Rosario Vampire Fan Fiction ❯ He Who Fights Monsters ❯ Aftershocks ( Chapter 9 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Rosario + Vampire:

He Who Fights Monsters…

Chapter Nine: Aftershocks

Written by: Hawker_748

Tsukune's eyes opened, and for a few frantic seconds he thought something was wrong with his vision. Before a sense of panic could set in he simply realized that it was dark in his room, and that the lights were out. That was unexpected; ever since he'd first set foot in his room, Tsukune had always kept the lights going, being afraid of what might be lurking in the dark. When he was a child that was simply a normal phobia, but at Youkai Academy there were monsters that hid in the shadows. Squinting at his alarm clock, he was able to make out that it was a little after four in the morning, a few hours before he would normally get up.

A pleasant warmth pressing against Tsukune, and a few feverish recollections about the night before reminded him that he wasn't alone; he also remembered what he'd done the previous day, his arms were still a bit sore from where the vampire had dug her nails in trying to escape. Tsukune could hear faint breathing that wasn't his, and he slowly reached over to the lamp on his night table, not wanting to disturb Keito's slumber. When his grasping fingers brushed against the switch, he closed his eyes and turned it on, the light making him flinch as it penetrated his eyelids. Carefully cracking them open, Tsukune nearly yelped in fright when he saw Keito's violet eyes meeting his.

"Good morning," the spider woman cooed, her usual sardonic smile in place.

"Y-you too," Tsukune stammered back, not having any idea of what else he should say.

Keito continued to gaze down at the human she was sprawled over. "You've heard what's supposed to happen to a man who sleeps with a spider woman, right? And you know about black widows?" When Tsukune nodded weakly she continued. "How did you know I wasn't going to simply devour you afterwards?"

Tsukune let out a sigh and closed his eyes, images of everything he'd done to survive flashing through his mind. He then met Keito's gaze and murmured, "Didn't care…"

Keito raised an eyebrow as she considered that. "That doesn't really sound like you."

"…Are you…?" the human asked softly; Tsukune was naked and unarmed, completely unable to protect himself from Keito. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to anymore.

Pursing her lips, the Enforcer looked a little awkward. "I suppose I could, if you really WANTED me to, but it'd be a nuisance…"

"How long have you been awake? What were you doing?"

"I was just watching you sleep," Keito replied.

"In the dark?"

"I have very good night vision," the spider woman explained with a smirk. "Do humans always sleep peacefully next to monsters?"

Tsukune blinked. "What do you mean, 'peacefully'?"

"I don't think you've moved after you dozed off."

Tsukune started to object, when he belatedly realized she was right. For the first time since he'd arrived, he hadn't had night terrors, his sleep had been dreamless and deep. It had been so long since that had happened, he'd forgotten how normal sleep was supposed to feel. "Wouldn't know," he murmured. "Never knew anyone who slept with a monster before." Looking up at Keito, the human gave voice to a question that he hadn't raised the night before. "Why did you come here?"

Keito shrugged. "Kuyo asked me to extend an invitation, to join the Enforcers."

"You gotta be kidding…"

"I'm not," she insisted. "But I'd have come regardless."

"Why? I'm just a human, tainting this school," Tsukune reminded her.

"I know that," Keito assured him. "But no one else does." The spider woman used her slender right pointer finger to trace along the edge of a faint scar under his jaw. "How did you get this?"

The delicacy of the touch, as well as the electric nature of it surprised Tsukune. "Got it from Kenichi, when he swiped at me with his arms. Branches. Whatever the hell they're called."

"How about this?" Keito then ran her fingertip along one of the scars on his chest.

Tsukune had to look down to see which one it was. "Got that after only a few days, got caught up in someone else's fight. Cracked my ribs too."

"This one too?"

The human shook his head. "Guno did that one."

Keito looked him in the eyes. "Didn't they hurt?"

"Yeah. Every single one of them."

"So why did you stay?"

Tsukune gave a dark chuckle. "Didn't want to disappoint my family…"

"Pretty brave, putting up with all this for them," Keito remarked. "Do you know how monsters view humans?"

"Lunch?"

"Some of us, yes," Keito admitted. "But most see humans as the weaker race - that we allow you to rule this planet, until we decide to take it."

"What about you?" Tsukune wondered. It felt strange to be sharing body warmth with the spider woman, when she'd apparently held his species in complete contempt.

"I did feel that way, but you…" Keito shook her head. "You don't act like a human. They're supposed to be cowardly, easy prey. You aren't."

"Gee, thanks…"

"I mean it. I never thought a human could be so ruthless. No wonder everyone still thinks you're a monster…"

Tsukune felt like he seemingly collapsed in on himself. Not because he thought Keito was wrong, but that she wasn't. After all he'd done, Tsukune was so numb against horror and violence, he hardly even felt human anymore. "You like that about me?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, no I suppose it isn't," the human murmured, idly noticing that Keito felt nice nestled against him.

Keito rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat while the human slowly stroked her long hair. "Are you going to take responsibility for this?" she asked.

Tsukune stiffened. "You-you mean kids?"

The spider woman lifted her head and gave Tsukune a look as if he was the stupidest life form on the planet. "Do you think you could get a spider pregnant?"

"Never actually considered that," he admitted.

"Our DNA isn't compatible, you don't have to worry about that." A distant look came over Keito's features. "It's probably for the best anyway…" she muttered under her breath.

"I don't understand," Tsukune remarked.

The spider woman gave the human a look that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "I never knew my father," she explained. "And my mother… She… died, right after I was born."

"I'm sorry to hear about that," Tsukune replied, feeling a chill run up his spine.

"It's natural," Keito replied casually, unknowingly making the human's blood run cold. "It's probably for the best if we don't have kids."

"Right…" Tsukune resumed running his fingers through Keito's violet hair when she placed her head back on his chest, trying to not think about what they'd just discussed, locking it away in the back of his mind, never to be disturbed again. When the spider woman slipped her arms around him in a warm embrace, it was easier for the human to let himself deal with the way she felt in his arms, than consider her words.

Nothing more was said for a while, and Tsukune believed that Keito had fallen asleep when she spoke again. "I have to admit, I didn't think I'd get so upset, seeing you chat with that other woman…"

Tsukune blinked. "How'd you know about that?" he wondered. "You were never around when we sat together."

Keito lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "Did you look up?"

"Look up…?" Tsukune asked incomprehensively, when the truth dawned on him. Of course, Keito could cling to the walls or ceiling, but he'd only checked the floor. He kicked himself silently, and promised to be more vigilant; it was possible someone else might try that trick to ambush him someday.

"She's a classmate, right?"

"Saori? Yeah, we're in the same class," Tsukune related.

"She didn't waste any time," Keito reflected, a touch of bitterness in her voice.

"Saori told me she just wanted to be there, not be a rebound girl."

"You didn't seem that interested in telling her no…"

Tsukune shrugged. "She seemed… Somewhat reasonable," he explained. "I was worried that someone else might not take no for an answer. Or be so understanding."

Keito's expression softened a little. "I guess that makes sense." She didn't seem too happy to agree with him.

"Hey, what about you and that guy yesterday?" Tsukune pointed out. "In the cafeteria."

"Him? He's just a fellow Enforcer, was telling me about the last student he needed to question." Keito cocked her head and looked at Tsukune oddly. "You were bothered by that?"

"I don't normally leave my lunch half eaten," he allowed. "Or break the pen I'm using…"

The smile Keito wore was almost sweet. "Who says romance is dead?" She caressed his cheek with her right hand, and Tsukune nuzzled her palm in reply.

Tsukune let himself enjoy the feeling for a while before speaking again. "So… are we, you know, together now…?"

Keito looked at him blankly. "You mean as opposed to me being easy?"

Tsukune felt himself flush. "…I didn't say that…"

"That's the alternative," Keito explained coolly.

"I guess we're together then…"

"Yeah, guess so." Keito nuzzled her head back into Tsukune's chest. "But I'm okay with that."

"Me too," Tsukune replied.

The two of them laid together in silence, enjoying the intimacy of the moment, until Tsukune glanced over at his clock again. "We're gonna have to get up sooner or later," he related. "It's a school day."

"Don't worry about that," Keito scoffed. "You can skip a day."

"I don't really like missing class," Tsukune told her, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"It'll be fine," she insisted. "Besides, your doorway is impassable."

"What do you mean-"

THWIP!

Tsukune stared in surprise. There was an elaborate spider web now covering his door. Based on what he knew of Keito's spider silk, he'd need a chainsaw, or a plasma torch to clear it himself. Keito delicately wiped away a few stray strands from her mouth with a bed sheet, before giving him a sardonic grin. "You were saying…?"

"…I guess skipping ONE day won't hurt…"

"Clever human," she replied, placing kisses along the edge of one of the scars on his chest.

Tsukune heard Keito humming contently as he ran his fingers through her hair, kissing her way up his chest towards his face. As she straddled him, her silken hair cascading over his head, and their lips ground hungrily against the others, Tsukune had just enough time to decide that there were worse reasons to take a day off.

This time, the events would be burned permanently into his memory.

XXX

Tsukune stared up at the ceiling, his hands behind his head, listening as Keito used the shower. It was just about the time class ended for the day, and the human was certain that he'd soon be able to hear the sounds of students returning to their rooms. They'd both needed to clean off, the smell of sweat and sex permeated the room, and the sheets would need to be laundered. The linen was still damp in places from their intermixed fluids, and flecked with dried blood from Tsukune's injuries.

After doing the chivalrous thing and allowing Keito to get cleaned up first, Tsukune had checked himself over and discovered, without surprise, that she'd left bloody scratches down his back from her fingernails, and abrasions running perpendicular to them from her arachnid legs. Keito had held on with all her limbs a few times, and had left a few bite marks on his collarbone as well. He hadn't really noticed at the time, endorphins were the body's own painkillers after all, but they were now just minor irritants, a faint stinging tingle that could be ignored, but not forgotten.

But Tsukune couldn't bring himself to be upset at the minor injuries the spider woman had inflicted on him during their coupling. They were probably involuntary, and he'd basically tried to knock her head into next week when she'd questioned his humanity. At least she hadn't struck him back, she probably would have killed him with an offhand strike if she connected. As Tsukune continued to think about what had happened, he idly noticed that the shower was off, and he heard Keito pulling aside the shower curtain.

A few minutes later the bathroom door opened and Keito walked out, completely naked, using one of Tsukune's towels to dry her hair. The human was treated to a good long look at his girlfriend's form; he'd spent most of previous day exploring it with his fingertips and tongue, but this was the first real chance he'd had to gaze. Her legs were quite lovely, long and toned like a runner's, with a lithe figure, and breasts that were generous, but not too big to be freakish looking. He was once again a little surprised to notice that there were no marks or blemishes on her stomach that would indicate where her spider legs came from. Her violet hair looked darker from being wet, and a few damp strands had escaped from the towel she was using to scrub her hair. "Don't you have a hair dryer?" she asked, apparently unconcerned that she was on display.

Tsukune shook his head. "I just use a towel."

"Great," Keito grumped. "Now I'll have to wait until I get home to finish it. Oh, and your toothbrush feels a little spongy, you should replace it."

"You used it?"

"Of course," Keito replied casually. "You're a clean guy, for a human, but I really needed to brush after what we did."

Tsukune had offered Keito the chance to get cleaned up, even anticipating that she might use a few of his things. He just hadn't expected her to be so brazen about it. "Don't worry, I'll get a new one."

"And a hair dryer as well," Keito added. "Next time I want to be able to dry off properly."

"Next… time…" The human said the words slowly, with the dawning understanding that if they were together, this would happen again.

"Of course," the spider woman purred, fixing Tsukune with her usual sardonic smile. "Did you think this was a one night stand?"

Tsukune opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He'd made the first move solely to try to push away his own conscience and feelings of guilt and shame. There hadn't been any consideration of any long term prospects, or even if he'd survive the experience. But even though Keito still made him uneasy on some levels, he'd missed her more than he'd expected, and being with her alleviated the loneliness in ways that no one else could, especially since she knew the truth about him. "Do you want me to get you a toothbrush as well…?"

"That'd be nice of you," Keito responded, before her expression became a little more serious. Letting the towel drape over her shoulders, where it did nothing to protect her (theoretical) modesty, she walked over and sat on the bed, regarding Tsukune closely. "You've got a rather large bottle of painkillers in the vanity."

The human shrugged. "Been hurt a lot, and it's not like I can go to the infirmary."

Keito pondered that for a few moment, before a look of dawning comprehension hit her. "All the times I squeezed your arm…"

"Hurt like hell," Tsukune finished.

In low light, across a room, the expression Keito wore just might have looked apologetic. "I never knew…"

"That was the idea," Tsukune explained. "You didn't break anything, and I've had a lot worse than bruises."

Keito shook her head, amazed at the human's resolve and endurance. She saw him moving closer, his arms outstretched for an embrace. In spite of her growing affection for the human, she was silently relieved when he covered her with the towel before holding her, to try to protect her from getting his sweat all over her. She absently held his hand before she caught herself. "Is this too much?"

"A little," Tsukune rasped, relief rushing over his face when she loosened her grip. "That's fine."

Keito was certain she'd held him tighter when they'd been in bed, but she let the human hold her, feeling him nuzzle her head. "You like my hair?"

"Yes, it's silky…" Tsukune saw the look Keito gave him and felt sheepish. "Sorry, poor choice of words."

Keito reached up and traced the scar under Tsukune's chin, looking into his eyes. "Did you buy those cans of insecticide in the closet because of me?"

Tsukune felt the blood drain from his face. "H-how did you-"

"You were asleep, I was just curious," Keito replied indifferently. "Were they for me?"

The human couldn't bring himself to be dishonest; even if he tried, she'd know he was lying. "Yes," he admitted. "I got them after the first time I saw you."

When the spider woman smiled, she unknowingly nearly gave Tsukune a heart attack. "Very sensible of you," she commended him, patting his cheek like a proud parent. "I always did like your honesty."

"Thanks," Tsukune murmured weakly.

"It wouldn't have worked, but 'A' for effort."

"Do you still wonder if I'm human?"

"No, you're human all right, but in some ways, you're in the right place," she told him.

"What do you mean?"

"Monsters come here and pretend they're civilized," she explained. "You're just doing the same."

Tsukune opened his mouth to disagree, but it hung open as he realized he couldn't think of a rebuttal that wouldn't simply smack of denial. "That's… a rather blunt way to put it," was the best he could manage.

Keito gave her uncomfortable boyfriend a quick peck on the lips and got back to her feet. "I need to go, I'm a little hungry anyways."

The mention of food made Tsukune's stomach rumble, and he realized how famished he was. "Will I see you at dinner?"

Keito shook her head. "There's an Enforcer's meeting tonight, but I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow. You never did answer, are you interested in joining us?"

"I'll pass, thanks."

Keito pouted. "Pity, I think you'd look good in black." With a resigned sigh, the spider woman began slipping back into her discarded clothes, pausing when Tsukune cleared his throat. "What?"

"Your panties," he pointed out.

"You ripped them, you can keep them. Just think of them as a trophy."

"I don't keep trophies," Tsukune reminded her.

"Then what's that?"

Tsukune's gaze followed Keito's pointing finger and his eyes widened when he remembered the rosario that he'd stuck in his pocket the day before. "I didn't mean to keep it," he murmured. "I just pocketed it without thinking, didn't know what to do with it."

"You should keep it and my panties as trophies," Keito insisted, slipping her jacket back on and buttoning it. "After all, you did end up fucking us both. I just got the better part of the deal," the spider woman added with a feral grin.

At one time the look his girlfriend gave him would have made his blood run cold; now it just made Tsukune feel a touch uneasy. "I-I'll take care of them both later," he replied softly, absently watching Keito slip into her boots.

Keito casually swiped her hand through the web covering the door, effortlessly clearing it away, making Tsukune gape. When she'd first gone into the shower, he'd made an effort to remove it, but the strands had felt like steel cable. Taking a few moments to brush a few strands of hair from her forehead, Keito then gave Tsukune a surprisingly warm smile. "No kiss goodbye?"

Blushing, Tsukune stood up, taking a bed sheet with him to protect his modesty; he was going to be cleaning them anyway, they were still damp in places. Using his left hand to hold it up around his waist, the human took hold of the back of Keito's head with his right, leaning in for a kiss. As soon as their lips touched, the spider woman calmly opened the door and let it swing inwards, allowing anyone in the hallway to look in.

Tsukune's eyes went wide and he tried to pull back, but Keito had his head in her hands and she was kissing him fiercely, not paying attention to the commotion the students in the hall were making as they tried to look. With class letting out only a few minutes ago, she couldn't have picked a better time to French kiss him in public without scheduling an assembly. The human wanted to close the door, escape from the openly curious onlookers, but he was struggling to keep his bed sheet up, and prevent an even greater exposure.

The kiss was long and passionate, and Tsukune felt himself beginning to stir, even after all that had happened earlier. Then Keito pulled back, leaving him gasping for breath, equally embarrassed and excited. "You were amazing…" she cooed, planting a soft peck on his lips and turning away, walking down the hallway, ignoring how everyone suddenly found something else to look at. There was an obvious spring in her step, and a playful hitch in her gait that did a better job of announcing what happened to all, than posting fliers would have done.

Tsukune felt a light flush on his cheeks as he watched Keito swagger away, finally noticing that more than a few passers-by were staring at him. Not at his face, they seemed to be looking lower, like they were… The human went as red as a tomato when he realized he was pitching an obvious tent in the bed sheet around his waist. Embarrassment turned to indignation, then to anger. Feeling his face twisting up, Tsukune snarled, "Hell you gawking at?"

He hadn't intended to be that forceful. He certainly didn't expect for the hallway to clear faster than if there had been a fire. After a few seconds of finding himself alone, Tsukune slammed his door in frustration. In the privacy of his room, the human began to chuckle darkly; he'd killed a vampire, so he should have figured that others wouldn't want to antagonize him now. He also realized that the way the grapevine worked around here, it would be common knowledge that he'd slept with the Enforcer before he went down for dinner. Accepting this with a degree of solicitude that he found surprising, Tsukune marched off to the shower to clean away the sweat and scent.

Afterwards he was brushing his teeth when he froze. He found himself wondering if Keito had used his toothbrush on the mandibles of her monster form as well. But when he considered everywhere he'd placed his mouth that was probably a minor detail, and with a resigned shrug resumed brushing. He did discard the brush when he was finished though, and make a mental note to pick up a pair of them, as well as a hair dryer, after dinner. Relieved that his pants and jacket had dried from the incursion into the pool, Tsukune got dressed and pulled the rest of the sheets from the bed and stuffed them in the hamper. He slipped the rosario into his pocket, and was just going to discard Keito's torn underwear, but he reconsidered.

He didn't want anyone else finding them, even in the trash, so maybe it would be better if he kept them. Tsukune briefly considered keeping them under his pillow, but that seemed rather skeevy, like something Harunobu would have done. Slipping the garment into the drawer of his night table, the human armed himself and left his room, turning all the lights back on before he closed and locked the door.

XXX

The cafeteria at Youkai Academy was filled almost to capacity, scores of students eating, and the air buzzing with conversations, and for the second straight day, most of them focused on one student in particular. At a random table near the exit a number of students were talking amongst themselves in guarded tones, a scene that occurred at just about all the occupied tables. "Just what the hell is he?" a rather burly junior wondered.

"You got me," a sophomore replied, picking at the food in front of her. She and her friends had been speculating feverishly; just what kind of monster was tough enough to consider taking on a vampire in his human form?

"We could always ask him," another junior pointed out. The withering glares he got from the others at the table made him avert his eyes.

"Go ahead," the first junior replied cavalierly. "We'll all be certain to say some kind words at your funeral."

"You might not even get close enough to ask him," a freshman added. "Now that he's back with that spider woman Enforcer."

"Did they really spend an entire day in bed?" the sole female student asked.

"She went into his room, didn't come out for a day," the burly junior assured her. "Buddy of mine lives down the hall from Aono. He didn't peep, but from what it sounded like whenever he walked by…" He trailed off, letting his companions draw their own conclusions. "And they weren't shy about kissing when she did leave."

For a few minutes there was only thoughtful silence at the table as the group considered his words. "So, what are we supposed to do about Aono?" pondered a freshman who'd been silent up until now.

The rest of them looked at him like he'd grown another head. "We leave him the hell alone," the first person spoke before anyone else could say it.

"But he's so scrawny," the freshman insisted. "He looks harmless."

"Yeah? So's a damn minefield, until you take a wrong step. Were you asleep when he killed a vampire with his bare hands?"

"No, I was there," the freshman agreed. "It's just… He looks like he couldn't kill a fly."

"That's probably what everyone else who messed with him thought," the girl pointed out. "It didn't go well for them."

"All I know, he's only gone after those who made trouble for him," the junior stated. "He doesn't start fights, but he sure as hell finishes them. I'm just gonna keep outta…"

The chatter in the cafeteria faded away as the subject of most of the talk walked in. Dozens of pairs of eyes followed the ordinary looking student as he got his meal, only to pause and look out over the gathered students. Those at tables immediately looked elsewhere, not wanting to draw the attention of the ruthless freshman whose exploits were becoming the stuff of legend. When Tsukune resumed filling his tray the air pressure in the cafeteria seemed to rise from the collective sigh of relief.

"So, what are you planning to do during break?" the sophomore asked. The abrupt change in the subject caused a few questioning looks from his friends. "You wanna keep talking about that now that he's here?"

"How could he hear us?" the second junior asked.

"How do you know he can't?" countered a freshman. "He could have heard everything for all we know…"

The entire table felt their skin crawl, all of them looking over to watch Tsukune, wondering if his blank expression should be considered threatening or not.

"Knock it off," the first junior chastised everyone. "Don't be so paranoid."

"It isn't paranoia if he is gonna kill us," the freshman murmured.

"He's coming this way!" the sophomore hissed, beads of cold sweat on her brow.

The occupants of the table watched the lone figure making his way through the cafeteria, noticing that more than a few students at other table edged away from him as he passed. When he walked past their table without even seeming to notice them, everyone appeared to slump with relief.

"Ex-excuse me, Aono…?"

All sound and movement in the cafeteria came to a screeching halt when the first junior called out to the human, causing two of his tablemates to go ghostly pale.

Tsukune turned around, a look of faint surprise on his features. "Yes…?"

"Care to join us?" the student managed to force out, not paying attention to the horrified looks his companions wore.

Tsukune looked a little bemused. "Thanks, but I usually study when I eat." His lips almost seemed to turn up at the corners as he made his way to his usual table.

"O-okay then, enjoy your meal…" He let out a sigh and then faced the death glares of his friends. "What?"

"What the hell are you doing?" the sophomore yelled as quietly as she could.

"Trying to stay on his good side," he shot back, casting a discrete glance where Tsukune was eating and poring over his text book.

They all shivered a little as the monster (whatever he was) bit into his apple, the crunch of his teeth breaking the skin sounding like a gunshot in the suddenly too-quiet cafeteria.

His good side, everyone silently agreed, was probably the best place to be.

XXX

Tsukune slowly flipped through his book, not even noticing the words on the page, but wanting to look as if he was working. He was chewing methodically, the first few bites sending his latent appetite into overdrive, as his tired body screamed out for nourishment. It had been well over a day since he'd left half his lunch behind, and he exerted himself a lot over the duration, ending up starving, and rather dehydrated as well.

As he'd made his way over, he'd worn the same expression he usually did, but it had come close to slipping a few times, his surprise and astonishment challenging it. Tsukune had figured that killing a vampire would cause other students to be a little more wary of him, but he hadn't counted on some of them being positively terrified; more than once on the walk over a student had abruptly dashed into a room to get out of the hallway with him, (including one case of a guy lurching into a girls washroom) or molding themselves against a wall to put distance between them.

He'd briefly considered embracing the new way students viewed him, and putting on an arrogant, contemptuous air; however, Tsukune'd realized that would quickly get grating on the other students, and might encourage one of them to take a run at him. Simply maintaining his low key, almost indifferent attitude would probably encourage everyone to leave him in peace. When a few students in the hallways greeted him, something they'd rarely done beforehand, Tsukune nodded in acknowledgement, but continued on his way. When he'd been invited to join a table, he briefly toyed with the idea, but politely declined. While being a little more sociable might be a good thing, sitting with others increased the chance of one or more of the people sitting with him ambushing him when his guard was down.

Lifting his head a little, Tsukune covertly glanced up. He wasn't expecting to see Keito lurking there, but there was always a chance someone else could have realized that it'd been one of his blind spots, and tried to exploit that. There was no one hiding up there, and the human allowed himself to relax just a little. He continued eating and flipping through pages of his textbook, trying to keep from simply wolfing it down, when some movement caught his eyes, drawing them up, and they widened a little in surprise. Saori was standing in front of him, holding a tray, but she hadn't made any attempt to greet him.

'This is… awkward,' Tsukune thought, going back on guard. 'Does she know?' Then he looked in her eyes, and he got his answer. Her lower lip was also quivering a little, and he wondered if she was going to make a scene. On some level he did feel sorry for her; he'd effectively strung her along, and then gone back to his ex in what had to have been a rather obvious and humiliating (to her) way. On the other hand, if she acted like a scorned woman, he'd end up in a desperate fight, and with no preparation, and her jealous fury, Tsukune didn't like his odds.

When Saori simply turned and strode out of the cafeteria, but not before Tsukune had seen tears silently streak down her cheeks, the human had to work hard to conceal his relief. He still felt a twinge of sympathy for her, but he was more relieved that she simply hadn't tried to fight. 'I'm sorry, Saori,' he called out silently, briefly watching her leave the cafeteria before returning his attention back to his eating. After he'd finished most of his meal, even though he'd taken double portions of everything, something else dawned on Tsukune. He glanced over to the table where some of his female admirers tended to sit when he was eating.

The group of students Tsukune didn't recognize, but one of them spat out his drink when he realized Tsukune was looking at him. Averting his eyes, the human gathered up his textbook and his mostly empty tray and went to place it on the rack. As his eyes passed over the tables, he noticed some of the girls sitting separately, a lot farther away than he was used to seeing them. He was idly curious whether Saori and the others seemed to have backed off because he'd effectively hooked back up with Keito, or because they were simply afraid of the spider woman Enforcer's fierce reputation.

Tsukune figured that either one was even money.

When he reached the garbage bin, Tsukune covertly tossed in the rosario from his pocket, then dropped the remains from his tray over it to conceal it. Satisfied that no one would notice it, and it would be sent out with the trash, Tsukune effectively meandered back to his dorm room, nodding to acknowledge whenever he was greeted. He made a brief detour to the school store picking up a pair of toothbrushes and a hair dryer, shaking his head ruefully as he added it to his basket.

Resuming his trip back to his room, when he passed a group of upperclassmen, he was once again bemused when they acted almost in deference to him, as if he was the senior. Tsukune had to keep reminding himself to not let all this go to his head, that his ego could get him killed if he let it run amok. Trying to play it cool, he made it back to his room after a few minutes, unlocking the door and slipping back inside.

After locking and barricading the door as normal, Tsukune went to work trying to finish the homework he'd all but forgotten the day before. It was already late, but he didn't want to just ignore it. Even if he was respected, if not feared, by most of the students, he didn't figure that would make much of a difference with the teachers. He hoped it wouldn't at least. This was completely new territory to Tsukune, and he was a little uneasy about what class might be like the next day.

Letting out a resigned sigh, Tsukune began to work on his assignments, finishing them after a little over two hours work. He got ready for bed, brushed his teeth and slipped into bed. He was reaching for the switch to turn off the light, but he couldn't bring himself to feel safe enough in the dark, at least by himself, so he let the light burn as usual. When sleep finally did take him, it was no better than any but the previous night.

XXX

Tsukune stifled yet another yawn as he made his way towards the school; sleep had been anything but restful, and he once again felt bone tired and bleary eyed. Still, it could have been far worse. At the very least his nightmares no longer had a disturbing erotic component, they were simply terrifying again. After getting his bed sheets all sweaty with Keito, she no longer scorched his dreams, leaving him to deal with rather more mundane night terrors.

She had given him a brief scare at breakfast, somehow managing to get behind him, even though he'd been expecting her to join him. Once he'd gotten over his surprise, they settled down for a pleasant meal together, promising to spend some time together that weekend, before Keito left for a pre-class Enforcers meeting, Tsukune leaving a little while after she did. The kiss she placed on his cheek was almost chaste, but it still had him blushing, feeling awkward at the public display of affection. The baleful glances some of the girls in the cafeteria gave her as she walked out made Tsukune shudder.

The human walked up the steps of the main building, noticing how the other students were careful not to impede his progress, even as they called out greetings to him. Coming off the stairs at the floor of his homeroom Tsukune squared his shoulders and walked into his class. As he expected, everyone looked up when he entered, but more than a few averted their eyes, and others nodded respectfully at him. The lack of response to him killing the school idol did give him pause, as many in the class had been among her admirers. But Tsukune figured that what he'd done was so horrifying to the other monsters that it cooled their desire to wreak vengeance.

His eyes were now drawn to Moka's empty desk; back home, when a classmate of his had been killed in a car accident, there'd been flowers left on her desk for a week afterwards. Moka's desk was bare. Just like Saizo's had been – although he couldn't be absolutely sure, since he'd been absent for nearly a week – and Kenichi's desk had also remained unadorned. Tsukune's eyes went to each of the empty desks, remembering the faces of the classmates he'd killed, as well as Guno and Harunobu. When you died here, it was as if you'd never even existed. Only two people had ever shown grief for his victims, one he'd ended up killing as well, and he'd come so close with Yukari it had frightened him.

Taking his seat, Tsukune opened his bag and took out his books, feeling self-conscious about not knowing what he supposed to do for today. Glancing around the class, suppressing a sigh when Saori wouldn't even make eye contact with him, Tsukune met the gaze of the student behind him. "Excuse me…"

The student paled, looking like he'd just encountered the Grim Reaper. "W-what…?" he managed to stammer out.

"What did I miss yesterday?"

The look of incomprehension was almost comical. "Excuse me?"

"What was the homework? Tsukune replied, careful to not appear antagonistic.

The redheaded guy seemed to collapse in relief, explaining what the assigned reading had been, even offering to give Tsukune the correct answers, insisting he wouldn't need them, but he politely turned them down. He was just starting to read the first passage when Ms. Nekonome walked in.

For a few brief moments teacher and student made eye contact. Tsukune thought he saw accusation in her eyes before she moved to her desk and took attendance. When she came to the spot on the roster that Moka had occupied, a few classmates flicked their gaze over to him, before going back to trying to not draw attention to themselves. When the class began, it reminded Tsukune of the atmosphere in the class after beating Harunobu to death. Ms. Nekonome all but ignored him, whether or not his hand was up.

Tsukune figured that it was better if she didn't acknowledge him today. He felt like he needed to explain himself to Ms. Nekonome, perhaps even apologize, but he felt that it was too soon, and that talking with her would be too awkward. But before he returned his attention to his late homework, Tsukune found himself glancing around, wondering if there were any boxes that she might need moving later.

XXX

When the dismissal bell rang at the end of the day Tsukune felt his shoulders slump a little in relief; the unspoken tension in the class had been suffocating. Saori had spent the entire time looking away from him, Ms. Nekonome acted as if he wasn't even there, and most of the other students were behaving as if he was a barely subcritical mass of plutonium. A few brave souls had managed to work up the nerve to try to make small talk, before breaking it off and slinking back to their desks. And the girls… They'd acted as if he was contagious, keeping as much distance as was practical while still staying in the classroom. Tsukune watched in astonishment as all the females in the class cleared out post haste, leaving him with the thoroughly intimidated guys. He found the virtual shunning to be hurtful, more than he'd expected, and he tried to console himself with the thought that there was less chance of someone accosting him.

Resigning himself to the notion of isolation, Tsukune slipped his books into his bag, walked over to the teacher's desk and placed his late assignments on it, and headed out into the hallway. He was struck again by the way conversations seemed to stop and fellow students edged out of his way as he walked through the hall. Nodding at the occasional greeting, the human made his way out of the building and set a course for his dorm. There was a cross country run today, and he was really looking forward to it. Running through the forest, trying to keep ahead of the other monsters had become exhilarating to him, and was the best way he'd found to burn off the nervous energy that Youkai Academy created in him.

Easing into his room Tsukune dropped his satchel, changed into his running clothes, slipped his weapons into their hiding places under his garments, and headed back out for the rallying point for the run. When he got to the storage room behind the school building, Tsukune noticed something was a little off. There were a lot less club members milling about or stretching in preparation. He wondered if Ichiro had made the run voluntary again and he just hadn't gotten word. When he got closer the human could feel the tension rising as the others noticed him. One actually went pale, but the rest suddenly looked like they wished they were somewhere else.

"T-Tsukune," Ichiro called out hesitatingly. "I wasn't sure you'd show up to run again…"

Tsukune gave him an odd look. "Why would I do that?"

"Never mind," Ichiro mumbled. "We'll be running in a few minutes." The werewolf left without another word and resumed his stretching, occasionally casting furtive glances over his shoulder.

Shrugging, Tsukune started his pre-run warm up, stretching his legs and hoping that missing a day wouldn't have a negative effect on his performance. The preparation ritual was automatic to him now, he could do it in his sleep without missing a beat, and he gave the runners who had shown up a few discrete glances. They were giving him a little more space for his warm up, and this made his spirits sink a bit. He could understand his classmates being wary of him, but everyone was acting as if he was completely unstable, ready to lash out and kill at the slightest reason. Tsukune had always wanted to be left alone, but this bordered on exile.

Finally everyone got in position for the run to start. Ichiro raised his hand and dropped it, and the run was on. Tsukune found himself at the front and he got himself into his rhythm, making sure he didn't run himself out early and give Ichiro or anyone else the chance to catch him. The dead forest was its usual stillness, with only his footfalls and breaths cutting into the silence.

It wasn't until Tsukune reached the halfway point that he realized that something wasn't right. He glanced over his shoulder and was a little surprised to realize that Ichiro was a lot further back than he usually was at this point. At first Tsukune suspected that maybe he was holding himself back until later in the run, so he'd have a bigger reserve to challenge Tsukune at the end. But as they proceeded ever closer to the finish line Ichiro gave no sign of making an effort to catch up; in fact it almost looked as if he was falling behind.

Tsukune pulled back a fraction, slowing down his pace to try to bait the club president into making a move. It worked, just not in the way he'd expected; Ichiro almost fell over slowing down when he realized he'd gained on Tsukune. The werewolf lowered his pace until he'd re-established the distance between himself and the human, making no effort at all to take the lead. Scowling, Tsukune slowed himself down to almost a brisk walk, once again noticing his pursuers all but stopping cold to avoid getting closer to him. Resisting the urge to stop completely, or perhaps even go backwards, the human kept up the slower pace the rest of the way, hoping that at least one of them would take the chance to finally defeat him in a run. He was bitterly disappointed when he crossed the finish line first, slowing down to a contemptuous stroll just before he finished.

Tsukune decided he'd had enough of this, and he crossed his arms and waited for Ichiro to cross the finish line, noticing the shame in the werewolf's eyes. "What the hell was that?" he called out to the club president.

"What are you talking about?" Ichiro replied timidly.

"Sandbagging a run like that," Tsukune accused. "You should have been able to catch me if you were hopping on one foot!"

"Sorry, there's a bit of food poisoning going around," he murmured. "Lots of us couldn't really run well-"

"Stop. Right. There." Tsukune commanded. "Did you really think I'd kill someone who tried to pass me?"

Ichiro didn't answer, but his downcast eyes and silence spoke volumes.

The feeling that gripped Tsukune felt almost like betrayal. "How am I supposed to run faster without you chasing me? I thought you were my friend."

"We're friends?"

Tsukune had been just as surprised to hear the words pass his lips, but he realized they'd been true. "Yeah, we're friends. I can only run well when you're chasing me. I'm not crazy, I won't kill someone for trying to catch me."

"You won't?"

"I haven't killed you, right?"

"That's true," Ichiro admitted. "Sorry buddy, it's just the whole vampire thing… I didn't know what to think."

Tsukune chuckled ruefully. "I understand, everyone's scared of me now."

"Can you blame 'em?"

"Guess not," Tsukune allowed. "Listen, can you just tell the club members I don't mind if they try to beat me? Doesn't mean I'll let them, but I won't kill 'em if they try."

"For a friend? Anything," Ichiro replied, extending his hand.

Tsukune took it and the two shared a fraternal shake. "You'd better be at my heels the next run."

"Count on it," Ichiro promised, and the tension between the two evaporated. "So, is it true you're back with Keito?"

"What, did someone post an announcement or something?"

Ichiro shrugged. "Word gets around."

"I noticed," Tsukune remarked with a grimace. "Yeah, it's true."

"Congratulations! Is it also true you two spent a day in bed together?"

Tsukune felt his cheeks color, but it was the kind of thing a close friend might ask. It was also nice to have someone he could talk to about it. "Correct."

Ichiro gave a soft whistle. "Damn… What have you been eating?"

"It's probably the running," Tsukune countered. "Good for endurance…"

"Didn't I tell you that you'd learn to like running?" Ichiro pointed out.

"I don't think you meant this," Tsukune replied blandly.

"That's true," the club president acknowledged. Ichiro then gave a look around and moved closer to Tsukune. "So, how was it?" he asked conspiratorially.

The human chuckled. "Get yourself a girlfriend and find out."

"I'm trying…" Ichiro grumped. "Did you, you know, stay human, or use your true form?"

This was getting a little too close for comfort, but Tsukune decided to give his friend a little more detail. "Yeah, I used my true form. And if you tell that to anyone, I'll have your mangy hide for a rug."

Ichiro recognized the steel in Tsukunes' humor. "Hey buddy, my lips are sealed," he promised holding his hands up placatingly "Are you two serious?"

"If I end up needing a best man, I'll ask you."

"Cool. You wanna grab a bite to eat later?"

"Love to, but I'm meeting Keito for dinner tonight," he explained. "But if you see me, come on over, I don't bite."

Tsukune thought he heard Ichiro muttering something under his breath, but he decided he wouldn't make anything out of it. Waving goodbye to his friend, the human headed back to his dorm, not as tired as he usually was on the trip back. After a shower and a change of clothes Tsukune made his way to the cafeteria, occasionally casting glances around and noticing that people were still going out of their way to avoid contact with him. At the entrance to the dining hall he realized that he and Keito hadn't discussed whether or not they'd meet before or after they got their food, so Tsukune decided to simply get his meal and wait at his usual table; the spider woman would likely join him, she always had before.

Sitting down, Tsukune discretely looked around to make sure he wasn't being ambushed; he hadn't been so far, but he wasn't going to let today be the one time he let himself get complacent. After insuring he was safe, once again glancing upwards, Tsukune lifted his fork to his mouth. The food had just touched his lips when something made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He was ready to lash his arm around and use the fork as a weapon when a familiar voice registered. "Good evening Tsukune."

Tsukune let out an exasperated breath. "Where did you come from?" He'd have sworn no one was near him.

"A girl needs to have some secrets," Keito replied evenly.

Wondering if his girlfriend knew how close he'd come to stabbing her with a fork, Tsukune belatedly realized something. "Why are you in uniform? Is something wrong?"

Keito shook her head. "Nothing at all," she assured him. "I just think that if I wear this, people will be less likely to bother us. There's nothing worse than someone coming up when you just want to be left alone."

Tsukune gave Keito a blank look; her expression was so sincere, without a trace of humor. It appeared the concept of irony was completely lost on her. Figuring it wasn't worth pointing out, he simply gestured to the seat next to him, nodding when Keito sat down. The two ate in a comfortable silence, Tsukune noticing a few smouldering looks cast in Keito's direction from a few women at other tables, but they always looked away when he glanced in their direction. His eyes fell on something Keito had placed on the table. "What's that?" he asked, gesturing with his head to the brown paper wrapped package.

"It's a surprise," she told him with her usual smile.

"…I love surprises…" Guessing that he'd have no luck prying more information out of her, Tsukune resumed eating, and the two of them talked about their day between bites.

"You seem to be fitting in better," Keito told him.

Tsukune couldn't think of a way to dispute that, so he simply nodded. Time passed quickly, and the strangest couple at Youkai Academy finished their meal. Keito told him she'd only show the surprise in his room, so the two of them made their way to the human's dwelling, her Enforcer uniform discouraging the onlookers that weren't scared off by Tsukune's reputation. Once they were safe in his room, Keito had chuckled at his barricading the door, Tsukune gave her a look. "Okay, what's in the package?"

"Kuyo asked me to extend another invitation to join the Enforcers," Keito replied, handing him the parcel.

Suspecting he knew what it was, Tsukune tore it open and saw the distinctive black fabric of an Enforcers jacket. "I told you, I won't join the Enforcers."

"Oh, I knew that, but Kuyo hoped the jacket might change your mind."

"Thanks, but I'm not interested," Tsukune replied, handing Keito back the garment.

"I was certain you'd refuse," Keito remarked, "but I decided to give it to you anyways."

"Why?"

"I want to see how it looks on you."

Tsukune noticed the look of anticipation in Keitos' eyes and he reached for the garment, only to be surprised when she pulled it back out of his reach. "I thought you said-"

"JUST the jacket," she whispered huskily, eyes gleaming.

Tsukune blinked. Then he started loosening his tie with his right hand and shrugging his way out of his blazer.

XXX

It was dark outside when Keito and Tsukune spoke again, both of them slick with sweat, the new Enforcers uniform sticking to the both of them. "I'll let Kuyo know you declined his invitation," Keito murmured when she caught her breath.

"I don't think he'll want the jacket back," Tsukune muttered, wrinkling his nose.

"You can keep it," Keito assured him. "But don't worry, these are easy to clean. Blood, ichor, it all washes right out."

Tsukune decided he didn't want to know how Keito knew that. "Can you stay the night…?" he asked almost timidly.

Keito raised an eyebrow. "I don't mind, but why?"

Tsukune hesitated for a moment before giving the honest answer. "I don't sleep well alone…"

"I can't do that every night," Keito told him. "But I will tonight. Did you get a hair dryer?"

"Toothbrushes too."

"Good boy," Keito cooed. "But we won't be sleeping right away…"

"Of course," Tsukune agreed, meeting Keito's lips with his own.

After they fell asleep in each other's arms, Tsukune was blessed once again with a slumber utterly devoid of nightmares.

End of Part Nine.

Author's Notes: Pre-read by random1377 and mereo flere.