When Ghosts Whisper (Osomatsu-san Halloween Collection)

"You Are My Favorite"

"I didn't take too much, did I?" His young voice shook with uncertainty, his blood-red hues carefully watching the young human sitting next to him as she pressed a hand against her neck. She only offered a hum while shaking her head, offering a smile in return.

"I'm sure you didn't, Todomatsu," With some hesitancy, she pulled her hand away from the fresh wound to reveal two puncture holes that were red, angry, and inflamed, "I haven't keeled over unconscious yet."

"'Yet' is a pretty important term," He tried to laugh as his eyes watched the sluggish trickle of blood drip down from the lowest mark.

"Go ahead and clean me up. I can see your expression," She tilted her head away from Todomatsu, allowing him to lean closer and tenderly press his tongue against her skin.

He reveled in the shudder she gave as he licked at the marks, ensuring that they had healed correctly before swiping his tongue over his upper lip. It was a feeling that he loved to experience since the human was promised to him when she was a young child.

Both of their families had honored a promise made long ago between their ancestors, for one to act as a living blood bank for the other when needed. Todomatsu's brothers had her cousins while he had her.

She was the one human that made him feel normal in a world that despised his kind.

"Everything good?" Her eyes captured his attention, making him swallow thickly before he could savor the taste of her blood.

"Yeah," Todomatsu nodded sheepishly while glancing away.

This particular feeding was difficult for him. Not for the act, but because of the effects.

Todomatsu was acutely aware of her feelings for him, had always been aware since she first offered her blood to him years ago. He could feel the rush of pleasure she felt when he drank from her neck, her understanding when he fed from her wrist, her embarrassment when he partook from her foot (it was experimental, both of them trying to figure out where he could feed that wouldn't leave obvious marks. They both agreed to never allow that part when it took several hours for his bite to heal), and fully understood her feelings for him.

She desired him like a wife desires a husband.

Todomatsu couldn't allow their partnership to grow to that extent.

He was a vampire. She was his living blood bank.

Romantic feelings had nothing to do with it.

...right?

I laughed at a dumb joke Karamatsu told, sitting with the vampiric sextuplets at their common room table while our mothers chatted away in the kitchen and distracted by making dinner for both families. A warm hand slid over mine, my attention snared by the purple clad brother as he flinched away from the accidental contact.

"Careful, Ichimatsu," I teased with a coy smirk, "You know how Todomatsu gets."

"He wouldn't be able to feed from you anyway," The mentioned vampire scoffed, his eyes glued to the phone in his hands, "Mr. Darkness doesn't like your blood type."

"Maybe you should keep her from the table until we've all fed," Choromatsu hummed, taking a long sip of tea before setting the cup down. I clicked my tongue in annoyance while Todomatsu snapping his gaze to the green-clad brother across the table.

"At least I have enough self-control around her," The youngest brother spoke through gritted fangs, my skin chilling at the declaration.

"Enough," Osomatsu droned while waving a hand in front of him, "Act right or we'll never have a chance to sit at the same table."