Note from Author: Yep, after several stories with my own OC Yaoi couple, I've been drawn back to the couple who started me down this path again. I'm not counting this one as a TruBlood crossover, but I will be using some of the terminology from the series, and the drink itself will still have a minor role. Set just a year after Another Way Part 2, with the new drink on the market, it seems all kinds of creatures of the night have begun to show themselves. After Natsuno pulls Aoi to safety from some real werewolves, we finally get to hear about Tohru's attacks on Natsuno from his own point of view.
Another Way can be found here: s/9724212/1/Another-Way
Another Way Part 2 can be found here: s/9773784/1/Another-Way-Part-2
Chapter 1: The Night I Attacked Him
Toya sat quietly in the corner of the bedroom, looking across at the sleeping blonde Shiki lying in the bed. The child was six years old now, it had been a year since she first met the uncle she drew her namesake from, but this was the first time she'd ever been left alone with him. She knew what he was, what he was capable of doing. Even though she was family, there was a part of her that felt uneasy being alone in the building with him. However, as she looked at the eternal eighteen year old, sleeping with a death grip on his favorite stuffed bear in the absence of his Jinrou protector, she found herself wondering how he could ever be as dangerous as everyone said the rest of his kind were. She had run to her uncles because she didn't know where else to go. Her mother was in trouble, and Natsuno was the only person she knew that might be strong enough to help her.
Natsuno was carrying Aoi on his back as they ran from a pack of howling dogs. "Aoi, how in the hell did you end up in trouble with a pack of wolves?" the Jinrou asked.
"It's a long story, and I'll explain later, how'd you know where to find me?" Aoi returned.
"Toya-Chan came to find me. She said you were in trouble and needed my help," Natsuno answered, "That there were some 'bad men' after you," Natsuno looked back over his shoulder at the gaining pack, "She wasn't kidding."
"Toya-Chan?" Aoi blinked worriedly, "Where is she now?"
"I left her at home with Tohru," Natsuno assured her, "He'll be awake soon, so she'll be fine."
"You did what!? Natsuno, I can't believe you left her alone with him!" Aoi exclaimed.
"Why?" Natsuno glanced back over his shoulder at the woman piggyback ridding on his back.
Aoi closed her eyes and shook her head, she knew this was her older brother they were talking about, but even eleven years after the horrors of Sotoba, and one year after the blood substitute drink being released on the market, she still had her reservations about Vampires as a whole. "Tohru has great control over things when he's with you," she sighed, hating that she could even think this way, "That's why I never had a problem with bringing Toya-Chan to visit the two of you while supervised, but I'm not sure I'm ready to leave her alone with him. Didn't you say he's always hungry when he wakes up? You won't be there for him to feed."
"Is THAT what you're worried about!?" Natsuno growled, "Aoi, I assure you, Toya-Chan is in no safer hands than Tohru's. If we're not back by the time he wakes up, we have a refrigerator in the back with reserve supplies just for him."
"That may be, but can you be certain? How long has it been since he's been alone with a human?" Aoi asked.
Natsuno slid to a screeching halt in a dead-end alleyway and pushed Aoi down into a corner. "I'm telling you, she's fine," he growled, "Now, stay here it looks like I'm going to be forced to fight some of these guys after all."
Aoi watched, horrified as three wolves surrounded Natsuno, each growling and snarling at the day walker that had stolen their prey. Thinking they could overpower the Jinrou, they pounced upon him all at once. Natsuno effortlessly threw one of them off with a backhanded attack, flinging the wolf into a wall. The blow winded the wolf, knocking him unconscious, forcing him to revert back to a human state. Natsuno let out a yelp of pain as one of the remaining two managed to bite down on his neck. He struggled to remove the wolf, with one hand, as he used his other arm to hold the third wolf off of him, catching the third wolf just under the throat, making it difficult for that wolf's fangs to do him any good.
"I didn't know the girl was a fang banger," the third wolf growled, "No, you're not exactly a fang, but you smell like one."
Aoi found a metal rod lying on the ground next to the dumpster Natsuno had hidden her behind. She picked it up and held it tight. "Get off of him!" she shouted, hitting the third wolf, swinging the pole as if she were using a golf club. The third wolf yelped as it was knocked backwards. Aoi had nowhere near the strength of the Jinrou, but the blow was enough to inflict pain and temporarily stun the assailant. This gave Natsuno both hands to deal with the wolf on his neck. The flesh tore a little as he pulled the wolf away and threw him off. "Oh my god, Natsuno, are you alright?" Aoi asked, seeing the blood.
Natsuno forced himself to his feet. "I'm fine, Aoi, now get back." Aoi watched in amazement as Natsuno's neck healed. She staggered backwards and watched as Natsuno and the wolves began fighting once more. It took some time to over come both of them, but thanks to Aoi's intervention, at least one of them had become hindered. Apparently these wolves didn't heal as quickly at Natsuno could. This gave him the upper hand. As the final wolf fell unconscious, Natsuno returned to his sister-in-law and pulled her onto his back once more. "Now, as I was saying, Toya's perfectly safe. Aoi, I promise you, Tohru-Chan's still the same brother you knew and loved. The mere fact that she's your daughter, alone is enough to ensure her safety."
Aoi blinked quietly at this. She felt ashamed that she felt the way she did. But as Natsuno spoke these words, she couldn't help noticing he seemed hurt that she had even suggested such a thing. She remembered him being a person who always hid his emotions so well, easy to annoy, but otherwise always putting up a strong defense. She found it odd that if he were bothered by it that he would even allow her to pick up on a hint of it.
"Hold on tight, we're taking the roofs," he informed her.
"Wait, we're what?" Aoi exclaimed as Natsuno jumped into the air. She closed her eyes and gave a quick shriek as she felt them take to the air, clinging on much tighter.
"Do you mind?" Natsuno asked in an annoyed growl as he landed on the rooftop, "My ears are extra sensitive, you know!"
"Sorry," she blushed.
The sun had already set by the time they arrived at the restaurant. Tohru should have been awake for some time by now. Natsuno remained firm in his belief that everything was alright, but Aoi still had a quiet, niggling doubt in the back of her head that she couldn't shake. She didn't voice it any further, as she didn't want to upset Natsuno any more than he already was. He jumped down off the roof, into the back yard and opened the back door, setting Aoi down on her feet. As the two of them entered the hallway, they heard Toya give a shriek from Tohru's bedroom. They quietly exchanged looks, both almost seeming to dare the other to say a single word. They bolted for the room and Natsuno threw open the door, heaving a sigh of relief at the scene in front of them. He leaned against the door frame moving so that Aoi could see. Tohru and Toya were both settled in the floor, game controllers in hand, and the six-year-old was loosing.
Natsuno smirked, throwing Aoi a look that seemed to say, "Told you so!"
"Tohru-Ojisan, how do you keep winning!?" the child complained.
"Don't take it personally, Toya-Chan, I can't beat him at that game, either," Natsuno chortled.
Tohru and Toya paused the game and looked up. "When did you two get back?" Tohru asked, standing up.
Toya's face lit up as she jumped off the floor and ran to Natsuno. "Natsuno-Ojisan!" She threw her arms around him.
"Tsk, still robbing cradles," Tohru teased.
Natsuno threw Tohru one of his, 'Shut up' looks, letting the blonde Shiki know he was in no joking mood at the moment. "Mama!" Toya exclaimed, throwing her arms around Aoi.
Aoi hugged Toya and scooped the child up in her arms. "Toya-Chan, are you alright, darling? You didn't get hurt on your way here, did you?"
Toya shook her head, "I'm fine."
Tohru joined them in the doorway, hugging his sister. "Are you, alright, Sis?" he asked, "I was worried when Toya told me what was going on, but I knew Natsuno would get you back here safely."
Aoi nodded, "Yes, I'm alright. A little shaken, but no worse for ware. Thank you, both."
"Yeah, whatever," Natsuno grumbled. "Look, we have a spare room down the hall. It's supposed to be mine, but I hardly ever use it, and Tohru can't sleep in there because of the windows. You two are welcome to stay the night. If there are any more of these guys, they'll probably be keeping an eye on your place. We'll keep an eye on things. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to clean up. Tohru, I think it might be best to keep the restaurant closed for the night."
"Alright, I'll call Muroi-San and let him know we won't need them tonight," Tohru nodded. He watched quietly as Natsuno went down the hall. "Is he alright?" he asked.
"I think I offended him somehow," Aoi admitted.
"Huh?" Tohru looked at her curiously.
"I owe you an apology, Tohru-Niisan," she sighed. "I told him I was worried about leaving Toya-Chan alone with you. He became real defensive on your behalf. As your sister, I'm ashamed I even doubted you."
"It's more to it than that," Tohru sighed, leaning against the wall. "Toya-Chan, go put the game on first player and get some practice in, maybe you'll be able to beat me next time," he suggested.
"OK!" Toya replied excitedly, running back into the bedroom.
Tohru shut the door, so Toya couldn't hear them. He looked at his sister. "You didn't just offend him, Aoi, you really hurt him. He knows Toya's safer with me than he ever was."
Aoi shook her head. "I don't understand."
"No, I suppose you don't," Tohru sighed, "We never told you. He didn't tell you, because he didn't want you to think any less of me. I didn't tell you because I didn't think it needed to be said."
"Tohru?" Aoi looked at her brother worriedly and braced herself for what was coming.
"There isn't a day that goes by we don't regret our actions in Sotoba. We use those regrets to try and make our way through everything one night at a time, without repeating those actions. Natsuno was the one who countered Chizuru's hypnotic venom, allowing Ozaki-Sensei to deal with the Shiki however he saw fit. Natsuno wanted to rid Sotoba of every single Okiagari, including himself, in a way, he's responsible for the slaughter that took place, but he never wanted it to reach the scale that it did. Yes, I fed from people, I killed people to keep myself alive. It wasn't something I wanted to do, but it was something I was told I had no other choice but to do. When we left Sotoba, and learned I could feed from Natsuno, we made a pact. As much as either of us hates to dwell on the thought, if I so much as bite anyone but Natsuno ever again, he WILL drag me out in the sunlight and run a stake through me. He may find a way to follow me to the final grave after that, but that was our agreement, and I have no doubt in my mind that he will carry it out."
"Oh my god, Tohru," Aoi gasped, "I had no idea."
Tohru sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "That's not all that's bothering him, though. You doubted me with the safety of your own daughter, when he knows that you and Tamotsu are still human because of what he is… Because of what I did to him. Even if neither of us ever made that agreement, if I attacked either of you, or your children, I'd be corrupting everything that stood for!"
"Tohru?" Aoi asked, "You mean you're…?"
Tohru gave a sad, quiet nod. "Yes, I'M the one who bit him."
Aoi gasped and covered her mouth. "You? But why, how? I never would have thought you could or would… Not Natsuno!"
"I never wanted to, Aoi!" Tohru insisted, "My hand was forced." He hung his head and rubbed his right elbow. He closed his eyes and sighed. "No matter what I do, I know I can never make it up to him. Megumi forced him to watch the first time she attacked me. So he naturally began to fight the Shiki, they saw him as a threat. Tatsumi decided to get rid of him, and chose me for the job. I tried to convince him not to send me. I pleaded with him, literally got down on my hands and knees with tear soaked eyes and begged him not to send me to do it. But Tatsumi was one cold sadistic bastard; he simply laughed in my face and told me if I didn't do it, then you and Tamotsu would be taken instead."
"So you turned him… To protect us?" Aoi asked quietly. She was stunned. She couldn't believe he would do such a thing even to protect her and Tamotsu, but now she at least thought she understood why Natsuno seemed so hurt.
"I did it for you and Tamotsu, but I also did it for him, he just never asked my side of things beyond protecting you, and beyond keeping him away from Shimizu, I've simply left it unsaid," Tohru sighed.
"Huh?" Aoi blinked curiously at her brother and shook her head, "Ok, I'm sorry, you've lost me again?"
Tohru sighed, shook his head, and sank to a sitting position in the floor, resting a hand upon his forehead. "Shizuka was sent to his house before me. She tried to gain entry, but Natsuno's father was reluctant, it was his mother that finally caved in and allowed her in. Shizuka asked permission for her 'big brother' to come later, while she waited for Natsuno in his room. They agreed, which allowed me to enter, but he didn't come home that night. He was out until dawn with Akira and Kaori. We were forced to leave before the sun came up. When I returned the next night, he had plastered his wall with holy relics, there was no way I could enter. But I knew what his parents were like, his father didn't approve of religion, and threw them out while he was still asleep. I returned the next night and knocked on his window. There was a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn't shake. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Natsuno, and I hated that I was being forced to choose between him and the two of you. I had hoped maybe I could talk him into giving up his fight against the Shiki, to turn a blind eye and either leave or pretend he was gone, but when I felt his warm hand grab my wrist, and saw the look in his eyes as he realized I was the monster outside his window… I couldn't stand seeing him look at me like that. He had always come to me when he needed to feel safe. I turned and I fled, hoping he wouldn't give chase, knowing he was safer inside than if he followed me. Of course he followed, I should have known he would."
Tohru pushed the bangs out of his face, and moved his hand, only to let them fall again as he took a deep, unnecessary breath. "He followed me to the sacred fountain and I hid in the trees, lamenting the situation before me, wishing there was some other way, hoping he couldn't find me. Then she showed up. Megumi berated me for being cowardly, suggesting the possibility that Natsuno would rise up and become one of us. I realized it was possible, but there was still the chance it wouldn't happen, and even so, I knew he'd hate being a Shiki, and would never forgive me for turning him into one. Since I was refusing, she decided she was going to do it. The next thing I knew, Natsuno was cornered, the fountain and the trees where I was hiding behind him, Tatsumi on his right, and Shimizu on his left, he had no where to go, no way to defend himself, no one to protect him."
Tohru shook his head and forced back a sob. "That first bite, was all I could do to keep him safe. Megumi would have hypnotized him into doing God knows what for her, and Tatsumi would have toyed with him before killing him. My hands were forced, I couldn't let either of them have him. But at the same time, I knew how he would feel. He would be hurt and feel betrayed, perhaps even horrified. I knew I wouldn't be able to stand hearing him scream as my fangs sank into his neck, not my Natsuno, I'd never be able to forgive myself if I had to hear that. So I leapt out of the trees from behind, tears in my eyes. I grabbed him around the chest and gently put a hand over his mouth to stifle him. I used a special bite, one that I use on him still, a bite that induces pleasure rather than pain. With my hand over his mouth, Megumi and Tatsumi never knew the difference."
Tohru sighed as he continued, "I drank just enough to render him unconscious, but even then, I couldn't deny his was the best blood I'd ever tasted. At least for the time being, I knew all three of you would be safe. Tatsumi ordered me to hypnotize him so that he wouldn't tell anyone and then take him home. I couldn't bring myself to hypnotize him. I had already broken so much of his trust, broken his heart, I couldn't break his mind as well. I carried him home and put him to bed. Before I left, I gave him a kiss on the forehead and whispered in his ear that I was sorry and that I hoped he would forgive me. I waited and stayed away the next night, letting him recover, hoping I would have a chance to explain things, to try again to talk him into forgetting his fight with the Shiki and disappear. If he left or simply stopped showing himself, there was a chance I could have tricked Tatsumi into believing I had carried out the task without actually having to do so. But, that night that I waited, I didn't feed at all, which was a mistake on my part. When I returned, I started to knock on his window, but hesitated. I knew he would never forgive me, and I didn't think he would be very welcoming to see me again. It tore at me to know what I was being asked to do. As I started to leave, he jumped out of the bushes in front of his window, he'd been waiting for me."
By now, Aoi was sitting in the floor across from her brother, as she breathlessly listened to him recount Natsuno's final nights as a human, as they had played out in his own eyes. "He held up a cross and asked if I really was frightened of it. I realized he sounded more curious about it than anything, and called out to him. He hurled the cross in my direction, scolding me like he always did for using his name, then turned and ran. I gave chase, knowing I couldn't let anyone else catch him. I explained things, the way they had been explained to me. The next thing I knew, he was staring me down, with a stake and hammer in his hands. I froze. I was too frightened to move any closer, this was Natsuno, after all, it was very possible he was capable of driving it through my heart without a second thought if he saw me as a threat. I was also too scared to turn and leave. I didn't want to think he would attack me from behind, but I had done it to him, so it wasn't a possibility I could rule out. His name was the only word I could bring myself to utter. It broke him, Aoi, I could see it in his eyes. He didn't know how to handle it. I was acting like the Tohru he knew and trusted, not the monster he'd come to believe I should have been, and I'm certain he heard the fear and sadness in my voice as I called out to him. I wanted so bad to throw my arms around him and tell him everything would be alright, but I couldn't move. He tossed the stake aside and asked me to run with him, to find a better way then. But I was certain that if I left with him, Tatsumi would catch on and either attack you and Tamotsu or give chase after us, or perhaps both. I couldn't leave with him. What I didn't realize was that he couldn't leave without me. He freely offered his blood that night, begging me to leave with him, but I couldn't do it. I turned away and hoped he wouldn't get too close. I could smell the blood running through his veins, and I'd not fed within the last twenty four hours. I lost myself to the hunger. Before I knew what I was doing, I had lunged at him and thrown him to the ground, draining him until he was unconscious once more. Again, I carried him back to his house and put him to bed, again I kissed his forehead and told him how sorry I was."
"His final night alive, I was certain he'd never forgive me, but I went back to check on him. He wasn't even able to move out of the bed. He asked his father to leave the window open, as if he knew I was coming. He knew I was outside, and called to me as soon as he was alone. I told him, while I knew he could hear me, just how sorry I was. He was miserable and had completely given up. I couldn't stand watching him suffer anymore. That final bite was a mercy killing. When we heard he'd been picked up by a funeral home from the city, and would have been cremated, I was devastated. It was the first time Shimizu and I ever agreed on anything involving him and Masao. Masao had taken pleasure in hearing that Natsuno was gone. Megumi gave him a good pummeling for it, and I hadn't had much contact with him, but I wanted to rip his throat out. Imagine my surprise when I found Natsuno standing in front of me, promising me everything would be alright, and that if I made it safely through what was coming, the offer to leave with him still stood." Tohru's eyes slowly shifted across to his sister, she was just as teary eyed as he was now.
"God, Tohru, I'm so sorry," she said quietly, "For both of you! I never knew."
Tohru slowly stood up and shook his head. "Natsuno didn't want you to know, or he would have said something the first night you walked through the door. Aoi, he knew what I did was for you and Tamotsu, he barely knew I was doing it for him too. He didn't want to drive you away." Tohru sighed and smiled at her. "Like he said, Sis, you and Toya-Chan are welcome to stay the night." He turned to head down the hall to the bathroom, having heard Natsuno finally turn the water on. The Jinrou had been listening to the conversation the whole time.
"Tohru, let me ask you something?" Aoi said as she leapt to her feet. Tohru turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "You regretted biting him as a human. But you're still feeding from him now, aren't you? What makes the difference between now and then?"
Tohru smiled, it only seemed natural that she wouldn't understand. He didn't seem to take any offense to the question. "I regretted it then, because he was human, and regardless of what we had been told, I knew it wasn't right to take a human life. It was simply a choice we weren't given. Kill or starve, those were the original orders from Kanemasa. Natsuno gives his blood freely, willingly, because he knows I need it, and as long as I have him, there's no risk to anyone else. I tried once to wean myself, at least from taking so much, a year after everything happened, I tried to take less and less, but I nearly starved myself and he forbade me from ever trying such measures again. But, when an Okiagari forces the blood from a human, then they see that human as a food source and nothing more. When a human gives it willingly, without hypnotism as Natsuno tried the second time, it means friendship or love between the two. The bite I told you I use for him, its not meant to be used on humans when they're forced. It's a love bite, specifically meant for two Okiagari to share with one another." He smiled as his sister blushed at this, clearly she understood what he meant. With that, he turned and continued on his way to the bathroom. The door was locked when he tried to open it. "Natsuno?" he called.
"Not now, Tohru," Natsuno answered from within.
Tohru frowned and leaned against the door. "Natsuno, open the door, or I'm going to break it in," he threatened.
The door swung open and Tohru stumbled off balance. He closed his eyes, expecting to fall right into the tub. He blinked them open again, when he felt Natsuno's arm catch hold of him. Natsuno sighed and smiled, shaking his head as he closed the door. "You didn't tell me you were right up against it."
Tohru sighed. "Thanks." He turned and looked at the Jinrou. "Natsuno, I…"
Natsuno nodded, "I know, Tohru, I heard," he leaned against the door as he locked it, "How come you never told me the way you saw it?"
Tohru shook his head, "You never asked, and I never thought it needed to be said." He gently wrapped his arms around the Jinrou. "Natsuno, you can't blame Aoi for thinking like that."
Natsuno sighed and hugged the blonde Shiki close. Tohru was cold to the touch, having drank Natsuno's blood for so many years, his body was finally as warm as it use to be when he was alive, but tended to get colder during fasting. While the blood substitute helped keep the hunger in check, it did nothing for his body temperature. "I don't blame her, Tohru," he replied, "As Toya's mother, it's only natural she would be worried about leaving her child alone with a Vampire the first time. But as your sister, I had hoped she would have more faith in you than that. I don't blame her, I just couldn't believe she would think such a thing."
Tohru smiled at him, gently caressing a hand to his cheek. After all they had been put through, Natsuno still believed in him, knew he'd never willingly harm a soul. After all that time in Sotoba where Tohru had been the one to make Natsuno feel safe, Tohru found it ironic that it was now the other way around. The blonde leaned forward and pushed his lips to Natsuno's, gently sliding his left hand into the Jinrou's, letting their fingers link together.
Natsuno closed his hand around Tohru's and pulled the Shiki closer, wrapping his free arm around him, and returning the kiss. Tohru pulled away from the kiss and lowered his head toward Natsuno's neck. He pulled away with what almost sounded like a jealous hiss as his nose passed across the spot where the wolf had caught him. His beautiful brown eyes flashed their monstrous black and red. "Who bit you?" he asked. He shook his head forcing his eyes back to normal. "And why do you smell like wet dog?"
Natsuno chuckled and gently caught Tohru under the chin. "Relax, beautiful," he said assuringly, "There's no need to get jealous over a handful of mutts. You might want to wait until I wash off before feeding, though. No telling what kind of debris got left behind when they jumped us."
"Mutts?" Tohru asked, stepping aside, to allow Natsuno access to the tub.
"Werewolves," Natsuno grunted as he pulled back the shower curtain and began to get undressed.
"Just what the hell kind of trouble has Aoi landed herself in?" Tohru asked.
"She said it was a long story," Natsuno replied tossing his dirty clothes into the hamper and climbing into the tub, "But I intend to find out as soon as I get out of here."