"Stay on your toes" He warned before walking away.
Elliot sighed as he listened to Ayato's angry thuds echo through the halls, how on earth he managed to get away with that? he will not know. Elliot returned to class, dodging Laito for the rest of the night before meeting up with the brothers and finally going home.
~
The dining room was almost in silence, the only sound was the clatter of plates and silverware. On one side of the table sat Yui, Ayato, Laito and Kanato sitting opposite them were Shuu, Elliot, Subaru and Reiji. Elliot barely touched his food, he poked it a few times and took a few bites every now and then. While Yui made no effort to even pick up a fork.
"You haven't eaten very much, Bitch-Chan~" Laito leaned over Yui's shoulder, startling her "you need to eat properly or you could become anaemic, would you like me to feed you?~". Elliot's gaze flickered from his plate to his sister and Laito, he sighed and returned his focus to the plate in front of him.
"What about you Elliot?~" A pair of cold hands touched Elliot's shoulders before sliding down his chest. Laito rested his chin on Elliot's shoulder. "You have to eat to keep your iron high~" the hair on Elliot's neck stood as Laito sang in his ear, it tickled.
"Missing a meal never killed anyone" Elliot grumbled, pushing a cold potato around his plate. 'I don't think I've ever had such bland potatoes before..'.
"Laito return to your seat" Reiji spoke out before Laito had a chance to do anything else and with a sigh, Laito obliged.
As Laito sat, Shuu stood.
"Shuu?" Yui's mouse-like voice called out to him.
"This is a pain" he replied before walking out of the room.
"That deadbeat, nothing good can come of anyone who grows up spoiled rotten" Reiji adjusted his glasses, eyes closed in irritation.
A dark chuckle ran throughout the room catching Elliot's attention, He looked up and moved his attention to the purple-haired Sakamaki at the opposite end of the table from him.
"Teddy, what would you like to eat next?" Kanato inspected the plates in front of him before picking up a fork "let's have a banana snowball". A cruel smile spread across Kanato's face before he plunged his fork into the plate of sweets in front of him repeatedly as he let a spine chilling laugh ring out.
Silence ran throughout the dining hall again when the laughter died down.
"He won't even make an effort to attend our monthly dinner party", Elliot closed his eyes and sighed as Reiji spoke again, clearly talking about Shuu. Elliot cleared his throat before letting words grace his lips again.
"He clearly made an effort to attend today. He might have not stayed until the end but he was here". Elliot opened his eyes, looking around the table. Everyone had different reactions but he wasn't too sure what reactions they were exactly.
"If you're not going to eat then you can leave as well" Reiji huffed, he wasn't unhappy with Elliot's answer but he wasn't necessarily happy about it either.
Without another word, Elliot stood and walked out of the room. A few pairs of eyes trailed him as he disappeared from sight.
Yui stood up quickly. Her chair fell to the ground as she ran after Elliot. Elliot did just say that even the smallest effort counts, right?
Reiji adjusted his glasses, clearly irritated by the sudden commotion.
"That will be all for today...", the last of the brothers disappeared and went their separate ways for the night.
Elliot walked down the halls of the mansion, his footsteps so soft you'd think he was sneaking around. The ticking of a clock could be heard at the end of one of the many halls, it grew louder as he walked towards it curiously. The floral design engraved in the clock hands and face was eye-catching when you took the time to look at it. He smiled slightly and lifted a hand to touch the beautiful design only to have his hand meet the glass surface that kept his prying hands away from the patterns in front of his eyes. He turned, a slight upset upon his face. Letting his foot land with a soft thud on the carpeted floors that hid away wooden floorboards, his hand slipped off the glass and he walked away wanting to return to his room before anyone disturbed him.
Yui ran after Elliot, she turned corner after corner in the long halls of the mansion. Each step she took in the direction of her younger brother filled her heart with hope, it was an odd thing to be feeling at that very moment. Although he said every small effort counted, he had never shown himself to be someone to hold such a value.
She turned one last corner and stopped, admiring a clock with his fascinating eyes at the end of the quiet hall was Elliot. Yui held her breath as she watched him, his face held a small smile and his eyes filled with wonder. Force once, he seemed at peace; Something she never saw when they were at the church.
A wave of dread filled Yui as she watched Elliot walk away from the clock, she brought her hands to the cross that sat around her neck. Would he ever recognise the effort she put into him? She had tried so many times to tell their father what the other kids were doing to Elliot but he never believed her, Elliot always acted as though nothing was wrong.
Yui stood there for a moment, thinking over the same thing again.. and again.. and again... and-
"Elliot!" Yui's voice echoed through the hallway. What happened wasn't her fault and she really tried to help, He had no reason to be so distant and cold after all this time. He was old enough to understand and as the big sister, Yui wouldn't let it slide anymore.
"Elliot!" Yui yelled out again. She was determined to talk to him and settle this.
Elliot had definitely heard her, there was no doubt. No doubt he also heard her running after him, how could he miss it? It's hard to ignore the familiar sounds and patterns of someone you grew up with when you're in an unfamiliar environment. But that didn't stop him from walking away.
Yui quickened her pace but Elliot still seemed to get further and further away from her. It was almost as if he too was quickening his pace, it wouldn't be unlike him.
Elliot slowly started to panic. Why was Yui coming after him like this? He had never in his entire life seen her so determined to do something. It was unlike her to do something like this and it was scary.
Elliot turned a corner, his bedroom door in his line of sight. It almost looked like the pearly gates to heaven. If they existed. Elliot rolled his eyes, of course they don't. A cold bedroom handle landed in his palm and with a big sweep he opened the door, cool air hitting his face. Elliot turned, pushing the door closed with both hands in a panic; And as if Yui gained super speed, she stuck her foot in the door.
"We should talk" Yui smiled through the gap of the door, ignoring the shooting pain in her foot.
"I don't want to talk.." Elliot answered nervously, he didn't dare look Yui in the eye. What on earth did she want to talk about?
"Then, when?" Yui placed a hand on the door and pushed it open slightly, enough that she could see Elliot properly.
"I don't know Yui! What could you possibly have to say to me after all these years?" Elliot snapped back, his hands curled into fists.
Yui was taken back, her sudden burst of confidence and determination had shattered with those few words. Her face dropped as she looked at Elliot, Why was he so upset? Yui moved her foot from the door and it closed with a soft thud, it almost felt like yet another obstacle was driven between them. Yui put her palm on the door in front of her.
"I just.. wanted to say.. I'm sorry" Yui trailed off, a sad look on her face. Elliot sighed, leaning against his bedroom door as he listened to Yui's muffled voice.
"I guess I shouldn't have bothered you.." the quiet sound of a lock clicked. Elliot's face twisted as he locked the door, he felt bad but he was scared that if he saw Yui again he might burst in some way.
"I'm sorry.." She took a step back, letting her hand drift from the door. Yui walked away, shoulders dropped and eyes glossy. Elliot slid down the door, resting his head on the palms of his hands and leaning on his knees. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
Yui was kind and she had tried to help him so many times in the past... but it was never enough, and most importantly; she was still part of the church that had so heavily abused him. Why on earth would she continue to believe in and pray to someone so wicked in his choices. He would never forgive her for that.
Elliot wiped his cheek and rubbed his eyes, he looked around his room. It was probably larger than the living and dining room from the Komori house combined. The walls were painted a pastel grey, it was calming on the eyes. A dark wooden panelling skirted the walls, It was expected for such an old house; as it was once the fashion. A pair of glass doors leading to a small balcony were fixed to the east side of the room, they would light up the room when the morning sun spilled over the horizon. Next to these doors, a desk and a hefty bookshelf had been placed; although it was somewhat bare as Elliot did not own all that many books.
On the south wall, closer to the bookshelf, there was another door. It was identical to the door Elliot had just walked through, behind it; a bathroom. In the southwest corner an armchair and small lounge, the perfect place to read the oh so many books on the bookshelf. Continuing clockwise. The west wall was fairly bare, it housed the entrance to the room and a dresser; which leaves us with the North wall. A black bed frame was pushed against it, pillows and blankets all house in covers that fade from white on one end and black on the other. Two side tables were also pushed against the wall, the obvious twins of the bed frame.
Elliot's eyes lingered over the soft and welcoming bed walking as he crossed the grey carpeted floor towards the bathroom door. It opened with a soft creak, the bathroom colour scheme was similar to the bedroom's however it was somewhat brighter and well, shinier you could say. The bathroom is far larger than necessary. With marble floors; unnecessarily large baths on small platforms; grey marble walls; a single toilet hidden away behind a large pot plant and a privacy divider; a countertop with a single sink and a mirror; and finally another East facing window.
Elliot finally felt like he could relax and have a break from the madness that had started the moment he set foot behind that eerie gate out front.
Elliot dragged his feet across the floor and up the steps that lead to the bath, a loud rubbery whining squeak ringing through the room every now and then as his shoes dragged against the marble. He reached the bath, plugging the drain and turning the hot water on. He held his pale hand under the falling water, watching how the water seemed to just bounce off and into the tub. He moved away from the tub, wiping his wet hand on his jeans to dry it as he made his way to the counter. He mindlessly looked at the mirror as it very slowly fogged.
He looked up and down himself. He was much smaller than any male was, he was no taller than most girls. With his round face and soft features, he would definitely pass as a girl.
Elliot tied up his hair, at least as best as he could with the length of his hair. He unlaced and slipped his converse off. Placing them next to the counter, he slowly started undressing as the room filled with steam from the bath. He was left in a pair of boxers with little cartoon cacti and a half unbuttoned dress shirt when a loud splash came from the tub behind, it definitely wasn't the tap doing something weird. Elliot turned towards the bath looking for the cause of the splash, from the edge of the bath a mess of blonde hair peeked over. Elliot raised an eyebrow before walking over to the bath again, this time turning the tap off rather than on. He moved his attention to the male that had appeared. Shuu lay there, fully clothed and listening to music through a pair of earphones. His eyes were closed, you'd assume he was dead at first if you didn't know he was already.
Elliot put his hands on his jutted hips and looked down at Shuu with a displeased look.
"Shuu" the tone in Elliot's voice displayed he was clearly annoyed by the intrusion.
"Keep it down.." Shuu trailed off before speaking again "..not so loud". Elliot bit his cheek in annoyance, this is meant to be his time alone. Elliot took a deep breath.
"How can I help you Shuu? why are you here?"
"I'm having a bath" Shuu's answer was short but not what Elliot was looking for. Elliot sat down on the edge of the bath, close to Shuu but still far enough he could look at him face on.
"You're still dressed" Elliot somewhat questioned the vampire in front of him, although it was more of a statement.
"Yes, and you're only halfway there" Shuu slightly smirked with his reply and opened an eye slightly hoping for a reaction from the half-undressed boy. Elliot tilted his head slightly with an amused look.
"Why do you say that? did you come in here hoping to see me naked, Shuu?" Elliot replied playfully. Shuu looked at the other male confused, both eyes open now.
"I thought you came here to see me naked" the older male finally looked around before realising this wasn't his bathtub or his bathroom for that matter.
"Oh, I see now.." Shuu trailed off again as his face dropped back to a bored one. His eyes drooped and he looked up at the ceiling. "Why don't you join me then?"
"Wh-" Elliot was cut off before he could answer, Shuu had grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the water rather suddenly. A loud splash echoed through the bathroom before being followed by a loud inhale as Elliot pulled his head out from below the water. After a few splutters Elliot glared at Shuu softly.
"You didn't have to pull me under the water!"
"Of course I did" Shuu smirked slightly, eyeing off Elliot's chest causing Elliot to look down. The shirt he was wearing had gone see-through in the water, not that the shirt was covering much in the first place, but Elliot was still slightly embarrassed and his cheeks warmed because of it.
"You're blushing you know" Shuu's full attention was on Elliot now. Well maybe not all of it, he still had his earphones in. Elliot rolled his eyes.
"You're all brothers, but you're all very different. I wouldn't have guessed you were related if it wasn't for the constant smirking". Shuu chuckled softly and half-heartedly at Elliot's comment.
"We're from three different women" he trailed off as he looked at Elliot's face, he had a blank expression but his eyes seemed to encourage Shuu to keep talking.
"Reiji and I share a mother, Beatrix. Ayato, Kanato and Laito are triplets, their mother is Cordelia, and Subaru's mother is Christa. Don't bring them up in conversation" Shuu sighed and sunk into the warm water a little.
"I won't ask. I never knew my mother or father so I don't care for anyone else's" Shuu looked at Elliot, a look of slight confusion on his face, He expected a reply from him but not any personal information.
"I figured since you shared I might as well share too" Elliot smiled softly, causing Shuu's look of slight confusion to change to slight shock. It wasn't like it was super personal information anyway, he had previously told Reiji, Subaru and Shuu that he was adopted.
"I can't tell if that was an actual smile or if you're putting an act up again" Shuu was unsure of what to do, was it a real smile? or was Elliot playing games and putting up an act?
"Does it matter if it was real or not?" Elliot tilted his head slightly as he questioned Shuu, who gave a shrug as an answer as the half-dressed male shuffled closer to Shuu. Previously when Shuu had pulled him into the bath, he had pulled him in between his legs. It was like Shuu was man-spreading and Elliot decided to use the extra space between Shuu's legs to sit down his butt, except Elliot didn't get to decide that.
Shuu and Elliot stared at each other for some time, the mix of purple and blue of Elliot's eyes meeting the gaze of the blonde's crystal blue. Elliot sighed as he got lost in the sea in front of him, he found Shuu's eyes beautiful and fascinating.
"Pretty..." Elliot's eyes widened as he heard the echo of his voice bounce around the room. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say that" He started to panic, he didn't mean to say that out loud. Shuu chuckled softly again and a small smile on his face.
"Did you mean to insult me instead?" Shuu questioned.
"N-No!" Elliot softly explained, he was still embarrassed and it was hard to control a blush when you're in a tub full of hot water.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear it" Shuu closed his eyes and rested his head on the edge of the tub. Elliot sighed in relief and sunk into the water more.
"I don't understand why I'm acting like this around you" Shuu shrugged his shoulders in response to Elliot.
"I was going to ask if I could drink your blood but I guess seeing you like this is better" Elliot looked up at Shuu in surprise.
"Oh.." this time Elliot trailed off, he pulled his left sleeve and held his wrist out to Shuu
"I- Um..here?" Elliot wasn't quite sure what to say, in fact he wasn't quite sure what he was even doing. He had offered his wrist up without even thinking about it. Shuu looked down at Elliot's pale wrist unsure if he should, did this boy really have blood in him? let alone.. enough blood in him? you can't smell him or feel body heat from him yet his body still acted as if he was a healthy human filled with perfectly healthy blood. The faint blush on his cheeks was evidence of it.
"I'm not poisonous, Shuu" Elliot let a small but friendly smile take over his face as he stared at the older male. Shuu brought his lips to Elliot's wrist and whispered what he hoped wasn't his last words.
"If you're lying, I will make sure you regret it until the day I die". Shuu bit down, the sweet taste of Elliot's blood filled his mouth. The warm feeling of blood dripping down Shuu's chin and Elliot's arm went unnoticed as it slowly turned the water surrounding them a soft pink and darker with every drop.
If it was poisonous, Shuu probably wouldn't have a chance to make Elliot regret it.
~
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