Chapter Text
Mika had always been the most put-together of their family. He was the one who would calm the young down after the vampires stole them from the orphanage. He was the one who came up with the plan to rescue everyone from the city. He remained calm and collected while a vampire drank his blood, just for the small chance of escape. It’s who he was, Mika thinks, to always plan for the next disaster, but remain optimistic for the future.
He wasn’t optimistic now. And he didn’t have a plan.
It’s almost ironic, he thinks, how Mika’s goal for the past few months has been to rescue Yuu from both the vampires and the humans, and now isn’t that what they were doing?
But Yuu taking on the power of the Seraph of Salt was not part of that goal, and Mika himself becoming a full vampire was not the future he imagined for them. It was the worst-possible-case scenario.
Shinoa stopped abruptly in front, leading Mitsuba to slam into her from behind. They had been heading south from the Nagoya airport.
“Ugh, sorry Shinoa—,” she began before Shinoa cut her off.
“Shh. Look”, she whispered. A four horseman of John lumbered into their path from a dark alleyway. Shinoa summoned her scythe and attempted a battle stance, but shaking legs gave away her exhaustion.
“Wait guys, I got this,” Yoichi squeaked from the back of the group. He shrugged off Kimizuki into Narumi’s waiting arms and summoned his bow. He loosed an arrow of his demon’s dark energy, and shot the Four Horseman through its chest. The group scurried around the creature, worried it’s death might attract unwanted attention.
The abrupt movement caused Yuu to shift in Mika’s arms, but when he looked down to check, the boy’s eyes were still closed. He grimaced.
“We need to stop,” he shouted to the rest of the group, his leader mentality kicking in. “We can’t keep running until you fall over. Humans aren’t designed to run forever.”
Shinoa looked back, as if about to protest, but Mitsuba grabbed her hand.
“He’s right. We don’t have food, water, anything. We need to help Kimizuki, too,” she said, shooting a glance at the wounded pink-haired boy leaning on Narumi. His wound had been quickly wrapped by the ripped-off sleeve of his uniform to stop the bleeding, but Mika knew if they didn’t rest to clean the wound and get actual medical supplies to stop infection, he might not make it. His eyes were barely staying open.
“I’m fine—,” Kimizuki started, only to get cut off by his support.
“No, you're not,” Narumi replied. “You’re bleeding out. Mitsuba’s right. We need to stop.”
Shinoa scanned their surroundings. “I think that used to be a department store,” she said, pointing at a large, mostly-intact steel building. “We can’t stay out in the open. Let’s rest for the night there and see if there is anything to eat”.
The girls drew their weapons and led the group in, surveying for any vampires or monsters hidden in the shadows.
After clearing the first floor, the girls went up to check on the second, leaving the rest of the squad to take stock of their supplies. The building was indeed a department store, as mannequins displaying fashionable clothing flanked every few feet.
They moved to the back of the floor, near the stairs, to avoid detection from the front doors. Mika laid Yuu down on the plush carpet while Narumi did the same for Kimizuki across the room, before slumping down against the wall himself.
Mika sat cross-legged behind Yuu’s head, resting his sword beside him. Yuu didn’t have any injuries, but still wouldn’t wake up. Mika grimaced and put his head in hands. This whole thing was a disaster. Those stupid humans. How could they do this to him? To us?
A wave of exhaustion rolled over Mika, and he knew that he wasn’t too far from going unconscious himself. The blood he drank from Yuu (Hours? Days?) earlier had kept him satiated, but was mostly drained from the fight at the airport.
Footsteps caused Mika to look up, as Shinoa and Mitsuba walked down carrying an assortment of snack bags and sugary drinks.
“Sorry,” Mistuba said. “This was all they had in the vending machine upstairs.”
“Though we did manage to find one of these,” Shinoa held up a white box with a cross on the front, “in the staff room.”
“Oh awesome!” Yoichi shot up and grabbed the box, beginning to unload its contents next to Kimizuki.
The girls set the drinks and snacks on the ground as Shinoa addressed the group. “Well that covers food. And we’ll be able to clean up Kimizuki. There’s a bathroom around the corner but who knows if there is running water.”
Mistuba began to distribute the supplies amongst them. Shinoa sank down next to Mika.
“Hey,” she whispered. “How is he?” Mika looked down at Yuu. “I don’t know,” he answered truthfully.
She looked down at Yuu and then back up to Mika, giving him a mysterious smirk. “Here,” she whispered and unbuttoned her shirt to reveal the slope of her collarbone.
Mika grunted and shot up. “Stop.”
“Come on. I know you must be thirsty. I doubt a bag of chips will do anything for you.” She stood up and moved closer, tilting her neck to expose the soft spot right next to her windpipe.
An image of a scared human child under his grip flashed before his eyes. I know you’re thirsty Mika. Take advantage of battle and have a sip.
“Stop. I won’t. I’m fine."
“Listen,” she demanded, her once soft velvet voice traded in for that of a harsh commander. “We aren’t in any position to pass up sustenance. We may need your vampire strength to stay alive out here. This isn’t a suggestion. Yuu would be seriously pissed if you died because you were too stubborn to not drink.”
She picked up his discarded sword and held it against her neck, expertly aiming to avoid vital blood vessels. Mika glanced across the room behind her. Narumi and Mitsuba were eating. Yoichi was pouring disinfectant on Kimizuki’s chest. And Yuu…
Yuu was still unconscious at their feet. Mika remembered his desperate voice when they reunited. Mika had dragged him into an abandoned convenience store, too weak to stop Yuu from coming over and holding onto him. Just drink you idiot! If you need blood then drink mine! Please, I can’t lose you again!
Mika bit his lip and scrunched up his face, forcing his tears back before they spilled down his face. He hated what he was. He hated what it forced him to do. He hated the vampires for taking over his life and he hated the humans for allowing vampires to take over the world. If Mika had a choice, he would never drink a human’s blood again. He would rather die.
But… Yuu. Yuu needed him right now. Yuu needed him alive. And Mika couldn’t protect him if he withered away to nothing.
“Fine,” Mika spat, and reached out his hand. Shinoa smiled and dropped the sword, taking off her glove and rolling up her sleeve.
Mika pushed back the thoughts of evil vampire and dirty bloodsucker and leaned down. He sunk his fangs into Shinoa’s wrist and drank.
The warm blood slid down his throat and pooled in his stomach, heating his body from the inside out. It was delicious, intoxicating—
-And disgusting, Mika thought, pulling his mouth away and wiping his red mouth.
“Thanks.”
Shinoa smirked again and pulled out an empty plastic water bottle from her skirt. She held it up to the holes on her wrist and allowed the crimson liquid to drain into the plastic container. After she was done, she tilted her wrist upright, twisted the bottle’s cap closed and handed it to Mika.
“You’re going to need this again. Just in case.”
Mika bit his lip. “Fine.” He snatched the bottle out of her hand.
She turned and gave him another creepy smile before sauntering off to get a bandage from Yoichi.
Mika slid down to the floor. He grabbed some dusty clothes off of the rack beside him and draped it over Yuu and himself. Mika curled up closer to Yuu, reminded of how Mika used to comfort Yuu after a nightmare by sliding into bed with him and holding him until he stopped crying.
The thought made him smile, just a tiny bit. This was not an ideal situation, but as long as he can protect Yuu, Mika would stay alive. This world is worth it when the two of them are together.