BLOOD STAINED ROSES

Blood Stained Roses



Chapter 2



"What the hell did you do to him?!" Kisaki growled as he saw Ryou materialize in the middle of the lobby. Now he held a helpless Chuu in his arms.



Ryou raised a perfect eyebrow at the question and replied with obvious amusement, "You should be used to this. It\'s happened many times since I took you in. You haven\'t asked that since I brought Kyoko in and that was... decades ago."



Kisaki only glared in response as Ryou carried the boy upstairs. He went to the nearest lavishly decorated bedroom (almost every room was extravagant) and placed Chuu on the bed. Kisaki had followed and now stood, leaning against the doorframe.



"It would not be wise to feel sorry for the boy," Ryou warned. "Get rid of that dreadful conscience of yours. It only holds you back."



With those words, he left the room, and Kisaki was alone with Chuu. He sighed. He had learned to grow numb to this pity. After years in this place he had become deaf to their screams, blind to their bloodied bodies... but now his pent up emotions seemed to have escaped the dam he had worked so hard to build. He walked farther into the room for a better look at Chuu. It was not surprising for him to find that he was very cute. They were always attractive. So what made him so different from the others? What made Kisaki want to protect him? Nothing. He knew nothing about this boy other than the fact that he was Ryou\'s newest toy.



He shook his head and walked out of the room. Silently, Kisaki promised himself that he would stay as far from him as possible. He would not enter this room again. Their meeting would only cause problems for the both of them... and was probably exactly what Ryou was planning. He did not understand what the self-proclaimed master of the house was hoping for, but he was sure that it was something that would ruin both of them.



***



Time seemed to pass abnormally slowly as Chuu lay, still unconscious and unmoving in his bed for days. Kisaki would have believed that he was dead if it was not for the faint heartbeat he could hear echo in his ears. Sometimes he would see a flicker of a dream that disturbed him. He blocked out other people\'s thoughts and dreams. It was usually only once every twenty or so years he would hear anyone else\'s thoughts or see any of their dreams. He knew he would have to work on strengthening the wall that blocked out other\'s thoughts.



Finally, a little over a week after his arrival, Chuu awoke. Ryou was gone when it happened and, as usual, nobody knew where he was. The "guest\'s" awakening was announced by a loud scream emerging from his room.



At the time, Kisaki had been in the library in search of a new book to read. Not thinking, he dropped the book he had been examining, ran into the room and pulled the smaller body into his arms... this all seemed so familiar... At first, Chuu tried to struggle against Kisaki\'s hold, but he eventually gave up. Instead, he rested his head on the black-clothed chest he was being held against. Tears overflowed his eyes and sobs began racking his body. Kisaki tightened his grip.



"Shh... it\'s alright," he whispered.



Chuu raised his head, pulling away just a little, so he could see Kisaki\'s face. He studied his features. They were beautiful... just as beautiful as the stranger\'s had been. When had he seen that stranger? How much time had passed since he had fallen asleep in his room? Who was this beautiful person who had come in when he had screamed? He was obviously kinder than his kidnapper. He did not have the same evil glint in his eyes.



Kisaki unconsciously moved his face closer and closer to Chuu\'s until their lips almost touched. A floorboard creaked somewhere down the hall and his head snapped back. He pushed Chuu away from him, leaving the "guest" staring at him in confusion as Kisaki practically ran from the room.



"Damn it!" he muttered to himself. "I promised myself I would stay away from him!"



Down the hall, two girls stood, chatting animatedly. One was slightly taller than the other with two blue and black ponytails. She swayed a little, causing her short black pleated skirt to swirl around her legs and waved her arms covered in lace up arm warmers while she tried to explain something. Her corset styled shirt hardly covered her chest, but she obviously did not care. The other was shorter, with long black cherry hair that hung in her brown eyes. She leaned casually against the wall, her arms folded over her short-sleeved hooded sweatshirt, opened just a little to reveal the lacy shirt she wore underneath it. She laughed at what the other was saying.



"You two!" Kisaki yelled.



The shorter one jumped, wrinkling her black and white miniskirt. He ignored her alarm.



"Go in that room and check on our guest!"



The taller one raised an eyebrow, but they both did as they were told.



***



Meanwhile, Chuu sat upright on the bed he had woken up on, looking around, still completely puzzled. He wondered what had just happened. Why did that man just suddenly appear, grab him, and then run away only minutes later? He touched his lips. He had been so close. Chuu shook his head violently as he turned bright red.



I\'mnotgayI\'mnotgayI\'mnotgayI\'mnotgayI\'mnotgayI\'mnotgayI\'mnotgayI\'mnotgayI\'mnotgayI\'mnotgayI\'mnotgayI\'mnotgayIAMNOTGAY!!! He thought although the events of the last couple days he had been awake seemed to prove otherwise.



"Aw, look, Yami-chan, he\'s adorable!"



Chuu stopped shaking his head and noticed that the girls Kisaki had sent in were standing in the doorway. He stared at them with annoyance building within him. He was starting to get tired of being called \'cute\' and \'adorable.\' People had been saying that for as long as he could remember.



"You\'re right," agreed the other one named Yami. "Hey, what\'s your name?"



"Um... Atsuhiko Chuu."



"That\'s cute. I\'m Murata Yami."



"And my name\'s Asakura Yuna."



"Uh..."



"Awww!!! You\'re soooo cuuuuute!!!" Yuna shrieked practically jumping on Chuu.



In a matter of seconds, Yami had hit her in the head with a loud thud and dragged her off the thoroughly bewildered Chuu.



"Stop trying to molest him, you perv!" she scolded.



"Hey that hurt!" Yuna whined, "and you\'re just sorry I got to him first!"



"Uh-uh!"



"Just admit it."



"Like hell I\'ll admit to something that untrue!"



"Um, you guys...?" Chuu said meekly.



"Ah, sorry, Chuu-chan!" apologized Yami, "Yuna-chan just can\'t help herself!"



Chuu-chan? thought Chuu. Oh well, it could be worse. He decided to ignore it.



"O-okay... bu-"



"So you forgive me?" asked Yuna cheerfully.



"Sure... but could you tell me where I am?"



The girls stopped their random talking and glanced at each other. They were not used to having to explain. Usually Ryou was home or one of the older ones (though never Kisaki) did the actual explaining. Well, it looked like they had no other choice, so Yuna decided she would speak up.



"You must be confused," she said with a sympathetic smile. "You are in Ryou-sama\'s house... well really it\'s more like a mansion, but you get the point."



Something in Chuu\'s head clicked when he heard \'Ryou.\'



"My name is Katsuki Ryou. I\'ve been... keeping an eye on you, so to speak."



"Ryou..." Chuu repeated in a whisper, "Um... who was that guy that was in here a minute ago?"



"Ah! That was Itsuo Kisaki! Isn\'t he beautiful?!" gushed Yami.



"She\'s got some kind of crush on him," Yuna snickered.



"Do not! Even if I did, he\'s better than Ryou-sama! What are you some kind of masochist?!"



"Okay, I said he was a beautiful man, not that I actually liked him! I know how messed up he is, remember?! We\'ve all either been his victim or heard what happens to them."



"Yeah... Um, Kisaki-san looked kind of funny when he left... I wonder what\'s wrong," wondered Yami, trying to change the subject.



"Come to think of it," Yuna added, "he doesn\'t usually come to this room."



"You\'re right. Did something happen when he was in here?"



Chuu shook his head violently. He realized that he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else -- and that he was making it look even more suspicious by doing so. They girls eyed him doubtfully, but decided it was best not to say anything more on the subject.



"Anyway," Yuna said, "we were supposed to make sure that you\'re alright and we should probably tell you that there\'s a bathroom through that door," she pointed to a door the left of the bed, "and that you should take a shower. There should be a change of clothes already in there."



He nodded and they left him alone in the spacious room. Chuu did not know how long he had been asleep, but he was pretty sure that she was right and that he should take a shower. Slowly, he rose to his feet and seconds later was back on the bed. His legs were wobbly... how long had he been asleep? He tried again even more cautiously and somehow managed to walk shakily to the bathroom.



He wondered when he would see him again. He had a lot of questions that only he could answer... Katsuki Ryou.



***



It took about a week for Ryou to reappear in the mansion, but when he did, everyone heard. He liked to be as showy as possible which meant yelling, dramatic gestures, and gifts. This time was no different.



"I\'m hoooome!!!" he called at an unnecessarily loud volume; it did not matter how loud her was, the whole house would be able to hear him without a problem...



...Well, the whole house minus one.



Upstairs, Chuu ran to his door and tried to open it as soon as he heard the yell, but it had been pointless; the door was locked from the outside. He sank to the floor, groaning. Someone should have told him his door was locked. It was cruel for them leave it for them to let him find out on his own.



He put his ear to the door hoping to catch anything that anyone said downstairs, but it was impossible. He hit his head lightly on the door, cursing his human ears.



***



"Ryou-sama, Chuu-chan\'s awake," Yami said.



"I know, he\'s also leaning against the door as we speak, trying to catch what we are saying," Ryou replied, a mischievous smirk playing across his beautiful features, "What I don\'t know is how long he\'s been awake."



"About a week," Yuna answered promptly.



"Ah, then I suppose it\'s time I paid him a visit," said Ryou slyly, "You may open your gifts..."



Just after the words left his mouth several bags appeared, one per person.



He looked to the steps to see Kisaki glaring at him in disgust. He as well as everyone else in the entrance knew what would happen when Ryou went into that room. Ryou found this look amusing.



"Aw, Kisaki, what\'s with that face? You aren\'t happy to see me?" he mocked.



Kisaki\'s scowl deepened just before he left, going down the stairs and down a hall that undoubtedly led to his own room. Behind him, Ryou began to laugh. This was going to be interesting.



He went up the same steps that Kisaki had been standing on and opened the door to Chuu\'s room. There he found Chuu himself kneeling on the floor looking up at him. Ryou laughed again.



"I knew I\'d find you like this."



"Huh?"



"Don\'t worry about it, Chuu-chan," Ryou told him as if he was a small child, picking the boy up like a doll and setting him on the bed, "So, how are you liking your room?"



"Why am I here?" Chuu asked instead of answering the question.



"Uh-uh, I believe I asked you a question first. It may be a good idea to answer it," Ryou said calmly, but there was a hint of a threat in his words.



Chuu kept his mouth shut defiantly, not meeting his eyes. He knew that the moment he looked into those deep amethyst eyes his resolve would deteriorate. Instead, he stared at his own hands.



"Chuu-chan," said Ryou; his voice was soft and held a hint of disapproval, but his eyes still showed that sparkle of amusement; he was toying with him.



He felt Ryou\'s hand caress his face and Chuu squeezed his eyes shut. This was getting really hard. The hand tilted his face up, but he was determined not to look. If he opened his eyes now, he would be looking straight into Ryou\'s.



He did not open his eyes until he felt Ryou\'s mouth on his own and the skin being ripped off of his lips. One arm was around him, holding him securely in place while the other still held Chuu\'s chin. Chuu tried uselessly to push Ryou away, but he was too strong. Pushing against Ryou\'s body felt more like trying to push a brick wall. It did not give at all.



Finally, Ryou pulled away, leaving Chuu gasping for breath. He studied the boy\'s face for a minute before getting up.



"I\'ll leave it at that for now, but I suggest you get used to living here," he said matter-of-factly, "Those who are too difficult -- or those who bore me -- tend to end up dead."



He flashed a brilliant smile revealing a set of tiny fangs.



"Wh-what are you?" Chuu gasped.



"The same as everyone else in this house: a vampire."



"A- a..."



He could not say it.



"Vampire," Ryou finished for him, "Yes, we all are. That includes that silver-haired beauty that paid you a visit. Did something happen between you two? I heard he ran out of here in quite a state."



From these words, Chuu remembered how close they had been. Their lips had almost touched before... A faint blush colored Chuu\'s cheeks. Do not think about it, he told himself. Ryou smirked.



"That was all I needed. Thank you, Chuu-chan," he said getting up to leave. "This really is going to be interesting."



"What \'is going to be interesting?\'" Chuu asked, "And you never answered my question!! Why am I here!?" his voice grew steadily louder.



He had forgotten his rule about not looking Ryou in the eye. It did not matter, anyway. The spell was gone. He could see the monster that he really was. And by "the monster he really was" he was not referring to the fact that he was a vampire. Even without fangs, he would still be a monster.



"Oh, dear, I forgot. Happy Birthday, Chuu-chan," Ryou said absently stopping into the doorway.



"Happy... Happy Birthday?" he said, startled.



"Yeah, it was November sixth, right? That makes you eighteen."



"How long was I out?" Chuu asked, dazed.



"About a little more than a week, I believe."



"A... a little more than a week? That can\'t be right!"



"It can and it is," Ryou said seriously, "Well, good night, Chuu-chan."



He left the room without another word. It was time to have a talk with Kisaki.



Finding the silver-haired man was definitely not a problem. He was pacing in the library among a pile of open books. It seemed that he had given up since he was now ignoring the books completely. It was obvious that something was bothering him. Ryou chuckled softly to himself. How he loved to see such a calm, collected man fall apart.



"You know this library isn\'t going to help you figure anything out," he said casually.



"Then what will?" Kisaki snapped, "I know you won\'t!"



"Yes, and that\'s a pity, too, considering I\'m the only one who can."



"Why did you come here?" Kisaki asked, "I know there was a reason other than to torture me."



"Ah, yes, there was. I wanted to give you a warning: Keep your hands off my property."



Kisaki stopped pacing and stared wide-eyed at Ryou. He must have picked it out of Chuu\'s head. Once again, he cursed himself for losing control. He knew going into that room was a bad idea. He had no choice: he had to find out what Ryou knew because it was apparent that knew something. The problem was figuring out how to do that.



"Well, now that that is done, I will go to my room. Good night, Kisaki," Ryou said, leaving.



Kisaki said nothing; he just went back to pacing the library.



***



Chuu sat on his bed, still staring at the door Ryou had passed through.



Vampires!



He was in a house full of vampires and there was nothing he could do. He tried to recall things he had heard about vampires in the past, but who even knew if those things were true. Ryou\'s words still rang in Chuu\'s head.



"People who are too difficult-- or those who bore me -- tend to end up dead."



A shiver passed down his spine. There was no telling what could happen next. All he knew was that he could die at any moment.