013. Sun

The evening seemed to be at a stand still as Sho drove his white car down the lighted streets. The natural beauty in his face had grown weary ever since Kei turned him into what he was now; the years never appearing as age but rather as exhaustion as he kept his gaze on the road.

Kei was in the passenger seat, letting the wind blow in his grown out sandy hair. The breeze felt soothing and the gentle vibrations of the car ride rocked him into slumber. It was mostly quiet between the two of them for they knew what was ahead for their emanate future. The world around them seemed to be nonexistent.

Sho slowly pulled up to the grassy hill overlooking the clear beach shifting the engine off. Naturally, when the car stopped, Kei opened his eyes with a start, looking at his surroundings. He sat up slowly in the car seat and instinctively looked at Sho, who was still staring straight into the darkness that hovered over the waters.

Reaching in his pocket, Kei fumbled with a photo that he kept with him for many years. It was a photo of the two of them with Toshi, Yi-Che, and Son back in the good days of when they were friends. He handed it to Sho as he looked at it expressionlessly. He placed it beside the side mirror so that they both could look at it, reminiscing.

"Are you okay with this?" Kei asked hesitantly after a moment, not sure if maybe he was changing his mind. Sho still sat there staring out for a moment before looking down at his lap.

"Yeah," he simply answered. "I'm ready to do this." Kei positioned himself better in the seat, for he knew they had a while before the sun came up. They sat there for a few minutes in silence. It seemed that the years of being apart made then not talk as much as they used to, as if most of it was forced. But Kei figured that it was due to him turning Sho into a vampire to save his life; it was out of his own selfishness.

"Kei," Sho breathed out, after thinking for a bit. "I finally understand what you had been saying to me all this time." He looked at him for emphasis.

"What do you mean?" Kei asked.

"About how when you're a vampire, you're a monster. I always thought that not being able to age or die would offset the cons, but it's not as I thought it would be, not at all," he explained. Kei nodded, understanding.

"Yeah, but you didn't deserve it," he finally admitted guilt.

"Actually, I don't mind that you did it," Sho revealed. "I was able to see Hana grow up into a beautiful woman. If I had died, I would've missed all that." Kei thought about it, seeing how Sho could see it like that.

"I still don't think it was fair for me to raise your child, that should've been something you could have experienced," he mentioned.

"You helped me out in my time of need and you deserved to have a good life, I felt that at the time, you were better prepared emotionally than I was," Sho tried to explain. "I just couldn't."

Kei left it at that, knowing either way it would have been hard for him, he remembered a time when he finally realized what he had become himself and submerged himself into self hatred and deep depression.

"I want to thank you for everything," Sho said, smiling softly at him. "You are a great friend."

"You too, thanks for saving my life that day when you were trying to steal my watch," he said with a grin, getting a small chuckle out of Sho.

"It was a crappy watch anyway, wouldn't have gotten small change for it," Sho joked. Kei shook his head at that, finding relief in the tension that was between them as he chuckled lightly. His gaze turned towards the tangerine sun as it slowly made its way into the sky. The silence between them stayed in the air; they had said their goodbyes and gratitude. They never faltered as the rays cast upon the land. Wisps of white smoke protruded from their bodies as the fatal effect took its course on them. Instinctively, they both closed their eyes and suffered the inviting pain of the burn. Death is painful in some way, but it is the last trial as you descend to a more peaceful place. Flashes of white overcame the blackness that consumed their vision, as they were seemingly taken on a journey of weightlessness.

Sho opened his eyes and looked at himself. He was wearing one of his favorite outfits from when he was younger. The quick salty breeze overcame his senses and he looked out to see the beautiful crashing waves of the beach he once knew and loved. It'd been so long since he had seen it in the daylight. Kei made his presence known as he stood next to Sho, sporting his favorite oversized white shirt and black pants that he used to wear years ago. They smiled at each other as they knew they were free at last; no more limitations, no more heartbreak, no more pain.

"Hey!" a voice called from one side of the sands; their attentions immediately cast in that direction. The smiling faces of their friends as they waved them over were refreshing to them. The two men raced over to the group, the sands kicking up behind them.

This was what they had waited for all their lives, this moment of happiness in the sun…