"Hey... You're Mahiru's Servamp, right?"

Kuro spun around to find himself face to face with Mahiru's friend. The green one, Tsubaki's subclass... what was his name again? Sakuya or something.

He nodded warily, half expecting an attack. Sakuya was an enemy, after all.

"Where's Mahiru?"

He twitched. The one question he didn't want to answer... Did Sakuya have to ask that immediately? It was almost as if he could read Kuro's mind.

His voice fell to subzero temperatures. "Mahiru's safe at home."

"You're out without him?" Sakuya sounded incredulous. "Did he send you outside to go grocery shopping or something?"

Kuro felt his patience slowly crackling away and bit down on his surging temper. "That's none of your business," he snapped.

"Mahiru's my friend," Sakuya shot back. "That makes it my business."

Kuro looked at him. This boy cared about Mahiru as much as he did, and he had left him for much the same reasons. Maybe he would understand... He wanted to talk about everything. He wanted to tell someone who understood, he wanted to stop dragging all these emotions around and share them with someone like-minded and get advice.

Maybe Sakuya would understand. Hopefully.

"All right," Kuro said, "I'll tell you."

And he told Sakuya everything. The fake dating gambit, the kiss, the misunderstandings, his fears, his worries, Mahiru's confession and his escape. He spoke about his fear of hurting the boy, his fear of getting too attached to a mortal, his hope that Mahiru would move on and live a normal life.

Sakuya listened and said nothing.

His eyes darkened with every word Kuro said.

Kuro finished and looked at him, almost questioningly, hoping to get some kind of response. There was none.

Sakuya's hands were shaking.

"You bastard," he hissed at last.

Kuro blinked in surprise. Bastard? Yes, he knew he was one. But why did Sakuya call him one? Didn't he understand?

"You're saying that Mahiru confessed to you... and you like him back... and yet you rejected him and ran away?" Sakuya clenched his teeth. "Pathetic."

"It was the best for Mahiru," Kuro tried to defend himself. "I thought you'd understand."

"I'm different." Cold anger flickered in Sakuya's eyes. "I'm Tsubaki's subclass. I'm Mahiru's enemy. You're his Servamp, his partner! You don't have anybody else you can't betray! And you still ran away?"

Kuro's voice sank to a low growl, the voice of a century-old monster slowly awakening in its human shell. "You're barely older than a few decades. You have no idea how it's like... to make the wrong decision. To be responsible for something horrible and regret it for centuries. You have no right to tell me I ran away. I'd rather run away than be responsible for anything that happens to Mahiru."

"You're breaking his heart!" Sakuya snapped. "I'd count that as 'something happening to him'!"

"He'll get over it."

"But what if he doesn't?" Sakuya's voice was trembling with rage, his eyes aflame, his fists clenched. "What if he never gets over it? You say that he should marry some girl later and have kids, but what if he only ever sees that girl as a replacement goldfish for you, the guy who loved him back but lied through his teeth because he was too chicken to start a relationship!"

Sakuya's entire body was trembling with rage. He was breathing hard, trying to calm himself down, but it didn't work. His heartbeat pounded in his head. Anger, disappointment, jealousy roared through his veins.

Kuro met his eyes with a look of betrayal. "Would you get close to someone who will definitely die someday? Could you handle the loss after dedicating everything to that person? Do you know how it's like to get too attached to someone and then lose them?"

"I know!" Sakuya hissed. "I've been through it myself. Don't get all haughty just because you happen to be a few centuries older!" He paused a few seconds to catch his breath. "Stop lying in my face, bastard. All of those reasons... they're not the real reason why you left Mahiru, right? They're just cheap excuses!"

"I'm a monster!" Kuro growled, his voice losing the last bit of humanity. "I'm a killer, even if he keeps forgetting about that. He sees me as a human when I'm not. Once he finds out who I am on the inside... what I've done... how many lives I've taken..."

"Mahiru's not that kind of guy!"

Sakuya's voice cut through the quiet night air, resonated from the buildings, echoed down the street. A few startled crows flew up, cawing loudly. Kuro wished he could fly with them.

Sakuya's eyes were burning with white-hot anger. "Mahiru would never judge you for who you are," he snapped. "I'd been lying to him, pretending to be a human, and did he turn away from me when I turned out to be a vampire and your enemy? No! He reached out to me and promised me we'd still be friends! And you're not nearly that bad. He already knows you're a vampire. He knows you're on his side. He already knows some of your past, for crying out loud! Did it scare him? Of course not! The only one judging you for your past is yourself!"

Kuro gasped softly. The only one... was himself...? That sounded too good to be true... that sounded...

"Why are you telling me all of this?" he asked. "Why do you care if Mahiru and I get together?"

"Because Mahiru's my friend, and you're hurting him and I can't accept that!"

Kuro just stared at him, unsure what to say. Should he shut him down? Should he thank him? Should he leave?

"So don't you dare cover up your commitment issues with some lies about your fear of hurting Mahiru. The one you're afraid of hurting is yourself. None but yourself, you lying bastard!"

Sakuya turned to leave, but stopped after a few steps and turned around again. "Oh, and one more thing. If you treat him wrong, I'll kill ya. Servamp or no, I'll kill ya."

He turned around again and disappeared into the night.

Kuro stared after him, perplexed. Sakuya's words made sense... so much sense. Maybe it was that he secretly wanted them to make sense, but everything seemed so logical. He hated to admit it, but... maybe Sakuya was right.

In any case, he owed Mahiru an explanation.

For the first time today he knew where to go. For the first time today he began to move with a sense of purpose, a sense of direction.

Mahiru's house.

Misono stared at Tetsu, his face probably glowing red, his mind blank, desperately trying to make sense of the boy's words. "You... wanted... to see me?"

"Um, yeah?" Tetsu scratched the back of his neck, visibly uncomfortable with the entire situation. "That's fine, isn't it?"

"Sure, but..." Misono didn't even know what he was trying to say. All he knew was that the task of figuring out the bizarre situation he had just found himself in was too much for his brain.

He let Tetsu in, and there was a long, awkward silence.

"So," Misono finally said, more for the sake of saying something than anything else, "what do you want to do now?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean, nothing? Did you just come here with no idea what you want to do?"

"Well," Tetsu blushed and smiled a little, "all I knew was that I wanted to see you... I'm fine with not doing anything as long as you're here, y'know?"

Misono could feel the blood rushing to his face, making it glow red, faster and brighter than ever before. "Wh-What are you talking about?" he snapped. "You're not making sense again!"

"When you really like someone, sometimes you just want to be near them without doing anything." Tetsu's voice was quiet but firm, with no sign of doubt or hesitation. "Have you never just... thought of someone and wanted to be with that person right now, for no reason at all? I've been feeling like that all day, ever since you called."

The feeling of wanting to be close someone... wanting to see someone, to just be near them... Misono knew it. Of course he did.

He couldn't believe Tetsu was feeling like that about him. He couldn't believe Tetsu would tell him about it so honestly. Why was he so straightforward about his emotions? He didn't even know if Misono liked him back!

Flushing, burning embarrassment and a giddy, warm happiness fought a raging battle in his heart. What was this feeling? What was he supposed to do now? What did he want to do?

What the hell was this feeling?

Tetsu liked him... no, he corrected himself, he was in love with him. That had been clear from the very beginning. Misono had never really doubted Tetsu's feelings, had had simply panicked at the prospect of a relationship, despite clearly liking Tetsu back.

He was such a chicken.

He had been stupid to run away, so stupid to half reject Tetsu and keep him guessing. He had been dragged along at the boy's pace, unsure of what he wanted, what he should do. He had been indecisive, weak and selfish. But not anymore.

He looked into Tetsu's eyes and saw nothing but love in them.

And suddenly he knew exactly what to do.

"Tetsu... Come over here."

The boy's eyes widened a little, but he did as he was told. "What's up?"

Misono stepped even closer to him. Only a few inches separated them now. Trying to ignore the way his heart raced and his stomach fluttered, he looked up. "Lean down a little, you giant. You're too damn tall!"

Tetsu blushed visibly. Maybe he was just flustered by Misono's sudden boldness, maybe he had an idea of what was about to happen, even he himself wasn't sure. One way or another, he leaned forward.

Misono cupped his face in his hands and kissed him.

It wasn't a fairytale kiss. It was awkward and clumsy, and their teeth clicked against each other a few times too often, but they didn't care. It was their first kiss, and for them, it was perfect.

They were both flushed and breathless when they parted, and Tetsu stared at Misono in amazement. He moved his lips, trying to say something, but the only thing that came out was, "Huh?"

Misono was torn between embarrassment and pride. What he had just done seemed rash now, foolish even, but he couldn't care less. He had overcome his own limitations and achieved the impossible. A wide smile spread across his face as he said, "This was my answer. You've been trying to convince me that your feelings are real, and I believe you."

Tetsu's eyes widened even more. A hopeful smile crossed his face. His hands reached for Misono's hands, carefully, like they were something very precious that he wasn't sure he was allowed to touch.

"Does that mean... Does that mean we're official now?"

Misono smiled as he moved in for another kiss. "Precisely."

"Kuro!" Mahiru's voice was getting hoarse from shouting, but he didn't care. He kept calling. "Kuro! Are you there?"

There was no answer. Again.

Mahiru had been running around for at least an hour. Hope was slowly starting to leave him, but he kept holding on. He couldn't turn his back and go home as long as Kuro was still out there, somewhere, and possibly needed him.

The streets had gone silent. Next to nobody was outside anymore. The only noise were his steps echoing down the road and his voice calling Kuro's name, over and over again.

Mahiru was cold and tired. There was no sign of Kuro. He had probably looked down every street within a three-mile radius twice. He had no idea where he even was right now. Was he close to his home? Was he running around in circles? Where was he?

Where was Kuro? Was he around here somewhere? Could he hear him?

Fears and worries began to creep up on him from behind, weighing down on his mind and shoulders, making him feel even more lost and helpless. Kuro was gone and didn't want to be found. He didn't know where he was or how to get home.

It was hopeless.

Mahiru shook his head, trying to keep these gloomy thoughts out of his head. His throat was starting to hurt horribly, but just this once, he'd try calling again. One last time. If he didn't get an answer then, maybe he'd try to find his way home.

"Kuro!" he called, desperately, pleading. "Where are you? Why won't you stop hiding? Kuro!"

He listened intently.

And this time he finally heard something.

It was the faint, distant sound of a bell ringing.

Mahiru started to run. He didn't care about his surroundings, didn't care what was happening around him or where he was going. All his senses were focused on the sound of the bell, the small string of hope he had left.

Little by little, the sound grew clearer, closer. Mahiru picked up his speed, rushing down the street, crossing another, dashing round the corner, following the bell as fast as he could. He could hardly breathe, but it didn't matter. He couldn't take a break now. Not now that he had finally found a clue.

He didn't see the headlights approaching him until it was too late.

Mahiru was running too fast to stop. The car rushed down the street at a deadly speed, catching him in the headlights as he turned to face the roaring engine, too fast to stop in time, too slow to cross the street before the car reached him. There was the deafening screech of brakes, the heat of the motor. Mahiru closed his eyes and braced himself for the crash.

The crash never happened.

Instead, he found himself lifted up by a pair of strong arms and carried through the air.

Mahiru stumbled as his feet touched solid ground again a few seconds later. His rescuer's arms steadied him and continued to hold him tightly, even as they were safe in some place the car couldn't reach. Mahiru buried his face in the stranger's jacket.

It smelled familiar.

It smelled exactly like his own fabric softener.

"What a pain," a familiar voice said. "Can't you go one day without nearly getting yourself killed? This is exactly why I can't leave you alone."

This couldn't be. This voice...

Mahiru opened his eyes and looked up. It was true.

"Kuro!" he gasped. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

The vampire stared off into the distance. "Here and there."

Mahiru tried to meet his gaze again, but it was impossible. "Kuro, look at me! Why did you run away?"

Letting go of Mahiru, Kuro took a step back. "It's a long story," he said quietly.

"I've got time." Mahiru took a look around. The vampire had carried him onto a roof, high above the city lights. "It's not like anybody will disturb us here, right?"

Kuro's eyes darkened. "Why did you even come looking for me in the first place?"

"Isn't it obvious? Because I love you!"

Kuro's eyes widened. Startled by Mahiru's declaration, he stared at the boy, unable to say a word. Even after everything he had done, Mahiru hadn't changed his mind in the slightest. His voice still showed no sign of hesitation. If anything, he had even become more firm in his emotions.

Why?

"I love you, Kuro," Mahiru continued. "This probably isn't something you like to hear, seeing as you don't like me back. It's just... I was so worried when you suddenly disappeared. And... I missed you. What am I supposed to do when you're not around? The apartment seemed so... empty all of a sudden. It's not the same without you."

He took a step forward, reaching for Kuro's hands. "I want to spend time with you, Kuro," he said softly. "I want to spend hours sitting next to you and talking about stuff neither of us cares about. I want to laugh at lame jokes with you, just because we're the ones who made them. I want to spend rainy afternoons with you, curled up on the couch and marathoning bad movies. I want to look at the stars with you and show you all the constellations that remind me of you. I want to tell you all my secrets and listen to some of yours, if you don't mind telling me. I want to hold your hand and feel you next to me and get to know you so much better and see all the expressions you don't show anyone else. I'd like to see you smile someday. I'd love to hear what your laugh sounds like. I just... want to be together with you." He smiled sadly. "Of course, if you don't like me back, then all of those will have to stay dreams and I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable by telling you all that. That's just how I feel."

Kuro remained silent for a moment. His eyes were hidden behind his bangs, but his hands were trembling slightly, almost unnoticeably. "I'm not cut out for that," he said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "You wouldn't actually want to do all that with me."

Mahiru looked up, trying to look Kuro in the eyes. "Why not?"

The vampire turned away. "Stop treating me like a human," he hissed, his voice cold but filled with vulnerability and emotion. "I'm a monster. I could hurt you or kill you anytime. I've done it before."

"You never tried to kill me." Mahiru walked around so Kuro was facing him again. "You've always protected me."

"For the past few months," Kuro corrected him. "That's how long we've known each other. It's not much." He paused, gazing down at the empty street below. "You never know what might happen... when I might lose it and go berserk. I might not even do it by accident. What if I was trying to kill someone else and you jumped in and tried to stop me? You'd be stupid enough to do that."

Mahiru looked at him, confusion written all over his face. "That could always happen, even as normal contract partners, right? It's got nothing to do with you and me dating or not dating-" He stopped, a realization hitting him full force. "You... You're not trying to say that we should break the contract, right?"

"No." Kuro's voice was completely devoid of hesitation, and Mahiru relaxed. "I'm just saying that you shouldn't get too close to me. It's like playing with fire. Mahiru, it's my job to protect you and I'm doing that by telling you to stay away. Anything else... would just be selfish."

"Then I'll be selfish!"

Kuro raised his head, shocked by Mahiru's sudden outburst. The boy clenched his fists, breathing heavily, his voice trembling with anger and hope, his eyes ablaze with determination. "I don't care that you're a monster! I'm not afraid of you. If your only problem is that you'd blame yourself if anything happened to me because we got too close, you can blame me if that helps! Just say it's all my fault! It's that simple!"

"...I can't."

Mahiru blinked, taken aback. Kuro's voice was audibly shaking. Mahiru's words had obviously moved him, and yet... "Why?"

Kuro couldn't bear to look at the boy. He could feel his defenses crumbling. His words made everything seem so simple... and yet... and yet...

He couldn't get too close. He knew that.

And Mahiru deserved to know why. He owed him that much.

Honesty had never been his forte. The next few words would be the most difficult ones he had ever said. Wasn't there another way, some kind of excuse...

Sakuya's words resonated in his mind. Lying bastard!

Screw it all.

Just this once, he'd be completely honest.

"I can't get too close," he said quietly, staring off into nowhere, avoiding Mahiru's gaze, trying not to look at those stupid perfect brown eyes that could pierce through his century-old defenses in an instant. "You're mortal. Someday I'm gonna lose you. If I got too close to you and then suddenly lost you... I couldn't bear that. I need to become indifferent again so it won't hurt me when I lose you."

Mahiru looked up, stunned, tears blurring his vision. Millions of different emotions shot through him, all at the same time. Kuro did love him back. His feelings had never been one-sided. His Servamp had been lying to him because he loved him too much. Everything that had ever confused him suddenly made sense. All the missing puzzle pieces clicked into place, leaving a picture of nothing but hope.

"So you do... you do like me," he whispered, barely believing his own words. "And you were just... afraid of getting too close? Afraid of hurting me or losing me? Is that it?" He laughed, ignoring the single tear that made its way down his face. "Kuro, you idiot! Why didn't you explain everything to me? I would've encouraged you earlier. Didn't I tell you that you can always call my name when you need help? And you suffered all by yourself..."

Kuro tried not to let Mahiru's words get to him. He tried to ignore the feeling of warmth and happiness and relief and overwhelming sadness that tried to tear him apart from inside. Mustn't get too attached, he repeated in his head, almost like a mantra. Mustn't get too attached.

Mahiru reached for his hand. "I understand your fears, but Kuro... If I died someday, and you were left without me, wouldn't you regret not spending the time we had together in the best possible way? If you were left without memories, if all you had was might-have-beens... wouldn't you regret that way more?"

Kuro was silent.

"I know I would," Mahiru continued. "I want to make as many memories as possible. If you don't mind."

Kuro continued to stare at the horizon. "Wouldn't you mind dating someone who'll still look eighteen when you're eighty-one?"

"No."

Mahiru's answer was so simple. So sincere. So... Mahiru.

Kuro clenched his fists. He wouldn't cave. He couldn't cave. Maybe he'd regret not making memories with Mahiru, but he'd regret getting too close to the boy much more. At least, that was what he kept telling himself to silence his heart, which was practically screaming to drop the act and do what he truly wished for, yearning for everything Mahiru was so willing to offer.

"As for me being mortal... We'll figure something out when the time comes." Mahiru sounded almost unsettlingly calm. "If everything else fails, you could still turn me into your subclass, right?"

Stop it, Kuro thought. Stop making everything sound so easy. I can't do this, don't you understand? Stop tempting me.

"I can't create any more monsters," he answered, bitterness lying heavy in every single one of his words. "Most of all, I can't turn you into a monster."

Mahiru just smiled, not the smile that could make Kuro's world stop spinning, but a small, surprised smile. "Vampires aren't monsters. You're the living proof of that, right?"

The last sentence pierced Kuro's soul, stabbed him in the heart and left him to bleed. "No," he whispered, more to himself than to anyone else. "You wouldn't say that if you knew what I've done. You'd hate me if you did. Like all the others."

He didn't want to talk to Mahiru anymore. He didn't want to listen to this foolish, optimistic voice that made everything sound so easy. He couldn't cave now, for both their sakes. Yet still... he was so close to caving. Mahiru had spoken against all his fears, except for this one. Mahiru had encouraged him and comforted him and he was dangerously close to giving in and following his heart, doing what he wanted, no matter the consequences.

He couldn't risk that.

"Kuro, I'd never-"

"Never mind. I'm leaving."

He felt like a traitor for saying that. Hadn't he promised himself to talk to Mahiru properly, to explain everything? Hadn't he vowed not to put up a front anymore? Hadn't he decided to never allow himself to hurt him again?

"Kuro, listen to me!" Mahiru's voice was desperate, pleading, confused. The boy reached for Kuro's hand and caught it just as the vampire was about to fly away. "I'd never hate you, no matter what you've done in the past! Hell, I already know some of that, don't I? And I still don't hate you!"

Don't listen to him. Don't listen to him.

Kuro tried to free himself of the boy's grip. It was made of iron, but the vampire was stronger. He pulled away, ready to jump into the night and disappear.

"Kuro!" Mahiru screamed after him, his voice cutting through the night, echoing down the silent streets, resonating from the walls of the city below them. "Someone like you who's trying so hard to do the right thing can't possibly be a monster!"

Kuro froze.

Mahiru's words echoed through his head, over and over, like a broken record. Someone like you who's trying so hard to do the right thing can't possibly be a monster!

The words he had longed to hear all his life... for so many lonely centuries, so many guilt-ridden hours hiding in dark corners. And Mahiru had just said them like it was the most natural thing in the world.

The last remains of his defenses came crashing down. Screw his worries and screw his fears. Here was the boy who offered him everything he had ever wanted, the boy who loved and accepted him for who he was, and he wouldn't turn away. Maybe he really was better than he thought he was.

One way or another, he was no longer alone.

He turned around to face Mahiru. Tears welled up in his eyes, and just this once he didn't force them back. For the first time in so many centuries, he let them flow freely.

He would try not to hide his feelings so much anymore. He would try to become more honest, more sincere, more like Mahiru saw him. He'd open up and take the dive into uncharted land. Maybe he'd get burned, but Mahiru was right. It was worth trying.

"Thank you, Mahiru," he said, sobbing quietly, wiping his face with his sleeve. "Thank you."

Mahiru's eyes filled with tears too, but he smiled. It was the warmest, kindest, most hopeful smile Kuro had ever seen, and he wished he could take a picture of it and treasure it forever. The boy walked over to Kuro, reached out and wiped a tear from his face.

"It's fine, Kuro," he said softly. "It's all right now."

Kuro silently pulled him into a tight hug and buried his face in the boy's shoulder, wishing to stay like this forever, wishing the world would stop and he'd never have to let go again.

"Kuro?" Mahiru whispered in his ear, so softly that even the wind couldn't hear his voice. "Does that mean that you're going to try it? Dating, I mean."

The vampire nodded, his face still buried in Mahiru's shoulder.

"Then promise me something."

Mahiru pulled away slightly, just enough so Kuro lifted his head again and looked him in the eyes. "Promise me that if you ever worry about something, or have doubts, or feel that you're not good enough, you'll talk to me about it. Don't ever leave me again like that, okay? Don't suffer alone. Tell me anything that bothers you. Can you promise me that?"

The vampire hesitated, but only for a second. "Yes."

"Good. Then," Mahiru moved in again, tracing the tear stains on Kuro's face with his fingers, "let's seal it with a kiss."