*A/N: DD: I'm so sorry! I know I said last time that I'd have this chapter out soon and I didn't follow through! I ran into a nasty patch of writer's block towards the end, thus the last few pages of this chapter have been rewritten numerous times while I scream about how much I hated Zero and Ichiru (I still love them; they're just so goddamn stubborn!). Hopefully, you like it! My beta/editor-in-chief said it was good but I still have my doubts. I guess I'll just have to wait for what you guys think ^^ By the way, for all the Zero fangirls reading this, the next chappie shall be very Zero-centric. I hope that pleases you!*
Chapter Seven
Saviours and Snow
"You!" cried Ichiru indignantly, the relief on his face being replaced by with utter repulsion and contempt.
Earl Zero Kiryu lifted a pale eyebrow in slight incredulity as he stowed the silver pistol in the holster he wore under his inner jacket. "I was expecting something more along the lines of 'thank you, my lord and saviour, please take me now,' but I suppose I should just be grateful you acknowledged me without fleeing in terror," the nobleman stated, flashing Ichiru a knowing smirk. "Although, I must ask: do you get off on placing yourself in life-threatening situations?"
Ignoring this slight and the way Kiryu was observing him as though he were some form of amusement for him, Ichiru shifted his position so that he was kneeling in front the earl instead of laying. He didn't care how submissive it made him look, like a serf kneeling before his lord. It was better than laying down, a much more vulnerable position. "What the hell are ya doin' here?" he snapped, his face contorted into a scowl.
Kiryu shrugged. "I'm a hunter. This is what I do," he answered simply, indicating the pile of ashes behind him. "Besides, I could ask you that very same question."
"I'm here on orders from Lady Shizuka!" spat Ichiru as though the statement made him somehow important.
The already dark aura surrounding the aristocrat suddenly became absolutely ominous at the mention of the pureblood woman's name. His pallid lavender eyes narrowed and grew stormy as he stared at his doppelgänger, his full lips falling into a sincerely disapproving frown. "I swear that damned succubus is trying to get you killed," he murmured darkly, crossing his arms.
"No, she en't!" argued Ichiru, aghast that Kiryu could make such an assumption about the goddess that was Shizuka Hio. "She would never do that! She--"
"Oh, please, Ichiru!" cried Kiryu incredulously, rolling his eyes. "First, she brings you, a human child, into a nest of blood-sucking demons--"
"That was a godsend! Do you have any idea what kinda life I'd been livin' before the lady came along an' got me? Besides, I was totally safe 'til you came along an--"
"My second point. That miserable she-devil knew exactly what I was, and that I was slowly losing control, yet she still placed you in my service--"
"How'd you know she knew? Maybe she had n--"
"Thirdly, she sends you to a place like this without any sort of protectio--"
"I don't need any bloody protection! I was doin' just fine by myself!"
"Enough!" Kiryu was now done with this pointless argument and had no desire to carry it on. He rubbed his temples in exasperation. If the boy simply refused to believe the vampiress would somehow bring him harm, then there was nothing he could do to convince him otherwise at the moment. Lord, this boy was stubborn. With a grim expression, the nobleman wondered sardonically from where Ichiru could have possibly gotten this pigheadedness. After pushing such thoughts from his mind, Kiryu's voice and gaze softened as he said, "What about you? Are you all right?"
Still scowling and feeling even more annoyed than ever, Ichiru barked, "'Course, I'm alright! Look!" He attempted to stand but as soon as he put weight on his injured ankle, he cried out and stumbled forward. He would have fallen flat on his face had Kiryu not been there to catch him.
"Liar," growled the aristocrat as he shifted to support Ichiru's weight against him. "You can't even stand. Besides, I can smell blood. Your blood."
The feeling of the earl's warm breath rushing past his neck ignited a spark of fear in the wounded servant. This man had tried to kill him. He had nearly succeeded as well. That rabid creature that had been after him hardly two minutes before was exactly the same as this irritating person who had him in his grasp now. They were one and the same, right down to the abnormally large, razor-sharp fangs and and the ravenous crimson eyes filled madness brought on by the lust for human blood. How could he end up like this? Escaping one monster only to find himself in the arms of another? He wouldn't have it.
"No!" Ichiru shoved Kiryu away and fell backwards before scrambling away from the aristocrat until his back hit something solid. "Stay away from me! Stay back! Don't ya dare come near me!"
Although Kiryu would never have admitted it were he questioned about the episode later, Ichiru's blatant rejection stung. Had he really frightened the boy that much he was terrified to merely be around him? The obvious answer was yet but it still hurt. Hatred he could contend with, for those feelings could be changed with time. Fear, however, was a much more difficult emotion with which to dispense. It didn't help matters that he was truly sorry for what did the the boy; the guilt had been eating him up since his hasty departure from Hio Manor. Even so, he had a sneaking suspicion that a mere apology wouldn't do the trick. It didn't even sufficiently cover the remorse he felt over the incident. No, it was not nearly enough to convey his feelings. "I would apologise to you about what I did, but I don't think you would think that's enough," he told Ichiru, placing a hand on his hip.
"Good. Apologies don't work on ya anyways," spat Ichiru , narrowing his eyes in an effort to appear more threatening than scared out of his wits, which was what he was. "I wouldn't even accept if if ya did say sorry."
Kiryu gaze amusedly at the young human, his head tilted to the side. Ichiru was adorable when he was trying to be threatening. Obviously, the boy really didn't know how it worked. When one was injured to the point one couldn't stand up, it significantly reduced how frightening one appeared to others. Also, when a human stood against a vampire, there was truly no competition. The hunter would have probably found this situation more humorous if not for past events. That was beside the point, however. The point was Ichiru was vulnerable and needed to be moved out of harm's way as soon as possible.
Moving around to Ichiru's side, Kiryu stooped down and slid one arm under the servant's legs and the other around his back before, despite Ichiru's many thrashing protests, hoisted him into the air.
"Hey! What the hell're ya doin'? I said stay away from me! Put me down right now! Put me down put me down put me down!" cried Ichiru, kicking and pounding on Kiryu's chest with his fists, struggling to get away. What was this man's problem? Did he not get that he wanted nothing to do with him? Why couldn't he take a hint?
"No."
"Why the bloody hell not?"
"You're hurt. You could never make it anywhere on your own. Besides, I want to take a look at your injuries."
Before Ichiru could protest further, Kiryu vaulted to one of the rooftops so suddenly and with such ease the servant boy found himself clinging to the earl's neck for fear of being dropped. What the...? How did Kiryu do that? Was it because he was a vampire? Come to think of it, that one from early seemed to move pretty quickly and lightly but Kiryu was carrying him! Ichiru could only stare at the nobleman in wonderment.
Kiryu, however, did not seem to think his superhuman abilities were so wonderful. He scowled and appeared extremely displeased with himself as he leapt from roof to roof at breakneck speed before jumping from a building to alight in front of a handsome black carriage.
"Wow," breathed Ichiru quietly, feeling a bit windswept. "That was amazin'! How'd ya-- what?" he asked as the nobleman set him on the steps of the carriage with a particularly nasty expression contorting his features.
For a long moment, the earl did not answer the servant, merely glaring at him as though he thought him a complete moron. "I'm not by any means proud of what I am," he finally said in a dark tone, his arms crossed, "nor am I proud of what I can do because of it. I spent four long, painful years fighting what I had become and for good reason. Just look at the pain I caused you! Do you understand? No, I don't think you do. For generations, my family has been noted as premier vampire hunters. Hell, hunters everywhere aspired to be as great as the Kiryus! The point is, I have been trained since birth specifically to kill things like me. Things like me and that beast that tried to eat you earlier. What I am is a disgrace to my family name."
"Oh." Ichiru bowed his head and turned away, flushing a bit. "Don't stop it from bein' brilliant though."
Pretending he hadn't heard the other young man, Kiryu called to his driver and ordered him to retrieve the first aid kit from the compartment at the back of the carriage. He then turned his attention to Ichiru, kneeling before the servant as he began to remove his shoe and sock.
"Ow! That hurts, stupid!" Ichiru snapped as the blue blood began yanking his thick wool sock none too gently off his foot.
Again, Kiryu ignored him, frowning as he observed the the condition of Ichiru's ankle. It was much more swollen then it had been when the boy had checked it himself. Not only that but it was now an angry black-and-blue colour. The nobleman bit his bottom lip in concern. What the hell had Ichiru been doing? However, as bad as it may have seemed, there was always a chance it was only twisted. So, Kiryu decided to test it. "Does this hurt?" he inquired, bending Ichiru's foot upwards.
"Ouch! Yes! Don't do that!" cried Ichiru angrily, his face flushed with cold and pain as tears welled in his eyes.
"Hm," Kiryu murmured thoughtfully. "I don't believe it's broken. Most likely, it's just sprained. Still, we should wrap it up." He turned and reached for the first aid kit in the hands of his driver, who had been so patiently standing by. Rummaging through it, he extracted a roll of bandages and began to wind it firmly around Ichiru's ankle. He did it with such an attentive tenderness it took the servant aback. So, this person was capable of being a reasonably decent human being. Well, a reasonably decent former human being.
A couple of minutes later, Kiryu finished tending to Ichiru's wound and lifted his gaze. His violet eyes locked with Ichiru's and he suddenly found he couldn't look away. The servant's eyes were brighter than usual and sparkling with tears, probably from the combination of fear, pain, anger, and now embarrassment he had felt in a very short period of time. Kiryu realised at that moment that he adored Ichiru's eyes. They were identical to his in size, shape, and colour but they were so different in the level of the emotion portrayed in their depths. The nobleman had long ago shut the windows to his soul, becoming cold and indifferent with the death of his parents and the events that had followed shortly after. Ichiru's, however... Ichiru's eyes were open and expressive, revealing exactly what he was feeling to the world no matter how hard he tried to hide it. This could be quite the dangerous trait to possess, however to Kiryu, who lived in a world full of masks, it was very refreshing.
"Uh..." Ichiru felt his already warm face grow even warmer, feeling more than just a little awkward in the current situation. He hated the way Kiryu sometimes looked at him like he were the answer to all of his prayers. It made him feel strange, almost fluttery. He was certainly not that special. He didn't care what the mask maker said.
Kiryu chuckled as he took in the servant's attractively flushed face. This person was sometimes too adorable for words. Raising himself just enough to kiss Ichiru lightly on the forehead, he murmured, "You'll need to stay off that ankle for a few days to allow it to heal."
Ichiru, who had winced involuntarily when he felt the other adolescent's lips on his forehead, jerked his head up at these words. "You've gotta be kiddin' me!" he cried indignantly. "I can't do that! I've missed too much work already 'cause of you."
"Well, I'm sorry. That's just how it has to be," Kiryu sniffed, reaching for Ichiru's discarded shoe and sock before replacing them back on his newly bandaged foot. "It won't heal any other way. You've probably done more unnecessary damage by attempting to stand on it earlier."
"Well, I still can't do that," retorted Ichiru shaking his head. "Naomi'll kill me if she figures out I've been hurt again. I'll never be able to leave the manor any more! And give me that! I can at least do that myself!" He snatched his boot away from Kiryu and, muttering something about how he was not a child, started to roughly put it on, causing himself undue pain.
Sighing, Kiryu said, "Ichiru, if you don't rest for a few days, you might end up doing irreparable damage. I think Naomi would be more upset about that then your getting injured in the first place."
"Don't talk about Naomi like you know her," snapped Ichiru.
Kiryu raised an eyebrow, resting his cheek on his fist. "Oh, but I do know her," he said. "I know she cares for you very much and hates to see you harmed in any way, just as I do."
"What're you talkin' 'bout?" demanded Ichiru. Did this man truly think he would believe that nonsense after all that had happened between them? "You're the reason I have these two holes in my neck in the first place!"
The nobleman appeared confused at these words, his smooth brow furrowing. "What...?" he murmured slowly. "Do you mean to tell me that my... that my bite hasn't healed yet?"
Ichiru shook his head. "That blood you smelled? That was from it openin' again."
Kiryu was shocked by this. That couldn't be right. He had bitten Ichiru nearly two weeks ago. The bite marks should have healed by now. There may be some light scarring but all evidence of the attack should have disappeared for the most part. Had he... had he really pierced him that deeply? He had been too ashamed to examine his work once he regained sense of himself that night. It had been terrifying enough to think that Ichiru might have died. "Let me see," he demanded.
"What?"
"Let me see the bite."
"Why?"
"I said so."
"That doesn't mean I'm gonna do it!"
"Ichiru, quit being difficult. There's no reason for me not to see it. I'm just curious as to why it hasn't healed yet. Perhaps I can help."
Ichiru blinked at these words. How on earth did this man think he could help? He lived in a house full of vampires and none of them could do a damn thing. Even so, a little voice in the back of the servant's head asked him what it could hurt. Perhaps a hunter would know something about healing vampire bites that the vampires didn't. That would make sense. Vampires were naturally quick healers, after all. They didn't have to worry about human healing rates. Thus, however reluctantly, Ichiru began to undo the scarf around his neck, revealing the bloodied bandages beneath it. This sight seemed trouble Kiryu, his eyes darkening as he looked at them. "Do you want me to take the bandages off, too?" he asked quietly, feeling very uncertain.
Kiryu shook his head. "No, I'll do that myself."
Ichiru screwed his eyes shut, tensing as he waited to feel Kiryu's fingertips brush against his neck. However, he never felt it. Instead, he felt himself being lifted in the air, just like he had when the nobleman had carried him to the carriage in the first place. Opening his eyes a tiny bit, he saw that Kiryu had decided to whisk him into the interior of the carriage, presumably for privacy. This realisation made the boy panic more than the idea of Kiryu touching his neck. "No! Wait! What're you doin'?"
The earl, who had been instructing his driver to stow away the first aid kit, glanced down down at the panicked servant in his arms. "I'm taking you home," he said simply. He then laid the boy down on on of the seats, making completely certain he would be comfortable before leaving his side.
Blinking, Ichiru stared in bemusement. What? Why was Kiryu taking him home? What had happened to examining his neck? "Wait!" he cried suddenly, leaning forward and reaching out his hand as the aristocrat made to close the door. "I have my own ride back home! I can't just leave with you! And what happened to you lookin' at my bite? En't that what you wanna do?"
"Oh, I do," Kiryu answered, finishing closing the door. "However, I want to accompany you home. Considering tonight's events, I would feel much better about your safety if it were I who was watching over you. I'll look at the bite on the way."
"But my ride..." Ichiru couldn't help but feel guilty for leaving the driver who had brought him into town waiting for him in the cold for hours. It wasn't right. Besides, he had left the masks Lady Shizuka had ordered in that carriage. It had been his duty to go and fetch them. How could he complete that if he went home with Kiryu?
"We'll pass by your carriage on our way out of town," the aristocrat told him simply, seating himself opposite the human servant. "We'll inform the driver that you are coming home with me and that he may go on without you."
Ichiru still felt uncomfortable with this arrangement but he could see no way out of it. So, resigning himself to a two hour ride home with the man he hated, he flopped back in his seat and mumbled, "Fine."
Kiryu smirked. "Good kitten," he murmured, rather condescendingly. Ichiru grimaced at the use of the ridiculous pet name. "Sharing a carriage with me won't be too horrible. You'll see."
While Ichiru highly doubted this, he held his tongue as he heard the driver call out and a whip snap before the carriage started trundling along. The servant and the nobleman sat in silence while the carriage made a roundabout turn and moved up the street towards the carriage Ichiru had been using. After a few minutes of silence, Kiryu finally spoke.
"Oh, I found this on the street." The earl reached into his coat and pulled out a worn newsboy hat, holding it out to Ichiru. "Could it perhaps be yours?"
"My hat!" Ichiru cried, snatching the hat out of the other young man's hand. It must have fallen off when the vampire pounced on him. With all that had been going on, he hadn't even noticed. Glancing up at Kiryu, he instinctively smiled and said, "Thank you!"
This display of gratitude caught Kiryu off guard. He was not used to being so warmly regarded by the object of his affection. Come to think of it, he didn't believe Ichiru had ever truly smiled in his presence. He loved the boy's smile. He would have to devise ways to bring it out more often. Oh, what a fickle, contradictory person he was. "You're welcome, Ichiru," he replied quietly.
The way Kiryu was now observing him caused Ichiru to blush. He hated that look, the one that burned with that suggestive fire that made him feel warm and embarrassed all the way to his toes. It was such a horrible feeling.
A minute later, they had reached Ichiru's carriage. The servant had made to get up but the aristocrat waved him down, assuring him that he could handle this and that Ichiru needed to rest. As an afterthought, he added that it would probably be best for that ankle to remain elevated. Begrudgingly, Ichiru shifted his position so that his feet lay on the seat once again. Kiryu nodded in approval and made to step out of the carriage when the servant stopped him.
"Wait! The masks!"
Kiryu froze. "What masks?" he asked curiously.
"The ones I was sent here t' get," Ichiru explained. "They're on the seat in the coach. Could you get 'em for me?"
Kiryu agreed he would before exiting the carriage. Moments later, he reappeared, having explained the situation to the other driver, with the boxes containing the masks tucked under his arm. Ichiru reached out to take the boxes from the earl nut the man didn't even seem to acknowledge that. Instead, he knelt by the servant's feet and, gingerly lifting his injured ankle, slipped the boxes onto the seat before placing Ichiru's foot gently on them.
This action baffled Ichiru. "What'd you do that for?" he asked, his brow furrowed almost suspiciously at the hunter.
"You need to keep that foot elevated," the gentleman explained simply. "It will assist in the healing process. That and staying off of it for a few days." Kiryu gave the other boy a pointed look, causing Ichiru to scowl and look away, glaring out the darkened window with his arms crossed moodily. Great, just great. Now, he was trapped in a small space with the most arrogant person on the face of the earth for the next two hours and there was nothing he could do about it. He would probably have to put up with comments like this the entire way home.
* * *
A dark, unassuming carriage pulled slowly to the front gate of the royal palace, the handsome horses whinnying and pawing at the ground as the driver yanked them to a halt. The driver then promptly leapt down from his seat and hurried to the side of the equipage, opening the door and holding out a hand to assist the occupant. A small, hooded form emerged from the dark interior, taking the driver's had as she stepped down from the coach. Once on the ground, she thanked the driver in a light trill. The elder vampire bowed and the girl curtsied before gliding through the front gate.
When the young girl entered the palace, it caused quite a stir. Servants whispered excitedly behind their hands as she passed. This person had not been expected back at the palace for a while yet, her arrival being a bit of a surprise, especially since she had arrived alone. The girl paid no mind to this as she strode through the hallways towards a certain person's room. He was the only person she cared about right now. His last letter had sounded so sad and angry. She couldn't bear the thought of her beloved in pain.
Approaching a pair of handsome oak doors, the petite girl raised a fist and tentatively knocked. When this received no answer, she took a deep breath and hesitantly opened the left door. She didn't know why she was faltering. Yes, she knew he was in a right temper but she also knew he would be glad to see her. They were engaged after all and very happily so.
The girl opened the door just wide enough for her so slip surreptitiously into the darkened room. This was not a good sign. When her love was in a particularly melancholic mood, he refused to even light a single lamp, preferring to sulk in complete darkness. Sure enough, as she searched through the many rooms of the suite, she found Kaname Kuran laying in depressed lethargy on the couch. She sighed. It was just like him.
She sidled gracefully, silently, in the direction of the couch. She was surprised by the fact the prince had yet to sense her presence. Perhaps he was simply too depressed to take much notice. The girl managed to stand directly behind the unergetic pureblood without detection. Lifting her hand, she began to stroke the man's raven hair as she sang, "Kaname... I'm home..."
Kaname tilted his head back to see who had dared intruded upon his solitude. Upon realising who it was, his previously mournful expression shifted into one a relieved joy. "Yuki..."
Princess Yuki Kuran returned her fiancé's gentle smile and replied, "Hello, brother dearest. Did you miss me?"
* * *
Silence had fallen upon the carriage, the only sounds being the wheels and horses as they travelled away from town and towards the manor. Soon, after having climbed and descended a hill, they were traversing through a forest, the trees on either side of the dark road appearing bare and forlorn. Many would have perhaps found the scenery eerie or even downright perilous but Ichiru only found it somewhat sad. Trees look so naked without their leaves or flowers, he thought with a melancholy expression on his face. This was another reason he hated winter. Everything appeared so dead and woebegone. It was depressing.
Kiryu, on the other hand, did not pay one mind to the world outside this small compartment he was sharing with Ichiru. His eyes remained as determinedly fixed on the servant as the servant was determinedly making sure he didn't spare the nobleman a passing glance. As he looked on the injured boy, Kiryu reflected on all of the things he had done wrong where it concerned Ichiru during his previous visit to Hio Manor. Feeding on him had been a large offence, obviously, but what else had gone wrong? Not being able to come up with any answer when he returned to the capital, the young man had turned to his adolescence companion and casual bed mate, Kaname Kuran, inquiring as to what the prince did to woo his fiancée.
At first, the pureblood had been affronted by this question, making a rash of ridiculous arguments as to why Kiryu should not try to seduce Ichiru. Kiryu, being a man who didn't like being denied something, promptly shot down all of these arguments by making parallels to Kaname's own ventures in love. After that had been settled, Kaname begrudgingly brought to the younger aristocrat's attention that Ichiru was of a lower class than the men and women the hunter was used to chasing after. He was most likely, from what Kiryu had told the pureblood about the boy, not impressed by wealth or power or unusual beauty or devious charm. No, the servant was much simpler (or more complex, depending on which way one viewed it) and would probably fall for someone who was hard-working and generally good. The pureblood royal also wagered that Ichiru was a romantic. Gifts and expensive outings weren't necessary. Small acts of kindness and gentle touches would more likely than not win over the boy's heart.
Sighing, Kiryu rubbed his temple with his forefinger. Wooing Ichiru would be exhausting. Even Kaname had realised this, pointing out that the hunter would need to put in a lot more effort into pursuing the human than he usually did, especially if he planned on establishing a serious long-term relationship with the boy. Actually, now that he thought about it, the Kuran prince would probably be a better match for Ichiru than his own mirror image was. The lithe brunette was, too, a hopeless romantic and a true gentleman to the core, prone to foolish acts of chivalry. At least, that was how he appeared to the public. Still, the pureblood placed undue faith in humanity, thanks to the influence of his father. It was amusing for one so old. Surely both Haruka and Kaname should know the horrid workings of the world better than a youngster like himself.
The earl chucked at this thought, causing Ichiru to finally look over at him.
"What's so funny?" he snapped suspiciously, narrowing his lilac eyes at the young man seated across from him.
"Oh, nothing," replied Kiryu with a shrug. Then, as an afterthought he added, "Let's take a look at that neck of yours, shall we?"
Ichiru gulped as the noble slid from his seat to kneel beside him, fully removing his scarf while eyeing the bloodied dressings wrapped around his neck keenly. "N-no, that's alright," he stammered, shifting uneasily in an attempt to further distance himself from Kiryu. He wasn't exactly keen on having his still tender neck poked and prodded by anyone, most specially not by the person who had hurt him in the first place. "I'm fine, really. I'm sure it'll fix itself on its own..."
"Nonsense," Kiryu insisted, reaching up to unwind the dirty bandages.
Ichiru tensed as he felt the other adolescent's fingertips occasionally, almost deliberately, brush against his skin as Kiryu carefully removed his gauze. What was he thinking, letting this person examine his wound? He had been the one who gave it to him after all. If this was the hunter trying to make amends, he didn't care for it. Nothing the insufferable man could do would be enough for Ichiru to consider it proper atonement. However, considering Kiryu was a hunter and had been bitten by a vampire before, he was probably the best person to treat the bite. Still, he felt extreme apprehensive letting the man touch him at all.
Dispensing with the bloody strip of cloth, Kiryu frowned as he beheld the severity of the wound he had inflicted on Ichiru. The twin puncture marks in the soft white flesh were anything but shallow. They appeared to only be half-healed and blood from their reopening stained the surrounding skin. It was still quite moist. His frown deepening, the hunter placed his middle and index fingers around the bite, putting slight pressure on it to inspect it thoroughly.
Cringing, Ichiru hissed as the earl did this. The area was still quite sore and he disliked it when people touched it.
"Does it hurt?"
Ichiru blinked in surprise at the unexpectedly gentle question. "Well, yeah!" he answered the noble hunter, a bit incredulously. "You bit me, idiot! Of course it hurts!"
Kiryu's previously tender expression transformed into one of annoyance. To hell with Kaname and his romanticism! Ichiru was obviously someone who necessitated force, the stubborn, overly suspicious mule. "Well, excuse me for trying to be considerate!" he growled, pulling his hand away from the other boy's neck, a scowl marring his handsome features. "You looked as if you were about to cry. I don't want to hurt you unnecessarily."
The young human coughed disbelievingly and turned away from the vampire, trying to indiscreetly wiping the unshed tears of anguish from his eyes with his coat sleeve. What lies! Kiryu had already hurt him several times, all for completely unnecessary reasons, whether it had been from anger or passion or hunger. He hated the way this man lied to him continuously. The stupid earl was even beginning to buy into his own propaganda! Such a stupid, stupid man...
"Do you want me to take the pain away?"
This question caught Ichiru off guard. Whipping around to face the nobleman (and receiving a nice crick in the neck in the bargain), he stared wide-eyed at Kiryu. How on earth did this arrogant person plan to do that? Especially after Naomi and Kenta had tried every remedy they could think of to help with the pain and nothing had worked. So did this man think he was God now? How exactly did he plan to alleviate the constant throbbing in his neck? Knowing the earl, it probably wouldn't be anything good. "No," the servant said firmly.
Kiryu tilted his head to the side curiously. "Why not?" he inquired. "When I'm in pain, I wish for it to be gone as quickly as possible. Besides, it's the least I can do after hurting you so."
"It en't like I like it or anythin'," Ichiru snarled, crossing his arms. "I en't a masochist," he pronounced the word with a 'ch' instead of leaving the 'h' silent, "or whatever. I just don't want you touchin' me any more."
His lips falling into a mock pout at these words, Kiryu answered in whiny voice, "Aw, but I rather like touching you. And the word is pronounced 'masochist'. The 'h' is silent."
"I know you like touchin' me," sniffed Ichiru, ignoring the correction "That's part of the problem."
This, however, seemed to only fuel the nobleman's fire. Within a blink of an eye, Kiryu was on top of Ichiru, straddling his hips. The human boy was too stunned by the sudden transfer to react quickly or properly, which suited the hunter just fine. "Well, now, that's just too bad," he purred, lowering his face to within a few centimetres of Ichiru's. Then, he grabbed the servant's crossed arms and held them fast, causing Ichiru to squirm.
"Hey! What're yo--"
"Stay still," Kiryu ordered shortly, using his other hand to roughly turn Ichiru's head to the side. Then, he bent forward and pressed his lips on the area he had pierced with his fangs only two short weeks before. He felt a shiver run through the human boy's body as he did this. He frowned, know it was a shiver of fear. Was that the only effect he would ever have on this boy?
Sighing, he placed his mouth over each puncture wound, paying special attention to each one as he lathed them gently with his tongue, making sure they were both satisfactorily covered in his saliva. Ichiru jerked as he dipped the tip of his tongue into one of the holes, but Kiryu held him fast. He couldn't afford the servant causing more damage to himself. Losing himself in the other young man's neck, he began to kiss his pale skin and lap up the excess blood that had spilled out when the wound had reopened. He would never, ever forget how sweet this boy tasted... He heard Ichiru whimper as he did this. The boy cringed and tried to pull away, but the nobleman continued to hold him down, something which did nothing to calm the human's nerves and he began to struggle harder. "Relax," Kiryu whispered. "I'll be done soon..."
Although the earl remained true to his word, Ichiru could not relax. How could he with a blood-thirsty monster clamped to his neck? Experience had only oh-so-recently taught him that was the very opposite of a relaxing situation. Even when Kiryu pulled away, he kept his eyes screwed shut and his jaw clenched. He only moved when the noble spoke again.
"How does it feel now?"
His eyes snapping open, Ichiru realised for the first time he pain in his neck had vanished. Well, one of them anyway. Hesitantly, he raised to the sensitive area and gently pressed his fingers against it. That didn't hurt either, albeit a bit disgusting with all the spit. Amazing as it was, it was still suspicious. "What'd you do t' me?" he demanded of the man leaning over him.
"I relieved you of your pain," Kiryu stated simply.
Ichiru rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I got that," he grumbled. "How'd you do it, though?"
Kiryu, who still straddled the other adolescent's hips, frowned. He had been afraid Ichiru would ask that. Why couldn't the boy just be satisfied that he was now free from pain? For the most part. Why did he have to know why he was pain-free? A short time ago, explaining the biology of vampires would have not bothered the young man as much but now, it only served to remind him how he, too, was capable of these things. However, he got the distinct feeling Ichiru would not let the matter drop so he figured it would just be best to get over with the whole ordeal. "Vampires are hedonistic beings," he said quietly, almost scornfully. "Do you know what that means, Ichiru?"
Ichiru shook his head.
"It means they are beings who live only for pleasure," the earl explained.
Mouthing an 'oh', Ichiru nodded and fixed Kiryu with a scathing look. "I don't know why you're beatin' yourself up 'bout bein' one, then," he scoffed, "Seems t' fit you t' a 't'."
Quickly squelching the powerful desire to slap the boy beneath him, Kiryu clenched his teeth and growled, "Anyway, vampire saliva has anaesthetic properties. It numbs the nerve endings and makes the bite more bearable. That is why vampires tend to lick their victim's neck before biting. Of course, there are some more sadistic creatures who forgo this, causing their victims to feel as much pain as possible..." He trailed off at this and a barely visible shiver went down his spine.
To Ichiru, who didn't noticed the shiver, the hunter's explanation made sense. It was probably terribly inconvenient to have one's prey shrieking and squirming in pain when one was trying to feed indiscreetly. It had still hurt like hell, though, when Kiryu had bitten him, despite the licking. This was when it occurred to him that Kiryu had done a bit more than simply lick his wounds. "What was with all the other stuff you did, then?" he asked, unsure he wanted to know the answer.
As he expected, Kiryu smirked, a suggestive passion flickering in his lavender eyes. "I like the way you taste," he purred, lowering himself so that his face was only centimetres from Ichiru's, his warm breath stirring the boy's silver bangs.
Ichiru flushed bright red. There it was again. That fluttery feeling that arose in his stomach whenever Kiryu got too close to him. "Tha--" The boy never got to finish his thought as the earl closed the minimal space between them, covering the servant's lips with his own. Like always, Ichiru resisted, attempting to pull to away. Unfortunately, this was a difficult task to accomplish when one had limited mobility of both one's head and body. Unlike always, however, he found he wasn't pulling away for disgust but for fear. Fear not only of Kiryu in general, but fear that he might actually be starting to enjoy being kissed by Kiryu. No! That couldn't be! He didn't like men! At least, not that way. He was attracted to women, damn it! His love for his mistress proved this, however chaste that love may be. He refused to be a part of this depravity! Yet when the nobleman ran his tongue along his bottom lip, asking for entry, he only hesitated a moment before allowing it.
It was an odd sensation, having Kiryu's tongue fill his mouth, especially since it was consensual this time. Ichiru almost gagged at this thought, but he promptly quelled the instinct. He tried to focus more on how the man leaning over him caressed the interior of his mouth with his tongue and how he moved his lips against his own. Being still very inexperienced in the ways of kissing, the servant took cues from the hunter, shyly responding in kind to the nobleman's embrace. After a little while, Ichiru began to relax. It wasn't exactly a bad feeling, kissing Kiryu. It made him feel awkward and shy, sure, but it wasn't wholly unpleasant. That was, until Ichiru found the courage to explore the moist cavern of the earl's mouth himself and discovered the sharp points of the man retracted fangs.
His eyes snapping, the human gave a muffled cry and shoved the other young man away roughly, wrapping his arms around himself. What on earth had he been doing? Kissing the person who had almost taken his life? He was disgusting. He didn't even love Kiryu! Hell, he didn't even like the man! He hated him! Didn't he? Well, he thought him arrogant, impertinent, and lewd at any rate, if not a bit scary. He glared reproachfully at Kiryu.
The hunter, however, was completely at a loss for what had just happened. Why had Ichiru pushed him away? All signs indicated he had been rather enjoying himself. He had even been kissing back! Besides, Kiryu was very worked up now and was very tempted to throw Ichiru on the floor of the carriage and just have his way with him. However, he had a strong feeling that that would be extremely counter-productive. He would have to be patient with this boy, even if his patience was running thin. "What's wrong, Ichiru?" he inquired, attempting to keep his voice steady and calm.
Ichiru shook his head. "No," he stated firmly, his tone a bit snippy. "I won't do it. I can't."
"Why not?" purled Kiryu, his annoyed and confused expression dissolving into a seductive smirk as he chalked up Ichiru's reaction to natural inhibitions. A lot of men reacted that way to his advances at first. "You seemed to like it this time..." He began crawling towards the boy again, but Ichiru continued to pull away, shaking his head.
"I said no! Stay back! Don't come any closer! I'm serious! Nnh!" Ichiru started pushing Kiryu away, attempting to keep an arm's length distance between him and the earl.
Kiryu gritted his teeth and emitted a low, annoyed growl as he gripped Ichiru's wrists much harder than was necessary. Damn, this boy could be irritating. Not to mention an insufferable tease. Of course, the young servant most likely had no idea the havoc he was wreaking upon him. With his human vulnerability and his stubborn insistence against it, the boy presented him with the sort of challenge he enjoyed. However, he never expected to come in contact with a person so utterly different from himself that compatibility might not even be possible. He supposed that's what he got for banking on their natural bond to draw Ichiru to him. While it was evident the boy felt some sort of pull towards the earl, the nobleman never anticipated how hard Ichiru would fight his instinct. Then again, biting him had most likely not been a powerful incentive for the human to warm up to him.
Even so, Kiryu was running out of time. He couldn't afford to play these games with Ichiru for much longer, as exciting and deliciously infuriating as they were. He needed the boy much more than anyone knew. It was imperative that he had the boy before it was too late. Thus, if Ichiru couldn't decide for himself, Kiryu would just have to make up his mind for him.
First thing to go, he decided, were Ichiru's pesky hands.
Since his hands were already encircling the young human's wrist, it made things much simpler. Kiryu pushed the servant's wrists together and held them over his head, pinning them to the carriage interior. Naturally, this did not sit well with Ichiru.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing? I said stop it! Get off me! Get of-- nnh!"
Kiryu, who had changed positions so that he grasped the boy's wrists in one hand, had snatched Ichiru's face and forcefully covered the human's mouth with his own, effectively cutting off his protests. He waited for a bit while Ichiru tired himself out struggling before breaking the kiss, still hovering within a few centimetres of the boy's face. "I have saved your life twice now," the earl murmured, more darkly than he had meant. "You owe me."
Ichiru's heart skipped a beat, his lilac eyes widening. His worst fears had been confirmed. All Kiryu wanted was his body. He had realised this right off the bat, but now that it was going to happen, it was frightening.
No! He had no intention of losing his innocence to this person, not now, not ever! He had escaped this fate ten years ago, he would not resign himself to it ever again! "No!" he cried out, kicking and writhing in Kiryu's clutches. "Get off me! Leave me alone! I don't owe you shit! Not a damn thing! Now, get off! Getoffgetoffgetoff!
Bowing his head, Kiryu had to fight back a pleasured groan. This was not good. Ichiru squirming and bucking beneath him was creating delicious friction between them and while the nobleman would love for it to continue, it was seriously inconducive when it came to thinking. "Do you truly think you do not owe me anything, Ichiru?" he rumbled quietly.
"Hell no!" Ichiru spat. "You nearly killed me and then you saved me! We're even!"
"I've saved you twice."
"Liar! Can't you count, you idiot?" snapped Ichiru, trying desperately to wrench his wrists out of the other man's hands. "You've only saved me once!" Damn, this man was conceited. The boy knew this already but he had never imagined the aristocrat was arrogant enough that he would actually invent an occurrence to boost his own ego.
"If it weren't for my blood flowing through your veins, you wouldn't be here right now."
"I have no idea what you're talkin' 'bout! You're craz--mmph!" Kiryu had once again silenced Ichiru by kissing him, forcing his lips apart. However, what filled the servant's mouth this time was not the earl's oratory organ, but something liquid, lukewarm, and distinctly metallic in taste. Ichiru nearly gagged when he realised it was blood. As soon as the hunter freed his mouth, he attempted to spit it out, but Kiryu held his jaw shut.
"Swallow," the former human ordered.
The command caused Ichiru to stop dead. Unfortunately, it was one he knew all too well. It wasn't quite the same as when he was child, the bodily fluid being different, but still. He didn't have to do that any more, though! He wasn't a child any more! He was nearly an adult, God damn it! Fighting the instinct to gulp down the fluids filling his mouth, the human shook his head and struggled against his captor with renewed fervour. The cold way Kiryu was regarding him reminded him much too much of his days in the orphanage. He refused to experience any of that again. He would not return to the darkness, he had more self-worth than that. He knew that now. Tears stinging his eyes, Ichiru squeezed them shut as he kicked and writhed and uttered muffled protests through his clenched teeth.
"Swallow it, Ichiru," Kiryu demanded again. His grip on Ichiru's jaw was starting to bruise. "It will only be worse for you if you don't."
This undeniable truth washed over Ichiru, leaving behind a feeling of hopelessness. Hesitantly, he swallowed the blood, feeling it slid down his throat in a sickening manner, almost like cod liver oil. Kiryu, appearing quite satisfied, released his mouth, allowing him to gasp for breath. Ichiru felt nauseous. Blood was disgusting.
"That is why you are still alive."
Ichiru glowered incredulously at the hunter on top of him. "What? Force-feedin' me your blood?" he coughed.
Kiryu nodded solemnly. "I drained you quite a bit, Ichiru," he murmured. "You wouldn't have survived had I not been able to stop myself in time. Even then, you were as close to death as one can possibly be without dying. You barely had a pulse. You needed blood―vampire blood―" he gritted his teeth "―to keep your heart beating."
Anyone else in Ichiru's position may have not been inclined to believe the nobleman, but Ichiru had been saved by vampire blood before. He knew of its amazing properties and the unusual effects it had on human beings. However, he had no idea that the blood of a former human was able to do something as powerful as keeping someone alive. For obvious reasons, he highly doubted this. "You're just sick," he growled, glaring murderously at Kiryu. His eyes were still brimming with tears.
His eyebrows raised, Kiryu said, "You think I'm sick?"
Ichiru nodded.
This response hit Kiryu like a physical slap in the face, both infuriating him and cutting him deeply with its rejection. As he stared at the boy laying beneath him, Ichiru's tear-rimmed eyes fixing him with a murderous glare, the young earl became divided between several different options and ideas of how the remainder of the carriage ride could go. On the one hand, he could make the human bite his tongue as the nobleman pulled him into the dark depths of forbidden pleasure or he could go the route that would most certainly sit the best with Ichiru and refrain himself for once, returning to quietly sitting in his appointed seat on the opposite side of the coach. Glancing briefly over his shoulder, he reminded himself of the servant's injured ankle and knew what decision he had to make.
Sighing, he slid off Ichiru and crossed the coach, settling himself back in his seat. It wasn't fair for him to take advantage of Ichiru, especially when the boy was in this state. He was already so much weaker than him. He had proven that much. Besides, doing anything the human would deem "inappropriate" would prove to be a very bad move when it came to furthering his stance where it concerned Ichiru. Even so, he was still aching with need and being confined in such a small area with the object of his desire was not helping. He thus crossed his legs in an effort to alleviate some of the discomfort he was currently feeling while also concealing his aroused state from Ichiru.
Although saying he was ungrateful for the noble's departure would be a lie, the servant boy had to wonder why Kiryu was suddenly being so considerate of him. Sitting up, Ichiru swept his eyes warily over the earl, a hesitant question flickering in his lilac eyes. "What're you doin'?" he asked slowly, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
Kiryu shrugged. "What does it looked like I'm doing?" he responded to the other young man's question with a question. "I'm sitting here."
"Yeah," agreed Ichiru. "But why en't you tryin' t'... t' touch me or somethin'?" That seemed more the nobleman's style than just sitting calmly across the way. This sudden shift in behaviour put the human on edge. This man was up to something, he just knew it.
Raising an eyebrow quizzically, Kiryu inquired with a smirk on his lips, "I don't know. Do you want me to touch you?"
"N-no!" snapped Ichiru incredulously, a light flush spreading across his face. Then, determinedly facing away from the aristocratic hunter, he muttered, "Why'd I want you t' touch me, you pervert? Wrong, s'just wrong..."
"Perhaps you're right."
This softly uttered statement caught Ichiru off guard. Whipping back around to face Kiryu again, the boy stuttered, "Wh-what'd you say?"
"I said perhaps you're right." Kiryu shifted so that he was leaning more fully back in his handsome leather seat, his fingertips pressed together pressed together as he observed Ichiru thoughtfully over the top of them. "Perhaps I am sick." He was certain that was the Hunter's Society thought of him, at any rate. The world he had been raised in turned their back the moment he had been bitten, the night he had been orphaned. He had accepted this early on, realising that the society to which he once belonged and was even hailed as a prodigy by would never accept him now that he was one of the hunted. They only reason they still kept him around was because he was useful to them. However, if they ever found out he had a twin...
No, too many of the wrong people already knew of Ichiru's existence as it was. Throw in the fact he was becoming increasingly sexually attracted to said twin and he might as well hang himself now. Fooling around with nobility of both genders was fine. The higher class was allowed their perversions for the most part, simply being that they were the higher class. As long as they kept a low enough profile to not besmirch their public image, no one would think twice if Asato Ichijo liked to play with little boys or if the Kuran family had a long history of inbreeding. Thus was the sickness of the aristocracy.
Courting a twin that was never supposed to exist, however? Therein lay the greatest taboo. Not even the biggest buffoon with the largest bought blindness would be able to ignore that.
Ichiru, who knew nothing of this, was taken aback by Kiryu's sudden willingness to agree with him, he had no idea what had caused this change of heart but he was determined to get to the bottom of it. "Are you just realisin' this now or is there somethin' else?" he asked, tilting his head questioningly.
Smiling amiably, Kiryu replied, "Oh, I've been called sick before. Sort of comes with being openly promiscuous, as you've undoubtedly heard I am. However, it never bothered me until I heard you say it." His expression turned quite sober as he continued to gaze at Ichiru, a sort of lonesome yearning flickering in his pallid eyes not even the servant could ignore.
The human boy frowned. This was the second time the vampire noble had appeared lonesome in his presence. It was enough to cause the servant to feel sympathetic towards him, despite all his shortcomings and irritating personality. "Why does my opinion matter so much to you?" Ichiru asked quietly, shaking his head. "It en't like I'm special or anythin'."
A heavy silence fell over the cabin as Kiryu felt the completely irrational desire to fall to his knees before Ichiru and lament exactly how special the boy was, revealing absolutely everything to him and promising to take him as far away from the miserable existence he had been leading as he could. However, this impractical want was quickly squashed as the earl regained better control of himself. Sighing, the former human shook his head and murmured, "Oh, my dear kitten. If only I could tell you how extraordinary you really are."
His shoulders shooting up to his ears, Ichiru flushed deeply and turned away from the earl. "That's what the old man said, too," he muttered sourly.
This piqued the aristocrat's attention. "What old man?" he asked, tilting his head to the side in a manner identical to Ichiru.
"The man at the mask shop," answered Ichiru, his eyes flickering to the man sitting across from him.
Comprehension dawned on Kiryu's face. "Oh!" he said, looking tremendously more cheerful than he had a moment before. "You met the masque maker! I should have known! No better place to get a quality masque for the grand ball, hm? So, he called you extraordinary as well, did he? Should have expected as much. He's a very, shall we say, perceptive person."
"Y-yeah," Ichiru stammered apprehensively. 'Perceptive' wasn't precisely the word he would have used to describe the old shopkeeper. He would have chosen something more along the lines of 'creepy' or downright 'scary'. "D'you know him?"
"Not personally," Kiryu shrugged. Then, his somewhat jovial manner left him again and his solemn attitude returned. He frowned and the look in his eyes became sorrowful again. "My father did, though. A long time ago."
Mouthing 'oh', Ichiru remembered the elder masque maker mentioning being an acquaintance of the late Earl Kiryu. The atmosphere of the carriage became very tense at that moment, the current Earl Kiryu's aura darkening protectively around him. It worked, for now the house worker was too frightened to look at him. He returned to staring resolutely out the window, as he had been doing at the beginning of the trip. The heavy silence remained for moments innumerable until Kiryu once again broke it.
"My father would have liked you," he stated, seemingly out of nowhere. "My mother as well."
This caught Ichiru off guard. Staring wide-eyed at the vampire hunter seated across from him he stammered, "Wh-why?"
They were your mother and father, too. "They always liked happy children," Kiryu shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant as they flitted very close to a dangerous subject: that of their families. "They were constantly pestering me about being more cheerful. They would have absolutely adored you if you had ever had the chance to meet."
Ichiru blushed and stared at his injured ankle, drawing the knee of his unwounded leg up to his chest and wrapping his arms around it. "I en't always been like this," he murmured sadly. Feeling a bit ashamed of himself, he added, "If they met me when I was a kid, they prob'bly wouldn't've liked me at all."
Regarding the hunched form before him curiously, Kiryu had just opened his mouth to question the boy further, the carriage came to an abrupt halt. The earl was suddenly irrationally upset about his short time with Ichiru being interrupted and moved quickly to the window to see why they had stopped. They couldn't possibly be there already, could they? However, one glance out the window revealed that they were, in fact, at the end of the curving driveway of Hio Manor. Cursing softly under his breath, the earl turned the servant boy and said smoothly, "Well, it seems we have arrived at our destination. Now, see? Was that so bad?"
Begrudgingly, Ichiru had to admit to himself that travelling with Kiryu had not been as bad as he had previously envisioned. He be damned if he ever said that to the aristocrat's face, though. Grumbling something incoherent, he swung his legs off his seat and reached for the leather boxes, gathering them into his arms before replacing his worn cap back onto his head (he had failed to do so when he had taken it from Kiryu).
"Are you ready? Do you have everything?" Kiryu asked, watching as Ichiru collected his belongings as his driver opened the door beside him.
Making one last visual sweep of the coach, Ichiru nodded slowly. "Yeah," he said. "I think so."
Kiryu smirked. "Good."
Before he quite knew what was happening, Ichiru once again found himself being lifted into the nobleman's arms and whisked of into the cold night. A few seconds passing at breakneck speed later and the human found both him and the vampire earl on the front steps of the manor house. His eyes wide with shock and his heart racing wildly, Ichiru was sure he looked distinctly rumpled and that was going to bring up a lot of his unnecessary questions regarding his activities that night. 'Course, if Kiryu had had it his way... Glaring menacingly up at the aristocrat as the man set him gently down on the front steps, the human growled, "You really need t' stop doin' that."
Chortling quietly to himself, Kiryu answered, "Is that so?" Then, his demeanour becoming serious again, he said, "All right, now before I leave, I have a few more words for you. First of all, I'm going to ring the doorbell right before I go. You are to wait for someone to come and get you. You are not to put any weight on that ankle of yours. Do you understand?"
Ichiru rolled his eyes. "I guess you're gonna leave a lil' note askin' 'em t' take care of me as if I were their own or somethin'?" he dead-panned.
His eye twitching in slight irritation, Kiryu ignored this comment and continued. "Secondly, I want you to take this." The man reached into his pants' pocket and extracted a small handgun, placing it firmly in Ichiru's palm.
Furrowing his brow, Ichiru asked, "What's this?"
"An anti-vampire gun," stated Kiryu. At the horrified expression that arose on Ichiru's face, he added, "Don't look at me like that. I'll sleep better at night knowing you have this. It's small, but at least you will have something to protect yourself with if I'm not around."
This, however, did very little to assuage Ichiru's nerves. Having gone very pale, the servant boy whispered, "They'll kill me if they find me with this."
"That is why you are going to hide it," explained the aristocrat, nodding firmly. "Please, for my sake, keep it with you at all times. Hopefully, you will never have to use it."
Nodding hesitantly, Ichiru closed his fingers around the gun and held it to his chest. This was the first time someone had given him something in the interest of his own safety. While it filled him with a tight warmth, he still felt like a traitor for merely agreeing to keep the gun in his possession. Still, perhaps it would sooth his current fears regarding vampires if he had something to protect himself against them.
Breathing an inward sigh of relief that the boy had accepted the firearm, Kiryu proceeded to give the boy his last words before parting. He cupped his hand under Ichiru's chin and tipped the human's face up towards his, capturing those tempting lips in one last kiss. While he had the servant distracted, he reached around to the back of his head and swiftly pulled out the leather thong his doppelgänger used to secure his ponytail out of his silvery hair.
Gasping indignantly, Ichiru broke the kiss and gripped his hair as though trying to get it to remain tied up. "What'd you do that for?" he demanded of Kiryu, who was now standing above him with a triumphant smirk on his face, twirling the leather band around his forefinger.
"You look cuter with your hair down," Kiryu offered simply as an explanation. The colour that rose in the boy's face at these words just further confirmed this assessment, causing the blue blood to chuckle. He leaned down one last time and placed an innocent peck on Ichiru's cheek. "Sweet dreams, my dear kitten."
In a flash, the young earl then rang the doorbell and disappeared into the cold, late autumn night.
Now alone on the front steps, Ichiru glanced down once more at the gun in his hand and his colour deepened. Stupid Kiryu and his smooth words. Now he would never be able to get him out of his head!
Sighing in content resignment, Ichiru lifted his face to stare up at the soaring skies above him. In the last two hours, soft grey clouds had rolled in, concealing the stars he had observed earlier that evening. That was a pity. They had been pretty tonight. However, as the young man continued to gaze pensively at the stormy sky, something just as beautiful occurred, although why he thought this event beautiful at this particular moment when he normally didn't escaped him.
Slowly but surely, downy, pure white flakes descended from the heavens.
It was the first snow of the season.
