Note: Ayama means "night rain" in Japanese.


Kida checked the calendar on his phone. He'd been with Izaya for nearly a year. It wasn't that he was bored—Izaya let him have and do practically anything he asked for. The demon didn't ignore him; they had regular conversation—both deep and superficial; they occasionally ate dinner together or played games—video games, board games, cards. He had almost anything he could ever want—except companionship. Izaya was fond of him, but he knew that his caretaker often considered his needs tedious, and his wish to have frequent conversations was trivial to the creature. They weren't friends or romantic partners—they were predator and prey, only the predator was pampering the prey before the great feast.

The teen curled up on the couch and watched the rain pour outside. He wanted a friend—a human friend that he could relate to. But he didn't dare cross the demon. He wasn't allowed out of the apartment without Izaya's explicit permission, he had to stay in his room when clients came over, and he wasn't supposed to use any electronics to contact anyone. He was cut off from the rest of the world, and he had to endure it for another two years. I'm like a doll.

He shut his eyes just as the front door opened and shut. He didn't bother getting up—Izaya would find him if he wanted to speak to or do something with him.

"Where are you, Masaomi?" Izaya sung. "I have something for you."

Kida sighed. The last time he heard that, Izaya was the gift, and he didn't have much say in what he could do with the 'gift.' He stayed in his position, lifting an arm high and waving it slightly to indicate his presence. "I'm here," he replied blandly.

Though his eyes were closed, he could sense something in front of his face. The teen opened his eyes to see the informant crouched in front of the couch, watching him with a tilted head and a smile. "I was trying to sleep," he mumbled.

"But you're not tired—you're just bored."

Kida furrowed his brows. "How did you—never mind. You said you have something for me? Is it you?" he asked disinterestedly.

The demon's smirk grew. "I guess I got you two presents, then." He stood and offered his hand. "Come on. She's on my desk."

The boy's eyebrows flew up. "She?" With newfound energy, he stood—ignoring the outstretched hand—and looked at the desk. On it was two laptops, some paperwork, and a pet carrier. He glanced up at the male. "There isn't a girl on your desk," he said, somewhat disappointed.

"I didn't say I brought a human female for you." Izaya slipped his hand beneath the blonde's shirt and urged him forward with cold fingers. He tugged on Kida's bottom lip with his teeth. "Am I not good enough for you? If you've lost excitement in our sex life, I'm glad to suggest some new ideas," he whispered in a low, seductive voice.

The blonde shivered. "I didn't say that," he mumbled.

"You didn't have to." Izaya guided him towards his desk with an arm around his shoulders. "I spent a lot of time picking her out just for you. You should be grateful." Once they arrived, he opened the carrier, removed a small cat, and placed it in Kida's arms.

Kida held the animal carefully. It had plush, dark navy hair and pale emerald eyes. It seemed to smile as it looked up at its new owner. Her tail slowly swished back and forth as she mewed quietly.

"You said it's a girl?"

"Yeah. She doesn't have a name; you can choose."

The teen directed his unfocused gaze out the window as he considered a name. "Amaya."

The raven also glanced outside. He looked at the cat. "I like it."

"Are there any places we should keep her away from? And does she need to be trained?"

"I placed a litter box beneath the stairs and bowls for food and water in the kitchen, which I filled. The Russian Blue cat is a highly intelligent breed; she won't get into too much trouble, so she's free to roam around as she pleases; she has already been trained to use her litter box. I also picked up a few toys and a scratching post."

After scratching her ears, Kida carefully set the kitten on the ground to let her explore the apartment. He placed a kiss on the informant's lips and smiled."Thank you."

Izaya cocked his head. "Why did you do that?"

Kida flushed. "I was showing my appreciation. Sorry—should I not have…?"

"It's fine. I was merely wondering if there was something else behind it."

"Nope. I just... I love you." Though the statement was true, he still felt embarrassed saying it. He was constantly afraid that Izaya would ask him not to say those words anymore—due to some kind of disgust he might secretly feel for him. The demon said he had feelings for him, but he was never certain—and probably never would be—if he was simply humoring him. He took a step forward and concealed his face in the male's shirt.

Izaya hugged him. "I love you too." Feeling the teen flinch, he soothingly rubbed his back. He knew that Kida was suspicious of his emotions. Honestly, he didn't know what love felt like, so even he wasn't sure if the confession he proclaimed was truthful. He had definitely become attached to the boy—more than he had intended. Whether or not that meant he was in love remained a mystery. Nevertheless, he recited the words when the situation called for it to make Kida happy. He enjoyed seeing Kida happy, though he wasn't sure why. "Are you depressed?"

"As in the disorder or a general sadness?"

"The latter. Are you unhappy?" he asked, slightly concerned.

"I'm more…bored than unhappy. I mean, I want to be with you—I like being with you. I just… It's hard to explain," he finished faintly.

"I understand. Humans crave interaction with their own species. Even humans who are labeled with an introverted personality form a few relationships and speak with others on occasion. If I were human, you would still have the same sense of emptiness. This is why I bought a cat. It is of a different species, but it is different than me, and it will interact with you. I will bring you outside every once in awhile soon, and you can talk to more than the grocery store cashier while I carefully watch over you—that must be uncomfortable. You will have meaningful conversations. I merely need to set up situations in which this is possible—and it will take some time. Meanwhile, I am here to fulfill your requests of any kind, and you now have an animal to play with."

"Any request?" Kida asked mischievously.

"No. There are limits. For example, you cannot have a dog—I hate them, and you will never be allowed to top. I think you're intelligent enough to understand what you may and may not ask of me."

"Hm…" The teen leaned against the informant's desk and pondered. "Can I have a drink?"

"Would you like straight wine or beer, or a mixed beverage? I can make less complicated drinks," he replied, not missing a beat.

"Wait, seriously? I can?" He didn't think that he would actually be permitted to drink—he asked for the purpose of testing the boundaries.

Izaya shrugged. "As long as I'm supervising you. Though, do you really want to tonight? Don't you want to play with the kitten without scaring her with erratic behavior?"

"Right… Another time, then?"

"Sure. You're a teenager—most human teenagers experiment with drugs and alcohol at your age. I'll get you what you want—except cigarettes and cigars; I hate the smell. Oh, and no heroin or meth. I don't want you to get addicted and end up damaging your body."

"So… You're cool with me snorting cocaine or taking LSD?" Kida asked, stunned at the demon's lenience on the matter.

Izaya shrugged again, nonchalantly grazing the boy's arm with the tips of his fingers. "A small amount of something while I'm watching over you is fine. I'm not your parent. As long as you don't impair yourself, annoy me to a great extent, or destroy my apartment, you can do as you please."

The blonde looked at the hand on his arm. "Would you take something with me?"

"It'd be a waste. My metabolism prevents me from feeling the effects of alcohol or drugs. I'd have to take a ridiculous amount to get even a small high—not worth it. Do you want me to acquire anything for you?"

"No, I'm not into that stuff. I'd only drink. I was just wondering what you'd let me do."

"If that's all—" Izaya was pulled forward when he tried to move away. Arms wrapped around his neck and pulled his face down to meet the boy's. Soft lips connected with his. The demon sat the teen on the desk and placed a hand on his thigh. "Do you want sex?"

Kida resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He had told Izaya numerous times that asking that question was bothersome if he didn't want it, and somewhat ruined the mood if he did. However, he didn't always remember the tip—that, or he simply didn't care for his opinion, and asked because he wanted to know right away, which was likely. "No," he responded plainly. "I just want to kiss."

"That's fine." Izaya leaned in and continued, restraining from using tongue—which was mostly reserved for the bedroom. He'd quickly learned that the boy only wanted him to be rough if they were leading up to something heated. If he merely wanted to kiss, his tongue stayed in his mouth, and he kept his hands above the waist. Kida was fairly easy to figure out when it came to his physical needs. He didn't try to hide the pleasure or pain he felt, and the undisguised small and large cues helped the demon to analyze what he did and didn't like, and which techniques to use in specific situations. His lips strayed to the boy's neck, and his rich scent filled his nostrils.

Over time, Kida had discovered the signs of when Izaya wanted to feed. It was always clear in his expression, but he could usually tell without seeing his face. The demon often kissed, licked, and bit his neck without the intention of drinking his blood, but unspoken cues alerted the boy that the demon wanted to feed, and they would use their bodies to communicate. When Izaya sniffed him more than once or deeper than usual was the most distinguishable indication. Sometimes he repeatedly licked the same spot on his neck, saying that he wanted to bite down there.

Kida felt human teeth gently nibble on his flesh near the middle of the side of his neck. A few moments later, he continued on a spot just below the small mark he'd made. This was another signal. The teen grabbed Izaya's hand and guided it to his neck—on the side opposite of where the creature's face was. He tilted his head to give the demon more access, and let his hand linger on Izaya's for only a moment.

Izaya grinned against the skin, pleased that his human had so quickly caught on to the indications of when he desired to feed. He slightly tightened his hold on the boy's throat and pierced him with sharp teeth. He drank slowly, savoring the taste of the best blood he'd ever had. He wasn't sure what it was, but Masaomi had delectable blood—it stood out from all else he'd had in the 1,128 years of his existence.

He had to feed more often than he normally would because he was afraid of taking too much—as he had on numerous occasions. Kida's blood had a particularly addictive quality that required him to struggle to stop. He took about half as much as he usually would from other humans each time, but Masaomi didn't seem to mind. The demon's saliva brought him pleasure as he was feasted on—he also wanted to gratify Izaya, to show his love for the creature by submitting fully.

Izaya detached his mouth from the boy, slightly satisfying his thirst. Kida reached his hand back and brushed through the obsidian hair. He brought the creature's head to his neck again. "I can tell that you're still hungry. Take more—I trust you."

The informant chuckled. "That's an odd thing to say to a demon. You're completely vulnerable right now. Do you know how easy it would be for me to snap your neck or fully drain you of blood? In this position, I could do anything to you—and you couldn't stop me. Don't you understand how powerless you are against me? I could rape, seriously injure, or even kill you, and all you could do is scream and pathetically, futilely struggle."

Kida seemed unfazed. "You won't do those things."

"How can you be certain?"

"I rarely ever stop you when you want something from me. There's no need to rape, seriously injure, or kill me if I'm obedient. I've learned my place. I am inferior to you in every way, and should always follow your specific instructions. Since I do this, you don't push my limits or overstep boundaries without asking for my permission. I can't be absolutely certain that you won't have your way with me and completely disregard my feelings and pain threshold, but I'm not provoking you," he replied calmly.

"I couldn't have said it better myself. You're astonishingly intelligent for a human of your age, Masaomi." The blood from the teen's barely closed wound wafted into his nostrils, and he felt his demon teeth poking at his lower lip. "However, I stopped just then because I don't trust myself. I crave your blood, and having gallons of it at my disposal tends to prevent my brain from thinking of anything other than how amazing you taste. I've been holding back before I can lose control."

"I could sto—"

"No, Masaomi," he responded sternly. "You couldn't stop me. You can yank my hair and try to pull my hands away to get me attention, but you aren't physically capable of prying me from your neck. I am a predator much stronger than you. If my instincts kick in, I'll confuse my prey trying to alert me of taking too much as an escape attempt, and push, pull on, or hold you with more force to prevent it."

"You can stop… You always do."

Izaya sighed. He played with Kida's fingers and kissed his cheek. "Are you familiar with the DC comic character, Hulk?"

"Yes…"

"If I become too immersed in feeding, I revert into a state similar to Bruce turning into the Hulk. I barely have control over myself, and my true strength comes out. I'm more conscious of my actions than the monster, but the changes are similar. It would normally take a great deal of feeding for that to happen, but your blood increases my desire to drink."

Kida looked up and batted his lashes at the older male. "I'm delicious, then? Thank you, Izaya. I'm flattered."

Izaya rolled his eyes. "I have never told my human this before, but these are…unconventional circumstances. If I ever grow out of control while feeding, draw blood where your marking is. You'd need something exceptionally sharp because your skin is tougher there. My claws would be out at that time, so use them to cut into it."

"Would that…sever our bond?"

"No. It would send an overwhelming alert to my brain that you are in mortal danger. At that point, I'd instinctually stop whatever I was doing and save you from harm. Just so you know… I suppose I could show you now. Here." Izaya held out his hand for the boy to take. "Use the nails to cut into yourself."

Kida unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down slightly to reveal the mark. He grabbed the hand and brought it to his waist, and then stopped. "Are you sure about this?"

"It won't hurt me, and the only pain you'll experience is from my fingernails. Just be certain not to struggle against anything I might do afterwards. I'll be frantically trying to protect you from an unclear danger, so remaining as still as possible will help me confirm that you're safe in a more efficient manner. Oh, and try your best not to be frightened. I'll be tuned into your emotions more than usual, so acting afraid will make me believe that there is still a threat. Remember that I won't hurt you, no matter how I act or look, and everything will be fine. Once I'm sure that you aren't in peril, I'll regress to my normal state; it will take less than a minute."

Masaomi nodded and took a deep breath. He carefully watched Izaya's face as he swiped the claws across his skin. Immediately, the demon snatched his hand back and gasped. His eyes turned fully red. He pinned the teen to the couch and rapidly moved around his body, either sniffing or searching with his eyes for an injury—Kida couldn't tell. Abruptly, the demon straddled the boy and got close to his face; he stared into his eyes, unmoving. The teen evened his breathing and reminded himself that no matter how scary he looked, Izaya was his protector. Awhile passed, and Izaya remained perched in his spot, looking down at him. He remembered the raven mentioning that it should end in less than a minute, but two or three had already gone by.

Cautiously, Kida raised his hand and gently touched the informant's cheek. "Izaya," he whispered. "Izaya, I'm alright."

Izaya's hand shot up and grasped the outstretched wrist with great force, staring at it as if it were a foreign object.

Kida cried out in pain, tears forming in his eyes. If he gripped any tighter, the bone would surely break.

The demon's face turned, startled by the noise, and stared at him again—Kida assumed he was staring, but he couldn't be sure since he couldn't see a pupil.

"It h-hurts," he croaked. The creature tilted his head in what Masaomi identified as confusion. "Y-you're hurting me—my wrist."

Izaya released his hold and kissed the bruised appendage. After a few moments, he closed his fully red eyes and nuzzled into the boy's neck, making a throaty noise similar to a purr. "Masaomi," he whispered. He trailed kisses to the blonde's lips, breathing his name a few more times on the way up. Before Kida could return the kiss, the older male pulled away, looking at him with normal eyes. "I wonder why I kissed you," he thought aloud.

"What do you mean?"

"In that state, my motive is to eliminate any threat and comfort you if necessary. The comfort would usually be expressed by giving you a hug, holding your hand, or asking if you're okay. It's strange that my subconscious decided to kiss you—I've never heard of that happening."

The teen smirked. "I love you too."

"Maybe I do love you," Izaya responded quietly. He noticed the boy clutching his wrist. "Sorry about that. After I told you that you wouldn't be hurt, too… I'll fix this now.

The informant gingerly took the wrist in his hand and kissed it, closing his eyes. When he moved away, the bruise and swelling were absent. "Do you need painkillers?"

Kida shook his head. "I'm fine…like this." He rested his gentle gaze on the demon tending to his injury. If he didn't know better, he'd think that the older male looked guilty for harming him.

"I'm sorry."

Masaomi blinked. "Hm?"

"I'm sorry about your wrist. I broke my promise—I said you wouldn't be hurt. I didn't mean to betray your trust."

"It was accidental—no big deal. It's kind of ironic that you have healing powers, you know?"

Izaya chuckled. "I am a creature made to cause destruction and take lives to satisfy my hunger. Being able to heal with the hands meant to bring pain is rather ironic, yes."

Kida felt something crawl over him. Realizing it was Amaya, he reached out to pet her, but she dodged his hand and chose to curl up on Izaya's lap.

"Um... I figured she'd be afraid of you. Can't she sense...?"

"That I'm a demon?" Izaya finished, stroking the purring feline. "Yes. I can't explain why, but cats tend to be overly fond of demons, whereas all other creatures run away or cower in my presence." Seeing the boy's forlorn expression, he gently lifted the cat and placed it on Kida's lap. He stared at it sternly, and she stopped protesting and lay quietly.

Masaomi looked at the demon incredulously. "Did you just tell her to stay still?"

"I can't verbally communicate with any earthly species other than humans."

"Then why—?"

"I glared at her. You know the expression 'if looks could kill?' Well, it isn't too far off with the eyes of a demon," he explained, petting the boy as he was with the kitten. Anticipating the next question, he continued. "I can't actually kill someone with solely a glance, but I can make some creatures acquiesce to me."

"Does it work on humans?"

"Sometimes. I can't make anyone do my absolute bidding, but I can frighten them—more significantly than any human stare could."

The kitten leaped from his lap and proceeded to stalk around the apartment. Kida glanced at the raven. "Would it work on me?"

"Probably."

"Can—"

"I don't," Izaya interrupted, "want to scare you. This is more than my scleras turning red and my claws coming out. You'll be extremely afraid if it works well. Besides, haven't we tried enough distressing things for one day? It's late. You should get to bed. We have to decide where Amaya is sleeping."

"The bed is fine," he said hurriedly, rapidly moving onto the next subject. "You won't physically harm me, right? And I won't be traumatized? I want you to use it on me," he insisted, placing a hand on the informant's shoulder.

Izaya sighed. "Very well. I'm going to restrain you so you don't run away or hurt yourself." He laid the boy on his back and straddled him as he had earlier. He pinned his arms to the couch and looked at him with a blank expression.

Kida swallowed nervously, wondering if he shouldn't have requested this. The demon's pupils stretched into cat-like slits; his crimson irises shifted into a more vibrant shade of red.

Adrenaline shot through his body as he felt a cold sweat on his skin. He lost all consciousness of what was going on around him. His vision went black for a few seconds, then immediately returned to sharp focus. When he saw the terrifying red irises above him, he squeezed his eyes shut and struggled in the demon's grip.

"Please... Please let me go!" he yelled frantically. "D-don't hurt me—I'll do anything!" He felt his back slightly lift off the couch, strong arms wrapping around him. Kida panicked, thinking his powerful captor was going to crush him. He clawed at the creature's back. "N-no! Please! H-help—someone help me!" His voice lowered, growing quieter with each word. "Someone... Help. Someone... I-Izaya. Help me, Izaya."

The demon pulled him onto his lap and kissed his cheek. "I'm here. I won't hurt you. You're safe, Masaomi."

Kida stopped moving and breathed normally, the rush of adrenaline exiting his body. "Izaya..." He shifted to straddle the raven, wrapping his arms around his neck and hid his face in them. The raven captured his waist and kissed his neck.

"I love you, Masaomi. I am your protector. No matter the situation, you need only call me, and I will be at your side. I will be with you until you draw your last breath."

And then I will devour your soul.