Chapter 2

Sumeragi Subaru got away with bruises, cuts and fragmented bones, but nothing major. He only had to stay in the hospital for a few days.

Sorata, Arashi, Yuzuriha and his double visited on the third day, which was just as well, considering he was so out of it on the second, drugs coursing his system. Kamui stayed with him as soon as he was released from the operation room, holding his hand even when he slept.

"I'm sorry to trouble you like this," Subaru spoke to the quartet.

"There's nothing to apologise for," Sorata remarked straight away, guilt invading his expression, "It's us who should be apologising…"

Arashi and Yuzuriha nodded fervently. The girl stepped out and bowed. "I'm sorry," sadness looked misplaced on her, "I couldn't get to Ikebukuro at that time, and I couldn't do anything…I'm really sorry!"

"There's no need to apologise to me," Subaru was ill at ease with apologies. She reminded him of Hokuto too, sometimes.

"But if I don't, I'll go on feeling depressed," Yuzuriha closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, there was fiery determination there, "I like everyone…Kamui-san, Sorata-san, Arashi-san, Aoki-san, Karen-san…and of course you, Subaru-san." (A/N: Dialogue from X/1999 vol12, chapter 119)

Inuki, inseparable from her, climbed to his bed, his head close to his bandaged elbow, eyes staring at the injured man.

"I'm not the kind of person worthy of your affection," Subaru closed his own eyes, "I make a lot of people worry about me…but in the end all I can think about is myself." Images flashed before his lids. Oba-chan…Seishirou-san…Kamui…

"That's not true!" Yuzuriha argued, upset, "You are a kind person! So please," she bent forward, one hand on the bed, leaning on it, and shoved a pinky under his nose, "Promise me! Don't take it all upon yourself. If anything happens, call me and Inuki!"

Subaru looked at the appendage, unsure, before Sorata added, "Us, too." His gaze was as heartfelt, as resolute, "Subaru-san."

The onmyouji surrendered. He smiled and hooked his pinky around the girl's.

The sun rose on her face. "Thank you!" She was herself, the world was righted.

Inuki pushed his snout against Subaru's hand and the man caressed the spirit's dog.

"Such resemblance!" Yuzuriha opinionated out of the blue, "You and Kamui-san really resemble each other."

Subaru's eyes widened. Kamui tilted his head, puzzled.

Sorata arched an eyebrow. "They're twins in another world," he supplied, gesturing at the vampire.

"It's not just the face," Yuzuriha protested and attempted to explain herself, "Just, you know…" She left it at that, "I'm happy. In Tokyo, I've met a lot of people who petted Inuki for me. That's why I want to be friends with everyone…" her voice softened by a decibel, "and with Kusanagi-san too…"

Subaru blinked. "Huh?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing!" She raised her hands in defense and rummaged through her bag to retrieve a palm-sized bunny, ribbon tied around its neck. "This is a get-well gift from me," Yuzuriha placed it on the nightstand beside the hospital bed and patted it on the head smilingly, "Because you'd get lonely all by yourself."

"Thank you," Subaru replied, keeping his sorrow out of his voice. Her remark reminded him of Seishirou…

Behind her, Subaru the vampire tugged the back of Sorata's shirt subtly to alert his attention, sending him a look.

The monk got the hint. "While we're in the topic of farewell gifts…We bought you flowers, Subaru-san," Sorata made a show of looking around, "Is there a vase somewhere?"

"There's one in the ward," Kamui answered.

"Nee-chan!" Sorata turned to Arashi cheerfully, "Can you go with Kamui and arrange the flowers?"

The miko searched him carefully. "…Yes," she finally answered and led the violet-eyed teenager out.

"Yuzuriha!" Sorata grinned, "Don't you feel hungry? It's noon! We should buy some food for Nee-chan and Kamui too! There's a cafeteria downstairs…" He didn't have to be as tactful with Yuzuriha…

The doubles were left by themselves, staring at near reflections of one another. Reminding himself that he didn't have an eternity, the shorter one of the two approached the mattress.

"I'm sorry," Subaru the vampire drooped, "I've thwarted the fulfillment of your Wish. I know," his own hand flew to cover his right eye, "Seishirou-san the hunter…traded his right eye for a method to cross dimensions…he lost it to pursue me…i-if I weren't a vampire…if I can gouge my eye and not have it regenerated…I-I will. B-but," his shoulders were bent further, "K-Kamui pleaded…and I couldn't say no…"

A touch on the back of his hand stopped him. Green eyes traveled the length of an arm before meeting another pair that nearly mirrored them reluctantly.

"I should thank you," the onmyouji had a small smile on his face, "If you didn't interfere, Kamui would have blamed himself severely. He wouldn't take my being blinded well when he was in the vicinity. He would think it was his fault for being unable to prevent it. So, thank you," the man sighed, "You have, indeed, denied me my Wish. But since it is a self-destructive one…it may be for the better…"

"You care about him," his alter ego echoed the question he fired him a few days previous.

"Not at much as you love yours," the patient sighed, "between him and Seishirou-san, I-"

"Don't," Subaru the vampire interrupted firmly with an air of finality.

They remained in silence until the rest returned.

The day Subaru was discharged from hospital, Kamui the vampire woke.

The Seals were in for a surprise when they turned the doorknob to the entrance of Imonoyama Mansion. Sorata, who was leading, blinked when a sharp, blade-like nail was held to his neck.

"You look like someone of the Tower's," his attacker growled from under his chin, golden eyes flashing, "Where is Subaru?"

"Kamui!" the green-eyed not-teenager dropped the bouquet of flowers he was holding and stepped into the porch, chiding his sibling, "Drop it! Sorata doesn't mean you harm."

Amber dimmed to indigo and a mess of curly hair, lean muscles and skinny limbs barreled into Subaru's arms, nuzzling his neck. "Subaru," the reverberation shuddered with such reverence, "I-I thought…" the hands that enveloped him tightened.

"I told you," Subaru returned the hug, fingers slipping through fine tresses; "I won't leave you."

Yuzuriha crept surreptitiously inside and flicked the switch on, gasping when her eyes landed on the wreckage that was their living room, furniture flipped upside down. "W-what-"

"Kamui," Subaru stated disapprovingly, brows creasing.

The male addressed cringed. "I was worried!" he defended himself, "The moment I stepped a foot on the soil of this world I was accosted! I'm sorry for assuming the worst!"

His brother softened. He never could shun Kamui. Well, there was a single act he would not forgive Kamui for, and he hoped fervently it would never come to pass.

"Come on," Kamui the vampire seemed a whole lot more energetic, now that he'd awakened from his slumber. His fingers curled around Subaru's wrist in a death grip. "Let's retrieve our clothes and move on to the next world."

"So soon?" Sorata stated immediately and rushed to block the amethyst-eyed vampire from getting back up the stairs. "You just opened your eyes! You should stay a while, go sightseeing…oh, I can bring you around all the good restaurants! And-"

The feisty pureblood vampire growled to interrupt the monk's continuous chatter. "We have no time!" Kamui shouted, "We're being chased by a maniac who'll kill us on sight! Not to mention that there're psychos who like to torture us in this world!" his left eye twitched. 'And that hunter's double is here! Who knows what he'll do to Subaru? Who knows…' He shook his head mentally. 'I won't let Subaru be lured by that man! I won't let Subaru leave me!'

"Then, just stay for a farewell party," Sorata spoke solemnly and laid his hand on Kamui the vampire's shoulder, despite the fact that the monk was very nearly murdered by the same person merely moments ago. The Seal stared straight into Kamui's eyes. "Please? You can leave after tonight."

Unnerved by such an intense, honest look, Kamui turned away, only to meet his twin's large green eyes. "Kamui," Subaru approached the other vampire, his gaze beseeching, "please?"

Despite everything that had come to pass, Kamui was never good at denying Subaru anything he wanted. The amethyst-eyed vampire sighed, "Only tonight."

Amidst Sorata's listing down his plan for a wild party loudly and boisterously, and Yuzuriha's cheer, Subaru stepped closer to the only sibling he had left, and enveloped him in his arms. "Thank you," he breathed, his lips brushing against Kamui's earlobe.

The amethyst-eyed male nuzzled his twin's neck and held him tight, as though he was never going to let go.

But he knew he had to.

The party went on till the night was late. Sorata insisted on bringing alcohol into the occasion. The gang was only barely spared from spilling their hearts' contents and performing lewd moves in the game of truth and dare due to Kamui the vampire's threatening glare when Sorata dared Kamui the Seal to French kiss Subaru the vampire. The former was still blushing to the roots of his hair, while Kamui the vampire nearly felt silly for feeling jealous because of his own counterpart.

Subaru was glad that his sibling somehow managed to enjoy himself, though.

Sumeragi sat outside the circle, twirling the glass of juice in his hands. Sorata had been very strict about not giving him alcohol or allowing him to smoke because he just got out of the hospital. The joyous mood didn't seem to infect the onmyouji.

When the man put his glass and rose to his feet, Subaru peered at Kamui to make sure that he was distracted, before going up to follow the Sumeragi.

Subaru caught up to the Dragon of Heaven before he was climbing up the stairs. "Sumeragi-san."

The onmyouji looked down at his doppelganger.

"Thank you," the younger looking male smiled. "For listening to me." For understanding.

"Me too," the Seal returned to the foot of the stairs. "It has been a valuable experience, too. No to mention…" he gestured at his eye and gave a wan smile.

The edges of Subaru's smile receded as well, before he stepped so close to the human who was sharing his soul. The vampire pressed an object to his counterpart's hand, glass, edges and the leather of his glove digging to the human's skin.

"Subaru-san, w-what-" after a couple of weeks, the thirteenth head of Sumeragi Clan was still not used to addressing his doppelganger with his own name.

"Administer it before death," his companion replied huskily, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "Together with your blood, because he is going to be your responsibility. He can only drink from you, thus he will die once you do."

Subaru the onmyouji looked down at his palm. There was a bottle, crystal, its surface decorated by intricate vines of a tree. Inside was a volume of liquid, crimson and equally fascinating as its container. He stared at it before the identity of the fluid dawned on him.

It was Subaru the pureblood vampire's blood.

Two pairs of resembling emerald irises met, one in surprise, the other, larger, younger one solemn. "W-why-" the human's throat was dry.

"Our fates are entwined," the not-teenager spoke, "I needed it. You may."

"Subaru!" His twin's voice rang through the air, "It's over midnight! We'll have to get going soon!" The statement was followed by a chorus of groans from Yuzuriha and Sorata.

"Coming!" the vampire hollered before turning away from the man. "I wish you happiness," Subaru murmured, his face cast in shadows, before exiting his double's life forever soon.

But the pureblooded vampire too, left the man a mark, a reminder than he'd been here.

The Sumeragi would not, could not, forget that.

La Fin

A/N: I swear I planned a sequel for this. But real life has been too much for me. Look how long I needed to update this. Anyways, Sumeragi Subaru having a pureblooded vampire's blood alone can give away your imaginative minds my intention, right? Need I give a challenge to whoever can write a sequel to this using the sentence below?

Sakurazuka Seishirou stared at his claws. "Subaru-kun," he inhaled sharply, "What have you turned me to?"

XP

Bye bye!