CHAPTER FIVE: FIRE MET GASOLINE.

      The little pink-haired female vampire marched to the place she thought of as her own. Not exactly because it was, but because no one bothered her there. Her eyes were lost in the sky, her feet walking the path by heart, while her hands were clasped around a blue notebook along with a pencil. Once she reached the fountain, she jumped up to stand on the edge. She swung her legs up and, on top of them, rested her notebook.

      Stroke after stroke, the pencil crossed the blank page from one side to the other. Its sole purpose, to reflect an idea that was not fully formed. The reality was that she didn't like to draw, had no idea how to express herself with that medium, and never managed to create something that would please her. Nevertheless, she kept trying. Because her father used to spend hours drawing and drawing, creating works of art that would then be hanged on the walls of their home.

      Izumi wanted to believe that she too was capable of creating something as beautiful as that. She just lacked practice, or so her mother had told her every time she caught her trying to copy a portrait only to end up with tears of frustration streaming down her cheeks. Then she convinced herself that all she needed was practice, practice, practice.

      A set of hurried footsteps crossed the place, and she noticed that they were the triplets: Laito, Kanato and Ayato. Among KarlHeinz's children, they were the ones she saw the most. Maybe it was because they were the loudest, or because they used to run around the place, getting into trouble. She barely moved, using the statue that stood in the middle of the fountain to keep herself hidden. She observed the group curiously, bringing her pencil to her mouth and biting it nervously.

      She had been living there for a couple of months now, and yet she hadn't spoken to anyone other than the adults in the residence. The first thing KarlHeinz had done after her family passed away was to take her there. He was supposed to come back to talk to her, or so she had thought, but she was still waiting for that day. In the meantime, the wives treated her as a guest, and the children always watched her carefully since she was a stranger living with them. But her shyness always got in the way when any of them tried to strike up a conversation.

      A smile planted itself on her face as she watched a pair of bats fly away, reminiscent of the colonies that used to find a home in her backyard. Her mother was one of those people who were amazing with animals, but it was clear that bats were her favorite. She took care to provide a nurturing environment for them, along with their favorite food, and she knew exactly what to do in case they got sick or injured.

      A sob snapped her out of her trance, and she raised her head to find that the lilac-haired vampire was crying. He held one hand to his eyes, rubbing and rubbing while with the other he clutched a teddy bear he carried around.

      "The bats I caught are gone!"

      His older brother approached him, keeping calm. "Kanato, stop crying. I'll get them for you, you'll see."

      "Yes!" exclaimed the red-haired boy, his lips curling into a smile, "We'll get them again!"

      Izumi jumped down from the fountain. She placed her hands behind her back to hide the notebook, and straightened her back before walking in the direction of the group gracefully. She had learned manners at a young age, and even though she now lived with them, she was still aware that one of them would be the future Demon King.

      Fighting her nerves, she stood to one side of the fountain and the three children turned as they heard her. They exchanged a glance among themselves before looking back at her. Kanato stood behind his siblings, while the other two kept their distance, eyeing her warily. After all, every time they had tried to speak to her, they had always gotten silence. They weren't sure what she wanted.

      The vampiress took a breath of air, lowering her head to the ground as she didn't possess enough courage to meet their stares. Her lower lip was caught in her teeth. She remembered to keep her manners, and raised her head again. She pursed his lips once more.

      "Can I help you?" she asked, so softly that she wouldn't have been heard if it weren't for the fact that they were vampires. At the confused looks she received, her cheeks got covered with a reddish steam. "To... uhm, to catch the bats," she clarified, speaking louder, "My mom always had a lot of them at home and.... well, maybe I could help."

      It was the first time they had heard her voice so clearly. The most they had gotten from her so far was a "yes" or "no," which was not even directed at them but at their mother. Even though they shared housing, they hadn't gotten more than glances at each other during meals. They knew nothing about her. Not what she did all day, what she was like, or why she was there.

      Laito watched her without knowing what to say. It was the first time he was speechless. His eyes traveled up and down. He already knew Izumi was beautiful, it was the first thing the brothers had noticed upon her arrival. (Next were the tears soaking her face.) However, Laito believed she was the most beautiful being that had ever walked on Earth. Her beauty was magnetic, capturing his full attention every time he saw her come down from her room.

      That that girl, ethereal, out of his reach, was standing in front of him, asking if she could join them was enough to stun him. Even if she had only wished him good morning, her own voice would have been enough to freeze him in place. He should have expected it from someone like her, but still, he couldn't help but be surprised to hear the most captivating voice he had ever heard.

      Kanato remained silent, wiping away his tears as he eyed the girl with some suspicion. Ever since she had arrived, his mother had shown an interest in her. Therefore, he couldn't help but be jealous. (She took her food to her room until she deigned to come out, who did she think she was? Why did her mother have to serve her as if she were a princess?)

      Ayato was the first to bring her some comfort. Their eyes met, and the smile he gave her filled her with warmth. Seeing one of them react positively calmed her noticeably, and her heart returned to its place instead of the position in her throat it had taken during the silence that had felt eternal.

      It only took a few seconds for the angry red-haired boy to approach her, "Of course you can help," he nodded effusively. He took her hand without thinking, and pulled her to run away.

      Izumi almost tripped over her own feet as she was taken by surprise, but quickly recovered and kept pace with him. She turned her head towards the boy, her eyes wide, absorbed in taking in the image of the boy who had held her hand when she was about to collapse.

      A laugh fell from her lips. It was the first time she had laughed since she had arrived there, since misfortune had knocked on the door of her home, snatching away her parents and the illusion of childhood. Ayato looked at her and joined her, laughing heartily. She didn't know why, but his laughter was infectious.

      Laito frowned, realizing he had taken too long to react. Then, he started running after them, being followed by his brother. "Hey, wait!"

      Just before Laito caught up with the duo, they almost hit Cordelia's legs. They stopped instantly, and the laughter met its end. The woman smiled slightly towards the girl, before looking at her son and placing a hand on his shoulder.

      "Ayato! So this is where you were," she spoke, and turned to the girl, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Izumi, I thought you were inside. I'm glad to see you're having fun with Ayato, but he has to come with me," she mused before looking back at her son. "Come on, hurry!"

      When Ayato didn't move, Cordelia puckered her lips, about to pull his shoulder to drag him back to the mansion. However, her action was postponed when her eyes fell on the two children's joined hands. As soon as they were aware of her gaze, they let go of each other and took a step in opposite directions, creating space between them.

      Kanato finally joined the group, standing behind Laito. The brown-haired boy gave his brother a sidelong glance before finally turning around. "Kanato, let's get out of here."

      "Yes!" The boy nodded, chasing after his brother who ran away.

      Izumi watched them until they were out of her field of vision, and still kept her eyes there, hoping they would come back. But her hopes were crushed when Cordelia placed her free hand on her shoulder, catching her attention again.

      "Ayato has to study, Izumi, why don't you join him?" She suggested, but her tone hinted that it was an order.

      Before the young girl could respond, Ayato protested, "I don't want to! All I do is study."

      Cordelia's brow furrowed. "I don't want to hear your excuses. Go back to your room."

      "Why Kanato and Laito can play while all I do is study?"

      "Because you're not like your brothers," Cordelia replied, her tone rising as the conversation continued.

      "No, mother! I want to keep playing!"

      "How many times do I have to repeat myself? You are the successor, do you understand what that means? Now, tell me, what should you do?" Cordelia glared sternly at her son, while Izumi kept silent. She looked back at Ayato, any trace of that smile he had shown her lost.

      "I must become number one. I must be better than everyone."

      "And if you fail?"

      "I will no longer be my mother's son, and I will end up sinking to the bottom of the lake."

      Izumi felt something drop to the pit of her stomach. She had noticed that Ayato always studied, more than his two brothers, but she had thought it was because he liked to do so, that he did it because he wanted to. The lump that had formed in her throat made it hard to swallow, and she couldn't help but think of her mother. The lump that formed in his throat made it hard to swallow, and he couldn't help but think of his mother. She had always treated her with such affection, giving her love and support regardless of whether she studied or not. Sure, there were times when she scolded her, but her intentions were good, and she was constantly supportive when she mentioned what she wanted to do.

      "That's right, what a good boy," Cordelia complimented him, "You're no good to me if you're not the number one, and useless children must spend eternity at the bottom of the cold dark lake. So, if you don't want that, go back to your room! You too, Izumi!"

      Ayato ran off, and Izumi immediately followed him. Her speed increased, fear prompting her to put as much distance as possible between her and the purple-haired woman. She couldn't believe she was treating her children like this. The same woman who had worried about bringing her food when she didn't even want to get out of bed, the one who had encouraged her to go out without pressuring her.

      It turns out that first impressions are deceptive.

      When they reached the mansion, Izumi looked at the boy. That smile had long since faded, and now his eyes were clouded with tears that he struggled to hold back. Slowly, she approached him, her footsteps soundless.

      "I..." she began, her voice trembling. Ayato tensed his jaw, expecting to hear her mock him for crying. For being so weak. For being a crybaby. He was about to push her away, when she continued, speaking firmly, "I think you already are the number one, Ayato."

      Ayato raised his head instantly, looking into her eyes. He discovered sincerity in her eyes, with no evidence that she was mocking him or making a joke. She believed he was the number one. A shy smile played on his lips, before he took her hand and led her upstairs to study. He didn't want her mother to punish her, he would go out of his way to avoid it.

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      Izumi caught up to Ayato and Laito, not really surprised that they were sucking Yui's blood. A grimace of disgust took over her face, and she was tempted to shove the two of them away before letting out a snort to get their attention. The brothers turned to her, Ayato detaching himself from her neck and Laito from her thigh.

      "Izumi," Ayato muttered. Then, he stood up and took a step towards her, forming distance between him and the human girl. On the other side, Laito gave a smile to the vampiress before biting Yui again, who gasped in pain.

      Ayato approached her and took her hand, to which the girl frowned. She paused to watch him, and he wiped the rest of the blood that stained his lips with the sleeve of his t-shirt. Then, Izumi pulled her hand away from his grip. Without warning, she walked over to Yui and grabbed Laito by the shoulder before pushing him back. Yui let out a small squeal, and put her hands to her mouth to stare wide-eyed at the vampiress standing between her and the vampires.

      The brunette fell onto his back, raising his head and smiling with amusement at the turn of events. His eyes twinkled as they met the girl's face, and he narrowed his gaze slightly. "What are you doing?"

      "Stop feeding on her as if she was a blood bag," the pink-haired girl hissed, her body burning at the thought that they would rather be with the human than with her because of such an animalistic instinct as thirst. Her stomach lurched as she remembered the times Shu used her as a food source, but she ignored the feeling and tensed her jaw. "I'm done with this. Every time I see you two, you have your fangs glued to her... it's getting pitiful."

      Laito let out a laugh, but his smile turned hostile. "Look who's jealous of a human. Who's the really pitiful one here?"

      Izumi snorted through her nose. "Careful, Laito... you don't want to see me angry."

      He stood up, and approached her slowly. He brought a hand to his fedora, pulling it down and covering his eyes. When he finally found himself facing her, Ayato stepped in, grabbing Izumi by the wrist.

      She raised her head to look at him, her eyes narrowed, forming slits, thinking she should fight them both. However, Ayato was watching her gently, and Izumi's tense muscles stopped being tense right then and there. Laito grunted as he noticed that the girl was once again captivated by her brother. Somehow, it was always the same.

      "Izumi... Can we talk?"

      Her head barely moved as she nodded, and then they began to walk in search of privacy. Neither of them stopped to look at Laito, who practically had smoke coming out of his ears. When the duo disappeared from his vision, he dropped to his knees.

      He heard a small squeak, and raised his head to meet Yui's fearful gaze. He clenched his jaw, his fangs still visible, before hissing, "What are you still doing here? Go away!"

      The blonde didn't hesitate. She ran away as soon as she had the chance, looking back to make sure she wasn't being chased. But to her surprise and bewilderment, Laito remained in place. Unmoving, his eyes watching the ground and his mind miles away.

      Perhaps, if he hadn't taken so long to react that day, today... he might have beeen the one able to win the girl over with just a glance.