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Ayatsuji Yukito was a regular human being.
That, Tsujimura knew quite well. He was just… odd, a bit different than everyone else.
She had first met Ayatsuji two years ago, after the death of her mom. Her mother had known Ayatsuji and asked him to take Tsujimura in as a roommate so she wouldn't be alone if the worst ever happened to her. Yes, it was a bit odd that her mother knew and trusted someone Tsujimura’s age, but there was a solid explanation. Ayatsuji was a student of Tsujimura’s mother and stayed in touch with her after graduating from college.
… Somehow, he was in contact with her more than even Tsujimura was, but she didn’t want to think about that. Her mother was always busy with classes and volunteering, though when Tsujimura asked about joining her, she was always quick to refuse her. They had a bit of a strenuous relationship.
Tsujimura blinked, then sighed as she leaned back in her chair. She wasn’t trying to think about that right now. Looking down at the paper in front of her, she bit her lip. Several bullet points listed the page.
The title read: Vampire Tests.
It started two days ago. Tsujimura was spending time with her friend, Murakoso, at a cafe. At some point, the conversation turned to her roommate.
“So how is living with the vampire?” Murakoso asked, sipping at her tea.
In the midst of drinking her own, Tsujimura choked for a few seconds. As graceful as a fish with legs.
“What…” Tsujimura coughed. “What are you talking about? Ow... it went up my nose…”
“Your roommate is Ayatsuji Yukito, right? He’s definitely a vampire, last I checked,” Murakoso replied, resting her chin on her hand.
“Is this some joke?”
“Do I look like I’m joking? C’mon, are you telling me you didn’t really know?”
Vampires and mythical creatures of that nature did exist; however, they were extraordinarily rare. Tsujimura had only come across a few fairies in her life, but that was it. They weren’t common enough to just run into at the supermarket by accident. There were also several laws put in place, where any mythical creature had to disclose the fact that they were one, and were put into a registry and watched by hunters. If they stepped out of line and went rouge, there would be a hunter assigned to kill them. It was a very serious accusation to throw around.
“Well… I…”
She had never asked him about it, but Ayatsuji never seemed like a vampire to her. Sure, Ayatsuji was never up during the day, was as pale as a sheet, never ate anything in front of her, and wore sunglasses indoors. But, that could all be explained. He worked night shift, had a specific fluid-based diet due to an illness, and was highly sensitive to light.
“Looks like you two have some talking to do,” Murakoso shrugged, sparing Tsujimura as she changed topics.
So, was she really going to do this? Looking down at the piece of paper, Tsujimura groaned. She could just ask Ayatsuji, but she didn’t want to. He could get mad at her for being wrong, and if he was a vampire… Then she’d just look silly. Plus, since their time of living together, Tsujimura had begun to grow fond of him. She was actually working up the nerve to ask him out before this happened.
“Are you doing homework in the kitchen?” A deep voice asked from behind her, and in a panic, Tsujimura crunched up the piece of paper and pushed it into the pocket of her coat.
“I—I was…” Now that he was here, she could perform some of her tests. But, her face was already getting red from embarrassment.
“Take your time,” Ayatsuji replied, leaning against one of the cabinets. “I heard your distress all the way from the living room.”
“Hehe…” Wait, does that mean he has enhanced hearing? “Uh. I was writing a list. Of groceries.”
“Mhm.”
“Because I forget them so often, you know,” Tsujimura laughed weakly, brushing some hair out of her face. Though, it only served to make her hair messy.
“I’m glad you’re taking initiative.”
“... Thank you?” Tsujimura asked, tilting her head. Did he really believe that?
“Though, I hope now that you’ve said it you plan to actually do it.”
Darn. Tsujimura frowned.
Ayatsuji took a few steps closer to her. If she looked carefully, she could see the outline of red under the sunglasses.
“You mess with your hair when upset, or lying. You should try to be less obvious,” he advised her, reaching forward to fix her hair. Tsujimura froze. His skin was… rather cold.
“You’re cold,” Tsujimura stated.
“How insightful, Tsujimura-kun.”
“And you only drink those special drinks.”
“Are you studying to be a detective now?” Ayatsuji titled his head, an emotion she couldn’t recognize present in his eyes.
“Um… No, not at all!”
She was being too obvious now. She had to get out of this situation. But, before she could, one of Ayatsuji’s hands moved to her pocket and pulled out the piece of paper.
“Hey, wait! You’re so rude!” Tsujimura reached for the paper, but Ayatsuji held it out of reach, using his height to his advantage. A cruel smile was present on his lips.
“Tell me what’s written on this paper.”
“No!” She would be embarrassed beyond belief. “Ayatsuji-san, that’s mine!”
“Then, shall I predict what it says?”
Tsujimura made a defeated noise. Did he already know…? She couldn’t let him do this. Throwing everything she knew out, Tsujimura looked at Ayatsuji directly.
“You’re a vampire.”
A moment of silence passed between them. Ayatsuji’s eyes widened, almost as if he was genuinely shocked by her confession. Tsujimura opened her mouth, ready to repeat what she said, but Ayatsuji interrupted her.
“It only took you about two years,” he confirmed, eyes returning to their normal, impassive state.
Tsujimura was flooded with embarrassment, her face turning bright red. This was somewhat better than him reading the paper, but it still wasn’t the best situation!
“All of those special liquids…”
“Blood,” Ayatsuji answered, handing her back the paper. It was useless now. Crumbled up, just like Tsujimura’s ego.
“You said you had to drink it because of a disease.”
“I do. Vampirism is a disease, or do you think all vampires are born? I was bitten four years ago before you ask my age.”
“... Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Tsujimura asked, trying to avoid his rude question.
“At first, I thought your mother told you. I didn’t realize she kept you as sheltered as she did. I decided it was best to continue that same illusion,” Ayatsuji answered, walking to the fridge.
“My… wait, my mother knew?!”
Ayatsuji pulled out… a can containing something that Tsujimura now knew was blood. She tried not to think about that detail.
“Of course she did. Do you think professors are as busy as she was?”
Suddenly, everything sunk into place. Sometimes coming home with torn clothes. How she would always check alleys and behind her in public. Whenever there was a large crisis involving paranormal creatures, she almost always had a business trip. She was never a professor, and she knew Ayatsuji, because...
“Mom was… a vampire hunter, wasn’t she?”
“You’re finally putting it all together, hm?”
“There’s no need to talk like that!” Tsujimura could feel tears well up in her eyes.
Her yell was enough to cause Ayatsuji to look back at her, seemingly caught off guard by the outburst. Before he could say anything, Tsujimura went to her room and locked the door. Once the door was locked, she looked down at the paper still in her hand, tears falling down her cheeks. Angrily, she threw it into the trash like a responsible adult.
From there, she went to her bed, lying face down. Everything made sense now… but she wished her mother would have told her about being a hunter. That Ayatsuji just told her about being a vampire rather than mock her about it. Was she just too immature, or an easy-target? She tried to be nice to everyone she knew, never spoke badly about others (unless they deserved it), and always tried to be a good child. What was it that made everyone keep secrets from her?
Only a few minutes passed until she realized she left her phone in the kitchen.
After showering and changing into a fresh pair of clothes, Tsujimura knew she had to retrieve her phone. She needed to talk to someone, and that someone would not be Ayatsuji Yukito. Unfortunately for her, when she left her room Ayatsuji was sitting in the living room, cutting her off.
“Do you feel better now?” Ayatsuji asked, in that same casual voice of his.
“I don’t want to talk to you,” Tsujimura replied, walking past him to the kitchen. Her phone wasn’t on the table, nor was it near the cabinets. Even though she knew where it was now, she moved slowly, trying to deny the inevitable. After a few minutes, she walked to the couch.
“You took my phone.”
“I put it on the charger for you,” Ayatsuji motioned to the coffee table, where her phone was sitting and charging. It was… considerate, of him she supposed.
“I’m still angry with you,” Tsujimura huffed as she picked up her phone.
“You have every right to be.”
Tsujimura paused, wondering where her old roommate went.
“You’re a college student, you deserved to know the truth about your mother. I kept it from you because I didn’t think you could handle it. After you found out I was a vampire, it was inevitable that you would make the connection between your mother and me, so I decided to tell you.”
“... I don’t suppose you know her reasoning.”
Ayatsuji wasn’t the one she was mad at. She was used to his teasing and the like. She just felt… betrayed by her own mother.
“As a vampire hunter, she made plenty of enemies. There’s no doubt that she kept the truth from you to try and protect you. Though, I cannot comment on the logistical aspect of that decision into adulthood, as well as for deciding to have a daughter given her occupation.”
“Do you think that was how she died?” Tsujimura asked, looking Ayatsuji in the eyes. He seemed… hesitant for a brief moment, before shrugging.
“I wasn’t there at the time of her death. One can only make guesses. The only thing I do know is the person she was around me, and how she helped me after I recently turned,” Ayatsuji explained, looking away.
“... It’s still a sore subject, isn’t it?” Tsujimura asked, taking a seat beside him.
“It did dramatically change a good portion of my life,” Ayatsuji pointed out sarcastically. It seemed he never loses his wit, even when upset.
“I’m sorry,” Tsujimura replied quickly, clasping her hands together. She could leave, but she didn’t really want to.
“Don’t apologize for things outside of your control.”
“I was just being kind.”
Ayatsuji didn’t respond, instead leaning back against the couch. Tsujimura felt sweat begin to form around her hands. She… felt closer to Ayatsuji, a bit. And with that, her feelings began to surface again. She couldn’t stay mad for long.
“If you want to say something, then say it. Your heart rate is becoming unbearable.”
Tsujimura’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Even now, after showing a new side of himself, he was still being a jerk.
Ayatsuji glanced at her from the corners of his eyes.
“You’ll catch bugs like that, Tsujimura-kun.”
Her ability to form words was limited, her tongue was tied. She didn’t feel confident in her feelings anymore, but there were things she wanted to say! Suddenly, her body moved on its own, and before she knew it she had pulled Ayatsuji into a kiss.
Tsujimura has kissed people before, but the suddenness of this one made it clunky and haphazard. She had missed his lips initially, even. She didn’t know necessarily what she was aiming for. Pulling away after only a few seconds, her face was red.
“Good grief.”
Ayatsuji brought an arm around her, before pulling her in close and leading the next kiss. This time, their lips met and Tsujimura was able to melt into the kiss. It wasn’t brief and impulsive but calculated and precise, treating Tsujimura as if she was fragile (which, in hindsight, compared to a vampire she probably was). As if there wasn’t enough proof already, she could feel the outline of his fangs. Perhaps hesitant to open his mouth for that reason, Ayatsuji slowly pulled away to break off the kiss.
Tsujimura stared at Ayatsuji for a few seconds, not knowing what to say. She didn’t want to ask a ridiculous question, but she wanted to know for sure where they were.
“If you kiss me like that again, I will start burning your spy movies,” Ayatsuji warned her.
“H-Hey!” Tsujimura’s heart soared at the “again” and she supposed that was as good of a confirmation as she would get. “I promise I won’t.”
“Good.” Ayatsuji kept his arm around her, and even though he was cold, Tsujimura felt completely comfortable, as if wrapped in a blanket.
The moment of bliss and serenity only lasted for a few minutes. Before Tsujimura’s next burning question filled the air between them.
“So… since you’re a vampire and all are you going to… you know—”
“I know?” Ayatsuji asked, looking down at her sternly. She realized at that moment she made a mistake.
“Nevermind,” Tsujimura replied quickly, turning her head to face the other direction.
Ayatsuji took the opportunity to lean in closer to her neck. She could feel him purposefully breathing air onto her. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she was suddenly very aware of how close he was.
“If there’s something you’d like for me to do, all you need to do is ask,” Ayatsuji informed her, in a low tone.
For the hundredth time that night, Tsujimura’s face went red.