An Unavoidable Encounter (Zero x reader)

Chapter 21

(Y/n)'s POV

"Hey (Y/n), over here."

I looked around for the source of the voice. Someone grabbed my arm and dragged me to a tent. Luckily I escaped from all those crowds. I turned around to look at who it was.

"Thanks Subaru..."
"You're welcome. I got Mr Jeremy to assign you to be my roommate," he replied with a smile.
"Oh..."
"Is something wrong? Did you want to be in the same tent as John?" I quickly shook my head.
"It's not that!" No way was I sharing the same room as him. Subaru just laughed.
"I'm sorry, Subaru but I don't plan on staying here. I'm thankful that you went through the trouble to assign me as your roommate but I was forced to come here. I...still have friends and family I need to go back to..."
"Oh...I understand."
"Anyway, how has circus life been for you?"
"It's great! Visiting new places and performing for people..."
"Did something...happen? You seem a bit hesitant."
"No, nothing at all-" A girl with black hair and green eyes came in.
"Subaru, Jeremy wishes to see you."
"Okay, Alice. Bye (Y/n), see you later."
"Bye...Subaru..." He left with her. I stayed here thinking about when I should go back. John came in.
"Yes?"
"You need to come practise," he said. *sigh* I followed him to a larger tent.
"Hello, Miss (Y/n)." More greetings were said and I also received some pats on the back.
"What's going on here?"
"They saw your performance and thought you were the best new recruit we've ever had," John replied.

We did a few practise routines before they let me go. When I went back inside, Subaru was already there but he seemed hurt somehow.

"Hey..."
"Oh, you're back. How was practise?" he asked with a somewhat forced smile.
"It was fine." I touched his forehead.
"What are you..."
"Your temperature is too high. I think you have a fever."
"(Y/n), I'm perfectly fine." I looked at him with concern.
"I'm fine, see?" He grinned at me.
"Subaru, please get some rest."
"Okay, anything you say," he replied cheerfully. I smiled and ruffled his hair. He somehow seems like a little brother to me. After a while, we went to sleep.

~In the middle of the night~

My eyes slowly opened but I wasn't in my tent and Subaru wasn't here.

"Good thing that you're awake, Miss (Y/n)." I looked up to see Jeremy.
"Where am I?"
"Oh, in our experimentation room. Don't worry, we're not trying to harm you. Just endure it for a little while."
"Endure what?"

He just smiled. I felt something pierce my skin. They were making deep cuts in my arms and legs. I held back a scream.

"Now, the needles."

I looked at them in fear. They injected a thick needle into my forearm. Now I couldn't move a muscle. No...I didn't want to be tortured again!

"(Y/n)!" Subaru came running in and blocked their attempts to hurt me.
"Jeremy! You promised you would never do this to any new recruits!" Subaru exclaimed.
"Well, you begged me to let her stay with you so I assumed that this was okay-"
"Why on earth would it be okay?!" he asked, angered.
"We don't invite new recruits to stay in the same tent until they have gone through the final test and yet you wanted her as your roommate. I assumed that you already thought she was one of us so that's why I'm giving her this treatment," Jeremy explained with an uninterested expression. I could move my arms and legs. Subaru untied me and grabbed my hand.
"Come on, (Y/n). Let's go!" Subaru dragged me away from them. We ran back to our tent, almost out of breath.
"Thank you..." I sat down on my bed. He suddenly knelt down and examined my cuts. My wounds healed. His eyes widened.
"I'm sorry, Subaru."
"A-are you a vampire?" he asked cautiously. I hesitantly nodded. He just smiled.
"That's great," he exclaimed.
"Wait, you're not afraid?" He shook his head.
"They...tried to save my parents but died while fighting alongside them in order to protect me..."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."
"Anyway, you should get some rest. I'll try to get you out of here somehow."
"You should too."
"I think we both should," he replied happily. I smiled in reply. Soon after, we fell asleep.

~The next day~

I woke up to find that Subaru wasn't here. I changed into my new outfit - which I didn't like - and went outside.

"(Y/n), over here!" John called from some benches. I went over to where he was. Everyone was having breakfast.
"Subaru took your shift," he said.
"He did?" Before John could answer, someone grabbed me from behind.
"Morning (Y/n)," Subaru greeted.
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"You had already gone through all that so I figured that you could take a little rest," he replied happily.
"You didn't have to do that for me..."
"No, I wanted to."

I smiled at him. He just grinned cheekily. We went to get our breakfast and sat down in the empty seats. I sat there, slowly eating my food. Then I decided to ask him.

"Hey Subaru, do you want to come with me?"
"Huh? I...um..."
"Sorry, forget what I just said. It's nothing anyway."
"Go where?" he asked.
"Well..." I explained everything to him and how everyone would accept him. He could even perform for everyone.
"I'll think about it," he replied with a smile.

How could he always remain so cheerful?... I went to practise - like how new recruits had to - while Subaru was called to go see Jeremy. After a few minutes of practising, I sat down on a nearby bench. *sigh* I just needed the right time to escape... How was everyone else? Were they wondering where I was?