"Shared Blood and Its Required Payment: Reprise" by SeelieSpright

Word Count: 1,786

Pairing: Ichijo and Rido

Content: Contains mature and graphic smut, non-consentual sex, and physical abuse

For those of you who still wanted more after Ichiru and Rido got it on, I give you Rido and Ichijo Takuma – the most screwed up pairing ever.

Caveat: The characters are not my own, and belong solely to Hino Matsuri; and she'd never be so cruel to them anyway.

Time: Immediately after Part V

Ichijo left Rido's room in relief, retiring to his own rooms and pacing back and forth. He had not seen Kaname in weeks, having been forced to go to his grandfather and then to accompany Rido back to Cross Academy. That had been the worst trip he had ever taken, as it was the ultimate betrayal of Kaname to bring Rido, his uncle, to the Academy where Kaname's pureblood sister now lay in considerable danger. It had already been bad enough that Ichijo had made the decision to endanger a human Yuuki and now his sin was compounded because she was a pureblood and sister to Kaname. Ichijo remained fixated on that because nothing was particularly important to him save Kaname and their friendship – almost, brotherhood, although Ichijo would never presume to claim so. Ichijo had grown up knowing his family's loyalty to the Senate and that one day, he would inherit the role of his dreadful grandfather. He had hoped to evade the Senate and remain with Kaname, but it seemed that his family situation made it impossible. Shiki too had been unwillingly dragged into it and his body was now under the control of the power-hungry Rido. Ichijo was profoundly torn between his duty to his family and Senate and his love for Kaname and the desire of his heart to keep Kaname free form the Senate's manipulative politicking. But they seemed to be impossible to avoid. They already killed Kaname and Yuuki's parents those many years back under Rido, and now Rido was back in the body of Shiki to complete the work he had begun.

After their encounter, Ichijo knew that Kaname must hate him and that was the worst part of this situation. Above all, Ichijo wanted to go nothing that could hurt Kaname or make him suffer. But he was bound to serve Rido, and daren't leave his side or there would be no one to minimize the collateral damage Rido would cause. He had almost killed Shiki's best friend and love. Then Kaname almost destroyed Shiki and his body along with Rido. Ichijo wanted Rido gone, but not at the expense of anyone's life. Kaname now did not seem concerned with that nor anything but assuring Yuuki's safety. Now she had been awakened; and who knew what power and danger with her? Would Yuuki become as dangerous a foe as Kaname or would she be taken by Rido before she could fully grasp the extent of her powers. Ichijo imagined that Kaname would do all that he could to keep Yuuki out of the fight and would take on Rido himself. Ichijo did not know how to be rid of Rido, and suspected that even killing him in Shiki's body would not destroy Rido utterly. After all, he had survived all of these years in the ruined body Kaname had left those ten years ago after their first battle. Ichijo's agitation only increased as all of the possibilities of escaping suffering and death seemed to blow away to ash, leaving only an impending final doom, a destruction of the peace and resumption of the wars between vampires, with humans as pawns before then. Vampire hunters now too were other contenders, and Ichijo was sure that Yagami Toga would soon return if he had not already, and that others would come. For all he knew, Cross might take up arms again, supporting the purebloods where his alliance really lay. Ichijo knew that Cross was connected to the Kuran family intimately and now even more so after raising their princess as his daughter for these past ten years. How Ichijo wished he could go back to those days spent with Kaname and their visits to Yuuki when Ichijo would sit and watch from the car. It had become more and more difficult for Kaname to depart as the years went on and now Ichijo knew why.

"Your sentimentality is making me ill," Rido said from behind him and Ichijo jumped and turned, "I know how you feel about me, but fortunately for me or perhaps more conveniently for me, you are bound by your grandfather's will. But I wonder if it will stretch enough to compel you to let Kaname die. Ah," Rido said, "I bet you have been counting on Kaname defeating me so that you can go back to your comfortable little lives pretending to be and behaving like humans, and lacking any of your pride as vampires. You seem to be the worst," Rido said, "cavorting about during the day and displaying none of the reserve appropriate to your station. You have become complaisant in your lack of responsibility. I shall have to be sure that your grandfather more closely supervises you after this is finished."

"Oh," Ichijo said, "so confident are you? I think, Ridosama – or should I say Kuran-o – that you underestimate your nephew's powers and craft."

Rido was upon Ichijo at once, slamming him into the wall and closing his fingers about Ichijo's neck as he lifted Ichijo up with one arm. Ichijo kicked weakly and clawed at Rido's hand with his two. His eyes were wide and full of the fear that Rido desired he be regarded. Rido released Ichijo and Ichijo collapsed in a heap against the wall.

"Do not bare your fangs at me, Takumakun. You haven't the courage nor the power to back up any threats and I shan't brook your insolence."

Ichijo began laughing at the back of his throat as Rido stood over him. His laughing got louder and uncontrollable as he struggled to his feet and then looked up.

"Kill me then and be done with it. Kaname will kill you to protect his betrothed sister, and I shall be revenged, despite the fact that he hates me and wouldn't do it for me. I am sick of it all my grandfather and you. You'll finally be gone and my grandfather will all-too-soon die or be killed and your precious Senate will collapse. Let the vampire wars be renewed for all I care, because I know that even if Kaname is killed and this academy razed, and the humans here slaughtered or turned into Level E warriors, those following Kaname's philosophy will eventually triumph and your regime will crumble. I will be laughing in the after life as I watch Aido and Kain kill you if Kaname fails."

Rido slashed across Ichijo's face, cutting his skin in three long gashes. Ichijo was stunned and Rido quickly thrust him against the wall again and licked up the blood running down Ichijo's cheek. The wounds closed almost immediately and Ichijo's face healed, but colour had risen to his cheeks and he no longer wore the sarcastic smirk he had retained through his speech.

"You are completely barbaric," Ichijo breathed, "not an ounce of humanity, love, or concern for any other. I can sense it. I can see your character now clearly, although before I could not. Perhaps it was because I had not sunk low enough into a despairing attitude. There is nothing in you but malice and hunger to consume and destroy everyone and everything you encounter. You have a miserable and pointless existence and –"

But Rido did not allow him to finish.

"I should sew your mouth shut or cut on you until you learn your place. I don't think to kill you because you would like that release from concern, a return to the way you have been living until now."

Rido grinned at Ichijo in a way that made the boy shiver. Ichijo had never seen someone so frightening before and wished he could return to his state of innocent naivety with which he opposed Rido previously. He daren't speak now. Rido didn't seem interested in bandying further with words, but seized Ichijo and shoved him across the room so hard that Ichijo stumbled and smacked his head against the wooden bedpost. His vision went black for a moment and then remained clouded with black dots as Rido came up behind him. Rido yanked Ichijo's head back by his hair and whispered in his ear, "Now I am going to show you your place."

Takuma lost control of his body then and began shaking uncontrollably. He felt the cutting wires of Shiki's power wrap around his hands as they also bound his legs to the bedpost. Rido tore the shirt off of his back, leaving vertical gashes in his back. Immediately after, Ichijo felt the sting of Shiki's wires as they smacked his back like a whip. Rido was laughing a mad laugh as he continued lashing Ichijo's back. After forty lashes, he released a broken and crying Ichijo from his bounds and threw him face down on the bed. Just as Ichijo began to stir, Rido mounted the bed and pressed his fingers into the cuts on Ichijo's back. He obliterated Ichijo's trousers and pants with Shiki's power and then thrust into Ichijo without preparing him at all and with only enough lube so as not to hurt himself.

"This will not be short and you will not enjoy it," Rido said, as he pulled out and then thrust forward again. He continued to ride Ichijo and climaxed while pulling Ichijo's head back by the hair. He left Ichijo crying on the bed, and left the room.

When he had regained some strength, Ichijo made himself a blood cocktail and drank it down. This gave his body strength enough to heal the now scabbed cuts in his back. The skin was smooth again, but Ichijo was still in a great deal of pain and had not healed fully. Yet even after all of his suffering and still feeling Rido inside of him, Ichijo was not broken. He still loved Kaname and would do whatever he could to aid his friend during the final battle. Ichijo hoped they would be able to save Shiki, but if to destroy Rido completely was to sacrifice Shiki, Ichijo was now willing to do it. He had known all along that this would be what Shiki would want, but hadn't the courage to do it if the time came. Ichijo loved his friends, but knew that none of them could escape the coming war without being scathed nor without loss.

The world would be forever changed, and while time may not be able to heal everything, it would lessen the pain. Ichijo was ready now to confront the quickly approaching future. He knew and accepted too that even he may have to die in order to save the world for others. He knew Kaname would and Ichijo would be shamed to do any less than his most beloved friend.

[This story ends here but the outcome of events may initiate another. We will wait and see and hope, just as Ichijo has resolved to do!

[Props to those of you who recognised the film references in the text. There are three.

NB: Please, when composing reviews: Observe basic grammar and reread what you've just typed. Also, WRITING IN CAPS is shouting on the Internet. Emoticons are cute and I like them.