Half Moon: Chapter Three
Title: Half Moon
Authors: lovelydagger23 and mirai_kusakurin
Rating: NC-17...well eventually, right now it's PG-13 XD
Characters: Kei, Sho, Shinji and Toshi
Summary: After cleaning Sho's wound with his fangs...the boy grows up, with a few interesting and unusual traits.
Warnings: Humor, fluff, angst, vampires, gangsters, thieves...you know the typical moon child stuff...with a few twists of course.
Disclaimer: Kei, Shinji, Toshi and Sho belong to Gackt's interesting imagination. XD
At fifteen, Sho never thought that he’d have to deal with any girls. He was good looking, but no one talked to him anyway… No one but one girl…
Sho's eye twitched as he pressed himself up against the apartment building. He'd told Kei a few years before that he didn't like girls... at all... but he never told anyone else. Not even Toshi. A girl that was a year older than him was trying to flirt with him, but he felt very uncomfortable with it. It was actually starting to scare him. "Um... S-sorry, but I don't like you. I have to go now," he said, and turned, rushing off towards the building.
Kei was getting ready to go out and feed, when he happened to hear Sho's conversation with the girl... and of course, he knew that Sho wasn't into her, or any girl for that matter. He almost laughed at how annoyed Sho was sounding, not to mention scared. He walked up to them and gave the girl a smile. "Hello there cutie," he called to her, surprising them with how immature he seemed all of a sudden. "How are you doing?"
Sho squeaked a little and dashed behind Kei, though it wasn't like the girl couldn't see him anymore... He was taller than Kei now. The girl blushed slightly, seeing how attractive Kei was. "I'm okay," she said, holding a hand up to her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Sho-kun, is this your... um..." She couldn't say 'father' because they looked nothing alike, but they didn’t look much like brothers either, and she questioned if they were even blood related.
Kei gave the girl a smile. "I'm his Nichan." He explained, tilting his head. "So... what brings you here?"
The girl looked at Sho and pouted a little. "I wanted to go out on a date with Sho-kun," she said honestly, putting her hands on her hips. "But he's too shy to accept a date from anyone, even a pretty girl like me."
Sho blushed slightly and shook his head. "I'm not shy. I just don't like you in that way, Midori-chan."
Kei looked at the girl for a very long time, before smiling. "He's not into dating... He kind of has trust issues… and he can barely make friends. Don't push yourself on him too hard or he'll run away. Isn't that right Sho-chan?" He asked, before looking at the nervous teen.
Sho looked at him for a moment in silence before he blinked and nodded. That wasn't it, exactly, but he could go along with it. "Uh, yeah. Trust issues. I don't get along with people well."
Midori tilted her head and looked at Kei, but accepted it. "Okay... But you can trust me, Sho-kun," she said sweetly, before she heard a car honking on the other side of the street. She waved goodbye to Kei and Sho, and ran to the car, sliding inside, then it drove away.
Sho sighed and visibly relaxed, watching as the car disappeared down the street. "She started randomly talking to me. I knew she wanted something..."
Kei shrugged. "It's going to happen more often Sho...After all you're a sweet boy, and you're very kind. Of course girls and guys are going to chase you. You have to handle this better, or it'll get worse. There are some people who are far more aggressive then Midori… Some will do everything they can to have you... even spike your drink. So please, Sho, handle this better. I'm not always going to be here." The vampire lectured patiently, sticking his hands in his pockets.
Sho lowered his head like he was being scolded by a parent. "Okay. Sorry..." He only needed Kei, Toshi, and his brother in his life. He didn't see the point in having friends when people were just going to use him. "But how am I supposed to handle it when I can't do anything to make people leave me alone? I'm not strong or intimidating like you, Kei. I can't flash my fangs at someone and watch them run away." However, his canines were getting sharper. They were just a little jagged, but it didn't worry him.
"You don't need fangs to handle anyone." Kei said bluntly. "You just need to use your intellect, and your mental strength. You can politely decline, and you can walk away, and if they keep chasing you, well... you can get a little meaner... and if it gets worse, THEN you can hide behind me."
Sho pouted a bit and turned to walk into their apartment. He threw his bag on the floor in his room, already starting to sulk. School sucked... He didn't even really learn anything anyway. He was smart enough to figure these kinds of things out by himself, especially with Kei around. The vampire had seen so many things in his life.
He went into the living room, just staring at the oven. He could make his own food now, but there was still a limit on what and how much he could eat. "Can I have some steak?"
Go ahead... but you can only have ONE. Kei replied, walking down the street to get some money... and to feed.
Sho smiled and pulled out the meat, tempted to take two instead... Kei wouldn't know from that far away, would he? He looked back at him through the window as he left, and decided not to risk it. He went back into the kitchen and cooked his steak for only a few minutes, enough to defrost it and make it edible. He barely cooked his meat anymore. Through the past three years, he'd went from medium rare to extra rare.
- - - -
A few hours later, Kei walked into his apartment, licking the last of the blood from his lips. He sighed in pleasure as he looked around the apartment. "Sho, I have something for you," he called out, his eyes glowing slightly.
Sho jumped slightly and hid his slightly bloody hand behind his back, not quit finished in wrapping it up, but he supposed that would be good enough. He'd accidentally cut it a little with the steak knife and had been stupid enough to put it to his mouth while he had been looking for some bandages. It tasted... sweet. "What is it?" he asked, walking out of the kitchen.
Kei smelled blood in the air and frowned, walking up to Sho. "You're bleeding. What happened?" He asked, forgetting the surprise he has in his pocket.
Sho sighed and held up his hand. "I cut it with the knife. I didn't mean to, and it took me forever to find these," he said, tightening the bandage around his hand. "So... what did you get me?"
Kei took his hand and unwrapped it. "First let me fix this properly." He said quietly. He quickly and skillfully bandaged up Sho's injury, before smiling. He pulled out the locket and necklace from his pocket and took Sho's hand in his. "Remember the precious gift I've always carried? Well it's yours and I made it extra special for you." The vampire said gently, opening the locket. Inside of it was a picture of Shinji and Toshi.
Sho blinked down at the gift, then his eyes widened. "Wow. You didn't have to do this..." He held the locket close to his face by the necklace, smiling softly. "But someone gave this to you. Are you sure it's right for me to have it now?"
"It's about time that I let it go. I've had it for the longest... and it's been my only companion at times. Someday, Sho, you might find yourself alone... and if you don't have anything that reminds you of what's important, you'll feel all the more alone. So... I think you'll need this much more then I ever will." Kei explained, giving him a sad smile. He knew that someday, he'd have to leave the human, and it would be hard for Sho.
Sho put it around his neck, wrapping his fingers around the locket. He listened to what Kei said and frowned. "Why would I be alone when I have you?" he asked with a hesitant smile. He hoped the vampire wasn't thinking about leaving him any time soon. He still needed him. He had Toshi and Shinji, sure, but Kei was... He swallowed thickly, his smile disappearing. "Kei?"
"If you're worried about me leaving... it's not going to happen any time soon." He ran his fingers through his hair gently. "You're getting tall Sho... Pretty soon, I won't be able to pat your head." The vampire chuckled giving him a smile. "I promise Sho, it'll be a while before I'll have to leave you... Do you hate me for saying this?"
Sho looked down towards the floor, trying to manage a smile for Kei. The thought of him leaving, even if it was years from now, made him feel sad and alone, even now. "No..." He mumbled, letting his hand drop. He hoped it was a very long time before he had to see Kei leave him for good. He cleared his throat and forced a small smile. "Thank you for the gift. It's precious to me, too."
"I'm glad." Kei laughed. "So... did you finish your homework?"
Sho's face went blank, then he laughed nervously. "Homework?"
Kei smiled playfully. "Yes, Homework." He replied, resting his hand on his hip.
Sho sighed and went back into his room, starting to unpack to start on his homework. Even when he slept during class everyday, he had no trouble with his grades. He was thankful that no one had tried to contact his guardian yet. Kei had never had to scold him on his homework before. When he was done, he lay back in his bed, looking down at the locket Kei had given him. He wanted to get a picture of Kei, too, sometime. He had nothing else to remember him by, other than the necklace.
Kei washed the dishes, thinking of Sho's behavior again...
He’d caught him eating a raw steak the day before, and he looked as if nothing was wrong... and he also tended to walk faster then most people. He wasn't allowed to play some sports with his classmates, because of how strong he was. Maybe... he really was half turned... maybe... he really was going to be immortal...
Sho sat up and went to the window, looking outside. He wished that he could go out at night by himself just once. Kei still wasn't letting him go anywhere, even though he knew he could defend himself... maybe not against a guy that was twice his size, but he still knew how to fight. He frowned and went out into the kitchen, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Kei... I wanna go out."
Kei blinked, looking up at him. "Um... why?" He asked.
Sho half turned away from him, the tiles on the floor becoming pretty interesting, as usual. "Because... I never get to go anywhere now that I'm in high school. I miss going places with Toshi, but he's always busy, too. I'm old enough to go out at night, aren't I?"
Kei tilted his head. "Well I guess it's alright...You have gotten older, and you are mature... and you know who to avoid... So... why not?" The vampire said, looking elsewhere.
Sho smiled and turned to walk towards the door, but then stopped. "Are you letting me go alone?" He asked, tilting his head.
"Have fun." Kei replied with a smirk. "Don't get into trouble now..."
Sho was out the door faster than Kei could finish his sentence. He ran down the steps, jumping from halfway down, and landing on his feet. He stepped outside, a shiver going down his spine when a breeze brushed at his skin. He smiled and started off, wandering the streets he thought he knew so well. Many shops were still open, though Sho didn't have any money with him. He quickly passed by the alley ways, glancing down them only a second before he took off.
After only a few moments, he reached a dead end. When he turned around, he saw three men almost right in front of him. He took a step back and swallowed. "Um... s-sorry, I didn't mean to come here..." His back pressed against the wall, holding his hands in front of himself.
"It's too late now," one of them snickered, stepping towards them. "What are you doing all the way out here anyway, kid?" He asked, as one of the other older teens pushed him away from the wall, only for Sho to fall onto his front. This was a bad idea... He should have asked Kei to go with him.
He stumbled up on his feet, putting his fists in front of his face, like they were going to attack him. "Oh, how cute. The kid thinks that he can fight." The last one let out a bark of laughter. "Fine... Maybe he has some money on him."
Out of instinct, Sho squeezed his eyes shut, punching in a random direction. He felt skin against his knuckles, but someone grabbed him from behind. He took their arm and twisted, breaking it for what seemed beyond repair. He threw him down onto the ground and kicked, hearing a crack. Everything was still when he opened his eyes. Two of the older teenagers groaned, but blood was oozing from the other's head. His eyes widened and he stood frozen for only a moment before he took off at a fast run, not looking back.
Kei watched as Sho quickly slammed the door shut, then looked back down at the book he was currently reading. "Someone attacked you, didn't they?" The vampire asked, not even looking up from his book as he lounged on the couch.
"N-n-no!" Sho said, close to tears. He didn't know if he had smashed that man's head in. What if he died because of the injury to his head? Would anyone come looking for him? He would be… a murderer. "W... why would you say that?"
Kei put his book down and held his arms out to the miserable teen. "Come here," he called softly, knowing that whatever happened was really bad, and Sho didn't want to speak of it.
Sho sat on the couch next to Kei, resting is head on his shoulder. He felt so bad for what happened, but they attacked him for no reason. "I don't want to go out on my own anymore," he said, closing his eyes and taking comfort in the vampire’s arms.
Kei ran his fingers through his hair, letting him rest his head on his shoulder. "You're going to have to some time, Sho... and it's all right... they didn't know not to attack you, and they can't harm anyone else."
Sho sniffed and pulled his feet up onto the couch. "But... I hurt them really bad... I didn't mean to. I never want to do that again." He moved a little closer to Kei, feeling like a little kid again after he just had a nightmare. "I feel horrible about it..."
Kei rubbed his arm gently. "I know. It's not a grand feeling to hurt someone, even if they deserve it... but sometimes we have no choice. I know you can't control your strength when you're upset, so maybe we should work on that, neh?"
Sho wrapped his arms around Kei's middle, feeling content being in his arms. He had to remind himself to hold those feelings back and he sighed, lifting his head from Kei's shoulder. "How am I going to do that? It seems like no matter how hard I try to hold back, I end up breaking an arm or busting someone's head in."
"It took a while for me." Kei replied, finally stating what he thought was going on. "… When I first turned." He stared at Sho patiently to see what he'd say to that.
Sho sat up straight, his mind blank for a few moments. He couldn't take in what Kei was trying to say. In fact, he rejected it. He pulled away from him and stood up, heading for his bedroom. "I'm going to bed," he mumbled, closing the door behind him.
Kei stood up and quickly walked after Sho, blocking the door with a hand. "Sho, you're not completely like me, and that's a good thing... you're not like me... you won't have to hurt anyone if you let me help you." He pleaded, opening the door all the way. He walked into the room, and grabbed gently Sho's arm.
Sho jerked his arm out of Kei's grip, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. He didn't want to be different from everyone else. He didn't want to eat raw meat to be satisfied, and he didn't want to think that blood actually tasted... sweet. A tear ran down his cheek and he wiped it away roughly. "Now Shinji will hate me... and everyone will think I'm a freak. I already have trouble getting along with them as it is... I hate this."
Kei took Sho into his arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I was just trying to save your leg... I didn't know that my saliva could turn you half way. Hurting you has always been the last thing on my mind... and I really do mean it. I would NEVER try to hurt you."
Sho fisted his hands in Kei's shirt, squeezing his eyes shut. More than anything, he was scared. The reason he did everything he did for the past few years made perfect sense now. "What am I supposed to do now?" He asked weakly, his voice cracking slightly. "I can't just act like nothing's happened..."
Kei rubbed his back. "Well that's true... buuut... if you listen to me, and trust me... we can make this work and you can live as normal as possible... neh?" he asked, turning Sho's head so he could look at him.
Sho frowned down at him, obviously not liking the idea. "I listened to you and trusted you before, and you turned me into this." He said, looking away from Kei again and down at himself. "How do I know it will actually work and not... make things worse?"
"I'm stronger than you... and probably stronger than you'll ever be." Kei said calmly. "Have you seen me crush anything with my two hands just trying to do everyday tasks?"
"Um... I've seen you break off the refrigerator door once. And you crushed the couch, and then we had to get a new one. You chopped the steak too hard on the cutting board and broke both the board and the table... and the knife. You also broke some of my toys when I was little..." He started naming different scenarios, not pausing for a breath most of the time.
"Okay, Sho... I get it... leave me alone." Kei muttered, pouting like a child. "I can control my strength better than you... It's only when I'm flustered and a mental mess is when I can't.... and it has to be very bad... like the day I broke off the refrigerator door, you had asked me what sex was like... that really caught me off guard and I ended up yanking the door off."
Sho smiled darkly and held a hand up to his mouth to hide his giggles. That day was funny. He'd heard it on TV and eventually knew what it was... only that someone did it to reproduce, and he just had to ask. No one went into detail about 'reproducing', so he only knew to ask Kei. "Your reaction was funny, though... It was worth it."
"Really not funny." The vampire muttered, blushing slightly. "One day a child will ask you this and they will make you squirm."
Sho laughed again and sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing at his eyes. "Fine... I trust you, I guess. How am I supposed to learn to control myself? Anger management?" He asked sarcastically.
Kei smiled, and took his hand. "Every time you get nervous... and you start to squeeze my hand, I will squeeze back and it will hurt very much." He said bluntly before sighing deeply. "I'm going to say some things that might hurt your feelings... so prepare yourself."
Sho looked worried, his hand twitching to pull away from Kei's, but this would help him... and Kei couldn't mean all of what he was about to say. He would never hurt him intentionally, and he needed to toughen up, anyway. He swallowed nervously and nodded. "Okay..."
"Alright, let's go." Kei said quietly, before they walked out the door.
- - - -
"Hey fairies, whattaya doin’?" a random thug from the street asked, shoving at them.
Sho clenched his teeth, his hand tightening slightly on Kei's, already forgetting that there would be punishment for that. "Walking. What does it look like?" He snapped, already getting angry that someone was already verbally attacking them.
Kei's hand tightened to the same grip as Sho's, giving him a silent warning.
"I bet you're gonna find some shitty building to fuck each other like the freaks you are! I wonder what it's like to suck dick like that!"
"Why don't you get on your knees and find out." Kei suggested without batting an eye.
"I'm sorry, but I don't fuck children... and I don't fuck guys, either!"
"Really? I thought you WERE one... but I guess it's because of how ignorant you are."
"Well fuck you! Who said you can talk shit to me?!" The thug demanded.
"You started it, we were just having a nice walk and you had to come and try to wreck it." Kei said bluntly.
Sho was shocked at the things that Kei was saying. He'd never heard him talk like that to anyone in his life. He looked between the vampire and the thug, blinking a few times. He was starting to get annoyed and his hand twitched again. "Don't you have anything better to do than pick at people?" he asked flatly, keeping in mind to make his hand relaxed. It was his injured one, too...
"Hey, stop fucking with these fairies and come on, Joe!" Someone shouted in English, and the man glared at them before rushing off, muttering more insults at them.
"Wasn't so bad now was it, Sho?" Kei asked, smiling warmly. "Well another hour and a half before sunrise... let's keep going shall we?"
Sho let out a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. He hoped that he wouldn't need to defend himself tonight, or wandering around the streets with Kei would be a waste of time. "Yes, I guess... Kei, how do you deal with all these people without killing them?"
"Deal with them enough and eventually, you'll not care who they are... and you'll say what you think and feel. Like what happened just-" A can full of beer bounced off Sho's head.
"FRUIT CAKES!!" A little kid shouted.
Sho's eye twitched and his hand tightened harshly around Kei's. He turned his head and glared at the kid, not caring that he could get in a lot of trouble for beating on a child that was so much younger than him. "Shut up, you little shit!" He yelled, trying to tug his hand out of Kei's grip.
Kei sighed deeply, as he gripped Sho's hands just as tightly, and yanked him back. "Come on." The vampire ordered, as he started walking quickly. "You don't want to go to jail for hurting a child, do you?"
Sho winced slightly, his grip immediately loosening on Kei's hand. "Ouch... sorry..." He would have been fine with it. All of this frustration wasn't helping with his nervousness and dislike of people.
"Mmhmm," Kei said casually, before looking at the obnoxious child with red eyes, scaring the shit out of him. "Okay, let's go... I think by the time we get back home you'll make good progress." He gave the boy a confident smile, and they kept walking.
- - - -
Nothing else really happened until they were on their way home... and they ran into a class mate of Sho's. "Hey, Sho... looks like you have more things to worry about other than having a crippled and druggie of a brother." He mocked. Kei could feel how angry Sho was getting... without him even having to squeeze his hand.
"Um... Sho," he warned quietly.
Sho grit his teeth, trying to hold his anger back. He could do it... He had to see this boy everyday at school after all, and he was able to control himself and ignore him then. But no one had dared to talk about his brother like that. "Shut up... You don't know anything about him. He's a better man than you'll ever be!"
"Yeah I guess so, if cripples and druggies were the best thing since sliced bread." The boy taunted.
"Really? Is that the best you can do?" Kei asked, raising an eyebrow, but then he noticed that Sho's grip was equal to a pissed off vampire's. "Sho, calm down, he's being an idiot." He tightened his grip, hoping that Sho would notice how hard he was holding his hand.
Sho ignored Kei, focusing on his schoolmate. Shinji always stood up for him when he got bullied, even if his leg was bad. He couldn't let anyone talk bad about his brother now. "At least he's not a loser like you! You shouldn't act so innocent. I've seen you smoking in the bathrooms. I hope your lungs shrivel up, you stupid piece of--" He growled, trying to wrench his hand from Kei's. "Let me go! He needs to learn to keep his mouth shut!"
Kei's grip tightened. "Stop it, Sho." He ordered, pulling him back.
"Your boyfriend's right, you don't want him to see you get stomped into the floor by me now, would you?" The bully asked with a dark snicker. Kei had a split second thought of releasing Sho to let him beat the hell out of him, but he knew that was a bad idea... instead he glared at the boy.
"Will you shut up? If I let him go, you're going to the hospital, do you want that?" He demanded.
Sho growled, baring his canines to the boy. If Kei wasn't there, he didn't know whether he would have left the boy breathing. The pain of Kei's vice grip and the frustration was only making him madder. "You think you can hurt ME? I can't play any sports at school because I end up hurting people too badly! And you think you're tough? I could rip your head off if I wanted to!" He yelled, forgetting that he was supposed to be pretending that he was a normal student, and not a half-vampire with super strength and a bad temper.
Kei gawked at his hand, when he realized that Sho was borderline crushing it... but without thinking, he returned the favor, hearing a loud crack. "Oh shit, are you okay Sho?" Kei asked, while the boy backed up after noticing that the vampire's eyes flashed red for a split second.
Sho was silent for a moment before he jerked his hand away and cried out in pain. He cradled his hand close to his chest, near tears. When Kei had told him that this would hurt, he didn't think that he would manage to break it. He forgot about the bully and glared at Kei. He took a few steps away from him, his teeth clenched together. "You... you broke my hand..."
"May I remind you that you nearly broke MINE?" Kei asked, giving him a flat look, before looking at the bully, then at Sho. "Which would you have been more content with? A broken hand or going to jail for attempted murder?"
"What?!" They bully asked.
"Sho would have probably killed you... so... be glad I was here... bitch." The vampire said, snarling at him.
"Your hand can heal faster than mine!" He looked at it, unable to move his fingers at all or it would cause him more pain. He whimpered and then looked to his schoolmate, narrowing his eyes. "What the hell are you staring at? You should go before I decide to actually hurt you," he hissed.
"That's it; lesson is over for this evening... come on." Kei ordered, picking Sho up bodily and storming home, despite the fact that Sho was pissed off, and wanting to kill somebody.
Sho was quiet the entire way home, not objecting to Kei carrying him like that. He had an apology on the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn't come out. He had nothing to really be sorry for, anyway. He looked everywhere but at Kei, wishing he'd just called it a night hours ago.
Once they got home, Kei sat in front of Sho and took his face in his hands. "I'm sorry Sho," he said quietly, running his fingers through his hair.
Sho looked towards the door, holding his hand close to himself again. "It's not going to work now," he said flatly. "I just can't do it... He's going to tell everyone, and they'll all think I'm a freak. Even Midori wouldn't want to be my friend anymore."
"Sho, no one will believe him for one, and second of all, this will get better, we just have to practice... are you up for that?" Kei asked.
Sho looked down at his hand again, pouting slightly. "I don't know... it's broken... I can't go out with a broken hand. If someone tries to hurt me, it might get worse."
"I know." Kei said quietly. "We'll just talk about things to make you flustered. Here, give me your other hand."
Sho looked a little unsure, hiding his hand behind his back as if Kei would have to wonder where it went. He was afraid that Kei would break his other hand, and he'd have to write with his pencil in his mouth or something. "Um... I don't know... I have to go to school soon."
"We have to make some form of progress, Sho-chan, and you're a mess right now… and you're worried... The sooner we get this down the better." The vampire insisted.
Sho trembled a little, only wanting to sleep for the small half an hour he had before he had to get ready to go back to school. He'd end up sleeping in class again, and he just wanted to avoid everyone. "I don't..." He clenched his uninjured hand hard, closing his eyes. "I’m just tired, Kei. I want to rest."
Kei nodded. "That's understandable. But you're not going to school today. You need a cast, and I'll have Shinji take you to be seen, okay?"
Sho sighed, not used to being out of school at all. What was he supposed to do during the day, other than sleep and go with Shinji to visit the doctor? "You're letting me skip school?"
"Well yeah, you can look at it that way." The flustered vampire grumbled, looking elsewhere. "Also, it is kind of my fault."
Sho nodded and gave Kei his other hand. His hand wouldn't hurt like anything like before. Kei wasn't mean... not that mean, at least. "Fine... but don't break it," he pleaded meekly.
Kei took Sho's hand. "Okay, so... who do you want to lose your virginity to?" He asked without batting an eye.
Sho's eyes widened and his cheeks went red with a blush. He jerked his hand out of Kei's, stumbling over his words a bit. "Wh-why would you want to know THAT?!" He asked, that being the only secret he wanted to hide from Kei.
Kei took his hand back. "Well, so far you didn't try to break my hand again... Hmmm... Is he nice?" He asked, ignoring the fact that he was making the poor boy squirm.
Sho blushed more and glared at Kei. "I'm not telling you about him. He'd never return my feelings anyway, so I'm not going to get my hopes up." Sho squeezed Kei's hand a little, looking down at it sadly. "I don't want to talk about it."
"For all you know, he could feel the same way. You're a wonderful person Sho, and you're kind and loving... It would be hard to believe that he wouldn't." The vampire insisted, squeezing his hand the same way.
Sho swallowed nervously, looking away from him. "He wouldn't... He's older than me, and he might try to avoid me if I told him. I don't want him to ignore me... so I'd rather just keep it to myself. Besides--he doesn't like men... I've only seen him flirt with women."
Kei nodded and continued to hold his hand. "There are others out there, you know." He said gently. "Love has plenty of possibilities, and there are many others who love you... who will love you. Hopefully you can be this person's friend even if he can't return your feelings. It might help."
Sho found that the more they talked about it, the more he was becoming depressed about it. Kei would never loved him back... Maybe as a friend and father-figure, but nothing more. He'd just have to get over it. "Whatever... It doesn't matter anyway. It's not like I ever had a chance in the first place." He pulled his hand away from Kei again. "Can I go to bed now?"
Kei nodded. "Okay, goodnight, Sho." He said quietly, as the sun started to rise. "Sleep well."
Sho walked off into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He wondered if Kei had loved anyone before that he couldn't have... Probably not. Anyone could fall for the old vampire... He was too attractive and seductive. Sho found himself blushing again and he closed his eyes tightly, trying to forget about how fast his feelings for Kei were developing.
Kei plopped on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. He knew he had to do something to make up for breaking Sho's hand. He also felt bad for pressing him about his love interest... Part of him wanted to pick at his brain to see who it was, but he promised that he wouldn't do that anymore.
Sho fell asleep quickly, his head full of innocent fantasies with Kei... And a few hours later, he was woken up by a familiar voice and a hand shaking his shoulder. His eyes fluttered open and he gasped, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Nii-chan!" He said, giving his brother a quick hug. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard... something... from someone I work with. Did you get into a fight last night?" He looked down at his hand and frowned. "What happened?"
Sho looked down at it and cleared his throat nervously. "I accidentally cut it yesterday when I was cutting my steak... and someone broke my hand. I’m sorry, Shinji... I know you told me not to fight anyone."
Meanwhile, Kei listened in silence as Shinji talked with Sho, deep in thought... hoping Sho didn't tell Shinji what he was, fearing what it could mean for the both of them.
"Umm... could you take me to see a doctor? Kei says I need a cast. I can try to pay you back later," Sho said, standing up from his bed.
Shinji smiled down at his brother. "Of course. You don't have to pay me back... but it has to be just this once, okay? If it happens again, I'm going to murder the bastard that did this to you... and Kei will have to take care of you himself." They walked out of the bedroom, Shinji ignoring Kei as usual.
"He's taking me to see a doctor," Sho said to Kei. "I'll be back in a few hours." With that, they walked out the door and shut it behind them.
Kei nodded. "Take care Sho...and be careful." he warned.
Authors: lovelydagger23 and mirai_kusakurin
Rating: NC-17...well eventually, right now it's PG-13 XD
Characters: Kei, Sho, Shinji and Toshi
Summary: After cleaning Sho's wound with his fangs...the boy grows up, with a few interesting and unusual traits.
Warnings: Humor, fluff, angst, vampires, gangsters, thieves...you know the typical moon child stuff...with a few twists of course.
Disclaimer: Kei, Shinji, Toshi and Sho belong to Gackt's interesting imagination. XD
At fifteen, Sho never thought that he’d have to deal with any girls. He was good looking, but no one talked to him anyway… No one but one girl…
Sho's eye twitched as he pressed himself up against the apartment building. He'd told Kei a few years before that he didn't like girls... at all... but he never told anyone else. Not even Toshi. A girl that was a year older than him was trying to flirt with him, but he felt very uncomfortable with it. It was actually starting to scare him. "Um... S-sorry, but I don't like you. I have to go now," he said, and turned, rushing off towards the building.
Kei was getting ready to go out and feed, when he happened to hear Sho's conversation with the girl... and of course, he knew that Sho wasn't into her, or any girl for that matter. He almost laughed at how annoyed Sho was sounding, not to mention scared. He walked up to them and gave the girl a smile. "Hello there cutie," he called to her, surprising them with how immature he seemed all of a sudden. "How are you doing?"
Sho squeaked a little and dashed behind Kei, though it wasn't like the girl couldn't see him anymore... He was taller than Kei now. The girl blushed slightly, seeing how attractive Kei was. "I'm okay," she said, holding a hand up to her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Sho-kun, is this your... um..." She couldn't say 'father' because they looked nothing alike, but they didn’t look much like brothers either, and she questioned if they were even blood related.
Kei gave the girl a smile. "I'm his Nichan." He explained, tilting his head. "So... what brings you here?"
The girl looked at Sho and pouted a little. "I wanted to go out on a date with Sho-kun," she said honestly, putting her hands on her hips. "But he's too shy to accept a date from anyone, even a pretty girl like me."
Sho blushed slightly and shook his head. "I'm not shy. I just don't like you in that way, Midori-chan."
Kei looked at the girl for a very long time, before smiling. "He's not into dating... He kind of has trust issues… and he can barely make friends. Don't push yourself on him too hard or he'll run away. Isn't that right Sho-chan?" He asked, before looking at the nervous teen.
Sho looked at him for a moment in silence before he blinked and nodded. That wasn't it, exactly, but he could go along with it. "Uh, yeah. Trust issues. I don't get along with people well."
Midori tilted her head and looked at Kei, but accepted it. "Okay... But you can trust me, Sho-kun," she said sweetly, before she heard a car honking on the other side of the street. She waved goodbye to Kei and Sho, and ran to the car, sliding inside, then it drove away.
Sho sighed and visibly relaxed, watching as the car disappeared down the street. "She started randomly talking to me. I knew she wanted something..."
Kei shrugged. "It's going to happen more often Sho...After all you're a sweet boy, and you're very kind. Of course girls and guys are going to chase you. You have to handle this better, or it'll get worse. There are some people who are far more aggressive then Midori… Some will do everything they can to have you... even spike your drink. So please, Sho, handle this better. I'm not always going to be here." The vampire lectured patiently, sticking his hands in his pockets.
Sho lowered his head like he was being scolded by a parent. "Okay. Sorry..." He only needed Kei, Toshi, and his brother in his life. He didn't see the point in having friends when people were just going to use him. "But how am I supposed to handle it when I can't do anything to make people leave me alone? I'm not strong or intimidating like you, Kei. I can't flash my fangs at someone and watch them run away." However, his canines were getting sharper. They were just a little jagged, but it didn't worry him.
"You don't need fangs to handle anyone." Kei said bluntly. "You just need to use your intellect, and your mental strength. You can politely decline, and you can walk away, and if they keep chasing you, well... you can get a little meaner... and if it gets worse, THEN you can hide behind me."
Sho pouted a bit and turned to walk into their apartment. He threw his bag on the floor in his room, already starting to sulk. School sucked... He didn't even really learn anything anyway. He was smart enough to figure these kinds of things out by himself, especially with Kei around. The vampire had seen so many things in his life.
He went into the living room, just staring at the oven. He could make his own food now, but there was still a limit on what and how much he could eat. "Can I have some steak?"
Go ahead... but you can only have ONE. Kei replied, walking down the street to get some money... and to feed.
Sho smiled and pulled out the meat, tempted to take two instead... Kei wouldn't know from that far away, would he? He looked back at him through the window as he left, and decided not to risk it. He went back into the kitchen and cooked his steak for only a few minutes, enough to defrost it and make it edible. He barely cooked his meat anymore. Through the past three years, he'd went from medium rare to extra rare.
- - - -
A few hours later, Kei walked into his apartment, licking the last of the blood from his lips. He sighed in pleasure as he looked around the apartment. "Sho, I have something for you," he called out, his eyes glowing slightly.
Sho jumped slightly and hid his slightly bloody hand behind his back, not quit finished in wrapping it up, but he supposed that would be good enough. He'd accidentally cut it a little with the steak knife and had been stupid enough to put it to his mouth while he had been looking for some bandages. It tasted... sweet. "What is it?" he asked, walking out of the kitchen.
Kei smelled blood in the air and frowned, walking up to Sho. "You're bleeding. What happened?" He asked, forgetting the surprise he has in his pocket.
Sho sighed and held up his hand. "I cut it with the knife. I didn't mean to, and it took me forever to find these," he said, tightening the bandage around his hand. "So... what did you get me?"
Kei took his hand and unwrapped it. "First let me fix this properly." He said quietly. He quickly and skillfully bandaged up Sho's injury, before smiling. He pulled out the locket and necklace from his pocket and took Sho's hand in his. "Remember the precious gift I've always carried? Well it's yours and I made it extra special for you." The vampire said gently, opening the locket. Inside of it was a picture of Shinji and Toshi.
Sho blinked down at the gift, then his eyes widened. "Wow. You didn't have to do this..." He held the locket close to his face by the necklace, smiling softly. "But someone gave this to you. Are you sure it's right for me to have it now?"
"It's about time that I let it go. I've had it for the longest... and it's been my only companion at times. Someday, Sho, you might find yourself alone... and if you don't have anything that reminds you of what's important, you'll feel all the more alone. So... I think you'll need this much more then I ever will." Kei explained, giving him a sad smile. He knew that someday, he'd have to leave the human, and it would be hard for Sho.
Sho put it around his neck, wrapping his fingers around the locket. He listened to what Kei said and frowned. "Why would I be alone when I have you?" he asked with a hesitant smile. He hoped the vampire wasn't thinking about leaving him any time soon. He still needed him. He had Toshi and Shinji, sure, but Kei was... He swallowed thickly, his smile disappearing. "Kei?"
"If you're worried about me leaving... it's not going to happen any time soon." He ran his fingers through his hair gently. "You're getting tall Sho... Pretty soon, I won't be able to pat your head." The vampire chuckled giving him a smile. "I promise Sho, it'll be a while before I'll have to leave you... Do you hate me for saying this?"
Sho looked down towards the floor, trying to manage a smile for Kei. The thought of him leaving, even if it was years from now, made him feel sad and alone, even now. "No..." He mumbled, letting his hand drop. He hoped it was a very long time before he had to see Kei leave him for good. He cleared his throat and forced a small smile. "Thank you for the gift. It's precious to me, too."
"I'm glad." Kei laughed. "So... did you finish your homework?"
Sho's face went blank, then he laughed nervously. "Homework?"
Kei smiled playfully. "Yes, Homework." He replied, resting his hand on his hip.
Sho sighed and went back into his room, starting to unpack to start on his homework. Even when he slept during class everyday, he had no trouble with his grades. He was thankful that no one had tried to contact his guardian yet. Kei had never had to scold him on his homework before. When he was done, he lay back in his bed, looking down at the locket Kei had given him. He wanted to get a picture of Kei, too, sometime. He had nothing else to remember him by, other than the necklace.
Kei washed the dishes, thinking of Sho's behavior again...
He’d caught him eating a raw steak the day before, and he looked as if nothing was wrong... and he also tended to walk faster then most people. He wasn't allowed to play some sports with his classmates, because of how strong he was. Maybe... he really was half turned... maybe... he really was going to be immortal...
Sho sat up and went to the window, looking outside. He wished that he could go out at night by himself just once. Kei still wasn't letting him go anywhere, even though he knew he could defend himself... maybe not against a guy that was twice his size, but he still knew how to fight. He frowned and went out into the kitchen, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Kei... I wanna go out."
Kei blinked, looking up at him. "Um... why?" He asked.
Sho half turned away from him, the tiles on the floor becoming pretty interesting, as usual. "Because... I never get to go anywhere now that I'm in high school. I miss going places with Toshi, but he's always busy, too. I'm old enough to go out at night, aren't I?"
Kei tilted his head. "Well I guess it's alright...You have gotten older, and you are mature... and you know who to avoid... So... why not?" The vampire said, looking elsewhere.
Sho smiled and turned to walk towards the door, but then stopped. "Are you letting me go alone?" He asked, tilting his head.
"Have fun." Kei replied with a smirk. "Don't get into trouble now..."
Sho was out the door faster than Kei could finish his sentence. He ran down the steps, jumping from halfway down, and landing on his feet. He stepped outside, a shiver going down his spine when a breeze brushed at his skin. He smiled and started off, wandering the streets he thought he knew so well. Many shops were still open, though Sho didn't have any money with him. He quickly passed by the alley ways, glancing down them only a second before he took off.
After only a few moments, he reached a dead end. When he turned around, he saw three men almost right in front of him. He took a step back and swallowed. "Um... s-sorry, I didn't mean to come here..." His back pressed against the wall, holding his hands in front of himself.
"It's too late now," one of them snickered, stepping towards them. "What are you doing all the way out here anyway, kid?" He asked, as one of the other older teens pushed him away from the wall, only for Sho to fall onto his front. This was a bad idea... He should have asked Kei to go with him.
He stumbled up on his feet, putting his fists in front of his face, like they were going to attack him. "Oh, how cute. The kid thinks that he can fight." The last one let out a bark of laughter. "Fine... Maybe he has some money on him."
Out of instinct, Sho squeezed his eyes shut, punching in a random direction. He felt skin against his knuckles, but someone grabbed him from behind. He took their arm and twisted, breaking it for what seemed beyond repair. He threw him down onto the ground and kicked, hearing a crack. Everything was still when he opened his eyes. Two of the older teenagers groaned, but blood was oozing from the other's head. His eyes widened and he stood frozen for only a moment before he took off at a fast run, not looking back.
Kei watched as Sho quickly slammed the door shut, then looked back down at the book he was currently reading. "Someone attacked you, didn't they?" The vampire asked, not even looking up from his book as he lounged on the couch.
"N-n-no!" Sho said, close to tears. He didn't know if he had smashed that man's head in. What if he died because of the injury to his head? Would anyone come looking for him? He would be… a murderer. "W... why would you say that?"
Kei put his book down and held his arms out to the miserable teen. "Come here," he called softly, knowing that whatever happened was really bad, and Sho didn't want to speak of it.
Sho sat on the couch next to Kei, resting is head on his shoulder. He felt so bad for what happened, but they attacked him for no reason. "I don't want to go out on my own anymore," he said, closing his eyes and taking comfort in the vampire’s arms.
Kei ran his fingers through his hair, letting him rest his head on his shoulder. "You're going to have to some time, Sho... and it's all right... they didn't know not to attack you, and they can't harm anyone else."
Sho sniffed and pulled his feet up onto the couch. "But... I hurt them really bad... I didn't mean to. I never want to do that again." He moved a little closer to Kei, feeling like a little kid again after he just had a nightmare. "I feel horrible about it..."
Kei rubbed his arm gently. "I know. It's not a grand feeling to hurt someone, even if they deserve it... but sometimes we have no choice. I know you can't control your strength when you're upset, so maybe we should work on that, neh?"
Sho wrapped his arms around Kei's middle, feeling content being in his arms. He had to remind himself to hold those feelings back and he sighed, lifting his head from Kei's shoulder. "How am I going to do that? It seems like no matter how hard I try to hold back, I end up breaking an arm or busting someone's head in."
"It took a while for me." Kei replied, finally stating what he thought was going on. "… When I first turned." He stared at Sho patiently to see what he'd say to that.
Sho sat up straight, his mind blank for a few moments. He couldn't take in what Kei was trying to say. In fact, he rejected it. He pulled away from him and stood up, heading for his bedroom. "I'm going to bed," he mumbled, closing the door behind him.
Kei stood up and quickly walked after Sho, blocking the door with a hand. "Sho, you're not completely like me, and that's a good thing... you're not like me... you won't have to hurt anyone if you let me help you." He pleaded, opening the door all the way. He walked into the room, and grabbed gently Sho's arm.
Sho jerked his arm out of Kei's grip, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. He didn't want to be different from everyone else. He didn't want to eat raw meat to be satisfied, and he didn't want to think that blood actually tasted... sweet. A tear ran down his cheek and he wiped it away roughly. "Now Shinji will hate me... and everyone will think I'm a freak. I already have trouble getting along with them as it is... I hate this."
Kei took Sho into his arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I was just trying to save your leg... I didn't know that my saliva could turn you half way. Hurting you has always been the last thing on my mind... and I really do mean it. I would NEVER try to hurt you."
Sho fisted his hands in Kei's shirt, squeezing his eyes shut. More than anything, he was scared. The reason he did everything he did for the past few years made perfect sense now. "What am I supposed to do now?" He asked weakly, his voice cracking slightly. "I can't just act like nothing's happened..."
Kei rubbed his back. "Well that's true... buuut... if you listen to me, and trust me... we can make this work and you can live as normal as possible... neh?" he asked, turning Sho's head so he could look at him.
Sho frowned down at him, obviously not liking the idea. "I listened to you and trusted you before, and you turned me into this." He said, looking away from Kei again and down at himself. "How do I know it will actually work and not... make things worse?"
"I'm stronger than you... and probably stronger than you'll ever be." Kei said calmly. "Have you seen me crush anything with my two hands just trying to do everyday tasks?"
"Um... I've seen you break off the refrigerator door once. And you crushed the couch, and then we had to get a new one. You chopped the steak too hard on the cutting board and broke both the board and the table... and the knife. You also broke some of my toys when I was little..." He started naming different scenarios, not pausing for a breath most of the time.
"Okay, Sho... I get it... leave me alone." Kei muttered, pouting like a child. "I can control my strength better than you... It's only when I'm flustered and a mental mess is when I can't.... and it has to be very bad... like the day I broke off the refrigerator door, you had asked me what sex was like... that really caught me off guard and I ended up yanking the door off."
Sho smiled darkly and held a hand up to his mouth to hide his giggles. That day was funny. He'd heard it on TV and eventually knew what it was... only that someone did it to reproduce, and he just had to ask. No one went into detail about 'reproducing', so he only knew to ask Kei. "Your reaction was funny, though... It was worth it."
"Really not funny." The vampire muttered, blushing slightly. "One day a child will ask you this and they will make you squirm."
Sho laughed again and sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing at his eyes. "Fine... I trust you, I guess. How am I supposed to learn to control myself? Anger management?" He asked sarcastically.
Kei smiled, and took his hand. "Every time you get nervous... and you start to squeeze my hand, I will squeeze back and it will hurt very much." He said bluntly before sighing deeply. "I'm going to say some things that might hurt your feelings... so prepare yourself."
Sho looked worried, his hand twitching to pull away from Kei's, but this would help him... and Kei couldn't mean all of what he was about to say. He would never hurt him intentionally, and he needed to toughen up, anyway. He swallowed nervously and nodded. "Okay..."
"Alright, let's go." Kei said quietly, before they walked out the door.
- - - -
"Hey fairies, whattaya doin’?" a random thug from the street asked, shoving at them.
Sho clenched his teeth, his hand tightening slightly on Kei's, already forgetting that there would be punishment for that. "Walking. What does it look like?" He snapped, already getting angry that someone was already verbally attacking them.
Kei's hand tightened to the same grip as Sho's, giving him a silent warning.
"I bet you're gonna find some shitty building to fuck each other like the freaks you are! I wonder what it's like to suck dick like that!"
"Why don't you get on your knees and find out." Kei suggested without batting an eye.
"I'm sorry, but I don't fuck children... and I don't fuck guys, either!"
"Really? I thought you WERE one... but I guess it's because of how ignorant you are."
"Well fuck you! Who said you can talk shit to me?!" The thug demanded.
"You started it, we were just having a nice walk and you had to come and try to wreck it." Kei said bluntly.
Sho was shocked at the things that Kei was saying. He'd never heard him talk like that to anyone in his life. He looked between the vampire and the thug, blinking a few times. He was starting to get annoyed and his hand twitched again. "Don't you have anything better to do than pick at people?" he asked flatly, keeping in mind to make his hand relaxed. It was his injured one, too...
"Hey, stop fucking with these fairies and come on, Joe!" Someone shouted in English, and the man glared at them before rushing off, muttering more insults at them.
"Wasn't so bad now was it, Sho?" Kei asked, smiling warmly. "Well another hour and a half before sunrise... let's keep going shall we?"
Sho let out a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. He hoped that he wouldn't need to defend himself tonight, or wandering around the streets with Kei would be a waste of time. "Yes, I guess... Kei, how do you deal with all these people without killing them?"
"Deal with them enough and eventually, you'll not care who they are... and you'll say what you think and feel. Like what happened just-" A can full of beer bounced off Sho's head.
"FRUIT CAKES!!" A little kid shouted.
Sho's eye twitched and his hand tightened harshly around Kei's. He turned his head and glared at the kid, not caring that he could get in a lot of trouble for beating on a child that was so much younger than him. "Shut up, you little shit!" He yelled, trying to tug his hand out of Kei's grip.
Kei sighed deeply, as he gripped Sho's hands just as tightly, and yanked him back. "Come on." The vampire ordered, as he started walking quickly. "You don't want to go to jail for hurting a child, do you?"
Sho winced slightly, his grip immediately loosening on Kei's hand. "Ouch... sorry..." He would have been fine with it. All of this frustration wasn't helping with his nervousness and dislike of people.
"Mmhmm," Kei said casually, before looking at the obnoxious child with red eyes, scaring the shit out of him. "Okay, let's go... I think by the time we get back home you'll make good progress." He gave the boy a confident smile, and they kept walking.
- - - -
Nothing else really happened until they were on their way home... and they ran into a class mate of Sho's. "Hey, Sho... looks like you have more things to worry about other than having a crippled and druggie of a brother." He mocked. Kei could feel how angry Sho was getting... without him even having to squeeze his hand.
"Um... Sho," he warned quietly.
Sho grit his teeth, trying to hold his anger back. He could do it... He had to see this boy everyday at school after all, and he was able to control himself and ignore him then. But no one had dared to talk about his brother like that. "Shut up... You don't know anything about him. He's a better man than you'll ever be!"
"Yeah I guess so, if cripples and druggies were the best thing since sliced bread." The boy taunted.
"Really? Is that the best you can do?" Kei asked, raising an eyebrow, but then he noticed that Sho's grip was equal to a pissed off vampire's. "Sho, calm down, he's being an idiot." He tightened his grip, hoping that Sho would notice how hard he was holding his hand.
Sho ignored Kei, focusing on his schoolmate. Shinji always stood up for him when he got bullied, even if his leg was bad. He couldn't let anyone talk bad about his brother now. "At least he's not a loser like you! You shouldn't act so innocent. I've seen you smoking in the bathrooms. I hope your lungs shrivel up, you stupid piece of--" He growled, trying to wrench his hand from Kei's. "Let me go! He needs to learn to keep his mouth shut!"
Kei's grip tightened. "Stop it, Sho." He ordered, pulling him back.
"Your boyfriend's right, you don't want him to see you get stomped into the floor by me now, would you?" The bully asked with a dark snicker. Kei had a split second thought of releasing Sho to let him beat the hell out of him, but he knew that was a bad idea... instead he glared at the boy.
"Will you shut up? If I let him go, you're going to the hospital, do you want that?" He demanded.
Sho growled, baring his canines to the boy. If Kei wasn't there, he didn't know whether he would have left the boy breathing. The pain of Kei's vice grip and the frustration was only making him madder. "You think you can hurt ME? I can't play any sports at school because I end up hurting people too badly! And you think you're tough? I could rip your head off if I wanted to!" He yelled, forgetting that he was supposed to be pretending that he was a normal student, and not a half-vampire with super strength and a bad temper.
Kei gawked at his hand, when he realized that Sho was borderline crushing it... but without thinking, he returned the favor, hearing a loud crack. "Oh shit, are you okay Sho?" Kei asked, while the boy backed up after noticing that the vampire's eyes flashed red for a split second.
Sho was silent for a moment before he jerked his hand away and cried out in pain. He cradled his hand close to his chest, near tears. When Kei had told him that this would hurt, he didn't think that he would manage to break it. He forgot about the bully and glared at Kei. He took a few steps away from him, his teeth clenched together. "You... you broke my hand..."
"May I remind you that you nearly broke MINE?" Kei asked, giving him a flat look, before looking at the bully, then at Sho. "Which would you have been more content with? A broken hand or going to jail for attempted murder?"
"What?!" They bully asked.
"Sho would have probably killed you... so... be glad I was here... bitch." The vampire said, snarling at him.
"Your hand can heal faster than mine!" He looked at it, unable to move his fingers at all or it would cause him more pain. He whimpered and then looked to his schoolmate, narrowing his eyes. "What the hell are you staring at? You should go before I decide to actually hurt you," he hissed.
"That's it; lesson is over for this evening... come on." Kei ordered, picking Sho up bodily and storming home, despite the fact that Sho was pissed off, and wanting to kill somebody.
Sho was quiet the entire way home, not objecting to Kei carrying him like that. He had an apology on the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn't come out. He had nothing to really be sorry for, anyway. He looked everywhere but at Kei, wishing he'd just called it a night hours ago.
Once they got home, Kei sat in front of Sho and took his face in his hands. "I'm sorry Sho," he said quietly, running his fingers through his hair.
Sho looked towards the door, holding his hand close to himself again. "It's not going to work now," he said flatly. "I just can't do it... He's going to tell everyone, and they'll all think I'm a freak. Even Midori wouldn't want to be my friend anymore."
"Sho, no one will believe him for one, and second of all, this will get better, we just have to practice... are you up for that?" Kei asked.
Sho looked down at his hand again, pouting slightly. "I don't know... it's broken... I can't go out with a broken hand. If someone tries to hurt me, it might get worse."
"I know." Kei said quietly. "We'll just talk about things to make you flustered. Here, give me your other hand."
Sho looked a little unsure, hiding his hand behind his back as if Kei would have to wonder where it went. He was afraid that Kei would break his other hand, and he'd have to write with his pencil in his mouth or something. "Um... I don't know... I have to go to school soon."
"We have to make some form of progress, Sho-chan, and you're a mess right now… and you're worried... The sooner we get this down the better." The vampire insisted.
Sho trembled a little, only wanting to sleep for the small half an hour he had before he had to get ready to go back to school. He'd end up sleeping in class again, and he just wanted to avoid everyone. "I don't..." He clenched his uninjured hand hard, closing his eyes. "I’m just tired, Kei. I want to rest."
Kei nodded. "That's understandable. But you're not going to school today. You need a cast, and I'll have Shinji take you to be seen, okay?"
Sho sighed, not used to being out of school at all. What was he supposed to do during the day, other than sleep and go with Shinji to visit the doctor? "You're letting me skip school?"
"Well yeah, you can look at it that way." The flustered vampire grumbled, looking elsewhere. "Also, it is kind of my fault."
Sho nodded and gave Kei his other hand. His hand wouldn't hurt like anything like before. Kei wasn't mean... not that mean, at least. "Fine... but don't break it," he pleaded meekly.
Kei took Sho's hand. "Okay, so... who do you want to lose your virginity to?" He asked without batting an eye.
Sho's eyes widened and his cheeks went red with a blush. He jerked his hand out of Kei's, stumbling over his words a bit. "Wh-why would you want to know THAT?!" He asked, that being the only secret he wanted to hide from Kei.
Kei took his hand back. "Well, so far you didn't try to break my hand again... Hmmm... Is he nice?" He asked, ignoring the fact that he was making the poor boy squirm.
Sho blushed more and glared at Kei. "I'm not telling you about him. He'd never return my feelings anyway, so I'm not going to get my hopes up." Sho squeezed Kei's hand a little, looking down at it sadly. "I don't want to talk about it."
"For all you know, he could feel the same way. You're a wonderful person Sho, and you're kind and loving... It would be hard to believe that he wouldn't." The vampire insisted, squeezing his hand the same way.
Sho swallowed nervously, looking away from him. "He wouldn't... He's older than me, and he might try to avoid me if I told him. I don't want him to ignore me... so I'd rather just keep it to myself. Besides--he doesn't like men... I've only seen him flirt with women."
Kei nodded and continued to hold his hand. "There are others out there, you know." He said gently. "Love has plenty of possibilities, and there are many others who love you... who will love you. Hopefully you can be this person's friend even if he can't return your feelings. It might help."
Sho found that the more they talked about it, the more he was becoming depressed about it. Kei would never loved him back... Maybe as a friend and father-figure, but nothing more. He'd just have to get over it. "Whatever... It doesn't matter anyway. It's not like I ever had a chance in the first place." He pulled his hand away from Kei again. "Can I go to bed now?"
Kei nodded. "Okay, goodnight, Sho." He said quietly, as the sun started to rise. "Sleep well."
Sho walked off into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He wondered if Kei had loved anyone before that he couldn't have... Probably not. Anyone could fall for the old vampire... He was too attractive and seductive. Sho found himself blushing again and he closed his eyes tightly, trying to forget about how fast his feelings for Kei were developing.
Kei plopped on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. He knew he had to do something to make up for breaking Sho's hand. He also felt bad for pressing him about his love interest... Part of him wanted to pick at his brain to see who it was, but he promised that he wouldn't do that anymore.
Sho fell asleep quickly, his head full of innocent fantasies with Kei... And a few hours later, he was woken up by a familiar voice and a hand shaking his shoulder. His eyes fluttered open and he gasped, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Nii-chan!" He said, giving his brother a quick hug. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard... something... from someone I work with. Did you get into a fight last night?" He looked down at his hand and frowned. "What happened?"
Sho looked down at it and cleared his throat nervously. "I accidentally cut it yesterday when I was cutting my steak... and someone broke my hand. I’m sorry, Shinji... I know you told me not to fight anyone."
Meanwhile, Kei listened in silence as Shinji talked with Sho, deep in thought... hoping Sho didn't tell Shinji what he was, fearing what it could mean for the both of them.
"Umm... could you take me to see a doctor? Kei says I need a cast. I can try to pay you back later," Sho said, standing up from his bed.
Shinji smiled down at his brother. "Of course. You don't have to pay me back... but it has to be just this once, okay? If it happens again, I'm going to murder the bastard that did this to you... and Kei will have to take care of you himself." They walked out of the bedroom, Shinji ignoring Kei as usual.
"He's taking me to see a doctor," Sho said to Kei. "I'll be back in a few hours." With that, they walked out the door and shut it behind them.
Kei nodded. "Take care Sho...and be careful." he warned.