Crossfire

Chapter 12 |Chest Pain|

(A/N) I quickly whipped this up before working on a project. School has been keeping me super busy!

The tears flowed like waterfalls down my cheeks. No matter how hard I tried to rub them away, they never left. I later on the floor, slick with sweat. I had another nightmare about Akane and the orphanage. Stifling my cries seemed to fail when Guren came stomping through the door.

He was still in his pajamas —after all, it's in the middle of the night— and he looked annoyed. My temporary room was right next to his, which was originally his map room where he planned attacks. Fear overtook me as he came close to me, for I thought he was going to hit me like dad did when I was younger. To my surprise, Guren gets down in his knees. His strong arms wrapped around me tightly.

"Hey kid, another nightmare?" he whispered softly.

I let out hiccup and buried my head in his shoulder, cries turning to whimpers. He stroked my unkempt hair gently. We sat there in the embrace for a few minutes until I calmed down. He picked me up from off the floor and tucked me back into bed. That night I went to bed peacefully.

I close my eyes and bury my head further into the shoulder connected to the one of the arms wrapped around me. Though tears still stain my cheeks, I could finally breath properly. I inhale the ocean scent surrounding me and let out a calm sigh. I feel Mikaela shift out of the embrace and grab both of my shoulders. His sapphire eyes glimmered with concern and worry, such a weird thing to see in a vampire's eyes.

"Tell me what happened, Yuichira."

I look down and he gently grabs my chin to where the only thing I could look at was him. My mind was still muddled. I nod with a sigh and everything came tumbling out. Everything about my birth parents. The orphanage. The vampires. Guren.

The whole time he listened and held my hand, squeezing it when some parts started getting hard to tell. It felt good to get it all out, but I couldn't tell him everything. Guren's plan and my real gender. Mind suddenly snapping back to reality, I pushed away from Mikaela and stood up. He's with the enemy, and I'm getting soft.

"The issue with you is that you get attached to quickly. And when you get attached to someone, you becoming scary-loyal and reckless. That will be your downfall, Yuu."

Guren has said that once, and I guess he was right. Mikaela stood up too and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Mikaela, you should—"

"I'm sorry for all that has happened to you, Yuichira. It must've been so hard," Mikaela interrupted gently.

The throb in my chest caused my eyes to drift to him. His eyes held so much sincerity. It's hard to think of Mikaela as the enemy, let alone a vampire. I simply nodded and looked down, dismissing him. He took the hint and walked over to the window.

For some reason, my chest gave out another throb. The next thing I knew, I quickly walked over to him and grabbed his pajama sleeve. My legs had walked on their own. He looks back at me in question, while I feel my face heat up in embarrassment.

"T-thanks for listening," I quietly say.

Mikaela lets out a sigh and ruffled my hair with a smile.

"Anytime, Yuu-chan."

Before I had the chance to splutter our a response to the "Yuu-chan," Mikaela had already jumped out the window. My face is hot as I fall back to the ground. What the hell was that? The throbbing in my chest? The blushing? Yuu-chan? I sat there on floor slapping my cheeks, eventually laying down. The floor was cold, the opposite of Mikaela.

~

Besides questioning my red-rimmed eyes, Shinoa and Kimizuki didn't push me. Their silence and gentleness showed that they knew I had cried. Shinoa picked out my clothes and quickly did my makeup, leaving to the maids' quarters —they sleep in a separate area across from the princesses, along with the guards. Kimizuki stayed silently at the door, no teases leaving his mouth. I began to feel a pressure on my chest.

When I wince in slight pain, my eyes caught Kimizuki's hand fingering his pocket. There was something inside. Curious, I slid over to him and pointed at his pocket.

"Whatcha got in there?"

Kinizuki jumped and the tips of his ears slightly reddened. Knowing that I would find out anyway, he slowly pulled out something shiny from his pocket. It was an amethyst gem, and it glittered brightly as the rays from the slightly-open curtains hit it. I look at it in awe and glance up at him with a smirk. His red face is easy to read.

"So, who's the girl?"

As I said this, the weight on my chest tightened. Kimizuki let out an out-of-character squeak and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"It just reminded me of Mitsuba's eyes and— I— well, we're away and I thought— well I thought maybe she would like it..?"

It was very amusing to see Kimizuki like this. I couldn't stop the laughter bubbling up and I gave a sly smile.

"So you like her?" I hum, hiding the pant of pain threatening to come out.

The only response I got was a ton of mumbo-jumbo. I puffed up my cheeks in attempt to hold in my giggles. It's funny how the tables have turned. Now look who's being teased.

After Kimizuki calmed down and left the room, I fell to the ground. My hands scratched at my chest as pain radiated through it. It felt like I took a stab to the chest several times. The floorboards around me groaned and turned a sickening black. I couldn't breathe. Tears in the corner of my eyes, I curled up tightly and rocked myself. The whispers in my head were not Asura's.

The fight for control begins.