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The world was in chaos, and it was ending, it was surely ending. Because that is what you call it, don’t you? When people close to you are falling and dying, leaving you behind forever? Because it’s not the world that matters - it’s the people in it.
Yuuichirou Hyakuya was fighting but he didn’t even remember what their mission was. He was only slashing his way through vampires, because he needed to find those dear to him, see them alive and well, smiling their stupid smiles at him, teasing him for caring so much because he didn’t like to show. With every slash of his sword, his panic rises. Because yes, sure, it would be bad if they lost this fight, since it would mean his friends were in danger, but what if they actually won? What would happen to-
Only one person remained in his mind, only one name, one face, one stupid perfect beautiful smile. Sunlight kissing his golden hair, blue eyes shining with joy.
And he ran, he tasted blood, but he ran. He could feel salty tears burning on his cheeks, but he ran. He fell down, almost got pierced by the sword of a stupid bloodsucker, but he got up and ran. His gaze everywhere, searching, only searching, heartbeat raising, please please please don’t kill him. Imagining Guren or Shinoa or Kimizuki hovering over him, the boy with sunshine in his locks and the whole world in the gaze of his deep blue eyes. Weapon raising, coming down, down, down. Please no no no no.
Yuuichirou could only run, and search, desperately.
Shadows were getting bigger, the sun was leaving this cold, ugly world behind for the day, closing his eyes for the fighting and the blood.
He was losing hope, until a voice called out to him. A voice he immediately recognized, because he had embraced it with all of his soul and being, after hearing it again, although slightly changed, after four years of thinking he would never ever hear its sound again. And he abruptly turned around, but was too late to catch his eyes because he was already being embraced with arms that were stronger than he remembered.
‘Yuu-chan! Oh, I’m so glad! I couldn’t find you anywhere I thought you-’ ‘Don’t say it,’ Yuuichirou hissed, because he couldn’t hear it. He couldn’t hear him say those words, as they were exactly the same thoughts he just had himself. And he was afraid of them, they terrified him. He could never ever lose him, not after finding miraculously him again.
Mika, his Mika, the Mika he would never let go again, simply responded by holding him tighter and he was shaking, Yuuichirou could definitely feel him shaking and he wondered if he was crying. He hoped he was, because then he wouldn’t have to feel embarrassed for his own tears.
‘Mikaela, step aside.’
Mika let go of him and positioned himself protectively in front of him, clutching his sword, and Yuuichirou blinked, a vampire he didn’t recognize emerged in front of them.
‘Why are you protecting that disgusting human?’ the vampire asked. Mika didn’t answer, and suddenly the vampire started to laugh out loud, producing a sound that send shivers through Yuuichirou’s body. It was not that he was afraid, no no no, of course not. But that laugh was damn creepy. ‘Oh, I see, I see, you want his blood for yourself, don’t you? Woah, I didn’t know you prefered male blood to female blood, Mikaela, what a surprise, what a surprise.’
‘Shut up,’ Mika hissed. ‘Get out of here.’
‘Hey you!’ A voice called out and Yuuichirou instinctively turned around, only to meet the gaze of a very angry looking soldier whom he didn’t recognize. The unknown soldier probably didn’t know him either, since he didn’t call out his name. He was wielding a sword just like him, and held it dangerously close to him and Mika. Alarmed, Yuuichirou protectively held his own sword in front of him, trying to stare the guy down, but it didn’t work, because his hands were shaking, embodying the fear that ran through his body. Mika. Mika. Mika. Mika. Don’t hurt him. Oh god, please don’t hurt him.
‘What is going on here?’ the soldier yelled. ‘Why aren’t you attacking him?’ Almost at the same time, the vampire spoke. ‘That’s not how it works, Mikaela, you have to share. I’m very curious as to why you’re so fond of this boy’s blood~’
From the corner of his eye, Yuuichirou could see him coming closer, as was the guy in front of him. He bit his lip, moving backwards carefully, until his back bumped into Mika’s. And for a second he closed his eyes, cursing this, cursing this terrible world and every begin on it. He wanted to cry and scream and he wanted everything to disappear, until nothing but he and Mika were left.
‘Finish that bloodsucker or step aside if you’re too wimpy to do it yourself.’
‘Let me have a taste too! And if you’re right about his taste we can keep him as livestock!’
That last word always flipped a switch in Yuuichirou that only made him extremely angry, and he wanted to turn around and slice that bloodsucker’s throat to show him what ‘livestock’ was capable of. But he was stuck. He wouldn’t dare turn his back to the person who was supposed to be his comrade, but turned himself into an enemy now that he was about to kill Mika. Suddenly, he felt the reassuring weight against his back disappear and could only watch, terrified, as Mika, the calm and gentle Mika, attacked the vampire, aiming for his head, but cutting his hand off instead.
‘Quickly!’ the soldier suddenly whispered in his ear - when did he get so close? ‘Let’s finish them both of while they’re having their strange argument!’
He got into position to attack and everything in Yuuichirou screamed. He didn’t even realize he was screaming on the outside as well until he saw the soldier looking at him with a scared look on his face.
‘Go away,’ he growled. ‘I can handle them myself perfectly. Go find your squad.’ Just shut up shut up shut up shut up, he was thinking, and he was shaking and crying and breaking but please let it work please leave and never come back don’t hurt Mika please please please.
The soldier backed away and shot him a weird look before leaving him alone with Mika and the vampire. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you, kid, but don’t think I’ll let this go so easily. I’ll report this to the higher ups. That is, if you’re still alive after this of course.’ He left. He finally finally finally left. And somehow the vampire had gone too, carrying his lost hand with him and they were together. Just him and Mika.
Even with blood on his face and that sad look on his face, he looked oh so very beautiful. Yuuichirou covered his face with his hands and cried. Because his friends were somewhere out there, fighting, winning or maybe losing, he didn’t even know. And here he was, ignoring and forgetting it all. Please please please be okay, don’t die, he wished. And he knew the only way to make sure was to go and find them. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t go there. He couldn’t leave him. Not here. Not after what happened just now. Never. Because when Mika took his hand and squeezed it, just before hugging him tightly and whispering things in his ear that were too embarrassing to remember, he finally felt warm in this ice cold, terrible world. And it was the only place where he truly belonged. Next to him.