Vampire Heart 33

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Scroll 34: Unexpected
Naoko sighed when she glanced over at the clock that read 10:00AM. "We can't go to sleep for another few hours, still."
"I know," Vicente replied from his chair that was tilted backward. "That's why I'm thinking of things to keep me awake."
"Like what?" Naoko asked.
"Not sleeping," Vicente replied flatly.
Naoko sighed, "I'm so tired..."
"I'd suggest caffeine but, you'll be awake forever with that," Vicente replied. "You should order them to wake up..."
"They're doing some shopping for us, so we can sleep, remember..." Naoko replied.
"Yes, I remember," Vicente exhaled and sat his chair on all four legs again.
"You know...I sometimes can't believe you're so feisty with as good looking that you are," Naoko muttered.
Vicente smirked and blushed, "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Naoko laughed. "Most would be insulted that I called them feisty."
"I know I'm an acquired taste, other than if you're just gawking," Vicente replied.
"You amaze me," Naoko whispered.
"Sleep with me and I'll astound you," Vicente replied.
Naoko glared at him, "We can't go to bed yet."
"Most would have thought I was hitting on them," Vicente replied.
"I know you," Naoko replied. "You're too sweet to actually make a derogatory remark and call it a flirt."
"That's because they're not. Flirting is more of speaking the truth with the ulterior motive of getting a kiss," Vicente replied.
"You say that as if it's experience talking," Naoko replied. Their conversation was cut short by a knock on the door. "Great, another polite vampire."
Vicente shook his head, "No. It's either a lot better or a lot worse..."
Naoko shrugged and stood to answer the door. Her mother stood in the door way, staring at her. "Mom..."
"Hello, Naoko, Vicente," Nora replied.
"C-come in..." Naoko said nervously.
"You're up early," Nora muttered.
Naoko closed the door, "I haven't been to bed yet."
"This place is lovely," Nora muttered. "How have you been?"
"With Vicente with me, I'm always happy and safe," Naoko said, abashed.
"I came to tell you that I'm sorry," Nora said simply. Vicente handed Nora a cup of sweetened and creamed coffee before walking toward the window that lined the front of the villa. "Thank you, Vicente."
"You look like you need it more than we do," Vicente shrugged.
Nora watched Vicente curiously before turning back to her daughter, "I really am sorry. I want you and Vicente to come home."
"I have three more vampires upstairs, mom," Naoko replied. "They're all volunteering to protect and serve me."
"I thought you were given only one vampire with the necklace," Nora muttered, trying to recall the legends.
"I was blessed with Vicente. Dameon, Claude, and Jaden are all volunteers who want to help me out of being good vampires," Naoko replied.
"Mistress, I have a very bad feeling about this..." Vicente mumbled in a detached tone.
"About what?" Naoko asked.
"There's something bad here..." Vicente muttered. "I don't know what it is. All I can sense is a thirst for blood, but not for feeding."
"A murderous intent," Nora suggested.
"That would be the best word for it," Vicente replied. "It won't attack for a while, though. It's waiting to recover."
"Vicente..." Naoko whimpered.
"I'll protect you and your mother. You don't have to even ask," Vicente said quickly.
"P-protect me?" Nora asked.
Vicente nodded, "I'm not a monster, you know," he smiled over at Naoko who returned his smile. He blushed, remembering his metaphor about the dragon and the princess, and Dameon’s analogy with him as the cuddly lizard.
"But I threw you out...and called you names...and said more awful things..." Nora muttered.
"And I'm used to people who hate vampires since I'm one of them," Vicente shrugged. "I'm willing to protect any human."
"Don't you drink human blood?" Nora asked.
"Yes, but I don't drink nearly enough to harm them. I drink eight ounces of blood per week, and I never feed from the same human twice," Vicente replied.
"You’re a vampire with moral obligations toward humans?" Nora asked, clearly confused by his integrity.
"A human with acceptance toward a pet vampire?" Vicente countered.
"You don't have to compete with everybody," Naoko rolled her eyes.
Vicente rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I know..."
The way he acts when she addresses him is remarkable. He acts more like a lovesick teenage boy that a 500 year old vampire... Nora thought. "Do you two share a bed?"
"Yes, why?" Vicente blinked, confused.
"I'm guessing it's platonic, then..." Nora chuckled.
"Huh?" Vicente asked.
"Never mind," Naoko muttered to Vicente.
"What'd I miss?" Vicente asked.
"Nothing, honey," Naoko replied before mussing his hair playfully.

Nora stared over at Vicente who was still obsessed with staring out the window. "Why is he so concerned with the window?" Nora asked, hoping Vicente didn’t hear her.
"He wants to attack the vampire as soon as it thinks to make a move," Claude replied.
"I'm sorry, and you are?" Nora asked.
"Claude Mana," Claude replied, offering his handshake which was readily accepted.
"Dameon," Dameon smiled boyishly as he pointed to himself.
"Jaden Crawl," Jaden shrugged.
"We're headed out now, Naoko," Dameon called over his shoulder.
"Alright. Hurry back," Naoko shouted from the kitchen. Naoko reentered the room with a cup of coffee in hand. "Vicente, please don't obsess over that vampire..."
"I'm too worried to let my mind drift away from it for too long," Vicente replied.
"Please?" Naoko asked as she sat on the edge of the couch.
Vicente shrugged and sat beside her on the couch. "I won't obsess over it..."
"Thank you," Naoko said before kissing his cheek.
"But I can't stop thinking about it. It's complete evil..." Vicente shuddered a bit from the thought.
"You're an interesting vampire," Nora muttered.
Vicente glanced over Naoko and at her mother, "I know."
"How far would you go to protect my daughter?" Nora asked.
"I've jumped in front of attacks for her and cradled her against me to keep her untouched," Vicente replied.
"You wouldn't come home, even if it were just you and Vicente?" Nora asked.
"No, it's too dangerous for me to be in the city all the time. That's why we go shopping in shifts every two weeks," Naoko replied.
"I'm not sure if you're worthy enough to protect my daughter," Nora admitted.
Vicente crossed his arms over his chest, "Your guess and Naoko's trust are two different things."
"Care to prove how much you'd go through to save her?" Nora asked.
"I don't have to prove anything," Vicente shrugged, trying to calm his anger.
"I'd trust you two living out here if I had some idea that you're not just some idiot vampire who'll get himself and his mistress killed," Nora said calmly.
"I still don't have to prove to you anything," Vicente chuckled. "You only don't trust me because you think we have a sexual relationship."
Naoko stood up with tears streaming down her face, "Stop this!"
"Naoko, I-" Vicente bit his lower lip when he saw how upset she was.
"Mother, he's my pet. He's the one who will protect me no matter what you say. Vicente, she's my mother and she's naturally concerned about my safety..." Naoko sobbed.
Vicente stood and wrapped his arms around Naoko. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm hot-tempered. You know that..." Vicente caressed her hair and pressed his lips to her forehead affectionately.
Nora smiled as she watched the bit of affection that Vicente showed. He really seems to care about her…
"I'll bite my sharp tongue. I promise," Vicente said softly. He stepped back from Naoko and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Promise."
"Thank you," Naoko smiled at him.
"I'm gonna get me a cup of coffee..." Vicente said nervously.
Naoko nodded and sat down beside her mother again. She smirked as she watched Vicente enter the kitchen. "I got lucky with my pet..." she whispered.
"You really have confidence in him?" Nora asked.
Naoko nodded once, "He's almost died so many times for me."
Their conversation was interrupted by the shattering of glass. Instantly Vicente was back in the living room and beside the couch that Naoko and Nora were sitting on.
The vampire drew back his knife that was intended to stab Naoko. Vicente shielded Naoko from the knife and took the full blow to his back. Without missing a beat, Vicente yanked the knife from his back and threw it to the ground before turning around quickly. Grabbing the vampire assailant by his hair was second nature to Vicente.
Vicente snarled as he slammed the vampire into the ground. He grabbed the small cloth that let that vampire walk freely in the sunlight and tore it from his wrist. He stood up again quickly and let the sunlight ignite the fallen vampire's body. Vicente turned toward Naoko and Nora before falling to his knees.
Naoko was at his side quickly, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing..." Vicente growled as the pain coursed through his body.
"You were stabbed, at least let me heal you..." Naoko begged. "I know you're not weak, but that dagger might have been poisoned."
Nora was still in shock from watching Vicente willingly get stabbed in his back for her daughter.
"Poisoned?" Vicente asked through gritted teeth.
"Just take off your shirt," Naoko hissed.
Vicente cringed from the pain, but stood up and removed his shirt, "How is it?"
"Come on, let's get you to the bathroom," Naoko muttered. "Mom, come with us. I don't trust leaving you unattended."
Vicente gripped the sink in pain and wound up clawing through most of the wood to deal with the agonizing pain. "It was poisoned?"
"That's the only think I can think of," Naoko replied. "Your other wounds are scarred over, now, though," Naoko added.
"I figured they would be," Vicente said simply, still gritting his teeth.
Nora stared at Vicente's scarred torso, arms and neck, "How much of that is from protecting Naoko?"
"They're all scars I gladly wear from protecting my mistress," Vicente replied. He arched his back as the cold cotton swab hit his flesh. "And I'd do it again and again..."Vicente shook of the cold, "What kind of poison?"
"It's not doing anything more than cause you pain. It probably would have killed me," Naoko muttered, shuddering at the thought.
"That's it, I'm vampire proofing the damn villa," Vicente growled, shaking off the pain.
"Why didn't we do this before?" Naoko asked.
Vicente grinned boyishly, "None of us know how..."
Nora laughed, "I'll help if you don't mind."
Vicente shrugged, "An extra pair of hands is always nice. Gah! That's cold!"
"Sorry..." Naoko replied sheepishly, "But it's funny and kinda cute to see you squirm."
Vicente blushed, "Still...it's cold..."
"You are built so nicely..." Naoko blushed as she tried not to stare. She bit her lower lip as she remembered seeing him completely nude the night before.
"Thanks," Vicente's cheeks grew redder.
“You sure got over agonizing pain fast,” Nora commented making Vicente even more red.

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Vampire Heart 35