Title: Hybrid 1/?
Author: Kyoko_godaikun
Rating: R
Genre: Horror/angst
Pairing: TaNaka, TaSub (Tanaka/Subaru)

Note: This story features Inherited Vampires. The basic difference between inherited vampires and regular vampires is the fact that Inherited can have children, and go outside during the day.

Summary: Werewolf Koki and Vampire Maru are in love. But their love is against both of their kinds laws

 

Time: October 2002

Everyone who lived in the Johnny's Juniors dorms had new roommates. It was one of the agency's rules. Every few months the powers that be moved everyone around. They said it was to get to know each other better. Nineteen year old Nakamaru Yuichi had always looked forwards to it. Until this year. When Maru had been told who his new roommate was, he knew he should be happy. He knew he should be glad that he didn't have to stay with someone like Jin.

Even though Tanaka Koki was younger then Maru, he had been his best friend since the day they had been put into Kat-Tun together. But Koki was more then that to Maru, much more then that. If, was the thing that Maru always thought. If Maru didn't have his inheritance, then they could be together.

Maru was an inherited vampire. Because of that, he couldn't be with the one he cared for. For Tanaka Koki was a werewolf. There were laws governing Vampires and werewolves. One of the main laws was that Vampires were forbidden to be in love with Werewolves. Not only was that, but the ways of the werewolves different. Koki had been betrothed to someone when he was only eleven. No matter how much Maru loved him, he knew they could never be together.

Tanaka Koki came into the small dorm room. He set his box on the bed by the wall. "Can I have this bed?"

"Sure," Nakamaru put his box on the bed by the window. He noted that there was only a meter gap between the two beds. Both beds had sliding drawers beneath them. Maru opened one of his, and began to put his things in.

The first thing that Koki did was to hammer a nail into the wall beside his bed. Then he put a calendar on the nail. The photo on the calendar was of a full moon. A date was circled in black marker; it was less then two weeks away.

Maru checked his small refrigerator. He had moved that earlier. He moved his wine bottles to the top row, so they could be kept cool. "You're welcome to use my refrigerator."

"Are you sure there's enough room?" Koki raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't your blood take up a lot of room?"

"Not really, blood doesn't keep long. I have to refill my stocks often." They hadn't talked much about Maru's secret. "You don't mind sharing a room with a vampire do you?"

"I don't really care either way." Koki shrugged. "You don't care that your roommate's less then human?"

"Don't call yourself that!" Maru said hotly.

"That's what your people call mine." Koki pointed out.

"Some do, but I don't!" Maru said firmly. "You know I don't fell that way."

"I know, you're different, that's why I like you." Koki went to Maru, he touched him on the cheek, and then he kissed him gently. That was the other secret; the two of them had feelings for each other. Feelings that they had to deny.

"I don't know if I can live with you." Maru kissed Koki. "It's going to be hard for me not to touch you."

"What if we don't tell anyone?" Koki tempted. "What if we make it our secret?"

"I wish we could." Again they kissed, this time the kiss was longer, more drawn out. Maru felt Koki's tongue press against his lips. He opened his mouth to Koki, and his friend gently loved him with his tongue.

"Are you afraid of the enforcers?" Koki asked between kisses. The enforcers were like police, they enforced the laws of the vampires.

"I can handle the vampire enforcers. My father's one." Maru reminded him. "But the werewolf enforcers...."

"You're right." Koki pulled away from him. "We can only be just friends."

"Friends that care for each other." Maru looked into Koki's eyes.

"More then anything." He agreed. "You’re the only one in my heart."

"What would Subaru say?" Maru teased. "He is your husband."

"He's not my husband." Koki went back to his unpacking. "It's an arranged marriage. I didn't get a choice."

"Just like we don't get the choice about the code." Maru reminded him. "Werewolves and vampires aren't allowed to love."

"I wish we could burn the code." Koki said softly.

******************

The days passed, the friends lived together. It was getting harder and harder for them to be just friends. In less then a week it would be Koki's birthday.

Maru tried to study his lines. He had a small part in a drama. If he had been one of the others in the group, he knew the part would be bigger. But it didn't matter to him. He worked just as hard on the small parts as he did the bigger parts.

"I wish I was good as you are at learning lines." Maru looked at the script.

'Then why don't I help you?" Koki sat down beside him on the bed. He took the script from Maru. 'You know, I asked management if I could be in this drama with you."

"I didn't know that."

"They didn't let me." he said sadly. "They still said I can't be in dramas. I don't know why, I like to act. But they give the parts I want to Kame."

"I think management is wrong in not letting you act." Maru told him. 'You're a much better actor then Kame, or Jin."

"Let's work on this." Koki said, changing the subject.

Maru looked down to the script. He began to rehearse again. This time Koki helped him with the lines.

After a few minutes of practicing, Koki took the script away from him. Then he kissed Maru again. Their lips slid together as if they were meant to be together. Soon they were lying side by side on the bed.

Maru felt Koki's reach under his shirt; his hand went into Maru's pants stroking him. Maru could feel his fangs grow. He would have to be very careful not to take any of Koki's blood.

"Koki, we can't." Maru said between kisses.

"I've been thinking, if you don't take my blood, it wouldn't be breaking the code."

'What do you mean don't take your blood?" Maru pulled away from him a bit, so he could look into his eyes.

"I want to move our relationship to a higher point then just a few kisses. I checked the werewolf code, all of the forbidden relationships involved exchanging blood. Not the physical act." Koki told him. "I can't live any longer just being your friend."

"Neither can I," Maru admitted. He kissed Koki's lips.

They pulled each others' clothes off, and then they were kissing again. Koki's hands seemed to be all over him. Maru knew that it was a full moon, and he had heard about werewolves getting the hunger in the daylight hours before the full moon.

"We need lube," Maru murmured.

"I've got some." Koki pulled away from him for a moment, opened the drawer under his bed. He took out a tube. Then settled beside him on the bed. Then he squirted some lube on his fingers, he wrapped his hand around Maru’s hardness and began to stroke. "I hope you don't mind that I'm a bottom."

'I don't mind," Maru sighed. "I need to prepare you."

"No need," Koki pulled the pillow off the bed, and set it between them. Then he laid on it, his stomach against the pillow. "Wolves love it rough."

That was all the encouragement Maru needed. He moved so that he was on top of Koki, his lover split his legs so that Maru rested between them.

Maru pushed into Koki slowly. His new lover was so tight. He closed his eyes, trying to center his mind. Then he began to stroke slowly, almost all the way out, and then pushed hard in. As he stroked he ran his fans across Koki's back. He was forbidden to drink from him, but that didn't mean he couldn't taste. Nip after little nip. He ran his tongue over the sores so that they wouldn't bleed.

"Yu-Chan, faster," Koki moved his hips up to meet his thrusts. Then his lover growled like a wolf.

The growl was what made something inside Maru snap. He began to thrust with abandon. Until he was coming. Maru bit onto his own hand. Drinking his own blood. He craved Koki's blood, but that was impossible. Then Koki too was coming.

**************************

Koki let himself be lulled by Maru's heartbeat. That was one that he had been taught wrongly. Vampires did have heartbeats. He wondered if anything else was wrong, like vampires being able to take werewolves blood. Maru caressed his shoulder. Koki took his hand and kissed it. There was a deep bite mark on it, where Maru had bitten himself instead of Koki.

"Do you think we'll really be able to keep us secret?" Maru asked.

"I won't tell anyone." Koki promised.

Koki's Ketai rang. He rolled out of bed and picked it up. He felt his heart sink, it was Subaru. He answered it. "Hi what's up?"

"It's me, we need to meet." A very familiar voice said over the ketai.

"I'm busy." Koki snapped.

"It's a full moon tonight; you have a duty to spend it with me." Subaru told him. "You are married to me!"

"I'm sorry my husband." Koki said softly. "Where do you want to meet?"

"The usual place." Subaru ordered. "I'll see you there."

Koki turned off the ketai. Subaru was his husband. When Koki was eleven, his parents had accepted a marriage price from Subaru's parents. Koki knew that someday, in the near future he would be formally bonded to Subaru. Koki had forgotten about Subaru, because he never really cared for him. When he was with Maru, Koki felt whole, complete. Not like something that was little more then a slave.

His new lover looked up to him from the bed. "What's wrong?"

"Subaru is in town." He admitted. "I have to spend the full moon with him."

"Then you'll be out all night." Maru looked close to tears. "You have to fulfill your duties."

"Why are you accepting this?" Koki wondered.

"I don't get a choice." Maru looked depressed. "When do you have to go?"

"After sunset."

"Come back to bed." Maru extended a hand.

Koki found himself taking his new lover's hand. Maru gave him a slight tug; he let himself be pulled to the bed. Then Maru was kissing his lips. Koki could feel Maru's fangs grow. It excited him. Then Maru pulled Koki's hands over his head, and rolled on top of him. Koki split his legs and Maru settled between them.

"You're mine," with one thrust, Maru was inside of Koki.

Koki groaned as Maru loved him. It felt so good, so right. But it wasn't complete. It had to be more. His whole body cried out for the forbidden. He pushed his lover's head to his neck. "Please, Yuichi, drink."

Koki felt a slight pain, then an ecstasy that he never felt before. He belonged fully to Maru. It was forbidden, and he didn't care.

*********************

Tanaka Koki was glad he didn't have to work that night. He always hated working on the night of a full moon. He glanced up to the night sky. The full moon was very large, seeming to take over most of the sky. The moonlight called to him. The tattoo he had on his left hipbone felt as if it were on fire. His whole body wanted to turn, to run free, but the tattoo prevented it.

Koki wished he could have stayed back at the dorms with his boy friend. Maru had been so understanding about his leaving. The truth hadn't mattered to Maru. That Koki had a curse in his family. A curse that in Vampire's eyes made him less then human. Vampires hated werewolves. The only creatures on Earth they couldn't use as food.

He fingered the bandage on his neck. At least Subaru wouldn't see the proof of his cheating. But being with Maru didn't seem to be cheating to Koki. It seemed as the only real right relationship. Werewolves weren't supposed to love, but Koki loved Maru. The first person that Koki ever loved.

The cries of the moon pushed the thoughts of Maru out of Koki's mind. It was the time of the hunt. Koki had done this every full moon since he had turned fourteen. He went to a local park. A known hangout for werewolves, and participated in the hunt.

Koki looked around the park. Most werewolves were like him, only partially turned. Some wore pentagrams, but most had a tattoo hidden somewhere on their body that prevented them from turning fully. A few, a very small few had cast aside their pentagrams. They had turned fully. Koki knew that he had to avoid them.

Then he spotted what his body hungered for. Someone he had spent every hunt since he turned. He too was a Junior. He had helped Koki through his first ever full moon. His name was Shibutani Subaru.

"I didn't think you where in town." Koki told him.

"We always spend the full moon together." Subaru smiled at him. "Hear you have a new roommate."

"Nakamaru."

"Poor thing, having to live with a purebred." He went into the bushes, and began to take off his clothes.

"He irritates me." Koki joined him, taking off his own clothes.

Subaru grabbed Koki's chin and gave his head a hard turn, then he tore the bandage that cover the fang marks off. "Then why did you let him take your blood?"

"You wouldn’t understand."

"You're mine! My family has paid for you!" Subaru snapped. Subaru scratched Koki hard across the chest; blood began to trickle out of the wounds. "Tell me that you'll turn him into the enforcers."

"I can't." Koki looked away from him. “If I promise to move out of my room, will you leave him alone?"

'You love him." With a yank, Subaru took off his pentagram. "You know the penalty for a werewolf to love a vampire."

"I won't betray Nakamaru!"

"This is the final straw!" Subaru began to change. "There's only one penilty for your crime! Death!"

Koki's mind raced, he knew he was in terrible danger. He grabbed his clothes and ran.

He could hear the fully turned Subaru in the distance, howling.

Koki ran he wasn't too sure how long he ran. But Subaru had his scent, and wasn't going to quit until the prey was captured. Subaru loved this hunt, even though this time the hunted was Koki.

"Run, run, don't stop running."  Koki told himself in blind terror. He had been running for quite awhile. He wasn't sure how long. Time meant nothing when you're the prey.

Koki stopped for a moment, just to get his bearings. He pulled his clothes back on. He stood very still. Listening for Subaru.

 

Koki was tackled from behind. He fell to the ground. Subaru climbed on top of his back, holding him down. Subaru’s claws raked at his skin. His friend was now more wolf then man. A wolf that was meeting out justice to someone he believed had broken the code.

 

Koki tried to get away from Subaru. To try and escape again, but in Subaru's turned state, Koki couldn't get away. He also couldn't turn into a full werewolf, since he had a tattoo that prevented his full turning.

 

Subaru ran his claws down Koki's arm. Koki gasped with pain. Then Subaru did it again, and again. Until both of Koki's arms were bleeding.

 

The claws grabbed Koki's hair, forcing his head back. "Tell me you hate Maru!"

 

"I hate him," Koki lied.

 

"Tell me you'll never see him again." Subaru demanded. The claws so sharp ripped Koki's clothes to shreds, until Koki was lying in a heap of rags.

 

"I'll never see him again." Koki echoed.

 

"LIAR!"

 

Koki felt his legs being pushed apart, then without preparation, Subaru entered him. Koki was used to it. Rough sex was always a part of the full moon. Usually Koki craved the rough sex. That's when things were normal. It hurt this time, really hurt.

 

Koki pictured the one he loved in his mind. He couldn't help it, he gasped. "Yu-Chan."

 

Subaru bit down on Koki's neck. The bite was inhumane; Koki could feel the pain as Subaru's teeth tore at his shoulder. Then he could hear Subaru feasting on him, as he used his body. The pain was indescribable. Koki screamed in agony.

 

 Koki closed his eyes and hoped it would end soon. He knew he deserved Subaru's punishment. He was Subaru's property.

 

Soon, with a final thrust, Subaru came. He climbed off of Koki.

 

 Koki lay bruised, bleeding. Inside he knew he was dying. Subaru stood over him, he had transformed back to human.

 

"If I hear about you even looking at Maru again, I'll kill him." Subaru vowed.

 

"I'll stay away." Koki promised.

 

"Good," Subaru smiled. "I don't want to tell everyone my disgrace. That my husband has fallen in love with a purebred."

 

"I belong to you only," Koki croaked.

 

"You will always be my husband." Subaru told him. "We were fated to be together."

 

Koki didnt' answer; instead he fought back the tears of pain.

 

  "If you survive I want to separate from you."

 

"For how long?"

 

"Only until it's time for our formal bonding." Subaru told him. "When the time comes, I hope you'll have a better attitude towards our marriage. If not for me, then so that you’re family won't be disgraced."

 

"I'll try," Koki said before he passed out.

 

********************************

Koki woke; he wasn't sure how much time had passed. He just knew that Subaru had left. Koki had to get back to the dorms, get back to Maru. All of his instincts cried out for it. He was nude, bleeding, but he didn't care. He knew he was dying, and he didn't want to do it in a back ally.

 

 Koki limped back to his dorm room. He used the fire escape to get back to his room. He didn't want anyone seeing the way he was.

 

Maru was all ready gone, to film his drama.  Koki looked at himself in the mirror. His shoulder had been ripped open by Subaru's bite. Koki could see the bone that had the flesh ripped off. His blood ran down his body. The pain was still to the point that Koki wanted to die.

 

Even in this weakened state, Koki knew what was happening. He was dying. He would never see his Maru again. He opened up Maru's laundry hamper, and pulled out some clothes. Koki wrapped them around himself. Then he got into Maru's bed. His whole body was filled with the scent of the one he loved. It was almost as if Maru was holding him in his arms. It comforted him.

 

He drifted into unconsciousness, dreaming of Maru's touch. A time where his relationship with Maru wouldn't be forbidden.

 

*****************

 

Maru returned to the dorm after finishing filming the drama. He could smell the scent of blood down the hallway. The scent got stronger as he got closer to his room. As he opened the dorm room door, the scent hit him hard in the face.

 

Maru couldn't help it, his fangs grew. He shut the door. Then Maru turned on the lights. There was a trail of blood leading to his bed. In his bed lay Koki motionless, surrounded by Maru's blood soaked clothes.

 

Maru got closer to Koki. He had a wolf bite on his shoulder, so large that if he were human, he would have died. He reached out; feeling for a pulse, there was one, very faint.

 

Maru could tell that Koki was very close to death. He wondered what had happened, but realized that could wait. Saving his friend's life was much more important then finding out who attacked him.

 

If he did this, Koki would become a hybrid. Maru knew what happened to vampire/werewolf hybrids. They were against the vampire code. But Maru knew he could hide his friend.  

 

Maru used his fangs to open his wrist. Then he touched Koki's chin, forcing his mouth open. He brought the wrist to Koki's mouth. He watched as his blood trickled into Koki's mouth.

 

Koki's eyes flickered open. He stared at Maru in horror.   "No," Koki murmured. "I can't."

 

"You're dying. I have to save you. Please, drink." Maru begged. "I love you, we can be together forever."

 

Koki opened his mouth on his own. More blood trickled in. Maru rubbed his lover's Adams apple and Koki swallowed.

 

Maru continued to let Koki drink his blood. When Maru realized Koki had enough, he licked his wound, making it seal up. Then Koki fell back to sleep. Koki began to cross over; the wounds on his shoulder began to knit together on their own.

 

Maru touched Koki, making sure that he was deeply asleep. Koki murmured his name, and then began to snore lightly.

 

Maru looked around the room, at the puddles of Koki's blood, more then enough for a good feed. Spilled blood never tasted as good as fresh blood. But it was Koki's blood, and Maru knew that he needed it. This would be Maru's second feeding of vampire blood. It took two feedings of werewolf blood to make a vampire a hybrid

 

Maru crouched down onto the floor, and began to lick up Koki's spilled blood. Cleaning up the lost blood from the floor with his own tongue. . He tried not to think of how gross what he was doing was. That the floor needed sweeping that he was not only feeding on the tang of split blood, but on a dirty floor.  Instead he concentrated on trying to save Koki's life.

 

What Maru was doing was forbidden. But he knew the truth. If they were caught, only one of them would die. Because Maru had enforcer training, he knew the code by heart. He knew if a pure bred vampire crossed over a werewolf, and then made himself a hybrid. It would make the werewolf hybrid safe, while his life was forfeit. There was one small loop hole that could save them both, but Maru knew that they didn't qualify. He would die, but he was no longer afraid of death. Not when it saved the one he loved.

 

It took quite a while for Maru to clean the floor with his tongue. Koki had spilled a great deal of blood. But Maru drank all of Koki's spilled blood. When he was finished cleaning, Maru stood up. Even though it was no longer a full moon, he could hear the moon's cry. He wondered why he had done something as insane as giving everything up for Koki.

 

Then Maru looked at the now resting Koki. His lover was well on the way of being healed. His death would be worth it if Koki lived.

 

*************************************

 

Koki woke; he could feel the heartbeats of everyone in the dorms. He was alive. He reached up and touched the wound on his neck, the skin had knitted together.

 

Koki was alive, and he hungered. He felt his teeth itch, and then grow. *Why the hell do I have fangs?*

 

 He reached up, and touched his front canines. He then looked at his finger, which was bleeding. He put his finger in his mouth and sucked the blood.

 

*I'm a vampire!*

 

Koki looked around the room. His eyes settled on Maru. His friend was sitting on Koki's bed, watching him. There was something about Maru. Something different. Koki had a gift of spotting his own kind.  Then Koki realized without being told. Maru was a hybrid.

 

"I hunger," Koki croaked.

 

Maru opened his wrist, and offered it to Koki, who drank deeply. Koki could taste his own blood in Maru's veins. But he was hungry, questions could wait until after he was finished feeding. Koki took a lot of blood. He could see Maru sway, but his friend didn't pull his arm away.

 

Finally, Koki was full. He almost threw Maru's wrist away. Koki shoved his friend so hard that he fell back onto the bed. Koki got out of bed, and rummaged through the desk drawer. He found his cigarettes. He took out one, and lit it. Then he sat down in the chair and took a long drag.  

 

That was when Koki realized that cigarettes tasted *terrible* after crossing over. Really horrible, worse then even Junno's cooking. But Koki needed the nicotine. He decided that he would quit smoking, after he killed Maru.

 

"Where did you bite me?" Koki demanded.

 

"I didn't bite you," Maru told him truthfully. Koki could *feel* the truth from Maru. He didn't *like* feeling what Maru was feeling. Because he could feel all this love from Maru, which wasn't helping him stay angry at his friend.

 

"You have my blood in your veins!" Koki spat. "How did you get my blood, if I didn't give it to you?"

 

"I cleaned the floor," He admitted. "You must have bled a lot after the attack, because it was all over the floor."

 

"The floor," Koki repeated. "You took my blood by licking it off the floor?"

 

"To save your life, I had to."

 

"You really expect me to believe that?"

 

"Do you remember what happened to you last night?" Maru asked. "You where attacked by a werewolf. He must have left you for dead."

 

"So you thought you could come in and save me?" there was scorn in Koki's voice. "Did you think that perhaps it would be better to let me die? If I was dead, I would be free from Subaru."

 

"How could you say that? You where dying!" Even more love.

 

"So you decided that you'd cross me over. Make me a vampire." Koki took another puff on his cigarette.

 

"I had to save your life." Maru insisted.

 

"I didn't' want or need your salvation." Koki spat. "You made me a hybrid! Do you know what the werewolf enforcers do to hybrids?"

 

"They won't do anything to you." Maru pointed out. "The law states if a purebred vampire makes a werewolf a hybrid, then use the hybrids blood to make him a hybrid too, and then the werewolf hybrid is safe!"

 

What Maru said sunk into Koki's enraged mind. "You are going to be the one that dies."

 

"If it saves your life, I don't mind dying."  His eyes full of the feelings he had for Koki.

 

"Why would you do such a thing?" Koki demanded.

 

"Because I love you." Maru's eyes were innocent. "I know you love me too.”

 

That was when Koki realized that Maru was telling the truth. He loved Koki so much that he did want to die for him. All this love from Maru was beginning to make him feel sick.  Koki had to stop it before it took him over.

 

"Werewolves don't believe in love." Koki snapped.

 

"I tasted your blood," Maru insisted. "Blood doesn't lie!"

 

"I will never love you. Never!" Koki lied to Maru.

 

Maru flinched and looked down. A blood tear rolled down his cheek.  "I couldn't let you die."

 

 

"I hate you for what you did to me." Koki lay back down on his bed.

 

Koki finished his cigarette. Then he turned his back to Maru. He could hear his friend’s heartbroken sobs. Koki wanted to turn to Maru, and tell him the truth. That he didn't hate him. That deep inside, Koki loved Maru just as much as Maru loved him. He wanted to wipe Maru's tears away and kiss his lips. To let himself get taken over by the feelings of love. The only thing that stopped him was Subaru's promise. Subaru would kill him if they got too close. Koki loved Maru, enough to save his life.

 

 

*******************

Maru had hoped by saving Koki's life that the two of them could have a life together. Instead, it had driven them apart. He had fed Koki two more times from his blood. Each time from the wrist. He had told Koki of other ways that vampires fed, but Koki had refused.

Koki was still very angry at Maru, and wouldn't look at him unless he had to.

Maru's ketai began to ring. He picked it up. He didn't recognize the phone number, but the caller ID said that it was Subaru.

"Subaru's calling me." Maru told Koki.

"You better answer it." Koki told him. He turned back against the wall, so that he didn't have to look at Maru.

"Hai, Nakamaru." Maru said as he answered his Ketai.

"It's Subaru." The voice told him. "I need to know, is Koki still alive."

"Why do you think there's anything wrong with him?" Maru got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Are you the one that attacked him?"

"Werewolves have a code too." Subaru told him. "It's against our code to become involved with a vampire. Besides, Koki's my property; I can do what ever I want to with him.”

"Your property,” Maru gasped.

"You did know that his family accepted the first bonding payment from my family."

"Bonding payment," Maru repeated.

"The first payment was ten million yen," Subaru told him. "The next payment, when our bond is complete will be twenty million yen."

"Why must you pay for him?"

"It is the werewolf way!" Subaru screamed. "He is my husband, and you will stay away from him!"

"Why do you think I'm with him?" Maru countered.

"We've shared each other's blood enough to for me to know that he loves you." he said with a snort. "His blood reeks of his love for you."

A lump grew in Maru's throat. Was it true? Did Koki love him? Or where Koki's words true, and he really hated him.

"Is Koki alive?" Subaru demanded.

"Why do you want to know?" he snapped. "If he's alive, are you planning on killing him?"

"Of course, not. I just want to tell you. If the two of you stay involved, I'll contact the enforcers."

"We're not together." he said truthfully.

"If I find out he is with you, I'll turn both of you in." Subaru said. "Now let me talk to my husband."

Maru pulled the phone from his ear, he handed it to Koki. "He wants to talk to you."

Koki took the phone from him. "Hello Subaru." there was a long pause. "Yes, I promise, when the time comes for us to bond, I'll return to you." he turned off the phone and passed it to Maru. Then he sat up on the bed. "I expect you want to know what he said to me."

"It's up to you," Maru sat down on his bed.

"Subaru's asked for a date for the rest of the bonding price."' Koki told him.

"He won't give you your freedom?"

"Of course he won't. I'm his property.” Koki said. "The marriage will continue. My parents even agreed on a date for the delivery of the final payment."

Maru didn't want to ask the question, but he knew he had to know. "When will it happen?"

"In five years." Koki sighed. "He wouldn't give me an exact date. But we've decided to live separate lives until then."

"But when the day comes..."

"I'll become fully his." Koki finished his sentence.

**************************

Maru had made some phone calls, and suddenly the pair was off for a week. Hours passed, Koki took more of Maru's blood. He was beginning to feel like he understood Maru even more then he did before. He was no longer angry with Maru. He wondered if it was because of the blood, or if it was because he was in a way free from Subaru.

"Is there anything you can do about the blood?" Koki asked Maru. But the smell of his spilled blood was beginning to turn his stomach. It had begun to stink.

"What blood?" Maru asked.

"Your bed!" Koki told him. "It reeks of blood that's beginning to spoil!"

"I'll try and get it cleaned for you." Maru promised.

"Thanks," Koki lit a cigarette then pulled a face as he took the first drag. It tasted worse then what the blood smelled like.

"Why do you smoke if it tastes so bad?" Maru asked.

"I don't know," Koki admitted. He realized he had no choice but to quit smoking. He stubbed out the cigarette. "As of this moment, I quit."

Maru dug in the closet and took out a garbage bag. Maru shoved all of his blood soaked clothes in the garbage bag.

Koki looked at Maru's almost empty closet. Koki had ruined almost all of Maru's clothes.

"You can borrow some of my clothes if you need to." Koki offered.

"Thanks." Maru tried to smile. "I'll have to go shopping when everything cools down."

"Perhaps we can go together." Koki offered.

"Sounds good." Maru smiled at him, this time the smile went to his eyes.

*********************

Maru began to clean his mattress. He used towel after towel, but the thing was ruined. There was no way that anyone would be able to clean it enough.

Koki had a flash, it was almost like a dream, but somehow he knew it was real.

Koki and Maru were in Maru's apartment. He wasn't sure how he knew the apartment belonged to Maru. Koki had a tattoo on his wrist; it was a very detailed design.

"Tattoo still hurt?" Maru asked.

"No, it doesn't." He looked up to Maru. In the mirror he could see himself. He had a buzu cut.

"This is proof that we belong to each other," Maru took Koki's hand. He had a tattoo too. It matched Koki's exactly. "No matter what he does, he can't take you away from me."

"I'm free," Koki smiled. "Thanks for paying my husband price to Subaru's family."

"Don't worry about it." Maru said modestly.

"You didn't have to." Koki put his hand on Maru's cheek.

"I know."

"I love you,"

Suddenly Koki was back in the present. Maru was still working on the mattress. He looked down to his wrist. There was no tattoo. Besides, he had told Maru he loved him, when Werewolves never told their feelings to others. A dream, it had to be a dream.

*******************

"How are we going to explain your bed?" Koki asked after watching Maru trying to clean the bed for two hours.

"I could call my mom; she might be able to help." Maru offered.

"You're going to tell your mother about my crossing over?" Koki couldn't believe his ears.

"Nah, I thought I would just tell her I got drunk and spilled blood all over my bed."

"Good story," Koki agreed.

Maru made a quick phone call to his mother. By then Koki was hungry again. Maru seemed to sense it. "Do you want to drink from my wrist?"

"You told me about other ways," Koki gasped as his fangs extended. "I want to learn them."

"There's from the neck." Maru sat on the bed, in front of Koki. "We kiss, then when you're ready, you move to my neck. You bite down gently, just enough to get the blood to flow."

"Like you did when we made love."

"Yes," Maru looked away from him.

Koki reached out, touching Maru's cheek. Then he kissed Maru very gently. Maru opened his mouth to the kiss. Koki's tongue went in, loving Maru's roughly. He could feel Maru's fangs grow as they kissed.

The hunger was trying to take over everything. Koki wanted to hold Maru, to force himself inside of him. To give to him what his blood was demanding. Koki recognized the hunger; it was his beast, who was trying to get out. Since the full moon had passed, he knew he could fight it.

Koki pulled away from him. "Now what do we do?"

Maru put his hand behind Koki's, and then guided it to his neck. "Bite down, gently. Then drink from me."

Koki found the vein, and then he bit down. The blood filled his mouth. He felt love from Maru, more then love. Maru gasped, and arched against him. His body coming as Koki took his blood.

Koki wanted more, much more. He eased Maru's head to his neck. "Drink beloved."

That was all the encouragement Maru needed. He bit down. Koki came, very hard. Then everything went black.

******************

Koki slept for a good part of the afternoon. When he was asleep, vampires came and took the mattress away, and replaced it with a new one. They also took Maru's blood stained clothes.

He watched Koki sleeping. His friend looked as peaceful as he slept. He hadn't shown signs of blood lust. Maru was terrified of blood lust. He still couldn't forgive himself for putting Ueda through it. He hoped that since Koki was a hybrid, that perhaps blood lust wouldn’t' take him over. When he would abuse Maru again and again to fulfill his needs.

Maru could feel Koki's mind touch his. It was simply a gentle touch. He didn't fight it. He knew that Koki had forgiven him a bit. They had gone back to being friends. Koki stretched cat-like, then looked over to Maru.

*Why didn't he tell me?* he could hear Koki think. *It's for the best, we can't be together anyway."

"But why does he have to love me too?"

Koki's thoughts made Maru realize that Subaru had been right, Koki did love him. Even though Maru loved hearing Koki's thoughts, he knew that vampires within a few blocks could also hear his thoughts.

"Koki," Maru said out loud. "Do you know some vampires are telepaths?"

"No, I didn't."

"Do you know why vampire/werewolves hybrids are forbidden?"

"No." Koki's mind was in a whirl.

"They have a tendency to be strongly telepathic. Some are even able to see into the future."

'That's ridiculous." Koki sat up, he found his jeans and put them on.

"That's' the theory anyway." Maru paused. "Do you want me to help you control your telepathy?"

"I don't need help with that."

"Since you woke from your nap, you've been broadcasting your thoughts to me." Maru told him.

He could feel Koki's shame and embarisment. *He knows how I feel about him.*

Maru decided to ignore that. "I can help you, if you want me to."

"What about the visions? I've been seeing the strangest things." Koki admitted. "Can you get rid of them?"

"I don't know how to rid you of them." he paused. "What have you seen?"

"I saw my twenty-third birthday. You threw a party for me." For a brief flash, Maru could see something else. The two of them loving each other to celebrate his birthday. Koki looked so different in the flash; his hair was cut buzu style. Koki had a tattoo on his left wrist.

"Nothing harmful then?" Maru pretended that he hadn't seen the flash.

"No nothing."

"It's easy to teach you to stop telepathing." He got up and went to Koki's bed and sat down across from his friend. "I'll have to touch your mind."

"All right."

Maru closed his eyes. He touched Koki's mind. His friend's mind was wide open and confused. He could feel a hunger, a deep hunger that frightened Maru.

*Pretend you’re in a stadium. Try to whisper.* Maru told him.

*Like this?* Koki whispered.

*Good,* he let an image of Koki whispering to him during a concert, so soft that the mics couldn't pick up his words. *remember how you could talk to me without anyone hearing.*

*I covered my mic with my hand.*

*Think of a wall going up in your mind. Covering the thoughts the way your hand covered the microphone."

Koki did, Maru could see the wall go up. *Will I be able to hear you in my mind anymore?*

*If you want to yes.*

Then Maru could feel Koki's hand on his cheek. Then his lips very gently kissed his. Maru sighed, and opened his mouth to the kiss. Koki's tongue gently loved him. He felt a rush go through him. It felt good, even better then the last time they kissed.

There was something in Koki's mind that terrified Maru; he could feel a hunger, an uncontrollable hunger. Maru thought that perhaps since Koki was a hybrid that he wouldn't have the hunger, but instead what he felt in the back of Koki's mind was even worse then he ever imagined.

"I could feel in your mind something really bad is going to happen." Maru told him. "I'll be there for you when it happens."

"When what happens?"

"It's called bloodlust." Maru tried to explain. "It's something most new vampires go through after crossing over. The need to feed gets intertwined with the need to mate."

"Why would you let me go through this with you?"

"You need someone to help you, or many people could get killed."

"Who helped you?"

Maru didn't say, the memory came, blocking out everything. Of his friend Ueda helping him through bloodlust. Maru had become a monster, and had hurt his friend. Now all Maru had to look forwards to was Koki becoming a beast.

**********************************

Time passed. The day seemed endless to Koki. He felt even closer to Maru. Maru had told him it was the blood making him feel this way. That he could pick up emotions from those he took blood from. Koki couldn't believe it, the feelings of love he suddenly had. They were his, he knew they were. He was now head over heels in love with Maru.

Koki felt a stirring in the pit of his stomach. It was more then just the hunger for blood, or the moon's call. It was something more primal. It called for him to mate. His body reminded him of Maru. Suddenly the thought of hurting Maru was the most exciting thing in the world to Koki. He wanted to take Maru against his will. To force him to do things he wouldn't usually do.

*I can't hurt you.* he thought.

He watched as his friend went to the dresser. He took out a contact case, and then took out his contacts. Koki knew that Purebreds had blue eyes, but Maru had always kept his contacts in. He turned to Koki; his eyes were a steel-blue, just as they had been in Koki's visions.

*Such a nice ass,* the beast told Koki. *We could ram into him over and over until he bleeds. Then use him until no one will be able to use him again. Then we can feed off of him.*

"No," Koki gasped out loud.

'How are you feeling?" Maru asked concerned.

Koki couldn't' answer. All he could think of was hurting his friend. He could feel his body try to transform into a werewolf.

*Fight it, fight it.* He chanted to himself. But he saw his hands begin to change into claws.

"Maru?" Koki was able to get out.

"What is it?"

"You have to leave. I want to hurt you." even the thought of it made his canines grow. "You have to go."

"So it's begun." Maru started to pull his clothes off. He couldn't understand why Maru would just give into the feelings that Koki felt.

"You must leave." he begged. "I can’t hurt you."

Maru took off the rest of his clothes. Then he lay down beside Koki. "I'm doing this because I love you."

"Yuichi, no."

Maru kissed him hard, pushing his tongue in his mouth. His hand ran over Koki's body, stopping at his crotch. Maru's hands kneaded him, hard, rough. Just the way Koki always liked it.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I made you this way," Maru told him. "So I must be the one to suffer the consequences. Please Koki, use me."

Koki gave in. He let the hunger take him over. He shoved Maru onto the bed. Maru kissed him, as if he thought this was the sexiest thing on the earth. Maru was acting like a little slut, Koki thought before the need filled his mind.

Koki no longer cared for Maru's feelings. He shoved Maru hard backwards, his head hitting the wall. Maru yelped in pain. But Koki was beyond caring. Koki forced Maru onto his stomach. Still, Maru split his legs for Koki, putting his butt in the air.

Maru was so tempting this way. Koki couldn't wait another moment. He could hear Maru cry out in pain as Koki took him. Then suddenly, Koki turned. It wasn't a full moon, but Koki was now a werewolf. He slashed at Maru with his claws, the screams of pain turning him on even more.

*******************

Near dawn, Maru finally fell asleep. His sleep was troubled by dreams of something that happened in his past. Something that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Thirteen year old Nakamaru Yuichi had tagged along with his father on an enforcer mission. He had been chosen to follow in his father's footsteps when he was a toddler. He had memorized the code, and now was old enough to start going on missions as a trainee.

"This is a house of a hybrid family," Nakamaru-san told his son.

"It looks like an ordinary house."

"Close your eyes, what do you feel?"

Maru closed his eyes; he could feel the presence of two vampires and some children. He told his father.

"Let's go in."

Maru went into the house with his father and several other enforcers.

"Wake up the children Yuichi," His father told him. "Get them dressed."

"Of course father," Maru went into the children's bedroom. There was a set of bunk beds and a baby bed. Maru woke up the kids. Not thinking any thing would happen to them. After all they where just children. The oldest, several years younger then Maru. He dressed the two boys in their best clothes. Then he changed the baby, and put clothes on them. Perhaps Maru would have to take them somewhere to be cared for.

He brought the children into the living room. He carried the youngest in his arms. A woman and a man were being held by enforcers.

"No! Not the children!" A woman yelled. "Their innocent."

"Shut up!" An enforcer hit her hard across the face.

"You have condemned your children to the same punishment you will receive." Maru's father told her. "Your entire family have been condemned to death, for t he crime of being a hybrid."

Maru held the baby close to him. The children were going to die, for what their parents did. It wasn't right.

"Please father, don't kill them." Maru begged.

"They have to die." Another enforcer told him. "It's the code."

"Then please, let their death's be quick." Maru said. "Make it so they don’t' feel pain."

"You know, that's not the penalty for being a hybrid." His father told him. The penalty is slow, drawn out. To punish."

"But their innocent!"

"They have the blood of the hybrid! They must die!" His father snapped his fingers

Maru held onto the baby as tight as he could. But the enforcers were stronger then him. The baby was pulled from Maru's arms.

Then Maru was held by an enforcer, and forced to watch the children die. The entire time, he begged them not to. To please let the children go.

**********************

Maru sat up straight in bed. He looked around; he was back in the dorm room. He closed his eyes, and reminded himself that it had happened years ago. That he would never become an enforcer. Because of Maru's choice, he would die, the way the children had died. A slow, painful death.

He was afraid that Koki's hunger would take him over again. The way it had several times during the night. He looked at his friend. Koki had partially turned into a werewolf during the first bloodlust, and hadn't turned back.

Maru watched Koki sleeping. Even as a half-turned werewolf, he looked gentle as he slept. But inside, Maru knew the truth. Koki had a monster inside of him. A monster that had hurt Maru.

He knew he deserved what Koki had done to him. He could remember his own turning, when he had used Ueda. His friend had cried to himself when he thought Maru was asleep.

The tears fell, he felt betrayed. He had loved Koki, really loved him. He had done this to save him. He never thought he would hurt like this. The thing Maru hated was that he still loved Koki.

Maru's body hurt, and he knew that he had let Koki take too much blood. He got out of bed and staggered to the refrigerator. He took a bottle of blood out, and then he stood up. For the first time he could see himself in the mirror. He had animal-like bites on his neck. Wounds those were still open. He also had claw marks up and down his body. One of them was very, very deep. It was the thing that hurt the most.

He drank the blood straight from the bottle. Then he took a deep breath, and got back into bed. He would have to be there in case Koki woke again. He noticed for the first time, Koki's face, he had begun to turn back from being a werewolf. Nakamaru glanced at the window. The sun was coming up. He realized he was safe, for now. So he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

*****************

Koki woke to the feeling of someone pressed against him. He knew who it was without thinking, Maru. His arm was slung around Koki's waist. He touched Maru's arm, his fingers touching the wounds made from Koki's claws. There was as wound on Maru's shoulder, one so deep he could almost see the bone. So much like the wound Subaru gave him.

*I'm so sorry.* Koki tried to push the thought of the bloodlust out of his mind. He had partially turned into a werewolf as he went through bloodlust. He had hurt Maru badly. He didn't understand why after all of that he was clinging to Koki.

Koki knew he would never be able to love Maru. What if he turned again as they loved? Koki closed his eyes, and let the feelings of closeness overcome him. He could see a flash of himself sleeping this way in the future. They were lovers, bonded lovers. He could see Maru with a tattoo on his left wrist. His steel blue eyes smiling at him. Telling Koki he loved him.

He opened his eyes. *Why did I see that? It will never happen.*

He felt Maru stretch against him. "Koki?"

"Are you all right?" He couldn't keep the concern out of his voice.

"Yes," Even as Maru said it, his steel blue eyes said he was lying. That he wasn't all right. His eyes, without his contacts seemed to reflect his inner thoughts.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you. I didn't mean too." Koki apologized.

"It's all right," Maru pulled away from Koki, he then got up and went to his own bed. It was then Koki could see Maru's entire body. His friend was covered in claw marks. Several of them so deep that Koki was afraid there would be scaring.

Then Koki noticed the blood on the sheets, from Maru’s bleeding. "You're hurt."

"I'll get better. We're vampires. We heal faster then humans." Maru got under his covers.

*Let me come out!* the beast demanded. *I hunger again. I need to use his flesh again!*

*I'll never let you hurt him again!* Koki told the beast.

*You can no longer control me!* It mocked. "You are going to kill the only one you've ever loved!"

*I must protect Yuichi!*

Koki came to a decision. One that hurt to even think of. He had to protect Maru from himself. From the beast that lived inside of Koki. He knew it was only a matter of time until the beast came out again. He could feel it, demanding that he hurt Maru yet again. He could fight it, but for how long?

Koki got out of bed, putting on his clothes. "We can't be together."

"Why can't we?"

"I'm a hybrid." he closed his eyes. "My existence is against the code. I know how you vampires think of werewolves. We're less then human, now I'm even less then that."

"Have you ever though that your being a hybrid doesn't matter to me?" Maru told him.

"How can it not matter to you?"

"Because I love you." Maru said simply. "And you’re not less then human!"

Koki looked at Maru. His body scratched, his face bruised. His steel blue eyes were both blackened. He had Savage bites on his neck. Koki decided that loving his friend was too dangerous for Maru. He had to stop the relationship before it had really begun to start.

"I don't love you." Koki lied. He could see the pain on Maru's face. "The only reason I thought I loved you was from your blood. Nothing has changed between us."

"Can't we be friends?"

"How can I be friends with a baka such as you?" He decided he had to go. He went to the door. "I hate you. I hate the fact that your blood made me think I loved you!"

"I'm sorry." Maru told him.

"Sayonara." With that, Koki left.

He had to take a walk. Leaving Maru had been the hardest thing in his life. As he walked down the sidewalk, he looked back at his dorm room window. Maru was watching him, tears pouring down his cheeks.

*I'm doing this for you.* he telepathed. *I'm sorry.*

Koki closed his mind, the way that Maru had taught him. Then suddenly his beast came out, and he found himself hunting, for fresh prey. He was able to find the first one, a young junior who was jogging at a near by park. He could barely remember that the kid had a name, Hikaru. The beast shoved him into the bushes and let the bloodlust take over.

********************

Nakamaru Yuichi was alone. For a few short hours, Maru felt as if he was wanted, and loved. Then Koki told him the truth, that he had never loved him. That his words were simply because he had taken Maru's blood.

Maru couldn't stop crying. He had endured Koki’s bloodlust because of the words Koki had told him. That Koki loved him. But all of that was a lie, and it hurt. It hurt far worse then the wounds on his body. He checked himself, he hadn't stopped bleeding.

Koki had been his first one after his own blood lust. He had been the first to top Maru. Now Maru felt his insides torn. If that's what love was, Maru didn't want to love any more. He still hurt, and he knew he would hurt forever. Not just his body was in pain, but his heart was too.

There was a tapping at his door. Maru could feel who it was. His friend Ueda. When he didn't answer the door, Ueda let himself in. His friend looked at the room, with the blood all over Koki's sheets.

"Oh my gods!" Ueda gasped. "What happened?"

'Nothing," Maru lied.

"But you've been hurt." Ueda insisted.

"It's not what you think." Maru wiped the tears off of his face. "I was helping someone through bloodlust."

"You look like you where attacked by a werewolf." Ueda told me. "Even during bloodlust, we don't grow claws."

Maru couldn't answer him. He turned away from his friend.

"It was a werewolf." Ueda read from him. "You crossed over a werewolf!"

"He was dying. How could I let him die?" Maru began to cry heartbroken. "I thought he loved me, but he doesn't. He left me forever."

"Who was it?" Ueda demanded.

"I can't tell you. If I do, you'll turn him in."

"He's left you, why do you care if he's turned in?" Ueda countered.

"I love him. Even after all of this, I can't stop loving him." Nakamaru wiped his face.

"The werewolves could find out. Have you thought about that?" Ueda pointed out. "Their judgment will be much worse. They’ll come after you."

"I don't care if I die as long as he's safe."

Ueda looked around the room. "It's Koki, isn't it?"

'Please, don't turn us into the enforcers." Maru begged.

"Why would I turn the two of you into the enforcers?" Ueda promised. "We belong to the enforcer clan."

"I broke the code." Maru reminded him.

It’s not like you turned into a hybrid.” Ueda reminded him.

Maru looked away from Ueda. “I had to save his life. So I took his blood.”

"You need to go to the doctor," Ueda told him.

"How are we going to pass off my injuries?"

"We'll say you've been attacked by a werewolf," Ueda said truthfully.

***********************

Ueda took Maru to the doctor's office. Then he stayed with him while he was being examined. Maru always thought that a vampire doctor’s office should look different from a regular doctor’s office. But it wasn't. It even had those boring five year old magazines in the waiting room, just like a regular doctor.

A few minutes later, Maru was being examined by Dr. Lian, the doctor to most of the vampires in Tokyo. She had believed his tale of being attacked by a werewolf. She fussed over him, bandaging his wounds. But then, Maru was a member of the enforcer clan, so she didn't ask too many questions.

"Do you know who the werewolf was?" Dr. Lian asked.

"No, only that he was male." Maru lied.

"You need to tell your family that there is a werewolf roaming without a mate." She told him. "They are very dangerous."

"I will," Maru promised.

"Did he sexually assault you?" She asked.

"Yes," Maru admitted.

"I need to examine you there too."

Maru took off his pants. Ueda helped him turn so that he was lying on his stomach. He could feel Dr. Lian's cold hands on him. Her fingers spreading him, looking at his wounds. He couldn't believe that anything could hurt so much. It was torture, pure torture.

"This is bad, really bad." She murmured.

"Is everything all right?" Ueda asked.

"No, it's not all right." She said crossly. "You need stitches. The werewolf’s torn you to the point that you will have to be treated."

"What about sex?" Maru asked.

"You're going to have to wait to bottom." She told him. "At least eight weeks until you're healed."

"What happens if he bottoms before then?" Ueda asked.

"His anus could be permanently ruptured." She told him. "Now let's get you stitched up, and you'll be back on the road to recovery."

***********************

Maru returned to his dorm room. He felt so down. The doctor had tended to his injuries, but not to his hurt heart. He blamed himself for his injuries. If only he had been stronger, he would have been able to take Koki's bloodlust. Now even if Koki came back to him, he wouldn't be able help him.

Ueda stayed with him, helping him clean his room. Maru couldn't understand why it was so dirty; after all he had cleaned earlier.

*I killed,* came the telepathic cry. *So many people, how could I kill so many people?*

"Koki," Maru said out loud.

Ueda looked at him. "What is it?"

"It's Koki; I can feel him in my mind." Maru said quickly.

"Ask him where he is," Ueda told him.

*Koki, where are you?* Maru telepathed.

*Yu-Chan,* Koki gasped. *Oh Yu-Chan. I can't believe I hurt you so bad.*

*Tell me where you are. I can help you.*

*I want to die.* Koki told him. *I've killed so many, I don't deserve to live.*

*Where are you?* Maru repeated.

*The park, it's so beautiful. I’ve always loved the lake. The water’s so cold. If I let myself go under.....* Suddenly Koki broke contact.

"He's going to kill himself!' Maru told Ueda.

"Where is he?"

"A park with a lake. He wants to drown himself."

"Vampires can't die from drowning." Ueda pointed out.

"We have to find him, before the enforcers do."

"Try and contact his mind, see if you can figure out what park it is." Ueda ordered.

Then it hit Maru. He suddenly *knew* where Koki was. "He's at the park the werewolves met at."

*********************

Koki found out pretty quickly that hybrids couldn't die by drowning; they also couldn't die by jumping in front of a car, or hanging. So Koki hid under a bridge. Trying to think of a way to kill himself. His hunger had gone away. But he knew it might come back. Then he would kill again and again until some how he stopped himself.

Innocents had died because of him. He wasn't sure how many juniors. Almost everyone he killed was juniors. He wasn't sure how Johnny-sama would explain how all of Ya Ya Yah had vanished.

Koki could feel vampires. Perhaps they where enforcers, they would kill him. Then Koki would be free. One of them was Maru; he knew that Maru was a member of the enforcer clan. Perhaps Maru had told them. Koki didn't see it as betrayal, instead putting a creature out of its misery.

"Koki-Chan," Maru said. His neck and arm had been bandaged.

Koki glanced at him. "Have you brought the enforcers?"

"Of course I haven't," He sounded like he couldn't believe his ears. "I came to help you,"

"There is no help for me," he said guiltily. "I am a murderer. I deserve to die."

"How many did you kill?"

"I'm not sure, the hunger was so great." He admitted. "At least ten, perhaps more. I lost count."

"I killed too," Ueda came into view. "When I went through blood lust. There was no one there for me."

"You killed too." Koki looked at him. "How can you live with the guilt?"

"It's hard," Ueda told him. "But I survived. You will too."

"We have to help you." Maru told him. "Please let us help you."

****************

Koki hated flying full stop, simply hated it. He was always afraid of heights, but heights where he couldn't look down or even put his feet on the floor really scared him. He held onto Maru as tight as he could.

"You can stop holding onto me," Maru told him. "We've landed."

Koki let go of Maru. He got to his feet. "What is this place?"

"Enforcer safe house," Ueda said.

"I'm in an enforcer safe house?" Koki repeated. "Won't they get a bit ticked for me being here?"

"No, since this belongs to my line." Maru told him. "That's one place an enforcer wont' look for you, in one of their safe houses."

Koki looked around the place, it looked like and average two bedroom apartments. Nothing like what he thought an enforcer safe house would look like. "So how long am I going to be here?"

"Until your blood lust is over." Ueda told him.

"How long will that be?"

"You can never tell." Maru said. "Mine lasted four days."

"Four days of this?" Koki said unbelieving.

"It's all right; we'll be here for you." Ueda told him.

"But the deaths...."

'They'll be passed off as an escaped wolf or something." Ueda shrugged. "They are always passed off as something. The enforcers have sources in the press. So it won't get out."

****************

"Let's play some cards," Ueda suggested.

They sat down at the dining room table. Ueda dealt. They didn't usually play cards, but the place had no game systems. There were chips, so they played for a yen a chip. Not much money, but enough to make it interesting.

Maru could feel the hunger from Koki. He began to look at Maru strangely. Then suddenly Koki got up, he almost ran into his room and shut the door.

"What’s' with him?" Ueda asked.

"The blood lust is starting again." Maru told Ueda.

"How do you know?" Ueda asked.

"I can feel it." He looked down to his cards. "I guess I better go to him. He can't be left alone with this He'll kill again."

"I'll go to him this time." Ueda offered.

"You?" Maru tried to hide his hurt. "But I'm his boy friend."

"Dr Lian said no sex," Ueda reminded him.

"I made him this way; I should be the one that helps him." Maru got up, but Ueda grabbed his arm, holding him back.

"You can't go to him!"

"He loves me."

"You know blood lust is not really love. It's just fulfilling a need." Ueda reminded him. "You're still too injured to handle any more blood lust."

Tears stung Maru's eyes. "I want to help him."

"You will." Ueda promised. "But now it's my turn."

Maru watched as Ueda got up and went into Koki's bedroom. To be with Koki, his Koki. A moment passed, and then sounds of two men being together. Ueda crying as Koki entered him.

"God you're tight," Koki growled.

"I don't care how tight I am." Ueda snapped. "I'm not Maru! I don't need your words!"

"Then why do it?"

"I'm doing this for Maru!" Ueda said. "Because you hurt him so much, he can't help you! Now let's get on with it!"

Tears stung Maru's eyes as he ran to his own bedroom. Slamming the door, turning on music, so loud that it would drown out the sound of Koki being with someone else. Maru sobbed, for the love he knew would never be.

*******************

Koki had spent the night going through bloodlust. He had cried Maru's name many times. Over and over, unending came the love. The sex not as good as before, not as special. The one that had given himself to Koki was blond, not so tall. He never cried Koki's name. Never really cared. It was just a job, something he had to do.

There was something about Ueda; it had taken Koki a few times to realize what it was. Ueda shared the same blood as Maru. He couldn't explain it, just knew that they did. Almost as if they were brothers. But they couldn't be, could they? Then Koki realized, Ueda was a purebred, but his father had brown eyes. Purebreds had blue eyes.

Koki woke, someone was sleeping beside him. He wanted it to be Maru, his Yuichi. But instead, it was Ueda. He had spent the night with *Ueda*.

Koki felt sick inside. He had cheated on Maru. He wanted to run to Maru, to hold him, to promise it would never happen again. Koki knew the truth, because of fate; it would happen again, he knew it would. If not with Ueda, then with Subaru.

Koki reached his mind out, and could feel Maru. His friend has spent a good part of the night crying. Koki couldn't figure out why, but then he realized. Maru was jealous of Ueda. No matter what Maru said, he wanted to be Koki's only one.

That was when Koki realized he wanted to be Maru's only one. He didn't want to be owned by anyone. He wanted to love simply because he loved someone, not because someone paid for him.

Koki got up. A robe had been laid out for him. He put it on and went into the living room. Maru was still in the apartment. His neck had been bandaged. His steel blue eyes red-rimmed from crying. This was why Koki had to be with Ueda. Because he had hurt Maru so much that he couldn't love.

Maru was sitting at the table playing solitaire. He looked up to Koki. "How was your sleep?"

"All right," He shrugged. "What about you."

Maru looked away from Koki with pain in his eyes. He put his cards down, not looking at his friend. Maru wasn't all right. Koki could feel deep in his heart that Maru wouldn't be all right until after the blood lust was over.

"I cheated on you." Koki said softly.

"Bloodlust isn't love." Maru told him. "Besides, I don't own you."

"What if I said I wanted you to own me?" Koki decided to tell Maru the truth. "What if I told you that you're the only one in my heart?

Maru smiled sadly. "You all ready belong to someone else. No matter how I deny it, you belong to Subaru."

"Can you ever forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive." Even as Maru said it, Koki knew he was lying. Koki had done too much for him to forgive.

Koki went to Maru, touching him on the cheek. "Can you be with me, knowing that I will leave you in five years?"

"Yes, I can." One solitary tear rolled down his cheek.

Touching Maru made his bloodlust flair up. He wanted to kiss Maru, to hold him. But the beast demanded something else. To hurt Maru so badly that he would bleed. To make it so no one else could ever have him.

"Please Yu-Chan; can I spend this bloodlust with you?" Koki gasped.

Maru nodded sadly. Then he took his hand, and led him into the bedroom. Maru turned away from him and began to undress. His whole body was trembling. For the first time, Koki could see all the wounds on Maru. They had begun to heal, but some of them were still very deep.

"Why do I feel like you're going to kill me this time?" Maru turned to Koki, kissing his lips.

"I want to spend my life at your side," Koki began to nibble at Maru's neck.

Maru pulled away from him, he went to the bed, lying down. Koki pulled off his robe, and climbed into bed beside Maru.

Suddenly the door was flung open, Ueda marched into the room. He pulled Koki out of bed.

"Maru, you're not well enough to love!" Ueda snapped at him.

"He asked me," Maru said softly. "He wants me."

"He could kill you this time, you know that!" Ueda snapped. "Now leave us!"

"Tatsuya...."

"That's an order!"

Maru gave Koki one last look, then he left the room.

Ueda took Koki into his arms. They didn't kiss. Kisses were only for Maru. Then Ueda led Koki to the bed. Koki felt like he was cheating on Maru. Ueda was so matter of fact about sex, not loving, not the way that Maru was. But then the beast took him over, and he no longer cared if he was cheating.

***************

Maru wished that he had taken Koki to the onsen safe house. All he wanted to do was have a long soak. To let the water take away the pain. The apartment had a bath tub, but the only way he could get to it was through the room that Koki was in. So Maru couldn't go there.

Hot tub, this place had a hot tub. When Maru calmed down, Maru remembered the hot tub. It was on the balcony, and it had curtains so that no one would see. He pulled the curtains on the balcony. Then he turned on the hot tub, watching it fill with water.

When the water was ready. He took off his clothes and got in. The bubbles swirled around him.

The water soothed his sores. He could feel Koki; his friend was going through his own pain. He could feel the real anguish of Koki's waking up, feeling for him, and finding Ueda.

*Why can't it be Yu-Chan?* Koki thought. Maru could feel Koki's thoughts.

Maru still hurt, every time he watched Koki leave with Ueda, it hurt even more. The pain was in his heart, not his body. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could endure. Seeing the man he loved with someone else. Hearing his orgasms through their bond.

Their bond, it hit Maru suddenly. They were bonded. That's why he felt this way, the pain, and the agony of seeing Koki with someone else.

*Oh god, I'm bonded to you.* he thought.

*How could I get bonded to you so quickly?*

Then he remembered the bloodlust, they shared each others blood almost every time they mated. The taste of Koki's blood, so salty, so rich. No matter what Koki had with Subaru or with Ueda, they would never have that bond.

A blood bond was the equivalent of a marriage to a vampire. The sharing of blood and emotions brought about a tie, one that was beyond family, beyond friendship. A bond that in the best circumstances would last forever.

Maru pulled his legs up to his chest. The water bubbling around his stitches. He didn't hurt as much in the tub. Someday he would recover, and he could work at getting Koki back. Perhaps their being together would be in the future.

Maru decided to wait, to find out what would happen in the future. He just hoped that it would be soon. No matter how much he lied, even to his own heart, he wanted to be Koki's only one.

********************

Koki spent most of the night thinking about his dilemma. He watched Maru sleeping. The teen was one of the most irritating people he'd ever met. He drove Koki insane. But still, he couldn't see a life without him. Maru seemed to be in his blood, to be a part of him, a very necessary part that he never wanted to leave.

Someday, within a few years Koki knew that Subaru's parents would give Koki's parents the rest of the bonding price. Then Koki would have no choice but to leave Maru.

Koki had been saving up his money, to try and pay the bonding price back. That was the only way he would be allowed to be divorced, to pay for himself. Because for werewolves, bonding was simply a way of owning another person. The bonding price was so much, and Koki wasn't sure that Subaru's family would ever take it. They could refuse, meaning that Koki would always be their slave.

Maru was innocent, so very innocent. Koki couldn't imagine someone as pure as his lover. One that hadn't been so world weary as Koki. One that had given his heart so selflessly to Koki. But there was a dark side to Maru. His friend's eyes were always sad. When Koki took Maru's blood he had flashes of what happened to Nakamaru, of children dying and a young Maru screaming for someone to stop. The innocence seemed to override the dark in his lover.

He saw a flash, a brief one. Of them being older, much older. Both retired from being idols. They where at the breakfast table. Maru smiled at him a smile that even went to his steel blue eyes, and then told him he loved him.

*I want that happiness.* Koki decided. *I want to spend my life at your side.*

Koki went to Maru's bedroom. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He opened the door and went inside. Maru was sleeping, Koki reached out, touching his sleeping friends' cheek. The flashes he had, he realized they weren't just his imagination. They where the future of the two of them. Perhaps it meant that after Subaru died, that the two of them would finally find their happiness.

Maru's eyes flickered open. Steel blue eyes greeted him. Koki would have to get used to his friend without his contacts. "Good morning."

"Good morning Yuichi." Koki let his hand drop. His mind raced, trying to figure out a reason why he was there.

"Did you ever get any sleep?" Maru asked concerned. He seemed so concerned for Koki.

"No, I couldn't sleep." He admitted. "Do you remember you told me about hybrids having premonitions?"

"Have you been having any?"

"I've seen us in the future. We're bonded."

"How can that be?" Maru looked away. "We both know that your parents have promised you to someone else. That someday you will have to leave me for him."

"You wouldn't fight it?"

"Vampires live for a very long time." Maru looked into his eyes. "Werewolves don't. Someday he will be gone. Then perhaps you'll come back to me."

"But I've told you I hate you." Koki reminded him.

Maru flinched and looked away from him. A tear trickled down his face. Before when Maru was like this, Koki pushed him away. This time He put his hand on Maru's cheek. "Please, don’t cry."

"Don’t' touch me like this." Maru told him weakly.

Maru seemed so lonely. All Koki wanted to do was comfort him. Koki gently kissed his lips. As Koki put his arms around Nakamaru, he could feel his friend stiffen unconsciously. He realized his friend was terrified.

Then suddenly the beast was back, wanting to take Koki over, to hurt Maru. But this time Koki was stronger then the beast. Koki had to think of Maru. He would have to go back to Ueda. Koki let his hand drop, and he walked away.

********************

*****************

Finally the day came, when Koki's blood lust was over. Koki wasn't sure how he knew, he just knew. The hunger that had controlled everything had vanished. Koki had been some memories of being intoxicated. Never being in control of his body. The bloodlust seemed more like a dream then reality.

Koki lay in bed, watching Ueda get dressed.

"No one's to know we ever slept together." Ueda ordered. "We will never speak of this again."

"Don't worry, I don't want to."

"You're just not my type." Ueda continued.

Koki looked at Ueda. He could see a flash of Ueda with Kame. Ueda was deeply in love with his partner. It was the same one that Ueda had a secret one sided love. But he decided not to tell Ueda, just in case it wasn't true.

Ueda pulled out his backpack and began to stuff his clothes into it.

"Where are you going?" Koki asked.

"Your blood lust is over. So I'm no longer needed." Ueda said matter of factly.

"What about our friendship?”

Ueda looked very sad. "We've never been friends Koki."

"Perhaps we can now." Koki suggested.

"I would like that," Ueda admitted. He took a necklace off. He pressed it into Koki's hand. "Give this to Yuichi."

Koki looked at his hand. Ueda had given him a pentagram. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"My brother will go through his first full moon soon." Ueda told him. "He has to be protected. It will probably be better if you give it to him."

"Yes, I understand." Koki put the pentagram on. "Does Maru know you're his brother?"

"No, and he never will." Ueda said. "My mother had an affair with Maru's father. She became pregnant soon afterwards. But my parents were all ready married to others."

"How did you find out?"

"When I was sixteen, my mother told me the truth." Ueda told him. "I had gone through bloodlust and had blue eyes. I wasn't supposed to. Since the man I thought of as my father had been crossed over."

"It must have been hard on you." Koki realized.

"The man that raised me never treated me as a son, now I know why." Ueda looked away from Koki. Koki now realized the pain that Ueda had been going through.

"You should tell Yu-Chan that you’re his brother."

"No, he can never know. It would just raise questions that don't need to be asked." Ueda paused. "I care for Maru, because he is my brother. I promised myself to take care of him."

"He's lucky to have you." Koki told him.

"Take care of him for me." With that, Ueda left.

*********************

Ueda had left, for who knows how long. Koki hadn't talked to Maru since the time that Koki had walked out on him. Maru was beginning to wonder if he was going to have to call a bond breaker.

Maru’s heart hurt knowing that Koki didn't like him. All his hopes, his dreams of being with Koki were just that, a dream.

*Yu-Chan?* Koki telepathed back. *Ueda says the blood lust is gone. Can I talk to you?*

*Yes, I'm in the hot tub, on the balcony.* Maru telepathed back.

A few moments passed. Then the sliding glass doors opened. Koki came out onto the balcony, wearing a robe. He looked so very sad.

"Why don't you get into the water?" Maru suggested.

"Are you sure?" Koki hesitated.

"The water will make you feel better."

Koki took off his robe and got into the water. The tub was small; he pulled his legs up to his chest so he wouldn't touch Maru.

"Ueda told me a secret about you," Koki said. "You never bottomed before you helped me through bloodlust."

"No, I haven't. You were my first after my bloodlust."

"I'm sorry for what I put you through."

"It couldn't be helped."

"I mean with Ueda." Koki looked down to his fingers. "I don't want him. I don't understand why I wanted him earlier."

"It was the bloodlust," Maru looked back at him. "It takes you over, forces you to do things you don’t want to."

"Yet you endured it with me. Why did you?"

"Because I'm in love with you." He admitted. He turned a switch on the side of the tub which made the bubbles grow harder. He didn't want to hear anymore of Koki's guilt. It made his heart hurt more. They had so little time together. He didn't want to dwell on the negative. If they talked about their relationship too much, Maru was afraid that the bloodlust would start again, and he would get hurt.

Koki got the hint, and stopped talking. Maru lie back in the tub, and let the bubbles take the pain away.

**************************

Nothing was going the right way. Maru no longer wanted to talk to Koki. Every attempt of conversation with him was shot down.

Koki went into the apartment. They couldn't go on like this forever, not talking. Maru was cleaning up the living room.

"What's bothering you?"

"Why do you think anything's bothering me?" Maru said coldly.

"I can feel it through our blood."

"No, not that," Maru stopped what he was doing. A tear fell down his cheek.

"Yuichi, what's wrong?" Koki demanded. He grabbed Maru, forcing him to look at him.

Maru stood there, petrified that he would he be hurt. "We have a bond, I didn't expect it. But it's there none the less."

"How can we have a bond?" Koki asked. "I didn't pay for you."

"Please Koki, let go of me." Maru looked at him, his eyes terrified.

Koki did what he was asked. Maru moved away from him.

"Vampire bonds are different." Maru explained. "Our bonds deal with emotions and blood. My love for you trapped you."

"Is this bond like marriage?"

"Yes, it is." Maru admitted. "If you want, we can go to a bond breaker. The tie between us will be severed."

"Do you want that?" Koki paused. "Really Yu-Chan, do you?"

"There are only you in my heart." Maru's shoulders began to shake. "Our bond is what I've always wanted. But you belong to someone else."

"Yu-Chan,"

"You belong to Subaru." Maru sank to the floor sobbing. "I can't live with this, knowing that he could call for you at any time."

Koki moved so that he was kneeling beside Maru. "Please let me hold you." Maru nodded, and Koki took his friend into his arms. Holding him, supporting him.

Koki began to cry too, tears of regret. He could never give Maru what he always wanted. "I don’t' belong to Subaru, not really. The only one I belong to is you."

*I love you so much.* Maru said through their bond.

Koki kissed Maru, his mind joining with Maru's. It was so right, so pure. Everything he really wanted. He couldn't hide the love in the kiss. He could feel Maru's fangs grow.

Koki wanted to take this slowly, because of how scared Maru was. Koki was quickly growing hard. He wanted Maru; with every pore of his body he wanted him.

"We have to stop," Maru pulled away from Koki. "You are going through bloodlust."

*My bloodlust is gone,* Koki stretched his neck. "All I want from you is for you to take my blood."

"No sex?" Maru sounded like he couldn't believe his ears.

"Perhaps someday, when you can trust me again." Koki smiled, the tears still rolling down his face. "But for now, this is enough for me."

Maru kissed him again, his tongue demanding entry. Koki let it. He loved it when Maru was the dominate one. Then Maru's lips left his, and he bit down gently on Koki's neck. Koki arched back into Maru as waves of passion overcame him.

******************

When Maru woke, he realized that he had been carried back to the bed. Koki was sleeping beside him.

Koki was now Maru's friend, his lover. Koki had been right; love could be a good thing. Koki, his Koki. It felt good for Maru to think that way. He held Koki in his arms. They where lying nude together, though they hadn't made love yet.

Maru had learned truth in his friend's blood. He wasn't as mean and gruff as he let on. Beneath Koki's hard exterior lay a surprisingly gentle and loving man. Of course, he knew Koki would never admit to that. Now that they had shared blood, Maru didn't have to be told Koki's feelings. He now knew that Koki loved him as much as he loved Koki.

Maru wanted to spend his life at his friend's side. He decided that he would never tell Koki the truth, that the bonding put Maru's own life in danger. They would only have five years together. Five years as lovers before Koki's bonding price would be paid.

Suddenly Maru realized what day it was. It was November 5th. Koki's seventeenth birthday.

"Koki-Chan," Maru said softly.

"What is it Yuichi?"

"Today is your birthday."

"Yes, it is."

"I forgot to buy you a present." Maru admitted.

"But you did give me a present." He ran his hand down Maru's arm. "You gave me the best present I've ever received."

"I didn't' give you anything."

"You gave me my life." Koki said softly. "And you gave me the most important thing, the very most important."

"What's that?"

"You gave me your love."

"So you don't hate me anymore?" Maru teased.

"Of course not...” Koki smiled, and then kissed him gently.

"Happy birthday Koki." Maru kissed him, and then pulled him into his arms.

Maru decided to cherish every touch, every kiss that he shared with Koki. One day, Koki would be taken away from him. The rest of the bonding price would be paid to Koki's parents, and Koki would have no choice but to leave Maru. Both knew it, but both put it out of their minds. Instead they concentrated on the here and now. On the love that they knew wouldn't last forever. They would have five years, five years of love. For Maru, that was enough.