Author's Note: I want to thank everyone that has reviewed, followed or have left a fav! I love seeing them! This chapter was a bit of a pain to write. I had a hard time getting the wording down in my rough draft so then it didn't sound too strange or too wordy (might be a side effect of having to write wordy lesson plans, I don't know, but I hope that I've gotten the kinks out now!) Also, I just wanted to let all of you know that I had a major change in back story for Kuro, and I like this new version that I've come up with far better than what I was going to have happen. Don't worry, chapter 5 will not be altered in any way (other than if I happen to proof read it again and find spelling mistakes) thanks to this new back story that I've cooked up. Well, that's all that I can think about for any major news regarding this story, so, on to the chapter!
Chapter 7 Eve
Mahiru couldn't help the guilt that started to well up inside of him again. Even though it had not been his intent, or fault for that matter, he had still violated Kuro's privacy. What was worse was that Kuro knew. Kuro knew and now anything that he tried to say to him was going to sound like a feeble excuse for what he had done. He felt like he had just majorly screwed up his chances of getting Kuro to trust him. The guilt that he was feeling was stifling, almost to the point that it felt like it was crushing down on him with its weight. He knew that anything that he tried to do would not even begin to lift the weight off of his shoulders.
"…-hiru…?" the sound of Kuro's voice snapped Mahiru back to the present and he focused on his Servamp's face, trying to gauge just how much damage he had done. Kuro's brows were knitted slightly together in concern, and his red eyes were watching him intently, even if it did look like the vampire was having a difficult time in keeping them open. It only took Mahiru a moment to notice after his initial once over of Kuro's face that the vampire looked like he was in pain. It was like Kuro was using what little energy he had left to just stay standing instead of collapsing into a boneless heap on the floor. The slight tremors that he could now see wracking through the vampire's entire body only added to Mahiru's increasing worry.
"…Mahiru…?" he heard Kuro question again. Now that he was actually paying attention, Mahiru could actually hear the slight roughness to Kuro's voice. It was as if Kuro was trying to hide any sort of pain or discomfort that he was in but…why was he in pain in the first place? Why did he look so much more worn out than he had ever seen him before? Was it his fault? Had he somehow inadvertently hurt Kuro when he had went into his mind again? The heavy feeling of guilt came crashing down on him again and he could feel his eyes start to sting with unshed tears as his throat started to constrict, making it hard for him breathe. It was the small, sharp pain on his forehead that brought Mahiru's attention back to Kuro.
"…ow…" he couldn't help but to whine slightly as he rubbed at the spot where Kuro had flicked him. He looked back up to Kuro again, and noticed that the vampire's expression looked even more worn and haggard than it had been just a moment before.
"…" he watched as Kuro hesitated before the Servamp finally spoke up, "…quit blamin' yourself… …not your fault…" he mumbled out quietly.
"But Kuro! I… I went into your mind again! And without your permission! And I mmph-!" Mahiru never got to finish his sentence. Kuro had put a hand over his mouth to get him to shut up.
"…this is so exhausting…" the vampire murmured quietly, sounding as exhausted as he claimed this conversation to be. "…who said…that you didn't have…permission…" he continued on in that tried monotone that the vampire usually adopted when Mahiru knew that he was starting to shut down. It took the young Eve a full moment before Kuro's words sunk in. Since Kuro's hand was still covering his mouth all Mahiru could do was look up at the Servamp in surprise. What? Permission? He didn't recall ever having permission to step foot, in a metaphorical sense, inside Kuro's mind again. Hell, he hadn't even known that it was possible for him to return to the Servamp's mind!
Kuro must have been able to read his expression because he repeated his earlier statement, "…not…your fault… …go back to sleep, Mahiru… …I really…can't deal right now… …tomorrow…please…?" Kuro sounded so exhausted and in so much pain that Mahiru didn't have the heart to push the issue any more tonight. That, and coupled with his quiet murmur of "please", was what had really cinched it. He'd have to be pretty heartless if he kept trying to push the issue, especially with how Kuro looked right now. With the issue resolved for now, Mahiru nodded slightly, letting Kuro know that he was not going to say anything more on the subject until both were up and about tomorrow. Well…he'd be up and moving around at the very least. Kuro looked like he was ready to collapse and not move for the next decade. Seeing that he had his word did Kuro remove his hand and take a shaky step away from the bed. "…sleep, Mahiru…" the Servamp repeated in a low mumble as he made his way back to his futon.
Mahiru sighed deeply before attempting to get comfortable again. He wasn't sure just how Kuro expected him to go back to sleep when he had so much on his mind still! He didn't want to accidentally slip back into Kuro's mind again, but…judging from the fact that Kuro was already fast asleep once more, it was obvious that the Servamp was not worried about it happening again. With another heavy sigh Mahiru rolled over onto his side and eventually fell back into an uneasy sleep.
The first thing that Mahiru noticed upon waking up again was that it was rather bright in his room. 'It must be later in the morning than when I usually wake up.' He rolled over onto his back as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. His mind felt a bit hazy from sleep still and he really didn't want to roll out of bed just yet. 'Lazing around for a few more minutes can't hurt, can it? Jeez…I'm starting to act like Kuro…' were his sleepy thoughts before he suddenly jolted awake. The previous night's escapades were suddenly thrust to the front of his mind and his worry and guilt from the night before started to resurface. Mahiru sat up quickly and immediately looked over to Kuro's futon, only to find it completely devoid of sleeping vampire. His blanket and pillow were also missing, and that only increased Mahiru's worry and guilt over the situation.
Getting out of bed as quickly as he could, Mahiru started to make his way through his apartment looking for Kuro. There were only so many rooms that he could have hidden in, after all. He entered the darkened living room last and relaxed slightly. Kuro was curled up in one of the corners of the couch, covered with his blanket as he played some game on one of the hand held systems. Upon hearing him enter the living room, Mahiru watched as Kuro's heavily lidded gaze flicked up to meet his for a moment before it slid back down to focus on the game that he was playing. Mahiru sighed quietly in relief when he saw him. While it was highly unusual for Kuro to be up before him, the Servamp didn't seem to be in as much pain as he had been last night. Knowing that Kuro was doing all right for the moment did Mahiru turn to go back to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face, however, he did notice that Kuro had a half empty bottle of cola sitting next to him, but that wasn't what his gaze was really on. Sitting on the floor next to the couch and cola bottle was a small cup that held steaming hot tea. Judging from the smell, it was an herbal tea used for relaxation, indicating that Kuro wasn't as well as Mahiru had previously thought him to be. He'd take care of Kuro in just a moment, first he wanted to at least brush his teeth.
Once finished with his morning rituals, Mahiru went back out to the darkened living room. Kuro had hardly budged, but at this point, Mahiru wasn't expecting him to do so. The young Eve couldn't help but to fidget slightly as he stood in front of Kuro, feeling awkward and a bit uneasy as he struggled to find something to say. "Good morning" sounded far too cheerful, and he was pretty sure that Kuro did not equate mornings to being good of any sort. "How are you feeling" also didn't sound any more promising to Mahiru than good morning had.
Kuro watched as Mahiru shifted slightly before him as he tried to figure out what to say. He watched as a myriad of emotions flickered across his face before the Servamp decided to take pity on the boy. He sighed quietly as he paused his game, saving it as he turned it off, and before Mahiru knew it he had been dragged down onto the couch to sit next to Kuro.
"K-Kuro!" he yelped, not having expected to be suddenly man handled onto the couch. "What was that for?!"
"It's really exhausting watching you try to figure out how to say 'good morning'. It's not that hard, Mahiru. I thought that you liked to keep things simple?" Kuro replied in a dry, yet tired sounding, tone.
Mahiru groaned in exasperation. Looks like Kuro was feeling better, especially if he was poking fun at him again. Regardless though…Kuro had definitely dispelled the growing tension that had been hanging in the air between them, and for that, Mahiru was grateful. While what had happened the previous night was still weighing on his mind, Mahiru wasn't as nervous bringing it up this time. Kuro didn't look like he was going to be fighting against him about it, in fact, he seemed to just want to get it over with so that he could go back to playing his game.
Mahiru sighed quietly before he took the initiative. "I'm sorry, Kuro… I really didn't mean to enter your mind again last night…let alone go into one of your memories…"
Kuro had, by this point, put the game system he had been holding down and was now holding and savoring his tea. Mahiru hadn't thought that it was possible for Kuro to look any smaller than what he already did, but somehow, the vampire managed it. His feet were tucked up against him and the blanket was tented around his shoulders, which had hunched forward slightly when Mahiru had spoken up. Kuro's heavily lidded gaze was focused on the tea that he had cradled in his hands, and the dark circles that were always under his eyes seemed more pronounced than ever before. It was like Kuro hadn't slept at all last night. Despite the dry tone that Kuro had used earlier when he had been teasing him, his tone now held a quiet, exhausted quality to it, "…thought I told you last night that it wasn't your fault…" was his reply.
"But! That little cat plush thing told me that I was the one who accidentally slipped into your mind! I honestly didn't mean to! I didn't even know that it was possible!"
"Mahiru, pipe down, man… You're too loud…" Kuro replied, not wanting his Eve to gain too much momentum and ignore what he had to say. It was going to be hard enough to say it as it was, he didn't need Mahiru to get all worked up again. However, upon seeing that Mahiru was going to do just that did Kuro sigh quietly. He shifted his tea to one hand before jabbing Mahiru in the ribs slightly with his free hand. Mahiru yelped again before glaring at his Servamp. "Willing to listen now?" Kuro asked quietly.
Once Mahiru felt that he had himself under control again did he nod slightly, silently indicating for Kuro to continue on. It was so rare for Kuro to volunteer any kind of information that Mahiru knew that he had to pay attention to everything that he said (He'd have a ton of questions afterwards that would need simple answers but those could wait!). Kuro could be rather vague at the best of times when answering him, so he knew that he would have to pay close attention when he started to speak. Knowing that Kuro needed a moment to collect his thoughts did Mahiru wait and watch. He watched as Kuro's hands gripped his cup just a little bit tighter, how his entire body tensed up just a little more than what it already had been, and…how Kuro hid his eyes behind his messy light blue bangs once again. It didn't take Mahiru long to put it together that Kuro was…scared. He was scared to tell him what had happened last night and he was scared of what his reaction would be to it. "Hey… Kuro…whatever it is that you have to tell me…just know that I won't get mad at you. I'm still thinking that this whole thing is my fault anyways, so I don't understand why you're the one that's so nervous," Mahiru said, giving the vampire a slight smile. Whether it was his words or his smile that encouraged him, Mahiru didn't know, but Kuro did relax slightly a moment later.
"What happened last night…was my fault…Mahiru…" Kuro eventually stated quietly.
"Your…fault?" Mahiru questioned back in confusion.
"Yeah… It's…a bit hard to explain but…something…inside of me misinterpreted my thoughts…and tried to…harm you last night…" Kuro went on to say, stumbling over his words slightly to try and cushion what he was really trying to say, which was; "My inner demon took my thoughts too literally and tried to kill you." It was probably something that Mahiru would not appreciate hearing.
A cold chill went down Mahiru's spine at that. He understood what Kuro wasn't saying but before he could comment on it, the Servamp continued, "…I couldn't move…and I didn't want you to be hurt… So… I pulled you into my mind again… …I got distracted for a moment…and instead of being brought to where I was…your presence sorta…went off track and wound up somewhere else…"
"So that's why I woke up in that strange room…" Mahiru quietly muttered to himself. "So…why didn't you come straight to where I was, Kuro?"
Kuro sighed heavily. "It doesn't work like that… Our minds may be connected on some level but…you are not a part of my mind… You were too far away for me to sense…"
"Guess that makes sense… But wait! What about that cat plush? He seemed to have found me quickly enough. Didn't you send him to find me?" Mahiru asked. It explained the little creature's words of Kuro not knowing where he was at the very least. Kuro shook his head "no" before taking a sip of his tea.
"…I didn't…" he replied once he had finished with his sip.
"Then…how come he found me so quickly?"
Kuro fiddled with his cup for a moment. He had a strong feeling that his inner demon was the one that had moved Mahiru away from him in the first place and closer to where it was. The quiet laughter that he could now hear echoing in his mind confirmed that thought. He sighed heavily, now realizing that he had been played from the very beginning.
"Kuro?" Mahiru questioned when he saw the vampire's body slump slightly against the couch when he sighed.
"…it was the one that moved you from me in the first place, Mahiru… …Hurting you…was never its goal…" he stated softly.
"But I thought that you had said…" Mahiru started before trailing off as he comprehended Kuro's statement. "Oh… I see… …I was bait…so then it could get to you… But, why did it want you in the first place, Kuro? Couldn't you have…I dunno…just spoke with it mentally?"
Kuro looked back down to his tea and was silent for a long moment. "I don't…really like to interact with it… …it's rather exhausting…"
Mahiru got the feeling that there was more being left unsaid but didn't pry any further into the issue. "Do you know why it wanted to meet with you last night?"
"…kinda… We didn't…really speak…" Kuro murmured almost too quietly for Mahiru to hear.
Mahiru was slightly confused about that statement before he remembered what Kuro's condition had been like last night. He had truly looked to be in pain and about ready to collapse. It had looked like Kuro had been standing from sheer will power alone, which was unusual for the vampire because he usually didn't like to put that much effort into things. And standing when he was clearly struggling to stay on his feet had seemed like a rather troublesome thing to do to Mahiru. [His agony took a back seat to your well-being~ I told you, Ma~hi~ru~ The little kitty cat is rather fond of you~]
Mahiru startled rather violently when he heard the softly spoken words belonging to the plush cat in his ear. His sudden jolt caused Kuro to flinch slightly and he almost spilled his tea because of it. "Mahiru…?" came Kuro's question. Even though it was said in his usual bored sounding drawl, Mahiru could now pick out the undertone of concern in his voice. He wasn't sure how he had missed it before but maybe…maybe he was starting to understand Kuro a little bit better…
A slight nudge, courtesy of Kuro's socked foot, brought Mahiru back from his musings. "Sorry Kuro, I just got distracted for a moment," Mahiru replied as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. Kuro watched him for a moment before deeming that Mahiru was telling him the truth and he went back to his tea, sipping it slowly. It allowed for Mahiru to collect his thoughts again. His mind drifted back to Kuro's condition that he had seen last night and the whispered words suddenly came back to him 'His agony…' Mahiru glanced over to Kuro again and studied him. He felt some sort of velvety soft sensation brush against his mind slightly before it was gone, and he knew then that Kuro knew that he was watching him again, even if the vampire's eyes were closed as he enjoyed his warm tea. The sensation only brought up more questions, questions he was sure that Kuro would not answer, so he shelved those thoughts for later. Right now though, Mahiru was only concerned about one thing.
"Kuro…" he said before waiting for the vampire to acknowledge him. Kuro eventually looked back over to him, his sleepy gaze fixing on him as he waited for his Eve to speak again.
"Kuro… Are you…in any kind of pain?" Mahiru asked. Kuro didn't respond to him, not even with his usual melodramatics, but Mahiru didn't need him to. The tremors he had seen last night were gone, but it was obvious that the Servamp was still hurting, even if he was hiding it pretty well. Mahiru sighed quietly before speaking up again, "Is there anything that I can do to help?"
"…don't worry about me, Mahiru… It's not that bad," was Kuro's answer. Of course, that only made Mahiru worry all the more.
"But still! This is the first time that I've seen a vampire still hurting after so long! Your wounds usually heal so quickly!"
Kuro sighed in exhaustion. He hadn't meant to let Mahiru know that his body was still hurting like hell, but he just didn't have the energy to put up his "don't care" façade and attitude. It was much easier to just sit here and try to numb his mind and try to forget that he was in any pain to begin with. "It's not physical…Mahiru… Can't really do much about it," he replied before finishing off his tea.
Mahiru deflated a little at that. He wanted to help Kuro, but he couldn't really do anything until he understood what, exactly, was wrong. "Are you just sore, or…?" he tried to push.
"Ugh, Mahiru, drop it. I just don't wanna move," Kuro couldn't help but to whine at him tiredly.
"You know, you can be a major pain yourself, Kuro," Mahiru grumbled at the vampire, but left the issue alone regardless. "So…when did you get hurt? I'm…pretty sure that the little plush was with me the whole time…"
Kuro remained silent, but feeling Mahiru's expectant eyes on him almost made him cave. Almost. He had told Mahiru that he would explain…but… "You're really bothersome… Can't you see that a cute cat like myself just wants to relax?" he tried to stall.
Next to him Mahiru rolled his eyes. "You're not even in cat form! You can't use that excuse!"
"Nya," Kuro deadpanned at him. "I'm done talking for now. I'm gonna take a nap~" Kuro said as his eyes closed and he leaned back against the couch.
Mahiru couldn't help the sigh of aggravation that left him when he heard and saw that. He couldn't even shake Kuro awake because he was hurt! "One more question before you go to sleep, Kuro? Please?" Mahiru couldn't help but to plead with him.
Kuro cracked an eye open to look at him tiredly. At least he was willing to hear him out. However, before Mahiru could voice his question did something occur to him. Kuro hadn't seen him in the memory so, how was the vampire supposed to know what it was that he was talking about? [He knows~ He's the one who pulled you out of the memory after our little… "talk"~] the voice belonging to Kuro's inner demon whispered in his ear again. Mahiru kept from flinching at the unexpected voice this time. He would definitely be bringing this up to Kuro after his nap.
"Umm…the woman that I saw in your memory was your Eve I'm guessing… What…what was her name?" Mahiru eventually asked. He didn't want to keep calling her "woman" or "stranger" in his mind. He felt that it was rather rude, especially since she seemed to have been Kuro's first Eve.
Kuro just gazed at him tiredly before shutting his eye again. Whelp, there was Mahiru's answer. Kuro did not want to speak about it any longer, and Mahiru was definitely not going pry for any more information. If Kuro wanted to tell him, then he'd tell him. He sighed quietly before getting up off the couch. "Kuro, you can stretch out if you need to. I'll be tidying up a bit. Call for me if you need anything!" he said before he went to grab a quick bite to eat for breakfast. He went to get dressed afterwards, even though there was a good possibility that he would not be leaving the house today. He wasn't one for staying in his night clothes all day, unlike some people he could name. As he started to tidy up his mind became a whirlwind of thoughts and questions that he knew would not get answered. At least, they wouldn't get answered right now. He hadn't really given Kuro much reason to trust in him yet. 'Well…it's a start… He answered more than I thought that he would… Maybe he'll be up for telling me a little more after he's rested… …maybe…'
Sighing quietly Mahiru continued on with tidying up the apartment. There wasn't much that needed to be cleaned, but it kept him busy, seeing as he was kind of stuck inside today. He checked in on Kuro periodically, noticing that the Servamp never really did uncurl from his ball. It didn't look comfortable at all but…Mahiru didn't want to disturb him, so he left it alone. With nothing else to really do, Mahiru wandered back into the living room and carefully sat back down on the couch, trying not to jostle the sleeping vampire. It was still too early for him to start making lunch and he wasn't hungry enough to get a snack either. With Kuro sleeping, Mahiru really had nothing to do. Who knew that he wouldn't miss having his quiet, simple life now that he had a taste of it again? Mahiru had just leaned his head back against the couch and had just closed his eyes when Kuro suddenly spoke up.
"…Eve…" he said softly.
Mahiru blinked his eyes open before looking over to Kuro, "Huh?" 'That's the first time that he's ever called me that…'
"…her name… …it was Eve…"
Author's Note: I felt that this chapter was a bit more relaxed compared to the previous ones, something that the poor guys needed. Mahiru's starting to learn when it's okay to push for answers and when it's not, and Kuro's learning to open up a little more as well! Next chapter may be another slow one, if only to get the story set up for the next part. I'm finally going to be moving on past one day. They're having one long weekend, that's for sure! We've also learned what Kuro's first Eve's name was. I do have a reason for it! I'll ask you guys if you want to see Kuro reveal the reason in the next chapter, or if you want me to write it in the form of a memory/flash back in a later chapter. Please let me know what you would prefer! (Honestly, I don't mind either way, but I'd like your opinions on the matter!) Next chapter probably won't be up until next Friday or Saturday! If you're enjoying the story, please leave a review, fav or follow! See you all in the next chapter!
