When Nightmares Become Reality 4/6
Title: When Nightmares Become Reality
Author: write_my_dreams
Pairings: Asagi x Ruiza, Hakuei x MiA, Kisaki x Jui, eventual Asagi x Tsunehito
Genre: AU, crime, drama, angst
Warning: Mentions of rape and murder, psychological abuse, some violence.
Disclaimer: The band members portrayed do not belong to me and the only profit I make off of this piece of fanfiction is the personal satisfaction of completing another part of To Love a Vampire.
Rating: PG-13
Chapters: 4/6
Summary: Jin has gone rogue and is leaving a trail of victims whose bizarre deaths mystify the Tokyo police. Hakuei sends Asagi, Ruiza, and Jui out to eliminate Jin before he can take his eleventh victim: a retired figure skater named Tsunehito who now works as a bartender in Shinjuku.
Tsunehito left the pressure and glamour of figure skating behind. He's content with his simple life of bartending and attending Hide-Zou's lives. About a month ago, a man that Tsunehito and Hide-Zou have dubbed "The Stalker" changes everything.
Author's Comment: I'd hoped to have this out sooner but I'm always so exhausted after work I just don't have the energy to do much. I'm able to write in my notebook on breaks so all of this chapter was written at work. Good news: I'll have the next chapter out sometime this week since I already have part of it written. It was going to be part of Chapter 4 but I decided to just start Chapter 5 by going back to Asagi and Tsunehito since really Chapter 4 is about Ruiza and Jui.
Cornered while one against two didn’t leave the odds in Jin’s favor. He hissed in displeasure, eyes narrowed as Asagi took off with Tsunehito clasped tightly in his arms. Traces of the redhead’s sweet scent lingered in the alley leaving a clear trail that would be painfully easy for any vampire to follow. Jui knew Tsunehito was safe with Asagi but still, he needed to be careful. Jin wasn’t the only one of their kind with no regard for the rules of their society and surely had supporters that would hunt the redhead for him. Asagi was fiercely protective of anyone he took under his wing though and Jin wasn’t the only one with allies.
A frustrated growl left Jin’s throat then he shifted to look between the two blondes. Jui watched him warily as the other vampire’s features took a calculating expression. It was the classic scene where the heroes stared down the villain while each party waited to see who would make the first move. In Jui’s experience of working for Hakuei, it varied depending on the vampire. Sometimes the target reacted instantly. Other times it was a stare off like this. Ruiza tensed next to him as Jin folded his arms over his chest, tilting his head while an arrogant smirk twisted his lips. “Let me guess,” he drawled. “Hakuei sent you after me because he considers me a threat?”
“Considers?” Ruiza scoffed. “You know what your crimes are.”
“My crimes?” Jin rolled his eyes. “You sound like such a cliché. My so-called crimes are nothing of the sort. They are the instincts of a predator. Does a cat not play with the mice and birds it captures? Or an orca with seals and penguins? We are vampires. Superior beings and predators. Mortals are our food, our prey. It’s perfectly normal for predators to toy with their prey before feasting which is precisely what I’ve done with my kills.”
Jin’s cold logic made Jui feel sick. Reviewing the case file had made it clear that Jin was a monster but this… this was worse than Jui had feared. There wasn’t a trace of remorse in his tone or on his face. And saying it was natural to abuse and murder someone? He fought to keep a tremor at bay knowing that Jin would target him instantly for showing any sign of weakness. He had to look and act strong for his own sake and to prove to Hakuei that his dark past wouldn’t interfere with his ability to take murderers off the streets. “Animals are already aware of their predators. Humans don’t know that vampires are out there. Your recklessness risks exposing our race!” he insisted.
Jin tossed his head. “Why should we cower in the shadows? We are the superior race! Mortals are weak, pathetic creatures. Vampires are eternal while mortals wither a little more each passing year, so easily succumbing to war and disease and addiction. Our kind deserves to be known, feared, and respected. We could topple their puny governments and rule over the mortals. We would be given the choice of the finest prey instead of drinking from blood bags,” he spat, eyes flashing in disgust.
Jui frowned. The vending machines that dispensed blood packs had been invented a few years before Kisaki turned him. He had never fed from a human before as there had been no need to do so. And no desire. Jui feared he would lose the spark of humanity inside him if he fed from a living, breathing mortal. It was clear that that spark of humanity was something that Jin hadn’t been born with. He was truly a monster.
Ruiza grimaced. “You’re insane.”
Jin smiled mockingly. “Perhaps we’re all mad here.” He smirked then took off in the opposite direction from where Asagi had run with Tsunehito.
Jui reacted instantly. “Rui, I’ll take Jin. Follow Asagi and make sure Jin doesn’t come after them or kill someone else.” He didn’t wait for Ruiza’s agreement as he chased after the other vampire. Jin may be older but Jui was confident that he could catch him and handle this himself. Jin was so similar to his boyfriend with the rape and murder MO that Jui was personally determined to take him out. He had to since he saw his murderous boyfriend in Jin, saw himself in Jin’s many victims.
He could do this. He had to.
*
Ruiza was a few blocks away by the time Jin stopped in an alley behind a row of shops that were closed for the night. Jui slowed, stepping warily into the alley. He barely had time to react as Jin seized him and slammed him against the wall. Jui flinched as Jin firmly sandwiched his body between Jin and the brick. Pressed chest to chest, hip to hip like this, Jui’s earlier strength vanished. He was unable to control his tremors as the dark memories rose to the surface. When he’d been with Kisaki and later Asagi, Jui knew both men would never dream of hurting him since they took care of him, loved him, put him back together when his past broke him again. Sometimes their passion and their desires led them to get carried away as Asagi had done the first time he pressed Jui into the mattress and kissed his neck or Kisaki made the mistake of pinning him to the door to kiss him. The sensation of being held down or against something still triggered panic and he had to squirm free, wide-eyed and shaking as he tried to control the fear. To remind himself that Kisaki and Asagi were different men from his boyfriend and that they would never cause him intentional pain. He didn’t have that security with Jin and he was so terrified he felt as if he were human again. Helpless to escape since he lacked the physical strength to do so.
“You whore!” his boyfriend screaming as he seized a fistful of Jui’s hair. Dragging him to the couch and throwing him down on it. Pinning him against the cushions, using his hard-earned muscles to his advantage and holding Jui down with his superior strength. Jui had never expressed any desire to go to the gym and though he tried to push his boyfriend away he wasn’t strong enough. Staring up at him with frightened eyes as he watched grief and fury contort his boyfriend’s handsome features into a nightmarish grimace.
The other vampire chuckled darkly since Jui’s thoughts were so strong he’d unintentionally projected them to Jin. “Such vile memories for such a pretty thing.” He grabbed Jui’s hair and yanked his head back to bare his neck. A frightened whimper left Jui’s lips when Jin kissed his throat. He shuddered as Jin scraped his fangs over the tender skin then cringed as Jin bit him. “So afraid of letting people touch your neck aren’t you?” Jin’s laughter echoed through his thought as he tore through Jui’s mind, looking through his memories and forcing him to relieve the night of his murder as he bit him aggressively. Jui was helpless to resist Jin’s assault against his body since the assault against his mind was so strong and overwhelming that it was a wonder he hadn’t started screaming yet. Jui could only tremble against Jin as he suffered through every second of that night, the emotional and physical pain his boyfriend had inflicted on him radiating throughout his senses. Tears spilled down Jui’s cheeks and he was distantly aware of sobbing and begging Jin to let him go even as he was physically trapped against the wall and mentally trapped in the twisted cage of his memories.
He’s pulling out of me. hurts… pain… he sneers as he grabs my hair again, forcing me to look at him. “Tears from my whore of a lover? I loved you so much, Jui. Then you went and spread your legs for another man like the cheap slut you are.” He hits me then leaves. I’m crying, curling up into a ball on the couch. The Christmas lights twinkling overhead are a mockery. Christmas is supposed to be a happy time that you spend with your lover. A time of romance not pain and anguish.
He’s coming back. Tears and hate in his eyes. He raises his hand to show me the knife clasped in it. Heart racing as I try to sit up he’s going to kill me he’s going to kill me!
* * *
Ruiza had taken a chance and let Jui go after Jin while he waited in the direction Asagi had run off to. Now, several minutes since they parted ways, he was confident that Jin wouldn’t go after Asagi and he was worried about how the other blonde was handling himself. Afraid of distracting him in case he and Jin were fighting he reached for Jui’s thoughts only to recoil as he felt what Jin was doing to him. Shit shit shit they should have gone after him together. Had he left his common sense behind? How could he have let Jui follow Jin on his own! Biting his lip, Ruiza raced in the direction of Jin and Jui’s scents. It made him sick to imagine what else the twisted vampire was doing to the traumatized blonde. He vaulted over a garbage bin and scrambled up a wall as he neared the back alley where Jin and Jui were. He crouched at the top of the wall, feeling ill at the sight that greeted him. Jin had Jui pressed to the wall with a hand fisted in his hair while his other hand explored the blonde’s body. Jui was crying and whimpering for him to stop as he struggled feebly.
He was at Jin's side in an instant. “Get the fuck away from him!” Ruiza snarled as he tore the vampire away from Jui. The taller blonde collapsed and hugged his knees against his chest as violent tremors ripped through his body. Ruiza’s eyes darted to the still-crying Jui then back to Jin, who gave him a mocking smile.
“Tell me, Ruiza. What’s more important: stopping me or helping poor, broken Jui?” Jin taunted and his smirk widened as he leapt to the top of the wall. Ruiza growled and took a step closer only to freeze as Jui’s emotional turmoil spilled into his thoughts. He was practically screaming his pain. There was no way Ruiza could leave him alone in this condition but… Jin…
Stalling, the blonde bared his fangs. “I’ll rip your heart out myself for what you did to him.”
Jin merely laughed. “You’ll have to catch me first.” He saluted mockingly then left the alley. Ruiza stepped forward as he felt indecision again. Another sob from Jui had him turning his back on Jin. It killed him to let that monster go since Jin could so easily find a new victim to replace Tsunehito but Jui needed him.
“Jui?” Ruiza crouched in front of the shuddering vampire. Tentatively he touched Jui’s shoulder only to have him flinch back as if he’d been burned. Biting his lip, Ruiza reached for Asagi’s thoughts. Asagi had always been best at comforting Jui when he was having one of his episodes and he needed to know that Jin was still out there. Once he had Asagi’s attention he frantically explained the situation using images more than words.
Asagi “listened” patiently. He waited until the blonde had finished before replying. “Oh, Rui… I wish you hadn’t left Jui but you mustn’t torture yourself. You have to be strong for Jui. As soon as you’re done talking to me, contact Kisaki. Tell him what happened and where you are. He knows Jui better than both of us do since he’ll know the best way to comfort Jui. Try to calm him down if you can but you shouldn’t touch him. When Jui is in this state, he equates all touches with pain no matter who it comes from. You don’t have my or Atsushi’s experience with mind walking so stay out of Jui’s head. His emotions are very strong and the risk of his pain overwhelming you is far too strong. Talk to him and try to distract him but as I said, be careful.”
“I will. What will you do now?”
“Tsunehito and I will spend tonight at my house. No harm will come to him so long as he is under my care, and I highly doubt Jin is foolish enough to attack me in my own home. Enough about us though. Tsunehito’s safe with me.”
“Okay. Shit, MiA needs to know that Jin’s still out there. Contact MiA but don’t tell Hakuei. You know he’ll only blame Jui and that’s the last thing he needs.” Ruiza refused to heap more pain onto Jui’s shoulders tonight. If Hakuei tried to blame Jui for what happened then Ruiza would insist it wasn’t Jui’s fault. He would gladly shoulder the blame since he had agreed to the separation, he hadn’t made it to Jin in time, and if he’d acted earlier then Jin wouldn’t have had the chance to go after Jui in the first place.
Asagi promised he would do so then withdrew from Ruiza’s thoughts. Before he could focus on Jui he had to get Kisaki. Whispering to Jui that everything was going to be okay he brushed his ex-lover’s mind. Even though they broke up years ago Kisaki and Ruiza were still close and seeing him with Jui after their separation had never been awkward. They were all good friends. “Ki, stop whatever you’re doing and come to me. Jin… he got to Jui. I’m so sorry, Ki. This is all my fault.” He explained what happened, showing Kisaki the location then severing the connection so he could finally focus on Jui. Asagi was right about touching him. Doing so was out of the question and since Asagi had insisted he shouldn’t try mind walking, what should he do? Should he risk it? The first time Asagi had projected himself into Ruiza’s dream of his murder he’d instantly relaxed since he knew he was safe. It was true he lacked Asagi’s experience with mind walking but it wasn’t as if he’d never done it before. Knowing he needed to be careful, Ruiza closed his eyes and “stepped” into Jui’s mind. Thoughts and images flashed by him as if the mind were a TV screen. He had to take a few moments to ground himself to avoid being swept up in the turmoil of Jui’s memories. Asagi hadn’t lied when he said it would be all too easy to be swept up in Jui’s torment. “Jui!” Ruiza shouted as he entered the current “scene” where a naked and bruised Jui lay on a couch. His boyfriend hovered over him, pinning him to the cushions while he gripped Jui’s hair and had a knife pressed to his throat. The memory froze as if he’d paused it then both turned to look at him as Ruiza growled. This was the first time he’d ever seen Jui’s boyfriend and it made him sick to know what this normal-looking man with the messy black hair and soulful brown eyes had done to Jui. Growling again he seized Jui’s boyfriend and punched him hard concentrating on pushing him out of the memory. Once he was gone, Ruiza pulled a blanket off the couch and tenderly draped it over a wide-eyed and shaking Jui. “You’re safe now,” he vowed. “I’m here for you and Kisaki is coming to take care of you.”
The living room and the Christmas tree rippled like water after a thrown was stone into it. “R-Ruiza?” the Jui on the couch whispered even as his voice echoed through Ruiza’s mind.
“It’s me. I’m right here but let’s get out of this nightmare, okay?”
Biting his lip Jui nodded. He let the shorter blonde bring them back to reality, to the present. Jui sniffed then instantly threw his arms around Ruiza’s neck. He clung to him, pressing his tearstained face against Ruiza’s shoulder as he took a shuddering breath. They held each other in silence while Ruiza stroked his hair and Jui worked to regain the shreds of his composure. “Thank you,” the taller blonde finally whispered.
Ruiza nuzzled Jui’s hair. “Of course. I only wish I’d arrived sooner… I’m so sorry I didn’t get here in time to stop Jin from torturing you.”
Jui shivered then sighed as he raised his head. “W-Where is he?” He frowned as he looked around the alley then froze, eyes widening as he realized what had transpired while he was trapped in his memories. “Rui? Oh, Rui… Jin… you…” he trailed off as he looked guilty.
“I let him go, yes.” Ruiza scowled when Jui started to protest. “Don’t. You needed me and I could never leave you behind in order to chase a criminal.” Abandoning Jui to his hysteria would’ve been too cruel. There were too many risks too. Someone could easily have heard him. Maybe they would’ve ignored his suffering or come closer, tried to touch him. How would Jui have reacted then? Would he flinch away as he had with Ruiza or would he strike them, associating the touch with pain? Jui hadn’t been in control of himself so could easily have used a vampire’s strength in the blow ending in another death. It wasn’t something he wanted to picture and although it sickened him to know that Jin could be taking another victim now, he didn’t regret his decision to stay with Jui. It was the right choice and Hakuei could go fuck himself if he tried to accuse Jui of being responsible for Jin getting away.
Ruiza raised his head when the wind blew Kisaki’s scent to him. He smiled, gently turning Jui. “Here comes lover boy.” Kisaki would be able to soothe and comfort Jui in better ways than Ruiza could. Despite the gravity of the situation the blonde had to stifle a laugh when Kisaki entered the alley. Obviously he’d been disturbed midway through getting ready to go somewhere since his shirt was unbuttoned and his auburn hair was half curled. Ruiza let go of Jui so Kisaki could snuggle his lover. Kisaki practically pounced on Jui the second he reached him. He swept the blonde into his arms and stood, cuddling him against his chest as he kissed his hair and whispered his name like a prayer. Kisaki’s body radiated tension but he was clearly relieved to see Jui looking a little more stable than he’d expected. Ruiza knew that stability wouldn’t last for long. He’d learned the term PTSD a few years ago and knew that was what Jui’s boyfriend had given him. Little could be done in terms of treatment but Asagi and Kisaki had done their best to help Jui move on from the traumatic events of his mortal death.
“It’s okay, Ki. I’m…” The words caught in Jui’s throat and he sighed as he dropped his head onto Kisaki’s shoulder. “I’m better now that you’re here.”
Ruiza got up, dusting off his jeans. He wanted to stay and make sure that Jui was going to be okay but Jui was in good hands now and he couldn’t let Jin run loose for much longer.
Seeing his uncertainty, Jui fixed him with a look. “Go after him. Ki’s here now. I’ll… I’ll be okay, Rui.” The catch in his voice made his own uncertainty clear. In the years that Ruiza had known Jui, he’d seen him at his lowest in terms of mental stability and also seen him happy and comfortable. What Jin had done to him was a major setback to his mental health and it would take time to recover. Ruiza would definitely enjoy making Jin pay for torturing him.
Kisaki pressed Jui closer to his chest. “I’d go after that bastard and kill him myself for what he did to you. You’re more important though.” He kissed soft, blonde hair. “Let’s go home. Be careful, Rui.” He gave the other blonde a look that conveyed all his concern for his former lover. “Don’t let Jin break you too.”
“I won’t. Take care of Jui.” Ruiza said goodbye then left the alley in hot pursuit of Jin. Moments later he felt MiA brushing his thoughts to check his location and find out the latest details on Jin’s whereabouts. Concentrating on the scumbag’s scent, Ruiza explained the situation. “I won’t let him get away again. I’ll hunt him during the day if I damn well have to.”
“…If we kill Jin tonight, Hakuei will never have to know that he got away from you earlier. And don’t you dare talk about going out in the day. Jin isn’t worth it and you know it.”
Ruiza smiled grimly. “Just get to me and help me kill him so we won’t have to go out during the day.”
“I’m on my way.”
Ruiza quickened his pace, taking shortcuts up buildings to avoid running through the streets. The risks of running into someone were too high. He was still worried about Jin taking another victim right now but found it more likely that Jin was looking for a place to seek refuge in. Looking for those who shared a similar mindset or finding somewhere that would make an attack more trouble than it was worth. If he and MiA could catch Jin before he found either option… then this entire nightmare would be over. Tsunehito and Jui would be safe again.
And as MiA had said, Hakuei would never have to know about Jui and Jin.
Author: write_my_dreams
Pairings: Asagi x Ruiza, Hakuei x MiA, Kisaki x Jui, eventual Asagi x Tsunehito
Genre: AU, crime, drama, angst
Warning: Mentions of rape and murder, psychological abuse, some violence.
Disclaimer: The band members portrayed do not belong to me and the only profit I make off of this piece of fanfiction is the personal satisfaction of completing another part of To Love a Vampire.
Rating: PG-13
Chapters: 4/6
Summary: Jin has gone rogue and is leaving a trail of victims whose bizarre deaths mystify the Tokyo police. Hakuei sends Asagi, Ruiza, and Jui out to eliminate Jin before he can take his eleventh victim: a retired figure skater named Tsunehito who now works as a bartender in Shinjuku.
Tsunehito left the pressure and glamour of figure skating behind. He's content with his simple life of bartending and attending Hide-Zou's lives. About a month ago, a man that Tsunehito and Hide-Zou have dubbed "The Stalker" changes everything.
Author's Comment: I'd hoped to have this out sooner but I'm always so exhausted after work I just don't have the energy to do much. I'm able to write in my notebook on breaks so all of this chapter was written at work. Good news: I'll have the next chapter out sometime this week since I already have part of it written. It was going to be part of Chapter 4 but I decided to just start Chapter 5 by going back to Asagi and Tsunehito since really Chapter 4 is about Ruiza and Jui.
Cornered while one against two didn’t leave the odds in Jin’s favor. He hissed in displeasure, eyes narrowed as Asagi took off with Tsunehito clasped tightly in his arms. Traces of the redhead’s sweet scent lingered in the alley leaving a clear trail that would be painfully easy for any vampire to follow. Jui knew Tsunehito was safe with Asagi but still, he needed to be careful. Jin wasn’t the only one of their kind with no regard for the rules of their society and surely had supporters that would hunt the redhead for him. Asagi was fiercely protective of anyone he took under his wing though and Jin wasn’t the only one with allies.
A frustrated growl left Jin’s throat then he shifted to look between the two blondes. Jui watched him warily as the other vampire’s features took a calculating expression. It was the classic scene where the heroes stared down the villain while each party waited to see who would make the first move. In Jui’s experience of working for Hakuei, it varied depending on the vampire. Sometimes the target reacted instantly. Other times it was a stare off like this. Ruiza tensed next to him as Jin folded his arms over his chest, tilting his head while an arrogant smirk twisted his lips. “Let me guess,” he drawled. “Hakuei sent you after me because he considers me a threat?”
“Considers?” Ruiza scoffed. “You know what your crimes are.”
“My crimes?” Jin rolled his eyes. “You sound like such a cliché. My so-called crimes are nothing of the sort. They are the instincts of a predator. Does a cat not play with the mice and birds it captures? Or an orca with seals and penguins? We are vampires. Superior beings and predators. Mortals are our food, our prey. It’s perfectly normal for predators to toy with their prey before feasting which is precisely what I’ve done with my kills.”
Jin’s cold logic made Jui feel sick. Reviewing the case file had made it clear that Jin was a monster but this… this was worse than Jui had feared. There wasn’t a trace of remorse in his tone or on his face. And saying it was natural to abuse and murder someone? He fought to keep a tremor at bay knowing that Jin would target him instantly for showing any sign of weakness. He had to look and act strong for his own sake and to prove to Hakuei that his dark past wouldn’t interfere with his ability to take murderers off the streets. “Animals are already aware of their predators. Humans don’t know that vampires are out there. Your recklessness risks exposing our race!” he insisted.
Jin tossed his head. “Why should we cower in the shadows? We are the superior race! Mortals are weak, pathetic creatures. Vampires are eternal while mortals wither a little more each passing year, so easily succumbing to war and disease and addiction. Our kind deserves to be known, feared, and respected. We could topple their puny governments and rule over the mortals. We would be given the choice of the finest prey instead of drinking from blood bags,” he spat, eyes flashing in disgust.
Jui frowned. The vending machines that dispensed blood packs had been invented a few years before Kisaki turned him. He had never fed from a human before as there had been no need to do so. And no desire. Jui feared he would lose the spark of humanity inside him if he fed from a living, breathing mortal. It was clear that that spark of humanity was something that Jin hadn’t been born with. He was truly a monster.
Ruiza grimaced. “You’re insane.”
Jin smiled mockingly. “Perhaps we’re all mad here.” He smirked then took off in the opposite direction from where Asagi had run with Tsunehito.
Jui reacted instantly. “Rui, I’ll take Jin. Follow Asagi and make sure Jin doesn’t come after them or kill someone else.” He didn’t wait for Ruiza’s agreement as he chased after the other vampire. Jin may be older but Jui was confident that he could catch him and handle this himself. Jin was so similar to his boyfriend with the rape and murder MO that Jui was personally determined to take him out. He had to since he saw his murderous boyfriend in Jin, saw himself in Jin’s many victims.
He could do this. He had to.
*
Ruiza was a few blocks away by the time Jin stopped in an alley behind a row of shops that were closed for the night. Jui slowed, stepping warily into the alley. He barely had time to react as Jin seized him and slammed him against the wall. Jui flinched as Jin firmly sandwiched his body between Jin and the brick. Pressed chest to chest, hip to hip like this, Jui’s earlier strength vanished. He was unable to control his tremors as the dark memories rose to the surface. When he’d been with Kisaki and later Asagi, Jui knew both men would never dream of hurting him since they took care of him, loved him, put him back together when his past broke him again. Sometimes their passion and their desires led them to get carried away as Asagi had done the first time he pressed Jui into the mattress and kissed his neck or Kisaki made the mistake of pinning him to the door to kiss him. The sensation of being held down or against something still triggered panic and he had to squirm free, wide-eyed and shaking as he tried to control the fear. To remind himself that Kisaki and Asagi were different men from his boyfriend and that they would never cause him intentional pain. He didn’t have that security with Jin and he was so terrified he felt as if he were human again. Helpless to escape since he lacked the physical strength to do so.
“You whore!” his boyfriend screaming as he seized a fistful of Jui’s hair. Dragging him to the couch and throwing him down on it. Pinning him against the cushions, using his hard-earned muscles to his advantage and holding Jui down with his superior strength. Jui had never expressed any desire to go to the gym and though he tried to push his boyfriend away he wasn’t strong enough. Staring up at him with frightened eyes as he watched grief and fury contort his boyfriend’s handsome features into a nightmarish grimace.
The other vampire chuckled darkly since Jui’s thoughts were so strong he’d unintentionally projected them to Jin. “Such vile memories for such a pretty thing.” He grabbed Jui’s hair and yanked his head back to bare his neck. A frightened whimper left Jui’s lips when Jin kissed his throat. He shuddered as Jin scraped his fangs over the tender skin then cringed as Jin bit him. “So afraid of letting people touch your neck aren’t you?” Jin’s laughter echoed through his thought as he tore through Jui’s mind, looking through his memories and forcing him to relieve the night of his murder as he bit him aggressively. Jui was helpless to resist Jin’s assault against his body since the assault against his mind was so strong and overwhelming that it was a wonder he hadn’t started screaming yet. Jui could only tremble against Jin as he suffered through every second of that night, the emotional and physical pain his boyfriend had inflicted on him radiating throughout his senses. Tears spilled down Jui’s cheeks and he was distantly aware of sobbing and begging Jin to let him go even as he was physically trapped against the wall and mentally trapped in the twisted cage of his memories.
He’s pulling out of me. hurts… pain… he sneers as he grabs my hair again, forcing me to look at him. “Tears from my whore of a lover? I loved you so much, Jui. Then you went and spread your legs for another man like the cheap slut you are.” He hits me then leaves. I’m crying, curling up into a ball on the couch. The Christmas lights twinkling overhead are a mockery. Christmas is supposed to be a happy time that you spend with your lover. A time of romance not pain and anguish.
He’s coming back. Tears and hate in his eyes. He raises his hand to show me the knife clasped in it. Heart racing as I try to sit up he’s going to kill me he’s going to kill me!
* * *
Ruiza had taken a chance and let Jui go after Jin while he waited in the direction Asagi had run off to. Now, several minutes since they parted ways, he was confident that Jin wouldn’t go after Asagi and he was worried about how the other blonde was handling himself. Afraid of distracting him in case he and Jin were fighting he reached for Jui’s thoughts only to recoil as he felt what Jin was doing to him. Shit shit shit they should have gone after him together. Had he left his common sense behind? How could he have let Jui follow Jin on his own! Biting his lip, Ruiza raced in the direction of Jin and Jui’s scents. It made him sick to imagine what else the twisted vampire was doing to the traumatized blonde. He vaulted over a garbage bin and scrambled up a wall as he neared the back alley where Jin and Jui were. He crouched at the top of the wall, feeling ill at the sight that greeted him. Jin had Jui pressed to the wall with a hand fisted in his hair while his other hand explored the blonde’s body. Jui was crying and whimpering for him to stop as he struggled feebly.
He was at Jin's side in an instant. “Get the fuck away from him!” Ruiza snarled as he tore the vampire away from Jui. The taller blonde collapsed and hugged his knees against his chest as violent tremors ripped through his body. Ruiza’s eyes darted to the still-crying Jui then back to Jin, who gave him a mocking smile.
“Tell me, Ruiza. What’s more important: stopping me or helping poor, broken Jui?” Jin taunted and his smirk widened as he leapt to the top of the wall. Ruiza growled and took a step closer only to freeze as Jui’s emotional turmoil spilled into his thoughts. He was practically screaming his pain. There was no way Ruiza could leave him alone in this condition but… Jin…
Stalling, the blonde bared his fangs. “I’ll rip your heart out myself for what you did to him.”
Jin merely laughed. “You’ll have to catch me first.” He saluted mockingly then left the alley. Ruiza stepped forward as he felt indecision again. Another sob from Jui had him turning his back on Jin. It killed him to let that monster go since Jin could so easily find a new victim to replace Tsunehito but Jui needed him.
“Jui?” Ruiza crouched in front of the shuddering vampire. Tentatively he touched Jui’s shoulder only to have him flinch back as if he’d been burned. Biting his lip, Ruiza reached for Asagi’s thoughts. Asagi had always been best at comforting Jui when he was having one of his episodes and he needed to know that Jin was still out there. Once he had Asagi’s attention he frantically explained the situation using images more than words.
Asagi “listened” patiently. He waited until the blonde had finished before replying. “Oh, Rui… I wish you hadn’t left Jui but you mustn’t torture yourself. You have to be strong for Jui. As soon as you’re done talking to me, contact Kisaki. Tell him what happened and where you are. He knows Jui better than both of us do since he’ll know the best way to comfort Jui. Try to calm him down if you can but you shouldn’t touch him. When Jui is in this state, he equates all touches with pain no matter who it comes from. You don’t have my or Atsushi’s experience with mind walking so stay out of Jui’s head. His emotions are very strong and the risk of his pain overwhelming you is far too strong. Talk to him and try to distract him but as I said, be careful.”
“I will. What will you do now?”
“Tsunehito and I will spend tonight at my house. No harm will come to him so long as he is under my care, and I highly doubt Jin is foolish enough to attack me in my own home. Enough about us though. Tsunehito’s safe with me.”
“Okay. Shit, MiA needs to know that Jin’s still out there. Contact MiA but don’t tell Hakuei. You know he’ll only blame Jui and that’s the last thing he needs.” Ruiza refused to heap more pain onto Jui’s shoulders tonight. If Hakuei tried to blame Jui for what happened then Ruiza would insist it wasn’t Jui’s fault. He would gladly shoulder the blame since he had agreed to the separation, he hadn’t made it to Jin in time, and if he’d acted earlier then Jin wouldn’t have had the chance to go after Jui in the first place.
Asagi promised he would do so then withdrew from Ruiza’s thoughts. Before he could focus on Jui he had to get Kisaki. Whispering to Jui that everything was going to be okay he brushed his ex-lover’s mind. Even though they broke up years ago Kisaki and Ruiza were still close and seeing him with Jui after their separation had never been awkward. They were all good friends. “Ki, stop whatever you’re doing and come to me. Jin… he got to Jui. I’m so sorry, Ki. This is all my fault.” He explained what happened, showing Kisaki the location then severing the connection so he could finally focus on Jui. Asagi was right about touching him. Doing so was out of the question and since Asagi had insisted he shouldn’t try mind walking, what should he do? Should he risk it? The first time Asagi had projected himself into Ruiza’s dream of his murder he’d instantly relaxed since he knew he was safe. It was true he lacked Asagi’s experience with mind walking but it wasn’t as if he’d never done it before. Knowing he needed to be careful, Ruiza closed his eyes and “stepped” into Jui’s mind. Thoughts and images flashed by him as if the mind were a TV screen. He had to take a few moments to ground himself to avoid being swept up in the turmoil of Jui’s memories. Asagi hadn’t lied when he said it would be all too easy to be swept up in Jui’s torment. “Jui!” Ruiza shouted as he entered the current “scene” where a naked and bruised Jui lay on a couch. His boyfriend hovered over him, pinning him to the cushions while he gripped Jui’s hair and had a knife pressed to his throat. The memory froze as if he’d paused it then both turned to look at him as Ruiza growled. This was the first time he’d ever seen Jui’s boyfriend and it made him sick to know what this normal-looking man with the messy black hair and soulful brown eyes had done to Jui. Growling again he seized Jui’s boyfriend and punched him hard concentrating on pushing him out of the memory. Once he was gone, Ruiza pulled a blanket off the couch and tenderly draped it over a wide-eyed and shaking Jui. “You’re safe now,” he vowed. “I’m here for you and Kisaki is coming to take care of you.”
The living room and the Christmas tree rippled like water after a thrown was stone into it. “R-Ruiza?” the Jui on the couch whispered even as his voice echoed through Ruiza’s mind.
“It’s me. I’m right here but let’s get out of this nightmare, okay?”
Biting his lip Jui nodded. He let the shorter blonde bring them back to reality, to the present. Jui sniffed then instantly threw his arms around Ruiza’s neck. He clung to him, pressing his tearstained face against Ruiza’s shoulder as he took a shuddering breath. They held each other in silence while Ruiza stroked his hair and Jui worked to regain the shreds of his composure. “Thank you,” the taller blonde finally whispered.
Ruiza nuzzled Jui’s hair. “Of course. I only wish I’d arrived sooner… I’m so sorry I didn’t get here in time to stop Jin from torturing you.”
Jui shivered then sighed as he raised his head. “W-Where is he?” He frowned as he looked around the alley then froze, eyes widening as he realized what had transpired while he was trapped in his memories. “Rui? Oh, Rui… Jin… you…” he trailed off as he looked guilty.
“I let him go, yes.” Ruiza scowled when Jui started to protest. “Don’t. You needed me and I could never leave you behind in order to chase a criminal.” Abandoning Jui to his hysteria would’ve been too cruel. There were too many risks too. Someone could easily have heard him. Maybe they would’ve ignored his suffering or come closer, tried to touch him. How would Jui have reacted then? Would he flinch away as he had with Ruiza or would he strike them, associating the touch with pain? Jui hadn’t been in control of himself so could easily have used a vampire’s strength in the blow ending in another death. It wasn’t something he wanted to picture and although it sickened him to know that Jin could be taking another victim now, he didn’t regret his decision to stay with Jui. It was the right choice and Hakuei could go fuck himself if he tried to accuse Jui of being responsible for Jin getting away.
Ruiza raised his head when the wind blew Kisaki’s scent to him. He smiled, gently turning Jui. “Here comes lover boy.” Kisaki would be able to soothe and comfort Jui in better ways than Ruiza could. Despite the gravity of the situation the blonde had to stifle a laugh when Kisaki entered the alley. Obviously he’d been disturbed midway through getting ready to go somewhere since his shirt was unbuttoned and his auburn hair was half curled. Ruiza let go of Jui so Kisaki could snuggle his lover. Kisaki practically pounced on Jui the second he reached him. He swept the blonde into his arms and stood, cuddling him against his chest as he kissed his hair and whispered his name like a prayer. Kisaki’s body radiated tension but he was clearly relieved to see Jui looking a little more stable than he’d expected. Ruiza knew that stability wouldn’t last for long. He’d learned the term PTSD a few years ago and knew that was what Jui’s boyfriend had given him. Little could be done in terms of treatment but Asagi and Kisaki had done their best to help Jui move on from the traumatic events of his mortal death.
“It’s okay, Ki. I’m…” The words caught in Jui’s throat and he sighed as he dropped his head onto Kisaki’s shoulder. “I’m better now that you’re here.”
Ruiza got up, dusting off his jeans. He wanted to stay and make sure that Jui was going to be okay but Jui was in good hands now and he couldn’t let Jin run loose for much longer.
Seeing his uncertainty, Jui fixed him with a look. “Go after him. Ki’s here now. I’ll… I’ll be okay, Rui.” The catch in his voice made his own uncertainty clear. In the years that Ruiza had known Jui, he’d seen him at his lowest in terms of mental stability and also seen him happy and comfortable. What Jin had done to him was a major setback to his mental health and it would take time to recover. Ruiza would definitely enjoy making Jin pay for torturing him.
Kisaki pressed Jui closer to his chest. “I’d go after that bastard and kill him myself for what he did to you. You’re more important though.” He kissed soft, blonde hair. “Let’s go home. Be careful, Rui.” He gave the other blonde a look that conveyed all his concern for his former lover. “Don’t let Jin break you too.”
“I won’t. Take care of Jui.” Ruiza said goodbye then left the alley in hot pursuit of Jin. Moments later he felt MiA brushing his thoughts to check his location and find out the latest details on Jin’s whereabouts. Concentrating on the scumbag’s scent, Ruiza explained the situation. “I won’t let him get away again. I’ll hunt him during the day if I damn well have to.”
“…If we kill Jin tonight, Hakuei will never have to know that he got away from you earlier. And don’t you dare talk about going out in the day. Jin isn’t worth it and you know it.”
Ruiza smiled grimly. “Just get to me and help me kill him so we won’t have to go out during the day.”
“I’m on my way.”
Ruiza quickened his pace, taking shortcuts up buildings to avoid running through the streets. The risks of running into someone were too high. He was still worried about Jin taking another victim right now but found it more likely that Jin was looking for a place to seek refuge in. Looking for those who shared a similar mindset or finding somewhere that would make an attack more trouble than it was worth. If he and MiA could catch Jin before he found either option… then this entire nightmare would be over. Tsunehito and Jui would be safe again.
And as MiA had said, Hakuei would never have to know about Jui and Jin.