A Most Succulent Apple

YamiNoTomoyo

-(YnT)-

Chapter 2 – Nightbreak

Shortly after sunset, Eriol opened his eyes. He yawned and blinked heavily as his mind resurfaced from his sleep.

Most vampires slept in, all the way until late night. Eriol, however, had always been an early riser, and there was no reason to change that in his mind.

Well, there was one reason. But it wasn't enough to deter him, usually.

After taking a few minutes to freshen up, that same reason burst into his room with impeccable timing. He was wonderfully shirtless as Andrea entered the room, angered for some reason.

She stared at his bare chest, which bought him some time. Eriol quickly said, "Good morning, Andrea. Enjoying the view?"

"Yes," the vampire said before she could stop herself. Who could blame her? Like most vampires, Eriol was naturally handsome, but he had his own unique look as well. In the past few years he had not aged, but his black-almost-blue hair had grown just the same. These days he wore it long, usually tied back in a low ponytail. His body might have been sixteen, but he looked to be twenty when the wise maturity of his face combined with his height and strong build. Being shirtless only emphasized his unmistakably gorgeous body. He was lean and muscled, not to the point where it was easily seen through shirts and such, but enough certainly to make Andrea's jaw drop when his shirt was off, as it was now.

Finally, Andrea shook herself out of her transfixion and glared at Eriol furiously. Her eyes were red, but not due to hunger. Somehow, this girl had been born with extraordinary red eyes as a human. It was one reason many regarded her as a queen among them all. Of course, her radiant, confident beauty may have had something to do with it as well. She had fair hair, long black lashes, and slightly darker skin than that of the average vampire's.

"I'm glad." Eriol pulled on a snug black shirt to match his dark wash jeans. "Did you want anything?"

"Yes. Damien spilled – you found your Possessed?"

Eriol sighed as he remembered the previous night. "Yes. Why?" he asked, as she leaned over to his desk and put his unnecessary glasses on his face.

Andrea sneered at him. "Just don't act like you're something special, alright? Don't go all high and mighty on me just because you've got something most of us dream of."

"Wouldn't think of it," Eriol said, shrugging. "Andrea, how many times do I have to tell you? You don't have to fear me. I don't want your position, your power, or your control. Take it. I'm content being a minor part of the whole. I just happen to be stubborn and like to be alone. That doesn't mean I'm planning a mutiny against you twenty-four seven."

"Whatever," Andrea muttered. "Sorry. Territorial instinct. You're too smart for your own good."

Eriol smiled mischievously. "I know. Believe me; I won't let it go to my head. I just want to see how long my control can last with my Possessed. I've always wanted to really test myself. It should be interesting."

"Strangest vampire I've ever met," Andrea muttered again, still put off. She waved at him as she turned and walked back out the door, not even bothering to close it again.

He couldn't help but think that Andrea was beautiful and smart, but could be such a brat. She wanted everything controlled and chaotic, clean and messy, regular and spontaneous. A strange, strange leader, but he still followed her leadership, and had done so for three years.

Eriol had found something of a friend in Damien, and had come to like most of the others. Nick, Delia, Jake, Katherine, Roald, Danielle (Daniel) and Neal made up their little band. They were all vampires who had been turned at some point in their teenage or collegiate years, and were young rebels at heart. Sort of. Their actual ages varied widely. Katherine had been turned at the age of 19, and was now 20, making her very young comparatively. Eriol himself was 20, but had been turned at the age of 16. Andrea was 17 in body and 25 in actuality, while Damien was turned at 20 and actually 23. Roald was the oldest and youngest of them all, at the actual age of 38, but he had been turned at the age of 15.

Their life was dark and dramatic, but there was certainly never a dull moment.

Of them all, only Nick had met his Possessed – at least, while they were human. Jake and Delia had been attacked by a pair of vampires at the same time. They had been a sweet couple then, but so shy they couldn't manage even to kiss for fear of rejection. Nowadays Andrea had to send them away to do their business elsewhere. Their moans were too loud and passionate for anybody to get any rest. There was no doubt that they would have been each other's Possessed, but because they were both vampires the term didn't technically apply.

Nick hadn't known his Possessed. In the same night Nick met her, loved her, ravished her, killed her, and drank her. It was pure luck that Nick even knew her first name had been June.

So what did they expect of him? Having Tomoyo as his Possessed was a blessing and a curse all in one. He could protect her from other vampires – she was his by the sacred law. No other vampire could touch her, or one of the Accursed would punish them.

But he couldn't protect her from himself. Eriol knew he had far more control than most vampires, but Tomoyo was a completely different matter. One slip of his control could mean her death. It was beyond dangerous to even be near her. What would happen to him if he lost control and hurt her? Eriol didn't know, but he had an idea.

The guilt would probably stick to him. Like acid, it would burn him away, layer by layer, until little remained. Before long, nothing would be left.

As much as it pained him to know she was so close, seeing her was not an option.

Finally ready for the night, Eriol escaped into the hallway, and went to the empty bedroom of the haunted mansion.

Because it was only just past sunset, Eriol knew it wouldn't be very safe if he were to sit atop the haunted house, his legs dangling over the edge, as he liked to. He would be spotted quickly by the first person on their way home from dinner who chanced a look. Many people were still out and about at this hour. They would stay out for even longer, but around midnight it would quiet just enough for him to sneak out.

In this quiet neighborhood, most were abed by that time. In the city, no doubt such a plan would be worthless. He pitied city and rural vampires. The city ones had to be even more secretive than he did, and the rural ones had few companions and very unsatisfying lives. It was much better here, on the outskirts of a large city. He could sprint to the other side of the city, if he wanted to, so it was convenient even if he did need to go downtown. But he didn't.

What he did need was a thorough psychological self-analysis. After the previous night's events, there were bound to be a few knots in his mind to untie.
Eriol sat in a chair cross-legged and looked out the window, staring at the apartment building across the street - or past it. His mind drifted as he allowed himself to ignore the rest of the world.

How did he feel? Fine, physically. Better than usual. It was the amount of blood he'd consumed. Even after his sedentary state of rest, the blood boiled through him, quietly, but restlessly. It made him fidget to have such extra energy running through him. That wasn't much trouble.

As for how he felt otherwise... Well, he felt no different than usual, except that he was still displeased. Even though his decision had been made far earlier, he was still uneasy over her appearance. What was she doing in London? Or rather, at the university campus around the corner? If she had applied and been accepted here for a continuing education, it would be his luck. Fate seemed to love these tricks on him. They happened so often.

He wasn't going to approach her; that much he knew. There was no choice but to avoid her, and tell the others that she had disappeared.

Now, as for his state of mind as a result of the mauling last night...

Eriol closed his eyes, now, instead of looking straight out. That had definitely scared him. He could become an animal, no, less than one, so easily. With his iron control stripped away, he was nothing. He knew that well. He also knew that his control was all but perfect. No creature, except perhaps Tomoyo, could ever tempt him unless he wanted them to.

Eriol knew this to be fact. But there was a difference between knowing, and knowing. The feast from the previous night had torn at his self-confidence over that, and no amount of self-convincing would make him believe that he still had his perfect control until he tested himself.

With this thought in mind, Eriol opened his eyes again. The entire analysis had taken all of a minute. He shrugged and rose again as his mind worked, beginning to plan. He was distracted by ideas for testing himself to the point where it took him a moment to realize Damien was now in the room.

"Hello," Eriol said cheerfully, a razor thin smile gracing his features. "You're up early."

Damien, never an evening person, shrugged and attempted a glare. Sleepy, he couldn't quite manage it. He only looked a bit impatient. "Andrea," he growled.

"What did she do?"

"Wake me up."

Eriol waited patiently for Damien to continue. With a sigh, he did.

"She decided to barge in and ask me if I knew if you were conspiring anything. I think I replied something along the lines of no. I was too tired to hear myself."

"That's not half so bad. Andrea came into my room when I was dressing for the night, and saw my undressed upper half."

"And after that, I suppose you made mad love to her until the bed broke?"

"Ah, well, it couldn't be avoided. I'm sure I can enlist your help. You do own the only toolbox around, and I'll find the wood for it somewhere."

"Right. So you basically smirked and let her carry on."

Eriol shrugged. "She glared a lot and demanded I not think myself special for finding my Possessed. Silly little bitch."

"I don't think silly is quite the right word." Damien sounded very bored with this subject, and changed it. "Your plans?"

"I mean to get up to a little mischief of my own," Eriol began speculatively. "After that, I'm at leisure to do as I please. Any ideas?"

"Would you mind going to the Orchid's Kiss later?"

Eriol smirked. Damien had named a rowdy bar which Andrea had once claimed was a sickening as Jake and Delia and not nearly so quiet. Not for the best alcohol in the world would she step in that place.

"I'd love to."

"Thanks. I owe you one. See you around two?"

"Sure thing. See you." Eriol walked down the hall, until he reached the stairs. From them he went down all the way to the first floor, which was never used. He rummaged through a closet until at last he found what he was looking for. It was a coat. After all, a fall night would be chilly. It would be suspicious if he went outside dressed only in jeans and a t, so he needed to wear a nice coat. This one would do. It was navy blue, lightweight, and had plenty of pockets. One of them held his glasses. They were one of the few things he had kept from his human days, and he liked wearing them now and then, despite the fact that he no longer required them.

Smiling at the irony of needing to act human, he donned the jacket and stepped out into the brisk winds of the early night, flowing lazily o'er the haunted house's fence.

He hopped the fence, and landed as quietly and gracefully as a cat.

The streets were busy with many kinds of people. Businessmen and women bustled about, on their way home, or perhaps to an important meeting. Young couples – well, his age, but younger – roamed the streets, shy and happy as they went home, or out to dinner. More confident young men and women from the university were making their way, with or without partners, to bars and restaurants. Disgruntled night shift workers walked to work, while their daytime counterparts, exhausted by their jobs, seemed to walk automatically, dreaming of sitting on their chairs and simply falling limp for a while.

Eriol passed all of them by. They smelled delectable. It was like both heaven and hell all at once, to scent the blood of these many people and knowing he couldn't have a drop of it. It was a contradiction he was quite accustomed to by now. He could stroll through the street casually, hands in his pockets, and never catch himself staring at a particular human as he wondered what they would taste like.

He spared them all only a thought, as a vampire. The small part of his nature that still seemed human was watching the people curiously.

A young couple on the opposite side of the street was coming towards him. He fixed his gaze upon the pair, noting with a small smile their happiness together. A perfect match.

His staring seemed to catch the attention of the girl. She looked over, catching his eye, and then looked him up and down. Finally, she raised a hand and waved.

Eriol smiled, and waved back coolly. He chuckled when her boyfriend rolled his eyes and let go of her hand, to sling it around her waist possessively. She pouted, and seemed to be scolding him as Eriol finally passed by.

So normal. And Eriol was, for the moment, one of them. It was nice to feel that he belonged, even though it was all just a lie.

It was funny, almost, how his feet had driven him here. He realized now that he was on University Place, being all but swarmed by throngs of partygoers walking off campus. Shrugging at his own silliness, he continued to let his feet take him where they would. Instead of keeping track of where he was, he simply watched the faces drift by.

Ah, college students. They always accepted him as one of their own. His glasses gave him that bookish look of a student, but even without them he could pass for being twenty in age. He certainly acted like it. His radically long hair practically screamed college. No self-respecting teenager or hard-working adult would wear their hair like that.

A girl winked at him, liking what she saw. He grinned back wolfishly, teasing her, but walked past without given the blonde a second thought.

Suddenly, it all changed. The blood in the air, ignorable to him even when humans touched him, was suddenly furious. He was acutely aware of a sweet smelling-girl.

Tomoyo.

Eriol breathed deeply through his mouth, doing his best to keep from reacting. Dear god, these people were nothing compared to the treat she posed. It would take so much for him to ignore her. Where was she, anyway? She was very close. He began to look around as he kept walking, not even realizing it.

"Over here," a sweet voice announced.

Eriol's eyes widened. He turned around instantly. Standing but a few feet behind him was Tomoyo, a vision unlike any other.

"You're the same person who saw me singing yesterday," she said, smiling. "And am I incorrect in saying that you are my old friend, Hiiragizawa Eriol?"

He just stared at her, trying to regain control. How had she come so close without him taking notice? She had no idea how much trouble she was in. It was unfathomable. This damned girl – oh, the irony in his word choice – had snuck up on him, and Eriol had to concentrate himself, holding his feet in place. One step, two steps, and he could drink her dry.

"Yes, of course you are. The glasses," she said, hiding her smile behind one hand. "I recognize your glasses."

Instinctively, his hand flew up and adjusted them. Maybe it was the glasses, showing him a vision. It was a silly thought, he knew. But any thought, other than one of her, kept his mind away for another second. Any thought that distracted him was good.

"Eriol-kun." Tomoyo frowned. "I'm sorry, am I too close for you to speak safely? Please, follow me? I will show you a place where I can stand upwind of you, if that would make it easier."

She began to walk off the path, and Eriol, dazed, followed. How did she know? Unless – of course. That was how she had gotten close to him. Had she been downwind, he would have known her smell from a long distance, but upwind he wouldn't notice her until the last second. But how did she know?

All he could do was follow at a distance as she led him into the trees behind one of the university buildings. "Stay there a moment," she called out. Then, staying away, she circled around him. Suddenly, he could only faintly smell her. He began to breathe through his nose again, now that she wouldn't swamp him.

"Better?" she asked.

"Yes," he whispered.

Tomoyo smiled. Undistracted by the smell of her blood, Eriol saw the power of that smile. If his heart could still beat, it would have skipped a bit at the smile. Just as it had years and years ago. He gulped, and stared. She was lit up by incandescent light, fixed upon the side of the building. She leaned against the building, cool and relaxed.

If only she knew, then she would run, not stand there with that cursed smile of hers.

"You looked different yesterday," she said suddenly. "Your eyes were red; I didn't realize it was you right away. But now that your eyes are blue again, it's as clear as day. You look the same as you ever did, except for your hair."

"My eyes were red?"

"Blood red, if you'll pardon the expression." Her smile was impish and mischievous. "You weren't as controlled yesterday. Also, your fangs showed, and your stance – well, I was surprised you didn't attack me, but thank you. You stopped yourself mid-hunt, and spared my life, Eriol-kun."

Eriol's eyes widened. She had noticed – and maybe, she knew? Did he dare think it? "Tomoyo…"

Tomoyo lowered her head. "So you do remember me," she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. "I was beginning to doubt."

"How could I forget?" Eriol asked quietly.

"Well, it's been a long time. And you're different now. You're still Eriol, of course, but…"

"But?"

"You are a vampire."

As she said it aloud, the word they had both been dreading, the very air seemed to chill. Though as Eriol tried, he could not fool himself into believing the cold was entirely due to the weather.

He was chilled by her gaze, chilled and frozen to the very bone.

-(YnT)-

Thanks, to the reviewers from last time. Thanks, to the reviewers for this chapter (ahem).

Special thanks to Rika-chan, who was kind enough to look over this chapter when I was too impatient to wait, even though she doesn't normally beta for me. And thanks to Meiling-chan for her Meiling-chan style of CONSTANT NAGGING AT ME TO UPDATE. (Surprisingly, those thanks are not sarcastic.)

Dun-dun-dun. Tomoyo knows Eriol is a vampire. And for some reason, isn't scared out of her wits. She's always been a clever girl, hasn't she? But it's still kind of odd, don't you think? Well, I think. And my thoughts, in this world, are law. So I guess it doesn't matter whether you think it is or isn't odd, because it's still odd. And soon, you might discover why.