(A/n: Please enjoy)
Chapter 7: I'm Always Here For You
Outside stands a lone figure, using the roof of the breezeway as shelter from the pounding rain. Over time, the clouds had darkened. Across from them is a garden, the vast diversity of flowers belong to a teacher, but some students have been nice enough to tend to them from time to time. All of the plants seem ordinary, quite a few are while the majority were grown with the use of magic and that alone keeps them healthy. The rest are poisonous, but are only harmful towards bugs.
A cluster of bi-colored flowers are in the center of Kyle's inattentive gaze, his lime-green eyes not containing their usual shine, matching the clouds above. He doesn't know how long he's been out here for, but knows that he's missing Gym class. Normally he would panic if this was the case, though him skipping class happened very rarely. He's a punctual vampire unlike most. But at this very moment, he feels empty, not even the soothing rainfall and the soft occasional breeze have been able to change his mood.
His face morphing in concentration, Kyle tries to recall his reason for being out here suddenly or at least the events that transpired minutes ago. Only to draw an instant blank. The attempt leaves a numbing buzz in his head, and he shakes it with a pained groan. At least he's familiar with this uncomfortable feeling, entailing that him and his 'alter-ego' had swapped places momentarily.
"How about I refresh your memory,"the voice offers.
When Kyle came to, he found himself still inside the pit of his subconsciousness, along with his 'alter-ego'. Kyle glared into the other redhead's blood red eyes, causing his long-haired lookalike to chuckle. His scowl only intensified the more he laughed.
"Tell me why you decided now of all times to do that," Kyle demanded angrily. The red-eyed vampire paused mid-laugh, then sighed. It was a pseudo-annoyed sigh that made Kyle nearly pop a vein. "Answer me, Luke," he hissed.
Luke gave him a crooked grin. "You should know very well why I did that. I can't ever do that without a reason." A mischievous glint flickered in his eyes, Kyle glaring darkly at him at this point.
Full name Luke Marson was Kyle's twin brother, however he'd died at the young age of 10 years old.
They actually had a loving sibling relationship prior to his death, despite the favoritism from their parents. Kyle was the most loved in the family, Luke however, was not. And it was thanks to the color of his eyes. His were the only ones that were akin to blood while the others had different shades of green. Because of this, their father grew suspicious of the young boy and later accused his wife of cheating on him.
No matter how many times she tried to deny the blind accusation, Mr. Marson was hearing none of it. He left the house that same day with all of his belongings in tow. This happened when the boys were 4 years old. Since then, their mother was never the same, and eventually she started whoring herself around town with a depressed and unstable mind. It wasn't long until the proclaimed harlot's life came to an end, dying by the hands of one of her 'customers' one night. Her ashes were nowhere to be found, rumors spread that a human had killed her. The vampires residing in that city all vacated someplace else now that their identity had been discovered, all except Kyle and Luke.
Kyle remained by his twin's side ever since their parents' separation, promising him that they wouldn't end up like them. One day, their grandmother, Alois Marson, appeared before their doorstep. She was a burgundy-haired vampiress with seaweed green eyes, and she had a fairly young face. She'd decided to take the children in, but was very reluctant with Luke for she knew he was also the cause of her daughter's death. She'd already detested that bastard Mr. Marson, long before him and her daughter had gotten married. There was something about him she didn't like. Turned out her intuition of the man was right, how dare he thought of her sweet daughter as some slut. If she ever came across that no-good scumbag, she'll make him apologize to his wife in the afterlife.
During their stay with their grandmother - who lived in a different state - Kyle was still glued to Luke's side. Even when they'd turned 10 years old.
Every day, Luke blamed himself for what happened to their parents, Kyle was aware of that. So, every day Kyle would reassure him that he had no part in their feud, which slowly but surely put the other boy at ease.
It was one day in July that another tragedy befell the family of three.
Alois wanted to take her grandchildren out on a trip to Japan to view the fireworks festival during their Summer break. She grew to accept Luke for he wasn't a bad child, Kyle pretty much had to tell her himself for her to believe it. The young redheads were ecstatic to go out of the country. After packing up their things, they left the next day.
The vampire family surveyed their surroundings that bright and sunny day, Alois carried a solid-colored parasol over them to block out the sun as they searched for a hotel to lodge in. Japan's well-known Cherry Blossom trees were more beautiful in person, and they were vast. Everywhere they looked there was always a tree filled with pretty pink leaves. After awhile, they stopped before a colorful banner that towered over them, the words painted creatively in miscellaneous ink so as to not blend in with the background. The trio couldn't understand what it said, but had a hunch that it was related to the upcoming festival. Behind the banner were different sorts of decorations and stalls. The stalls were lined up side by side down a dirt path, some were currently being worked on while others were close to being done or were finished altogether.
Continuing on their way, only two out of the three appeared as normal mortals to those around them. Luke's abnormal colored eyes weren't easy to cover up, even under the shade of the umbrella. In fact, it made his eyes stand out more. When the citizens noticed him, most muttered while subtly pointing a finger at him, "Mite mite, ano shōnen wa akai me o shite iru" to their partner or friend. Those that were by themselves mumbled some obscenities of apprehension under their breath, but kept on walking.
Luke didn't have a clue as to what they were saying, but from their discreet staring and pointing he knew they were gossiping about him. A crowd soon formed around the vampires, the humans whispering to each other in Japanese about the red-eyed child, believing he's a demon. Alois wasn't taking their snide remarks directed at one of her grandchildren lightly, they'd say such malicious things towards a child? How despicable. She may not speak their language, but she knew this much and would be damned to let them talk about Luke any further.
"Shut up!"
The hushed voices went silent after Kyle's outburst, who's hugging his teary-eyed twin close, his lime-green eyes burning with hatred to a point where they seemed like they're glowing. He thought they would be able to enjoy themselves here until after the festival, but it seemed unlikely now. "You people don't know anything so you have no right to be mean to my brother!" Warm tears pricked at the corners of Kyle's eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Alois placed a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder before giving the flock of humans a glare of her own, majority flinching at the intensity in her seemingly darkening green orbs. She gently ushered the boys forward, the crowd soon dispersing though they still muttered about the boy as quietly as they could.
As the day gradually reached to a close, that afternoons incident plunged to the very depths of the peoples' minds.
Two days later, the first firework was shot into the air just as the sun had set. The sky wasn't fully dark, but that didn't stop the Japanese from starting the festival. Alois, Kyle, and Luke were sat together on one of the five benches placed not too close to the edge of a vast pond, along with a few other human - some accompanied as a family or as a couple. Soon, more people joined them for a closer and better view of the fireworks, although they steered clear of the family allegedly harboring a demon.
Alois was clad in a yukata, on her lap was a purse that came along with it. Kyle and Luke wore casual clothes, Kyle didn't want them looking like girls to the event even though their grandmother had told them that guys could wear them too and they even had masculine designs. Luke was interested, but Kyle still wasn't. Those clothes looked like dresses regardless of the designs.
Both Alois' yukata and bag were lavender-colored and were both decorated with white flower petals, a white obi was tied to fit comfortably and securely around her slim figure. She had bought them earlier that day. Rumors still floated around about a demon child being in her care, but she paid them no mind as she went into a store she thought sold traditional Japanese clothing by herself. She received skeptical stares and glances upon entering from the few people inside. With haste, she searched for something to wear for the fireworks festival, finding a beautiful yukata some minutes later with a small bag in a similar color tied to one of the sleeves. She then headed over to the cash register. The cashier's eyes held on to their uncertainty as he scanned the tag and told her the price. He didn't even bid her to have a pleasant time at the event tonight as she exited the store.
Once the sky had darkened, a constant flow of fireworks darted upwards and exploded in a variety of shapes and colors. Everyone watched the endless display in awe, however a figure in an all black hoodie, pants, and combat boots was observing the vampire family from afar. The person blended in ominously well with the darkness underneath a Sakura tree, only briefly seen when the multicolored illuminations flickered in the air.
"I'm hungry," Luke suddenly declared, his stomach grumbling after his declaration, but the booming sounds of the firecrackers drowned out the low rumble.
Clutching her purse, Alois stood up. "We'll go look for a food stand."
"You can stay here, grandma," Kyle said, him and his twin standing up as well. "I'll go with Luke."
Alois gave them a concerned frown. "After what happened two days ago, I don't think it's safe for you boys to be left alone. Luke especially."
Kyle frowned in return, she was right. It would be really dangerous for the three of them to separate from each other outside. "But I don't think anybody'll be paying too much attention to us cuz of the fireworks," Luke reasoned pointing at the sky.
Alois shook her head, already feeling that they're being stared at. "We don't know that for sure, and I'm not gonna risk it." She lowered her voice at her following set of words, "Even though we're vampires, we must never underestimate humans." Then she raised her voice back to normal volume, "Now let's hurry and get something to eat so we can come back." Nodding, Kyle and Luke followed their grandmother in search for a food stall. The individual in black moved from their spot under the tree.
Spotting one nearby based on the smell, the trio approached a food cart. It was mundane, which did not attract any customers at all despite the aroma they were giving off. The cardboard sign was dotted in vivid white lights, the kanji symbols were written in light blue marker. The young woman behind the wagon had brown hair pinned into a bun, there were two men preparing a selection of snacks behind her. She gave the three a friendly smile, only for it to instantly drop into a frown once she realized they were the infamous family.
"What do you guys have?" Alois asked disregarding her uneasiness. Standing on their toes, Kyle and Luke gaped at the men past the counter, who were preparing different sorts of food as if they were being rushed. Their movements were flawless.
The lady forced the smile back on her lips, telling them in English that they served okonomiyaki's (Which were pancakes containing a variety of ingredients), crepes, imagawayaki's (Which were stuffed, round-shaped pancakes that were traditionally filled with red bean paste, but could also have sweet flavors such as chocolate, vanilla custard, and green tea. Even cheese and curry were optional fillings), and taiyaki's (Which were fish-shaped cakes that were also normally filled with red bean paste, but could also have custard, chocolate, cheese, or even sweet potatoes).
"I want the imaga...mayaki thing," Luke ordered, not caring that he'd mispronounced the food of his choice.
Kyle laughed at his brother's mess up. "Luke, it's pronounced imagawayaki, there's no second 'm' in it, and I'll have the same thing." Luke stuck his tongue out at him in response.
Alois ordered two imagawayaki's, one with chocolate filling and the other with vanilla. She got a single strawberry crepe for herself. The lady shouted the orders behind her, then told Alois the price of their snacks. She gave the woman the right amount of yen, and their order came to them not two minutes later.
The brunette first handed them the two imagawayaki's that were placed inside wrappers, they emitted a candied fragrance and felt warm. Alois gave one to Kyle and the other to Luke, they each got four pieces. Then she took the crepe.
Wondering which flavor he'd gotten, Luke took a bite out of his snack. His red eyes lit up. "Wow! This is awesome!" He had gotten vanilla, and it was so delicious that he couldn't help but get another taste. Thinking he was overreacting, Kyle sampled one of his own rounded treats. Then the next thing he knew, he was taking more bites out of it until it was gone.
"You little munchkins are supposed to wait until we got back to our seat to eat," Alois scolded them with a playful smile. She was also very eager to try out her crepe, but wanted to savor the flavor while watching the fireworks.
"I told you I was hungry," Luke shrugged, just about finished with his snack. Alois rolled her eyes.
The brown-haired woman couldn't repress a giggle at the interaction, it was so innocent that she found it hard to believe that the boy with red eyes was evil. It's true that the color of the child's irises were frightening at first glance, but aside from that he was still just an ordinary human being. It hurt her heart to know that he's being seen as a monster for the unnatural defect. "Thank you, I'm really glad you two like them."
"Like?! I freakin' love this!" Luke beamed happily, eating his last imagawayaki. She giggled again, pleased.
The family turned to leave, but the lady quickly called out to them, stopping them. She seemed hesitant, not sure how to go about her apology. She frowned at them in honest guilt. "I'm terribly sorry about my behavior upon your arrival. I should've never trusted the hearsay that had spread around regarding you three. You all seem so nice." She looked at the boy named Luke. "People shouldn't assume your nature just because your eyes aren't normal. It's not fair to you at all, nor to your family." Stepping back a little and straightening her arms close to her sides, she bowed. "I would like to apologize on behalf of the people who said and probably even did things that they didn't mean to do. Not even fear is a justifiable excuse for their actions so I will completely understand if you choose not to forgive them. Me included."
Sensing her genuine remorse, Luke felt something in his chest, feeling an emotion he couldn't exactly describe. Kyle placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's...okay," Luke said softly, the lady stood upright. "I'm used to it."
"Eh? But even still-"
"Miss." Luke smiled at her, not a trace of forcefulness was seen in his grin. He had identified the indescribable warmth in his chest. "You're a very nice person yourself, no one has ever been this kind to me before. Well, except for my brother and grandma." Alois ruffled his hair while Kyle patted his shoulder, both affectionate.
A loud whistle drew their attention to the sky, interrupting the moment. A big firework had just been propelled into the air. Kyle and Luke cheered at the sparkling colors as did everyone else within the vicinity, the brunette still had her gaze on the young, red-eyed redhead. She turned her head to the men behind her, briefly ordering them to make something in Japanese before looking up.
Red, blue, green, yellow, and purple glints lingered in the sky for a few more seconds until they completely vanished. Everyone applauded the grand finale.
Tapping her shoulder, one of the men handed the brunette what she'd requested. She thanked him with a nod. "Umm, Luke-kun?" Said boy turned back to her, she handed him a fish-shaped wrapping. Taking it, the appetizing scent almost made him drool, eager to unwrap and eat it. "I want to give you this as a token of my apology from earlier. Something told me not to trust what the people said, but I did anyway. So, I hope you'll accept this free snack."
Luke's eyes brightened up at the lady's generosity, he'd only ever received gifts from Kyle and his grandmother. "Thank you very much, Miss!"
Smiling, she bowed her head. "You're welcome. My name is Fumi Takayashi by the way, sorry for the late introduction." She laughed bashfully.
Bidding her goodbye, the family began to walk to the hotel they've been staying in. Luke waved to Fumi as they left. "Thanks again, Ms. Takayaki!"
She laughed at her butchered last name, waving back. She then helped the two men pack up their materials, first turning off the lights.
Everyone was also closing down their food stands and other stalls, street lamps were turning on soon after. A full moon shone in the navy-blue sky, a few clouds were gradually drifting towards it.
The vampires were now walking on a cobblestone path. Suddenly, Alois came to a halt. Kyle and Luke stopped also, giving their grandmother a puzzled look that quickly altered into worry once they saw her tightly gripping her uneaten crepe.
Before them was a being shadowed in all dark attire, their hood concealing their face as they stood forebodingly in front of them not far away.
"I want the two of you to teleport to our room in the hotel," Alois said, vaguely knowing the individual's purpose for being here.
"What?! No way, we'll all return together," Kyle objected.
"Yeah," Luke nodded.
Alois gave them a small smile, dropping her crushed snack to the ground. "I can't. Someone has to distract that guy, and I refuse to let any one of you do it. Now go."
Shaking his head, Kyle latched onto her yukata. "No, we're not leaving without you," he nearly cried, his grip trembling. Luke looked toward the motionless figure, frowning anxiously.
Her lips descending into a frown, Alois caressed his curly hair. Before she could say anything else to her distressed grandson, she noticed Luke silently inching forward. His taiyaki laid discarded on the ground. "Luke, what the hell are you doing?! Get back here!" Her urgent plea was left unheard, he continued walking forward as if he was in a trance, his movement both slow and stiff.
Kyle looked to his twin with a sniffle, he hurried over to him grabbing him by the wrist, forcing him still. "Why are you walking towards him?! Are you crazy?!" Luke turned his head back, his eyes were a bone-chilling dark red, his pupils lost in the deep intensity of the color. The nails on his free hand slowly protruded, sharpening even. Startled by the drab look in his eyes, Kyle's hold on Luke started to weaken.
"L-Luke-"
"Let go of him!"
The attack was so sudden that he had no time to react to his grandmother's panicked exclaim. In one swift motion, Luke's sharp nails found themselves embedded into Kyle's right shoulder. Blood splattered out with a squelching sound.
Alois approached them and released Kyle's hand from Luke's wrist, then in that instant Luke tried to attack her. She caught his hand, but Luke thrust his other one towards her. She gritted her teeth as she nullified his second attempt, his claws scratching her a little on her palm. She looked into Luke's empty and corrupted eyes, then to the mysterious person up front. His eyes were suddenly a vibrant white.
"Bastard isn't human, meaning he's not a part of their organization," she thought. "So who the hell is he?" She directed her attention back to her grandson, pushing him away to create some distance between them. She looked at Kyle, whose appearance hadn't changed. He was still in a daze, but that's not what she's concerned about. "Why is he not healing?"
"Because he can't," Luke answered impassively as though he'd read her mind. "I stabbed him with my magic, rendering him unable to heal himself."
Alois gasped. "Magic?!" Children no older than fifteen were able to use magic although it's possible if one were to had undergone some special, intensive training. But Luke hadn't done that and he's only ten, so how...?
A deep, boisterous laugh resounded throughout the park, she glared at the source. The white-eyed being slowly advanced forward, in his hand was a pocketknife, its small blade gleaming dangerously from the bit of moonlight that's peeking out from the clouds. "I awakened his powers, Mrs. Alois Marson, since it seemed like you weren't going to figure that out any time soon. Sucks to be old, huh?" He stopped behind Luke, hovering the blade down to his throat. The boy didn't even flinch.
"Step away from him right now," Alois demanded sharply.
The male laughed again. "I'm afraid I can't do that, I'm here to complete a mission I was assigned to carry out." He inched the blade closer to pale, penetrable skin, producing a searing thin line of blood. Alois dashed towards the man. He blinked, his eyes now glowing blue. Alois abruptly found herself unable to move any further.
Luke's eyes reverted to their original color, his round pupils coming back to surface. He blinked thrice. "W-what...happened?" He recalled staring at a hooded figure, then all of a sudden their eyes shined. From there, he drew a blank. Groaning with his vision clearing, Luke noticed Kyle and his bleeding shoulder. Dread and confusion hit him. "Kyle?!" He tried to rush over to him, but his captor pushed the sharp metal closer to his throat, limiting him in place.
"Let Luke go!" Alois demanded again, a nervous drop of sweat trailing down her cheek.
The man shook his head, pushing the knife onto the boy's small wound to draw out more blood. Luke yelped. "I already told you I'm here to complete my mission, and I will fulfill it. He'll die by no other hands but mines."
Luke was horrified. He came here to kill him? W-why?! He hadn't done anything wrong! In the past and even now people wanted him dead, humans wanted him dead. No monster was supposed to be roaming about on this planet. He was constantly reminded of the fact each day at school, and was eventually kicked out for being a disruption to the learning institute.
He always wondered why he was born with such cursed eyes. Perhaps...God hated him, he was a vampire after all. Why would God care about the likes of him? Perhaps God wanted to see him suffer. Perhaps he was put on earth simply for God's amusement.
Tears, one by one, began to stream down Luke's cheeks. Maybe he should die. The thought crossed his mind plenty times before, that if he was gone Kyle and his grandmother could live happy, peaceful lives. He'd already plagued them enough just by being born so the least he could do was uplift that burden, it could be his way of repaying them for all of the hardships they had endured because of his existence.
"..." Luke's eyes once again dulled in color.
"Ah, so you're finally realizing how much of a nuisance you are, Luke Marson?" The male asked, sensing his inner turmoil. He pressed the blade deeper into the boy's neck, droplets of blood and tears creating small splashes on the cobblestone walkway. "You finally understand that if you were to die right now, you would be doing these two a huge favor? They'll finally be able to live a life where no one will tell them that they have a demon in their family."
"Shut the hell up!" Alois hollered. "That's not true! Don't listen to him, Luke!" She clenched her teeth tightly at this bastard's nonsense. She tried to move, but it was futile. This guy's magic was strong! "Get the hell away from him, damn you!" She would not forgive herself if Luke was to die here right in front of her. It would weigh heavily on not just her conscious, but Kyle's as well. She must prevent that from happening.
"Ehhh, I think I've drawn this out long enough. All your screeching will attract unwanted attention. You can thank me in Hell, Little Luke."
Luke slid his eyes closed, ready for his life to end.
"NO! DON'T!" Alois screamed, but it fell upon deaf ears. Except Kyle's. Her desperate cry snapped him out of his blank stupor, witnessing his brother's neck getting sliced open just in time. Blood sprayed out of the wound like a burst water pipe. Stepping away with a nefarious chuckle, the man's eyes faded into the depths of his hood as he disappeared.
Luke dropped to the ground with a hard thud. Alois rushed over to him once she was no longer under their attacker's restriction spell. Kyle stood there petrified, gaping at his twin. "Luke...Goddamn it..." He heard his grandmother swear, setting Luke up on her lap.
Blood trickled out from the boy's agape mouth and neck, the constant flow of blood blocking his airway. Kyle ambled sluggishly over to his dying brother, why did this happen? Why Luke? He lost his mother, his father, and now he was going to lose his brother. It's just not fair!
He knelt down beside Luke, taking his already cold hand into his own. "Luke...please don't die...don't leave me," Kyle wept. He felt something twitch against his palm, then, Luke's eyes drooped closed, his body going limp in his grandmother's arms. "Ngh..." With a choked sob, Kyle squeezed Luke's hand. He raised his other hand up to his wounded shoulder, burying his head on Luke's still and bloodied chest.
Kyle and his grandmother cried silently.
*Two Months Later- Early September (Luke's Funeral)*
Kyle and Alois stood before Luke's grave, both still grieving for the young redhead. They wore black clothing. Kyle's shoulder had healed last month, but the devastation of Luke's death made the healing process slow. The sky was a cloudy grey, not one droplet of rain had fallen, just like not one tear had fell from Kyle's dull eyes as he stared at the gravestone behind his grandmother's backyard.
Both the stone and the words carved on it were done by Alois.
Luke Marson: Born May 26, 19xx - Died July 12, 19xx
May He Rest In Peace. He Will Be Deeply Missed By Kyle Marson And Alois Marson: His Twin Brother And Grandmother.
They were the only ones who attended Luke's funeral so it wasn't anything grand, but they were sure Luke greatly appreciated their company and efforts. There was a rumble of thunder in the distance, but still not a drop of rain. Neither Kyle nor Alois had said a word as they stood in front of the grave, having no motivation to utter not one syllable.
After a few minutes, thunder sounded again, a bit closer this time. Kyle felt something land atop of his curly head, his shoulders reacting with a brief twitch. Rain slowly pelted the earth, the tenuous pitter-patter overlapping the wistful silence. A gust of wind followed, albeit it wasn't strong, the Autumn air was starting to kick in.
"...Grandma?" Kyle murmured.
"Yes, sweetie?" She replied softly.
Kyle said nothing for a moment, unsure why he'd suddenly called her. His mind must be number than he'd thought, but not his mouth apparently because before he knew it, he spoke again. "Do you think...Luke is happy? Happy to finally be free from this cruel world?"
Alois took his hand into hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm not sure. He lived a harsh life, but he had us to rely on. Yes, I bore a deep hatred towards him in the beginning, but now that's just directed towards your father. Thanks to you, I saw Luke in a better light. It was foolish of me to even think he was a cursed son of my daughter, and it will be one of the biggest regrets of my life. So, perhaps..." She frowned deeply, her eyes brimming with tears. "Perhaps he is happy, maybe our support wasn't enough..."
The raindrops began to come down faster while the wind maintained its light breeze, thunder shook the earth one last time. Such weather did not deter the two as they continued to lament Luke, they weren't even aware that two hours had past ever since they'd buried the boy's ashes, which had been contained in an urn.
"S-so...I wasn't a good enough brother to him?" Kyle squeezed his grandmother's hand back, but in frustration. He was frustrated at himself. If he had of protected Luke better, then he wouldn't have welcomed death so willingly. If he were stronger, his twin would've depended on him a lot more, would've looked up to him even. Such thoughts tormented his mind every day ever since they'd departed from Japan, he'd never gotten any sleep because of both the regretful thoughts and visions that haunted him. Visions of an unattainable future.
When the one time he did, however, he had a nightmare. He had it three days ago while he was sleeping in his grandmother's bedroom.
It was the night of the fireworks festival. The dark sky was flooded with numerous colors each time a firework was shot into the air. Both him and Luke were sat on the edge of the grass by a small pond, Alois wasn't with them but the twins weren't aware of her absence as they beamed at the brilliant colors that illuminated the sky.
"I'm hungry," Luke said a minute later. And that's when the twins took notice of their missing grandmother.
Kyle shuddered as a set of uneasy chills coursed through his frame. He looked around, seeing not one person in sight. In fact, there was nothing. It was just them on a land that appeared to be isolated from the world.
Both redheads stood up, Kyle seizing Luke's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. It was more of a comfort action for himself, making sure Luke was actually here beside him. But it was also to let Luke know that he was here himself.
Kyle glanced upwards, the fireworks had ceased a short while ago. Enveloping the whole space in dark silence. He heard his twin whimper nervously. Kyle wanted to tell him that everything would be okay, and that he would protect him...but he couldn't find his voice. Not only that, but he also found himself unable to move. Fear struck him hard. Shortly after, he suddenly felt the nonappearance of Luke. He didn't even notice when his hand had left his grasp.
His fear escalating at the realization, Kyle tried to call out his brother's name. But all that left his throat was a breath.
"K-KYLE! HELP!"
Luke's terrified plea greatly startled and terrified him. In that split second, blood splattered onto the grass right before his bare feet. Next came a thud followed by evil laughter, then absolute quietude.
Kyle was frozen stiff, the darkness all around seemed to had expanded. The dark red fluid slowly made it's way closer to Kyle's feet, prompting him to move one of his legs. Step by step, he crept past the blood towards the body. It didn't take long for him to come across it, their lower half swallowed by the shadows. He stopped, eying the deep laceration done to their throat.
Quivering hands went up to Kyle's horror-stricken face. He held eye contact with the corpse's lifeless crimson eyes.
"LUKE!" Kyle cried jolting awake. His sudden cry awoke Alois with a start, seeing Kyle shaking and crying heavily beside her. She embraced him, whispering soothing words to him that he did not hear.
Only Luke's cry for help reverberated loudly in his head.
"Kyle, are you okay?" His grandmother's caring query brought him out of his flashback.
Numbly, Kyle nodded his head, afraid to speak for the woman might detect the shakiness in his voice. The maroon-haired vampiress frowned at her only grandchild, she didn't believe him but opted not to push him for a truthful answer. "C'mon, let's head back inside. We can catch a cold if we stay out in the rain for too long."
They walked away from the grave, Kyle trudging along like a wandering zombie. He glanced back at the gravel gravestone one last time before entering the abode, his grandmother slid the door shut.
Kyle went down a hall to what was once his and Luke's bedroom, Alois' eyes following him with a sad gleam until he went inside. She felt terribly bad for being so straightforward, but it was far too late for her to change her response to his questions. Even if she had, the words wouldn't had held any sincerity in them. But she at least soothed the boy's guilt, telling him that he did his utmost best to protect Luke all the way until the end. However, at that time, her words didn't reach Kyle's ears.
Alois balled her hands into fists at her sides, she'd lost two family members dear to her, and could do nothing to prevent neither deaths from happening. "Some guardian I am...I'm such a failure..." With a bitter small smile, the tears spilled from her eyes.
In Kyle's bedroom, the little redhead curled up on his bed in dry, new clothes. His hair was still damp, but he didn't care, he didn't care about anything right now. He turned towards the window, the rain beating down against it relentlessly. From the swaying green leaved tree, the wind was still blowing mildly. There hadn't been anymore thunder, much to Kyle's liking.
As he stared at the soaked glass, he began to feel weary. He willed himself to stay awake, but fatigue, sadness, and the calming sound of the rainfall overpowered him and blackness welcomed him.
/
In a sea of darkness, a person stood in the distance.
Curious, Kyle walked over to them, his footsteps soundless. It was a surprisingly short trek considering how far the person was prior, he closed the gap by taking five more steps. Now that he's closer, the unidentifiable individual turned out to be a familiar with smooth red hair, their back was facing him.
Kyle widened his eyes apprehensively, he hoped this wasn't another nightmare, he couldn't handle a second one. Not now...
He stared at the back of the child's head, the silence was deafening. It's a couple seconds later that the boy began to move, turning around teasingly slowly. Kyle felt himself trembling with anticipation, lime-green eyes soon meeting the all too familiar blood red. The only difference was that the pupils were thin. Something vampires developed in their eyes at the starting age of 15 years old.
"L-Luke?" Kyle called out in a quivering voice. He took a step forward, Luke doing the same.
"Yeah...it's me, Kyle," his twin answered forcing a smile.
Kyle tackled him into a hug, wetting his shoulder with tears. "L-Luke, I-I miss you...I miss you so much it hurts," Kyle sobbed.
Luke hugged him back, feeling his own orbs welling with the salty liquid, but kept them at bay. "I miss you too, you and grandma. But Kyle, I have some good news." He felt Kyle stiffen, he separated showing his bewildered brother an elated smile.
"G-good...news?" Kyle tried not to get his hopes up. Luke was probably going to tell him that he was enjoying the afterlife, and just wanted to reassure him on the matter. The unspoken confession doubled his sadness. Lowering his gaze so that his red bangs covered his eyes, he missed Luke frowning at him in quizzical concern.
"What's wrong?" Luke got the suspicion that Kyle was upset about something. Could it be that he didn't want to hear what he had to say? Perhaps now really wasn't the appropriate time... "S-sorry."
Kyle lifted his head, still crying quietly. "For what?"
Luke deepened his frown. "You guys are still mourning for me, yet I say something like that to you. It's not right."
Kyle eyed him for a moment before shaking his head. "No, it's fine. I...I'm just happy to see you again, that this i-isn't a nightmare." He shuddered, remembering the vivid image of Luke's corpse. "Besides, I'm the one who's sorry."
Luke regarded him in resurfacing bemusement. "What do you mean?"
Kyle shook his head once again. "Nothing. What's the good news?"
The other boy frowned but didn't push for an answer, he would know what was troubling his twin another day. His lips curled into a small smile. "I'm being given a second chance to live."
Kyle blinked, dried his eyes then opened them looking at Luke incredulously. "A second chance? But...I thought you were glad to finally leave this stupid world."
"And what the heck gave you that idea?"
Kyle appeared taken aback by Luke's hurtful and angry tone and expression. "W-well, cuz you were always being bullied and called names..."
Luke's face instantly dropped, he hugged his left arm. "That...is true, but it's thanks to you and grandma that I put up with all of that. And believe it or not, sometimes I'd gotten revenge," he grinned momentarily, frowning again. "How can I be glad about being dead?"
Kyle felt immensely contrite, guess he didn't know his own twin like he thought he did. "I'm sorry..."
Luke's face softened. "It's okay, I'm not mad at you. It just made me sad that you would think that I actually wanted to die." As he paused averting his gaze, Kyle observed the remorseful scowl developing on his face. But it only lasted for a mere few seconds, then he looked back into his lime-green eyes. "I wanted to be with you guys forever. Thankfully, I can...but with a catch."
Of course, good things must always come with a price. "And what would that be?" Kyle tensed when he saw his twin grip his arm tightly, his eyes casting down to the pitch-black ground. Kyle waited both patiently and impatiently for his reply, his anxiety increasing with each passing second of silence.
Several more seconds went by, Luke releasing a troubled breath while lessening his pressure on his arm. He looked up at Kyle again with hesitation evident in his eyes. "Before I tell you, please tell me you'll accept it? No matter what."
Now it was Kyle's turn to become hesitant, what could the price possibly be for him to answer this with caution? He stared into Luke's eyes, they were contradicting his words, practically begging him not to accept the unknown condition. "If you were given a second chance to come back to us, then...I'll help in any way I can."
Luke looked visibly displeased with his resolute response, knowing that he only agreed because he would be given another opportunity to look after him, not that Luke found it annoying or anything. He recalled being called a wimp and a pussy for always letting his brother handle his battles for him in school, there were other foul insults spat at him, but those two were commonly said to him. Luke always proved those lowlife bullies wrong in the end.
"You know you can't go back on your word, right?" Kyle nodded. He wasn't planning on doing that in the first place. This time, he'll protect Luke with his own life if need be. Noticing his stubborn determination, Luke smiled faintly. "Well, the catch is...me living inside your body, Kyle. You and I will become one."
"When did you change, Luke?"
"...What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Kyle frowned, appearing heartbroken. The rarely shown expression caught the other redhead off guard. "What happened to the Luke I used to know back when we were kids? Where and when did I go wrong?" Tears stung the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall.
Luke frowned blankly at his doleful twin. He had an inkling as to how and why his personality had begun to change, however he couldn't tell Kyle. He didn't know if he ever would. It would surely snap the thin thread of their brothership that was struggling to stay connected. The two had each other's back throughout the years, having no choice really since they shared this one body, taking turns from time to time. But they were family, it's only natural that they stuck up for each other. But Luke wasn't the only one who had changed.
"I should ask you the same thing, Kyle. You've been changing too, ever since you became friends with Kenny. Somewhere along the line you began to act cold to almost everyone around you."
Kyle furrowed his eyebrows, thoroughly confused. "I have?" He honestly couldn't recall such a thing happening to him, not negatively at least.
He'd met Kenny when he had returned to school the next week after Luke's funeral, the 10 year old blonde was still considered new since he'd started attending there on the last week in August. Kyle was still mourning his sibling at that time.
News about Luke's death had spread fast, and Kyle was instantly flooded with questions and mean comments.
"Finally glad that loser's gone, huh?"
"That freak had what was coming to him. Now I can finally sleep at night without any nightmares about him."
"Where'd you guys bury him? In a ditch or in a river?"
Kyle tried his hardest to ignore the crude negativity, Luke trying to calm him down but was only angering him more. He didn't understand why Luke wasn't pissed off at what these heartless humans were saying about him, even the teacher had the nerve to badmouth him yet Luke remained unfazed.
Minutes ticked on with Kyle constantly being pampered with rude remarks and questions from his classmates, their teacher chiming in a few times. He felt about ready to explode when-
"What the heck is wrong with you people?! How can you say such hurtful crap about someone who's dead?!"
All eyes, Kyle's included, turned to an irate Kenny by a row of widespread windows. He had leapt out of his chair glaring disappointingly at everyone in the classroom. Someone stifled a laugh, further fueling Kenny's anger and he directed his scowl towards that child alone. The boy had short black hair and matching colored eyes. "I don't know why you're gettin' so worked up, you only just moved here so you didn't know that thing like we did."
"Yeah, that's right!"
"He was a monster!"
"So what?! It's still wrong to talk about him like that. Just what did he do to you guys anyway for you to hate him so much?" Kenny inquired.
"It isn't about what he did, it was the way he looked," the little noirette corrected. "He had red eyes and red hair, that doesn't scream monster or demon to you?"
Kyle clenched his fists on his lap, Luke once again talking him into not getting involved. Kenny glowered at the boy a moment longer before looking away and sitting back down in his seat. "Whatever," he muttered, putting an elbow on his desk then his cheek against his palm. He'd already knew humans were selfish and uncaring, mostly the adults so he didn't expect children to fall into the same categories. Though now he knew.
Lunchtime came quicker than usual, much to Kyle's relief. He felt lightheaded from all of the pent-up anger he had to suppress half the day. He was heading to the nurses office, hoping he could rest there until school was over, but a voice called out to him.
"Oi! Hold on a sec!"
Stopping, Kyle turned around to see the blonde from his first class jogging up to him, grinning for some reason. "Hey, I remember seeing you this morning. My name's Kenneth McCormick, but you can call me Kenny." He flashed him a toothy grin as he extended out a hand for Kyle to shake, the redhead staring at his hand before slowly stretching out his own to shake it.
"Kyle Marson." They let go.
"Mind if I call ya Ky?!" Kenny asked a bit too giddily. "Oh! Or how about reds?!" Kyle eyed him raising an eyebrow. Kenny scratched the back of his head, chuckling sheepishly. "Yeah, I know I'm being kinda weird, but I wanna be your friend so how 'bout it?"
Kyle frowned, causing Kenny to slowly do the same. "Sorry, but I don't think we can."
"Is it because you're not human?"
Kyle's eyes widened, but he hurriedly reduced them back to normal size. "W-what? Of course, I am." He's so glad that no humans were around to had heard that, this child was careless.
"Liiiaar~" Kenny teased. Kyle wanted to flee, was he going to report him? "Relax, I'm not human either so you don't have to fret about us not becoming friends cuz you're a vampire and I'm not."
Kyle wasn't sure if he should be happy or skeptical of this kid, what reason could he have for wanting to be his friend anyway? "I see, well I guess we can be friends."
Kenny beamed at his acceptance, thinking approaching the redhead would be difficult with how he acted earlier this morning. He was actually very scared to interact with him at all, he'd looked about ready to kill every single human in that classroom. Kenny grabbed Kyle's hand, pulling him into walking. "So, that means I can call ya reds then?"
Kyle cringed a little. "Ky sounds better." For some very odd reason, he didn't feel all that tired anymore. "Can I call you Ken?"
"Sure!"
Kyle smiled at his enthusiasm. "Also, thanks for sticking up for my brother earlier, no one's ever done that before." No wonder he didn't back down, he'd figured Kenny thought they were just making stuff up about Luke, but he turned out to be a vampire himself all along.
Kenny started swinging their arms back and forth. "It's no problem. I couldn't just sit there and let them disrespect your bro like that any longer." He stopped moving their arms. "Um, you're not hungry, are you?" Kyle shook his head, he seldom ate any food. He preferred to drink blood to keep him energized and sated. Kenny turned them around, walking back the way they came but to the playground. He resumed swinging their arms. "Good, cuz I hate eating in there. Way too crowded, messy, and noisy."
The two of them slowly grew closer to one another, sticking with each other throughout their progression in elementary and middle school. But Kyle not once told Kenny of his and Luke's internal/eternal link. Not even to this day.
Kyle frowned after his recollection of the past. His 'change' certainly didn't start when they were in elementary. "I'm still me. I've never changed."
Luke sighed, not wanting to argue any longer. He neared and pulled Kyle into a hug, startling him. "You can deny it all you want, but you know that the both of us aren't like who we used to be anymore." Kyle said nothing, not even hugging his twin back, albeit he wanted to. His arms refused to move. "I love you Kyle, and I hope you know that I'm always here for you. I apologize for what I did just now in the infirmary, I hope you can forgive me."
Still saying nothing, Kyle finally raised his arms, wrapping them around Luke's waist just as he began to regain consciousness.
(A/n: I hope you enjoyed)