[FIC] My Solemn Vow: Part 2
My Solemn Vow (Part 2)
(Part 1)
Two hours. That was all it took for his control to snap.
He was freaking looking for the man when he vowed he wouldn’t.
I must be out of my mind.
His search for a rogue vampire turned out to be a stalker-like fixation to the man who was currently greeting customers at a small bakeshop he was in. Kame had followed him around since the moment he saw him walking out of an apartment in a quaint neighborhood.
‘Jin Akanishi’, the man’s nametag said.
Jin. What a beautiful name, he thought almost dreamily before he caught himself and snapped out of it. He decided to leave to clear his head. Before he could however, a voice stopped him.
“Sir? Are you looking for a particular pastry?”
Kame looked up and was lost in the captivating eyes of Jin Akanishi himself.
“Sir?” Jin asked uncertainly. He had noticed that the customer looked troubled when he came in. Normally, he wouldn’t care. His customers’ problems weren’t his business. But this particular customer caught his attention from the moment he entered the shop. He didn’t understand why either. It could be because customers were rare at this time of the night but there was something else that he couldn’t pinpoint, something that was drawing him towards this particular man. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Kame said, recovering from the intense feeling that staring into Jin’s eyes had caused him.
“That’s a relief. You look a bit pale, though. Why don’t you sit down and I’ll bring some drink?” Jin offered.
“That would be nice, thank you.” Kame found himself answering. Jin had already seen him anyway. He would look crazy if he suddenly bolted out of there. Besides, he didn’t want to cause a scene.
Jin disappeared towards the kitchen. When he returned, he brought a glass of lemonade and a slice of strawberry cake.
Kame looked at the cake curiously. “I didn’t ask for this.”
“No. But you look like you need something to lift your mood. Sweets always work,” Jin explained.
Kame could do nothing but thank the man and taste the cake. At his first bite, the explosion of taste in his mouth surprised him. “Wow, this is good!” He kept on eating. He had eaten several kinds of cake in his lifetime but none of them compared to this one.
Jin beamed. “Thank God you like it! I made it myself,” he said proudly.
Kame’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Jin nodded. “I’m a pastry chef. I noticed you lingered at the strawberry-themed pastries when you were looking around so I got that especially for you.”
Kame smiled. “Thank you and yes, I do love strawberry.”
Jin felt elated at the simple comment and he had absolutely no idea why. Being the simple guy that he was, he chalked it all to a happiness a chef gets when his creation is appreciated.
“You must be happy, working at your own shop,” Kame commented.
“Actually, my girlfriend owns the shop.”
Kame’s eyes narrowed when he heard Jin mention that he had a girlfriend. What did you expect? He thought bitterly. “How much do I owe you?” His question came out harsher than he intended.
“It’s alright. It’s on me,” Jin said. He was confused to why the man seemed angry but for some reason, he wanted to apologize even if he didn’t know what he did wrong.
Kame shook his head, placed down a few bills at the table and left. He knew he was acting like a petulant five year old but he hardly cared.
Jin on the other hand was baffled at the other man’s sudden change of mood. It was such a shame. He really liked the guy. They could have been friends. He sighed and picked up the money the man left. His eyes widened at the amount. “This is too much!” He rushed outside, intending to return the money to the guy. He saw him at the other side of the street.
“Wait!”
Kame turned and saw Jin crossing the street without noticing the approaching the blur that was hurtling towards him. Kame’s inhuman eyes saw that it was a vampire and not just any vampire - it was the rogue vampire he was hunting.
The rogue had the audacity to actually smirk at Kame as he tackled the baffled Jin to the ground.
I wonder how you would feel if I robbed you of someone special to you?
The rogue projected the thoughts to Kame and left as quickly as he came.
“Jin!” Kame yelled as he ran towards his fallen soul mate. He used his vampire speed so he was at Jin’s side in a second.
“Wha-” Jin blinked. He was sure the other man was on the other side of the street just a second ago.
“I’ll explain later. It isn’t safe here,” Kame said grimly.
The game has been reversed, little hunter. The hunter is now the hunted.
Kame gritted his teeth. Stop hiding, coward!
Oh I could come out but then that would be boring. The fun has just begun, young one. Let’s see how long you and your human can last.
“What’s happening?” Jin asked, alarmed.
“We have to leave,” Kame said instead. He was painfully reminded of his mate’s mortality today and he couldn’t risk leaving him. He’d stand no chance against any vampire.
“But the shop…”
“I’ll help you close it and also take anything you need.” Kame helped Jin stand up. He wasn’t wounded at all. The rogue was just messing with them.
Jin nodded and walked with the man to the shop. He was quiet all through the time he tidied the shop, closed it, grabbed his cellphone and wallet and left with the man.
They got inside a car and the man drove away from the place.
“Your name…”
At first, Kame didn’t register that Jin was speaking. He had been so quiet before. “Huh?”
“What’s your name? I keep calling you ‘the man’ or ‘the guy’ in my head. It’s not right,” Jin explained.
“Oh. I’m Kazuya Kamenashi,” Kame introduced himself.
“I’m Jin,” Jin said in return.
“Actually, I figured that out a while ago,” Kame smiled and glanced at Jin’s nametag at the upper left of his uniform.
Jin followed Kame’s gaze and laughed. “I totally forgot about this.” He reached to remove the tag. “Where are we going Kazuya?”
Kame ignored the pleasant shiver that ran up his spine at the way Jin uttered his name. Focus, Kame. Focus. “I’m taking you back at my place. I’ll explain everything there.”
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“Kame! You’re back!” Arida exclaimed in an overjoyed voice - that was too bright to be real - and threw herself at Kame who had no choice but to steady her by circling his arms around her waist. She may be a vampire but Kame was raised to be a perfect gentleman so he’d assist her nonetheless.
What are you up to? He projected to Arida.
The girl just smiled sweetly at him before kissing him fully on his lips.
WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?!
Kame tried to pull back from the embrace but Arida was an older vampire which means she was stronger and thus, Kame had no chance of freeing himself without making a total fool of himself. He really, really didn’t want to seem like a fool in front of Jin.
Arida pulled back and grinned at him and he looked at her in confusion before glancing at Jin who was glaring daggers at the woman in front of them.
“Jin?” He asked tentatively.
“You didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend.” Jin frowned. He didn’t understand why he wanted to rip the woman away from Kazuya the moment she threw herself at his new-found friend. He didn’t like anyone touching Kazuya.
“I don’t-” Kazuya began but Jin cut him off.
“It doesn’t matter anyway. We’ve just met. Of course you wouldn’t tell me details of your life that easily,” Jin sulked.
“Awww, you’re so cute! Kame was right in bringing you home,” Arida gushed.
This time, it was Nakamaru who walked out the door. “Arida! Stop traumatizing the human,” he scolded. To Kame’s mate, he said. “Hi! I’m Yuiichi Nakamaru but you can call me Maru. This crazy girl is Arida Dale. Just ignore her hyper bunny mode.”
Arida scowled. “You’re mean! I just wanted to see if he’ll get jealous.”
“Wha-?” Jin gaped but he couldn’t deny that his heart leapt in Joy at the prospect that the woman was just messing around and is probably not Kazuya’s girlfriend.
“Oh,” Kame muttered in realization. “Arida, he doesn’t know yet.”
“Doesn’t know what?” Jin asked.
“I figured. All the better to know where he stands on this, right?” Arida said smugly.
“Stand on what?” Jin asked again, terribly confused now.
Kame sighed. “Jin, I don’t want you to freak out but you have to know that I…actually, we are vampires.”
Jin’s jaw dropped. “What? For real?!”
Kame nodded.
“I don’t believe you!” Jin said defiantly.
Maru and Arida shrugged before opening their mouths and letting the human see how their fangs come out.
Jin shivered in fear. He was a man, averagely brave but he knew that in this situation, even the bravest human would be scared.
He stepped back and whimpered but Kazuya’s presence strangely soothed him.
“Shh…It’s fine Jin. No one’s gonna hurt you. You’re safe,” Kame whispered in Jin’s ear as he held him close.
Jin should protest being gathered into the other man’s arms like some girl but it was so damn comfortable in Kazuya’s arms. It was warm and safe. It feels like home.
His eyes widened at the sudden thought and he pushed himself away from Kazuya. “I-I’m fine.”
“Okay,” Kame concurred, although being away from Jin when the other clearly needed him made him anxious. “I brought you here because a rogue vampire was after me and he thinks he can hurt me by hurting you. I thought you’d be safer here with all of us to protect you than just me,” Kame explained further.
“What?!” This time, three people exclaimed - Jin, Arida and Maru.
“The rogue is retaliating?! Why didn’t you tell us sooner? Did he hurt you? Are you alright?” Arida fussed over him.
“I think we should tell the others as soon as possible. And Tackey too,” Maru worried.
“I’m fine. I think he’s playing with me. He left before he can do real damage,” Kame answered. “As for telling the others…I’m okay with that. I’m grateful for more protection for Jin.”
Jin tugged on Kazuya’s arm to get his attention. “So you’re saying I’m in danger because I’m with you?”
Kame flinched. “Yes. I’m so sorry. If I had known, I shouldn’t have dragged you into this.”
“But why does he think he could hurt you through me? We’ve just met today. We’re practically strangers!” Jin asked.
He feels as if there was something missing, something important that Kazuya was not telling him.
“Um…” Kame began.
Arida nudged him. “Either you tell him or I will.”
Kame gulped. This is too soon for him! “Do you believe in soul mates?”
Jin laughed. “What? Of course not.”
“Then you won’t believe me if I say we - you and I - are soul mates, right? But that’s the truth. We all have soul mates - human or vampire and…” Kame looked at Jin’s eyes seriously. “…you happen to be mine.”
“Bullshit!” Jin spat. “You and me? You seem like a great guy and all but I’m not yours. I can’t even be friends with a fag.”
Jin’s tone was laced with disgust and Kame flinched once more. “I know,” he said dejectedly. Jin’s rejection hurt. “Don’t worry, I won’t force myself on you. But you still have to stay here until I’m sure the rogue won’t be bothering you again.”
“Maru, lead the human inside the house. I’ll just talk to Kame.” She glared at Jin. She had felt his attraction and attention to Kame. She had noticed his jealousy so she had no idea why Jin was rejecting his soul mate that easily. Stupid human.
Jin fidgeted a little as she passed the intimidating woman on his way inside the house. She seemed fragile in built but Jin felt that she could probably kill him easily if she wanted to. Vampires were very strong, right?
“Kame…” Arida began as soon as she and Kame were alone. “I’m so sorry.”
“Why? It’s not your fault,” Kame shook his head. “That I was cursed with this painful destiny has nothing to do with you. I just wish you won’t be like me. I wish you’d find a mate who’ll make all your romantic ideals come true.” He smiled sadly at Arida.
“Oh Kame,” Arida cried and hugged her friend. Kame was like a baby brother to her and she hated what his soul mate was doing to him.
“I’ll be fine, Arida. I just need some time. Take care of him for me, okay?” He pulled away from Arida and walked to his car.
“Where are you going?” Arida asked in alarm.
“I’m not going to kill myself if that’s what you think. I’ll just go back to Jin’s apartment to get his clothes and other items he might need. I think he’ll be more comfortable with his own things,” Kame said.
Arida frowned at him. “You can stay, you know. He’ll change his mind once he realizes what he’s missing.”
Kame shrugged. “Maybe but it is only fair that I let him digest what just happened and what I told him.” He looked at Arida seriously. “Don’t bully him while I’m gone.”
“Me? Bully him? Not likely.” Arida waved her hand in dismissal.
Kame narrowed his eyes at her but said nothing as he left.
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“We’re not bad. We’re not going to hurt you. Really,” Maru convinced Kame’s mate because he noticed the man was still edgy and apprehensive about being in a house full of vampires.
Jin relaxed a bit. Maru did not look threatening after all. “Okay.”
“I already told you my name before. What’s yours?” Maru prodded. They were alone for now but he knew the others were almost home. He could feel them. He should make the human comfortable because he’s sure to tense up again once the others arrived.
“Jin,” Jin answered.
“Just Jin?” Maru asked.
“Akanishi. Jin Akanishi,” Jin clarified.
“Nice to meet you Jin Akanishi,” Maru said.
The door opened and Ueda came in. Koki and Kristine were right behind him.
“Oh good, you brought Kristine,” Maru smiled. Jin might be more comfortable with another human around. “Jin, these are Tatsuya Ueda, Koki Tanaka and Kristine Jeffries. Kristine is Koki’s soul mate and a human, just like you,” he introduced them.
“Arida’s?” Koki asked.
Maru shook his head, understanding the question. “Kame’s.”
“Oh.” Koki nodded. “Speaking of Kame, where is he? I didn’t sense him anywhere. Did you, Ueda?”
“Nope,” Ueda answered.
“Huh?” Maru tried to sense Kame and noticed that indeed, the youngest vampire was not anywhere near. “He was just talking to Arida a while ago.”
“Kazuya left?” Jin asked guiltily. He had noticed the pain in the man’s eyes when he turned away from him earlier.
Koki sensed the guilt reeking from the human. He narrowed his eyes at him. “What did you do?”
“I…I don’t know,” Jin whispered. He only responded automatically earlier. He’d been straight all his life so he didn’t know how to react to the fact that he was another man’s soul mate. Besides, he couldn’t really believe that he had a soul mate in the first place. He didn’t know that Kazuya would be so upset by his words that he’d leave. The full implication of his actions dawned on him then. What if Kazuya never returned? He had only just met him but Jin felt like crying at the mere thought that he was never going to see Kazuya again. What have I done?!
“He rejected Kame, called him a fag,” Arida who had just entered the house, stated.
“What?!” Koki exclaimed. “How dare you!” Koki let his fangs show menacingly and his eyes to go red in anger.
“Stop it, Koki,” Ueda scolded lightly. “Kazuya would want to deal with this by himself. You of all people should know that a vampire would kill anyone if they hurt even one hair of his soul mate.”
“I know. Sometimes I wish it went both ways for everyone,” Koki grumbled. Kristine silently glided near him and caressed his arms soothingly to make him calm down.
“So where is he now?” Ueda asked calmly.
“He went to get some of the human’s things from his house,” Arida said, motioning towards Jin.
“Huh? From my house? How did he know where my house is? And how does he expect to enter there?” Jin asked suspiciously.
“Kame has his ways,” Arida said simply, not willing to talk any further.
“I better take you to a room. You must be tired,” Kristine said to Jin. She noticed that the vampires were wound up and that her mate was still angry. It would be better to take Jin away for now.
“Thank you,” Koki whispered to his mate. He knew Kristine understood that he had to stay away from Jin or he’d snap and attack him. Kame would always be their baby, no matter how old he got and for this human to actually hurt their youngest was grating on Koki’s nerves.
Kristine smiled at her vampire and ushered Jin towards the second floor. “Come on…”
“Is Kazuya…hurt?” Jin eyes were full of worry but he followed Kristine up the second floor and to a vacant room anyway.
Kristine looked at him. This is the man who called his mate a fag and rejected him? “Kame is stronger than he looks. He’ll be fine.”
“The others look worried…” Jin persisted.
“If you’re going to be this worried, why the heck did you reject him?” Kristine raised an eyebrow. “A soul mate can only be found once, Jin. For vampires, it’s even more special because they wait decades or even centuries before they find theirs. Besides, it’s wonderful to have a soul mate, to fit so perfectly with a person and to experience ultimate love and happiness that you’ll never find from other partners. Koki and I have that kind of relationship. You and Kame will have that too, if you let it happen.”
“That’s easy for you to say! Your soul mate is not the same gender as you!” Jin snapped.
“Yes. But why should that matter? I didn’t love Koki because he’s a man. I love him because he makes me laugh, he makes me happy. I love him simply because he is mine. My existence is tied to him. Just like Kame’s destiny is tied to yours. Look, Kame probably left because he wants you to be able to digest the fact that you’re soul mates. He’s giving you a choice even if it’s hurting him.”
“I thought you said he’d be fine?” Jin said in alarm.
“Well, no one wants to worry you.” Kristine pulled Jin’s arm when he tried to leave the room. “Where are you going?”
“Finding Kame.”
“You don’t have to.”
The two humans turned to the open door and saw Kame.
“That was fast,” Kristine commented.
“I didn’t get far. I sensed his fear and came back. I thought something had gone wrong,” Kame said.
“Oh. I’ll leave you two alone then. Koki is probably whining downstairs.” Kristine patted Kame’s shoulder on her way out of the room.
Kame turned to Jin the moment Kristine had closed the door behind her. “Sorry. I startled you didn’t I? You don’t have to think of the whole soul mate thing. For now, our first priority is keeping you safe. But…it will probably be easy for both of us if we’re civil to each other so…friends?” He extended his hand.
Jin hesitated for a while before extending his hand. “Friends.” He clasped Kame’s hand in his and ignored the strange tingling in his spine at the contact. “Sorry I insulted you earlier. I’m not really a homophobe. I was just surprised.”
Kame smiled. “I never even thought I was gay until Tat-chan pointed it out to me.”
“Tat-chan?” Jin asked, unfamiliar with the name.
“Ueda. You might have met him earlier. I saw him downstairs when I arrived,” Kame explained, sitting comfortably at the bed, still a respectable distance from Jin.
Jin ruined Kame’s caution however and sat closer to the vampire. “Yeah. They didn’t like me but that’s understandable after what I did.”
“Listen to me, Jin. I should have expected your reaction. I won’t hold it against you so you shouldn’t too. Anyway, you better get some sleep. It’s been a long day,” Kame stood up to leave but Jin grabbed his wrist.
“Can you…can you stay for a while? Just until I fall asleep? Please?” Jin felt his face heating up. He was embarrassed in asking this favor but he was still rather scared of all the vampires in the house. Kazuya was the only exemption to that. He felt safe whenever Kazuya was near.
“Of course Jin.” Kame gently sat down beside Jin and waited until the man was asleep before he quietly left the room.
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A week had passed with Kame and Jin being closer than ever. They were comfortable with each other. Jin treated Kame like a best friend and even though Kame wanted more, he was happy at whatever form of affection Jin could give.
This has to be enough.
But at times, it would be too hard for Kame to control his…urges. He never knew his body would crave his mate so much but it did and it’s pure torture to act like a mere friend when all he wanted to do was take Jin there and then. When those urges occur, he’d usually leave and engage in some kind of hunting game. The time away dulls his craving of Jin’s body enough that he could act normal around the man again.
Jin, however, had no idea what was going with Kazuya but he had noticed that every night, Kazuya would leave for a few hours and then come back. Today, he decided to ask where Kazuya went to every time so he waited for Kazuya to return.
It was midnight when the vampire returned and Jin was perplexed to find Kazuya’s coat all bloody.
“It’s not my blood,” Kame said before Jin could say anything. He thought Jin was worried about him so he tried to appease him with those words.
Jin however, took the sentence the wrong way. His eyes widened with fear, fear of the man he had learned to trust over the past few days. “You…”
Kame reached for Jin but frowned when Jin stepped away from him. “What’s wrong Jin?” Then he noted the fear in the human’s eyes as well as the images in his mind. He couldn’t believe it. Jin thought of him as a murderer! His own mate thinks he could so easily take a human life so nonchalantly. And more than that, the images in Jin’s mind revealed that he was scared for his own life, as if Kame would hurt him. “You really think I could do that? You really believe I’d be such a monster?
Jin didn’t know what to think. Kazuya seemed genuinely upset. Was he wrong? Nonetheless, the knowledge that Kazuya was so much stronger than him scared him like never before. The doubt had sunk in and it was messing with his mind. “I…I don’t know.”
“Actually, it is animal blood, Jin but it’s nice to know how you really think of me,” Kame said bitterly. “I knew you couldn’t love me the way I love you but I thought at least you knew that I would rather die than intentionally hurt you.”
“Kazuya…”
Before Jin could say anything, Ueda had already called Kame’s attention and the vampire was out the door.
(Part 3)
(Part 1)
Two hours. That was all it took for his control to snap.
He was freaking looking for the man when he vowed he wouldn’t.
I must be out of my mind.
His search for a rogue vampire turned out to be a stalker-like fixation to the man who was currently greeting customers at a small bakeshop he was in. Kame had followed him around since the moment he saw him walking out of an apartment in a quaint neighborhood.
‘Jin Akanishi’, the man’s nametag said.
Jin. What a beautiful name, he thought almost dreamily before he caught himself and snapped out of it. He decided to leave to clear his head. Before he could however, a voice stopped him.
“Sir? Are you looking for a particular pastry?”
Kame looked up and was lost in the captivating eyes of Jin Akanishi himself.
“Sir?” Jin asked uncertainly. He had noticed that the customer looked troubled when he came in. Normally, he wouldn’t care. His customers’ problems weren’t his business. But this particular customer caught his attention from the moment he entered the shop. He didn’t understand why either. It could be because customers were rare at this time of the night but there was something else that he couldn’t pinpoint, something that was drawing him towards this particular man. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Kame said, recovering from the intense feeling that staring into Jin’s eyes had caused him.
“That’s a relief. You look a bit pale, though. Why don’t you sit down and I’ll bring some drink?” Jin offered.
“That would be nice, thank you.” Kame found himself answering. Jin had already seen him anyway. He would look crazy if he suddenly bolted out of there. Besides, he didn’t want to cause a scene.
Jin disappeared towards the kitchen. When he returned, he brought a glass of lemonade and a slice of strawberry cake.
Kame looked at the cake curiously. “I didn’t ask for this.”
“No. But you look like you need something to lift your mood. Sweets always work,” Jin explained.
Kame could do nothing but thank the man and taste the cake. At his first bite, the explosion of taste in his mouth surprised him. “Wow, this is good!” He kept on eating. He had eaten several kinds of cake in his lifetime but none of them compared to this one.
Jin beamed. “Thank God you like it! I made it myself,” he said proudly.
Kame’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Jin nodded. “I’m a pastry chef. I noticed you lingered at the strawberry-themed pastries when you were looking around so I got that especially for you.”
Kame smiled. “Thank you and yes, I do love strawberry.”
Jin felt elated at the simple comment and he had absolutely no idea why. Being the simple guy that he was, he chalked it all to a happiness a chef gets when his creation is appreciated.
“You must be happy, working at your own shop,” Kame commented.
“Actually, my girlfriend owns the shop.”
Kame’s eyes narrowed when he heard Jin mention that he had a girlfriend. What did you expect? He thought bitterly. “How much do I owe you?” His question came out harsher than he intended.
“It’s alright. It’s on me,” Jin said. He was confused to why the man seemed angry but for some reason, he wanted to apologize even if he didn’t know what he did wrong.
Kame shook his head, placed down a few bills at the table and left. He knew he was acting like a petulant five year old but he hardly cared.
Jin on the other hand was baffled at the other man’s sudden change of mood. It was such a shame. He really liked the guy. They could have been friends. He sighed and picked up the money the man left. His eyes widened at the amount. “This is too much!” He rushed outside, intending to return the money to the guy. He saw him at the other side of the street.
“Wait!”
Kame turned and saw Jin crossing the street without noticing the approaching the blur that was hurtling towards him. Kame’s inhuman eyes saw that it was a vampire and not just any vampire - it was the rogue vampire he was hunting.
The rogue had the audacity to actually smirk at Kame as he tackled the baffled Jin to the ground.
I wonder how you would feel if I robbed you of someone special to you?
The rogue projected the thoughts to Kame and left as quickly as he came.
“Jin!” Kame yelled as he ran towards his fallen soul mate. He used his vampire speed so he was at Jin’s side in a second.
“Wha-” Jin blinked. He was sure the other man was on the other side of the street just a second ago.
“I’ll explain later. It isn’t safe here,” Kame said grimly.
The game has been reversed, little hunter. The hunter is now the hunted.
Kame gritted his teeth. Stop hiding, coward!
Oh I could come out but then that would be boring. The fun has just begun, young one. Let’s see how long you and your human can last.
“What’s happening?” Jin asked, alarmed.
“We have to leave,” Kame said instead. He was painfully reminded of his mate’s mortality today and he couldn’t risk leaving him. He’d stand no chance against any vampire.
“But the shop…”
“I’ll help you close it and also take anything you need.” Kame helped Jin stand up. He wasn’t wounded at all. The rogue was just messing with them.
Jin nodded and walked with the man to the shop. He was quiet all through the time he tidied the shop, closed it, grabbed his cellphone and wallet and left with the man.
They got inside a car and the man drove away from the place.
“Your name…”
At first, Kame didn’t register that Jin was speaking. He had been so quiet before. “Huh?”
“What’s your name? I keep calling you ‘the man’ or ‘the guy’ in my head. It’s not right,” Jin explained.
“Oh. I’m Kazuya Kamenashi,” Kame introduced himself.
“I’m Jin,” Jin said in return.
“Actually, I figured that out a while ago,” Kame smiled and glanced at Jin’s nametag at the upper left of his uniform.
Jin followed Kame’s gaze and laughed. “I totally forgot about this.” He reached to remove the tag. “Where are we going Kazuya?”
Kame ignored the pleasant shiver that ran up his spine at the way Jin uttered his name. Focus, Kame. Focus. “I’m taking you back at my place. I’ll explain everything there.”
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“Kame! You’re back!” Arida exclaimed in an overjoyed voice - that was too bright to be real - and threw herself at Kame who had no choice but to steady her by circling his arms around her waist. She may be a vampire but Kame was raised to be a perfect gentleman so he’d assist her nonetheless.
What are you up to? He projected to Arida.
The girl just smiled sweetly at him before kissing him fully on his lips.
WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?!
Kame tried to pull back from the embrace but Arida was an older vampire which means she was stronger and thus, Kame had no chance of freeing himself without making a total fool of himself. He really, really didn’t want to seem like a fool in front of Jin.
Arida pulled back and grinned at him and he looked at her in confusion before glancing at Jin who was glaring daggers at the woman in front of them.
“Jin?” He asked tentatively.
“You didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend.” Jin frowned. He didn’t understand why he wanted to rip the woman away from Kazuya the moment she threw herself at his new-found friend. He didn’t like anyone touching Kazuya.
“I don’t-” Kazuya began but Jin cut him off.
“It doesn’t matter anyway. We’ve just met. Of course you wouldn’t tell me details of your life that easily,” Jin sulked.
“Awww, you’re so cute! Kame was right in bringing you home,” Arida gushed.
This time, it was Nakamaru who walked out the door. “Arida! Stop traumatizing the human,” he scolded. To Kame’s mate, he said. “Hi! I’m Yuiichi Nakamaru but you can call me Maru. This crazy girl is Arida Dale. Just ignore her hyper bunny mode.”
Arida scowled. “You’re mean! I just wanted to see if he’ll get jealous.”
“Wha-?” Jin gaped but he couldn’t deny that his heart leapt in Joy at the prospect that the woman was just messing around and is probably not Kazuya’s girlfriend.
“Oh,” Kame muttered in realization. “Arida, he doesn’t know yet.”
“Doesn’t know what?” Jin asked.
“I figured. All the better to know where he stands on this, right?” Arida said smugly.
“Stand on what?” Jin asked again, terribly confused now.
Kame sighed. “Jin, I don’t want you to freak out but you have to know that I…actually, we are vampires.”
Jin’s jaw dropped. “What? For real?!”
Kame nodded.
“I don’t believe you!” Jin said defiantly.
Maru and Arida shrugged before opening their mouths and letting the human see how their fangs come out.
Jin shivered in fear. He was a man, averagely brave but he knew that in this situation, even the bravest human would be scared.
He stepped back and whimpered but Kazuya’s presence strangely soothed him.
“Shh…It’s fine Jin. No one’s gonna hurt you. You’re safe,” Kame whispered in Jin’s ear as he held him close.
Jin should protest being gathered into the other man’s arms like some girl but it was so damn comfortable in Kazuya’s arms. It was warm and safe. It feels like home.
His eyes widened at the sudden thought and he pushed himself away from Kazuya. “I-I’m fine.”
“Okay,” Kame concurred, although being away from Jin when the other clearly needed him made him anxious. “I brought you here because a rogue vampire was after me and he thinks he can hurt me by hurting you. I thought you’d be safer here with all of us to protect you than just me,” Kame explained further.
“What?!” This time, three people exclaimed - Jin, Arida and Maru.
“The rogue is retaliating?! Why didn’t you tell us sooner? Did he hurt you? Are you alright?” Arida fussed over him.
“I think we should tell the others as soon as possible. And Tackey too,” Maru worried.
“I’m fine. I think he’s playing with me. He left before he can do real damage,” Kame answered. “As for telling the others…I’m okay with that. I’m grateful for more protection for Jin.”
Jin tugged on Kazuya’s arm to get his attention. “So you’re saying I’m in danger because I’m with you?”
Kame flinched. “Yes. I’m so sorry. If I had known, I shouldn’t have dragged you into this.”
“But why does he think he could hurt you through me? We’ve just met today. We’re practically strangers!” Jin asked.
He feels as if there was something missing, something important that Kazuya was not telling him.
“Um…” Kame began.
Arida nudged him. “Either you tell him or I will.”
Kame gulped. This is too soon for him! “Do you believe in soul mates?”
Jin laughed. “What? Of course not.”
“Then you won’t believe me if I say we - you and I - are soul mates, right? But that’s the truth. We all have soul mates - human or vampire and…” Kame looked at Jin’s eyes seriously. “…you happen to be mine.”
“Bullshit!” Jin spat. “You and me? You seem like a great guy and all but I’m not yours. I can’t even be friends with a fag.”
Jin’s tone was laced with disgust and Kame flinched once more. “I know,” he said dejectedly. Jin’s rejection hurt. “Don’t worry, I won’t force myself on you. But you still have to stay here until I’m sure the rogue won’t be bothering you again.”
“Maru, lead the human inside the house. I’ll just talk to Kame.” She glared at Jin. She had felt his attraction and attention to Kame. She had noticed his jealousy so she had no idea why Jin was rejecting his soul mate that easily. Stupid human.
Jin fidgeted a little as she passed the intimidating woman on his way inside the house. She seemed fragile in built but Jin felt that she could probably kill him easily if she wanted to. Vampires were very strong, right?
“Kame…” Arida began as soon as she and Kame were alone. “I’m so sorry.”
“Why? It’s not your fault,” Kame shook his head. “That I was cursed with this painful destiny has nothing to do with you. I just wish you won’t be like me. I wish you’d find a mate who’ll make all your romantic ideals come true.” He smiled sadly at Arida.
“Oh Kame,” Arida cried and hugged her friend. Kame was like a baby brother to her and she hated what his soul mate was doing to him.
“I’ll be fine, Arida. I just need some time. Take care of him for me, okay?” He pulled away from Arida and walked to his car.
“Where are you going?” Arida asked in alarm.
“I’m not going to kill myself if that’s what you think. I’ll just go back to Jin’s apartment to get his clothes and other items he might need. I think he’ll be more comfortable with his own things,” Kame said.
Arida frowned at him. “You can stay, you know. He’ll change his mind once he realizes what he’s missing.”
Kame shrugged. “Maybe but it is only fair that I let him digest what just happened and what I told him.” He looked at Arida seriously. “Don’t bully him while I’m gone.”
“Me? Bully him? Not likely.” Arida waved her hand in dismissal.
Kame narrowed his eyes at her but said nothing as he left.
---------------------------------------
“We’re not bad. We’re not going to hurt you. Really,” Maru convinced Kame’s mate because he noticed the man was still edgy and apprehensive about being in a house full of vampires.
Jin relaxed a bit. Maru did not look threatening after all. “Okay.”
“I already told you my name before. What’s yours?” Maru prodded. They were alone for now but he knew the others were almost home. He could feel them. He should make the human comfortable because he’s sure to tense up again once the others arrived.
“Jin,” Jin answered.
“Just Jin?” Maru asked.
“Akanishi. Jin Akanishi,” Jin clarified.
“Nice to meet you Jin Akanishi,” Maru said.
The door opened and Ueda came in. Koki and Kristine were right behind him.
“Oh good, you brought Kristine,” Maru smiled. Jin might be more comfortable with another human around. “Jin, these are Tatsuya Ueda, Koki Tanaka and Kristine Jeffries. Kristine is Koki’s soul mate and a human, just like you,” he introduced them.
“Arida’s?” Koki asked.
Maru shook his head, understanding the question. “Kame’s.”
“Oh.” Koki nodded. “Speaking of Kame, where is he? I didn’t sense him anywhere. Did you, Ueda?”
“Nope,” Ueda answered.
“Huh?” Maru tried to sense Kame and noticed that indeed, the youngest vampire was not anywhere near. “He was just talking to Arida a while ago.”
“Kazuya left?” Jin asked guiltily. He had noticed the pain in the man’s eyes when he turned away from him earlier.
Koki sensed the guilt reeking from the human. He narrowed his eyes at him. “What did you do?”
“I…I don’t know,” Jin whispered. He only responded automatically earlier. He’d been straight all his life so he didn’t know how to react to the fact that he was another man’s soul mate. Besides, he couldn’t really believe that he had a soul mate in the first place. He didn’t know that Kazuya would be so upset by his words that he’d leave. The full implication of his actions dawned on him then. What if Kazuya never returned? He had only just met him but Jin felt like crying at the mere thought that he was never going to see Kazuya again. What have I done?!
“He rejected Kame, called him a fag,” Arida who had just entered the house, stated.
“What?!” Koki exclaimed. “How dare you!” Koki let his fangs show menacingly and his eyes to go red in anger.
“Stop it, Koki,” Ueda scolded lightly. “Kazuya would want to deal with this by himself. You of all people should know that a vampire would kill anyone if they hurt even one hair of his soul mate.”
“I know. Sometimes I wish it went both ways for everyone,” Koki grumbled. Kristine silently glided near him and caressed his arms soothingly to make him calm down.
“So where is he now?” Ueda asked calmly.
“He went to get some of the human’s things from his house,” Arida said, motioning towards Jin.
“Huh? From my house? How did he know where my house is? And how does he expect to enter there?” Jin asked suspiciously.
“Kame has his ways,” Arida said simply, not willing to talk any further.
“I better take you to a room. You must be tired,” Kristine said to Jin. She noticed that the vampires were wound up and that her mate was still angry. It would be better to take Jin away for now.
“Thank you,” Koki whispered to his mate. He knew Kristine understood that he had to stay away from Jin or he’d snap and attack him. Kame would always be their baby, no matter how old he got and for this human to actually hurt their youngest was grating on Koki’s nerves.
Kristine smiled at her vampire and ushered Jin towards the second floor. “Come on…”
“Is Kazuya…hurt?” Jin eyes were full of worry but he followed Kristine up the second floor and to a vacant room anyway.
Kristine looked at him. This is the man who called his mate a fag and rejected him? “Kame is stronger than he looks. He’ll be fine.”
“The others look worried…” Jin persisted.
“If you’re going to be this worried, why the heck did you reject him?” Kristine raised an eyebrow. “A soul mate can only be found once, Jin. For vampires, it’s even more special because they wait decades or even centuries before they find theirs. Besides, it’s wonderful to have a soul mate, to fit so perfectly with a person and to experience ultimate love and happiness that you’ll never find from other partners. Koki and I have that kind of relationship. You and Kame will have that too, if you let it happen.”
“That’s easy for you to say! Your soul mate is not the same gender as you!” Jin snapped.
“Yes. But why should that matter? I didn’t love Koki because he’s a man. I love him because he makes me laugh, he makes me happy. I love him simply because he is mine. My existence is tied to him. Just like Kame’s destiny is tied to yours. Look, Kame probably left because he wants you to be able to digest the fact that you’re soul mates. He’s giving you a choice even if it’s hurting him.”
“I thought you said he’d be fine?” Jin said in alarm.
“Well, no one wants to worry you.” Kristine pulled Jin’s arm when he tried to leave the room. “Where are you going?”
“Finding Kame.”
“You don’t have to.”
The two humans turned to the open door and saw Kame.
“That was fast,” Kristine commented.
“I didn’t get far. I sensed his fear and came back. I thought something had gone wrong,” Kame said.
“Oh. I’ll leave you two alone then. Koki is probably whining downstairs.” Kristine patted Kame’s shoulder on her way out of the room.
Kame turned to Jin the moment Kristine had closed the door behind her. “Sorry. I startled you didn’t I? You don’t have to think of the whole soul mate thing. For now, our first priority is keeping you safe. But…it will probably be easy for both of us if we’re civil to each other so…friends?” He extended his hand.
Jin hesitated for a while before extending his hand. “Friends.” He clasped Kame’s hand in his and ignored the strange tingling in his spine at the contact. “Sorry I insulted you earlier. I’m not really a homophobe. I was just surprised.”
Kame smiled. “I never even thought I was gay until Tat-chan pointed it out to me.”
“Tat-chan?” Jin asked, unfamiliar with the name.
“Ueda. You might have met him earlier. I saw him downstairs when I arrived,” Kame explained, sitting comfortably at the bed, still a respectable distance from Jin.
Jin ruined Kame’s caution however and sat closer to the vampire. “Yeah. They didn’t like me but that’s understandable after what I did.”
“Listen to me, Jin. I should have expected your reaction. I won’t hold it against you so you shouldn’t too. Anyway, you better get some sleep. It’s been a long day,” Kame stood up to leave but Jin grabbed his wrist.
“Can you…can you stay for a while? Just until I fall asleep? Please?” Jin felt his face heating up. He was embarrassed in asking this favor but he was still rather scared of all the vampires in the house. Kazuya was the only exemption to that. He felt safe whenever Kazuya was near.
“Of course Jin.” Kame gently sat down beside Jin and waited until the man was asleep before he quietly left the room.
------------------------------------------------------
A week had passed with Kame and Jin being closer than ever. They were comfortable with each other. Jin treated Kame like a best friend and even though Kame wanted more, he was happy at whatever form of affection Jin could give.
This has to be enough.
But at times, it would be too hard for Kame to control his…urges. He never knew his body would crave his mate so much but it did and it’s pure torture to act like a mere friend when all he wanted to do was take Jin there and then. When those urges occur, he’d usually leave and engage in some kind of hunting game. The time away dulls his craving of Jin’s body enough that he could act normal around the man again.
Jin, however, had no idea what was going with Kazuya but he had noticed that every night, Kazuya would leave for a few hours and then come back. Today, he decided to ask where Kazuya went to every time so he waited for Kazuya to return.
It was midnight when the vampire returned and Jin was perplexed to find Kazuya’s coat all bloody.
“It’s not my blood,” Kame said before Jin could say anything. He thought Jin was worried about him so he tried to appease him with those words.
Jin however, took the sentence the wrong way. His eyes widened with fear, fear of the man he had learned to trust over the past few days. “You…”
Kame reached for Jin but frowned when Jin stepped away from him. “What’s wrong Jin?” Then he noted the fear in the human’s eyes as well as the images in his mind. He couldn’t believe it. Jin thought of him as a murderer! His own mate thinks he could so easily take a human life so nonchalantly. And more than that, the images in Jin’s mind revealed that he was scared for his own life, as if Kame would hurt him. “You really think I could do that? You really believe I’d be such a monster?
Jin didn’t know what to think. Kazuya seemed genuinely upset. Was he wrong? Nonetheless, the knowledge that Kazuya was so much stronger than him scared him like never before. The doubt had sunk in and it was messing with his mind. “I…I don’t know.”
“Actually, it is animal blood, Jin but it’s nice to know how you really think of me,” Kame said bitterly. “I knew you couldn’t love me the way I love you but I thought at least you knew that I would rather die than intentionally hurt you.”
“Kazuya…”
Before Jin could say anything, Ueda had already called Kame’s attention and the vampire was out the door.
(Part 3)