Title: The Greatest Treasure

Synopsis: It didn't matter on who he had to manipulate and lie to; Seishirou would get what he wanted. If it was the blood of a vampire that he craved, he would do anything to get it. Onesided Subaru/Seishirou.

Rating: T

A/N: More and more I love writing about Subaru. 3 I'm writing pre-art change 'Tokyo Babylon' Subaru here, by the way. If anyone knows what that means… Probably not. /Dork. The story with the jumping out in front of Subaru is taken directly from 'Tokyo Babylon' where this woman is trying to cut Subaru open and take his liver for her kid (she was incredibly crazy) and Seishirou jumps out in front of him, if you didn't know. That's also how Seishirou went blind in the one eye, if you couldn't guess. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tsubasa, because if I did, the real Syaoran would suck less.

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"Mom and dad wake, wake, wake from your slumber because we're gonna burn this mother fucker down because sometimes we lie and steal and rape and kill and sacrifice just to remind ourselves that we're still alive."

-"Static to the Heart" by Jukebox the Ghost

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Sweet as butter cream, a chipper and kind smile adorned Seishirou's face as he pulled out a chair for Subaru to sit down on. "Here you are." The black-clad vampire sat down with the grace of a cat; it was eerie how refined each of his supernatural movements looked. "I've made tea, would you like some?" Embarrassed, Subaru shook his head. Jovially, Seishirou laughed. "I knew you wouldn't, but I thought that it would be polite to check."

"I would if I could, Seishirou-san, but I can't." That liquid that humans drank so freely looked disgusting and the one time he had tried it on a dare, it had tasted even worse. It was nothing compared to the sweet, crimson sent of-

"Anyways, how have you been, Subaru-kun? It's been a while since you've come over for a visit. Have you been busy lately?" Sitting down and pouring himself a cup of tea, Seishirou looked as happy and content as he had always had. Even with his one blind eye he was somehow still the same Seishirou. "Usually you come around more often than this."

Looking down at his feet to escape the empty gaze of that sightless eye, Subaru spoke the truth. "My brother… he didn't want me to come over here anymore." Thinking of how disappointed Kamui would be with him, Subaru clenched his eyes shut. "He said that if I came back over-" A warmth spread across a hand that had been sitting on the table. Opening his eyes, he saw that Seishirou had taken hold of it.

"Your brother is just looking out to protect you, Subaru-kun." All too aware of Seishirou's hand on his, a blush crept up Subaru's cheeks. "And maybe he's right," Laughing, he took his hand away and it felt like they were, once again, a million miles away from each other. "I am a very scary person!"

All around Seishirou's house were the treasures that he had collected through his years. Not big, but not small, they were exotic and interesting and everything that represented Seishirou to Subaru. There were a lot of things that Seishirou was, but frightening was not included in the list. "The only thing that is frightening about you, Seishirou-san is the fact that you still want me here even after-"

Seishirou coughed loudly into his elbow; it had gotten worse since the last time that Subaru had seen him. When he was done, there was an apologetic smile on his face. Wanting to scream at him; to tell him that there was no need to apologize for his weakness, only to overcome it, Subaru leaned slightly across the table. "Is there really nothing that can be done about your sickness, Seishirou-san?" Wanting to have some sort of physical contact, Subaru reached a hand out to console Seishirou, but a flash of a memory of red entered his mind, causing his hand to hover with hesitation in between the two of them, having nowhere to go.

For a moment there was no movement or no words between them. Then, a hand reached out to Subaru's, grabbed it and placed it on his heart. "Thank you Subaru-kun, you are really too kind." Soft and faint, Subaru could feel the beating of Seishirou's heart under his hand.

"No, you're the one who is too kind."

Thump.

"It isn't fair how you have to suffer."

Thump.

"If there is no human way to solve your illness, we'll just need to find another."

Thump.

"I can't go on seeing you in this much pain, Seishirou-san."

Thump.

"First your eye and now-"

Seishirou dropped Subaru's hand from his chest. Pulling it back, Subaru looked at the ground, knowing that he must have crossed the unspoken boundary that the two of them had put between them; there was to be no talk of that incident, and Subaru had committed that taboo.

"Subaru-kun, it was my choice to step in front of you." Seishirou's idle hands grasped the teacup that was still sitting in front of him. "That woman wanted your blood to make her child into a vampire; I didn't want to see that happen. My acts were not kind, they were selfish. I didn't think about what you wanted at all; the only thing that I knew was that I didn't want to see your blood shed." Though he had heard Seishirou's argument before, it still didn't make Subaru think him less kind or heroic for his actions. "You weren't going to do anything to protect yourself, so I felt that I needed to instead. It was, and still is, as simple as that."

Light, though piercing, Subaru felt Seishirou's gaze upon him, but he was still unable to meet his eyes. "But your eye was damaged beyond repair; there is no atoning for that on my part." From the other side of the table there came a happy laugh, Subaru looked up to see Seishirou really finding this situation to be humorous. Shamed, Subaru occupied himself with looking at the wall behind Seishirou's head.

"The situation was understandable, Subaru-kun; the reason that you were out that day was to go pick up some more 'E' for you and your brother. You had not eaten in weeks; to see all of that blood must have been completely irresistible. It's not like you killed me when you had my blood, right? So that's all just water under the bridge now-"

Jumping out of his seat, Subaru began to yell. "Are you meaning to say that your eye is worthless?" For the first time true emotion crept into Subaru's voice. Frustrated, a tear fell down his cheek. "With the time that I was eating, I could have gotten you to the hospital; I could have done something to try to save you while you were so injured!" Another fell down his cheek. "Instead I just ate and ate and you didn't say a word." Pausing in his monologue, Subaru sat back down, putting his head in his hands. "Not that I would have listened anyway; my bloodlust was too great."

What should have been a joyous meeting between two friends had quickly disintegrated into a depressed silence, broken only by Seishirou's cough and one convulsing sob from Subaru.

"Subaru-kun, what does blood taste like?" Looking up, Subaru found Seishirou staring with determination towards him; this look was unfamiliar to Subaru.

Dumbfounded by that question, Subaru stared for a moment, trying to formulate an answer in his head. "It tastes like… warmth. Like you're eating someone's soul. It's like nothing that a human could understand." Pausing, Subaru straightened back up, ignoring the trails of water that were drying onto his skin. "Why would you ask that, Seishirou-san?"

Standing up slowly, Seishirou walked over to where Subaru was and approached him from behind. His arms wrapped themselves around Subaru's neck and his head lay lightly on top of Subaru's. "Subaru-kun, what did my soul taste like, then?"

Petrified, Subaru did not know what to say. How could he tell Seishirou that he had found his blood to be the most delicious thing that he had ever ingested? Was there a way to maintain this friendship with Seishirou after telling him that every moment the phantom taste of his blood lingered in Subaru's mouth and more than anything he'd like to sink his teeth into Seishirou's neck once again?

But yet, the arms that Seishirou had around Subaru were enthralling; comfortable and safe, Subaru wished that he never had to leave that place. His brother was weary of this man, but Subaru found nothing but kindness and trust in his manner and smile. "It was… the most delicious thing that has ever tasted my tongue, Seishirou-san."

As Seishirou whispered into his ear, Subaru could feel the smile on the man's face. "I'm glad to hear that Subaru-kun." Shivers went up and down Subaru's spine. "I was hoping that you would say something like that."

Desperately trying to push down the rising bubble of hope in his chest Subaru whispered, "Why?"

"Because I've always wanted to try your blood, Subaru-kun." A finger found its way over to Subaru's neck, tracing over the outlines of his veins. "Since the moment that I first heard of people like you I have wondered what it would be like to be like you. For years I had searched for the greatest treasure of them all, the vampire, and when I met you, I knew. All of the signs were there; the yellow cat eyes, the claw-like fingernails, but I never expected my prize to be quite so…" Sniffing the air around Subaru, Seishirou grasped his prey just a bit tighter. "Kind, sweet and gentle." The grip loosened, and Subaru found breath returning to his lungs, though he had not even noticed that it had not been there a few moments before.

"Seishirou-san-" Subaru whispered, but was interrupted.

"I'm sorry; I've crossed a boundary that I should not have crossed. I never meant to put any pressure on you with my unrequited feelings." Pausing, Seishirou took his glasses off and wiped them on his shirt. "I'll ask you to leave now, Subaru-san, lest I trouble you anymore."

Though he stood up from his chair, Subaru did not move. He wanted to stay; he wanted to be here with Seishirou and return to the position that they were in a few moments ago and let his feelings, for once, be known. But as he opened his mouth, not a word came out. Scared of the formal address that Seishirou had used for him and the look of venom in the man's eyes, he could say nothing. Vampires were supposed to be the ultimate predators, but now he felt as weak as a lamb.

"Se-Seishirou-san," He managed to stutter out.

Looking up from the floor, where he had been staring, Seishirou looked at him expectantly. "Yes?"

His voice came out quiet, as if he were whispering a secret. "You could have some, if you would like it."

Seishirou's expression changed; it was unreadable. No emotions shown through and it scared Subaru to the core. It was his greatest fear to make this man hate him; no one mattered more to him. "Are you serious, Subaru?" The vampire nodded. "You would know the repercussions of this act, right? How your brother would act if he found that you gave your blood to me? Your family would-"

An angry fume built up in Subaru's body, waiting to explode. "Be quiet!" Seishirou did so, his face returning to normal as it showed his surprise. "I know what will happen, but my blood is my own, I can do with it as I please."

A dark chuckle came from the man with him. "So you're a big boy now who can make his own decisions?" Subaru took a step back. "You think that you're able to do what is good and what is right for you? That's a laugh." Subaru's back knocked into the chair that he had been sitting in as Seishirou took confident strides towards him. "You should have listened to your brother; I wouldn't have taken 'no' for an answer. You were the greatest treasure of them all."

Seishirou was now so close to his face that his sticky warm breath was attacking Subaru's face. "Seishirou-san?" He whispered, his voice breaking as Seishirou took a small knife from his pocket and put it to Subaru's neck.

"Subaru-kun, you're so cute and adorable." He slashed Subaru's throat, the thick blood pouring from the wound. Before too much got out, Seishirou put his mouth to the gash, sucking in the liquid. "And so very useful. The greatest treasure… Has made me feel so alive again."

While Seishirou's body began transforming into that of a vampire, Subaru's weak and limp body fell to the floor. Before Seishirou had enough time to recover, Subaru was back on his feet and running for his life. Running to his brother. Running away from there.

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Fin