Unbreakable - Chapter 11 {Reita & Kai}
Apr. 1st, 2014 03:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bitetoall136Title: Unbreakable
Chapter: 11/??
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, Tooru, 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) {SPOILERS}
Previous Chapters: (Prologue)(Chapter 1)(Chapter 2)(Chapter 3)(Chapter 4)(Chapter 5)(Chapter 6)(Chapter 7)(Chapter 8)(Chapter 9)(Chapter 10)
Chapter 11
Halting in his steps, each of Yuu’s four paws dug deeper into the thin layer of snow. Observing Ni~ya’s petite fox form squeeze into a small opening of the wooden fence before them, he took in heavy breaths, four hours of fast paced walking finally taking its toll on him. There hasn’t been a second of stillness on their part since they left the confines of Takanori’s, the duo determined to reach the location Ni~ya claimed would be the ideal spot for them to safely rest and heal. They were now somewhere outside of the musings of the inner city life, a small town that was probably completely off the map. Most of the stores they had passed by on the way were completely run down; print on window glass fading and exterior walls crumbling before their eyes. He wanted to ask Ni~ya of their location, but the two tailed seemed so focused on treading forward and remaining quite that Yuu had done just as the wan creature silently asked of him and hadn’t spoken a word.
For a moment, the kitsune’s pure white body completely disappeared, leaving Yuu to stare barren at the walled off barrier before him. Silver was still in his system, it slowly radiating out and allowing him to regain back some of his strength. However, at this point, it wasn’t just the silver affecting him. He was physically exhausted. For three days straight, all it had been is worry, fight, run, and the lack of proper nourishment and rest was leaving him feeling depleted. With Yutaka now in Akira’s company, the shifter knew there was no need to worry, so the only compromising factors left were fight and run, and he knew that if it came to having to do either of the two at this moment, he would have to forfeit and take what was ever served to him. He was just too drained to try, too shattered to care.
The shadowed tips of Ni~ya’s pointed ears poked through from the top of the fence, and within seconds, his fragile body was balanced on top of the wood work, his paw working steadily at finicking with the lock on the gate; the oak slab eventually opening and Yuu finally stepping in behind the smaller.
Without a look of acknowledgement or explanation, they continued their on foot journey, their new path being nothing more than a residential back yard. The further they walked into the yard, the more homely it felt to Yuu. Walking through the spacious land, he could see he had completely underestimated the volume. There were easily three acres sprawled out before him, the yard nothing but pristine; extremely well kept up. Toys were everywhere and the inner walls of the wooden barrier were decorated with lively, colorful drawings that a mere five year old could create. Hitching a left and walking through a path of bushes to reach the other side of the fenced in yard, all that could be seen were cages aligning the opposite side of the wall, mounds of blankets set in each metal contraption. Yuu was analyzing those said cages with caution, when suddenly Ni~ya’s fox form stopped, his unnatural glowing yellows staring off into a distance. The shifter watched the pure white fox stiffen, becoming completely immobile as flakes fell from above. Just as cautiously as he had watched the cages, he sided himself with Ni~ya; dusted charcoal fur mingling with that of snow white.
Ni~ya’s head turned slightly at the sudden touch, watching Yuu’s husky form for seconds – almost seeming as if he forgot about him- before he turned back to the sight that had struck him still to begin with.
There in front of them was a woman. Her hair was tied up on top of her head in a messy bun and the thin framed glasses that rested across her face were beginning to fog up due to the cold. She was small, abnormally so, her flushed cheeks and gentle features doing nothing but make her look younger than the thirty five year old mother Ni~ya knew her to be. In her hands was a small Shiba who she was carefully sliding a sweater onto, smiling at it endearingly as she stood on her two feet and began heading in the direction of the sliding glass door that would lead into the house.
Before her hand could properly grasp the handle, Ni~ya ran in front of her, stopping her in her hurried walk as she looked at him aghast.
Yuu watched the awkward exchange from the spot Ni~ya had left him at. The woman continued to stare, Ni~ya staring back, and in a time period so short and sudden, the kitsune had changed forms; his naked figure now standing in front the woman. Within seconds, she placed the Shiba on the ground, allowing it to run inside through a doggy door, and then her arms were wrapped quickly and snuggly around Ni~ya, sudden tears being muffled in the two tail’s wavy dark locks.
It was obvious to spy the relief they both felt; Ni~ya’s hands racking across the top of the woman’s head, closing his eyes as a pressed a kiss to her temple; her body near shaking, lips quivering in disbelief. For a moment, it seemed they believed they were the only two on the planet and this was their moment of liberation. In the short time Yuu knew Ni~ya, he’d never seen him so completely at ease. The dark haired kitsune was always calm, but the sheer alleviation that his body physically showed while in the tight embrace with the woman was a new level of tranquil.
After several minutes, the woman eventually pulled back, smiling woefully as she clapped Ni~ya on the arm. “Hiroaki’s gone on business for a few days, why don’t you come in and get me caught up on everything that has been happening with you.” As she spoke, the young mother wiped away lingering tears, still attempting to smile throughout.
Ni~ya nodded, his face set as calm as usual. “That’d be great, Mika.” He paused, tipping his head in Yuu’s general direction. “I have a friend with me though, would you mind if he came in as well? We’ve had kind of a rough night...”
Mika looked over her shoulder, spotting Yuu’s husky form. “Is he…?”
“He’s a shifter, yes. But don’t worry, he’s one of the good guys.”
Mika turned her attention back to Ni~ya. “If you’re saying he’s good, it must be true.” Another clap, this time on the shoulder. “Go get your friend, I’ll prepare us some tea.”
Yuu watched Ni~ya’s shivering figure approach in his direction as the woman turned into the house, the shifter watching carefully the other’s languid movements. When Ni~ya’s weak stance was directly in front of him, Yuu quickly changed forms; dark brown irises gazing into evergreen plains.
“I need to have a talk with her, you can shower and rest some while I do. There’s no guarantee we can stay yet, but even if it’s just a few hours to rest and clean up...it’s better than nothing.”
Yuu listened carefully, only slightly distracted by the kitsune’s bareness, noticing with each passing second the creature grew paler, the cold actually having an effect on him. Ni~ya’s shaking hands moved up to his chest, grasping lightly and face contorting into pain, Yuu able to see just how much the agile man was pushing his limits in order to get them to safety.
Reaching out his arm, the shifter’s always warm hand graced over the other’s stitched chest, offering warmth for only seconds before Ni~ya took a step back, shooting Yuu an alarming expression. Shocked or disgusted, Yuu couldn’t really tell how the other felt right now, but the silence that had formed needed to be broken; Yuu taking a step back before quietly speaking.
“I just wanted to say…thank you.” It was all he could really think to say at the time, not wanting his sudden physical touch to cause that brief tiff of awkwardness between them.
“What? Why are you thanking me?” Ni~ya’s lips were turning purple, body shivering, as he squinted his decadent features in confusion.
“Because…Yutaka’s safe because of you. You’ve helped me more than my own pack ever would, so…thank you.”
For reasons even unknown to himself, Yuu’s words twisted something inside Ni~ya’s gut. It was a thank you; a simple two word statement that most could accept with no qualms. It wasn’t something the kitsune was used to. It was either blame or be blamed with him – no one had ever once shown him the gratitude Yuu had, and for that reason alone, he wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Trust me,” he spoke, distancing himself from Yuu even further. “I have my reasons for doing what I did, it wasn’t just to help Yutaka…”
He didn’t mean for his words to come off as rude or snappy, but based on Yuu’s expression, that’s exactly how they sounded. He was simply trying to inform the shifter of the truth; he didn’t betray his own kind to help Yutaka. Honestly, Yutaka was nothing to him. Yes, the university student had saved his life and Ni~ya would forever and always be in his debt, but he surely wasn’t the reason why he’d betrayed his entire clan. He’d been stupid. He’d allowed his emotions to take over his work, and when he saw the striking resemblance in personality and dark looks that Yuu shared with Ruka, he couldn’t help but have a soft spot for the shifter.
“Now, come inside. Mika’s made us tea and I don’t want to be rude.”
Yuu wanted to label Ni~ya’s sudden change in attitude as anger, but the two tailed still seemed to remain utmost calm even when that tinge of frustration crossed his features. The shift in boldness was abrupt and left Yuu flabbergasted, making him put a stop to whatever words he was getting ready to speak.
The pair stared at one another for only seconds, and then without another look of acknowledgement, Ni~ya turned on his heels, entering the family home.
Following the wan man’s trail, Yuu entered the home as well, taking the liberty to grab a blanket resting on the arm chair beside the glass door and wrapping himself in it. It took only seconds for him to find the bright kitchen in the small house, and when he walked through the arch he found Ni~ya sitting at a small round table, his body covered in a long silk robe and sipping on a porcelain cup of tea. Mika was to the left of him, eyeing the kitsune with concern, looking up as soon as she heard Yuu’s steps.
“Ahh, please, sit down.” She sprung up from her seat, pushing Yuu down into her previous spot as she shot across the room and filled another cup of tea. “Ni~ya said your name was Yuu? Well, I’m Mika, nice to meet you.” One hand held the tea out to Yuu, the other in the air eagerly awaiting a hand shake.
Yuu took the cup and shook her hand, smiling with his greeting. “Nice to meet you too, Mika...” He paused momentarily, unsure of if he should ask the next question forming at the tip of his tongue. He’s known the woman for barely ten minutes and already she knew his most vulnerable secret. That in itself allowed a foreboding sense of insecurity to wash over, so placing the warm cup of tea on the table top, he turned more towards Mika, asking the one question that needed to be addressed in order for him to gain some form of upper hand.
“May I ask what your relation to Ni~ya is?”
He knew that was pushing boundaries, but just because he had to fallen into Ni~ya’s range of trust with next to no questions asked didn’t mean he had to automatically trust everyone Ni~ya was associated with.
Chuckling nervously, Mika offered a small smile. “I was…I’m…I’m his sister-in-law…of sorts…”
He was about to open his mouth to ask more, but before a syllable could even be formed, Ni~ya was speaking; jaw stern, body still shaking.
“Yuu, hurry and finish your tea. There’s a bathroom down the hall and to the right. Take a shower – there should be extra clothes in the bathroom’s pantry. Mika and I really need to talk.”
It was more of a list of commands than a suggestion, and really, Yuu had no choice but to follow it. Ni~ya’s territory, Ni~ya’s say. He had always been one to respect rules and regulations; restrictions and boundaries when it came to pack manners and he wasn’t about to break his system of belief just because Ni~ya was his underling. Finishing his warm drink in one smooth gulp, he stood, wrapping the blanket around himself even tighter before bowing in respect to Mika and heading in the direction of the bathroom.
Once he was gone, Mika took her seat back next to Ni~ya, continuing to eye him through her thin frames. “I can’t believe you’re actually alive…I haven’t seen you since…you know…Ruka.” Her thumbs were playing with the lip of her cup, eyes resting on the table.
Ni~ya ignored her state, knowing that he didn’t have the time to be worrying about the past right now. “Well, I couldn’t exactly come around…Hiroaki’s not my biggest fan.”
“No…no. You got it wrong, Ni~ya, he just…Ruka was his brother. He’s not going too easily accept that Ruka was killed because of-”
“A measly two tailed?” Ni~ya interrupted, his body tensing yet again.
Because even after 16 years had passed, he still had to hear whispers in the hallways of how the rare and powerful nine tailed Ruka had been annihilated…how it was all Ni~ya’s fault. It was 16 years of gossip and half-truths, but one couldn’t help but start to believe those assumptions after being forced to hear them day in and day out, unable to escape no matter his destination.
It was one fight…one fight was all it took for Ni~ya’s entire life to get turned upside down.
“…his job.” Mika finished carefully. “You know how much Hiroaki hated not being able to understand Ruka’s world…you know he never approved of him working for Shun-san…”
She was right. Hiroaki could never understand because Hiroaki was lucky enough to be the first born – automatically meaning there was never the possibility he could possess the kitsune trait. He got to grow up, create a family, live normally…he was blessed. He was human. That unfortunately wasn’t the case for his two younger brothers’ – Ruka and Yomi.
Hiroaki had always insisted his siblings could live a normal life; that they didn’t have to get involved in kitsune affairs. That, however, was something easier said than done. Most kitsunes’ had a rapid desire to be around their own kind. They were typically close niched and did whatever to help one another out. There were of course the few exceptions, such as Ni~ya himself who’d rather remain estranged, but nine times out of ten, kitsunes’ thrived on closure from one another.
Ruka and Yomi were part of that nine tenths, thus when reaching the proper age, each of them headed straight for Shun, getting taken under his wing and going through the vigorous months of training required to officially work for their Leader.
Running a hand through his tousle of raven curls, Ni~ya slouched in his seat, eyes remaining focused on the waves his cup of tea made as Mika tapped nervously on the table. “It doesn’t matter,” he spoke up after a few strained moments. “…he still blames me.”
And just as he was expecting, Mika didn’t bother to try and argue his point. She knew it was true – everybody knew it was true. Hiroaki blamed Ni~ya for everything. Blamed him for not finding Ruka and getting him the medical attention he needed before his life came to an end, blamed him for not getting Ruka out of kitsune activities before it was too late…his fault…his fault. Everything was his fault. It was such a heavy weight to carry, one that left him unable to visit the people he considered family since Ruka’s death 16 years ago. He couldn’t bear to disappoint ones he loved any further, so it was easier to act as if they didn’t exist and move on with his life.
Sighing, Mika gave up on trying to lighten the atmosphere. “What happened there?” Her fingers grazed under the silk material of the loaned robe, scratching over the fresh stitches on the kitsune’s chest.
Ni~ya jolted slightly, the wound still fresh and aching. “This is why I’m here, actually. Shun-san, he’s put a bounty out on me. I have nowhere else to go…”
That, and Mika’s home was the best place to hide out in in order to remain off the charts; the fact of the matter being nobody would ever think to look for the pair here. It was a well-known bit of information around headquarters that Hiroaki didn’t care for Ni~ya in the least bit, just as it was well known Ni~ya had refused to visit his former second home since after Ruka’s funeral. It simply wouldn’t make sense for them to search here. That, and the time, effort, and risk it took to enter into such a rundown part of down just wasn’t something on the kitsunes’ top priority list.
“So, you want me to…?”
“Just let Yuu and I stay for a few days. We’re both injured and could use the rest. I swear, we’ll be gone as soon as we figure out what the hell our next plan of action is.”
“But what about Hiroaki? I don’t know exactly when he’s coming home…”
Ni~ya knew there was no need for Mika to elaborate on her trailed off statement. Hiroaki traveled a lot for his business, always coming and going at random times. However, he had a keen sense; always able to detect if someone had been in his home during his absence or not. With two guests in her home, Mika wasn’t sure if she’d be able to hide evidence of their stay before her husband came home; a warning of his arrival never on the horizon.
Ni~ya knew this all too well, which is why before he and Yuu had ever arrived, a full plan had been jotted down in his mind. “It’s winter, so I figured you wouldn’t have very many clients,” he pointed to the backyard, referring to the cages, which in turn referred to the animal shelter Mika ran from the safety of her backyard. “We could just sleep out there, Hiroaki would never notice.”
“You’ll freeze out there, Ni~ya.”
“There’s blankets.”
“No, absolutely not. You can stay in Ruka’s old room-” the small woman’s eyes widened upon noticing her mistake, apologies falling from her mouth left and right at even suggesting Ni~ya step foot into Ruka’s room.
“Its fine, Mika.” Ni~ya interrupted her mid rant, calm on the outside, but a ranging mess of emotions on the inside. “You don’t need to apologize…it’s been sixteen years – I can handle it.”
Which he really couldn’t, but he would try to at least withstand it.
“Are you sure? Cause if not, you can stay in Yuki’s room. She won’t be back until her University lets out for the winter holiday, so it’s empty and Hiroaki should have no reason to look in there…”
Ni~ya froze for a moment, taking in Mika’s statement. Yuki was Ruka’s niece. He’d been there when the little girl was born, held and played with her for the first three years of her life…and now she was already in college? He knew it’d been more than a decade since he last saw the small family of three, but hearing it said out loud really just put everything into perspective.
“Really, it’s fine. It’ll do me some good…Closure, I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders, bringing himself out of his thoughts and lightly padding Mika’s upper arm to tell her to quit worrying.
“Alright…I’ll get the room set up for you then.”
Ni~ya smiled gently, resting his hand atop of Mika’s. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem, you know I couldn’t not help you. You’re family.” She ran her fingers through Ni~ya’s hair messily, fusing the wavy locks into a distorted pattern. “By the way, how’s Yomi doing? Hiroaki tried to get in contact with him a few days ago, but it’s like he’s completely disappeared. It’s probably nothing, but you know how he worries. Always the protective older brother.”
The tension that had begun washing away made its way back into Ni~ya’s system, body coiling tighter than a rusted spring.
“Mika…” A weak whisper, Ni~ya trembling as his face heated, eyes beginning to glisten. “Yomi...there was an attack at headquarters…Yomi…he…”
How was he to tell her when he could barely accept it himself? Finding Yomi, being the last person the young dirty blond ever had the chance to see, hearing his last whispered words, and seeing the immense pain he was suffering through…it all added insult to injury. He was going to have to be the one to live with those images for the rest of his life; live with the guilt that it was somehow his fault. How he could be accused, he wasn’t sure. But he could only assume that the blame could not be pushed upon Akira, Sakito, Rin, or Shun alone…he had to someway be involved, because somehow…everything that went wrong was always his fault.
“Yomi…he didn’t make-”
He couldn’t bring himself to finish. Calm exterior finally breaking as muffled sobbing started, Mika fully understanding and grabbing ahold of her former brother-in-law, this time allowing his face to bury into her neck as he cried out his first set of tears in years.
The entire scene was watched from the hallway by a third party, Yuu standing freshly showered and dressed, watching with disbelief as the ever calm Ni~ya broke down; the sight capable of shattering any healthy heart into two. Not feeling right watching the display before him, he swiftly turned back towards to bathroom, locking himself back in the steamy capacity. Hands gripping the porcelain sink, he stared at himself in the foggy mirror; for once noticing how tragically everything was beginning to fall apart around him…
Yuu’s period of isolation didn’t last much longer after that, a knock on the bathroom door followed by Mika’s questioning voice resounding moments later. Upon opening the door, he offered his hostess a smile, the elder woman asking him if he found everything ok and if he was ready for her to direct him to his resting place for the night. He answered with a thankful ‘yes’, allowing the small mother to guide him through her pleasant sized home, trying hard to act as if her watery eyes and swollen cheeks weren’t noticeable. Only a few steps into their brisk walk, the pair passed by Ni~ya in the hall, the kitsune refusing to look their way, averting his features to the ground – Yuu knowing that was the other’s way to hide a tear stricken face.
Mika soon escorted Yuu to a room upstairs, informing the shifter that Ni~ya would be up after getting in a shower. Less than a few words exchanged and then he was left to himself, taking in his surroundings, trying to forget to devastating sight he saw in the kitchen that short time ago.
***
As Yuu and Ni~ya began to fall into their ritual for a night of rest, another figure stood shivering; bundling his body into a loaned trench coat. Yutaka blew a breath of warmth into the night wintery sky of Hokkaido, watching as the little cloud of fog flew up and met the stars. He could feel and hear the timely beat of the soft alternative music vibrate against the brick wall he was leaning against, cheers from the drinking establishment’s customers following soon after. He was tired, smelt of nothing but cigarettes and sweat, and wanted nothing more than to be at home, in his own bed, blocking out the rest of the world. At this point, he simply couldn’t bring himself to care about what the hell was going on with him, he just wanted familiarity. He wanted to wake up tomorrow, go to class alongside Yuu, and be able to smile. But, he knew there was no going back. He knew from now on it would be him and Akira – a thought that made him tense but feel almost secure all at the same time.
It’d been eight hours since the unlikely pair landed themselves in Hokkaido, and since then their search for Hitsugi has been endless. After about an hour of looking for the unknown man, they’d finally come across a local college student; someone who appeared younger than Yutaka himself. He’d claim to know the man they were in search of, stating that the only chance they had of finding him is if they searched every bar in the area – something Akira had taken to doing forthrightly.
At first, the domineering blond had insisted that Yutaka remain with him at all times, dragging the brunette into bar after bar and practically keeping him stitched to his side. However, Hokkaido had a lot of area to cover, and by the twelfth bar no incident had occurred and they’d found nobody with a name that even closely resembled Hitsugi, and so Akira had begun to feel impatient, taking his frustrations out on Yutaka and thus starting another fight between them. The verbal tiff had ended with Akira screaming at Yutaka to fuck off, telling him he could do whatever he wanted and that he didn’t need to be on his ass every step of the way. Yutaka had of course ignored Akira’s instructions and still continued to follow the other around, not knowing what to do or where else to go. On the other hand, Yutaka knew they both needed some distance from each other, so he started waiting patiently outside every local bar instead of following the blond inside, no longer having the energy to put up with the combination of Akira’s polar attitude and the obnoxious behavior of the drunken bar patrons.
Taking another deep breath, Yutaka is able to feel the icy cool attack his lungs before a large exhale follows. Closing his eyes, he stuffs his hands deeper into the coat’s pockets, leaning harder against the wall. Everything is silent around him besides the numb amounts of music rampaging from the indoors, and for the first time in days he feels somewhat relaxed. He refuses to let his mind wander to the night before in the hotel, refuses to think about the huge loss of his treasurable necklace. His thoughts become as numb as the beating music, exhausted body beginning to give way as he feels himself nodding out.
Right then and there, he could’ve possibly fallen asleep, but then a back alley door is heard slamming shut, causing him to stand up right and alert. Arguing was heard, the sound of footsteps soon after, and before Yutaka knows it, there’s a new figure standing right next to him, lighting up a cigarette and inhaling with fury.
The newly arrived man doesn’t seem to take in he is not the only one standing in the cold night, continuing to grumble under his breath with frustration, brows knitting and meeting the arch of his nose. Yutaka continues to remain silent, burying himself deeper in the wall, taking in the man’s appearance. He’s tall, about six foot, and has very well defined features. Black hair that fell way past his shoulders was decorated with an under layer of vivid fuchsia, posh lips wrapped around the cigarette looking nothing but proficient in their task. A dark coat covered up his seemingly thin frame, pants that looked like a second skin sticking to his filled out legs. His grumbling continued, a gleam of a piece of metallic jewelry reflecting from off his left eyebrow. Yutaka remained quiet, continuing to observe the man, but then piercing dark greens were suddenly boring into him, Yutaka going completely and utterly still.
“What’re you lookin’ at?” the man spat, taking a step closer and tossing his half stub of cigarette into a pile of snow. He has a heavy accent, words laced with slang and a country drawl.
“Nothing, just waiting on a friend…” Having to refer to Akira as a friend put a bitter feeling in Yutaka’s mouth, not liking the taste of associating the blond man with such a status of endearment. His words ;however, seemed to do nothing to detain the man’s anger, built legs taking another step forward, gnawed to the bone fingers pointing at Yutaka accusingly.
“Do I know ya from somewhere? Ya look awfully familiar…” he continued analyzing Yutaka, causing the university student to cringe back, those strident green rises looking awfully familiar. The man squinted his eyes some before closing in on Yutaka, trapping him against the wall completely as he said dangerously, “I’m Tomo, what’s your name?”
It took Yutaka more than a few seconds to reply, breathing becoming restricted as nervousness began filling in the pit of his stomach. “I think you’re confusing me with someone else. This is my first time in Hokkaido…now, if you’ll excuse me…” he lifted his hand to the stranger’s chest and pushed him away gently, creating enough space for him to exit. This Tomo guy, whoever he is, was suspicious, and as much as Yutaka still hated to admit it, right now Akira was the only one he could actually trust.
Dipping completely past the stranger, he hurried quickly into the bar, eyes surveying the building’s surroundings in search of a familiar mop of blond hair. The place was crowded, blinding colorful lights making it hard to tell anybody apart. He knew he should just go back outside and wait for Akira to re-emerge, but there was truly something about Tomo’s questions and piercing gaze that set him off and built on that uneasy feeling building in the pit of his stomach. Finally, he decided on his location, concluding the bar island located to the right of a set of steps would give him a higher advantage point in finding Akira. It was just as he took his first step that he felt a hand grab his upper arm, slamming him into one of the dark corners the bar had to offer.
For only seconds his eyes closed, the impact against the wall being one of shock. But soon his eyes shot opened, the stranger from outside directly in his face once more; his stare now tinted a deep yellow. It was in that moment he realized where he’d seen those exotic orbs before; the kitsunes’ headquarters. He remembers watching Ni~ya attack Rin, how his eyes shifted from dark evergreen to that dangerous shade of yellow; he remembers sitting atop of Rin, pounding his fists into quickly splitting skin and watching just how the color in his eyes completely died out. Every kitsune he’d come in contact with had the same piercing gaze, and that’s exactly how Yutaka was easily able to deduce just what it was he was now up against.
“I knew I’ve seen ya before. Never thought I’d meet the infamous Kai in person…” the creature smiled snidely, leaning in close and taking in Yutaka’s smell, again making him cringe in disgust. “Ya know, Shun-san has very strict orders that if we see ya, we’re to get ya back to him with not a scratch on ya…but that doesn’t mean I can’t have my fun first…”
Tomo pressed his body closer against Yutaka’s, replacing the anxiousness building within the university student’s body with nothing but rage. He’d had it. For days he’d been treated like nothing but a rag doll; a rag doll that just so happened to be desired by every supernatural creature out there. He didn’t care about what he would find out once he and Akira found and talked to this Hitsugi guy – he would always consider himself Yutaka. So hearing the creature refer to him as Kai almost felt degrading, offsetting that fumbling amount of anger he felt increasing with each moment.
“Get. Off.”
Yutaka’s words came off as a steamy whisper, the kitsune only able to just hear him above their loud atmosphere due to how close they’d become. Only a dark chuckle was heard in response, the kitsune mocking him. “It really is an honor to meet you, Kai-san, but you’re no threat to me,” hands that only add to Yutaka’s anger cross his chest, grasping at his shirt, “Shun-san already has your precious necklace, without it, you only have half your key and are nothing but measly Yutaka.”
That was all it took to finally set Yutaka off. Clenched fists which were trembling by his sides were lifted, a growl emanating from deep in his chest sounding off against their closed in space, and then the kitsune was flying across the room; the mere push Yutaka provided him with having more impact than ever expected from both parties. For a moment he stared, shocked at the strength his body built up, but then he saw Tomo arise and begin to charge in his direction, that sensation he felt back at the kitsunes’ headquarters of another entity taking over now filling every molecule of his body.
Tomo managed to get only one beginning to form claw on Yutaka, tearing at the trench coat on the brunette’s shoulder, before that strength was back, Yutaka able to tackle the kitsune onto the floor; delivering a punch that sent strands of blood falling from the creature’s mouth. That, however, did nothing to weaken Tomo, he instantly rolling Yutaka underneath him and returning the favor the student had just delivered him, a searing upper cut to his jaw sending a crunchy snap into the bar’s noisy air.
Each time Tomo was able to get the upper hand, Yutaka was able to take it back seconds later. Again, his movements became uncontrolled, able to hear the gasps and shouts of ‘Fight!’ coming from the bar’s patrons surrounding them; their fight having made it into the middle of the crowd. Spotting those glowing yellow eyes glaring into him only furthered Yutaka’s anger, he able to perfectly envision Rin back underneath him, able to feel that mass strength take over as his punches came harder and faster, colors of red and fleshy pink beginning to take over Tomo’s face. He tried his hardest to cling onto the bit of humanity he felt left in him, but then the name ‘Kai’ slipped from Tomo’s lips again and the person known as Yutaka was completely gone – a monster taking over.
He throttled the man beneath him until Tomo was gurgling on his own blood, the kitsune’s hands falling limp at his sides and pale complexion turning even pastier. The scene before him almost made him grin, his own hands quickly wrapping around Tomo’s neck, wishing to end his life in the slowest way possible. The creature’s feet stopped kicking beneath, all will of fight draining from his body, but still, Yutaka continued to keep his hands wrapped firmly around his neck. His hold got tighter and tighter, Tomo practically on his last breath, but then Yutaka’s body was yanked from off the creature; once again slammed into another wall.
He was still in fight mode; arms and legs flailing, trying to attack whomever it was that now had control of him. With eyes shut, he continued laying down punches, feeling his fist practically shatter as a firm blow cut across his new opponent’s jaw. Mind in hysterics, he was losing control, unable to properly think of his fighting stance and becoming an utter mess, which is how he ended up pinned to the wall, a familiar feeling of cool taking over.
“Damn it, Yutaka, settle the fuck down!”
Instantly he knew it was Akira, but that’s not what calmed him down. It was the recognition. That even in such a state of hysteria, someone who he claimed to hate with every fiber of his being still saw him as Yutaka. He wasn’t Kai…he was Yutaka, and that made him freeze in his very spot. Almond eyes opening, his breathing was heavy, and all around him he could only spot other’s stares. They glared at him, demeaning looks etched across their faces; flickering between him and the eerily still Tomo on the ground. In that moment all those who surrounded him saw him as the suspect; he was the bad guy and Tomo was the victim. And that thought was enough to make him feel ill…
Sensing acidy bile make its way up from the depths of his stomach, he broke free from Akira’s hold, and with a hand over his mouth he exited the bar, barely making it back out into the wintery night before the little bit of food he had in his system was scattered across the cement. He was left heaving for breath, a panic attack he hadn’t experienced since his child hood laboring his breathing. Right now, Yuu was the only person he wished to see. The shifter was with him every step of the way after he came to live with his estranged relatives. He was there when Yutaka was the mere age of three, crying himself to sleep because he couldn’t understand where his parents had gone. He was there with him through primary school when all the teasing became too much and he’d break down and only to do some more crying. Yuu was his constant, someone he could always rely on no matter what they’ve faced up until this point, and knowing that his best friend wasn’t with him while he was going through some of the most challenging experiences of his life was extremely off putting.
“Yutaka…”
The call of his name was heard through hysteric breathing, wide eyes finding Akira standing next to him; a hand held out reaching for his shoulder.
“D-on’t….touch…me…” each word was spoken brokenly, the university student beginning to walk away, only for Akira to step ahead of him moments later.
“Will you at least fucking talk to me? Tell me what the fuck went on back there!” Akira pointed back towards the establishment they just exited, brows furrowing together in anger at Yutaka’s recluse actions.
The pain from his ragged breathing was becoming too much, arms wrapping around his stomach as he stopped in his walk. Bending at the waist, elbows touching his knees, he took deeper, longer breaths, attempting to stop the burning but failing drastically. “K-kitsune…he was…kitsune…”
That bit of new information surprised Akira, making him realize that even hundreds of miles away, the kitsunes’ still had authority and could easily take Yutaka away from him. It made him realize that free will wasn’t an option, they still had to be on the lookout for danger; otherwise all they’ve gone through would be deemed worthless.
Heaving breaths tore Akira from his thoughts, looking back at Yutaka’s frail figure just in time to watch him collapse into a thin pile of snow. Immediately Akira ran those few centimeters towards the brunette, ducking down beside him and turning his body face first. Splotches of blood decorated his face from his fist fight, body looking nothing but drained. There were various signs adhering to Yutaka’s humanity, but in this moment, the university student looked as human as one could get.
Akira was able to grasp the awareness now. He couldn’t work Yutaka and drag him all around town with him acting like he was invincible. He needed to stop and rest and simply relax; otherwise the brunette’s body was going to begin shutting down on him before his eyes, and as much as Akira couldn’t stand the other, he really didn’t wish to see that happen.
It was late, their search for Hitsugi was an absolute failure, and it was getting colder as more flakes fell. Deciding they’d put in enough effort for today, Akira scooped up Yutaka’s body, the other’s irresistible smell hitting him right away and causing his body to shudder with desire. Glimpses from the hotel room back in Akita ravaged his mind, able to feel Yutaka’s heat as he traced the scar on his thigh, remembering just how much those touches affected him…
Awareness slipped his mind for a few sparse moments, and before he could stop himself Akira was burying his face into Yutaka’s neck, inhaling the intoxicating scent and feeling both hunger and arousal take over. It was so easy. Yutaka was unconscious, making him willing prey in Akira’s eyes. All he had to do was angle his head a little more, and then with one little bite his mouth would fill with that euphoric taste, bringing him to a land of ecstasy…
“Fuck,” it was a whimper, Akira inhaling deeply once more before throwing his head back to the sky, trying to break free of the alluring temptation.
His need to feed was vital now, because if he didn’t, he’s not sure of how well he could control himself around Yutaka…
Rushing back to the Porsche stolen earlier on in the day, Akira settled Yutaka in the passenger seat. Locking the doors, he strode off until he came to a crossing section on the roads, watching as a group of men in their mid to late twenties crossed, each laughing obnoxiously and seemingly drunk. Zeroing in on the man who seemed the furthest gone, he continued to stalk the group until they turned a corner, where he then took the opportunity to sneak up behind his target’s back, muffling his plead as he pulled him into the side alley. Everything worked out perfectly as planned, the group of men not even noticing they now had one friend missing even as they continued to walk in the dark of the night, their laughs and voices eventually fading till all that could be heard was silence.
It was only then Akira removed his hand from his prey’s mouth, waiting for the scream that always came, but instead being met with a shocked gasp.
“Akira?”
Akira’s brows arched at the mumbled name, looking down and finding thickly framed glasses staring up at him; the man’s eyes shining in endearment. Various piercings covered his bottom lip, arms laced with jewelry and tattoos alike, and hair that was short and choppy up front but long in the back was colored a deep shade of red. Upon looking him over at first glance, he appeared as someone who could take care of themselves and didn’t cease to put up a fight if need be. And that’s really what shocked Akira…he just couldn’t understand why this man wouldn’t brother to try and get away and instead looked up at him with near…adoration?
Wrapping his fists in the man’s shirt, Akira flung him off the wall, using his grip to hold him in the air above him. “How the fuck do you know who I am?”
His intended prey actually smiled back at him, his hands coming to rest on Akira’s own in the calmest of ways. That’s when Akira took notice of the other’s lack of layered clothing and the abundant warmth radiating from his body…
“You’re a shifter?”
“I am…and you’re Akira; Takanori’s greatest fledgling and one of the few who share Kiyoharu’s bloodline…Or should I just go ahead and call you Reita?”
A smug smirk followed, one that had Akira throwing the shifter to the ground, a threatening growl released right by his ear. “Who the fuck are you and what do you know?”
Steady hands raised, silently telling Akira to back off. “Calm down, calm down; I come in peace,” two index fingers were tossed in the air, indeed forming the peace sign which only further pissed the blond off, “I’m not here to hurt you, I’m actually quite a fan of yours. It’s a shame that this is how we had to meet, but I’d really like to sit down and have a proper talk with you and-”
Annoyed, Akira dug his nails further into the shifter’s chest, barely breaking skin, lifting the other’s back off the ground so they were face to face. “Who the fuck are you?”
“You have a horrible temper, you know that? It really is a shame, cause you’re like, my idol, dude. I have so many questions I’d like to ask about the war back then and-”
Akira growled, frustrated at the shifter’s lack of fear. “I will end you right now if you don’t tell me who the fuck you are and why you know so much shit about me.”
“Promise to allow me to pick your brains and I’ll tell you everything I know.”
The man smiled, somehow knowing he’d already won this argument. Everything he’d said thus far has only further piqued Akira’s interest, resulting in the blond wanting to know more. What war? Just how did he know about Reita? Why did this shifter practically…idolize him? Letting out a scuff, he threw the other’s body back onto the ground, standing abruptly before snarling.
“Fine.”
“Good,” the heavily pierced man stands, dusting off the bits of snow from his clothing, and straightens his glasses before holding his hand out, forcing Reita to grip it. “Hello, Reita. My name’s Hitsugi – Yuu’s older brother.”
For a moment, Reita stilled, completely taken aback by the information. He scoffed at the irony that the man he’d been looking for all night was now directly before him, but what he couldn’t seem to truly absorb were Hitsugi’s words. The way Yuu had talked about his ‘connection’ seemed so dull and casual, as if the person he were actually talking about was just that; a mere connection. The blond knew there was no reason to distrust the man before him, but still he found himself asking a question that seemed rather useless.
“That mutt has an older sibling?” he quirked his brows, folded arms over his chest, and watched as Hitsugi nodded his head. “Prove it.”
And it was just that Hitsugi did. Taking no time, he lifted his shirt and edged down the waist of his pants, revealing tanned skin covered in ink. The mess of colors permanently ebbed into his skin was almost distracting, but any fool would automatically recognize the Shiroyama pack symbol engrained right over padded hip bone; three heavy lines of ebony black appearing as a scratch mark followed by a small cursive print of ‘Protect to Serve.’
“Enough proof for you?” Hitsugi raised his eyes, dark browns that were identical to Yuu’s looking at Akira from the tips of his thick glasses frames. “I mean, I can change forms if you want me to, but I’d prefer to stay dressed…I’m just not one for public indecency, dude.”
Akira waved him off, simply telling the young shifter to follow him. He knew his trust was becoming thin lately, but he really hadn’t the choice. Besides, now that the search was finally over; answers could finally begin to unravel, something he was in desperate need of.
They’d walked the first block in silence, Hitsugi following close behind as Akira backtracked his was to the parked car. The shifter insisted on humming, grating on the blond’s nerves, but as they came within a few feet of the parked car, Hitsugi’s movements froze altogether; Akira looking back and finding the dark red head gawking at him with wide eyes.
“What is it?” he spat, getting even more annoyed.
Hitsugi merely licked his lips, swirling the tip of his boot nervously in the snow, watching as it slowly melted under the pressure. “…you…You have Yutaka with you?”
The shifter knew he could smell the other on Akira back in the alley, but he’d ignored it, assuming he was simply going crazy. Be that as it may, as they closed in and neared the car Akira was heading for, there was no denying Yutaka’s scent was sky high; the heavily pierced man unable to ever forget that scent. He had, after all, spent a majority of his childhood and early teens encompassed by the strong fragrance. But if that were actually the case, if Yutaka was actually with Akira, that could only mean one thing – the truth was finally beginning to resurface and Hitsugi himself was going to have to be the bearer of bad news for everyone involved. He was going to have to shatter hopes and dreams; truths and realities. And that right there was something that honestly did not sit well with him in the least bit.
“Yeah…what of it?”
“It’s nothing, just…I’m close to Yutaka and after not having seen him forfive years or so…I don’t know, man. It’s going to be weird.”
Instantly, Akira felt a small flame of anger ignite, his words out before he could even stop them. “How close?”
Anything else Hitsugi had to say at this point just wasn’t important. Akira had to know. He was grateful, however, that the other didn’t seem to pick up on his sudden change, his next words spoken so casually that Akira wasn’t even sure he’d heard him right at first.
“Like, I’m the one who created him, kind of close.”
And with that said, Akira came to the realization that things were far more complicated than he could have ever imagined.
***
Author's Note: Alright, so it's been a while again, and I recommend checking out the character list if you're confused. I'm not happy with this chapter, but everything that happened HAD to happen so future chapters can flow more readily :P There's over 20 characters that are getting brought into focus on this fic, and each & everyone needs an explanation, so yes, you're going to have to put up with major scenes that aren't Kai and Reita :3
I have part of the next chapter planned, so it shouldn't take another 3 months to update, but I'm not promising quick chapters either, sorry >.<
BUUT, if anyone did enjoy this chappie, ya'll need to thank the amazing missravennightmare6, cause without her, it probably would have sat in my docs for another 3 months xD I'm dedicating this chapter to her just because she's so awesome <3
Chapter: 11/??
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, Tooru, 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) {SPOILERS}
Previous Chapters: (Prologue)(Chapter 1)(Chapter 2)(Chapter 3)(Chapter 4)(Chapter 5)(Chapter 6)(Chapter 7)(Chapter 8)(Chapter 9)(Chapter 10)
Halting in his steps, each of Yuu’s four paws dug deeper into the thin layer of snow. Observing Ni~ya’s petite fox form squeeze into a small opening of the wooden fence before them, he took in heavy breaths, four hours of fast paced walking finally taking its toll on him. There hasn’t been a second of stillness on their part since they left the confines of Takanori’s, the duo determined to reach the location Ni~ya claimed would be the ideal spot for them to safely rest and heal. They were now somewhere outside of the musings of the inner city life, a small town that was probably completely off the map. Most of the stores they had passed by on the way were completely run down; print on window glass fading and exterior walls crumbling before their eyes. He wanted to ask Ni~ya of their location, but the two tailed seemed so focused on treading forward and remaining quite that Yuu had done just as the wan creature silently asked of him and hadn’t spoken a word.
For a moment, the kitsune’s pure white body completely disappeared, leaving Yuu to stare barren at the walled off barrier before him. Silver was still in his system, it slowly radiating out and allowing him to regain back some of his strength. However, at this point, it wasn’t just the silver affecting him. He was physically exhausted. For three days straight, all it had been is worry, fight, run, and the lack of proper nourishment and rest was leaving him feeling depleted. With Yutaka now in Akira’s company, the shifter knew there was no need to worry, so the only compromising factors left were fight and run, and he knew that if it came to having to do either of the two at this moment, he would have to forfeit and take what was ever served to him. He was just too drained to try, too shattered to care.
The shadowed tips of Ni~ya’s pointed ears poked through from the top of the fence, and within seconds, his fragile body was balanced on top of the wood work, his paw working steadily at finicking with the lock on the gate; the oak slab eventually opening and Yuu finally stepping in behind the smaller.
Without a look of acknowledgement or explanation, they continued their on foot journey, their new path being nothing more than a residential back yard. The further they walked into the yard, the more homely it felt to Yuu. Walking through the spacious land, he could see he had completely underestimated the volume. There were easily three acres sprawled out before him, the yard nothing but pristine; extremely well kept up. Toys were everywhere and the inner walls of the wooden barrier were decorated with lively, colorful drawings that a mere five year old could create. Hitching a left and walking through a path of bushes to reach the other side of the fenced in yard, all that could be seen were cages aligning the opposite side of the wall, mounds of blankets set in each metal contraption. Yuu was analyzing those said cages with caution, when suddenly Ni~ya’s fox form stopped, his unnatural glowing yellows staring off into a distance. The shifter watched the pure white fox stiffen, becoming completely immobile as flakes fell from above. Just as cautiously as he had watched the cages, he sided himself with Ni~ya; dusted charcoal fur mingling with that of snow white.
Ni~ya’s head turned slightly at the sudden touch, watching Yuu’s husky form for seconds – almost seeming as if he forgot about him- before he turned back to the sight that had struck him still to begin with.
There in front of them was a woman. Her hair was tied up on top of her head in a messy bun and the thin framed glasses that rested across her face were beginning to fog up due to the cold. She was small, abnormally so, her flushed cheeks and gentle features doing nothing but make her look younger than the thirty five year old mother Ni~ya knew her to be. In her hands was a small Shiba who she was carefully sliding a sweater onto, smiling at it endearingly as she stood on her two feet and began heading in the direction of the sliding glass door that would lead into the house.
Before her hand could properly grasp the handle, Ni~ya ran in front of her, stopping her in her hurried walk as she looked at him aghast.
Yuu watched the awkward exchange from the spot Ni~ya had left him at. The woman continued to stare, Ni~ya staring back, and in a time period so short and sudden, the kitsune had changed forms; his naked figure now standing in front the woman. Within seconds, she placed the Shiba on the ground, allowing it to run inside through a doggy door, and then her arms were wrapped quickly and snuggly around Ni~ya, sudden tears being muffled in the two tail’s wavy dark locks.
It was obvious to spy the relief they both felt; Ni~ya’s hands racking across the top of the woman’s head, closing his eyes as a pressed a kiss to her temple; her body near shaking, lips quivering in disbelief. For a moment, it seemed they believed they were the only two on the planet and this was their moment of liberation. In the short time Yuu knew Ni~ya, he’d never seen him so completely at ease. The dark haired kitsune was always calm, but the sheer alleviation that his body physically showed while in the tight embrace with the woman was a new level of tranquil.
After several minutes, the woman eventually pulled back, smiling woefully as she clapped Ni~ya on the arm. “Hiroaki’s gone on business for a few days, why don’t you come in and get me caught up on everything that has been happening with you.” As she spoke, the young mother wiped away lingering tears, still attempting to smile throughout.
Ni~ya nodded, his face set as calm as usual. “That’d be great, Mika.” He paused, tipping his head in Yuu’s general direction. “I have a friend with me though, would you mind if he came in as well? We’ve had kind of a rough night...”
Mika looked over her shoulder, spotting Yuu’s husky form. “Is he…?”
“He’s a shifter, yes. But don’t worry, he’s one of the good guys.”
Mika turned her attention back to Ni~ya. “If you’re saying he’s good, it must be true.” Another clap, this time on the shoulder. “Go get your friend, I’ll prepare us some tea.”
Yuu watched Ni~ya’s shivering figure approach in his direction as the woman turned into the house, the shifter watching carefully the other’s languid movements. When Ni~ya’s weak stance was directly in front of him, Yuu quickly changed forms; dark brown irises gazing into evergreen plains.
“I need to have a talk with her, you can shower and rest some while I do. There’s no guarantee we can stay yet, but even if it’s just a few hours to rest and clean up...it’s better than nothing.”
Yuu listened carefully, only slightly distracted by the kitsune’s bareness, noticing with each passing second the creature grew paler, the cold actually having an effect on him. Ni~ya’s shaking hands moved up to his chest, grasping lightly and face contorting into pain, Yuu able to see just how much the agile man was pushing his limits in order to get them to safety.
Reaching out his arm, the shifter’s always warm hand graced over the other’s stitched chest, offering warmth for only seconds before Ni~ya took a step back, shooting Yuu an alarming expression. Shocked or disgusted, Yuu couldn’t really tell how the other felt right now, but the silence that had formed needed to be broken; Yuu taking a step back before quietly speaking.
“I just wanted to say…thank you.” It was all he could really think to say at the time, not wanting his sudden physical touch to cause that brief tiff of awkwardness between them.
“What? Why are you thanking me?” Ni~ya’s lips were turning purple, body shivering, as he squinted his decadent features in confusion.
“Because…Yutaka’s safe because of you. You’ve helped me more than my own pack ever would, so…thank you.”
For reasons even unknown to himself, Yuu’s words twisted something inside Ni~ya’s gut. It was a thank you; a simple two word statement that most could accept with no qualms. It wasn’t something the kitsune was used to. It was either blame or be blamed with him – no one had ever once shown him the gratitude Yuu had, and for that reason alone, he wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Trust me,” he spoke, distancing himself from Yuu even further. “I have my reasons for doing what I did, it wasn’t just to help Yutaka…”
He didn’t mean for his words to come off as rude or snappy, but based on Yuu’s expression, that’s exactly how they sounded. He was simply trying to inform the shifter of the truth; he didn’t betray his own kind to help Yutaka. Honestly, Yutaka was nothing to him. Yes, the university student had saved his life and Ni~ya would forever and always be in his debt, but he surely wasn’t the reason why he’d betrayed his entire clan. He’d been stupid. He’d allowed his emotions to take over his work, and when he saw the striking resemblance in personality and dark looks that Yuu shared with Ruka, he couldn’t help but have a soft spot for the shifter.
“Now, come inside. Mika’s made us tea and I don’t want to be rude.”
Yuu wanted to label Ni~ya’s sudden change in attitude as anger, but the two tailed still seemed to remain utmost calm even when that tinge of frustration crossed his features. The shift in boldness was abrupt and left Yuu flabbergasted, making him put a stop to whatever words he was getting ready to speak.
The pair stared at one another for only seconds, and then without another look of acknowledgement, Ni~ya turned on his heels, entering the family home.
Following the wan man’s trail, Yuu entered the home as well, taking the liberty to grab a blanket resting on the arm chair beside the glass door and wrapping himself in it. It took only seconds for him to find the bright kitchen in the small house, and when he walked through the arch he found Ni~ya sitting at a small round table, his body covered in a long silk robe and sipping on a porcelain cup of tea. Mika was to the left of him, eyeing the kitsune with concern, looking up as soon as she heard Yuu’s steps.
“Ahh, please, sit down.” She sprung up from her seat, pushing Yuu down into her previous spot as she shot across the room and filled another cup of tea. “Ni~ya said your name was Yuu? Well, I’m Mika, nice to meet you.” One hand held the tea out to Yuu, the other in the air eagerly awaiting a hand shake.
Yuu took the cup and shook her hand, smiling with his greeting. “Nice to meet you too, Mika...” He paused momentarily, unsure of if he should ask the next question forming at the tip of his tongue. He’s known the woman for barely ten minutes and already she knew his most vulnerable secret. That in itself allowed a foreboding sense of insecurity to wash over, so placing the warm cup of tea on the table top, he turned more towards Mika, asking the one question that needed to be addressed in order for him to gain some form of upper hand.
“May I ask what your relation to Ni~ya is?”
He knew that was pushing boundaries, but just because he had to fallen into Ni~ya’s range of trust with next to no questions asked didn’t mean he had to automatically trust everyone Ni~ya was associated with.
Chuckling nervously, Mika offered a small smile. “I was…I’m…I’m his sister-in-law…of sorts…”
He was about to open his mouth to ask more, but before a syllable could even be formed, Ni~ya was speaking; jaw stern, body still shaking.
“Yuu, hurry and finish your tea. There’s a bathroom down the hall and to the right. Take a shower – there should be extra clothes in the bathroom’s pantry. Mika and I really need to talk.”
It was more of a list of commands than a suggestion, and really, Yuu had no choice but to follow it. Ni~ya’s territory, Ni~ya’s say. He had always been one to respect rules and regulations; restrictions and boundaries when it came to pack manners and he wasn’t about to break his system of belief just because Ni~ya was his underling. Finishing his warm drink in one smooth gulp, he stood, wrapping the blanket around himself even tighter before bowing in respect to Mika and heading in the direction of the bathroom.
Once he was gone, Mika took her seat back next to Ni~ya, continuing to eye him through her thin frames. “I can’t believe you’re actually alive…I haven’t seen you since…you know…Ruka.” Her thumbs were playing with the lip of her cup, eyes resting on the table.
Ni~ya ignored her state, knowing that he didn’t have the time to be worrying about the past right now. “Well, I couldn’t exactly come around…Hiroaki’s not my biggest fan.”
“No…no. You got it wrong, Ni~ya, he just…Ruka was his brother. He’s not going too easily accept that Ruka was killed because of-”
“A measly two tailed?” Ni~ya interrupted, his body tensing yet again.
Because even after 16 years had passed, he still had to hear whispers in the hallways of how the rare and powerful nine tailed Ruka had been annihilated…how it was all Ni~ya’s fault. It was 16 years of gossip and half-truths, but one couldn’t help but start to believe those assumptions after being forced to hear them day in and day out, unable to escape no matter his destination.
It was one fight…one fight was all it took for Ni~ya’s entire life to get turned upside down.
“…his job.” Mika finished carefully. “You know how much Hiroaki hated not being able to understand Ruka’s world…you know he never approved of him working for Shun-san…”
She was right. Hiroaki could never understand because Hiroaki was lucky enough to be the first born – automatically meaning there was never the possibility he could possess the kitsune trait. He got to grow up, create a family, live normally…he was blessed. He was human. That unfortunately wasn’t the case for his two younger brothers’ – Ruka and Yomi.
Hiroaki had always insisted his siblings could live a normal life; that they didn’t have to get involved in kitsune affairs. That, however, was something easier said than done. Most kitsunes’ had a rapid desire to be around their own kind. They were typically close niched and did whatever to help one another out. There were of course the few exceptions, such as Ni~ya himself who’d rather remain estranged, but nine times out of ten, kitsunes’ thrived on closure from one another.
Ruka and Yomi were part of that nine tenths, thus when reaching the proper age, each of them headed straight for Shun, getting taken under his wing and going through the vigorous months of training required to officially work for their Leader.
Running a hand through his tousle of raven curls, Ni~ya slouched in his seat, eyes remaining focused on the waves his cup of tea made as Mika tapped nervously on the table. “It doesn’t matter,” he spoke up after a few strained moments. “…he still blames me.”
And just as he was expecting, Mika didn’t bother to try and argue his point. She knew it was true – everybody knew it was true. Hiroaki blamed Ni~ya for everything. Blamed him for not finding Ruka and getting him the medical attention he needed before his life came to an end, blamed him for not getting Ruka out of kitsune activities before it was too late…his fault…his fault. Everything was his fault. It was such a heavy weight to carry, one that left him unable to visit the people he considered family since Ruka’s death 16 years ago. He couldn’t bear to disappoint ones he loved any further, so it was easier to act as if they didn’t exist and move on with his life.
Sighing, Mika gave up on trying to lighten the atmosphere. “What happened there?” Her fingers grazed under the silk material of the loaned robe, scratching over the fresh stitches on the kitsune’s chest.
Ni~ya jolted slightly, the wound still fresh and aching. “This is why I’m here, actually. Shun-san, he’s put a bounty out on me. I have nowhere else to go…”
That, and Mika’s home was the best place to hide out in in order to remain off the charts; the fact of the matter being nobody would ever think to look for the pair here. It was a well-known bit of information around headquarters that Hiroaki didn’t care for Ni~ya in the least bit, just as it was well known Ni~ya had refused to visit his former second home since after Ruka’s funeral. It simply wouldn’t make sense for them to search here. That, and the time, effort, and risk it took to enter into such a rundown part of down just wasn’t something on the kitsunes’ top priority list.
“So, you want me to…?”
“Just let Yuu and I stay for a few days. We’re both injured and could use the rest. I swear, we’ll be gone as soon as we figure out what the hell our next plan of action is.”
“But what about Hiroaki? I don’t know exactly when he’s coming home…”
Ni~ya knew there was no need for Mika to elaborate on her trailed off statement. Hiroaki traveled a lot for his business, always coming and going at random times. However, he had a keen sense; always able to detect if someone had been in his home during his absence or not. With two guests in her home, Mika wasn’t sure if she’d be able to hide evidence of their stay before her husband came home; a warning of his arrival never on the horizon.
Ni~ya knew this all too well, which is why before he and Yuu had ever arrived, a full plan had been jotted down in his mind. “It’s winter, so I figured you wouldn’t have very many clients,” he pointed to the backyard, referring to the cages, which in turn referred to the animal shelter Mika ran from the safety of her backyard. “We could just sleep out there, Hiroaki would never notice.”
“You’ll freeze out there, Ni~ya.”
“There’s blankets.”
“No, absolutely not. You can stay in Ruka’s old room-” the small woman’s eyes widened upon noticing her mistake, apologies falling from her mouth left and right at even suggesting Ni~ya step foot into Ruka’s room.
“Its fine, Mika.” Ni~ya interrupted her mid rant, calm on the outside, but a ranging mess of emotions on the inside. “You don’t need to apologize…it’s been sixteen years – I can handle it.”
Which he really couldn’t, but he would try to at least withstand it.
“Are you sure? Cause if not, you can stay in Yuki’s room. She won’t be back until her University lets out for the winter holiday, so it’s empty and Hiroaki should have no reason to look in there…”
Ni~ya froze for a moment, taking in Mika’s statement. Yuki was Ruka’s niece. He’d been there when the little girl was born, held and played with her for the first three years of her life…and now she was already in college? He knew it’d been more than a decade since he last saw the small family of three, but hearing it said out loud really just put everything into perspective.
“Really, it’s fine. It’ll do me some good…Closure, I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders, bringing himself out of his thoughts and lightly padding Mika’s upper arm to tell her to quit worrying.
“Alright…I’ll get the room set up for you then.”
Ni~ya smiled gently, resting his hand atop of Mika’s. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem, you know I couldn’t not help you. You’re family.” She ran her fingers through Ni~ya’s hair messily, fusing the wavy locks into a distorted pattern. “By the way, how’s Yomi doing? Hiroaki tried to get in contact with him a few days ago, but it’s like he’s completely disappeared. It’s probably nothing, but you know how he worries. Always the protective older brother.”
The tension that had begun washing away made its way back into Ni~ya’s system, body coiling tighter than a rusted spring.
“Mika…” A weak whisper, Ni~ya trembling as his face heated, eyes beginning to glisten. “Yomi...there was an attack at headquarters…Yomi…he…”
How was he to tell her when he could barely accept it himself? Finding Yomi, being the last person the young dirty blond ever had the chance to see, hearing his last whispered words, and seeing the immense pain he was suffering through…it all added insult to injury. He was going to have to be the one to live with those images for the rest of his life; live with the guilt that it was somehow his fault. How he could be accused, he wasn’t sure. But he could only assume that the blame could not be pushed upon Akira, Sakito, Rin, or Shun alone…he had to someway be involved, because somehow…everything that went wrong was always his fault.
“Yomi…he didn’t make-”
He couldn’t bring himself to finish. Calm exterior finally breaking as muffled sobbing started, Mika fully understanding and grabbing ahold of her former brother-in-law, this time allowing his face to bury into her neck as he cried out his first set of tears in years.
The entire scene was watched from the hallway by a third party, Yuu standing freshly showered and dressed, watching with disbelief as the ever calm Ni~ya broke down; the sight capable of shattering any healthy heart into two. Not feeling right watching the display before him, he swiftly turned back towards to bathroom, locking himself back in the steamy capacity. Hands gripping the porcelain sink, he stared at himself in the foggy mirror; for once noticing how tragically everything was beginning to fall apart around him…
Yuu’s period of isolation didn’t last much longer after that, a knock on the bathroom door followed by Mika’s questioning voice resounding moments later. Upon opening the door, he offered his hostess a smile, the elder woman asking him if he found everything ok and if he was ready for her to direct him to his resting place for the night. He answered with a thankful ‘yes’, allowing the small mother to guide him through her pleasant sized home, trying hard to act as if her watery eyes and swollen cheeks weren’t noticeable. Only a few steps into their brisk walk, the pair passed by Ni~ya in the hall, the kitsune refusing to look their way, averting his features to the ground – Yuu knowing that was the other’s way to hide a tear stricken face.
Mika soon escorted Yuu to a room upstairs, informing the shifter that Ni~ya would be up after getting in a shower. Less than a few words exchanged and then he was left to himself, taking in his surroundings, trying to forget to devastating sight he saw in the kitchen that short time ago.
As Yuu and Ni~ya began to fall into their ritual for a night of rest, another figure stood shivering; bundling his body into a loaned trench coat. Yutaka blew a breath of warmth into the night wintery sky of Hokkaido, watching as the little cloud of fog flew up and met the stars. He could feel and hear the timely beat of the soft alternative music vibrate against the brick wall he was leaning against, cheers from the drinking establishment’s customers following soon after. He was tired, smelt of nothing but cigarettes and sweat, and wanted nothing more than to be at home, in his own bed, blocking out the rest of the world. At this point, he simply couldn’t bring himself to care about what the hell was going on with him, he just wanted familiarity. He wanted to wake up tomorrow, go to class alongside Yuu, and be able to smile. But, he knew there was no going back. He knew from now on it would be him and Akira – a thought that made him tense but feel almost secure all at the same time.
It’d been eight hours since the unlikely pair landed themselves in Hokkaido, and since then their search for Hitsugi has been endless. After about an hour of looking for the unknown man, they’d finally come across a local college student; someone who appeared younger than Yutaka himself. He’d claim to know the man they were in search of, stating that the only chance they had of finding him is if they searched every bar in the area – something Akira had taken to doing forthrightly.
At first, the domineering blond had insisted that Yutaka remain with him at all times, dragging the brunette into bar after bar and practically keeping him stitched to his side. However, Hokkaido had a lot of area to cover, and by the twelfth bar no incident had occurred and they’d found nobody with a name that even closely resembled Hitsugi, and so Akira had begun to feel impatient, taking his frustrations out on Yutaka and thus starting another fight between them. The verbal tiff had ended with Akira screaming at Yutaka to fuck off, telling him he could do whatever he wanted and that he didn’t need to be on his ass every step of the way. Yutaka had of course ignored Akira’s instructions and still continued to follow the other around, not knowing what to do or where else to go. On the other hand, Yutaka knew they both needed some distance from each other, so he started waiting patiently outside every local bar instead of following the blond inside, no longer having the energy to put up with the combination of Akira’s polar attitude and the obnoxious behavior of the drunken bar patrons.
Taking another deep breath, Yutaka is able to feel the icy cool attack his lungs before a large exhale follows. Closing his eyes, he stuffs his hands deeper into the coat’s pockets, leaning harder against the wall. Everything is silent around him besides the numb amounts of music rampaging from the indoors, and for the first time in days he feels somewhat relaxed. He refuses to let his mind wander to the night before in the hotel, refuses to think about the huge loss of his treasurable necklace. His thoughts become as numb as the beating music, exhausted body beginning to give way as he feels himself nodding out.
Right then and there, he could’ve possibly fallen asleep, but then a back alley door is heard slamming shut, causing him to stand up right and alert. Arguing was heard, the sound of footsteps soon after, and before Yutaka knows it, there’s a new figure standing right next to him, lighting up a cigarette and inhaling with fury.
The newly arrived man doesn’t seem to take in he is not the only one standing in the cold night, continuing to grumble under his breath with frustration, brows knitting and meeting the arch of his nose. Yutaka continues to remain silent, burying himself deeper in the wall, taking in the man’s appearance. He’s tall, about six foot, and has very well defined features. Black hair that fell way past his shoulders was decorated with an under layer of vivid fuchsia, posh lips wrapped around the cigarette looking nothing but proficient in their task. A dark coat covered up his seemingly thin frame, pants that looked like a second skin sticking to his filled out legs. His grumbling continued, a gleam of a piece of metallic jewelry reflecting from off his left eyebrow. Yutaka remained quiet, continuing to observe the man, but then piercing dark greens were suddenly boring into him, Yutaka going completely and utterly still.
“What’re you lookin’ at?” the man spat, taking a step closer and tossing his half stub of cigarette into a pile of snow. He has a heavy accent, words laced with slang and a country drawl.
“Nothing, just waiting on a friend…” Having to refer to Akira as a friend put a bitter feeling in Yutaka’s mouth, not liking the taste of associating the blond man with such a status of endearment. His words ;however, seemed to do nothing to detain the man’s anger, built legs taking another step forward, gnawed to the bone fingers pointing at Yutaka accusingly.
“Do I know ya from somewhere? Ya look awfully familiar…” he continued analyzing Yutaka, causing the university student to cringe back, those strident green rises looking awfully familiar. The man squinted his eyes some before closing in on Yutaka, trapping him against the wall completely as he said dangerously, “I’m Tomo, what’s your name?”
It took Yutaka more than a few seconds to reply, breathing becoming restricted as nervousness began filling in the pit of his stomach. “I think you’re confusing me with someone else. This is my first time in Hokkaido…now, if you’ll excuse me…” he lifted his hand to the stranger’s chest and pushed him away gently, creating enough space for him to exit. This Tomo guy, whoever he is, was suspicious, and as much as Yutaka still hated to admit it, right now Akira was the only one he could actually trust.
Dipping completely past the stranger, he hurried quickly into the bar, eyes surveying the building’s surroundings in search of a familiar mop of blond hair. The place was crowded, blinding colorful lights making it hard to tell anybody apart. He knew he should just go back outside and wait for Akira to re-emerge, but there was truly something about Tomo’s questions and piercing gaze that set him off and built on that uneasy feeling building in the pit of his stomach. Finally, he decided on his location, concluding the bar island located to the right of a set of steps would give him a higher advantage point in finding Akira. It was just as he took his first step that he felt a hand grab his upper arm, slamming him into one of the dark corners the bar had to offer.
For only seconds his eyes closed, the impact against the wall being one of shock. But soon his eyes shot opened, the stranger from outside directly in his face once more; his stare now tinted a deep yellow. It was in that moment he realized where he’d seen those exotic orbs before; the kitsunes’ headquarters. He remembers watching Ni~ya attack Rin, how his eyes shifted from dark evergreen to that dangerous shade of yellow; he remembers sitting atop of Rin, pounding his fists into quickly splitting skin and watching just how the color in his eyes completely died out. Every kitsune he’d come in contact with had the same piercing gaze, and that’s exactly how Yutaka was easily able to deduce just what it was he was now up against.
“I knew I’ve seen ya before. Never thought I’d meet the infamous Kai in person…” the creature smiled snidely, leaning in close and taking in Yutaka’s smell, again making him cringe in disgust. “Ya know, Shun-san has very strict orders that if we see ya, we’re to get ya back to him with not a scratch on ya…but that doesn’t mean I can’t have my fun first…”
Tomo pressed his body closer against Yutaka’s, replacing the anxiousness building within the university student’s body with nothing but rage. He’d had it. For days he’d been treated like nothing but a rag doll; a rag doll that just so happened to be desired by every supernatural creature out there. He didn’t care about what he would find out once he and Akira found and talked to this Hitsugi guy – he would always consider himself Yutaka. So hearing the creature refer to him as Kai almost felt degrading, offsetting that fumbling amount of anger he felt increasing with each moment.
“Get. Off.”
Yutaka’s words came off as a steamy whisper, the kitsune only able to just hear him above their loud atmosphere due to how close they’d become. Only a dark chuckle was heard in response, the kitsune mocking him. “It really is an honor to meet you, Kai-san, but you’re no threat to me,” hands that only add to Yutaka’s anger cross his chest, grasping at his shirt, “Shun-san already has your precious necklace, without it, you only have half your key and are nothing but measly Yutaka.”
That was all it took to finally set Yutaka off. Clenched fists which were trembling by his sides were lifted, a growl emanating from deep in his chest sounding off against their closed in space, and then the kitsune was flying across the room; the mere push Yutaka provided him with having more impact than ever expected from both parties. For a moment he stared, shocked at the strength his body built up, but then he saw Tomo arise and begin to charge in his direction, that sensation he felt back at the kitsunes’ headquarters of another entity taking over now filling every molecule of his body.
Tomo managed to get only one beginning to form claw on Yutaka, tearing at the trench coat on the brunette’s shoulder, before that strength was back, Yutaka able to tackle the kitsune onto the floor; delivering a punch that sent strands of blood falling from the creature’s mouth. That, however, did nothing to weaken Tomo, he instantly rolling Yutaka underneath him and returning the favor the student had just delivered him, a searing upper cut to his jaw sending a crunchy snap into the bar’s noisy air.
Each time Tomo was able to get the upper hand, Yutaka was able to take it back seconds later. Again, his movements became uncontrolled, able to hear the gasps and shouts of ‘Fight!’ coming from the bar’s patrons surrounding them; their fight having made it into the middle of the crowd. Spotting those glowing yellow eyes glaring into him only furthered Yutaka’s anger, he able to perfectly envision Rin back underneath him, able to feel that mass strength take over as his punches came harder and faster, colors of red and fleshy pink beginning to take over Tomo’s face. He tried his hardest to cling onto the bit of humanity he felt left in him, but then the name ‘Kai’ slipped from Tomo’s lips again and the person known as Yutaka was completely gone – a monster taking over.
He throttled the man beneath him until Tomo was gurgling on his own blood, the kitsune’s hands falling limp at his sides and pale complexion turning even pastier. The scene before him almost made him grin, his own hands quickly wrapping around Tomo’s neck, wishing to end his life in the slowest way possible. The creature’s feet stopped kicking beneath, all will of fight draining from his body, but still, Yutaka continued to keep his hands wrapped firmly around his neck. His hold got tighter and tighter, Tomo practically on his last breath, but then Yutaka’s body was yanked from off the creature; once again slammed into another wall.
He was still in fight mode; arms and legs flailing, trying to attack whomever it was that now had control of him. With eyes shut, he continued laying down punches, feeling his fist practically shatter as a firm blow cut across his new opponent’s jaw. Mind in hysterics, he was losing control, unable to properly think of his fighting stance and becoming an utter mess, which is how he ended up pinned to the wall, a familiar feeling of cool taking over.
“Damn it, Yutaka, settle the fuck down!”
Instantly he knew it was Akira, but that’s not what calmed him down. It was the recognition. That even in such a state of hysteria, someone who he claimed to hate with every fiber of his being still saw him as Yutaka. He wasn’t Kai…he was Yutaka, and that made him freeze in his very spot. Almond eyes opening, his breathing was heavy, and all around him he could only spot other’s stares. They glared at him, demeaning looks etched across their faces; flickering between him and the eerily still Tomo on the ground. In that moment all those who surrounded him saw him as the suspect; he was the bad guy and Tomo was the victim. And that thought was enough to make him feel ill…
Sensing acidy bile make its way up from the depths of his stomach, he broke free from Akira’s hold, and with a hand over his mouth he exited the bar, barely making it back out into the wintery night before the little bit of food he had in his system was scattered across the cement. He was left heaving for breath, a panic attack he hadn’t experienced since his child hood laboring his breathing. Right now, Yuu was the only person he wished to see. The shifter was with him every step of the way after he came to live with his estranged relatives. He was there when Yutaka was the mere age of three, crying himself to sleep because he couldn’t understand where his parents had gone. He was there with him through primary school when all the teasing became too much and he’d break down and only to do some more crying. Yuu was his constant, someone he could always rely on no matter what they’ve faced up until this point, and knowing that his best friend wasn’t with him while he was going through some of the most challenging experiences of his life was extremely off putting.
“Yutaka…”
The call of his name was heard through hysteric breathing, wide eyes finding Akira standing next to him; a hand held out reaching for his shoulder.
“D-on’t….touch…me…” each word was spoken brokenly, the university student beginning to walk away, only for Akira to step ahead of him moments later.
“Will you at least fucking talk to me? Tell me what the fuck went on back there!” Akira pointed back towards the establishment they just exited, brows furrowing together in anger at Yutaka’s recluse actions.
The pain from his ragged breathing was becoming too much, arms wrapping around his stomach as he stopped in his walk. Bending at the waist, elbows touching his knees, he took deeper, longer breaths, attempting to stop the burning but failing drastically. “K-kitsune…he was…kitsune…”
That bit of new information surprised Akira, making him realize that even hundreds of miles away, the kitsunes’ still had authority and could easily take Yutaka away from him. It made him realize that free will wasn’t an option, they still had to be on the lookout for danger; otherwise all they’ve gone through would be deemed worthless.
Heaving breaths tore Akira from his thoughts, looking back at Yutaka’s frail figure just in time to watch him collapse into a thin pile of snow. Immediately Akira ran those few centimeters towards the brunette, ducking down beside him and turning his body face first. Splotches of blood decorated his face from his fist fight, body looking nothing but drained. There were various signs adhering to Yutaka’s humanity, but in this moment, the university student looked as human as one could get.
Akira was able to grasp the awareness now. He couldn’t work Yutaka and drag him all around town with him acting like he was invincible. He needed to stop and rest and simply relax; otherwise the brunette’s body was going to begin shutting down on him before his eyes, and as much as Akira couldn’t stand the other, he really didn’t wish to see that happen.
It was late, their search for Hitsugi was an absolute failure, and it was getting colder as more flakes fell. Deciding they’d put in enough effort for today, Akira scooped up Yutaka’s body, the other’s irresistible smell hitting him right away and causing his body to shudder with desire. Glimpses from the hotel room back in Akita ravaged his mind, able to feel Yutaka’s heat as he traced the scar on his thigh, remembering just how much those touches affected him…
Awareness slipped his mind for a few sparse moments, and before he could stop himself Akira was burying his face into Yutaka’s neck, inhaling the intoxicating scent and feeling both hunger and arousal take over. It was so easy. Yutaka was unconscious, making him willing prey in Akira’s eyes. All he had to do was angle his head a little more, and then with one little bite his mouth would fill with that euphoric taste, bringing him to a land of ecstasy…
“Fuck,” it was a whimper, Akira inhaling deeply once more before throwing his head back to the sky, trying to break free of the alluring temptation.
His need to feed was vital now, because if he didn’t, he’s not sure of how well he could control himself around Yutaka…
Rushing back to the Porsche stolen earlier on in the day, Akira settled Yutaka in the passenger seat. Locking the doors, he strode off until he came to a crossing section on the roads, watching as a group of men in their mid to late twenties crossed, each laughing obnoxiously and seemingly drunk. Zeroing in on the man who seemed the furthest gone, he continued to stalk the group until they turned a corner, where he then took the opportunity to sneak up behind his target’s back, muffling his plead as he pulled him into the side alley. Everything worked out perfectly as planned, the group of men not even noticing they now had one friend missing even as they continued to walk in the dark of the night, their laughs and voices eventually fading till all that could be heard was silence.
It was only then Akira removed his hand from his prey’s mouth, waiting for the scream that always came, but instead being met with a shocked gasp.
“Akira?”
Akira’s brows arched at the mumbled name, looking down and finding thickly framed glasses staring up at him; the man’s eyes shining in endearment. Various piercings covered his bottom lip, arms laced with jewelry and tattoos alike, and hair that was short and choppy up front but long in the back was colored a deep shade of red. Upon looking him over at first glance, he appeared as someone who could take care of themselves and didn’t cease to put up a fight if need be. And that’s really what shocked Akira…he just couldn’t understand why this man wouldn’t brother to try and get away and instead looked up at him with near…adoration?
Wrapping his fists in the man’s shirt, Akira flung him off the wall, using his grip to hold him in the air above him. “How the fuck do you know who I am?”
His intended prey actually smiled back at him, his hands coming to rest on Akira’s own in the calmest of ways. That’s when Akira took notice of the other’s lack of layered clothing and the abundant warmth radiating from his body…
“You’re a shifter?”
“I am…and you’re Akira; Takanori’s greatest fledgling and one of the few who share Kiyoharu’s bloodline…Or should I just go ahead and call you Reita?”
A smug smirk followed, one that had Akira throwing the shifter to the ground, a threatening growl released right by his ear. “Who the fuck are you and what do you know?”
Steady hands raised, silently telling Akira to back off. “Calm down, calm down; I come in peace,” two index fingers were tossed in the air, indeed forming the peace sign which only further pissed the blond off, “I’m not here to hurt you, I’m actually quite a fan of yours. It’s a shame that this is how we had to meet, but I’d really like to sit down and have a proper talk with you and-”
Annoyed, Akira dug his nails further into the shifter’s chest, barely breaking skin, lifting the other’s back off the ground so they were face to face. “Who the fuck are you?”
“You have a horrible temper, you know that? It really is a shame, cause you’re like, my idol, dude. I have so many questions I’d like to ask about the war back then and-”
Akira growled, frustrated at the shifter’s lack of fear. “I will end you right now if you don’t tell me who the fuck you are and why you know so much shit about me.”
“Promise to allow me to pick your brains and I’ll tell you everything I know.”
The man smiled, somehow knowing he’d already won this argument. Everything he’d said thus far has only further piqued Akira’s interest, resulting in the blond wanting to know more. What war? Just how did he know about Reita? Why did this shifter practically…idolize him? Letting out a scuff, he threw the other’s body back onto the ground, standing abruptly before snarling.
“Fine.”
“Good,” the heavily pierced man stands, dusting off the bits of snow from his clothing, and straightens his glasses before holding his hand out, forcing Reita to grip it. “Hello, Reita. My name’s Hitsugi – Yuu’s older brother.”
For a moment, Reita stilled, completely taken aback by the information. He scoffed at the irony that the man he’d been looking for all night was now directly before him, but what he couldn’t seem to truly absorb were Hitsugi’s words. The way Yuu had talked about his ‘connection’ seemed so dull and casual, as if the person he were actually talking about was just that; a mere connection. The blond knew there was no reason to distrust the man before him, but still he found himself asking a question that seemed rather useless.
“That mutt has an older sibling?” he quirked his brows, folded arms over his chest, and watched as Hitsugi nodded his head. “Prove it.”
And it was just that Hitsugi did. Taking no time, he lifted his shirt and edged down the waist of his pants, revealing tanned skin covered in ink. The mess of colors permanently ebbed into his skin was almost distracting, but any fool would automatically recognize the Shiroyama pack symbol engrained right over padded hip bone; three heavy lines of ebony black appearing as a scratch mark followed by a small cursive print of ‘Protect to Serve.’
“Enough proof for you?” Hitsugi raised his eyes, dark browns that were identical to Yuu’s looking at Akira from the tips of his thick glasses frames. “I mean, I can change forms if you want me to, but I’d prefer to stay dressed…I’m just not one for public indecency, dude.”
Akira waved him off, simply telling the young shifter to follow him. He knew his trust was becoming thin lately, but he really hadn’t the choice. Besides, now that the search was finally over; answers could finally begin to unravel, something he was in desperate need of.
They’d walked the first block in silence, Hitsugi following close behind as Akira backtracked his was to the parked car. The shifter insisted on humming, grating on the blond’s nerves, but as they came within a few feet of the parked car, Hitsugi’s movements froze altogether; Akira looking back and finding the dark red head gawking at him with wide eyes.
“What is it?” he spat, getting even more annoyed.
Hitsugi merely licked his lips, swirling the tip of his boot nervously in the snow, watching as it slowly melted under the pressure. “…you…You have Yutaka with you?”
The shifter knew he could smell the other on Akira back in the alley, but he’d ignored it, assuming he was simply going crazy. Be that as it may, as they closed in and neared the car Akira was heading for, there was no denying Yutaka’s scent was sky high; the heavily pierced man unable to ever forget that scent. He had, after all, spent a majority of his childhood and early teens encompassed by the strong fragrance. But if that were actually the case, if Yutaka was actually with Akira, that could only mean one thing – the truth was finally beginning to resurface and Hitsugi himself was going to have to be the bearer of bad news for everyone involved. He was going to have to shatter hopes and dreams; truths and realities. And that right there was something that honestly did not sit well with him in the least bit.
“Yeah…what of it?”
“It’s nothing, just…I’m close to Yutaka and after not having seen him forfive years or so…I don’t know, man. It’s going to be weird.”
Instantly, Akira felt a small flame of anger ignite, his words out before he could even stop them. “How close?”
Anything else Hitsugi had to say at this point just wasn’t important. Akira had to know. He was grateful, however, that the other didn’t seem to pick up on his sudden change, his next words spoken so casually that Akira wasn’t even sure he’d heard him right at first.
“Like, I’m the one who created him, kind of close.”
And with that said, Akira came to the realization that things were far more complicated than he could have ever imagined.
Author's Note: Alright, so it's been a while again, and I recommend checking out the character list if you're confused. I'm not happy with this chapter, but everything that happened HAD to happen so future chapters can flow more readily :P There's over 20 characters that are getting brought into focus on this fic, and each & everyone needs an explanation, so yes, you're going to have to put up with major scenes that aren't Kai and Reita :3
I have part of the next chapter planned, so it shouldn't take another 3 months to update, but I'm not promising quick chapters either, sorry >.<
BUUT, if anyone did enjoy this chappie, ya'll need to thank the amazing miss
ravennightmare6, cause without her, it probably would have sat in my docs for another 3 months xD I'm dedicating this chapter to her just because she's so awesome <3
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Date: 2014-04-01 08:27 pm (UTC)And now, this one!! Omg... This is getting so intense!! :O So much is going on!! I don't know how you keep track of it all, you must be brilliant to have come up with something like this!! :D Man oh man... And that last line there, (Or one of them, the "I'm the one who created him" one)... Oh my gosh, you are such a tease!! Giving us JUUSSSTT Enough information to leave us craving the full story!! DX You sly author you!! :P And Kai gets scary when he goes all super human like that, I wouldn't want to be the one to piss him off ._. But then after.... Aww, my poor bby ;.; I wonder how he's lasted this long really, so much has gone on!! :'D So yup, awesome chapter! ^^ Can't wait to read whatever you put out next!! :D
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Date: 2014-04-02 03:19 pm (UTC)Omg, no dear, I'm nowhere near brilliant...I just have to re-read previous chapters A LOT & think *hard* about what happens next xD This fic is actually mentally exhausting to write (which is why I probably take so long to update), but, it's fun & I enjoy messing w. readers minds >:D Kai's super humaness will get some explanation next chapter...maybe :P Thank you so much for commenting, it really means a lot w/ how dead LJ has been lately <3 *hugs*
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Date: 2014-04-02 02:47 pm (UTC)I know you wrote that you don't like this chap. You said it is just a filler but.. I don't think so!!!
I mean we have a crying Ni~ya!!
Kai's gone wild a second time!! (kinda scary and creepy)
Reita found Hitsugi (by accident)!!
HISTUGI appeared!!
H I T S U G I ! ! !
We got to know that he is Yuu's older brother and he knows Kai!!
AND!!! His last sentence acnusnsimxjdcnjiendirhn!!! HE CREATED KAI?? How?? OMG!!
I need a next chapter XD
And don't worry, for me it is totally fine to read other scemes than Kai and Reita although you know that I love them the most XD
But there is also Kouyou's past I really wanna know and it seems that Yuu doesn't get along with his pack well as well?
Hm, hm hm, I am really curious abt the next chapters and it's going to be so many ;w;
Ahhh and poor Baby Kai ; ; had a breakdown but Akira cared for him!!
Oh and I love that Hitsugi is such a fan of Reita XD I need to know what happened during this war that Hitsugi is such a fan of him XD
Soooo I love this chap! Many things happening!!
Keep on, keep on! <3
And ofc thanks to ravennightmare6 XD
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Date: 2014-04-02 03:35 pm (UTC)Dude, I think I'm going to go overboard w. Ni~ya's character. I just love writing him so much that sometimes I have to remember that this is primarily a Rekai fic :'3 Aoi/Ni~ya are gonna be one of my OTPs after this fic, I can feel it :P
Kai going all bad ass human on us :'D I was afraid of being repetitive, but Tomo is gonna be an important character in the future, so it was necessary~
Hitsugi's gonna be my favorite secondary character to write :DD He's such a fanboy....and just wait till he and Kai speak for the first time :'D
Kai had a break down...Akira took care of him...BUT HE HAD TO RESTRAIN FROM EATING HIM. Their relationship is so warped xD
Thank you so much, my Sandy Cheeks <3 Now that I know this fic is actually being read, it might make it easier for me to update sooner <33
Thanks again!
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Date: 2014-04-02 04:35 pm (UTC)Ahah just write as much Ni~ya as you want. It is your fic but yes, please don't forget Kai and Reita ahaha XD
Aoi and Ni~ya make a great couple in this fic although I am not that familiar with him cause all I know from Nightmare are some songs and that I think I have a chin like Ruka XD lol
I don't think that it is bad that you were kinda repetitive bcs there is this side in him and.. Although it was kinda creepy I liked that scene but also felt sorry for Kai bcs... All those people around XD ah btw.. Is Toma an OC or someone from a band? The only TOMO's I know are from 12012 (actually I am not sure if there is someone named like that XD) and the one from vistlip (and I rlly don't think it is him)
Nahhhh I LOVE HiTSUGI! He is just awesome and cute and adorable and pretty and... Ahahaha a REITA fanboy XD
Ohh and I wait patiently but squirelly for his and Kai's first meeting after such a long time XD Does he remember Hitsugi?
Nahhh doesn't matter if warped or not.. One day they will lobe each other or at least finally fuck XD Such sexual tension should be used XD
And some final words:
My dear Sam,
OF COURSE THIS FIC IS READ!!!
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Date: 2014-04-02 10:12 pm (UTC)Chin? Ruka has no chin, what're you talking about? lol.
Tomo is from 12012 (well, his name is Tomoyuki, but I think Tomo fit better for the fic)...but the description I gave him is VERY much from my own imagination xD
I can't say whether Kai remembers Hitsugi or not...because I'd be spoiling something VERY big xD Sorry, you'll just have to wait~.
I'm going to keep them from boinking for a while just to tease you guys~ <3 ;P
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Date: 2014-04-03 02:26 am (UTC)...ahahaha see? Sometimes I think I have none either. It looks so.. I don't like this part of my face. I think bcs of that part I am not looking as pretty as I could be XD
HAH!!!!! omg XD I am a genius. Although. I am not familiar with 12012 either I remembered that someone is named liked that XD. Btw... Hiroaki, too?
Ah I thought so XD but I'll gladly wait *3*)/
And I know I know that they won't make love so soon hut it will happen! XDDD
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Date: 2014-04-02 10:43 pm (UTC)I'm excited to see how Hitsugi is, I love him!
I can't wait for more ^^
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Date: 2014-04-10 03:38 pm (UTC)Hitsugi will have a bigger role next chapter >:D
Thanks so much for commenting, glad you're enjoying!
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Date: 2014-04-03 08:42 am (UTC)Well, first thing's first. What a fantastic chapter! I really am so, so happy that you got your vampire mojo back even if its just for a little while :3 Please don't feel like this was a crappy chapter because fillers are unavoidable. We need fillers because they FILL IN information and more often than not they make the story flow so much better. So its always really good to have filler chapters (whether you think they're good or not).
I'm quite fond of the little interaction Yuu and Ni~Ya have had so far. I'm not a massive Nightmare fan (I've only got a few of their songs on my iPod) but I'm liking these two as a pairing so far. Ni~Ya is quite the stoic character and I feel like he's got a bit of a wall up. So I'm very interested to delve further into Yuu and Ni~Ya's future encounters. I just have to say that, for me, the moment when Ni~Ya ran out in front of Mika and changed from his fox form into his human form and they embraced was really powerful. Not in a romantic way or anything, but just the way that you described the actual embrace really resonated with me. (I don't know if that's how it was for other people but that's how it was for me >.<)
Whoa.... Yutaka O.O He needs to get his anger in check otherwise he's gonna end up all bitter like Akira ;P You know how interested I am to find out what Yutaka is. You've got it so well covered up (or maybe I'm just dumb and can't pick up on hints xP) I have absolutely no clue where to start guessing. Then there was that part at the end with Hitsugi and he said that he was Yutaka's 'creator'. That's interesting. It makes me think that maybe Kai was put into Yutaka's body somehow? Or maybe some kind of resurrection? I have no idea, I'm just making wild guesses now >.<
Ugh, I can't describe how much I love Akira and Yutaka's relationship. They so hate each other but there's just that ever-present, underlying attraction between them. I love it so, so much! I like to think that Akira cares for Yutaka, even if its just a little bit, and he just wants to play the tough guy role and pretend he doesn't (or maybe that's just my hopeful romantic side ;P) But seriously, they just need to fuck already. Juuust putting it out there. They so want to and we all want them too ;P (not trying to pressure you into writing a sex scene or anything, the only reason I brought it up is coz you said there is the possibility of some boinking in the next chapter :P)
I know I said it on twitter but I'll say it again now. I really, really admire how you can juggle so many different plotlines and characters. It shows that you have a good amount of higher order thinking and you're clever enough to be able to make it all work which is very difficult. The whole thing just flows so, so well and everything makes perfect sense. It's not a one-track mind kinda thing (unlike Loneliness D:)
Anyway! I'll stop rambling now. I feel like this was a pretty shitty, rambley comment, especially seeing as you dedicated this chapter to me which is so incredibly sweet and I can't thank you enough <3 It's seriously so sweet that you dedicated *any* of your writing to me. It makes me so happy :')
Fantastic chapter as always deary. I cannot contain my excited for the next one <3 <3
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Date: 2014-04-11 05:55 pm (UTC)I think I can honestly say I've got Yutaka's ~being~ covered up pretty damn well xD I'm sort of making up characteristics for his 'species' as I go along, cause really not much is known about them. So I figured, my fic, my details - I can do whatever I want~ :P Actually, you're not *completely* wrong there, but not exactly right, either. It's kind of complicated, but bits and pieces will be revealed next chapter & shit should start making some sense :P
Them hating each other so much should make for some good hate sex for sure >:D I wouldn't say Akira necessarily cares for Yutaka, but there's a 'part' of him that feels he has to...? Right now, all Akira wants is to get some answers question & drain Yutaka dry - there's really no in between lol. However, things *may* begin to change after their talk with Hitsugi~ :P
Higher order thinking = me going back & constantly re-reading my own work so I don't flub up connections/time line xD But, thank you for that compliment :P
Your comment was amazing, alright? Seriously, it was, so you just need to shut up :P (Iloveyou<3)
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Date: 2014-04-05 10:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-10 03:22 pm (UTC)AAAHHHH
Date: 2017-03-07 03:35 pm (UTC)I hope you'll continue this one day and until then I'll just read your other Kaita that my friend recommended, hehe. Just know that I looove this one!! <3