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“Just cause he looks like your precious Ken doesn’t mean shit.”
Momo Ayase rolled her head out of the puddle of tears and broken prospects that was forming beneath her to glare at Kei and Miko. Miko peered down at Ayase from over her nail file.
“She’s right, y’know. If you wanted to date a dead man so badly,” Miko points to the back of the room with her nail file, “you could date the resident corpse.”
Lurking at the back of the lecture hall sprawled a silver-haired man. His long limbs hanging over the seats around him, head tilted back, and appearing to be asleep. As soon as all three women looked back at him, his head lulled forward. His gaze lazily moved from each of them to the next, ending with Ayase.
Ayase felt a chill run down her spine. The intensity of his mahogany eyes was enough to make her turn away. Kei was the only one brave enough to keep her eyes on him, scanning.
“At least he’s hotter than your ex.”
Ayase slammed her fist down on the desk and glared at her friend. A fire burning in her eyes.
”No one is hotter than Takakura Ken! And that dead guy looks nothing like Ken-San!”
“You sure he’s not hotter? He has pretty hair and is pretty tall,” Miko mimicked his wavy hair with her finger tips.
“Yeah, and unlike the last guy, he might actually be interested in you, Momo.”
Ayase’s head whipped to Kei, eyes narrowed, “Ehhhh?”
Kei finally broke her gaze from the ghoul to look at Ayase, “Yeah. He hasn’t stopped staring at you.
Before Ayase could fully process, the professor came in, started class, and was already lecturing Ayase on not paying attention. Ayase grumbled as she turned her attention to the old bat. Goddamn, the old crone moved at 100 km.
“Finally, we will be beginning our last assignment for the semester. This will be worth half of your overall score in the class, so don’t fuck it up.”
The professor held her hand up to her ear so she could properly soak in the groans and complaints of the class. A wicked smile grew across her face.
”Did I mention that you’ll have assigned partners?”
The collective anguish of the classroom was as satisfying to the Professor as listening to a cat purr.
Ayase listened as group after group was called. She watched Kei and Miko touch elbows when they were paired together.
“Do you want to come over tonight so we can chat about the project?” Ayase heard Miko whisper to Kei.
Wait, was she missing something there? The way Miko spoke was different. The thought was cut short when she heard another pair of names called.
Her anxiety of who she would be paired with was short lived as her thoughts began to turn to the man in the back of the classroom. She was about to peek over when the name was called.
”Takakura Ken…”
Ayase felt her reality splinter.
”…And Ayase Momo.”
The fragments of life as she knew it broke entirely. Dumbfounded, she looked around the room. No one acknowledging her, until her gaze fell onto the tall, lanky man at the back. His eye brow rose, his smirk grew, and he nodded in acknowledgement.
The fragments of reality fell around her, gone to the insanity that was quickly becoming her life.
The amount of ‘fuck this’ Ayase was feeling in her soul compelled her feet to new speeds as she rushed from the classroom the moment class ended. She MUST have misheard his name. There was no fucking way she was going to stick around to have anything confirmed. When she rounded the corner to the hallway, her feet froze by the sight in front of her. While her feet might have frozen, the rest of her body was still very much so in motion.
“Falling for me so quickly, babe?”
Takakura Ken smiled, catching her before she and the concert floor could share a kiss. His hands were on her shoulders, keeping her stable, but then just as quick, his hands were back to his sides.
“Who are you calling, babe?!”
She sneered, though all of the venom in her words was undercut by the bright blush adorning her face, neck, and ears.
He held up his hands in surrender. It was only when he extended his right hand to her, did she notice the slip of paper in his fingertips. She cautiously took it from him.
“What’s this?”
“My number.”
“What?! For why?”
He put his hands into his pockets, turned, and started to walk away.
”For our project,” He spoke without looking back at her, “Unless you have a problem with working with a dead guy.”
“Ah, well- I just- You don’t-“ Ayase fumbled her words, not sure how to mitigate damage or how the hell he even heard that.
He stops and smiles at her over his shoulder.
“Eh, don't worry about it. I get it. I’m an awkward fellow, afterall.”
Ayase stared at her ringing phone as if the piece of technology had fundamentally betrayed her. She had been texting Ghoul Boy (named such internally because she absolutely refused to think of him by his name) but now his phone number displayed on caller ID. She fumbled but finally picked up.
“Why the hell are you calling me?! Who said you could call me?!”
Her fury clashed with his deep, raspy chuckle. She deflated when hearing his voice so close. For a split second, she wondered if hearing him speak into her ear like this would give her the same goosebumps she felt now. Lifting her left hand, Ayase slapped her face hard enough to leave a handprint. Deeply and truly, fuck that pervious thought.
“Yo, what can I say? Texting is such a drag.”
Ayase and him continued to banter for half an hour, only barely talking about their upcoming project here and there. But after an hour of speaking, they finally settled on Ayase’s topic idea: Modern Folklores, and Their Impact on Culture.
“Hmmm, yeah, yeah, we can do that; but only if we include UFOs.”
”Eh? Why would you want to waste time on something as ridiculous as UFOs?”
“Thread carefully, Gorgeous.”
Ayase took a beat to calm her heart then fired back in.
“Convince me why.”
Ayase spent the next half an hour listening to Ghoul Boy tell her about different alien sightings, a building that was prime for sightings, as well as different types of aliens. The more he talked, the more his guard went down. His voice picking up in cadence and pitch. It was... cute.
“Eh? I wouldn’t have expected someone like you to have such a passion for the occult.”
“What do you expect from someone like me?”
His voice settled back into its deep growl in her ear. Instead of acknowledging his question, she suddenly announced.
“Oh, I know! Since you’re so into the occult, I’ll call you Okarun!”
The silence that followed her declaration grew heavier and heavier on Ayase’s consciousness. Was she too mean? Was he uncomfortable? Should she say something?
”H-Hey, you good?”
“Ye...Just never had a nickname that has to do with my interests before. Or literally anything that doesn’t have to do with my appearance.”
The statement hung in the air, feeling charged and heavy. Ayase, not sure what to do, started to speak when Okarun cut her off.
“Ah, I actually need to finish a few chores before bed. Let’s plan a time to meet up soon.”
“Oh, um, yeah. That works for me. Is texting about that okay?”
The rumble of his deep chuckle reverberated to her bones.
“Yeah, we can text about that. Good night, Momo-chan.”
“Run that past me again, yo.”
Okarun laid sprawled out in a library chair before her, his hands on his head as he rubbed his eyes. His movements were slow, and tired.
”I don’t get what the big deal is. All I want to do is go to the alien building you told me about. I can collect proof of aliens not existing so we can add it to our report. Easy peasy.”
His groan comes out as more of a growl. His hands drop and he looks at her.
“I think exploring a site is a great idea, but I don’t think you doing it alone is safe. What if I were to go, so you aren’t put in a dangerous situati-“
“Eh?! Why would it be safe for you and not for me?!”
Her outrage was loud and several other people in the library were now looking at them. Okarun didn’t falter under the gaze of his peers and keep his eyes on her, his expression much more serious.
“Momo-Chan, you’re not hearing m-“
”You can’t even come up with a reason! And you’re the one that insisted on aliens! You were the one who told me about the building! I thought you would be excited but it turns out you’re just a pig.”
She turned on her heel and walked away from him, fire and fury pulsing in her veins.
“I’m a fucking moron,” Ayase whispered to herself as she shined her flashlight down the corridor. It was full of spiderwebs and broken furniture. She moves to a different corridor, not seeing the motionless man staring at her from outside the window of the building. She was currently on the 4th floor.
“I should have at least texted him or Granny that I was going to be here. God fucking damn this useless brain.”
She rounded a corner and saw a huge teacher’s desk blocking the hallway. She turned around to go back, when she saw three identical men blocking her path.
“Fuck.”
When her eyes opened, it felt like every photo filter to ever exist was applied to the world. Some things were muted, others too vibrant. It hurt to look at her surroundings, but she knew she needed to. That this wasn’t a bad dream she could wake up from. The three aliens in front of her made that abundantly clear.
They were speaking to her, but nothing was registering. While their words were not clear, their intentions were, which made Momo's goals clear. She needed to get out of here. Now.
The aliens moved to her and started to pick at the remaining clothes she had. She felt something swelling inside of her. It felt like a waves of the ocean inside of her were starting to crash against the rocks of her limitations, breaking and eroding them. Not fast enough tho. The creature pulled out it’s “banana” and Ayase thrashed harder against her restraints.
“We assure you, we will be gentle.”
Boom.
The moment, the fear that it instilled, and the tension was broken by the sound of pounding on metal from somewhere in the room. The aliens looked at each other and then around the room.
Boom.
The banana was put away and they started to look around the room, speaking about potential failures to their ship and systems.
Crunch.
One of them started to examine a panel on the wall.
“I believe that the noise is coming fro-“
The sound of metal ripping and bending filled the room, followed by screams from the alien that was thrown across the room. The metal panel was forced in and had crashed in on the alien. The metal bending around the creature holding it in place.
Before either of the mobile aliens could move, a blur entered the ship and came tearing toward the two remaining aliens. Ayase watched as Okarun’s fist connected with the stomach of an alien, sending the space creature flying.
At least, she thought it was Okarun. This Okarun’s hair moved like fire, with red, glowing streaks flickering throughout. His eyes burned. A vibrant, enraged red. There were two markings of red running down his face, to his neck and under his shirt. His nails were elongated and black.
Ayase watched him closely, shocked at the changes to his body as well as how his body moved. She watched him react to hits as if they were nothing. He moved with speed, so much speed. Watching such a display was memorizing. The thing that shocked her from her trance was his yell of pain. He hadn’t been fast enough for all three. They were firing projectiles at him from their hands. Once they got him, they kept firing. His yells of pain grew louder as he desperately tried to endure. It was only then that Ayase realized he was standing in front of her, between her and the aliens. He was shielding her. He didn’t move so she wouldn’t be hurt. The ocean inside of her broke the rocks holding it at bay.
Power spilled out of her in waves, breaking apart the restraints that were binding her. Suddenly Okarun was moved to the side by unseen hands. The metal that was partially pinning an alien down was crunched further, immobilizing him and his hands. The table she had been forced onto was ripped from the ground and thrown at another alien. She was overflowing with power and rage.
It wasn’t until hands gently touched her shoulders that she was broken from her trance. Okarun was standing beside with his hands on her shoulders and his face twisted with concern.
“I think it’s time for us to leave, Momo-Chan.”
She wanted to stay. She wanted to crush her attackers to powder, to dust, to nothing. Her rage and power was causing the metal around them to crunch and buckle inward. It was the fear in his eyes that made her nod. He sighed in relief and leaned down to pick her up. He ran them to the hole he had created when entering the craft. They were standing at the edge of the ship, looking down at the world. It looked so small below.
Okarun prepared to jump when Ayase cried out in pain. The last remaining alien was standing, firing at them. One of the small explosions hit her in the right hand, and the shratinal whipped and cut at both of their bodies. Without hesitation, Okarun jumped.
The arms around her were all that she could think about. Not her safety. Not the abduction. Not the violence. No, all Ayase could think about in that moment were Okarun’s arms holding her tightly to his chest. His hand was on the back of her head, keeping her neck and head supported.
“Okarun…”
She felt him jolt and his grip loosen from around her.
“Momo-Chan,” he whispered as he slowly pulled himself away from her, “Are you okay?”
Before she had wondered if hearing his voice so close on the phone would similar in real life. She could now confirm that this was much better. The adrenaline that had been driving her forward sputtered and coughed like a spigot running dry. With the adrenaline gone, Ayase was forced to feel all the injuries to her body. She hissed in pain, realizing her right hand was likely broken.
She felt his form tense at the sound. His eyes scanned her body. Broken right hand. Cuts on her face, arms, and legs. She watched as he looked lost in thought. She wondered what he was thinking about before his red eyes locked with hers.
“Momo-Chan, will you trust me?”
”A- Wha-….I mean, yeah but why-“
“-I’m…going to do something that will help us both, but… but I need you to keep your eyes closed.”
Ayase bristled at the idea and opened her mouth, but the look of desperation on his face silenced the protests in her throat. He was cut up and worn down, same as her. She could start to see bruises forming on his neck and arms. Part of his shirt had been blown off in the explosion. The red lines on his face and neck went down onto his chest. She could see similar lines going down his arms and hands, ending on his middle fingers on both hands.
“This…This is a big ask, Okarun. You’ll make it up to me later, yeah? I want to know what is happening.”
“Yes. Just…Promise me you’ll keep your eyes shut.”
Ayase closed her eyes and whispered, softer than intended, “I promise.”
“Just….Just to warn you, this will get…intimate. If you want me to stop at any point, I will.”
Ayase felt Okarun move back from her. He was still close enough to feel, but she was no longer in his arms. Her right hand was enveloped by both of his, and lifted. Wet. She felt a wetness and warmth slide over her hand. Was he licking her? She desperately tried to piece together what was happening before she felt something shifting inside her hand.
The sensation of her bones mending was unpleasant. She hissed in pain and she felt Okarun instinctively put a hand on her thigh to comfort her. His tongue didn’t stop though as her bones settled back into their proper locations.
When he was finished there, he set her right hand back down onto her lap. His hand that was on her thigh squeezed and started to pull her leg up, extending it. Her leg was then cradled by his hands under her thigh and her calf. She felt his warm breath on her skin then the sting of his tongue over a cut. As his tongue moved, she felt her skin stitching itself back together in its wake. Wherever his tongue went, her body mended.
She gasped as he worked his way up her leg. The hand on her thigh moving to her upper, outer thigh. Ayase wished the hand of god would come down from the heavens above and choke her out when she moaned from his touch.
Before she could think too much about his tongue moving all the way up her leg, it was gone. His gentle hands moved to her neck and face. His chest was once again against her own and she could feel the pounding of his heart, though it was hard to tell with her own wanting to burst.
“Last bit, okay?”
She nodded as his hand cupped her cheek tenderly. She felt the wet of his tongue, and the heat of his breath on her cheek. Shivers went up her spine and she instinctively reached and pulled him and his shirt closer to her. He slowly worked his way down to her neck, moving her hair and earrings aside with his fingers.
His lips on her neck gave her full body chills, her breath catching, and eyes closing. The sting of healing barely felt as his left hand traveled to her waist and rested there. He pulls his lips away from her neck, but stays close. The two were practically in each other's laps.
“How are you feeling, Momo-Chan?”
“Hmmm,” She had no intelligentable answer for him. Her fingers blindly found his hair, and ran through the flowing curls. Her other hand held his neck and tilted his head to the side. Her tongue grazed his neck. She smirked when he moaned for her. Her lips dragged up his neck to his ear lobe. She grazed her teeth over his skin then gently bite his lobe. Just the smallest amount of sucking on his ear caused him full body goosebumps.
“Momo-Chan…”
Him moaning her name in her ear was electrifying. She opened her eyes, and stared up at him. She was shocked from her lustful pursuits by the realization that she wanted him, and even more so by knowing he wanted her, too.
“S-Sorry. Sorry! I got carried away-“
His thumb gently rubbing against her cheek cast her thoughts aside. He leaned in closer to her, his forehead touching hers gently.
“Momo-Chan, may I kiss you?”
Her nod came instinctually, not a reasoned thought. Before she could comprehend her own response, his lips were on hers and they were kissing. Gently. So gently. He held her like she was made of everything worth protecting. His lips were warm and soft. He kissed her tenderly, feeling and responding to any cues she gave him. They kissed for not nearly long enough, before Ayase felt him pull away slowly.
“I think it would be best to take you home now.”
She sighs, resting her forehead against his. Annoyed at the interruption but knowing that he was right.
”Only if you fulfill your part of the deal.”
“The deal?” He tilted his head to the side, brows slightly furrowed.
“For trusting you and closing my eyes like you asked. Remember?”
He rolled his eyes so far that they rolled back for a moment. When his pupils returned, they were drained of the brilliant, glowing red. The markings on his face faded. The fire in his hair died. He looked human(ish) again.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember.”
Before she could respond, he shifted on the ground to stand, before he stood up entirely, he placed an arm behind her back and under her knees and lifted her. He began to walk back towards town.
“So. Whatcha wanna know?”
The two walked in silence as the weight of their conversation sat on Ayase’s mind. Finally after 10 minutes she finally spoke.
“So. You’re a vampire.”
“Ye.”
“And you healed from consuming my blood.”
“Ye.”
“But your saliva also healed my body.”
“Ye.”
A pause and then Ayase slapped him upside the head.
“Will you stop saying that!?”
He dropped his head back, away from her. He stared up at the stars, then looked at her, giving side eye.
“Bitch.”
Ayase gathered her power and was about to ring this damn man’s neck when he gently rubbed her arm with the hand that was cradling her back. The two fell into silence again.
Even though Okarun healed her, her body was still sore. As he explained, he was able to accelerate the healing process, but her body would still feel the exhaustion of healing. All at once. Delightful.
She grumbled about the exhaustion and pain. He laughed and leaned down to kiss her forehead.
“Poor baby.”
The dirty look she gave him was so potent that not even the redness of her face retracted from her scorn.
“Very scary, but nothing compared to some of the yokai I’ve seen, Momo-Chan.”
“Give me time.”
“You can have as much of my time as you’d like.”
They approached her house in silence. At the gate, he stopped and looked down at her.
“So, something about vampires. We need to be invited into a private residence.”
“Eh? That’s…that’s weird.”
“I don’t make the rules, babe.”
“Will you stop it with babe?”
”Hmmmm, but now I have more reason to call you babe, don’t I?”
“Okarun, you’re invited into my house if we can cut this conversation there.”
He laughs as he steps over the barrier into her residence, carrying her to the house. As he stepped through the gate, Ayase saw the paper talisman to keep spirits out.
“Ehhhhh? How come you aren’t burning alive? Granny set wards to keep spirits out.”
“Cause I’m only half dead. Technical loophole. Not a human, not a yokai. Something else.”
He opened the door to her house and started to take her upstairs, without hesitation.
”How do you know where my room is?”
”Your smell.”
“What do I smell like?”
He leant down and put his face into the nape of her neck, burying his face in her hair. She could feel him breathe deeply.
He whispered in her ear, “Sweet. Spiced. Warm, like a Rooibos tea on a winter evening.”
She rolls her eyes and smacks his chest.
“Feeling poetic?”
“Would you smack me again if I said you make me feel poetic?”
He gets to the top of the steps and turns toward her bedroom. He adjusts her in his grip to hold her with one hand, and slides the door open with the other. He walks into her room and sets her down on her bed.
“Do you need anything? I can bring you something to drink or snacks. Whatever you need, just tell me.”
She shook her head and gathered her blankets around herself.
“Do you want to stay?”
“Tempting. But nah, I should be going.”
“Afraid of the sunlight?” She teases.
“Afraid of your Granny.”
She laughs softly and watches as he moves to her door and opens it to leave.
“Thank you, Okarun…I’m grateful to have someone that cares as much as you.”
She watches as he goes rigid. He doesn’t look back, but he hears him whisper before leaving.
“G-Good night, Miss Ayase.”