The Horrors of War
Title: The Horrors of War
Author: write_my_dreams
Pairing: Atsushi x Asagi
Genre: AU, vampires, angst
Warning: Mentions of war
Disclaimer: Asagi and Atsushi do not belong to me. The writing and the story are mine.
Rating: PG
Chapter(s): 1/1
Summary: Atsushi and Asagi's plans for the day go awry when the town they planned to stay in is destroyed by bombs, something both vampires have yet to experience.
Author's Comment: This idea has been in my head since '13 and I only got around to writing it last fall. As usual, didn't have the time or energy to get it typed up for a while. I wasn't sure about posting it now but decided I might as well. Try to breathe some life back into LJ and get another segment of this couple's story done.
Summer was fast fading into autumn brining longer nights and cooler temperatures. An ideal season for a pair of vampires to travel. Atsushi reached out to take Asagi’s hand, squeezing it gently as they walked together. Sometimes they stayed at their home in the land of Asagi’s birthplace. Other times they felt the need to travel, as they did now. Atsushi was still as wary of modern transportation as he had been decades ago but had been forced into using it several times since Asagi was always curious about the changing world and did his best to stay up to date on the current era from fashion to news. Especially speaking. His attempts to modernize Atsushi usually ended poorly since the older vampire didn’t care if he dressed the way men had a century ago or that he spoke like a Kabuki actor. Why pretend to be someone he wasn’t just to blend in with humans who would be dust in the blink of an eye? Asagi often got annoyed with him for his refusal to “modernize” himself.
“What are you thinking about?” Asagi asked, disturbing his musings.
Atsushi glanced at his lover, a wave of emotions tugging at his still heart. He loved Asagi more with every passing year. “You.” He smirked as Asagi blushed. It amazed him that his sweet lover had been able to retain so much of his innocence since becoming a vampire. He released his lover’s hand to wrap his arm around Asagi’s waist and pull him up against his side. Atsushi kissed his hair, breathing in his scent and relaxing. Though the entire world was sinking into Hell they still had their own heaven with each other.
*
Dawn was still three hours off when they crested a hill. The city they planned to spend the day in was visible to their eyes but still some kilometers away. Glancing at the starry sky Atsushi smiled wickedly then grabbed his lover’s waist and pulled him up against his chest. He muffled Asagi’s startled noise with a kiss, sliding his fingers into silky hair and cradling the back of Asagi’s head. The younger vampire was quick to return the kiss once he recovered from his surprise. Atsushi backed him up to press him against a tree.
“Lecher.”
Atsushi nipped Asagi’s lip. “You enjoy it,” he purred, shifting to kiss his lover’s neck and enjoying the soft sounds of contentment and pleasure his actions earned him. Even for a vampire Asagi had an incredibly sensitive neck. And those thighs… they looked and felt incredible wrapped around him.
Making an amused noise, Asagi pushed him back. “If you’re so eager to ravish me we should hurry to the city and find a room to stay. Maybe even an onsen…” he trailed off as he smiled sweetly at Atsushi before sending him visuals of wet skin and damp hair sliding over a rose-inked shoulder. This was one part of Asagi’s innocence that hadn’t stayed with him and one Atsushi would never protest about him losing. He enjoyed this seductive side to his lover.
Before he could steal another kiss the distant sound of an airplane caught his attention. Frowning Atsushi pulled Asagi away from the tree possessed by the sudden desire to keep him close. Wrapped in his arms where he belonged. Asagi twisted so he could see the plane frowning as three more flew after it in trajectory towards the city. A normal enough event so why did the sight make him anxious? Silently the two watched the planes, sharing the same unease. Atsushi instantly knew what had worried him when the planes dropped something onto the city. A bomb. A word he’d heard but not something he’d ever witnessed before. Instantly Atsushi knew he had to protect his lover, had to make sure Asagi didn’t see this. The older vampire spun his lover around and pressed Asagi’s face into his shoulder so he wouldn’t see the imminent destruction of the city they had intended to shelter in.
“Atsu!” Asagi hissed as he tried to squirm free. Atsushi was older and stronger. His irritated lover was no match for him. "Let go of me!"
“I can’t.” Heart heavy, Atsushi watched the first bomb fall. The explosion was deafening, the scent of death and destruction carried to them by the wind overwhelming. Asagi instantly ceased his struggles, a frightened whimper leaving his throat as he clung to Atsushi. They stood like that for several minutes as more bombs burst upon the city. Unable to bear humanity and its senseless wars Atsushi swept Asagi up into his arms and fled deep into the hills wanting only to escape. The nightmare he’d witnessed left a bitter taste in his mouth. Asagi still clung to him, face pressed into Atsushi’s shirt. His long hair whipped Atsushi’s cheek but neither spoke of it. Or anything at all. Only when the pure air of the forest and the hills had blotted out the scent of war and death did Atsushi stop. Gently he set Asagi down on his feet, tenderly stroking his hair back when he saw the tears streaming down his beloved’s cheeks.
“What,” Asagi’s voice cracked. He sniffed, wiping his shirtsleeve across his face. “What was that thing?”
Atsushi sighed. “A bomb.” He hadn’t understood the meaning of the word until now and wished he could go back to simpler times before this nightmarish time of modern weapons that could decimate an entire city in seconds. He’d been born during the Sengoku Jidai and by the time he met and fell in love with Asagi had hoped that humans would’ve had their fill of destroying each other. He’d walked this world for centuries so should have known better than to carry such naïve dreams. Time and time again, humans bathed the land with blood and it was never enough.
“Why?” Asagi whispered.
Atsushi smiled sadly as he brushed Asagi’s tears away. “I don’t know, love. I’m from a time of bows and swords not explosives hurled from the sky.”
Biting his lip Asagi reached for him again. Atsushi swept him up into his arms and kissed his forehead lovingly. “Forget it for now, my love. We need a place to spend the day. Let the humans destroy each other with their senseless wars. There’s nothing two vampires can do to change their ways.”
Sighing, Asagi agreed. He didn’t let Atsushi carry him for long though. Once he was on his feet he kissed the older vampire. “Best if we cover the distance separately to find shelter.”
Atsushi didn’t want to let him out of his sight but didn’t protest. He pulled his lover into another kiss then took off in the opposite direction from Asagi. It wasn’t much longer before he turned back since Asagi had found the remains of an old mine to shelter in. there were all sorts of places in these mountains for vampires to spend the daylight hours in. Knowing they had shelter was a relief but the horror they’d both seen would interfere with their natural exhaustion during the day.
Not even vampires were immune to nightmares.