Tokyo Babylon Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ Even in Death ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter Nine

 

Seishirou turned off the headlights as his car coasted to a stop. The bridge was absolutely desolate at this hour, and he wondered what Kosarou had done to keep traffic away. He stepped out, seeing one other car parked a ways down the bridge. He patted the stake in his belt, reassured by its presence that he was going to win this confrontation. His attention focused on his opponent before him.

 

“It took you long enough,” Kosarou called out. “I have a proposition for you.”

 

“Where is he?” Seishirou growled, not willing to play the vampire's games. He wanted proof right away that Subaru was indeed unharmed before he agreed to anything.

 

“Right here,” the vampire lord said, opening the car door and yanking the Sumeragi out with a vicious tug.

 

Subaru's eyes were wide with rising panic. "Seishirou-san!" he cried out. "Why did you come? You should have just left me!" He was prevented from saying anything further when the vampire lord struck him hard. His ears rang from the impact but he didn't care. What was one more bruise to add to his collection?

 

“Stop,” Seishirou snapped, feeling his anger rise within him. It took a great force of will to keep himself from pouncing on Kosarou right there. “What do you want?”

 

“You,” Kosarou replied with a wicked grin, licking his lips in anticipation. “What do you say, Sakurazukamori? Your life in exchange for his freedom?”

 

“What else?” the other asked, certain that there was more to this offer than the vampire had already disclosed.

 

“No catch,” he replied with a low chuckle. “I let him go free and you submit to being turned.” The more Kosarou saw of Seishirou, the more the idea of turning him became deliciously tempting. It would crush the Sumeragi's will once and for all, and he would have another beautiful pet to add to his collection. His mind reeled from the possibilities.

 

"Seishirou-san! No! I want you to live! You don't care about me!" Subaru cried. Kosarou had pushed him to kneel on the ground, before him, but the thought of Seishirou turned by his sire drew a white-hot rage to flash through his body. He picked himself up and launched at Kosarou, hitting him with his body, since his bound hands were useless. His defiance earned him yet another ringing blow on the head, hard enough to knock him to the ground, half-unconscious.

 

“Unlock him first!” Seishirou demanded, keeping himself from wincing when Subaru hit the ground. He made a silent vow that that would be the last time anyone struck his Subaru-kun.

 

“Fair enough,” Kosarou agreed, grabbing the keys from his pocket and removing the handcuffs. Since Subaru was still dazed from the blow, he'd be unable to interfere.

 

“Just get it over with,” the assassin said, taking a deep breath. He hoped that he had managed to build up enough of a tolerance to being bitten after having been Subaru's dinner on many occasions.

 

“I'm going to enjoy sucking the life out of you,” he grinned, baring his fangs. In one smooth motion, Kosarou grabbed Seishirou by the waist and bit down.

 

The paralysis set in almost instantly, freezing the Sakurazukamori in place. For an instant, his heart beat faster as the ripples of bliss washed over him, the bite clouding his mind. Everything within him urged him to remain still, to let the vampire suck him dry, anything to keep the surge of boundless pleasure singing throughout his body.

 

Willpower prevailed though and his one eye managed to focus on Subaru, who was crumpled on the ground in a heap of tangled limbs. His heart ached, more intensely than it ever had. This was the reason he was here, and the reason he continued to live. Subaru meant everything in the world to him and he decided in that instant, that he would free him once and for all, even if it cost him his life. His hand twitched, his determination winning against the lethargy induced by the bite.

 

Despite being terribly weak from the blood loss, Seishirou forced his numb fingers to work, reaching inside his coat and gripping the stake in his hand. He only had one shot at this. Summoning his last reserves of strength, he yanked the stake free of his belt and shoved it through Kosarou's chest.

 

The vampire, instantly paralyzed, toppled backwards and hit the pavement with a satisfying thud. The shock of his success held Seishirou immobile but it only lasted a moment. He took a shaky step, desperately stumbling to keep his balance before he too collapsed. His vision swam in blurry waves before him as his body trembled and grew cold. He'd underestimated how much blood the vampire had managed to drain. Seishirou knew then that he was dying.

 

By the time Subaru came around to his senses, it was almost all over. Fuzzily he peered into the dimness of the night, blinking his vision clear. What he saw made his heart plummet. Seishirou's form was lying far too still nearby. Ignoring his own injuries, he scrambled up and ran to the body, desperately trying not to cry out in dismay. Foolish, foolish, Seishirou-san… what had he done?!

 

He gathered Seishirou into his arms and futilely tried to staunch the flow of blood oozing out from the bites at his neck. There was already a huge pool on the ground—far too much. Even in this dim light, he could see how very deathly pale Seishirou was. How could this be? He prayed to whatever gods there existed to spare him.

 

"Seishirou-san! Please don't leave me," he begged holding on to the man. "Why? Why did you do this?" Tears were rolling down his cheeks, obscuring his vision.

 

Seishirou weakly reached his hand up to caress Subaru's face. He smiled, at least content in knowing that Subaru would be safe. For him, it was worth the cost of his life.

 

“Because…” he gasped, trying to force his lungs to work enough to tell him the truth. He owed that to Subaru. “I…I love you…” With that, his body went limp and his vision darkened, though his face was a picture of contentment, his lips curved lightly in a small smile.

 

The emotion that Subaru experienced on hearing those words was indescribable. His mind raced and skittered to a halt to one inevitable conclusion. He had to complete the embrace. His mind couldn't withstand the knowledge that he was truly loved right before having it violently ripped away. This was for his own survival as well as the continued existence of his special person.

 

"Seishirou-san… you never say the things I expect you to…" he whispered, fighting against breaking down entirely. He would do that later. Right now, he had to think clearly and finish this.

 

"Please, forgive me. I can't live without you. Please… drink." With one vicious slash of his fangs, he'd ripped his own arm open and held it out over Seishirou's mouth.

 

"Drink," he commanded.

 

Barely having the presence of mind to do so, Seishirou swallowed the salty red liquid. It felt strange on his tongue, though the slippery texture was something he was used to. Moments later, he felt a rush of awareness as something very cold swept over his body. He shivered, looking up into Subaru's tearstained face.

 

“What happened?” he asked, a bit disoriented but somewhat stronger. At least he was no longer fighting to get breath into his lungs. He felt an odd sensation gnawing the edges of his mind, almost like hunger pangs, but much more intense. Seishirou couldn't help but groan in his discomfort.

 

"Forgive me," Subaru continued to say. "I'm too selfish to let you go." One part of his heart was sorrowed that they had to come to this, but another part rejoiced. Seishirou was alive… well, not quite alive but at least still with him.

 

With some concern, he noticed the hunger pangs starting to rake Seishirou's body. Those minute shudders signaling the intense pain that would rack him if he wasn't fed again soon. They were entering a crucial period of adjustment for Seishirou. Unable to think of any other option, he held his arm back to Seishirou's lips and said, "Drink. Drink all you need from me." Subaru knew he was going to be in a weak state, but at this point, he didn't care. Seishirou's needs came first.

 

Seishirou eyed the dripping gash and was somewhat alarmed when he found himself grabbing hold of that arm. He pressed his lips to the wound and sucked that trickle of blood into his mouth, the hunger prompting his throat to work quickly to swallow every drop. He drank until the pain subsided and he forced himself to stop.

 

“I would have done the same if our positions were reversed,” he said, licking his lips clean. He remembered enough from his research to run his tongue over Subaru's wound, causing the blood to clot with his saliva.

 

“I told you it was a trap!” Kinomaru called out, getting out of his car and running over to the pair. It took him only a few moments to deduce the situation from the bite wounds on Seishirou's neck and the bloody gash on Subaru's arm. Swiftly, he bent down and picked up the newborn vampire. “You can tell us everything on the way, Sumeragi-san. We need to get him blood immediately.”

 

“Where is Kosarou?” Seishirou asked, a bit disconcerted at having to be carried. He gazed over at the spot the staked vampire should have been, only to find empty asphalt.

 

Subaru shrugged, not caring about his master. "I don't know. But we're in no condition to look for him. You need blood and I don't have enough to feed you." Subaru knew he was going to have to deal with his sire sooner or later but for now, Seishirou's recovery was paramount.

 

The trio trooped back to the car and after Subaru piled into the back seat with Seishirou, he reached out to grasp his hand in a tight grip. In the darkness of the car, he whispered the urgent question that's been burning his mind ever since he made his choice to turn Seishirou.

 

"Seishirou-san… did you mean what you said to me? How is it possible?"

 

“You're the only person I would gladly give my life for, is that what love is?” The newborn vampire asked, grateful that the darkness hid the uncertain expression on his face. He was speaking about things foreign to him and he fumbled to give names to the emotions that he felt for the Sumeragi. But he knew then that what his mother told him was true. He had been killed by the one he loved, in a manner of speaking.

 

Subaru couldn't resist from hugging him. He threw his arms around him and gathered him tightly to his body, allowing a pang of sorrow to shake him at the feel of how cold Seishirou's body had become. But no, he couldn't feel sad, he shouldn't, not when Seishirou had declared his feelings for him.

 

"You're an idiot to have died for me," he said playfully, a smile crossing his face at last as his spirits rose. "But I'm very happy that you're still around. I just hope… that you don't regret it, Seishirou-san."

 

For a while, the two clung onto each other. When Subaru broke the silence, it was with a troubling observation.

 

"Seishirou-san… your marks… they're gone."

 

Seishirou examined Subaru's hands and frowned. He was well aware of their role in protecting Subaru's from Kosarou's mind control.

 

“I'm dead,” he murmured, running the thought around in his mind. “I suppose that means we'll have to find some other way of protecting you from that man.” He looked up at Subaru, an unholy glint of mischief in his eye, the solution obvious to him.

 

A cold fear seized Subaru. "Oh no, oh no. What are we going to do, Seishirou-san? It was the only thing that stopped K-Kosarou-san from… making me his permanent slave…" he whispered, deep frown lines marring his brow. The loss of the marks left him feeling bereft. It was as if something very precious had been taken from him, the only source of protection he'd had from Kosarou forcing him into being his mate. He was too busy shuddering at the prospect of his sire getting his hands on him to pick up any of Seishirou's glee.

 

“Mate with me, Subaru-kun,” he said, turning his head to softly kiss Subaru's cheek. “He can't bind you to him if you're already mated to me.” Seishirou was certain this would ease his loved one's fears. His mind was already racing, pondering how much more wonderful the joining would be than any of the bites he'd experienced before.

 

Subaru had a total 'huh' moment when he blinked uncomprehendingly at Seishirou. Then a brilliant smile took over his face, like the sun breaking cover from beyond a blanket of clouds when the question sank in. "Yes!" he said, the one word reflecting his deepest desire. He would be safe, safe from Kosarou forever. But there was one problem…

 

"But Seishirou-san… I don't know how. You said you wouldn't touch me again until I knew how to respect myself. But I still don't know how…" he stammered about, growing more distressed. He was so damaged, so warped. How could he ever be worthy for his special person?

 

“I'll show you how,” Seishirou replied quietly, suddenly feeling the sharp stab of hunger once more. He gasped, surprised at how fast the feeling came upon him and he unknowingly squeezed Subaru's hand in response.

 

“We're almost there,” Kinomaru called from the front seat, where he'd been pointedly ignoring the conversation from the back. He pulled the car up in front of Megumi's building. “Quickly, get inside. The sun will be up shortly and you all know what that means.”

 

Once inside the building, Kinomaru led them to a private suite of rooms. Somewhere along the way, he must have communicated their needs, for within moments of their arrival, a servitor came by with a tray and several packets of blood tucked into an ice bucket, only there wasn't ice inside but some warm water.

 

"I'll go brief Her Highness on this. She won't be pleased that the rogue escaped us again. Meanwhile, get some rest. We'll decide what to do later," Kinomaru said tactfully and left. He could see the two needed some time together.

 

Subaru quickly went over to the packets and poured one out to a glass to hand to Seishirou. The tense grip of Seishirou's hand told him how much the other man was suffering.

 

"You'll be feeling hungry for quite a while, until you replenish your blood loss and your body adjusts to this new state. You must tell me when you're hungry," he informed him with understanding. Subaru was faced with a new determination-to provide as best he could for his fledgling.

 

Seishirou downed the glass very quickly, surprised at how quickly the pain in his mind died down. He let out a long breath before he realized that he was only breathing out of habit, not out of need. He set the glass down, not at all liking how weak and helpless he felt at the moment. At least Subaru was the only one there to see him in this state, and that didn't bother him quite so much.

 

“We should perform the joining as soon as possible,” he commented, glad that the blood revitalized and strengthened him right away. “I'm not taking any chances.”

 

"But you're still recovering…you might not have the strength…" Subaru hastened to protest. He had to admit to himself that he was possibly seeking excuses not to do it, since his experiences were so terrible, he was afraid that it would be the same with Seishirou.

 

“If you don't like it, we don't have to do it again,” Seishirou said softly, leaning back in his chair. “But we need to do it just once. And if we do it now, you'll be safe from him so long as I'm around. I would do anything to protect you, do you understand that?”

 

The thought of having Subaru for his own for the rest of eternity delighted him. Even though marking him in the first place was an act of possession, becoming Subaru's blood mate would take that so much further.

 

On Subaru's part, he was thinking that this was the one great thing that he loved about Seishirou-- he always made sense. "You really would never do it with me again if I asked you to?" he asked, testing the other's response. It would be a terrible sacrifice for Seishirou if that were to happen, but he could see the truth and determination in the other's expression that he would indeed do so. At his nod, Subaru went over and knelt by his side, reaching up to touch him gently on the cheek.

 

"And I would do anything to protect you too. You must never forget that," he declared. "Then, will you show me how?" He remained in position, an instinctive and silent display of his hopes that Seishirou would be a good enough guide to make up for his lack.

 

Seishirou bent down and kissed the top of his head. “Get me another packet. I'll be right back.” He then slowly got up, glad that he wasn't really dizzy anymore, and padded over to the bathroom. A quick survey of the room revealed a small bottle of conditioner in the shower stall. That would suit his purposes for the time being. He went back into the other room and drank a second glass of blood.

 

The evening was promised to get ever so much better.

 

Notes: Stay tuned for lemony goodness in the next chapter.