Author's Note: Well, it's been an extremely long time since I've written any fanfiction. It's felt like eons since I've written anything for myself and others. To those that have been patiently waiting for me to update my other stories, I want to profusely apologize. I can't say that I have a good excuse for not updating. Life got in the way, I had a change in jobs, I lost interest in writing for a bit, and just recently, I've gone back to school. I'm currently working through my first student teaching seminar, so that definitely takes a big chunk of my time. Like, nearly all of it. But, just a few weeks ago, I found this really interesting anime/manga. I'll be honest here, I'm a bit obsessed with it at the moment. But this obsession has rekindled my desire to write some fanfiction again. I honestly don't know if I'll ever get around to my other stories, but we'll see. I can't make any promises that I will. In regards to this story, I can't promise any regular updates for it. Between work, school and student teaching, I don't have much free time to sit and write, but maybe this will be a good stress relief for me. This will probably be my longest Author's Note for this story, so, sorry for that!

Disclaimers: I do not own Servamp or any of the characters. They belong to Strike Tanaka. I will be mainly following manga verse for this story. While I liked the anime (let's be honest, some of their interactions were fun to watch animated) I like the manga better. I feel that it gives the characters more depth, which means more for me to work with!

Story Description: A silent walk home from school can change the outcome of so many paths. Fears arise, secrets are closely guarded and partnerships can crumble. But if one can survive through it, a brighter, more certain, tomorrow awaits.

Chapter 1 Silence

The walk home from school was unusually quiet. The cultural festival had just finished up not too long ago, but Mahiru's mind was far from thinking about it. Sakuya had just vanished on him again after he had made him a promise to stop Tsubaki. He had also made a promise to himself. He needed to get stronger. Tsubaki was, unfortunately, way out of his league and looking for a fight was probably not the smartest of ideas right now. But…just how was he supposed to get stronger? What did he need to do to become stronger? His gaze shifted slightly to glance at the small black cat that was sleeping on his shoulder before he focused on the path ahead of him again. He was sure that Kuro could help in that regard…if he wasn't so freaking lazy! He could just hear the complaints and excuses if he were to bring it up. Servamp of Sloth indeed!

Mahiru sighed quietly. Even though he knew that it was going to be like pulling teeth, he would still have to ask Kuro once they returned home. He needed some kind of guidance to at least get him started. He just wasn't sure if he should try to cajole the vampire into helping him or try to wear him down until he agreed. Either way, he knew that he was going to need a lot of patience.

…

An image of Kuro rolling around on the floor playing video games and eating potato chips while completely tuning him out passed through his mind just then.

He could already feel a vein popping at just that thought alone. Scratch that…he was going to need the patience of a Saint and then some! Thank goodness it was the weekend. He was going to need all the time that he could get! He could see his apartment looming in the distance. They were almost home and he needed to come up with a plan of attack! Soon! Cajole? Or wear down? That was the question.

'Arrgh! I feel like tearing my hair out! If I try to cajole him that will probably put him on alert that I want something from him, and then he'll probably just try to hide! But if I go heavy handed and try to wear him down until he agrees I face the very real, and serious, possibility of him being so mulish that we'd enter some kind of attrition! And then I'd still be no closer to getting help from him!'

Before Mahiru knew it, he had already reached the stairs that lead up to his apartment and he was still no closer to figuring out which approach would be best! 'This is so not simple anymore!' he thought furiously. He had already reached his apartment and had automatically taken his keys out to unlock the door. 'I'll figure out what to do after dinner. No need to badger him before we've eaten,' he thought as he let himself in. He felt the slight weight leave his shoulder and heard the quietest of thumps behind him when he went to take his shoes off. He knew that Kuro was back in human form now and taking his own shoes off. Thankfully he didn't complain about it anymore. His uncle must have left again. Kuro wouldn't have risked changing if he had sensed or heard his uncle moving about. His thoughts were confirmed when he saw a note sitting on the table addressed to him.

"Mahiru,

I'm sorry for having to leave so suddenly! Something came up at work that I just could not ignore. I don't quite know when, exactly, I will be able to return home, but I will definitely remember to call before I do! Be good!

-Love, Uncle Tooru"

'Well…at least I don't have to worry about Uncle Tooru being around right now. That would only make trying to talk to Kuro even harder,' he thought as he went to set the note back down. Mahiru startled slightly when he suddenly felt the vampire standing right behind him and reading the note over his shoulder. "Damnit Kuro! Don't do that! At least make a little noise to warn me that you're right behind me next time!" he exclaimed as he turned to face his Servamp.

Kuro just gave him an unreadable, bored expression before he spoke up, "Are you going to close the curtains now or not?" he asked with his exhausted sounding voice.

Mahiru just groaned in exasperation but went to do so anyways. No need to give Kuro something to complain about so early in the evening after all. Usually he just waited to close the curtains until after he had prepared dinner, but his mind was elsewhere right now. Plus, he wanted to save his energy for the battle of wills that he was going to have with Kuro later. He could already tell that it was going to be exhausting on both sides.

Kuro just watched as his Eve went to close the curtains so then he could wander further into the apartment in human form. The fact that Mahiru hadn't put up any kind of fuss or fight over it told the vampire all that he needed to know. He sighed heavily before heading into the now darkened living room and slumped onto the couch. Now he knew for certain that Mahiru was going to ask him something that he was going to find extremely troublesome. His first heads up had been the fact that his Eve hadn't uttered a single word on the way back home. Oh, sure, at first Kuro had thought that it had had to do with that grungy joker, but when he had felt Mahiru's eyes on him, if only for a moment, he knew that it was going to be much deeper than that. He had paid more attention to Mahiru after that and had felt, and seen, Mahiru's every tense, tick and facial expression.

Yep…things were about to get so troublesome that he could just die.

Author's Note: I hope that all of you enjoyed the first chapter! It's a bit shorter than what I had wanted but, it just felt like the right place to cut it off. I do have the second chapter written up, but I'd like to start working on the third one before that one goes up. If you like, please leave a review! See you all in the next chapter!