[Multi-chapter] 血まみれの愛 (Blood-colored love) EPILOGUE
Title: 血まみれの愛 (Blood-colored love)
Author: tsuchi8562
Beta: geminib << Thank you my friend ♥
Banner: andreja1989 << Thanks a lot~!
Consulting: syunikiss1990 and yuuki_saya << thanks a lot :)
Pairings: SakurAiba (main), Matsumiya (side), past Sakumoto, OhnoxOC
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama
Rating: PG-13
*MASTERPOST*
Nothing has changed. Well, maybe the road was less bumpy and it was clearly visible that it was often used. Except the path, everything was the same, the trees, the houses and fields surrounding the village he used to live in. It was kind of funny; the world was changing but that place remained the same, being an oasis. Masaki’s feet were leading him in the only one right direction - to the house he was living in long time ago. His hooded cape covered him well from the rain and wind, as he walked down the path and finally reached the wooden gate. Aiba stood there for a while, recalling the days he was married and had a daughter and his unbeating heart was squeezed.
“Who are you? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” A strong male voice made the vampire come back to Earth. Masaki looked at the man standing in front of him and gasped. He was taller than Masaki and his muscles were visible under the light blue shirt.
“I came to meet my old friend, Ohno Satoshi… But I believe I lost my way…” Aiba bowed gently and wanted to turn around but the man in front of him stopped him.
“Wait… You want to see my father?”
“Your father? N-natsuo?!” The bloodsucker gasped and looked again at the latter. Just now, when he came closer and the light from the small oil lamp enlightened the other’s face he recognized Natsumi’s son.
“Yes, that’s my name…” Natsuo frowned and came few steps closer. “But please, come inside. It’s cold and it’s raining…” The taller man smiled and leaded the bloodsucker inside the house. “I will wake up my father… When you come here at night, it must be something important.”
“No, please let him sleep… I came here at night because this is the only time I can travel…” Aiba gently took off his hood and looked at the man in front of him. “Do you remember me?”
“A-aiba-san?!” Ohno’s son gasped and almost dropped the lamp he still had in his hand. “Oh my god, you didn’t change a bit… Or… Or maybe you did change?”
“I did…” Masaki smiled and sat at the table. “I have many things to ask about but I think I will let you sleep. We can all talk tomorrow.”
“Oh no! My father won’t forgive me if I won’t wake him up. Please stay here, I will be right back.” Natsuo disappeared for a while and came back, leading a sleepy man to the kitchen. As soon as Satoshi saw their guest his eyes became wider and mouth fell open.
“M-masaki?! Is that you?! Oh my god, what are you doing here?” Ohno whispered and needed help to get to the chair because his legs didn’t want to listen to him out of shock. He got older and it was clearly visible. Few gray hair were decorating his head and wrinkles around his eyes were a proof he was working outside, squinting his eyes at the sun.
“It is me, my friend. How are you?” Aiba smiled, trying not to show his fangs, even though he was sure his friend and his son already knew the truth.
“I… Please, let me calm down… I never thought, even in my dreams, that I will ever see you again! Natsuo, please bring me some water.” The former dance teacher smiled and kept looking at the vampire with a spark of disbelief in his eyes. After Satoshi drank a few gulps from the cup, he sighed. “I am doing great. I have a family now you know?”
“Oh, you do? Tell me all about it!” Masaki listened to the story of Ohno’s life after he got back to the village. Fortunately the people from the camp in the forest believed that Inagaki left them and returned to their homes. With the passing time everybody forgot about the bloodsuckers and the life returned to normal. The former dance teacher and, now a landlord, worked in the household and orchards like before, teaching his son everything he knew. Everything was calmly coming back to the right tracks disturbed only by one small detail.
“Your brother started to send you letters… I didn’t open them and didn’t do anything, but then I just started to send them back with a note that you don’t live here anymore. After a year he came here.” Satoshi sighed and drank some water. Natsuo was sitting in the kitchen, but far enough to give them some privacy.
“What did you say to him?” Aiba tensed and got upset. He bit his lower lip and thus showed his fangs. He noticed his friend is looking at them, so he coughed and hid them again.
“I told him you went missing. I didn’t know what else to say. People around here spread stupid rumor that you got insane after losing Yuriko and you killed yourself… I didn’t know if you would come back or not, so I said what I have said…”
“It’s okay, this is probably better anyway. Do… Do you know how is he doing?” Masaki looked at the latter who just shook his head.
“All I know is that he has a family and lives in New York. Masaki, I think he believes you are dead…”
“He is not far from the truth… Let him think this way…” Aiba smiled bitterly and looked down, remembering his brother. He missed him very much but he could do nothing about it. How many years have passed since he saw him for the last time? Soon the vampire was brought back to earth and both men were talking about what had happened during those years they didn’t have any news from each other. The bloodsucker told everything about Sho’s carrier as a writer and how soon he bought a small publishing company and he is his own boss. It was bringing them quite big income, a lot more than they needed. Ninomiya and Jun build their own house not so far away, to have their own privacy and he… He was still a gardener and he was feeling guilty he can’t do anything more.
“Not that Sho would let me, but… I have some secrets…” Aiba blushed a bit and smiled.
“And he doesn’t suspect anything? He has clear mind and sometimes I thought he sees more than it is shown…” Satoshi smiled and asked his son for another glass of water.
“He can’t see when he is not here…”
“Wait… Then where is he?!”
“I think he is somewhere in France now, with Victor… It’s been seven years already.”
“Why didn’t you go with him? Did… Did you break up?” Ohno gasped and somehow became paler.
“No, of course not! But this is our way to be together. Satoshi-kun, we have the whole eternity and everybody needs some time alone. For you it’s years and for us? It’s nothing. We are writing to each other, of course. He’s coming back home in three months.” The vampire smiled happily and sighed, looking through the window. It was dawn already and there was no way he can go back home now. Not that he planned to leave so soon; he missed his old friend. Masaki opened his mouth to say something, when a loud squeak sounded in the room and soon a patter of little feet followed.
“Papa! Papa! Milk!” Sweet voice of a small black-haired girl invaded Aiba’s ears and his heart was squeezed. The child run up to Natsuo and raised her small hands, expecting he will pick her up.
“Now, now Aya-chan… It’s rude to come here and not welcome our guest.” Ohno’s son took his daughter in arms and brought a bit closer to the bloodsucker. “Now, be a good girl and say ‘hi’.”
“Hi!” The girl grinned and then looked at Masaki with serious face. “Nee, mister… Do you have milk?” She looked exactly like her grandmother, Natsumi. Before the vampire could reply in any way little Aya was taken away by her mother, who appeared out of nowhere and soon disappeared in one of the rooms.
“I see you have a happy family here…”
“I do… I am happy now, Masaki. Even though, I can’t see Natsumi again.” Ohno smiled and got up, wincing because his knees hurt a bit from sitting in one position for a long time. “Come on, let’s go to the back I will give you your brother letters. When he came here, he left them in case you will come back. The kitchen will be too sunny for you soon…”
“Thank you, my friend.” Aiba smiled and followed Satoshi in the back of the house. Somewhere in the back of his head he had an image of welcoming Sakurai, who will come back in a while. And now… Now he can enjoy spending his time with his friend.