Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ The Dark Side of Gravity ❯ Closure ( Chapter 9 )

This is it!  The last chapter!  I know the story is short, but I think you'll like the ending.

Chapter 9: Closure

The music was extremely loud and the dance floor packed at Club Congo.  Tohma made his way to the bar and ordered Glenlivet on the rocks.  Even chilled, the alcohol warmed his throat on the way down and washed away the taste of the vampire dust.  He moved away from the bar and found an empty spot where he could lean against the wall and survey the crowd.  People checked him out as they went by, with men and women showing equal interest.  Tohma ignored them; he was used to being stared at.  He was pretty sure it was the overcoat he wore that gave him the appearance of being unapproachable, but whatever it was, people looked at him without trying to talk to him, which suited him just fine.

It was nearly one in the morning, the best part of the night from a vampire's perspective.  Most club-goers were drunk and compliant by this hour, ready to try anything new, especially if it was kinky.  His eyes skimming over the crowd, Tohma paused when he saw a man and woman on the dance floor, swaying slowly to the music.  The man's mouth was pressed against the woman's neck and, even from where he stood, Tohma could see him sucking.  Long, glossy black hair spilled over the man's shoulder and swung gently as the couple danced and he drank.

A slight smile touched Tohma's lips.  Hello, Mr. Seido.

He waited until Satoshi stopped drinking and moved to lead his partner from the dance floor before pushing away from the wall.  Tohma took a path through the crowd that would take him past the dance floor close to where Satoshi and the woman would exit.  As he neared them, he looked directly at the couple and caught Satoshi Seido's eye.  He smiled slightly and then looked away, but he walked deliberately close to Satoshi, letting his arm brush against Satoshi's arm as he went by.  He continued across the room to a tall empty table in a corner and turned to look back, leaning on one elbow as he drained his glass.

It only took Satoshi Seido a minute to join him.

"May I buy you another drink?"

"Please.  Glenlivet, 34 years old, on the rocks."

Satoshi signaled to a waitress and ordered Tohma's drink, and red wine for himself.  "I don't believe I've seen you here before," he said.

"I don't come here often," Tohma replied. "Too noisy."

"What brings you out tonight, then?"  Satoshi studied him intensely, his tongue flicking briefly across his lips.

"Boredom."  Tohma fixed his eyes on Satoshi and Satoshi drew in a quick breath.

"Indeed," he murmured.  "Perhaps I could help you with that."

The waitress returned with their drinks and Tohma noted she did not ask for payment.  Satoshi was obviously well known here.  He sipped his drink in silence and watched the dancers.  Satoshi watched him.

"You look familiar," he purred.  "Are you a performer?"

"I used to be."  Tohma bowed his head slightly.  "I was with the band Nittle Grasper."

Satoshi's eyes widened slightly and he smiled with pleasure.  "Would you like to dance?"  His voice was silky smooth.

Tohma put his glass down.  "Not here."  He looked directly at Satoshi.  "I prefer not to be intimate in front of others."

Satoshi's mouth opened slightly and he slid his tongue across his sharp white teeth, a sign of intense attraction in a vampire, Tohma knew.

"Perhaps you would like to step outside for a moment, where it is not so noisy?"  His voice was husky with desire.

Tohma just smiled and headed for the exit.  Satoshi followed him.

They walked in silence along the brightly lit but empty boulevard until they came to a dim, narrow alley between two buildings.  Tohma turned up the alley, but at the point where the light from the boulevard had faded almost completely, Satoshi caught his shoulder and stopped him.  He turned Tohma and pushed him up against the wall, stepping close and sliding his hands up onto Tohma's shoulders.

"I have such a weakness for musicians," he purred, "especially beautiful ones."  He licked his lips and leaned forward, pulling the collar of Tohma's coat down at the same time.

"I know."  Tohma spoke calmly.  "But I wonder who you find more attractive: me or Shuichi Shindou?"

Satoshi hesitated and then leaned back with a look of puzzled surprise on his face.  "You are acquainted with Mr. Shindou?"

Tohma smiled sweetly.  "I should think so; he works for me.  I'm the president of N-G."

The look of surprise on Satoshi Seido's face was his last expression.  With a soft grunt of satisfaction, Tohma rammed the stake he'd taken from his inside pocket while walking down the alley deep into Seido's heart, and the ancient vampire exploded into dust. 

Tohma smiled in grim satisfaction as he brushed the vampire's remains off his garments.  "Damn!" he muttered.  "Now I really need to wash my hands.  And this will all need to go to the cleaners."  He walked quietly back up the alley.  As he stepped onto the main boulevard, two young policemen walking their beat were approaching.

"Do you require any assistance, Sir?" asked one, obviously curious why a well-dressed gentleman would be stepping out of a dark alley at one in the morning.

Tohma smiled his most disarming smile.  "No, thank you.  In fact, here's my ride," and he nodded at the limo pulling up with K sticking his head out the window.

"Very good, Sir.  Good evening."  The two policemen walked on, whispering to each other as Tohma climbed into the limo.

"Any problems?" K asked.

"No, it's all been taken care of."  Tohma sighed.  "Now we must wait and see if we were in time to save Shindou.  And Eiri Yuki."

- - - - - - - -

Shuichi sat up with a cry, clutching his chest.  It felt like someone had stabbed him!  He gasped for breath as the pain throbbed through him, threatening to choke him.

"Shuichi, what's wrong?"  Beside him, Yuki also sat up and put an arm around him.

I… I don't… know…" Shuichi gasped out, still struggling for breath.  "It hurts!"

"What hurts?"  The worry in Yuki's voice touched Shuichi, even through his anguish.

"My chest… feels like… stabbed…"  Talking was too hard, so he stopped trying.  He was starting to feel lightheaded.  Tiny points of light began to flicker before his eyes and the room started spinning.  He slumped backwards, suddenly too weak to hold himself upright.

"Shuichi!"  Yuki cried out, but his voice sounded distant.

Shuichi blinked weakly. The room was already dark, so why did it suddenly seem darker?  "Yuki!" he whispered, but his voice was so faint he couldn't even hear himself.  I'm dying, he thought.  Why?  This isn't fair!  Yuki, help me!  He wanted to cry aloud, but his voice wasn't working.  Forgive me, Yuki.  I love you.

- - - -

Shuichi's cry startled Eiri awake.  But even as he tried to figure out what was wrong, Shuichi slumped over, pale and weak.  His eyes were all pupil and his breathing came in ragged, shallow gasps that were rapidly growing weaker.

He's dying! Eiri realized.  Why?  Stark terror clutched at him and tears began to pour unnoticed down his cheeks.  He couldn't lose Shuichi, he just couldn't!  He clutched Shuichi to his chest.  He could feel how slowly Shuichi's heart was beating.  He bit his lip as panic tore through him and tasted his own blood.  Without thinking, nearly blinded by tears, he lifted Shuichi's head and kissed him.  His blood smeared on Shuichi's lips as Shuichi went still in his arms.

Eiri wanted to die, too.  He held Shuichi against him and continued to kiss him, wishing for a miracle.  And then Shuichi's tongue brushed against his lips.  Eiri froze, afraid to move, afraid it was his imagination.  Shuichi's tongue licked his lips again and now Eiri could feel the deep, slow beating of his heart.  Shuichi's lips moved against his and a breath of air against his mouth told him Shuichi was trying to speak.

"Smell… so… good…" Shuichi murmured.

"Oh, god!" Eiri gasped.  Desperately, he bit his own wrist, gashing open the veins there, and pressed the wound against Shuichi's open mouth.

Shuichi's sucks were weak at first, but they grew in strength until Eiri could feel the blood being drawn from his veins.  He let Shuichi drink, refusing to think about how much blood he was giving him.  But then Shuichi stopped with a gasp and his eyes opened wide.

"Yuki! What are you doing?!" He sat up and scrambled to find something to tie around Eiri's bleeding wrist.

"Saving your life, my dearest love."

Shuichi froze for an instant, and then finished knotting his t-shirt around Eiri's wrist.  Then he looked up at Eiri with enormous eyes.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."  Eiri put his arms around him.  "But I want you to understand something."

"Yes?"

"I promised I would never leave you and I expect the same promise from you in return."

Shuichi beamed up at him, joy radiating from his face.  "I promise, Yuki!"

Eiri stroked Shuichi's hair gently.  "You know, you really are kind of cute."

The End

----------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------

Ok, it might not be the end!  I've cruelly left several questions unanswered.

Did Shuichi turn?

Will he turn Yuki?

Why does Tohma know so damn much about vampires?

Has Tohma had a close encounter with a vampire before?

All these questions (and maybe more!) will be answered because (drum roll here): I've thought of a sequel.  (Ok, that means I figured out what I want to happen next.)  In any event, I plan to write that as a separate story, just for the hell of it, and also because I thought of a really cool title I want to use.

So, look for my upcoming story Gravity Well, which will continue the saga begun in The Dark Side of Gravity.  See you soon!