Tokyo Babylon Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ Even in Death ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six

Subaru didn't wake from Megumi's enforced sleep until the sun was high in the sky. As the geas upon him finally lifted and he was able to struggle awake, his first awareness was that this wasn't his bed. For a moment, he almost panicked thinking he was back with his sire, but fortunately good sense prevailed. He could see that this wasn't the underground room of Kosarou's mansion. Then he turned his head and it all became clear.

He sat up abruptly and glared at Seishirou. "What am I doing here?" he demanded.

Seishirou's eyes fluttered open when he heard Subaru's voice. It took only a few moments for him to regain full alertness. "Megumi-san thought it was best that you stay with me for a while. I happen to see the logic in that, so I took you back here."

He stood up in a smooth flowing motion, stretching his long limbs, cramped from sitting too long. "Go ahead and use the shower if you like. I covered up all the windows."

At the mention of the windows, Subaru's head swirled around to them. He swallowed nervously. He could feel the pulsing heat from beyond the heavy curtains, the fire of the sun that would spell a painful and eternal death for him waiting to flood into the room just from a flick open of the fabric. If Seishirou chose, he could destroy Subaru so easily, yet he hadn't.

"You really meant it when you said you would protect me?" Subaru asked. "Why? This shouldn't involve you." The reasons for his obstinacy were clear. It would be fatal for Seishirou to get into a fight with Kosarou. Subaru would do anything in his power to prevent that outcome. He had to make Seishirou see some sense.

"I take care of what belongs to me," he replied stubbornly. "Besides, the chances are better if there are two of us in a fight instead of just you." Seishirou leaned over the bed and grasped Subaru's chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing him to look up into his mismatched eyes. "Do you really think I wouldn't feel anger, or jealousy if Kosarou took you again? I won't let you go back to him, do you understand?"

A slight tremble of reaction was all Subaru allowed himself while gazing into those hard implacable eyes. No, not another thing to feel guilty over... He'd already suffered the worst pangs of remorse over the loss of Seishirou's eye. Subaru simply could not put him in danger of his life now. Why didn't Seishirou just understand that he was the only reason why he hadn't killed himself? That he was the only reason why Subaru had survived his time with Kosarou. The thought of seeing him again was the only thing that had sustained him during those dark nights filled with pain and humiliation. And now, the idiot was thinking of rushing into a fight. Subaru, while awed by Seishirou's confidence, though he wished a measure of it for himself, also cursed that attitude for placing them in this situation.

"Don't you understand anything? I don't want to fight! I won't go back to him! I'd die first!" he declared heatedly.

"I'm an assassin, Subaru-kun. For me, killing is an art…and I will kill him," the Sakurazukamori said with vast determination. Before Subaru had a chance to protest, Seishirou leaned in further and kissed him firmly, keeping one hand on his chin and wrapping the other around his back. Even despoiled, Subaru was still beautiful. Seishirou would have him, and there wasn't anyone, human or inhuman who could take Subaru away from him.

Subaru had to tell himself firmly that this was Seishirou, not Kosarou, who was kissing him so thoroughly to stop himself from whimpering in fright. It proved to be difficult. His body's reaction at being forcibly kissed was to cower and go limp, and that's what he did as he closed his eyes to what was happening. He'd been in a position where kisses were taken from him far too often. He knew how to kiss back of course, for that was something demanded of him occasionally, but his initial and natural response was to just lie back and wait until his sexual aggressor was done.

"Look at me," Seishirou demanded, his hand moving from Subaru's chin to softly caress his cheek. He knew that he would have to handle the Sumeragi with care if he was going to try and overcome the damage that had been done to him. It wasn't going to come easily either. He would have to slowly introduce Subaru to his touch and gradually ease his fears.

He wondered then why he even bothered to invest so much time and effort in someone who was so emotionally damaged. The little boy that amused him so much had been replaced by this beautiful, yet broken creature. Was it because he was trying to reclaim what should have rightfully been his, or was it something deeper than that? Seishirou drove the stray thoughts from his mind and focused on what he was trying to accomplish. Now was not the time to let his mind wander. If Subaru could be trained into fear, he could be trained out of it-or at least that's what Seishirou optimistically supposed.

"Look at my face. Listen to my voice. You can smell me and feel the heat from my body," he said, schooling his voice to sound low and soothing. "I am different from him in so many ways. I won't hurt you." He continued to gently caress the young man before brushing a soft kiss across his lips. He supposed that Subaru had never been kissed like this by this sire; he would give Subaru everything Kosarou wouldn't. He would make Subaru trust him.

Old habits died hard and Subaru was used to doing what he was told despite all the changes he'd gone through. So he welcomed Seishirou's instructions gladly and relaxed into the embrace. Little feather-light kisses dusted his face and they were different enough from Kosarou's forced kisses that he didn't feel upset by them.

He made a murmur of appreciation for Seishirou's tenderness although he knew the Sakurazukamori was doing his best to distract him from their argument over fighting his sire. For the moment, it was working. Slowly, he parted his lips while his body unconsciously pressed itself up against Seishirou, as if hungry for his warmth.

"That's it," Seishirou whispered, settling next to him on the bed and pulling Subaru into his lap. "Put your hands on me," he instructed in a gentle but firm manner, certain that that would be something else the Sumeragi had never known. He kept all of his movements and touches soft and slow, trying to keep from startling him.

Subaru had to force himself not to shudder when he was placed in Seishirou's lap. It made him feel small and vulnerable but there was nothing threatening in any of Seishirou's moves and he soon found himself relaxing. Following as he instructed, Subaru started his own tentative exploration of Seishirou's body.

He ran his fingers over Seishirou's shoulders, down his chest to feel the thud of his strong heart thumping rhythmically just below the surface of his skin. That's when Subaru became painfully aware of one thing.

He was hungry. Very hungry. Seishirou's body pulsed with life and Subaru wanted it.

He pulled back, guilty for wanting so badly to taste his blood again. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to hide the play of emotions that flittered across his face.

"Do it, Subaru-kun," Seishirou said quietly, combing his fingers through the thick tangle of Subaru's hair. He had accepted the fact that any time he did something like this with Subaru, he would end up being a meal for the hungry vampire. Surprisingly, he didn't mind that at all. The Sumeragi depended on him for blood, and he was sure his blood was much more satisfying than packets of donated stuff.

Subaru's eyes met Seishirou's uncertainly. "I… don't want to take from you all the time," he said, miserable about the situation in which he'd put Seishirou. He didn't want the older man to think that Subaru considered him food.

"Remember that I heal faster than normal humans. I can regenerate what you take from me quickly," Seishirou told him. This was true to some degree. He was capable of accelerating the healing process by drawing power from the Tree. The only catch was that he would have to kill a bit more often to make up for it.

The fact that Seishirou was willing and would heal eased Subaru's conscience. Deftly, he undid the buttons at his collar and sank his fangs into the tender flesh. The flow of blood brought renewed ecstasy to the both of them.

Seishirou would always be willing to offer his blood as long as it continued to feel this good. He held on tightly, his body swaying slowly with each sucking motion from Subaru's lips, riding the waves of pleasure that emanated from the act. Besides, it did his ego good to know that he had something that could drive Subaru mad with hunger.

Yummy, was the only thought Subaru was capable of thinking as he drank. Since his change, Subaru had only drunk to satisfy his hunger. It was a craving that denied no refusal, creating ravenous mindless demons if any vampire was kept for too long from satisfying the hunger. Nevertheless, the taste of blood never appealed to him, whether cold from a packet, or warm from some unwitting victim that Kosarou had fetched for him. However, now, for some reason, Subaru wished he could only drink Seishirou's blood forever. He wondered if he was just biased. Did the blood taste wonderful because Seishirou was his special person or was there something special about the Sakurazukamori's blood?

At any rate, that was a thought for examination later. He had to stop or he would harm Seishirou. So he did.

"Thank you," he said finally, his eyes shining with gratitude. A small smile graced his bloodstained lips and the expression ironically transformed him until he looked all of sixteen and innocent again.

Seishirou couldn't help but chuckle at the perfectly adorable look on Subaru's face. He reached over and gave his hair a gentle ruffle. It was simply amazing what a little smile could do for Subaru's looks. He froze that image in his mind, certain that there were few things more beautiful.

"I'm going to go clean up," he said, wiping his neck clean of a small smear of blood. "You can explore the house if you like."

Subaru sat and watched him depart from the room, feeling bereft. Cleaning up sounded like a fine idea, so he climbed out of the bed and went in search of a bathroom. There was one adjourning the room he was in and he was glad to see the windows neatly covered. Seishirou had apparently put some thought into his safety when he brought him here last evening.

He swiftly stripped his clothes, wincing at the sight of the spot of blood on his shirt-Seishirou's blood, or was it the girl's? He wasn't sure, but whosever it was, it only made him feel even more guilty. While some might say it was the natural way of things, for a predator to consume a weaker prey, for Subaru to survive in this manner was abhorrent to all the principles he'd grown up with. His inclination was to help people, but now, he couldn't even help himself. Greatly upset, he ducked beneath a stream of hot water, hoping to wash this stain upon his soul away.

Naturally, it was a futile exercise.

Sometime later, he emerged, wrapped in a fluffy oversized bathrobe, determined that even if he was beyond redemption, Seishirou was not. It would be unfair for Subaru to rely upon him to solve his problem with his sire, especially since Subaru wasn't even confident about Seishirou's chances of success. It wasn't what he'd come to Seishirou for anyway, but now that their lives had taken such a turn, Subaru resolved once again to find some way to make Seishirou abandon his vow to Megumi. Kosarou was too strong and the prospect of Seishirou hurt by him frightened Subaru more than he could ever express.

Seishirou came out of his room dressed in a fresh set of clothes. Seeing Subaru so cutely dwarfed in one of his bathrobes, he crept up behind him and put his arms around his waist.

"You know, I could lend you a set of clothes," he said, his lips pressed next to the Sumeragi's ear. "It's at least another five hours until sundown. We'll have to find some way of amusing ourselves until then."

The hug almost inadvertently made Subaru do something he would regret. He choked down a feral growl, all his instincts on edge to resist, struggle and tear at the person who'd taken hold of him. He was no longer a trusting young man. And he didn't like being startled like this. If his heart could pump, it would have been racing at top speed.

As it was, he held himself stiffly for an instant before he calmed himself down. This was Seishirou, he told himself firmly over and over and confirmed the fact by twisting his head around to take a deep sniff of his warm freshly bathed human scent.

Then Seishirou's words registered "Amuse ourselves?" he asked, blinking. Something clicked within him. He'd heard those words before and knew what they meant, or at least he thought he knew. Why not, he thought, it would be a way to repay Seishirou.

"Seishirou-san… do you want to fuck me?" he asked frankly. The old Subaru would never have said such a thing, but the new one would, though he was just repeating words learnt at the hands of his sire.

Seishirou raised an eyebrow, genuinely shocked to hear such words come out of Subaru's mouth. Not that he was complaining about the offer, it was just something he would have to get used to hearing.

"Is that what you really want?" he asked. Seishirou certainly enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh as much as the next man, but he wasn't at all the type to take it from an unwilling or hesitant partner. He understood that victims of sexual abuse were often dysfunctional when it came to relationships after getting away from their abusers. Seishirou was curious. He wondered just how far Subaru was willing to go with him.

Subaru shrugged and turned elegantly in Seishirou's arms to face him. "If you like, I don't mind," he said. He truly was indifferent to the act. It always meant hurt for him, although he was aware that there could be great pleasure too. More importantly, Kosarou had always seemed to derive a great deal of satisfaction in taking him, becoming mellower in the aftermath. By his twisted logic, Subaru reasoned that if he could give Seishirou the same level of satisfaction, the other man would become less combative and inclined to battle his sire.

With a silent nod, Seishirou reached down to untie the bathrobe's belt, pushing the terrycloth garment off his shoulders. It pooled at his feet, revealing Subaru's beautifully toned, pale body. Seishirou spent a few minutes just looking, running his eyes up and down each delicate contour. The young vampire was frail and delicate but there was hidden strength in him. Only a fool would not see it. To have survived so much, Seishirou could only wonder.

He reached out to touch his shoulders. Leaning forward, he once more took Subaru's lips in a gentle kiss. This was something he'd never tire of. Even though those lips were cool as death, they were still soft and pliable. It was a combination of sensations he couldn't give a name to, but Seishirou decided he liked it.

This time, Subaru was prepared for the press of warm lips upon his. He opened his mouth and accepted Seishirou's caress, allowing himself to enjoy the play of tangled tongues and soft lips fusing.

His mind, however, wasn't just focused on the kiss but more on what was to come. Making no effort to undo Seishirou's clothes, he ran his hands sensuously down his sides, to arrive at his intended destination. Nimble fingers unfastened the top button, and then slowly slid the zipper down in a soft rustle of metal. He fumbled somewhat when he met the barrier of underwear, seemingly surprised to discover them there but easily met the challenge by slipping his hand within and massaging the flesh there to hardness.

When he judged Seishirou was ready, he detached himself from the other man. Unfazed by his nudity, yet another sign that this was quite a different Subaru, he padded over to the bed and clambered in.

With a tremulous smile, he turned on his knees and bowed down, presenting his rear to Seishirou. He turned his face away; resting his cheek on the soft covers while his hands gripped his ass cheeks and held them open in readiness. It was an utterly degrading and supplicant position but one that his sire had spent time impressing upon him as his right.

Subaru closed his eyes and braced for the painful invasion of his body that was to come.

Seishirou stopped and felt his blood run cold. So this was the extent of the damage Kosarou had inflicted on his Subaru. He could only stand there for a long moment, watching, aghast at the horror of what had become of the beautiful young Sumeragi. If he hadn't lusted after Kosarou's death before, he was ten times more determined to tear him to shreds now.

Shaking himself from his stupor, he bent down and picked up the bathrobe and tossed it over Subaru's naked body. He couldn't tell if he was more disgusted or enraged with Subaru's sire.

"Get up," he ordered, trying to keep his voice calm and even. He wasn't upset with Subaru. He had to remind himself of that. "I won't take you in such a manner."

Subaru flipped over in surprise, clutching the bathrobe that Seishirou had suddenly flung over him, his wide eyes reflecting his confusion at the sudden change in mood. Fear was his first reaction. The anger in the other's tone was unmistakable. Why was Seishirou mad with him?

"S-Seishirou-san? Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry…" he hastened to apologize, without even knowing what he was supposed to be sorry for.

The expression Subaru wore was one of a frightened dear caught in the headlights, bracing for the impact of a blow. Seishirou stepped over to the bed and sat down next to him.

"Despite what you may think, I don't derive any pleasure from humiliating anyone. I hunt and I kill, but I'm not a rapist." He pulled the robe around Subaru's shoulders and found himself hugging him to calm the other man's trembling. This wasn't fair. He should have been the one to introduce Subaru to the world of sexuality. He could have prevented this.

But you didn't because you had to prove a point.

Seishirou tried not to startle when he heard the Sakura's voice whispering to him in the back of his mind. He was used to its gentle mindvoice, though he hardly expected it to argue with him over this.

There was no other choice, Seishirou insisted.

There's always a choice. Though now you had better rethink your plans. The spell cast by the Sumeragi girl is void. He won't kill you now.

Later, the Sakurazukamori said, trying to focus on the matter at hand. We'll discuss this later.

"You didn't do anything wrong," he whispered to Subaru. "You just need to learn to respect yourself. I can't have sex with you until you do."

Subaru had no idea what Seishirou was talking about. A slew of questions flooded his mind. What was all this talk of respect? What did it have to do with sex? Wasn't this how people did it? Subaru was beginning to suspect that it wasn't so, at least not where Seishirou was concerned. But that left him a problem. If he was doing it all wrong, then what was the right way? Subaru began to worry that he would never be good enough for Seishirou.

He curled his knees up to his chest and hugged them, his misery evident. "I don't know what to do," he said, in a small, lost voice.

"It means you should derive pleasure from the act as well as I. It's about sharing pleasure, not one taking from the other," he replied quietly. Seishirou leaned over and pressed a kiss against his temple.

"I have a job I need to do today, so I'm afraid I'll have to leave you for a while. Think about what I said. You're worth more than what you think." With that, he zipped up his pants and left the room. He needed to clear his head, so the walk would do him good. Besides, the Sakura needed feeding to help replenish all the blood he'd been donating. Seishirou grabbed his coat and left the house.

Sex wasn't something Subaru was comfortable thinking about. If he had a choice, he'd never do it. Perhaps that might be best. But why then did he feel so sad when Seishirou rejected him?

For a long time, he sat and stared blankly at the empty doorway, lost in thought. More questions than answers came to him, leaving him in a morass of self-doubt. Eventually, he stirred, an innate awareness informing him that sundown had arrived.

After all that pondering, Subaru came to a dismal conclusion. He'd failed to get Seishirou to agree not to fight his sire. That meant that he had to find some other way to prevent the two of them from ever meeting. Given that the common factor between the two of them was Subaru, the young vampire resolved to remove his presence from the Sakurazukamori's life. Seishirou had his own burdens to bear with his job, and the last thing Subaru wished was to become another burden. Despite all that had happened to him, Subaru was determined to be able to stand on his own two feet, to be strong enough so Seishirou could think him worthy. Exactly what would count as worthy, Subaru didn't know, shelving that to the back of his mind for later rumination.

Subaru got up and dressed. As he departed Seishirou's house, he was grateful the Sakurazukamori hadn't returned. Otherwise, he suspected Seishirou wouldn't have let him go.

His apartment was a cold and lonely place when he returned. He slumped down into the couch, still stewing over his situation, running into dead ends in the maze of the questions in his mind. The only thing he was sure of was that he should never see Seishirou again.

But the Sumeragi didn't have much time to sit around and think. Three pairs of eyes watched him, ready to strike when their leader gave the signal.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open, the wood easily splintering to pieces as a tall, bearded man forced his way into the apartment. Another leapt out of the closet and a third rushed out of the bedroom. The vampires, all armed with wooden stakes surrounded Subaru on the couch, their eyes eager for bloodshed.

"It was foolish for you to run away," the bearded vampire said, his voice low and ominous. "If you come with us quietly, Kosarou-sama is willing to make your punishment swift. Perhaps he'll be merciful since you were always his favorite," he growled, expressing his displeasure at being ranked lower than the Sumeragi in his master's eyes.

Surprise and consternation flashed through Subaru and then, an intense rage seized him. Normally the mention of Kosarou's name by one of his minions would reduce him to a quivering mass of helpless terror, but this, on top of all his fear and frustration with Seishirou and suddenly Subaru didn't care. He'd fled from his sire and he was never going back, no matter what.

"No," he said, his voice as cold as ice. That single word was all the warning the three vampires got.

Even for a vampire, Subaru was fast. His change had only enhanced his natural talents and now combined, proved to be a powerful weapon in his arsenal. With a single flowing motion, Subaru leaped into the air and swung his leg out, knocking the stake held so threateningly at him out of one opponent's hand. The same kick reached the second vampire and connected with his jaw, seemingly tapping it but with enough force to send the creature slamming into a wall. Still in the air, Subaru made a half turn, grabbed the stake in the midst of its flying trajectory to the ground, and finished the turn by stabbing his third foe right through the chest.

A split second later, Subaru landed on the floor and glared balefully at the bearded vampire. "I'm never going back, Ajiano," he said through gritted teeth. "I will kill all of you if you don't leave me alone."

Ajiano merely shrugged. "We were given orders. The master doesn't take kindly to failure." He lunged forward, pulling a dagger out of his boot and throwing it at the Sumeragi. Subaru turned just enough for it to miss his heart, but the silvery blade embedded itself into his shoulder. Finding him distracted for just a fraction of a second, the vampire pounced and attempted to wrestle him to the ground.

The cold rage that seized Subaru didn't let him feel his injury, though his shoulder went numb momentarily. But even at a disadvantage, with his movement restricted, the Sumeragi was formidable.

He tumbled backwards, Ajiano on top of him. He let the momentum carry the two of them for just a split second before heaving his legs up and kicking Ajiano off, right over his head. Swiftly, Subaru half rolled over and scrambled up, and with vicious yank, pulled the knife from his shoulder. With a snarl, he launched himself at his foe, one hand tightening in a death grip around his throat, so hard that the windpipe was crushed. Pushing Ajiano down, he thrust the knife with incredible accuracy into his chest and jerked down, slicing the ribcage right open. Releasing his hold on the weapon, Subaru thrust his fingers into the gap, reached in and with calm deliberation pulled the heart right out.

Blood from the severed aorta splashed on Subaru's face as he studied his trophy before dropping it distastefully on the ground. He directed his attention at the third vampire, who had regained his feet and was staring aghast at him.

"I am never going back," he repeated. "Do I have to kill you too?"

The third vampire didn't have to be told twice. After seeing his leader killed in such a grotesque fashion, he scrambled out the door and fled without looking back.

He ran quickly back to his master, who made a habit of changing locations every so often. This time, Kosarou's home was a rather quaint, Western style mansion that was in a much better state of repair than his previous lair. The bloodied vampire hobbled inside and descended the short flight of stairs into the basement.

Kosarou sat in a plush armchair, reclining and watching television. It would have seemed a perfectly normal thing, except for the naked young man seated on the floor next to his chair. A fine silver chain ran from a collar around the slave's neck to Kosarou's hand. He toyed with his end of the chain as he watched, barely acknowledging the presence of his injured servant.

"Kosarou-sama," he said, carefully kneeling before his master. "Ajiano is dead. Tetsuo as well." The young vampire shook and cowered before Kosarou, expecting his punishment to be harsh.

"And you didn't bring Subaru back?" he asked, not even bothering to look at his minion.

"N-no, master, but he was more powerful than we anticipated," he stuttered, staring at the crimson, shag carpeting. "I-I ran so I c-could report to you…"

"How thoughtful," the vampire lord said smoothly, giving the silver chain an abrupt yank, pulling the naked man close so that his head was positioned in between his master's legs. Kosarou pet the man's hair almost lovingly before he looked up at the cowering servant. "But you failed. I'm not tolerant of servants who fail me." He waved his hand and two other vampires, dressed in black suits came and grabbed the frightened servant.

"He's yours to do with as you please," Kosarou said with a half-yawn. "When you're done, throw him out just before the sun rises. He will burn for his failure."

"No master!" the servant howled as he was dragged off. "I'll do anything! Please!"

The pleas were ignored as Kosarou returned his attention to the television. The door slammed as the minion was taken away. Finally, Kosarou looked down at his chained slave.

"Now my pet, let me show you what Subaru used to do for me…"