Captured Hearts

Chapter Five: The Drowned

A Week Later...

Hibari had more or less become accustomed to the daily routine, but his relationships hadn't progressed in the slightest, oddly enough. And now he sat in his enclosure with Basil, waiting for Mukuro to come so that he could ask an important question. He lied with his arms folded over the ground, silently enjoying a heated rock. He glanced up at Basil, who was fast asleep with his cape draped over his body, and sighed.

"Afternoon, vampires," Mukuro greeted, stepping inside.

"Mukuro," Hibari said, coming up to the cage. "Can you take me to the merpeople enclosure? I want to talk to one of them."

"Oh? All right," Mukuro said, opening the door. "But you'll have to wear the-"

"Leash, I know," Hibari sighed. "I know."

"I'm sorry," Mukuro apologized, snapping the leash to the collar that Hibari now wore regularly. He closed the door for the sleeping Basil, and he and Hibari started towards the merpeople's tank. They walked up the stairs, and Mukuro asked, "Do you... want a private talk with one?"

"That would be nice," Hibari answered, looking at the water before them.

"Okay, don't tell anyone, but I'll let you hang here without me watching. I'll have Dino stay at the bottom of the stairs though, because these guys are unpredictable."

"Thanks," Hibari said. Mukuro nodded and left down the stairs, and the vampire reached into his cloak, before taking out an apple and a knife. Immediately, a merman lunged up on to the rocks, his soaked body splashing the vampire when he moved so fast. The boy then flipped over, and scrambled to sit upright, reaching his hand out.

"You gonna share that?" he asked.

"Heh, I was planning to, calm down," Hibari laughed, before handing the merman a slice. "Fran, right?"

"Yeah," Fran answered, before taking a bite of the fruit. "Man, you have no idea how long its been since I've tasted something other than fish."

Hibari smiled as Fran held out his hand for more. "Here, you can have the whole thing," he said, handing Fran the apple and tucking the knife away in a pocket. He'd found the weapon buried under the ground inside the hunting area, and he wasn't going to hand it over so easy. The apple had been sitting above the knife in the ground.

Fran finished the fruit quickly, and threw the core into the water, before looking at Hibari with happiness. "Thanks, vampire guy," he said, before pushing himself into the water. "Can't stay out of the tank for very long," he said, folding his arms on the rocks and staring up at the ravenette. "Why'd you give me that, though?"

"I was looking for information," Hibari replied. "I want to know more about the merpeople."

"Ah, that's all?" Fran said, before lunging up and grabbing the leash around Hibari's neck. "Then come with me, vampire."

Hibari was yanked down beneath the water, and Fran wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him down deeper. The vampire held his breath, watching the tail move gracefully up and down. Fran took him into an underwater cave, and he was dragged down inside the rock tunnel, before suddenly being pulled back up. Then, strangely enough, he surfaced together with Fran. Hibari quickly caught his breath, and looked around. The cave walls had all been smoothed out, and mosaics were imprinted on them.

"This is pretty much the most entertainment we get," Fran said. "Swimming around, looking for colored rocks, and then surfacing here and sticking the rocks into the walls. Squalo's not really into it, but Bluebell and I have done some pretty good ones, if I do say so myself."

"Yeah," Hibari agreed, looking at the brown and gray pictures. He smirked when he saw one that reminded him of someone.

"What?" Fran said.

"Nothing, it's just that that one over there looks a lot like that werewolf, Belphegor."

The merman blushed a little. "All right, now, there's nothing wrong with that, now is there?"

"Wait, seriously? You, an artistic, graceful merman, are making pictures of a werewolf?" Hibari questioned. The other's blush darkened slightly.

"Hey, don't judge me; I can drown you," he muttered.

"I'm sorry, I'm just really suprised," Hibari chuckled. "I didn't think that you'd be into him."

"It's not like that, fangs, I just think Bel's pretty. Got it?" Fran said, an edge to his voice. "From the tank, I can look into the observation area. And I tell you, that werewolf is one hell of a guy."

"Hn," Hibari grunted. Suddenly, a third person surtfaced, someone who Hibari recognized as Bluebell.

"Fran! Get that thing out of here! Dino thinks that you're attacking him!" she protested, and Hibari blushed when he felt someone's tail brush against his legs.

"All right, fine," Fran sighed. "C'mon, vampire."

Hibari took a hold on Fran as he dove down beneath the water. They went through the tunnel again, barely fitting through as two people. After a slow swim that almost burst the vampire's lungs, they resurfaced, and Fran shoved Hibari up onto the rocks. "I was just showing him around!" he told Dino, making sure he splashed the tamer before he went back under.

"Man, Hibarin, I'm glad you're all right," Dino sighed. "Sorry, those guys can be pretty mischievous. You aren't hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine," Hibari said, panting slightly. "Just... a little... wet."

"Okay, look, if you stay in those clothes, you're going to catch a cold, so come here, we'll get you changed."

The vampire sighed and allowed Dino to take him back, but had to pause at the tank to put his hand on the glass, where on the opposite side, Fran was doing the same. Hibari felt a sort of mutual trust with the merman; they were both different from what was typical of their kind, and they both enjoyed beautiful sights. The vampire decided that he could be friends with Fran.

Dino tugged on the leash when Hibari slowed down. "Come on, Hibarin," he sighed, "this isn't the slow lane."

Hibari snorted and kept walking, even though that damn leash was so belittling. The vampire continued until they reached their section of the underground lab, and Dino sighed, untying the vampire's cape. "What are you doing?" Hibari asked, stepping back and grabbing the cloth.

"You're completely soaked," Dino said, "so we need to get you into something else."

"I can undress myself," Hibari said, tossing his drenched cloak into the cage, before stepping in with Basil. "Go away."

"Hibarin, what exactly do you plan to wear after you're undressed, hm?"

"I dunno, Basil, you'll lend me something, right?"

"I suppose, Lord Hibarin," Basil mumbled, reaching to take off his own cape. Dino cleared his throat.

"That's okay, Basil, I'll give him my coat-"

"You know what?" Hibari said. "I think I'll just use my body heat to make it through. So go on, Dino. I'll be fine."

Dino sighed, and locked the cage, before walking out. Relieved, Hibari put his soaked cape back on. "Heh. Worrying about me getting a cold... what an herbivore."

"Lord Hibari, art thou sure that thy body won't sicken from thy current condition?" Basil murmured. Hibari waved his hand in dismissal.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he insisted. "Don't worry about it." But the younger vampire was quite the nosey one. When Hibari began to feel cold, and he started to quiver, Basil crawled over and untied the cape. He slid the wet fabric off of Hibari's shoulders, before coming in and beginning to unbutton his shirt. "I'll just be colder without my clothes on," Hibari muttered, "stop it."

Basil ignored him, and took off his shirt, before wrapping his arms around the larger body and hugging him. "Take my warmth, Lord Hibarin. It might not be much, however, I wish not for thee to become ill."

Hibari sighed, and leaned into the warm, dry body, allowing himself to drop a little pride and return the embrace. What he didn't notice as he was allowing himself to be warmed, was the door cracking open, the smile of the hunter, and the jealousy in his eyes.

-End Chapter

PHEW! Me and my inspiration, my gawsh. Still looking for pairings, right now, it looks like there'll be some 5927, B59, B26, 1869, and so forth. :)

Keep reviewin'! I really... like this story... 8)