The Witch Hunter Part Thirteen
Nino opened his eyes and looked up at the red velvet fabric of the four poster bed, Matsu was still sleeping beside him, and Nino was tempted to kiss him awake and have a repeat performance of last night but instead he just stared at his face. He hadn’t been lying when he said the hunter wasn’t second best to Ohno, but he hadn’t realized it himself until he had said it. It scared him just how much he did love the hunter, what he said to Matthew was also correct, he did still feel guilty that Ohno now had to share his heart with two other people. He touched the pendent around his neck, lightly stroking the two fishes that circled it. With a sigh he pushed himself out of bed and went to the window. It was impossible to tell time in deaths keep; Matthew had told him once that it was whatever time he felt like but whenever he looked up at the sky he could always see ‘Their’ star shining down at him. Matsu opened his eyes, the bed was rapidly cooling and he searched the dimly lit room for his demon, he saw him by the window, the look that was on Nino’s face told him clearly that he had meant every word he’d said last night but that it was troubling him. “You’re awake?” Nino turning with a smile, “Do you want a bath?
“Is there one?” Matsu asked looking around,
“Of course and it’s big enough for two... Come on” He grinned grabbing his hand. Matsu laughed softly as he was pulled towards a washroom. There was a large bath that seemed to be fed from a hot spring. Nino pumped the water through and they got in, Nino leaning against his chest while Matsu ran his fingers over the marks on his neck.
“When do we have to leave?” He asked and Nino shrugged
“We could stay here for years and then when we left, it would have only been a few days” The demon answered. “This place is weird like that...”
“You sound like you’ve spent a lot of time here...”
“Are you still jealous, Jun-kun?” Nino smirked; Matsu hugged him tightly from behind
“A little” He admitted but he was smiling, he was sure that Nino wouldn’t say that just to pacify him, it. Nino chuckled and kissed his hand disturbing the water softly “Can’t we just stay here?” Jun asked as they got out of the bath and pulled their clothes back on.
“I doubt Matthew would like it much... Jun?” Nino stopped seeing the worry lines on Matsu’s face
“I get the feeling that when we leave here; we’re going to your death”
“Not yet at least I don’t think so...” Nino grabbed his hand when he saw the tremble in the hunters’ eyes “But you know we have to do this” Matsu let out a sigh and then nodded trying to smile
“You don’t have to force yourself to smile, Jun; I know I’m asking a lot of you...”
“More than a lot, you want me to kill you... After you told me you love me you still expect me to kill you...”
“It’s the only way...”
“I know but it doesn’t mean I have to like it!” Matsu snapped fed up with the demons easy going attitude about it all. Even after meeting the physical form of death it didn’t make it any easier,
“I’ve just gone along with everything you said right from when we first met, I’ve barely questioned anything, and I don’t want to kill you...” he broke off tears stinging his eyes
“If there was any other way, I’d do it, but this is the way Kamenashi’s planned it...” Nino smiled wiping his eyes, “Wow seriously you cry a lot”
“You make it sound like he hated you...” Matsu said hitting him lightly on the head
“I was the unholy king living with the first” Nino grinned “A lot of people hated me, they were positive I just lured him... That’s a joke, if anyone used a lure it was Oh-chan ”
“I doubt he really used one”
“No, he didn’t need to...”
“When you showed me your life you skipped over the... Sappy moments didn’t you...”
“I showed you what you needed to see, I didn’t want to rub salt into your wounds...A bit like all the guys I didn’t show you...”
“You’re not that great you know...” Matsu sighed wondering how the demon could always cheer him up, even if was the subject of his death
“No but you are...” Nino smiled kissing him on the nose “Come on hunter, I’m hungry”
Matsu followed him out into deaths house, surprised when Nino paused by room 4, “I can’t feel Masa’ anymore” He admitted “Ever since he was born I’ve been able to feel his presence... But now it’s gone,”
“You look really happy about that” Matsu said with a raised eyebrow, Nino nodded carrying on down the staircase.
“I am, it means he’s no longer a witch, he’s just an ordinary mortal” Nino was beaming happily “He’ll never have to go to the other world...”
“And you said you weren’t parental” Matsu smiled looking at the demons happy face as they went into a kitchen.
Sakurai looked at Aiba’s sleeping face, feeling for his pulse as he had been doing for most of the night, he still couldn’t believe he was alive and next to him, Aiba sighed in his sleep, and rolled over snuggling to his chest. Sakurai smiled stroking the hair out of his face, feeling the silky smoothness of his skin against his fingertips, last night they had finally made love and was amazing as he’d thought it would be. He had never slept with anyone before, and was sure he had made a mess of things, but Aiba had been so gentle and loving. He looked back at the former witch that had captivated him from the first moment he had seen him in the cage, even he hadn’t been under a lure that time, the was no doubt in the monks mind that he would still have fallen for him. Aiba opened his eyes and looked up at him smiling; at him although Sakurai could see tear tracks on his cheeks “Are you okay?” Sakurai asked
“Yeah, I was dreaming about when I was little, and I made Nino promise he would bring back the three kings... He never even blinked, he just agreed, even though he knew he would die...” Aiba answered “He linked our pinkies and promised... I thought that maybe it was because he was going to get to see Ohno again but he never will...”
“You regret making him promise?”
“I regret hating him” Aiba whispered, “When he told me what I was I hated him, but as time passed I didn’t anymore... But these past few weeks, I’ve really started to feel like... He honestly loves me...”
“Even an idiot could see he does, Ma-chan,” Sakurai told wrapping an arm around him “Though it’s not really that surprising, right?”
“He’s never been a papa, but after what you told me, about yesterday... And the way he reacted when I died...”
“You were his test... He was terrifying...” Sakurai said
“I’ve seen him like it once...” Aiba admitted with a shudder, “I was about nine or ten, it was when mum was still alive, he had come to celebrate my birthday like always when a group of hunters came to the house we were hiding in the basement I accidently sneezed it drew their attention to us, we were bound and about to be burnt, when one of the hunters saw Nino’s pendent. He ripped it from around his neck and asked “Would the first ever love a demon and his witch offspring” Nino answered that the 1st loved everyone, and then the hunter burnt my arm... He said that the kings gave them the power to hurt things like us, Nino snapped at that, his binds broke and he changed, he didn’t kill the hunters... At least I don’t think he did, I mean they never came back so he might have... But seeing him like that was terrifying”
“You’ll never have to deal with hunters again, you’re human now...”
“That’s a scary thought, ne?” Aiba laughed his eyes shining “I know Nino said I could be with you forever if I wanted but... You don’t have to force yourself...”
“Do you want to stay with me?”
“Yes... I want to grow old with you...”
“I want that too... I love you, Ma-chan... Though I wonder why Nino never did this before...” Sakurai murmured thoughtfully “If he had you could have already been human...”
“But I wouldn’t have met you...” Aiba pointed out, giggling when Sakurai pulled a face
“You’re saying that Nino knew we’d meet?”
“No, I just think that maybe he wanted me to have the chance to meet someone... So that I would have a reason to want to become human, Matthew said that, that would was a big part of the reason he agreed...”
“So... Matthew and Nino...”
“You really want to imagine my dad with death?” Aiba teased rolling onto Sakurai’s stomach, forgetting they were both still naked “Do you have a thing for Nino?”
“What? No”
“What about Matthew?” Aiba laughed again “I wouldn’t blame you if you thought he was cute...”
“There’s no-one as cute as you, Masaki...” Sakurai murmured reaching up and running his fingers through his hair and then stroking the moles on his face before lifting his head and capturing his lip, “Masaki you’re poking me...”
“So are you” Aiba pointed out with a wicked grin, “Ready for another go?”
“Aren’t you... Sore?” Sakurai his cheeks flushing hotly,
“I’m fine...” Aiba reassured him and then rolled back onto his back; Sakurai stared at him for a moment, his eyes becoming darker with lust.
Nino was looking at the hall of candles when they finally surfaced, a cheeky grin on his face “Have fun?”
“Lots” Aiba flashed a grin while Sakurai blushed hotly
“About time” Nino laughed loving the monk’s discomfort “Jun’s in the library”
“Death has a library?”
“Yes...It’s over there...” Nino pointed at a door that opened by itself. Sakurai took that as a hint that Nino wanted to be alone with Aiba. Nino smiled as the door closed behind the monk and he led Aiba into Matthew’s small office, and although Matthew raised an eyebrow he agree to leave them alone.
“Are you okay?” Nino asked looking at his son, Aiba raised an eyebrow
“With the fact you never told me you had to die to bring back the kings?”
“Yes with that” Nino nodded with a sigh
“Why didn’t you?”
“You were only little when you made me promise” Nino shrugged “You didn’t need to know...”
“So I didn’t need to know when I got older. I’m not exactly a child anymore...”
“I know... I just didn’t want you to know... “
“Why? Is it because I’m an idiot?”
“No... It’s because you’re my son, and I didn’t want you to be upset” Nino answered “I know how your brain works, and then there was the whole thing about you being cast down. I couldn’t be certain that Matthew would even let us try to do what we did... As soon as you and the monk got together though I knew he’d agree”
“Why?”
“Because he’s always had a soft spot for humans” Nino smiled “He’s a little like Oh-chan...”
“I don’t want you to die, and what about Jun?”
“Jun understands... Don’t cry Ma-chan...” Nino murmured seeing the tears forming in his sons eyes,
“You’ve always been a strange dad, but I’ve always been proud that you are my dad” Aiba told him causing Nino to sigh although he was beaming as he said
“Seriously, I swear it’s this place that’s making everyone sappy” Aiba laughed as he hugged him tightly “Masaki, I’ve always been proud that you’re my son...”
“Thank-you”
They went to join Matsu and Sakurai in the library and found them having a whispered conversation stopping when they saw the odd father and son, Sakurai’s cheeks were flushed slightly and Nino couldn’t resist the urge to tease him.
“Asking for tips?” He asked “Ma-chan said you need them”
“Brat” Aiba said with a light laugh wrapping his arms tightly around his monk while Matsu hit him on the head, not want to embarrass the monk further by admitting it was the truth. Nino laughed looking at his strange family with mixed emotions wishing vaguely that they could all have met sooner so they could have more time together. None of them were sure how long they stayed in this strange house, not that Matsu minded he would stay there forever if he could; they rarely saw the owner though because Matthew preferred to stay in his offices, although they never got the impression he wanted them to leave, and then Nino told them it was time to go. He had been spending a lot of time in the hall of candles, which the other three couldn’t stand to be around, and then one afternoon he came into the library his face white.
“Nino? What’s wrong?”
“It’s time, the halls are going to be attacked, and we have to go tomorrow...” He was smiling like he normally was, but his eyes were serious.