Clare & Abigail Side Story: The Beginning
It was cold.
When Abigail had arrived back in September, it was warm and wet, the rain becoming a constant companion for her. It still rained most of the time, but the soothing sound of water hitting the window was now accompanied by the bite of the January air. She wasn’t complaining, she loved the weather, but the chill settled deep within as she stood in her room. Dark, empty, silent.
Cold.
‘I need to stop before I end up depressing myself any further. Honestly, why do I do that?’
She shook her head, shutting the window, and wheeled around to leave her room on the quest for some hot cocoa. ‘Or coffee. Coffee would be good too, as long as Ayato didn’t switch out the sugar for flour again.’
She had only made it halfway to the kitchen before Kanato appeared in front of her. It wasn’t out of the ordinary, but she still startled.
“You weren’t in your room. What are you doing?”
Abigail smiled, sighing lightly. “Sorry, I was going to go make some hot chocolate since it’s so cold. Do you want some too?”
He paused before nodding, turning to walk ahead. “Okay. But hurry. Someone’s arriving soon and I don’t want us to be bothered.” A
bigail titled her head, jogging to close the distance between them. “Who’s coming? Nobody ever comes here.”
Kanato glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Does it matter? You’re not to talk to them or interact with them in any way, do you understand?”
She blinked, looking forward again. “Alright, I won’t.”
They were in front of the kitchen. Kanato stopped, raising his head in silence and looking past her.
“…What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing. Come on, make me cocoa.”
She furrowed her brow, but entered the kitchen without protest and began to work. Kanato stood by, wordless, watching the door.
Feeling unnerved, Abigail rushed to complete the task, finally setting two mugs on the counter.
“You took a long time, now we’ll have to pass everyone. Just follow me, and be quiet. Remember what I told you.” She inclined her head slightly, gripping onto her mug and trailing behind him in silence.
She wasn’t sure why he was acting this way, but she’d rather do as he said than risk anything. The walk towards the foyer was soundless save for the pattering of rain & the two soft pairs of footsteps.
As they grew closer though, the muffled sound of voices became clearer. Abigail walked faster, closer to Kanato. The opening of the doors ceased any conversation in the room as the pair entered.
The first thing Abigail noticed was the lone girl in front of the manor’s doors. She nearly stopped walking, staring wide-eyed at the stranger, who mirrored her own look of surprise. The rest of the brothers had turned to look at the two, Reiji being the most disapproving in his glare. Kanato returned it, huffing as he grabbed onto Abigail’s wrist and pulling her along faster. She pursed her lips and pointedly looked away from the girl who had been trying to smile hopefully at her. ‘I’m sorry. I can’t give you that. For your sake, you should give it up now.’
As they stalked out of the foyer, she could hear Reiji speaking again. “…And that was Kanato, with his ward, Abigail.” The door closed before she could begin to make out what the girl had started saying.
Kanato kept his grip on her wrist, tugging her along as she struggled to keep up without spilling anything. “I told you not to interact with her.”
Abigail looked up at the back of his head. “I…” Her words died off. ‘I didn’t talk to her, I only looked at her…I can’t say I’m sorry though, he hates it when I apologize constantly.’
She settled for for slipping her hand back to rest in his, squeezing it. They didn’t talk the rest of the way.
‘He must not be that mad...otherwise he would have stopped to yell.’
She thought back to the girl. ‘Who was that? Why is she here? Is she just food for them?’
Abigail bit her lip. ‘I can’t do anything. Honestly, I’m not sure I want to. I feel bad, but I’m not risking how far I’ve gotten with Kanato just because of some stranger. If she tries to talk to me...she’ll learn soon enough that she won’t get anything out of it.’
Somewhere far behind her, a door slammed, but was drowned out by the thunder.
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A few weeks had passed since the new girl had arrived. Abigail kept referring to her as just that, because she still didn’t know her name. While a slight inconvenience and social faux pas to never use her name, Kanato had been rather adept at keeping the contact between them to the absolute minimum. Every time they chanced upon the girl he would either glare at her until she left, or would take the initiative himself and exit the area with Abigail in tow. The few times she had encountered the girl without Kanato, Abigail would flee as quickly as possible. Those times were becoming more and more frequent, a bit to her annoyance.
‘Why hasn’t she gotten the hint yet? It’s easier for both of us just to keep to ourselves. Is she that stupid?’
She sighed, shaking her head.
No, that wasn’t fair. The girl was in a bad situation, and she just wanted someone to relate to and talk with. ‘That still doesn’t excuse her blatant disregard for possible consequences...’
Abigail looked over to the window, having lost interest in her book. It wasn’t raining for once.
The sky was surprisingly clear, and she could see the moon peeking out from behind a curtain. She smiled, closing her book and getting up quietly, trying not to disturb Kanato, who had fallen asleep beside her on the bed. Of course, being him, he immediately grabbed onto her arm to stop her from moving.
“Where are you going? To see someone else? To see that human?”
Abigail shook her head frantically, settling back down on the bed and leaning over to him. “No, of course not...I was just going to go look at the sky. The moon looks lovely tonight.” Kanato narrowed his eyes, shifting up to be face to face with her.
“You’re not lying, are you?”
She met his stare evenly. Earnestly.
“No, I’m not. I promise..”
He relaxed his glare, laying back down. “Although...would it be okay if I dropped by the library to switch books? This one’s boring me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
The glare returned, and his nails dug into her arm.
“Why don’t you spend your time and attention on me instead of those books? Am I lower than those?”
Abigail grit her teeth, looking down before settling fully on the bed next to him. “No, no, of course not. You’re more important to me than anything, I just…” She trailed off, unsure of how to phrase it without upsetting him. An idea struck, and she met his eyes. “What if I brought a book you like? Whatever you want. We can read it together.”
Kanato scoffed. “What good would that do? Stop suggesting stupid things.”
She cast her gaze away, chewing on her lip. A beat of silence passed.
“…Fine. Go find a blue book with a silver diamond on the cover. I don’t know the name of it. If you bring back the wrong one, I’ll have to burn them all.” He smiled, too innocently.
Abigail swallowed, heaved a shaky breath, and got off the bed. ‘No pressure, no pressure, just find the exact book he wants or the library will be set on fire.’ She pulled her cardigan closer around herself as she walked down the hall. It was still cold.
Reaching the library, she was granted a small comfort in the warmth of a lit fire. She smiled, but let it drop as she took in the room in its entirety. ‘A blue book with a silver diamond…okay…’
The search began in the fiction section, her logic being that it would be some sort of a fairytale. The guess was correct, to her joy, as she plucked a book from the shelf. Caught up in relief, Abigail didn’t notice the presence of another until she turned around with the intent to leave. Her eyes widened and she backed up against the bookshelf, clutching her find to her chest.
The girl smiled, waving hesitantly. “Hi! It’s hard to catch you, I think this is the first time we’ve actually met…I’m Clare.” She held out her hand.
Abigail blinked, unsure of what to do. ‘I’m screwed. I’m so screwed…’ She set her jaw & met Clare’s eyes.
“Please don’t talk to me. You’ll get us both in trouble.”
Clare’s hand withdrew, held near her mouth in shock. “Wha-..why? Oh, wait!”
Abigail didn’t stay to risk being looped into a conversation, stalking past her as quickly as she could.
Clare stood in place, staring after her. Abigail stopped before shutting the large wooden doors behind her, glancing back up. “I’m sorry. Just…its better for both of us.”
The door fell closed, and a heavy thud rang throughout the room.
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Clare was confused, to say the very least.
This whole situation had been a whirlwind of confusion; and, to be frank, fear. Being uprooted from her home at the behest of her church, to be an ambassador to a foreign family and marry a foreign man. It was all just a bit confusing. But she guessed that’s why the church was so insistent that she learn Japanese from a young age.
Be an ambassador? Sounds fun. Marry someone? Eh, she was single, and less work for her. Vampires? She knew they existed, and after years of studying the occult and paranormal and being trained in combat, she wasn’t particularly afraid. These things she took in stride. It wasn’t like her life at home was very exciting. No, all of this was relatively easy to handle. What was most odd to Clare was the other girl in the mansion. Abigail.
Every time Clare caught a glimpse of the honey-haired girl (and it wasn’t often), she was either ushered away by the vampire Kanato or slipped away on her own before Clare could speak to her. It was beginning to get a little disheartening. Clare was very persistent, however. And she now had plenty of time on her hands.
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“So…” Clare fingered the pages of The Count of Monte Cristo nervously. “What’s the deal with that other girl? Abigail?”
She was perched on the window seat across from Subaru. It had been about two weeks since she arrived at the Sakamaki mansion. She had read with him every night, and she was really starting to enjoy the boy’s company. Anger issues and all.
“What do you care about her for? She belongs to Kanato anyway.” He scowled.
Clare tugged on her hair. “I know. I just thought it’d be nice to have a human friend.”
“She’s none of your concern. Besides. You still have to pick someone to be your keeper.” Subaru looked back out the window as if this had been on his mind for a bit.
“Oh…” Clare closed the book. It was obvious there wouldn’t be anymore reading. “Well, I was kind of thinking you would be my keeper, Subaru. I really enjoy spending time with you. I mean, if you don’t want to I understand…” She trailed off helplessly.
Subaru looked back at her, a grin slowly spreading over his face, accentuating his sharp fangs. “Heh. That’s right. You already belonged to me, anyway.”
Despite his words, Clare could tell he was pleased. Even if these vampires had a penchant for dominance and sadism, there were some human emotions in them somewhere. Somewhere. Before she could say anything else, Subaru fastened a strong grip on her wrist and pulled her to him, his lips ghosting over her throat.
“You’re mine. Your blood is mine. Your soul is mine. Everything you are belongs to me.” His fangs slid into her flesh, stinging at first, but evening out into a slightly pleasurable numbness as he drank.
Clare sighed inwardly. There would be no learning about Abigail from anyone else. She would have to take matters into her own hands.
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The library door slammed hollowly, the finality of it dampening Clare’s spirits. What did Abigail mean by “get us both in trouble”? She knew the vampires were super strict, but was Kanato really that bad? Or were friends forbidden?
Well, Clare thought to herself, I’ll just have to up my game then.
She began writing little notes and slipping them into books for Abigail to find. They weren’t much, just a little “Hi!” or “How long have you been here?”. Short little notes that she would place in the front of books that she would then leave out.
Slowly but surely, she began finding notes as well. “Hi…” and “Kanato doesn’t want me around you…” This puzzled Clare, but she maintained the notes. Soon, they were corresponding regularly. Clare was thrilled to have a friend, even if she was a secret one.
From the notes, Clare learned that Abigail had been there for several months, and was also an American. She had picked Kanato fairly early on, but the two had grown close over time. Abigail really cared about him, but she feared the consequences of appearing to favor someone else over him. She was still very careful, but she was getting more comfortable with talking to Clare. Clare herself was cautiously optimistic. She was elated to have a friend, but she too recognized the danger of upsetting the vampires.
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Clare made her way towards the mansion’s library, humming cheerily. Henri sat on her shoulder, swinging his little legs. She and Subaru had finished The Count of Monte Cristo the night before, and though he didn’t say it, Clare could tell that he enjoyed it. It was now her mission to find another book he would like. Her heart was set on Wuthering Heights, and she was hoping they had it. She had just placed her hand on the library door when a shrill voice sounded on the other side.
“What is this?!” She recognized Kanato’s voice.
“N-n-nothing,” she heard Abigail stammer. “Just a note from Clare…”
“I told you! You were not to go near her! You deserve this!”
Clare pushed the door open just as Abigail let out a muted shriek. Kanato had Abigail forced against one of the tables, a hand around her throat, Clare’s latest note crushed in his fingers. His eyes darted to Clare when she entered, and a sadistic grin lit his face.
“You’ll be punished too, don’t worry. But for now, you get to watch.” His gaze returned to Abigail and he tightened his grip.
Clare reached for the daggers at her back as she slowly advanced into the room. Henri patted her neck excitedly, eager for a fight. Abigail’s eyes widened when she saw what Clare was doing, but the hand clamped around her throat prevented her from speaking.
Before Clare could do anything, a strong hand grabbed her wrist. She spun to see Subaru behind her, scowling as usual, but this time it was directed at his brother. He looked back at Clare. “Oi. You were supposed to come let me suck you.”
Clare looked at him pleadingly, praying that he would help her out this once. “Help. Please. I’ll do whatever you want. Just help.” She whispered, hoping that only Subaru heard.
He looked like he was on the verge of arguing, but he saw the look on her face and growled. “Tch. This is stupid.” He stepped towards Kanato and Abigail. “Hey, runt. If you kill your food you can’t suck her anymore.”
“This doesn’t concern you!” Kanato snapped. He looked almost lovingly down at Abigail. “Abi-san is mine to punish as I want.”
Clare moved forward again, but this time she held out her hands towards Kanato. “Please, Kanato. If you punish anyone, punish me. It was my fault. I just wanted a friend here. She would never care about anyone but you. She wrote all about it.”
Kanato paused and raised an eyebrow. “She did?”
“Yes! She did!” Clare scrambled to dig out Abigail’s last note from her pocket. Thankfully, Abigail had written about how much she had come to care for Kanato, that she had very strong feelings for him.
Clare’s fingers closed on the paper, and she eagerly handed it out for Kanato, who snatched it and immediately read it. After a moment, his face softened. “Abi-san, is this true? Did you mean this?” He relinquished his hold on her throat and she nodded, still out of breath.
“I don’t want to steal her from you, Kanato. I belong to Subaru. I just want to be her friend.” Clare moved back to stand next to Subaru.
Kanato huffed. “Fine. But I’m still sucking her blood for disobeying.” He took Abigail’s arm and led her out of the room. Abigail met Clare’s eyes and gave her a small smile.
After the pair had left, Clare breathed a sigh of relief and gave a little joyful bounce. She had a friend! Almost lost a friend, but she had a friend! Clare turned and threw her arms around Subaru, burying her face in his chest and murmuring her thanks.
The vampire stiffened. “I-I didn’t do that for you! That damn runt gets on my nerves. He needs to be put in his place sometimes.”
Clare looked up at him and smiled when she saw the blush on his face. “Of course. Now, weren’t we going to do some reading?”
Subaru smirked. “Do what you want, but I get your blood.”
“Deal.”
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Whoo! Mine and @bitter-doll‘s first collaboration is done! The beautiful CG and Abigail’s perspective are credit to bitter-doll, and I wrote Clare’s point of view. Hope you enjoyed it!