Oikakeru Yume

Author’s Note: Uhm… there’s some really ugly stuff going on in this chapter. Taki has some serious anger issues that he’s going to have to work through. He’s still way pissed at Hide and he finally hits his boiling point and does something about it. If sex with some violence isn’t your cup of tea, please stop reading, ‘cause it’s not going to get any better. If you don’t mind a little pain with your pleasure… then, by all means, enjoy! The timing is just a little bit off with this chapter as the story actually begins during the last few days of December, but it just worked out better that way.


January


The phone rang and Taki picked it up. To say that the voice on the other end of the line surprised him would be an understatement. It was his younger brother, Yukishiro. “Where are you? You what? Okay. I’ll be there.” The brief conversation ended and Taki placed the receiver back in its cradle, stunned.

“Who was that?” Hide asked.

Pause. “Yukishiro.”

“Your brother?”

“Yeah.”

“And…” Hide pried.

“He wants to see me.” Taki replied, confused.

“Oh,” Hide murmured. At least Taki was talking to him again, even if it was just in little snippets. “So he’s back?” He KNEW he’d screwed up the minute the words left his mouth.

Taki’s head spun around. “What do you mean ‘he’s back’? How did you know he’d gone anywhere?”

Hide tried to skirt the issue, but it was too late. Taki had finally caught onto him with those three stupidly uttered words.

“You bastard! You knew! You knew about Yukishiro… and you didn’t TELL me!” Taki shouted, his fury resounding throughout the house, slamming his coffee down so hard on the dining room table that the ceramic mug shattered.

“Taki…” Hide backpedaled.

“You knew where he was! And you didn’t TELL me!”

“I promised him, Taki.”

“You had NO RIGHT!”

“He asked me not to tell you.” Hide pleaded.

“He’s MY brother. What business was it of yours?”

“I was just trying to help…”

“Trying to HELP!” Taki screamed; advancing on Hide as the vampire scrambled to get out of his way. Shaking furiously, Taki roared, “Aaggghhh!” before stalking out of the room; muscling his way past Hide and out the front door.

Hide fell back against the dining room door, heavily. Taki was going to see Yukishiro. The only place he could think of where the two brothers might meet was their old house, now Yukishiro’s home. He knew he had to do something. Taki was in a rage. If he confronted Yukishiro now, they may well be hauling him in for another crime tomorrow. Racing out the door, Hide dialed the number of a taxi company, praying that he wouldn’t be too late.

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

They were standing in the middle of their mother’s kitchen, glaring at each other.

“What have you done?” Taki asked, confused.

“Nothing a dozen other people wouldn’t have gladly done.” Yukishiro responded, petulantly.

“How can you say that?”

“Taki… the man was a monster.”

“How could you? He was our father,” Taki pleaded.

“How can you SAY that?” Yukishiro shouted back. “He was a bastard. He tried to kill our mother. He tried to kill YOU.”

“He was still our father,” Taki insisted, his voice rising.

Yukishiro just glared at him. “YOU may have thought of him as your father, but I never did. I HAD no father. I was raised by our mother’s brothers. THEY are the only fathers I have ever known.”

Hide could hear them shouting, their angry voices crackling in the air like sparks from a fire. Rushing inside, he dashed between them just as words were about to progress into blows. “Taki… Stop!” he shouted, catching Taki’s arm before the other man’s blow could strike its intended target.

Furious brown eyes bored into him, as Hide’s other hand shot out and stopped Yukishiro’s punch as well. “Taki… listen to me. It’s not Yukishiro’s fault.”

Ripping his arm out of Hide’s hand, Taki hissed, “Liar!”

Hide persisted, “I know you’re hurt. I know you’re angry. But, please, Taki, just listen to me.”

Yukishiro backed away, allowing Hide space to try to reason with Taki.

Taki roared in frustration.

“Taki… please.”

“WHAT?”

“It was an accident, Taki. It was all an accident.”

Yukishiro hung his head, tears rolling silently down his face. Taki backed out of Hide’s reach.

“Yukishiro didn’t kill your father, Taki.”

“Then who DID? Or did two holes just magically appear in his head that night?”

Hide sighed, knowing Taki wasn’t going to get any more receptive. “Your brother was just coming to visit your mother that night. When he got here, your mother was already unconscious. Your father was drunk and angry.”

Taki swung around to fix his furious gaze on his younger brother. “Is this true?” he demanded.

Yukishiro nodded, miserably. Hide placed a comforting hand on the young man’s shoulder before continuing his explanation of the fateful night’s events. “Your father was startled by Yukishiro’s sudden appearance. Maybe he thought Yukishiro was an intruder… maybe he thought Yukishiro was you. Who knows? Whatever it was, your father attacked Yukishiro first.”

Taki continued to stare at Yukishiro, the younger man falling to his knees as his tears renewed.

“Yukishiro was scared. He’s not like you, Taki. He didn’t grow up in this environment, so he didn’t know what to do. He panicked. He didn’t even know if your mother was still alive or not.”

Taki took a step toward Yukishiro, then stopped, his mind reeling.

“When your father reached for him, Yukishiro did the only thing he could think of. He protected himself. He grabbed the lamp from that table and struck out with it. That was the blow to the front of the head that your father sustained. But, it’s NOT what killed him.”

Kneeling at his younger brother’s side, Taki placed a hand on his back. Yukishiro looked up, pleading.

“Your father stumbled. The blow to the head probably confused him, maybe threw off his balance. Anyway, somehow he fell… against the side of the table. He twisted around, probably still trying to grab Yukishiro, which is how he managed to hit the BACK of his head. THAT was the blow that killed him.”

Hide finished his recount, watching the brothers as Yukishiro moved to Taki’s chest, sobbing, “I’m sorry, Taki. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to kill him.”

Taki’s arm held him, lightly. “Then it’s true.”

Yukishiro nodded.

“You DIDN’T kill him,” Taki said, firmly.

“But…” Yukishiro sniffled.

“You DIDN’T kill him,” Taki repeated, more forcefully this time.

“Taki…”

“It’s okay, Yuki. Turn yourself in. It was an accident. There’s PROOF, right?”

“The medical examiner’s report will corroborate Yukishiro’s story.” Hide replied.

“Then the police will know it was just an accident. It wasn’t your fault. Do it, turn yourself in so we can put this behind us.”

Yukishiro agreed, letting Taki help him stand. The two brothers embraced, before Taki turned to leave.

“Taki…” Hide called.

Taki stopped, turning slowly to glare at Hide’s hand on his shoulder. Brushing it off distastefully, he stalked away. Hide’s heart fell. After a moment’s hesitation, he raced to the doorway, but he was already too late, Taki was gone. Leaning disheartened against the door frame, Hide let out a shuddering breath. “Taki…”

Yukishiro walked over, gauging Hide’s reactions. “You didn’t tell me the whole truth before, did you?”

Hide’s eyes met his.

“You’re MORE than just friends, aren’t you?”

Miserably, Hide nodded.

“Then take my advice, Hide… tell him the truth. All of it.”

Yukishiro’s hand felt warm on his arm, as a tear trickled down Hide’s cheek.

“I’m so sorry, Hide. Your problems are entirely my fault.” Hide shook his head, but Yukishiro continued. “You helped me so much and I screwed up your life. I made you promise to keep everything from him at the cost of jeopardizing your own relationship. I’m so sorry.”

Yukishiro could see why Taki felt the way he did about this man. Hide was like a child. He was so naïve, so trusting, so innocent. He MADE you want to protect him. And he made you feel like a complete heel when you’d done something to hurt him.

“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

The sound of sirens approached them. “I’ve called the police, so you’d better go now,” Yukishiro urged. “Don’t worry about Taki. Give him some time to cool down, then tell him the truth and I’m sure he’ll come around.” The sirens were almost upon them now. Yukishiro stepped out into the street as Hide melted into the shadows.

Two streets away, Hide finally stopped to call a taxi.

The house was dark when he got there and his heart sank again. Taki didn’t come home that night, even though Hide waited up all night for him.

The next night was New Year’s Eve. Hide had imagined they would go to a shrine together, then come home, eat the toshikoshi soba he’d prepared and watch the first sunrise of the New Year. He also imagined them spending a lot of time in bed. As the old saying went… if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Hide spent all of New Year’s Eve alone, as well, crying.

It wasn’t until late New Year’s morning that he finally heard the click of the front door. Taki had spent the past two nights staying with a friend from work, finally deciding on New Year’s morning that he would go to a shrine and pray for guidance. He bought a fortune and laughed when it told him that things might be tough right now, but if he stuck with it, it would all work out in the end.

Then he’d received the phone call. Yukishiro had been released from the police station and one of the first things he’d done was call Taki… to tell him the truth, ALL of it. He admitted to Taki that the misunderstanding between Taki and Hide had been entirely HIS fault. He told Taki about their chance meeting at their mother’s house and the conversation they’d had that day. He also told Taki about their second meeting, when he’d confessed to Hide about being at the house the night their father died. He’d sworn Hide to secrecy on both occasions and being the honorable person that he was, Hide had kept his word, even at the risk of his relationship with Taki.

“He’s a good guy, Taki.” Yukishiro begged. “Please give him a chance.”

“He lied to me!” Taki fumed.

“Oh, and YOU’VE been completely honest with him?”

Taki glared at the phone. “What do you mean by THAT?”

“You didn’t tell him everything about your life at home. You didn’t tell him everything our father did to you. He didn’t know how badly you were really treated. He didn’t know about the broken bones and the hospitals. I should know, because he was completely stunned when I told him.”

“YOU told him! You had no right…”

“Oh, shut up, Taki! I was scared when I talked to Hide. He was just trying to protect me, even though he had no reason to except for the fact that I was your brother. He didn’t want to do it. He didn’t want to lie to you. But I made him promise. He wanted to give me a reason to trust him. He was trying to get me to trust YOU. Haven’t you figured it out by now? Are you THAT dense?”

Taki hung on the phone, silent.

“This is killing him. YOU’RE killing him. Quit being so freaking stubborn and talk to him, you jackass!”

“You don’t know the whole story either, Yuki!” Taki defended his decision.

“Then TELL me. What the hell is going on between the two of you?”

Taki considered telling his younger brother to butt out, but changed his mind. Maybe telling Yukishiro would help. “He’s in danger, Yuki.”

“What?”

“There are people out to hurt him, maybe even kill him.”

“And, what does that…”

“He came home really messed up that night. He went back to Mom’s house apparently after he talked to you and they jumped him there.”

“Taki! I didn’t know.” Yukishiro was stunned. “But, why? Why did he go back there?”

“Because he had some crazy idea in his head that I needed to know how our father died. He wanted to find out so that I would know the truth.”

The realization shocked Yukishiro. HE was the cause of this as well. “Oh, shit. Taki. I’m sorry. This is totally my fault.”

Ignoring Yukishiro’s confession, Taki went on. “I asked him not to go anywhere alone, particularly at night, but he didn’t listen to me. Then, as if THAT meant nothing, he did it again. He went out and they got him again. He was such bad shape when he came home the second time, I really thought he would die! I was so damn scared, Yuki. Do you know what it takes to scare ME? And I was really freakin’ SCARED!”

“Taki…” Yukishiro breathed.

There was no response from Taki’s end of the line.

“Don’t blame him, Taki. Please. He was just trying to help. He meant well.”

“Yuki… have you ever heard the saying ‘the path to hell is paved with good intentions’.”

“Damn it, Taki, who are YOU to be so self-righteous? After everything YOU’VE done in your life. It was unintentional. Whatever mess Hide got into, he didn’t do it on purpose! He didn’t mean to scare you like that and, dammit Taki, he DIDN’T die. He’s still here and he hurting. And this time YOU’RE the one hurting him.”

“Yuki…”

“Just talk to him, Taki.” Yukishiro urged, his tone finally returning to normal. “You OWE him that… we BOTH do. Please.”

There was a heavy sigh from Taki’s side. Silence followed.

“Taki?”

“Okay, Yuki. I hear you. I’ll talk to him.”

“Thanks, bro’…well, gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.” Yukishiro hung up, smiling.

So Taki came home to finally face Hide.

He could hear the vampire’s wracking sobs all the way from the entry. Shaking his head, he turned and headed for the garden.

Snapping to attention at the sound of the front door, Hide scrubbed the tears from his face with the back of his hand and rushed through the house, searching for the younger man. He finally found Taki in the garden. “What are you doing out here? It’s freezing.”

No response.

“I’m sorry, Taki. I’m sorry I lied to you; I’m sorry I kept things from you; I’m…”

Taki stopped him with a finger pressed tightly to his lips, head lowered. Hide stood perfectly still, not even daring to breathe. When Taki’s head finally came up, the fire in the younger man’s eyes threatened to set them both ablaze. “Hide,” Taki gasped, snatching the vampire to him in a crushing embrace, his lips pressed vehemently to Hide’s, his tongue exploring the recesses of Hide’s mouth. One hand wound through the long titian tail, yanking the tie out along with a few strands of hair. Once the elastic band was gone, a handful of hair was grabbed and tugged backwards; jerking Hide’s head back painfully, exposing his throat. Blunt teeth clamped on the soft skin beneath one ear, biting down until Hide whimpered.

The next few minutes were a whirlwind of action as Taki stripped the vampire of his shirt and tossed him handily to the cold, hard ground, straddling him, pinning him down. Teeth closed over one sensitized nipple as Hide’s body strained upward, offering himself more fully to Taki’s waiting mouth.

“Taki…” he moaned, only to be cut short by a hand over his mouth.

“Not… one… sound,” Taki growled.

Several more quick motions and he was naked. The snow-covered stepping stones were frozen against his back and icy cold pricked him, but he lay there as Taki commanded, silent, unmoving. He considered this his penance for betraying Taki‘s trust.

Nudging his legs apart, Taki knelt between them, still fully dressed, running his hand up and down the length of Hide’s erection. Hide bit deeply into his lower lip, trying to keep the cries of joy from escaping. Blood trickled down the side of his mouth. Seeing it, Taki leaned over and ran his tongue over the crimson trail, licking it clean. Hide moved under him, his breath coming in shuddering gasps.

The hands on his shaft suddenly vanished and he bit back a moan of disappointment. Blunt nails dragged up and down his ribcage leaving reddened trails all along the flesh and sending sparks flying into his brain. Cold fingers pinched a swollen nipple cruelly, sending Hide arching toward Taki as another hand drove him back to the snow-covered ground.

Then a moist heat enveloped his shaft and his world imploded. Fingers dug into his hips, holding him down as he struggled to keep from ramming himself down Taki’s throat. Taki held him still as he set the pace, a leisurely, torturous pace, his lips gliding up and down Hide’s shaft as though it were a Popsicle. Red hair whipped around them as Hide began losing control. His hands clenched around fistfuls of snow and leaves, heedless of the burning pain the freezing cold spread throughout his palms. The feeling of teeth scraping up the length of him proved to be the apex, as Hide exploded, sending strings of pearly white fluid everywhere. Taki backed away, watching Hide’s body spasm violently in the throes of his climax. Tears flowed out from the corners of the vampire’s tightly shut eyes, melting little pools into the snow beneath his head.

Without waiting for Hide to recover, Taki jerked him upright, setting him on his hands and knees. Hide’s body trembled, partially from the freezing cold, partially from his climax and partially out of fear. The fear was irrational, he knew that, but that didn’t stop Hide from being frightened. This was not the Taki he knew. This was a very angry young man that had been betrayed by his best friend, the very person he trusted, the person he loved and who he thought loved him back. Quaking uncontrollably, Hide clenched his eyes shut, resigning himself to his punishment. This is why Taki’s next action took him by surprise.

A cold digit pressed into him, slowly, deliberately, slick with lube. Hide’s tear-swollen eyes sprang open as his head jerked up. The finger slid in, turning and drawing back out, again and again until it could move unimpeded. Then it was joined by a second finger. Hide rocked his hips backward and was rewarded by a sharp slap across the buttocks. His legs shuddered even more violently as he tried to remain still while the fingers in him were doing unmentionable things to his insides. The fingers turned again, and brushed against that treacherous nerve bundle within him, making Hide’s body convulse and earning him another painful swat. A third finger was added, turning and stretching, opening him. Hide’s head had dropped back down, long red hair flowing around him like a puddle. As Taki touched that spot within him again, Hide’s arms gave in, collapsing to the icy ground with a cry. Only the fingers within him and the hand grasping one of his hips kept him on his knees.

Then, the fingers were gone, instantly replaced by something larger and definitely more solid. After coating his shaft liberally with lube, Taki carefully guided himself into Hide’s body, not pausing until he’d completely sheathed himself in the vampire’s clutching channel. The angle that Hide had collapsed in was advantageous for them both. Kneeling behind the vampire Taki had only to plunge in and he would be hitting Hide’s prostate with almost each and every thrust. Unable to keep mute any longer Hide cried out as one of Taki’s hands closed around his rejuvenated shaft, pumping it in time with the smack of his hips.

It was almost too cruel. Every time Hide would reach the pinnacle, Taki would stop moving, allowing their straining bodies to wind down before starting again. Every millimeter of Hide’s body cried out for release, laboring, aching, and yet, perpetually denied. Taki’s hands were everywhere, grasping, stroking. The heat radiating from the younger man burned the vampire wherever he was touched, the pain fast becoming unbearable when combined with the freezing cold temperature. He whimpered pathetically, begging to be let go. But Taki’s wicked mind had other ideas.

Suddenly, Taki was gone, leaving Hide crouched on his snow-covered garden path trembling and confused, until rough hands dragged him to his feet. Uncomprehending, he found himself pressed face-first against the barren trunk of one of his maple trees. Then, Taki was back, fingers digging into his hips, pounding into him mercilessly. The coarseness of the bark bit into the front of his body painfully as his arms encircled the frosted trunk, holding on for dear life. His legs bowed out as his muscles threatened to liquefy under Taki’s intense onslaught. Only his arms tightening around the maple kept him upright. It hurt, more than Hide was willing to admit, though his brain realized full well. The impact of Taki’s body crashing into his sent him scraping against the tree, ice and bark chafing patches of skin off with every thrust.

It was a losing battle for Hide. He could barely stand, he could barely think. His entire world had been reduced to the foreign body part plowing its way into and out of his backside. It was the only part of his body where he still had feeling, though that was rapidly declining as well. His hold on the tree faltered and he slid down a fraction, tilting his behind upward slightly, presenting Taki with an easier target. Taki gave a particularly harsh thrust, accented by a grunt and Hide’s cheek brushed against the tree trunk, scraping the skin just below his right eye. Tears welled.

Their confrontation continued for what felt like an eternity; Taki’s anger providing him with more stamina than either man had anticipated. Hide panted and moaned, shaking like a leaf as Taki’s torment of him went on unrelenting. Over and over again he was pounded against the tree as Taki rammed into his body, unsympathetically. Then, once again, Taki pulled out of him and moved away. A sound akin to a sob issued from Hide’s throat as he drew in a long, shuddering breath.

“How could you?” Powerful hands grabbed his arms painfully and spun him around, throwing him backwards against the tree. Tear-filled teal eyes rose guiltily to face infuriated brown ones, so dark from passion and rage that they gave the appearance of being nearly jet black. “How could you?” the furious question repeated.

All Hide could think to do was cry, the power of speech eluding him. The flood gates crashed and the tears came rushing out.

But his tears seemed to have no effect on the livid young man. “You lied to me.” The statement was accented by an iron grip yanking Hide forward and slamming him back against the tree trunk. “You went behind my back.” Slam! “You put yourself in harm’s way even though I asked you not to.” Slam! “You could have been killed!” Slam! “You moron!” Slam!

And there it was… the entire reason behind Taki’s fury.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded, shaking Hide like a doll, his hot breath swirling in the air around them.

Hide’s tears streaked down his ravaged body in glistening trails.

“Kimi wa boku no mono desu ne,” Taki hissed. You belong to me.

The statement would have raised the hackles on another man, but to Hide, nothing could have been closer to the truth. The vampire truly belonged to the younger man, heart and “soul”. He wouldn’t have considered of it any other way.

Unable to take any more of Taki’s harsh treatment, Hide sagged limply against the younger man. Long, delicate fingers crept their way up Taki’s sleeves to bunch at his shoulders as Hide buried his face against the front of Taki’s shirt, his tears soaking through it. The strength in his legs finally failed and he fell to his knees, sliding down the front of Taki’s still-clothed body clutching futilely at the younger man’s pant legs. Taki stood frozen, towering over him, watching as the vampire finally collapsed to the ground, his head in his hands, tears streaming through his fingers.

“Stupid,” Taki muttered.

Hide looked up at him, his face streaked with blood, tree fragments and tears, his eyes pleading. The wrath that filled Taki had finally reached its boiling point. There was nowhere for it to go now but away. Glaring down at Hide, Taki felt something deep inside of him break off and drift away, leaving him with an eerie sense of calm. He sank to his knees beside the curled up form of his friend. “Hide,” he sighed. Reaching out, he drew the shuddering, abused body up to settle in his lap. White arms now covered with bloody scratches circled his neck loosely as the mass of red hair fell against his shoulder.

Had he been forgiven, Hide couldn’t tell. “I’m sorry,” he sobbed, regaining his voice. He raised his head to look directly at Taki.

The coldness in Taki’s eyes melted at last, as he gathered the weeping vampire to his chest. “I know,” he whispered into the damp mop of red hair.

“I just wanted to help you.”

“You DID help me, Hide. I just wish you’d done it a little differently.”

“I’m sorry,” Hide continued sobbing as Taki’s arms fell from his back, working the buttons on his own shirt and shrugging it off. Hide wrapped his arms around Taki’s waist, sinking against his chest and reveling in the feel of the younger man’s skin touching his. Even chilled Taki’s flesh gave off a delicious warmth that Hide craved. Taki stroked the vampire’s hair lightly, gently rocking back and forth, suddenly remembering how his mother used to comfort him when distressed as he was a child. “Shh,” he whispered, soothing, arms surrounding the other man, cradling him until the heaving sobs finally ebbed to tiny sniffles.

Lifting the trembling chin, Taki touched his lips to Hide’s, tenderly. “I love you, you idiot,” he grumbled, through the kiss.

Hide’s eyes slid closed. “I’m sorry.” Taki shifted beneath him, and Hide’s eyes flew open again.

“Put your legs around my waist.” Taki commanded as Hide complied. “Now lock your ankles behind my back.” Taki stood then, lifting Hide off the ground as though he was as light as a feather. The vampire never ceased to marvel at the younger man’s strength. Soon, Taki was just as naked as Hide. Bracing Hide’s back against the same tree they’d used before, Taki finally guided himself back into Hide’s clenching body. “Aah,” Hide gasped; the sensation of being filled triggering a massive explosion of fireworks in his brain.

With Hide pressed against the tree, Taki’s hands under his buttocks for support, the younger man began to move, stroking in and out repeatedly. Hide just hung there, virtually boneless at this point, while Taki did all of the work. The image of him being taken by Taki while he forfeited ALL control to the younger man was almost too much for Hide’s brain to handle and his shaft gave a jump. Taki felt it bump against his stomach and he smiled. Stepping closer, he ground himself against Hide, searching for the perfect angle to brush against the vampire’s prostate again. He knew he’d found it when Hide’s head fell back with a shout. “Taki!”

Taki continued driving into Hide’s body, the older man’s legs falling from his waist, weakly, the clenching of his tight channel instinctively changing with Taki’s rhythm. Hide’s body was shuddering almost uncontrollably now. He was thankful for the press of Taki’s chest against his and the hands under him that kept him from completely crumpling to the ground once again. But, it wouldn’t be long.

Since they’d been playing this game for a while now, completion wasn’t far off for either of them.

Fingers tightening in his hair brought Hide out of his reverie. Taki was looking at him, intently, fighting to hold the flood at bay.

“You know what to do,” he told Hide, pressing the vampire’s lips to the salty-slick skin of his throat.

With lightning fast reflexes, fangs sunk into the soft flesh, jaws snapping back open just as quickly. Wave after wave of ecstasy crashed over both men, their trembling bodies, firmly entwined, sinking to the frozen ground beneath the extremely defiled maple. Their cries echoed through the garden as Taki’s essence jetted into Hide and Hide shot glistening white threads across their chests and stomachs. They kept moving against each other until every last drop had been drained from their bodies and they fell to the snowy ground, languid, sated.

A small moan was the only response Taki got when he pulled his diminished length out of Hide’s body. “Sorry,” he whispered, brushing a strand of unruly red out of Hide’s eyes and placing a quick kiss on the vampire’s forehead.

Hide curled into Taki’s chest drowsily, the sound of the younger man’s heartbeat hypnotic. Taki’s arms wrapped around him; gently, protectively.

Tipping Hide’s chin up so that they were eye to eye, Taki warned, “Don’t ever do that again.”

“Taki…”

“I’m serious, Hide. Don’t you dare get yourself killed and leave me here alone, you hear me?”

Hide swore he felt warmth flood his chest as he made the vow that Taki wanted to hear. “I won’t leave you, I promise.”

“No more lies.”

“No more, Taki.”

“No more secrets.”

“I promise, Taki. No more.”

“’Cause you really hurt me, you know.”

“So says the man who DOESN’T have frost-bite, ‘tree-burn’ or bark cuts plastered all over his backside.” Flipping Hide over in one quick motion, Taki gave the vampire’s sorely mistreated rear end a hard smack. “Oww! Taki!”

“Keep up the lip service, dude and I’m sure there’ll be a few more fights for us in the future.”

Rolling back to contour himself against Taki, Hide murmured, “I’m okay with that as long as you promise that making up will always be like this.”

Taki chuckled, shaking his head in amazement. “You are one sick vamp… you know that.”

Lifting his head to touch his lips to Taki’s, Hide whispered, “I learned from the best.”

“Damn, I’m good.”

“Taki…”

“Hmm.”

“Can we go inside now, before we turn into Popsicles?”

In the heat of his fury and passion, Taki had failed to notice the freezing temperature. But now, spent and stark naked in the snow… he felt it. Grabbing Hide’s hand, Taki hauled him to his feet, shouting, “Oh hell, my balls are freezing off!”

Hide giggled, cupping a naughty palm over Taki’s rapidly shriveling manly pride. “We certainly don’t want THAT to happen!”

Laughing hysterically, they quickly snatched up their clothes and ran back into the house, renewing their passion in the wet heat of the furo, where they proceeded to splash every drop of water onto the floor in their quest for fulfillment.


~End of Chapter Six~