Lamplight Hush

When Takumi woke, he found that his hands had been freed from the cuffs. In his sleep he had stretched them out against the mattress, and it took him a few moments of muddled confusion to process that anything was different. Upon the realization, he pressed his wrists to his chest, as though protecting them from being chained up again - an unnecessary effort, because the room was empty but for him.

For several minutes he sat on the bed and did nothing but stare at the prison door, eyes wide like a deer in the trees with the distress of a wolf in the distance. The door did not open nor give any indication that it would anytime soon, so with his heart thumping wildly, Takumi tore his eyes away and stepped onto the floor. The bare soles of his feet gingerly pressed against the cold wooden floorboards, as though one wrong step would set off a land mine... or, somehow worse, that man... that vampire... would hear him. He couldn't bear a second confrontation. Not yet.

His ankle stung as he put weight on it. Gregory had apparently bandaged it, but the deliberate position of the wound made the tendons of his foot ache, and he made little effort to walk quickly. Furthermore, he was bothered by the fact that he was still naked aside from the boxers, but he could not bring himself to swaddle himself pathetically in the bedsheets like some girl.

The first place he stumbled to was the window, and he brushed away the heavy curtains to meet the reds and golds on a sunset. When the view of some city hundreds of feet below him hit his eyes, he clenched his jaw. He must have been on the top of a skyscraper, as no neighboring building was even remotely as high up as he was. With a start, he realized that he recognized none of the cityscape before him. Of course he had to still be in Tokyo... right?

Feeling dizzy at the prospect of doubt, Takumi clutched the wall as he made his way to the bathroom. He turned the dial of the faucet and splashed cold water on his face as he tried to get his thoughts in order.

And as the tide of comprehension overwhelmed him, he was assaulted by a wave of nausea. Clutching his stomach, he wretched and began to dry-heave into the toilet. A spasm of terror and emotion brought tears to his eyes and he choked on a sob.

He knelt there on the tile for some time, before it finally passed.

Slowly he got to his feet again, closing his eyes until he was absolutely certain that no traitorous tears would fall. Whatever happened, he would need strength and courage to endure this. He vowed to get through this alive, get back to his family, and ensure that a bullet was put through Gregory's brain... or however one killed a vampire. Gregory had already expressed that, for the time being, he wanted Takumi alive. If that was the case, he had some time to find the way out of this nightmare, or have hope for a rescue. Time was a necessity.

For the time being, Takumi even thought, perhaps it was even safest to play Gregory's game. Whatever it meant - to be docile and meek if he came, and to let him drink his blood without resistance.

But that plan shriveled to dust when he heard the lock on the door click, and, panicking, Takumi grabbed a metal candelabrum that sat decoratively on the small table and hoisted it above his head. When the door opened and Gregory stepped in, Takumi wrenched his muscles and smashed it toward his head...

... but it never made contact. Quick as the wind, when Takumi had lurched forward, Gregory had stepped out of the way and caught Takumi by the arm. Shrieking, Takumi tried to yank away and swing the candelabrum again, but Gregory held onto his wrists with a vice grip. Takumi blinked rapidly as he stared up at the expression, unmoving except a twitch of amusement in his lip. Gregory tightened his grip and caused Takumi's hand to involuntarily unfurl, and he was forced to let the candelabrum drop to the floor with a clank.

Without seeming to exert any effort at all, Gregory threw Takumi onto the bed. He landed awkwardly on his back and began to struggle back up to his feet when he saw Gregory towering above him, suddenly looking larger and more fierce than he had ever seemed before. The sight froze him.

"It seems I unleashed my pet too soon," Gregory spoke in a voice that would have sounded good-natured if it wasn't so low. A hand brushed back his golden hair, a movement so natural it was as though the discussion were something casual. "It's very simple. If you are unable to act civilly, I will have no choice but to keep you chained up at all times."

Takumi said nothing, and Gregory leaned over him, putting one hand on the mattress next to his thigh and the other on his throat. He squeezed, and though gently, it took Takumi's breath away.

"And let me make this very, very clear..." His voice became so soft that he was nearly whispering, the air of his voice chilling Takumi's own lips. "You cannot overpower me. If I wanted, with just one..." He slid his thumb along Takumi's neck, and then pressed hard to force his chin upward. His neck craned backwards uncomfortably. "...touch of my finger, you would cease to exist."

Swallowing and feeling as though his heart was going to beat right out of his chest, Takumi could only stare into the pools of black ink that were in his eyes.

Gregory then slide the hand up from Takumi's neck to caress his cheek, almost fondly, and the dangerous glint to his eyes was gone. "But I don't want that. Please don't test me, Takumi-kun, it would be unfortunate for both of us. I understand that you're frightened, but as long as you can behave, you have nothing to be afraid of. Do you understand?"

Takumi, startled even further by Gregory's use of his first name, nodded shortly. "Y-yes."

"Good boy." Smiling brilliantly, Gregory patted him on the head as one would do a cat, and sat down comfortable on the table chair near the bed. Curling one hand under his chin, he simply watched Takumi for several moments, while Takumi remained deathly still - unable to meet his eyes, yet unable to look away and ignore him either. "Now, then. Have you had anything to eat yet?"

"Uh, no..."

"There is some food in the kitchenette area, and of course you're welcome to anything here. But the cook is preparing a proper dinner for you and it should be brought up shortly. I came to make sure you were... acclimating yourself before that."

Takumi did not know what to say to that. He was still shaken by Gregory's retaliation to his earlier aggression, though Gregory had not really hurt him. More like took hold of him and moved his weight as though he were only a doll, and lectured him after. Considering Takumi had been trying to bash his skull in, that was a fairly good-natured response. It gave him a cautious confidence.

"I have questions," he said, finally lifting up his chin and meeting Gregory's gaze straight on. "You didn't explain much yesterday, so I think some answers are a fair request."

Gregory raised an eyebrow, but smiled again. "Indeed. I imagine you have a lot on your mind now."

That wasn't quite permission to ask, but it wasn't refusal either. Takumi took a breath. "You're... a demon. Vampire."

His voice was patient and gentle now, as though he were explaining something to a child. "That's right."

"What does it mean?" Takumi asked lamely. "How are you real?"

"Not all myths are completely fiction, Takumi," Gregory said. "Some are based on truths from long ago, though they may be lacking in complete veracity. We exist. I became a vampire a very long time ago, though I used to be human like you. I'm afraid most of the superstitions aren't quite true, but I survive from the nutrients of human blood."

"And why my blood? Why... like this?"

Gregory answered without a pause; it seemed there was no reason for him to keep any sort of secret in that regard. His voice even retained its relaxed repose. "Naturally, I can really drink any human blood, just like you can drink any food, with few exceptions. I could describe it partly as a preference, but the blood you carry, Takumi, goes beyond that. We call it Moonblood, and it is more gratifying, sustainable, and erotic than the richest feast. It's really just a pretty name for meaning you simply inherited the recessive genes of two carriers, and by rare chance, are positive for the blood. You're precious, you see, and that's why you can be sure that I won't kill you."

Takumi nodded dumbly. "Then how did you find me?"

That made Gregory chuckle. "Oh, my dear, I could smell your blood pulsing from miles away. That night, it was so rich and sweet, it was unbearable to sense but not taste. Blood gets richer, its smell far more potent during two extremes of the human sensuality: when one is in pain, and when one is engaged in sex..."

"Wha.. I never had sex! How-"

"Extreme arousal, its all the same. You were, if I'm not mistaken, acting quite the slut that night, rubbing up against strangers and feeding your own erection." Gregory's eyes narrowed at that. "How could I not smell you, even from far away?"

"Oh my god," Takumi whispered, the reality hitting him like a punch in the gut. "Ni-chome. Oh god, I saw you in Ni-chome."

"That's right," the vampire murmured, placing his cold hand on top of Takumi's. Horrified, Takumi tried to pull away, but Gregory held it firmly. "I'm afraid I was in Shinjuku on other business, that dirty sort of nightlife is not for me. But you possessed me, I needed you like a fix, like air... I immediately sought you out and had my first taste of Takumi-kun's moonblood..."

Takumi's face drained at the horror of it. Of all the dire consequences, of all the terrible things he envisioned as he dared go to Ni-chome, this... how could this be the thing that happened? This was insanity. If only it had been that his father found out his son was a faggot.

Gregory was stroking his hand patiently, waiting for him to get his thoughts in order. But at that moment there was a knocking at the door.

"It's your dinner," he hummed, and then called toward the door. "You may enter."

The door opened again and a silver-haired woman entered. She looked older than Gregory but despite her hair she was obviously not yet elderly, and had a strong build and a grim expression. She dressed in a dark suit with pants, and even without her stiletto heels, she was probably taller than Takumi. In her hands was a tray of food - Western style chicken and potatoes, from the looks of it, and she set it down at the small table.

"Takumi, this is Clara. She works for me, and has for a very long time..." The implication, Takumi noticed, that she was also a vampire with an unnaturally long lifespan. "She will be your caretaker and bring your meals, so if you need something while I am away you may feel free to ask her. She is my only other staff with keys to your room."

Clara did not smile, but she nodded. Takumi could not find it in his pride to say "nice to meet you", but she didn't look as though she expected it anyway - she immediately turned her cool gaze to Gregory, who dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

"Come, let's sit at the table," Gregory said, taking Takumi's arm.

Takumi complied and allowed the vampire to seat him in the cushioned mahogany chair, but he couldn't eat. He took a breath. "So, you fed from me that night. What then? How did you know where I live?"

"Ah, I'm afraid I did check your wallet for your identification. I couldn't follow you that night because I had business to attend to and dawn was approaching - it's a bit more difficult for us in the daylight, though we certainly don't wither or any such nonsense. But I watched you for those weeks after." Gregory set his elbows on the table and folded his hands, regarding Takumi with that same voracious expression. "I wanted to get to know you, who Takumi Kamiya is, and make arrangements to make you my own. When the time was ready, I came for you."

Gregory's calm demeanor as he spoke of the kidnapping shocked him, and he clenched his fists. "You'll keep me imprisoned here, so you can take my blood whenever you want."

"Why don't you have something to eat?" The vampire indicated the plate with a wave of his hand and a tight smile.

Though the food smelled superb, tender meat roasted in herbs and spices and whipped potatoes, Takumi's stomach twisted at the thought of eating. He shook his head.

"Eat." It was a command now, and though Gregory's smile stayed, his eyes narrowed in warning.

With a shaking hand, Takumi picked up the fork. Under Gregory's dangerous gaze, he forced himself to take a few bites.

The expression on Gregory's face was somewhere between genuine intrigue at watching his prisoner do something as mundane as chew meat, and a subtle but clearly growing impatience at the silence he himself was instigating. Gregory began to drum his fingers on the table, finely trimmed nails clinking against the smooth surface.

Takumi felt himself wilting under the obvious scrutiny. Even as he tried to distract himself and focus on the rather exquisite meal, he could not keep himself from trembling. Gregory, with his fine suit, posture, even etiquette, he did not hide the longing in his gaze and Takumi was acutely aware that his dinner would come next. Finally, he pushed the plate away. "I can't eat anymore."

Gregory shrugged, unconcerned. "Very well. Go sit on the bed and make yourself comfortable."

The implications of the command sent a jolt of trepidation through Takumi and he scrambled to his feet. But he backed up, away from Gregory and from the bed. "You can't do this. You can't do this to me!"

Gregory stood up as well, his lean figure seeming lazy and relaxed if not for the tension in his curled fingers. "Now, now," he answered in a warning tone. "The ways of vampires are not the ways of humans. We are your predators. You cannot make moral accusations to a tiger or wolf. It is the way of nature."

"Tigers and wolves aren't humans!" Takumi hissed. "Whatever you are, you were a human once! You have to know that this is wrong!"

Quicker than Takumi could blink, Gregory was upon him, so close that Takumi could smell the fibers of his dress shirt. Gregory took Takumi's face in both hands, craning it upward to meet his eyes. "Takumi-kun, I cannot change the way of the world. You are a commodity. If it wasn't me, some other vampire would have found you eventually. They may have drained you dry, or kept you locked in some dungeon. I know you cannot see it now, but you are very lucky it's me. I, who will take care of you and see to your comforts, who will care for you with privilege. My only payment is some minutes for feeding every now and again."

Takumi pounded his fists against Gregory's chest, but he was unaffected. Gregory grabbed his wrists in one large hand and pulled them above his head, his other hand pressed against Takumi's rapidly beating heart.

"You want my blood, right?" Takumi begged in desperation. "Let's do it like this. Let me go home, but I'll meet you every day so that you can-"

"It's no good. You need to be contained and safe. And I do not think you wouldn't try to rid yourself of me or expose us, which would be a headache to the entire vampire community."

"My family... please! They'll be so worried! Please at least let me call them!"

"Takumi." Gregory's face hardened, the amusement and patience finally stripped from his ice-blue eyes. He yanked his wrists higher, causing Takumi to lurch off the soles of his feet and balance on the tips of his toes. "I've been very accommodating, and understanding of your current fear and unhappiness at what now is. But your imprisonment is not and will never be open for negotiation. You belong to me now. You had best forget about your family and your old life, it cannot coexist with the way of things now. I am your master and warden. Any comfort you seek can only come from me."

Takumi struggled in the cold grip, but it was unrelenting. Helplessly, he looked up at Gregory. "Please let me go."

The ill-chosen words, though only immediately referring to the pain in Takumi's already bruised wrists, elicited the first look of anger that Takumi had witnessed on the vampire's face. Gregory slapped him across the cheek, a blow that sent him sprawling and would have grounded him if the bed had not caught his fall. The sudden whip of pain brought involuntary tears to Takumi's eyes, and he cradled his cheek while staring up in fear at Gregory.

Gregory approached him, the piercing anger gone as soon as it had come. It was replaced by a look of sympathy, though not regret, as though Takumi had brought the consequences upon himself. He sat himself on the edge of the bed, next to where Takumi curled himself, and stroked his hand across the wild bangs that obstructed Takumi's wet eyes. With a tender touch, he wiped away Takumi's tears.

"Such a sweet face," Gregory murmured after a minute of silence, fingertips feathering against his brow, cheeks, lips. "You really are very lovely. Such fair skin, it feels like silk, my dear..." His touches brushed down to Takumi's chest, finally tweaking at his nipples. "Such a pretty child."

The touches and tone of voice grew increasingly sexual, and Takumi wrenched his eyes closed. He hadn't thought... Yes, Gregory had mentioned earlier, but surely he wouldn't...

Takumi was startled out of his anguish by a light kiss on his brow. Gregory's voice was husky but undemanding. "Why do you close your eyes so, pet? You have nothing to be afraid of. I'm here to take care of you..."

He opened his eyes as the kiss lowered to his lips, but it was only a chaste brush. Nonetheless, Gregory's hands were less innocent, groping him with more desire and making their way behind his back to pull him closer.

Gregory pressed his cheek to Takumi's own, planting more gentle kisses along his neck and at the lobe of his ear. Takumi had been so overwhelmed with despair and emotional frenzy from Gregory's claim on him that he found himself without the strength to fight him off. Though a part of his mind was more horrified than ever before, his body wanted to relax, wanted to be gently caressed after such abuse. His mind was shutting down, focusing on the kisses of Gregory's cold lips.

"I saw how unhappy you were," Gregory whispered. "You were so lonely and afraid before. A mother and father both dysfunctional and self-absorbed, the responsibility of a little sister, and the expectations of perfect performance at university. And you thought your secret so terrible that everyone you cared about would abandon you if only they knew. Perhaps they really would have. Yes, you are my prisoner, my dear, but I also set you free of those things. In the world I have brought you to, we are beyond such petty grievances... we find pleasure and comfort in the beauty around us..."

Somehow, the words affected Takumi, and for a moment, he did feel free in the arms of the vampire, even as they held him there captive. He wasn't quite aroused, but considering how thick Gregory's breathing had become, the smell of his blood must have enriched nonetheless.

"I'll take care of you, baby," he said again, licking at the crook of Takumi's neck. And then he bared his fangs and bit.

It didn't hurt exactly, though Takumi felt as Gregory sucked again his shoulder loudly. He stared up at the ceiling, feeling empty and unable to move a muscle.

When Gregory was finished, he stood up. He tried to cover Takumi up with the blankets, but Takumi shoved his hand away.

"Leave me alone," he said hollowly. "I can take care of myself."

Gregory smirked and shrugged, and Takumi curled himself up tightly and hugged his knees. When he finally looked up again, the vampire had left.

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-tbc...

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Author's Notes: bleh, sorry if Takumi was not very likeable in this chapter. I know he came across as kinda pathetic, but I figured it would be a really frightening position to be in.