The Fallen Vampire

"Oooooh..."

As Inadu lie on Taira's large and furry back, she could not help but let out a very satisfied noise as she rubbed her stomach.

This morning... she had the most delicious bowl of oatmeal that she had ever tasted in her entire life.

She was expecting Taira to just boil her some oats and then serve it to her in a bowl, but hewn above and beyond.

He added a generous amount of diced apple, brown sugar, and cinnamon to make a sweet yet robust dish that not only filled her stomach, but gave her a sense of warmth and care as well.

The meal combined with the sensation of flying through the sky on Taira's soft and fluffy fur was practically like having aggressive narcolepsy, and Inadu ended up falling asleep on the ride more than a few times.

"Inadu. We're here."

"Hwa..?"

Groggily, the charming spider demon opened her ruby red eyes and sat up on Taira's back.

She seemed to be more than a little surprised by the fact that she was outside the walls of a city, staring at a market and shopping district that was teeming with people.

"I.. thought we were going to see your friend..?"

Taira changed back into his normal form so that he could look Inadu directly in the eye.

"That's true that we are, but I also wanted to take you to buy some clothes and personal items that you may need. You should have more things of your own, Inadu."

"I... am fine, Taira. Your generosity is appreciated but I can not accept it." she said as firmly as possible.

Taira did not seem bothered by her refusal, and it was almost as if he'd expected it in the first place.

"Can you tell me why?"

"...You have already done a great many things for me that I cannot hope to repay you for. You saved my life, gave me a safe place to lie my head, you feed me more than what is required to get by, and you have never at any point asked anything of me, even though most would say you are well within your right..."

"I still haven't heard a reason why." Taira persisted.

"The reason why, Taira, is that I must be able to draw the line at some point. It would be gluttonous and unfair of me to continue to take from you knowing that I can give you nothing in return."

"Have I ever asked you for anything in return?"

"No, but-"

"There are no buts. I don't do things for you because I want things in return. I just do them because I want to."

"That is… very kind, but… are you harboring no worries that I might try to use you?"

Taira came dangerously close to Inadu and for a moment she did not recognize him.

He looked so… vulnerable.

"If you wanted to use me… I believe I would let you."

Inadu dropped her gaze and clenched her small fists hard enough to break them.

In one night, Taira had continuously showed her more kindness and care than he ever had before.

There was a time where she thought that he was relatively indifferent to her.

So why did things change?

Was it because she offered him her body?

Or was there more…?

"Are you being nice to me.. because you pity me…? Because you think I am pathetic…?"

Taira showed no visible surprise or offense over her words and instead drew ever closer towards her.

"…Can I touch you Inadu?"

"I..What?"

As delicately as possible, Taira brushed his hand against Inadu's cheek and she felt her face become a few degrees warmer.

"I am being nice to you because I like you. And to me you are the farthest thing from pathetic... You are someone who I-"

*sniffle*

Taira paused on a dime and looked over his shoulder to find someone who he absolutely was not happy to see.

"This is what it means to be in the spring of one's youth..! Go on, boy! Confess your feelings to her loud enough for the world to hear for years to come…!"

"Ja'Zaki…!"

"Don't talk to me,you imbecile! Talk to the girl!"

Taira ground his teeth together with enough force to crack them.

For a ruler of his own lands, the dark elf certainly did spend a lot of his time in the domain of another.

"Your childish leering is unwelcome. My friend and I are trying to have a personal discussion."

Inadu's eyes twitched momentarily before returning back to normal a moment later.

She couldn't explain why hearing the words 'my friend ' had bothered her.

But it was obvious that they were just friends already, wasn't it?

What else could she have been expecting to be disappointed like this?

'Weird..'

Ja'Zaki let out a disappointed sigh as he started to walk past the two should-be lovebirds.

"Ah… 'friend' huh? That's a real bummer. You two would have been very cute together and I wager that she agrees with me as well."

Taira looked back at Inadu and found her looking at the part of the ground where the dirt path turned into paved road.

He could sense a small but tense air surrounding her body, but he wasn't entirely sure where it was coming from.

But no matter what, his goal for today would be to get her to drop it.

"I'd stay and chat, but I don't want to be a bother to you both so.."

"Are you not going to go and bother Ayame right now?"

"…See you later, kids!"

Ja'Zaki vanished from the path without even creating a whistle of wind, leaving Taira and Inadu behind.

Feeling better now that they were alone, he offered his hand toward Inadu and waited for her to take it.

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"Shall we go?"

Inadu stared at Taira's large hand for a long time and he did not rush her to take it.

"What were you about to say earlier… before King Ja'Zaki showed up?"

"You can just call him Ja'Zaki. His head is big enough already."

A very small smile cracked on Inadu's face that Taira very nearly missed.

"That does not answer my question." She said firmly.

"…I will make you a deal." He decided.

Taira pointed to the shopping district once again and pointed out how it was a little less crowded than it was before.

"If you allow me to buy you a new wardrobe at the very least, I will tell you."

"T-That's not fair… You were going to tell me with no strings attached a few moments ago."

"That is true, but now I don't want to waste a precious opportunity to travel past your stubbornness."

For several moments, Inadu glanced back and forth between Taira's hand and the destination he was trying to take her.

Finally, she placed her delicate hand in his and allowed their fingers to interlock.

"Alright… as long as you keep your word."

"I would never dream of breaking it."

- 2 Hours Later

"Ayame… why do you think that eggs don't taste like chicken?"

"For the love of the gods, GO HOME!"

"…For that matter I also wonder why cow milk doesn't taste like beef."

"AAAAGGGGHH!!"

Ayame ruffled her hair aggressively as she stood up from her throne and started walking back towards her quarters.

Ja'Zaki got up from his place on the floor and followed behind her like a little duckling.

"Where are you going? Are you not enjoying my company?"

"NO!"

"For some reason i have a hard time believing that. How could anyone not enjoy me?"

"Guards! To me!"

In an instant, knights in gleaming silver armor funneled into the corridor and formed a wall between Ja'Zaki and Ayame.

"Please escort this pointy eared interloper out of my castle please!"

A look passed between all of the knights in an instant as they wondered if this job really paid them enough to die.

While they were figuring out how much their lives were really worth, Ayame stormed off and made a beeline directly for her bedroom before slamming the door.

"Really, Weregar… You had no idea what kind of curse you bestowed on me." She said with an exhausted sigh.

The former werewolf king and Ja'Zaki were a very close pair and he counted him among one of his only friends.

So much so that the dark elf took it upon himself to take care of Ayame by checking on her from time to time.

As if she was not a grown woman who wouldn't need it.

Ayame began to peel off her own clothes before she crawled into the large bed in the center of her room

'He is as exhausting as always… I think I might call it an early day and-'

*Click!*

Her one eye flashed open in an instant and she immediately sat up in her bed.

The window on the other side of her room slid open and a familiar man climbed inside with a woman on his back.

"Taira, why did we not just use the front door?"

"Too many people. I've already hit my limit for social interaction today I fear."

"Ah.. that makes sense. I also share that exhaustion."

As Ayame watched Taira's feet hit the floor and his companion came down from his back, she had one, unbearably simple thought pop up in her mind.

"I swear… I hate assassins so much."