AN: So, hello everyone! Long time no see! Sorry for taking so long to update, hehe (it's been almost 6 months, hehe, he...). Yeah, so I decided to upload this chapter even though it was supposed to be double its size. I'll write the rest and upload it as soon as I can. For now, enjoy this short but kinda intense chapter! Hope you like it and don't forget to review ^^

Chapter 18

-haha ... -look at her-... -o friends-... -body's gonna save y-... -you're alo-... -alone-...

I loosened my stance.

...-s up with her-... -nk we'd get scared-...

I stepped forward.

-hey sto-...- re you cra-...

I smiled.

...Freak.

I had used bluffing as a tactic so many times in my lives. It was one of my favourite tricks. And even now, when I was facing possible death, bluff is what I fell back on.

Burly guy paused in his tracks and a few steps later, he stopped entirely. So he wasn't just muscles after all.

"What are you waiting for, big guy?" I asked, opening my arms invitingly. "Why don't you attack me?" I tilted my head sideways in a cute way, "Are you scared of me?"

That's right, buy time, make him move the way you want him to.

I took a step forward and watched his thick eyebrows knit together as he tried to make sense of what I was doing. Well, what you're about to witness is cowboy shooting action baby.

I giggled and shifted my gun a little. That made him spring into action, sliding sideways to the left to avoid the shot that he thought I would fire. Perfect.

The moment he moved, Pretty Boy dropped down behind his back, a bullet in the stomach. And I had barely moved my arms from their outstretched position.

Big guy didn't have time to see that though; he was rushing towards me like a bull. And he was fast as hell. I fired a shot at him too, grazed his side milliseconds before he crashed into me. I let myself fall down to lessen the shock of the impact, but I had neither the speed nor the dexterity required to reposition my arms in front of me as I had planned to. This was it, my body couldn't do what I wanted it to do anymore. But that wasn't the case for big guy. He was fast and strong and his body executed his commands. He knocked the guns out of my hands and had them trapped between our bodies even before we hit the ground.

I tried to increase my leverage distance by lifting up my knees, but he locked my legs in place with his hips.

I tried to struggle free, but it was useless. Several seconds passed as I made futile attempts to move away as he tightened his hold on me. Then he said, "Well aren't you a pretty little thing?". I looked up and saw his eyes, disgustingly calculating my face as he continued. "I'll make you regret coming after us in the best way possible."

I wanted to vomit. I felt my throat close and my head go blank with panic and the only words I could get out were, "Don't touch me." But he wasn't listening to me because he was now eyeing my neck. I started wiggling more, but Big Guy didn't budge. I could now feel his breath on my neck. "No.." he is going to bite me, and then... Ugggh. I can't, can't do anything. My eyes teared up, "Ka-" that's when I felt his fangs tear my skin and my blood flowed out. The world went red with pain, tainted with a slight whiff of familiarity.

My body coiled up as I felt the golden tattoo chains tighten around my chest.

Yes, you've been there before.

He let go of my arms at some point and started tearing my pajama top. But I could barely feel that. All I was aware of was the chains, and it felt like I was about to die. With an almost lost instinct, I reached out to the source of it, the vampire energy at my core. It rippled with power as I touched it, then the chains snapped like a whiplash and I could see again.

My shoulders were exposed to the cold air, and Big guy's hands were disgustingly grabbing at them. But that meant my own hands were free, so I moved to shove him off. And then something strange happened, the best thing I'd felt since quite some time; strength. Big Guy went flying into a nearby tree, his teeth ripping away from my throat and his nails leaving scratches on my skin as a result of the sudden move.

I put one hand on my neck as I hurried to stand back up. But even though the wound was vicious and I had lost a lot of blood, I felt an excessive amount of vitality coursing through my body.

I couldn't help it, I laughed out loud.

"Ha, haha, HAHAHAHAHA! YOU!" I pointed at Big guy, who was standing back up, looking dazed. "What did you do to me?! Do it again! Bite me again!" I strode towards him, but then there was suddenly a body in front of me. Familiar red eyes, so familiar.

"Move Kaname, that guy needs to bite me again!"

But Kaname didn't move. "Katsumi, was that man the one who did this to you?"

I looked up at him, but his eyes weren't facing mine. Instead they were on my torn pajamas and bleeding neck. But that didn't matter right now! "Yes, and he needs to do it again." I grabbed his arms and squeezed them, "Do you feel this?! I am strong again! He broke the chains! He has to do it so they break completely!" I began to shove him aside to look at Big Guy, but Kaname wouldn't budge. "You have lost too much blood, you are not thinking clearly. Leave this to me."

"No! Kana-" that was when we heard the sound of someone throwing up.

It was Big guy. He was on all fours, hacking up blood that looked almost black. He was heaving and his body was shaking violently.

"What the-" Kaname pulled me a bit further away from Big guy, but not before our eyes met. Then he went up in flames. I felt my legs give up on me at that moment as I watched Big guy burn, for 3 seconds in total, his mouth open in a silent scream until his body disintegrated into dust. Kaname caught me, but he had also not expected this. We were both crouching in the end, the wind slowing blowing away the remnants of the vampire who had bitten me.

What... had just happened?

I hissed.

"Be more gentle, would you?" I muttered, expecting no reply from Kaname who'd been silently treating my wounds all this time. He hadn't spoken a word yet except for when he ordered me to sit on the counter of the bathroom. He had completely ignored Takuma, who had worriedly fretted over us as we arrived, his own hand wrapped in clean bandages. I told Takuma that we were alright, even as his unbelieving eyes lingered on the way Kaname's body hid me behind him as he locked the bathroom door.

I sighed, thinking about the mess that this night had been. I was holding a bath towel that Kaname had thrown at me over my shoulders as he dabbed a wet cloth over my neck. I told him that I could do it by myself, but he had glared at my trembling hands and I eventually had to give in. I leaned against the mirror, trying to relax, and hissed again as he moved on to clean the shoulder scratches.

*CRASH*

Startled, I looked down to see that Kaname had slammed his fist into the counter, making a hole in it. His whole body was facing downwards, shivering with anger and frustration that was almost tangible in the air.

I closed my eyes, taking a few seconds to solidify my composure before I could address this issue. But the only thing I could do anyways at this time was sit there and wait for Kaname to say what he wanted to say. You could guess what that was, couldn't you?

"You're not guarding us anymore."

Same shit as always. "Kaname, give me the cloth. I'm feeling better now, so I will take care of it myself. We're both tired right now, so it's best we talk after we've rested for a bit."

The physical way in which Kaname responded was also predictable. He grabbed my shoulders, gently but firmly and made me face his terribly angry eyes. "You are forbidden from facing enemies in battle ever again. There is nothing left to discuss, do you understand me?"

When I didn't reply, he lowered his eyes to my wounds once again. So much grief that it pained me to look at him. I didn't move even when he tapped his forehead against my shoulder and rested his head there.

"You could have died." He whispered. At that moment, I truly realised just how much Kaname valued my existence. It was a heavy feeling to bear, but it warmed my chest nonetheless. Since when did this pureblood enemy of my childhood turn into such a caring friend of mine? I smiled and patted his hair. "I could still die a million times even if I stop fighting Kaname." I whispered back.

I felt his weight slack a bit, then he shifted his head, turning his face towards my neck. "…not if I lock you up and never let you out of my sight."

I didn't stop petting his head, my fingers sliding effortlessly through his silky locks with each stroke. As I watched the movement through the corner of my eye, I contemplated continuing this conversation which was taking a dark turn. "You know that if you did that, I would kill myself to punish you, right?"

I didn't move even as his arms gently closed around my torso. "I would prevent you from doing it." Ok no.

"Kaname, that's enough. I will not listen to this talk anymore." I tried to stir, but he tightened his hold ever so slightly.

"Do you hate the thought that much…?" He whispered again, his voice a cracked melody of misery, "Would you be so unwilling to spend the rest of your life with me as I protect you from those- … I will protect you, I swear, if only you would let me…"

…huh? Why was Kaname saying this…?

I felt him brush his lips against my neck, and my heart skipped a beat.

….. no way…

"I know that you will not agree easily, but for now, at least let me do this." Then he kissed my neck. Even as my voice got caught inside my throat, my heart went on a rollercoaster. WHY WAS KANAME DOING THIIIS?!

When he started kissing my shoulder, I jumped and regained my voice, "Kaname, sto-" But he had already stopped. He leaned back, hands up to show that he wasn't holding me anymore. I didn't look at his face, I was too embarrassed.

"… I have healed the wounds. I will leave now, before I do anything else that you might not like. Please take a shower and get some rest. I will sleep in Takuma's room today." Then, just before he opened the door to go out, he added, "I am serious, Katsumi. I would never joke about this." Then he left and I melted on the counter.

WHAT JUST HAPPENNNNNED?!

I looked back at the mirror, he really had healed the wounds by kissing them. Glancing at my face, I could not deny the furious blush that tainted my cheeks. God! I dropped my face into my hands. What was up with Kaname?! He was always weird, but why suddenly say these things and ki-ki- aaarghhh! No, relax Katsumi. He's done this before. He was just healing your wounds, that's all. I peeked at the mirror again. But then what about that last part?!

I agonised for a bit more, then slid down the counter top like a boneless rag doll. I sighed. No, Kaname was my friend, and he liked Yuki for Heaven's sake. He probably only meant it as a friend. And why would it matter if he didn't? That would just be him being weird. He was my friend, and I cherished him, but that was all…. Right?

After all of that emotional turmoil, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I had no space left my head to worry about what had happened earlier. Everything was a blur compared to what had happened in the bathroom. Everything except for the power that still burned inside my chest as I closed my eyes to darkness.

*Grins*

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