(no subject)
Title: After Dark
Rating: 18
Genre: Supernatural Horror
Band: Mejibray
Pairing: Koichi x MiA
Summary: The sun protects us, a shining beacon that has kept the darkness at bay. Evil fears it, for the light is their weakness and they shun it. Even the sun can't protect me now, nothing can. Except perhaps for the man I know only as 'Koichi'.
Author's Note: New chapters every Monday and Friday. (I may post early due to having no access to a computer on the posting day).
Previous Chapters:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
New Chapter:
Chapter Seventeen
Koichi held onto me for a long moment, before he pulled away and gave me an almost shy smile. He had always been so confident and sure of himself, this new uncertainty was disconcerting. I was free to make up my own mind, but did I remember how to do so?
“Is there somewhere private that we can talk?” I asked Koichi, well aware that we were being watched.
“Sure,” Koichi agreed. He hesitated a moment before he took my hand and lead me upstairs to his new room. I was expecting something stylish and elegant, full of pink and all his favourite things. Instead I found a standard dorm room, painted mint green and cream, with nothing of Koichi's on display. Even my room, with my limited belongings, had more personality than this. Koichi hadn't made an effort to make the space his, like he didn't believe he was here to stay.
“Things are difficult for you here, aren't they?” I asked. “It can't be easy going from a prince to...”
“Nothing,” Koichi finished. “No worse than. At least if I was nothing I wouldn't be looked at with such mistrust. I know who my true friends are now, I suppose.”
“Meto,” I guessed. “And Yuuki?”
“Tsuzuku too, for Meto's sake more than my own.” Koichi finished. “I never expected you to return to me, you seemed so keen to come here.”
“I don't know what I want,” I admitted. I glanced around his room once more, unable to look at Koichi's defeated expression. I felt guilty for not jumping in his arms, reassuring him that everything would be all right. How could I do that, when I didn't know myself that it was? “Do you plan to stay here, or where you waiting for me?”
“I don't know,” Koichi answered. “That depends on you really. If you don't want me, then I guess I'll have to find somewhere I could belong. Who would take me in? I'm too powerful for any vampire king to trust me, without giving the secret of magic away like Yuuki did.”
“I think we should start again, from the beginning,” I informed him, making up my mind, at least for now. His pain was so real, and ran so deep, that I couldn't walk away from him with a clear conscience. Yet his sorrow didn't erase everything we had been through. I couldn't just forget the way I had been kept as his toy. “I want to know you as an equal. What we had was twisted and wrong, I won't go back to that.”
“So, I get a second chance?” Koichi asked. “Did they not try to convince you to stay away.”
“They did,” I admitted, “But it didn't work.”
I'd seen King Hizaki around the human quarters a few times, finding him to be genuinely kind and down to earth. He treated everyone as equals, so much so that an outsider might not even realise he was a king. There was no doubts of that when I saw him sat on his throne. He was regal in both strength and demeanour, beautiful beyond believe. It was easy to see why King Kamijo looked at him with such adoring eyes. Had all of this been built just to keep Hizaki happy? I was sceptical enough not to blindly believe Kamijo was entirely selfless. He'd chosen the path that was easiest for him, which just happened to benefit humans as well.
Like Hizaki, Kamijo was full of royal grace. I was desperate to figure out his game, so much so that I began to question if he even had one. Was this my own experiences that twisted my mind into finding fault in every vampire that I saw? Couldn't Kamijo just be nice?
“So, you're out of your room at last.” Kamijo remarked, giving Koichi a disproving look. “Does this mean that you've finally decided to contribute to your new clan?”
“It means that MiA is out of his rooms, so you'll kick me out if I don't.” Koichi answered, rolling his eyes as Kamijo began to lecture him. I got Kamijo's point, Koichi was being entirely ungrateful, and yet I had seen how sad all of this was making him as well.
“Your highness,” I found myself interrupting, half expecting backlash for my troubles, “Don't you feel that.... What I mean is....”
“What I think MiA is trying to say,” Hizaki finished for me, “Is that this must surely be hard for Koichi to adjust to, having been with the same clan for so long. What's more, he was force-ably removed from MiA, with no say in the matter. He's lost a lot, and whilst you have rewarded his brother, what does Koichi have here that speaks of his old rank?”
“I won't give this man power,” Kamijo argued back. “How can I trust him?”
“He has power, and he hasn't used it,” Hizaki reminded him. “But that's not my point. Only that you should be considerate in the job you choose for him. What job would you like, Koichi?”
“I don't know, I've never worked,” Koichi answered.
“Of course he hasn't,” Kamijo said, clearly annoyed that Koichi was causing him so many problems. “And I am not putting him on border control, before any of you even suggest that. Despite his power, he's not trustworthy.”
“Then why don't you just kick me out?” Koichi snapped, “As you keep threatening to do.”
“Can I say something,” I found myself speaking up again. “Koichi knows how to make clothes, he's very good at it in fact. Surely you must need someone to tailor clothes for everyone here?” I could tell that Koichi was grateful for my idea, a chance to take on a job he could actually enjoy, but that wasn't my intention. I wanted Koichi to stay here, because I knew that if he left, I would be taken with him. I was still his, in his eyes at least. I wasn't foolish enough to believe I had freedom anywhere but within this clan. Here we could have a normal relationship, but I would have to manipulate things to make sure it turned out that way.
“Well there we have it,” Hizaki agreed, “Kochiyo has been complaining that she can't do it all alone.”
“To trust him, with a human, alone?” Kamijo scoffed. A look from Hizaki stopping him from insulting Koichi's pride further. I knew the pink haired vampire was close to breaking point “Fine. If you want to be part of this clan, I suppose I should treat you like you belong.”
“What about you MiA?” Hizaki asked, “Is there anything you would like to do. What was your job before?”
“I worked in an office, and a part time model,” I confessed.
“Well then,” Hizaki said, “There's always work in the fields that ...”
“No!” Koichi snapped, “My MiA is not working in the fields!”
“You're MiA?” Kamijo repeated, as he gave Hizaki a look that made it clear he expected the other king to deal with this.
“What he means is, I've had a bad experience in a field before.” I quickly explained, carefully leaving out the part that it had all been Koichi's fault.
“The kitchens then,” Hizaki decided. “At least for now.”
My first shift in the kitchens was harder than I had expected. To begin with I was greeted by a harsh faced woman, who took one look at my painted black nails and informed me I couldn't work with the food. I was assigned to washing up duty, and handed a pair of yellow gloves to wear over my hands. I didn't really mind about the work, it was just uncomfortable knowing that everyone was watching me.
I focused on the job at hand, keeping my eyes on the task and listening to the other people talk about nothing of real interest. It was a such a normal job, in such a normal environment, that I could almost forget what had been going on for the last few months.
Around midday some of the earlier shift left, and a couple of men came in to take their place. I recognised one of them instantly, for he had been the man who had been there when Tsuzuku was captured, scoffing that I was a vampire's pet. He'd disliked me then, he hated me now.
“What is he doing here?” he demanded, angrily storming over to me and bringing a newly washed pan down against the side of my head. I went dizzy for a moment, clinging to the sink for support. He was angry that I had betrayed Tsuzuku, and I couldn't blame him for it.
“Yusuke!” the head chef exclaimed, “What was that about?”
“He's a vampire pet! You can't trust him!” Yusuke snarled at me. “He's the one who betrayed Tsu.”
“He did what was necessary to survive,” the head chef answered. “Now get to work, or should I bring the King here?” With some angry muttering, Yusuke went to prepare some vegetables, glaring at me the whole time.
“I think he needs medical attention,” a teenage girl named Mika spoke up. It was true that I still felt dizzy, so I allowed her to take me to the old nurses office where another woman inspected the wound.
“I don't think there's any long term damage,” she reassured me. “Just try to avoid any more head injuries, OK?”
“Like I asked for this?” I weakly joked. I reassured them both I would be fine in the kitchens and returned to my post, doing my best to stay as far away as possible from Yusuke.
“I heard you were out,” Tsuzuku greeted me after my shift, “I thought if we were to talk I should probably get here before Koichi.”
“How are you doing here?” I asked, following him to a small secluded area where we could talk freely.
“Not too bad,” Tsuzuku admitted. “Most of the human resistance have found their way here. It took some time, but I've convinced them I'm still the same guy they knew. More or less. Honestly, it's going to be awkward for a long time, but I have hope.”
“That's good,” I said with a smile. At least one of us had found a home here. “What job did they give you?”
“I convinced Kamijo to let me continue my role as rebellion leader,” Tsuzuku admitted. “My people and I go out on the streets, bringing as many humans here as possible, eliminating any vampire who proves to be a threat. He doesn't know about the last part, but I can trust you with this, right?”
“You can trust me,” I agreed, noticing Koichi in the distance, clearly coming to meet me.
“I'm sorry about Yusuke, he will be punished, rest assured of that.” Tsuzuku promised. “But please, don't tell Koichi about what happened.”
“I wasn't going to.” I reassured him. “Is that why you're here?”
“And to find out how you're doing. Are you happy here?” Tsuzuku asked.
“I'm working on it,” I answered, with more confidence than I felt. I didn't really belong here, but where else was there? Like Koichi, I was here because there was no where else for us to go.
“What are you doing?” Koichi asked, as he sat on the edge of my bed. He'd made an effort to take me on a date after work, within the limits of the former school. We'd spent a couple of hours together, which had been surprisingly easy. I had invited Koichi back to my room, with the orders that he was getting nothing more than a kiss. When I meant we were starting form the beginning, I meant it.
“Taking off the nail varnish,” I answered. “I'm not allowed to prepare food with it on.”
“But I like your nail varnish,” Koichi complained. “Keep it on, tomorrow we'll get you a new job.”
“I like my job,” I lied. Honestly I hadn't decided either way. “And what right do we have to demand what we will and will not do?”
“Every right,” Koichi answered. “If we're not happy, then why should we work at all?”
“That's not how life works.” I corrected him. “You do what is asked, so we can all share the resources. Everyone is equal here. Even the kings work.”
“It's a stupid system.” Koichi complained. “Do you really want to work in the kitchens?”
“Yes,” I answered. Koichi knows I'm lying, but to my surprise he doesn't kick up a fuss. Maybe he really is trying to fit in here? “Do you like your job?”
“No,” Koichi answered. “I'm not allowed any creativity, or self expression. “Kochiyo is horrible to me! I should complain.”
“Please don't,” I replied, casually focusing on my nails, “For me, you need to make this job work.”
“Why does it matter to you?” Koichi demanded. “I can find another job, one that doesn't suck!”
“Because I know you,” I answered. “You're going to hate the next job, and the next, and the next. You're in the best job role for you already, if you can't make this work nothing here is going to make you happy. If you don't put effort into enjoying this job, into fitting in, then we have no future here. So for me, make this job work.”
“What kind of punishment is this?” Koichi whined. I half expected him to storm out, or sit sulking for hours. To my surprise he does neither, instead he sits quietly watching me, perhaps wondering how he can make his new job work out after all.
Rating: 18
Genre: Supernatural Horror
Band: Mejibray
Pairing: Koichi x MiA
Summary: The sun protects us, a shining beacon that has kept the darkness at bay. Evil fears it, for the light is their weakness and they shun it. Even the sun can't protect me now, nothing can. Except perhaps for the man I know only as 'Koichi'.
Author's Note: New chapters every Monday and Friday. (I may post early due to having no access to a computer on the posting day).
Previous Chapters:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
New Chapter:
Chapter Seventeen
Koichi held onto me for a long moment, before he pulled away and gave me an almost shy smile. He had always been so confident and sure of himself, this new uncertainty was disconcerting. I was free to make up my own mind, but did I remember how to do so?
“Is there somewhere private that we can talk?” I asked Koichi, well aware that we were being watched.
“Sure,” Koichi agreed. He hesitated a moment before he took my hand and lead me upstairs to his new room. I was expecting something stylish and elegant, full of pink and all his favourite things. Instead I found a standard dorm room, painted mint green and cream, with nothing of Koichi's on display. Even my room, with my limited belongings, had more personality than this. Koichi hadn't made an effort to make the space his, like he didn't believe he was here to stay.
“Things are difficult for you here, aren't they?” I asked. “It can't be easy going from a prince to...”
“Nothing,” Koichi finished. “No worse than. At least if I was nothing I wouldn't be looked at with such mistrust. I know who my true friends are now, I suppose.”
“Meto,” I guessed. “And Yuuki?”
“Tsuzuku too, for Meto's sake more than my own.” Koichi finished. “I never expected you to return to me, you seemed so keen to come here.”
“I don't know what I want,” I admitted. I glanced around his room once more, unable to look at Koichi's defeated expression. I felt guilty for not jumping in his arms, reassuring him that everything would be all right. How could I do that, when I didn't know myself that it was? “Do you plan to stay here, or where you waiting for me?”
“I don't know,” Koichi answered. “That depends on you really. If you don't want me, then I guess I'll have to find somewhere I could belong. Who would take me in? I'm too powerful for any vampire king to trust me, without giving the secret of magic away like Yuuki did.”
“I think we should start again, from the beginning,” I informed him, making up my mind, at least for now. His pain was so real, and ran so deep, that I couldn't walk away from him with a clear conscience. Yet his sorrow didn't erase everything we had been through. I couldn't just forget the way I had been kept as his toy. “I want to know you as an equal. What we had was twisted and wrong, I won't go back to that.”
“So, I get a second chance?” Koichi asked. “Did they not try to convince you to stay away.”
“They did,” I admitted, “But it didn't work.”
I'd seen King Hizaki around the human quarters a few times, finding him to be genuinely kind and down to earth. He treated everyone as equals, so much so that an outsider might not even realise he was a king. There was no doubts of that when I saw him sat on his throne. He was regal in both strength and demeanour, beautiful beyond believe. It was easy to see why King Kamijo looked at him with such adoring eyes. Had all of this been built just to keep Hizaki happy? I was sceptical enough not to blindly believe Kamijo was entirely selfless. He'd chosen the path that was easiest for him, which just happened to benefit humans as well.
Like Hizaki, Kamijo was full of royal grace. I was desperate to figure out his game, so much so that I began to question if he even had one. Was this my own experiences that twisted my mind into finding fault in every vampire that I saw? Couldn't Kamijo just be nice?
“So, you're out of your room at last.” Kamijo remarked, giving Koichi a disproving look. “Does this mean that you've finally decided to contribute to your new clan?”
“It means that MiA is out of his rooms, so you'll kick me out if I don't.” Koichi answered, rolling his eyes as Kamijo began to lecture him. I got Kamijo's point, Koichi was being entirely ungrateful, and yet I had seen how sad all of this was making him as well.
“Your highness,” I found myself interrupting, half expecting backlash for my troubles, “Don't you feel that.... What I mean is....”
“What I think MiA is trying to say,” Hizaki finished for me, “Is that this must surely be hard for Koichi to adjust to, having been with the same clan for so long. What's more, he was force-ably removed from MiA, with no say in the matter. He's lost a lot, and whilst you have rewarded his brother, what does Koichi have here that speaks of his old rank?”
“I won't give this man power,” Kamijo argued back. “How can I trust him?”
“He has power, and he hasn't used it,” Hizaki reminded him. “But that's not my point. Only that you should be considerate in the job you choose for him. What job would you like, Koichi?”
“I don't know, I've never worked,” Koichi answered.
“Of course he hasn't,” Kamijo said, clearly annoyed that Koichi was causing him so many problems. “And I am not putting him on border control, before any of you even suggest that. Despite his power, he's not trustworthy.”
“Then why don't you just kick me out?” Koichi snapped, “As you keep threatening to do.”
“Can I say something,” I found myself speaking up again. “Koichi knows how to make clothes, he's very good at it in fact. Surely you must need someone to tailor clothes for everyone here?” I could tell that Koichi was grateful for my idea, a chance to take on a job he could actually enjoy, but that wasn't my intention. I wanted Koichi to stay here, because I knew that if he left, I would be taken with him. I was still his, in his eyes at least. I wasn't foolish enough to believe I had freedom anywhere but within this clan. Here we could have a normal relationship, but I would have to manipulate things to make sure it turned out that way.
“Well there we have it,” Hizaki agreed, “Kochiyo has been complaining that she can't do it all alone.”
“To trust him, with a human, alone?” Kamijo scoffed. A look from Hizaki stopping him from insulting Koichi's pride further. I knew the pink haired vampire was close to breaking point “Fine. If you want to be part of this clan, I suppose I should treat you like you belong.”
“What about you MiA?” Hizaki asked, “Is there anything you would like to do. What was your job before?”
“I worked in an office, and a part time model,” I confessed.
“Well then,” Hizaki said, “There's always work in the fields that ...”
“No!” Koichi snapped, “My MiA is not working in the fields!”
“You're MiA?” Kamijo repeated, as he gave Hizaki a look that made it clear he expected the other king to deal with this.
“What he means is, I've had a bad experience in a field before.” I quickly explained, carefully leaving out the part that it had all been Koichi's fault.
“The kitchens then,” Hizaki decided. “At least for now.”
My first shift in the kitchens was harder than I had expected. To begin with I was greeted by a harsh faced woman, who took one look at my painted black nails and informed me I couldn't work with the food. I was assigned to washing up duty, and handed a pair of yellow gloves to wear over my hands. I didn't really mind about the work, it was just uncomfortable knowing that everyone was watching me.
I focused on the job at hand, keeping my eyes on the task and listening to the other people talk about nothing of real interest. It was a such a normal job, in such a normal environment, that I could almost forget what had been going on for the last few months.
Around midday some of the earlier shift left, and a couple of men came in to take their place. I recognised one of them instantly, for he had been the man who had been there when Tsuzuku was captured, scoffing that I was a vampire's pet. He'd disliked me then, he hated me now.
“What is he doing here?” he demanded, angrily storming over to me and bringing a newly washed pan down against the side of my head. I went dizzy for a moment, clinging to the sink for support. He was angry that I had betrayed Tsuzuku, and I couldn't blame him for it.
“Yusuke!” the head chef exclaimed, “What was that about?”
“He's a vampire pet! You can't trust him!” Yusuke snarled at me. “He's the one who betrayed Tsu.”
“He did what was necessary to survive,” the head chef answered. “Now get to work, or should I bring the King here?” With some angry muttering, Yusuke went to prepare some vegetables, glaring at me the whole time.
“I think he needs medical attention,” a teenage girl named Mika spoke up. It was true that I still felt dizzy, so I allowed her to take me to the old nurses office where another woman inspected the wound.
“I don't think there's any long term damage,” she reassured me. “Just try to avoid any more head injuries, OK?”
“Like I asked for this?” I weakly joked. I reassured them both I would be fine in the kitchens and returned to my post, doing my best to stay as far away as possible from Yusuke.
“I heard you were out,” Tsuzuku greeted me after my shift, “I thought if we were to talk I should probably get here before Koichi.”
“How are you doing here?” I asked, following him to a small secluded area where we could talk freely.
“Not too bad,” Tsuzuku admitted. “Most of the human resistance have found their way here. It took some time, but I've convinced them I'm still the same guy they knew. More or less. Honestly, it's going to be awkward for a long time, but I have hope.”
“That's good,” I said with a smile. At least one of us had found a home here. “What job did they give you?”
“I convinced Kamijo to let me continue my role as rebellion leader,” Tsuzuku admitted. “My people and I go out on the streets, bringing as many humans here as possible, eliminating any vampire who proves to be a threat. He doesn't know about the last part, but I can trust you with this, right?”
“You can trust me,” I agreed, noticing Koichi in the distance, clearly coming to meet me.
“I'm sorry about Yusuke, he will be punished, rest assured of that.” Tsuzuku promised. “But please, don't tell Koichi about what happened.”
“I wasn't going to.” I reassured him. “Is that why you're here?”
“And to find out how you're doing. Are you happy here?” Tsuzuku asked.
“I'm working on it,” I answered, with more confidence than I felt. I didn't really belong here, but where else was there? Like Koichi, I was here because there was no where else for us to go.
“What are you doing?” Koichi asked, as he sat on the edge of my bed. He'd made an effort to take me on a date after work, within the limits of the former school. We'd spent a couple of hours together, which had been surprisingly easy. I had invited Koichi back to my room, with the orders that he was getting nothing more than a kiss. When I meant we were starting form the beginning, I meant it.
“Taking off the nail varnish,” I answered. “I'm not allowed to prepare food with it on.”
“But I like your nail varnish,” Koichi complained. “Keep it on, tomorrow we'll get you a new job.”
“I like my job,” I lied. Honestly I hadn't decided either way. “And what right do we have to demand what we will and will not do?”
“Every right,” Koichi answered. “If we're not happy, then why should we work at all?”
“That's not how life works.” I corrected him. “You do what is asked, so we can all share the resources. Everyone is equal here. Even the kings work.”
“It's a stupid system.” Koichi complained. “Do you really want to work in the kitchens?”
“Yes,” I answered. Koichi knows I'm lying, but to my surprise he doesn't kick up a fuss. Maybe he really is trying to fit in here? “Do you like your job?”
“No,” Koichi answered. “I'm not allowed any creativity, or self expression. “Kochiyo is horrible to me! I should complain.”
“Please don't,” I replied, casually focusing on my nails, “For me, you need to make this job work.”
“Why does it matter to you?” Koichi demanded. “I can find another job, one that doesn't suck!”
“Because I know you,” I answered. “You're going to hate the next job, and the next, and the next. You're in the best job role for you already, if you can't make this work nothing here is going to make you happy. If you don't put effort into enjoying this job, into fitting in, then we have no future here. So for me, make this job work.”
“What kind of punishment is this?” Koichi whined. I half expected him to storm out, or sit sulking for hours. To my surprise he does neither, instead he sits quietly watching me, perhaps wondering how he can make his new job work out after all.