Page 35 of Lore and Lust
“Yes… although I do not know why I would do that.”
“Rupture a spleen?” Nino asks.
“Yes. Again, so oddly specific.”
Nino straightens, his eyes playful. “Can you show me?”
“I primarily only use this as a defense mechanism.”
“That means… you can’t do it without force? You’d hurt me if you did it now?”
“No, I wouldnever—” Haruka sighs, then rolls his shoulders. He unravels the knot of his aura in his belly. His eyes immediately burn bright. He gently presses his energy outward, carefully wrapping it around Nino as he sits against the floor. Nino gasps, surprised as his body floats upward. Haruka has only subjugated him from the neck down, so Nino’s eyes are wide with wonder as he rises higher.
“Holy shit…” He blinks, smiling. Haruka stands and walks around the desk so that he’s directly in front of him. He lifts his hand and rotates his wrist as if he is turning a doorknob, and Nino quickly flips upside down. The warmth of Nino’s laughter fills the space of the library.
“This iswild.” He beams, his amber eyes scanning the room from his new perspective. Haruka smiles. His friend’s innocent joy is infectious.
“Why can’t I smell your aura like this?” Nino scrunches his handsome face in confusion. “It’s all around me, but your scent is missing… It’s not like from before, when you fought Gael.”
Haruka nods, appreciating the way Nino has worded the embarrassing encounter. “You obviously have the same energy source inside of you,” he explains. “But imagine having two different filters. One filter represents the natural allure of your resting aura. The other is much more focused. Purified and streamlined. Now that I am properly nourished, I can distinctly control the two. During the first altercation with Gael, I could not, so they discordantly released from me.”
He slowly turns Nino upright, then straightens his legs and lowers his feet to the floor. When Haruka releases his hold and withdraws his aura, Nino stretches his arms up, still grinning with delight. “Amazing,” he says.
“I doubt the other vampires were as amused by this as you are.”
“Yeah. I guess I’m lucky you actually like me.” Nino stiffens, his face dropping. “I—I don’t mean anything specific by that. I just mean I’m glad I’m on your side.”
Confused, Haruka steps into the space of Nino’s body. He lifts his hands and gently slides them into his hair at the back of his head. “Should I not like you?” Haruka asks quietly, cradling and massaging his head with his fingertips.
Nino’s eyes search his face as he stands perfectly still. “No… you can like me.”
Haruka moves one hand from his hair to wrap his palm around Nino’s bicep, then smoothly leans into the concave of his neck. He runs the tip of his nose up the stretch of skin there, then along his jawline, indulging in Nino’s woodsy, cinnamon essence before truly partaking of him. His eyes burn when he drags his tongue up his warm, salty flesh. He bites into him softly, not wanting to startle him.
His blood is so rich and spicy to Haruka’s senses, innately satisfying like nothing he’s ever experienced. He feels the initial tension in Nino’s body melt underneath his grasp, and soon, he registers the weight of Nino’s hands resting against his hips. They slide to wrap around the small of his back, sweetly urging Haruka to satisfy his needs.
He wants to pull harder, drink deeper. His nature twists within him, urging him to do so. But he pulls his head up, strictly ignoring the sensation. He licks Nino’s neck to clean him, then looks into his face. His eyes are closed tightly and his breathing short. Haruka brings his palms to his cheeks. “Why do you seem distressed lately when I feed this way? Is this uncomfortable for you?”
“No,” Nino says, breathless. He moves his hands from Haruka’s back and steps away from his grasp. His voice is muffled as he rubs his palms against his face. “I told you before you’re not hurting me. I’m fine, I just—” He shakes his head, taking a deep breath.
“You just what, Nino?” Haruka asks. “Please tell me.”
When Nino opens his eyes, they’re glowing in their beautiful golden hue. Haruka’s heart warms, looking into his handsome face. He is thinking that he doesn’t simply “like” Nino. He likes him a lot.
“Nothing,” Nino says. “Everything is perfect, don’t worry. So what exactly happened with Gael? How did he manage to escape? Do you think he’ll come after the book again?”
Haruka scratches the back of his head. It seems he’ll be talking about this after all. “It… is not simply that he escaped of his own volition. He disintegrated during the altercation.”
Nino frowns. “What do you mean, ‘disintegrated’?”
“I unexpectedly felt the heavy weight of another purebred as I confronted Gael, and immediately, he disintegrated into a mist before my eyes. The purebred essence disappeared as well.”
Nino’s mouth hangs open. “Holy shit—”
“Nino, please calm down.”
“Is ‘disintegrated’ your euphemism for ‘vanished’?”
“I admit it is unsettling, but the moment was extremely brief. Nothing has happened since. I cannot explain how, who or why, but we are safe. The purebred did not threaten me in any way.”
