A/N: I wanted to get another chapter out before I have to go back to school and unknown hours and working all the time… Ugh, I'm tired just thinking about it. The consequences of Aka's actions. Literally what I should have named it.

Silence. Touya stared at him, her big blue eyes unblinking. Kain lowered his head, unable to watch as the cogs churned. Though, he was curious about it maybe causing spontaneous combustion. He hadn't considered the words as carefully as he would have liked. He searched his vocabulary, scrutinizing every word he knew, the thundering in his chest convincing him it was the correct word. Love… Wasn't quite right either… I've heard of this… He brought his hand to his chest, his amber eyes brimming with tears. Great… In love with someone who wants my head on a plate… If he even thinks about me at all. Touya slamming her hand over his head let him out of his thoughts. He rubbed the tender area, watching her from the corner of his eye. "The hell was that for?"

In the next moment, she had her arms around his shoulders, shaking him. "Akatsuki – all grown up!"

The small glint of silver paused Kain's intention of prying out of her grasp. He lifted her wrist, studying the small circlet before a small smile crossed his face. "The never-attainable Touya is engaged?"

Immediately, she went blood red. Kain turned his attention to the floor, his fangs starting. "Who proposed to who?"

"I proposed. Sayori would never…" Her face fell with resignation then brightened. "But, she did say yes."

"When is the -"

"Next year." She grinned at him, instantly narrowing her eyes and punching his arm. Kain was lucky the feeling had gone from him, still shaky and sure his back wouldn't take kindly to the mattress for a while. "I'm still mad at you."

"For not telling you?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"What was I supposed to say? Hey Touya, I'm screwing this human and drinking him?" Another punch. He barely felt this one though, he was sure he'd feel it when his arms and legs were less tingly from disuse.

"I'm not saying it would have been easy. But, you told Aidou!"

"Only about suspected drug use." He brought up his knee to his chest, resting his head on it. He hated the numb feeling, tingling in his toes. "You'll tell me about it, right?"

"Yeah." She fell silent, taking his hand in hers. "You're shaking."

He pulled his hand from her, doing his best to subside it. "I'm fine."

"You're not." He didn't argue, letting her pull him to his feet. "You need the IV."

"I don't want it."

"Shut up." Touya slid it back into it's original place, ignoring the glare from him. "You're allowed to be a baby."

"In your eyes, I am a baby."

"Yup. A big baby." She grinned as he stood, leaning against the portable version. Still, he could see the glimmer cracking between her façade. Kain's eyes trailed to the floor. Afraid. Apprehensive. Rightfully so. "You should rest."

"I've rested long enough." On wobbly legs, he utilized the wall. Despite her stare, Touya sighed and helped him to the door, allowing him to lean on her. "Please tell me there's coffee."

"No but, I can make some." He shoved her towards the kitchen. She flipped him off, muttering under her breath.

He was glad his strength had waned. It would have been too easy to pull her into him, drain her dry. It wasn't something he'd take lightly, his fangs piercing his tongue. The swell of blood dripping down his throat. He needed to bite something. He brought his wrist to his mouth, the only way he knew how to satiate the demon. It had worked before. Still, the smell of blood would alarm them. And then… What? Another three months in a bed? He'd be out of commission by then.

Kain did what he had to. He turned the corner. Sweat beads on his forehead, the strain finally succumbing him onto the nearest stool. He only had eyes for it. Once seated, he felt the slap across his cheek, the nails that had dug in. He knew he was bleeding for only a moment.

"Bastard. How could you do this? How could you drag me and Hana with you?" After each question, she shoved him, hit him. Kain was used to this, used to Souen's moods. Though, he wouldn't have thought she'd take Mayoko's words from the grave. He ignored her words, the blood pulsing in his ears. How easy…

"Once again, it's always me that helps." Touya supplied, her arms around Souen's frame.

"Why aren't you yelling at him?" Souen's confusion spread through the quiet manor. His nails dug into the stool, tearing the wood.

"She's still pissed." Kain lifted his eyes to Aidou. The blonde was near to the coffee pot, on the other side of the kitchen island and opposite corner. Safe.

"Yeah, I figured that." Kain tilted his head to the doorway they had left. "How long has she been fuming?"

"About… Six weeks. After I told her everything." He scrunched his nose in distaste as the coffee beeped at him, pulling down four mugs and dividing the liquid. He placed Kain's in the middle, far enough out of reach.

"What do you mean everything?" Kain started, pulling it closer to him and careful not to spill.

"The drug. The blood." Aidou said it with childlike simplicity. "I've been sleeping on the couch since."

"Poor baby." He smirked at the stick out tongue. "Why six weeks ago?"

Aidou lowered his head. "… I ran out of it."

"So, I went cold turkey?"

"With the chemical components, the only choice is to wean. Anything else can kill a human or turn a perfectly drug induced vampire to a Level E. No questions asked."

"… Did you tell Kiryuu that?"

Aidou scoffed. Kain was glad he was far away from his cousins' legs. "You almost died and your worry is that Kiryuu doesn't know?"

"Hive mind. Create an army." He sipped the coffee slowly.

"… Interesting." He could tell his cousin hadn't considered this route which was odd. He wrote it down in his phone, probably under the notes file. Aidou would forget it in three minutes. He always did.

"How was I asleep for almost three months?"

"Exactly three months." Aidou fixed. "Drug induced coma. Didn't conflict with anything – not tablets, not the mix."

Souen and Touya returned with his female cousin glaring at him, pointedly ignoring him. Aidou, she at least supplied anger and hurt. Kain nodded. "So, while I was off it… Did I do anything –"

Aidou choked on his coffee. Touya switched between amused and concerned. Souen scowled, flipping her hair back. Aidou shook his head. "Ruuka, no."

"Why not? He asked." Kain had forgotten how vindictive his cousin could be when she wanted.

"I did ask, Hana." He met Souen's eyes, sure he'd have the worst version. "Tell me."

She lifted one finger. "First, you held Hana hostage. Almost bit him."

His eyes flittered to his male cousin. He sighed and nodded. "It was just a scrape, Akatsuki."

"Second, we had to put the cuffs on you after you attacked Sayori."

Brows raised, he met Touya's eye. She nodded but smiled softly. "She's fine. Doesn't hold you accountable."

"He should be held accountable!" Souen argued.

"Like I should be held accountable for the fact that I hit on a woman in your dream?" Aidou argued.

"I can answer on behalf of all women – yes." Touya shrugged as the temperature dropped.

"Third, you burned me."

"That was one hour into having your first dose." Aidou explained when Kain was about to question how he burned her if he had his cuffs on. "We took them off, you held onto her shoulders… It was mild."

"Mild?" Her voice rose again.

"Did I do anything else?" Kain raised his voice to match, commanding the question. They all exchanged glances, Souen rolling her eyes and taking her coffee into the other room. He'd owe her an apology later. After he had the next dose. Aidou and Touya continued the competition. "What did I do?"

"Just… Murmured Kiryuu's name a lot. Laughed." Aidou lowered his voice. "Like you were happier there than…"

"It was a few days before you woke up."

Kain nodded to himself. Drank some of his coffee. Then, he met Aidou's eye. "So, doses. How many, how much."

"You're down to about… Two vials every four hours. Mixed with blood tablets."

"Anything to curb the cravings or can I go back into a coma until it's done." He heard Souen scoff again. He bit back the urge to question her when the last time she had the cravings.

"Keep busy. Though, your body's been through the ringer."

"I'll have a nap and then start on work." He didn't need Aidou's condescension of how his body was feeling. He knew.

"It's about time for the dose."

"How long am I at two vials per four hours?"

"Two days. Then, it drops to two vials, eight hours. Two vials, twelve hours. One vial, twelve hours. Half a vial, twenty four. And then, you should be fine."

Kain nodded, guzzling the drink. "Thank you."

"Do you need –" Touya started.

"No." Kain was maybe harsher than he meant to be. For all his cousins work, Kain still found it slightly amusing that Aidou never took into consideration the bite.

Resting mainly consisted of looking at these four walls, his mind playing and replaying the accusations while he tried to beg for sleep. He lifted himself into a sitting position, watching the IV drip. Kain pulled the drawer out, annoyed that his phone wasn't on the charger. He slammed that drawer, pulling the lower one for something to do. Nothing.

With a huff, he now glared at the wall, willing the spirits to mess with him. He tried his best to keep his mind clear, the shadows in the corners emerging slowly. Like his inner demon, this wasn't something he could face alone. Kain tried to convince himself he wasn't alone, surrounded by family. Yet, in the surge, the dark shadows clung together, a small, ineffectual whirlpool before his eyes. He squeezed them shut, surprised at the mini theatre in his mind. Kiryuu, in his arms, peaceful with nothing between them. He opened them again, the thudding in his chest an anomaly.

Disney once said "a dream is a wish your heart makes". Kain didn't need the visual to know. The situation was the same as Shiki's. By the time Kain figured out what he wanted, he was no longer in the equation. He vaguely wondered what Kiryuu's life with the Kuran's was. Lady Yuuki, he knew, was probably ecstatic. And all the threats… Kain was sad to say that Lord Kuran would have deserved the punishment. But, he still couldn't see him harming Lady Yuuki.

So, he'd run his usefulness. He'd done what he promised. Still, his heart broke at the thought of never seeing or hearing Kiryuu again. Even if it was just to hold Bloody Rose's barrel against his forehead. But, if Kiryuu had any feelings for him, platonic or otherwise… The tears he'd cause… No, he was better off alive and doing his best to be a better person. Vampire. But, hadn't he told Kiryuu that Vampires were people, too?

As he contemplated, Souen stormed in with another dose. She glared at him as she slid the concoction into a tube. Kain, accustomed to the dark, could see the tears in her eyes. He wouldn't comment on it. Not yet. "Four hours already?"

"Mm…" Kain's brow furrowed. If she had meant to give him the silent treatment, she'd have remained silent.

"Want to talk about it?"

"With you?" She scoffed. He had dodged a bullet by letting Aidou marry her.

"I'm still your cousin." He informed her, matching her death glare. For a moment, he could swear she was summoning the eyes of all Souen's, from the four year old who told him girls could climb trees to the sixteen year old who haughtily told him to mind his own business. She backed down, collapsing into the chair.

"You haven't acted like this since…" He tried racking his brain, finding it a little difficult with the brain fog.

She turned her attention to the ends of her hair. "The day Hana told me he loved me."

Right. She was afraid of him playing her, a long con. He'd always reassure her. She voiced his thoughts. "You reassured me about that, too. And about my martial arts being important regardless of gender… It was always you."

"I don't recall ever saying anything like that." Kain rested his head against the headboard, the dose finally reaching him.

"Never loudly."

"So, what are you afraid of? If it's the dark, ask Hana to make you a night light."

"That stuff makes you snarky." She commented.

"I'm waiting."

Again, she fiddled with the ends of her hair. Must be a girl thing, he thought, thinking of Touya and her obsession when she was confessing to anything. Course, Touya's ranged from dating to liking country to killing someone. He expected Souen's to be a little less ranged.

"You and Hana…" She bit her lip, a tell-tale sign she had considered this for a while.

With the silence growing longer, Kain turned his cheek towards her. "Neither of us will drop to Level E status."

"I know that." She barked, returning to her fragile demeanor. "Sorry… It's just… You both fed. Almost killed someone."

"Well, I did kill someone so…" He grimaced. Too soon…

"Akatsuki!"

"What? It's true." He tried to grin at her, lighten her mood. It fell easily, his amber eyes finding hers. "Hana's… special. It took him a while to be comfortable with blood tablets. Prior to that –"

"It's medical. I know that." She studied the carpet under her feet. "Still, every so often… I feel like he's drinking from a human."

"Hana's impulsive but, he's stubborn. He wouldn't do that."

"What about you?" Of course she'd round it on him. "You were the king of control. No sex, no feeding, no fighting."

"This," he gestured to his arm, "wasn't a choice, Ruuka. America doesn't have blood tablets. Most vampires feed on their mates – didn't have that, either."

"You never said."

"What, you thought I started up with Lee because I missed Kiryuu?" Even if that had been partially the reason, he wouldn't tell her. "A starved vampire is a Level E. Just a walking time bomb."

"But, given yours and Hana's propensities… And, I'm related to you…"

That's what it's about. He nodded once. "Ruuka, just because you have the fangs and the ability to bite doesn't mean you will. Drop kick someone? I've seen you do it before. Punch a human who was annoying? Seen it. You use other outlets. Hell, I don't think you've used your powers since training."

"It's not exactly a useful skill. And hitting someone is more… cathartic."

"Exactly. You're less likely to use your fangs. There's nothing to worry about."

It seemed to have relaxed her, calmed her. Still, she stared at him with wonder. "You know Kanno didn't die because of you, right? Lord Kaname did that. And, I'm assuming you were addicted at that point where blood equaled the stuff. So, I don't blame you for him. And, Lee's alive. So, you really didn't kill anyone, Akatsuki. If you had, Zero would have killed you."

He offered her the ghost of a smile. All this talk of feeding was making his canines hurt in the worst way. Still, he was glad she was still blunt albeit, there was no mistaking the pity in her eyes. "Can you bring me my laptop and my phone?"

"No."

His eyes became as round as saucers. "What? Why?"

"Rima and I agree you aren't to work until you're able to stand on your own without using a wall."

"… A book, then?"

"What am I, your servant? Get it yourself." She huffed and walked out of the room. He glared at the door, still hopeful. Technically, he wasn't allowed to stand until the dose had been drained into his system. And he really wanted to bite something.

He brought his wrist to his mouth again, almost moaning as his fangs pierced the vein. He pressed harder than he had been allowed to, wincing at the pain and enjoying the pressure. All at once, Shizuka appeared in his thoughts, her fangs in Kiryuu's neck, savagely ripping what she could. He withdrew, his wrist now sore. Dumbfounded turned to rage. Stupid blood bond! He chided, guiltily staring at the two puncture marks in his arm. He remembered how they felt, the life that had flowed from him to Kiryuu, and immediately regretted it. Still doing you harm… He ran a hand through his hair. This was going to be hell.

Once he was completely off the drug, Kain was allowed to walk with a cane. He still had the IV in his arm to replenish the blood he lost every time he bit down (which was at least once a day). Aidou gifted him another set of a tooth mold for his fangs to sink into. The same mold that was given to vampire children while their fangs came in. Still, he would admit it helped. He still had one apology and, despite Touya's insistence that it was fine, wore her down enough to bring Wakaba to the manor.

"Is it really all right for you to be out in the day?" Wakaba asked, one of her hands on the beginning of the hedge maze.

"I can be out in the day. It's just painful." Kain reassured. She had slowed her pace to match his, both knowing Touya was close behind. "I presume you know why I invited you?"

"To apologize. You really don't have to, Kain. You were completely out of it and –"

"Not for that. I don't take responsibility for anything I did while in a drug induced coma." He had explained this a million times to Aidou when the younger wanted an apology for almost biting him. You kept me on a drug and left me without my faculties. That's all you.

"I'm glad for that. You weren't even conscious." She stepped on the path.

"You know the time I'm talking about. Where I slammed your hand on the counter…" He ducked his head, the lightening bolt blasting over him.

"You were a drug addict and still trying not to bite me." Wakaba turned to her girlfriend and shook her head. Kain could hear the sizzles almost dissipate. She turned back. "And yeah, it hurt. But, you still stopped yourself."

"It's the intention –"

"You. Stopped." She met his eye. "That's what matters."

They turned right at the first corner. She stopped in front of one of the flower beds planted by Himari in front of the hedges. Wakaba flitted her fingers over the iris, smiling softly. "Your gardens are beautiful."

"Choose your flowers from here and I'll figure it out." He promised, sliding next to her. "They should be used for a happy occasion."

"Did the Aidou's use it for theirs?" Wakaba asked.

"Ruuka only likes fake flowers or exotic." The flower beds were Himari's pride and joys. Now, they were Enmei's and his wife's favourite thing about the manor. "Did Touya ever tell you that she spent a summer here?"

"Really?"

Kain nodded. "Shortly before Himari passed. She was so polite to her and Kanno. I'd think it'd please them both."

"You never speak of Himari. Tell me about her."

"Some other time." He turns back the way they came, smiling softly at Touya. "You two check out the garden."

Touya sheepishly approached, taking Wakaba's hand in hers, the parasol covering her from the sun. Still, she appeared unsure. "You okay?"

"Walked a bit too much today." He patted her back, glad to be out of their sight. He bit down on the gummy, alleviating the pain.

A/N: The Consequences of Aka's Actions. He's had a lot of those. Next up, Kiryuu's catch up. It sucks that they're not facing the world together yet. :(