Bokutachi wa Akuma: Chapter Twenty-Eight

© to Ruka Khruma for the Photo Edit! <3

His clean house had been bright and shiny; Aiya was definitely at it again with the cleaning. Satsuki and Toki quickly ran to the door to greet Maruki and his surprise guest home. Satsuki stopped momentarily in seeing Daichi before she darted to him, rubbing up against his leg happily.

“Satsuki! Long time no see!” he bent down and ruffled her long, white fur happily. “How are you?” she barked happily, answering his question. He laughed cutely, removing his shoes politely to enter Maruki's home.

Maruki chuckled softly, leaning himself against the wall to remove his sneakers. Toki was the one to greet him home from a long day out. Whether he was gone for ten minutes or ten hours, to Toki, it was a long day out.

“How are you two? Did you miss me?” Maruki talked to his pets like they were his children. Everyone would say that animals could not understand humans, but Maruki knew they could. “So what did you want to do Dai chan?” Maruki had something in mind that the two of them could do if Daichi didn't. It was something that required more than one person; it would definitely be a fun challenge.

Daichi was knelt over, moving his shoes over to the side politely whereas Maruki's were messily at the door. Satsuki had run away, looking for one of her toys to bring to Daichi so he could play with her.

“Did you have anything in mind?” like the scatterbrain he was, nothing had come to mind for Daichi. He was never good at making quick decisions when it came to being on the spot.

His small bag of goods was placed on the small table near the door as he walked by to go into the living area.

“Well, I thought it would be fun to try the 1000 paper crane challenge.” It was not a challenge but a tradition, but Maruki thought it would be a fun game to make a challenge. “See how many we can make before Ai and Ryota come back.” With his age and what he had been through, most would expect that Maruki would be one of the mature ones in the group. Little did they know that he was entirely the opposite.

“1000 paper cranes?” 1000 was a big number. Folding paper cranes, even one, took a long time, even for someone who was very experienced. “It sounds like it would be fun!” a difficult challenge indeed, but even at the mentions of it got the scatterbrain excited.

There was a time killer, they would not know how far they would get, and the mystery of that was fun as well. Daichi had joined Maruki in the living room on the floor; he sat down on the fluffy, beige, area rug awaiting Maruki. Before going to the living room with Daichi, Maruki grabbed them canned coffee beverages from the refrigerator. Gathering in the living are with two small cans balancing in one hand and multi coloured paper entwined in his fingers of the other hand, Maruki plopped himself down on the floor across from Daichi. Being the attention cravers they were, Satsuki and Toki lied themselves down between the two, taking up all their working space. Laughing at their cuteness, Daichi pat their butts a few times to get them to move.

Once the cute white dog and the multi coloured cat darted off to go play on their own, Maruki had tossed the can of coffee to his chibi friend who looked like a toddler when he sat with his legs crossed. Before they would start, a nice burst of energy would be needed. Maruki took only a few small sips, conserving his caffeinated beverage. Daichi on the other hand drank half of his in one, air-free gulp. Due to Ryota obsessing over eating healthily, Daichi did not get treats like this very often, only when he was alone so he could not tempt Ryota; which those moments did not come very often.

Not but a few minutes later after grabbing a pile of multi coloured paper for themselves they had started on their 1000 paper crane challenge. Daichi started with a cute and calming colour of pink. A refreshing pink crane was always nice to see. Maruki grabbed top, square origami paper, which turned out to be orange, sunset orange.

It had been over a year that Daichi had made a paper crane, and that showed in every hesitant fold of the paper. By the time that he had finished his first crane, Maruki had already been half way through his fourth crane. Daichi looked up to Maruki. Proud to have finished his first crane; when he saw that Maruki had been working on his fourth one, he pouted like a baby, making a small ‘fun’ sound. Looking up to see Daichi's pout, Maruki pointed to him, laughing hysterically out loud.

Gasping quietly and pouting even further when Maruki laughed at him, Daichi turned away, facing away to continue his project alone. The second crane he worked on did no take nearly as long as the first, he finished it in a matter of minutes. Letting out a gloating laugh directed at Maruki, he threw down the crane, quickly grabbing a new piece of paper in attempts to catch up to Maruki.

Preventing himself from laughing at him again, Maruki looked away from him focusing on his own delicate finger work of folding the paper. He was working like a worker on an assembly line by this point. He had finished more than a dozen cranes and was flying through the pile of paper in between them. Daichi was being his pouty self when it happened, that small mistake that Maruki did not know would faze him.

“Itta!” Daichi dropped his half made crane and grabbed his middle finger, squeezing the tip trying to relieve the stinging pain. “Awe, paper cut.” Daichi was used to pain, in his last dance rehearsal he fell and bruised his elbow badly; but as everyone knew, paper cuts always hurt the most.

He had just finished his last crane of the night, Maruki's eyes shot up, locking onto Daichi's miniscule bleeding finger. A small drop of blood, that is all it took for this young, inexperienced vampire to lose it. His glassy, almond shaped eyes locked strongly onto the tiny wound on Daichi's finger. He slowly licked his full, reddening lips, feeling his mouth flood with saliva.

“Are you all right Dai chan?” He tried fighting it, he knew what this feeling was and he refused to harm anyone. “That looks like it hurts.” The scent of blood seemed to intoxicate him, just like all the books said.

Dropping his hands to his lap, Daichi laughed and picked up his origami again. Readying himself to work on it again.

“No, I'm all right.” He laughed again, looking up to the half crazed Maruki. “Its only a paper cut.” Daichi looked down to his hands, continuing on with the next fold.

Maruki had moved their origami papers to the side and shimmied over to Daichi.

“Here, let me look at it.” He pulled Daichi's hand close to his face, analyzing the tiny, now clotted shallow wound. “It looks okei, but I’ll kiss it better for you.” If Daichi was not such a good friend, or a Masako, he would have thought of that offer as strange and too personal.

Though he didn't mind, Daichi did not get a chance to say anything in protest before Maruki had singled out his finger, and placed it against his warm, moist lips. It had already stopped bleeding, but Daichi thought that what Maruki was doing was cute and kind. Maruki had kissed Daichi's fingertip softly, wrapping his full, lush lips around the small, closed wound. Readying to pull his finger away now that his wound had been kissed better, Daichi then felt a moist sensation on his finger; Maruki was licking at the wound.

“Um, ano. Maa chan.” He tried pulling his hand away now, worried as to why Maruki was licking his finger. It was getting weird and awkward for him. “I'm okei now.” He tried again, Maruki's grip on his wrist got tighter, cutting off the circulation of his hand.

Maruki pulled his fingertip inside his mouth quickly. The added pressure from around his wrist and the help of saliva got Daichi's clotted blood flowing again, teasing Maruki's tongue. Sucking out the tiny droplets of blood Maruki closed his eyes, letting out a soft sound to the intoxicating taste of the crimson fluid. Accidentally, having been in a dense fog, Maruki bit down on the soft tender flesh of Daichi's fingertip.

“Ah!” Daichi quickly ripped his hand from Maruki's grasp, holding his hand defenselessly and innocently in his other hand. “Wh-what...” Ripping his hand back caused a gouge to form across his finger, causing it to bleed further, pooling in his palm.

“You, you bite me.” State of the obvious, yet it was all he could say as his veins were slowly filling with fear.

Having the small taste of the crimson fluid touch his tongue, Maruki lifted his head, his eyes brighter than fire. Cutting Daichi's finger further, Maruki had drops of blood trickling down his chin. Daichi's jaw dropped, quivering slightly wanting to more. He tried to talk, tried to scream, anything, yet no sound came out, he was paralyzed with fear. He gripped his hand, blood trickling over his cradling fingers, pouring down over his wrist. The scent of blood hung thickly in the air, tempting the already intoxicated Maruki. Blinded of all his senses, Maruki crawled closer to Daichi, one step after another. Stricken with fear, those small steps had Daichi throw himself back, his back pressed firmly against the couch behind him.

“Maruki! S-stay away from me!” Daichi's voice quivered greatly, his entire body shook in fear. “G-GET AWAY!”

Maruki's self-conscious was engulfed by the power of temptation. He licked at the blood that trickled over his lips; his stained white fangs peeked out of his mouth fearfully. Daichi had nothing he could do, not even the loudest scream could save him from one of his best friends. His brain was telling his feet to pick himself up and run, yet his legs would not listen. Maruki's small hand gripped to Daichi's arm tightly, pushing him to the ground. Daichi took a slow, panicked gasp, leading into a full, blood curdling scream. Despite his sensitive ears, Maruki leaned in closer to Daichi.

Even with Daichi squirming around beneath him, Maruki threw a leg over him, leaning his small body on top of his friend’s to pin him down.

“MARUKI!” Daichi screamed and squirmed, trying to escapes his surprising strength. Glaring down at him with crimson eyes, Maruki pinned his equally small friend’s arms above his head where he could no longer move them.

It only took the mysterious strength of one arm for Maruki to pin both of Daichi's arms above his head on the carpet; the other, snapped Daichi's head to the side, exposing more of his neck, if he hadn’t already broken it.

“AH! Itte!” Daichi was still alive; little did he know, for only a few moments longer. Moving his body against Daichi's, Maruki's hot breath moved against the flesh of Daichi's smooth neck, followed by his stained, pink tongue. Licking around his small, flawless neck, Maruki groped around, searching for the perfect spot to bite. The taste of fear and sweat tickled his tongue sweetly. Slowly, his long white fangs showed as he slowly opened his mouth wider. His crimson eyes were locked on his younger friend’s perfect, smooth neck. Letting out his last mortal scream, Daichi screamed as loud as he could, hoping someone would hear him.

Those long fangs penetrated the smooth, flawless surface, piercing deeply into the main artery, where Daichi's life source flowed. Quickly, Daichi's life essence flooded into Maruki's awaiting mouth. Trickling down his ivory flesh, his blood clotted into his thick, dark brown hair. Daichi gripped to Maruki's hand tightly, as his blood was drained, the strength of his grasp flowed with it. The strain washed from his face the less blood flowed through his body.

As he drained his younger friend of his life, Maruki's deep fangs seeped the painful venom that filled his hollowing veins. It was the first of two options in transforming a vampire. He would either be left to a painful death, or an equally painful new life.

From atop the couch, Toki hissed and growled at the creature on the floor below her, never seeing her owner like this at all. Satsuki, hid around the corner of the side table, barking loudly at her owner as well, trying to get him to stop.

Having filled his need of another’s life source, Maruki's crimson eyes slowly faded back to their natural coffee brown. This left Maruki awkwardly lying on his friend, sucking on his stained neck with absolutely no memory of attacking him. Pulling his lips off of the two puncture wounds on Daichi's smooth neck slowly, Maruki licked at the crimson stained lips, tasting the small, subtle taste of iron. He looked down at the seemingly lifeless Daichi on his floor. Blood slowly pulsed from the two deep holes on his neck, seeping onto their chocolate coloured area rug.

Maruki fell back on his butt, kicking himself away from the bleeding body on his living room floor. His wide, frightened eyes stared down at his hands, which were just as clean as he remembered them.

“No, no.” He shook his head over and over; hoping all of this was a dream. “NO!” He screamed loudly, gripping to his head hard, his nails digging deep into his scalp.

The front door opened. The simple chitchat that Aiya and Ryota were having could be heard from the entrance way quietly. Maruki's coffee eyes shot up into the direction of the door, his heart racing with panic. Laughing on their way into the main living area, Aiya and Ryota slowly lost their humor. Both were struck dead at the sight of Daichi slowly dying on the carpet and Maruki, lips dripping with blood next to him. Both Aiya and Ryota darted to the two on the floor. Ryota darted down to Daichi's side, fear welling in his eyes; Aiya darted over to Maruki's side, grabbing onto his shoulders sternly.

“What did you do Maruki?” he looked deeply into his eyes, which were darting all over the place. Aiya shook him hard, trying to get Maruki to focus on him. “Maruki! Look at me!”

Ryota looked to Maruki as well, tears pouring down his cheeks, and he began to scream at him as well. Maruki focused on Aiya, tears leaking from his almond shaped eyes slowly.

“I, I don't know what happened.” He looked down to Daichi for only a second before Aiya pulled his focus back to him. “I tried to stop myself.” His voice quivered, he never thought something like this would ever happen, especially so sudden.

“What, what did you do Maruki!” Ryota held Daichi's head on his lap, cradling him gently. “What are you!” a typical question for a vampire to receive from a mortal. Ryota was terrified of his friend, and he had no idea why.

Aiya shot a glare to Ryota, whether it needed it or not, now was not the time to argue about this.

“Ryota call Mizuki, tell him he needs to call his brother.” Ryota looked up at Aiya, his puffy, leaking eyes questioning him quietly. “Now!”

Ryota did just that, as he called Mizuki questioned him as well, but in hearing Aiya in the background, he followed the instructions and called his toutou, Kazuki. Over a conference call, Kazuki was instructed by Aiya to pass the phone to Ruka. As it was, it was not difficult to find him; he was in his room, as always.

Aiya snatched the phone from Ryota and threw it at Maruki. Ruka having the phone now, there would only be one unnecessary person to be over hearing this.

“Ruka?” Silence.” I attacked Daichi.” His voice quivered loudly as he took a deep breath to steady himself.

“I… I tried to stop. I don't even remember what happened!” He paused, taking another deep breath in order not to cry. “I… drank his… his blood.” Even saying it was as hard as doing it, the pain of doing it to a friend was hard to handle.

In that instant, Ruka's snake like eyes widened. He was surprised by that fact just as much as Ryota and Aiya were.

“You what?” Ruka's solemn voice was filled with worry. “ Do you want him to live?” That question alone was a joke.

“Of course I do!” Maruki snapped, shouting in the phone, almost crying.

“Well you will have to listen to me carefully, there is only one step to do. And don't wait too long.” He was aware that Maruki did it by mistake just by his voice, but things would never be the same anymore. “Give him some of your blood.” Though Ruka was never aware of it, this step only worked from the host vampire, for his blood, contained the mortals blood, no other would do.

“Kaore.” He was silent. “He's never going to be the same again, just like yourself.”

To never age, or die, that was a hard truth.

That was it? That was all it required to have his friend live? Maruki threw the phone to the floor and ran to the kitchen, grabbing a paring knife. Darting back to Daichi's side, he pushed Ryota away roughly.

“I hope this works.” He prayed quietly. Daichi was still breathing, but the venom that filled his veins was killing him quickly. Maruki slit his palm open with the paring knife watching the blood seep quickly from the surprisingly deep wound. As quickly as the blood seeped from his wound, the wound was closing up again, this being the first time Maruki seeing the power of his new nature.

Quickly Maruki placed his hand over Daichi's cooling lips, his dark blood trickling into his mouth much like it did for him. Ryota and Aiya shot their gazes from one to the other, down to Daichi and Maruki and back to each other quickly. Maruki's wide, almond shaped eyes shot up to Aiya in panic.

“Aiya, close the curtains.” It hurt him greatly for weeks to see a great amount of light, he didn't want Daichi to feel the same pain as he did right away. Maruki could not feel any worse than he already had, he was sure to regret this for the rest of his life.

Aiya quickly stood, dashing to each of their blackout curtains, pulling all of them closed tight. As the few drops of blood trickled over Daichi's tongue, his last breath began to slow, soon to come to a stop, just as his heartbeat did. Ryota's breath stopped as well, petrification stoned his face in pure shock. His best friend, his roommate, the only person in the world that he could relate to, had just died.

“What did you do?” he screamed at Maruki in anger and sadness. “Why didn't you call an ambulance?” Ryota jumped over Daichi's lifeless and pushed Maruki to the ground, threateningly holding him by the collar.

“He's dead because of you!” rage boiled his blood the longer he stayed around Maruki.

As it was Daichi took his last breath, relaxing on the floor. Laying flat on the floor, Daichi finally died from his mortal life.

Ryota slammed Maruki's back against the floor roughly. He had just lost his closest friends to one of his group mates.

Aiya rushed over and pulled Ryota off of his best friend, shaking him hard.

“Ryota kun. Calm down!” He made him look him in the eyes. “Daichi will be fine!” Aiya didn't know if he would be fine, was that the right work to use? At least he would not be gone forever.

With tears flooding down his cheeks, Ryota stared at Aiya, hope filling his eyes. That's when it happened, after a few moments; Daichi took a deep breath, starting his newborn life. Ryota looked over his shoulder to his smaller, prettier friend, slowly regaining the colour in his lifeless face.

The lamps hanging from the ceiling were bright with a white, fake light, but they were still dimmer then that of the sun.

Over the approximate time that it took Maruki, Daichi lay on the floor, screaming in pain just as Maruki had. The pain of living through a mortal death was most painful of all, of which minimal people were to ever experience. Daichi was a mistake yet he was not in the population of the undead aristocrats. It being daylight outside, there was no getting Daichi and Ryota home until the midnight moon was high in the sky.

Ryota stared at Maruki, studying his every move, terrified that he will come toward him. Having Daichi with him in more than one way, Ryota would have to know about him and why all of this happened; knowing about Maruki's nature was very important as well.

“Ryota, I know you are confused right now but, there is something we need to tell you.” Ryota's face rose to look at Aiya, his creeks stained with tears. “I'm sure Maa regrets it but Daichi,” He paused not knowing how to continue. “Daichi is, um, a vampire now.” He looked to Ryota with one brow cocked in confusion.

Ryota's dark brown eyes widened at Aiya's words, there was no way that could be true, things like that only existed in books; that much Ryota knew, he loved reading in his spare time.
“A what?” As serious as this was, Ryota let out a soft chuckle. “You're kidding right?” just as Maika did, Ryota did not believe what he was hearing, things like that didn't exist, and everyone knew that. When he was younger, Ryota was one of those boys who wished zombies; vampires and werewolves existed; yet as he grew older, he knew that it was not possible.

Standing up from the floor and pushing himself to the single seated chair, Maruki leaning himself on his knees seriously.

“Its true. I feel terrible but its true.” Maruki tilted his head slightly. “You remember Ruka kun?” Ryota nodded at that.
“Well he's the one that did it to me.”

Shock. Ryota really liked Ruka, but in knowing that he was a monster made him detest him in a snap.

“Ruka?” Ryota looked down at Daichi on the floor. “Did you know?” He didn't know what he was asking about, he was just asking.

“Did I know?” Maruki looked up to Aiya, remembering how difficult it was to remember anything about that day. “No. About me, Miki chan found out for me. He didn't have me convinced until we asked Ruka kun ourselves.”

Ryota was getting too much new information too quickly. Now Mikiya knew and didn't tell anyone? What was happening to their group? There were too many secrets.

“Mikiya knew?” Ryota looked from Maruki to Aiya and back. “Does anyone else know?” he referred to anyone else in the group, it would be bad if any outside people had found out.

Maruki looked up to Aiya who had his arms folded across his crest.
“Well obviously Ai.” He looked to Ryota again. “And Maika knows.” Before Ryota could react to the new knowledge that Maika knew as well, Maruki quickly continued.

“But you cannot tell Miki or Mai about this.” Maruki could not emphasize enough about that. “It was an accident and I will tell them when I'm ready.” Maruki could not think of an opportune moment when it would be an appropriate time to tell Mikiya and Maika what he had done to Daichi, but he knew that the moment would come at some point.