The Love of their Lives

Ayato's Threat

Laito paced down the hall, one hand covering his mouth in shock. He couldn't let his brothers catch him out like this, nor could he be rid of the lingering touch to his cheek.

What was this feeling? He had only done what he had to Yui. It was more fun with Yui, he thought to himself. Yet the hunger in the boy's eyes when he had looked at him....was unmistakable.

Laito shook his head, and shouldered past Ayato in the corridor, who stopped abruptly. He looked like he was about to yell at him, but the words were stuck in his throat when he glimpsed at Laito's expression.

'Laito...' Ayato said quietly, watching his brother run uncharacteristically down the hall, away from his room.

Ayato paused for a second, then shrugged and continued to walk towards his room to fetch Yuro, as instructed by Reiji.

'Yo ugly! Get up it's time for school!' he yelled, throwing the uniform at Yuro's sleepy face.

'But it's only 11pm...' he muttered, shaking his head.

Ayato glared at him. 'You're so much like your sister,' he said. 'You both are so lazy, you don't seem to understand that you must respect us, your elders. Hell, you even look the same age as her, aren't you supposed to be her older brother? You sure you aren't twins?'

Ayato knew he was pushing the boy to his limit, and as he spoke he watched his small body tremble with rage. When he finally spat out the last cutting comment, he watched his reaction with glee.

Yuro jumped up from the bed instantly, and stormed up to him like a child with a temper-tantrum.

He stood before him, face to face, trying to intimidate him, but how short he was compared to Ayato made his efforts fruitless. Ayato smirked, looking down at him.

'We are not twins,' Yuro said in a voice as menacing as he could manage, 'I am her older brother. And I will protect her from you.'

Ayato sneered. 'Seems to me that you're the one who needs protecting.'

He watched Yuro scowl up at him.

'But I'll give you credit where it's due,' he continued, 'You're tougher than I originally thought, coming this close to a vampire.'

'I don't need protecting, or for the likes of you to tell me so!' Yuro shouted at him.

'Those are big words,' Ayato sneered, 'Coming from a midget like you.'

Yuro snarled and made to push Ayato, but his elbows buckled as if he had hit a stone wall, and within a blink of an eye Ayato had grabbed him by the neck, and was holding him feet off of the ground.

'You may have the guts to stand up to me, but you have no tact,' he said menacingly. 'Get this through your thick head already. You are prey, nothing more than food to us. You can never stand up to your predators.'

Yuro's eyes boiled with hatred. 'Not-guh-true!' he gasped, twisting his head and trying to pry Ayato's hands from his neck.

He stopped though, once he saw the animalistic glower in Ayato's stare.

'If I see you do something to my brother again,' Ayato said through his bared fangs, every word dripping with loathing that sent chills down Yuro's spine, 'I will personally see to it that you meet a fate worse than death.'

'Affected....your brother? Laito?'

Ayato tightened his grip, and Yuro coughed and gagged, his face turning purple.