Dreaming

Chapter Two. Enjoy and review. Oh, and see the movie, it's great.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Moon Child, its characters, or anything remotely connected with it. I'm pretty sure all I own is the writing on this page.

-

Shou looked up from Toshi's lifeless body to see Son transfixed by something he couldn't see, and instantly got a bad feeling. An unnatural silence and pressure built in his ears, making him feel like he was underwater. He shivered, and remembered that he was dripping with rain. But he laid Toshi's body down, and started to walk slowly to see what Son was looking at, the mute Yi-Che trotting apprehensively behind him. He knew what it was, deep inside, but chose to ignore it and make sure. He knew because when he caught sight of Son's face, he didn't look particularly shocked or scared. He looked as though he thought he was dreaming. Oh, Kami-sama, thought Shou. Not that.

There was a gap in the park foliage, and Son was standing stone still in front of it, staring stupidly through. Shou joined him.

"Kei," he said quietly. "Kei, stop."

But he didn't. He was doing exactly as Shou had thought he was. Kei had finally given in to his hunger. Shou was just glad that the hood of the huge robe he wore when venturing anywhere in sunlight was covering his face. He had no desire to see Kei feeding on anyone, not even one of the bastards who'd killed Toshi. Yi-Che looked like she was going to throw up. He felt more than a little sick himself. The man sprawled beneath Kei's crouching form was still moving.

"Kei, stop it, please!" he begged.

Still no response. From where he was, Shou could see the man's eyelids still flickering, in what looked like a mute cry for help. His movements were becoming weaker all the time, and what had probably started as violent thrashing about was now little more than twitching. The way Kei moved above him reminded Shou of the way lions at a kill look, in some twisted way, like they are nuzzling it.

"Kei, please stop," he repeated brokenly. "Toshi's dead." And he held out his hand, palm outwards, stained as it was with Toshi's blood. Maybe Kei heard him, or maybe he saw the movement, because he looked up, but Shou was sure he couldn't have understood, because the only expressions on his face were enjoyment and madness. Of course, Kei hadn't eaten in some time, but it still seemed wrong somehow that he should look quite so sinisterly happy. His mouth opened, and he was panting; Shou could see blood on his teeth and tongue, and staining his lips. The insanity in his dark eyes frightened him. Even if he had heard, he was like an animal and incapable of understanding anything. Shou turned his head away; he couldn't bear to see Kei like this. Maybe at first he'd meant to avenge Toshi, but a look at his grinning face told him that now all meaning was lost to him. Kei was lost, surrendered to some primal pleasure.

What was it like? Was it like getting high? An orgasm? He'd asked before, but the answer was never direct. "I can't tell you," Kei said shortly. "You'd just want to try it." More than a little unfair, but he'd bit his lip and shut up, playing the obedient boy. Now all these questions resurfaced, but Shou just turned away in disgust. There was no reasoning with him now; all that remained was to leave him alone until he came to his senses again. The man beneath him appeared to be dead, at least he was no longer moving. A blessing, Shou thought ironically.

As he started to walk away, Son seemed to wake up, and stared at him incredulously. "You're just gonna… leave him?"

"He won't listen," he said flatly. "Come back in a while and he might be sane again." His voice sounded so bleak next to Son's miniature outburst. "Come on," he added. "We have more important things to worry about." He was, of course, referring to Toshi. Not that it was really Toshi anymore, just a broken shell that used to house his spark, and all of his little absurdities, and the way he could make anyone laugh, even Kei. Just minutes ago he'd been alive, and just yesterday they had been happy. Then two big-shot Triads had turned up earlier, with a handcuffed Toshi in tow. Evidently, they hadn't been happy about being sold drugged pizza by some backstreet punks and then robbed. Somehow they'd found Toshi, and now he was dead.

Son began to tremble as it sank in. "You knew!" His frantic accusation rang through the whole park. "I don't believe it! You knew, didn't you?"

Shou stopped in his tracks. There was no point in lying, nor did he want to. "Yes."

"Why the fuck did you not tell us?" Son demanded, catching up to Shou. He looked furious. Not that Shou blamed him particularly. When he didn't answer, Son thumped him aggressively on the shoulder. "Shou," he said, not even bothering to disguise his anger. "Why didn't you say before?"

Shou tossed his ponytail behind his shoulder and locked eyes with Son. "It was nothing to do with me," he answered finally. "You should take it up with Kei. Ask him why he chose not to tell you, not me. And don't say anything," he added, interrupting Son's cry of indignation. "I found out exactly the same way you did; by seeing it."

Fuck this, thought Shou. He couldn't be bothered with all of this now. Kei could take care of himself, but Toshi couldn't. He had to inform the police or something, and at least the old guy in the pizza shop where he'd worked. And a funeral? God, you'd think a little thing like dying would be simple enough. Well, if Son and Yi-Che wanted to come along with him, fine. If not, then he wasn't responsible.

As it turned out, they did follow, and Son was surprisingly helpful once he'd got over Kei's vampirism, or at least put it as far from his mind to allow him to think normally. He'd even run back and fetched Toshi's phone.

"Now you can call the police, or something," he explained. His eyes widened momentarily. "Shit!"

"What?" Shou was in no mood for drama anymore.

"Kei!" spluttered Son. "They'll find him!"

"Baka." Shou sighed. Now he knew why Kei didn't like people knowing. "He'll be long gone by now."

"How-?"

"You saw that guy he was feeding on, right?"

Son nodded, wary as to where this was going.

"He looked pretty dead, didn't he?"

"…Yes…" This wasn't Son's topic of choice.

"Well, Kei prefers his meals warm."

Son looked really sick. "I swear, I'll never ask anything like that again."

-

The old Chinese man at the pizza shop took the news quite well. No questions, no fuss, he just nodded and carried on with his business. This was a relief for Shou, who didn't relish answering any questions, but he also hoped that Toshi would be missed at Happy Pizza. Besides his friends, and his moped, his job at the pizza shop was one of the only things of any value to him. He'd been one of those people who really believed deadlines and appointments only happened to other people, but he took real pride in his job.

He was gone. That was it; there'd be no more scams, no more just hanging around and taking the piss. Not too long ago, they'd had lunch at Son's place, on the roof because it was a nice day, and Toshi had suddenly, and (Shou thought) for no reason, asked him, "Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"

To which Shou had replied, "I have no parents."

"Me neither," remarked Toshi, in a 'Fancy that!' tone of voice.

"I know that!" Of course he knew, the three of them, Toshi, Shou and Shinji had grown up together as orphans. But it had made him smile when he was nervous about being around Yi-Che, who, he'd noticed, he was developing quite a crush on. It was silly little things like that he would miss most.

"Oi, Shou," piped up Son dejectedly. Well after all, he'd been friends with Toshi too.

"Aa?"

"Me and Yi-Che, we're going home now," he explained. "We're tired, and there's nothing more we can do today. You should go home too." He looked up at Shou. "It's been a hard day, you should get some rest."

Shou just blinked tired eyes at him. He was too exhausted from the tangle of emotions the day had brought on to argue. Son was right anyway. "You're not still mad at me?"

Son looked at the floor. "No," he said simply.

"Aa."

Son clapped him roughly on the shoulder, muttered, "Take care," and then headed off home, followed by Yi-Che. Neither of them spoke, not that Yi-Che spoke anyway, being mute and all.

Shou didn't go home straight away. He wandered and meandered through the streets, finding himself in the park. He had been right; Kei wasn't there, but the police were. They didn't have much authority over people anymore, but they were good at clearing up the messes left by gang scuffles and scraps. And apparently they'd searched the whole park; because there was official yellow tape everywhere. Even around the clearing where the bodies of those Triads were, and judging by the shocked exclamations and swearing of the officers, Kei had bled them dry. Shou shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the sight of Kei looking up from his kill. Maybe he should go home now.

He didn't know how he got home. He just looked up and saw the door of the flat in front of him, and the keys were in his hand. I really do need sleep, he thought. He was in no state to even think about trying to sort out Toshi's details. He felt Toshi's phone in the pocket of his jacket. Yes, he could do it tomorrow, give him some time to think.

When Shou turned the key in the lock and opened the door, he knew instantly that Kei was home. Not only was there a faint smell of blood lingering on the air, but he could hear the gentle rush of falling water. Kei always showered after he had killed. Said it cleansed his mind. But Shou felt a flash of anger. Dammit, Kei was in disgrace tonight! And Shou just wanted to go to bed, so ignoring him would be made doubly easy.

As he pulled the curtains closed, stripped to his boxers and slipped drowsily into bed, he heard the shower door open and Kei's voice calling his name. But Shou just burrowed further down in bed and pulled the quilt higher.

-

"Shou," whispered Kei. "Shou-chan."

Shou didn't move; he was asleep. Damn, why did Shou have to be so beautiful? He was perfectly still, breathing evenly and snoring occasionally, eyes closed. What was the word? Peaceful. A strand of hair had fallen across his face, next to his nose, where it quivered as he breathed. Kei was tempted to gently move it, but he didn't. He looked so perfect as he was. Instead he pulled Shou's t-shirt from where he had flung it on the bed, held it to his face and breathed in Shou's familiar scent with his own eyes closed. A thought occurred to him; he could take the garment and hide it, then when Shou died, years in the future, he could hold it to his nose like this, and remember the way he looked tonight.

After toying with the idea some more, he tossed it back onto the bed. There was no point.

Kei knelt beside the bed, and rested his chin on his crossed arms so his face was level with Shou's. "I'm sorry, Shou," he whispered. "I know it's hard for you, and there's nothing I can say to make it better, but I'm sorry. I won't promise it'll never happen again, because it will. I'll try to put it off for as long as possible, if you want," he offered, fully aware that Shou couldn't hear him, "but I think you know it'll happen sooner or later. I'm a weak son of a bitch, ne?" He smiled, sadly and humourlessly. "Do you know why life is so precious, Shou? It's because it's so fragile. And me… I've had that taken away, because I'm immortal. I've had that little worth snatched away, and I know it, but you have no idea, do you? You still think I'm sad because I'll miss all you guys when you're gone, and I'll never be able to really get close to anyone ever because I'll just outlive them. Well," he reasoned, "when I put it like that, it is depressing. But that's not what I'm saying. It's more selfish than that, Shou. You're so naïve, thinking that all I think about are others, when really I'm just cut up because I'm worthless now, and no one cares."

Shou didn't even stir. He must have been dog-tired. What am I doing? thought Kei. Even when Shou was a kid, he'd never stay in the same room as him. He didn't dare. Self-control wasn't one of Kei's strong points, but presence of mind was, and he had the presence of mind not to tempt himself unnecessarily.

And now here he was. Shou was asleep; it would be so easy just to slip the quilt down to expose that warm, smooth, white-skinned neck. So easy just to move slowly and silently in, closer and lower and closer again. Until he was close enough to hear his breathing, to feel his heartbeat, to-

No.

He was leaning in already, and he'd started to bare his teeth in preparation. No, he couldn't let himself get carried away. Not here. Not now.

Not Shou.

Had Shou woken up right then, instantly alert, and had his eyes gone immediately to the door of his room, he might just have caught a glimpse of the back-end of a shadow flitting through, elongated by the light outside, before the door was firmly but softly closed. But he didn't, and remained lost in some light, foggy dream, never to know that Kei had visited, and whispered to him, and fantasised about biting him.