Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Illusions ❯ Longing ( Chapter 21 )

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Shattered Illusions

Chapter 21: Longing

By: Melissa Norvell

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Copernicus knelt at the fallen tom boy's side as Millie rushed over and fell to her knees, calling out the stripper's name in an emotional shout. The vampire looked to her with a dire expression and instructed her to go and talk to Coscatta while he handled the problem.

With an unsure look, as if she did not want to leave Tsubomi's side the school girl reluctantly agreed and walked over to the blue-haired girl.

The vampire examined the girl's body. He immediately noticed how tight the neck tie had been, as well as the red marks she had made from strangling herself with it. `He's delicious…' A large hand was placed on her chest. `His heart beat is fast.' He mentally noted as he unfastened the necktie and felt the tom boy's head for signs of fever. `Tsubomi…I wonder if you really have been psychologically messed up. When I think about it, Hizaki's attack really did make you crazy. I thought you were alright but I bet you've been suffering this whole time.'

A sympathetic look was cast to her as he picked up her body, which was light in comparison to others he held in the past. The Inheritor carried her to a plush bed and covered her up. “Take care of yourself, and try not to jeopardize everything. You almost cost everyone their lives.”

Copernicus then walked over to a white, wooden chair and pulled it up to her bedside. He took a seat, crossing one leg over the other in casual male fashion for a moment before changing his position and leaning forward, holding his donor's cold hand gently. “I think that you have good intentions…” He nearly choked on a slight laugh. “What am I saying? I really should tell you the truth about my true identity.” His voice lowered as he leaned down to kiss her, but was shortly cut off by his name being spoken in a faint tone.

Opening his eyes, he whispered. “Just rest, my little Tsubomi.”

“Kiss me…like you kissed her.”

“What?” That was a surprising thing to say.

“The way you kissed her…it was…different,” Tsubomi said in broken up fashion as she clutched the sheets and averted her eyes sadly.

“She kissed me. It was unwanted. She always flings herself on me. Besides, I didn't kiss her back.” So, that situation did look to be more than it seemed. However, Tsubomi did not truly know the whole situation, nor did she know their relationship.

“You didn't backhand her for coming here and putting herself in danger. Why am I different?” At this point, she was pretty sure even normal people were above her. This guilt was overbearing. She just wanted to go back to sleep. Anything was better than facing him like this. Never had she felt so weak, than she did in this moment.

“You're delusional. I am upset with her, but you're a guy. I expect you to be a little more tolerant.” Surely he could take a slap to the face. It wasn't like he punched him in the nuts or anything underhanded. It was a simple form of being reprimanded.

Oh yeah, she was regarded as a guy. Tsubomi nearly forgot. “If I were a girl, you wouldn't have-“

“Not at all. You were different Tsubomi, but it isn't because you're lower. Coscatta means nothing to me but a source of blood and companionship. She adores me but she is simply my donor. It's true that I haven't minded her affections, but it does feel awkward now.” More than anything, he wanted the boy to understand that he was no way beneath Coscatta simply because they were both donors.

“Because I'm here, right?” Her voice was still low as her eyes traveled back to his face.

“Yes, to be honest. I kind of felt bad. Not sure why, really. By the way, I'd kiss you however and wherever you'd like,” he smiled, remembering her earlier request. This caused a slight flush across the girl's face.

`I should say it. I should tell him how much I want him right now. I should tell him that I might love him…but…he'll hate me later, especially when he finds out about my gender. I can't hide from him forever,' Tsubomi finally spoke up from her bout of embarrassment. “What have you done with her?”

“Why?”

“I just want to know.” Since he was being so honest, why not tell her the whole truth about the two of them.

“Kiss and hug. She's tried to do more but I won't let her,” she wanted the truth, there it was.

“Would you let me?” It was a hint, but a damned forward one.

“Huh?” Again, he was caught off guard by it.

“Please, master, please do anything and everything with me. I don't care if I'm your boy toy. I want you. I want you really bad, Copernicus. I trust you and I'll give you anything.” Even if it cost her the secret she's been holding dear all of this time. It was worth it if he didn't end up hating her in the end. Nothing mattered at this moment in time. Tsubomi could no longer hold back her feelings towards the noble.

Copernicus was amused. “Are you that jealous? This isn't like you.”

The tom boy blinked and turned her head away. “I…I'm sorry…” That's the second stupid mistake she just made. Great, just wonderful.

“You should rest. Think about it for a while and then if you want me to do something later with you I will.” Obviously, he was still delirious. The poor thing must have been in a lot of pain to be that mentally ill.

Not that it wouldn't have been nice to have that type of relationship with him, but he could not take an act of despair as a reason to hop in to a relationship with the boy.

“I want to be kissed like that,” she looked him dead in the eyes. It wasn't some daft babbling, she really wanted him and now he was writing her desire off as some kind of mental illness.

How irritating.

He was really tempting him. What would it hurt to play into the moment? “I can grant you that wish. Just open your mouth a little.”

Doing as she was told, Tsubomi opened her mouth slightly as lips covered hers and a tongue slowly slipped into her mouth. `This is…It feels so good. I love it when I'm with him. I want him even more. His kiss tastes of coffee. Maybe he was drinking some a while ago,' the blush returned to her cheeks. `I'm such an idiot.' Her arms wrapped around her master's neck as her tongue danced with his. `I hope I'm not too god awful at this. I can't let him be close to Coscatta. I want to be the only one that he needs. If I want him, then I'll have to give myself to him. The more I show him that I want him, the more he'll want to keep me around. I'll serve my master, publically and privately.'

He pulled away; his breath was escalated a little. Tsubomi could feel the warmth against her cold skin and smell the sweet scent of coffee as he spoke. “You're killing off that shy quality.”

Tsubomi was panting herself, savoring the sweet taste of the kiss. “Good, if you want something, then go for it, right?” She replied in a breathy sentence.

“I'm a bad influence on you, it seems,” Copernicus teased.

“Probably, but that's what makes you sexy,” Tsubomi smiled.

“Tsubomi…” A slight pink graced his cheeks. It was the first time she had ever seen him blush for once. It was refreshing.

“You're quite when you blush.” She smiled.

“That's the first time I've blushed around anyone. Damn your boyish charm.” That was embarrassing, but if it was for her, then it wasn't so bad. The vampire smiled slightly as the tom boy inched closer to his face.

“I'd like to make you blush in other ways, too,” she purred. `Screw it. So what if he finds out? Right now, I don't care.'

“That will be a challenge…won't it?” Copernicus arched an eyebrow. So she thought that she could accomplish such a goal? He wouldn't mind being a test subject in her efforts to prove her theory.

“You can be a real prick, you know? I think you're too used to that high life, you little snob.” Yeah. Ha ha, very funny. Sarcastic asshole.

“You act like more of a snob than I do. You're a cold bastard.” Since he wanted to get snippy, they would both see who had the bigger bite.

“Maybe so,” she smiled. Tsubomi couldn't deny that truth.

“We belong together,” Copernicus smiled before a look of realization crossed his face. There was a pause and Tsubomi's face then registered what exactly had come out of his mouth. `What did I just say?'

`What? In what way does he mean that?' She blinked.

“I'm going to go and check on the girls. Who knows what they're talking about in there.” Now was the time to flee and leave her thinking about his last phrase. It wasn't as if he were trying to be mysterious this time. He also needed to think about just what poured from between his fangs. She unstably agreed as he kissed the top of her hand and leveled her with a smile. “See you in a few hours. It's nice to have you back.”

“Nice to see you again. I've missed your touch.”

“I can tell. You don't seem too depressed now,” he smiled. It was all in a job well done, even if he hadn't planned it that way.

“I'm just in pain…and drained to be honest. Since Hizaki first attacked me, I haven't felt like I could think straight,” she didn't want to admit it, but maybe it was about time that she did. Tsubomi's mental state was deteriorating; there was no doubt about it. She could not do this alone.

“I can tell.”

“Why do you make crude gay jokes now?” She frowned. How rude. She was being serious.

“You always make pedophile jokes about me. I'm paying you back.”

Tsubomi half-heartedly smiled and closed her eyes. She really couldn't stay mad at him. `I am really happy with you, master.'

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“That can't be true. He looks even younger than me,” Coscatta placed a hand on her chest with an angry expression.

“Nope, he's twenty-four,” Millie replied.

“He can't-“

“With Tsubomi, he can.”

“With Tsubomi I can what?” Copernicus interrupted their conversation as he walked up to the two girls. Their gazes turned to them and they wore quizzical expressions.

“You took a long time in there,” Millie pointed out.

“Well, Tsubomi was just so frisky. He wanted me to donate something to him,” the vampire winked suggestively as the school girl leveled him with a suspicious glance.

“I don't want to know.”

“What!? He gave you a blow job?” Coscatta didn't mind saying exactly what was on her mind.

“I said I don't want to know!” Millie shouted angrily at the girl in a scolding way.

“You honestly think I'd take advantage of an injured person like that?” He was shocked at their accusations.

“Yes!” Both of the girls gave him angry looks and crossed their arms over their breasts to assume disapproving postures.

“You know me too well.” Even he knew that if that situation got any more hot and heavy, that he would not have tried to stop Tsubomi if she wanted to do something more.

“You really let him do that to you? You never let me have any fun with you!” The blue-haired donor complained. It just wasn't fair at all. Why was HE so special?

“What kind of playboy are you, anyway?” Millie's look intensified. How dare he try to break up her perfect ship of him and Tsubomi. She would simply not allow Coscatta to take him away from his one true prince!

“Long story.”

“You'd better not cheat on Tsubomi-kun!” She snapped. That was not a threat; it was a promise of pain if he did so.

“We're not together.”

“Yes, you are!”

“What about me?” Coscatta butted in with a pouty expression as Millie turned her nose up to the girl.

“No one cares,” the blue-haired girl was more than offended at her remark.

“You always like young boys.” This time, his donor was genuinely upset. “Why can't I ever be important? It's not fair. He doesn't know you like I do. He hasn't seen what I have.” All this time, she had stuck by his side, through thick and thin. She gave him everything, almost everything. There was still one thing he had not taken from her, much to her regret.

“I love him,” his words were simple, as if it were no big deal that it may potentially crush the girl's feelings. Copernicus wasn't going to let her hang there, suspended from a thin strand of dreams forever. There had to be a point in which the string was cut. This was that point.

“Say what!?!”Mille snapped back to his direction, nearly busting a lung when she uttered that phrase.

“What!?!” Coscatta was equally horrified at his admittance.

“Yes, I love him.”

“Wow, I didn't think you'd just come out and say it like that,” the school girl was still in shock over it.

“That's why I'm so harsh on him. That's why I don't want him being reckless. I want him to put his life in my hands.” At the same time, the Inheritor knew that he could not tell Tsubomi such things himself. It was more than making Tsubomi a strong donor; it was about giving him something to confide in and something to lean on other than himself.

“Tsubomi-kun doesn't even seem like the dependant type. You can't even get him to move in with you.” In Millie's opinion, that was pretty damned stubborn. She'd never known Tsubomi to simply come to anyone with his problems, nor did she think of him as the type that would just lean on someone for things, much less every little thing. Tsubomi was pretty brave and tough on his own.

“I need to talk to you in private.”

What about, she wondered? “Okay.”

Dark blue eyes glanced to his donor. “Coscatta, stay on the couch and drink tea.”

The girl complied and with a `yes, master' she took a seat on the pristine couch and grabbed her tea cup from the table. Gingerly, she sipped the warm fluids as she awaited her next order.

“If Tsubomi needs anything, cater to his needs, would you?”

She signed and frowned. “Yes, master.” Damn it all. This was more and more unfair by the second. `I didn't get into a contract with Tsubomi. Why do I have to play maid to him? I knew I should have gotten here sooner. If I could spend some time with Copernicus then we would have grown closer, like he was with Virgil. Dear brother…How I miss you so…' She closed her eyes and tilted her head down in silent mourning as vivid memories of his last moments played through her head with astonishing realism. She remembered looking at her hands, covered in slick, warm blood as her heart raced and her eyes widened in horror. The frightened girl's hands shook with the complexity of emotional hurt that she felt. `It's always some beautiful boy who steals my master's heart.'

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Copernicus and Millie relocated their position to two rooms over, in case Coscatta tried to listen in. He didn't think that she would, but Copernicus was a man who took extra precautions to cover himself. The room was spacious and illuminated by a large window that the two of them stood in front of. It nearly took up the entire wall.

“I finally know how I feel about him. After three months of thinking about why I'm so attracted to him. What should I tell him?” This was a delicate situation. The two of them were flirting with danger, especially after that little moment that they had in private.

“That you love him.” Ask a stupid question…and he knew the rest. That much was obvious but he was looking for specifics.

“I don't know how he feels about me.”

“Talk to him. You couldn't really hurt anything.” That was the most basic approach. He really should know that by now. Wasn't he supposed to be the playboy vampire stud?

“I do regret the last time I held back telling someone,” Copernicus glanced down at the floor, trying to rid himself of those horrible memories, covered in the blood of the slaughtered.

“See? You won't have that guilt if you don't keep it to yourself,” Millie reasoned.

The vampire looked to her. “What about you?” His tone dropped an octave and became serious in pitch.

“No one wants me,” she waved in dismissal. “Back in America, I was always the idiot that thought guys loved me, and then they didn't want me after I had sex with them. I'm just slutty Millie.” It hurt talking about that more than she would let him know, so she attempted to play if off like a cruel joke. Laughing at it really was the only way to lighten the blow.

“I don't think so. You just want true love,” Copernicus would have none of that. He was still sticking to his serious tone to let her know that the joke was hardly funny.

“He probably thinks I'm easy,” she really didn't want to talk about this.

“I doubt it. Prince Yale is fond of classy women,” he pressed.

“You should tell Tsubomi-kun,” she changed the subject quickly. “Oh, what are you going to do about Coscatta?”

“She'll have to stay here with us. We can't risk her being found alone.” Now that she came out of hiding, no doubt Hide and his minions would be after her as well. By making that mistake, the girl placed herself in more danger than she could ever know.

“I'm sure Tsubomi-kun will love that.” It only made things more complicated for their relationship, but on one hand, Copernicus was right. There was nothing that they could do. `Like he loves the gunshot wound in his shoulder.'

“I'll tell Tsubomi that I love him but I want it to be special for the both of us,” he just had to find that opportune time. A time when she was well enough to make it worth her while, worth their while would be best.

“Well, just don't hit him and I think you'll have it good.” Honestly, she couldn't believe that he would even do that to poor Tsubomi. Not to mention he already had a bullet hole in his shoulder, it was really unneeded. “Besides, it's because you love him that you can't control him. He's not like Coscatta. Think of it like this, you're a king, Coscatta is like a maid, she looks pretty and she'll obey your command but Tsubomi-kun is like a knight. He'll fight for you. He's loyal and he'll definitely go to extremes to save you.”

“A king? You give me too much credit. I'm nothing like Prince Yale,” the vampire smiled bitterly.

“Even if you beat Hide, who will rule? Would it still be Prince Yale?” She'd been wondering about that for a while.

“I'm not sure. Why? Do you want to become a queen?”

Millie placed her hand to her lips and blushed. “I don't think he'd want me…I mean, I'm still trying to get over the fact that we even did anything.”

“My dear Millie, you are more to him than you think. In love, don't think about the details. Just be yourself,” he assured, placing a hand on her shoulder as some means of comfort.

Her shoulders relaxed. “You're right. I should relax.”

“It's not always easy to admit things…for either party,” Copernicus replied. `Once I divulge the bitter truth, will you still be so faithful to me, my little Tsubomi?'

…To Be Continued