Disclaimer: Must I keep admitting that they are not mine? Ugh.

Warnings: Angst, suggestive descriptions of yummy yaoi, hm.. angst. ^^;

Authors Notes: Quicker this time, ne? Not much to say 'bout this chapter aside that it's all been written in public. :D Yay to school computer labs tempting me to write this instead of doing my work. ^_~ Enjoy~

Chapter VIII

Pain. Fear. Betrayal. Coldness. So very cold. He wanted somewhere warm to huddle up in. He wanted a nice, warm, pliant body to mold himself against. He wanted strong pale arms to hold him in his sleep as his mind cleared from all thoughts that brought him pain. He just wanted to be at peace. He wanted to believe that all was not really lost. He wanted… something. Someone. Anything that would bring him closure without stabbing him square in the back by the end of it all. He wanted is angel to return… he wanted all that he had heard and seen by some unknown force to be forgotten, wiped from his mind to never be returned. He just wanted… peace. It wasn't too much to ask for now was it?

But Ken had none of that. At least not at the moment. All he had was dark solitude in a cold, deserted room that he could not even call his own. All he had was himself, the clothes on his back and the wish of something more. He wasn't even sure what the hell he was still doing here. Why he hadn't walked out the door the moment he saw and heard such things that got his mind whirling, searching for an understanding he could not possibly identify.

So cold. He hated the cold. Just as much as he hated the whisperings that were creeping into his unstable mind. The little traces of a dream never truly accomplished due to his own naïve personality. Far too innocent. Far too detached from the hard reality of the world to realize that he had just been fucked over mercilessly and should just walk away from it all.

And survive how?

He wasn't sure about that just yet, but he knew that he would be able to manage it. There was just one problem: dawn was approaching. He saw the first few ray of light seeping in through the windows and instinctively slid away from it. The floor was cold, he noticed. But he wasn't quite sure if he could crawl up onto that bed and sleep soundlessly as he had the previous night. That was the bed he had shared with Aya. That was the bed where he had found a source of eternal pleasure. In all senses of the word. That was the place that promised so much more and yet was so damn stark empty right now that it made him want to scream.

Or punch something.

Possibly even both.

Ken stood, taking uneasy staggering steps to the large bed with its comfortable mattress and black satin bedding. There was no violence. There was not even a bit of emotion as he fell right onto it. Maybe for now, he would just sleep.

The city had lightened considerably. But not completely. Not to the point that it was impossible to step out and linger among the darkest shadows in order to get around. Schuldich waited, puffing on his half smoked clove, tapping a booted foot impatiently at the corner of one of the less crowded streets. He hated to be kept waiting. He especially hated to be kept waiting by an incompetent.

But it happened. And he took another drag, exhaling in frustration, watching the blue sky come out of hiding.

Finally there were steps. Lazy paced steps hinted with a saunter. Steps much too loud for him not to be able to hear even before the figure appeared before him.

Yohji leaned against the wall, yawning lazily, the dark circles under his eyes screaming out every possible sign that he had not been up that long. If he had even gone to sleep, that is. It was, after all, quite early in the morning for anyone with an inch of sanity to be casually walking around.

But this was business.

"I don't like to be made wait." Schuldich snarled toward the playboy that did not even look preoccupied with the threat. It was indeed to early to even register a threat. He waved it off casually with his hand, further irritating the older man, who bared his gritted teeth but went on about his business.

"You're to pick him up tonight."

Yohji quirked a brow, obviously interested now that things were starting to look up. This was indeed what he had been waiting for. "Moving rather quickly, now aren't you?"

"Don't ask questions, wyrm! Just do as you're told," Emerald orbs glared from behind jagged fiery red bangs. "If you want to see your way through this." Clearly, even after having an eventful night of lust, he did not appear to be in a good mood.

Obviously not the glowing type.

Yohji noted this and merely grinned that sideways grin of his that usually got girls flocking in no time. Schuldich was not one of those girls. These things only served to irritate him.

"Give me an hour or two past dusk and you'll have him ready. Take him to this address," a small note was held out between pale, slender fingers. Yohji plucked it from him, glancing over it. "I'll contact you when I see Aya I ready to be told about the situation."

"And in the meantime?" Yohji arced a brow.

"Do what you want without killing him." And with this, he turned heel, hurrying back down the dissolving shadows.

From behind him Yohji called loudly, a sadistic smile flowing out with his words. "Oy! Does this mean I can fuck him?"

Schuldich twitched and continued walking.

Aya woke up with a headache. He sure did not have them often, but there were just certain things that set them off. Like a certain slightly nasal voice purring into his ear in both conscience and what should have been a peaceful sleep. He hadn't had those in a while. In a long while. A month or so before Schuldich had arrived, in fact, the dreams started coming back with deadly frequency. Damn bastard was doing it on purpose, he just knew it. But what to do about it? Certainly there was only so much control he could have over something like that.

Besides… the previous night had proved that his control when it came to his sire was indeed lacking. A whole lot.

Amethyst eyes parted hesitantly, almost fearful for some unknown reason. He blinked once, watching the ceiling where the canopy of his bed should have been. This was… of course, he was still here, sprawled over Schuldich's bed – or rather his bed seeing that it was his damn house, the bloody bastard just thought he could come in here and take over – after the previous night's events. Events that were fuzzy for a few moments but came back full force once he sat up and looked around. The tapestries were drawn; dusk had shown her beautiful face by now. The room itself was relatively neat, his clothes, which he knew for a fact had been tossed and lost on the floor the previous night had been set neatly over the plush arm of the couch. A crimson brow was arced at this. But he gave it no thought and merely slid out of bed with graceful movements that never faltered; the smooth rippling of muscles beneath creamy white flesh, the whispering of the silky crimson wave of hair that caressed his naked back and shoulders with each movement.

Eternal beauty personified.

The bundle of clothes was gathered and slipped into just as a more severe thought entered his mind.

Ken.

He'd left him there at the entrance the previous night after having found him at the damn club. Knowing it was Schuldich's doing, he had meant to confront him. He had. Only it had ended up in a wild, lustful confrontation between the sheets instead. The passionate, desperate movement of limbs, entangling with one another. Teeth scraping, blood shedding, lust intensifying. It was madness and he had lost himself among all of it like he did so many years before. But Ken had been forgotten. Something oddly resembling a pang of guilt hit him as he wandered out the door and down the hall.

But still the sensual images of Schuldich's touch did not leave his mind. It was too much of a pleasurable dejavu to just forget on the spot. But he had other things to deal with right now.

He came to find Ken curled up in the center of his bed, clutching a pillow for dear life as he slept peacefully. At least someone was getting some sleep around here. Aya approached the bed, padding quietly and dropping his long coat over the side of the mattress as he sat gently as not to disturb the sleeping figure upon it. And yet, he reached out silently, brushing back chocolate strands of hair with slender, pallid fingers. Ken barely stirred, yet his lips parted a bit as if he were responding to the touch.

Aya was partly surprised that he still slept and wondered just what he had done the previous night…wondered if he had just gone right to sleep or waited around for his return, that did not take place until that very moment.

"Ken.." he called softly, touching his shoulder.

This time the younger man did stir. Icy blue eyes being revealed, glazed from sleep as he gazed to his sire from behind jagged, messy bangs. Then it hit him, realization so cruel it forced a violent shiver down his back. Instead of smiling warmly and crawling toward Aya as the latter half-expected, he repelled. His body twitched as he pushed himself away, nearly falling off the mattress in the process, but anything was better at the moment than to be in those arms… those arms that had held another just a few hours ago. Tears manifested themselves in his eyes, drawing a questioning look from Aya but no words were spoken. Not until Ken began to climb off the bed, tossing aside the smooth material of black and deep crimson that had protected him during the poisonous daylight.

Aya stood then, looking to him, wondering, questioning but not letting his cool expression falter nevertheless. "What are you doing?"

Ken shivered, continuing to back away. It wasn't fear as much as a much stronger sense of betrayal than what he had felt upon hearing, and seeing Aya against that wall, lips parted in ecstasy as he gasped for the air he did not require. It was stronger now because the older man was behaving as if nothing had happened. Or perhaps he was just supposed not to care about these things. Not to have feelings and go on like a good, obedient little pet that follows his master willingly without the slightest thought of his own.

"Leave me alone…" he whispered shakily, inching toward the door under the watch of those cool amethysts he could so easily melt under. Gods, he was beautiful. Unrealistically so. Indeed, this had been too good to be true. Even if he had been snatched from a life he so loved the hope that this would be alright had still been there and now that he saw the duality of it all, he merely wanted to get the hell away. Run away…somewhere, anywhere that would free him from these strange feelings he decided that he did not want to be feeling. It hurt too much.

"Ken.."

"No!" He cried out, a tear sliding down his tanned cheek to clash upon the smooth floors. "You used me! I was nothing more than a toy to you! I was—I am nothing! Go back to Schuldich's bed, if you like it so much there!"

It happened too fast, the narrowing of dangerous amethysts, the turn of Ken's back, the dash right out the door, the intense running down the hall he had walked only hours before, right down to the front entrance and out onto the streets that served as a relief but also torment. He did not hear footsteps after him. He was right then, Aya could care less about him. Very well…

Sniffling quietly, drying the unchecked tears with the back of his palm, Ken looked around a moment before slowly heading down the street. Direction unknown. Not like it mattered. Maybe he could try jumping off a bridge, or…something. He did not even quite know what would kill him now.

In his own thoughts, he did not hear the car that drove up quietly beside him, but surely felt the brush of air as the door opened and the tall figure stepped out, smiling cheerfully. "You look like you need a drink. Hop in…"

Ken blinked dumbly. Hands guided him into the fancy sports car. He wasn't sure where he was going. He didn't care. Saddened blue orbs gazed wistfully in the mirror…at the door he had just emerged from. Where no one appeared but instead merely slammed the heavy wooden door, shutting out everything. Including him.

Well… it just seems to be getting worse and worse for little KenKen. ^^; See, I managed to get this one out fairly quickly. Reviews are appreciated~!