Scarlet tears and a broken past

Oh my goodness! You have all made me the happiest person right now! Saminada as usual, thank you. And Angelmay makes a return appearance, I thank you. Now a new one! Madlodger, thank you as well for reviewing.

By the way, my friend came up with the description for I was a blank slate in that moment.

Anyway, I'm happy and I want to get a new chapter up just for all of you!

Enjoy the new installment of "scarlet tears and a broken past".
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Yasu shot up in his bed, his heart thundering in his chest. He touched his cheek gingerly, still able to feel the cool caress of a foreign hand. The satin curtains hanging from his window fluttered against his bed posts, the wind soft and warm. Outside the window the world seemed duller and brighter all at once. Details were blurred but the colors struck out loudly, more expressed than the everyday gloom and death the plants of the fall held.

A tall figure stood just behind him, leaning against the wall staring at the unwary teen. Haruka smiled, happiness filling his chest. While it was only a dream, a trick in their heads, this was his chance. He stepped forward, his footfalls silent as he wrapped his arms around Yasu’s small waist, pressing his face lightly into the teens black silken hair.

"Beautiful," he whispered, his lips brushing Yasu's ear.

Yasu froze, his hearty picking up even more speed, slamming against his rib cage, but not with the usual sense of fear. It was more nervous than afraid. The voice was gentle and extremely beautiful, but more so...familiar.

Haruka smiled faintly as he released his hold, allowing Yasu to turn and face him. He watched silently as confusion nested over the others face.

"Who.....who are you?" Yasu asked, reaching his hand up slightly to the strangers face only to catch himself and rip it back to his side, his body stiff with his heart pounding in his ears. His own breathing even sounded too loud.

Haruka closed his eyes slightly, locking the sound of Yasu's voice in his mind, in his memory. He lifted his own hand and cupped Yasu's cheek, his thumb stroking the warm skin. His dark blue eyes flickered with sadness as he spoke.

"You know me," he whispered gently, a sirens voice laden with sorrow. "Or at least....you knew me once. You can know me again, if you would like."

"I don't like riddles," Yasu said, pulling his face away from the strangers’ hand, touching the skin which seemed to burn slightly and left an odd emptiness inside of him. "Tell me who you are."

Haruka laughed softly and stepped back, bowing slightly, lifting his dark eyes to meet Yasu's pale violet ones.

"My mother....always was big on proper manners," he whispered, strands of black hair falling over his eyes as he spoke.

Yasu's eyes widened, his heart seeming to stop at a dead halt in his chest, his breathing hitching sharply. A face flashed in his mind. Those words rang in his head. That voice....so familiar. IT rang so much younger in his memory.

"H...Haruka?" he stammered weakly, not blinking as if afraid it would all disappear.

Haruka straightened slowly, the move a flowing dance. A soft smile delicately curled his lips as he nodded.

"Yeah," he said, his voice brimming with a slight essence of joy. "I've missed you so much, Yasu..."

"NO!"

Haruka blinked in slight shock, stepping back. His heart broke at the pained and hating look painted onto his old friends face.

"You're lying! You're not him!" Yasu cried. "Haruka is gone!"

Haruka blinked, his mind trying to push back the shock, his lips moving unconsciously. "Not...him?"

He wrapped his long arms around his chest, closing his eyes tightly. "Yasu...."

He looked up, felt the burning behind his eyes again. That pain, so intensified. "You're right...I'm not him....but you are you....and you are safe now. You're all that kept me alive....Yasu, please, just let me..."

"No! Haruka died a long time ago! You can't exist! You and your mother," Yasu stammered his voice hysterical. "I....no! You're not here! This is just a dream! A nightmare!"

"But....I am here," Haruka whispered, his voice cracking at the edges, the misery in it almost tangible. "Yasu, I beg you. If only this once....let me hold you."

The taller teen sank to the floor, his arms wrapped protectively around himself, his head bowed slightly. But Yasu was able to see clearly the dark scarlet tears falling down his pale cheeks, streaking the skin.

"What?" Yasu whispered stepping back, his back hitting the window sill.

"My memories of you were all that kept me alive inside," Haruka whispered, lifting his blood streaked angelic face. "Yasu, he never let me leave that night. He never let me leave."

"H...he?" Yasu asked and shook his head, grabbing it closing his eyes tightly. "No! Stop it! It's just a nightmare! Go away!"

"I went away...because of your father," the other whispered, his voice hallow and dead.

"No! I want out!" Yasu cried. He turned away, huddling against the wall, slipping to the floor.

"I was so close to you...all the time," Haruka continued, his eyes bleeding red around the rims laced with pain and anger. "I couldn't see you or hear you..."

He shook his head, his eyes snapping with rage and sorrow. "Yasu! Look at me! Look at me and tell me I'm not who I am!"

His eyes, though rimmed with dark rouge, were the same midnight blue. A blue so dark they were almost black, even more so now with scars dwelling in their depths.

Yasu turned his head away, pressing his forehead to the cold wall. Tears were now streaming down his face in glittering trails. "It's not true. You're not here....Haruka is dead."

Haruka's eyes widened and he was by the teen before the other could blink, his icy arms embracing the other.

"Yasu," he whispered, his voice longing, the deep timbre of it shaking slightly.

"No, get away!" Yasu cried, struggling in Haruka's arms. "You're not him!"

Haruka pulled back, the movement graceful and silent. He stood, moving fluidly away from Yasu, his face empty but the pain and sorrow were all too clear on the beautiful granite face.

"It's not time," he whispered to himself, fresh tears falling down his already streaked cheeks. He smiled weakly, lifting his gaze. "I've missed you so much. I waited years for this...I guess I can wait a little while longer."

He turned, his form vanishing in a wave of darkness that flooded Yasu's mind.
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Yasu shot up in bed with a sharp cry. He felt cold moisture on his cheeks and lifted his hand touching the still fresh tears. His heart pounded in his ears and for a moment all he was able to focus on was the loud drumming until a sharp tap interrupted the tempo and brought it eyes to the window.

"Just a dream," he whispered, starting to lie back down until there was another sharp tap. Someone was throwing rocks at his window.

"Yasu!"

Ai's voice rang loudly, sounding worried and angry. A deadly mixture.

"Yasu! Open the door! We have something to tell you!" she called.

"Yasu, wake your ass up before we die!"

Kisame and his wit. But...before we die? Yasu stood and walked over to the window, glancing out to see a limping Kisame supported by, the very tiny in comparison, Ai.

"I'm coming," Yasu muttered under his breath, taking his time as he walked down the stairs to the front door. The pounding had resumed and he opened it, causing Ai to fall straight into his doorway with a dull thud. He stared at her dryly for a moment and then glanced at Kisame who came limping around the side of the house. "How long have you two been here?"

Ai growled, standing up with as much grace and dignity as she was able, glaring at Yasu.

"Twenty minutes! Probably longer!" she snapped and then blinked, her face becoming worried. "Yasu, we saw the guy who attacked Kisame! He was standing on your porch!"

"What?" Yasu asked, his face paling slightly. "Oh shit...are you guys okay?"

Kisame pushed his way into the door and slammed it behind him, twisting the lock with a audible click which seemed to echo in the silent house. He turned, leaning against the cold wood, his breathing slightly labored.

"I told you!" he accused. "He isn't after me or us. It's you he wants for some reason, Yasu!"

Yasu swallowed slightly and moved aside as Ai led Kisame to the couch in the living room. He sat in a chair across from them, gathering his courage.

"Did you see what he looked like?" he asked softly.

"Black hair," Kisame said. "It looked like he cut it....it's shorter than last night....about shoulder length. It looks like a fucking hack job but it was longer in the front and short in the back. I couldn't see well but his eyes looked black....right, Ai?"

"Blue...," Ai whispered, sounding slightly shaky, glancing out the window into the darkness. "They were midnight blue....and he didn't look much older than us. Maybe a year."

"His eyes turned red," Kisame added. "When he got angry...."

Yasu gasped softly, an image forming in his mind. Dark blue eyes rimmed with red, scarred with pain and a sorrowful rage. "A...are you sure?"

She turned to look at Yasu, her delicate face laced with traces of fear. "I'm kind of scared for you Yasu."

Kisame narrowed his eyes slightly, leaning against Ai on the couch.

"Yasu," he said carefully. "Do you recognize the description? You really do know this guy, don't you?"

Yasu shrugged weakly. "I...I don't know."

Ai looked from Kisame to Yasu, searching for a plausible answer.

"Maybe," she murmured. "Maybe he went to your middle school....I mean he looked our age...so it's possible right?"

Kisame blinked, looking at Ai with slight surprise. "I didn't even think about that."

Ai smirked proudly.

"That's because you're an idiot," she quipped and turned to look at Yasu. "Do you have a yearbook?"

Yasu moved in the chair, glancing away at a wall, looking slight uncomfortable. "I keep them locked away."

"Well," Ai said softly. "It's time to pull them out. It's the only thing we have to go by..."

"What makes you think I knew him back then?" Yasu snapped, suddenly defensive. "Or that I know him at all?"

Ai glared at Yasu, stiffening indignantly.

"Well he knows you!" she snapped sharply and then frowned, his face softening. "It's possible he could have been an underclassman...or an upperclassman. We're not saying you actually...knew him."

Yasu scowled feeling extremely reluctant to go through with Ai's plan but he stood from the chair and walked upstairs, returning after a few moments with a rather large, fire proof lock-box. It was coated in dust and obviously hadn't been moved in years. He sat it on the table pulling the key, which was taped to the bottom, off and inserting it into the lock.

Inside the box were one thick, hardcover book and a mass of old photos and newspaper clippings. Yasu pulled out the book and handed it to Ai, closing the box once more without glancing at the harsh, memory inducing items left in the bottom.

Ai sneezed slightly, brushing dust from the books cover. She flipped it open, staring at the guide. "What class were you in?" she asked, looking up at him as Kisame looked over her shoulder.

"Class B," Yasu said quietly, his voice low. He watched as Ai flipped through the book, studying each picture with a speculative gaze. She paused on one page, scowling at a missing photo. Yasu glanced at the page, his heart jumping before skipping a beat.

"Who's Haruka Yagami?" Ai asked curiously. "There’s no picture..."

"Check the Hobbies and Clubs," Kisame said, scowling, neither noticing how pale and sad Yasu suddenly looked.

"Hobbies," Ai murmured. "Tennis Team...."

Yasu spoke up before Ai could turn the pages, his voice sharp and bitter, almost angry.

"He disappeared!"

Kisame looked up at Yasu, who was shaking slightly. His face was down cast, strands of black hair shadowing his violet eyes.

"He died," Yasu said, quietly, as if correcting himself.

"Yasu," Kisame murmured his face sympathetic. It was clear this subject was a hard one. But he'd never heard of this person and he'd been friends with Yasu since freshman year. "Ai...let's put that away."

Ai ignored the two, flipping through the book to the sports section. Her eyes widened with horror, her hands suddenly shaking causing her to drop the book to the floor. Her eyes stuck glued to a photo which had apparently been taken on a tennis court.

In the picture were two familiar faces. One was Yasu and the other was Haruka. The taller teen was embracing the shorter, both grinning as Haruka held a trophy up in the air. Ai grabbed her throat in a protective gesture, swallowing thickly.

"Y...you said he...he died?" she choked. "Kisame...look!"

Kisame turned his gaze from Yasu to glare at Ai, only it didn't last long, his own eyes widening as well.

"Oh God," he whispered, his voice strained.

Yasu didn't seem to notice them as he spoke.

"Yes. No one ever found any trace after he disappeared," Yasu murmured, his voice empty of almost all emotion. "A year later his mother committed suicide, right after the police pronounced him officially dead."

Kisame grabbed the book from Ai. His eyes never left the photo, his heart pounding in his ears. He showed the picture to Yasu who merely stared at it with an empty look.

"Yasu, was he your best friend?" he asked, his voice slightly dry and guttural.

Yasu nodded slightly, staring at the picture, his heart aching to see the happiness there.

"I don't think dead is the right word," Kisame said coldly. "No dead guy is that fast or strong. Plus, dead kids don't walk...or speak!"

"No!" Yasu growled and grabbed the book slamming it shut and placing it back in the box. "It's not possible, Kisame. How can it be?"

"It shouldn't be," Ai whispered, reaching out to touch Yasu's arm. "But...that boy...this Haruka is a complete ringer for the guy who attacked Kisame. The one who's stalking you."

"Maybe he never died," Kisame said darkly, narrowing his eyes. "Maybe he got kidnapped or something...you read about this kind of thing..."

Ai snorted. "What? Dead kids coming back with superhuman power?"

"It could happen," Kisame growled, glaring at Ai defensively.

'Yasu, he never let me leave that night...he never let me leave.'

The words echoed in his mind, the voice from his dream whispering them sadly. Haruka’s words.

He glanced up at the two, swallowing slightly. "I had a dream."

Kisame and Ai looked up at him, their spat forgotten.

"I had a dream about him," Yasu whispered. "I was dreaming when you were outside. He was there...and he looked older."

His breath hitched slightly. "He cried tears of blood...it was so frightening. He also said it was my father who..."

Ai shuddered slightly and wrapped her arms around her midsection.

"This is so creepy," she whispered. Kisame snorted in irritation

"No offence, Yasu," he began. "But your dad has an awkward reputation. My mom is even a little wary of letting me over here. Could it be true?"

"No!" Yasu snapped angrily.

"But think about it! You never see him and he's this scientist but you don't know what he does..."

Ai gasped, looking at Kisame. "Are you going to tell him about his dad?"

Kisame's eyes widened and he glared at Ai and they both became quiet. Yasu stopped breathing for a moment, staring at the two.

"What about my dad?" he asked weakly.

Kisame didn't look him in the eye, his face shamed and worried. "When this thing attacked me...that thing...or Haruka...or whatever it is told me he...he killed him."

"Killed who?" Yasu whispered, paling slightly.

Kisame looked up, his face filled with sorrow. "Your father."

Yasu jumped up so quickly that the chair he'd been in fell back with a loud thud. "When...when were you two going to tell me this?"

"It's part of why I came," Kisame said softly. "I was worried. It's not safe for you."

Ai nodded and grabbed Yasu's hands. "You have to leave with us. We can't leave you where he can get to you."

"I'm not in danger," Yasu said, pulling his hands back from Ai's grip. "He’d have killed me earlier if that was true."

Kisame and Ai paled drastically.

"He was here! Inside?" Kisame cried.

"Yasu...you can't mean...you let someone you know is dead into your house?" Ai stuttered.

"I didn't let anyone in," Yasu said scowling. "I told you...I had a dream."

"How does some psycho who's supposed to be dead make any connection with a dream?" Kisame demanded, standing uneasily.

"In my dream...he was in my room. He felt familiar...and then he said something. Something only Haruka had ever said. He answered to that name, but...it's impossible. Haruka is dead. Then he started saying how my dad kept him and he couldn't see or hear me...that I kept him alive. But...it's not possible!"

Ai stared at Yasu and frowned. "No...it isn't...but this is happening..."

"No shit," Kisame grunted.

"Could it be a ghost?" Ai asked weakly. "Ghosts can hurt people. I've seen the movies."

Yasu and Kisame stared at her silently for a moment. The brunette scowled, crossing her arms. Kisame shook his head and turned to Yasu.

"Dude, I don't know what the hell is happening, but that guy who kicked my ass was no ghost." He shot a look at Ai. "But what I can see is that you have a friend, who apparently should be dead, trying to get to you."

Yasu began to shake his head, only to listen to Kisame continue.

"Not to mention he was a strong fucker," Kisame swore rudely. "Also, he bit me! He drank my blood..."

Ai squeaked slightly and gasped. "Wait...he bit you and drank your blood? Yasu! Your stalker is a vampire!"

Kisame blinked and then looked at Yasu who was staring at them as if they were insane.

"Haruka is dead," he said icily. "Not a ghost...and not a vampire. Dead."

"Well, I think it's too weird to be a coincidence," Kisame said scowling. "Unless it's one hell of a look-a-like!"

"Fine!" Yasu snapped. "Let's pretend I believe you for one moment, what.."

"Hey, Yasu," Ai interrupted, looking over at the two. "Would you say you and this Haruka guy were really close?"

Yasu's face calmed a fraction. He sighed softly, smiling sadly. "He was my best friend...why?"

He glanced at Kisame and shoved the blond onto the couch, getting a degree of satisfaction knowing the other couldn't fight back in his condition.

Ai giggled slightly at Kisame and then looked ay Yasu, turning serious. "I just remembered. That note you got. It said remember my name...and my love. Did Haruka have a girlfriend...ever? Did he go on dates?"

Yasu blinked, unsure of where the pixie was going and how it was relevant to the current argument.

"No," he answered. "I asked him once, the night he disappeared, and he said he wasn't interested."

Yasu stepped back as Kisame took a weak swing at him from the couch. The blond scowled and then glared at Ai.

"What are you getting at?" he demanded. "How does this have anything to do with Yasu's inability to accept the obvious?"

"There is no such thing as vampires!" Yasu snapped.

"Actually, I think Kisame is right," Ai murmured. "But how I don't know...but I think I know why he's stalking you."

"Huh?" the other two asked, both looking confused.

“I think he was,” Ai murmured carefully. “Well…I think maybe this Haruka guy was in love with you.”

Kisame’s eyes widened in shock as he fell off the couch, staring at Ai with a horrified look. Yasu stared at her, his face not only shocked, but faintly worried.

“In love…with me?” he asked weakly.

“Duuude!” Kisame choked from the floor, making slight gagging noises. Ai grinned, fairly proud of herself before she turned back to Yasu.

“Well,” she said softly. “The note…it kind of gives it away. It’s possible that he loved you but never told you. Now he’s got a second chance and he’s not letting anyone get in his way…”

“No,” Yasu whispered, his voice barely audible.

“This means he’s getting everyone he sees as competition out of the way,” Ai continued, “which would explain Kisame’s ass kicking.”

“No,” Yasu repeated, his voice darkening slightly.

“This Haruka guy was in love with you, Yasu. You just didn’t see it, but he wants you to.”

“NO!” Yasu cried, ignoring the burn of fresh tears. “Get out! Both of you! You’re both delusional.”

Kisame stared at Yasu quietly and looked at Ai nodding to the door. Ai bit her lip and then went to Kisame helping him up. She glared at Yasu for a moment.

“You know there’s some truth here, Yasu,” She said coldly. “You just don’t want to see it.”

“Get out!”

Yasu clenched his fists at his side as he heard the door click. He fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself. He opened the lock box at his feet and pulled out a picture, running his fingers down Haruka’s face.

“You’re dead,” he whispered, his voice pained. “Why won’t you let me let go?”

He moved to the couch, curling his with his knees to his chest, closing his eyes tightly. It didn’t take long for the tears to subside and his breathing to even out.

Haruka watched from a dark corner, red tears falling down his own face. “I don’t want either of us to let go, Yasu. I will never let you go.”

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Okay, this isn’t the chapter I had typed, but the other one jumped like an acre and seemed to go too fast so I’m dragging it out. I hope you all enjoyed this rather emo installment.

Remember to review and I have a favor…if anyone can come up with a better description for my story, I would like to hear it.