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bitetoall136Title: Unbreakable
Chapter: 10/??
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bite_to_all136
Genre: AU, Cross Over, Supernatural, Action/Adventure, Romance, Some Humor
Warnings: mxm relationships, cursing, smut
Rating: NC-17 (overall)
Bands: the GazettE, Miyavi (solo), Naitomea/Nightmare, 12012
Pairings/Characters: Akira/Yutaka, Yutaka/Akira (Reita/Kai, Kai/Reita), Takamasa/Kouyou (Miyavi/Uruha), Takanori/OC (Ruki/OC), Yuu/Ni~ya (Aoi/Ni~ya), Wataru, Toru, Hitsugi
Summary: It was the first scent that caught his curiosity, the first taste which began the addiction that was key to opening the gates of the truth. Put on assignment by his lawful creator, Akira finds his life –his entire existence- beginning to unfold in scattered pieces, all thanks to a very unlikely suspect. Yutaka; the supposed easy going veterinarian student.
Notes: Originally requested bysachiko_241, was going to be a oneshot, but I decided on a minichapter fic <3 This whole fic will be dedicated just to her.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, only the mediocre story line.
(Character List)
Previous Chapters: (Prologue)(Chapter 1)(Chapter 2)(Chapter 3)(Chapter 4)(Chapter 5)(Chapter 6)(Chapter 7)(Chapter 8)(Chapter 9)
Chapter 10
By the time Takanori walked through the steel set of floor to ceiling doors of his mate’s bedchambers, he had finally found it in himself to will away the tension he felt worrying every inch of his body. The month Ume had been gone had been stressful, but it was only these past two days where the auburn leader had truly been perturbed by such heinous thoughts that his usual work came to an almost complete pause. He had known Ume was safe in the kitsunes custody, that it was her own fault for being held captive. She’d crossed treaty lines knowingly, and Takanori knew the clauses of that treaty almost better than he knew his own creator. You cross those boundaries; there’s a price to pay - simple as that. But he also knew that if the kitsunes wanted to make a proper trade to settle the treaty dispute, they wouldn’t touch a single hair on Ume’s raven head.
His mate’s safety had been assured, so when the kitsunes bargained him to find the impossible for trade, Takanori hadn’t a problem in agreeing, because he knew that no matter how long it took him to find just what it was the kitsunes wanted, Ume would forever be safe.
It had taken him almost the entirety of the month, but then he finally found just what it was the kitsunes wanted. He found Yutaka—he found Kai. And it was all thanks to Kouyou…
Special connections had been called in, research done from day to night, but there was still nothing after almost a week of looking. All hope was looking nil. Finally, Takanori had informed his blood brother and halfling assistant of just what their situation was.
“The only exchange they’re offering is Ume for Kai,” Takanori breathed out, his fingers massaging his scalp and forehead resting in his palms, “I’ve been looking for him all week, but do you know how hard it is to find someone who has been gone for over a century? I’m starting to think those rumors of him being back are just that – rumors.”
“That’s a good twenty years of rumors, Taka. There has to be some truth to it.” Takamasa spoke whilst sitting across from the auburn in a plush office chair, his wrist idly moving the crimson filled glass in circles and dark eyes down casted.
“But, I’ve looked everywhere, he’s nowhere to be found. It’s almost like he never existed…”
A staggered sigh was released, Takamasa pressing his thumb and forefinger into the crease of his eyes before chugging what was left of his glass and standing, “I really wish you would have told us what was going on sooner, Taka. We could have helped.”
“I’m fucking telling you now,” he growled, “You think I called you in here for some pity party? No, I want you and Kouyou on this; treat it as if any other case.”
Another sigh was released into the air, Takamasa looking to the side of him and finding the halfling with his hands cupped formally at his midsection and gaze to the ground. “You up for some research tonight?”
Breaking his stare with the ground, Kouyou looked to the inked creature who intimated him to no end. “S-sure,” Takamasa began walking away, Kouyou remaining in his spot.
“You coming?” The tattooed elderly questioned, arm half hugging the door and sight shot over his shoulder.
“In a moment…I need to talk to Takanori alone for a few minutes…” His head averted back to the ground, fingers swaying over each other nervously.
Takamasa’s eye brow arched, face quipping scratchily, before he mumbled an ok and turned to Takanori one last time, “Do you want Akira in on this, or-”
“Absolutely fucking not,” the leader’s response was almost instant, his face looking to Takamasa with unyielding disgust at such a suggestion, “He does not need to be involved in this. If either of you breathe a fucking word of this to him, I’ll end you myself.”
A click of his tongue and a soft ‘mhhmm’ of agreement, Takamasa took his exit, calling out to Kouyou that he’d be in the archive room downstairs when his private time with Takanori was over.
Continuing to shuffle on nervous feet, Kouyou began to speak, his voice sounding like nothing but utterance and blobbed together vowels. The vicious look his newest leader sent him caused him to gulp audibly, before he closed his eyes and did some more mumbling, finally finding the back drop courage to take the seat Takamasa had just been occupying.
“Just what is it you want to speak to me about?” Takanori prompted, the tips of his fingers aligning perfectly and looking at Kouyou through the formed cracks.
“I—I…remember when you found me?” The entire room seemed to drop in temperature, both creatures’ cold gazes meeting.
It was only six months ago, but already it seemed like an eternity had passed. Akira had been hurt on assignment pretty gravely, and there was no way the blond vampire would have survived if help hadn’t come. Takamasa had offered, but Taka had shooed his blood brother away and insisted that he be the one to go save his fledgling.
By the time Takanori had found Akira, the blond was passed out in an alleyway, a chunk of his midsection missing and body numb as heavy rain fell upon them. It had been a werewolf bite; the beasts saliva and bite nothing more than venomous to a vampire. Akira should have already been dead, but Takanori noted that his blond fledgling’s wound had already been tended to, the indents of the bite marks having been singed shut with fire, and the wound slowly but surely healing as the rain washed out the toxic substance.
As curious as he was about who or what had been the one to help the blond, Takanori really didn’t have the time to think, more than anything just wanting to get Akira home and safe. He had just lifted the blond into his arms when a sudden sniffle was heard, his eyes catching a soaked, hunched over, black clad figure shivering from a minimal distance.
“Who are you?” His voice was stern and clear, body in attack mod just in case.
The sniffles stopped, the soaked body ceasing with the shaking immediately; almost as if trying to mask itself further into the darkness.
Takanori surveyed Akira’s body again, noting the younger had recently fed, but didn’t get anywhere near the amount of blood that his current injury would involve for proper healing. He needed to get him back to the headquarters, but something about the shivering figure enamored him and disallowed him to leave.
“Were you the one who helped him?” Takanori aimed his head down at the body in his arms, knowing that the gesture was almost completely useless in such a dark unless…And that’s when he finally sensed it. The smell was barely there, almost depleted, but just the fraction of it he caught was more than enough. This creature’s blood smelt of a familiarity of his own species, mixed with something that would have been unknown if not for his heavy association with the shifters. “You’re a halfling?” He should have been disgusted, but instead, he was intrigued. Halflings were scarcer than his families’ bloodline. Centuries of vampires have come and gone, yet he, Takamasa, and Akira had been the only ones to obtain resistance to the sun. They were rare—halflings were even rarer.
Slowly, the soaked figure stood, long legs putting him at a height Takanori wasn’t expecting. The hood that was drenched over his face was removed, the moonlight providing Takanori with a proper view of the honey blond’s face. “Yes…” he answered, the auburn leader knowing that simple yes answered both of his questions the second he saw the fang marks and strands of blood running down the halfling’s neck.
A tense moment passed, neither saying anything, just staring. It was as if a mutual understanding of something they weren’t so sure about passed by them, and not thinking too much, Takanori smiled at the drenched halfling, waving his unoccupied hand, “Come with me, we’ll work something out.”
The halfling’s steps fell behind Takanori’s the entire way back to headquarters.
“Of course I do,” Takanori’s reply was cool and drawn out, eyes looking at Kouyou suspiciously, “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Well,” the halfling began shyly, voice broken and nails digging into skin, “I think it’s about time I told you why it is I was in the alley that night…”
“Go on,” curiosity was there, his full attention on Kouyou.
“I…I was kicked out of the pack I was in…The Shiroyama pack…”
Takanori came to a complete stop, dropping his hands at his sides and analyzing the honey blond before him. He had questions –loads of questions- but those could wait till later. “And?”
“Well…they’re the pack Wataru-san assigned to watch over Kai…I know where he is—who he is. I can help you get him…”
An almost demented smile formed on the leader’s face, “Tell me everything you know…”
Stopping as he rounded the corner that faced the king sized canopy western bed, Takanori eyed two figures next to his mate’s bed – one standing while the other lay stiffly on the ground, “Kouyou,” he called, walking up to the halfling and standing by his side, “How is she?” his set of hazels scanned over Ume, taking in her wan sleeping figure tucked below silky, rosewood sheets. Her lips were a plush pink and her skin just was pearly as ever.
“She’s doing great, Taka. Akira ordered me to attain her a human for feeding, and within seconds of finishing she passed out and has been sleeping since. Poor thing must have been exhausted.” The female on the ground beside Kouyou looked like a trashy thing, the track marks on her arms providing the fact that she was heavily into drugs. Knowing that a human such as herself would have disgusted Kiyoharu to no end made it ok in Takanori’s eyes that his mate had ended her miserable existence; his creator would have been proud.
“I take it Tooru is on his way to come pick up the body, then?” The shorter inquired, settling himself on the side of the bed and allowing his fingers to stroke through Ume’s silk like tendrils. He owed a lot to Toru. The younger was only a mere fifty years old, but for those entire fifty years he’s been nothing but dedicated to Takanori; disposing of any mess he, Akira, or Takamasa have created in that time period.
“No, I’ll be taking care of this one myself. Tooru said Akira called him a while ago and told him there was something at the kitsunes headquarters that needed to be handled right away. He doesn’t even know if he’ll be able to finish before sun up, but if that’s the case I’ve already volunteered to finish it up for him.”
Takanori paused in stroking Ume’s raven hair, looking to Kouyou with narrowed, confused eyes. “What happened there?”
The halfling shrugged his shoulders, “I’m not quite sure. Ume was mumbling some things before she fell asleep, but it was all kind of nonsensical. Toru says it’s a bloodbath over there, though.”
And just like that, Takanori was brought back to his and Akira’s earlier fight…
“Are you fucking kidding me? I just nearly killed an entire pack of kitsunes, watched your so called human pulverize somebody into the ground as if nothing, and all you’re worried about is Ume? There are bigger things going on here, Taka!”
“Fuck,” Takanori hissed out loud, rubbing a hand down his face, “What the fuck is going on…” earlier he’d been too distracted by the prospect that Ume was finally home and Akira had returned to him safely to even think about just why it was the tempered blond was back and covered in blood. Too distracted to take note of his fledging’s distress, and now the auburn leader could literally feel the metaphorical foot kicking him in the ass.
“Do me a favor,” he continued, pointing at the lifeless body, “get rid of that and then bring Akira to me. I need to have a proper talk with him.”
The hafling followed through on the request, nodding his head before throwing the body over his shoulder and exiting the room.
“Taka?” His attention was brought back down to the rosewood sheets, his features lightening dramatically and relieving themselves of stress as he heard a voice that was as sweet as honey and smooth like silk call out to him.
Hazel eyes softening, he allowed his lips to lift to a barely noticeable degree, his hand running through silky strands and caressing ashen cheek, “How are you feeling? Would you like something else to eat?”
As usual, Ume answered with a nod of denial, her arms which were just as white are her face pushing her up until her back met the plush, embroidered, head rest. Lifting her knees to her breast and curving her arms around her legs, she titled her head into the cubby before asking; “Where’s Aki? Is he ok? At the kitsunes’ place he was…Taka, I’ve never seen him so hurt. His skin… it was literally deteriorating…”
Takanori only allowed a feeling of guilt to take over him for seconds, his face going stiff and hands crunching against the smooth fabric of the bed. He was too occupied with keeping a promise to a man long dead and gone to even uphold his duties and be a proper creator…Akira had been hurt, Akira had so much to tell, and yet the auburn ignored him. “What did they do to him?” His voice remained levelled and clear, never once hitching.
Ume’s shoulders shrugged, head falling deeper into her self-made cubby. “They used a dart to inject him with something…The only thing I’ve ever seen injure us like that is-”
“A werewolf bite…” Takanori finished, almost aghast. “Are you—do you think they kitsunes are working with them?”
Another shrug of the shoulders. “Either that or they have one held captive and are creating the injections out of its salvia...” As to only weaken their enemy and not fully kill them. The plan was almost genius, but Takanori wouldn’t put it past the kitsunes to devise such a scheme.
“But if they’re actually working with them that could only mean one thing…” A war would soon break out. Clans and packs of several species joining as one had been a prime factor that has lead up to all the previous wars, and if the kitsunes alliancing with the werewolves is true, then Takanori was certain the beginning stages of war were already in the making.
“Even if they’re not, no matter what…a war is coming, Taka.” The auburn rested a hand over his mate’s alabaster hand, squeezing gently and silently telling her to explain, “When they were moving me from one cell to another, I overheard part of a conversation. The kitsunes…they want to annihilate the vampire race…” Her dark eyes became hazy, her own hand tightening around the leader’s.
Takanori could feel a ball forming in the middle of his throat, it becoming hard to form words, “How do they plan on doing that?”
Ume’s reply almost allowed him to feel relieved, the word leaving her mouth ghostly and the ball loosening in Taka’s throat, “Kai.”
A small laugh radiated from his plush lips, fingers grazing the side of his mates face lovingly, “You have nothing to worry about then, Um’s. I gave them Yutaka because nobody—not even us—know what’s key to triggering his abilities. Without them, he’s the equalivent to a human-”
“No, Taka. They figured it out. It’s not a what, but a who...”
Takanori felt the ball rebuilding, “D-do you have a name of this ‘who’?”
“Reita…”
Right then and there, it felt like a cinder block was dropped on Taka’s chest; his eyes widening and skin falling an even whiter sheet of pale. Everything connected all too well together for what his imagination was creating not too be true. It was a century and a half ago Kai was killed…A century and a half ago he found Akira in a pile of burnt of rubbage, already nearing death’s door. The timing and setting matched up all too well, and it couldn’t be a mere coincidence that the kitsunes took his fledging…His fledgling who barred the name Reita before he was turned.
Akira was Reita, and somehow, Reita was connected to Kai…and if the kitsunes knew that…
“Fuck,” Jumping out of bed, Takanori took off at full speed down the hall, only to collide with a reappearing Kouyou. “Kou, bring Akira and Yutaka to me now! I want them under 24 hour surveillance from this point forward.”
It was when Takanori saw how a bashfully disappointed face on formed on the halfling’s features that he knew something was wrong. Kouyou hadn’t acted this way around him since he first brought him to the headquarters – the only exception being when the honey blond had to break news to his leader that he knew would disappoint or anger him. “I—I…Can’t…”
“And why the hell not?”
“They’re…they’re gone, Taka…”
Running a hand through his thick hair, the auburn stared at the honey blond for a moment before restarting his storm down the hall; cursing and screaming the entire way down, punching holes in the tinted walls and leaving a bloody trail from his gashed open knuckles.
No sooner did Takanori disappear down the hall did Kouyou begin his own frantic descent. He’d held himself as steady as he could in front of his leader, but on the inside he was an unbelievable mess. Every functioning organ felt like it was slowly breaking down; losing function. The strength of his undead side didn’t even seem to be present, only lingering somewhere idly so far away it was beyond his grips reach. His stomach and chest felt heavy with emotional pain; he was suffocating.
With his mind twisting and turning every scenario, his breathing became jagged, sharp. His legs felt like Jell-O, he unable to walk anymore. Hand raising to his chest, he took in deep inhales, trying to take in any form of oxygen available as his back fell against the wall and he fell to the ground in an undying tumble.
Emotions had always played heavy on Kouyou’s side, the halfling much rather having to suffer through copious amounts of mental and physical endurance than that of feelings. He always fell hard – always fast. His relationship with Yuu had been just that…
Alone in the world and hated by most, any form of connection he was able to make with someone was that of significance. Yuu found him wandering the streets. Yuu took him in and fought for his pack to accept him. Yuu made him feel loved. But for all that good that Yuu did, nothing but torment would follow.
Takamasa had been the first in a while he’d been able to make a proper connection with. Sure, he’d again fallen hard and fast, but this time he could tell it was genuine.
After he had informed his leader of his past ties with the Shiroyama pack, Kouyou had practically begged for the auburn to keep the information to himself. The halfling was already looked down upon by most of the people who surrounded him, the label traitor didn’t need to follow in the already tainted label of halfling.
Honest to his word, Takanori had kept quiet. He had Kouyou and Takamasa work together in the archive room as originally planned until he could come up with a proper plan of action to gather Yutaka and get Ume back. It was during that time that Kouyou’s and Takamasa’s romantic tryst began.
Days, even weeks, trapped downstairs together in the cramped space of nothing but filing cabinets and folders, a flame was ignited that refused to die out. Strong feelings developed at the speed of light, and before Kouyou could fully grasp what was happening, Takamasa – the inked vampire who intimidated him to no end—had him pressed against one of those filing cabinets, devouring his body and taking him as his own. Everything was running so perfect for such a short period of time and now Kouyou fears that’s all about to come to a screeching pause.
“Kou?” The call sounded just as frantic as his breaths, and when he felt cool fingers grasp his shoulders and sit him up properly, the halfling could feel his breaths calm some, Takamasa eyeing him with nothing but worry.
“Hey, hey. I’ve been looking for you, what’s wrong?” Damp, honey blond tendrils were pushed off his forehead, his heated face cooling from the sides of inked hands brushing against his cheeks. The worry that was so evident in Takamasa’s dark orbs was another calming factor, because maybe – just maybe—if Takamasa found out, nothing would actually change? Maybe the incident with Yuu wouldn’t repeat itself…
Allowing his face to plant against the v-line of Takamasa’s shapely chest, Kouyou’s fingers clenched in thin shirt material, clinging to it for life, “Yuu…he’s not in his cell…”
“What?! How the hell did he-”
Kouyou’s hands clenched harder, pulling Takamasa closer, “Masa… Things…things that you don’t know about me are going to get brought up soon. I…I just want you to know I’ll love you no matter what you think of me…”
“Kou,” a kiss was planted to his heated forehead, fingers dancing and gliding across his neck, “nothing’s ever going to tear us apart, come on,” he grabbed the halfling’s hand, dragging him up and off the floor and directly against his side, “He couldn’t have gotten far, he’s still too injured. We’ll find him before he even exits the building.”
“Ok,” Kouyou nodded, quickly breaking from the hold, having never been comfortable with the close contact with Takanori still close by.
“And Kou? Later on, we’re going to talk about Yuu, alright? Him being here is affecting you and I don’t like it. You can trust me with anything.”
It was then Kouyou realized he should have just allowed Takanori to inform his blood brother of Kouyou’s connections to the Shiroyama pack, but what’s done is done and there’s no going back. With another nod of his head, he took off in front of Takamasa, the pair hoping they’d find Yuu before Takanori found out of their prisoner’s disappearance.
***
Downstairs, Yuu could hear the commotion from the upper levels, his body still too weak to move. The amount of time he had guessed he needed for the silver to radiate out of his system had been gravely underestimated and he felt as if he were being held down by a bag of wet cement. Lifting and turning his head from the gurney the minimal possible degree allowed, his natural deep browns focused on the light up and down exertions of Ni~ya’s chest. He was still in the dark about what had happened to the creature before him, but somewhere in the back of his head, he knew it was indirectly his fault. Anything that involved Yutaka was his responsibility and Ni~ya had been very upfront about his wanting to help Yuu. It only made sense that the kitsune had been injured while helping Yutaka, and for that, Yuu felt guilty. He’d fallen through on his own responsibilities, thus getting others hurt in the long run. All fingers were beginning to point back at him, and the colossal burden sunk his confidence like an anchor to a boat that had just been struck with a meteorite – almost effortlessly.
The screaming upstairs continued, Yuu able to put together that Takanori had found out of Akira’s and Yutaka’s escape. That said, the shifter knew he had very little time before his new location was discovered. He had to get out, and fast. The information he knew could definitely buy him more time, but if given the chance, he really wished to keep everything he knew to himself for as long as possible – at least until Yutaka and Akira made it back.
Using his arms, he pushed himself up on the stainless steel gurney, his entire face squinting as he bit back mass groans of pain. The silver was still clinging to the ever moving blood cells swarming throughout his veins, piercing him in the most unpleasant of ways. When his legs were finally dangling over the edge, he took a deep breath before taking a small dive and landing his feet on the ground; his body falling forward and hands landing on Ni~ya’s own gurney being the only thing that broke his fall.
Hands shaking, he lifted one to the kitsune’s shoulder, shaking him awake, “Get up, we have to get moving.” His request only radiated in the air, the kitsune still deeply asleep. “Wake the hell up, we have to go, now.” Another demand fallen flat, the wan creature still deeply at rest.
“Fuck,” Yuu murmured, both from the pain and his current situation. He could just leave Ni~ya here, but he couldn’t bring himself to be so selfish. The kitsune had sacrificed a lot just to help him, something someone from his own pack wouldn’t even do.
Shaky fingers digging into the stainless steel, he finally released them, and using all the strength he could possibly build up, he slid one arm under Ni~ya’s legs, the other going beneath the wan creature’s neck. Bubbling his cheeks, Yuu held in his breath as he picked up the smaller statured man, it releasing gutturally as his knees quivered and almost sent him toppling to the ground. His head dipped, eyes falling directly in sight of the thick stitches across Ni~ya’s chest, the painful injury becoming his focus point as he re-gathered his strength. Minutes passed by, Yuu still unable to move. By the time he had attained the ability to move again, only one foot had stepped forward before the door to the medical room came busting open; Takamasa and Kouyou standing in the doorway.
“How’d I know I’d find you in here? I knew I shouldn’t have trusted Akira to watch after you,” Takamasa spoke with folded arms, his attitude completely different now that he was paired with Kouyou. Down in the basement’s holding cells, the inked vampire had been almost kind to Yuu, informing him of bits and pieces of what was going on whilst looking mildly concerned. But now it seemed as if his personality had done a complete three sixty with Kouyou by his side. He seemed protective, condescending.
Kouyou remained quiet, his body tucked away behind Takamasa’s own and eyes peaking just above a tattooed shoulder blade, watching the two raven’s interactions took place.
Ni~ya still resting in his arms, Yuu fell back some inches, allowing the pole beam to support him and hide any semblance of pain, “It doesn’t matter that you found us, I know you’ll let us go.” Yuu’s confidence was false, but at least it leveled Takamasa’s. Usually tan skin was quickly turning pale, the pain of holding his own weight plus Ni~ya’s extra with silver still ramparting his system barely teetering on bearable.
A cocky scuff, “What makes you say that?”
The shifter’s gaze fell back and forth between Takamasa and the halfling, finally settling on Kouyou and cutting his deep browns into nervous honey eyes, “If you don’t, I’ll reveal your relationship to not only Takanori, but the rest of the pack at home. They already hold hatred for you…can you imagine what they’d do if they found out you were with a vamp, let alone one of Kiyoharu’s fledglings?” His stare turned menacing; challenging, and there was no way he missed how Kouyou’s body stiffened.
“You son of a bitch!” Takamasa was launching himself forward, expression heinous as he moved in to attack Yuu. Fangs out and the white of his eyes turning a deep red, ears picking up on the shifter’s erratic pulse as he readied himself to seep his fangs into the already weakened creature.
Less than a breath away from the flinching shifter and Takamasa felt a hand grip the middle of his arm, blunt force holding him back, “Takamasa…stop…Just let them go. He’s useless to us now. Only going to stir more shit up…”
“Kou-”
“Just…stop. I’m not going to risk anything when it comes to you…just let the asshole go.”
“But Taka-”
“I’ll handle Taka. Just let them go. We have things to deal with that are actually worth our time.” Kouyou traded another soft look with Takamasa before lowering his sight and burning Yuu with a screeching glower. “You’re still the same scumbag you’ve always been.” Turning, he exited the room, informing Takamasa along the way that he was going to go find Takanori.
The second Kouyou was gone, Yuu felt Takamasa back off him, his breathing space back to finally being his own. “Get the fuck out of here, now. Show you face around me again and I won’t hold back.” His threat held a calm undertone, eyes returning to their usual dark color, the way he held himself reminding Yuu of the Takamasa from down in the basement.
Saying nothing in reply, Yuu kept his head held up high as he groggily walked past the powerful being and out of Takanoris’ altogether. Once outside, the night felt nothing but relaxing on his heated skin. He had enough left in him to just make it to a bus stop bench before collapsing, placing Ni~ya to the side of him as he curled up in a ball of pain.
He wasn’t sure what felt worse, the physical pain or knowing that he failed something he had dedicated the last twenty years of his life to protecting. In just a few hours’ time, Akira and Yutaka would be reaching Hokkaido. Meaning, Yuu’s hours in knowing he tried his hardest to protect the brunette were only few. After Hokkaido, Yuu didn’t know what to expect. There was a high probability that Yutaka wouldn’t come back as the same kind hearted and problematically defensive man he grew to admire, an even greater probability that Yutaka wouldn’t come back at all…
And if somehow Yutaka is able to hold onto a part of the person who he is now, Yuu’s sure he will never be forgiven. For over twenty years he had lied to the brunette. Everything from how they met, what really happened to his family… it was all lies. If there was one thing Yuu had to agree with Kouyou upon, it was the very fact that, yes – he was indeed a huge fucking scumbag.
“Fu-... It’s freezing out here. I need a cigarette…” Eyes grazing to the side of him, Yuu found a recently awoken Ni~ya. His wan body was shivering, nearly turning purple as his lip quivered in place, and his fingers lay sprawled against his bare chest; unconsciously playing with the loose strings of his stitches. Ni~ya’s soft features dusted towards Yuu, watching the shifter with the relative calmness that always seemed to surround him, “Where are we going to go?” Without even discussing it, Ni~ya knew it was only him and Yuu now.
The kitsune’s question was one that held many obstacles. Yuu knew his pack wouldn’t accept another outsider; not after Kouyou. And even if that weren’t the case, his pack was going to be beyond furious with him anyways. Because of him failing, not only he, but his entire pack, are going to have to face the consequences Wataru has set in place for them…and if they manage to live through whatever it is he has planned, Yuu knows he’ll be exiled in a heartbeat, just like Kouyou was.
Then there was Ni~ya who was basically a prisoner on the run. He was wanted. He couldn’t go back to the kitsunes even if he tried. His leader Shun wanted him gone for his betrayal and that bounty wouldn’t be lifted till he was dead or imprisoned. Neither of the two creatures’ current situations worked well for them and they had nowhere to go while they were still injured unless they used to their advantage their combined smarts and hopefully possible connections.
Uncurling himself from his ball, Yuu sat up straight on the bench and gave a hopeless reply, “I have no clue. We need somewhere where we can rest and heal up, but with Yutaka gone…I have no one.”
A hand was placed on his thigh, squeezing lightly, “You really care for him, don’t you? I was sort of in an in and out of it state when Akira brought you into the medical room…so, I heard what you did. Sending them to Hokkaido like that was a brave decision, and seeing how much you care for Yutaka, I know it must have been really hard on you.”
Yuu bit the inside of his cheek, refusing to look directly at Ni~ya, “I’ve been at his side for over two decades. Even if I didn’t want to at first, you can’t help but start to care for somebody when you’re around them all the time.”
Yuu’s bitter reply reminded Ni~ya so much of him… so much of Ruka. Pulling his hand away, he crossed it back over his chest, “I—he’ll be safe now. Akira will take care of him.”
The shifter scuffed, clicking his tongue at the roof of his mouth. “Saying that isn’t really going to make me feel any better.” A soft chuckle came from Ni~ya’s side, followed by a side of mumbled achy groans, “Holy shit, you can actually laugh. It’s a miracle! And here I thought you would be this forever monotonous stick in the mud.”
Ni~ya rolled off Yuu’s explanation, smiling internally as he stared straight ahead into the starry night abyss, “I think…I think I might have somewhere safe we can rest at for the next couple of days.”
“Really?” Yuu asked, sounding hopeful.
“Yeah, just,” the kitsune stood slowly from the bench, his hand still over his chest and face scrunched painfully, “do you think you have enough strength to change forms?”
Yuu’s dark as night eyebrows arched quizzically, “Do you mind me asking why?”
“The place I have planned, it’s a good few miles walk from here...”
“Where do you have us going?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“Well,” Yuu followed Ni~ya’s steps and stood up himself, beginning to discard his clothing, “I guess that’s better than nothing.”
Clothes fully stripped, the duo of raven heads hurriedly morphed; Ni~ya’s smaller fox form taking the lead and Yuu’s burley husky falling into step beside him.
***
As everything began to rapidly unfold in Tokyo, Yutaka still lay on the stiffen motel bed in Akita, not knowing a thing as to what was going on with his life. His breathing was labored as he muffled his face into the pillow, his face a scorching hot red as he shielded his eyes shut and tried to will down the boiling, rousing sensation he felt building in the pit of his stomach. No matter how many times by now he’d gotten a glimpse of those flashes into the unknown world of Reita and Kai, he still couldn’t get used to the effect they had on him. He always came out of the vision shocked and having this unbelievable urge to want to be closer to Akira…
He could still feel the blond’s cool fingers grazing against his thigh, still hear him releasing sighs and pleasure filled groans from the other room…still see his panicked face as he swarmed out of the room within a fraction of a second…
Yutaka was finally beginning to realize that he wasn’t the only one petrified of their current situation. Akira had admitted to being scared before, but actually seeing his usual exuberant amount of assured poise knocked down to such a level of frantic and bewildered made Yutaka feel almost…better?
Because now he knew he had every right to be scared. He knew he didn’t have to hold back on the fear he felt of arriving in Hokkaido and possibly finding out something that could be life changing. If Akira could wear his apprehension on his sleeve, then so could Yutaka.
Rolling over on the bed, he allowed his reddened face to meet fresh air, his lidded eyes gazing over the ceiling as his hands remained folded on his bare stomach. Even with the heat on in the room, the below freezing temperature from outside seeped its way into the building, and being clad in only a thin towel was allowing Yutaka to feel that frigid breeze no problem. He could curl up into the dusty blanket beneath him, but the coolness actually felt good and allowed his heated body to descend in panic, that rousing temptation that was building in him finally dying out.
The stained ceiling became his only view point for a time period that was more than just a few hours, and by the time he broke away from the numb stare, the sun was already rising, the dark of the night scattered into shattered pieces which were now decorated with illuminates of light.
In his hours alone, he had only allowed his thoughts to stray back to Akira a handful of times, the moment he pushed himself off the bed being one of those sparse times. Akira had said they were going to be leaving first thing in the morning, yet the blond was nowhere in sight.
Yutaka didn’t have very many options. Here he was in some run down motel in the middle of Akita, not a yen to his name and only a towel to act as his temporary cover up. He needed Akira to get back so he could get dressed and get the hell out of here, but it wasn’t exactly like he could go out looking for him.
Allowing a sigh to leave his pressed together lips, he ran a hand up his chest, moving in to go and play with the rings that always clanked together on a silver chain. He’d had the necklace for as long as he could remember, Yuu always telling him that it was the last present the brunette’s father had given him before he and his wife were involved in a deadly auto accident. All these years, that’s what he has been told…his parents had passed when he was still young, forcing him to move in with his aunt and uncle at the age of three. That was how he became Yuu’s next door neighbor. How they met and became friends…
But now Yutaka can’t be sure how much of that is the truth. Had his parents really died in a car accident? Were those people he was living with for all those years really his aunt and uncle?
Moving in to curl his fingers around the necklace, Yutaka’s heart beat began to speed up. It wasn’t there. There hadn’t been a day since he received that necklace that he’d taken it off, and with it now gone, he felt a very important part of himself was missing.
Heart beating erratically, he began searching the room’s entirety. Flipping open dresser drawers, pushing his hands under the springs of the mattress, checking the cracks of the wooden flooring… Everywhere he could possibly look in the small room, he looked, only to come up empty handed.
By the end, the entire room was trashed; the mattress flipped off the box spring and furniture resting in splinted pieces across the room. Even if the meaning behind the piece of jewelry was a lie, Yutaka cherished it. He needed false memories to hold onto, because those false memories are who Yutaka is.
Slick, bare back sliding down the wall, his backside fell to the floor, his knees folding by his chest as he ran his hands down his sweat drenched face. Allowing the feature to rest in his palms, he took deep, jagged breaths, trying to calm himself down.
Out of everything that has happened, this seemed like the absolute worst.
He was so caught up in trying to control his breathing that he didn’t even hear the door to the room open and shut. Just as he didn’t hear the crinkling of a plastic bag, nor the feet shuffling against worn wood. So, when a pale hand was placed against his shoulder and warm clothes were thrown onto his lap, he couldn’t control the small squeak that was released.
“Hurry up and get dressed, we’re already running late.” Akira demanded, not bothering to ask about the brunette’s current state, just as he ignored how trashed the room had become in his absence as he flipped over the little table and placed the plastic bags he was carrying on top of it.
Yutaka looked down at the clothes in his lap, it being his own and fresh from the dyer, “Thank you…” he mumbled dryly, still too upset over his loss to even attempt to start an argument with the blond.
“What’s wrong with you?” Akira asked with his back towards Yutaka as he began to unpack the bags, small snacks and a breakfast bento meal being placed on the table.
“Why do you care?” the brunette shot back angrily, noticing the lack of spark in Akira’s speech.
“Just wondering, don’t really fucking care.”
“Then don’t ask.”
“Then don’t pout in the corner like some toddler who just got their favorite fucking toy taken away.”
“Do you always have to be such an asshole?”
“Do you always have to start shit with me when all I’m trying to do is help you?”
Their argument came to an abrupt pause, Akira finally having turned around and looked at Yutaka for the first time. Their orbs were sealed on one another’s in an instant, almost challenging. Considering all they’d been through, it was hard to remember that Akira was actually here to help him, and every time Yutaka accidentally started another argument between the two of them, he almost felt guilty. “I’ll…I’ll just go get dressed now.”
“Ok…there’s food for you when you come out. Just hurry up and eat it, we need to leave pretty soon.” Akira said, pointing to the food on the table as Yutaka trudged passed him and into the bathroom to get dressed.
The rest of their stay in the hotel last only about another hour. After getting dressed and eating, Akira had handed Yutaka his trench coat again and told him to bundle up, and then it was back out into the freezing snow they went. Things between them had fallen so quiet and awkward that Yutaka didn’t even bother asking Akira why it was he hadn’t bothered officially checking out of their room.
They had only walked about a block in complete silence when Akira pulled Yutaka to the side and told him to wait right there. After ten or so minutes, the blond came back, this time driving in a sleek black Porsche. “Where’d you jack this one from?” Yutaka asked solemnly as he slid into the passenger seat, knowing the vehicle to be stolen just as the van had been.
“None of your damn business.”
It was with that that the silence took back over, neither uttering a word to each other; not even when they reached Akira’s connection in Aomori and boarded the private plane, not even when they arrived in Hokkaido and Akira began his frantic search for a man named Hitsugi.
next chapter
***
Author's Note: Hmm, a slower chapter, but I was using it to develop more character background and focus more on every body that wasn't Yutaka or Akira xD We did get a little bit of them, though, and we got some info in Yutaka's past, so yeah, at least that's something ^^;
Plus, there were a lot of little future plot points added in this chapter...like, a lot, so yeah, this chapter was definitely important :)
Also, some of the smaller character names I'm adding in (for now only Wataru and Tooru) I just want to let you guys know those aren't OCs. I don't know if I have any readers who are 12012 fans, but that's where they're from. ^^; They were my first Jrock band that I obsessed over (and still do xD) So I'm slowly going to be adding them into the mix of things :P
Hope you all enjoyed!
Chapter: 10/??
Author:
bite_to_all136Genre: AU, Cross Over, Supernatural, Action/Adventure, Romance, Some Humor
Warnings: mxm relationships, cursing, smut
Rating: NC-17 (overall)
Bands: the GazettE, Miyavi (solo), Naitomea/Nightmare, 12012
Pairings/Characters: Akira/Yutaka, Yutaka/Akira (Reita/Kai, Kai/Reita), Takamasa/Kouyou (Miyavi/Uruha), Takanori/OC (Ruki/OC), Yuu/Ni~ya (Aoi/Ni~ya), Wataru, Toru, Hitsugi
Summary: It was the first scent that caught his curiosity, the first taste which began the addiction that was key to opening the gates of the truth. Put on assignment by his lawful creator, Akira finds his life –his entire existence- beginning to unfold in scattered pieces, all thanks to a very unlikely suspect. Yutaka; the supposed easy going veterinarian student.
Notes: Originally requested by
sachiko_241, was going to be a oneshot, but I decided on a minichapter fic <3 This whole fic will be dedicated just to her.Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, only the mediocre story line.
(Character List)
Previous Chapters: (Prologue)(Chapter 1)(Chapter 2)(Chapter 3)(Chapter 4)(Chapter 5)(Chapter 6)(Chapter 7)(Chapter 8)(Chapter 9)
By the time Takanori walked through the steel set of floor to ceiling doors of his mate’s bedchambers, he had finally found it in himself to will away the tension he felt worrying every inch of his body. The month Ume had been gone had been stressful, but it was only these past two days where the auburn leader had truly been perturbed by such heinous thoughts that his usual work came to an almost complete pause. He had known Ume was safe in the kitsunes custody, that it was her own fault for being held captive. She’d crossed treaty lines knowingly, and Takanori knew the clauses of that treaty almost better than he knew his own creator. You cross those boundaries; there’s a price to pay - simple as that. But he also knew that if the kitsunes wanted to make a proper trade to settle the treaty dispute, they wouldn’t touch a single hair on Ume’s raven head.
His mate’s safety had been assured, so when the kitsunes bargained him to find the impossible for trade, Takanori hadn’t a problem in agreeing, because he knew that no matter how long it took him to find just what it was the kitsunes wanted, Ume would forever be safe.
It had taken him almost the entirety of the month, but then he finally found just what it was the kitsunes wanted. He found Yutaka—he found Kai. And it was all thanks to Kouyou…
Special connections had been called in, research done from day to night, but there was still nothing after almost a week of looking. All hope was looking nil. Finally, Takanori had informed his blood brother and halfling assistant of just what their situation was.
“The only exchange they’re offering is Ume for Kai,” Takanori breathed out, his fingers massaging his scalp and forehead resting in his palms, “I’ve been looking for him all week, but do you know how hard it is to find someone who has been gone for over a century? I’m starting to think those rumors of him being back are just that – rumors.”
“That’s a good twenty years of rumors, Taka. There has to be some truth to it.” Takamasa spoke whilst sitting across from the auburn in a plush office chair, his wrist idly moving the crimson filled glass in circles and dark eyes down casted.
“But, I’ve looked everywhere, he’s nowhere to be found. It’s almost like he never existed…”
A staggered sigh was released, Takamasa pressing his thumb and forefinger into the crease of his eyes before chugging what was left of his glass and standing, “I really wish you would have told us what was going on sooner, Taka. We could have helped.”
“I’m fucking telling you now,” he growled, “You think I called you in here for some pity party? No, I want you and Kouyou on this; treat it as if any other case.”
Another sigh was released into the air, Takamasa looking to the side of him and finding the halfling with his hands cupped formally at his midsection and gaze to the ground. “You up for some research tonight?”
Breaking his stare with the ground, Kouyou looked to the inked creature who intimated him to no end. “S-sure,” Takamasa began walking away, Kouyou remaining in his spot.
“You coming?” The tattooed elderly questioned, arm half hugging the door and sight shot over his shoulder.
“In a moment…I need to talk to Takanori alone for a few minutes…” His head averted back to the ground, fingers swaying over each other nervously.
Takamasa’s eye brow arched, face quipping scratchily, before he mumbled an ok and turned to Takanori one last time, “Do you want Akira in on this, or-”
“Absolutely fucking not,” the leader’s response was almost instant, his face looking to Takamasa with unyielding disgust at such a suggestion, “He does not need to be involved in this. If either of you breathe a fucking word of this to him, I’ll end you myself.”
A click of his tongue and a soft ‘mhhmm’ of agreement, Takamasa took his exit, calling out to Kouyou that he’d be in the archive room downstairs when his private time with Takanori was over.
Continuing to shuffle on nervous feet, Kouyou began to speak, his voice sounding like nothing but utterance and blobbed together vowels. The vicious look his newest leader sent him caused him to gulp audibly, before he closed his eyes and did some more mumbling, finally finding the back drop courage to take the seat Takamasa had just been occupying.
“Just what is it you want to speak to me about?” Takanori prompted, the tips of his fingers aligning perfectly and looking at Kouyou through the formed cracks.
“I—I…remember when you found me?” The entire room seemed to drop in temperature, both creatures’ cold gazes meeting.
It was only six months ago, but already it seemed like an eternity had passed. Akira had been hurt on assignment pretty gravely, and there was no way the blond vampire would have survived if help hadn’t come. Takamasa had offered, but Taka had shooed his blood brother away and insisted that he be the one to go save his fledgling.
By the time Takanori had found Akira, the blond was passed out in an alleyway, a chunk of his midsection missing and body numb as heavy rain fell upon them. It had been a werewolf bite; the beasts saliva and bite nothing more than venomous to a vampire. Akira should have already been dead, but Takanori noted that his blond fledgling’s wound had already been tended to, the indents of the bite marks having been singed shut with fire, and the wound slowly but surely healing as the rain washed out the toxic substance.
As curious as he was about who or what had been the one to help the blond, Takanori really didn’t have the time to think, more than anything just wanting to get Akira home and safe. He had just lifted the blond into his arms when a sudden sniffle was heard, his eyes catching a soaked, hunched over, black clad figure shivering from a minimal distance.
“Who are you?” His voice was stern and clear, body in attack mod just in case.
The sniffles stopped, the soaked body ceasing with the shaking immediately; almost as if trying to mask itself further into the darkness.
Takanori surveyed Akira’s body again, noting the younger had recently fed, but didn’t get anywhere near the amount of blood that his current injury would involve for proper healing. He needed to get him back to the headquarters, but something about the shivering figure enamored him and disallowed him to leave.
“Were you the one who helped him?” Takanori aimed his head down at the body in his arms, knowing that the gesture was almost completely useless in such a dark unless…And that’s when he finally sensed it. The smell was barely there, almost depleted, but just the fraction of it he caught was more than enough. This creature’s blood smelt of a familiarity of his own species, mixed with something that would have been unknown if not for his heavy association with the shifters. “You’re a halfling?” He should have been disgusted, but instead, he was intrigued. Halflings were scarcer than his families’ bloodline. Centuries of vampires have come and gone, yet he, Takamasa, and Akira had been the only ones to obtain resistance to the sun. They were rare—halflings were even rarer.
Slowly, the soaked figure stood, long legs putting him at a height Takanori wasn’t expecting. The hood that was drenched over his face was removed, the moonlight providing Takanori with a proper view of the honey blond’s face. “Yes…” he answered, the auburn leader knowing that simple yes answered both of his questions the second he saw the fang marks and strands of blood running down the halfling’s neck.
A tense moment passed, neither saying anything, just staring. It was as if a mutual understanding of something they weren’t so sure about passed by them, and not thinking too much, Takanori smiled at the drenched halfling, waving his unoccupied hand, “Come with me, we’ll work something out.”
The halfling’s steps fell behind Takanori’s the entire way back to headquarters.
“Of course I do,” Takanori’s reply was cool and drawn out, eyes looking at Kouyou suspiciously, “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Well,” the halfling began shyly, voice broken and nails digging into skin, “I think it’s about time I told you why it is I was in the alley that night…”
“Go on,” curiosity was there, his full attention on Kouyou.
“I…I was kicked out of the pack I was in…The Shiroyama pack…”
Takanori came to a complete stop, dropping his hands at his sides and analyzing the honey blond before him. He had questions –loads of questions- but those could wait till later. “And?”
“Well…they’re the pack Wataru-san assigned to watch over Kai…I know where he is—who he is. I can help you get him…”
An almost demented smile formed on the leader’s face, “Tell me everything you know…”
Stopping as he rounded the corner that faced the king sized canopy western bed, Takanori eyed two figures next to his mate’s bed – one standing while the other lay stiffly on the ground, “Kouyou,” he called, walking up to the halfling and standing by his side, “How is she?” his set of hazels scanned over Ume, taking in her wan sleeping figure tucked below silky, rosewood sheets. Her lips were a plush pink and her skin just was pearly as ever.
“She’s doing great, Taka. Akira ordered me to attain her a human for feeding, and within seconds of finishing she passed out and has been sleeping since. Poor thing must have been exhausted.” The female on the ground beside Kouyou looked like a trashy thing, the track marks on her arms providing the fact that she was heavily into drugs. Knowing that a human such as herself would have disgusted Kiyoharu to no end made it ok in Takanori’s eyes that his mate had ended her miserable existence; his creator would have been proud.
“I take it Tooru is on his way to come pick up the body, then?” The shorter inquired, settling himself on the side of the bed and allowing his fingers to stroke through Ume’s silk like tendrils. He owed a lot to Toru. The younger was only a mere fifty years old, but for those entire fifty years he’s been nothing but dedicated to Takanori; disposing of any mess he, Akira, or Takamasa have created in that time period.
“No, I’ll be taking care of this one myself. Tooru said Akira called him a while ago and told him there was something at the kitsunes headquarters that needed to be handled right away. He doesn’t even know if he’ll be able to finish before sun up, but if that’s the case I’ve already volunteered to finish it up for him.”
Takanori paused in stroking Ume’s raven hair, looking to Kouyou with narrowed, confused eyes. “What happened there?”
The halfling shrugged his shoulders, “I’m not quite sure. Ume was mumbling some things before she fell asleep, but it was all kind of nonsensical. Toru says it’s a bloodbath over there, though.”
And just like that, Takanori was brought back to his and Akira’s earlier fight…
“Are you fucking kidding me? I just nearly killed an entire pack of kitsunes, watched your so called human pulverize somebody into the ground as if nothing, and all you’re worried about is Ume? There are bigger things going on here, Taka!”
“Fuck,” Takanori hissed out loud, rubbing a hand down his face, “What the fuck is going on…” earlier he’d been too distracted by the prospect that Ume was finally home and Akira had returned to him safely to even think about just why it was the tempered blond was back and covered in blood. Too distracted to take note of his fledging’s distress, and now the auburn leader could literally feel the metaphorical foot kicking him in the ass.
“Do me a favor,” he continued, pointing at the lifeless body, “get rid of that and then bring Akira to me. I need to have a proper talk with him.”
The hafling followed through on the request, nodding his head before throwing the body over his shoulder and exiting the room.
“Taka?” His attention was brought back down to the rosewood sheets, his features lightening dramatically and relieving themselves of stress as he heard a voice that was as sweet as honey and smooth like silk call out to him.
Hazel eyes softening, he allowed his lips to lift to a barely noticeable degree, his hand running through silky strands and caressing ashen cheek, “How are you feeling? Would you like something else to eat?”
As usual, Ume answered with a nod of denial, her arms which were just as white are her face pushing her up until her back met the plush, embroidered, head rest. Lifting her knees to her breast and curving her arms around her legs, she titled her head into the cubby before asking; “Where’s Aki? Is he ok? At the kitsunes’ place he was…Taka, I’ve never seen him so hurt. His skin… it was literally deteriorating…”
Takanori only allowed a feeling of guilt to take over him for seconds, his face going stiff and hands crunching against the smooth fabric of the bed. He was too occupied with keeping a promise to a man long dead and gone to even uphold his duties and be a proper creator…Akira had been hurt, Akira had so much to tell, and yet the auburn ignored him. “What did they do to him?” His voice remained levelled and clear, never once hitching.
Ume’s shoulders shrugged, head falling deeper into her self-made cubby. “They used a dart to inject him with something…The only thing I’ve ever seen injure us like that is-”
“A werewolf bite…” Takanori finished, almost aghast. “Are you—do you think they kitsunes are working with them?”
Another shrug of the shoulders. “Either that or they have one held captive and are creating the injections out of its salvia...” As to only weaken their enemy and not fully kill them. The plan was almost genius, but Takanori wouldn’t put it past the kitsunes to devise such a scheme.
“But if they’re actually working with them that could only mean one thing…” A war would soon break out. Clans and packs of several species joining as one had been a prime factor that has lead up to all the previous wars, and if the kitsunes alliancing with the werewolves is true, then Takanori was certain the beginning stages of war were already in the making.
“Even if they’re not, no matter what…a war is coming, Taka.” The auburn rested a hand over his mate’s alabaster hand, squeezing gently and silently telling her to explain, “When they were moving me from one cell to another, I overheard part of a conversation. The kitsunes…they want to annihilate the vampire race…” Her dark eyes became hazy, her own hand tightening around the leader’s.
Takanori could feel a ball forming in the middle of his throat, it becoming hard to form words, “How do they plan on doing that?”
Ume’s reply almost allowed him to feel relieved, the word leaving her mouth ghostly and the ball loosening in Taka’s throat, “Kai.”
A small laugh radiated from his plush lips, fingers grazing the side of his mates face lovingly, “You have nothing to worry about then, Um’s. I gave them Yutaka because nobody—not even us—know what’s key to triggering his abilities. Without them, he’s the equalivent to a human-”
“No, Taka. They figured it out. It’s not a what, but a who...”
Takanori felt the ball rebuilding, “D-do you have a name of this ‘who’?”
“Reita…”
Right then and there, it felt like a cinder block was dropped on Taka’s chest; his eyes widening and skin falling an even whiter sheet of pale. Everything connected all too well together for what his imagination was creating not too be true. It was a century and a half ago Kai was killed…A century and a half ago he found Akira in a pile of burnt of rubbage, already nearing death’s door. The timing and setting matched up all too well, and it couldn’t be a mere coincidence that the kitsunes took his fledging…His fledgling who barred the name Reita before he was turned.
Akira was Reita, and somehow, Reita was connected to Kai…and if the kitsunes knew that…
“Fuck,” Jumping out of bed, Takanori took off at full speed down the hall, only to collide with a reappearing Kouyou. “Kou, bring Akira and Yutaka to me now! I want them under 24 hour surveillance from this point forward.”
It was when Takanori saw how a bashfully disappointed face on formed on the halfling’s features that he knew something was wrong. Kouyou hadn’t acted this way around him since he first brought him to the headquarters – the only exception being when the honey blond had to break news to his leader that he knew would disappoint or anger him. “I—I…Can’t…”
“And why the hell not?”
“They’re…they’re gone, Taka…”
Running a hand through his thick hair, the auburn stared at the honey blond for a moment before restarting his storm down the hall; cursing and screaming the entire way down, punching holes in the tinted walls and leaving a bloody trail from his gashed open knuckles.
No sooner did Takanori disappear down the hall did Kouyou begin his own frantic descent. He’d held himself as steady as he could in front of his leader, but on the inside he was an unbelievable mess. Every functioning organ felt like it was slowly breaking down; losing function. The strength of his undead side didn’t even seem to be present, only lingering somewhere idly so far away it was beyond his grips reach. His stomach and chest felt heavy with emotional pain; he was suffocating.
With his mind twisting and turning every scenario, his breathing became jagged, sharp. His legs felt like Jell-O, he unable to walk anymore. Hand raising to his chest, he took in deep inhales, trying to take in any form of oxygen available as his back fell against the wall and he fell to the ground in an undying tumble.
Emotions had always played heavy on Kouyou’s side, the halfling much rather having to suffer through copious amounts of mental and physical endurance than that of feelings. He always fell hard – always fast. His relationship with Yuu had been just that…
Alone in the world and hated by most, any form of connection he was able to make with someone was that of significance. Yuu found him wandering the streets. Yuu took him in and fought for his pack to accept him. Yuu made him feel loved. But for all that good that Yuu did, nothing but torment would follow.
Takamasa had been the first in a while he’d been able to make a proper connection with. Sure, he’d again fallen hard and fast, but this time he could tell it was genuine.
After he had informed his leader of his past ties with the Shiroyama pack, Kouyou had practically begged for the auburn to keep the information to himself. The halfling was already looked down upon by most of the people who surrounded him, the label traitor didn’t need to follow in the already tainted label of halfling.
Honest to his word, Takanori had kept quiet. He had Kouyou and Takamasa work together in the archive room as originally planned until he could come up with a proper plan of action to gather Yutaka and get Ume back. It was during that time that Kouyou’s and Takamasa’s romantic tryst began.
Days, even weeks, trapped downstairs together in the cramped space of nothing but filing cabinets and folders, a flame was ignited that refused to die out. Strong feelings developed at the speed of light, and before Kouyou could fully grasp what was happening, Takamasa – the inked vampire who intimidated him to no end—had him pressed against one of those filing cabinets, devouring his body and taking him as his own. Everything was running so perfect for such a short period of time and now Kouyou fears that’s all about to come to a screeching pause.
“Kou?” The call sounded just as frantic as his breaths, and when he felt cool fingers grasp his shoulders and sit him up properly, the halfling could feel his breaths calm some, Takamasa eyeing him with nothing but worry.
“Hey, hey. I’ve been looking for you, what’s wrong?” Damp, honey blond tendrils were pushed off his forehead, his heated face cooling from the sides of inked hands brushing against his cheeks. The worry that was so evident in Takamasa’s dark orbs was another calming factor, because maybe – just maybe—if Takamasa found out, nothing would actually change? Maybe the incident with Yuu wouldn’t repeat itself…
Allowing his face to plant against the v-line of Takamasa’s shapely chest, Kouyou’s fingers clenched in thin shirt material, clinging to it for life, “Yuu…he’s not in his cell…”
“What?! How the hell did he-”
Kouyou’s hands clenched harder, pulling Takamasa closer, “Masa… Things…things that you don’t know about me are going to get brought up soon. I…I just want you to know I’ll love you no matter what you think of me…”
“Kou,” a kiss was planted to his heated forehead, fingers dancing and gliding across his neck, “nothing’s ever going to tear us apart, come on,” he grabbed the halfling’s hand, dragging him up and off the floor and directly against his side, “He couldn’t have gotten far, he’s still too injured. We’ll find him before he even exits the building.”
“Ok,” Kouyou nodded, quickly breaking from the hold, having never been comfortable with the close contact with Takanori still close by.
“And Kou? Later on, we’re going to talk about Yuu, alright? Him being here is affecting you and I don’t like it. You can trust me with anything.”
It was then Kouyou realized he should have just allowed Takanori to inform his blood brother of Kouyou’s connections to the Shiroyama pack, but what’s done is done and there’s no going back. With another nod of his head, he took off in front of Takamasa, the pair hoping they’d find Yuu before Takanori found out of their prisoner’s disappearance.
Downstairs, Yuu could hear the commotion from the upper levels, his body still too weak to move. The amount of time he had guessed he needed for the silver to radiate out of his system had been gravely underestimated and he felt as if he were being held down by a bag of wet cement. Lifting and turning his head from the gurney the minimal possible degree allowed, his natural deep browns focused on the light up and down exertions of Ni~ya’s chest. He was still in the dark about what had happened to the creature before him, but somewhere in the back of his head, he knew it was indirectly his fault. Anything that involved Yutaka was his responsibility and Ni~ya had been very upfront about his wanting to help Yuu. It only made sense that the kitsune had been injured while helping Yutaka, and for that, Yuu felt guilty. He’d fallen through on his own responsibilities, thus getting others hurt in the long run. All fingers were beginning to point back at him, and the colossal burden sunk his confidence like an anchor to a boat that had just been struck with a meteorite – almost effortlessly.
The screaming upstairs continued, Yuu able to put together that Takanori had found out of Akira’s and Yutaka’s escape. That said, the shifter knew he had very little time before his new location was discovered. He had to get out, and fast. The information he knew could definitely buy him more time, but if given the chance, he really wished to keep everything he knew to himself for as long as possible – at least until Yutaka and Akira made it back.
Using his arms, he pushed himself up on the stainless steel gurney, his entire face squinting as he bit back mass groans of pain. The silver was still clinging to the ever moving blood cells swarming throughout his veins, piercing him in the most unpleasant of ways. When his legs were finally dangling over the edge, he took a deep breath before taking a small dive and landing his feet on the ground; his body falling forward and hands landing on Ni~ya’s own gurney being the only thing that broke his fall.
Hands shaking, he lifted one to the kitsune’s shoulder, shaking him awake, “Get up, we have to get moving.” His request only radiated in the air, the kitsune still deeply asleep. “Wake the hell up, we have to go, now.” Another demand fallen flat, the wan creature still deeply at rest.
“Fuck,” Yuu murmured, both from the pain and his current situation. He could just leave Ni~ya here, but he couldn’t bring himself to be so selfish. The kitsune had sacrificed a lot just to help him, something someone from his own pack wouldn’t even do.
Shaky fingers digging into the stainless steel, he finally released them, and using all the strength he could possibly build up, he slid one arm under Ni~ya’s legs, the other going beneath the wan creature’s neck. Bubbling his cheeks, Yuu held in his breath as he picked up the smaller statured man, it releasing gutturally as his knees quivered and almost sent him toppling to the ground. His head dipped, eyes falling directly in sight of the thick stitches across Ni~ya’s chest, the painful injury becoming his focus point as he re-gathered his strength. Minutes passed by, Yuu still unable to move. By the time he had attained the ability to move again, only one foot had stepped forward before the door to the medical room came busting open; Takamasa and Kouyou standing in the doorway.
“How’d I know I’d find you in here? I knew I shouldn’t have trusted Akira to watch after you,” Takamasa spoke with folded arms, his attitude completely different now that he was paired with Kouyou. Down in the basement’s holding cells, the inked vampire had been almost kind to Yuu, informing him of bits and pieces of what was going on whilst looking mildly concerned. But now it seemed as if his personality had done a complete three sixty with Kouyou by his side. He seemed protective, condescending.
Kouyou remained quiet, his body tucked away behind Takamasa’s own and eyes peaking just above a tattooed shoulder blade, watching the two raven’s interactions took place.
Ni~ya still resting in his arms, Yuu fell back some inches, allowing the pole beam to support him and hide any semblance of pain, “It doesn’t matter that you found us, I know you’ll let us go.” Yuu’s confidence was false, but at least it leveled Takamasa’s. Usually tan skin was quickly turning pale, the pain of holding his own weight plus Ni~ya’s extra with silver still ramparting his system barely teetering on bearable.
A cocky scuff, “What makes you say that?”
The shifter’s gaze fell back and forth between Takamasa and the halfling, finally settling on Kouyou and cutting his deep browns into nervous honey eyes, “If you don’t, I’ll reveal your relationship to not only Takanori, but the rest of the pack at home. They already hold hatred for you…can you imagine what they’d do if they found out you were with a vamp, let alone one of Kiyoharu’s fledglings?” His stare turned menacing; challenging, and there was no way he missed how Kouyou’s body stiffened.
“You son of a bitch!” Takamasa was launching himself forward, expression heinous as he moved in to attack Yuu. Fangs out and the white of his eyes turning a deep red, ears picking up on the shifter’s erratic pulse as he readied himself to seep his fangs into the already weakened creature.
Less than a breath away from the flinching shifter and Takamasa felt a hand grip the middle of his arm, blunt force holding him back, “Takamasa…stop…Just let them go. He’s useless to us now. Only going to stir more shit up…”
“Kou-”
“Just…stop. I’m not going to risk anything when it comes to you…just let the asshole go.”
“But Taka-”
“I’ll handle Taka. Just let them go. We have things to deal with that are actually worth our time.” Kouyou traded another soft look with Takamasa before lowering his sight and burning Yuu with a screeching glower. “You’re still the same scumbag you’ve always been.” Turning, he exited the room, informing Takamasa along the way that he was going to go find Takanori.
The second Kouyou was gone, Yuu felt Takamasa back off him, his breathing space back to finally being his own. “Get the fuck out of here, now. Show you face around me again and I won’t hold back.” His threat held a calm undertone, eyes returning to their usual dark color, the way he held himself reminding Yuu of the Takamasa from down in the basement.
Saying nothing in reply, Yuu kept his head held up high as he groggily walked past the powerful being and out of Takanoris’ altogether. Once outside, the night felt nothing but relaxing on his heated skin. He had enough left in him to just make it to a bus stop bench before collapsing, placing Ni~ya to the side of him as he curled up in a ball of pain.
He wasn’t sure what felt worse, the physical pain or knowing that he failed something he had dedicated the last twenty years of his life to protecting. In just a few hours’ time, Akira and Yutaka would be reaching Hokkaido. Meaning, Yuu’s hours in knowing he tried his hardest to protect the brunette were only few. After Hokkaido, Yuu didn’t know what to expect. There was a high probability that Yutaka wouldn’t come back as the same kind hearted and problematically defensive man he grew to admire, an even greater probability that Yutaka wouldn’t come back at all…
And if somehow Yutaka is able to hold onto a part of the person who he is now, Yuu’s sure he will never be forgiven. For over twenty years he had lied to the brunette. Everything from how they met, what really happened to his family… it was all lies. If there was one thing Yuu had to agree with Kouyou upon, it was the very fact that, yes – he was indeed a huge fucking scumbag.
“Fu-... It’s freezing out here. I need a cigarette…” Eyes grazing to the side of him, Yuu found a recently awoken Ni~ya. His wan body was shivering, nearly turning purple as his lip quivered in place, and his fingers lay sprawled against his bare chest; unconsciously playing with the loose strings of his stitches. Ni~ya’s soft features dusted towards Yuu, watching the shifter with the relative calmness that always seemed to surround him, “Where are we going to go?” Without even discussing it, Ni~ya knew it was only him and Yuu now.
The kitsune’s question was one that held many obstacles. Yuu knew his pack wouldn’t accept another outsider; not after Kouyou. And even if that weren’t the case, his pack was going to be beyond furious with him anyways. Because of him failing, not only he, but his entire pack, are going to have to face the consequences Wataru has set in place for them…and if they manage to live through whatever it is he has planned, Yuu knows he’ll be exiled in a heartbeat, just like Kouyou was.
Then there was Ni~ya who was basically a prisoner on the run. He was wanted. He couldn’t go back to the kitsunes even if he tried. His leader Shun wanted him gone for his betrayal and that bounty wouldn’t be lifted till he was dead or imprisoned. Neither of the two creatures’ current situations worked well for them and they had nowhere to go while they were still injured unless they used to their advantage their combined smarts and hopefully possible connections.
Uncurling himself from his ball, Yuu sat up straight on the bench and gave a hopeless reply, “I have no clue. We need somewhere where we can rest and heal up, but with Yutaka gone…I have no one.”
A hand was placed on his thigh, squeezing lightly, “You really care for him, don’t you? I was sort of in an in and out of it state when Akira brought you into the medical room…so, I heard what you did. Sending them to Hokkaido like that was a brave decision, and seeing how much you care for Yutaka, I know it must have been really hard on you.”
Yuu bit the inside of his cheek, refusing to look directly at Ni~ya, “I’ve been at his side for over two decades. Even if I didn’t want to at first, you can’t help but start to care for somebody when you’re around them all the time.”
Yuu’s bitter reply reminded Ni~ya so much of him… so much of Ruka. Pulling his hand away, he crossed it back over his chest, “I—he’ll be safe now. Akira will take care of him.”
The shifter scuffed, clicking his tongue at the roof of his mouth. “Saying that isn’t really going to make me feel any better.” A soft chuckle came from Ni~ya’s side, followed by a side of mumbled achy groans, “Holy shit, you can actually laugh. It’s a miracle! And here I thought you would be this forever monotonous stick in the mud.”
Ni~ya rolled off Yuu’s explanation, smiling internally as he stared straight ahead into the starry night abyss, “I think…I think I might have somewhere safe we can rest at for the next couple of days.”
“Really?” Yuu asked, sounding hopeful.
“Yeah, just,” the kitsune stood slowly from the bench, his hand still over his chest and face scrunched painfully, “do you think you have enough strength to change forms?”
Yuu’s dark as night eyebrows arched quizzically, “Do you mind me asking why?”
“The place I have planned, it’s a good few miles walk from here...”
“Where do you have us going?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“Well,” Yuu followed Ni~ya’s steps and stood up himself, beginning to discard his clothing, “I guess that’s better than nothing.”
Clothes fully stripped, the duo of raven heads hurriedly morphed; Ni~ya’s smaller fox form taking the lead and Yuu’s burley husky falling into step beside him.
As everything began to rapidly unfold in Tokyo, Yutaka still lay on the stiffen motel bed in Akita, not knowing a thing as to what was going on with his life. His breathing was labored as he muffled his face into the pillow, his face a scorching hot red as he shielded his eyes shut and tried to will down the boiling, rousing sensation he felt building in the pit of his stomach. No matter how many times by now he’d gotten a glimpse of those flashes into the unknown world of Reita and Kai, he still couldn’t get used to the effect they had on him. He always came out of the vision shocked and having this unbelievable urge to want to be closer to Akira…
He could still feel the blond’s cool fingers grazing against his thigh, still hear him releasing sighs and pleasure filled groans from the other room…still see his panicked face as he swarmed out of the room within a fraction of a second…
Yutaka was finally beginning to realize that he wasn’t the only one petrified of their current situation. Akira had admitted to being scared before, but actually seeing his usual exuberant amount of assured poise knocked down to such a level of frantic and bewildered made Yutaka feel almost…better?
Because now he knew he had every right to be scared. He knew he didn’t have to hold back on the fear he felt of arriving in Hokkaido and possibly finding out something that could be life changing. If Akira could wear his apprehension on his sleeve, then so could Yutaka.
Rolling over on the bed, he allowed his reddened face to meet fresh air, his lidded eyes gazing over the ceiling as his hands remained folded on his bare stomach. Even with the heat on in the room, the below freezing temperature from outside seeped its way into the building, and being clad in only a thin towel was allowing Yutaka to feel that frigid breeze no problem. He could curl up into the dusty blanket beneath him, but the coolness actually felt good and allowed his heated body to descend in panic, that rousing temptation that was building in him finally dying out.
The stained ceiling became his only view point for a time period that was more than just a few hours, and by the time he broke away from the numb stare, the sun was already rising, the dark of the night scattered into shattered pieces which were now decorated with illuminates of light.
In his hours alone, he had only allowed his thoughts to stray back to Akira a handful of times, the moment he pushed himself off the bed being one of those sparse times. Akira had said they were going to be leaving first thing in the morning, yet the blond was nowhere in sight.
Yutaka didn’t have very many options. Here he was in some run down motel in the middle of Akita, not a yen to his name and only a towel to act as his temporary cover up. He needed Akira to get back so he could get dressed and get the hell out of here, but it wasn’t exactly like he could go out looking for him.
Allowing a sigh to leave his pressed together lips, he ran a hand up his chest, moving in to go and play with the rings that always clanked together on a silver chain. He’d had the necklace for as long as he could remember, Yuu always telling him that it was the last present the brunette’s father had given him before he and his wife were involved in a deadly auto accident. All these years, that’s what he has been told…his parents had passed when he was still young, forcing him to move in with his aunt and uncle at the age of three. That was how he became Yuu’s next door neighbor. How they met and became friends…
But now Yutaka can’t be sure how much of that is the truth. Had his parents really died in a car accident? Were those people he was living with for all those years really his aunt and uncle?
Moving in to curl his fingers around the necklace, Yutaka’s heart beat began to speed up. It wasn’t there. There hadn’t been a day since he received that necklace that he’d taken it off, and with it now gone, he felt a very important part of himself was missing.
Heart beating erratically, he began searching the room’s entirety. Flipping open dresser drawers, pushing his hands under the springs of the mattress, checking the cracks of the wooden flooring… Everywhere he could possibly look in the small room, he looked, only to come up empty handed.
By the end, the entire room was trashed; the mattress flipped off the box spring and furniture resting in splinted pieces across the room. Even if the meaning behind the piece of jewelry was a lie, Yutaka cherished it. He needed false memories to hold onto, because those false memories are who Yutaka is.
Slick, bare back sliding down the wall, his backside fell to the floor, his knees folding by his chest as he ran his hands down his sweat drenched face. Allowing the feature to rest in his palms, he took deep, jagged breaths, trying to calm himself down.
Out of everything that has happened, this seemed like the absolute worst.
He was so caught up in trying to control his breathing that he didn’t even hear the door to the room open and shut. Just as he didn’t hear the crinkling of a plastic bag, nor the feet shuffling against worn wood. So, when a pale hand was placed against his shoulder and warm clothes were thrown onto his lap, he couldn’t control the small squeak that was released.
“Hurry up and get dressed, we’re already running late.” Akira demanded, not bothering to ask about the brunette’s current state, just as he ignored how trashed the room had become in his absence as he flipped over the little table and placed the plastic bags he was carrying on top of it.
Yutaka looked down at the clothes in his lap, it being his own and fresh from the dyer, “Thank you…” he mumbled dryly, still too upset over his loss to even attempt to start an argument with the blond.
“What’s wrong with you?” Akira asked with his back towards Yutaka as he began to unpack the bags, small snacks and a breakfast bento meal being placed on the table.
“Why do you care?” the brunette shot back angrily, noticing the lack of spark in Akira’s speech.
“Just wondering, don’t really fucking care.”
“Then don’t ask.”
“Then don’t pout in the corner like some toddler who just got their favorite fucking toy taken away.”
“Do you always have to be such an asshole?”
“Do you always have to start shit with me when all I’m trying to do is help you?”
Their argument came to an abrupt pause, Akira finally having turned around and looked at Yutaka for the first time. Their orbs were sealed on one another’s in an instant, almost challenging. Considering all they’d been through, it was hard to remember that Akira was actually here to help him, and every time Yutaka accidentally started another argument between the two of them, he almost felt guilty. “I’ll…I’ll just go get dressed now.”
“Ok…there’s food for you when you come out. Just hurry up and eat it, we need to leave pretty soon.” Akira said, pointing to the food on the table as Yutaka trudged passed him and into the bathroom to get dressed.
The rest of their stay in the hotel last only about another hour. After getting dressed and eating, Akira had handed Yutaka his trench coat again and told him to bundle up, and then it was back out into the freezing snow they went. Things between them had fallen so quiet and awkward that Yutaka didn’t even bother asking Akira why it was he hadn’t bothered officially checking out of their room.
They had only walked about a block in complete silence when Akira pulled Yutaka to the side and told him to wait right there. After ten or so minutes, the blond came back, this time driving in a sleek black Porsche. “Where’d you jack this one from?” Yutaka asked solemnly as he slid into the passenger seat, knowing the vehicle to be stolen just as the van had been.
“None of your damn business.”
It was with that that the silence took back over, neither uttering a word to each other; not even when they reached Akira’s connection in Aomori and boarded the private plane, not even when they arrived in Hokkaido and Akira began his frantic search for a man named Hitsugi.
next chapter
Author's Note: Hmm, a slower chapter, but I was using it to develop more character background and focus more on every body that wasn't Yutaka or Akira xD We did get a little bit of them, though, and we got some info in Yutaka's past, so yeah, at least that's something ^^;
Plus, there were a lot of little future plot points added in this chapter...like, a lot, so yeah, this chapter was definitely important :)
Also, some of the smaller character names I'm adding in (for now only Wataru and Tooru) I just want to let you guys know those aren't OCs. I don't know if I have any readers who are 12012 fans, but that's where they're from. ^^; They were my first Jrock band that I obsessed over (and still do xD) So I'm slowly going to be adding them into the mix of things :P
Hope you all enjoyed!
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Date: 2014-01-08 07:20 pm (UTC)It was a damn long chapter and I love it!!
You included so many characters!! And their background and what they doing now and ahhh!! I was happy to read somethig about Kouyou's past and I am curious what happened to him in the Shiroyama pack that he got kicked out of it.
I wonder where Yutaka's necklace is.. Maybe he lost it during the car crash? Ahh and as I write of it.. You wrote: " it was the last present the brunette’s father had given him before he and his wife were involved in a deadly auto accident" Could it be that you used the german word for car, Auto, instead of the english one? Bcs in a later sentence you used car XD
And hahhh.. I also can't wait to see the Yuu/Ni~ya relationship developing *3*
And!! HITSUGI!!!! Ah, Sam, I am sorry that I can't say/write more but you know that I love every chapter and reading this damn long chapter and getting to know some background makes it up to you not writing what you told me XD But back then you told MAYBE in this chapter. Haha XD I am loking forward to the next one!!! *3* ♥ ♥ ♥
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Date: 2014-01-10 07:10 pm (UTC)It did turn out being damn long (well, for my standards at least), which is just why what I told you was going to be in here wasn't. I didn't want to overload the chapter too much. But, that Yutaka and Akira scene was added so I could get them to Hokkaido, so MAYBE it'll happen next chapter ;)
All will be revealed in time :) Kouyou's story line is one of my favorite, and his relationship with Yuu and the Shiroyama pack will be a pretty intricate plot point ^^;
Yutaka's necklace is another important element, reason why I've brought it up very sporadically since the first chapter. ^^;
Ooops, totally didn't mean to do that! I guess I remember more German than I thought xDD Oh well, I'm honestly too lazy to change it, readers can use context clues to figure it out if they don't know what I'm talking about xDD
Yuu and Ni~ya is the relationship I'm looking forward to the most :DD Gotta love me some Ni~yssss <333
I'll try and update soon! Thank you for leaving such a lovely comment, it's the kind of thing that makes me day :DD
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Date: 2014-01-09 01:29 am (UTC)I really liked this chapter. I think, it's always necessary to have at least one chapter that goes a little slower than others because it really helps to give characters depth and it builds people's understanding of those characters. Plus, it provides an opportunity, as a writer, to really delve into the character and go nuts with your creativity ^_^ I know, for me at least, that writing characters and developing them and giving them their own backgrounds and personalities is one of funnest parts about writing :3
I really loved this chapter because it gave us an insight into all the characters and their backgrounds. It was really interesting to read about Kouyou and Takamasa, those two intrigue me and, for some reason, I really really like Kou as a halfling. I think it fits him well. It's always good not to focus solely on the "main pairing/characters" when you have such a complex plot, like yours. But, in saying that, you did still mix Yutaka and Akira in. Whether it's directly or indirectly, which is awesome. And we found out a little bit more about who Kai and Reita are and what's going on there... But only a little ;P
I really like the relationship between Yutaka and Akira (plus, I just ship them so hard, you have no idea xD). That bitterness but also the caring factor is great. They just get under each other's skin so much but then there are those fleeting moments when they can't control themselves and they give in to their desires ;) Its really great. I love it. I especially liked it in the last chapter. Yutaka knows how to make poor Akira so incredibly sexually frustrated xD
So, overall, a fantastic chapter as always. I'm so in love with this story. I feel like vampires and werewolves are used a lot and there are a lot of ways one can go wrong when using them. A lot of ways to be totally cliche and unoriginal. And SO many people just get vampires totally wrong (I would know, I'm a HUGE vampire nerd), so I'm always kind of cautious about reading vampire fics. But with this one you've managed to be totally original and create something that is just so fascinating and unique and you've developed it so, so well. Plus, your vampires are great too (none of that Twilight bullshit). So, kudos to you. Well done, darling. Thank you for restoring my faith in vampire/werewolf fics. I can't wait to read more <3 <3
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Date: 2014-01-10 07:33 pm (UTC)I've always felt the need to delve into all my characters backgrounds. Like, I get there are writers out there who only focus on the main pairing, but for me, I like giving everybody their own stories, just to make things more interesting. It really is fun to do just that, because I LOVE finding ways to interconnect all the characters; it's a fucking blast ^^;
Kouyou and Takamasa are that typical 'forbidden love' couple, but I can't help it, I'm cliche' like that ;) And I figured the halfling role for Kouyou fit him well as well because sometimes he seems to have a more fiery personality of a shifter, but other times he's more solemn, more like his vampire side. Lol, I mainly included Akira and Yutaka just to I could get them the fuck to Hokkaido already. That, and the little necklace plot point will be important, so I needed it to be added in (I've been hinting at the damn necklace since the first chapter and I nearly forgot about it! How well of an author am I? xDD)
Oh no, I think I have an idea ;) I feel the same way, deary, the same exact flippin way. Lol. Building sexual frustration is always key, I believe ^^; Without the tension, to me smut scenes tend to be...bleeeh. So I always try to hold back on smut for as long as possible (plus, writing smut is down right hard! xD)...buut, I don't think these two are going to allow me to do that for much longer ;)
Thanks so much <33 Honestly, I was never expecting to do supernatural fics for that reason. They're so over done and repetitive. But, it was a request and I'm not one to really ever turn down requests ^^; And I figured ok, vampires had to be a part of it, but that doesn't mean I can't be a little more creative and use shifters instead of werewolves and also add kitsunes into the mix. (I think I just watch too much Supernatural xDD)
Ew, def no Twilight here. Lol. I was weary about allowing Taka, Akira, and Takamasa the ability to walk in the sun for that reason alone, buuut, I think I've come up with a decent enough subplot for that that I won't completely flop when it comes to an explanation xD
Thank you so much! Seriously, I have major ups and downs with this fic, so whenever I receive a comment like this, my confidence gets boosted and actually allows me to write ^^; Again, I'm going to try and catch up on all I have missed from you this weekend! I'm sorry for slacking! >.
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Date: 2014-01-09 06:06 am (UTC)I like how you're slowly starting to develop the history of each character; their compelling pasts and what the future might hold for them.
BUT DAMMIT! WHAT IS YUTAKA ALREADY -.- XD!
Oh and about my fic, I understand so it's all good ;)
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Date: 2014-01-10 07:01 pm (UTC)Every character needs to be developed properly, because somehow, most of their backgrounds relate and can change the total outcome of the fic...it's really confusing xD But I'm glad you're enjoying it ^^;
Ohh, what Yutaka is was supposed to be revealed this chapter, but my muses decided to go crazy with character background and I didn't want to overload too much into one chapter...so, maybe next chapter we'll know just what it is Yutaka is ;)
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Date: 2014-01-11 01:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-11 08:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-12 05:15 am (UTC)Takanori is a character who continues to confuse me… At first I loved him, then after reading chapter 8 I could hardly even stand him, and now you’re giving us hints that maybe he isn’t as indifferent towards Akira as I was beginning to think >:D
“He was too occupied with keeping a promise to a man long dead and gone to even uphold his duties and be a proper creator…”
I was (at least somewhat) right, wasn’t I~? ;D
I’m still totally in love with Yuu and Ni~ya <3 I’m keeping all my fingers crossed that they won’t get caught, and I really, really hope that Yutaka will realise how much he has done for him and be able to forgive him when the time comes.
Yutaka and Akira…. I don’t even know what to say >_> I wish they’d stop bickering and start taking off their clothes, but HOW is that ever going to happen when Akira is so rough around the edges?! D: Honestly he could have handled Yutaka’s distress a little better, the poor guy lost something important after all. :/
I’m getting SO addicted to this story!! All the characters are incredibly interesting, and you know I love how you’re building up the tension xD
I really can’t wait to read the next chapter! Thank you for another lovely update^^
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Date: 2014-01-13 04:54 pm (UTC)Takanori's relationship with Akira is definitely...Complex xDD It's not at all easy to pinpoint exactly what Akira means to him, but over time you'll see why it is he acts the way he does towards him.
You were somewhat right ^^;
I'm really, really glad someone likes Yuu and Ni~ya together. It's a unusual pairing, but I figured that they kind of fit together with their contrasting personalities and I just kind of LOVE them together.
We have to give Akira the benefit of the doubt here...He DIDN'T know that Yutaka lost something important because Yutaka wasn't exactly open with him. They both need to open up more...and I'm pretty sure they will after the next chapter ;) Maybe the clothes taking off you want to happen so much will finally happen ;3
No, thank YOU for the lovely comment ^^; I'll try and update as soon as possible :3