falling, they continued to overflowing. Soon after, his whole face was covered in tears.
Suddenly he was pulled from his thoughts by the feeling of his phone buzzing and ringing in his pocket. So he took the cell phone and placed it over his ear without looking to see who it was.
"Hello?" the redhead answered in a shaky tone.
"Where are you... and that blonde bastard? It's been more than two week!" His younger brother Ayato complained over the phone.
"I don't know about him, but I'll be there by tonight," Laito said to him with a depressing tone.
"Good... I can't wait for you to see the twins," he chuckled. "I haven't stopped smiling ever since they got here."
"Oh... yeah..."
"If you keep playing your cards right maybe Kyoyo will give you children of your own," Ayato joked.
At the sound of Kyoyo name, Laito tensed. He shivered in pain and squeezed his eyes shut while he listened to his brother talk on about baby nonsense. Laito teeth clenched as the pain took over his body. He soon collapsed to the ground, falling on his knees and hunching over till his forehead hit the ground. Ayato was completely forgot about on the phone left beside, Laito.
"Tsk-tsk, I never thought there'll be a day I'll be seeing you like this," said a familiar voice in the distance.
The redhead slowly looked up at the person and saw who it was. Karl was only 2 meters away from him, but instead of looking amused, he looked more concern and caring.
"Why in hells name are you on the filthy ground?"
Laito closed his eyes again and shook his head. "He's not real. It's just my imagination."
Karl sighed as he rubbed his chin. "I wish it was son... but sadly, I'm as real as it could get."
"What... why are you here?"
"To see you of course," he responded with a smile on his face.
Laito chuckled. "You came to see me? I didn't think I was worth you precious time."
"All my children are precious to me, Laito. I love my boys more than anything," he said, gesturing his hand out to help him up. "Here, take my hand."
Laito tentatively looked at it before taking his hand to stand up on his two feet.
"You never did answer my question," Laito spoke with his eyes narrowed at his father. Why are you here?"
"I heard your girlfriend mother was extremely ill... There's a possibility that I could help her with her illness."
"H-H-How? You don't even know her from a can of paint," He reminded.
Karl shook his head. "That's where you're wrong, Laito. I met the girl and her mother once before in the past many years ago. When I saw her for the first time at the infirmary back at Ryoutei Academy, I immediately figured out who she was."
"And you didn't say anything to me," he said under his breath.
Karl rolled his eyes dramatically. "You were exactly on speaking terms with me, remember? If I recall correctly, you said, and I quote "I hate you with a passion, so drop dead old man." Those were the last cruel words you said to me."
Laito crossed his arms and looked away. "Well, maybe if you acted more like a father, I wouldn't have said it."
His father closed his eyes. "I hate to say this, but you're right."
"I know," Laito said while buffing his nails.
Karl smiled, "Come Laito, we have a lot to talk about." He said before walking passed him.
"Fine, but you're buying me a drink old man."