Switched [Diabolik Lovers] [8]

 Chapter Eight
  The Final Chapter

 The door had a dark aura behind it. Everytime she looked at it, she wanted to run away in fear. It crept up behind her, that deadly glare. At dinner, school, moments alone in the hall. It was time to face the one person who wanted her dead. Ayato Sakamaki. The other brothers acted nicer to her, but Ayato was the challenge. He was possessive, demented, and frightening to (Name). She thought she would survive, but looking at this door made her doubt that thought. If this was her choice, she would hide in her room. She had never been afraid of a challenge, but these boys had changed her whole perspective. What had happened to her? She frowned, thinking back to her journey surviving the Sakamaki brothers. Each brother had their own unique personality, bringing different ways to get past them, but each time she did, they tore away a part of her. She could never imagine herself being divided among six boys, she didn't want that. She had come so far in her life and being stuck with them reversed her thinking. Why now? 

 Why did she want to stay now, after trying so hard to leave?

 She looked down at her feet. Everything was hurting. Laito had left bite marks everywhere on her skin, along with bruises, there was nothing she could hide. It was her punishment, he had told her, but now this was the second part of her punishment. Facing Ayato. She brought her head up, turning slightly to look back at Laito. He narrowed his eyes, "Knock, (Name)." He demanded, a dark tone reaching her ears. She hesitated, taking a deep breath before looking back at the door and slowly tapping her closed fist against the wood, making the sound she wanted to avoid. A simple knock on her enemy's door. Her heart dropped into her stomach. She quickly pulled away from the door, pulling herself into a defensive position. What was this? Why the hell was she so scared? Even Laito, after beating her, wasn't as scary. Was it because she knew Laito wouldn't kill her? Ayato was so angry with her, so angry with the world; she couldn't bring herself to understand him. A part of her didn't want to.

 "Enter." A sharp voice was heard through the door. It said nothing more, nothing less, yet it bothered (Name). She stood still for a moment, pursing her lips. Did she really want to enter? Both she and Laito knew the actual answer, but neither dared to say it out loud. She felt lips being pressed against the top of her head before she was shoved closer to the door. "Go in." He commanded before turning away. She felt a heavy feeling in her throat. Did he know something? Was today the day where she would lose her life? She sighed and closed her eyes, "Just know I won't forgive you for this." She told him before opening the door and walking into the dark room, failing to notice Laito's pained expression. The door shut on him.

 How could she ever understand a vampire anyways?

 Although they had human skin, the differences outweighed the similarities. Laito clenched his fists, seeing the last of her disappear into Ayato's room. She couldn't understand them, or Ayato. Ayato felt like all of them, abandoned, alone, they only needed someone in their life. Laito's viewset about (Name) had changed over the course of her stay here. He knew for (Name) and Ayato to be fully at peace with each other, they needed to confront the situation. He needed to be wise, the tension in the house had been growing as of late. If it kept growing, he had a feeling that one day, he would find (Name)'s lifeless body on the floor, with her blood stained on his brother's hands. He couldn't have that happening. He sighed, closing his eyes. It was all up to her now, there was nothing more he could do to help the situation. He turned away from the door of Ayato's room, and sauntered down the hallway, a heavy guilt placed on his shoulders. He hadn't feel this type of feeling in awhile. He smiled slightly, "Well, (Name)," He muttered under his breath, "You really did a number on me, yeah?" He disappeared into the dark corridor, leaving (Name) without his protection.

 He had faith in her, that she would overcome this, like she did with everything else.

 (Name) had never been afraid of the dark, even when she felt trapped, the dark had been the least of her fears, but as she scanned the dark room for any sort of light, she could feel the anxious fear eating away at her mind. "Ayato, turn on a fucking light." She swore at him, her hand outward, trying not to bump into anything. She could hear a snarky laugh, "Ha! You want a favour?" He exclaimed, "That's the funniest thing I've heard from you since you've been here!" She could hear footsteps, "You're a scared little puppy now, aren't you, (Name)?" She quickly turned towards the voice, hearing it behind her, but she could still see nothing in the room of black. He was right, she was scared, however, she refused to show that fear. "Turn on a light and fight me like a man, Ayato!" She demanded, crossing her arms, trying to sound tough. It seems that he wasn't falling for that old trick anymore. There was no way to hide.

 "This is my home, my domain." Ayato seethed, looking at her with his sharp eyes, "You think you can boss me around?" (Name) suddenly looked to her left, seeing the curtains to a window open, revealing the light she had been craving. The bright moonlight shined on the one person she didn't want to face. Ayato Sakamaki, and he was glaring right at her. "Here you are, princess," He spat at her, "Your precious light." He turned away for a second, "Vampires can see in the dark very well compared to weak-minded humans such as yourself." (Name) narrowed her eyes, shifting her weight to her other foot, "I'm not weak," She replied, "I'm facing your scrawny ass, aren't I?" She insulted him.

 That insult pushed Ayato over the edge. He stomped over to her and grabbed the young girl by the neck, "Wanna say that again?" He growled before throwing her across the room, a scream emitting from her throat as she crashed to the floor, pain making it's way into her body. "I-Idiot..." She groaned, trying to pull herself off the ground, but she was quickly punched in the face, "You don't understand, (Name)!" He shouted at her, "You never understood any of us! All you wanted to do was run away, just like everyone else!" A series of painful cries and grunts left her lips as he continued his raid of attacks on her, striking every part of her. "Yui was beginning to like it here! She was mine!" (Name) could feel the emotion through the hurtful attacks. Ayato grabbed her neck, glaring at her with his bright eyes. He could feel the anger pulse through his veins. All this pent-up anger, and he was taking it out on her. Most of it wasn't even her fault, but taking away Yui was something had trouble dealing with.

 The hits kept coming, and one by one, (Name) felt her sanity slowly draining. She didn't want to feel anymore. Everyone wanted something from her now, but where were they all when she needed them all those years ago? She just wanted to be a doll, going along with every little whim, but somehow her selfishness kept her running. She wasn't being a hero, she was being selfish. She wasn't here for Yui, she was here to keep herself from going insane. All those friends she had made at the church were just a lie. She couldn't feel anything, she had only fooled herself into thinking so just to hide how she really was all these years. These bruises may have hurt her, but she couldn't bring herself to make any emotion. She just wanted to be still.

 It was her true emotion. All the stubbornness, the rudeness, the insults, the sarcasm, the lies, the pain she felt. It was all just an act to keep her mind from believing the truth. She was just a zombie inside, she couldn't feel her own emotions. She never wanted to, but she made up a reality where she could feel every little thing, and now Ayato was breaking it all down. That's why she kept running from everything, everyone. She wasn't ready to face her true self. Was she really emotionless like she believed she was? Or was this just another act, just another reality to mask her true feelings?

 Ayato looked over her. (Name) looked like a mess. Bruises were beginning to form, her lip was bloody from his punches, but he suspected the fainter bruises he saw were from another brother. When he looked at her face, He was surprised to see tears fall from her eyes. Ayato was shocked, he had never seen her cry before, she had always been so cynical. "..." He didn't know what to do. (Name) tried to push him off of her, but her attempt was so weak. It was nothing he had ever seen before. Seeing the human girl like this struck an odd question in his mind.

 Could he stay angry at her forever?

 She could barely defend herself anymore. It looked like she had spent some much time and energy fighting everyone else, that she had no more to spare on Ayato. He moved his hand away from her throat and clutched her shoulders, "C'mon!" He yelled, "Fight back, you bitch!" He shook her, trying to get a rise out of her, but it was easy to see that she couldn't fight anymore. She was done. (Name) couldn't feel anymore emotions. All she could look at his eyes, tears continuing to stream down her cheeks. "I just wanted to be happy." She whispered out loud, causing him to stop everything. Happy? He questioned the word in his mind. That seemed like a distant memory away, but for the human in front of him, it's all she had been craving to feel. She thought if she had been so rude, she would get her way, and if she got her way, she'd be happy. Ball and chain.

 They both wanted that happiness, but did they want it for the same reasons?

 Ayato clenched his jaw, shaking her again, "Just fight back!" He screamed, "Give me a reason to hate you!" He wouldn't stop, "C'mon, you bitch! Give me a reason!" She may have took Yui away from him, but a part of him now wanted (Name) to be here. Seeing (Name) like this terrified him. He was so used to seeing her be so obnoxious, loud, and uncaring of how his brothers felt, that he had developed an even deeper resentment towards her, but it was being challenged as he saw her cry in his arms. Those crystal tears that soaked her cheeks scared him so much that he was willing to do anything to get her to hate him. He tucked his head in, closing his eyes, "Come on, (Name). Give me a reason not to hope for happiness." He murmured. He had thought Yui would've made him happy, however, she was gone now. All he had left was to rely on (Name), yet, he didn't want to be heartbroken.

 A hoarse laugh reached his ears, "Prepare to be disappointed, Ayato." Her voice was barely heard. She had a heavy feeling in her throat, and didn't want to let him know that she was about to sob like a baby. "I'm not a happy person." She explained quietly, "I try to act like I'm all that, but in reality, I'm just a coward." She closed her eyes, tucking her head into his chest, "I tried to be strong, I wanted to escape like I could before, but I don't know if I want to go back anymore." She opened her (E/C) eyes, staring at his chest, "Do I really belong at that church? I don't even believe in God. I just needed a place to stay, some food to eat, someone I could talk to." 
 
 "I'm just done pretending." (Name) sniffled, "I'm just..." She trailed off, unable to say anything else. Ayato stared down at her, the both of them quiet for that moment, "(Name)..." He murmured her name. This attitude was surprising to the both of them. "Don't be stupid, you idiot." He held her close, "Yui didn't even fight for this long against us, you're a fighter, you moron!" He barked at her, "If you give up now, I won't forgive you for it! So get up, dumbass, dry your tears and face me like a hero would do." He set her back down on the ground and stood up. He stood tall and proud and looked at her with determination, the look she once had in her face.

 (Name) gave a small smile and slowly pulled herself off the ground, "I'm the hero?" She asked him, "Well then...what are you suppose to be, Ayato?"

 Hearing his name come from her lips again, Ayato managed to smirk, "I haven't decided that yet, but I can tell you for sure, I'm not your enemy anymore."

 (Name) hesitated to respond. She wanted to trust him, but she still had a small amount of fear left. Ayato noticed it and walked toward her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Hey. Listen for a sec, would you?" She looked into his bright eyes, giving a small nod, "Okay."

 Ayato took a deep breath, "My brothers and I, we haven't had the best of childhoods. Our mothers fought each other for our father. They took it out on all of us, it was just the worst." He looked to the side, frowning, "I guess that's why I have trouble when new people come into my life. I just want someone to care for me, you know? Yui was nice, she did lots of things for me, and even though I probably scared the hell out of her, she was better than spending all my time around my brothers." He sighed, "And then you came, and took her away. Can you imagine what it's like? Feeling like you can't rely on anyone and when suddenly you can, they're gone in a heartbeat." He decided to look back at her. "I just want to feel like someone cares about me."

 Ayato pulled his hand away, crossing his arms, "From your attitude, I can guess you've had a pretty messed up childhood too, I guess that's why we both act like brats." He felt reluctant to be any different, however. 

 "It's not like I don't care." (Name) spoke up, gazing at him, "I'm not a heartless bitch, you know." She paused and looked him over. He looked like a mess as much as she did. He could use the support. She hugged him lightly, causing Ayato's eyes to widen. He didn't understand why she was hugging him. It was a strange feeling, but for once, he didn't seem to mind it. (Name) cleared her throat, "That's your cue to hug me back, idiot." Ayato slapped her upside the head, causing her to whine, "Hey! The hell was that for?" She exclaimed, narrowing her eyes. Ayato smirked, "It was getting too mushy, I had to do something."

 (Name) scoffed, "Right, of course you did." 

 (Name) pulled away from Ayato, and wiped her face with her sleeve, hoping to dab away all of her stained tears. The scratches and bruises on her cheek and arms wouldn't fade away as easily as her tears though. Ayato walked over to his dresser and grabbed a couple of tissues, "Here, take them." (Name) thanked him and took them, cleaning up her face the best she could, but to Ayato, it wasn't enough. "Let me do it, moron. You're too slow." He took the tissue from her hand, and began to dab her face, his other hand grabbing her chin. (Name) blushed deeply, "You don't need to do that, stupid." She responded, "I was doing it just fine."

 Ayato rolled his eyes at her, "You were taking too long. I don't want my brothers to think that I'm in love with you or anything." 

 (Name) felt irritated by that response, almost sad even. She didn't understand why. She disliked him earlier, what was the change? Was it because she better understood him now or had she felt something for him since the beginning of her journey here? Ayato finished and dropped his hands, leaving her to go throw the tissue away, "I guess I should get going now." She said.

 Ayato's shoulders stiffened for a second, but he slowly looked her way, "Yeah, I guess." He scoffed, "Just don't be avoiding me all the time or hiding behind my brothers!" (Name) turned her back towards him, staring at the door. From the other side, it didn't seem scary anymore, just the feeling of loneliness. Was this the whole reason why she had believed Ayato hated her? Because he was lonely? From this whole event, she only had more questions, but she knew that was for another time. "Well, are you going?" Ayato asked, curious to see her staring at his door. "Uh, yeah." (Name) broke out of her sudden trance, and headed towards it. 

 She placed her hand on the doorknob, hesitating. "I never hated you, you know," She told Ayato, "If you were in my position, wouldn't you be scared too? You'd try to be tough, trying to make your captors fear you instead of treating you like a prisoner." She looked back at him, smiling, "I'm not going to be some prisoner here anymore, understand that? If I stay here, it's going to be my decision and no one else's." She had finally realized her own self-worth. She looked back at the door and pulled it open, exiting the room, leaving a stunned Ayato, but as he came to his senses, he smiled to himself, "I had a feeling she'd be a handful." He told himself and walked over the window.

 (Name) walked down the hallway, there was just one person she needed to talk to before she headed back to her room in this mansion. She reached the other door and knocked on it.

 "Laito?"

 Shuffling was heard on the other side, and she remembered her earlier words, but she owed him an apology. If she hadn't let her own selfish feelings get in the way, maybe she could've sorted this all out, but there was also the risk she'd end up like Yui. Yui was a submissive person, (Name) could never be like that. (Name) had always tried to fight for herself, even when she felt like giving up, she didn't stop. She questioned herself about that, why did she never give up? The only answer she could think of was that when it seemed like there was no other option, she decided to make an option. That's what she did here. Even though escaping their grasp was easier said than done, she tried to make the best of her situation, regardless of what they thought, she had her own way of doing things.

 The door slowly opened, revealing the tall vampire. He glared down at her, unhappy, "What do you want?" (Name) bit her bottom lip and sighed, bringing her hand to her neck, "I'm....sorry." She said to him, looking away. She didn't want to see him glaring at her. "Ayato and I worked it out, but I know I owe you an apology because I know I shouldn't have what I did." She peeked up at him. When it came down to it, there were times where she was willing to admit her own mistakes.

 Laito sighed, and placed a hand on her hand, "With that look on your face, I think I can forgive you." He couldn't admit it to her, but seeing her like this, struck a chord in his heart. How could he be mad at her with a face like that? She reminded him of a puppy, but a rough puppy. He then smirked cheekily, "Maybe you could do a little more to sweeten it though." He winked at her, causing her faint blush to return back to a dark red, "No way in hell!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms. That pervert!

 Laito laughed, seeing her return back to normal. That was (Name), and he liked her just the way she was.

 (Name) scoffed at his laughter, but managed to smile. "Idiot." Things felt a little better now. For once, she didn't think about escaping, running away, or anything else she felt. She only wanted to focus on the people that she believed actually cared about her well-being. 

 It wasn't easy being switched with Yui, but in the end, she was beginning to like it here.

 End

Author's Note:
 I wanted to thank everyone for all of the support for this short series! The chapters started out short, but I hope they're longer now. I wanted to announce that I will be revising some of the chapters, and you all will be notified when they are updated. This is not the end of your story. This is the end of the chapter, but you still need a complete ending, don't you? Well, I do plan on releasing the endings soon, I promise!