Oikakeru Yume

Author’s Note: I was actually going to save this chapter for a couple more weeks, but I thought… it’s about the Holidays… why wait? It’s another rough month for my boys, but I’m sure they’ll be able to hang in there. They’re pretty resilient. Hide does manage to royally piss Taki off though, which is never a good thing. No lemon this time around; it’s strictly plot. (Ooo…) Oh well… shit happens. Not to worry, though… this story isn’t even halfway through yet, so there are definitely more lemons to come.

Oh, I nearly forgot… Hide just reminded me to wish you all Happy Holidays and thanks for reading thus far. Taki says thanks for reading too, but don’t go anywhere, because there are still seven more chapters plus an epilogue to go… and they’re loaded with all of the stuff he absolutely loves (violence and sex with Hide… though not in that order). Okay, Taki’s just dragged Hide back into their bedroom and locked the door. Guess I won’t be seeing them for a couple more weeks either.

Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu (Happy New Year!) to all from Hide, Taki and minami63!


December


Hide was still trying to figure out exactly WHO might have killed Alex, but he wasn’t having much success. Then he remembered overhearing something at the police station when he’d been called in the first time, to give his statement about Taki’s whereabouts the night of the alleged crime.

“I thought I heard the police mention something about your mom having two brothers. You’ve never said anything about them before. Who are they?” he asked, one night, trying to broach the subject delicately but failing miserably.

Taki looked at him strangely, but answered the question anyway. “Mom has two older brothers, my uncles Takahashi Mamoru and Takahashi Takeo. They both live in Hokkaido. Mamoru is forty-eight, three years older than my mom. He works in the family tofu business. He was married, but his wife died of a prolonged illness about ten years ago. He has no children, which is one of the main reasons why I think he convinced Mom to let him bring Yukishiro back there when our father started in on me.”

“Takeo is forty-seven, two years older than Mom. He’s a salaryman at an insurance company. He was married also, but his wife left him for another man, one of his co-workers actually, several years ago. He has a daughter the same age as Yukishiro, but she lives with her mother and step-father. My uncle Takeo hasn’t seen her since the divorce. I think that’s probably why they were so protective of Yukishiro and why they tried to help me and my Mom as much as they did. Mom’s the only girl and me and Yukishiro were the only kids left in the family and none of us were doing real well.” Hide appeared to be considering his response very carefully, which prompted Taki to ask, “Why do you want to know?”

The vampire quickly shrugged and replied, “Oh, no reason… just curious.”

Oddly enough, a first-hand encounter would present itself to Hide just a few days later on one of his customary visits to Chieko’s hospital room. As he sat next to her bed, his palm cradling one of her small hands, another man appeared in her doorway. This man was a little taller than Hide with broad shoulders and dark eyes that regarded the vampire suspiciously.

“Who are you?” the stranger demanded, gruffly.

Rising from his seat but refusing to release Chieko’s hand, Hide replied, “A friend… who are you?”

“Her brother.”

Hide’s defensive position eased, slightly. “Takahashi Mamoru-san?” he asked.

It was the other man’s turn to be surprised. “How do you know my name? Who are you?”

“I am Tadanori Hideyasu. I share a home with your nephew, Taki.”

Mamoru’s face lit with recognition. “So YOU’RE the one,” he breathed, to Hide’s bewilderment. “My sister has told us a great deal about you.” Bowing deeply, Mamoru continued. “It is an honor to meet you, Tadanori-san.”

Placing Chieko’s hand alongside her still form, Hide returned the bow. “The honor is mine, though I’m very sorry that we had to meet under such unfortunate circumstances, Takahashi-san. If you will excuse me, I will leave you now.”

Reaching out to lightly touch the retreating man’s shoulder, Mamoru replied, “You may stay if you’d like. I did not mean to chase you off.”

Shaking his head, Hide replied, “No… I will return at another time. Since you are here, this time should be for family.”

“Wait…” Mamoru said. “Before you go…”

Hide paused, partway out the door. Turning back toward Chieko’s older brother, he accepted the piece of paper the man was holding out to him.

“I am staying at this hotel until my sister recovers. Please, I would like to speak with you when time permits.”

Hide nodded, placing the piece of paper in his wallet for safekeeping. With another bow, he left.

As the pale man with the long red hair disappeared out the door, Mamoru gazed lovingly at the still form of his sister and murmured, “Yes, Tadanori Hideyasu, Chieko and I are family by blood… but you are more a part of this family than you realize.” Taking Hide’s recently vacated seat, Mamoru kissed his sister on her forehead before settling in to sit and watch over her, as he had every afternoon since the day he’d arrived from Hokkaido.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He should have known better.

He should have listened to Taki.

He should have stayed home.

Instead, he just went ahead and did something without thinking about the consequences and it happened again; precisely what Taki had warned him about. Hide was cornered by some vamps while wandering through the unfamiliar back streets of Izu, trying to find Yukishiro. Because of the previous attack on Hide, Taki had warned him against going out alone, particularly after dark, but Hide thought that if he found Yukishiro he could ask the young man a few more questions regarding Alex’s death. So he went anyway. He didn’t know the area and he had no idea where Yukishiro might be, but he was so determined to find the young man that it didn’t matter to him… until it was too late.

A group of Menumorout’s vampires found him instead.

This time, in a darkened Izu alleyway, he was set upon by five vamps. Fortunately for Hide, they were young and inexperienced, much like the three that had come after him at Chieko’s house. Unfortunately for Hide, these five had come better prepared for him this time and they put up a much more effective fight than the first three had. Armed with knives, they’d jumped him as a pack, cutting and slicing simultaneously, trying to subdue him before he could pick them off. He just barely managed to keep them at bay, utilizing his own most powerful weapon, his intelligence.

Eventually, as their skirmish became more brutal, he did manage to dispatch them, but not before he sustained some rather grievous injuries. His clothing hung in tatters and blood was splattered across every visible centimeter. Even his own recuperative powers would take a while to heal all of the damage the vamps had done to him this time around. Staggering up to a nearby tree, he snapped a branch off, staking the now broken vampires and swaying dizzily as their ashes took flight with the wind.

Calling a taxi on his cell phone was easy… finding some way to disguise how battered he was took a little more effort. Wrapped in a sheet pilfered from a neighborhood clothesline, he finally left Izu, empty handed.

To make matters even worse, he arrived home much later than he’d anticipated. By the time he got there, Taki was frantic, not knowing where Hide had gone and fully aware that the vampire would never be able to go to a hospital if something happened because of his unique “condition”.

Struggling with his key in the lock, he finally managed to get the door open as his legs gave way. Hide fell through the doorway, sprawling out across the entry. Taki rushed to him, panicked.

“Hide! Hide! What happened?” he cried.

Hide moaned, the pain in his left arm throbbing incessantly, adding to the pounding he felt in his temples.

Taki knelt by his side, unsure if he should touch the vampire or not. There was blood everywhere.
“Hide…”

The vampire looked up. “I’m okay, Taki.”

“Okay? Look at you!” Taki replied, exasperated.

“Just let me rest here for a while. I’ll heal pretty quickly if I don’t keep aggravating the injuries.”

Uncertain what he should do, Taki sat on the step next to Hide, watching over him until the vampire could move again.

Half-an-hour later, Hide sat up, groaning, testing the range of motion in his arms. He could move again, somewhat. Taki hovered over him like a hawk, jumping up to lend a hand when Hide tried to stand. “Where…”

“Furo.”

Taki helped Hide walk up the hall and into their bathroom, sitting the vampire on the lid of the toilet while he filled the furo with hot water. When the tub was ready, he turned back to Hide, who was struggling with the tattered remnants of his shirt.

Helping Hide undress, Taki cringed whenever they had to peel fragments of the cloth from blood-caked skin. “Hide…”

Seeing Taki’s distress, Hide assured him, “It looks worse than it really is.”

Taki’s hands shook as he picked up the pieces of shredded fabric and tossed them into the trash. “So much blood.”

“I’m feeling better already, Taki. Just give me a hand with the furo, okay,” Hide replied.

One arm around Hide’s back, Taki helped Hide step into the furo. It felt so good, the hot water cleansing his body as it soothed away most of the pain from this most recent encounter with the vampires. Hide sank down with a groan.

Now it was Taki’s turn to sit on the toilet lid, watching as Hide soaked in the tub. His mind reeled. “What happened?” he asked, finally.

Hide had been dreading this question the entire ride home in the taxi. He couldn’t tell Taki about Yukishiro, but he didn’t want to lie to Taki either. He’d painted himself into a corner on this one and he had no idea how he was going to get back out. “I was just looking for something.”

Taki’s head came up. “Look for what?”

“Information.” It wasn’t a lie, just an oversimplification of the truth.

Taki’s eyes were burning into his now. “What KIND of information?”

In the back of his mind, Hide wished that Taki would just drop the subject. “Taki… could we do this later? I’m really tired.” But he was too late. Taki had already begun working his brain into a frenzy.

“Damn it! You went out, even after I asked you not to.” Taki’s anger roiled, lashing out at everything in the vicinity.

“I thought I could find something else out… about your father,” Hide stammered.

“You promised me!” Taki stormed.

“But, Taki…” Hide tried to explain.

“YOU PROMISED!”

Hide tried to stand but a harsh shove from Taki sent him stumbling back into the heated water.

Taki wasn’t willing to listen, his mind in furious turmoil. Grabbing his toothbrush from the basin, he turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Heavy footsteps sounded down the hall, ending in the loud crash of another door being slammed. With that one swift action, Taki had moved back into his old room.

Hide held his head in his hands as his tears fell, mixing with the now cooling waters of the furo.

What had he done?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The police medical expert finally concluded his investigation. His findings were that there was no evidence of a struggle on Alex Hendricks body. The man had suffered two blows to the head. The first was a strike from the front by a blunt object, suggesting that he had been hit by someone. The angle and impact of this blow was not severe enough to be fatal, though. By the angle of the second blow, the one to the back of the head, it had all the appearances of a fall. Upon revisiting the scene of the crime, the investigator was able to reconstruct Alex Hendricks final minutes, concluding that he’d fallen backwards into the edge of the living room table, hitting his head. Luckily, no one seemed to notice that a few items in Cheiko’s house had been moved and several more had gone missing since the police had last been there. Alex’s death was ruled an accident and the case against Taki was officially dropped, though the investigation continued regarding the first blow to the head Alex Hendricks had sustained.

In the meantime, as all of this was going on, Chieko finally regained consciousness. When she was well enough to give the police her statement, she was finally able to clarify most of what had happened that night. They had already ascertained that the injuries she bore this time were concurrent with those from her previous hospitalizations. She admitted that it was Alex who had been battering her and their son Taki all these years. She had no recollection of there being anyone else in the house at the time of the incident, though. So they were still in the dark as to who might have struck Alex the first time. Because of this, suspicion still fell in Taki’s direction, though he had already been exonerated from any wrongdoing.

When Hide heard that Chieko was awake, he rushed to the hospital to see her.

“Hide-san,” she whispered, weakly, sensing his presence in her room though he’d been careful to not make any noise to disturb her. Dark lashes fluttered open, hazy eyes fixing on the vampire shifting uncomfortably at her bedside. A small hand reached out from beneath the sheets, fingers sliding into his palm as his closed around them automatically.

“Chieko-san,” he murmured, scanning her bandaged and bruised face, the bluish tint only now starting to fade.

“What troubles you, Hide-san? Your heart is sad and it appears that my circumstances are not the cause,” she observed, acutely.

The vampire’s eyes remained downcast and she guessed at the reason immediately.

“Taki.” The grip on her hand tightened minutely as the corners of her mouth turned up, very slightly. “And what has my mule of a son done this time?”

“It’s not his fault,” Hide tried to explain. “I did something I shouldn’t have and I’ve made him very angry.”

The small fingers pulled from his hand to stroke the circle of cream beads he still wore wrapped around his wrist. “Faith, Hide-san. If you have faith, this will pass.”

“How are you feeling, Chieko-san,” he asked, changing the subject. He certainly didn’t want to discuss the domestic problems he was having with her son while she lay in a hospital having just emerged from a coma.

“I hurt, Hide-san, but my pain is merely physical and it will fade. It pales beside what I see in your eyes.”

“It is nothing, Chieko-san,” Hide murmured, distressed at his inability to disguise his feelings, even for this short visit. He hadn’t wanted to concern Chieko. She had enough things to deal with, without adding his problems to the pile. “Please, do not worry about me.”

Painfully, she lifted his hand to her mouth, pressing her lips to the back of it. “You are as much mine as Taki and Yukishiro are, Hide-san. I smile when you smile and I cry when you cry. You are in pain… a pain which I can feel very clearly. A mother knows these things.” Her eyes met his, as tears spilled silently from the bright teal orbs. Opening her arms, she invited him in. Sinking to her bed, Hide allowed himself to be drawn into the warmth of her embrace as his tears continued to fall. Gently stroking his hair, she whispered into his ear, “Hush, Hide-san. It will be all right.”

Slowly, the tears subsided, leaving Hide embarrassed by his lack of control. Being near Chieko left him feeling the same way Taki did. He felt so bare, so exposed whenever he was around them. Like there was nothing to hide, like he could just be himself. It was enlightening, but yet again, it was also disconcerting.

“Are you all right, Hide-san?” a small voice asked.

Sitting up, Hide gazed down at Taki’s mother, the look in her eyes filling him with such warmth as he’d never experienced before. Taking his face between her hands, she pulled him back toward her, placing a tender kiss on his forehead, before releasing him. Strange to learn a mother’s love from someone else’s mother, but better that than not at all. Taking her hands into his own, he kissed her palms, holding onto them tightly.

“So tired,” Chieko murmured, sinking back into her bed. Hide let go of her hands, sliding them beneath the sheets again, as she drifted off to sleep.

Turning, he stood, glancing around at the sterile surroundings of her hospital room. There was a potted azalea sitting on the window sill that looked fresh. Scanning the card as discreetly as he could he found it was signed simply, “Roger.” Roger? That was a new name…He couldn’t recall Taki ever having mentioned anyone by that name. Who was Roger?

The visit with Chieko left him feeling more energized than he had been in days. It might take a while… and perhaps a lot of effort on his part, but he was determined that he would work things out with Taki. As Chieko reminded him, he would have to have faith.

A quick visit to Mamoru’s hotel room later that afternoon filled him in on some of the other information he’d been seeking… like who Roger was. According to Mamoru, Chieko was very close friends with an old military buddy of Alex’s, a Roger Owens. They’d met when Alex and Chieko were still dating. They would all get together with some other military buddies and their girlfriends some nights and on the weekends and go to karaoke bars and izakaya. “They were young and still having fun,” Mamoru thought, aloud.

Chieko’s brothers had met Roger years ago, on one of their hospital visits. Alex had flown back to America the day after he’d put her there, so Roger was able to visit her without arousing her husband’s suspicion. The brother’s were distrustful at first, drawing from previous experience with the asshole she’d married. But, they eventually warmed to the American. He was very different from Alex. He seemed to genuinely care about Chieko. They watched how he acted around her, how gentle, how kind he was. For his part, he took care to be as respectful as possible towards them, as well, which was when they finally decided to give him a chance.

Mamoru told Hide that they knew Roger was in love with Chieko, but out of respect for her, he agreed to honor her wish to stay faithful to Alex. He would visit her whenever Alex was away, but only for a pot of tea and the pleasure of her company, nothing more. How sad her brothers were thinking that their little sister had made the wrong choice.

“You see, my sister is very smart… more than you’d imagine given the nightmare she’s allowed herself to live. Her dream was to travel the world and become a writer, perhaps of novels. I guess that’s where Taki gets his abilities from. But that dream had to be put aside when she met Alex and fell in love with him. His life and career came first and her role became that of his wife.”

“Why did she stay with him?” Hide asked, still unable to fathom the kind of determination that led a woman like Chieko to stay with such an appalling person.

“Oh, she thought about leaving him. About a year after they’d been married; he came home stinking drunk one night and assaulted her.” Seeing Hide’s raised eyebrow, Mamoru explained further. “He forced her to have sex with him. She’d planned on leaving right up until the time she found out that she was pregnant with Taki.”

If Hide had any color to him, Mamoru would have just witnessed him get noticeably paler.

“But, she insisted that her child had to have a father in his life, no matter how bad he was. She’d hoped that being a father would somehow make him change his ways. It did, but not in the way she imagined. He drank more, stayed out later and when he came home drunk and smelling of cheap perfume, he’d hit her and force her to have relations with him. She became so afraid that he would start taking out his aggression on their child if she didn’t comply, she went along with anything he wanted.”

“By the time Yukishiro was born, EVERYONE knew what was going on in their house. Family and friends, we all tried to help, but Chieko was too caught up in Alex’s web by then to accept any of it. It took us years to finally convince her to let us take Yukishiro back to Hokkaido with us. Of course, by that time Alex was not only hitting her, but Taki as well. She tried to stop him, but he was a very cruel man. I suppose that made her decision easier. Roger promised us that he would keep an eye on her, but somehow Alex got wind of that plan and threatened to kill Chieko if he ever caught Roger near the house again.”

“We were at our wits end. We didn’t know what to do anymore. She was our sister… our younger sister. We were responsible for her, whether she would admit it or not. Takeo and I had already been through our share of hardship and pain. We would have done anything to prevent her from going through the same things. But, in the end, her pain turned out to be far greater than ours put together.” Mamoru hung his head, tears rolling down his face to land in upturned palms. “We just wanted to protect her, but we couldn’t even do that. We were useless.”

“No,” Hide said, quietly. “Not useless. You stood by her. Even though you couldn’t prevent her from being hurt, you were always there to support her and help her recover. I know it may be little comfort, knowing this, but I’m certain she appreciated having you there, at those times when she needed you most.”

Mamoru looked up at him, curiously. “You’re an interesting person, Tadanori Hideyasu.”

Hide smiled, “So Taki is quite fond of telling me. Actually he doesn’t use the word ‘interesting’ so much as he does ‘weird’.”

A slight smile flickered across Mamoru’s face. “HE is not one to be talking.” After a moment of sitting in contemplative silence, Mamoru added, “I’m very glad you came here today. I have needed to talk to someone for a very long time and you were the perfect person. Please help my sister and her sons. Please help US.”

“I’m trying, Takahashi-san. We all know Taki didn’t do this, but no one seems to have any clue as to who might have. The police will not leave any of us alone until they know who it was that dealt the first blow to Alex and I would really like for Taki to have some peace already.”

It was the end of December, just ten days before the New Year’s holidays when Mamoru finally convinced Chieko to move back to Hokkaido to live with her family. Once she was released from the hospital, Mamoru and Hide took her back to her house to pack.

The police tape was still clinging to the entryway, but there was a police officer waiting for them. He broke the tape and pulled it out of their way to allow them inside.

Chieko trembled in her brother’s arms as she stepped through her front door for the first time since that night.

“Its okay, Chieko,” he assured her, holding her tightly.

Hide entered ahead of them, making sure there was a clear path for them to walk, hoping he’d remembered to dispense with everything left behind after his little run in with the three Bosozoku vampires.

They made their way into the living room, where she paused, looking around.

“Is something wrong, Chieko-san?” Hide asked as she appeared confused, searching for something.

“My lamp is missing. There was a lamp on the table over here. These pictures were over there and this figure was in the other room. Why is everything moved? I didn’t move them.” Her eyes widened as she spun around to face Hide. “Someone has been in here,” she cried, wringing her hands.

Mamoru wrapped his arms around his sister, comfortingly, as Hide thought, “A small lamp… a nice compact weapon. Easy to handle and easy to dispose of. And, unfortunately, a piece of furnishing that everyone who’d come into the house might have known about.” He thought back... had there been a lamp there the night he’d encountered the Bosozoku vamps. He couldn’t remember seeing one. He still had a long list of people with motive and now he probably knew what the weapon had been, but he was no closer to unmasking Alex’s assailant than when he’d started.

“When was the last time you remember seeing the lamp there, Chieko-san?”

She thought for a moment then said, “I was reading that afternoon. Alex said he was going to the base to see some friends, so I thought I would have the afternoon to myself. I made myself a pot of tea and I came in here. It was dark. Was it raining that day? I think it might have been. I put the pot there on the stand and I went to get my book. Then I sat right here, but it was too dark to read, so I had to turn the light on. It was here when Alex got back.” She cringed at the memory, so Mamoru held her closer.

“So, whoever removed the lamp took it after Alex came back.”

Chieko nodded.

It was the weapon used in Alex’s assault… it HAD to be.

Moments later another voice rang through the house. “Chieko-san!” Rushing away from her brother and Hide, Chieko swung herself into the other man’s arms.

“Roger-san!”

The two friends embraced, happily, as Mamoru smiled. For the rest of the evening the four of them wrapped Chieko’s possessions and carefully packed them into boxes, talking animatedly. According to Mamoru, their other brother, Takeo would be arriving from Hokkaido in a few days to help take everything back. Roger ran down the corner combini to buy them all food and drinks and they made a night of it. Hide called home to leave a message for Taki, telling him where he was and that he would be staying the night. He received no response.

In the midst of the evening, Chieko told them that she’d decided to leave the house to Yukishiro, explaining to the surprise of Mamoru, that she’d been in contact with her younger son, knowing that he’d been living and working in Izu. The house would be an ideal place for her youngest to live since it wouldn’t be too far for him to commute to work. Besides, in her heart she somehow knew that in spite of their current tense situation, Taki wouldn’t leave Hide.

Takeo arrived two days later, overjoyed to see his sister better and on her way back to being happy once again. He met Hide the day he arrived at Chieko’s house. Taki had to work that day, so they’d made plans for the family to meet for dinner. That night Hide remained at home, not wanting to impose. He already knew what would be discussed over the meal. Chieko’s move, her desire to leave the house for Yukishiro and her biggest news of all… the fact that, since his tour of duty had ended a while ago; Roger had decided to move to Hokkaido, as well.

The holidays snuck up on them without anyone paying much attention. Mamoru, Takeo, Roger and Chieko decided to go to an onsen that week, which left Hide home alone with Taki for the first time in what seemed like ages. The family had planned it that way, trying to get the two men to at least talk to each other again, but unfortunately; even the best laid plans can go awry.

Christmas was a solitary holiday for Hide as he wound up eating his dinner from Kentucky Fried Chicken at home, alone. Taki had been invited to a party that night by some friends from work, dragging himself back in at 5 a.m. and promptly locking himself in his room.

Sitting in his bed, reading the book of haiku by Issa that Taki had given him for his birthday, Hide perked up when he heard the sound of Taki’s key scraping in the lock. But his excitement soon turned to bitter disappointment once again with the sound of Taki’s bedroom door slamming. The separation was taking its toll on the vampire. He missed the conversation and the laughter, but mostly, he missed the companionship. This had all been easier when he had no one. Now there was a friend just a few steps away, but Taki hadn’t said a word to him since their fight. Hide wondered if the damage he’d caused would be irreparable. The thought tore at him.

At the other end of the hall Taki lay on his bed, listening to the quiet of the morning. He hadn’t really wanted to go to that party last night… he hadn’t really been in a party mood. But his coworkers had been insistent. They knew he’d been upset about something for days now and they just wanted to help him forget, if only for a little while. He’d pretended to be having a good time, but all he really wanted to do was go home. Even though he was still furious with Hide, he just wanted to be near the vampire. He wondered if Hide was even awake. Then he heard the soft sobs. It was beyond his comprehension, how any vampire could be so sensitive. A spark of anger welled in him… that the creatures who’d turned Hide could think to change someone like him into one of them. Turning on his side, he closed his eyes, letting the sound of the vampire crying lull him to sleep.

Several days later, as Hide was in the kitchen making some tea, the phone rang. It was Yukishiro.

“I need to talk to someone. Will you meet me?”

Reluctantly, Hide agreed to meet him at the same arcade they’d gone to the first time they’d met. “Is everything okay?” he asked, once they were seated.

Taking a deep breath, Yukishiro began recounting his version of the fateful night’s events. “I was there, Hide. The night our father died.”

Hide was stunned.

“You were there?” he repeated.

Yukishiro nodded. “I went to see my mother that night. It all happened so fast.” The young man trembled and Hide sat, speechless. “He reached for me and I hit him with the lamp. My mother was just lying there, not moving. And then he fell back and didn’t move either.”

Hide stared into his drink, unable to come up with an appropriate response.

“I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do. So I ran away. I took the lamp and destroyed it.”

“Yukishiro,” Hide finally managed to gasp.

“I know… it was stupid. But I was SCARED!”

“Yukishiro. Why are you telling ME this?”

“Because I trust you. I’ve talked to my mother and she told me about you. She trusts you and my mother is a very good judge of character… well, except where my father was concerned. Besides, you haven’t told Taki about meeting me even though you’ve had many opportunities. And you can’t tell him about THIS either.”

Hide’s head snapped up. “I CAN’T do that! He’s already not speaking to me. Knowing that he’s the last person to find out about you would REALLY piss him off! All of your family knows you’re here. I know you’re here. Why won’t you talk to Taki?”

“Please.” Yukishiro pleaded. “You have to understand, I can’t; not yet.”

Hide’s mouth opened but no sound came out, as his hands gestured futilely. They both knew he wouldn’t betray Yukishiro’s confidence, no matter the price. At least he’d learned one other thing this day; the mystery of Taki’s father was finally solved.

It twisted his insides to know everything he did and still not be able to tell Taki any of it. But he’d promised Yukishiro he’d stay silent. At least until Taki’s younger brother found it in himself to break his silence. He just couldn’t understand why.

So, several more days passed with the silence hanging over their home becoming more and more oppressive. Hide was choking in it, but Taki paid no attention. Every time Hide would think about it, he would wind up crying, so he tried to divert his attention. But, once he heard Taki’s key in the lock of the front door, it would all close in on him, again. He would spend the night alone, unsleeping, wallowing in his misery. More than once he’d quietly walked down the hall, only to stand outside Taki’s door, unmoving. He couldn’t bring himself to knock, only to stand there, head pressed against the wood, tears sliding silently down his face.

And Taki knew he was out there. He’d lie on his bed, watching the shadow under his door as it froze for minutes at a time. Then it would move away, back in the direction of Hide’s room. As much as Hide tried to hide it, Taki always heard the quiet sobs coming from the other end of the hall. Still, his stubborn pride kept him from going to Hide. As much as he wanted to comfort the vampire, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

The next day, late in the morning, while Taki was at work, there came a knock on the door. Opening it, Hide found Yukishiro standing on the other side. “What are you…”

“I just wanted to see you… to see where Taki lived.”

“How did you KNOW where we lived?”

Yukishiro smiled. “Mom told me.”

Hide invited the unexpected visitor in. Yukishiro was awed, as Hide gave him a general tour, the younger brother’s reaction mimicking Taki’s the first time Taki had been through the entire house. They settled in the living room, Hide bringing out two glasses of beer and a tray of snacks.

They made small talk. Yukishiro wanted to know more about Taki’s life, but was still unwilling to talk to Taki in person. Hide tried to convince him, but finally gave up, knowing how stubborn Taki could be. If Taki was that way, there was a good chance Yukishiro had the same personality traits.

Finally, Yukishiro told him, “I’m going back to Hokkaido, too.”

“You ARE?” Hide was shocked.

“Yeah, I’m leaving tonight, though. I didn’t want to have to deal with the whole airport scene with our mother tomorrow so I made my own arrangements.”

Hide didn’t know what to think. “You’re leaving?”

“Only for a visit… the holidays, you know,” Yukishiro clarified. “But I have a life here. I have a home and friends,” he continued, pinpointing the source of Hide’s concern.

“You have a brother, too.” Hide reminded him.

Yukishiro nodded. “Yes, I have a brother.”

“So, you’ll talk to him when you get back.”

Taking a deep breath and then letting it out slowly, Yukishiro nodding again. “Yeah, I will.”

“Good.”

They talked a little while longer as they finished their glasses of beer. Then they said their good-byes and Yukishiro left.

The following day found everyone at the airport. Chieko clung to Roger’s arm, while her brothers hovered around the pair like mother hens. Taki sat across from the group, regarding them silently as Hide kept his distance.

Suddenly, Chieko stood and walked over to where Hide leaned against a railing, placing a small hand upon his arm. “I don’t know what’s wrong and I won’t ask. It’s your life therefore it’s none of my business. But, I can see that you’re still hurt and Taki is still angry. Just know this… we love you both very much.”

Tears welled in Hide’s eyes and he wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder. Her hands came up to stroke his hair, while she murmured words of comfort, “Shh. It will be okay. Shh.”

Without realizing it, Taki watched the entire scene unfold, staring at the pair until Chieko’s eyes met his and her son turned away, embarrassed at having been caught. She hugged Hide tighter, before letting him go. He backed away, quickly wiping his tears, self-conscious. Reaching up, she brought his forehead to her lips, placing a soft kiss upon it. “Thank you, Hide-san… for everything.”

The flight to Hokkaido was announced and everyone began heading for the gate. Mamoru and Takeo hugged Taki, extracting a promise from him that he would go to Hokkaido to visit the family sometime soon. Roger stuck out his hand and Taki took it firmly in his. “I’ll watch over her for you,” the older man promised.

Taki nodded, “I know you will.”

Mamoru clapped Roger on the shoulder, laughing. “Yes, and WE’LL be watching over YOU.” Turning to face Hide, Mamoru placed a fatherly hand on his back. “Chieko told us everything,” he said in a low voice.

Hide’s eyes widened.

“You helped Taki, you helped Yukishiro and you helped our little sister. Our family owes you a bigger debt than we can ever repay. But, if you ever need us, for anything, you know where to find us. You have only to call.”

Tears streamed down Hide’s face, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from Taki’s family.

Mamoru laughed. “Perhaps Taki is right. You really ARE weird…” his voice hushed as he leaned in toward Hide’s ear, “for a vampire.”

Sideways glances from Roger and Takeo told Hide what he was afraid to ask. They knew. They ALL knew. And still they accepted him. Chieko handed him a fresh packet of tissues before sliding her hand into Roger’s and joining the line to board.

Hide hung back, his good-byes already having been said. He watched as Taki walked to the gate with his family, the young man clutching his mother to him fiercely, before letting Roger and her brothers steer her onto the sky bridge.

From opposite sides of the gate, the two of them watched until the plane was just a small speck in the sky then they turned to leave. “Are you coming home?” Hide asked, hopefully.

Taki stared out the window, silently.

“I just thought that if you were, we could share a taxi.” Taking Taki’s continuing silence as an affirmative, Hide called a taxi for them as soon as they had exited the terminal, holding the door open for Taki to climb in. The other man hesitated, briefly, before acquiescing.

Taki could feel Hide’s eyes on him, but he was in no mood to deal with the vampire right now. He twisted around to look out the window, turning his back on the vampire, as Hide’s heart sank.

The ride home was a very long one.


~End of Chapter Five~