Love me

Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei belongs to Matsushita Youko and not to me *cries*.

Falling petals from the genetically engineered Sakura trees greeted his eyes the second he stepped inside the premises of Oriya's residence. Seeing such beautiful petals made him smirk as he was reminded by the pathetic fragility of mankind. He stopped the trail of dark thoughts. As always he was here to unwind. And since he was already too familiar with the house, he led himself to Oriya's library all by himself. He looked surprised to find Oriya almost drunk.

"It is very often to find the young master drunk or have you change drastically?" Muraki enunciated as he let himself sat across his dear friend whom he visited only twice after the Kyoto incident.

"Just trying to drown out my sorrow" he confessed with a slur.

"Really? So I guess you did change since the Kyoto incident" Muraki concluded. He knew drinking to drown out his sorrow isn't his friend's habit or is it now?
"I haven't change. Have you?" Oriya countered as he looked at the doctor over the rim of his cup.
"I haven't. I'm still programmed to give Saki his true death"
"Meaning, you are still after Tsuzuki-san"
"Of course. The only way to achieve my goal is to have Tsuzuki", Muraki said and Oriya fell silent.

"I wonder how he is now?" Muraki wondered loudly after taking a gulp of Japanese wine. Muraki had been keeping a very low profile since the Kyoto incident.
"He thinks you're already dead".
The doctor shook his head "He knew I'm alive. The boy will tell him or already told him".

Silence…

"I couldn't wait to meet him but before that I should focus more on building my new lab" Muraki continued, oblivious of his friend's mood.

"That's what you always think about", Oriya complained in a pained voice, "Tsuzuki this, Tsuzuki that"
"He is very important to me. The moment I saw his picture, he stole my heart".
"Yes he is important to you", Oriya agreed, "because he can make you happy unlike me. He can help you achieve your goal while I couldn't".

Muraki frowned. He knew what was coming next. Oriya had confessed his feelings for him twice and twice he rejected them with harsh words.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have come here tonight" the doctor announced and stood up. "I am sorry for troubling you; sorry for coming here tonight" then he walked to the door.

"Oi" Oriya called and Muraki stopped, waiting for his friend to speak up. "You were always sorry when it comes to me. Maybe I should feel sorry too for loving you more than I should".

Muraki didn't reply nor did his face give any reaction. He just quietly left.

Muraki Kazutaka lay on his bed, silver eyes staring at the ceiling. He shouldn't care what Oriya said tonight and all those other times but damn! He did because he loved Oriya too. But he couldn't tell his friend because he didn't want him to get hurt. When he achieve his goal, he will disappear without trace and he knew Oriya will suffer so it is better if he'll be hurt knowing that he likes Tsuzuki than being hurt when he'll find the doctor gone. Honestly, since the day Saki was killed by their butler, he didn't foresee that he would fall for his longhaired friend. But he should have known that even the best computer perfectly program would still malfunction due to some bugs. It his case, love was the bug. But he wouldn't let it mess up his goal. He doesn't need those stupid emotions for he was programmed to live a life deprived of happiness, of love; he was programmed to live to achieve his goal. However, deep within him he wanted to have what was forbidden from him- Oriya who is his paradise and his light. And his place is Oriya's side.

Muraki dialed Oriya's residential number and a maid answered his call.

"I'm sorry but our young master is already asleep"
"I see" was all Muraki said before he hung up. "Goodnight my love" he murmured as he too decided to sleep.

"What brings you here?" Oriya asked. Muraki just smiled at him. He had missed Oriya after not coming to his place for two weeks. His friend looked at him seriously "Kazutaka, I do not regret what I said two weeks ago although it is quite embarrassing".

Muraki just shrug it off as he scanned the newspaper. "I just dropped by after checking out some equipment for my lab" he answered his friend's question.

"I see. You're working too hard. You must be that excited to meet Tsuzuki".

At that moment, a servant knocked on the door and then stepped inside brining a big bouquet of roses, "This is for you again master".

Muraki looked at the bouquet as it was placed on Oriya's table and he frowned a bit. When the servant stepped outside, he arched his brow to his friend "Again?".

Oriya looked sheepish and Muraki would have thought it was endearing if he wasn't jealous.

"I started receiving bouquets 8 days ago and I don't know who sent them. No cards are attached".

Muraki smiled the roses and he smelled a male's perfume. "A male admirer, eh?", he said, "I can smell his musk perfume".

Oriya just shrugged his shoulders.

The next day Muraki dropped by again and as he stepped inside the house, a maid was bringing another bouquet of flowers. Using his charm, he convinced the girl to let him bring it to Oriya.

Oriya looked up when the library's door opened. "Flowers for Tsuzuki-san?" he asked casually. "It's for you" Muraki announced, "from your ardent admirer". Suddenly Muraki noticed a strand of hair and took it without Oriya noticing anything.

"Master" Sakaki, Muraki's butler said to Muraki one day "I finally completed what you asked me to do two days ago and then I acquired a pass for you to join the exclusive party".
"I see. Thank you Sakaki" Muraki said and his eyeglasses glinted in wickedness.

Muraki reached the hotel where the party is held. He looked at hotel's surrounding. The hotel was secluded but such seclusion wasn't a detrimental to its business. In fact it is because of such seclusion that this hotel become a favorite hang-out place of the rich and powerful alike because it gives them privacy and most of all freedom to do anything they want thus the hotel became the den of evil. Just before he stepped inside the hotel, Muraki looked at the sky and saw the fearfully big and bloody moon. His eyes then twinkle ominously.

Past midnight, a drunken man who is in his late 40's staggered into his room. He turned the lights on and was surprised to find a platinum-silver haired man sitting on the side of the bed patiently waiting.

The drunken man took in his unexpected guest's profile.

"I'm sure you're a friend of Oriya-san. He talks a lot about you"
"Really?" Muraki said in amusement "And you're Watanabe Shigure, am I correct?"

The drunken man nodded, feeling happy to meet Oriya's best friend.
"You're Oriya's ardent admirer, correct?"
The man blushed "How did you know?"
"In my usual way" Muraki said with a frown.

The man noticed the cold hatred leaping in Muraki's silver eyes and he sense danger.

"Wait" he said backing out "How did you get here?"
"In my own usual way" Muraki replied stalking the man while thrusting his hands into the hand gloves he brought along.

The man was about to run for the door, when Muraki quickly pulled him and stabbed him near his heart.

"You see Watanabe, I refused to share my important treasures to anyone. And I don't want to see my important treasures to leave me for someone especially if its someone like you" Muraki announced diabolically. "Oriya belongs to me and to no one else and I'm gonna make sure of that".

Watanabe nodded thinking his life would be spared.

"Good" a satisfied Muraki said before snuffing Watanabe's candle of life out.

One week after, Muraki visited Oriya during the night.

"Hey" Muraki greeted as soon as he entered Oriya's library. Oriya looked up and nodded.

"I already know who's my ardent admirer" Oriya said as he pulled the newspaper from the shelf and wagged it.
"Really?"
"Yes, its Watanabe Shigure"
"How did you know?" Muraki said calmly.
"I figured it out. Because I no longer received any bouquets after he died. And now that I think of it, I started receiving flowers the day after I met the guy"
"I'm sure you mourned for his death" Muraki commented sarcastically.
"What baffled me the most is why did you kill him?"

Muraki looked surprised.

"The way he was killed looked really familiar to me so don't deny it"
"I'm not," Muraki said blandly.
"So why did you kill him? To lure those shinigamis?"
"I'll not answer that question".

"Why not?" Oriya exploded and stood in front of his calm friend who was still sitting. " You rejected me twice. And now you killed my would be lover"

Muraki arched his brow keeping his jealousy in check.

"Why? Did you ever love that guy?"
"I was making myself love him" Oriya shot back.

Muraki stood up "What do you want from me Oriya?"
"What?"
"I'm asking you what your selfish self wants" Muraki repeated blandly.

Oriya took a deep breath to calm down then looked at those silver eyes "I want answers why you killed him" and then he continued softly " I want you to love me"

"I killed him because I don't want to lose you" Muraki answered "As for your second request, it was already granted when we were still high school"

"You've got to be kidding" Oriya said, "You're just fooling me"

"Look at me Oriya" Muraki ordered "Do you see me bluffing. You of all people know me. You know me better than I do. So tell me am I bluffing?"

Oriya remained silent, torn between believing and doubting. "I'll show it to you" Muraki said and gave Oriya a carnal kiss that was both bruising and gentle. And Oriya responded wantonly.

Few minutes later, Muraki pulled away. "Now do you believe me?"
"But what about Tsuzuki?" a breathless Oriya asked.
"I needed Tsuzuki for Saki. It was always you Oriya and no others" Muraki murmured huskily as he caressed Oriya's effeminate face.

"I'll know you'll disappear after having your revenge but tonight please stay with me. Make love to me tonight and the succeeding nights until you have your revenge" Oriya begged, his sad eyes pleading.

Muraki smiled sincerely and nodded as his hand untied Oriya's obi. Yes tonight, Muraki will indulge himself. He'll let himself have the paradise; let himself taste the forbidden fruit.

Perhaps who knows, Muraki will stay with Oriya forever after having his revenge. Most likely he will after all heaven is where one's treasure is.

:: END ::