#yumeri

Eri recovered her surprised misstep and lifted her gaze. A tall figure, the tallest of them all, was looking behind, brown eyes piercing into Eri. Sheepishly, she waved others to continue, to whoever had stopped to look behind what the fuss was about. But the tall boy stayed put with an impatient scowl on his face.

“I-I was looking at the rocks.” 

A crease of confusion deepened. “Huh?! Rocks? We’re gonna see fireworks and ya lookin’ at rocks?”

To this day, she had learned that the boy had some temper, but mostly, he was just loud. Still, a flinch escaped Eri's body even though she had anticipated the reaction. She opened her timid mouth a few times until another bark followed.

“Whatcha mumblin’? Speak up!” 

Embarrassed nerves were replaced with a returned curiosity. There it was again. Eri tilted her head, focusing her eyes to inspect the boy. To her disappointment, their distance and darkness did not work in her favor. After a few blinks, she collected her voice back up from the bottom of her stomach.

“Because they are different here and I don't know if I will see them again.” 

Annoyed wrinkle smoothened ever so slightly, followed by a quiet stare and finally, a shrug. The towering boy turned around. 

“Che, just hurry up.” 

However, to Eri’s surprise, his tone was much easier on her ears this time. A pleased hum vibrated in her chest, as she resumed her steps.

Eri’s eyes wandered from his broad back to the flowing brown mane, which was played by the wind. A wind that smelled of winter, and budding friendships, accompanied by a cautious taste of safe haven. Her gaze settled on observing how the illuminated hair strands danced like magical threads around him. 

The ascending trail ended up on top of a small hill. Brown locks swayed as the boy in front of her continued closer to the others, but something deep down forewarned Eri to keep her distance from the excited group. Hair at the back of her neck stood up when the first spark illuminated the night, prowling towards a short thread. A flickering crackle merged with it, eating its way further.

Anticipating giggles and laughs filled the air, hopping farther away into a safer distance. But Eri wanted even farther, dread filling her stomach. A screeching whistle cut the air and a trail of light catapulted into the sky.

Like a flashbang, Eri barely registered the colors and shapes illuminating the darkness from the ear-shattering boom and crackling. Her hands smashed to cover her ears, body cowering and stomach spasming. Heartbeat thundered against her chest while her breathing unsettled into shaking gasps. Overwhelming terror grounded her feet, frozen in place and time even though everything in her wanted to flee. 

“Oi, whatcha whimperin’ ‘bout?!” 

A familiar bark halted the uprising panic, but the usual bite was not there. Strong, cold hands grasped Eri's wrists, pulling her up and forcing her to meet the brown gaze. The firm grip felt like snow bracelets melting the blazing turmoil and their proximity was followed by a soothing scent of a familiar garden. One shaking breath at a time, she slowly regained her focus, blue-gray eyes finally seeing the browns. 

Exposed by the lantern, Eri’s gaze wandered to observe each subtle change in the curves of his eyebrows. The piercing eyes were revealed with unique hues and hidden speckles of green she hadn't noticed before.

A whole-body shake jolted Eri back to the moment. Excited cheers were gone, replaced with various forms of worry and disappointment. The grounding cold released its hold, and a downward smile rose to Eri’s lips. Regardless of how much she apologized, it did not ease the guilt of a ruined event.

“Did the loud sounds scare you?” 

Yuriko’s question surprised Eri, she turned her head to meet the worried teal gaze behind the golden frames. Soft, smaller hands offered comfort, and Eri could only nod bashfully in response when her voice got stuck in her throat.

“I-I would still like to see the fireworks with everyone. Maybe just not so close to them…” 

In the corner of her eye, Eri noticed how brown eyes crinkled into a smirk.

“Hah! Why didn't ya say so right ’way?”

Yuriko’s hands left hers abruptly and Eri's next breath was disrupted into a choked yelp when the ground beneath her feet disappeared. The world spun from the manhandling until she was prone on a broad shoulder like a big bag of vegetables. An embarrassed wheeze escaped her lips, heat rising to her cheeks while she struggled to fix her posture.

“What are you doing? Let me down!” But Eri's demand was ignored, her kicks thrashing the air in objection.

“Ya can start the next one,” was the last thing Eri heard before the environment warped around her.

The next time Eri felt gravity again she was attacked by nausea. She slowly released her fingers from the broad shoulders. In the moment of the unknown, her hands had formed into a vice-like grip. Behind her back, Eri heard a low chuckle.

“Didn’t know ya wanted to get yer hands on me that bad.”

A groan wheezed out of her and she smacked a sluggish palm on his back. Her weak slap resulted in a rumbling laugh like a purr against her stomach, but it aggravated the nausea. She protested again and a feeble plea of possible vomiting finally rewarded a return on her feet. Eri crouched with a grunt, waiting for her insides to settle. Impatient tall legs shifted next to her, but the tall boy stayed silent, letting out a single huff. For a few breaths, she inhaled the familiar scent of the grass and welcomed the gravity of the earth. 

Finally, Eri got back up, eyes scouting her surroundings. The top of the hill was farther away, but the night sky was still visible for admiring. 

“Is this far enough?”

“I think so.” She replied with a relieved breath and turned her gaze back to the boy. “Thank you, and… sorry for causing trouble.” 

“Why didn’t ya say somethin’ earlier?”

Eri’s gaze flickered to the side, fingers fiddling the edge of her white jacket’s sleeve. Before she could answer, a high-pitched whistle from the top of the hill interrupted them. However, this time, she was able to perceive the appearing shapes and colors without fear. Blue-gray eyes widened in awe and the sleeve was forgotten. With an excited instinct, her hand rushed to her hip to grab something that was not there. Her nose wrinkled in disappointment and a groan escaped her lips. 

“Aww, I left the sketchbook at the manor… Why did I leave my bag by the door…” She pouted with a longing gaze to the sky.

The boy next to her snorted. “Che. So what, ain’t it too dark to draw anyway?”

Eri flipped her head eyes wide, long blonde locks whipping the air. 

“No! The fireworks bring just enough light! The short time just increases the challenge of capturing the colors and shapes before they are gone!” 

Brown gaze followed in silence as Eri paced restlessly, looking back and forth between the fireworks and the direction of the manor. 

“... Maybe if I run now I can still catch some of the fireworks…” Eri mumbled.

The air next to her shifted, startling Eri from her thoughts. Her yelp was followed by a thump of her leg, but the boy was not there to witness it. She scouted her surroundings with worry, fireworks forgotten, but slowly it shifted into disappointment. 

A desponded question disappeared into the darkness. “Yuuma…?”

“I keep tellin’ ya to speak up, ain’t nobody gonna hear yer mumblin’!”

A thud next to her feet made her shriek and jump into the air at a gravity-defying speed. She landed a few feet away, eyes wide like saucers, body spring-loaded ready to bounce again. The brown-haired boy stared at her with an amused smirk on his face, a familiar messenger bag on the ground by his feet. 

Eri’s eyes flickered between the boy and the bag in confusion. “You… retrieved my bag?”

Yuuma averted her gaze and barked. “Che! Will ya now stop whinin’ ‘bout it?” 

With a few long strides, Eri was next to him, rummaging through the messenger bag. Nimble fingers balanced a sketchbook and a tin of colored crayons on her arm, taking a calculated moment before choosing one to glide over the opened page. 

And she was gone, completely forgetting her surroundings and company, keen eyes enraptured by the fireworks. Her gaze was fixed on the sky, only peeking at the paper occasionally when she changed a crayon or a page. 

For Yuuma, it was the opposite. His brown eyes gravitated towards the focused blonde-haired woman more often than the sky. The shared silence was only disturbed by the sounds of crayons scratching the paper, the clink of the tin, and occasional page flipping. Among the fireworks, he could swear the blue-gray eyes were getting a stronger azure hue that was not usually there. It was like the blue continued to glow even in the moments of darkness or maybe it was just the afterburn of bright lights.

Like a moth lured by a flame, the brown gaze sharpened. He prowled closer to the fully focused blonde, and the closer he got, the scent of cold moonlit nights grew stronger. Every excited breath from the artist emitted a mouthwatering scent of the rushing blood he had a harder and harder time resisting. 

A frustrated growl built up in his chest burning the pit in his stomach. The irresistible yearning was in turmoil with the forbiddance set by his stormy-eyed brother. Sure, the blonde-haired woman had an aura of mystery combined with peculiar ways, but based on what he knew, she was as dangerous as a house rabbit. 

His rigid jaw opened, inhaling the intoxicating scent. The brown gaze fixated on the nape that was exposed by the ponytail. So inviting and ready to be taken. A single word echoed deep in him, stronger and stronger with every heartbeat. One breath after another, his fangs gravitated towards the siren song. 

An elated sigh from Eri woke him up from his trance, making him flinch away from her neck. The fireworks had stopped and darkness enveloped them like a dirty secret. Yuuma stood stunned, still processing what had happened. In the meanwhile, the blonde put the last crayon back into the tin box with ease despite the lack of light. After closing the box, she turned to Yuuma’s direction, only to jump by the unexpected proximity. 

“Ah! Sorry, I didn’t see you were so close”. A stutter rang in the darkness, glowing azure fading slowly. “Uuugh, did you wanna see the sketches I made?”

Before he could answer, Eri shoved the sketchbook up closer to his face, barely containing her excitement. After a moment of silence, she heard a grunt behind the sketchbook. 

“Can’t see shit.”

Background: Edited from ibisPaint assets

Yuuma: Edited from Rejet co art

“Whatcha whimperin’, Bunny?” Inching closer, Yuuma peeked at the sketchbook. So, this was why Eri had been eager to come to the garden? She had recreated several plants on the paper. “Hah, that tomato would look almost eatable if it was in color.”

Eri shifted, glancing at Yuuma but, as always, she had hidden her eyes behind shades. So fucking annoying. Yuuma would like to see those shiny gray-blue orbs that reminded him of the sky. But he had already learned that removing those glasses at the wrong moment could cause extra trouble.

A whiny sigh pressed between Eri’s lips. “It’s too hot in here… I don’t get how you all survive in this heat.”

Yuuma scratched the back of his head. “It ain’t hot if yer a Vampire.”

“But Yuri too…” Eri started to sound almost desperate. Was the weather really that heated?

“I bet that scrimp is holin’ up under the bushes again.” Yuuma gazed around and sniffed. Yeah, he could smell Vixen nearby. It seemed always to be like this in the middle of the summer months.

A groan. Eri put her pencil down, looking up. There were pearls of sweat on her forehead, and her light hair looked a bit lifeless today. Yuuma could distinguish the faint aroma of perspiration under Eri’s regular scent of paper and paints. Perhaps Bunny had an actual reason to complain. “That bad?”

Yuuma let his gaze trace the woman from head to toe. There was idiocy in dressing up and then there was this… this… “Haa… ain’t that stupid to wear a jacket and a shirt if yer feelin’ too hot already? And what’s with those black pants? Ain’t they absorbin’ the heat or some shit like that?”

The pink deepened on Eri’s cheeks, and her left leg twitched. “I don’t want to burn in the sunlight. I’m more accommodated… in a different kind of environment.”

One of these days, Yuuma would squeeze out the truth about what was that different kind of environment Eri sometimes mentioned but he had figured she was hushing up about it for a reason. As much as he disliked keeping secrets, he didn’t want to scare the bunny and make it hop away.

Why the hell that’s so damn important? I don’t get what’s wrong with me these days… Yuuma frowned. Lately, he had gotten odd thoughts he didn’t want to explore any further. So, instead, he gave a glare at Eri. “Ya should accommodate here then.”

“It’s not that breezy…” The woman hung her head. As she moved, her hair slid along her back, revealing a slice of her pale nape that had started to grow reddish from here and there.

Yuuma stared at the unblemished skin under which blue veins throbbed quietly, pushing the blood forward. The blood had the most curious smell ever It was almost like… stellar. Or perhaps… lunar. Yes, yes, indeed. There was a hint of the full moon in Eri’s blood even though Yuuma couldn’t quite explain the impression.

“Fuckin’ hell, ya ain’t makin’ things easy!”

Yuuma’s grumble made Eri flinch, but the Vampire didn’t mind. Instead, he snatched the woman so fast that the sketchbook glided under the tomato bushes. Not paying attention to the fact, Yuuma swept Eri over his shoulder and strode toward the trees.

“Hey! Put me down!” Eri squirmed so much that Yuuma had to take a tighter grip on her. Not that he cared. She wasn’t going anywhere unless he allowed her. And there was no way he would let go of her. Probably forever. Perhaps he should tell her that. No matter what kind of possible threat she posed, she was going to stay.

“Don’tcha yell at me or I’m gonna stuff somethin’ into yer snout…” Yuuma intended to sound annoyed, but the words came out with an unforeseen chuckle.

“I dare you…” Eri’s words were murmur.

Yuuma couldn’t stop the smirk that curled his lips. “Try me and ya’ll find that piehole full.”

Surprisingly, that really shut Eri up.

Was that good? Yuuma couldn’t quite tell. It could have been fun to watch how well his bunny could take the carrots. Shaking his head, Yuuma stomped under the trees and lay Eri under the biggest one that created a huge, deep green shadow over the grass.

“Ya cool now?” Yuuma sat down and reached his hand, picking up the shades and tossing them aside before Eri could stop him. Heh, it was as if there were a lighter tone of blue meeting his gaze right now. A bunny with sky eyes, who would have thought…

What the fuck am I thinkin’? Yuuma stared into the azure, almost feeling like drowning in it. Surely, he wasn’t in the right of his mind now.

“Erhh… well…” Eri meandered a bit, the pink hue on her cheeks sliding towards red. Was that a no?

Growling, Yuuma yanked the denim jacket’s sleeves down Eri’s arms, finally tugging off the piece of clothing and throwing it on the ground. “Ya shouldn’t put on so damn many layers of rags.”

Was the woman puffing now? What the heck was that twisting around and thumping her thigh against the grass?

“Ya can’t still be feelin’ hot.” Yuuma sighed. “Fuck, come here! Hurry up, move yer ass!”

“You don’t have always to be so loud… I can hear you…” But Eri didn’t inch a bit.

“Then why ain’t ya movin’?” Yuuma grabbed Eri by her waist and lifted her on his lap as if she weighed nothing.

A disoriented cry escaped into the air. “Ehh?! Stop tossing me around!” Eri wriggled like a scared rabbit in a trap.

Chuckling, Yuuma wrapped his arms around the woman, nuzzling her neck. “It’s much cooler like this for ya. I feel like a chiller to ya, don’t I?”

Silence.

Followed by a sigh. “Erh… well… yes…”

Finally, Eri was calming down and staying put against Yuuma. The woman still radiated warmth through his shirt. It was unbelievable how much body heat she was able to develop. However, Ruki had mentioned something similar about Yuriko. Yet Yuuma was the most certain that he wasn’t holding onto a magical fox but something else. Something much more delicious and sweeter.

This scent…

…it emitted through Eri’s skin…

…the taste of full moon nights.

How was that even possible? Maybe Ruki would know. Yuuma should ask him later. But not now. In this instant, he only wanted to sink deeper in the aroma that dampened his tongue, waking up the yearning he had tried to keep at bay for the said brother had told him he had to be careful around this mystery woman who had appeared to their lives.

Eri’s hair tickled Yuuma’s face. Its feral fragrance mixed with the scent of her blood. A new growl vibrated through Yuuma’s chest. Why the hell was Ruki giving such rules anyway? It was easy for him to yap about it since he had brought Yuriko into the manor against all they had been discussing. Against all their plans.

If Ruki wasn’t playing by the rules, why should Yuuma? Inhaling deeply, he allowed Eri’s scent to waft in. Without further thought, he opened his mouth, scraping her neck with the tips of his fangs. She tensed on his lap, pressing her palms against his shoulders.

“Ya ain’t going nowhere…” The crunch of flesh was almost as satisfying as the gush of blood on Yuuma’s tongue and the moan of pain only thrilled him even more, his vampiric senses kicking in and telling him to have everything right here, right now until there would be nothing left but gratifying fulfillment.

Eri whimpered, hitting Yuuma’s chest, but he pressed her against him, sucking with relish as her liquid of life coated his mouth, tickling every cell of his awake. Celestial, this flavor was celestial. Almost too good to be from this world.

“Yuuma… stop…” Eri’s plea reached the Vampire’s ears.

No, no, no! Yuuma needed more. This wasn’t nearly enough. He needed more of this liquid that made his head fill with bliss and eased up the constant parching feeling in the back of his throat.

A harsh suck, then another, and a third. So savory and yet so sweet at the same time. The perfect combination. Nothing could compare it, nothing else could ever quench his thirst to the hilt.

Yuuma groaned, swiping the tip of his tongue over the bite mark. “Ya fuckin’ drive me mad…” The relishing taste lingered in his mouth.

Eri panted, her bosom heaving up and down but didn’t say anything as if her voice had been robbed from her.

But Yuuma needed answers. “What are ya?”

“Your… fellow… human?”

Did that sound more like a question or was Yuuma imagining things? He nuzzled against the throbbing vein but then gradually lifted his head, following the column toward Eri’s earlobe. She instantly shivered and let out a quivering whine, so this time he made an effort to keep his voice down. “That’s all? Ya ain’t shittin’ me?”

Eri quivered in Yuuma’s arms, her heartbeat getting rapid as if she had been a rabbit in the headlights. He could hear how her breath quickened, and when he turned to meet her gaze, something was glimmering behind the blue tint.

“You know… this isn’t the first time I have been here…” Eri finally started to speak. Her tongue dampened her lips, and it almost looked as if even the tip of her nose was vibrating. The faint scent of fear floated in the air.

“Not?” Yuuma stared at Eri. He couldn’t recall seeing her at the manor before. “Vixen invited ya earlier, huh?”

“No… not exactly…” Eri swallowed. “I… kind of landed in your garden last summer. But that was an accident. I didn’t mean to hit there or cause damage or anything like that. It just happened…”

Last summer? His garden? Landed?! “That fuckin’ hole in the ground!”

Eri’s eyes bulged, and she was almost paralyzed in Yuuma’s grasp. “Yes.” A mere whimper.

“What the fuck?!” Yuuma clenched his arms but when Eri yelped, he took a breath and loosened his grip slightly.

“I didn’t mean to…” Eri whispered. “Sorry.”

There was a moment of emptiness in Yuuma’s head. This was absurd. A chuckle grumbled through his chest as the laughter took over. Yes, he had been annoyed as fuck because of the said mystery hole in the middle of his plant plot. But… now, he was too curious. “Just what the hell happened? Why did ya land there?”

Eri’s whole body shook as she gulped air. “It’s complicated. I had to run away… from home. And I was in a hurry, so… I just hopped towards the closest option. That happened to be the Ear–  your garden.”

The words hit deep into Yuuma’s gut. Eri was a runaway? Probably not in a similar manner to the Mukamis, but this was something Yuuma could understand; having to escape somewhere. “Fuck… that sucks.”

“I said I’m sorry…”

“Quiet the whimperin’, Bunny! I meant that yer situation sucks. I caught yer drift. Glad ya got away from whatever shitty stuff it was.” Yuuma nodded. “And the garden was fixed. Just don’tcha go jumpin’ there anymore.”

For a moment, Eri gaped but a tilt of her head followed a while later. “I won’t.”

Yuuma grinned, leaning in. Ruki might be suspicious of the woman, but it was clear that she posed no threat. From where she had run away didn’t really matter. Yuuma knew better than to dig up someone’s angsty past.

“Ya better keep yer word.” Yuuma gazed at Eri, getting caught in the blue again. She was soft and warm in his arms, looking like a wild animal and still so tamed. And for damn sure no one was going to take her from him. He wouldn’t let that happen. For that, he should make sure that Eri wouldn’t think otherwise either. “Yer mine.”

“Eh?” Eri blinked.

Smirking, Yuuma nuzzled his nose on Eri’s. Before she had time to withdraw, he imprisoned her lips with his, sucking gently this time and making sure the moment was long and leisurely. Something moved in Yuuma as the last of his thoughts flew away. The smooch was like Eri’s blood, too, extraordinary… or perhaps… extraterrestrial.