Come Back To Me Riho!

For the next week Shido stayed at Riho’s apartment. He went out only once to buy a picture frame and a newspaper then returned. He couldn’t call Yayoi, N.O.S. might have her phone bugged. It was also better that it appeared she had nothing to do with his escape. Boredom was his most constant emotion. He flipped through the channels on television mostly. Guni disappeared more often than not into the bedroom. He suspected that she was reading all of Riho’s dairy. He couldn’t bring himself to do that. It was after all her private journal, but also because he didn’t want reminded of how much he could have had and lost. Shido allowed Guni to do so in hopes she would find something to bring the old Riho back. He wouldn’t outright condone it though, he just pretended that he didn’t know she was reading it.

On the 8th night he dressed and went out looking for Yayoi. He found her not too far from her apartment. She preferred to buy groceries at the store only two blocks from her house, being that it was so close, she normally walked. She was on her way there was Shido’s guess. Not many people roamed the street at dark in this area. It wouldn’t be too hard to pull her down an alley unnoticed. He leaped to another rooftop, and then used the fire escape to reach the ground. He could hear the ‘click click’ of her high heels as she approached. He pulled his trench coat collar up and lead against the wall, waiting. ‘click, click, click’ She was wearing her white suit today.

“Where ya headed to, Miss?” She gave a little gasp of surprise but then recognized it was Shido and her eyes narrowed. Before she said anything, he pulled her up against him within the shadow of the building. “Long time since I saw you last. I hope things have gotten better at N.O.S.” He unconsciously spoke deeper than usual and trailed his fingertips down her neck stopping on her white choker.

“Well you certainly have a way of stirring things up.” He pulled the choker off and buried his teeth into her artery. Her hands grasped his shoulders instinctively and he pressed her closer still, running his hands up and down her back. Yayoi always tasted sweet, perhaps because she was a sensual woman, but it was also because she gave it freely. Shido believed that even a vampire that engaged in the hunt could see the value of keeping Yayoi human and feeding from her.

He could feel the steady ‘thump, thump, thump’ of her heart. He knew exactly how long he would need to drink to end that drumming, he knew how long before it merely slowed, and how long he could drink without consequence to her. He released his bite and smelled her perfume and blood. When he had first met her, Shido had had difficulty not taking her life. Even now after releasing his bite, he wanted to plunge his teeth back into her flesh. Her blood even smelled sweet. He learned how to control the hunger, but he still enjoyed the scent of the spilled scarlet that beaded on her pale neck.

He pulled back to see her half shut eyes and she murmured, “Did you kill her?”

“What?!”

“Did you manage to kill Riho?” He shoved Yayoi away from him and she stumbled to regain her balance. “Damn it Shido, did you?”

“I never meant to kill her.” He expected to yell at her but it came out dangerously soft.

“Then what the hell were you doing at the park then?”

“I was looking for Riho. I thought I could talk her into coming back.” He shook his head at his own foolishness. “I arrived in time to push her off of the man, but he had only a few minutes of life left. I came too late to save him.” Yayoi crossed her arms and looked both furious and pouty at the same time.

“N.O.S is looking for you Shido.”

“I know.”

“Are you going to go after her now?”

“I won’t kill her if that’s what you mean.”

“Riho is dead Shido. The only thing that rages in that body now is a vicious murder.”

“I was once a murder of innocent people.”

“How many had to die, Shido?”

“Too many.”

“And you think if Riho kills as many as you did she will just decide to come back? After how many centuries of murdering?”

“I have no answers for you Yayoi.”

“And what if she never comes back, what then?” The scent of her blood lingered in the alley. “What then?”

“I cannot be like Cain!”

“Yet you will allow her to be like him!”

“No, no.” He shook his head, lavender locks blocked his vision as they swung back and forth. “It’s not like that at all!”

“What if she never comes back Shido! N.O.S. will keep hunting you until you are dead. Unless… Unless the true vampire is exposed.”

Shido sighed and leaned against the wall, burying his hands into his pockets. “Then let them come for me. Let them end this suffering.”

“But the murders will continue without you. They will realize that another vampire is causing the deaths if you are dead. Your death will not save her.”

“Then perhaps my existence can.”

Yayoi made a frustrated noise and her hands formed fists at her sides. “I have done favors for you that you never had a right to ask of me.” Her eyes flashed with raw anger. “I regret having listened to you but I will no longer.” She turned to leave but Shido blocked her path.

“What do you intend to do, Yayoi?”

“My job!” She glared at him. “Are you going to stop me from doing that?” He could still smell the sweetness of her blood. He looked away from her gaze.

“No, no I won’t.”

“What will you do Shido?”

“…Nothing, I will not kill Riho, and I will not trap her.” Yayoi pushed past him, and he hung his head. “I cannot hurt her.” He whispered, “And I won’t let you hurt her either.”