Temerity

Chapter Four

-Curiosity-

Hikari glanced up at Talia from across the table, watching as the blonde ate her breakfast. She knew there was something up with her, but it seemed like the other woman wasn't going to say anything about it. So, as she was wont to do, Hikari decided to bring up the subject herself. "So I went out to the barn this morning." She began, taking a bite as Talia seemed to freeze in her eating. "We needed some more eggs, and I thought I might go ahead and get more hay for Penelope while I was out there." Her violet gaze met Talia's amber one. "You want to tell me why there's two people using our barn as an inn?"

"Some help for us on the farm for the next couple days." She replied simply, continuing to eat as if she hadn't just reacted so suspiciously.

"It's those two vampires, isn't it?" Hikari asked.

Talia sighed. "I just think since they are busy snooping around I might as well keep a close eye on them, and it's easier to do so while they are here."

She nodded, seeming to agree with that. "What are they looking for? Do you know?"

Talia frowned, before getting up, since she was finished with her food. "You don't have to worry about that Hikari. Thank you for breakfast, I'm going to get started in the fields." She said, heading out of the room.

Hikari sighed, wishing Talia would stop treating her like a child half the time. She was a grown woman of seventeen, it was time she started getting treated like one. Knowing it would probably never happen, she rose, deciding to clean up their breakfast so that she could begin her day as well.

The blonde headed outside, pulling out a worn ribbon and tying her hair half up so that it was out of her face. She squinted when she stepped out into the sunlight, already feeling the heat of the day. She went over to the barn and knocked on the door. "Get away from the door or the center." She called, before slipping in. She closed the door behind her and looked over, seeing the two vampires sitting on the blanketed hey.

"Is there a reason you're waking us up?" Sanosuke asked a bit grumpily, since it hadn't really been that long since they'd been left in the barn.

"I'm not here for you." She said simply, walking to the back and getting a few tools she would need for the field. "I just figured you two didn't want to accidently burst into flames."

"Hn." Was his only reply, and he decided to take this time to study her, so he watched her as she gathered what she would need. She was wearing a navy blue dress with a white long sleeved shirt underneath. She took the rake and hoe and a few other things before heading back towards the door. She glanced back at him, since Noriaki was asleep once more.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"I simply find your ability to walk in the sunlight unaffected to be interesting." Sanosuke said, lying back down. "Good day." He sighed, drawing the blanket over him and his brother.

She gave him a small glare before leaving, "I'm not like you." She grumbled under her breath as she went out and got to work, later joined by Hikari. The two worked the day away, laughing and enjoying one another's company. Eventually the sun began to set and Talia gathered their things as Hikari went to feed their horse.

The white haired woman glanced over, clearing her throat. "So, why don't you ask them to come in for dinner?"

Talia rolled her eyes, shaking her head and grabbing the handle. "We'll see." She said, before going inside and putting her things back up. "It's almost night." She informed them.

"And what work do you have planned for us?" Sanosuke wondered, already awake.

"Watering all the crops and chopping firewood. When that's done, you may join us for dinner, if you want." Talia informed them before letting out a sigh and smoothing out her dress.

Noriaki groaned, still laying back. "I don't know about this…manual labor thing."

Sanosuke smirked. "Then I suppose showing you up will be easy." He said, walking over and picking up the axe that was propped against the wall. He spun it a few times. "I bet I can chop one hundred blocks of wood before you can finish watering the fields."

The elder sat up, glaring at his brother. "How come I get the lame job?!"

"You want to trade? Because I will still win." He stated.

"No you won't." Noriaki scoffed. "I always win."

"If you always win, then you can chop the wood without the axe." Sanosuke snickered, snatching up the watering can as well before dashing out of the barn.

The dark haired man glared, before running out after him yelling, "I will you asshole!"

Talia blinked, walking over to the door and looking out at them. "What…peculiar vampires." She said before heading back to the house, though she watched them from the porch for a bit. She went inside, still seeming confused. "They are weird."

Hikari looked over from the stove. "How so?" she asked.

"They're having a contest to see who can finish first." She explained, peeking out the window. She pursed her lips together in a thin line as she watched the one who was watering the crops.

The white haired woman chuckled. "So juvenile." She said. "What did you tell them to do?"

"Water the crops and chop some firewood. Just stuff I knew they couldn't screw up." She said, glancing over at Noriaki as he split the woods with his bare hands rapidly. Her gaze moved back to Sanosuke who was in the fields moving quickly, though she hoped efficiently. She went back outside and huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Make sure you actually water them like they should!" she called out to him.

"I know how to do manual labor thank you very much!" he replied, not slowing in his actions. "Besides, it's going to rain later!"

"That doesn't mean you can cut corners!" she demanded, going back inside. "By the way. Will you set the table for four…I offered them food after they worked.

"Of course." Hikari nodded. "Should I cook some of the meat raw then? I don't know much about vampires' diets other than the blood."

Talia blinked, a small pink blush coming to her cheeks. "I…I don't know." She admitted, hurrying back outside. "Hey!" she called out to Sanosuke. "You!" she pointed out to him, catching his attention. "Will you come here?"

He glanced over at his brother, before looking around the fields. Shrugging slightly, he tossed out the rest of the water, before appearing in front of Talia. "I have a name, you know." He said, sounding slightly irritated.

"Well I don't remember what it is." She said simply with a tiny pout. "I just wanted to know if you…you know…" she actually found herself embarrassed with the question. "You know, eat normal food?"

Sanosuke arched a brow. "We can, though it's not preferable. But it must be extremely rare meat. We don't touch vegetables or fruits if we don't have to. They tend to taste like dirt."

"So…not cooked at all, or just a tiny bit?" she wondered, rubbing the back of her head.

"Tiny bit to give it some flavor." He said. "My name is Sanosuke, by the way. Try to remember it this time, Talia." He smirked, before turning and heading back towards the barn to put the pail and axe away.

She stared after him, before blushing a bit. She shook her head and walked back in to hear talking from inside the kitchen. Her eyes widened slightly and she rushed in, seeing Noriaki with Hikari and looking over her shoulder as she cooked. "What are you doing?!" she demanded, hurrying over and shoving the vampire away from her friend.

He gave her a harsh glare, though it looked slightly confused. "You said when we were finished we could come in. I finished."

"Yeah but you don't need to be ogling Hikari like that." She snapped back. "I don't want you even thinking about taking her blood."

"Whoa. Whoa." He held up his hands in a placating manner. "I was not ogling her because I wanted her blood." He explained.

Talia glared at him, crossing her arms. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," he argued back, almost like a child. "I was looking down her dress and ogling her massive breasts."

Hikari turned and lightly smacked him in the head with her spatula. "Jerk!" she huffed, glaring weakly at him as she blushed. "You said you wanted to watch me cook."

He rubbed the spot she'd hit, appearing annoyed. "I'm a man and a vampire. When did you really think I was interested in your cooking?"

"I don't know, I've never met a vampire before, and I don't usually keep company with men." Hikari replied, returning her attention to the stove and taking everything off so that she could prepare the plates for dinner.

"Telling him that is only going to make him more inappropriate towards you." Sanosuke sighed as he entered the kitchen. He looked at his brother then. "Technically, I won."

"Did not." Noriaki scoffed. "I finished way before you."

"If I hadn't spoken to Talia I would have been inside the house before you. So technically, I won." Sanosuke replied.

Talia watched them, simply amazed. "You two act like children." She said, trying not to laugh.

Both men looked over at her, but Noriaki only smirked. "Well, duh, we're brothers. It's inevitable."

"Besides, in the eyes of the rest of our society, we are children." Sanosuke grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning against the table.

Hikari frowned and glanced over at them. "But you look like adults." She said. "Do vampires age differently or something?"

Noriaki nodded. "Born vampires stop aging at twenty-one, and people bitten stop when they are changed. But born vampires, as long as they feed and keep healthy, won't begin to age until they've gone weeks, maybe months without drinking blood."

"It depends upon what your vampire lineage is." Sanosuke added.

"So how old are you guys?" the white haired woman wondered, moving the food to the table.

Sanosuke got out of her way, and sighed. "I am sixty-eight, and Nori is seventy."

Talia went over to the icebox, hiding her smirk. "Wow…you really are just a bunch of kids."

"How? That's older than the town elder." Hikari blinked, finishing setting the table and gesturing for them to sit.

"Technically we're not adults until we reach one hundred and twenty-five years." Sanosuke said, taking a seat along with his brother.

Talia sat beside Sanosuke, since Hikari had picked the spot beside Noriaki, though she didn't mind as they began to eat. The blonde watched the two cut into their barely cooked beef and actually eat like civilized people. She didn't know why, but she thought they would be more animalistic. Hikari looked around the table as she took a bite, the silence bothering her only because she and Talia usually talked through dinner. It was like a routine to her. So she decided to ask the vampires more questions, since Talia never talked about them, and she was curious. "Since you're eating now, will you not have to go feed later? And how does that work? Does everyone you feed off of die because of the blood loss, or do you let some of them live?"

"We let most of them live." Noriaki shrugged. "Most people don't even remember that they've been bitten. The feeling humans, and even vampires, get from being bitten is closer to that of a peak in sexual arousal. In fact…" he trailed off, looking at Talia. "Your friend over here, just smelling her blood causes us to feel what we feel when we feed."

"Which is incredibly uncomfortable." Sanosuke said, giving Talia a pointed look. "But a peculiarity nonetheless."

Noriaki glanced at his brother. "Uncomfortable?" he asked, chuckling. "What are you? Gay?"

Sanosuke glared at him. "For someone who doesn't go sleep with nearly every female they encounter, having the sudden urge to do so would be uncomfortable, yes. I like being in control of my mind and body, and when both are inexplicably drawn to one entity, this entity being Talia, it makes me uncomfortable."

"Then why don't you just go ahead and get your lust over with and take her already?" the elder vampire asked, making Talia go wide eyed and a slightly red.

"Excuse me?! I'm right here!"

"That would be morally wrong and entirely inappropriate." Sanosuke said, both men ignoring Talia.

Noriaki rolled his eyes "But you think she's pretty, and you can't deny how much you want to taste both her and her blood."

Talia gasped, glaring at them both before standing. "Morally wrong?!" she demanded, but didn't wait for an answer. "You two are vile!" she declared, before leaving the room in an angry huff and stomping up the stairs. They all heard her door slam, though Noriaki only huffed.

"What's her problem?"

"How should I know? You're the people person." Sanosuke said.

Hikari rolled her eyes. "Wow, you two are so oblivious." She told them, shaking her head as she stood and gathered her and Talia's plates to be washed.

Noriaki continued to eat, leaning back in his chair as he watched Hikari at the sink, though his gaze was on her rear. "You know, you're the most attractive human I have ever seen."

"Thank you." she said, glancing back at him. "I'm not going to sleep with you though, if that's what you're thinking."

"Yes you will." Sanosuke sighed, finishing off his meat. "They all do in the end."

Noriaki nodded, getting up as well before moving behind the white haired woman. He leaned closer before whispering into her ear. "Always." He assured, placing a hand on her hip before he smoothed it up slowly. "After all…haven't you wondered what the pleasures of being with a vampire are?" he chuckled before pulling away and moving out the backdoor. "I'll be back." He announced, before disappearing.

She shivered and looked after him. "Where's he going?"

"Probably to feed." Sanosuke rose as well. "I will see you tomorrow night." He told her, leaving the kitchen after his brother.

Hikari shrugged, before finishing up the dishes. When they were done she went upstairs and stopped next to Talia's door. "Talia?" she called, knocking three times on the wood. She opened the door then, not waiting for a response as she poked her head in and found the blonde laying on her bed. "You okay?" she wondered, entering the room and closing the door behind her.

"I'm fine." She answered, her eyes remaining closed as she breathed out. "Just tired."

"Alright. Well I'm going to turn in for the night, I think." She nodded. "The vampires left…I think they went to feed or something. They weren't really clear on what they were doing."

"That's good. Just lock up." She said, sighing as she turned on her side and stared at the wall. "And make sure you're careful Hikari…I know they're weird…but don't let your guard down for a second."

"I'll try. It's different…being around vampires I mean." She smiled, grabbing the door handle. "Goodnight Talia. Sleep well."

"Goodnight." The blonde responded, staring out her window. She closed her eyes once more, trying not to think about the nightmares she would be plagued with. Ones that haunted her every night.