Love at first sight (Heisuke x OC)

Chapter 26: Secrets unveiled

Night

I woke up feeling parched for some strange reason. I'll just go get myself some water. I stood up, but shivered. It's freezing...I slipped my feet into my zori sandals and placed my blanket over my head before pulling it close. Mm, that's better! I exited my room and went into the kitchen. I poured myself some water and brought the cup to my lips. The cool water soothed my parched throat. I finished drinking the water and was about to wash the cup when I was suddenly grabbed from behind. My capturer quickly placed a sword against my neck and I dropped the cup out of shock. It fell to the floor and loudly shattered. I struggled against whoever was holding me captive, but they refused to let me go. I felt their blade slit into my throat and I begun to panic. Don't tell me Kioshi's here again?! I need to get away! I swiftly elbowed my attacker in the ribs which caused them to let go of me. Now! I turned around and kicked them in the abdomen before adopting a defensive stance. "Damn, remind me not to do that again..." The man groaned. Wait a minute, I know that voice. I cautiously studied the groaning heap on the floor and discovered its identity.
"Okita!? Oh my gosh, gomenasai!!!" I hastily apologised while bowing my head repeatedly.
"Well, that was one way to show your improvement" He stated before getting up.
"I didn't do it on purpose! You scared the hell outta me! Why'd you even attack me?!"
"Why are you wearing a blanket over your head like a novice intruder would?" He was right. It hadn't occurred to me at the time, but many people had reported of break-ins where the intruder was wearing some sort of cloth over their head.
"I was cold..." I mumbled, but it sounded more like an excuse than a fact.
"I'll let you off the hook this time, but if I catch you again, you won't be so lucky"
"Whatever" I rolled my eyes at his cynical joke. "If you'll excuse me, I have to clean up what you made me break" I was about to go over and clean up the fragments of the cup I dropped, but Okita put a hand out to stop me and did it himself.
"Don't want you cutting yourself" See now if anyone else had said that, it would've sounded genuine. But when Okita says it, it sounds condescending.
"I'm perfectly able to handle myself around broken ceramics" I crossed my arms over my chest and looked away from him with a pout.
"Only little girls pout like that when they're told not to do something"
"Damare, I am not a little girl!" I shouted as he stood up after clearing away the cup.
"If you say so" He smirked and I sighed. I questioned him in an attempt at changing the subject.
"What are you even doing up at this time?"
"Patrolling"
"Aren't you supposed to patrol the city, not your own headquarters?"
"What I'm doing is too much for a little girl like you to understand"
"Seriously Okita, stop-!"
"Little girls need to be protected, so scream if you see anything scary"
"I can handle myself and stop calling me that!" I turned to walk away, but he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Nani?" I turned back to face him to see he had a serious expression on his face.
"I'm being serious Chiyeko, if you see something scary don't try and deal with it yourself"
"O-Okay..." His seriousness intimidated me and I gave an answer in a quiet voice.
"Good girl" He smiled before walking past me. I watched him as he went until I could see him no longer. To see him so serious...He really wants to know if I see something scary...but...what could I possibly run into that's scary in the Shinsengumi headquarters? I wondered as I stared at where I saw Okita last. I shook my head to clear it. I should just get back to my room. I was about to do just that when I heard a small shattering sound followed by groaning coming from the common room.
"It sounds like someone's hurt...!" I didn't hesitate as I ran into the common room. Although what I was met with confused me. I saw Sanan-san collapsed on the floor, clutching at his chest. "Sanan-san?! What happened?!" I saw what used to be a small glass bottle shattered on the floor in front of him. What's going on?!
"Hn...ghh..." It seemed like Sanan-san hadn't heard me, he continued to groan as he clutched tightly at his chest. I hesitantly took a step forward when suddenly, Sanan-san stopped groaning. In fact, he stopped moving altogether. His hair began to slowly turn a brilliant white. Iie, it can't be...!? I shrieked as Sanan-san suddenly pounced and landed on me. His sudden weight added to my own caused me to lose balance, but the wall was there to catch me. My back hit the wall hard. Sanan-san's eyes are red...! He has the same eyes as that thing that attacked me when I was with Heisuke-kun on night patrol...!
"Sanan-san, what have you done?!" I tried to push him off me, but he quickly grabbed both my wrists with one hand and pinned them against the wall. "O-Oww...! Sanan-san, snap out of it!" The strength of his grip was unbelievable. His fingers might as well have been made from stone for all I could move them. I could almost feel the bones in my arms begin to bend under the strain. "Ow! Please Sanan-san, let me go!"
"Blood...this blood..." He stared at my neck with wide eyes. Blood...? Oh no! Okita's sword cut my throat when he attacked me! Thanks to my swift healing capabilities, there was no doubt that the cut Okita had left me with was long gone, but that didn't mean the blood that escaped the wound disappeared along with it. His fingers pressed against my throat, much too hard.
"I-I can't breathe...! Sa...nan...san...stop...!" He dragged his fingers down across my throat as I gasped for oxygen. "St...op..." I was beginning to grow weak from the lack of air. His fingers continued to go down until they left my throat and went down my chest. I gasped for air as the extreme pressure he was exerting left my throat. He pulled his fingers away and I saw they were smeared with my blood. He wasn't even trying to suffocate me, it was an accident?! That realisation made me become hyper aware of the strength he now possessesed. He stared at his blood covered fingers for a few moments. Within those moments, I saw reason return to Sanan-san's eyes. He let my wrists go and took several clumsy steps away from me. I slumped to the floor, fear having taken hold of my legs.
"Well...I see I've failed then...Perhaps I'm not as lucky as I thought..." He muttered self-depreciatingly. Sanan-san's still there! I was scared out of my mind, but I couldn't leave the man the chief, commander and captains valued so much alone. I forced myself to my feet and took shaky, but sure steps toward him.
"S-Sanan-san! Daijōbudesuka?!"
"You don't have time to...worry about me...I'm a bloodthirsty fury...who's going crazy...from the scent of...your blood...Run...before I completely lose...to the bloodlust..." He snorted derisively. So I was right...this is what furies are...Sanan-san appeared like he was trying to fight against something. He looked like he was in a lot of pain doing so.
"Sanan-san you can fight it! Whatever 'it' is don't let it win!"
"That's easier said than done...I've failed. I can already feel my...mind starting to go. At...at this rate, I'll...I will kill you..."
"I-I'm not leaving...! You're not a monster Sanan-san! Fight it!" He suddenly ceased all movement and stood still. "Sanan-san...?" I called out fearfully. He looked up at me and I gasped. Sanan-san's eyes had turned blank, there was none of him left.
"Blood...I need blood..." Only this monster that desperately wanted my blood remained. Sanan-san licked the blood off his fingers, but madness still burned in his eyes. "Not enough...not enough! I need more! More blood!" Sanan-san's eyes stopped dead on my throat and he licked his lips creepily. "Hai...that's where I'll get more blood...!" He swiftly ran up behind me and grabbed ahold of me tightly, pressing me into his chest. "Iiiee! Let me go!" I screamed. I desperately tried to get away from him, but I couldn't escape his grip. I need to get away! I can't let him kill me! I continued to struggle, but his hold around me was like steel. I found it impossible to break free. He stroked the side of my neck. "Iie! Get off of me!"
"Loads of blood runs here..." Sanan-san's face closed in on my neck.
"Iie, please!" Somebody help me!
"Your blood...hai...please give me more of your blood...!" He licked my neck causing me to squirm before I felt two sharp pains in my neck. Apparently, becoming a fury had made his canine teeth sharper. I grimaced as I felt my blood being sucked out of me. Ittai-yo...My blood ran down Sanan-san's throat, but instead of pacifying his hunger, it only made his lust for my blood stronger. He began to drink more in larger gulps as tears ran down my face. I have to escape...but I don't have the strength...My vision began to darken. My life was getting drained away along with my blood.
"Hei...suke!" My consciousness started to fade so I gathered the last of my strength and yelled Heisuke-kun's name. Heisuke-kun's sleeping and he's a deep sleeper so there's no way that he'll have heard me...Even so it doesn't matter because if I'm going to die like this, then I'm glad the last name I called was Heisuke-kun's name. The terrifying feeling of dying and my consciousness were about to fade completely when suddenly, the pain disappeared. I was torn away from Sanan-san and I appeared to be wrapped inside someone's arms. "...Heisuke-kun, is that you?"
"Hai, sorry I arrived late" He actually came for me? My thoughts were focused on Heisuke-kun as I lost consciousness.