Notes: a nikugaki is something I made up. Sort of. gaki (as well as meaning brat) is a type of demon in Japanese mythology, and there are many types that feed on anything from incense to souls. Niku means flesh or meat, so the demon devours flesh. Preferably while its victims are still alive. Fun, ne:3

Also, the fight scene at the end is pulled from manga 11/12, Japanese translations. I've taken some liberties this time, however, both with the action and the dialogue. Some of it was too stilted for me, or didn't serve my purposes. However, as this fight turns out a bit different than the original, I figure it's okay.

Thanks to: Kat, Catie, Xin and Colin for betaing this chapter:3 And you can expect the next out relatively soon... as it's been written for about a year, and needs only revision. ; I'm a freak when it comes to writing sometimes XD;

-- Could've Gone Mad --

I lay in Seishirou's arms, on top of him, listening to his heartbeat, unsure why I was even there.

Honestly I was in something akin to shock. Not necessarily at my own actions, but the fact that they had been received so well. I had called him earlier; leaving a curt message, an address and time, on his voicemail. I doubt he even realized I had gotten his cell phone number.

It was right across from where my job that day had been, a discrete love hotel surrounded by many high-power corporate office buildings.

I walked out of the Yotayo office complex at exactly a minute past the meeting time. And he looked up from his cigarette, across the street, and smiled.

I'm so glad that you decided to come

I smiled back, a slight, satisfied upturn of my lips as I nodded to him, heading for the crosswalk. I could feel the smirk as he watched me.

When I finally reached him, he offered the cigarette to me and I took it, inhaling deeply.

"You're late."

I shrugged, sighing and exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Job ran a bit over."

"Oh?" He accepted the cigarette back, taking a quick drag before flicking it out into the street.

I watched the ash spark under a car as it sped by. "Mn. A particularly troublesome nikugaki."

He nodded and placed a hand on my back, applying light pressure, steering me into the hotel. "I'm sorry to hear that."

We went on with polite, light conversation until the door was locked behind us. The room was nothing special, a rather dingy room with a sagging, overused bed. It didn't matter.

His lips found mine with bruising force, and I couldn't help laughing into his mouth as he pushed me up against the wall, ripping at my clothes almost desperately, pulling my heavy coat from my shoulders, yanking my turtleneck over my head.

I pulled at his tie slower, not because I was any less eager than he, but because I wanted to enjoy him like this. Forceful, wild... he was walking the line of control. I wondered when he had relaxed that much around me.

Or maybe, I thought with a smile as I unbuttoned his shirt, licking into the hollow of his neck, he still didn't understand that I knew he needed me.

He grabbed my wrists, pulling me with him to the bed, sitting on the edge as I straddled him, kissing him deeply. He kept my wrists imprisoned, a gesture of control. I almost didn't notice him tugging off the tie that hung undone around his neck until it was firmly bound around my wrists.

I broke the kiss growling slightly, testing the strength of the knot. He just smirked, leaning in to bite at my bottom lip almost painfully.

Careless. Letting him get the upper hand in the bedroom wouldn't serve my purposes. I hissed under my breath, kissing him savagely, pushing him back with my mouth. He leaned back on an elbow, threading fingers into my hair, letting me take possession of the kiss.

It was an interesting contrast, one that, after a moment of hesitation, I let myself sink into; the firm, steadying grip on my arm - soft, yielding lips under mine. A new game, I guessed... a thin illusion of gentleness.

Different again; it was almost like making love this time. It irritated me a bit, how he was always changing how the game was played. Was he trying to tell me something? Giving me nominal control, but keeping me bound... it was something I would tuck away, turn over in my mind later.

Eventually his hands sought my wrists, pulling the knot gently free. Raising my hands to his lips, he smoothed any slight abrasions with his lips and then pulled me down to lay on top of him.

I turned my head, pressing a kiss to his breastbone. His hand brushed my cheek and I almost unconsciously leaned into the caress, letting myself just enjoy the touch for the moment.

It was a relief not having to pretend with him anymore. He already knew, or guessed, or even assumed the truth of my feelings. He always had, and assumed that it made me weak.

He was wrong, though. I still loved him, yes. But I also hated him, and somehow the two had melded, became the same emotion.

I loved him. And I would destroy him.

I caught his hand, letting my lips trail to his wrist, seeking out the pulse, nipping at it, tracing his vein with my tongue.

Unlike Seishirou, I wouldn't make the mistake of leaving my prey alive, I decided, smiling up at him wickedly.

It was then that I felt it. That slight thrill along my nerves that I had come to associate with Kamui in danger. I let Seishirou's hand drop with a disappointed sigh.

"Duty calls." I slid off the bed, gathering my clothes, pulling them on piece by piece, unhurriedly.

He chuckled, watching me, not bothering to get up. "I didn't think duty mattered so much to you still, Subaru."

I paused, thinking that over as I pulled on my coat. Slipping out my cigarettes, lighting one, I shook my head. "I think you underestimate me, Seishirou."

With a soft laugh, he held out his hand. I smiled, lighting another one and handing it to him.

"I'll see you later."

When I got down to the street, I closed my eyes, concentrating to pinpoint the source of that light tugging on my nerves.

He had been close, just a few blocks away. I stood unnoticed on the ledge of the tilting building watching Fuuma lower Kamui to the ground, dark bruises already forming on the boy's neck, barely visible under the blood that was liberally splattered over both.

I flicked my forgotten cigarette away, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a handful of ofuda, sending several in a quick attack that I knew would be intercepted.

"Let go of Kamui."

I jumped down, over the railing. Looked past the one who intercepted my attack, to get an idea of how badly Kamui was injured. And my breath caught.

"You came to save him, Dragon of Heaven."

I studied him for a moment, feeling a slight shock of recognition. His smile and Seishirou's... they were the same. And it intrigued me.

I nodded once, bowing my head, holding out my hands and building the kekkai around us.

He looked up, smiling faintly. "So, you set up a kekkai. To leave here... the quickest way would be to kill you." He leveled me with an appraising look, then leaned down to nuzzle Kamui's forehead, saying something I couldn't quite catch, before shoving him at his lackey, turning to face me.

His attack was quick, powerful, and I couldn't do much but dodge quickly, keeping an eye on him, trying to gauge where he would aim next.

I could hear Kamui calling, screaming our names in a futile attempt to stop us. I didn't look at him; concentrating instead on the fight, leading Fuuma in a deliberate pattern.

"Do you just plan on running with no counter-attack in mind?" His voice behind me was amused, triumphant, and I smiled to myself, turning to face him, activating the ofuda that I had placed while he thought I was running.

He stopped as the shield rose around him, trapping him. Smiled at me, and was it my imagination, or was there just a bit of appreciation in that smile? "...I see. You were planning this trap."

I watched him, pausing for a moment, trying to figure out how I was going to be able to hold him -and- defeat the other one, who was guarding Kamui.

"If you don't concentrate your kekkai is going to rip, Subaru-kun." The mocking words came seconds before the shield shattered, magic ripping back into me and sending me stumbling back, opening several shallow cuts.

His kick caught me off balance, sprawling to the ground, knocking the air out of my chest. Before I knew what was happening, his hand was fisted painfully in my hair, pulling me up to my knees, and he was smiling down at me.

"What are you thinking?" He ran a finger down my cheek, to my neck, and I suppressed a slight shiver, struck again by that strange pull of memory.

I tilted my head, wincing a bit at the pull in my hair. Paused, considering him. "You look like Seishirou."

He slid his hand around my neck asking, curiously, "Does it bother you?"

I shrugged slightly. "No."

He chuckled, tightening his hand just a bit, and I reached up to grip his wrist more out of reflex than anything else.

"Perhaps it is because you want me to, Subaru-kun."

He turned his head to the side, staring at me for a long moment. I didn't move.

He laughed suddenly, a startlingly light, innocent sound, and then clenched his hand, shutting off the flow of blood and air - surprisingly carefully. My eyes widened a bit, realizing that he didn't mean to kill me.

Kamui's screams faded out. Had I even really heard them? He leaned closer to me, lips almost brushing my cheek, speaking quietly as the world started fading around us.

"We'll see each other again, Subaru."