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“Ah! Yuu-chan is having a nightmare again!”
“Poor Yuu-chan. This is the eighth time this month already…”
“Can’t we help him, Akane?”
“No, Taichi. That is one of their rules. We can’t help them even if we want to…”
“Hmph! What’s the point of being a ghost if we can’t help them?”
The group of children, unseen and will never be seen, were startled out of their conversation by the boy they were watching over give another helpless cry as he’s being chased by the horrors of his dream and past. Yuu grips the blanket, but he was unable to open his eyes, forcing to relive the memory of his family being killed in front of him. The very family that are also forced to just simply watch over him ever since that tragic day.
“Please no… Don’t kill them! Don’t— NOOOOOOO!!!” Yuu let out a bloodcurdling scream and finally jolt up from his nightmare. He look around bewildered of his surroundings, in search of something – someone. They all knew who he was looking for, after all, they’re all in front of him except for one. Of course, he can’t see them. They’re dead.
After a few minutes of heavy breathing and roaming eyes darting everywhere in the awful, dark silence, he recognize where he was. It wasn’t Sangeium. It was at a safe place where that stupid Guren put him in. The twelve years-old boy let out a retched sob and clung onto the blanket. His family gather around him, but he was unable to feel or sense their presence. Akane sit the closest to Yuu and gently tries to stroke his head. Chihiro and Kouta each grasp a hand. Fumie and Taichi huddle around his legs. They were all there. But unable to give the comfort they desperately, he desperately need, want to give to one of their dearest ones left living in this cold world.
~.~.~
All of them remember their screams. Their fear. The pain of dying. The monster that caught them and rip their life away.
They could have move on. Left this world as it will descend into the judgement by the angels when the time comes, but they couldn’t. Not when Yuu and Mika were still alive. When one doesn’t know the other still live and constantly mourn in never-ending despair. When one desperately tries to hold his sanity and humanity to find a way back to the other. When both long the comfort and cry for the missing warmth their family bond once held.
Then they were given another choice, to remain tied to this world for a temporary amount of time. They unanimously agree without hesitation. The Hyakuya family stick together even beyond death!
However, they quickly learn they couldn’t talk to them.
They couldn’t be seen.
They couldn’t be felt.
They can only watch.
It was just a living hell, a punishment, for still clinging to the life they once have.
~.~.~
It hurts them to see Yuu cry every night and grieve for them so openly. But seeing Mika, the one who used to always smile no matter how hard life came crushing down, lost all emotions and shut off to the world, it cut them deeply. They saw how Mika turn into a vampire against his will and bound to the vampire queen Krul. As if the vampire blood poison him, the immediate change was apparent. He was alive yet so lifeless, only driven to barely live by the small hope to see Yuu again.
Mika spend so many days coming back to where they were killed and last saw Yuu escaping to freedom since then. They often wonder if it was a way for him to punish himself by staring the same spot where each of them died. Or if it was a way for him to pray Yuu stay safe. Or if it’s him still longing for freedom they all wished they had, but now the option will never come to him.
“Mika. Mika. You can’t starve yourself again. Drink Krul’s blood even if you hate it, not when you barely can’t stand it!” Akane softly scolds at him almost regularly every time they visit him.
They make it a habit to visit one every other week, and the other the next.
“He can’t hear you, Akane.” Kouta rolls his eyes as the oldest girl stand before Mika with hands on her hips.
She looks back at Kouta who withers under her stern glare, “He can’t, but that doesn’t mean I can’t give him a piece of my mind! Who knows, maybe he can eventually sense how mad I am for him to starve himself like this!”
“Mika doesn’t want to drink Krul’s blood because he probably feels it makes him even less human…” Fumie gently pat Mika’s head, she miss petting that fluffy hair.
“That…” Akane slightly falter and only look on sadly as Mika continues to stare at that room.
“Hey... One day he’ll find Yuu and become a family again, right?” Chihiro ask them, “He’ll become happy again… Right?”
They didn’t say anything, but they dare to hope.
~.~.~
“Live. Live until you find a new reason for life. If you do… then someday… you’ll find people who’ll need you.”
It was a mixture of feelings for all of them when they heard this. They were glad that a spark of life was renew once more in Yuu’s eyes that was gone for nearly half a year. They were afraid that Yuu will indeed find a new family one day and forget them, forget Mika. They were outraged for Guren manipulating their sweet Yuu slowly under his control, but also reluctantly grateful for him being there when Yuu needed someone the most.
They watch as Yuu give one last smile before huddling into bed, making peace and swore himself to vengeance as Guren made his way out to the door. They follow the older man, and nearly want to lunge at him after making out what files he was holding this entire time.
“That bastard! Let me kick his ass!” Kouta swore at the man who leaving Yuu’s room.
“He’s using Yuu-chan, isn’t he? Why did that bad man have to find Yuu-chan? Why can’t Yuu-chan find someone nicer?!” Fumie nearly burst into tears.
“…He’s using Yuu-chan… But I think he does care for Yuu-chan…” All the other children turn aghast at Akane who was looking away, away from the sight of the man who called himself a guardian for their precious Yuu-chan, “We can only hope he will protect Yuu-chan even if it’s…”
Akane bit her lips and wraps her arms around herself. “Yuu-chan probably knows he’s being used. And now he completely set his sights on revenge for us. Yuu-chan. You know better that we don’t want this. We just want you and Mika to stay safe…”
~.~.~
For Mika. The situation wasn’t any better. They lament as Mika is slowly driven to hate not only vampires but humans. He was twisted by the words that Krul and Ferid dance around his head every single day. He reacted the most to the words concerning about Yuu, that he was being used as a human experiment. It wasn’t a lie, they all knew that. But it was a truth that was meant to hurt and screw his thinking.
Mika widen his eyes, a rare expression of surprise that barely came these days, at this new knowledge,” Th-they’re hurting Yuu-chan?”
“Yes, yes~ Your precious Yuichiro is being used as their experiment because he’s special~” Ferid mocks as he circles around Mika with a sword in his hand like a vulture eyeing his prey. They were in those sessions where Mika is learning swordsmanship from the older vampire. Mika was distracted by the revelation and didn’t notice until it was too late as the vampire quickly thrust the sharp end of the sword to his chest. He gives out a loud, painful cry. Ferid merely laughs and pulls out the sword quickly as it came and go, “Tsk. Tsk. Concentrate, Mika. Concentrate~”
“Yuu-chan! What are they doing to Yuu-chan?!” Mika hiss, clutching to where his heart is and ignoring the pain as it slowly heals, “Tell me!”
“Eh~? I don’t feel like it though~!” Ferid shrugs. Mika growls and lunges at him with new, feral energy. Blades clash and spark against each other. Ferid grins predatory as he leans closer toward Mika who eyes him with nothing but hatred, “Yes. Come at me with that look.”
He shoves Mika back easily, sending the boy flying across the opposite of the room. Ferid hums in praise as Mika quickly got back on his feet, “Let’s make a deal~ If you can hit right here—“ Ferid points to his own chest, “—just once. I’ll let you know more about your precious Yuichiro and his awful, awful captors. Ah! But if I hit you there 10 times, you have to tell Krul, she’s going to have dinner with me tonight!”
“I hope that vampire queen cut off his arm again during that dinner.” Kouta mutters as they watch Mika wheezing in pain after the 10th strike to his heart.
“Maybe she can cut it off and burn it so he won’t hurt Mika so much again,” Chihiro mumbles in agreement.
“You two! Don’t say that!” Akane gives a disapproving glare to the two children who looks away, but unapologetic with their mutters of “that vampire deserves it” and “he can live without an arm for the rest of his life”.
“I hope Mika is ok…” Taichi whimpers at the agonizing pain that etches on Mika face before the wound finally heals. “Even if he can heal it now. It still hurts, doesn’t it?”
“…It’s probably more painful to Mika knowing that Yuu-chan escape but now is a prisoner by humans instead…”
They flinch as Mika stood up and violently throws the sword in his hand down to the ground. He grips his hair angrily and leans against the wall. His shoulders were shaking but the tears weren’t coming out, they won’t come out.
“Yuu-chan… I’ll save you, Yuu-chan…”
~.~.~
They nearly flew in panic as Yuu recklessly charge against the first vampire he saw in four years.
They only let a sigh of relief when Guren came and save the day by killing the pinked-hair vampire. Only to fly into panic again when that crybaby boy tackle hug Yuu straight into the cement ground and knock him unconscious.
“Since you finally managed to find a friend… As of today, you are members of the vampire annihilation force,” the purple-haired girl cheerfully piped after tossing the uniform onto the awaken Yuu bed in the hospital, “Which means that, like it or not, Yoichi and I will be your partners. Welcome to the Moon Demon Squad.”
They all held their breath as Yuu hesitated and turn his head away blushing, before outstretching his own hand and pat on top of the other two’s hands.
Yuu finally accept to move on.
Yuu finally found new friends… a new family.
They were silent before Akane smile and pat her own hand on top of the living ones. She smiles at Yuu, “Congratulation, Yuu-chan. You can finally go on.”
One by one, everyone pat their own hands on top of the pile.
“Yay! Yuu-chan!”
“Yuu-chan has a new friend!”
“He has two new friends!”
“You did it, Yuu-chan!”
“We’re glad you finally found a friend!”
~.~.~
“Hey, do you really think it’s ok for Yuu-chan to continue down this path even with his new family?” Chihiro question out loud as they crouch down and watch Yuu sleeping on the ground as he, and the others, forming their contracts with their demons.
“Yuu-chan doesn’t have much of a choice, does he? At least here, he has people that seem to care for him. But Mika…” Taichi trails off. They look downcast at the thought of Mika. Mika wasn’t surrounded with a healthier environment like Yuu luckily was in the past four years. They hope Mika and Yuu can meet each other soon.
“Mika and Yuu-chan are going to meet, aren’t they? I mean, they will eventually if they’re going to the battlefield.” Kouta flickered his eyes at Akane, “Will… Will Yuu-chan hurt Mika now that he’s a vamp—“
“Yuu-chan won’t. He would never intentionally.” Akane firmly and swiftly downcast the thought.
They stood up as Yuu woke up from his pseudo-slumber. They watch as Yuu and the telephone pole, they jokingly but affectionately called the pinked-haired boy, battle with Yoichi before Yuu immediately stands down. Unwillingly to hurt the younger boy, he threw his weapon down and unwaveringly believes that Yoichi wouldn’t hurt him. He was right.
It quickly reassure them.
If a boy that recently became a friend of Yuu and possessed under a demon control was forgiven, surely a life-long family member that became a vampire like Mika would be treated the same.
~.~.~
It was a harsh decision to watch over who once they realize that Yuu and Mika are heading the same way in the war at the same time. They decide upon Mika, reassure that at least Yuu will have his new family to watch over him. Mika, on the other hand, did not. Even if he couldn’t see them, they didn’t want the boy to be more alone then he already was.
They follow Mika through the battlefield, hoping nothing would come up until Yuu and Mika find each other.
They feared the worse when Yuu unwittingly stab Mika in his blind rage. They pray desperately as the two immediately recognize each other. It was a small relief they didn’t intend to fight each other, even cried for each other afar in joy and happiness of their reunion. But the relief turn to despair and horror when they find out what the result of the experimentation lead to as Yuu turn into his seraph form.
They cried when Yuu didn’t recognize from his foes to his allies, his family!
They all clung to Yuu’s body, screaming for him to stop as he plunges his sword deeper into Mika’s chest to get to Shinoa.
“Stop it, Yuu-chan! You’re going to kill Mika!” Akane screams upon deaf ears.
“Yuu-chan, wake up!” Kouta and Chihiro trying to pull his arm away gripping the sword but to no avail. “Wake up, Yuu-chan!”
“You can’t do this, Yuu-chan!” Fumie wailed.
“You can’t kill them! They’re your family!” Taichi cried out loud.
“PLEASE COME BACK TO YOUR SENSE, YUU-SAN!”
“YUU-CHAN!!!”
They still held him even as the horrific presence was gone from his body. Suddenly Yuu felt very small again in their tiny arms. They mistakenly thought that at least Yuu was better off than Mika. It was a mistake. Yuu and Mika are trapped in this vicious game of power play, and forced to separate once more.
~.~.~
They pray. They pray so hard. That whatever mercy there is left in this world that at least their two family members will find each other again and let them run away from whatever their manipulators held in store for them.
“Mika, I will certainly…”
“Yuu, I will certainly…”
“…save you.”
“Please save them. Please save Yuu and Mika,” they cried.
~.~.~
Within a month, they found each other again. Yuu’s new family let Mika take away Yuu, who was unconscious at that time, from the battlefield in Nagoya. The last time they ever saw each other was when the vampire reinforcement came. They hope that Yuu’s new family was ok, for Yuu’s, and also now Mika’s as it seem that the Shinoa squad adopted him in even unwillingly, sakes.
Though Yuu was overjoy to see Mika again once he waken up from his regeneration, he quickly form in protest as the two argue whether to go to the airport where the Japanese army supposed to gather. Yuu wanted to make sure his friends were fine and not captured, or worse, killed. Mika wanted him and Yuu to be away from all this madness once and for all.
As if everything wanted to curse their moments together, they were told their time was up. Once the night ends, the children will finally depart from this world, away from Yuu and Mika. They beg to have a little more time. Not to let them leave at such a crucial moment where the boys may or may not have their fall out, the decisive moment where they decide to be the family they wanted be, or separate.
Their wish was unheard.
Just less than a night away. This is their final hours.
They painfully watch as the two brothers awkwardly try to separate their distance at the church they were refuging at. Yuu and Mika end their heated argument and let their heads cool off until morning before deciding what to do. They slept, at least trying to sleep from they can tell, in the same massive room but at the opposite sides.
They were scared that the two won’t come into agreement. Even if they did get along, Yuu and Mika were always polar opposites and there were times, their extreme stubbornness to disagree upon something were something to behold back then. They hope they can get past that. That their pride won’t drive a wedge. Not at a time like this.
~.~.~
Yuu shifted awkwardly as he tries to get comfortable on the wooden bench he was sleeping at. The damn bench was hard and old. He roll again to his other side and wince as a loud creak was made. He hope Mika didn’t hear that. Oh, who he was kidding. Mika probably hears him breathing with that sharp vampire senses of his.
“Yuu-chan?” He took a sharp inhale when he hears Mika’s soft, concern question from the opposite side of the room.
“Y-Yea?”
“…Can’t sleep, huh?”
“Not really, I slept for three days straight. I think I got all the sleep I need, to be honest.” His heart give a small leap when Mika chuckles gently at his snark. He really miss this. He and Mika used to whisper to each other about things under the blanket when others were asleep. Most of all, he missed the warmth Mika gave sleeping with him, “Remember how we used to sleep together?”
“…Mm hmm. Does Yuu-chan want me to sleep with him?” Yuu can hear the teasing tone in Mika. Normally, he would blush furiously and yell at him to shut up but this time, after so long, he laughed out loud. God, did he really missed Mika. Not expecting that kind of reaction, Mika raise a questioning voice, “Yuu-chan?”
“Sorry, sorry. I just… I just really missed you.”
“I missed you too, Yuu-chan…”
A moment of silence envelope them. Before Yuu sighs and decides to sit up. He look to where Mika was lying down at the other side. Yea, he can’t really sleep at this rate. Yuu stands up and walk toward the blonde vampire. As he made way, he can see Mika tense a bit before sitting up on the bench. He sat next to Mika but didn’t look at him and instead stare straight ahead at the chapel.
“Can… Can we talk?”
He can feel Mika steady gaze on him before he hears the other’s voice, “We can talk later, Yuu-chan. We just need time.”
“No, I think we should talk now. We should decide now.” He wants to give time, but for some reason, Yuu felt restless. He felt that he and Mika needed to make a decision right now for someone’s sake, “…please?”
“…Alright.”
Again. Silence. Yuu did say he wanted to talk and normally he was straightforward about it, but the thing is there is so much to say that he felt both him and Mika need to understand each other reasons. They have little time though, the more they waste sitting here, the more it’s possible the army already left the airport. Where to start really?
“…Does it feel weird having fangs?”
Mika snorts and playfully swat Yuu’s head, “Silly Yuu-chan. I thought you wanted to talk something serious, and this is the first thing you asked?”
“Hey! I am curious about it.” Yuu protest.
“…You get used to it. Fangs. Vampires. Everything, I guess…”
“…Did you get used to us not being there? Did you missed Akane? Fumie? Kouta? Chihiro? Taichi?”
Mika whips his head sharply at Yuu, “Of course, I missed you! Everyone! I missed you all so badly, Yuu-chan! It hurted! It hurted that everyone was gone and I was all alone! How could I get used to that?”
Yuu nearly jump in surprise at Mika’s outburst. Shit. He didn’t mean to make Mika upset like this already. He’s not really good at this. He fumble around before he croaked, “I-I missed you too, Mika… I was all alone too and I missed you guys so much…”
The blonde tense stance soften, quickly forgiving the mistake at the sight of Yuu’s somber expression. It’s been so long, the two were unsure of the grounds to touch and not to touch. They’re going have to be patient to find that common, comfortable place again, “Yuu-chan… I… I always thought about you and the others… every day.”
“Me too, Mika… I would never forget you guys…”
“Were they always this shy, Akane?” Chihiro wonder out loud as the two boys went back to silence again.
“I thought they would start beating each other up and then make up, then decide right there and then,” Kouta crouches in front of them.
Akane sighs before rubbing each boy gently on the shoulders, hoping it’ll give them the strength to continue talking, “It’s been a long time, guys. They’ve changed. And… It’s not like before. They have things, people they care, to lose this time.”
“Poor Yuu-chan. Poor Mika…” Fumie pats Yuu’s hands as they were trembling from the cold, or trying to stop from himself bursting into tears.
“Even if we don’t get to see to the end… I hope they can stay together…” Taichi pat Mika’s hair.
“They will come around,” Akane presses a comforting kiss on top on Yuu’s and Mika’s heads, “They’re our Yuu-chan and Mika after all.”
~.~.~
“Heh heh,” Mika look at Yuu questioningly when he heard him laugh softly. Yuu gives a sheepish smile as he scratches his pink-tint cheek, “I know it’s gonna sound kinda silly. Don’t laugh, I’ll punch you. But… It always felt like you and everyone in our family were watching over me, before I knew you were alive. You know like, guardian angels? Uh, the good ones. And…”
Yuu took a deep breath before grabbing Mika hands and squeeze them, “And it gave me the c-courage to move on. I still miss them so – so much. I really do, Mika. But I’m glad I moved on. I’m glad I took a step forward to find a new family, to find you again, Mika.”
“…A new family, huh?” Mika utter quietly before he let out a small sigh, “ I think… They would be happy too. It would be something I would have – No, would still hope if I did really die on that day. I’m glad for you, Yuu-chan.”
“It doesn’t have to end between the two of us, Mika!” Yuu tighten his grips, “Old family. New family. We’re in this together! You’re part of my family, always will! So… Can’t you accept them— our future together?”
Mika breath hitch. They saw the longing, they knew how much he wanted this. He always, just like Yuu, wanted a place to belong and people to cherish.
“Mika, let’s be a family again with everyone? Is that ok?” Yuu releases Mika’s hands but outstretch a single hand. A hand of friendship, love, and a future. Just like Mika offer him 8 years ago.
Mika was wavering. He wants this, yet he was scared. They decide to do what they also did with Yuu years ago, give him the extra push. They each place a hand on his own shaking hand, guiding it toward Yuu’s.
“It’s ok, Mika.”
“You can move on too, Mika.”
“You are always our Mika, vampire or not.”
“We forgive you a long time ago. You should forgive yourself too.”
“Make Yuu-chan and everyone happy. And let Yuu-chan and everyone make you happy, Mika.”
Yuu’s hand was warm. It warm him. He wonder if this how it was for Yuu as well back then. He flickers hesitating sapphire eyes at Yuu, only to be rewarded with the heartfelt emerald eyes. A small gasp escape from Mika’s lips when he was pull into a hug.
“Thank you, Mika…”
He wrap his arms around Yuu’s waist and bury his face onto his shoulders. A soft sob came out from his dry throat, “No… Thank you, Yuu.”
They close their eyes, if they just thinking about it hard enough, it feels as if the others were around them.
They gave them a bone-crushing hug if it could be felt. One last hug. One last family hug.
Slowly, they let go the two boys who were still embracing, unaware of the watchful eyes of their family. The children can feel their souls being lift away. Their presences were disappearing. There were still so many words they want to say to them. Still so many feelings toward them and their future together.
They look at each other before smiling and decided to say the words they wished they had a chance to say back then, “We love you, Yuu and Mika!”
It’ll be fine.
Even if they weren’t there to watch over them anymore.
They will be each other’s guardian angels.