Disclaimer: If I owned it, it would be even weirder than it already is. Bless it. So, no, I don't own it. ;.;

Rating: Argh. Shall we say about a PG-13 for now? Might (probably will) change, so please check the rating each chapter. Don't wanna be sued by some angry parent now, do I? No.

Warnings: AU, kinda dark, bit angsty, shounen-ai both hinted and clear, blood, violence, some language… Check back here each chapter!

Chapter summary: More about Saeki's recent past is explained.

-.-; … Yep, still raising the bar on sucky summaries.

Author's notes: Gigantic hugs and muffins to Yoshiko-chan, Darkdemoncat and my patched kitty for their lovely reviews. n.n

Dedicated to Linc, who deserves every drop of love. :)

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"Oi, Blue."

Before his body could work out what was going on, Yukimura's mind had been jolted from sleep. And before his body could stick in some rational thought, his mind was already commanding his muscles automatically. His senses screamed, 'Vampire!' and, half-asleep, Yukimura was helpless to stop himself.

"OWOWYOUMOTHERFUCKINGIDIOT!"

Velvet blue opened to see a hand outstretched, holding a dagger into Saeki's chest. "Oh…" he said faintly, surprised.

Snarling, Saeki took a step backwards, pulling himself off the blade with a slightly sickening sound. "You fucking idiot! You nearly hit my heart!"

Yukimura blinked, then resheathed his dagger with a click. "Ah, it's just you."

"JUST me?! What if it was a human? They'd be dead! Not that I care, but you would, I'm sure," Saeki muttered angrily.

"If you were a human, my instincts wouldn't have made me stab you," Yukimura pointed out, the sentence broken up by a yawn halfway.

Glaring, Saeki retreated back to the wall, one hand clutching at the wound. "This isn't going to heal over," he said. "I can't regenerate unless I die first."

"Not a problem."

"Hey, I didn't…!"

Yawning again, Yukimura stepped over the prone Vampire and retrieved his throwing knife. He casually wiped the blade off and started to pack his bags. He should be done by the time Saeki recovered.

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"Can you not stay for a few more days, perhaps?" the elder asked hopefully. "We'd be more than happy to have you here. It's brought such a positive influence on the village, what with the dark creatures roaming the world currently…"

"Thank you, but no," Yukimura said politely, but firmly. "I wish you luck though. If your village is ever in dire need, then I left a Call Seal in your son's room. All you have to do is stand within a few metres of it and say my name. That'll alert me and I'll try and come here as soon as I can."

"That's very kind of you," said the elder, nodding. "We'll remember that."

"Farewell, then," said Yukimura, giving a small bow then turning to leave.

Saeki was waiting for him at the gate, a resentful scowl on his face. He didn't speak, just falling into step about a metre from Yukimura's side. Obviously he was bearing a grudge about being so casually killed. Although Yukimura suspected that Saeki was actually more angry with himself for dropping his guard than with him.

The silence suited Yukimura just fine, and the two walked for the entire day, Saeki always a metre away. They were following a small road leading west. Yukimura was leading them to the place he'd sealed this demon friend of Saeki's – he hadn't said as much before, but he didn't actually know how to release him. The only way to find out was to go there and try and puzzle it out. There would be a way, there always was; it was just a matter of thinking about it.

Sunset came surprisingly quickly. They'd made a lot of progress; Yukimura estimated that they'd arrive sometime tomorrow evening, if all went well.

Stopping suddenly, Yukimura set down his shoulder bag, rotating his shoulder a few times to ease the slight stiffness. The bag wasn't exactly light, after all.

Saeki gave him an inquisitive look.

"We'll stop here for tonight," Yukimura said, sitting himself gracefully down on the earth. They were behind a large tree, and from here the road sloped downwards. It would be easy to spot anything dangerous from that side, at least.

"Tired out?" Saeki said coolly. Yukimura hadn't expected the Vampire's unfriendly mood to go on for so long, but he shrugged with the barest hint of a smile.

"No. But we've made plenty of progress today and we'll need plenty of rest tonight. I thought I felt some sort of dark energy about a mile back – we might be attacked. Best to be rested just in case. And," Yukimura added, "there's the added factor of my leg. I've been walking on it all day and, frankly, it hurts like hell. I'd like to rest it for twelve hours before we continue."

Saeki gave a slow nod, expression suddenly hard to read. Yukimura didn't try, knowing it would be pointless. "You should rest too," he said instead. "That regenerating thing must be tiring for your body, hmm?"

Taken aback, Saeki stared. Then, grudgingly, he nodded again. "I guess," he said unwillingly. "Didn't think you'd notice."

Yukimura just smiled and started to build up a fire, reaching for twigs and moss without getting up.

Saeki made no move to help, leaning against a tree and feigning disinterest. He watched Yukimura finally get the fire going with a pair of flint stones, and then pushed easily away from the tree. "I'll go get a rabbit, or something," he said.

"Thanks," Yukimura answered, but Saeki had already vanished into the bushes.

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There were no rabbits. There were no birds. There were no animals of any kind, except for a few sleeping owls. There were still plenty of insects as well, but that really was it.

Eyes narrowed, Saeki stood up from his hiding place and ran a hand through his hair. "Geez…" he exhaled, annoyed. "Guess Blue was right."

"Right about what? The dark energy?"

Saeki exhaled slowly. "Obviously," he said without turning around.

"Hm, well. He's got good senses for a human. Very good." A figure dropped from a tree. A dark grin spread over Saeki's face, and he finally turned around slowly.

"Long time no see," he said softly. "Hikaru."

"Ah, well, it's Davide now, actually."

Saeki's fangs gleamed. "Davide? That's a stupid name. Amane Davide?"

"Amane Hikaru. Still. But I'm now called Davide."

It took Saeki a brief second to work out the logic of this, but he managed. He snorted and shrugged carelesly. "Yeah, well, I'm still calling you Hikaru."

"Thought you might." Hikaru also showed fangs. "So, Sae-san, what miscarriage of fortune finds you in company with a demon hunter, of all people? Haven't developed a liking for humans now, have you?"

Saeki's eyes flashed and turned golden. Hikaru's already were.

"Don't make me laugh," he growled. "You think I'm with him because I want to be? I thought you knew me better."

"I haven't seen you in thirteen years," said Hikaru. "For all I know, you might have changed."

"Never."

"So what's the story?"

Saeki's mouth closed. He straightened and looked at the red-haired Vampire opposite him, debating how much to tell him. Hikaru must have sensed this.

"You know I won't tell anyone," he said. "I might not have seen you in well over a decade, Sae-san, but we are family. Have some faith, bro."

The slightly shorter Vampire snorted. "Faith, right. I've got buckets of that." He watched Hikaru with wary eyes. They'd started a family together – they were going to create a clan. They were going to be the most powerful Vampire clan in the entire world. Even greater than the warring clans of Vaima Hyoutei and Rikkai si Turse. But life has a habit of getting in the way, even when you don't technically have one, and so it had been with them.

"I'm sure." Hikaru waited for Saeki's story, letting his lips close over his fangs in a typical Vampiric sign of patience.

"Do you remember Syuusuke?" Saeki asked slowly.

Hikaru's eyes narrowed in thought. "Demon, right? Brown hair, blue eyes, fetish for blood?"

Saeki snorted again. "All demons have a fetish for blood. But, yeah, that's him."

"What about him?"

"This demon hunter… he's the one behind Syuusuke's disappearance thirteen years ago."

"Ah. Ah… so that's why you left. We did wonder. The twins were devastated. They thought it was because of them."

Saeki's eyes receded to brown for a split second, but apart from that he showed no reaction. "It was because of them, partly. But mainly, yeah, that's why I left. Been looking for him."

"I'm guessing he's alive, then?"

"Well, yes," Saeki said in a condescending tone of voice. "Otherwise Yu – the demon hunter'd be a thousand bloody pieces by now."

Hikaru laughed unpleasantly. "I'll bet. Sae-san the Shredder," he said. Saeki bared his fangs again in acknowledgement of his old nickname. "The demon hunter didn't look older than nineteen to me. You're saying he defeated Syuusuke-kun thirteen years ago?"

Saeki shook his head, still wearing a condescending expression. "No. He trapped him three years ago with some kind of binding charm. Syuusuke disappeared shortly after getting a run of recurring nightmares involving a demon hunter with blue-violet eyes. He said they were prophetic dreams, and the demon hunter was currently a small child. I'm guessing he went to try and find him before the boy grew up."

"Tsk, and he didn't even say goodbye."

"He's a free spirit, I told you," said Saeki. "I thought he'd be back within the year, but then I got that message from whatshisface, Mimiki or something…"

"Mizuki."

"That, yeah, I got his message saying that Syuusuke had said to come look for him. So yeah."

Hikaru nodded slowly. "Well, it's good to know you haven't turned soft."

"Mm. We'd have hated to kill you."

Saeki was startled, although he barely showed it. "Heh," he exhaled. "Still a master of stealth, Kurobane."

"Naturally. Someone has to be in our group of loudmouths." Kurobane swung himself easily down from the tree he'd been hiding in and gave Saeki a brief bow. "It's good to see you again," he said with a small grin. "Rokkaku hasn't been the same without you."

"Ha, well, of course," Saeki chuckled, looking pleased. "How is everyone?"

"Surviving, you know. We're down in numbers, mind; the twins left about five years ago."

Saeki looked taken aback. "What? They left?"

Kurobane nodded. "Pity. That Ryou was a brilliant strategist."

"Huh," Saeki snorted. "Vampires don't need strategies. We're practically invincible."

"No, you're practically invincible, if not completely so. We're a good bit easier to kill. Ryou's strategies made everything so much easier. We managed to wipe out two budding clans, you know."

With a shrug, Saeki leaned against the tree behind him, arms folded. "Hmm, knew that boy was smart."

"Pretty, too," Hikaru chipped in. "Both of them."

"Well, yeah, they're identical twins," Kurobane snorted. Hikaru shrugged and grinned.

"Back to the matter of your little demon hunter," he said slowly.

"He's not mine."

"Yeah, yeah, you know what I mean. How good is he?"

"Good. Very good. He killed me eight… wait, nine times before he worked out that I don't stay corpsy. I couldn't do a thing."

Kurobane looked impressed. Hikaru just raised an eyebrow and said, "With that broken leg of his?"

"Oh, no, I broke it afterwards. When I saw the charm he had around his wrist. It was in the shape of Syuusuke's curse mark, so I got curious."

"Hell. He's pretty damn good then."

"Yeah, but he's young. Not as experienced as he thinks he is. He's never tortured anyone before; he tried to with me, but got it all wrong."

Hikaru looked thoughtful. Both Vampires watched him, waiting for his thoughts to be revealed. Eventually, he said, "He'd make a good Vampire."

"Fuck, yeah. But demon hunters are immune to Change. The proper ones are, anyway, and this guy's definitely the genuine deal," said Saeki.

"Ah, but there's a loophole," said Kurobane, eyes gleaming gold.

Saeki looked interested. "There is? What?"

Both his old friends grinned and bared their fangs. "Of all the cliches, wouldn't you know it, love changes everything," Hikaru laughed. "If he starts to want, if his willpower to cary out his job weakens because of a certain someone, then he's vulnerable. True Love's such a lovely thing, truely." He smirked and tensed, as though waiting for a kick, but it never came.

"Do you see what we're saying?" Kurobane said.

"You want me to seduce him and Turn him."

"Exactly. If anyone can do it, you can. You managed to seduce both the Kisarazu twins at once, after all, and that takes some doing."

Saeki considered this for a moment. Then he looked up, eyes flashing intense gold, and his face took on a feral look.

"Leave it to me," he growled. "It'll be done by the time Syuusuke's free."

Kurobane and Hikaru both copied the wild look. "We'd love to stay and watch," Kurobane said, "but the hunter might get suspicious if he keeps feeling the same energy following you. So we wish you good luck. Come find us when all this is over. We'll be a proper family again."

"Definitely. We'll find the twins too, and bring them home."

Hikaru nodded. "We'll start looking for them."

"Jaa." With that, the two were gone, though it took a while for Saeki to be unable to sense them.

He exhaled slowly, eyes shut, then opened them again. He looked as dangerous as he had when he was breaking Yukimura's leg.

"Let's see how human you really are under your little masks and walls," he murmured darkly. "Oh, this'll be fun." He stayed where he was a split second longer, listening to the waking owls around him, before suddenly leaping forward and heading back to the camp.

"Couldn't find any-" he started, but he cut himself off and pulled to a halt. Yukimura was lying about a metre away from the flickering flames, which were almost out, and his eyes were closed in sleep. He looked young, surprisingly childish… vulnerable. Perfect.

Saeki built the fire back up, watching it regain life, and sat down by Yukimura's head. He reached out a hand and rested it on the dark hair, petting it thoughtfully, fingering the strands.

"Sleep well, Blue," he whispered, the words carrying a menacing undercurrent. "The game starts tomorrow."

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Sandy: Mwa ha ha. My poor darling 'Mura. x3

If you liked it, then please take a few seconds of your life to let me know:) Same goes for if you didn't like it. As ever, questions, suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome and loved. ;D Especially the suggestions part. What do you guys want to see happen? I've got about twenty different endings to this… Obviously all leading to my main story (gah, this was only meant to be five chapters long at the most:o LOL Looks like we're in for the long haul, pets), but yeah… Let me know!

See you!

P.S. KiriharaAkaya: I just got your PM this morning and it's a fabbity idea. I'm not ignoring you; might take a bit of time, love, but I promise I'll get it done ;)