I – necrofantasia

Turn the lights out/turn the sound down

Kiss me quickly/'cause the world is ending

All around us/shelter me and watch

The dust choke out the skyline/the sunrise

The boy and the girl are quite aware of the taboo their relationship holds.

It just makes their love all the more beautiful.

She knows the emotion that hides behind those icy blue eyes. It is a rare emotion, an emotion that is only shown to her and used to be shown to one other person. She sees it clearly, able to recognize it immediately despite its rarity. She knows that emotion is always brewing within him, always threatening to reveal itself and envelope her, yet still stays within the confines of that stoic gaze. She knows it well, smiles when she sees it, and is always appreciative when it flashes and flickers in that frozen ocean of blue.

Shinoa Hiiragi knows the emotion Mikaela Hyakuya hides behind those icy blue eyes.

That emotion is love.

Love, the concept that she cannot fully understand but can comprehend that it has found its way to her in the form of a boy with cold skin, heart, and eyes. She didn't think it a conundrum as to why this human-turned-vampire developed desires for her, and why she reciprocated those desires. It was simply them acting upon the human needs and wants they both possessed. In all terms of simplicity, Shinoa Hiiragi wanted to be a part of Mikaela Hyakuya's life. He fascinated her, and she knew she fascinated him.

After all, she was a human that did not show a drop of fear when in his vampiric presence. What benefits would fright, distrust, and hate of a vampire bring her. There were no advantages for her (though all advantages she once withheld in her regal hands dissipated once she encountered Mikaela), nothing that would bring her higher on the humans' superfluous social pyramid. Society was a game to her, anyway, and she didn't mind losing from time to time.

So she befriended him, eased her way through the hurt and pain that was ingrained in his soul, and then loved him, welcoming him with open arms and genuine smiles.

And as she cared for him and kissed him, she came to know of that one emotion that showed in his eyes whenever he touched her, held her, caressed her: love.

~•~

Mikaela Hyakuya wonders why Shinoa Hiiragi has seemingly dedicated her mere mortal life to him. Why him, some disgusting result of pain and abandonment? She never gives a straight answer, choosing to prance around the subject delicately and gracefully and tauntingly. It was as if she was telling him to stop thinking such things, to just accept the present and their future. Just stop thinking of all the doubts your mind has created and live as if you have retained your humanity and –

(He couldn't stop thinking about it, because being in Shinoa Hiiragi's presence was absolutely breathtaking and served as a constant reminder of the precious things he shouldn't have.)

So, he wonders and ponders and until frustration hits him. Then he silently screams and yells, trapped in the supposed comforts of his mind, until the chains break. And once the chains break, he allows the human girl to calm him until he locks himself away again, keeping intact this seemingly eternal cycle that they both acknowledge and won't end until they are both ready.

Mikaela isn't sure if he'll ever be ready.

Mikaela Hyakuya wonders why Shinoa Hiiragi has seemingly dedicated her mere mortal life to him.

It was pointless to wonder.

~•~

Mikaela never slept until Shinoa fell soundly asleep. She never knew why, but she went with it. Sometimes she would wake up in the middle of the still night, her reddish eyes meeting with those blue eyes staring down upon her. She would give a small smile and innocently ask how Mikaela was doing, only to be told that she needed to go back to sleep. Shinoa knew that if she were to tell him that he needs to sleep, he would simply ignore her (as he always ignored her comments pertaining to his well-being and welfare).

Mikaela enjoyed watching Shinoa sleep (though he would never admit it to her), looking at her lavender hair frame her child-like, mischievous face. Her body completely calm and still, occasionally moving to prove to the vampire that Shinoa was still breathing, still alive to grace him with her presence for another day and night. Her eyebrows would occasionally twitch, implying that she was having a fairly-interesting dream, and Mikaela couldn't help but ponder what could be occupying her mind (was she dreaming of him? Did she always dream of him? Or does she dream of the inner turmoil she keeps under pretty little wraps?)

He would stay up until his eyes felt heavy and the darkness of their exquisite begged him to close those vampiric eyes of his. Even then, he would rebel against his body's needs, gazing down at Shinoa until he made sure that he wouldn't awake to find her gone, disappearing like a midnight breeze. Then he would lay down and allow sleep to take him in her arms.

~•~

"You should call him," she said suddenly, slowly stirring the creamer and the sugar into her coffee. Her chin rested on one hand, her gaze focused upon the vampire that now stared at her. There were no expression in his eyes or facial features whatsoever. It as though he held no emotions. But Shinoa knew better, and seeing through the façade that he insisted on keeping with her, repeated her casually thrown-out there statement.

"No," Mikaela had responded after a few more moments of pleasant silence. Shinoa made a small sigh, expecting a negative response to leave his lips.

"Stubbornness isn't a very good look on you, Mika," Shinoa replied, smirking slightly. "It's not a style you can pull off well. Only two people I know who can do that is Guren and – "

"Please, don't say his name," Mikaela interrupted, another emotion besides indifference evident in his tone. Shinoa shrugged, taking her spoon out of her coffee mug and placing it on a napkin.

"I was going to say Kimizuki. Ah, I wonder how he's doing."

Mikaela averted his gaze, crossing his arms. "Kimizuki…he is with that timid boy, Yoichi, is he not?"

Shinoa smiled. "I'm surprised you care enough to remember. You know, Yoichi is a wedding planner. He also somehow obtained a license to marry couples. I find that hilarious, seeing as how he and Kimizuki haven't tied the knot. They are such dorks."

Mikaela placed his hands in his pockets. "They'll decide once they are – "

"I wonder how Yuichiro is doing as well."

The contents of her mug moved slightly as Mikaela slammed his hands on the table, glaring at the human that remained unfazed. His name was like a forbidden taboo, a line that shouldn't be crossed. Shinoa likes to slightly step over it occasionally, seeing as it was one part of Mikaela's past she was interested in (and hoped she could fix).

"Shinoa," he said, adding an edge to his tone. "What did I ask of you?"

"You can't ignore him forever, Mika; he's your family," Shinoa responded, ignoring his blatant aggression.

"Ignore? Ignore? He's the one ignoring me. We are not family anymore, Shinoa. If he cannot get over his – "

"If you are not family anymore, why do you still have the last name of Hyakuya, hmm?"

Mikaela averted his gaze once again. He growled, choosing to leave Shinoa in the kitchen and walk into the living room.

"I saw Yuu the other day," Shinoa called. She paused to listen to Mikaela break something. "He looks absolutely healthy. That obsidian hair of his still is wild and messy, and his emerald eyes continue to shine brilliantly. We talked for a bit, caught up some things. Somehow, he's obtained a job with – believe it or not – Mitsuba. Ah, little ol' Mitsu…Anyway, he wants to know how you're doing. I gave him your cellphone number. He should be calling either today or tomorrow. Be on your best behavior, Mika."

Shinoa took a sip of her coffee, frowning. She didn't add enough sugar to it. She stood from her seat, walking to the cabinet to retrieve more sugar, the loud crashes of various fanciful things accompanying her every footstep.

"Mikaela, please stop breaking things," she called, standing on her tippy-toes in attempt to reach the sugar. It was futile, wiggling and struggling to grab the bag of granulated white crystals. "You may be actually scaring me."

She heard one last item fall unceremoniously to the floor, followed a couple of soft sniffles then a rage-filled, agonized scream. Shinoa encountered these occasional outbursts; she could do nothing but let him ride his anger and grief out. She wasn't aware that Mikaela had walked back into the kitchen until she saw an arm reach over her and grab the coveted sweetener. He handed it to her, and Shinoa noted that Mikaela placed his mask back on, face completely expressionless yet again.

"Do you want me to help you clean up the mess?" she offered, taking a glance at the glass shards that decorated the marble floor.

Mikaela shook his head. "No, I can do it myself. I don't want you cutting yourself by accident."

Shinoa sighed, not bothering to point out that the vampire had gotten blood-stained handprints on the bag of sugar. "You are really trying to make stubbornness your new fashion statement, aren't you?"

"You're welcome," he simply responded. "And I'm leaving shortly."

"Mind telling me where you are going, Mika?"

"To buy a new phone and deactivate my old one."

~•~

Shinoa ordered take out for the fourth night in a row. Mikaela disapproved of her sudden unhealthy habits. It was much easier to order take out than cook every night. She joked to Mikaela that she was taking the Mitsuba route, but, unlike Mitsuba, she can actually cook.

She sat on their bed, finishing the last bite of pepperoni pizza. It was nothing more than a greasy heart attack under the façade of something edible, but it tasted good, and she wasn't dead yet, so it was alright by her standards. She could hear Mikaela mumble something; what he was saying, she didn't quite know. The vampire would, from time to time, talk to himself, allowing his sunflower bangs to cover his eyes, not noticing the reddish eyes that would stare curiously at him.

Opening a can of pop, Shinoa placed the metal to lips and took three large gulps. "Refreshing!" she exclaimed. "Ah, I can feel the carbonation burning my throat. Good stuff."

Mikaela gasped softly, though it was audible enough for Shinoa to pick up. She looked to Mikaela, who was leaning against the wall, hugging himself, trembling slightly. Cocking her head, she called out to Mikaela, knowing exactly what he was going through. He shakily looked at her, eyes pleading.

He licked his lips, subtly giving a hint. Shinoa smiled.

"Are you thirsty?" she asked, putting the can of pop on the nightstand.

"Yes."

"You want a sip?"

Mikaela nodded.

"Alright." Shinoa watched the vampire climb onto bed and sit next to her, grasping her arms. Shinoa turned her neck slightly to the side, allowing Mikaela to move her hair out of the way and sink his fangs into her skin. She moaned slightly and winced, watching Mikaela steadily drink her blood. She'd noticed that the vampire would always wait to the point of dehydration before he asked for her blood. She knew why Mikaela put himself through such torture, and she would always tell him that he can drink her blood whenever he wanted to. The whole ordeal never lasted long, and she was never in any serious pain (and she knew Mikaela would never lose control, no matter how much he believed he one day would).

Of course, he'd just shake his head and claim he was fine.

Her breath hitched as Mikaela pulled away from her. He kissed the area where he bit her, lapping at the last remaining drops of blood. He looked up at her, staring at her lightly flushed face.

"Thank you," he said. Shinoa smiled.

"No problem, Mika! I'll give you all of my blood if you needed it. Drink me dry, if need be."

"Don't say that ever again," he deadpanned. Shinoa simply laughed.

"Oh, alright, Mr. Serious. Is your thirst gone?"

Mikaela nodded. "Yes."

"Good." Shinoa turned her head, looking at her pop. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to finish my – "

"Finish it later," Mikaela commanded hurriedly, much to Shinoa's amusement. She turned her head to see those blue eyes of his grow a shade darker, filled with lust and want. Shinoa smirked.

"Ah, you want something more than blood?" She laughed, pulling down her shirt low enough to bare her shoulder. "I should have known you were up to no good. You really need to learn how to ask for things, Mika."

She crawled into Mikaela's lap and allowed him to wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"I'll have you know," she stated, smiling devilishly, "that what I'm going to give you is much sweeter than my blood."

"I'm blissfully aware of that," Mikaela responded before crushing his lips against Shinoa's.

~•~

"How does Shinoa Hyakuya sound to you?" Mikaela asked, adjusting himself so that he sat up. Shinoa followed suit, yawning loudly. They both found themselves unable to sleep, and so they stayed up through the night, waiting for the sun to make its grand appearance.

Shinoa eyed Mikaela, raising an eyebrow. "Most people propose with a ring, Mika. I prefer a ruby ring instead of the run-of-the-mill diamond."

Mikaela rolled his eyes. Nearly every word she speaks is laced with tenderly sarcasm. "Noa, just answer the question."

Mikaela knew that would make Shinoa smile, and he was right. She grinned at him, placing her warm hand upon her cold one. It was rare for Mikaela to adorn his Shinoa with precious nicknames of "Noa" or "Shi" like she does with her "Mika".

"Shinoa Hyakuya sounds absolutely perfect. But, is Mikaela Hiiragi not an option?"

Mikaela shrugged. "It doesn't sound right for me. The name of Hiiragi only goes well with Shinoa."

"Please, Mika, I would rather have any other name than Hiiragi."

Mikaela laughed, another rare occurrence for him. "Yes, I know."

"What brings up this marriage-related questioning, Mika?"

"It's a hypothetical situation, Noa."

Shinoa didn't smile this time. "You and I both know that humans and vampires aren't allowed to get married."

"I am quite of aware of that, Shinoa. But I don't care." He squeezed Shinoa's hand, malice shining in his eyes. "One day, I'll take you far away from here, have that Yoichi marry us, and you'll be my Shinoa Hyakuya. We'll be together, we'll be Mikaela and Shinoa Hyakuya, and – "

"Mikaela, you're hurting me."

The blonde released his tight grasp of Shinoa's hand, examining how red it gotten. His eyes widened in horror. He had forgotten that Shinoa was nothing more than a mere human, a human that could never match the pure, brute strength of a vampire. It was another reminder of the humanity that he lost yet she so wonderfully (and horribly) retained. It just served to remind him of the very necrofantasia Shinoa was subjected to: the very fantastical concept of death that, for every human, will soon become a reality. A reality for every human except him.

"Mikaela!" Shinoa yelled, snapping the vampire out his trance. "Are you alright?"

"I…I should be asking you that."

"Don't worry about me. Ol' Shinoa is tougher than she looks. Short, cute, but strong. It's alright."

Mikaela shook his frantically. "No, no, no, it's not alright. I should have known better, it's not alright – "

His words were silenced by Shinoa pressing her lips against his, quickly intoxicating with her tantalizing touch. Before he could fully melt into the kiss, Shinoa pulled away, placing a hand on Mikaela's chest.

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean to. You'll never hurt me on purpose. Besides, it's like I said: I'm short, cute, and strong."

"And absolutely sardonic," Mikaela added.

"Thank you for the compliment, dearest husband."

"You deserve only the sincerest of compliments, dearest wife."

Shinoa leaned in, nuzzling against Mikaela's shoulder. He held her, running his fingers through her silky lavender hair, watching as the sun began to rise and bask them in various hues of oranges and pinks.

So, uh…who else ships Mikanoa?

*cricket noises*

. . . Alright, alright, alright! I don't know why I like this pairing; I just do. There's some type of weird dynamic between these two that makes me say, "I ship it." Though, MikaYuu still reigns supreme in my heart. Those dorks are just absolutely meant for each other.

So, there's going to be a total of ten chapters. It's mainly Mikanoa-centric, everything being an abstract focus on their relationship. There will be some instances of ShinGure as well (a prime example being next chapter, as it starts off with Shinya's POV). I made Papa Guren a vampire for reasons that will be realized as more chapters come out. I'll try to keep everyone in-character, but with the way I'm going to write this story, there's bound to be some OOC moments, so bear with me.

Also, the title chapter and the lyrics beneath are a reference to a song that provide a somewhat-basic theme for the chapter. The song used here is called Necrofantasia (ALR Rewind Remix) by Alstroemeria Records. It's a Touhou Project vocal.

So, thanks for reading! Totally means a lot! See you in Chapter 2: ecstasy, pain, hesitation, existence, reality.