A/N: WOW, so many reviews & alerts :D Thank you so much, you have no idea how happy they made me! I know my grammar/sentence structure could use lot of work, but please be patient as I figure out how to become a better writer. When I went back to reread the first chapter it seemed liked I rushed the ending...I'm sorry ;_; I'll go back and edit when I have some free time. With that said, please enjoy Chapter 2 of Vermilion Rose.
*thoughts are in italic
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Sunlight streamed through a bay window, awakening the eighteen year old boy beneath the sheets of an oversized bed. Misaki groggily rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up, idly noting how comfortable the bed felt. He pulled the curtains from the overhead canopy aside and examined the area he was currently in.
Where-where am I? The last thing I remember is…AHHHHH! That pervert! Usami did...that...Wait! Where's Nii-chan?! I thought I heard his voice before I fell asleep...and Usami said something about a demon? Misaki paused in his thoughts and laughed aloud. Yeah right, like demons exist in modern day Japan! I must have heard wrong.
Thanks to the memory of the previous night Misaki was now wide awake. He jumped off the bed and walked around the small, yet surprisingly cozy room. The walls were painted a dark crimson and were decorated with various pictures, some of people, others random objects. Large gold candles were spaced evenly about every two feet and were high enough off the ground the Misaki could barely reach them while standing on his toes. Intricate woven tapestries adorned the walls next to the large bay window, located directly across the bed he had slept on.
He leaned over the window seat and glanced out to see how far he was above the ground. Great this is at least four stories high. Well, there are bars on the windows anyway. It's not like I'm going to jump through them. The room also contained a desk, a bookshelf and a small olive green sofa resting on a golden carpet that lead to two doors.
Taking a chance he reached for the knob of the first door and discovered it was locked. Cursing under his breath, he turned to try the other one.
"Please be an escape," Misaki whispered. Upon opening the door he sighed in disappointment when he saw it was just a bathroom. Although it was a pretty decent size, containing a separate bath and shower, Misaki did not want to stay any longer than was absolutely necessary. He walked past the mirror and saw something sparkle near his chin in his peripheral vision.
"...What the hell?!" Misaki faced the mirror and gasped in surprise when he saw he was wearing a collar. It was a simple silver band, no wider than half an inch, with a small emerald set directly in the center. Frantically he tried to find the clasp by running his hands over the metal but discovered that it was smooth all the way around.
"Shit! This isn't good! What kind of freak does this sort of thing?" Misaki yelled in frustration. He left the bathroom, deciding to try the other door again. As he reached for the handle it began to move on it's own, indicating someone was about to enter. Misaki jumped in surprise and looked around the room for a hiding spot.
Crap, where should I hide? Quickly deciding that under the bed would be a good idea, he kneeled on the floor and lifted up the curtain blocking the way. Scrambling under the frame, he was grabbed around the waist and lifted over someone's shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?" an arrogant voice asked. Misaki struggled as he was thrown none-to-gently on the bed by Usami. He backed into the corner until he hit wall, all the while glaring at the older man. Usami paid no attention to Misaki's protests and towered over the smaller boy.
"This is kidnapping! Let me go! Don't you understand that this is illegal?!" Misaki yelled, clutching the sheets protectively in front of his body.
Usami smirked and replied, "I am simply following the contract I made with your brother. If you do not agree, well, that's just too bad. You will be living here for the rest of your life." He dove down and pinned Misaki's arms above his head with one hand while his other hand grazed his stomach, lifting up his shirt.
"S-stop Usami-san!"
Usami paused in his movements and glared at Misaki. "What did you say?" he asked angrily, letting go of his wrists to grab his chin. Forcing Misaki to look at him, he gripped his chin tighter and narrowed his eyes.
"What?" Misaki was confused, 'Usami Akihiko' was the guy's name, right?
"That's not what you called me last night," Usami said in an irritated tone.
Misaki tried to remember what he had said the previous night. Drawing a blank, he sighed, becoming annoyed at the man holding him down. "…I don't know what you're talking about!"
Usami growled under his breath trying his hardest to be patient with Misaki.
What the hell?! Did he just growl at me? WOAH! Just now...did his eyes flash red?! No….no, I'm just imagining things….it must be the light in this room. Okay, before this guy gets any angrier I need to figure out what I called him…
Closing his eyes for better concentration, Misaki thought for a few moments frantically trying to remember the man's name. Blushing at the sudden memory of him moaning the name 'Usagi-san,' he asked in a small voice, "U--Us--Usagi-san?"
Usami's eyes lit up like a little kid who had been told that Christmas had come early. "Very good, Misaki, now let me give you a reward." Usami smiled evilly as he grabbed the boy around his waist and began to unbuckle Misaki's belt.
"NO! L-let go, you PERVERT!" Misaki shouted. Using all of his strength he pushed Usami's arms out from under his body and jumped off the bed. Running at full speed he sprinted out the door that Usami had left open.
I'm getting the hell outta here! Misaki thought as he turned another corner. He didn't care where he ended up, as long as it was far away from that man.
"So it's a chase you want?" Usami chuckled and slowly lifted himself up. Brushing off imaginary dust from his shoulder he left the room walking at a leisurely pace. "This will be fun…"
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Misaki had been running for what felt like hours; his legs were throbbing from turning down hallways, jogging down spiral staircases and in some cases when faced with a dead end, going up small flights of stairs. He couldn't stop to rest though since he felt like he was being watched. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but he wanted to get out of this...castle...as soon as possible.
"Forget it! Three minutes won't kill me!" Misaki said as he stopped running, gulping down some much needed oxygen. He reached out with one hand to lean against the wall and held his stomach with the other. "What kind of house is this? It makes no sense!" he yelled in frustration. It felt like every turn he took ended up with him traveling further in the castle. Where was an exit sign when you needed one?
Misaki began to walk down the hallway, admiring the works of art on display when he felt the skin on the back of his neck rise. There's that stupid feeling of being watched again! I don't see anyone though...maybe there are hidden cameras? He glanced up where the wall met the ceiling and looked for any suspicious looking devices, but didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Just in case I'll hide out in one of these rooms until I figure out a plan.
He randomly chose a door and looked over his shoulders to make sure no one was watching. Deeming it safe to enter, he turned the handle and walked inside. The first thing Misaki noticed was a large stone fireplace located in the middle of the room and it was lit, meaning someone had occupied the same room not to long ago. The second was the amount of books piled in every available space, and by every available space, he meant every available space. The bookshelf was so jammed pack full of various scrolls and novels that it was overflowing onto the floor. Piled next to the only piece of furniture (a shabby looking love seat) the books took over the whole room.
This place is huge, why would you store all of these in one place when you have so much room? Misaki thought, trailing a hand over the bookcase next to him. Absentmindedly he read a few covers on the spines of the books. Humans: A breakdown of day-to-day life, The Seven Deadly Sins & Virtues, Memory and its faults, Occult Magic… Misaki stopped reading when he reached a pile of yellowing scrolls. Man, this guy takes a joke too far...I mean, come on, who's going to believe that he's a….a….demon?
His thoughts were interrupted when he accidentally slipped on a pile of papers and tumbled into what he thought was a mountain of books, but turned out to be a wall of books stacked in front of a desk. Groaning in pain he slowly lifted himself up, but immediately fell down when his neck started to burn. Misaki grabbed his throat and began rubbing to decrease the unpleasant feeling, but it wouldn't go away. His fingers brushed the collar and an intense sensation of pain swelled up. The collar is doing this?!
"A human? Oi, boy, how did you get in here?" a disgruntled man asked impatiently. Misaki briefly raised his head, looking up through his bangs, and saw a man who looked to be about the same age as Usami sitting at the desk. He had shaggy chocolate brown hair and his face seemed to be set in a perpetual frown due to the crease on his forehead.
The older man rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Just great! Now I have to drop everything and get rid of this thing! Just when I was making some progress too...that jerk Akihiko better be grateful that I'm helping him with his paperwork." The man sighed and pushed back his chair continuing to rant about people who sit around all day.
"Wait! Pl-please help me get out of here," Misaki pleaded, still kneeling on the ground in discomfort.
The man blinked in confusion, this human wouldn't be asking to leave if he invaded their house in the first place, so that must mean this is all thanks to…"AKIHIKO!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Misaki winced, covering his ears. "There goes my hearing," he murmured, slightly peeved at the loud yell.
The door flew open and in walked none other than Usami Akihiko, who appeared to be annoyed. Noticing Misaki on the floor he knelt down and touched the stone in the center of the collar. The pain immediately stopped and Misaki sighed in relief.
"Hn...Try something like that again, and it won't end well. The setting you experienced now was only a fraction of what it could be." Usami carefully picked him up and cradled him against his chest.
The man looked at the collar in displeasure. "Baka-hiro! Who the hell do you think you are? You know it is forbidden to keep a human as a...pet!"
"Hiroki, you of all people should know by now that I do whatever I want," Usami replied with a smirk. "Anyway this," he lifted Misaki's body up a couple of inches, "is my payment from a contract I made a while ago."
Misaki, now fully recovered from the collar incident, looked at Hiroki and immediately wished he hadn't. You could see the aura of anger enveloping him. He was clenching and unclenching his fists while breathing in and out slowly to reduce his anger.
"Why did you make a contract?! You know we are the ones who are supposed to keep a handle on the amount of contracts made in this city!!!!"
Despite the fact the man looked like he wanted to rip off Usami's head, the silver haired demon calmly answered, "Because I was bored."
"...FINE! Do whatever the hell you want, but if you get caught then DON'T COME CRYING TO ME! Whenever you're done with your boy toy get back to work! We have a lot of reports to review." Hiroki furiously began to pick up the books that Misaki had knocked over, mentioning words like 'spoiled' and 'selfish' under his breath.
"At least I have one," Usami idly commented, referring to boy toy, before leaving the room. He dodged the large textbook that was chucked at his head and shut the door.
The demon sighed and shifted the boy he was holding in his arms. "Before you ask any questions, I'll explain. Hiroki and I are in charge of keeping an eye on Tokyo and the amount of contracts made in the city. In short, too many contracts equals total chaos, understand? It is our job to handle any...complaints….from other demons, mythical creatures, you name it, that they might have. If anyone has a problem, then we sort it out," Usami grinned, "with force, if necessary."
Misaki blinked. "You still expect me to believe that lie? Demons do not exist, just as 'mythical creatures' do not exist!" He began to struggle in Usami's arms.
Usami sighed deeply and gently set Misaki down on a sofa. "I'll show you and then you will have to believe me." Misaki tilted his head in confusion, looking up at the taller man. What could he possibly do that would prove he was a demon?
Usami relaxed his shoulders and slowly stretched out his arms parallel to the floor. He then clasped his hands together in some intricate hand signal, causing his eyes to change from amethyst to scarlet. Heh, that's probably some stupid trick… What Usami did next, though, Misaki could not explain. With widened eyes he watched as two feathered wings appeared on his back. Misaki hated to admit, but the midnight black wings were one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. The tips were stained a dark shade of indigo and ended right above his knees. They arched over Usami's head, gracefully curving down his back.
After the transformation a few black feathers drifted towards Misaki and landed on his hand, causing him to awake from his stupor. Carefully, he picked the feather up and stroked it from top to bottom, not believing how wonderful the soft texture felt under his fingertips. Usami crossed his arms, amused at the boy's reaction.
"Now do you believe me?" Misaki opted to not reply and tried to think of some explanation that would prove what had just occurred was a dream.
"...That's it! I'm dreaming right now! That would explain everything!" He laughed as relief flooded his body. "I'll wake up any second now in my own room."
Usami narrowed his eyes, raising an eyebrow at the boy's stubbornness. "Well, if this is a dream, let's have some fun."
He straddled the boy, encompassing their bodies with his wings. For an outsider it looked like a protective shield of feathers had surrounded them. Capturing Misaki's lips with his own, he kissed the boy until the need for oxygen gave way. Usami leaned down, breathing in the human's scent before nibbling on his exposed neck. Why did this boy have such a strong effect on him?
"Wa-wait Usagi-san," Misaki whispered as he grabbed Usami's shoulders, accidentally brushing his fingers against the curve of the demon's wings in the process. Usami moaned and Misaki swore he saw the demon's eyes darken with lust. He tightened his hold on the body beneath him, trying to stay in control.
The sound of Misaki's stomach growling with hunger interrupted Usami's concentration and he glanced down at the blushing boy. That's right, he hasn't had anything to eat since last night… He climbed off the sofa, stretching his arms above his head. In the blink of an eye his wings disappeared.
"...Where did they go?" Misaki questioned innocently.
"Ah, that's a secret that will cost you."
Misaki pouted, looking away from the older man to study the pattern on the sofa. Usami chuckled and dipped his head down to steal a quick kiss from the unsuspecting boy. Misaki furiously wiped the back of his hand against his mouth, backing away from the older man.
Laughing at his reaction, he gripped Misaki's hand and pulled him towards the kitchen. "You're hungry, right? I'll make you something."
Misaki allowed himself to be led while he tried to think of anything but their intwined hands...and how niceit felt.
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Now Takahashi Misaki wasn't one to brag, in fact he was very modest, and only boasted when the need arose. When Usami had told him he would make something to eat he didn't expect it to be a prepared meal from the refrigerator. That wasn't the problem though. The problem occurred when Usami chucked the meal wrapped in foil in the microwave, set it to the highest setting and turned the dial to twenty minutes.
Misaki, of course, felt justified in cursing the man out. He then went on to explain how to properly use a microwave and what not to place inside, unless you really wanted to watch a fire envelop your house.
So Misaki tied an apron around his back, found hanging on the pantry door, and started to cook a simple meal of some chicken and pasta. As he turned on the stove he glanced over his shoulder to find Usami sitting at the table staring at him. Quickly turning around he busied himself with cooking, trying to not to raise to much attention to the fact he was looking for anything that could help him escape.
No telephones as far as I can see...maybe they just cell phones? I haven't passed any doors that go outside either. I have to find someway to contact Nii-chan so I can get out of here…
"Um...So what do demons eat?" Misaki asked. Please don't say humans, please don't say humans, please don't say humans.
Usami laughed loudly enough that Misaki turned around to stare at him in confusion. What was so funny?
"You," Usami paused to chuckle, "you think that we eat humans, don't you? You've watched one too many horror movies."
"WELL, I WASN'T AWARE THAT DEMONS WERE REAL, SO HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT THEY DON'T EAT HUMANS?" he yelled at Usami and went back to cooking.
Usami smiled at the boy's reaction. "You know, I do believe I didn't tell you the complete truth. I could eat you but in a different way then you're thinking…" He walked over to Misaki and hugged him from behind. Misaki was confused by Usami's response, but immediately figured it out when the demon grabbed his...private area...through the apron.
"Hahahaha would you look at that? Food's done! Let's eat!" Misaki pushed Usami's hands away and walked to the cabinets to look for some plates. The demon only smiled and took a seat at the table, waiting to be fed.
After a quiet meal consisting of Misaki staring at his plate and Usami staring at Misaki, Misaki gathered the dishes and began to rinse them in the sink.
"That was one of the best meals I've ever eaten," Usami said as he watched Misaki drying a plate. The boy blushed in embarrassment and rubbed his neck, accidentally hitting the collar.
"Oi! Get this thing off right now!" he demanded, pointing to the collar on his neck.
Usami scoffed at Misaki's request. "No. It shows who you belong to, so you will wear it. If you try to escape the collar will give off an unpleasant sensation at first, but over time it will get worse until it reaches the point where you cannot walk."
Misaki narrowed his eyes. "What?! That's crazy! I didn't agree to any of this, take me home right now!" The demon glowered at the smaller boy.
"Fine, you can go home..."
Misaki gaped in disbelief; was he really going to take him home? Usami walked over to him and began to drag Misaki out of the room by his arm.
"But Takahiro will take your place. I can imagine it now, the disappointment on his face when I tell him he has to leave Minami behind and come live with me." Usami continued to rant while dragging Misaki through the house.
Wait...no...I don't...I would never want that to happen! Not to Nii-chan...not to my only family…
"WAIT!"
Usami paused, looking over his shoulder. "Yes?" he asked in a smooth voice.
Misaki looked down at the floor and grabbed onto Usami's shirt with both hands. "I'll stay," he whispered, clutching the fabric in his hands. "I'll stay."
That sure didn't take long. Usami turned around and picked up Misaki bridal style.
"Good decision."
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Usami gently tucked Misaki, who had fallen asleep when he was carrying him, in his bed. He lifted his hand and ran his fingers through the brown locks, admiring the silky texture.
"Sleep well," he sad quietly as he shut the door. "Now to find Hiroki…"
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"Really Akihiko, what were you thinking? That scrawny little brat is pathetic! Out of all the humans in Tokyo, why did you choose him?"
If Usami had known that Hiroki was going to nag at him, then he would have happily stayed in bed with Misaki. However, he had to accomplish something or his coworker would complain and yell at him for being lazy.
"Misaki...he's different. All humans are greedy and selfish, but Misaki...Misaki...he-" Usami was cut off as his cell phone rang.
"Akihiko, it's been a while! How's work coming along? You're not slacking off again, right?" a voice asked on the other line.
"Isaka-san, you may be my boss, but don't forget that without me Tokyo would be an utter mess." Usami replied, ignoring Hiroki's indignant shout of 'Hey! What about me?' in the background.
"You ass, you better be grateful for all the things I've done for you! Anyway there seems to be some weird cases that have appeared the past couple of days in the Red District. Some inside information points to that fact that he has had something to do with them."
Usami gripped his phone tighter. "Are you saying that it's-"
"Yeah, Haruhiko's back."
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A/N: ….is everyone still with me? Good. THERE IS PLOT!!! I wanted to post this chapter before I went back to school (tomorrow) so I hoped you enjoyed it! Uh...does anyone think Usami having wings is weird? Sorry about that^^;; They will play a major role in this story, so don't worry. I didn't just stick 'em in cause I wanted to. Also Usami may seem like a huge jerk sometimes, but it will all be explained in the next chapter.
Please review :) (especially if you have this on alert ^^)