[Multi-chapter] 血まみれの愛 (Blood-colored love) Chapter 14/??
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*
The village didn't seem to change a bit since the last time he was here. Maybe the road became dustier, but practically that was the only thing that looked different. Everyone was in their houses or fields, as usually at this time of the year. Masaki sighed and walked slowly towards his old house, hoping there is still a place for him there. Through all the way he didn’t look back and tried not to think about Sho. He felt used and somehow betrayed... Sakurai told him he loves him, but in fact he wanted to make another buffet out of him, the same as Ohno was. Jun told him so and of course it could be a way to get rid of Aiba. Matsumoto was jealous, it was obvious. But Sho himself said he tasted some blood that would be perfect... What else he could mean, if he didn't bite anyone else?! Masaki's heart was squeezed with chill and he had to stop to take few deep breaths. He was betrayed... Hoping he has a place to return to, he continued his journey back home.
After a longer while he noticed a familiar tree, which was growing near his parents' house. Happy, he speeded up and froze on the spot when he saw that instead of his old house now was nothing but grass. The man frowned and looked around to make sure he didn't lost the way but everything was right. The tree, the path with two rocks buried in the ground so deep that nobody even tried to remove them. There were no doubts, his home vanished, along with the orchard; peach trees were cut. Aiba's heart froze; all of his hopes faded away. He didn't have a place to go or money to stay in some tavern. The only person who could answer on his questions was Minako or her parents. Sighing, he walked slowly towards his old neighbors' home, looking around and gasping. Everything had change and it seemed he was away for ages. People as well, didn't seem to recognize Masaki, looking at him suspiciously. After half an hour he reached Minako's house and stood in front of the big door, not sure if anyone will hear his knocking. He wanted to leave when the gate opened and a young woman squealed something incoherently and jumped on Aiba, hugging him tightly. Astonished gardener didn't move for a while but when the woman didn't want to let him go, he groaned.
"You'll break my ribs, madam..."
"Madam?! Are you crazy, I am not that old yet!" The girl smiled and moved away, showing her face.
"Minako-chan! Look at you! Beautiful as always." Masaki laughed with relief that finally he found somebody who could help him.
"Gallant as always... Come in, you have to be tired." She pulled him inside before he even managed to protest. “I’ll heat us some soup and you will tell me everything. Where were you and what were you doing? I was worried when you disappeared like that.”
“I was just wandering around, working wherever somebody needed help…” Masaki smiled weakly, trying to cover his lie. He couldn’t say that he was working for the head of the prefecture who was a vampire. His fingers involuntarily touched the bite marks on his neck and quickly, as if he was burned he moved his hand away and started to eat unhurriedly. The silence that fell between them left unbroken until he finished his meal. The woman sighed and looked at Aiba with a serious face.
"My father died two months ago, his heart was weak. Now all household lays in my mother's and my hands." Minako mumbled and plucked the edge of her apron. "We're handling, because of the savings my father left us but soon we won't be able to pay our workers..."
"I'm sorry to hear that... If there is anything I can do to help..."
"Stay here." The girl looked at Masaki with pleading eyes. Something inside them was mysterious, but Aiba couldn't put a finger on it. "Aiba-kun, you know this job probably more than us. You were working with your parents... Can you help us?" Minako's eyes were filled with hope and Masaki couldn't say "no". After all, he didn't have a place to go. His house was just a memory and there was no way he can go back to the castle. He understood very well Sakurai's and his family's diet, but he didn't want to become their main dish. Sho's voice echoed in his mind, reminding him that he was betrayed. To think that he fell for that man; that he opened himself and gave him not only his heart but also his body...
"You don't want to?" Minako's question brought him back to earth. "I know that probably we can't offer you more than a room and a dinner every day but..."
"I agree. I will gladly help you, like you helped me many times before." Aiba smiled seeing how the girl's face became brighter. Even though his heart was still squeezed by an icy hand, he felt a small relief. This will help him to forget the events that took place in the castle and maybe he will also remove a certain vampire from his heart and thoughts. He can start the rest of his life with a new work and a place to live.
***
Days were passing by quite fast, as usual when you have many things to do. Since Masaki agreed to help Minako in the farm and orchards he barely had time to eat and sleep. After many secret inspections it occurred that the current workers were cheating the woman and after a few quite serious quarrels the household was cleaned from the thieves. It was a fresh start, because they were able to hire new people and reorganize their salaries. This movement gradually improved the financial situation of the farm, so the troubles Minako used to have slowly disappeared. Also the exhausting work let Aiba forget about the thing he missed the most: Sho's touch and kisses. From time to time the dreams with the vampire's face were still haunting him though along with a voice, whispering sweet words of love. He was working twice hard then, trying to exhaust his body to the fullest, so his brain would stop creating those painful images. However, there was one thing that didn’t let him to forget; something that will stay with him forever - a maroon bite mark on his neck. From time to time he was touching it, like he was making sure it is still there. Minako was watching him closely and probably she was the one that took care of him and Masaki was still alive and eating properly.
“I am really grateful, but please take care of yourself and rest. I need you alive more than a walking corpse.” The girl said once while dinner. She was working hard as well, trying to do as much as she can and thus let him rest.
“I am fine, besides if you want to hire a few more people, we need money. And we won’t have money if the apples will turn out to be bad. It’ll calm down in a few weeks…” Aiba smiled, but deep inside he was scared. Indeed, in a longer while he will be able to rest and that meant lots of time to think and recalling memories. Just then he decided that if he can’t forget about Sho, he will close him somewhere really deep inside his mind and make sure that the vampire will stay there and won’t even try to peek outside.
“As you say, but please, think about yourself more, okay? The household needs you! I… need you…” Minako whispered the last sentence and looked down, as if she said something embarrassing.
“Minako… What do you want to say by ‘you need me’?” Just then this thought hit Masaki with double force: the girl was in love with him, most probably for a long time now. Why didn’t he notice it earlier, before he went to the castle? It would save him a lot of troubles and pain and he could have a peaceful life as Minako’s husband with a bunch of kids…He wouldn’t meet Sho or any other vampire; he wouldn’t be heartbroken now… Maybe it’s not a bad idea? Aiba must move on. He likes Minako, quite a lot; of course he doesn’t love her the same way he loves Sakurai but he was sure he will make her happy and thus he will also find happiness. Everything seemed to be so easy now…
“That doesn’t matter now… Forgive me, I said too much… I should…” The girl’s voice brought him back to reality. He has to say it… He has to…
“Minako… Let’s get married…” Masaki imagine the proposal in totally different way but he couldn’t get back the words he had already said. Also he didn’t want to take them back, finding this decision as a step forward to the light from the world surrounded by darkness he used to live in. The girl’s eyes widened and she became pale, but agreed in the end. This became the first day of the rest of Aiba’s life. Of course the rumor soon spread across the village and even if the man had some doubts, they were buried deep inside him. It wasn’t the time or the place for changing his mind. Especially when Minako’s mother already wrote many letters to her family and friends, inviting them to her only daughter's wedding. . An invitation was also sent to Hiroki, who came back from his studies abroad for a longer while just for the occasion. In less than two months all the preparations were ready and both of them could finally step on the new path in their lives. During the vow Masaki was nervous, partly because he never liked public confessions and also because he felt that he betrayed Sho and himself. No matter how much he wanted, it was impossible to forget the vampire; he still felt something for the head of the prefecture.
“Aiba Masaki, you are a masochist…” He said to himself once, looking at their orchard which became bigger again. In the few past months the fruit garden wasn’t the only thing that grew. Minako was pregnant and she seemed to be happier than ever. Masaki too felt warmth in his heart when he was looking at his wife or when he put his hand on her stomach to feel how the baby is kicking. His family and the household were the most important things in his life now and after quite a short time he forgot about the vampire, castle and his love. Even the scar on his neck became paler, as if it wanted to fade along with the feelings he had for Sho. However Aiba’s mind decided to play tricks with him and one day when he was eating his lunch somewhere under the tree he noticed a silhouette that seemed to be very familiar. He wanted to take a closer look, but then the pregnant woman came, bringing some green tea.
“How are you feeling, Minako?”
“I am fine, though it’s harder and harder to walk this far…” The woman smiled and stroked her big tummy.
“You should stay at home then.” Masaki stood up and his hand joined Minako’s one. “Take care of yourself more, we need you. Me and this little fellow.”
“How do you know it will be a boy? Maybe it will be a girl?” Minako stuck out her tongue and giggled when her husband hugged her gently. “I love you.”
“I love you…” Aiba whispered, looking at the silhouette which he recognized. Sakurai disappeared like a mirage quicker than a blink of an eye.